667 Episode 21 Kim Dokja (3)

I immediately activated [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint].

I'm sure there are people thinking of me right now.

If just one person thought of me, they would know what's going on.

My head was pounding.

Is it that no one is thinking of me, or is it the aftereffects of using my skills for too long?

A light swaying in the distance illuminated this direction.

"Author?"

A woman was standing in the dark. She is a woman wearing a royal hanbok with rich brimstone colors and a crown on her head.

Such a person called me Author. Suddenly my head couldn't turn properly.

"Who are you?"

She looked at me as if she were disappointed and asked in a voice like her glass beads rolling.

"You don’t know who I am?"

Actually, I understood it in My head. Of course, there is only one person in this world who can call me 'author'.

Still, verification was necessary.

"When was the first serial published from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint?"

"January 2nd, the second year since I joined the company."

"What does 1,863 mean?"

"You use it without even thinking about that."

"How many rounds will this world line be in?"

"The 41st rounds."

I felt like crying a little.

It is certain. It's definitely true.

This person in front of me is my one and only editor.

"Editor."

"Author."

We held each other's hands for a moment with tears in our eyes.

When the serialization of ORV was just beginning, I once received such a question from a reader.

—If you were to possess a character, what character would you want to possess?

Now that I think about it, I don't know if that comment was written by Representative Kim Dokja.

—Well, there are people I want to possess... If I were to be honest, there are people I don't want to possess. For example...

At that time, I wrote a reply but did not click the OK button.

I didn't want to disturb the readers' appreciation by adding the author's personal opinion.

So, 'Shall we think about it until it’s finished?' I just answered.

Ji Eunyu, who read the comment at that time, said this.

—First of all, I will not possess Kim Dokja.

—Because you keep dying?

—Yes.

—Then what...

— Jung Heewon or Lee Hyunsung...

—They almost died too. Doesn’t Lee Hyunsung die once too?

That's right.

If you think about it, among the characters in ORV, there is only one person who remains sane until the end.

—The best character is one who survives until the end as quietly as possible, as if they were not there.

It was indeed a remark befitting a veteran web novel editor.

Maybe the reason Ji Eunyu is now possessed by that person is because of that comment at that time.

So, is Ji Eunyu satisfied now?

"Anyway, Min Jiwon is a bit..."

I don't think so.

The person that Ji Eunyu possessed was: Min Jiwon, the King of Beauty.

In the original work, the incarnation of Silla's King. In terms of appearance, she is one of the best in the entire 'Ways of Survival', and even briefly shows interest in Kim Dokja.

"I think she’s the person the editor wanted to possess so that you survive as quietly as possible, as if you don’t exist."

"No. Who would have said that, knowing that I would actually possess someone? This isn’t the author’s doing, is it?"

I protested to Ji Eunyu, who glared at me with a coy look.

"If I had taken the lead in this situation, would I have bothered to possess Cheon Inho?"

"But."

Ji Eunyu nodded meaningfully and added.

“But does Cheon Inho look like that? It looks like he’s had some cosmetic modifications done."

"I didn’t specifically say that Cheon Inho was ugly."

As we stared at each other for a moment, I suddenly remembered what kind of person Ji Eunyu was.

She was someone who would debate with me for 30 minutes over a single sentence. She was a person who did not tolerate sentences that did not fit the context or rhythm.

She supported my story more than anyone else, but did not go away when the plot was uneasy or the balance of the story was shaken.

"Anyway, I’m glad you’re alive, author."

The person who always says what I have to say first.

"Editor."

"There are a lot of things I want to ask, but I don’t think now is the time to clear things up among ourselves, right?"

I nodded.

But I couldn't figure out what to do first.

Fortunately, Ji Eunyu is the person who knows best what to do in times like this.

The surrounding scenery swayed as if it had been filtered, and soon changed into a familiar space.

"Here-"

"It's been a while?"

I never thought I would see this scenery again.

A reading room desk packed in a space of about 8 pyeong. There is one computer on each desk. Coffee mix and biscuit bags piled on the table in the center.

This was the 'writing room' of Ji Eunyu’s company.

"Maybe it’s because I’m an editor, so I have this skill."

Also known as 'cannery factory'.

A place to capture writers whose serialization cycle is erratic or who have abandoned the deadline and run away.

I, too, have been caught here several times to write when I was planning a new work.

"Time passes slowly in this space. One second in real life is about 10 minutes here."

It was a ridiculous time multiplier.

"Instead, the skill cooldown is long and the duration is short. Currently, it is only about 10 minutes. In real time, it would be about 1 second."

10 minutes.

It was a short time, but it was the time I really needed right now.

I thanked Ji Eunyu for her consideration and organized the situation in my head before opening my mouth.

"Then can I ask you a few questions?"

"Yes."

"What happened to the people who were with me?"

Obviously, right before I met Ji Eunyu, I was with the Killer King’s group. But now these companions are nowhere to be seen.

"The apostle."

As expected, Ji Eunyu also knew about 'Apostles'.

"He went to participate in the 'Last King’s Qualification'. He appeased them by telling them that he would prevent the destruction of the world."

I didn't have to ask who said that.

I looked again at the message log I received earlier.

Even though the apostles participated in the 'struggle for the throne', that message came to mind.

Then the situation was clear.

None of them could stop Yoo Jonghyuk. Suddenly, my mind seemed to turn white.

"Author, you don’t like the current development."

"Yes?"

Even in this situation, Ji Eunyu still spoke like a pen holder. Is that why? I also started thinking like a writer.

"I don’t like it, Yoo Jonghyuk has the 'Absolute Throne'."

"Then why not?"

"If he uses his legacy to secure the 'absolute throne', this world will fall into ruin. You know that."

"But that’s the original story."

I was silent for a moment.

She was right.

This was the development of the 41st round of the 'predetermined' Ways of Survival.

Yoo Jonghyuk takes the absolute throne and the world heads toward destruction.

Shin Yoosoung becomes a wanderer in the world line.

"Are you doing this because you feel sorry for the characters? Are you trying to save them by changing the plot?"

"…"

"Is that really the right choice? Maybe this is just the right thing to do. In the 41st round, Yoo Jonghyuk perishes as planned, Shin Yoosoung goes to the past, and that’s how the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint we know begins."

"…"

"The author knows very well the kind of catastrophe that a story altered by excessive greed can lead to."

At least Ji Eunyu was always right about the manuscript.

In some stories, if you change one thing, the whole story collapses. Trying to protect one world line. The entire world line of the universe may collapse.

But this time, I had a reason.

If this were a simple novel, I would have accepted Ji Eunyu’s words. But this world was not just a 'novel'.

"There are readers who are possessed in this world."

"I know. So do I."

Even though her life was at stake, Ji Eunyu responded calmly.

"But this isn’t something the author started. Did the author make the readers possess characters here?"

"No."

"Then it’s not the author’s responsibility."

Was Ji Eunyu such a cold-hearted person?

"I guess I can say it this way. Now that it’s clear that this world is not 'yours', the tragedies that occur in this world are not the author’s responsibility."

Responsibility.

"The author always joked that this was written by Han Sooyoung, which means it’s not our job to put us back in our original positions or end the story."

Ji Eunyu was speaking.

The responsibility for the story lies with the person who started the story.

So who started this story?

Is this Han Sooyoung? Is it Representative Kim Dokja?

I stared blankly at the computers in the writing room. No one was sitting in front of the computer.

Without realizing it, I reached for the chair and Ji Eunyu added something.

"If you change the plot, this really becomes the author’s story."

My story.

"If someone dies or gets injured due to the changed plot, it will all be the author's responsibility. Can you handle it? You had a hard time even reading a single bad comment. This is a different matter than that."

"But the possessed readers…"

"Whether they are possessing characters in a novel or not, humans will die someday."

Ji Eunyu said as she pushed the chair back.

"I think it's a bit unlucky, but since I've already possessed someone, I just have to live as I possessed them. You never know. It might be a happier life to somehow survive here for a long time rather than living as 'editor Ji Eunyu'."

I looked at Ji Eunyu.

"There is no guarantee that the story the author changes will be better."

Ji Eunyu was speaking.

Don't start this story.

I was reminded of the countless stories I worked with her on that I could tell the ending of a story before it even started.

Numerous works that started excitingly but were never completed.

"This time, we can’t just do it all year round and run away because it’s not popular."

Nevertheless, I keep being drawn to such stories.

Even though it is painful to read the story I wrote, I still write the next sentence.

I spend my time writing stories about the lives and deaths of beings other than myself.

"Don’t write this story?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you still call me Author?"

Ji Eunyu’s eyes looked at me.

I continued to say.

"I already wrote the story."

At Geumho Station, Chungmuro, and Seoul Station, I wrote stories.

"Someone has already died and someone has survived because of me."

There is no excuse for that fact.

"So I have to write it to the end somehow. Even if it’s not interesting or popular, even if only one person reads it. So please help me, editor."

Ji Eunyu looked at me like that.

It was a look I knew well.

Every time I put out a new work without a solution. Ji Eunyu always reviewed the manuscript with the same gaze.

Is the material novel, is the plot detailed, and does it fit the trend? After completing such a short review, Ji Eunyu would always ask me in the same tone.

"Do you really want to do it?"

"Yes."

I don't want to destroy this world.

I want to save people.

I will return readers to their original world.

I want to give this poorly written story a full ending.

Ji Eunyu sighed lightly and said.

"The owner of the throne has been identified, but it may not be too late."

It's not too late.

"King of a kingless world… Don’t you remember when you wrote the round?"

A pile of short memories flowed through my mind.

“Until Kim Dokja sat on the throne, the 'Absolute Throne' was not activated."

Ji Eunyu’s words naturally brought up a scene in my mind.

Kim Dokja, who proved his 'final qualifications' and became the 'only king of Seoul'.

However, because Kim Dokja refused to sit on the throne, the 'absolute throne' was not activated.

That is to say,

"If only you could prevent Yoo Jonghyuk from sitting on the throne."

If only we could stop the 'coronation ceremony'.

There were two things to do for it.

First, get out of this dungeon.

And the second is,

I looked down at the 'last star gem' rolling around on the floor of the star labyrinth.

There are a total of six 'star jewels' I currently have.

However, in order to be summoned, I must endure '7 levels of madness'.

I looked at Ji Eunyu.

The heat that gripped my head, the pain, and the strange feeling of dizziness felt throughout Ji Eunyu's whole body. The things that Ji Eunyu didn't say and the things that I didn't ask about formed a series in my head.

Ji Eunyu said as I picked up the star gem that had fallen on the floor.

"If you write it, please show it to me."

I nodded.

I don't know if the story we changed will be successful.

However, I am writing a story, and…

She will fix this story.

Along with Ji Eunyu's spell, something strongly clamped down on my head.

I stretched out my hand toward the emblem shining brightly in the air.

A sword hilt that fits gently in the palm of your hand. The sentence I had rewritten several times was finally becoming reality.

Now, it is time to go face the King of Seoul.