Chapter 49

2 [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband applauds your fighting spirit!] [Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire praises your courage!] [Constellation Secretive Plotter is curious about your tactic.] … [Many constellations are deeply impressed by your battle.] [You have received 20,000 coins as a donation.] I frowned at the overwhelming number of messages. No one dislikes getting compliments, but receiving dozens at once was a bit much. Where the hell is Bihyeong? Why isn’t he controlling these messages? Oh…… Was he summoned by management? The reward for clearing the hidden scenario was being delayed, and the mid-level goblin had disappeared without a word… I had a good idea what was happening. Anyway, I couldn’t believe I received twenty thousand coins… The difference in income between a channel with a small viewership versus one with a large one was huge. I quickly searched the fire dragon’s body and retrieved a level-5 Fire Dragon’s Nucleus. [Level-5 Fire Dragon’s Nucleus] The nucleus was surrounded by a faint red light. Being from a minor Catastrophe, its quality was very high. Although it was a downgraded version, it was still a dragon. There were several parts of the corpse I could sell, like its bones or scales. I could also have a skilled blacksmith forge items to sell in the auction house. I began searching the fire dragon’s corpse again, just in case. I just killed a minor Catastrophe. This is all I get……? Then, out of nowhere, a hearty smack! And I felt throbbing pain in my back. “Dokja, are you a character from a video game or something?” I didn’t see Huiwon approach, but she was right behind me. I coughed from the blow. “…My stamina’s at rock bottom right now, so I might die if you hit me like that.” “But you’ll come back to life again, right?” “It doesn’t work every time.” Huiwon would normally scold me some more, but she went quiet. Come to think of it, she looked genuinely shocked when I died earlier. I think she was cry— Nah, there’s no way Huiwon Jeong cried. She quickly glanced at the others, then lowered her voice. “…Did you already know what was going to happen this time, too?” “Not all of it…” “What if you had died for real?!” “But I came back, didn’t I?” Another ruthless slap on my back. Hyeonseong ran over in a hurry. “Dokja, are you okay?” “Yes, I’m fine.” I saw Minseob and Seongguk furtively walking over as well. These guys survived, too? They really were a lucky pair. Then… I was wondering why it had suddenly gotten quiet, then I noticed they were all looking at me expectantly. I sighed. “…Ask me one at a time. What do you want to know?” And so, the impromptu press conference began. “‘Resurrection’ is a new special ability I’ve acquired. And no, my sponsoring constellation isn’t Jesus Christ.” I only told them what they strictly needed to know, while avoiding uncomfortable details. Huiwon looked like she thought it was all absurd. “Saving lives lets you come back to life…? Isn’t that a cheat skill?” “It’s only one resurrection per hundred lives saved, but yes, it’s a crazy ability indeed.” I was being honest. But King of No Killing also came with a major caveat—I was forbidden from killing other human beings as long as I had this attribute. I could wound, subdue, or incapacitate them, but I couldn’t end their lives. The moment I did, I’d lose the King of No Killing attribute, as well as my right to the throne. Of course, I didn’t tell my companions all of these details. After all, it was something that could potentially be used against me. “I guess you’ll need to save as many people as possible.” “Yes, I’ll have to try my best, though I may not always have the option…” “Don’t worry. In those cases, I’ll do the killing for you.” There was confidence in Huiwon’s voice. Actually, the reason I could choose King of No Killing without hesitation was because I had Huiwon on my side. In fact, I had guided her to be the Judge of Evil in the first place for this very reason. Sure, things could get awkward when I didn’t have my companions to finish off my opponents for me, but I wasn’t planning to take King of No Killing all the way into the late scenarios, so it was fine in the long term. There would be other, better cheat attributes later. Just because I acquired a good attribute early on, I shouldn’t miss out on other great opportunities. “Almost feels like some kind of fantasy novel. There are all kinds of skills, huh?” Seongguk and Minseob glanced at me nervously after hearing what Hyeonseong said. I glared back at them, as if to say, “don’t say anything stupid.” I didn’t know if Seongguk understood my warning, but he said something that was stupid in a different way. “How did you feel when you died?” “…It was awful, of course.” I wondered why he asked me that question all of a sudden, but he continued in a serious tone. “To be honest, I was scared when I saw you resurrected.” “You were scared?” “Yes. I mean, your whole body disintegrated and then restored. Logically thinking, that shouldn’t be possible, right? I don’t really know how this world works, but if we can be cloned… What I’m saying is, maybe you were ‘cloned’ not ‘resurrected.’” What a terrifying thing to say with such a casual tone… I hadn’t even thought about that… I remembered his attribute was Hypnotist. Was he interested in new age stuff? Huiwon scoffed, “I think you watched too many movies.” “This is important. Without continuity of consciousness, there’s no guarantee you’re the same person as the one before your resurrection.” Now he was saying a bunch of things that sounded complicated, and it suddenly reminded me of something. Was he the jerk who left that really pretentious comment on the prologue of TWSA? “What a creative way to throw my being into question, but…you don’t need to worry. I still had my consciousness even after I died. So technically, it wasn’t a true death.” “Did you experience becoming a spirit?” “I don’t know if I can call it that…” I felt uneasy as I continued to talk to Seongguk. TWSA was a world created by its author, and that world had become reality. In the old world, the existence of spirits couldn’t be proven, but here, such a thing almost seemed like a given. What was I in this world? A spirit? Did they really exist? Or was I also a part of the story that the author created? I shook my head. It wasn’t the time to think about this kind of stuff. “Anyway, are you done asking useless questions?” “Oh, may I ask you one more thing?” “What is it?” “Why are you suddenly talking so casually to me and Minseob…?” “Because I don’t need to act like Junghyeok Yu anymore.” Seongguk gasped, as if he’d suddenly noticed something. “Huh, your face…” He didn’t have to complete his sentence. I wouldn’t treat them any differently just because I stopped pretending to be Junghyeok Yu. I put my hand out toward Seongguk. “Gimme your phone.” “Sorry?” “I said, your phone.” Seongguk hesitantly handed it over. It was an expensive model. Better than the one I had. “I can keep this, right?” “…Didn’t you say you were done acting like Junghyeok Yu?” “This is how I normally am.” Seongguk looked like he was about to cry. “Everyone, get some rest. I have something to research, so you have ten minutes. You can collect items if you like.” I tried to connect to the internet while my companions picked up the items scattered here and there. I pretended to be calm, but I was quite anxious… [The hidden scenario’s reward has been delayed.] [Plausibility Review is underway by management.] …because of that message. Plausibility Review. The reason the hidden scenario reward had been delayed. My phone had been burned away, so I couldn’t look anything up in TWSA. I had made an uncharacteristic mistake. What do I do if the e-mail from the author is gone…? Just then, a message came up on the screen. You may sync the contents of your phone to a new device. Proceed to sync? …What’s this? When I pressed the yes button, a download began, and a new file appeared on the screen. [Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.txt] So that’s how it works. A file that even goblins and constellations had no access to wouldn’t disappear so easily. I saw Seongguk and Minseob talking while they collected items. I was suddenly curious. Would the renouncers be able to read this? I should be careful, just in case. I opened the file and began reading TWSA. [Your reading speed has increased due to your exclusive attribute.] I was looking for the part about the plausibility review meeting that took place in Junghyeok’s sixth loop. Goblin Baram, chief of Seoul Branch Management, frowned as he read the scenario in his hand. “Regressor Junghyeok Yu” was written at the top of the file. “Regressor,” huh…? Tsk, constellations and goblins alike catch on too quickly these days… Baram smacked his lips and scanned the goblins at the meeting. There were no high-level goblins or great goblins there. That was to be expected, since the Plausibility Review was being conducted at the scale of the local dome. As a principle, what happened in a particular area fell under the jurisdiction of the management office there. “Who put in this petition?” Baram asked the nervous goblins. “It was Ao Oni.” “Why’s that bastard complaining about plausibility in our country? He should mind his own business.” “Well, the competition among the low-level goblins has gotten quite heated lately…” Baram frowned. Still, this report does make a good case for reviewing the plausibility of Junghyeok Yu’s character. Not only does he have many high-level skills from the start, but he also seems to have access to all kinds of key information—the kind that gets censored at the beginning. And then there’s his skill, “The Eye of the Sage,” that blocks any attempt to view his info through the system. I even had to ask upper management to grant me access. Baram sighed and closed the report. “Ignore it. This guy is directly sanctioned by upper brass.” “Will it be okay? But what about the backlash—” “Who knows? Maybe he has some crazy sponsor who can handle it.” “But can a single constellation handle that kind of backlash? Without a coalition of constellations to help share the burden of plausibility…” Baram smirked. “Are you trying to teach me how plausibility works? And who’s gonna find out which constellation is sponsoring him? You?” “S-sorry, sir.” “Anyway, the fifth scenario is starting soon. Focus on that. This level of plausibility will be offset in later scenarios. That said…” The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew cold, and the mid-level goblins fell silent. “…did you think I wouldn’t notice?” “Ugh…!” “What’s with the low product sales in the U.S. and India? Just because those aren’t your areas doesn’t mean you can slack off with the ads, you understand? There’s the Prophet in the U.S. and a large coalition of constellations in India. Gullible suckers with thick wallets! So what are these pitiful sales figures?” “Th-that’s…” “Never mind plausibility! Sell some more coin items.” The corner of my mouth curled up into a wry grin. These goblins reminded me of Mino Soft, where I used to work. The monetization meetings there went just like this scene. Anyway, I’m in a similar situation as Junghyeok in TWSA. I knew I’d face this kind of thing someday, but…it’s not good to call attention to yourself. Am I going to be penalized? At that moment, a voice came out of thin air. Ugh…do you know how many times I got summoned by management because of you…? It was Bihyeong. I quickly engaged with him. How did it go? What do you think? Of course they were flipping out. Just what kinda skill do you have that even the upper brass can’t access your info? I was curious, too. I wanted to see my attribute window as well. So what happened? Did they tell you to give me a penalty? Where did you get that kind of info…? Anyway, you should’ve seen how hard I tried to defend you. “Please listen to me. Dokja Kim isn’t a suspicious guy. He’s just trying his best to survive!” With a defense like that, it was a wonder they didn’t indict me on the spot. Luckily, my heartfelt pleas must’ve worked. They let it slide for now. They concluded that you only have a few skills and low proficiency in them. And based on video footage, it’s nothing that would ruin the balance of the scenario. I knew it. This was why I didn’t level up my passive skills. As I learned more and more good skills, management would notice me more and more. Besides, there are some troublemakers in other areas…so management already has enough headaches to deal with. So you’re saying everything went well, right? Some goblins weren’t happy about the decision, but we received word directly from the higher-ups. A Great Goblin said to let it go. That part did take me by surprise. Was this something that needed the intervention of a Great Goblin? Haah… You can get the details from the mid-level goblin. I’m actually not supposed to be here, you know? There are a lot of eyes on you right now. And be careful. That mid-level goblin in charge of this area has it in for you. Has it in for me? Don’t you know? A Plausibility Review is like a financial audit in your world. You’ve created a lot of extra work for him. Anyway…things are gonna be hard for you for a while. After Bihyeong disappeared, the mid-level goblin in the suit reappeared with a spark in the air. It looked around for a bit and then spoke in an unfriendly tone. My apologies. The calculation of rewards was delayed due to a conflict. Your rewards will be issued now. [You have received 3,000 coins as a reward for clearing the hidden scenario.] [You have received 15,000 coins as a reward for killing a level-5 fire dragon for the first time.] [You have received the Imyuntar Tribe’s Protection Amulet for getting rid of a minor disaster for the first time.] [You will gain the favor of the Imyuntar Tribe from now on.] Luckily, the rewards were finally distributed. The Imyuntar Tribe’s Protection Amulet. Getting this was a good start to the fifth scenario. Looking at the excitement on my companions’ faces, they must’ve gotten their rewards too. Still…this is all I get for defeating a minor Catastrophe? Seems a bit stingy. The mid-level goblin continued talking at that moment. By the way, there’s a problem with the scenario due to your performance. The goblin’s tone was sarcastic, and that wasn’t a good sign. After discussion with management, we have concluded that the difficulty of the scenario isn’t suited for the incarnations in this area. Therefore, I’m adjusting the level of difficulty of the scenario. …What? Adjust the difficulty? [The time limit for the fourth scenario is drastically reduced.] The corner of the mid-level goblin’s mouth was curled up slightly. It was looking directly at me. That son of a…! [There are 48 hours remaining until the end of the fourth scenario.] [All of your group members will die if you don’t claim the target station within 48 hours.] So, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? Minseob was happily collecting items, but then turned to me with a shocked expression. It looked like everyone had heard the message. “Who did you say owns Changsin Station now?” “I-it’s the Tyrant King.” Why does it have to be one of the Seven Kings of Seoul… I let out a big sigh, then turned to the group. “Let’s go back to Chungmuro first.” I wonder if Junghyeok is wrapping up over there too. It was almost time to finish the fourth scenario. There was quite a distance between Anguk Station and Chungmuro Station, so we had plenty of time to chat. Huiwon and Hyeonseong led the way while Seongguk, Minseob, and I walked behind them. I couldn’t bring the entire corpse of the Fire Dragon, so I put half of its body parts up for auction. I put up the other half too but with an absurd asking price—a clever trick that allowed me to use the auction house as an impromptu storage. Bihyeong complained, but that wasn’t my concern. “Uh, sir,” Minseob spoke up first. Being called “sir” made me feel like I was the head of some big company. It was strange feeling. “Is your name Dokja Kim?” “Yes.” “Hm, that’s a…” “Strange name, isn’t it?” “Yes, and to be honest, you’re more like an Oracle than any of us.” Minseob sounded intimidated somehow. “Haah… If only I hadn’t written negative comments and continued reading the web novel…” Well, it’s too late now, quitter. Just then, I remembered something. I’d meant to ask them but had forgotten until now. “Minseob, speaking of quitting the novel…” “Yes?” “How did the Oracles get organized so quickly?” I had been wondering about this. It hadn’t even been a month since the first scenario started, but these Oracles had already set up a chat room and spread their influence across multiple stations. The Disciples, especially, were on another level. Based on what I’d seen during the first-person main character’s point of view, not only did they occupy a sizable portion of the Gangseo region, but they also had incredible weapons you couldn’t get without clearing some hidden scenarios. No matter how you cut it, they had grown far too quickly within a short time. “Someone gathered all of us.” “Gathered all of you?” “Yes. Soon after the first scenario was over, he came to the station where I was.” How interesting. How was he able to do that? There were still barriers between stations back then. “He introduced himself as a Disciple and said that he’d read the entire Revelation. He said he was gathering the Oracles to follow him. The weird thing is that this apparently happened at multiple stations simultaneously. It was hard to believe that one person did all of this…” “So you’re saying this one guy rounded up all of you Oracles and connected you with via the group chat?” “Yes. We call him the First Disciple.” “The king of the Oracles, right? The one who doesn’t like being called a renouncer?” “Oh, you already knew about that, too? Yes, he’s the one.” “Do you know why he doesn’t like being called that?” “We’re not sure, either. He claimed to have read the whole Revelation, so it might be related to that… And this is just a rumor, but some people say he possesses the records of the Revelation.” …What? “I think it’s feasible, since there’s no way anyone else has read the entirety of the Revelation, with it being so long and all…” He has the records? That can’t be right… There’s someone besides me who read the whole thing? I was even more curious about his identity after hearing that. Different thoughts ran through my mind as we approached Chungmuro. I hadn’t been gone for long, but smelling the air in Chungmuro felt like a homecoming. As we were about to enter the station, I signaled my companions to stop. “Hang on.” Come to think of it, I’m still naked. Why didn’t anyone remind me? I turned to Seongguk. “Take off your pants.” I walked ahead to enter the station, leaving behind Seongguk, who was now in his underwear. Sangah happily welcomed me from a distance. Seeing her tear up, I felt a pang of guilt. She must’ve gone through a lot. Something small scurried toward me and bumped right into me. Gilyeong was clinging to my leg. “Are you doing all right?” Covered in dirt, the boy nodded vigorously. It looked like Jihye was still unconscious from the serious injuries she’d suffered. Pildu turned his head and sneered as soon as he saw me. [Constellation Defense Master admonishes you for your late return.] It was an understandable reaction since their incarnation might have been killed. “Sangah!” Hyeonseong and Huiwon, who had no idea what had happened in Chungmuro, shouted in surprise at the sight of all the injured people and ran toward the platform. Sangah herself had a bandaged shoulder. Blood covering parts of the railroad told the story of a fierce battle. “Th-that’s… Aren’t they the Disciples?” Minseob asked with a horrified stammer. The heads of people with the numbers two, three, four, and seven on them were lined up along the tracks like a morbid display. Their faces were still frozen in the final moments of their lives, as if they still didn’t realize they had died. It was obvious whose handiwork this was. “Where’s Junghyeok?” I asked Gilyeong. As soon as I spoke, I sensed an ominous presence coming from the dark tunnel leading to Hoehyeon Station. I could tell who it was, even from a distance. That arrogant and confident gait, as if he knew he was the one and only main character of this universe. “Junghyeok?” His facial expression stayed the same even as he spotted me. I thought he’d say something considering what had happened in the Cinema Dungeon but… What the hell was that? A severed head was dangling from his hand. Some people screamed as Junghyeok threw it toward us. It rolled on the ground like a toy. A cape with the number one written on it was attached to that head. It was the First Disciple. That’s Junghyeok Yu, all right. He chased down the one who got away. I felt relieved and anxious at the same time. I had some more questions to ask, but if they were all dead… However, something crazy happened next. “It was you! The one who ruined our plan!” The severed head began talking to me. “Ack! What the—?!” Minseob cried out and flopped to the ground. The head without a body looked up at me and smirked. I couldn’t believe it. Even in TWSA, there were very few skills that would allow someone to survive decapitation. “Immortal Body” was one of them, but even with that skill, he shouldn’t have been able to speak so casually as a disembodied head. Not to mention there was no blood where his neck had been severed… Hang on, could it be…? The information I’d acquired from Seongguk and Minseob ran through my head. This bastard claimed to have read all of the Revelation. He was able to assemble all the renouncers around Seoul soon after the scenario started. He could move past barriers at will and didn’t die or even bleed after being decapitated… The “Avatar” skill. I was sure of it. The body in front of me right now wasn’t his true self. It was a fake. The decapitated head kept talking. “Wow, I’m seriously impressed. Not only did you impersonate Junghyeok Yu, but you also wiped out the Disciples and even killed the dragon… Who the hell are you?” I see. He doesn’t know who I am either, huh? “I could ask you the same.” As far as I knew, only an extremely small number of people had this skill in TWSA. And it was limited to people with specific jobs. They usually came from creative lines of work and were often schizophrenic or had dissociative identity disorder from too much stress. I slowly lowered my head to be at eye level with the head. “Are you a writer?”