Ep485 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Eyes that can see the future. Prophetic Eyes. Two hundred years ago, after saving the world from a great threat, the hero Baek Yuseong wished for this ability. However, this wish was also denied. [Seeing the future means reading the flow of the world, in other words, the secrets of the heavens.] [That's why our petty god refused it so decisively.] [So, I wished for something a little different.] [Not eyes that see the future, but the ability to glimpse the future of what my hands touched, even if just in fragments.] [A power I called ‘Read Eyes,’ known on Earth as ‘psychometry.’] [With this power bestowed by the god, I could see the future.] “…What a petty bastard.” Despite having saved the world, I had to ask for something lesser because he wouldn’t grant me prophetic eyes. “Perhaps, it wasn't out of mere pettiness.” Maybe he knew. That Baek Yuseong bore a grudge so vast that he couldn't fathom it, and if granted prophetic eyes, he might plot something in return. Then why grant psychometry, or Read Eyes? ‘He probably thought it wouldn’t be enough to plot anything serious.’ Even if he did plot, the ability to read only a fragment of a single object’s future couldn’t create a ‘counterflow’ that would disrupt the grand scheme he orchestrated. Indeed, the next chapter outlined his struggles. [He understood well why this ability was granted while denying prophetic eyes.] [In truth, what the god anticipated came to pass.] [It proved difficult to scheme anything significant just by reading the future of a single object or person.] The information from one item was extremely limited. There was no way to deduce the year or understand what major events were unfolding through it. So, he began to collect pieces. [And so, I started to wander across the Central Plains, no, across this entire world.] [I traveled not only to the Central Plains but around the entire world, touching everything that caught my eye.] [Extremely fragmentary pieces of information.] [Collecting all these fragments, I roughly completed a picture.] [The grand flow he desired.] [Just a small piece of it, but one that could potentially reverse the direction of the flow.] “…Are all those who possess are like this?” His persistence and obsession far exceeded human limits. Did he wander the world solely with the intent to disrupt a third-rate author’s entertainment? While some ordinary people might wonder, ‘Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?’ Baek Woojin, another possessor like him, sympathized with his obsession. ‘I would have done the same.’ Had he known that another victim, like himself, might surface in the future, That all the years he spent struggling and suffering were merely for the god’s amusement, He too would have naturally reached out against the world. Turning the page, he empathized with the emotions deeply embedded in the old text. [The only person who could read all these words is another possessor like me.] [So..., shall I speak more freely?] [How many years did you survive here? I’ve been stuck for eight years, a whole eight years.] “Damn.” Taking into account both this world and that world, I’ve been here for nearly 15 years altogether. “At this point, shouldn’t I call him a junior, not a senior?” He ceased the thought shortly after. What good were ideas of seniority in the face of shared hardship? [If my plan succeeded, Jeonghye should be in your time, by your side.] Jeonghye was the true name of the Blood Sword Witch. [An unfortunate woman blinded by revenge who threw away her life.] [The reason I sent her to that time was not as a favor to you but for her.] [When sparring with her last, I saw something.] [A distant future where she smiled brightly, embraced in the arms of a man.] [Surrounded by loved ones and family not present here, finally smiling happily.] [I wished to see it once.] [Her smiling so brightly.] [Please, make her happy.] Upon reading up to this point, Baek Woojin turned his gaze to the distant back of the Blood Sword Witch, who was searching elsewhere. “Sister.” Hearing his soft call, the Blood Sword Witch turned her head to look at him. “What compels you to call me?” Baek Woojin asked, “Are you happy now?” “What….” The unexpected question bewildered her. Happy? How many questions could be more abstract, more difficult to answer than this one? Normally, she'd brush it off with some teasing and turn her back out of embarrassment. But now, she couldn’t. His expression, as he asked me, was unbearably earnest and persistent, as if he absolutely needed to know. And so she pondered. ‘Am I happy now?’ The answer came easily. “Well…, if I must say, it feels like I am happy.” That was the best answer she could muster, given that she was someone who, despite her outward appearance, was quite shy. In reality, she was happy. Gradually, many people had gathered around her. Baek Woojin, whom she first met upon awakening from two hundred years of slumber, and the team that accompanied him. Initially, her intent was merely to ensure she didn’t become a burden to him while offering some guidance, but their relationship had completely transformed. ‘Younger siblings.’ The women who once respectfully called her ‘senior’ now addressed her as ‘sister.’ Since Baek Woojin called her a sister, they insisted on calling her the same. But she didn’t mind. It was as if her blood, once cooled by revenge, was warming once again. To the point that the word revenge no longer surfaced in her thoughts. “It’s all thanks to you.” She knew. All of this was because of Baek Woojin. Without him, she wouldn’t have lingered in this world for so long. And also, without him, she wouldn’t have formed bonds with the children who now genuinely felt like siblings. With sincerity, she expressed her gratitude to him. “Thank you.” A short phrase that contained emotions too vast to measure. Baek Woojin, feeling her sincerity, flashed a wide smile at her. “Then that’s a relief.” Had she not been happy, he wouldn’t have turned to the next page of the book. Until she truly felt happiness. Otherwise, he felt he wouldn’t have the right to inherit the arrangement left by Baek Yuseong. ‘It’s a relief.’ But it truly was a relief. She was genuinely happy. What could be more delightful than knowing the woman by his side was happy because of him? Feeling at ease, Baek Woojin turned the next page of the book. The message continued. [Before passing on the arrangements, there is something I need to tell you.] [Once a story begins to flow, its ending cannot be changed.] [Whether you want it or not, the ending will be written as the third-rate author intends.] “…….” Baek Woojin furrowed his brow. To begin with such disheartening words. He pondered if revenge was really what the previous possessor desired. He turned another page. [But do not worry.] [With my arrangements, you can write the story even after the ending.] [The story that concludes in the direction you and I desire most.] [The ‘epilogue,’ that is.] * * * Three days. That was the length of time Baek Woojin stayed at his hideout. On the morning of the fourth day, he set out from the hideout with the Blood Sword Witch. Together, they swung their swords, destroying the passage leading to the hideout. Crash-! Completely obliterated, ensuring no one else could ever pass through. The Blood Sword Witch asked with concern in her voice. “Is it truly right to do this?” Her question was laced with worry. Whether they had gleaned all they could from the hideout. Whether it was okay to destroy the passage so thoroughly. To this, Baek Woojin replied. “It's fine. This is what he wanted.” “Heh.” A scoffing laugh escaped the Blood Sword Witch, full of disbelief. “Referring to him as 'he.' Anyone would think he’s some kind of transcendent being.” She was annoyed. The gall of referring to that annoying human as ‘he.’ Elevating him so highly when he didn’t even bring anything out of the hideout. Listening to her mutters, Baek Woojin spoke softly. “Don’t think too harshly of him. Thanks to him, both you and I traveled back two hundred years to meet. In a way, you could say he's like a cupid of love….” Thud! Before he could finish, the Blood Sword Witch hastily reached out to cover his mouth. Her face flushed a deep red, she rebuked in a flustered tone. “L-love? What kind of love are you talking about! When did this start…?” Baek Woojin gently grasped the hand covering his mouth and set it aside. “I’ve clearly told you before. If I manage to surpass you, then we live together.” “I have yet to lose to you!” In response to her vehement exclamation, Baek Woojin smiled curiously and asked. “Would you like to test that now?” “…….” After briefly pondering, she averted her gaze. “Hmph…, not now. Is it wise to cause internal strife during such a busy time?” “Oh, that’s quite a convenient excuse.” “Hurry up. We've got a long way to go if we want to get back.” “I’m coming, I’m coming.” Baek Woojin followed, smiling, behind her as she walked ahead. Over the course of three days, Baek Woojin finally accepted it. That he could not reverse the flow created by a god indulging in a third-rate novelist’s game. And so, after three days of contemplation, he decided to humbly embrace it. To surrender himself to the schemes crafted by that third-rate author, by her. And with that, he would put an end to the story with his own hands. After he casts the word “The End” over the novel spun by him. ‘Then I’ll continue writing.’ A story solely of his own, no, a story of theirs alone. The sequel planned by Baek Yuseong but penned by his very own hands. Nurturing the fragments of other possibilities that were not shown in the flow leading to the conclusion. Until that time, Baek Woojin focused on one thing only. --- **Author's Note** I apologize for the delayed update. As the story approaches its final chapters, I've been having a lot of thoughts, which has slowed my writing process. This is a precious novel to me in many ways. It's the work that made me commit to the path of a writer, transitioning from being a reader for several years after initially penning paid stories. Because of this, the desire to craft a more polished ending only grows stronger whenever the story took an unexpected turn that readers may not have wished for. However, I also mustn't forget the importance of daily serialization, even amidst these musings. I will strive harder with a little less pondering to keep up with the daily updates. I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you, as always, for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)