novelOmniscient Author's Viewpoint (5)
| ← Ch.489 | Ch.491 → |
That was Kim Dok-Ja. That sentence, it definitely came from him. She didn't need to hear his voice to know that.
Han Su-Yeong wrote the next sentence.
⸢What's this, you were alright?⸥
Being an author didn't mean you were in control of every word you write. And also, she was the type of person who could only write stuff like that. However, Kim Dok-Ja should be able to read that fine. Because he was the greatest reader she knew.
Knock.
Along with a slight knocking noise, she heard his laughter. Sounds of weapons clashing coming from everywhere hurt her ears. Her companions were still bitterly fighting. No time to leisurely waste time, in other words.
⸢You knew this would happen from the get-go, didn't you?⸥
⸢.... . ■■■■■⸥
She couldn't clearly see the sentence written on the wall. As if, the communication earlier was just a pure fluke of really low odds.
⸢Hey, you! Write legibly, will ya?!⸥
Even though Jang Ha-Yeong was helping out here, Kim Dok-Ja's message still couldn't be seen.
['Wall of Impossible Communication' is unleashing its power!]
Tsu-chuchuchut!
Far too many sentences were aimlessly floating above the wall.
Every single one of them happened to be what she and the rest of the companions said to Kim Dok-Ja. Some of them were clear to see, while some were indistinct.
"Su-Yeong-ah."
".... . I know."
While listening to Jang Ha-Yeong's voice, Han Su-Yeong reached out to the wall one more time. She tried really hard to find Kim Dok-Ja's message by combining the floating sentences.
[Fable, 'Predictive Plagiarism', has begun its storytelling!]
[Target is an existence you can't understand!]
What connected each letter was context. Letters cast out in the sea without context were akin to a book that had been created to be unreadable.
⸢"I'm going home now."⸥
⸢"You'll lend me a spare battery when we go camping?"⸥
All she could do now was to connect those context-less sentences somehow. Inject context into these nonsensical sentences to give them meaning. Shuffle those that weren't plot development so that they looked like it.
However, it was not enough. No matter how she connected them, there would always be some part without meaning.
"Kim Dok-Ja! Say something! What is the plan?! Just what do you want us to do here?!"
No reply came back to her. The roaring Outer God King was still battling the Constellations. The heavily-bleeding companions were collapsing within the storm of aftermaths.
Han Su-Yeong gritted her teeth. It was fine if Kim Dok-Ja didn't want to say it. The important part was reading his intentions. His intentions of making such a move without letting his companions know of his plans.
It was to figure out his thought process on choosing to become the Outer God King.
It was then words began gathering one by one.
⸢If the Ways of Survival was behind a paywall, just how much have I used it so far?⸥
⸢If I had ₩20, 000, 000 in my bank account, what would I feel?⸥
⸢If there are two rooms, then how does the remaining one get filled up, usually?⸥
".... If I had met you back in the normal world, I would never ever have become your friend."
Those words seemed randomly thrown out like a memo. She still collected those words and sentences, anyway.
An excellent writer had to be an excellent reader first. And Han Su-Yeong knew a way to read such things.
⸢How does one go about making money?⸥
One had to accept that sometimes, you'll run into a sentence you can't comprehend yet and flip the page over. Just so that, one day, you'd able to read that sentence when you did return to the very same page later.
[Target is an existence you can't understand!]
There was no choice but to desperately flip the pages over and over again, and then some more, to gather as many clues on those impossible sentences.
⸢Doesn't my life have money-making Probability or something?⸥
Tsu-chuchuchu.... !
She saw Jeong Hui-Won kneeling down in the distance. Yi Seol-Hwa ran over and supported her, while Yu Sang-Ah and Yi Hyeon-Seong blocked the weapons flying in her direction.
[Bureau's Probability is restricting your interference in the scenario!]
Kim Dok-Ja was right. Probability was to blame for everything.
The reason why he was poor, why they ended up in this state.
[Bureau's Probability is confining your body!]
Tsu-chuchuchut!
Probability in this world was basically power. The scenario would flow towards those possessing more plausible Probability.
[Your Nebula has violated far too much Probability. ]
Han Su-Yeong knew that. This storm of aftermath was the reward for overcoming many dangerous situations through sheer luck. They had so many companions yet none were lost on their way to the Final Scenario.
On the other hand, other Incarnations had to sacrifice so much more trying to get this far.
⸢Why only they.... . ⸥
⸢This is unfair. ⸥
⸢Do you know how hard we had to struggle to get this far?⸥
<Kim Dok-Ja Company> had violated far too much Probability. No one was sacrificed when one was needed. Or, more correctly, only one person got continuously sacrificed.
"Kim Dok-Ja."
He died multiple times and got resurrected again.
He even revived someone that should've died. While using the revival attribute, or even visiting the Underworld, and going so far as to alter the future.
⸢And that's why Kim Dok-Ja had to become the Enemy of the Story. ⸥
Because all the Great Fables <Kim Dok-Ja Company> had compiled didn't have enough Probability.
Han Su-Yeong grasped at the sentences as if she was scratching the wall. It was then a new sentence suddenly floated up.
⸢"For the time being, you take over the Nebula's safe."⸥
This was a conversation she had with Kim Dok-Ja not too long ago.
⸢".... What's this? I might end up spending it all, you know?"⸥
She received the authority to manage the safe via the system. She wondered what possessed Mister Miser Kim Dok-Ja to do this. Back then, she figured that he was simply too lazy to manage the finances and dumped the job on her shoulders, instead.
[Would you like to confirm the current balance?]
However, would that Kim Dok-Ja really hand over the 'safe' to someone else with that reasoning?
As if she had been entranced, Han Su-Yeong opened the safe.
⸢"Wow, you saved up a lot, haven't you. What a miserly guy you are. What are you planning to do by saving up this much, though?"⸥
⸢"They have their uses."⸥
There was a humongous amount of Coins saved up in the safe. More than enough treasure to tempt any star was hidden inside there. And this was the most basic currency of sponsorship, and the power source to move the scenario.
⸢One of the most powerful Fables in this world is [Coins]. ⸥
However, there weren't all that many things one could do with Coins now, whether that was reinforcing the Incarnation Bodies or purchasing stuff from the [Dokkaebi Bunble].
That's why she was quite curious. What was the point of so obsessively hoarding all these Coins?
[Will you spend these Coins for the growth of the 'Great Fable'?]
And then, Han Su-Yeong finally realised that very reason.
"I will."
[Nebula's cache of 143, 245, 199 Coins will be paid to the Probability!]
Ku-gugugugu!
The moment her declaration came to an end, Fables rushed in like wild predators lusting after fresh meat. Entrancing golden light blanketed the companions.
[Great Fable, 'Demon World's Spring', is greedily gorging on the Coin's Fable!]
[Great Fable Torch that Swallowed the Myth's figure is ballooning up!]
[Great Fable Season of Light and Darkness's contrast is getting even clearer!]
The Great Fables would grow to possess even more power by devouring the available funds. The Fable's details would be realised more faithfully, viscerally, and also more colourfully.
Ku-gugugugu!
When the strengths of the Great Fables began resisting the Bureau's Probability, both the Great Dokkaebis and Constellations began panicking.
Jeong Hui-Won's sword grew lighter and lighter, while Yi Hyeon-Seong's shield was getting sturdier and sturdier. Monstrous beasts and insect kings Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Gil-Yeong summoned began tearing into the Constellations in the back.
"Fire!!"
Yi Ji-Hye's battleship began firing its cannons and the Incarnations in the frontlines dissipated without a trace.
Unfortunately, their higher odds of victory lasted only for a brief while.
[Bureau's Probability has increased its level of restriction!]
The jet-black rifts began spreading in the heavens from the excessive usage of the Probability. The entire stage for the scenario was shaking unsteadily.
Fables began leaking out from the mouths of several Great Dokkaebis. They had bet their lives on this must-win battle. In order to create the conclusion they wanted to see, these Dokkaebis personally jumped into the scenario and willingly became the part of the story.
Tsu-chuchuchut!
"Black Flame Dragon!"
Powerful [Black Flame] wrapped around Han Su-Yeong. While filtering away attacks coming in at her, more [Black Flames] were fired out. Right next to her, Jan Ha-Yeong was relying on the Murim's skills to guard her back.
Why did Kim Dok-Ja entrust her with this role?
There was someone better suited for this job, the protagonist of a certain story. However, Kim Dok-Ja still entrusted this job to her.
Su-susususu....
Jang Ha-Yeong's wall was scattering away again. It was going away after exhausting all its powers.
The Bureau's restrictions made it harder to even breathe.
Kim Dok-Ja, momentarily within reach, grew distant again. The flow of the story was once more going over to the Great Dokkaebis. Han Su-Yeong cried out.
[Your ■■ is 'Neverending Story'. ]
A story where none would be lost.
A story, where everyone would live together in a huge house at the end of all the scenarios.
The companions were fighting for that simple dream. However, their Probability wasn't enough and that dream couldn't become reality.
[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is now looking at his own Incarnation. ]
It was right then, a lightbulb flashed brightly in her head.
Not enough Probability?
⸢The reason why Kim Dok-Ja entrusted this role to Han Su-Yeong and not Yu Jung-Hyeok. ⸥
[Constellation, 'Maritime War God', is looking at Incarnation 'Han Su-Yeong'. ]
Drip, drip...
Blood dripped down from her wounded shoulder. Han Su-Yeong haphazardly wrapped some bandages around the injury and looked up at the sky.
There they were, distant stars of <Star Stream>, visible among the storm of sparks raining down. Far, far more Constellations than ever before were watching the last moments of this world.
[Many Constellations are dissatisfied with this scenario's development!]
[Quite a number of Constellations are criticising the tyranny of the Bureau and the Myth-grade Constellations.... !]
Han Su-Yeong suddenly smiled insidiously."That's right. You were all Constellations...."
Kim Dok-Ja should've known this. Because, he too was a Constellation.
He was a reader who knew better than anyone on how to make a scenario more entertaining and even tenser than before.
⸢And that's why Kim Dok-Ja hadn't said anything to his companions. ⸥
Han Su-Yeong clenched her hand tightly. Since she had spent all the Coins, she was now literally empty-handed.
However, Kim Dok-Ja hadn't just left her with Coins only.
".... When the first scenario started, you all said this to us. That we had been living for free. So, we should start paying the price for that."
What Kim Dok-Ja had left behind was...
[Constellation, 'Bald General of Justice', is focusing on Incarnation Han Su-Yeong's words. ]
[Constellation, 'One-eyed Maitreya', is focusing on Incarnation Han Su-Yeong's words. ]
... The entirety of their lives lived so far.
"What you said back then, I'm returning it in full back to you."
Along with Han Su-Yeong's signal, Biyu shut the channel off as if she was waiting for that.
And then, the Constellations' channel went dark.
[Channel BY-9158's all broadcast screens have been blocked. ]
[Constellation, 'Heavenly Wind God', is panicking at the sudden blackout!]
[Constellation, 'Joseon's Number One Sorcerer', wishes to see what happens next!]
After the world had fallen into darkness, the panicky voices of Constellations from other scenario locations watching the channel could be heard resounding out.
Every subscriber had to go through Biyu's channel to watch the <Kim Dok-Ja Company>'s story. Even those subscribing to other channels had no choice but to see this world through Biyu's, at least at this moment.
"From now on, our story will be a paid service."
<Episode 93. Omniscient Author's Viewpoint (5)> Fin.
| ← Ch. 489 | Ch. 491 → |