Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 579

Chapter 579

Episode 5. Villain (4)

[4,000 coins have been allocated to ‘Strength’.]

[Strength Lv.10 → Strength Lv.20]

[Your physical power has grown tremendously!]

[The might you radiate is enough to intimidate nearby goblins.]

My first priority was to become stronger.

[5,800 coins have been allocated to ‘Agility’.]

[Agility Lv.4 → Agility Lv.20]

[Your swiftness has grown tremendously!]

[Your speed could make an elf pause and take notice.]

I’ve never been light on my feet, so I’ll rely on this heightened agility to evade.

[3,800 coins have been allocated to ‘Physique’.]

[Physique Lv.4 → Physique Lv.15]

This much endurance is necessary.

[1,800 coins have been allocated to ‘Magic Power’.]

[Magic Power Lv.4 → Magic Power Lv.10]

Fortunately, my starting Magic Power was 4, which helped conserve some coins.

[A total of 15,400 coins have been used.]

[Remaining Coins: 1,700 C]

I was nearly broke, but I had no misgivings. Investing in your capabilities early is crucial.

It was a lesson I learned all too well after encountering Yoo Joonghyuk.

Without any top-tier skills, I need a body sturdy enough to survive even a single strike from a monster like him.

[You are the third incarnation in this scenario to achieve Strength level 20.]

[You have been rewarded with 300 coins.]

[You are the third incarnation in this scenario to achieve Agility level 20.]

[You have been rewarded with 300 coins.]

Even though I reached level 20 in Strength and Agility remarkably fast, others were ahead of me.

Probably other readers. An impressive lot.

Grrrrr.

Soon, the screeching of ground rats reached our ears. We had entered an area teeming with them.

Kyung Sein and Dansoo ahjussi, walking beside me, grew visibly tense.

«You two, stick to the plan!»

As if they had prearranged their strategy, Kyung Sein the tank advanced, while Dansoo ahjussi followed behind, unsheathing his sword clumsily.

Kyung Sein shot me a serious look and asked.

«We also have a ‘three-person’ formation!»

«That… you two seem to work well as a pair.»

«Up ahead! Seven of them!»

Kyung Sein roared and charged forward—only to be immediately swarmed.

A less resilient person would have been torn apart instantly.

«Uaaak! It hurts! It hurts! Help me!»

I wondered how high her Physique was. Despite being bitten repeatedly by the ground rats, Kyung Sein remained unscathed.

Then Dansoo ahjussi began performing some peculiar maneuvers.

«Hold on, hee-yah!»

Given his flamboyant motions, it was obvious they wouldn’t take down a single ground rat if left to their own devices.

I drew the thorn I had purchased and lightly jabbed the nearest ground rat.

Its head burst like an overripe tomato.

Strength level 20 was truly formidable. I began puncturing their heads one after another.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!

In moments, I had eliminated five of them. When I glanced back, Kyung Sein and Dansoo ahjussi had only just managed to take down one each.

Noticing that no ground rats remained around us, Kyung Sein stared at me in disbelief.

«Inho-ssi, were you actually this powerful?»

«Naturally.»

«I knew it, I knew it!»

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ scoffs, pointing out that you’re awfully proud of a power bought with coins.]

I’m just exhilarated to use it for the first time.

We ran into several more groups of ground rats after that, but with my Strength and Agility both above 20, they were no match for me.

«Wow, Inho-ssi, you’re incredible.»

«Heh, I feel powerful.»

So this is how the protagonist feels.

As we pushed forward, defeating ground rats one after another, I couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

[The constellation ‘Monarch of the Small Fries’ remarks that this is the only time you’ll get to enjoy yourself like this.]

[The constellation ‘Rice Cake-Eating Tiger’ says the early stages of growth are the most enjoyable.]

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ agrees.]

[The constellation ‘Sneaking Schemer’ blinks with nostalgia.]

Missing it…….

Well, I suppose every constellation started out by hunting ground rats.

That thought brought Kim Dokja back to my mind.

«Suddenly, I have a lot of respect for Kim Dokja.»

He must have traversed this same tunnel at Yaksu Station.

With stats far lower than mine.

He wasn’t afraid, he didn’t retreat, and he trusted what he had read.

Can I place that same trust in what I write?

Kyung Sein asked.

«There’s no Kim Dokja in this world line, right?»

«Because this is ‘Ways of Survival’.»

As I answered, a memory flickered through my thoughts.

I recalled the Kim Dokja from my dream. One memory was hazy, the other just a fragment…….

Could Kim Dokja truly be absent from this world?

«But perhaps he’s watching over us from above, just as we once did for him.»

The ceiling of the dark tunnel was as black as a night sky without stars.

Kyung Sein gazed upward for a moment, then suddenly waved her hand and called out.

«Kim Dokja! Kim Dokja!»

She shouted his name several times.

Naturally, the air yielded no response, but Kyung Sein seemed much brighter afterward.

«Kim Dokja…….»

If Kim Dokja is truly observing this world, our roles have now reversed.

I wondered if I could make it to the end of the scenarios as he did.

I wasn’t certain. But I have Kyung Sein and Dansoo ahjussi.

There will be other readers, too.

Alone it’s difficult, but together, we might just manage.

If Han Sooyoung is correct, they too are ‘fragments of Kim Dokja’.

[The constellation ‘Sneaking Schemer’ nods in agreement.]

I wonder what form this ‘filtering’ takes for the constellations.

Just then, a glimmer like starlight flickered in the darkness.

«Huh?»

I hurried over and found a flashlight on the ground. Someone had been here before us.

And beside it.

«Over here.»

We peered down into a cave that opened into absolute blackness beneath our feet.

«I believe I’ve found it.»

It was the ‘Edge of Darkness’.

We ventured into the darkness, holding hands.

Though it was clearly a descending path, the moment we stepped inside, gravity seemed to magically shift toward the wall.

Just as described in the Omniscient Reader.

In this space saturated with black ether, light becomes meaningless. In the utter blackness, sight is useless, and you must rely on your other senses to advance.

Dansoo ahjussi, with his [Diverse Communication], took the lead.

«This way.»

Dansoo ahjussi sounded motivated, as if he had finally found a purpose.

Kyung Sein spoke up, sounding bored.

«Ahjussi.»

«Yes.»

«How old are you?»

«I’ll be 53 this year.»

«You mean your original age?»

«Yes.»

«You can drop the formal speech with us¹. Right, Inho-ssi?»

[1] Meaning he can speak casually, without honorifics.

«Right. Please speak comfortably.»

I could feel him shaking his head in the dark.

«Using honorifics is more comfortable for me.»

I’m not sure that counts as respecting us.

In any case, he was an exceedingly polite man.

«May I ask what you did for a living?»

He seemed to ponder my question for a moment.

«Before coming here, I was unemployed.»

I wondered if I had overstepped, but he continued right away.

«I was in the hospital.»

Hospital. As soon as he said the word, his grip on my hand tightened strangely.

«Perhaps that’s why this world feels more like an opportunity to me.»

An opportunity.

I understood his meaning, but felt it would be impolite to pry further.

This time, ahjussi asked a question.

«Why do you think we are here?»

It was the fundamental question everyone in this world must ask themselves.

Kyung Sein answered first.

«Maybe we’re here to have our own experience, too.»

Her tone was light, but it was a possibility that couldn’t be dismissed.

«What do you think, Inho-ssi?»

I thought for a moment before replying.

«Perhaps someone is needed to finish this story.»

«Oh…… I hadn’t considered anything that deep. So, was it ‘Ways of Survival’ that called us here?»

«I’m not sure about that.»

«Maybe it was <Kim Dokja’s Company>. Kim Dokja? Yoo Jonghyuk?»

«Yoo Joonghyuk, ahjussi.»

Who could have summoned us here?

I initially thought it was <Kim Dokja’s Company>, but now I’m not so certain.

Would <Kim Dokja’s Company> really bring their readers to such a perilous place without reason?

«Could it be Han Sooyoung? She is the writer of Omniscient Reader, after all.»

Hearing Kyung Sein’s words, I felt a peculiar sensation.

So other readers also believe Han Sooyoung is the ‘author’ of this world.

I felt a twinge of frustration that I couldn’t even dispute that fact.

Thinking back, ‘Omniscient Reader’ was a truly unusual novel.

It wasn’t a story I had ever conceived of before. Yet, one day, it simply came to me.

It felt like being struck on the back of the head.

Kyung Sein went on.

«Of course, the original writer of Omniscient Reader in our world line is a different person…….»

My palms grew damp. I was grateful for the pitch darkness.

«I wonder what became of our writer. Maybe he was possessed along with us, or maybe he’s already dead, since he was always posting announcements about being sick. I even sent him a note with stretching tips the other day.»

He’s holding your hand right now.

«Shh. There’s someone up ahead.»

We fell silent at ahjussi’s warning.

The black ether around us thinned, and we gradually began to see a little farther ahead.

It meant we were nearing the ‘Dark Root’, the heart of the ‘Edge of Darkness’.

«Someone’s fighting.»

We heard the faint clang of weaponry.

[You have entered the ‘Ground Rat’s Treasure Trove’.]

[Someone is undertaking a sub scenario.]

The floor was littered with the bodies of numerous ground rats. Each was cleaved from head to gut with a single stroke, indicating a highly skilled combatant.

Drawing closer, I saw a dark fire(暗火) burning in the gloom. A solemn box illuminated by the dark fire’s light.

It was the ‘random item box’ we sought.

Standing before it was, unsurprisingly, the Dark Keeper.

The battle was already intense, and the enraged Dark Keeper was frantically lashing out with tentacle patterns.

«Kallituu!»

A short figure was battling the Dark Keeper.

Kyung Sein whispered.

«That’s the one I saw earlier, on the bicycle.»

A woman with a light blue bob cut and sunglasses was locked in a breathtaking fight.

She evaded the tentacles with preternatural fluidity, landing precise strikes. It was as if she had input her combat commands and was executing them perfectly.

Even more startling was the faint blue-white ether emanating from her steel fist.

Dedicated Sword Force (罡氣功).

It sounded familiar.

Kyung Sein murmured.

«That’s it, isn’t it?»

«I believe so.»

Looking again, it was clear.

She was using Kim Dokja’s [Purest Sword Force].

I wondered who had taken that item, and it must have been her.

But even with the Purest Sword Force, I was stunned she could hold her own against the Dark Watcher.

What had she done to advance so rapidly from the start?

Who was she?

[The exclusive skill ‘Character List’ has been activated!]

[This person’s information cannot be viewed with ‘Character List’.]

[This person is a ‘character’ yet not a ‘character’.]

That woman is undoubtedly a ‘reader’.

Perhaps one of the ‘pros’ Kyung Sein mentioned.

[Using ‘Readers’ Comments List’ on this person.]

I promptly checked the reader’s information.

ID: ansgkrthsu64

Platform: Sirius

Total Comments: 0

Reader Level: 21

Number of Reads: 0

* This reader left no comments, so there is nothing to view.

I was stunned for a moment.

0 complete reads.

Meaning she has never read Omniscient Reader.

And yet she can fight like that?

[The reader has no record of reading ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’.]

[Additional information about the target has been updated.]

[A portion of the ‘List Information’ has been corrected.]

Checking again, some details had changed.

Number of Reads: 0 times (12.8 times)

Suddenly, I saw 12.8 times in parentheses. What did that mean?

At that moment, a cold, sharp sensation pressed against the back of my neck.

«All three of you, don’t move. If anyone moves, I’ll kill him.»

Goosebumps rose on my skin. I hadn’t sensed him at all.

«Drop your weapons and slowly raise your hands above your heads.»

Without knowing my opponent’s strength level or skills, compliance was the safest choice.

If his stealth was good enough to get behind us unnoticed, he could strike at any moment.

Spot!

Just then, the battle ahead shifted. The woman, who had been ghost-like in evading the tentacles, was cut on the forearm for the first time.

I spoke up.

«We can assist. We’re not your enemies.»

«We don’t require assistance.»

«Don’t be greedy. You know you can’t defeat it alone.»

«The two of us are sufficient.»

The man addressed the woman in a calm tone.

«Yerin, stay focused, keep fighting. The pattern is about to repeat.»

His next words shocked me.

«The pattern begins upper right. Then one low, after which you must deliver a rapid series of strikes.»

This was precisely how Kim Dokja had defeated the ‘Dark Keeper’ in ‘Omniscient Reader’.

He remembered it all?

«Sever all the tentacles. Then finish it.»

Blue-white ether gathered around the woman’s fist. She was charging up energy for a final, decisive blow.

But it was a clear error.

I hadn’t detailed it in Omniscient Reader, but the Dark Keeper had one last hidden pattern.

A final maneuver that Ji Eunyoo had edited out for being too lengthy.

I drew a sharp breath and yelled at the top of my lungs.

«Evade! There’s one more! The last one comes from below!»

As the words left my mouth, a tentacle erupted from the ground.

She hesitated for an instant, then dodged the tentacle and landed the finishing strike.

Kuaaaaaah!

The defeated Dark Keeper crumpled to its knees and collapsed.

The woman who had just noticed us turned her head. Though her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, I could sense her surprise.

The man’s voice came from behind me.

«Turn around slowly.»

We slowly turned, hands still raised.

Facing us was a man holding a ‘Stone Hog’s Pointed Thorn’.

He was clearly an extra, as his face wasn’t familiar, but I noted his fairly handsome features.

In Ways of Survival terms, he might be handsome enough to lightly annoy Yoo Joonghyuk. I immediately activated my skill.

[Using ‘Readers’ Comments List’ on this person.]

ID: killer_king

Platform: Sirius, Paper books

Total Comments: 491

Reader Level: 99

Number of Reads: 99.8

* You may use coins to view comments left by this reader.

* Number of comments currently available for free: 3.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

99.8 complete reads.

This…… Surely it wasn’t a mistake?

The man, studying me with a peculiar glint in his eye, suddenly said something bizarre.

«7942.»