NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 248: The Descent of the King in Yellow!
A massive shockwave erupted from the point of impact, surging outward and ripping through the battlefield. Wild torrents of mana stirred the dense fog, forming whirlpools that tore loose rocks from the surrounding walls and ground. The entire cavernous chamber trembled under the storm's fury, countless cracks spreading across the surfaces. Even the massive machine Angrboda groaned under the pressure, its metallic body wailing in protest.
The blast's force rippled across the battlefield, even reaching the fight between the two Artorias. As the mana whirlwind surged, the steed Llamrei, carrying Black Lance Artoria, suddenly reared up and whinnied anxiously, halting her charge.
In that instant, Caster seized the opportunity. Four crystalline spears shot in from four directions, striking toward Black Lance Artoria's vital points. Though she swiftly knocked them away with her honed spearwork, Caster's sword-spear followed in a flash of light from behind—piercing her clean through, ending the battle between the two kings.
At the same moment, the violent clash of mana concluded—with Barbatos utterly defeated.
The ominous crimson light, after holding for barely a second, was completely overwhelmed by the blinding radiance of the holy sword. The golden beam blasted back, smashing into Barbatos' towering body, reducing it to ashes. The unstoppable current of energy continued onward, tearing a massive hole in the cavern wall before vanishing into the horizon.
Even at just 30% output, the unleashed blow of the holy sword—unrestrained by any contracts—far outclassed even the Excalibur of the true King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon. Barbatos stood no chance.
As the demon pillar's form crumbled to dust, a pale-faced man slumped to the ground beneath the fading remains. Just as he tried to rise, the holy sword was already pressed to his throat.
"It's over, Makiri. You lost," Gawain said coldly.
"Heh… hehe... hahahahaha!"
To Gawain's surprise, Makiri didn't look despairing. Instead, he burst into maniacal laughter.
"No! You're wrong! While the demon pillar Barbatos may have fallen in battle, my plan hasn't failed!"
"My summoning… has only just begun!"
Gawain's heart sank. Without hesitation, he drove the holy sword forward—decapitating Makiri.
But even after his head fell, laughter echoed from the severed skull.
"Trying to stop me? Useless! I had already set everything in motion long before you arrived!"
As he laughed, the skin of his pale face peeled away—revealing a white mask beneath. At the same time, a sinister yellow glow lit up from the chest of his headless corpse.
"I planned this all out! At the moment of my death, the Book of Reality would rewrite my identity to 'Reality'!"
He cackled madly.
"And the descent of the King in Yellow begins with the death of 'Reality'!"
"Now that the three copies are gathered here, once they fuse into the original script of The King in Yellow, the path between dream and reality will open! The King in Yellow will descend directly into the human world!"
"I don't know who kept reversing time to thwart me all this time—but the Book of Truth has revealed it: once 'Reality' is dead, time can no longer be rewound. The cycle ends. The god descends!"
"Everything ends with my death!"
At the same moment, a new system notification appeared in Gawain's vision:
[Detected that Nightmare Incarnation No. 10 – Reality, the Doomed Disciple, has ceased reacting.]
[Confirmation: Objective defeated. Reward "The King in Yellow Script – Reality" is now available. Please retrieve it from the Nightmare Incarnation's drop site.]
It was just as Makiri had said. Even the system acknowledged that his identity had changed.
Simultaneously, the "Book of Truth" in Gawain's coat began to tremble. He pulled it out and flipped it open. On its pages, lines of script flared into view:
(A gong strikes. The lighting turns purplish-red. Banners on either side of the throne fall, revealing yellow-sign embroideries. Bramchas and Naotalba rise in shock. Cassilda throws away her sword; Adonais picks it up and stands with effort. The throne sinks into the wall, which begins to crack. Smoke spews from the fissures. A chorus of gongs rises, beginning low, then soaring in pitch before collapsing into a heavy boom. Yellow light floods the gaping throne, and the King in Yellow stands within it. The low, confused murmuring continues until darkness descends.)
(The King in Yellow stands about three meters tall, clad in fluttering rags and a hood. His face is veiled in shifting yellow silk. Yellow gloves cover his hands. As he drifts forward, the tattered robes flap in an unseen wind. He speaks in a deep, commanding voice, accompanied by the steady chiming of a triangle.)
This was the prophecy in the Book of Truth—there was no doubt: the King in Yellow was descending.
And yet, Gawain remained utterly calm.
"Oh, that's it?" he said flatly. "So you did change your identity to 'Reality.' You think that means you win?"
He shook his head.
"Shakespeare already wrote in his notes how you'd pull this off—and prepared a countermeasure."
"What—?!"
Makiri's severed head trembled with disbelief. Now transformed into a pale, mask-faced entity—an avatar of the King in Yellow's faith—he possessed powerful life force, making even death a slow process. Just enough time to witness the collapse of his own plan.
Gawain reached down and plucked the glowing yellow script from Makiri's body. He opened the book immediately.
[Special Item: "The King in Yellow" Script – Reality]
[Type: ???]
[Rarity: ???]
[One of only three existing copies. Mysterious and cursed. Even holding it seems to draw the gaze of something high above.]
[Effect varies based on the holder. As you are not the original owner and already possess another copy, this one will inherit the special ability granted by its previous wielder.]
[Current Effect – "Book of Reality": You can write directly into this book to make your will a part of the dream world's reality. This includes editing the cast list.]
Gawain quickly flipped to the final page. There it was—a full list of all characters and their roles. At the end, written in blood:
[Reality – Makiri]
Gawain sneered.
Then, he bit his finger and scrawled beneath it:
[The King in Yellow – Gawain]
At that moment, a gong sounded from nowhere.
The light around him shifted to purplish-red. Thick smoke billowed through the air, accompanied by a chorus of gongs. Amid it all, a throne formed from the fog, bathed in golden light. Gawain stood before it. His garments had already turned yellow, ragged at the hem, fluttering though there was no wind.
"All roles in this dream are played by some Heroic Spirit, right? If that's the case, I guess I'll take one for the team and play the 'inevitable' King in Yellow."
He lowered his voice and intoned solemnly:
"As you wished, mortal… I have descended."
Then he returned to his usual tone with a shrug:
"Happy now?"
This was the method Shakespeare had written in the Book of Truth—the one and only way to stop the King in Yellow's arrival:
[The ritual is complete. All must follow the script. At the end, the god will descend—inevitable.]
[So change the angle.]
[Just have someone play the King in Yellow. Let that be the one who descends.]
[This act of defiance will draw His gaze. The actor will suffer.]
[But isn't that better than the end of the world?]
[You, who defeated me… do you have the courage to take this on?]
[I shall sing your praises. May all the world applaud your grand performance.]
The script may have been penned by Christopher Marlowe, but Shakespeare, as director, had given Gawain a special ending.
Where Marlowe, typically drawn to passion and power, wrote only of humanity's depth and darkness, Shakespeare—known for delving into human complexity—left behind a story of unshakable courage.
And Gawain would show him just that.
"You… you dare…?"
Makiri hissed, teeth clenched.
"To impersonate the King in Yellow—you'll draw His gaze. You'll suffer fates worse than death! How dare you?!"
"So what?"
Gawain shrugged.
"I've been under His eye for a while now. I already have all three copies of the script. I'm basically His chosen one at this point. What's a little more damnation to me? If it means He doesn't descend, then why wouldn't I?"
"You… you, you—!"
Makiri's entire head trembled in fury. But that was all he had left, and after repeating "you" three times, he finally fell silent—for good.
At that very moment, the two scripts in Gawain's hands—Book of Reality and Book of Truth—suddenly shone together, pulling in the third, the "Book of Revelation," from his coat. The three merged with a radiant flash, forming a single, more ancient-looking manuscript.
As the pages turned to aged leather, Gawain could feel it breathing beneath his fingertips—its parchment pulsing with hunger for flesh.
Then the title on the cover began to shift.
From The King in Yellow...
To H A S T A.
And at the same time, his system displayed a new notification:
[You have lost: "The King in Yellow – Reality," "The King in Yellow – Truth," and "The King in Yellow – Revelation."]
[You have acquired: The King in Yellow – Original Manuscript.]
[Special Item: "The King in Yellow – Original Manuscript"]
[Type: ???]
[Rarity: ???]
[The only one of its kind. Handwritten by Christopher Marlowe. Said to be a cursed script wrapped in dread. The bearer shall be watched by the Old One, Hastur, and shall not meet a peaceful end.]
[Contains all the powers of the Book of Truth, Book of Reality, and Book of Revelation. When it exists in the world, the gate between dream and reality shall open.]
Right on cue, beyond the tower's shattered outer wall—blasted open earlier by the holy sword—he could now see the skies beyond. Black clouds churned overhead. And between them…
A massive rift had appeared.
At its center, the black star—the same that had devoured countless dreamscapes—loomed ominously in the heavens.
And from its depths, a staircase of fog spiraled downward… stretching all the way to the earth below.