Translator: Rainbow Turtle
Jung Heewon and I passed through the central shopping district of Paradise and arrived at a small hill.
The place where the master resided was naturally gorgeous. It was the same with the castle in Peace Land. However, the lord of Paradise wasn’t a normal existence.
[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ has wide eyes.]
[The constellation ‘Patron of the Young and the Travelers’ reveals discomfort.]
As I moved closer to the hill, the constellations of Eden reacted violently.
Patron of the Young and the Travelers. Perhaps a new archangel was paying attention to me. Based on the faint pressure felt from the indirect message, it seemed to be a constellation that was at least on the level of Uriel.
It meant three angels in Eden was following me.
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is looking forward to your rampage.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ wonders about your stigma.]
The Great Sage the Equal of Heaven and the black dragon were the same. All three regular members of my channel gathered together. I felt pleased because the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven helped with the formation of my nebula last time.
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ has snorted and let out snot.]
...It was hard to believe from the indirect messages that this was the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven. In fact, did he actually write the indirect messages? For example, there was the clone I saw.
Either way, if Secretive Plotter came then all four of the early people would be gathered...
[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is watching the situation with interested eyes.
Scarily enough, the last one came as I was thinking about him.
Secretive Plotter. I wasn’t able to confirm his face at the constellation banquet. It was clear that he was a narrative-grade constellation but no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t remember his modifier.
I suddenly had doubts. Was it possible this strong presence didn’t appear in the original novel?
[Many constellations are paying attention to your actions.]
“We are here.” Jung Heewon spoke and I stopped at the road up to the hill. There was a white brick house on top of the hill.
A white house on the hill. I didn’t know the intentions behind it but the taste was unique.
“I’ll wait here. Call me if anything happens.”
I nodded but I already knew that Jung Heewon wouldn’t run right away because I called her. In Paradise, there was no one who could win again the Paradise master.
I climbed up along the road and a shadow appeared near the brick house. A man with a beautiful appearance stood there, as if he had been carved into a sculpture.
If I didn’t have Fourth Wall, I would’ve stopped breathing from his beauty. Yoo Jonghyuk was also handsome but this person’s appearance couldn’t be described. It was a demonic beauty.
“I’m sorry but please wait a moment. These guys were shy around strangers.”
The man was watering the flowers on the hill. The flowers were blooming towards the air. Their petals were wide open, like they were trying to swallow the sky, but they were just small flowers.
I knew the name of the flower.
“The Perpetual Motion.”
It was was a collective term for things that worked forever without being supplied energy sources from outside, but here it was merely the name of a flower.
The man asked, “Do you know this flower?”
“New flowers bloom almost every day.”
“You have great knowledge.”
It was naturally because I read Ways of Survival.
The flowers of Paradise, the Perpetual Motion. The flower, which only grew on this hill, bloomed at dawn and yielded fruit at night. The fruit fell before dawn and would be used as fertilizer to grow more flowers. Perpetual Motion was a flower that repeated forever.
The man said this flower was very lovely. “I never get tired looking at them. Their vitality is truly amazing.”
“However, the name is wrong. If it was really perpetual motion, the flower should grow well without water.”
“It is such a beautiful flower but you can only saw the flaws?”
The man laughed and looked at me. “I haven’t introduced myself. I am...”
“The master of Paradise, Reinheit von Djerba.”
I knew him well. He was one of the most famous ’10 Evils’ in Ways of Survival. Reinheit smiled. “Nice to meet you, Kim Dokja.”
As expected, he already knew who I was.
[The exclusive skill ‘Character List’ is activated!]
[There is too much information about this person. Character List is converted to Character Summary List.]
[Character List Summary]
Character: Reinheit von Djerba.
Private Attribute: Demon Marquis (Legend), One Who Pursues an Impossible Dream (Hero).
Exclusive Skill: Demon’s Eyes Lv. 10, Advanced Weapons Training, Advanced Mental Barrier Lv. 10...
Stigma: Master of Paradise Lv. 10.
Total Stats: Physique Lv. 99, Strength Lv. 99, Agility Lv. 99, Magic Power Lv. 99.
*2nd in the Dark Castle rankings.
It was truly great. His overall stats had exceeded the limits of the scenario and almost every skill had reached the maximum. Maybe Reinheit was the ‘limit’ of this scenario.
I stared at him and Reinheit clapped.
“It is difficult when you are burning with too much hostility. The Perpetual Motion will be broken.”
I asked, “Why did you call me?”
“I was wondering about the rumours. You have caused a loud buzz the moment you entered this scenario.”
Reinheit was different from the 10 Evils I had met so far. If Gong Pildu and Lee Seolhwa were growing into the 10 Evils, Reinheit was already near completion.
“A being like you entering the scenario is a threat to me.”
“The second ranked demon marquis is too humble.”
“...You know about that? Your preliminary investigation is thorough.”
His killing intent suddenly sprang out.
...Was he going to ambush me now?
I hesitated. I didn’t think I could beat or kill him. It wouldn’t be an easy fight. The outcome couldn’t be guaranteed. Yet the reason for my hesitation...
He said, “In my world, Dark Castle was the 34th scenario.”
Perhaps it was because I saw his Paradise. Reinheit watched the scenery of the fortress below the hill.
“I remember the first time I came here 800 years ago. At the time, there was nothing on the plains. Only the rankings were given. The incarnations were busy hunting and killing each other, despite there being nothing in the scenario.”
I imagined them first falling on the plains. All beings in Dark Castle evolved into demons over time. The first ones to enter Dark Castle weren’t demons from the beginning.
“They ascended to a higher species in order to become stronger. In a situation with no time limits or failure conditions, they focused only on getting a higher ranking. Endless war and slaughter. It is the only thing that the incarnations could do when the story had disappeared.”
The disappearance of the scenario wasn’t a happy thing. Whether it was a constellation or an incarnation, every being eventually needed a story.
However, Reinheit didn’t agree with this. He was tired of being a toy in someone’s scenario and no longer wanted to be a slave to the scenario.
“Thus, I created Paradise.” I knew Reinheit was sincere. “The dokkaebis call this a ‘tomb’ but not me. I became a blood-stained demon after many years but I believe real life can only bloom after the scenario has disappeared.”
The words were filled with deep emotions. I might’ve been caught if I hadn’t read the original novel.
That was what Yoo Jonghyuk called Reinheit.
“Constellation Kim Dokja. You want to go to the next scenario.”
“Stop. Such a thing doesn’t exist.” As expected, this was what he wanted. “I’ve lived for 800 years and it isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone like you.”
“Numerous strong people have found hidden scenarios but none have cleared Dark Castle. Everyone becomes desperate and frustrated by the void of this scenario.” Reinhart continued speaking, “I don’t want you to be like them.”
“Constellation Kim Dokja. Please protect Paradise with me. I need your help.”
I stood silently by his side and touched the petals of the Perpetual Motion. Before the surprised Reinheit could stop me, the trembling flower quickly shriveled and the fruit fell. The fallen fruit suddenly became rotten and rolled down the hillside.
The guard passing by saw it but didn’t pay much attention. It was because they had no intention of cutting out the rotten part of Paradise.
“U-Ugh... release me! It is wrong!”
“I didn’t steal anything!”
The criminals of Paradise were being transported to the underground area below the hill. I knew where they were being dragged.
[Some constellations are laughing unpleasantly.]
Just as permanent institutions didn’t exist, Paradise wasn’t free. They would probably become Paradise’s fertilizer. It was just like the rotten fruit became the plant’s fertilizers.
A small earthquake occurred deep underground. It seemed to be the cry of a terrible monster.
I told him, “Reinheit, there is no Paradise. A permanent institution can’t exist.”
Reinheit didn’t say anything. It looked like he was trying to test me. However, he would soon regret it.
“Give me the ‘next’ scenario.”
A look of panic appeared in Reinheit’s eyes for the first time.
“I know that you found it 700 years ago. To be exact, you and a few strong people have found it.”
“You have even challenged the scenario. Isn’t that right?”
“However, you failed and survived by yourself. Then this Paradise was made.”
I didn’t miss the trembling in his fingertips as he looked after the petals. He said he created this place to help people find life.
It wasn’t true. This was just a refuge for an impossible scenario.
“All the scenarios of the Star Stream exist for stimulation. There is no stimulation in Paradise. Everything is too peaceful.”
“Don’t believe that the deal with the dokkaebi will last forever. The Star Stream will never allow this space to exist for a long time.
Reinheit was quiet for a while before slowly opening his mouth. “...Constellation Kim Dokja. What else do you know?”
His tone had changed. A faint but scary energy was flowing from him. His attitude towards me had changed from this conversation.
It changed from a helper he was anticipating to an enemy more threatening than anyone else.
“All of it, even things you don’t know.”
I saw a dark cloud coming from afar.
In such a situation, there was no chance of a cloud coming in. Thus, this rain cloud was definitely under the direction of the dokkaebis. They were sitting around and watching everything, even if they weren’t interfering.
It was because this world was a scenario even without a scenario. I sighed lightly and prepared for the end of the tragedy.
“Reinheit. You will die and Paradise will fall.”