The Main Characters That Only I Know

Yu-hyun walked through the darkness.

No matter how far he walked, there was no end in sight.

He couldn't discern where this place was, and the sky and ground blurred together.

He even doubted his own existence.

"Where is this place?"

Just as that question began to form, a faint light appeared directly in front of him.

The sole light in the darkness.

Yu-hyun felt an instinctual pull toward it.

As he moved toward the light, he saw someone standing there, facing this direction.

Age and gender were indistinguishable. But what puzzled him more was whether the figure before him was truly human.

Existing within the light, the figure appeared almost like a pale mannequin.

Not an exaggeration—literally like a white mannequin placed there.

What stood out even more was the figure's immense size; Yu-hyun had to look up to see it properly.

Although it had the form of a human, everything about it was white, and its stature was oddly imposing.

Sensing Yu-hyun's presence, the figure turned around.

"Hmm? Could it be that a guest has arrived in a place like this? How long has it been? Or rather, was it even possible for someone to enter a place like this?"

"Who are you?"

"Haha! So you're the owner of the fragment who managed to find their way here. Ah, I see. It seems the time has come sooner than expected. Time really flies."

Time? What was this person talking about?

The words were difficult to comprehend.

More importantly, this stranger wasn't trying to explain anything to Yu-hyun. It was as if they were merely speaking to themselves.

Before Yu-hyun could ask who they were, the figure continued.

"Hmm. Even in this situation, I can't afford to treat an uninvited guest carelessly."

Strangely, the figure's calm voice sent shivers down Yu-hyun's spine.

A sensation akin to insects crawling all over his body.

More intense than facing death—an unavoidable force that gripped him.

When had he felt something similar before?

"Was it when I encountered a bookworm?"

As Yu-hyun reached that conclusion, the figure in front of him spoke.

"Should I just erase you?"

Chills ran down his spine.

This wasn't merely idle talk. The voice carried sincerity, and beyond that, an undeniable power to enforce whatever was said.

Similar to encountering a bookworm? No, that was a mistake.

This entity was much larger than any bookworm.

He needed to escape. But where to?

In that moment, Yu-hyun sensed movement behind him.

"Huh?"

The figure before him seemed equally surprised by the appearance of another intruder, muttering nonsense.

"Grab hold."

The owner of the voice immediately seized Yu-hyun and transported him somewhere else. It happened so abruptly that Yu-hyun couldn't react.

Through the boundless darkness, guided by a mere handful of light, Yu-hyun moved to an unknown location.

Was this vivid scene reality or a dream? The confusion overwhelmed him.

"Almost got into big trouble there. You're not ready to meet him yet."

"Who are you?"

More than expressing gratitude, Yu-hyun's curiosity about the stranger's identity grew.

The presumed savior appeared starkly different from the pale figure earlier—this one was as black as the night.

Their height matched Yu-hyun's.

Though their expression remained hidden, Yu-hyun sensed a hint of amusement.

"Even in this situation, you're curious about who I am. Should I call you audacious or simply say your curiosity is strong?"

“So, you won’t answer? Where was that place just now, and who was that pale figure?”

“Apologies, but there’s nothing I can tell you. Especially not in this realm.”

“This place?”

“If you want to hear the story, find me directly. I exist somewhere in the mixed world. Then, I’ll be able to explain.”

“How do I find you?”

“Seek out the false prophet. They will guide you.”

“False prophet?”

“Beasts have appeared, and dragons too. Now, all that remains is the false prophet. When everything comes together, you’ll discover the truth.”

The surroundings began to warp. Yu-hyun realized he was waking up from a dream and urgently asked:

“Can you at least tell me your name?”

“I’ll answer when we meet.”

“Why?”

“It wouldn’t be interesting if I told you now.”

The black figure spoke, pushing Yu-hyun’s forehead with a finger.

Simultaneously, Yu-hyun’s body plummeted downward.

“Ugh!”

As he fell endlessly, Yu-hyun jolted upright, finding himself lying in what seemed like a hospital bed.

“Yu-hyun, are you awake?”

The ones greeting him were Baek Seo-ryeon and Kang Hye-rim, who had been watching over him. Kang Yoo-ra was there too.

“What happened to me?”

“Well… Heracles retreated, and Lord Jecheon also left. We brought you here because you were unconscious.”

“And the battle?”

“We won.”

With that simple statement, Yu-hyun breathed a sigh of relief. But already, there were too many unresolved matters to relax completely.

“Jia, is she okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Kwon Jiah entered the room, still wearing her hood flipped up. Perhaps mindful of others’ attention, she kept it that way.

“What about Magni?”

“I killed him. Personally.”

“You won?”

“Did you think I’d lose?”

“Not a chance.”

Yu-hyun chuckled.

The fact that no one had died and they were all gathered here felt incredibly fortunate.

Of course, there were casualties. Heracles, who had appeared during the battle, had left half of the alliance’s leaders injured or dead.

Executioner Choi Do-yoon, Wilford, and Nemarta suffered significant injuries. Even among the leaders, there were many wounded.

Fortunately, none of the leaders Yu-hyun knew had died.

That was partly thanks to Sun Wukong’s intervention; otherwise, the alliance would have suffered devastating losses.

“What about Olympus and Asgard? Any movements?”

“Both are quiet. It seems that our victory in the internal alliance conflict, coupled with their elite forces’ secret defeat, has left them without much action.”

As the battle concluded, Baek Seo-ryeon immediately delved into post-battle affairs. Resurrected or not, there was still much work to be done.

The Salio Empire, which might have launched another invasion, and their allies, Olympus and Asgard, were defeated.

Thankfully, they refrained from hasty actions.

Given the significant blow they suffered in this battle, it was understandable.

Especially for the Salio Empire—both of their executioners were either taken hostage or killed.

The lords from Salio were no different.

“The empire is on the brink of self-destruction. Losing all their executioners and even their lords means they’ve practically lost the core of their power.”

“What about the possibility of resistance?”

“We considered that, but it’s unlikely. The news of this battle has spread far and wide.”

“Thanks to Hercules.”

His presence had been so imposing that he didn’t hide his identity or strength.

And the alliance succeeded in defeating him.

True, the alliance’s victory had its flaws. Without Sun Wukong’s intervention, they would all have perished.

If we had to quantify it, Sun Wukong contributed 80%, while Yu-hyun made up the rest.

However, in their jubilation over victory, the alliance didn’t concern themselves with such details.

After all, very few had directly experienced the battle, so they didn’t know how it unfolded.

“Anyway, we can breathe a sigh of relief now. The factions that always eyed the alliance have quieted down since this incident.”

“But are there any opportunistic forces taking advantage of our weakened state?”

“They exist, but… we’ve dealt with all of them. Thanks to Lord Jecheon.”

“Ah.”

He hadn’t just left; he had taken care of everything before departing.

If Yu-hyun ever met Sun Wukong again, he resolved to express his gratitude for the assistance.

“Seoryeon, are you feeling okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m fine. In fact, I feel even stronger than before.”

Baek Seo-ryeon intentionally flexed her arm, showing off her newly toned muscles. Her face, which had previously appeared worn, now looked brighter after leading the alliance to victory.

Silence hung in the hospital room for a moment. Yu-hyun checked his physical condition and stood up.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But more importantly…”

Yu-hyun hesitated, considering what impressions he should share about this changed world.

The ability to manipulate stories.

If he were asked to do it again now, he couldn’t replicate his previous actions, but he didn’t regret it.

Finding a path to become stronger here was already a significant gain.

“My power feels even more abundant than before.”

He remembered taking some of Hercules’s story. He had been so focused on taking it that he’d forgotten about the impact it might have on himself. But now, fragments of Hercules’s story had seeped into his body.

Yu-hyun was undoubtedly stronger than before.

Yet, he still fell short.

When he faced Hercules and nearly lost Baek Seo-ryeon, he felt despair and rage. Those emotions remained vivid, as if he had experienced them just moments ago.

“Now that I have a clue, the only thing left is to fully grasp the lightning.”

Originally, this lightning ability was similar to what had resurrected Kang Hye-rim when she became the Black Thunder Lord.

It stemmed from his Codex fragment—the ability to read the opponent’s book.

Even though nothing had fundamentally changed, Yu-hyun sensed a difference within himself.

Initially, he had observed everything like a detached observer. But afterward, he acted as if he were the protagonist.

Now, he felt like an author, writing and revising the story.

‘And that black presence I encountered in my dream.’

He had said that if one wanted to meet oneself, they should seek out a false prophet.

But who was this false prophet?

Although he didn’t provide any guidance on how to find them, it was unlikely that he would casually utter such words without reason.

“There’s always more to be done,” Baekryeon had said, her final words echoing in his mind.

The idea that this world repeated itself multiple times lingered.

“Miss Kwon Jia.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

He had considered asking Kwon Jia if she knew about this truth, but he realized there was no need.

Even if she was Kwon Jia, he doubted she held knowledge of such matters.

Baekryeon, having endured the universe’s restart firsthand, likely knew.

“She has endured without being destroyed.”

Yu-hyun missed Baekryeon’s voice, which he had always found noisy.

Now, with her gone, the emptiness was palpable.

Baekryeon was no more.

The previous version of her had sacrificed herself to save the present one.

Her parting words had been a simple “thank you.”

“Baekryeon…”

The absence of his longtime companion left a gaping void.

Then, suddenly, Yu-hyun’s thoughts extended to another presence.

“Come to think of it, when I was caught in the explosion five years ago, Satan went so far as to retrieve Baekryeon despite the system’s restrictions. And it seemed like he waited for my return before sending her to me.”

Why? At first, Satan’s actions hadn’t struck him as odd. After all, Satan had always been enigmatic.

But now, with knowledge of Baekryeon’s true identity, Satan’s past actions took on new significance.

Satan had always acted as if he knew something. Especially when he gifted Yu-hyun the fragment of Laplace.

“What if our first encounter at the banquet wasn’t mere coincidence?”

Risking penalties, Satan had retrieved Baekryeon. Did that mean he had some understanding of her?

A simple suspicion solidified into certainty.

Satan must know that this universe repeated itself countless times.

So what did he want from Yu-hyun?

“Come to think of it, Satan mentioned beasts and dragons.”

In Christian eschatology, beasts, dragons, and false prophets were intertwined as an unholy trinity.

Yu-hyun didn’t know who the beast was, but he was well aware of the dragon.

The crimson dragon from the Book of Revelation. No one doubted that its true identity was Satan.

The dragon existed, and the beast had appeared. What remained was the false prophet. That meant Satan was somehow connected to the enigmatic black presence.

“I need to act.”

There was no time to rest here.

Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, and someone entered.

“Choi Do-yoon?”

Choi Do-yoon, wrapped in bandages that hinted at serious injuries, wore a grave expression.

To others, he might appear as usual, but Yu-hyun, attuned to even the slightest emotional shifts, sensed Do-yoon’s urgency.

“What’s going on? Why is the patient so agitated?”

“Have you heard the news?”

“News? What news?”

The others in the room remained oblivious.

“The Salio Empire has vanished.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The Altar itself has moved.”

The mention of the Altar silenced everyone.

If it was indeed the Genesis Altar, it governed the laws of this universe.

And now it had stirred.

“Is this for real?”

“It’s the latest information.”

Do-yoon nodded solemnly.

“The Salio Empire has been completely erased by the Altar.”