Side Story: Episode 13-4 - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Episode 13. King (4) "Inho, please tell me. Are you the 'First Apostle'?" So far, I had come across two of the 'Seven Apostles'. The second Apostle, Killer King, who claimed to have read ORV a hundred times. The seventh Apostle, Ye Hyunwoo, who had read it fifty times. Killer King showed astounding growth alongside his sister, 'Literature Girl64', having even contracted with the great archangel, Yophiel. Ye Hyunwoo swiftly dominated Chungmuro Station using the Armed Fortress Lord, Gong Pil-Du. If even those two were at that level, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person the 'First Apostle' would be. Judging by Ye Hyunwoo and the other Apostles' expressions, even they didn't seem to know who the 'First Apostle' was. Someone who had read Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint at least 100 times and created a great community called the 'Seven Apostles Society'. A person who has been reading this story with other readers from an unknown place. A face briefly flashed in my mind, but I shook my head. Surely, it couldn't be that person. How they perceived my silence, the Apostles began to voice their opinions. Ye Hyunwoo was the first to speak up. "Even if... you claim to be the 'First Apostle', I cannot yield this time. After all, the Apostles Society isn't based on a hierarchy." Goo Seonah frowned slightly and remarked. "Didn't you say the representative should be decided by 'reading completion count' earlier?" "I didn't say that." "Whoa, hold on! If you grab the flag, I'll attack immediately." Goo Seonah, holding an iron club, and Kim Kyungsik, clenching a smoking pipe, moved towards the flag. They were all within a distance that could be covered in a single leap. In the heated atmosphere, Ye Hyunwoo sighed. "So it's decided by force, after all." An explosive situation on the verge of breaking into a fight any moment. Yet, why was it, even in this life-threatening standoff, that Ye Hyunwoo, Goo Seonah, and Kim Kyungsik seemed oddly excited? It wasn't just them. Kyeong Se-In and other readers also had flushed faces. It wasn't hard to understand why. [A considerable number of Constellations anticipate the bloodshed at Chungmuro Station!] [Some of the Constellations have begun placing coin bets!] [A select few Constellations declare they will sponsor 1,000 coins to the Incarnation that conquers Chungmuro Station.] The Constellations were starting to take an interest in this 'station'. Until now, the Constellations hadn't fully understood the story of Chungmuro Station. The significant 'Theater Dungeon' battle went unbroadcast due to the 'causal wind backlash', and the readers ceaselessly chattering about 'ORV' led to mostly filtered conversations for the Constellations. Just as few readers are interested in stories they can't fully grasp, the Constellations must have felt similarly. "It was like that just moments ago." Even though the readers were quarrelling, they were also cooperating. Using the word 'Revelation' as a foundation, the readers had begun to truly manifest the battles of this world. [The Constellation, 'Lord of the Small Fry', comments that they finally understand.] [The Constellation, 'King of Martial Grace', wonders where the 'Revelation' book originated from.] [The Constellation, 'Rice Cake Eating Tiger', says there's something they suspect.] [The Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', urges them to speak.] Creating a narrative bridge for the Constellations by using terms that wouldn't be filtered. Claiming themselves as 'Apostles' and making sure their existence is known, sparking the interest of <Star Stream>. [A few Constellations announce the outbreak of the 'Apostles War'.] In the center of this platform created purely by the strength of readers, I was moved. "This was a story unread even by me." A new stage of the original created by the gathering of readers. However, everyone here knew. Even though this is a play, everything on stage eventually becomes reality. "Inho." At Dan-soo Uncle's voice, I nodded. "I know." At this rate, people would die. Goo Seonah revealed her iron club, and white smoke billowed from Kim Kyungsik's smoking pipe. With a hardened expression, Ye Hyunwoo slowly raised his right hand. It wasn't just them. Other Incarnations were surreptitiously reaching for their weapons too. [Some Constellations announce the dangers of the 'Apostles'.] [A few Constellations observe the bloodshed at Chungmuro Station.] [An insignificant number of Constellations wish for the 'Apostles' to fight and self-destruct.] The stars watching this story hoped for their downfall. Just as readers once watched this story, now the Constellations were watching their tale. Nonetheless, I was not worried. I had my reasons to believe. "Everyone, prepare for battle." With Goo Seonah's declaration, the neighboring Incarnations simultaneously reached for their weapons. The edge of battle imminent. With a sound of explosions, a corner of the station erupted with loud noise. "There it is." I thought it would come around this time. It couldn't be anyone but him to turn a blind eye to such a crucial scenario. "Everyone, fall back!" As a startled Gong Pildu rose to his feet, a man in a pitch-black coat appeared. As expected. I grinned as I set my sights on the owner of the coat. Yet— "You dare choose a 'representative' without me?" His manner of speaking seemed odd. "Not inviting the 'Supreme King' Killer King to such a gathering?" A shabby black coat fluttered wildly in the wind. Judging by his vigorous expression, it seemed he had fully recovered from the injuries in the 'Theater Dungeon'. A frenzied Kyeong Sei whispered with excitement at the Newcomer's entry. "Inho, were you waiting for the second Apostle?" I shook my head. Killer King parted the crowd and strode towards me, slowing his pace slightly as he passed by. "Thanks for the help. I owe you one." He lightly placed a hand on my shoulder. From this close, one might even mistake him for Yoo Joonghyuk. Behind Killer King, 'Literature Girl64' sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. Noticing me, she asked, "Are you okay?" "Well, that's what I want to ask about the situation." "If it's my brother, he'll be fine." Killer King is strong. --- **Translation and Contextual Notes:** - **칭호 '1사도’, ‘2사도’, ‘7사도’**: These terms like 'First Apostle', 'Second Apostle', and 'Seventh Apostle' refer to members of a hierarchy within the Seven Apostles Society, indicating both their order of influence or prestige. - **되돌린 용어 (‘완독 횟수’, ‘대표’)**: The phrase 'reading completion count' (완독 횟수) and 'representative' (대표) denote the criteria used for determining status or leadership within the Apostles Society, reflecting an in-universe structure possibly based on specific metrics like completion of readings. **Identified Characters and Pronouns:** - **Ye Hyunwoo (예현우)**: He - **Goo Seonah (구선아)**: She - **Kim Kyungsik (김경식)**: He - **Kyeong Sei (경세인)**: Not specified in given list, assumed male. - **Dan-soo Uncle (단수 아저씨)**: He - **Gong Pil-Du (공필두)**: He - **Literature Girl64 (문학소녀64)**: She - **Killer King (킬러킹)**: He **Term Proposal Changes:** - If "경세인" refers to a recurring character not specified in your list, further context or information about them could be useful to properly align pronouns in future translations. - Ensure that any unique in-universe systems like the 'Apostles Society' have a consistent and clear translation for key terms to help maintain coherence as the narrative progresses. No matter how powerful Killer King might be, could he really take on Ye Hyunwoo and Gong Pil-Du combined? "Stop there, Killer King." Ye Hyunwoo warned, as Killer King advanced without hesitation. "What if I refuse?" "I'll shoot." "Go ahead and try." Killer King smiled tauntingly. "I heard you were bragging about reading completion counts earlier. Go on, let's hear it again." Ye Hyunwoo bit his lip at Killer King's provocation. In hindsight, Ye Hyunwoo seemed to have been particularly wary of Killer King since their first meeting. "You don’t belong here. You always played solo from the start. How can someone who’s never saved a life brazenly claim to be a representative?" "I have saved someone. If it weren't for me climbing the Theater Dungeon, do you think the dungeon could've been cleared?" "You're not the one who cleared it." "Because of me, someone reached the rooftop, so it's practically as if I cleared it." "What nonsense―" "If I can't, then you, the Seventh Apostle, have no right either. And isn't Chungmuro Station supposed to have a rightful owner already? Why are you being so greedy?" The rightful owner of Chungmuro Station. Obviously, they were referring to Kim Dokja. Ye Hyunwoo shook his head. "Kim Dokja isn’t here. Even after hearing he was found on the rooftop, I searched nonstop, but he was nowhere to be found. Someone among us must become the 'representative' now." "Kim Dokja’s not here…." Killer King looked in my direction, then quickly turned away. "Then it has to be me." "Pildu." [Character 'Gong Pil-Du’s' stigma 'Armed Zone Lv.6' is activated!] Gong Pil-Du's stigma [Armed Zone] doesn't activate without [Estate]. Which means Ye Hyunwoo had already prepared the area as [Estate] in advance for this battle. Killer King smirked. "Hyunwoo, can you handle this?" An unusual power emanated from Killer King's entire body. Just by sensing the amount of power, I could feel Killer King's transformation. He must have encountered a fateful opportunity. On the fourth floor of the 'Theater Dungeon', Killer King had faced off against a Level 6 Earth Dragon on behalf of myself and Literature Girl64. When we found the unconscious Killer King again, the Earth Dragon that had attacked him had disappeared. Whether Killer King defeated the dragon or not was unknown. However, what was certain was that he had grown stronger in that place. A red aura emanated from Killer King's body—blessed by Yophiel. "I won't hold back. This isn't the same as online arguments, you know?" Unfazed, Ye Hyunwoo stood next to Gong Pil-Du. The [Mini Turrets] aimed squarely at Killer King. "This is our line too." It was a battle with no clear favorites. In this early scenario, Ye Hyunwoo and Gong Pil-Du's combination was nearly unbeatable. And Killer King, an Incarnation of the mythical grade archangel Yophiel himself. I called out to Literature Girl64. "Yerin." "Yes?" "What do you think?" Even without a direct object, Literature Girl64 answered swiftly. "My brother is strong." Her usual answer. But it wasn't the complete answer. "But he's strong alone." I had the same thought. No matter how you look at it, Killer King wasn’t diving into this to truly become a 'representative'. He simply wanted to prevent a war among the 'Apostles'. And he was stubbornly attempting to handle it in his own foolish way. "Could you assist?" "How?" "We just need a little time." I had no intention of killing anyone here. I quickly explained the plan to Literature Girl64. "Five seconds—get out." With Ye Hyunwoo's warning, Gong Pil-Du's [Mini Turrets] began to charge. "Everyone, move! Attack before they finish loading!" Goo Seonah and Kim Kyungsik rushed toward the flag. At that moment, when Killer King joined the front line with a fierce shout, Literature Girl64 pinned Killer King down from behind. "Go." I nodded and immediately sprinted towards the flag. Even if I didn't have the initiative, no one here was as agile as I was. Goo Seonah looked at me with wide eyes. "What the—" Using [Inspiration], I transformed 'Thought' into the 'Damaged Staff of the Devoted Monk'. As I swiftly swung the 'Thought', Goo Seonah let out a scream and fell. "Se-In!" Simultaneously, I threw the shield hanging on my back to Kyeong Sei. "What is this?" "It's the 'Shield of Hercules' you wanted." "Woohoo!" Though just a replica. With excitement, Kyeong Sei quickly equipped the shield and took position behind me. [Special Skill, 'Wide-Area Defense' activated!] An invisible barrier formed around the shield. The rushing Incarnations were blocked by the barrier, letting out cries. "What, what is this!" Uncle Dan-Soo wasn't silent either. Cockroaches that roamed Chungmuro Station scattered, disrupting the Incarnations' vision. "Argh! What’s this!" The area turned into a chaotic mess in an instant, leaving Ye Hyunwoo and the other Apostles flustered. ―Inho, I warned you, didn’t I? Ye Hyunwoo's cold eyes settled on me. "Shoot. They mustn't reach the flag." Seemingly resolved, Gong Pil-Du’s [Mini Turrets] unleashed a barrage on us. Cracks started appearing on the translucent barrier with each hit. Kyeong Sei shouted in panic. "Inho! It's breaking!" If the 'Shin Gijeon' had been handed over earlier, I could’ve died here. I used [Inspiration] to transform 'Thought' into the 'Shield of Hercules'. [Special Skill, 'Wide-Area Defense' activated!] Even with two layers of the wide-area defense barrier active, the firepower from the [Mini Turrets] was overwhelming. When the first barrier shattered in an instant, Kyeong Sei turned to me. "Inho! Quickly!" Cracks began to form on the second barrier too. Casting a quick glance at the fluttering white flag in the wind, I noticed the distance was within reach. If I could hold onto this flag for five minutes, Chungmuro Station would be mine. Perhaps, if it were Kim Dokja, he might have done just that. "I shouldn’t be the one holding this flag." But why? I kept feeling this way. "This isn’t the 'correct progression' of the story." Just then, thin wisps of cigarette smoke drifted through the broken barrier, quickly assuming a human form and reaching for the flag. The elderly man with the smoking pipe, Kim Kyungsik. "Sorry, but I’ll be taking this." I hadn't anticipated the [Smoke Person] skill at all. Just as Kim Kyungsik was about to touch the flag, the barrier shattered, and someone barreled in. "Kuh!" Kim Kyungsik, kicked in the stomach, rolled helplessly on the ground. Long hair streamed behind the figure that cut through the gunfire, seemingly without time to tie it back. "Heewon." "I’m late. Sorry." Jung Heewon's complexion was pale, likely due to lingering injuries from the Theater Dungeon. But right now, even an injured hand was needed. "It's up to you." "I’ve got this." Jung Heewon moved to cover the gap in the barrier, while Uncle Dan-soo quickly moved to assist her. Jung Heewon, Kyeong Sei, Uncle Dan-soo, and I stood guarding the east, west, south, and north of the white flag. Kyeong Sei asked nervously. "Inho, weren't you planning to take the flag?" "No. If we take this, it becomes a real war." Ye Hyunwoo was firing artillery, and the Apostles were wielding their weapons, but they weren't truly earnest. Because we didn’t yet have the ‘white flag’ in hand. Once the flag is seized, a five-minute timer begins. Goo Seonah and Kim Kyungsik, who had been biding their time, will charge with all they’ve got, and Ye Hyunwoo and Gong Pil-Du will unleash even more powerful artillery. No matter how strong we are, the four of us alone couldn’t contend with all of Chungmuro Station. "Inho, we can’t hold any longer—" Finally, the main tank, Kyeong Sei, reached his limit. A shell that penetrated the gap in the barrier struck Kyeong Sei’s shield directly. With a cracking noise, one of Kyeong Sei’s knees buckled. I supported Kyeong Sei and bit my lip. The time had come. Given the level of noise, it couldn't have gone unheard of throughout Chungmuro Station. Crumple-crack! At last, the area defense barrier collapsed, and shells began pouring in. As Kyeong Sei raised his shield with a scream, a thick and imposing shadow stood before us, blocking the bombardment. Thud! A man seemingly twice or thrice the size of Kyeong Sei shielded her from the shell. "Are you alright?" A reliable and sincere voice. Among the readers here, there was no one who didn’t know his name. After all, he was a member of "Kim Dokja’s Company"—a 'shield' that Kim Dokja trusted more than anyone else. "Don’t worry. It's safe now." Lee Hyunsung, the Steel-Sword Emperor, smiled at us. He wasn’t alone. "Uncle, I told you not to overdo it." Lee Jihye, supporting a staggering Uncle Dan-soo, was the Maritime Admiral also present. Furthermore, next to Jung Heewon stood a young man with white hair. "You there, lady. You look strong. Fancy a duel later?" Delusional Demon, Kim Namwoon. Surprised by the sudden appearance of the trio, Ye Hyunwoo even stopped firing. "What the—" Footsteps echoed from somewhere. Lonely, solitary steps. "Only one person in this world." Suddenly, I felt I could understand Kim Dokja’s feelings. Why he had no choice but to overcome life's hurdles by repeatedly uttering this person's name. "In this 'Chungmuro Station', there is an Incarnation who can fight against all." From afar, I saw the crowd of Incarnations part. Not through sheer force, yet the people scattered like gazelles before a predator, or slumped to the ground. Rumble-rumble. It was inevitable. The aura emanating from the approaching man was categorically different from that of any other being. "The protagonist that the writer made lacks flexibility." Perhaps Ji Eun Yoo was right. Such a protagonist was certainly unpopular. So unpopular that in the entire world, only one person read the story featuring that character to its conclusion. [A Constellation, still not revealing their Modifier, is watching your story.] Perhaps they’re still reading to this day. "A man who stubbornly faces a crisis that could have been avoided." "A man who endlessly despairs." "A man who rolls through decades to reach a conclusion of 'impossible'." The character I desperately wanted to write was perhaps already in the world. After enduring hundreds, thousands of betrayals, despair, and realization, standing now before me. The reason why someone like Ye Hyunwoo, who met all the qualifications of a protagonist, couldn’t be the protagonist was simple. "This story already has a 'protagonist'." Silently, he walked through the now silent Chungmuro Station. Neither Ye Hyunwoo, nor Goo Seonah, nor Kim Kyungsik, not even Killer King could breathe as he approached. Only Jung Heewon continued to glare at him with her chin held high. I held tightly to her sleeve, unsure of what might happen, and refrained from moving. No one dared to speak as Yoo Joonghyuk casually parted the crowd and brushed past me. As if arriving at his throne, Yoo Joonghyuk leisurely positioned himself before the flag, hands settling into his pockets as he looked down at it for a stretched moment. At that instant, everyone in the station realized. If anyone else had seized that flag, they wouldn’t have left this place with their heads intact under Yoo Joonghyuk’s glare. His cold eyes slowly turned to me, standing next to the untouched 'white flag'. "This is mine." He spoke the words of a protagonist.