Chapter 384: Episode 73 – The hottest place in Hell (3)
As if they were waiting for it, gazes rained down from the heavens.
[Constellation, ‘Bald General of Justice’, agrees with your words.]
[Constellation, ‘Maritime War God’, nods his head at your words.]
[Constellation, ‘Prisoner of Golden Headband’, asks you why you had to repeat something so obvious.]
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, is coaxing you to quickly punch that old bastard.]
Pungbaek heard what the Black Flame Dragon said in disbelief and shot a glare at the sky. He was about to say something, but then, the next indirect message made him flinch just a little.
[Constellation, ‘Goryeo’s First Sword’, believes that ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is correct.]
Pungbaek’s head snapped towards Cheok Jun-Gyeong right away.
[Jun-Gyeong, even you…!]
As if he felt ashamed by it, the latter avoided the piercing gaze.
Honestly, even I was surprised.
No matter how badly it had fallen, <Hongik> was still the Korean Peninsula’s main Nebula. Even under the current circumstances, it wouldn’t have been easy for Cheok Jun-Gyeong to go against <Hongik> and side with me.
[Many Constellations are getting interested in the clash between <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company> and <Hongik>!]
Maybe it was due to Cheok Jun-Gyeong’s declaration, I now could sense the attention of other Constellations. Among the winds newly blowing in the neutral zone, I could sense their wary eyes locked on me.
I looked back at Pungbaek. “Are you going to continue?”
Honestly, watching his eyelids tremble intensely like that was difficult even for me.
I spoke as if to mock <Hongik> earlier, but in truth, it wasn’t as if Pungbaek had been doing nothing to help with the Korean Peninsula’s scenarios. The thing was, the Constellation who lent his aid to my mother back during the ‘Returnees War’ was none other than Pungbaek himself.
That damn event stole away her lifespan in its entirety, though. Maybe, that could be the reason why I was so pissed off right now.
[The Wind shall never forget today’s matter.]
Pungbaek glared at me for the longest time before snapping his fan shut to vanish like specks of scattering dust.
[A large number of Constellations are impressed with your backbone!]
[Small number of Constellations will remember that the reputation of <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company> is not unwarranted.]
[Gossipers of <Star Stream> have recorded the applicable incident.]
Yu Jung-Hyeok, Han Su-Yeong, Jeong Hui-Won, and Yi Hyeon-Seong – everyone was staring at me. I couldn’t spot any traces of fear in their expressions.
Most likely, they were thinking something similar.
It didn’t matter what others said about our Nebula. No, we only had to move forward towards the story we believed to be the right one.
[A choice befitting you, Descendant.]
Cheok Jun-Gyeong, observing us, spoke.
[Some Constellations will like that aspect of you and follow after you. Truthfully, many Constellations of the Korean Peninsula are focusing more on you rather than on <Hongik>. But…. In return, those who hold animosity towards you have grown in number, as well.]
I grew cognizant of the fact that the surrounding gazes now felt different after hearing him; some Constellations were glaring at us, while some were looking on with envy. And some even shook their heads, their eyes saying that we’d eventually become just like everyone else.
⸢Once upon a time, we used to be like you.⸥
Suddenly, it felt as if the Fables these Constellations experienced were near enough for me to reach out and touch them.
[Ancient Great Fables are staring at the Fable of <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company>.]
Every Fable was the evidence of one overcoming scenarios. At times, they’d serve as someone else’s entertainment.
Every Fable that reached this far had to break down and bend over in order to survive. The times when they had to make compromises with the reality of <Star Stream>, and when they had to agree to the demands of the Constellations and Dokkaebis in order to carry on; that was how they managed to get here.
As if he was the voice of those times, Cheok Jun-Gyeong spoke up.
[<Star Stream> hates stories that haven’t been broken yet. Especially so, with a story as pure as yours.]
Pure and not broken yet….
A chuckle left my lips after hearing that.
I was surprised that the world viewed us like that. Because, that was basically ignoring every road we’ve walked on so far.
“We had been broken over a dozen times already.”
<Kim Dok-Ja’s Company> didn’t stand on two feet from the word ‘go’.
After the Korean Peninsula’s scenarios began, it had to endure against the Constellations’ schemes and their inexplicable rage. Just like so many other countless Fables, in other words.
“However, we managed to stand back up every single time. And now, we’ve reached this far.”
To us, the word ‘pure’ was more like an insult at this point.
[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is calmly staring at you.]
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, is holding back its intense crying.]
As if they were agreeing with what I said, the two Great Fables showed some reactions.
“And in the future, we will continue to get back on our feet.”
[The germinating third ‘Great Fable’ has displayed fetal movements.]
Even the third Great Fable soon to awaken reacted the same. Cheok Jun-Gyeong observing us slowly nodded his head.
[I shall continue to watch your story.]
At the end of those words, he turned around to leave. Korean Peninsula’s Constellations under him glanced at us for a bit before disappearing alongside him.
He had surpassed the level of ‘Historical Figure-grade’ and stepped into the ‘Fable-grade’. On top of that, he had been a Constellation for a far longer period of time than I, and he would be one of the best allies to have on our side as he was a gifted natural-born fighter.
Of course, that would be under the assumption of us fighting on the same side.
I must’ve stood around looking too cool for my own good, since Han Su-Yeong, staring at me from the side, slapped my shoulder and jeered at me.
Fin.