584 Episode 6. Star Relic (1)

Back when I didn't know much about web novels, I briefly attended a web novel academy on Ji Eunyu's recommendation.

The instructor was a writer who had defined a generation of genre literature.

He had a quiet, nervous voice and spoke so slowly that I dozed off through the entire class.

However, one thing he said stayed with me.

"Don't hesitate to include chances, the more the merrier. Give them to the main character."

The instructor who used to live by those words disappeared from my life. I often imagined that maybe he transmigrated to the novel he wrote.

Just like me now.

"I-I-it's real! Inho-ssi! It's real!"

"It is."

Who would have thought that I would be the one to retrieve a hidden piece.

Kyung Sein let out a scream of delight, shaking the box and turning it over several times.

"How did you know? It doesn't say anything about this in Omniscient Reader!"

To be honest, I was just as confused.

This box was an item from the rough draft of Chapter 23 of Omniscient Reader.

Anyway, the settings existed, so I looked it up just in case, and the item was indeed there.

Here's the question.

If this was a setting from 'Ways of Survival', then of course Kim Dokja would have used this box in the original novel.

However, since Kim Dokja didn't use it, it meant that this 'box' was never mentioned in the text of 'Ways of Survival'.

So, since when had this setting existed?

From the moment I conceived it? Or from the moment Han Sooyoung handed me the manuscript?

The more I thought about it, the more my head spun.

Is this really the '41st turn' of Ways of Survival that I know?

I didn't know.

For now, we had the item, so I decided to focus on that.

I replied to Kyung Sein.

"It just occurred to me that this box was originally an item made by a dokkaebi and then discarded."

The box, which was dangerous enough to unbalance the scenario, was once an item in the Bureau designed by a mad dokkaebi.

"Uh...... that's right?"

"But did they really just dump that one item...... only one in the same place?"

"Wow, really. Wow."

After hearing my explanation, Kyung Sein and Dansoo ahjussi each grabbed their knifes and

started poking around the floor.

Of course, they wouldn't find another box.

There were only two of these boxes.

A few constellations started to protest, but Bihyung didn't seem to have noticed yet.

I had wondered if he would close the channel and run away like in the original story, but I was glad he didn't.

I needed to see the reactions of the constellations.

In this world, there were countless 'readers', including myself.

Based on what I learned from the encounter with the Misreading Association, readers were possessing not only incarnations, but also constellations.

I looked carefully at the indirect messages from the constellations.

If any of them were readers, they would surely drop clues without realizing it.

I observed each subsequent message, trying to figure out who they were.

Some looked like normal constellations.

Some looked like they were possessed by readers.

Some were hard to tell apart.

Some were possessed by readers but remained true to their constellation concepts.

Some were possessed by readers who didn't understand the concept of constellations at all.

Some were just plain weird.

Of course, this was all speculation on my part.

After all, what could you really tell from a single line of an indirect message?

But since they had all read Omniscient Reader, it wouldn't take much for them to act like proper constellations.

By the way... where was Sneaky Schemer?

I was most curious about that guy's reaction.

"I guess that's the only box, I can't find anything else."

Apparently, Kyung Sein and Dansoo ahjussi were still digging.

"Ugh...... well, we have one. It's too bad we don't have a Broken Faith, because that's all we need for Unbroken Faith!"

As Kyung Sein said, we would only need that, but I couldn't get my hands on a Broken Faith right away.

So I made a decision.

"I've been thinking about it, and since we're at this point, why don't we try something different?"

"Something different?"

I pulled out an item I had just gotten from near the box.

An item that looked like spoiled jelly at first glance.

"If you guys don't mind, I'd like to put this item in."

"This is... didn't this item not appear in Omniscient Reader?"

Right. It probably wasn't used in Ways of Survival either.

Kim Dokja wasn't particularly interested in this item, either.

Kyung Sein glanced at the Unrealized Thought and replied,

"Well, we wouldn't have found the box if it weren't for you, Inho-ssi, so it's up to you."

Dansoo ahjussi nodded.

"I think so too."

"Wow, we're becoming a bit like <Kim Dokja's Company>, aren't we?"

"Haha, I guess so."

The two of them conceded so readily, I almost felt rather sorry.

"Thank you then."

Without further ado, I put 'Unrealized Thought' into the 'random item box'.

I knew it was a risky choice.

But in the first place, there was a chance of failure no matter what I put in.

"Now we just need the catalyst..."

"The core of a demonic species, right?"

"Yes."

To use the box like in the original story, we need to put the target item and the demonic species' core inside.

Unfortunately, we failed to hunt the Dark Keeper, a 7th-grade demonic species.

For now, it's best to buy one from the auction... though I don't know what kind of madman would risk a Demon King's curse to hunt a demonic species this early.

We looked up in surprise.

What was even more surprising was its next words.

Kyung Sein, who was looking up at the air with us, asked in a thoughtful voice,

"Tiger Eating Rice Cakes is the one from the traditional fairy tale, right? 'The Sun and the Moon'......."

I nodded.

Because that's the only fairy tale that comes to mind when I think of Korean 'Tiger Eating Rice Cakess'.

To get an item sponsored by a constellation this early. Even Kim Dokja had never received such a sponsorship at this stage.

If he was sponsoring an item so early on, he had to have a reason.

As I said.

"I appreciate the offer, but......."

Normally, this kind of deal would be followed by a ridiculous request.

That's Kim Dokja's proverb.

Twelve Zodiacs Ball?

This was another unexpected suggestion.

Twelve Zodiacs Ball.

It was probably the zodiac version of the 'Constellation Banquet' or the 'Gourmet Association'.

As they listened to the message, Kyung Sein and ahjussi whispered.

"Wow, it's the <Twelve Zodiacs>......."

"They're the rat, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, and pig. Right?"

"That's...... right."

"When I was young, there was a cartoon movie with twelve zodiacs as the main characters......."

In the original story, the constellations of the <Twelve Zodiacs> nebula were Kim Dokja's enemies.

But this time, the situation was a little different.

Was it because I was a villain?

I've made my decision.

"I'll attend the Twelve Zodiacs Ball. Is that really all I have to do?"

"Okay, then."

It was a very cool sponsorship.

A pitch-black orb then appeared from thin air.

'7th-grade Demonic Species Core'.

It was even superior in color.

Tsuchuchuchut.

Judging by the faint sparks, it seemed that the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cakes' had used up quite a bit of Probability.

What was he up to, showing such sincerity to me when I wasn't even his incarnation?

Anyway, thanks to my animal friends, I had gathered all the ingredients.

Looking at the glowing core, Kyung Sein said excitedly.

"Oh, go ahead and put it in, Inho-ssi!"

"Why don't the three of us close it together?"

"Okay."

We closed the box.

Kyung Sein chanted.

"God! Buddha! Demon King of Salvation! Please!"

A moment later, a bright light emanated from the box.

A place dozens of steps away from the core of the 'Edge of Darkness'.

In the center of the deep, black ether of the 'Dark Root', a woman in a white coat stood.

"Wow......."

She frowned at the 'random item box' glowing in the distance.

"Even the box was taken? From me? Is that even possible?"

"Who's that guy?"

"A reader?"

The woman tilted her head at that, then smiled, baring her fangs.

"Is that so?"

In her hand was Broken Faith, which no reader in this world should have been able to get.

Author's Note

You know everything now, right?