Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint – Side Story - Chapter 14
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Chapter 14. Protagonist(?) (4)
There are immutable laws that those worthy know.
“A man with narrow eyes is stronger when he opens his eyes.”
I focused strength in both my eyes as my eyelids slowly lifted.
“I am Yoo Joonghyuk.”
[The effect of ‘incite’ takes hold.]
Gradually, peculiar thoughts began to arise.
Perhaps… Am I really Yoo Joonghyuk?
[The effect of ‘incite’ is maximized.]
Suddenly, doubt crept into every action I intended to take.
For some reason, I even entertained the thought of finding and killing Kim Dokja.
“No, it shouldn’t be to that extent if I’m Yoo Joonghyuk.”
[The effect of ‘incite’ is adjusted.]
I became (lightly) Yoo Joonghyuk.
Bang Cheolsoo, who met my gaze, had widened eyes.
“Did you think that bluff would work?”
Although it was my voice, it suddenly felt cool.
This was the feeling of being Yoo Joonghyuk.
Bang Cheolsoo’s [bluff] didn’t even tickle.
[The Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ senses a strange fear emanating from you.]
[The Constellation, ‘Sneaking Schemer,’ gazes at you as if displeased.]
[A constellation without any modifiers is looking at you with strange eyes.]
Seeing the Constellations surprised, it seemed quite effective.
Bang Cheolsoo was visibly flustered when his [Bluff] didn’t work, and he clenched his knuckles fists tightly.
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’ uses ‘Threaten.’]
[For unknown reasons, ‘Threaten’ does not work on you.]
Before I knew it, the guy with cold sweat on his forehead whimpered.
“You’re quite the formidable one.”
Even without the [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint], I could see through him.
“If you get caught here, you’re done for.”
Should I just finish him off here?
I’m comfortable with killing all of these guys.
Even with a cursory glance, it seems there are no other possessors here.
However, for some reason, that approach didn’t appeal to me.
Like anyone else, I don’t enjoy killing.
I decided to speak up.
“I heard it from Lee Cheoldoo; he hopes you don’t waste your life in vain.”
“How dare you talk about Cheoldoo hyung-nim—”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Cheoldoo.”
Upon my words, Mr. Dansoo looked at me with a surprised expression.
Bang Cheolsoo looked confused.
“You are…”
“We traveled together to Geumho Station. He introduced you to me.”
“I didn’t hear such words from Cheoldoo hyung-nim.”
“When did Cheoldoo individually report such things to you?”
“Where is Cheoldoo hyung-nim?”
Bang Cheolsoo’s tone suddenly became polite, showing signs of wavering.
Instead of answering, I theatrically looked to the left.
There, Lee Cheoldoo’s headless corpse lay.
“I’m sorry.”
Bang Cheolsoo staggered towards Lee Cheoldoo’s body.
“It was a fitting end for him. He fought and died.”
“With whom—”
“I’ve avenged him.”
At the edge of my sight, the lifeless body of the Life Sect members lay.
[The Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ is keenly watching your story.]
[The Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ unexpectedly enjoys sudden noir twists.]
Bang Cheolsoo, who had been staring blankly in that direction, nervously bit his lip.
“How can I believe those words?”
“To believe or not is your freedom.”
“If you have harmed Cheoldoo hyung-nim—!”
“If you truly think so, seek revenge from me right now.”
Bang Cheolsoo glared at me with reddened eyes and stood up.
However, his actions didn’t seem to reflect the enthusiasm one might expect.
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’ is looking at you.]
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’ wants to perform an unexpected action.]
[Exclusive skill, ‘□□,’ activation conditions have been met.]
I see.
Now, I have a better understanding of the activation conditions for this skill.
[Exclusive skill, ‘□□,’ has been activated.]
The surroundings faded into grayscale, and people began to freeze in place.
Observing the floating characters, I realized it was time for creativity once again.
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’ is preparing for a characteristic evolution.]
[You can interfere with the characteristic evolution of character ‘Bang Cheolsoo.’]
[Due to the low potential of this character, a single modification is insufficient for characteristic evolution.]
Is Bang Cheolsoo not like Kim Cheolyang?
After all, Kim Cheolyang was originally one of the Ten Evils, possessing the trait of the ‘Crouching Figure.’
On the other hand, Bang Cheolsoo is just an ordinary extra.
However, with the system stating it this way, it piqued my curiosity.
Perhaps it’s an error on the part of the author.
In the “Star Stream,” how far can an ordinary extra villain change?
[You have entered ‘Snowfield.’]
[Please describe the next actions of ‘Bang Cheolsoo.]
+
# Bang Cheolsoo’s Change of Heart
[Bang Cheolsoo, Assault Force Leader of the Cheoldoo Group □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□]
* At your current skill level, you can write a total of 160 additional characters.
+
It’s 160 characters now, with an additional 10 characters compared to last time.
[You have a total of 3 minutes to stay in ‘Snowfield.’]
The situation is definitely better than last time, thanks to some understanding of this skill.
Firstly, the skill can’t reproduce changes at an ‘unbelievable level’ in reality.
For instance, the scenario where a character suddenly awakens memories of being a martial arts master in a past life and becomes my loyal subordinate is impossible to replicate.
Also, the success rate of reproduction increases when the character’s actions align with their desires.
Looking at previous messages, it seems that accumulating probability can lead to additional changes.
[Current accumulated probability: 10]
[You can increase probability to improve the reproduction success rate.]
With this amount of probability, creating significant changes would be challenging.
Let’s give it a try.
I carefully crafted a sentence of around 160 characters.
[A plausible description has been provided.]
[The reproduction success rate for this description is 88%.]
[You have sufficient probability.]
[Do you want to check reader feedback?]
Come to think of it, this feature exists too.
Kim Dokja37 or something responding.
I wonder if they’re really Kim Dokja.
Then what’s the significance of 37?
‘Checking.’
+
rlaehrwk37: I hear the sound of Bang Cheolsoo’s washing machine running.
rlaehrwk61: Well, it’s not like he’s become a full-fledged bad guy yet.
+
There was another Kim Dokja?
Anyway, judging by the reactions, this development doesn’t seem to pose a serious problem.
[Scene successfully reproduced.]
[Exiting ‘Snowfield.’]
The floating characters in the air disappeared, and the story resumed.
I took a deep breath and spoke,
“Life is boring… don’t you think so?”
“Bang Cheolsoo heard those words absentmindedly.”
“….”
“Bang Cheolsoo, the Assault Force Captain of the Cheoldoo Group. He had always despaired over this world. Long before the scenario began, his world was doomed.”
Even extras have their own narratives.
However mundane and lacking in uniqueness they may be.
How long are you going to live as the Assault Force Captain of the Cheoldu Group?”
“What? What do you know—”
“The world has changed now. It’s not the world you’ve been resenting. Even someone like you has a chance to settle the past.”
“….”
“Choose. Do you want to follow me, or do you want to continue living miserably like this?”
Bang Cheolsoo’s gaze flickered faintly.
1,863 regressions.
During the repetitions of Yoo Joonghyuk’s story in the ‘Ways Of Survival,’ Bang Cheolsoo has always been the Assault Force Captain of Cheoldu Group.
He lived as the Assault Force Captain and died as the Assault Force Captain.
Thoughts on the value of life or existential dignity were not given to him.
He shouldn’t be reincarnated; he was meant to be a trophy shining for the protagonist, subject to pointing fingers by people.
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So, the sentence I inserted, “Can I still make a choice?” was a single possibility granted to this processed villain.
“Can that man be my cause”
With determination, Bang Cheolsoo stood up and said, “Prove it to me.”
Bang Cheolsoo came running with his fists clenched.
A desperate move, as if he was throwing away his entire life.
His clenched fist charged forward, but the punch wasn’t sincere.
He had made a choice.
Thud!
Despite not hitting him hard, clever as he was, Bang Cheolsoo fell dramatically, raising exaggerated screams.
Stunned Cheoldoo Group members, raising pipes toward me, paused as Bang Cheolsoo wiped his nose and raised his left hand, “Stop.”
With that punch, he seemed to have solidified his decision.
He stared at me for a while before speaking.
“Since Cheoldoo Hyung is gone, I’m the temporary leader. I’ll decide whom to follow. Any objections?”
“N-No objections.”
For the first time, Bang Cheolsoo felt like a supporting character rather than an extra.
Until now, he merely lived a few lines dictated by the author, dead when the author said so, alive when resurrected.
But today, he contemplated the future with his imagination.
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’ has faint trust in you.]
[Character ‘Bang Cheolsoo’s’ traits show faint signs of evolution.]
Reaching out towards me, Bang Cheolsoo asked, “What’s your name?”
I lifted Bang Cheolsoo and replied, “Cheon Inho.”
*
[Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband,’ finds your approach intriguing.]
[Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ is impressed by the passionate noir you’ve displayed.]
That Monarch of the Small Fries, that guy was unpredictable even in the main story.
It’s hard to figure out what’s going on in his mind, talking nonsense even though his incarnation has been subordinated to me.
[Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ is somewhat sulky as his incarnation is not injured.]
Watching Bang Cheolsoo’s back of the head as he led the way, I lightly smacked him.
“Why, why are you doing this?”
“There was a bug.”
[Constellation, ‘Monarch of the Small Fries,’ has sponsored you with 100 coins.]
Bang Cheolsoo glanced at me with a troubled look, then took two more steps ahead to guide me.
“There should be people gathered over there.”
[Currently, there are a total of 11 people at Geumho Station supporting you.]
At least ten members of the Cheoldoo Group secured.
Not bad even if it stays like this.
It was then that Dansoo Ajusshi, who was walking beside me, cautiously asked,
“Are you really Cheon Inho?”
I chuckled and replied, “Yes, Cheon Inho. For now.”
At my joke, Dansoo Ajusshi let out a light sigh.
He glanced at the Cheoldoo Group members walking ahead and asked in a low voice,
“Is it okay? Do you know what kind of guys they are?”
“Just earlier, you were asking if I’d let everyone die,” I retorted.
“But these guys…”
I understood Dansoo Ajusshi’s concern.
I knew very well what kind of guys the Cheoldoo Group members were.
They were individuals destined to commit heinous crimes in the future.
The reason I spared their lives was simple.
“If I’m going to write the same story, there’s no reason to rewrite it,” I thought.
“I’m just using them. Quickly taking care of them will reduce unnecessary trouble at Geumho Station. It’s easier to manage them under your control than to fight if they’re going to become enemies anyway.”
“Already that far…”
Looking at Dansoo Ajusshi nodding as if he understood, I suddenly remembered a comment from a reader:
–So he got beaten to death at Geumho Station every time Yoo Joonghyuk regressed?
While gazing at the back of Bang Cheolsoo, who seemed somewhat sulky, I shook my head.
Now was not the time for such complicated thoughts.
If the main characters, including Kim Dokja, survived the first scenario, they would definitely come to Geumho Station.
If Kim Dokja was in a state like being eaten by ichthyosaur, then Yoo Joonghyuk’s group would likely arrive first.
To make a good impression on him, it was necessary to disguise these Cheoldoo Group guys as the station’s self-defense force.
Bang Cheolsoo’s steps came to a halt.
“We’ve arrived.”
In the historically significant station, survivors from the first scenario were gathered.
I took a deep breath and carefully observed each of their faces.
This is where my ‘rehabilitation project’ comes into play.
Although Cheon Inho was a trash provocateur villain in the main timeline, here he had to transform into a proper human.
Okay.
Decision made.
Let’s first control Geumho Station.
After that, let’s become Yoo Joonghyuk’s subordinates.
And then, when Yoo Joonghyuk has had enough of being a sunfish, we’ll become Kim Dokja’s men.
“Sis, got it? Be sure to watch out for that guy, the talkative one.”
I reflexively turned around at the voice coming from somewhere.
There, I found a very familiar face.
Of course, this person was at Geumho Station.
But I hadn’t expected her to be the first [Kim Dokja’s Company] member I encountered.
With joy, I rushed towards her.
She is the first sword of the Demon King of Salvation Kim Dokja, and the guardian of [Kim Dokja’s Company.]
Protected by the archangel Uriel, she is one of the strongest characters in Omniscient Reader.
Jung Heewon, the Judge of Destruction.
She turned to look in my direction as I approached.
I greeted her first.
“Hello!”
“Oh, yes… Hello.”
Jung Heewon responded to my greeting with a faint smile.
Even right after completing the first scenario, she could still smile like that.
She truly was an unyielding person.
“Which section are you from?”
“Oh, we’re in 3-4.”
“There too… Did something similar happen?”
“Yes.”
Jung Heewon, after checking the blood-stained front of my clothes, put on a slightly guarded expression.
Conveniently, Dansoo Ajusshi approached.
“This friend and I didn’t kill any people. We killed other life forms.”
“Oh, really? In fact, I also…”
Jung Heewon started to say more but glanced around, holding back her words.
However, I sensed that something was wrong.
‘Jung Heewon didn’t kill anyone?’
That couldn’t be true.
In the main timeline, she would have cleared the scenario normally.
How could this be?
“Um, may I ask your name? I’m Jung Heewon.”
“I’m Cheon Inho.”
Oddly, the moment she heard my name, Jung Heewon’s expression stiffened.
As she stared at me with cold eyes, something suddenly clicked in my mind.
In the main part of Omniscient Reader, Jung Heewon killed Cheon Inho by stabbing him through the head at the Geumho Station.
Chills ran down my spine as I instinctively touched my forehead.
Stepping away from me, Jung Heewon spoke to someone a few steps away.
“He really showed up as you said.”
“Already? Where is he?”
“That guy. But is he really him?”
“Wow, judging by his appearance, he’s perfect. Who would have known?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
Upon closer inspection, a girl, slightly shorter than Jung Heewon, was standing next to her.
“Get a grip, sis. Never trust that guy. What did I say about him earlier? Tell me.”
In response, Jung Heewon nodded and replied,
“Bad guy. The guy to be teared to death. Someone to burn to death with Hellfire.”
…Where have I heard that before?
Author’s Note:
Thank you.
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