Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 755

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 755: Episode 32: King of the Beasts (2)

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There were four “Sun Wukongs” in the Star Stream.

The four Sun Wukongs were divided according to the modifiers they possessed.

The first was Mihu King, once the Monkey King of Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain.

The second was Pilmaon, once the stable keeper of the Heavenly Realm.

The third was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven we knew. This was the Prisoner of the Golden Headband.

The fourth was Victorious Fighting Buddha, who attained enlightenment at the end of his journey and became a Buddha.

When I laid them out like this, they somehow reminded me of Kim Dokja. Dokja, too, had been split into separate beings according to his modifier.

[I'm asking. Are you Kim Dokja?]

"Well, I am Kim Dokja."

I continued as I closely examined the monkey before me.

「Dazzling golden fur. Ragged tiger-hide underpants. Even those distinctively languid eyes.」

There was no mistake. The monkey before me was...

"Are you Mihu King?"

[You brat. You're quite something, recognizing me.]

Mihu King puffed air through his nostrils, planted his hands on his waist, and looked smug.

Despite appearances, Mihu King was a fabled-grade Constellation representing the birth of “Sun Wukong.” In terms of Kim Dokja, he was a star equivalent to the Demon King of Salvation.

However...

What was this?

The waves of Status I felt from Mihu King weren't particularly great. At first, I thought it was because I had grown stronger, but that didn't seem to be it.

Was he concealing his true strength?

That was possible. All Sun Wukongs were skilled at adjusting the Status of fables.

Even so, could a fabled-grade Constellation like Mihu King plausibly appear here in an Incarnation body?

I didn't know.

Everything happening lately had completely ignored Plausibility, to the point that I was beginning to wonder whether Plausibility even existed in this world anymore.

[What are you staring at?]

I must have been looking too intently.

Mihu King scratched at his golden fur and spoke.

[Have you fallen for my fur too? Well, even that Great Sage brat gets jealous of my fur. You've got a good eye.]

By the Great Sage, he meant the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

Mihu King chuckled, his deep-set eyes flashing.

[You know why I came, don't you?]

"I can guess."

Only a few hours ago, I had received a message saying the Monkey Sign faction wanted to recruit me.

And Mihu King before me was the famous Monkey King.

[The faction Monkey Sign invites you.]

In other words, Mihu King was the master of the Monkey Shin (申) faction.

Not just any monkey, but Mihu King... The Twelve Zodiac Ball might be bigger in scale than I expected.

[Hmm. I came here personally, yet that's all the reaction I get?]

Seeing Mihu King's displeased expression, I realized too late that I should have asked to take a photo with him.

[Arrogant brat. Join my faction.]

True to a Sun Wukong, Mihu King continued speaking without waiting for my answer.

[I like your fables. I will permit you to become my Incarnation.]

I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted.

Mihu King's Incarnation.

If I hadn't already been the Incarnation of the Demon King of Salvation, I might have found it quite appealing.

If I successfully coaxed Mihu King into a four-way Sun Wukong fusion and evolved him into the Oldest Liberator, I would have the strongest Mythical-grade Constellation in history as my Patron.

Of course, that was an impossible assumption at this point.

"I'm sorry, but I already have a Patron..."

[Hmph. I already know that your idiot Patron is absent. Are you ignoring me?]

"Even if my Patron is absent, once someone's my Patron, they're my Patron forever."

I didn't mean it, but Dokja would have said something like that. As expected, Mihu King's reaction wasn't bad.

[You're more loyal than I expected. I like that.]

"Thank you for understanding."

[In that case, I shall personally terminate your Behind-the-Scenes Contract.]

"What?"

I realized my mistake too late. Of the brothers, Mihu King was the most eccentric Sun Wukong. If Mihu King wanted something done, it had to be done.

As I wondered what outrageous lie could get me out of this situation...

Whoosh.

A skein of glowing golden thread flew in from somewhere.

It wrapped precisely around Mihu King's head. An incantation followed, and Mihu King clutched his head and let out an undignified scream.

[Urkekekekeek!]

[The fable Monkey Seal begins its story.]

A fable that could subdue even Mihu King.

[All right! I get it!]

Pop.

Mihu King transformed into a small monkey. After glaring at me with displeasure, he somersaulted and leapt far backward, landing atop a woman's head.

Oohkiki!

The woman gave a wry smile.

"I told you not to do that, didn't I?"

It was a clear voice with a peculiar way of putting people at ease.

I often thought that if Ms. Yu Sangah existed in reality, perhaps she would have been like this person.

She was the other person in this world who called me “Author.”

"Have you been writing the side story lately, Author?"

Editor Ji Eunyoo was there.

* * *

I had parted with Eunyoo during the fierce battle at Washington Dome. Back then, I hadn't had the time or presence of mind to say goodbye.

On one side, the Demon King of Salvation had been dying, and on the other, Yu Junghyeok had rampaged as the Black Beast.

[The Constellation Mihu King looks at you with displeasure.]

Fortunately, only one monkey was rampaging now, and even that monkey had become docile in Eunyoo's arms.

Perhaps because she had subdued Mihu King, it seemed as though there was a halo behind Eunyoo.

"You look much healthier."

"You look tired, Author."

"You can tell even though I'm wearing a mask?"

"Yes, I can."

We traded silly greetings and smiled at each other.

There was a peculiar reassurance whenever I was with Eunyoo. A feeling that it would be all right even if I made a mistake.

My editor, who caught not only spelling and spacing errors but even sentences I forgot to write.

She could tell from only a few lines whether I was confident in my writing.

「It shows.」

That was how Eunyoo had answered when I asked how she knew.

"Editor, I have a lot to ask. Especially..."

Eunyoo noticed my glance toward Mihu King and cleared her throat softly.

"Did you forget who my Patron is?"

A moment later, the scattered pieces of information came back to me.

As far as I knew, Eunyoo's contracted Constellation was “Lotus Blooming Under Moonlight,” Moonlight Sage Emperor Yu Sangah, a member of Kim Dokja Company.

"I chose Monkey among the Twelve Zodiacs. It seemed like the easiest one to conquer."

In the story, Sangah was revived after going through the Island of Reincarnators, borrowing Sanzang's Incarnation body.

The Lotus Pedestal Sangah used and most related skills borrowed from Sanzang's fables.

Eunyoo had judged it correctly.

「If I go to the Monkey faction, I can use my Patron's fables.」

I was impressed inwardly.

"But there might not have been a Sun Wukong in the Monkey faction."

"This is the Recycling Center. I thought there would definitely be a Sun Wukong here. Just a rather unpopular Sun Wukong."

As expected of someone whose deductive skills could find unwritten sentences.

[The Constellation Mihu King complains that you're ignoring him again!]

Eunyoo gently scratched Mihu King's chin and continued.

"When I arrived in the Monkey Area, there was this huge cave. The moment I saw it, I was certain."

"Water Curtain Cave of Flower Fruit Mountain."

"Yes. This person was there."

Who would have thought that the Monkey Area of the Twelve Zodiacs was Mihu King's birthplace?

It was certainly an ideal place for recycling.

"You haven't chosen any faction, have you, Author?"

"No."

"I knew it. You're someone who only chooses the hardest path."

"This time really wasn't easy."

"Still, you definitely feel different from before. Your back seems a little straighter."

"Really?"

I looked down at my body again. Now that she mentioned it, it did seem like my body had gotten a little better.

"I can tell you've been wandering around instead of writing what you were supposed to write."

I got scolded a little, but meeting Eunyoo here was fortunate.

From the look of it, Mihu King didn't seem particularly hostile toward us either.

[Exclusive Skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Stage 2 has activated.]

That was when I heard the unexpected skill activation message.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint had never activated like this before. Perhaps it was the effect of being a Constellation proxy.

Someone's inner thoughts entered my mind.

「Who is it.」

I quickly knew whose thoughts they were. This person didn't use question marks even when thinking.

「They called him Author.」

"Ah, introductions are late. Editor, this is Chae Yerin. Yerin, this is my editor."

Then I heard thoughts from someone else.

「Author, is it okay to say that?」

There were rather a lot of those inner thoughts.

「Did he reveal that he's an author?」

「That could become troublesome.」

Yes. Exactly.

「If they're trustworthy, it should be fine.」

「Still, Dokja revealed his identity much later.」

To explain.

「What if that person betrays us?」

「We need to prepare a separate countermeasure.」

「For the first countermeasure...」

Before Eunyoo's countermeasures could progress any further, I quickly cut in.

"Editor. This person is my reader. You don't have to worry."

"Ah."

"I revealed my secret. My only reader."

"Your only... reader?"

That was simply how it came out, but it wasn't entirely wrong.

Chae Yerin was probably one of the only people who had read and remembered my debut work.

「Then what am I?」

Huh?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ji Eunyoo. I'm the person who reads and edits Author's writing before anyone else."

Only then did I come to my senses.

Come to think of it, it wasn't just Chae Yerin. Eunyoo might not have read my debut work, but she had read my novels before anyone else and read more of them than anyone.

"I'm Chae Yerin. I've read all of Author's novels."

Eunyoo's expression changed at Chae Yerin's introduction.

"You've read all of Author's novels?"

"Yes."

"Even the Origin Trilogy?"

"Yes."

"You're a complete Kim Dokja."

"Kim Dokja..."

Chae Yerin awkwardly looked down at her toes.

I understood now. That was an embarrassed expression.

"How did you first read Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint?"

"I read the print edition first, but I bought everything later. The serialized version, the e-books, and..."

"Wow! Thank you so much! What are you doing, Author? Hurry and thank her."

"Thank you."

I thanked her along with Eunyoo without thinking.

"Louder! This is the person who saved our management company from almost going bankrupt!"

"Thank you!"

"If you need a signed copy, please tell us anytime! We don't have any books right now, but..."

Come to think of it, this was the real Eunyoo. I had worried for nothing.

[The Constellation Mihu King yawns, saying he has no idea what you're talking about.]

[The Constellation Mihu King urges you to hurry up and proceed with the Scenario.]

"Look at me. This isn't the time for this."

"Yes. Shall we leave the introductions at that?"

"You know where we are, don't you, Author?"

At Eunyoo's question, I looked around at the scenery.

"Yes. I do."

Clouds covered the ground in every direction.

「This was where Kim Dokja waited for a carriage during the Constellation Banquet.」

This place was called Cloud Path.

It was a tributary connecting the Star Stream's Scenarios, a place that also served as a station. Which meant...

"The carriage will arrive soon."

As if proving my thoughts, I saw a small dot flying toward us from far away in the sky. The dot gradually grew larger and, as expected, took the shape of a carriage.

Chae Yerin spoke in admiration.

"A carriage like that came during the Constellation Banquet, too."

Back then, it had been Apollo's golden carriage.

The carriage rushing toward us this time was also a luxurious golden carriage.

The difference was that this one was pulled by small mice.

[The Constellation Mihu King complains that the hosts have spent coins on another pointless thing.]

A golden carriage at the Recycling Center. Had that carriage also been used in another Scenario before?

[A new Sub Scenario has arrived!]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: S++

Clear Conditions: Board the carriage. Arrive safely at your destination.

Time Limit: 2 hours

Reward: Entry Ticket to the Twelve Zodiac Ball.

Failure: Death.

It looked peaceful enough to make one wonder whether something like this could really be a Scenario.

But...

"This is that, right?"

Eunyoo asked.

"That's it."

I answered.

Anyone aspiring to be a Killer King knew this, but the carriage Dokja rode during the Constellation Banquet was attacked by Constellations and crashed.

The fact that a Scenario as trivial as “board the carriage” had appeared meant that this carriage would surely meet the same fate.

Above all, the ominous sentence “Arrive safely at your destination” proved it.

I smiled bitterly and spoke.

"Nothing ever goes easily."

"Who can you blame?"

"Pardon?"

"I told you while you were serializing. There should be easy Scenarios sometimes, so readers can rest too."

I hadn't known that would come back to me this way.

"I'm sorry."

Even though it was only a Sub Scenario, its difficulty was S++.

At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether the Recycling Center Director had possessed someone too.

The carriage, strangely similar to Apollo's golden carriage, finally stopped before us. The squeaking mice bowed deeply as if greeting us.

The moment I reached for the carriage door handle, a message appeared.

[Only designated Incarnations may board this carriage.]

[Fable Fragment Face Recognition has activated.]

A carriage with a face recognition function.

Had the Emperor made it?

After Eunyoo and Chae Yerin completed face recognition and boarded in turn, it was my turn.

[Face recognition has failed.]

I thought it was broken, but then I remembered that I was still wearing a mask. The carriage wasn't Ji Eunyoo, so there was no way it could recognize me while I wore a mask.

The Scenario in Area 13 had ended, so there was no longer any reason to insist on wearing it.

[You have dismissed Faceless Mask.]

When I took off the mask for the first time in a while, the suffocating feeling vanished, and cool air wrapped around my face.

I relaxed my neck for a moment and lightly rolled my shoulders, but my face felt strangely hot.

When I looked up, Eunyoo and Chae Yerin were staring at me with surprised eyes.

[The Constellation Mihu King gazes at you.]

Mihu King, sitting atop Eunyoo's head, was the same.

Then Mihu King's own constellation's declaration sounded in my ear.

[You brat. Interesting.]

My face was reflected in the slowly opening carriage window.

I forgot that I even needed to board the carriage and stared at that face for a long time.

The person I possessed was clearly Inho Cheon.