Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 606

Chapter 606

606 Episode 11. Artwork (1)

Lately, whenever I lose consciousness, a single hope crosses my mind. Perhaps this time, I will see Kim Dokja again.

I was always preparing questions to ask him if we met.

Where are you now?

Why did you bring me here?

What story are you reading at this moment?

[Your current state of consciousness is unstable.]

Sadly, when I opened my eyes, I was not in a snowy field.

The dim interior of a theater surrounded me. It was the theater where the small Kim Dokjas had gathered..

My first thought upon waking was of Jung Jaewoo. In the final moment, he had vanished, becoming one of the “small Kim Dokjas.”

He might be here, too.

People were sitting huddled together throughout the theater. I could see the small napes of their necks.

In the past, I might have found it endearing, but now it only made my heart grow cold.

Was it possible that every one of these “small Kim Dokjas” was a reader who had died?

Just as I slowly opened my mouth to call out for Jung Jaewoo,

「 «Yoo Joonghyuk.» 」

A voice came from the speakers ahead.

Two people were on the screen. One was Yoo Joonghyuk in a black coat, and the other…

「 «Who are you?» 」

Yoo Joonghyuk demanded, and the other answered.

「 «The one who has come to end your story.» 」

I felt my heart drop.

This must not happen.

Those two cannot fight now.

I need to get out of here immediately.

I felt my body beginning to dissolve. My consciousness was being pulled away again.

«Wow, the fight of the century!»

At the very last moment, I heard one of the small Kim Dokjas beside me shout those words.

I was jolted awake by Killer King kicking me with his foot.

«What a weakling. To lose your senses from a wound like this.»

I let out a soft groan and sat up.

It was the middle of a dark night. I could faintly feel the warmth of a bonfire.

It seemed the Killer King siblings had helped me.

«Please, have this.»

Killer King’s younger sister helped support me and handed over a teacup. I took a sniff; it was an herbal brew.

«Thank you.»

Judging by its color and scent, it seemed to contain something like Elaine’s “Dawn Dew” or “Baekoncho.”

These were all ingredients that never appeared in the original story.

«It’s not poison, so you can stop being suspicious. I won’t try that again.»

«I was just smelling it because I liked the tea’s aroma.»

«This is a newly discovered medicinal herb. It aids in restoring mana and mental strength.»

Killer King said this and drank from his own cup to demonstrate.

It was a strange feeling, seeing a reader who naturally discovers elements the author never wrote.

Even after it leaves the writer’s hands, the story continues.

「 Does Han Sooyoung know about any of this? 」

A faint headache came with the memory of the dream I’d just had.

As I looked around urgently, Killer King spoke.

«Jung Heewon is over here.»

Next to the bonfire, Jung Heewon was asleep under a thin blanket. I checked her breathing by holding my hand near her nose.

She didn’t seem physically injured; it was likely the aftermath of a mental attack.

Jung Heewon still hadn’t fully recovered from the effects of [Incite]. I gave a brief explanation of the situation instead of a detailed account.

«I encountered the Misreading Association.»

As expected, Killer King’s demeanor shifted.

«Explain in detail.»

I let out a light sigh and began recounting the gathering of readers beneath the theater dungeon.

Killer King grasped the situation almost instantly, before I’d even said much.

«I see. The scenario has changed. They’re making allowances for the latecomers?»

His eyes took on a particularly eerie glint when he heard that someone claiming to be ‘the writer’ had appeared.

«The author? And he left with the Misreading Association?»

I didn’t know, but I wondered if Yoo Joonghyuk had made that same expression when Anna Croft betrayed him in the second round.

But Killer King quickly regained his calm.

«You might not know this, but [Lie Detection] can be deceived if the speaker aligns with their own beliefs, or based on the value of the information.»

It was something I already knew, but I nodded anyway.

«To claim he wrote the Book of Revelation himself… would mean he wrote an ‘illegal version’ of the text. That makes him a ‘fake writer,’ not the real one.»

I was impressed.

«An illegal text writer… Could it be him, after all?»

«You know who it is?»

«He must be one of the executives of the Misreading Association. We’ve fought before. What was the outcome? Are you certain he’s dead?»

«He was severely wounded. He’s probably dead.»

Killer King nodded in approval.

«I understand the situation now. You managed to survive.»

«When did you two arrive here?»

«Half a day ago, outside. That would be two days within this stage.»

It seemed this stage operated on a different time flow than the outside world.

If it was half a day outside, they must have arrived around the time the ‘Emergency Defense Battle’ started.

«For the two of you, a two-day movie shouldn’t have been a problem.»

«We also met the Misreading Association.»

«The Misreading Association?»

I realized my error then.

Why had I assumed the Misreading Association would only be among the “latecomers”?

They must have read about the exhibition through the illegal text, so the clever ones would have infiltrated the theater dungeon early.

«There were five of them. We encountered them as soon as we entered the stage. Two were rats, three were snakes. I eliminated them all, but the problem was the snakes bit me as they died.»

As he said this, Killer King showed me his arm.

There were snake bite marks on his pale skin, with a purple stain etched around them.

«It’s a curse.»

«Correct.»

«What kind of curse?»

«The Curse of Disorientation.»

It reminded me of a setting I’d memorized long ago.

Those afflicted with this curse lose their sense of direction and unconsciously follow the path of the wind.

«Luckily, it’s a temporary curse. It should lift once we leave this stage.»

«I see. So for two days… hm? Wait a moment.»

That was strange to think about.

Was Killer King the only one who got cursed?

«Don’t you have a younger sibling? Your sister should be leading the way.»

At my words, Killer King’s sister looked startled.

Killer King glanced at her blankly and said.

«Yerin is chronically lazy.»

Killer King’s younger sister made a show of snuggling sleepily against her brother’s side.

Killer King, frowning slightly, spoke with a sinister smile.

«Anyway, I have a request for you.»

«A request?»

«Take us to the central research building. Do that, and I’ll let you live.»

Killer King was promptly kicked by his sister again.

Meeting the Killer King siblings on this stage was a piece of good fortune.

Though Killer King was a bit odd, he was a reliable ally to have.

«I think we should set out immediately.»

«Given the curse is also a hindrance, moving quickly to arrive even a minute sooner is better.»

I said this while sketching a simple map on the ground.

«I know where the research building is.»

«Jung Heewon is still unconscious.»

Carrying Jung Heewon would definitely be risky. But we didn’t have much time to spare.

«She’ll wake up soon. Let’s move while I carry her.»

«I hope you’re not scheming anything. Being fooled by you once was more than enough.»

Now that I thought of it, the last time I met this pair was inside the Dark Edge.

«You gave us a ‘Random Item Box’ that had already been used.»

I answered truthfully.

«That’s right.»

«Did you use the box yourself?»

I shook my head.

I expected him to use [Lie Detection], but I didn’t hear the system message.

After a moment’s thought, Killer King asked.

«Why did you leave that note?»

Back then, I had left a note inside the box with some useful information.

If it was Killer King, he had probably already secured quite a few hidden pieces thanks to that note.

«You really don’t know?»

Killer King stared at me for a moment, then turned away with a slightly offended expression.

«No. I believe I understand.»

It seemed he did.

If Killer King was curious about something, he was the type to investigate it himself. That was the kind of person who would read ORV 99.8 times. He’d probably read every compilation of ORV analyses out there.

«Still, leaving now will be difficult.»

The distant roars of earth dragons echoed intermittently. Killer King continued,

«Whatever you did, the monsters have gone insane because of you right now.»

I recalled the constellations from the Misreading Association that had interfered.

The ‘Plague-Bringing Rat’ had been forced out by a probability storm, but one constellation remained.

The Snake That Cut Off Its Tail.

He was likely the one behind this.

Since no particular setting came to mind, it was probably a nameless constellation.

Now, that nameless constellation was a major obstacle.

«There are two of them. I saw them take down a grade 7 earth dragon with ease earlier.»

«That was a surprise attack; it was easy. A head-on fight will take much longer. And…»

[All scenarios on this stage are affected by the ‘Black Moon’ effect.]

Killer King continued while glaring at the moon in the sky.

Since that moon had risen, the earth dragons had been growing stronger.

«If we encounter a grade 7 dragon now, even an ambush won’t be simple.»

«Luckily, that ‘black moon’ effect has a time limit.»

[The effect of the ‘Black Moon’ will last for a total of 8 hours.]

I understood what Killer King was implying.

Thinking logically, waiting here was the right choice. Once Jung Heewon wakes up and the ‘Black Moon’ effect ends, it would be safer to move.

「 That way, no one else will be lost. 」

I had already lost Jung Jaewoo due to my error. If I made another mistake here, other readers… Killer King or his sister could die.

«We still have to go.»

I knew it wasn’t the most practical decision. But this was not a world where practicality was possible.

Because we were inside a story.

「 You have to think in terms of the story’s logic. 」

Guilt couldn’t stop me from doing what was necessary.

Jung Jaewoo was dead.

But he would be alive as a small overseer. Perhaps the other readers were, too.

They hadn’t truly died.

And if they weren’t dead, there had to be a way to bring them back.

I had to believe that now.

This was that kind of “story,” and I had to plan the next development in this absurd world.

「 To avert the planned destruction and forge a new narrative. 」

Would I be able to reach the correct ending?

«Yoo Joonghyuk might die.»

Killer King paused before asking again.

«Is that true?»

I nodded.

Killer King didn’t use [Lie Detection]. Instead, he looked at his sister.

«Yerin.»

His sister gave a quiet shrug, as if to say it was his decision. Killer King didn’t deliberate for long.

«I will go to the research building.»

We moved through the broad-leaved forest, heading straight for the central research building.

We occasionally encountered a grade 8 earth dragon raptor, and more rarely, a grade 7 earth dragon Tyranno.

It took time, but we kept advancing.

Our direction was correct. According to my calculations, the research center was definitely this way.

Killer King followed me without complaint. He sometimes cleared branches ahead for his sister’s sake or warned her to watch her step.

To be honest, it was somewhat puzzling.

Killer King had only my word that Yoo Joonghyuk might die, yet he was taking this risk with me.

Why would he do that?

«I have a question.»

I asked Killer King as he broke off a protruding branch.

«Why the name ‘Seven Apostles’? In ORV, the term ‘apostle’ isn’t used in a very positive way.»

In the entire novel, the “apostles” were the executives who hadn’t read the revelation to the end.

Killer King shot me a look as if questioning why I’d ask that.

I thought I heard a sound, and then the leaves began to sway one by one.

The rain, which had stopped for a while, began to fall again.

Perhaps it was because of the sound of the rain.

«We are.»

I didn’t immediately grasp his meaning.

«We haven’t read the story to its conclusion yet.»

Understanding came to me belatedly.

It had never occurred to me. I thought it was just a community name readers had adopted, but it was more than that.

「 The “Seven Apostles” was a group who believed that the “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint” was not yet finished. 」

Because the novel wasn’t over, they were deserters.

«That’s why we are apostles.»

They called themselves “apostles” because they were deserters by circumstance, not by choice.

«But the story…»

It’s finished.

Just as I was about to say it, the words caught in my throat.

Countless thoughts raced through my mind.

The reason I and the other readers were in this world now. And the new episodes of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint that kept appearing on my phone.

A sudden chill ran down my arms.

Perhaps the reason this world had to exist was…

«Why ask that now? Do you want to become an apostle too?»

Killer King was looking at me as he asked.

«Even if I wanted to, you wouldn’t accept me.»

«Uh… Why not?»

Killer King frowned, his thick eyebrows drawing together.

«You act like someone who already knows the ending.»

I couldn’t help but laugh.

But Killer King’s expression remained serious.

«You knew about a hidden piece that I didn’t.»

«That…»

«You get this strange smile in special situations, like now.»

«It’s just because my eyes are small.»

Ignoring my reply, Killer King concluded by looking at my injured shoulder.

«On top of being accustomed to pain. Do you have a [Fourth Wall]?»

I was at a loss for words.

For a moment, I was tempted.

Maybe it would be fine to tell him I am the writer.

But another thought quickly followed.

「 What good would it do to say that now? 」

Calling myself the writer now meant I held no real responsibility for this story.

Perhaps my expression was strange, because Killer King added with a light smile.

«Don’t take it seriously. I just dislike it when you act like Kim Dokja.»

The structure of the central research building became visible in the distance. We had finally reached our destination.

«I thought for a moment that it would be nice.»

Killer King’s expression, as he said this, seemed somewhat lonely.

I briefly considered the other readers in the theater lobby. Perhaps they were coming to terms with the truth of this world, too.

「 There is no Kim Dokja in this world. 」

They read Kim Dokja’s story, were fascinated by it, yet were summoned to a world without him.

So, for whom did this story truly exist?

«Prepare yourselves.»

Killer King and his sister came to a halt.

We all knew the real danger began now.

Killer King spoke.

«As you know, under normal circumstances, the ending conditions should have been met after we hunted the grade 7 Earth Dragon.»

He was right.

In the original story, the ending message appeared upon defeating the “Tyranno,” but that wasn’t happening now.

«It means the ending of this movie has changed.»

*Coo coo coo.*

Something was waiting for us right on the path to the central research building.

[The owner of the theater is looking forward to the ending you will create.]

A low cry, like the grinding of stone, echoed. The ground around us began to tremble violently.

The expressions of Killer King and his sister tightened. Seeing the faint fear on their faces, I felt a peculiar thrill.

Was this because I was a writer?

Because there was a creature stronger than a grade 7.

Or was it because I, too, was a first-time reader of this story?

[The Grade 6 Earth Dragon, ‘Cretaceous Owner’, roars!]

I thought that perhaps, within this theater, I might find the answer.