Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint – Side Story - Chapter 6
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Chapter 6. Rewrite (4)
I stared at the insect carcass for a while.
I couldn’t understand.
If this bug is still considered ‘alive,’ then there’s undoubtedly a problem with the [Star Stream] system.
“Now we just have to wait, right? That’s what they said.”
“Hey! We completed our mission! Let us out already!
Why isn’t the scenario completion message appearing?
According to the main plot, the system message should appear as soon as we kill the bug.
[There is a problem with the main scenario system.]
Tsu, tsu, tsut!
A buzzing sound accompanied the appearance of distortion in the air.
Bihyung looked at me and the others with a troubled expression.
[Oh, dear… everyone.]
The moment I faced bihyung, I realized what I had missed.
I was a fool. Why didn’t I notice sooner?
―Looks like there’s someone here with a clever mind too.
A while ago, Bihyung said that through dokkaebi communication.
In other words, it meant that there were others performing the scenario in a peculiar way, not just me.
Initially, I thought that statement was referring to Kim Dokja.
But there was something I didn’t think of.
In this scenario, there is not just one ‘reader.’
Bihyung, who had been pursing its lips, opened his mouth with an uncomfortable tone.
[You guys seem to think this is some kind of ‘kill the bug’ game. This scenario is really strange. Can the same thing happen simultaneously like this…?]
Simultaneously occurring identical events.
I looked at the old man in surprise. He seemed to be thinking the same thing.
“No way…”
Somewhere in this world, there are readers who have also read the novel like the old man.
They knew the solution to the first scenario, so they caught the bug and cleared the scenario.
What we didn’t know was that too many people had used that solution.
[The management detected an unnatural flow in the scenario.]
[The coherence of the scenario is starting to tilt.]
[The will of [Star Stream] is in motion.]
Because it was attempted too frequently, the unconventional methods lost their novelty.
[Anyway, humans need to be aware of their cruelty. Killing helpless bugs to save themselves…]
I gazed silently at the bug carcasses that covered the entire history.
Pitifully burst and trampled bodies.
If insects are recognized as ‘living beings,’ they might also be ‘scenario participants.’
If that’s the case, how did we appear in the eyes of the insects?
Bihyung, shaking its head as it looked at the insect corpses on the floor, hid its form.
“W-What suddenly is that sound?”
“Wasn’t killing bugs supposed to let us survive?”
“It’ll be fine. It probably just scared us and left.”
“Yeah, yeah! We followed the rules!”
In this world, the rules of the ‘scenario’ were absolute.
Especially the ‘main scenario’ held an authority that even dokkaebis couldn’t touch.
Regardless of how much the bihyung disliked this situation, the main scenario couldn’t change unless the entire management acted.
Tsu, tsu, tsut, tsut!
It should have been certain.
“Ugh, what’s happening!”
Even in ‘ORV,’ such an event had never occurred.
Not even when the [Kim Dokja Company] entered the 1,865th regression through group regression.
Instinctively, I looked up at the empty space.
There were no visible stars in the sky blocked by the ceiling, but somewhere in that unseen sky, there must be Constellations observing this underground struggle.
[The probability of [Star Stream] is in motion.]
I recalled the fundamental principle of [Star Stream] that I had forgotten for the past three years.
“The coherence of [Star Stream] moves in the direction that interests the stars.”
[The main scenario conditions have changed.]
I felt a sensation as if the celestial bodies in the universe were shifting.
And precisely with that inclination, the laws of the world were distorted.
[For this scenario only, ‘bugs’ are excluded from ‘living beings.’]
[‘Bug extermination’ in this area is no longer recognized as ‘killing living beings.’]
People screamed in various places.
At the center of this chaos, I saw my reflection in the screen door.
Inside the screen door, an unfamiliar man was smiling at me.
“Now it finally feels like ‘ORV.’”
Sometime in ‘ORV,’ I wrote the phrase ‘reading again will create a different story.’
I still believe that to be true, although it wasn’t meant in this context.
**
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[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value]
Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Clear Condition: Kill one or more living beings.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 300 coins
Failure: Death
* In this scenario, ‘bugs’ are not considered ‘living beings.’
* The clear condition of this scenario will no longer change.
+
**
As I read it again, the scenario content had truly changed.
Now, the ‘bug killing’ that Kim Dokja used is no longer allowed in this scenario.
“W-where did this come from all of sudden?”
“Did anyone else get a different message?”
Judging by their expressions, it seemed like no one had cleared the scenario.
When I glanced at the reader uncle, he replied in a lowered voice.
“It says I cleared it.”
Fortunately, the reader uncle seemed to be the first to kill the bug, and the scenario was recognized as cleared.
“Don’t give it away. Pretend you haven’t cleared it either.”
“Understood. But what about you…”
As I shook my head, the old man’s complexion turned pale.
He probably thought I will die because of him.
“What should we do then?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not the one you should be concerned about.”
“What?”
“Due to the rule changes, someone who was originally supposed to survive might end up dying.”
Someone who was supposed to survive.
In other words, those who survived through ‘bug killing’ in ‘ORV.’
“No way.”
Reader uncle, too, seemed to grasp the situation belatedly.
“Kim Dokja might die.”
Whether the changed rules applied only to specific regions or were universally applicable to the entire scenario area was still unknown.
However, now we have to consider the worst-case scenario.
If, by any chance, Kim Dokja died due to this change—
“Someone has to replace Kim Dokja.”
The reader asked with trembling lips, “What do we do now?”
“We have to think about it from now on. And it’s not certain yet.”
People frightened by the situation raised their voices towards the empty space.
“We killed living beings! Why on earth—”
[A few Constellations chuckle.]
The first message from a Constellation.
Startled people looked around with astonished eyes.
Kim Cheolyang, who had rushed over, grabbed my shoulders.
“Brother, what should we do now? Is there any other way besides bugs?”
Not only Kim Cheolyang but also those who were searching for bugs gathered around me.
“It’s because of you that this happened! What are you going to do now?”
“It’s your responsibility!”
People pointed fingers at me.
It seemed like all of this was somehow my fault.
I responded calmly.
“It’s because of me?”
“Well, anyway, it’s your responsibility! Everyone is dying because of you—”
“Calm down. No one is dying. Just because the bug failed doesn’t mean there’s no other way.”
“That’s right. We can kill you if necessary.”
The figure that had stopped crushing bugs with its huge size was approaching me, dragging the sole of its sneaker.
I looked at that figure and said, “Of course, that’s one way. If you’re confident in handling the aftermath.”
“What?”
“After this situation is over, people will remember the murderer.”
If the person in front of me was Kim Namwoon, this logic wouldn’t have worked.
But it seemed like this person wasn’t as insane as Kim Namwoon, as he stopped its approaching steps.
In any case, in the world ahead, only the murderers would survive.
However, ordinary people couldn’t easily imagine such a future.
The part I delved into was that feeble imagination.
“So what should we do? We have to kill living beings to survive.”
“Just kill them. They’re neither bugs nor humans.”
“What if the conditions change again? We just failed a moment ago.”
“This time, they won’t change.”
“How do you know that?”
“Did you even read the scenario?”
People hurriedly opened the scenario window at my words.
“Is it true? The conditions won’t change now?”
“Can we trust this?”
I didn’t intend to go this far, but the situation has changed now.
“Soon, there will be an announcement from the Prime Minister. A Level 1 national disaster will be declared.”
“What?”
“The content is roughly like this.”
Recalling the early part of ‘ORV’ that I had revised dozens of times, I spoke like an anchor.
“Dear citizens, I would like to inform you that unidentified terrorists are currently active in various areas, including Seoul.”
As I spoke, people started searching the internet on their phones.
Before they could find the video, I quickly added,
“By the way, the president is already dead. And the Prime Minister will also die during the speech.”
Not more than ten seconds later, someone screamed.
“The Prime Minister is really giving a speech!”
From various mobile phones, the voice of the Prime Minister flowed.
– Dear citizens, I would like to inform you that unidentified terrorists are currently active in various areas, including Seoul.
It was exactly the sentence I had mentioned. The following content was also the same.
– The current government will use all means and methods to confront terrorists, and there will be no negotiations. Therefore, citizens are advised to relax and engage in their respective occupations…
Listening to the continuing speech of the Prime Minister, people glanced at me as if possessed by ghosts.
And…
“Uh, aaah!”
A startled citizen dropped their mobile phone.
The Prime Minister had died, their head exploding in real-time.
“Crazy, what the hell is this…!”
As the situation unfolded as I described, the person muttered to itself,
“You must have secretly looked it up on the internet.”
“W-What are you talking about? It was a real-time video!”
“How on earth do you know, Brother?”
I didn’t respond.
Soon, several gunshots echoed, and on the screen, instead of the Prime Minister, Bihyung’s face appeared.
Sounds of people swallowing hard were heard everywhere.
[Everyone, as I said, this isn’t a joke like ‘terrorism.’]
Probably, other readers were witnessing the same scene as I was now.
However, from now on, they would see something a bit different from the main story.
[Haven’t you understood yet? Does this situation still feel like a game to you? It’s not something that can be solved by killing a few bugs.]
Originally, at this point, the remaining time would decrease by 10 minutes, and if the first murder didn’t occur within 5 minutes, a penalty would initiate, causing the extinction of all life forms in that area.
However, this time it wouldn’t be the case.
[Since we can no longer change the scenario’s clear conditions.]
Since the Management intervened once to exclude ‘bugs’ from the scenario, the clear conditions of the first scenario were completely locked.
Therefore, the ‘time penalty’ wouldn’t be triggered this time.
[Current remaining time: 20 minutes.]
With a beep sound, a timer appeared in the air, and Bihyung smiled.
[Now, there are 20 minutes left. If you don’t want to die, everyone, gather your strength. Unless you want to die like your leaders.]
With that, the screen showed the exploded heads of parliamentarians.
People were terrified and sat down in astonishment.
“What the hell is this—”
“Uh, aaah!”
A deep sense of fear permeated throughout history.
Strangely, that fear deeply fascinated me.
Suddenly, I wanted to write sentences as if I were insane.
‘Having gained 10 minutes, ‘Bug Killing’ wasn’t entirely useless. If we survive this, I might even be able to write a side story.’
[The ‘Exclusive Character Trait’ is becoming even more strongly activated.]
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