Side Story: Episode 15-4 - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Episode 15. Doorbell (4) The Beggar’s Union, put simply, is the name of a faction composed of beggars. In typical martial arts novels, they're often counted among the groups with the ultimate information networks, but in 'Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World', there was no way to know how it was described. Thus, throughout my journey to Seoul Station, I repeatedly turned the 'Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World' skill on and off. [Exclusive skill, 'Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World' is deactivated.] [Exclusive skill, 'Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World' is activated.] You never know. Maybe one of these attempts would trigger a response from the skill. How many times I repeated this same action, I couldn't say. [Exclusive skill, 'Three Ways To Survive in a Ruined World' is irritated.] The skill finally reacted. It was a somewhat peculiar response, though. 「...Initially, the Beggar’s Union was one of the Nine Great Sects, a formidable faction, but as it got swept away by the <Star Stream>'s scenario domain, its power waned greatly...」 Even the content related to the Beggar’s Union in 'Ways of Survival' began to emerge. Though it was a bit bothersome, I was grateful nonetheless that it was being shared. 「New masters quickly dominated the martial world through the <Star Stream>'s system, swiftly learning martial arts essentials, and as the Beggar’s Union fell behind in competition, it naturally washed away like the back current of the Yangtze River.」 Hmm, this was a story I was familiar with. The narrative continued. 「Originally reigning as one of the Nine Great Sects within the <First Murim>, the Beggar’s Union eventually had to move its base from the <Second Murim> to the <Third Murim>, with some secret stories associated with this.」 It felt like moving from a large house to a smaller one. I continued to read. 「Prior to the <Second Murim>, the esteemed chief and elder of the Beggar’s Union, Sageol(Four Beggings), gathered the beggars, vowing to engrave the true spirit of Zhongyuan in a new home. If not for the 'Small Sage' that appeared in front of the signboard that day — and if the Beggar’s Union's doorman hadn’t made rude remarks upon seeing the master’s height, their founding ceremony would have proceeded smoothly.」 Small Sage? 「That day, due to Kyrgios Rodgraim, the Paradox of White Purity, every disciple of the Beggar’s Union found their bellies exposed. The surviving chief and Elder Sageol fled hastily to the <Third Murim> holding onto their flowing bellies.」 …… But that wasn’t where the story ended. 「The chief and Sageol later established a new foundation in the <Third Murim> with the ruined faction. Having lost the path of righteousness due to the shock from Kyrgios, they decided to embrace the dark side and start anew, as they were already destined for ruin. Unfortunately, if the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint hadn't begun the 'Demonic Annihilation Sword March', they might have made a decent enough dark sect.」 Demonic Annihilation Sword March. The name alone sounds terrifying. By this point, I was beginning to feel that the Beggar’s Union was rather a pitiable sect. To sum it up, they were defeated by Kyrgios in the <Second Murim> and by the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint in the <Third Murim>... There were no additional records on what happened to the Beggar’s Union after that. I continued to toggle the skill on and off to find more records. Then. 「Kim Namwoon prodded Yoo Joonghyuk for more information, to which he grumbled, 'If you want to know more, find it out yourself.'」 A random sentence sprang forth. Why is this happening all of a sudden? Is it broken? “What's wrong?” Jung Heewon asked with concerned eyes, perhaps noticing my weird expression. I quickly added, “It's nothing.” It occurred to me that the 'Beggar’s Union' of this place might be related to the one from the martial arts realms. Though the scenario structure left little possibility of real martial artists existing here, if their descendants or related Constellations were present... I surveyed the soldiers trailing us and the children clinging to their backs. I paid special attention to a freckled boy who appeared terrified. With the others, one could understand, but why was this one so scared when his father was the chief of the Beggar’s Union? “We can see Seoul Station.” Well, I’d soon find out. * Gojangwon was sitting on the steps of Seoul Station. As he observed the beggars lined up in front of him, he pondered why his life had come to this. Age: twenty-three. Likes: reading martial arts webtoons. Currently lovesick over a girl. Until just a few weeks ago, sentences like these described him. He had taken a leave of absence from college, with mandatory military enlistment looming, and was mulling over whether or not to confess to a fellow classmate he'd quietly loved for three years. ―Hey, I like webtoons too. What do you read? ―I'm more into web novels than webtoons. ―Web novels? ―Do you know about 'Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint'? That's how he came to read that novel. ―Omniscient Reader? ―It's a novel called 'Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint', and I've read it eight times. ―I like novels too. In an effort to exchange even one more word with the girl he adored, he read the novel. With military service just a week away, he binge-read Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint from chapter 1 to 551, and the next day, with a heart full of nervous anticipation, he planned to confess to the girl using lines from the novel. He even rehearsed the line. “Yeongina, we can be together. You know it?” And when he opened his eyes again, he was in military enlistment. ―Aaahhh! Screams and roars of monsters reverberated everywhere. Gojangwon cried, trembled, and desperately recalled the content of the novel. Fortunately surviving due to a stroke of luck. ―Dad. Where are you going? Dad! He abandoned the boy calling him Dad. Though he felt a twinge of guilt, it was an unjust ordeal for him. Suddenly opened his eyes to find himself as a soldier, a man in his fifties, and even a father. ―Diee! Enemies targeting him everywhere, monsters emerging constantly. It was a struggle just to protect himself. Fortunately, he knew the novel's story. Gojangwon recalled every sentence he knew in a bid to survive. People nearby followed him, and his newly inherited connections of the possessed body proved advantageous. Thanks to that, he became the commander of the military with a soul that had yet to endure military service. ―I must find Kim Dokja. --- Terms, Names and Their Translation: 1. **개방(Beggar’s Union)** - Refers to a faction of beggars with typically great information networks. In the context, "Beggar’s Union" captures both the original term and its role in the narrative. 2. **구파일방(Nine Great Sects)** - A reference to a collective of powerful factions in martial arts lore. "Nine Great Sects" is used as it’s commonly understood among readers of such genres. 3. **무림(Murim)** - A term referring to the martial arts world, translated directly as "Murim" given its established use in genre fiction. 4. **사걸(四乞, Four Beggings)** - A character name based on his role and significance; "Four Beggings" because of the symbolic significance of "begging". 5. **장강의 뒷물결(back current of the Yangtze River)** - A metaphor indicating the inevitable decline against the flow of newer, more capable forces. 6. 강성 (formidable, robust) usually used to describe strong groups, here gives a sense of the organization's peak before decline. In terms of puns or wordplay, the idea of "beggars" traditionally having great power due to their information networks might seem ironic given their status. The narrative hints at the irony and misfortune befalling a once-great faction reduced by fate or scenarios beyond their control. Character updates required: - The character Sageol(Four Beggings) could use a distinction, possibly Four Beggar Sage as the term Sage has a more respected connotation. - The idea of having a military commander with a "soul that hadn't yet endured military service" alludes to youthful inexperience despite the physical age, providing ironic commentary on leadership abilities. From the moment Gojangwon realized he was possessed by a novel’s character, his goal had been singular. He needed to meet the protagonist of this story. Only then could he escape this tale. Only then could he return to reality. Thus, Gojangwon spread information everywhere, claiming to know the future. He calculated that this would inevitably draw Kim Dokja to him. ―You claim to know the future? However, before Kim Dokja could find him, others did. A group introducing themselves as the 'Beggar’s Union'. Despite Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint not being a martial arts novel, he was perplexed by this Beggar’s Union. By the time he regained his senses, the soldiers who had been following him were quickly overpowered and killed by the masters of the Beggar’s Union. It was then he first realized just how fearsome a weapon a staff could be. The beggar, holding a staff smeared with blood and flesh, placed a hand on Gojangwon’s shoulder and declared his allegiance. ―From now on, you're the strategist of the 'Beggar’s Union.' That was precisely the content of 『Gojangwon's Omniscient Viewpoint』. “They, so the soldiers took Wonshik with them. The sniper was taken out, and they’re on their way here now.” A beggar kowtowing before him said, trembling. Seeing this sight, Gojangwon felt like the cliché villain in a predictable story. In Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, such villains usually ended up beheaded by Kim Dokja or Yoo Joonghyuk. But at this moment, he had no choice. If he made any erroneous moves, his head might find itself severed by the chief of the Beggar’s Union before he even met Kim Dokja. “Wonshik, you said? Isn’t that the chief’s son?” “Yes, yes!” “That damned brat.” Gojangwon recalled the spotted boy who was troublesome. Come to think of it, he, too, had an "adopted" son. Not a real one, though—merely the son of the character, 'Jung Munho' whom he was possessing. ‘I wonder what happened to that boy.’ Thinking of the boy who had cried and clung to him, guilt finally began to flood in. Perhaps turning his back on that child had been wrong. That was when the shouts of beggars echoed near the entrance of Seoul Station. “They’ve arrived!” He had a rough idea of who the newcomers were. Most likely, Kim Sergeant and the remnant troops he commanded. Kidnapping the chief’s son was a deed likely done in anger, and they were probably coming to apologize. Before long, familiar-faced soldiers appeared. “Chief Jung!” “Kim Sergeant.” Indeed, it was them. Gojangwon—or rather, Jung Munho—assumed the solemn expression of 'Chief Jung' and spoke. “It's been a while.” “Are you alright? We heard you were captured by the Beggar’s Union—” “I’m fine. But you, do you have the chief’s son with you?” “Yes? Yes.” “Then return him quickly and surrender.” “What?” “The chief, when angered, is terrifying. Didn’t you witness it? Masters flying through the sky, beating people like dogs. They’re not foes we can handle.” A flustered Kim Sergeant stuttered as he looked at Jung Munho. “Surely, you haven't joined the Beggar’s Union?” Jung Munho nodded heavily. “Yes. Before it’s too late, you should join us here. I’ve even personally arranged a spot for you.” “How could you, no matter what...?” “First, we must survive. The president and prime minister are dead. Let’s not glow with needless patriotism. Let’s plan a future here together.” “Why has your speech even changed like that?” “My speech...” If you spent three or four days being tortured by martial artists, you’d speak like this too, bastard― he was about to say that when someone stepped forward, bypassing Kim Sergeant. A woman of striking appearance, with long hair and a sword on her waist. The mere sight of her left Gojangwon perplexed. Then, a strange pain pierced a corner of his heart. He knew this woman. Or rather, his body knew her. “Dad, what on earth are you doing there?” Looking closer, the boy who had called him Dad earlier was clinging to her back. His stomach churned, and his head spun. What should he say? Was he Gojangwon, the reader, or Jung Munho, the character? Why did they call him Dad, and why did it fill him with guilt? “What’s going on over there?” A group of beggars emerged from inside Seoul Station. Recognizing the leading beggar, Jung Munho sprang to his feet. He mustn't let them meet Sergeant Kim’s group here. “Heewon, hold on.” That’s when a man stepped forward. A man with a white coat and an eerily smiling face. The moment Jung Munho saw his eyes, he thought of his love, Yeongina, and recalled the novel she cherished, and the figure drawn on the cover of that book. “Hello there. Are you Miss Heewon’s father by any chance?” Voice, speech, and that sleepless grin. He was just as imagined. Listening to the man, Jung Munho stood agape, his mouth ajar. “If the chief of the Beggar’s Union is inside, please convey a message for me.” There was no doubt. “A disciple of the White Hall has come to see him.” Kim Dokja, whom he had been waiting for, had finally come searching for the Beggar’s Union. --- Terms, Names, and Their Translations: 1. **정병(Jungbyeong, elite soldiers)** - Retaining the term 'Jungbyeong' which is often used to describe specialized or elite troops, adding depth to the martial world context. 2. **봉(Staff)** - Translated simply as "staff," a weapon used in many martial arts, recognizing its power and utility. 3. **타구봉(Tagubong)** - A specific term for a type of staff, translated as "smacking staff" to highlight its action and characteristics, retaining its harsh and formidable nature. 4. **원사(Wonsa, Chief)** - Retained as 'Chief', indicating a leading position, especially as a term of respect in hierarchical organizations. 5. **장도 (Jangdo)** - Blade or sword, "jangdo," retained for its cultural specificity in martial arts. 6. **친히 마련해 두었네(personally arranged for you)** - Highlighting the personal intervention, emphasizing the manipulation and conniving nature of the character's relationships. Discussion and considerations: - The translation remains faithful in conveying Gojangwon's predicament and his manipulation by the Beggar’s Union, maintaining the narrative's irony and humor about a reader becoming part of a novel’s storyline. - The concept of a reader, Gojangwon, becoming an inhabitant of the novel, mingles the fourth wall interaction, resonating well with those familiar with MMORPGs or narrative-driven games. - The character's struggle to identify himself in the new world plays on existential and identity crises, mirrored in the conflict between Gojangwon and Jung Munho's roles. Character Context: - Gojangwon assumes dual identities, both as himself and as the character Jung Munho. - His inner conflict regarding identity and place underscores the oppressive narrative trap he’s caught in, emphasizing the desperation all transmigrated readers might feel.