How to Become a Star Writer - Chapter 6

Episode 2. Become the Main Character (2)

[Your soul has fallen into a vegetative state.]

I don't know how much time has passed. Surrounding me was only pitch-black darkness.

Perhaps this is what the afterlife feels like.

What's going on?

Why can't I wake up from this dream?

That's when I felt someone's gaze.

Invisible to the eye, but palpably insistent. Something greedily eyeing me.

Is it from below?

Gradually, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the surroundings faintly revealed themselves.

I thought it would be less suffocating now, but damn it, I would have been better off not seeing anything.

Whoosh!

As if I were on a speeding KTX train, the background soared upwards.

More accurately, something below was sucking me in.

Ahhhh, I'm falling!

[The abyss gazes at you.]

There was no need to question what that meant.

My God, what is that?

At the endpoint of the fall. In the pitch-black darkness, huge tentacles swayed like coral reefs.

A monster of indescribable size and form, or rather, something that should be called 'space' itself.

At the tips of the tentacles, something resembling human heads swayed.

—Come here.

—Hurry.

—Give me a chance.

—If I kill you.

It was them. Those things were the ones calling me.

Creeeak.

Space tore open among the tentacles, revealing a massive gaping maw.

[The abyss desires you.]

The moment I saw the darkness inside the mouth, I realized my fate.

...Am I really going to be eaten?

My entire soul seemed to bleach white. I screamed, though no sound came out.

No, I don’t want this. I refuse.

If this is a dream, please wake up. If it's a dream.

Then, a powerful realization of reality seized me. For some reason, I felt this was not a dream.

My past flashed before my eyes like a movie.

This isn't a dream. Get a grip, Lee HakHyun.

You're really dying.

You're truly dying.

[Author skill 'Imagination' activates.]

[You have demonstrated astonishing imagination, starting to adapt to a world beyond your comprehension.]

Is it okay to die like this?

I haven't done anything yet.

Is it okay for it to end like this?

[Author skill 'Inferiority Complex' activates.]

[Your inferiority complex strengthens your will to live. Your mental strength overcomes the abyss's darkness.]

The darkness around me split, and a rush of cold air filled my lungs. The space shattered into a kaleidoscope of colors, forming a new landscape.

[You have overcome the abyss on your own. Due to the influence of the abyss, 500 dust is deducted.]

[The story restarts from the save point.]

[Current dust: 2100]

I slowly exhaled.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the desert.

Squinting under the harsh sun, I looked around.

It was the same Tamakan Desert as before.

Someone tapped my shoulder and spoke to me.

“Hey, Lance. Hurry up. The boss is waiting.”

That familiar voice. As soon as I recognized the man's face, I immediately hunched over.

Blaaargh!

"Hey! What's wrong with you?"

The vomit pouring out of my mouth felt just like Vince's brain matter. Each pat on the back from Vince brought back the previous scenes.

The beheaded gang members and Vince's corpse with a shattered head.

“Lance?”

After throwing up everything, my mind cleared.

I saw Vince’s face. The faces of the grim-looking gang members muttering amongst themselves.

We had returned to the same situation as before.

“Lance, man!”

I don't understand. No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure it out.

What's going on?

Why did I return here?

Why can't I wake up from this dream?

—Because this isn’t a dream.

My clenched fist trembled.

Vince looked at me with concern. I looked at Vince.

Soon, Vince, who will die with his brain spilling out.

I don't know.

Whether this is really a dream or not, I don’t know.

But.

[Author skill 'Imagination' activates.]

[You have demonstrated astonishing imagination, starting to adapt to a world beyond your comprehension.]

I don't want to die again.

“Lance, what are you doing? Why are you drawing your sword all of a sudden?”

“Shut up and draw your sword. If you don’t want to die again.”

My head felt like it was going to split open.

Resisting against an overwhelming force, my body refused to move easily. But I had to.

I must.

"Die again? What do you mean—"

"Draw your sword!"

As I shouted, Vince's head flew off.

Perhaps because I've already seen this scene, I didn't panic like before. Thinking about it, such events are probably common in this world.

So, I shouldn't be shaken by such things.

[Author skill ‘Imagination’ activates.]

[You have used your imagination to overcome excessive fear.]

Damn the main character.

You think I'll let you do this to me again?

I gritted my teeth.

Alright, let's fight.

[A very few stars admire your determination and pay you 200 dust.]

[You begin to move of your own free will.]

[You have become a 'Supporting Character'.]

The main character was looking at me.

***

"Do you mean to pit these two against each other now?"

"Yes. Lee HakHyun vs. Koo DaeSung. A battle between pure literature and genre literature. Aren't you curious?"

Ji EunYu's eyes narrowed at Team Leader Kim's mischievous tone.

"Why bother with such a thing? We could make them co-authors, even though there’s no precedent..."

"Because you think you'll lose?"

"No."

"Alright. Then you agree? Of course, it wouldn’t be fun without stakes, so let's add a condition."

"...Condition?"

"Koo DaeSung and Lee HakHyun. The loser gets kicked out of the 'Hachling Project'."

Ji EunYu's expression wavered greatly.

"But that's..."

"A bet has to be this significant. How long can we waste budget on a non-profitable author?"

The 'Hachling Project' was a long-term initiative by Dragon Management for nurturing new authors, providing minimal living expenses while supporting web novel creation.

Lee HakHyun, Ji EunYu's charge, was currently a beneficiary of this project.

"Well, of course, since Koo will win, it might be a meaningless bet."

Ji EunYu was well aware of the opposing author, Koo DaeSung.

Though a rookie compared to a giant like Yu ChanYoung, Koo DaeSung was fundamentally a genre writer. Before the web novel market opened, he was an A-list paper book author.

Even though he failed to adapt to the market, his skills were unquestionable. Could Lee HakHyun really win against him?

"Fine. Let's do it."

"Really? Surprising. You’re not afraid to lose?"

"Let’s add one more condition, though."

"Another condition? What?"

"The winner gets double the support funds, including the loser's."

It might be a double-edged sword. But thinking about it, it could also be a winning move.

After all, Lee HakHyun has nowhere else to retreat to.

So, trust me.

Trust the author I've nurtured.

Believe in that possibility.

"Ji EunYu, you’re bold. I like it. This is how you fire up the competitive spirit."

Kim MyungHoon whistled mischievously.

"Then I'll call Koo. Since I handed over Yu ChanYoung's manuscript last week, he should be getting ready to start serializing. Hehe. This competition might end too easily."

"......"

Ji EunYu bit her lip slightly.

A week is a long time.

Enough time to secure a backlog for serialization if one writes diligently.

Kim MyungHoon's fingers danced over his smartphone.

Ring, ring, ring. Someone on the other end picked up the phone.

"Koo? It’s Kim, the team manager. About Yu ChanYoung's manuscript last week... Uh... Isn't this Koo's number? Yes? Oh, you're Koo's mother. I apologize. Ma'am, I mean... Yes. Oh, Koo is..."

Kim MyungHoon's expression turned strange.

"What? Say that again?"

An unusual atmosphere hung in the air. Nearby employees glanced curiously at Kim MyungHoon.

And a moment later.

Kim MyungHoon, with a dead look in his eyes, stared blankly into space after hanging up. Cha JiHee asked,

"Team Manager? What's wrong? What happened?"

"..."

"Team Manager?"

It was a minute later when Kim MyungHoon returned to his senses.

"He ran away."

"What?"

"Koo DaeSung, that bastard, he ran away."