Chapter 62: To Save You (1)

I couldn't hide my bewilderment as I saw Kim Hyul and Sieghart who had come to me. Although they had said they would join our side if my disciples defeated them at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering...

"...Does Bing Seolhwa know that you've come here?"

It was dangerous for them to be here now, with their families held hostage.

"No, but she'll find out soon enough."

"Just watching without doing anything doesn't suit our personalities."

Kim Hyul and Sieghart nodded as they looked at me. They seemed to have already made up their minds.

After all, they were protagonist-level characters from a novel, so they had personalities that couldn't stand by in the face of injustice.

"You must have your own thoughts. Killing hostages because we escaped would ultimately prevent that being from achieving its desired goal."

Sieghart spoke as if he had figured out Shub-Niggurath's purpose. The Outer God that wanted to make me and Seolhwa fight, to turn us into a relationship of killing each other.

"Do you know Bing Seolhwa's purpose?"

"It would be stranger not to know. Especially that strange thing dwelling in that girl's body."

"......!!!"

Sieghart had gained superhuman senses in exchange for losing his sight. That's why he could fight on par with the hero Verdandi.

"It was something so eerie that words can't describe it. Even I, who've become numb to death after crossing the line between life and death countless times, trembled in fear."

Kim Hyul spoke while his fist trembled. When an Outer God revealed its true nature, ordinary people often couldn't withstand it and went mad or chose death.

It wasn't strange for the original protagonists to show such reactions.

"So, why did you bring the Golden Pagoda Lord here? Surely she would have left to search for the Philosopher's Stone."

I suddenly noticed something strange as I looked at the blonde woman next to Kim Hyul. Surely Wolfram would have headed for the cave I had told her about.

Why was she here with them now?

"Oh, that? That woman Bing Seolhwa kidnapped me!"

"...What did you say?"

Wolfram spoke of this shocking fact nonchalantly. Her attitude was so brazen that I couldn't understand for a moment.

"That woman Bing Seolhwa kidnapped you?"

Why on earth would she make such a choice? No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't see a clear reason.

"Yes! I thought I was going to be eaten by huge tentacles, but when I opened my eyes, I was locked in a dark basement."

Kidnapping just one Golden Pagoda Lord would be too costly. If it became known that she had touched Wolfram, she knew all the magic towers would turn against her.

If she was going to commit such an eccentric act in the first place, she would have planned to kidnap all the magic tower lords at once.

'Is it jealousy...? Or is there another reason?'

If there was one thing that made sense, it was that she had met me just before.

It would make sense if she had prepared another method to make me and Seolhwa fight.

Especially since Wolfram was a character modeled after Seolhwa's free-spirited nature, and was a character she liked.

"So, did she say anything else?"

"Yes! She said she was the creator of this world? It was a bit creepy that she knew all about my past too."

"......"

The Outer God seemed to have mentioned that this world was created by mixing three novels. I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt creeping up my entire body.

I had struggled to save as many people as possible. I thought that was the best a writer who had discontinued serialization could do.

However,

'I couldn't save everyone.'

I recalled the past while my lower lip trembled.

Children who lost their parents in the midst of the Great War between righteousness and evil, widows crying over lost family members, and the strong mercilessly plundering the weak.

I was like a sinner bearing the greatest original sin for them. Although I gained the title of Ice Dragon for saving people during the Great War, that couldn't erase all the wrongs.

Now, after several decades had passed, those sins had come back to me like a boomerang.

"She also mentioned the name Do-hyeon as a co-creator, even though this world has heavenly gods and main gods. Isn't that funny?"

Wolfram laughed as if in disbelief as she mentioned my past life name. Of course, she didn't seem to know that the heavenly gods and main gods were all settings I had created in my childhood.

Gods who weren't truly omnipotent, who gave hero's powers irresponsibly without properly checking human good and evil.

In fact, what I might have been wishing for was to break free from the setting like Bi Wol and live freely.

If I thought that all villains and evil deeds were born from my fingertips, even breathing would feel painful and maddening.

"Master, are you alright! Your face is pale!"

"Ah, no. I'm fine."

The reason I had scolded the village chief so harshly in Verdandi's village was also close to self-loathing.

I couldn't understand why they didn't feel guilty about abusing and ostracizing a single child.

Even if they were supporting characters moving in a predetermined plot, I had seen with my own eyes that they could have acted differently while living in this world.

The Infinite Sword Emperor of the Namgung Family, the Poison Dragon of the Sacheon Party, Hyeonhwa of the Flower Mountain Sect, and other strong figures in the martial world who were originally set to dislike the evil faction had done so.

Characters who should have been wary of me, an orphan from the Five Poison Sect, and even tried to kill me, had ultimately accepted me.

"The name Do-hyeon was definitely engraved on Brother's back."

Azazel noticed something strange in Wolfram's words and responded. I thought there was no way she wouldn't notice, seeing how different it was from my current name.

If it was discovered in this situation, I couldn't even imagine how to face them.

"Perhaps she's talking about Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath's husband?"

Fortunately, Azazel seemed to ponder for a while before starting to guess in the wrong direction. It would probably be too much to realize that this world itself was born from my fingertips.

"Just as Shub-Niggurath dwells in that woman Bing Seolhwa, it might have similarly affected Brother's body."

Considering that it's related to the Outer God Shub-Niggurath and similarly knows the future, this explanation might make more sense in a way.

"......"

I deliberately remained silent. If I spoke carelessly, Verdandi, who could discern the truth, might catch on.

"Considering what ruined Master's body, that might be right."

Bi Wol, seemingly noticing my serious expression, nodded as if to say it was okay while holding my hand.

I was the culprit who created the Heavenly Demon Cult that tormented her, and I was just a selfish person who helped her because I didn't want to turn away from what I had done.

Why were there so many people gathered around me now?

Suddenly, Seolhwa's words came to mind: 'You're too kind, that's your problem.' Even for things most people would just pass by, I tried too hard to help others.

As she said, if someone else had fallen into this world instead of me, they might have monopolized the opportunities or gained wealth and fame through prior knowledge.

In fact, the only wrong I had done was to transfer imagination into text.

However,

"So, what are you going to do now, Bing Yeon? I heard on the way here that you have to kill that woman Bing Seolhwa too, don't you?"

"...That's true, but I won't kill her."

I had a purpose to properly conclude this world.

This world was also the last trace she left behind. Although I had discontinued the serialization, I had never given up on creating settings for the work or writing.

That's how the methods for the character Bing Yeon, whom I had possessed, to survive until now came about.

The Secret Cave of the Secret Shadow Divine Thief, Bi Wol's backstory, the secret story about Verdandi's abilities. These were results obtained because I didn't give up and kept writing.

"Because Bing Seolhwa is also my half-sister."

I revealed my determination while looking at Wolfram, who couldn't hide her surprise.

There are times in life when lies are more effective. More so than telling the truth about a lover from a past life or an unfulfilled love.

"Hmm... I had guessed it might be so, but I didn't know it was true."

"It's the law that an older brother should resolve his younger sister's mistakes."

Originally, the characteristic hair color and eye color of Bing Seolhwa and me were those of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, so it would have been stranger not to notice.

"Then, how do you plan to defeat that woman Bing Seolhwa? She's strong enough that even I, a magic tower lord, was kidnapped without being able to properly resist."

Wolfram spoke to me as if she didn't trust me. It was natural for her to worry like this, as she was also one of the strongest in this world.

"We'll have to use all possible means on our side. With things the opponent doesn't know about."

Trying to kill only Shub-Niggurath dwelling in Seolhwa without any plan or method was practically impossible.

"You two, would you consider becoming my disciples?"

I spoke while looking intently at Kim Hyul and Sieghart.

It was regrettable that Kang Si-woo wasn't here, but we needed to use all the cards we had.

If all the final bosses and protagonists joined forces to face the Outer God...

...the possibility might not be exactly zero.