「 "I'm not a mad butcher. But someone has to wear this mask. People want it." 」
—The Mad Butcher
To begin with, my party and I bloodlessly entered Seoul Station without any restraint.
The open-air Seoul Station building had collapsed in the center and the ceiling was flat.
Perhaps a flying monster had appeared, or that something had fallen from the sky.
"Let's talk for a minute."
The one who guided us was Sergeant Jung Moonho, the father ofJung Heewon, who is now a guardian of the Beggar Sect.
He left the rest of the party at the shelter and led me to a small room inside the shelter.
"You worked hard to get here."
"No."
I don't know if my bluffing as a disciple of Baek Cheongmoon worked.
The only thing that is certain is that just before the Beggar Sect and I collided, Sergeant Jung Moonho and I intervened.
"First of all, I did not pass on the words of 'a disciple of Baek Cheongmoon' that you mentioned earlier to the upper ranks."
Jung Munho, who started the topic with those words, looked outside with nervous eyes.
"If you do that, we will start a real war, you know?"
A real war.
I don't know what kind of person Jung Moonho was in reality.
But with this, I can get a little idea of what kind of person our reader is.
[Exclusive skill 'List of Reader Comments' is activated!]
ID: rhwkd1123
Platform: Series
Total number of comments: 2
Reader Level: 4
Number of complete readings: 1 time
I knew it.
The father of Jung Heewon was a reader.
That's also a reader who read the novel completely 1 time.
However, this person managed to read only once and live up to this point.
Maybe it's because I've only seen monsters like Killer King and Ye Hyunwoo, but those who read one time look cute now.
What kind of words did he use?
It wasn't difficult to check because there were only two comments anyway.
I'm enlisting soon, so will I be able to read it all?
—Recommended 0/ Disliked 0
(Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, chapter 1)
He read this novel right before enlisting?
So, was this person possessed prior to enlistment?
I thought he was a little pitiful, but when I thought about it, he was better than being possessed just before being discharged.
I also read the following comments.
I read this novel because of the girl I like. I'm going to confess tomorrow.
—Recommended 4/ Disapproved 3
(The omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, chapter 551)
I seemed to know roughly what was going on.
To sum it up, he was going to confess to a girl he liked right before he enlisted, but he suddenly possessed a character in a novel that the girl was reading. It does feel the same.
"Isn't there already a war?"
But unfortunately, the world he possessed was not a suitable place for such a sweet title.
"Capture the Flag is such a scenario. People won't hesitate to fight with each other. They'll do anything to get what they want. That's acceptable in this world."
Saying it with my own mouth. I also thought that a lot has changed in that short time.
Only three scenarios made me this way.
Now, without using [Incite], I can state the reality shamelessly like Cheon Inho.
"The strong group will exploit the weak group, and the defeated group will be subjugated. People will die endlessly, and the scenario will flow. It becomes a world of entertainment, and the stars shine in the sky.
[The constellation 'The Prisoner of the Golden Headband' says that's the scenario.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' knows that anyone can ascend if they do not give up until the end.]
[A constellation that has not yet revealed their modifier smiles bitterly.]
For the stars who have lived in the world of scenarios, this logic is very natural.
But to the reader who was at peace until a month ago, this will not be the case.
"I, I, I can't. I can't watch people die anymore. This thing, this thing is so ridiculous."
Sergeant Jung Munho must have witnessed his subordinates being brutally beaten by the masters of Beggar Sect right in front of his eyes.
He must have felt that he would struggle to live. He would have made a choice he didn't want.
"Did you hide in the Beggar Sect because you were afraid of that?"
"It's not because I want to fight either. I..."
Sergeant Jung Munho shivered as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders.
I looked at him blankly and said.
"Slowly tell me what you really want to say."
"Yes?"
"Didn't you set [Block sound wave] at most? Is there anything else you want to say?"
This is the place where 'block sound wave' is activated.
He must have something to say to me before the open ark finds out about this.
Jung Munho looked at my face blankly, and suddenly started to shed tears.
I said a little flustered.
"Don't cry."
"Do you know how hard it was for me?"
Not all readers adapt to this world as brilliantly as Killer King or Ye Hyunwoo.
There were probably many more readers than that, and they would have died. And most of the survivors are probably in the same condition as Sergeant Jung Munho in front of them.
Sergeant Jung Munho, who managed to swallow his tears, asked in a trembling voice.
"K-Kim, Kim Dokja... is that right?"
"Yes?"
In an instant, I realized what misunderstanding he had.
Wait for a sec.
But how can such a misunderstanding be possible?
I didn't really use [incite], and I didn't even use 'Ever-changing Stealth Suit' with 'Thought'.
"Mmm, I knew it right away the moment I saw you from a distance. The white coat and the darkly smiling eyes! Plus the courage to confidently lie that you're a disciple of that man..."
"Uh…"
"You look a little different from the one on the cover, but... The cover of a novel is originally drawn differently from the truth. But was your hair color originally that flashy?"
The moment I saw Sergeant Jung Munho's earnest eyes, I realized what state he was in.
「 However you look at it, I wasn't Kim Dokja. 」
Different hair styles and different appearances Even though my outfit is similar, it's easy to see that I'm not Kim Dokja after a little observation.
A reader who had read the novel properly couldn't have not known it.
「 But Jung Munho thought I was Kim Dokja. 」
That's exactly what he decided to think.
For him, it was because I had to be 'Kim Dokja'. He lost the world he lived in while experiencing a sudden possession, and saw countless deaths. He lost his subordinates and abandoned even the children who called him father.
In order to survive, he betrayed his remaining comrades and surrendered to the enemy.
Somehow he managed to maintain a barely normal life, but that was the limit.
He was completely broken inside, and he needed someone to tell him that all this tragedy that beset him now was 'fake'.
He said he did nothing wrong, so let's get out of this terrible abuse.
A magic word that will return him to the position of 'Kim Dokja'. He wanted to hear that word from 'Kim Dokja'.
I slowly opened my mouth while looking at my reader.
"Jung Munho, please listen carefully to what I will say from now on."
Instead of telling him that I wasn't Kim Dokja, I briefly explained to Jung Munho what was happening in the world right now.
It was because he seemed to know nothing.
"T-there are other readers besides me who are possessing characters?"
Jung Munho, who opened his eyes wide, muttered 'Youngin' in a dazed voice, then suddenly raised his head and asked.
"Then have you met other readers?"
"Of course I saw them. Weren't you invited to Kim Dokja's banquet too?"
"What banquet?
"Hosted by a guy named 'RepresentativeKimDokja'..."
"RepresentativeKimDokja? Who is that? Does he represent Kim Dokja?"
Judging by the look on his face, it didn't look like he was lying.
I wondered if there might be some readers who were not invited to the banquet, but Sergeant Jung Munho suddenly said with a small exclamation.
"Well, come to think of it, I've had dreams of going to the cinema all of a sudden..."
He must have been summoned while sleeping.
"Was that not a dream?"
"Yes, it's not a dream."
Sergeant Jung Munho, whose complexion was bluish, touched his face.
"So what am I going to do now? Do I have to live here?"
Was he going to die of old age after becoming a military grandfather?
Watching Jung Munho shed tears, a part of my heart felt salty.
If someone asks if this man is innocent, I can't help but nod my head in conviction. Anyway, he killed people, and he even ruined Jung Heewon's younger brother...
"I-I now..."
I held onto the shoulders of Sergeant Jung Moonho, who was crumbling.
"Calm down. Please stop crying."
"Yes. Yes."
"Jung Munho, listen to me carefully from now on."
I am not Kim Dokja.
Therefore, I would not be able to do what Kim Dokja did.
"Soon there will be blood in this station. If the conversation goes well, it may not happen, but there is a very high chance that it will not work out."
But at least, wouldn't it be possible to save one reader in crisis?
"Shit, are you going to fight? But you're still in the early stages. You're not even a constellation yet. The open ark is really strong."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of that."
Looking at Sergeant Jung Munho's swaying eyes, I activated [Incite].
"Jung Munho doesn't have to fight anymore. He doesn't have to kill people or face monsters. Jung Munho just needs to play one role."
"That. What is that role?"
"Jung Heewon and Jung Eunho's father."
Sergeant Jung Munho paused at my words. And exactly after 10 seconds, he spoke up.
"I-is it Jung Heewon? Jung Heewon? That Jung Heewon?"
It seems he didn't know anything either.
"Yes, it's that Jung Heewon."
"Then what should I do now?"
Perhaps Sergeant Jung Munho of this turn was destined to die by Jung Heewon's sword.
But fortunately, 'Jung Munho' is a fake, and since he is a fake, there must be things that can be done.
"Do your best to be a 'good father'."
"A good dad?"
"Yes."
"That... how am I supposed to do it? I'm not married yet…"
A good father.
I don't know that either.
Such a story does not come out properly in 'Ways of Survival' or 'Omniscient Reader'.
I remembered the memories of Lee Hakhyun's days.
The people who made me, who had always wandered without being able to apply it to reality, live as 'Writer Lee Hakhyun'.
My parents, who helped me to turn a child's delusion into a work of art.
"No matter what she does, praise her for doing well."
While Sergeant Jung Munho practiced saying 'Good job' into the air, a rather unpleasant atmosphere began to flow in Seoul Station.
Hearing all the gossip everywhere, I feel like something is going to happen soon.
One of the members of the Beggar Sect that had been wandering from afar came up to me and asked.
"Are you a disciple of Baekcheongmun or something?"
Sergeant Jung Munho's face turned white at that question.
My words, which he did not report, seemed to have spread among the beggars.
The Beggar Sect seems to also be the best information power here.
"Follow me. The Ark is looking for you."