Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 558

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 558: Episode 2: Rewrite (3)

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"What kind of bullshit is that all of a sudden?"

The big guy was the first to react to my declaration.

I'd imagined characters like him countless times while writing ORV, so I knew better than anyone how to handle someone like this.

I tried speaking like Kim Dokja.

"You've worked hard fighting a wall that won't budge. But you can stop now. You've probably realized it already, but you can't escape this place that way."

"What? How do you know that?"

"It's common sense."

Common sense that applied only to this story.

"Common seeense?"

I glared at the big guy as he muttered mockingly. Perhaps he sensed something strange in my gaze, because his lips trembled as he took a step back.

A chill swept through the station, as if someone had splashed cold water over it.

[The Incarnations within the story are startled by your actions.]

[The effect of your Exclusive Attribute has been strongly activated.]

[Your influence within the Scenario area has increased slightly.]

Was this character's attribute?

Maybe he wasn't such a hopeless character after all.

"Everyone, I think it'd be best to listen to this guy for now. I've spoken with him, and he seems to know something about the situation."

The man added his voice at just the right moment, and people began murmuring as they looked our way.

I didn't miss the shift in the mood and continued.

"As you've all realized, this is real. It's not a movie shoot, and it isn't a dream. The police and military won't come rushing in. If we're not careful, we could really die. But if you listen to me, all of you can make it out safely."

At last interested, the people hesitantly gathered around us.

"Who are you, sir? A soldier? A police officer?"

"I used to be."

Since I'd completed my military service as an Army sergeant, it wasn't exactly a lie.

The murmurs grew louder, and the deacon who had been watching us from afar approached.

"Do you really know something about this situation?"

"That's right."

"How?"

"Would a detailed explanation mean anything? No matter how I explain it, this isn't a situation you'll easily accept. If I told you that God had become angry at humanity's sins and sent us these trials, would you gladly believe me?"

I'd only offered it as a casual example, but the deacon widened his eyes and muttered.

"Sins... trials...?"

The big guy, who had been listening nearby, flared up.

"Are you screwing with us?"

Normally, that intimidating attitude would have made me shrink back.

But I was in a somewhat special state right now.

"Anyway, those who want to listen can listen. Those who don't can keep pushing that wall over there. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if only this man and I survive."

I wasn't naturally eloquent or persuasive. Still, the words came out smoothly now.

More than anything, I was confident.

There was a strange certainty that people had no choice but to listen to me and would eventually be persuaded. Surprisingly, that certainty quickly became reality.

"Brothers and sisters, let's at least hear what he has to say."

"Let's do that. If we're going to live, we should all live together."

As the mood gradually shifted in my favor, the big guy bit his lip and glared at me.

Ignoring him, I addressed the others.

"Something beyond what we know as common sense has happened. We were suddenly trapped inside a transparent wall and given something called a Scenario. First, we have to accept that this is real. Can you agree with that much?"

The people nodded hesitantly.

"If we don't clear this Scenario, we'll die."

"Would they really kill us? Even so..."

"We have to believe they will. This situation is that surreal. It's better than making the wrong call and dying. Did you check the Scenario's Clear Conditions?"

"It said to kill at least one living creature..."

As the people who met my gaze timidly stepped away from one another, I took a step forward instead.

"They gathered humans together and told us to kill a living creature, so naturally, it sounds like they want us to kill each other. But there's a trap in that wording."

"What trap?"

Watching the big guy ask the same thing over and over, I calmly replied.

"They could've simply told us to kill a human."

The doubtful people opened their eyes wide.

"Then the solution is..."

"It's simple. We just need to find another living creature we can kill."

As I spoke, I slammed the vending machine with all my strength. Then I pointed to the cockroach that sprang out from underneath it.

"Ah!"

The people let out cries of realization.

I nodded.

"If we work together, we can gather bugs quickly."

"Let's do it right now!"

"Everyone, help tip the vending machine over!"

The people clung to the vending machine instead of the invisible wall.

Maybe because it was something tangible this time, their faces grew livelier.

"Push!"

With a heave, they shoved the vending machine. Something rattled inside, and a can of soda dropped out. No one bothered to pick it up.

"One more time!"

The vending machine tilted unsteadily, followed by the sound of something breaking.

Then bugs came tumbling out from inside it.

"They're out! Catch them!"

I shouted at the people rushing in.

"When you catch a bug, don't kill it. Show it to me first!"

"What? Why?"

Despite their wary looks, I continued firmly.

"We need to check whether they're carrying eggs."

"Eggs?"

"The eggs might count as living creatures. If they do, everyone can live even if we find only one bug."

"Ah...!"

"Remember that other people's lives are in your hands. Only we can save one another."

I didn't expect that saying this would suddenly make everyone gather insect eggs for one another.

Still, they'd probably check at least once.

For now, that was enough.

After glancing at one another, the people took off their shoes and socks and began catching bugs. Some struck the vending machine with their bags or fists, while others brought over fire extinguishers from nearby and used them to hit it.

Even the big guy who had shown hostility toward me had joined the crowd, kicking the vending machine.

The reader man, the man whose daughter liked Dokja, quietly approached me.

"Are you all right?"

"What about you?"

"I'm fine. More importantly..."

We watched the people moving busily.

People desperately trying to kill bugs instead of people.

This would change the story of Geumho Station.

Those who had been meant to survive by killing people would survive by killing bugs instead.

Maybe even that big guy, who hadn't appeared in ORV's original story.

As if he'd realized something belatedly, the man's face turned pale.

"Didn't you say we shouldn't change the course of events? Then why..."

"..."

"Is it because of me?"

His voice sounded guilty.

The truth was, he wasn't wrong.

This would change ORV's story, and we'd face a future we didn't know.

I lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't think that way. I was planning to do this from the beginning."

One person, then two, began catching bugs.

The deacon, who had already secured a bug for himself, was among them.

"It's thanks to you, brother. Thank you."

"It was nothing."

This deacon was probably fated to die too.

A strange guilt briefly washed over me.

How many people had died this way in ORV?

[The character Kim Cheolyang has begun to trust you.]

It was then that I suddenly heard a character's inner thoughts.

[The Exclusive Skill Character Profile has activated.]

The special skill had activated.

My heart pounded.

It felt as if the thing I'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

[Character Profile].

A skill that let me examine information on characters from TWSA.

As a test, I used the skill on the deacon.

[You have activated the Exclusive Skill Character Profile!]

Name: Kim Cheolyang

Age: 27

Patron: None (No Constellation is currently interested in him).

Exclusive Attributes: Crouching Figure (Common), Attention Seeker (Common)

Exclusive Skills: [Irrational Blind Faith Lv.2], [Cognitive Dissonance Lv.3]

Overall Attributes: [Constitution Lv.1], [Strength Lv.2], [Agility Lv.2], [Mana Lv.3]

Overall Evaluation: Kim Cheolyang believes his faith is currently being tested. He wants to become a leader respected by others, but he has been unable to overcome his innate nature and remains deeply crouched.

The character Cheolyang.

His name had sounded familiar, and I remembered making a note about a character named Cheolyang at some point.

Still, since he was a character included in TWSA's settings, I couldn't immediately recall the details.

There was one part of the character information that caught my attention.

Crouching Figure.

It was the attribute Jeong Huiwon possessed in ORV.

Depending on the opportunity she encountered, it had immense potential, enough to place its owner among TWSA's hundred strongest.

And that man had that attribute?

"It's fortunate this happened during our outdoor evangelizing. I'm truly glad to have met you, brother."

"Ah, yes."

"Perhaps the day of reckoning has finally come. Just as you said, God must be watching over us too."

I looked up at the subway ceiling with him. I couldn't sense any trace of God there, but his nonsense held an unexpected insight.

Constellations.

If this world was ORV, then they had to be watching us from beyond that distant sky.

"Still, thanks to your help, things seem to be going rather smoothly..."

"Wait."

"Pardon?"

"You shouldn't say things like that carelessly."

I was afraid someone might have heard him.

Smoothly?

In ORV, that line was a trigger.

Hoho.

A chill ran down my spine. An ominous feeling rose along with the thought that I'd known this would happen.

There's someone here who's using their head too.

The message had come from Bihyeong.

And he'd used one-on-one dokkaebi communication instead of the official channel.

This hadn't happened in ORV's original story.

Don't let it show. Just listen. I'm only telling you this because I find what you're doing amusing.

I quickly lowered my gaze and pretended not to care. Seemingly satisfied, Bihyeong continued.

Killing bugs. Did you come up with that method?

I gave a slight nod, barely noticeable.

It's interesting, but you'd better think carefully. Our Constellations don't like Incarnations who try to be too clever.

I looked up without meaning to. Fortunately, Bihyeong didn't react.

Sometimes, not thinking too hard is the wiser choice.

That was all Bihyeong said.

I turned to look at the people, who were still hard at work catching bugs.

"I found one! There's another one here!"

"We still need a lot more. The people who haven't caught one yet..."

"The trash cans! Let's search around the trash cans too!"

Maybe Bihyeong was right. The Constellations who loved exciting situations wouldn't look kindly on my method.

But Constellations loved unexpected developments just as much as exciting ones.

More importantly, killing bugs was also the method Dokja had chosen in the original story.

At least I was certain it was a proven method.

"I found one!"

"Take this one over there!"

Even after catching their own bugs, some people were catching more for the others.

Honestly, it was a somewhat unexpected sight.

In ORV, these were people who had tried to take each other's lives over Food.

From afar, the big guy held up a large cockroach with a broad smile and waved at me.

"Hey, does this count too? This thing's a living creature, right?"

[Remaining time: 21 minutes.]

The people's busy movements visibly slowed.

I asked them, "Is there anyone who still hasn't caught a bug?"

No one raised a hand.

There were twenty-two captured bugs, exactly the same number as the people trapped here. It was the best possible outcome, clean and simple, without even needing to search for insect eggs.

"S-So we just kill them now?"

"If we kill these, can we get out of here?"

Relief crossed their faces.

The thrill of surviving together without hurting anyone.

After carefully confirming that everyone held one bug, I nodded.

"Brothers and sisters! Let us give thanks for the sacrifice of our insect brethren!"

At the deacon's declaration, several people smashed the bugs in their hands as if clapping.

Perhaps their tension had eased, because some people began asking pointless questions.

"Can I step on it?"

"We don't have to kill them with our hands, right? As long as we kill them?"

When I said they could kill them however they wanted, the people began crushing the bugs like mischievous children.

Crunch!

Similar sounds rang out from all around.

The big guy, who had torn off all the bug's legs because he was worried it might run away, crushed it under his foot too.

"Die! Die!"

I also opened the pocket where I'd kept my bug.

A dead bug lay there amid sticky bodily fluid. It seemed to have burst while I was saving the man earlier.

Cheers rose from the people.

"It's all right now, isn't it?"

I was a little worried about changing the course of events at Geumho Station, but seeing the reader man smiling beside me made me think this was fine too.

Maybe now the people of Geumho Station could break free from ORV's story and live completely different lives.

That was what I thought.

"Nothing changed. Is it really over?"

Until someone said that.

"Did anything change for anyone?"

The people looked at one another as they asked.

"This thing's dead, right? Maybe it's hard to kill because it's a bug?"

The big guy who had been crushing his bug in a corner raised a question.

He had stomped on it so much that there wasn't even a trace of the bug left under his sneaker.

I calmed my racing heart and quickly reviewed ORV's first Scenario.

Then I realized something terrifying.

I asked the reader man.