Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Web Novel KR)

A new companion joined us.
[Incarnation, ‘Lee Seyon,’ has joined your team.]
ID: LiteratureGirl64.
Killer King’s younger sister. A martial arts prodigy.
We had formed a temporary alliance to rescue Killer King.
[You have recruited a ‘front-runner’ into your team.]
[You gain an additional 500 coins.]
After as cool an assessment as I could manage of the current situation, I spoke.
“[Statue] status will last four hours by this stage’s internal time. Time flows faster outside, so we need to move with the mindset of clearing the dungeon within at least two hours.”
Of course, a miracle could happen and Killer King might hunt the 6th-grade earth-dragon or escape on his own—but I set aside such odds.
Realistically, the surest way to save him was to clear the dungeon as fast as possible and end the film’s screening.
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LiteratureGirl64 asked,
“Is Yoo Joonghyuk upstairs?”
“He probably is.”
“Couldn’t Yoo Joonghyuk clear the dungeon?”
“That would be nice.”
She seemed to sense something in my tone.
“Is there a problem?”
I nodded.
She looked like she was turning over what the problem might be.
She could have just asked; at times like this, the siblings acted alike.
[You have cleared a difficulty-adjusted stage!]
[You gain 3,000 coins as a bonus!]
[You have obtained an extra die!]
[You have obtained an extra die!]
…….
Perhaps because we’d cleared a fairly hard film, we got five dice plus three thousand coins.
“I’ll roll the dice first.”
Watching the dice spin in midair, I thought of Gyeong Sein and Ajusshi Dansoo.
How far had the two gotten?
Were they hurt?
Was Lee Jihye doing her part?
Just as LiteratureGirl64 trusted Killer King, I wished I had a faith just as strong. I wanted to believe they would be all right.
[The die shows 5.]
[You climb 5 steps.]
[You have reached Ground Floor 3!]
[The die shows 5.]
[You climb 5 steps.]
…….
The rolls weren’t bad.
Four fives and a four.
In an instant we cleared twenty-four steps.
And then—
[You have entered the Reward Room on Ground Floor 5.]
At last, the Reward Room.
Just as I stepped forward, LiteratureGirl64 stopped me.
The reason became immediately clear.
Under the display case lined with reward items lay a headless corpse.
The hairs on my forearms bristled.
After checking the surroundings, she said,
“Looks like no one else is here.”
We approached slowly to examine the body. A few steps away from the torso, the man’s head had rolled to a stop.
Suppressing a reflexive surge of nausea, I said,
“ODHC. The one who claimed he was the Author.”
The cleanly severed neck was chilling. He’d been decent enough, yet he’d been killed in a heartbeat.
If he was dead here, it meant someone had already gone upstairs.
We had no time.
“Let’s secure the rewards first.”
We split up to check which items to take.
[Reward items are limited to 2 per person.]
On Jung Heewon’s behalf, I chose a sword and combat suit for her use.
[Mikazuki Munechika — Replica]: A-grade sword.
First, the sword she’d used in the main story. In addition, armor that would suit her.
[Mission: Impossible — Replica]: A-grade protective gear.
With this, we wouldn’t need to worry about her gear for a while. Still, given that she hadn’t woken yet, the aftereffects of [Agitation] seemed to last quite a while.
I’d have to be careful using it in the future.
After picking Jung Heewon’s loadout, I looked over gear I could use.
I could take two pieces, but one wasn’t mine. I had to keep my promise to the Seventh Apostle, Ye Hyunwoo.
Let’s see.
After about thirty seconds of scanning, I found the item in question.
[Shingijeon — Replica]: A-grade artillery.
Wow, it really exists.
+
Description: A hwacha made in the Joseon era. A kind of multiple rocket launcher. Fires 15 shots at a time, up to 100 in succession.
It has a built-in passive skill [Firepower Amplification], which greatly boosts allied long-range bombardment within 10 square meters when used.
+
From the description alone, I could see why Ye Hyunwoo wanted it. If you linked Gong Pildu’s turrets to the Shingijeon, the synergy would be insane.
[You have selected ‘Shingijeon — Replica.’]
[This item has a built-in ‘shrink/transform’ function.]
I’d wondered how we’d carry it, but fortunately it could be compacted.
I chose the Shingijeon and slipped it into my pocket.
Then I made a full circuit to gawk at other useful items.
Replica versions of “Mjölnir” that Lee Gilyoung used in the main story, “Shield of Heracles,” and so on…
“Jyo—ba!”
In its slime form, the Thought of Almost Everything got excited at the rows of items and slapped itself against anything and everything.
[‘Thought of Almost Everything’ increases its mimicry proficiency!]
[You have acquired a new mimicry form!]

[You have acquired a new mimicry form!]
…….
Maybe because proficiency had risen, collecting forms of A-grade or below no longer had stringent conditions.
For about five minutes, I collected most of the weapon forms in the Reward Room.
[‘Thought of Almost Everything’ is satisfied with form consumption.]
There were no S-grade forms, but at this level of collection, we wouldn’t lack weapons for a while.
For my last pick, I chose a piece of protective gear.
Weapons could be summoned anytime using the Thought, but armor had to be worn constantly; I couldn’t rely only on [Mimicry].
[External Enhancement Suit — Replica]: A-grade protective gear.
Come to think of it, Kim Dokja had picked this suit, too.
Given the situation, it wasn’t a bad choice.
Glancing over, I saw that LiteratureGirl64 had made the same calculation and chosen the women’s version of the External Enhancement Suit.
Once we were ready, we stood again at the passage leading upstairs.
[Your journey with ‘Departure Cinema Trip’ ends here.]
[From this floor on, there is no ‘latecomer’ movement bonus.]
[You are the first to complete the ‘Departure Cinema Trip’ scenario.]
[You gain 2,000 coins as a reward.]
We could no longer skip floors with the dice trick.
In exchange, from here on we could follow the path the front-runners had already opened.
Indeed, when we rode the escalator to the 6th floor, we saw movie posters shredded to tatters.
In that short time, how many films had they cleared? The 6th floor was practically a ruin.
Judging from the traces, more than half looked like Yoo Joonghyuk’s work.
Thinking about it—he was the bastard who’d killed a 7th-grade monster right after regressing. I couldn’t even imagine how much stronger he’d become now.
Even if I went up there, could I truly change this story’s ending?
I felt a twinge of doubt, but it wasn’t the time to be dejected.
“We’re at the 7th floor.”
We crossed the 6th without encountering a single film.
If we were lucky, we might reach the roof as is. We had to hurry.
A little faster. Just a little more—
“Ah.”
Maybe I’d rushed too much.
[You have been struck by a projection beam.]
[Screening of this floor begins.]
The message made me flinch.
Where?
There were only torn posters everywhere—
“Underfoot.”
A half-torn poster lay at our feet. Damn it.
[The film poster is damaged.]
[Only part of the film will be reproduced.]
With a lurch, the floor dropped away, and we were sucked into pitch blackness. When I came to—
We were trapped inside a room walled on all six sides with white panels.
+
rlaehrwk99 : Isn’t this that film Cu■?
rlaehrwk124 : 99, how old are you?
+
[This film is not intact.]
[You can escape the film once certain conditions are fulfilled.]
Thankfully, we hadn’t entered a complete film. Which meant the clear time might be short.
After rapping the inner wall a few times with [Baekcheonganggi], LiteratureGirl64 said,
“We can’t brute-force it.”
I agreed and said,
“I think I know roughly which film this is.”
A cubic, controlled room. Escape upon satisfying conditions.
No creator could fail to recognize that film.
The problem was the “escape condition.”
Judging from our experience so far, there was a chance the Theater Owner had pulled something annoying again.
But then—
[Constellation, ‘Judge of Evil Fire’ is curious about your story.]
[Constellation, ‘Judge of Evil Fire’ proposes an escape condition for the room to the Theater Owner.]
Uriel?
[An unnamed constellation is curious about your story.]
[An unnamed constellation proposes the room’s ‘escape condition.’]
And an unnamed one, too?
[The Theater Owner accepts the constellations’ proposals.]
I had a bad feeling—and the escape condition was revealed at once.
+
Escape Condition: Hold a conversation in this room for 30 minutes.
+
A clock appeared in the air.
[30:00].
I stared blankly up at it, thinking.
Really? That’s all?
A follow-up line appeared.
+
However, if silence lasts for more than 30 seconds, all occupants of the room die.
+
Goosebumps prickled.
There were three people in the room.
Me, Jung Heewon, and LiteratureGirl64.
With Jung Heewon unconscious, it meant I had to talk with LiteratureGirl64 for a full thirty minutes.
Not a hellish condition, but hardly easy.
I wasn’t exactly the chatty type—and as for her—
“Even if only part of it is here…”
“Pardon?”
“Can we even call this a film?”
Was she kindly opening with an easy topic?
Slightly touched by the gesture, I answered with whatever came to mind.
“Short-form is the trend these days. Maybe is just following the fad?”
“What’s short-form?”
“I mean, to put it simply, you cut out and summarize the highlights of a video—”
“Highlights.”
She thought for a moment, then added,
“If it’s all highlights, then it’s not even highlights.”
“Mm… I agree.”
Agreeing still pricked my conscience.
Because I wondered if what I wrote was similar.
Compact plots with minimal buildup, cramming in highlights every time.
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon,’ yawns in boredom.]
In a world where everything is a highlight, I too had written while thinking only of highlights. Maybe that’s why—
“Um, may I call you Yerin? Or…”
“Yerin is my real name.”
“Then…”
“Call me whatever is comfortable.”
“Okay.”
“Do you like novels?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Do you like this novel, too?”
By “this novel,” she must mean Ways of Survival.
Can an author like their own novel? Some can.
What about me?
“My brother likes this novel.”
“What about you, Yerin?”
She fell silent for a moment.
[You must continue the conversation within 15 seconds.]
I considered changing the subject when she answered.
“I’ve never read it myself.”
“Ah.”
“My brother always read it to me.”
I had a rough idea of her circumstances.
A few clues fit together naturally in my head.
「Someone who has ‘fully listened’ to Ways of Survival more than ten times.」
「The habit of always wearing sunglasses.」
「The boy and girl who faced ‘Representative Kim Dokja’ in the theater.」
The image of the girl clutching the boy’s sleeve overlapped naturally with LiteratureGirl64’s face.
“In reality, I can’t see.”
This time it was my turn to fall silent.
[You must continue the conversation within 10 seconds.]
Even knowing we’d die if I didn’t speak within ten seconds, the next words wouldn’t come easily.
Fortunately, she continued.
“Right now, I can see well.”
“I see.”
“This is what the world my brother always talked about looks like. That’s what I’m thinking.”
“……”
“Did you ask earlier what I thought of this novel?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I…”
She hesitated, choosing her words, then said,
“I think it’s an unpolished novel.”
I took a hit with my guard down.
“I kept feeling that way as I listened. The characters are somewhat flat, and parts of the story feel contrived.”
“……”
“There’s too much emotion overlaid in the direction. The development patterns get monotonous the further it goes.”
Was it my imagination? There was a faint reproof in her voice. She even spoke a little faster than before.
Did she actually dislike Ways of Survival?
It was possible.
There are all kinds of readers; nothing strange about that.
“Still, it’s a daily-update webnovel. I understand.”
At least she gave me a hole to breathe through.
I smiled wryly and asked,
“Do you read webnovels often?”
“Sometimes I ask my brother to read them to me, but it’s not my favorite genre.”
“What genres do you like? Or any favorite authors…”
Her ID was LiteratureGirl64.
If Killer King hadn’t coined it for her, she probably did like literature.
As if waiting for the question, she answered,
“Raymond Carver.”
Hm?
“Haruki Murakami. Han Kang. William Faulkner. John Steinbeck…”
Her tastes sounded suspiciously like someone I knew.
As if reading my thoughts, she nodded.
“I think Yoo Sangah’s literary taste is excellent.”
“Ah.”
I couldn’t tell if that was a joke, so I laughed awkwardly. She didn’t.
A bit tense, I asked again,
“What’s your favorite work?”
In any case, this was good.
We had to talk for thirty whole minutes to escape.
It was nice to have a topic.
For what it’s worth, I graduated from creative writing. I could talk about novels for hours.
At least, that’s what I thought—until I heard her next words.
“I like The Origin of Memory.”
For a moment I wondered if I’d misheard.
What novel did she say?
“Uh… you mean a Korean author’s work, right?”
“Yes. Do you know it?”
How could I not.
“I do, but… you really like that one?”
“Yes.”
Because that novel—
“It’s my favorite work.”
—was my own debut piece, written by me, Lee Hak-hyun.