795 Episode 38 Chance (1)

— Dokkaebi King

I don't know if I've ever talked about that writer.

The lecturer of the first web novel lecture I ever heard. Because he emphasized 'coinciding with coincidences' in every class, the students used to call him ‘Giyeon’ for short.

Because he was older than me, I called him 'coincident hyung', but one day, the one I used to call 'coincident hyung' suddenly disappeared from the industry.

Some said that he started writing under a different pen name, and others said that he left the industry altogether. There were also people who mocked him, saying that he must have been reincarnated into another world and met Coincident in that world.

However, no one actually knew what happened to coincident hyung.

But actually, I have something to say about his disappearance. Two years before he went missing, he contacted me.

—Hakhyun-ah. Do you want to work on a project together?

He contacted me right when his next project was a complete failure. I was happy to hear his call, but at the same time, I felt uncomfortable.

—Hyung, our styles are so different.

Collaborating on a project.

Usually, writers in their right minds wouldn’t do something like that. Not only would ‘collaborating’ not work well between writers with strong egos, but it often ends up being a negative when two people write together.

Furthermore, it’s not a structure where you can make more money through collaboration.

—Honestly, I’m not sure I can do it well. It’ll just be a nuisance.

—No. I need your help. Can we work together just once?

Was it because the voice on the other end of the phone was desperate? Or was it because this month’s management fee came to mind?

Even though I knew I shouldn’t do it, I couldn’t resist the temptation.

—I really don’t have confidence… Then how do you work?

—I’ll write the first draft. Then you can look at it. If it fails, I’ll fail, so don’t worry.

—But hyung, you’ll give the main character ten karma from the beginning, right?

—Hey. I’ve changed now. I won’t give the main character karma anymore.

Karma hyung doesn’t use karma?

I thought it was a joke, but I was curious anyway.

—What’s the genre?

—It’s a modern fantasy, but I’ll arrange it with a mix of martial arts and systems. Actually, I haven’t drawn up a specific worldview. Since you’re good at that, I’d like some help.

—You’re not telling me to draw it all, are you?

—I said it’s a collaboration. We’ll draw it together, but you’ll lay the groundwork. What do you think?

—Okay.

—Okay, let me ask you a favor. I think my senses are old now, so I’m not good at making trendy settings, so I’ll give you a decent ratio.

As I listened, it was a tempting suggestion. Some ideas just popped into my head.

—Do you have a rough plot?

—Well, there’s no worldview yet. Just because a tower suddenly appeared in the world…

—The tower climbing genre is a thing of the past.

—That’s true, but wouldn’t it be okay to make the main character a little more unique?

—What abilities are you going to give him?

—Let’s not give him any abilities.

No abilities?

—He trains hard without any abilities and becomes strong. It’s time for the classic hard-working main character to return.

There are many such main characters now, but there weren’t many back then.

—How about training hard in just stabbing?

I guess that’s why.

At that time, I found his idea very interesting.

—Well, yes.

When I think back to those days, I often think this.

Maybe all the stories in this world are connected.

We just don’t notice it, but maybe all writers are contributing to a 'huge piece of work' in ways we never thought of.

—Um, then what about the title…

The moment I heard these words, a title came to mind as if by fate. I thought that no other title would suit this story.

—『The World After The Fall』. How is it?

Several years have passed since that day.

『The World After The Fall』, which we wrote together, was completed with modest results after many twists and turns, but even so, that writer, who could not endure the hardships of life, disappeared somewhere.

I don’t know where he went. However, the royalties that came in occasionally told me that the work we wrote was being read by someone.

"Kim Dokja."

With those royalties, I was able to eat, pay management fees, and pay rent.

I was able to continue my life as a writer.

That’s why a parody of 『The World After The Fall』 appears in 『Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint』.

Courtesy towards the writer who I wrote with. Or, I hope that he is still reading and writing novels somewhere in this world.

When I think about it now, there are times when all of that feels like a lie.

Was 『The World After The Fall』 really a novel we wrote?

Maybe he and I were just nameless scribes who received and wrote down dreams from some distant universe.

"Kim Dokja!"

I suddenly came to my senses at Yoo Jonghyuk's shout.

"Ah."

I suddenly looked behind me.

The empty void of space lay there. The nebulae that had threatened us until then, and the gods of the other world, were all swept away.

In that magical moment of emptiness, I clearly witnessed the flash of light that swept them all away with my own two eyes.

A stab.

It was definitely a stab.

"Be careful."

With those words, Yoo Jonghyuk stepped forward in front of me. His body had become tattered since he came here. Watching him step forward with such a body, I also stood next to him.

"I've never seen this guy before."

Yoo Jonghyuk's expression, which was sullen, was shaking with agitation.

Have I ever seen 'Yoo Jonghyuk of the 41st round' so tense?

The dot that had seemed like a period was getting bigger and bigger. The dot soon took the shape of a man. What was a little unusual was that the man was naked. I could tell without anyone saying anything. He was the main character who used 'stab'.

The moment our eyes met, I felt like the fluff on my entire body was going to burn. It felt like huge eyes were watching me.

A huge and intense eye that stared into space.

I had never felt this way even when I faced the constellations of the highest level.

"Yoo Jonghyuk. Do you believe in fate?"

"What?"

A naked man holding a sword finally arrived in front of us. He looked back at the two of us with a leisurely gaze and muttered.

"Are you those guys?"

Those guys. It was as if he knew us.

"It's just as he said."

The man's eyes, filled with deep disappointment, stared at me for a moment before turning to Yoo Jonghyuk.

"I expected it to be bad."

Yoo Jonghyuk frowned and twitched his lips.

I stepped forward before anything unexpected could happen.

"The 'Monarch Slayer' Jaehwan! Is that it?"

The man's expression changed subtly at my words.

"Do you know me?"

Of course I could not help but know.

He was the main character of 『The World After The Fall』 that I had written with Kiyeon.

The absolute being of the worldview 《Phantom Tree》.

The monarch killer Jaehwan.

Now, the main character of that story that we couldn't even tell if we had written was looking at me.

"Is there anyone in this universe who doesn't know your name?"

"It's not this universe where I'm famous?"

"Let's say it's the universe next door."

He even had a history of encountering Kim Dokja, who had become the 'oldest dream', while wandering around on the subway.

Well, it wasn't a good memory for either of them.

In any case, the important thing is that he had appeared in 『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint』.

—Kim Dokja.

I could hear Yoo Jonghyuk's [Midday Tryst], which seemed quite tense.

—A being that is on par with a mythical grade constellation.

A mythical grade constellation.

The constellations that occupy the highest positions among the stars in this <Star Stream>. Right now, Yoo Jonghyuk was saying that the man was as strong as them, or even stronger.

I don’t know why the monarch killer came here. But this was our opportunity.

"Please. Please help me."

"What?"

"I need your help."

I never thought I would have to ask him for help. But there was no other way.

With a 'tsk tsk' sound, the probability staggered around.

The incarnation body that had been stable for a moment was shaking once again.

I had forgotten for a moment. I died in place of the Demon King of Salvation at the 'Recycling Center', and in return, I became a 'Scenario Exile'.

Just like Kim Dokja of the Demon World, my incarnation body would disintegrate if I didn’t enter the new scenario.

Jaehwan, who was quietly looking at me, asked.

"Why should I help you?"

Judging from the way he spoke, he seemed to be Yoo Jonghyuk's ancestor.

However, seeing that the conversation continued, there was still hope.

"You helped me just now, didn't you?"

"I didn't help you. I just got rid of those who were interfering with my training."

Training?

When I focused my vision, I saw an energy rippling all over his body. A sharp awl extending toward the world. It was an energy that seemed to symbolize 'stabbing'.

It was creepy. Even at this moment, he was repeatedly stabbing the world.

Stabbing hundreds, maybe thousands of times per second.

If I were to visualize the concept of 'stabbing', would it look like that?

"If you guys keep interfering, I'll kill you too."

An eerie warning.

Normally, it would be normal to leave immediately. The opponent was a being that could compete with a 'mythical constellation'.

Kukukukukuku.

A seething noise from the other side of the void. I could feel the tension between the minions of the nebula who had not yet given up on us and the gods of the other world.

Right now, they are keeping an eye out because of this man, but the moment we open up even a little distance, they will come rushing back like lynxes.

My intuition was telling me. I have to buy some more time, somehow.

"Is there a reason you are training so hard when you are so strong?"

Jaehwan did not answer, but I continued to ask.

"Who did you come here to meet?"

I pondered his nature and asked again.

"Or do you want a strong 'enemy'?"

'Jaehwan, the Monarch Slayer' was a man with a stronger competitive spirit than anyone else. He stabbed and killed all the monarchs and gods who reigned over 《Phantom Tree》, and eventually destroyed the universe he belonged to. Maybe he was interested in the strong people of this universe.

Jaehwan slowly raised his head, and a faint emotion filled his eyes.

"Is there such a being?"

"I'll let you fight them."

I didn't use [Incite]. I instinctively knew that [Incite] wouldn't work on the being in front of me. Right now, the only thing I could trust was my own three-inch tongue.

Fortunately, Jaehwan looked a little interested.

"How?"

"We're being chased by the constellations of the <Star Stream> right now."

Perhaps this might be the perfect opportunity to eliminate our enemies. If only we could make this being, who is approaching the ' Myth-grade constellation', our ally.

I took a few deep breaths and continued.

"Just by being with us, all the strong people of the <Star Stream> will come looking for you."

"Are you trying to use me?"

"We're just giving each other a little help. Just allow me to stay by your side."

Anyway, if I let him go here, I would be in a situation where I would have no food or shelter. Since the hilt was over there, I thought it would be better to be honest about the situation rather than trying to convince him with nonsense.

Jaehwan looked at me without answering. Then he slowly turned his head and looked behind me.

When did it start?

The nameless things that had been watching from afar were once again expanding their forces and coming forward.

"It's annoying."

He swung his sword into the air, his voice uncertain whether positive or negative. Another flash of light struck, and the surroundings became quiet. It was truly an eerie sense of inaction.

Jaehwan, who had gotten up from his seat, slowly began to move somewhere.

I signaled to Yoo Jonghyuk to chase after him.

But Yoo Jonghyuk didn't respond at all.

When I looked back, Yoo Jonghyuk was unconscious. I belatedly noticed his broken knee and the wounds.

It was only natural.

It was a brave situation to have held out this long even after using [Resurrection of the Knight]. I picked up Yoo Jonghyuk and started chasing after Jaehwan. Fortunately, he moved just fast enough for us to keep up. I took that as his consent.

Was this a coincidence?

What would Kiyeon have said if he had seen that man's back?

'I understand, so don't whine.'

The lifespan of my incarnation body was decreasing in real time. From now on, it was a race against time.

While chasing after that 'monarch slayer', I had to somehow find a way to get back to the 'main scenario'.

The monarch slayer Jaehwan muttered without looking back.

"One week. No more."

I nodded while carrying Yoo Jonghyuk, who had become a rag.

"One week is enough."

We will never die. At least not until we change the damn ending of this universe.

I started walking diligently, following his footsteps left in the void.

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