Episode 9 – Omniscient Sunfish (5)
The cold sensation numbed my fingers. Dammit, I really wanted to beat this guy up. But...
There was something strange.
This guy, he didn’t look back. A grey-white aura was flowing from Yoo Jonghyuk’s body. The aura felt ominous and caused my hairs to rise.
I instinctively took a step back. Looking closer, the aura was connected to an old man sitting on a chair on the eighth floor. I knew everything the moment I saw this old man.
[The ‘Theatre Master’s Simulacrum’ has been revealed.]
...Dammit, it had become . Yoo Jonghyuk emanated the whitish aura and slowly turned towards me. It was the worst situation.
[The ‘Theatre Master’s Simulacrum’ has controlled the character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk.’]
Goosebumps covered my entire body. A formidable killing intent was rising from the guy who lost all sense of reason. There was no ‘character’ in the world who could stop this guy now.
[The character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has used Force Palm Lv. 4!]
I barely managed to open my mouth.
I experienced a strong pain in my side and my consciousness became numb. As this person who did as he liked shot forward, pages flipped through my head. I was alert.
「 ...The 8th turn Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t die in Theatre Dungeon because he was weak. Strictly speaking, Yoo Jonghyuk wasn’t lucky.
The boss of the ‘Theatre Dungeon’ is the worst opponent for a regressor lie Yoo Jonghyuk.. 」
My breathing was back.
[The External Reinforced Suit is damaged.]
[There is a reduction in the defense.]
I got up while holding my abdomen. It was a really nonsensical attack power. I ate so many ampoules yet still received this much damage from one blow?
One blow dealt huge damage and I was blown away to the other side of the rooftop.
[The character ‘Jung Heewon’ has used Demon Slaying Lv. 2!]
In the distance, Jung Heewon’s eyes were burning. I tried to get up but my body wasn’t listening to me.
[The character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has used Hundred Steps Godly Fists Lv. 4!]
The current Jung Heewon wasn’t Yoo Jonghyuk’s opponent. She could endure a few blows due to Demon Slaying but blood started to emerge from Jung Heewon’s mouth.
Yoo Jonghyuk was much stronger than I expected.
[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated.]
[There is too much information about this person. Character List is converted to Summary List.]
[Only randomly specified items will be displayed according to User’s convenience.]
[Character Summary List]
Private Attribute: Regressor (3rd turn) (Myth), Pro Gamer (Rare)
Exclusive Skills: Sage’s Eyes Lv. 8, Hand to Hand Combat Lv. 8, Advanced Weapons Training Lv. 5, Mental Barrier Lv. 5, Hundred Steps Godly Fists Lv. 2, Red Phoenix Shunpo Lv. 1...Omitted...
Stigma: Regression Lv.3, Transmission Lv. 1
Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 28, Strength Lv. 27, Agility Lv. 26, Magic Power Lv. 25.
* The character is currently in a loss of reason state.
This bastard. He activated a new stigma.
Transmission. It was a stigma that allowed Yoo Jonghyuk to wake up the skills he had in the past over time. Through this stigma, Yoo Jonghyuk would become a full-scale monster.
At this time, Lee Jihye came upstairs. The jerk flying towards Jung Heewon turned towards Lee Jihye.
Thanks to the favour of the Duke of Loyalty and Warfare or maybe Ghost Walk, Lee Jihye fortunately avoided the blow. I shouted toward Lee Jihye.
“He is being controlled! Go after the theater master!”
However, Lee Jihye wasn’t free enough to do so. In the end, we couldn’t reach the theatre master without going through Yoo Jonghyuk.
Jung Heewon and Lee Jihye’s eyes crossed. Their swords moved towards Yoo Jonghyuk at the same time.
It was the combo of Kendo and Sword Training. But the combo that damaged even the T-Rex didn’t work on Yoo Jonghyuk.
Lee Jihye was hit in the face with Hundred Steps Godly Fists, spat out blood and collapsed.
[The character ‘Jung Heewon’ has activated the exclusive skill ‘Judgment Time.’]
[The constellations of the Absolute Good system are silent at Jung Heewon’s request.]
[The skill has been cancelled.]
“Dammit...not this guy as well?”
It was natural. Yoo Jonghyuk was ruthless but his essence was ‘righteous.’
Jung Heewon was hit by a force punch and lost her sword, rolling across the ground. In this desperate moment, Lee Gilyoung used the special skill ‘Mjolnir’s Thunder’ from behind me.
[The character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has offset the impact of the attack with ‘Lightning Resistance.’
Yoo Jonghyuk looked this way. Shit. I knew he would be strong but... this much? I touched Lee Gilyoung’s shoulder and staggered forward.
“Gilyoung. Please. Do you know what to do?”
Lee Gilyoung quickly noticed and immediately nodded.
Lee Gilyoung started to mumble something straight away. Lee Gilyoung’s pupils slowly reversed. I didn’t want to do this but now I had to mobilize all my cards.
[You have used the Tyrant T-Rex’s DNA Ampoule.]
[All stats will explosively increase for 30 minutes!]
Yes...let’s fight you son of a bitch.
[Stamina Lv. 24 -> Stamina Lv. 34]
[Strength Lv. 24 -> Strength Lv. 34]
[Agility Lv. 20 -> Agility Lv. 30]
[Magic Power Lv. 15 -> Magic Power Lv. 25]
[The vitality in your body is rising!]
[The potential of your muscles have exploded!]
[You can move more agilely than before.]
[Your heart is seething with an unknown energy!]
The gap in insufficient skills was filled with overwhelming stats.
If Yoo Jonghyuk’s Transmission was complete, it would be a useless gamble. But it was possible since the skill level was low.
Still, it would only be for a moment. This moment was good.
[The exclusive skill ‘White Pure Star Energy Lv. 1’ has been activated.]
[The accumulation of stats will increase the level of White Pure Star Energy!]
[White Pure Star Energy Lv. 1 -> White Pure Star Energy Lv. 2.]
The feeling of the magic power at my fingertips changed. I didn’t have to run as he rushed towards me first. I realized my momentum was unusual as he pulled out his sword for the first time.
[The character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has used ‘Splitting the Sky Energy Lv. 2’.]
Sparks flew from our blades. Neither Yoo Jonghyuk or I stepped back. I felt tremendous pressure as I gripped the blade. Blue ether burned around his blade.
At this point, it was wonderful beyond admiration. In the world of Ways of Survival, higher stats created an absolute gap in power. Now my physical stats were in the 3rd stage while Yoo Jonghyuk was in the 2nd. (TL: So over 30 and over 20).
Still, he wasn’t pushed by me at all. No, it was to the point where I was pushed. I gritted my teeth.
[Exclusive skill, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint stage 2 has been activated!]
As soon as the skill was activated, Yoo Jonghyuk’s thoughts entered my mind.
「 Several more times in the future. 」
「 Do I need to repeat this? 」
I was furious. This bastard, already?
I struck his sword with all my might and stretched out a fist towards his jaw. The attack was possible because I read his movements with Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.
My fist hit his chin and he stumbled for the first time.
「 Once the regression begins, everything will go back to the beginning. 」
「All my companions will lose their memories and my history is erased. 」
「Then everything will repeat again. 」
In fact, sunfish were very durable creatures. They died because they were vulnerable to stress, not because they were weak.
Just guy in front of me.
The theater master was able to control Yoo Jonghyuk was due to his uneasy mental state. The theatre master had weak physical abilities but the best mental abilities. If Yoo Jonghyuk’s Mental Barrier was over level 80,000, this wouldn’t have happened.
Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes were blurred. I was furious once I heard the thoughts in his head.
“Aren’t you a real protagonist?”
As someone who read all 3,149 chapters of Ways of Survival, I was furious.
“Haven’t you only regressed three times?”
I once again hit his head with all my strength. Was it a miracle? The blow to his jaw slowed him down a bit. I didn’t miss the opportunity and kicked his chest.
“Do you really think so? You have already forgotten the determination of your first attempt.”
「I am the only living thing in this world. 」
“You bastard... don’t fall into those sentiments.”
I shouted while blocking his sword.
“If you can’t find the meaning of life in front of you, didn’t you decide to live for the greater cause?”
[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is activated!]
I didn’t know who I was talking to anymore. Hot flames sprang up from the blade. My eyes stung and my skin became raw from the heat. My voice was breathless. Maybe I was also lost in the moment.
It was as if I was Yoo Jonghyuk or even lived Yoo Jonghyuk’s life. My chest was tight.
“What did I come here for if you are alone?”
My sword struck and tore at his hands. Blood flowed and the flesh was torn. I wielded the sword like a madman. I gritted my teeth.
“Why are you alone? When you died like a fool in the Theatre Dungeon, when you cried over your dead little sister, when the prophet stabbed you in the back! When your loved one gave birth to a child...!”
As I was talking, I strangely recalled other memories. Letters and letters passed. My old memories of Ways of Survival.
“You went crazy after your child died!”
The complex memories of his family affairs and things he experienced passed through my mind.
“Fighting against the demon kings and the returnees!”
The nightmares of the senior officers in the army.
“Helping people and fighting against the damn reincarnators! When you finally stood before the constellations!”
The days when I struggled to get a job and when my bosses were vile and abusive. Everything was in order to live. In order to survive every day.
“Look around you and try to live somehow!”
Even so, I returned home. I felt relieved when reading one novel.
My hand holding the blade trembled. I became too excited. Dammit. I just needed to buy enough time.
I breathed roughly and looked ahead. But...something was strange. Was it an illusion? It was only a moment but a dim light was returning to Yoo Jonghyuk’s hand.
Some things couldn’t be understood even if I read his mind. My heart thumped the moment I saw Yoo Jonghyuk’s look.
[The excessive immersion has caused the ‘Fourth Wall’ to shake.]
Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes were staring straight at me.
「 You... who are you? 」