Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 574

Chapter 574

In my dream, Kim Dokja addressed me as Cheon Inho. But when I focused, it seemed more like he was saying Lee Hakhyun.

No, listening even closer…

「 ⬛⬛⬛. 」

I couldn’t make it out.

Yet there he stood, and I was beside him.

We were gazing upon an immense field of snow.

A vast expanse where letters drifted across its surface.

It was so enormous it felt like no amount of words could ever fill it.

「 How long have you been here? 」

I might have asked that.

「 A very long time. 」

I’m not certain if that was Kim Dokja’s reply or not.

After observing the snowfield for some time, I spotted something resembling footprints.

They were the prints of a person.

As if testing the path, he motioned to me and began to walk along them.

I followed.

「 This person must have enormous feet. 」

We walked, placing our steps into the existing prints. Sometimes I misstepped and left a mark in the fresh snow.

「 Ah. 」

Kim Dokja laughed, and I found myself laughing too.

「 ⬛⬛⬛ is going to get angry. 」

I almost heard him say that.

I don’t know how long we walked.

For some reason, the large footprints diverged into two separate paths. One set continued straight ahead, while the other began to angle away diagonally.

Had there been two people making large footprints from the start?

I couldn’t tell.

They were identical in size.

Suddenly, the owners of the footprints became two. One proceeded forward, the other turned onto a different course.

I studied the trail ahead and attempted to follow it for a few steps.

I managed about a dozen.

「 It stopped. 」

The footprints ended here.

Where had the person who made them gone?

A peculiar idea came to me as I stared at the impressions.

Maybe the one who left these prints was still standing right on top of them.

When I turned around, Kim Dokja was standing tall, looking back at me.

I waved and asked.

「 Can I keep going this way? 」

Kim Dokja nodded.

I asked once more.

「 I might misstep, like I did before. 」

「 It’s okay. 」

「 I might ruin the snowfield. 」

「 It doesn’t matter. 」

Was it truly alright?

I wanted to ask over and over.

Kim Dokja smiled and said something. Regrettably, I missed his final words.

「 I’ll keep watching you. 」

That’s what it sounded like.

«Inho-ssi! Inho-ssi!»

A deep ache spread through my body: the gash in my side pulsed and the break in my left arm screamed with pain.

«You promised you wouldn’t sleep! It’s already beginning!»

«Ah, my apologies.»

I must have dozed off. I pondered why I’d had such a fanciful dream.

«Pinocchio was no good during the procedure either.»

It was probably because of the Pinocchio story. Kim Dokja’s last words still resonated in my mind.

Looking around, the creature’s stomach was already churning with digestive fluids.

Jung Heewon was spraying ‘Mucus of the Hammer Seahorse’ over my head. I slumped my shoulders as the thick liquid dripped down.

«Hold still, you told me this stuff is safe.»

Jung Heewon slathered the mucus over her own body.

Our strategy was straightforward.

First, coat ourselves entirely in the mucus to protect against the ichthyosaur’s digestive juices.

Second, when the fluids start flowing, jam a ‘Stone Hog’s Pointed Thorn’ into each of the openings.

It was the very same method Kim Dokja used in the original story.

The only variation was…

«Speaking of which, who is Kim Dokja?»

«What?»

«You said his name in your sleep.»

«Ah.»

I hesitated briefly before answering.

«Just a friend’s name.»

Jung Heewon asked, while squeezing mucus onto my head.

«What about Ji Eunyoo?»

«Did I say that name too?»

«Yes. You were begging for help.»

Did I have a deadline in my dream?

«She’s my editor.»

«Your editor?»

I figured a little honesty was permissible. I had no idea what Cheon Inho’s actual profession was anyway. He was likely a con artist.

«I was a writer.»

A writer was still better than a swindler.

Jung Heewon reacted with surprise.

«Wow, a writer? What did you write?»

«Well… Are you familiar with web novels?»

«Web novels? Like webtoons?»

«Sort of… think Lord of the Rings…»

«Oh, Lord of the Rings! I’ve watched the films! You wrote something like that?»

«Something along those lines…»

I wasn’t sure why my voice grew quieter.

[A constellation who hasn’t revealed their modifier is asking you to speak up.]

Easier said than done.

I released a soft sigh.

«Could you not mention this to the others?»

«Why? I think it’s impressive.»

This is why you don’t share personal details.

«Let’s begin on that side. Take this and put one into each opening.»

«Maybe it’s because you’re a writer that you’re so skilled at changing the subject.»

Jung Heewon complained but proceeded to insert the thorns where I indicated.

The physical prowess of a main character was truly remarkable.

There were four openings.

Jung Heewon secured one thorn into three of them, sealing them tight to block the digestive juices.

«Just one left.»

«Let’s force the remaining thorns into this last one.»

«Will that work?»

«Yes. It should actually be more effective.»

The ‘Stone Hog’s Pointed Thorn’ is an item that expands by absorbing the fluids of marine creatures.

Kim Dokja had used only one thorn per opening.

But in principle, using more thorns in a single opening should yield better results.

More thorns mean more growth simultaneously, hastening the ichthyosaur’s demise.

«One.»

Digestive liquid bubbled out around the first thorn.

A second thorn was pushed in, and the ichthyosaur’s stomach contorted unnaturally.

The third thorn was tougher. Jung Heewon grimaced as she worked it into the hole.

«After the third one, it gets really stubborn, can you… brace me from behind?»

«I would, but my arms are useless.»

«Lean your back against mine. Like this.»

I stood with my back pressed against Jung Heewon’s. She took a deep breath and, with a final heave, forced the thorn deep into the opening.

The ground beneath us shuddered violently, but the thorn slid into place.

After catching her breath, Jung Heewon asked.

«Is that it?»

«Yes. Now we wait.»

«It was surprisingly simple.»

The task was completed quicker than anticipated. In the main novel, Kim Dokja had to practice the stabbing motion… Why did he struggle so much with it?

[The constellation ‘Sneaking Schemer’ admires your composure.]

[A constellation who hasn’t revealed their modifier says it’s easy because it’s a ‘sea serpent’.]

By my estimate, it would take half a day to a full day to subdue the ichthyosaur.

Given the number of thorns and its smaller size than the original, it might be even faster.

Now, it was a waiting game.

A sudden chill seized me as I relaxed, likely from being drenched in river water.

Jung Heewon watched me shiver with a thoughtful expression, then made a surprising offer.

«Should we sit back to back?»

«If it’s no trouble, please.»

«Sit this way.»

We obediently sat with our backs together. The warmth from Jung Heewon’s body seeped into mine, easing the cold slightly.

Jung Heewon asked.

«How did you figure out this plan?»

«It’s a common tactic in web novels.»

«Right, you’re a writer.»

As warmth spread through my back, drowsiness crept over me.

I wished I could use the ‘Elaine Forest Essence’ from the Dokkaebi Bag, but that wasn’t an option now.

The Elaine Forest Essence mends all injuries while you sleep.

I couldn’t risk falling asleep and leaving her alone.

She kept talking, as if sensing my state.

«Tell me something interesting.»

This was the most challenging request for a writer.

Truthfully, writers aren’t particularly entertaining people. None I know are.

Nonetheless, I scraped together a dry anecdote.

«In my novel, there’s a character named Jung Heewon.»

«Really?»

«She appears very strong on the outside, but she’s actually quite vulnerable. She’s a determined person who never backs down from a fight, so she often gets broken.»

I thought of the ‘Jung Heewon’ I knew.

A sudden uncertainty struck me.

Could I truly say the Jung Heewon I knew was the same one sitting behind me now?

I continued.

«She excels at physical tasks and thinks quickly. In high school, she was confessed to by junior girls.»

«…….»

«She struggles with public criticism but is skilled at kendo. She attended a kendo academy as a child.»

Jung Heewon, who had been listening, clapped her hands, genuinely amazed.

«That’s incredible, you got almost everything right.»

Of course I did. Most of it was from the main novel.

«But the last part is wrong. I never went to a kendo academy, just the school kendo club.»

I knew. I had said it deliberately.

«That’s a pity.»

«I made it to nationals, was elected district representative, but I quit.»

«Why?»

«An injury.»

This was a story I didn’t know.

More precisely, it was a story I had never written.

«An injury? Was it serious?»

Jung Heewon was silent for a moment before answering, a beat too late.

«Yes.»

The realization struck me heavily. This world contained stories I had not authored.

I suddenly recalled Jung Heewon’s attribute was ‘Crouching Figure’.

How had she become a ‘Crouching Figure’?

Originally, the ‘Crouching Figure’ attribute emerges from a powerful mental shock experienced by an incarnation.

Yet, Jung Heewon was already a ‘Crouching Figure’ before encountering the Cheoldoo Group.

«Inho-ssi, how did you become a writer?»

«Well, I…»

I started to answer naturally but stopped. A strange, unsettling feeling flickered in my chest.

「 How did I become a writer? 」

I suddenly couldn’t remember.

At that moment, the ichthyosaur’s stomach convulsed ominously.

I quickly steadied myself.

«I think it’s starting.»

There was no more time for questions.

The battle was imminent.

Would the ichthyosaur fall first, or would we?

I removed my shirt and used the sleeves to tie our wrists together.

Jung Heewon asked with concern.

«Won’t you be cold? Ugh!»

The floor beneath us jerked violently.

The ichthyosaur was thrashing in agony. The thorns had begun their work in earnest.