Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 611

Chapter 611

611 Episode 12 □□ (2)

I kept speaking to Han Sooyoung, who remained silent.

“Aren’t you planning to bind Yoo Joonghyuk here and trap him in an endlessly repeating film?”

Then, only a fraction of the tragedy this world will suffer because of Yoo Joonghyuk would come to pass.

If it was Han Sooyoung, she would have already dispatched her [Avatar] beyond this place.

Following her design, the world would meet a quiet end, and Shin Yoosung would become a lost child of the worldline, beginning her journey to become a ‘disaster’.

That was the full conclusion Han Sooyoung had crafted for this 41st regression.

After a moment of thought, Han Sooyoung finally spoke.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Why go to such extremes?”

“If a world is doomed to perish regardless, shouldn’t we lessen the agony of its destruction?”

Han Sooyoung continued, her words sounding like a final verdict for a world.

“You know exactly what sort of man Yoo Joonghyuk is in this world.”

Her gaze was fixed on Yoo Joonghyuk.

“Not every Yoo Joonghyuk is a good man. He is human, and he makes errors. The Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st turn is one who will make many mistakes.”

But what she saw likely wasn’t just the regressor of this world.

A distant shadow of a long story passed over her eyes.

From the 0th turn to the 1865th turn.

To Han Sooyoung, the author of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ might be less a character and more a phenomenon, a concept.

“They are mistakes that haven’t occurred yet.”

I thought of the Yoo Joonghyuk who had spoken with me, and the one who had confided in Cheon Inho of the 40th turn.

Yoo Joonghyuk wished to see this world’s conclusion, even if it meant using the hands of villains.

Yoo Joonghyuk tried to teach the people of Geumho Station how to hunt.

Yoo Joonghyuk, who left ‘The Spirit of Elaine Forest’ for me.

Was Yoo Joonghyuk truly a villain?

“We might be able to change it.”

“If you do, something far worse will take place.”

Something worse.

“If you alter the story, another worldline will be born from this turn. Another universe of endless scenarios will begin.”

I felt my heart constrict.

“You asked why I came here?”

A quiet anger simmered in Han Sooyoung’s voice.

“I have come to deliver the conclusion to this entire story. To stop this damned tragedy that continues no matter how many times I try to end it.”

Hearing that, I felt an unexpected sadness. Perhaps I remembered a sentence Han Sooyoung had written.

「 Forever and ever, I will write a final chapter for you. 」

The Han Sooyoung who wrote that for a young Kim Dokja was now trying to write the last sentence that would end this entire world.

That might be so.

I benefit from her doing that.

But one thing puzzled me.

“I—”

Why did her face, as she prepared to write that final sentence, look so full of sorrow?

“This kind of ending is not acceptable.”

“Who are you?”

“I am—”

Who was I?

“I am someone who is still using the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint that you began.”

Han Sooyoung fell silent for a moment, as if she understood the meaning behind those words.

Then she asked.

“Are you certain?”

“I am not certain.”

I had never written a story because I was certain of it.

“There is still more story to tell.”

The moment Han Sooyoung started to speak, I pushed off from the ground and charged toward her.

Whatever Han Sooyoung’s goal was, I couldn’t stand by and let things unfold.

「 I must clear the ‘Theatre Dungeon’. 」

Only then could I save the Killer King.

I could free the other readers who might be in danger from overwork.

I could save Yoo Joonghyuk.

Han Sooyoung’s left hand moved with a sizzling sound. The [Black Flame] in her hand shot toward me, scorching the rooftop.

I took a deep breath and shouted.

“Become the Shield of Hercules.”

[Exclusive skill, ‘Incite Lv.6’ is activated!]

The ‘Thoughts of almost everything’ transformed into a replica of the ‘Hercules’ Shield’ obtained from the reward room.

[You have activated the special skill ‘wide area defense’!]

A translucent barrier expanded around the shield.

Han Sooyoung’s [Black Flame] melted more than half of the shield before dissipating.

My hands and feet burned from the searing heat, and the scorching air made it hard to breathe.

Fighting through the dizziness, I spoke.

“Heewon-ssi. Are you there?”

A voice answered from behind me.

“How did you know?”

Holding ‘Mikazuki Munechika’ in her left hand and clad in the ‘Impossible Mission’, Jung Heewon was standing behind me.

I spoke without turning around.

“I figured it was about time you woke up. When did you?”

“Back in the white room.”

Jung Heewon let out a short laugh. She stepped up beside me and added.

“You were saying something important, so I thought I shouldn’t interrupt.”

“And now?”

“I thought you’d die if I didn’t step in.”

We shared a brief smile. Jung Heewon’s body rippled with a deep blue magical energy, a sign her condition had properly recovered.

“That person is incredibly strong.”

Jung Heewon glanced at Han Sooyoung and nodded.

“I see.”

I pointed at the Theatre Owner standing before Han Sooyoung.

“Our target isn’t her. It’s the old man in front of her.”

“If we take that out, this dungeon ends too, right?”

I nodded.

Han Sooyoung listened to our exchange from a distance, her silence implying our efforts were futile.

As if irritated by her attitude, Jung Heewon stepped in front of me.

“Do you remember what you said to me before you passed out? Say it one more time.”

I considered what she meant and replied.

“You might black out again.”

“It’s frustrating, but I have a feeling I can’t win without hearing it now.”

Sparks flickered in Jung Heewon’s eyes.

Her resolve was clear.

The moment Han Sooyoung’s guard dropped, even slightly, was our only chance. I opened my mouth to play our strongest card.

“Every enemy you face from this moment on.”

Now, it was our turn to tell our story.

[Exclusive skill ‘Incitement Lv.6’ is activated!]

“They are monsters.”

As those words left my mouth, a wave of magical power erupted from Jung Heewon.

[Character Jung Heewon requests the activation of ‘Time of Judgment’.]

Then, indirect messages from constellations echoed in my mind.

[Constellation ‘Tiger eating rice cake’ agrees with Incarnation ‘Jung Heewon’.]

[Constellation ‘Lord of mischief’ agrees with Incarnation ‘Jung Heewon’’s will.]

[The constellation ‘Pig living in a brick house’ agrees with Incarnation ‘Jung Heewon’.]

[Constellation ‘Taejo’s cow’’ agrees with Incarnation ‘Jung Heewon»s will.]

And.

[Time of Judgment has been activated.]

With a roar, Jung Heewon charged across the roof. Her speed was so great it made Han Sooyoung’s eyes widen.

Han Sooyoung’s left hand moved swiftly, releasing [Black Flame].

[‘Mikazuki Munechika»s special option ‘Traces of the Four Gods’ is activated!]

Jung Heewon’s new weapon, dark as a shadow, weaved past the flames of [Black Flame] and arrived right before Han Sooyoung.

Her movements showed no hesitation.

Magical energy dyed the blade of Mikazuki Munechika in her right hand.

It was a flawless sword strike.

Jung Heewon’s [Sword], imbued with a fierce blue spirit, aimed perfectly for the Theatre Owner’s neck.

“How unusual. This isn’t the [Judgment Hour] I know.”

At those words, Jung Heewon’s sword halted.

An invisible force of repulsion seemed to exist between Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon; her sword trembled in the air and was forced back.

I realized what had happened too late.

[The Theatre Owner attempts ‘mental erosion’!]

In that brief moment, Han Sooyoung had used the Theatre Owner’s skill to assault Jung Heewon’s mind.

Dammit.

“Heewon-ssi! Get back!”

Jung Heewon’s eyes slowly clouded over.

Among the members of <Kim Dokja’s Company>, Jung Heewon was especially vulnerable to mental attacks.

There was no way she could withstand a direct assault from the Theatre Owner.

As I rushed forward and reached out for Jung Heewon.

“I’ve been trapped there for years.”

At Han Sooyoung’s words, my vision flipped.

Han Sooyoung, grabbing my wrist, threw me to the floor and pinned me down. Excruciating pain shot through my back, and I choked for air. I could feel a narration flowing from her fingertips, disrupting my energy and blood.

The difference in our power was overwhelming.

Blood spilled from my mouth; my consciousness flickered and then returned.

“This, this thing.”

I heard Jung Heewon’s voice.

When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw her staggering forward.

“This is—”

Blood vessels had burst in her eyes, and blood trickled from her bitten lips as she took another step.

Han Soo-young looked impressed.

“You. You’re somewhat different from the Jung Heewon I know.”

Something clicked in my mind.

I recalled a similar event in the [Illusion Prison].

Even after receiving the item’s effect, Jung Heewon had defeated the specters without being crippled by trauma.

「 The Jung Heewon of this world holds no trauma linked to the villains of Geumho Station. 」

It wasn’t hatred of evil that awakened her.

The Judge of the 41st turn was someone who became a ‘judge’ solely to save me.

Han Sooyoung muttered quietly.

“It’s surprising the regular is still alive… Why is the 41st turn so full of surprises?”

With just that brief encounter, Han Sooyoung seemed captivated by Jung Heewon’s new history.

“But to think Inho is on your side… the Jung Heewon I knew would be saddened to see this?”

“What?”

“Jung Heewon. Aren’t you curious what the original story was?”

The tip of her pale finger touched Jung Heewon’s forehead in a magical arc.

[A grand narrative ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ begins its storytelling.]

I saw Jung Heewon’s pupils dilate. Goosebumps rose on my arms.

It wasn’t clear exactly what Jung Heewon was seeing, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine.

“See? That is the true nature of the person you put your faith in.”

Jung Heewon was witnessing the story of the 3rd turn.

「 «My name is Cheon Inho.» 」

Specifically, she was seeing the Cheon Inho of that world.

「 «You’re correct. Scouts receive larger rations. So, if you want food, please join the scouting party.» 」

The villain of Geumho Station. The one who bullied others and nearly got Jung Heewon killed.

Cheon Inho, leader of the Deolsoo group.

「 The man’s words were cut short. Jung Heewon, appearing from behind, drove her sword through Cheon Inho’s face from above. 」

In that world, Jung Heewon killed Cheon Inho and reclaimed her life.

The story continued beyond that.

Blood flowed from Jung Heewon’s nose and mouth as she watched the stories of the third turn unfold like a panorama.

“This.”

Han Soo-young watched Jeong Hee-won with an unreadable expression.

In that moment, Han Sooyoung resembled a Demon King, a dokkaebi, and a constellation all at once. She looked like a god.

Her life’s story defined her.

The countless tales gathered after surviving near-death time and again.

She stood atop a vast text formed from the daily gatherings of <Kim Dokja’s Company> and Han Sooyoung’s own experiences.

She was unreachable.

A story that inspired awe just by existing. At its peak, Han Soo-young was omnipotent.

Like a child casually toppling a poorly built Jenga tower, she was dismantling Jung Heewon with indifferent fingers.

I felt all strength leave my body.

“Look closely at who you are trying to be loyal to. See the life you were meant to have.”

The history of this world, our lives, built with my own crude sentences, were crumbling.

“Hallucination…”

“It is no hallucination.”

“Even if this is true.”

Jung Heewon spoke, her words faltering.

A terrible light glistened in her eyes.

“This world is… not that… world.”

The moment I heard those words, it was like being doused in cold water. Clarity returned.

Strength flowed back into my fingertips. My dizzy vision cleared. I fumbled on the floor and got to my feet.

「 This world is not 『Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint』. 」

Jung Heewon was right.

「 Because this world was never properly written. 」

I stumbled forward, one step, then another.

Han Sooyoung turned to me with a warning look.

“Come closer, and you will die.”

I asked Han Sooyoung.

“Was saving me ever your original plan?”

Han Sooyoung’s hand, wreathed in [Black Flame], slowly aimed at me.

Watching her, I thought.

「 Truly, this world is not the 『Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint』 I know. 」

What I could and could not do now. Sentences I could write and those I could not.

「 A new sentence is needed in this world now. 」

And a blank page was needed to write that ‘sentence’.

The moment Han Soo-young’s [Black Flame] shot toward me.

[You want to do something unexpected.]

I decided to write my ‘sentence’ against hers.

[Describe your actions.]

[Consumes 5 points of probability.]

[The activation conditions for the exclusive skill ‘□□’ have been met.]

The world drained of color, turning achromatic, and time stopped.

[Entering the ‘Snowfield’.]

And in the next instant, something unprecedented occurred.

[An error has occurred in ‘Snowfield’!]

#□□

<&>「□□?□□?□?□□?□□□?□□□□□□□?□□□?□□□?□□?□□□□□?□□□?□□□?□□…」

*Based on the current proficiency, a total of ? additional characters are possible.

[The total amount of time you can stay in ‘Snowfield’ is ? minutes.]

The manuscript paper before my eyes was shattered. Neither the remaining time nor the character limit was visible.

I stared blankly at the empty space, then suddenly smiled.

「 Suddenly, Lee Hak-hyun felt completely free. 」

As if rejecting the rules of time, only I was awake in a world where everyone else was frozen.

A sensation that any sentence I wrote would become reality. A feeling that I could write whatever my heart desired.

I remembered the first sentence.

「 Lee Hak-hyun moved his hand. 」

This Snowfield was a world between the lines where all time and space were frozen. Physically, I shouldn’t be able to move either.

「 Then his hand moved. 」

But strangely, my hand moved.

「 When he willed his foot to step, it stepped. When he willed his fist to clench, it clenched. 」

I didn’t know why this was happening, but perhaps it was an opportunity.

If I could use this to kill the Theatre Owner.

This world between the lines, where only I could move—if this was possible, I could do it without any interference—

*Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu-tsutsu!*

Intense sparks suddenly crackled in the air.

Through the bright light of the sparks, someone was looking this way.

“How amusing. Does this usually happen?”

Hearing her voice, my heart sank.

Han Sooyoung was there.

“So this is your ability.”

A flow of letters coiled around her, acting as her protection. Like me, she defied the constraints of time. She stood freely at the center of the snowfield.

「 Above the lines and sentences, only two writers had escaped the rule of time. 」

At that moment, I felt the gaze of a faintly shining star on the far side of the snowfield.

「 And one reader watched it all. 」

I looked blankly up at the sky, then down at Han Sooyoung.

The stage was set, and what I had to do was clear.

There were two writers here now.

But in the end, only one story would be recorded.

“There is only one story.”