Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 660

Chapter 660

«Ahjussi! Wake up! Ahjussi!»

Shin Yoosoung desperately shook the unconscious Cheon Inho. No matter how hard she tried, Cheon Inho remained unresponsive.

[Incarnation ‘Cheon Inho’ has reached ‘Madness Stage 5’.]

The dark red veins covering his body were now twice as thick as before, and both his eyes were shut tight.

Shin Yoosoung tried to steady her breathing as a terrible thought crossed her mind.

Was he dead?

No. He wasn’t. His heart was still beating, and his chest rose and fell with shallow breaths.

It just couldn’t be happening.

«He’s still alive. Calm down.»

At Killer King’s words, Shin Yoosoung narrowed her eyes, a violent golden light flickering within them.

«Shin Yoosoung.»

Literature Girl 64 placed a hand on Shin Yoosoung’s shoulder.

«It’s alright. Inho-ssi isn’t dead. He won’t die.»

She repeated the reassurance softly until Shin Yoosoung’s frantic breathing began to slow. Literature Girl 64 then glanced over at Killer King.

Killer King, having stepped forward, helped the staggering Lee Dansu to his feet.

«Are you okay?»

Lee Dansu wavered, a look of dawning clarity and guilt on his face now that the madness had receded.

He turned his head blindly and asked, «What happened to Inho-ssi?»

«He’s fine. For now.»

Black smoke curled from Cheon Inho’s body where he lay, deep in the fifth stage of madness.

Though blind, Lee Dansu understood what needed to be done.

«We must distribute Inho-ssi’s star jewels. No one who holds more than two can keep their sanity. I know this from experience.»

But Killer King shook his head.

There was no time for that now. It was impossible.

Cheon Inho needed to be conscious to share the star jewels, and he was currently unconscious. Even if he were awake, successfully sharing them in their current predicament was doubtful.

Killer King counted the enemies encircling them. About thirty incarnations from the Alliance remained.

Some were faces Killer King recognized.

The Assassination King was unfamiliar, but the other two had been among the ‘7 Kings of Seoul’.

The only difference from the main story seemed to be that other souls now possessed them.

«Illegal reading.»

Killer King’s provocation was met with silence from the Alliance. They were too busy arguing amongst themselves about Cheon Inho’s condition.

—Why hasn’t he transformed?
—His mental fortitude must be incredibly strong.
—Who is he?
—The constellations say his name is ‘Cheon Inho’.
—Cheon Inho? The agitator from Geumho?
—Who is that? Was he ever this powerful?

The three kings turned their glare toward Killer King in unison.

—That’s the second apostle. Can we take him?
—His host is ‘Kang Ilhun’. The incarnation’s innate talent is poor, but the issue is Jophiel. The woman beside him is said to wield the 100 Cheongganggi.
—There’s also a child who resembles Shin Yoosoung. This will be difficult.
—Should we call the tyrant?
—Calling him would guarantee a clean hunt, but it’s unnecessary here. The summoning of the ‘Sword of Death’ is confirmed. We just need to seize it.

As they fell silent, Killer King spoke again.

«Boring. Finished your little chat?»

Startled, the three kings focused entirely on him.

Killer King offered a dark smile. «[Translation] is a skill that seals and transmits words with magical power. A true master, like myself, can shatter the condensed magic.»

It was a complete lie, of course. Killer King was no Murim master, and he lacked that kind of sponsor. But his skill, [Juron], allowed him to infer their conversation.

Things wouldn’t go their way. Because Kim Dokja is strong. Kim Dokja?

«This guy is Kim Dokja.»

Killer King pointed at Cheon Inho.

The reactions were immediate. A golden light flashed again in Shin Yoosoung’s eyes, Lee Dansu tilted his head in confusion, and Literature Girl 64 touched her forehead as if to say, ‘here we go again’.

The kings of the union looked utterly bewildered.

“That is Kim Dokja?»

Killer King shook his head in mock pity. «You sound like fools. If you squint, everyone looks squinty.»

«I never heard he was blonde.»

«Apparently you didn’t know Kim Dokja had blonde hair in ‘Kaizenix’ and ‘Journey to the West.'»

The kings exchanged embarrassed glances under the weight of Killer King’s confident rant.

King Sosim finally managed a retort. «Whatever you say, you’re finished. Anyone who reaches the 5th stage of Madness becomes a monster. The blind man earlier took a long time because he refused to kill, but this one will be different. He’ll soon slaughter every incarnation here, including you.»

«Kim Dokja is a non-killer. Have you forgotten?»

«An immortal…?»

«And Kim Dokja possesses a [Fourth Wall]. It’s just ‘Madness’. It can’t touch him.»

Killer King looked down at Cheon Inho with the absolute conviction of a true believer.

«The Fourth Wall is invincible. Kim Dokja, who has it, is a god. This girl is actually Han Sooyoung, and Yoo Jonghyuk is the strongest.»

«What nonsense are you—»

«Anyway, there are depths to this story you simpletons could never comprehend.»

Killer King spoke without pause, exchanging a quick glance with Literature Girl 64.

—We need to stall.

They were only five, with Cheon Inho incapacitated. Opposing them were three kings and over thirty others. An all-out fight would be devastating, even if they won.

[The entire dungeon will soon be engulfed in flames.]
[Locate the ‘Safe Area’.]

Fortunately, time was on their side. Once the ‘Safe Zone’ activated, the maze would be consumed by fire and then relocate.

The kings, finally realizing Killer King’s strategy, hardened their expressions.

—Dammit, he was just wasting our time.

[Relocation in 5 minutes]

Five minutes remained. The kings had to choose: risk a fight with Killer King’s group now, or find the safe area?

[‘Safe Area’ is activated.]

The decision was made for them. A massive ‘safe zone’ appeared nearby, perfectly timed.

«Everyone, into the safe area!»

Two safe areas materialized, each large enough to hold the union’s incarnations and Cheon Inho’s group separately.

Due to space, Literature Girl 64, Shin Yoosoung, and Lee Dansu moved into one.

Killer King dragged Cheon Inho into the other. While Cheon Inho, with his star jewels, didn’t need the safe area’s protection, being together would prevent them from being separated during the labyrinth’s relocation.

The Assassination King, glaring at Killer King, asked, «Is he truly Kim Dokja?»

«Yes.»

«I find it impossible to believe, given the madness.»

Shaking his head in disgust, the Assassination King added, «Whether he is or not, you will have to give him the star jewels.»

«What?»

«Only then will any of you survive.»

Before Killer King could demand an explanation, the entire labyrinth was swallowed by flames.

[Safe Area is activated.]
[Rearrangement begins.]

A brilliant fire incinerated everything in sight. When the flames vanished like an illusion, the kings and their alliance were gone.

«They ran away.»

It was an inexplicable choice. Leaving the dungeon meant forfeiting all their accumulated ‘star dust’. Indeed, a large pile of star dust lay where they had vanished.

Killer King looked at the fallen Cheon Inho, still unconscious.

If Cheon Inho woke up, took Lee Dansu’s star jewels, and collected the dust on the floor, he would possess all seven star jewels.

A shared sense of dread passed between Killer King and Literature Girl 64, and they simultaneously moved to gather the star dust, hoping to avert catastrophe.

[Incarnation ‘Kang Ilhun’ has acquired 1 additional ‘Star Jewel’!]

The dust in the air shimmered, and the final star jewel was formed. They now had all seven.

The problem was how to summon the ‘Sword of Death’ with them.

An ominous feeling settled in Killer King’s gut.

—Whether he is Kim Dokja or not, you will have no choice but to give him star jewels.

His [Recommendation] skill had shown him the union’s plan: to summon the ‘Sword of Death’ by concentrating all seven Star Jewels in one place.

But their plan had a flaw. ‘How did they intend to kill the incarnation who collected all seven and obtained the ‘Death Sword’?’

«Yerin.»

Since when had it been there?

A red meteorite had fallen where the pile of star dust had been.

«Get back.»

Literature Girl 64 instinctively retreated, noticing the change in her brother’s demeanor. This was Killer King, who never showed nerves against a 6th grade monster, yet sweat beaded on his neck.

«It’s a Disaster.»

Light from the red meteorite began to flood the maze.

***

When I awoke, I was being dragged down into a cold, deep sea.

I sifted through my memories. I had been confronting Dansu ahjussi and used [Incite]. I remembered that much.

So why was I suddenly submerged in this ocean? Was it even an ocean?

I looked down blankly at my feet into an endless, gaping black abyss.

I knew it instinctively. «I can’t go down there…»

If I went there, I would never return.

「 Yet, despite knowing this, Lee Hakhyun felt a peculiar curiosity. 」

A strange impulse welled up. A desire to let go, to stop struggling. To throw everything away and sink into that darkness. A vague hope that the truth I sought lay in that abyss. The secret of this world I wanted so badly to know. A bizarre conviction that every story has an ending began to paralyze me.

The strength was slowly leaving my limbs. Would it be so bad?

「 If I go over there. 」

I’ve worked hard enough for anyone to acknowledge. So, just stop.

「 What about the other ‘readers’? 」

That single thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

I reflexively thrust my left hand upward. Though I knew nothing was there, I flailed, desperate to grab hold of something.

Then, my fingertips brushed against something familiar.

I gasped. It was the feeling of resting my hands on a keyboard. The sensation of a living patient, twitching like a fresh-caught fish.

[The exclusive skill ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ is activated!]

I clung to that sentence with everything I had.

And then, the sentences began to speak.

「 Kyung Sein thought… 」

Kyung Sein.
The second reader I met.
ID JudgeHeewon. Completion count: 1.8 times. Her favorite character is Jung Heewon.

Through the interwoven typefaces, I could almost see her face. When we parted in Chungmuro, Kyung Sein had followed Lee Hyunsung.

「 Is Inho-ssi okay? 」

So she was thinking of me now. A strange warmth spread in my chest, and new strength surged within me. I couldn’t give up here.

There were readers waiting. A story I hadn’t finished telling them.

I grabbed the sentence and reached out again. This time, a sharper, more desperate sentence fell into my grasp.

「 Goo Seonah thought. 」
「 I don’t want to die. 」

Goo Seonah. A reader I met in the theater dungeon.
ID strawberry1137. Completion count: 8 times.

「 Goo Seonah thought. Lost too much blood. 」
「 That bastard Kim Kyung-shik. Why is there a pig there? 」

Goo Seonah was in crisis. I saw her stumbling through the labyrinth, bleeding. Kim Gyeongshik, who she was traveling with, was apparently dead. Another reader had died somewhere unknown.

「 Damn members of the Misreading Association… 」

Her voice was fading. I wanted to help her, to tell her to hold on, to not give up. But my voice wouldn’t carry.

「 I can’t die here. 」

Goo Seonah’s breathing grew shallow. Her vision swayed violently with each limp step.

「 That bastard must have possessed someone. I won’t die until I find my son. Never… 」

After uttering those words, Goo Seonah collapsed. The sound of approaching footsteps. She summoned her last ounce of strength and gripped a piece of rebar, but she had no fight left.

Urgent voices called out. Fortunately, it wasn’t enemies who arrived.

「 «—Are you okay?» 」

I didn’t know who it was, but the voice sparked a strange sense of longing within me.

I seized the next sentence without hesitation.

「 Ye Hyunwoo thought. 」
『 It can’t be okay anymore. I have to enter the dungeon. 』

Ye Hyunwoo. Completion count: 50 times.
The 7th apostle was still safe.

「 You pitiful bastard. Pull yourself together. If he’s Kim Dokja, he should be able to overcome this. 」

Killer King. Completion count: 100 times. Still the same as ever.

「 Wake up. 」

Literature Girl 64. Completion count: 12.8 times…

I reached out further, listening to the stories of my readers. I was supposed to be the one telling the story, but they were telling theirs to me.

And then, I found stories I had never seen before.

「 «Dad…» 」

A chill ran down my spine. I frantically grabbed for the sentence, but it revealed nothing. I couldn’t see beyond the characters.

[Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint failed to activate. Possibly.]

All the readers I’d connected with so far were ones I had met.

「 «Dad.» 」

But then, an impossible scene began to clarify. It couldn’t be.

[Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint activates only for ‘characters’ I know and who are thinking of me.]

That meant…

「 If I had met Dansu ahjussi’s daughter without realizing it, and if Dansu ahjussi’s daughter was thinking of me right now… 」

It was impossible. Yet, one hypothesis made the impossible plausible.

[The exclusive skill ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ is strongly activated!]

「 «Dad.» 」

Soon, the owner of the voice appeared. A gloomy landscape sensed beyond the sentence. A familiar, oppressive darkness.

「 It was a theater. 」

A theater where countless little Kim Dokjas sat watching a screen. Some were dazed, some dozed contentedly, others were grumpy.

Among them was the specific Kim Dokja I was searching for.

「 Rlaerhwk37. 」

Why was this person here?

「 «Dad.» 」

For what purpose did this have to happen? Dismissing my doubts, the little Kim Dokjas simply stared at the screen.

「 The man bleeding from both eyes was there. 」

ID wldbsdldkQk80. Read once.
Jiyoon, who had become a kkoma Kim Dokja, reached out toward her own father, who was engulfed in flames.

「 «Please save my father, Kim Dokja.» 」