If my guess is right, and if Seolhwa’s body is occupied by an outsider, then all the circumstances fall into place.
Ding ding!
‘Seolhwa loves solving these mysteries.’
I mean, one of her most beloved theories is the “Chekhov’s Gun”. In summary, it means every plot point introduced must be used.
Booom!
The moment you add unnecessary plot points or elements, it becomes a waste of narration, and pointless parts arise in the story.
‘Especially in web novels where the read-through rate (the percentage of readers who continue to the next chapter) is critical, this can be deadly.’
In the case of published books or movies, the viewership is high since people paid for them. Unless it’s truly a flop, it’s rare for people to quit halfway.
But web novels are a field where you fight within limited characters.
‘There was no need to mention someone or the original story. Why leave such words on my body?’
I racked my brain to find the hidden meaning behind Seolhwa’s message. If her essence was completely consumed by the outsider, she wouldn’t have left me a trace like this.
The reason I think this way is that I have an extreme disdain for gods.
If a god existed, I thought, they wouldn’t have plunged me into misery.
I’ve lived thinking at least they wouldn’t take Seolhwa away from me.
‘…Indeed, being too negative is the problem.’
I brushed my hair back. She once said I have a rebellious spirit.
Even if it seems like I’m riding the mainstream wave, my writing eventually becomes ruined in the quest for a unique color.
“Hey, what does the ‘original story’ even mean?”
Verdandi, having removed the influence of the outsider with her holy sword, smiled proudly, saying it was her first proper job as a hero.
Azazel was knocked out cold from Shub-Niggurath’s influence. Right now, I’m carrying her down the mountain.
“This is the destined future this world should have headed towards.”
In response to Verdandi’s question, I willingly told her the truth. They must have questioned what kind of person I am.
“Actually, I possess abilities similar to a prophet.”
Misunderstandings and distrust arising from a lack of proper dialogue pile up like sediment, eventually leading to the ruin of interpersonal relationships.
I regretted that if I had known Seolhwa’s unease earlier, I might have been able to prevent her suicide.
“So, is that why you suddenly decided to take in your disciple? I thought your actions were suspicious for someone like you.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
Bi-Wol spoke in a tone that suggested she had known for a while. She probably felt something was off when I first headed to the Western Region.
Running a small sect, my usual lifestyle was to preserve my body without standing out among people.
Bi-Wol had been the one watching it up close, a girl who followed the teachings I shared closely enough to consider herself my favorite disciple.
“I’ve seen a future where the Heavenly Demon stains the sky with blood, the hero kills all life in the world, and the saint brings down the outsider.”
I didn’t want to lie even to Bi-Wol. She now needed to know a bit about her own fate.
“So I tried to take you in as my disciples. I couldn’t bear to look away while innocent kids tread down the wrong path.”
I could hardly hide my conflicted expression as I spoke.
Thank goodness Azazel was asleep. If she woke up and realized her connection with Kang Si Woo was completely shattered, it would be heartbreaking.
“That’s why you mentioned that before.”
Bi-Wol slowly nodded, her lips softening into a smile. Despite hearing the truth, she didn’t seem too shocked.
Rather, it felt as if she was pretending not to notice all this while knowing it.
“I somewhat guessed when fighting the Sin Demon. My destiny engraved in my star told me I had to kill you, Master.”
“…”
Bi-Wol recounted the vision that the Heavenly Demon had shown her. A scene from the original [King of Diamond Fist], where she, being the Heavenly Demon, was killed by a sword to the neck.
I gulped. A chilling sensation ran down my spine as goosebumps spread all over me.
“I’m not lying! Master!”
Verdandi seemed to be determining the truth of our conversation. It was to indicate that Bi-Wol wasn’t just fabricating words to gain my attention.
“Yeah, if the future really is like that… then why did someone I know leave this memo?”
I struggled to grasp Seolhwa’s intent. Since she was also a creator of this world, she would have anticipated how I might act if I were here.
– Do Hyeon, what do you think the human anthem is?
If that’s the case, the only reason she sent such a message would be one.
– No matter how extreme the situation, don’t lose your humanity. So, let’s attach the good outsider, Morgidian, to Azazel.
She focused on rehabilitation with a smiling face, believing that one day hope would arise, trying to hang on with optimistic words.
‘Did Shub-Niggurath let me know what she wants?’
Seolhwa once told me that the perspectives of the writer and the reader are different.
Readers don’t care whether the writer is suffering or has personal issues, or is going through a slump in writing.
A writer is a service position that provides high-quality writing to readers. No matter what happens, being able to keep releasing episodes is what separates professionals from amateurs.
‘What the outsider hasn’t seen is the ending of this world…’
Why is it that when reading web novels, you sometimes get that urge to see the original conclusion of a story that was put on hiatus?
‘I’ve had those thoughts back when I was a reader.’
Like puzzle pieces coming together, parts that I couldn’t see before began to surface. Seolhwa had no reason to hide her identity and mention the original story.
In the first place, Seolhwa had twisted the dark narrative that was contained within the manuscript back when we were in middle school.
The protagonists and the final boss of this novel were the painful fingers she and I created.
And her belief, the driving force behind her writing, was that whether reader or writer, every character in the story should be happy.
There was no room for such contradictory behavior.
‘A reader might not want the final boss to suddenly turn good and live peacefully.’
I rested my chin on my hand, gathering my thoughts.
For a final boss that was built up with a title, elements, and plot points to suddenly turn into a good character and do nothing,
would feel like a drift in the reader’s perspective (an act that completely disrupts the flow of the story).
It’s akin to slapping both romance and harem tags together or ending the story with a meteor collision.
“Verdandi, do you think villains don’t change?”
“If it were the old me, I’d definitely have judged that way!”
I asked Verdandi, who I consider the most righteous among people I know, for her opinion. After all, I might be wrong in my thinking.
The outsider readers didn’t know of the unfortunate past or settings that the final bosses hold. I had left those undone before halting my serial.
In fact, there are writers who, in such situations, provide brief follow-up writings to clarify the settings.
‘My novel was the last means to remember Seolhwa.’
Just as a person’s life can’t be condensed into short phrases, I just wanted to wrap up the story that she and I created completely.
Moreover, a writer is a profession that must prove themselves through writing rather than words. No matter how amazing the settings or twists are, if they don’t resonate within the narrative, they hold no meaning.
“What if there’s a person who misjudges you as a villain, and they are a person driven by a sense of justice?”
“They would probably try to kill me by any means! Just like I did!”
Verdandi spoke brightly, but her face looked opposite, dark, and gloomy. She feared because she didn’t know what the future I knew would look like.
“There are such figures in the Dragon Hero Society. Heroes destined to kill you from the start.”
Seolhwa knew about the event where the final boss and the protagonists gather together, so there was no guarantee she wouldn’t be here.
I felt my hands tighten, automatically forming fists, the veins on my hands bulging.
“How can you call those scoundrels heroes? They threaten something more precious than anything beneath this sky.”
“…”
Bi-Wol, rather unpleased, wore a cold smile.
The person who fought against the Heavenly Demon was none other than Kim Hyul, the King of Diamond Fist, who possessed the Diamond Indestructible body that couldn’t be harmed by any blade or weapon.
“That’s right! No one can kill a hero! A hero is someone who always triumphs against evil!”
The character who must fight against the holy sword-wielding Verdandi is the next hero, Zikhart.
And the figure I need to confront while carrying asleep Azazel on my back is Kang Si Woo, who chose his twin sister over her.
“Well, I’ll trust in you then.”
To be honest, even I find it difficult to determine who would win in this situation.
“Until the Dragon Hero Society, I will do my utmost to help you with your weaknesses.”
There was still hope.
The hope of defeating the entity that occupies Seolhwa’s body, loudly declaring itself as a dedicated reader, intending to shake my novel.
*
When Bing Yeon was returning to the sect in preparation for the Dragon Hero Society, Seolhwa also began to talk to a certain man.
“…So, there’s a huge flaw in this world. If left as it is, this world could be doomed.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Basically, the man called Bing Yeon shouldn’t exist. His very existence is like a seed that can destroy this world.”
She spoke slowly while sipping on her tea, yet her expression remained unchanged as she mentioned Bing Yeon.
“Getting thrown away by the Five Poison Sect even after being lavishly offered the position from the Northern Ice Palace, and living beyond the countdown to be killed by the Heavenly Demon… a few decades more?”
“…When you put it that way, it really doesn’t add up.”
“That’s exactly what I mean! Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable to see that as a ‘dedicated reader’? Someone has to fix this, right? Obviously, he must die…”
At that moment, a sense of strangeness lingered in one of Seolhwa’s eyes. Drip, drip; a warm, moist sensation trickled down.
“Uh… why am I like this?”
Tears flowed from one of Seolhwa’s eyes. Her voice changed, appearing to exhibit some emotional turmoil.
“Why am I suddenly crying?”
Kim Hyul, the King of Diamond Fist, sighed deeply and turned his head. The girl named Bing Seolhwa often fluctuated like this.
“No, this is just dust getting in my eye…!”
“Aren’t you being too indifferent towards the enemy?”
Like a person with two souls in one body. He could sense that eerie gap due to his innate Qi Perception.
“Time will heal it, I’m sure. Ha ha…!”
“Well, that’s good. If that Heavenly Demon turns out to be a real threat, I’ll confirm it with my own fists.”
Kim Hyul was one of the figures who found it difficult to believe Seolhwa’s claims, and so he took his leave to train in preparation for his battle against Bi-Wol.
