Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Web Novel KR)

「This is a story of unread despair.」
 

Yesterday, after receiving a cryptic message, something unexpected occurred—I penned the first sentence of the side story. While I cannot divulge the sentence just yet—it's a spoiler and admittedly not a great one—I believe it might someday hold significant meaning, much like the first sentence of the original novel did.
The story picks up around noon today with an unexpected visit from Ji Eunyoo.
"Let's go somewhere together, author-nim."

It took us less than an hour by taxi to reach our destination, with the urgency palpable as we arrived in front of a theater in Cheongmuro, which had once served as a backdrop in 'Omniscient Reader.'

I stared at the placard at the theater's entrance. Clearly, this event was tied to "Omniscient Reader." A note I received yesterday from Representative Kim Dokja flashed through my mind:

ㅡI'll have a small fan meeting tomorrow at 7pm. If you're free, I hope you can come and enjoy it.
Could this be the event he mentioned?
"How did you know about this place?" I asked Ji Eunyoo.
"The event organizer contacted us, wanting to hold a paid event here and requested permission. He mentioned that all the admission fees would be donated to an orphanage in Kim Dokja's name. I'm here to oversee everything, just in case."

That explained the admission fee.
"That's great. But why am I here...?"
"Readers, you asked where they were," she reminded me. Yesterday, I had inquired about the whereabouts of my readers. Turning my head, I looked back at the theater where, according to Ji Eunyoo, the readers I questioned about were waiting.

Suddenly, my heart raced. "But is it okay if I go in?"
"Why not?" Ji Eunyoo looked puzzled at my hesitation.
"I'm the writer."

"It's fine. Han Sooyoung wrote it," she joked, causing me to laugh, albeit bitterly.
What kind of writer hasn't written anything new in three years? Today, I wanted to shift all my responsibilities onto Han Sooyoung, whom I had never met. I wanted to believe that the reason I couldn’t write the novel was that Han Sooyoung hadn’t written the manuscript in a distant universe, and Yoo Joonghyuk hadn’t delivered it.
At the theater entrance, life-size representations of the novel's characters were displayed, drawn in the style of the once-serialized webtoon, impressively crafted to the point of admiration.

I admired the figures, recalling each character’s name: Demon King of Salvation Kim Dokja, Supreme King Yoo Joonghyuk, Black Flames Demon Ruler Han Sooyoung, Moonlight Empress Yoo Sangah, Judge of Destruction Jung Heewon, Pure Steel Sword Lee Hyunsung, Beast Lord Shin Yooseung, Inspect King Lee ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Gilyoung, and the Otaku Kim Namwoon, among even the minor characters like Bald Head Gong Pildu, Immortal Doctor Lee Seolhwa, and the faux protagonist Jang Hayoung...
"To be honest, it's better than what we made," Ji Eunyoo admitted, impressed.
The effort they put into these figures was touching. "I'd believe it if they said the real webtoon artists drew these."

"Did they?" I mused.
"No way. Everyone left after that incident," she reminded me.
Once upon a time, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' had been adapted into a webtoon. It started out promisingly with talented artists handling the artwork. Unfortunately, before the 10th episode could be released, a lightning strike led to a massive fire at the studio, resulting in the bankruptcy of the company managing the webtoon, which consequently disappeared from the world after just 11 episodes.

"We don't know yet, author-nim. If the novel does well, they might reboot the webtoon," Ji Eunyoo said, still sounding hopeful.
"I stopped expecting that a long time ago," I admitted, disheartened by the bad luck that seemed to plague all attempts at adapting 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint.' Whether it was signing movie deals or producing figures and merchandise, every attempt ended in bankruptcy.
Pausing, I added, "Somewhere out there, there's a world line where Omniscient Reader didn't go out of business."

In that world, I imagined the webtoon thriving, along with its movie, drama, and perhaps even an animation. It wasn’t this world line, but sometimes I allowed myself to dream about it.
"We're not doomed yet either," Ji Eunyoo muttered, as we continued past the array of figures, from Uriel and Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, to the less mainstream Han Myungoh.
But at the end of the display, an unfamiliar figure stood out, a man with narrow eyes that didn't match any character I remembered from 'Omniscient Reader.'
"Who is this?" I pondered. There was no name, and he didn't resemble any known character.

I considered asking Ji Eunyoo but held back, clinging to a shred of the author's pride.
"Two," said the guide, handing us name tags. "Please write your nickname here and attach it to your left chest."
We entered the theater, where, fortunately, no one recognized me as the novel’s author. It wasn’t surprising since I hadn't written on the name tag that I was the author.

I glanced at Ji Eunyoo’s name tag, which read [Genius editor]. "Ji Eunyoo-ssi," I called out, but she pretended not to hear me and settled at the back of the room. From there, I could see all the fans who had taken their seats in the front. It was a surprising turnout—all of these people were our readers.
Ji Eunyoo's eyes widened as she counted, "More than 30 people."
Thirty people might sound like a small number, but it represented thirty core fans who had taken the time to be here.

I nodded, overwhelmed by emotion. "Great job, Kim Dokja."
The event hadn't started yet, but I could already hear the buzz of conversation from the readers in front.
"Do you have 'Shinpae[1]'? It's really hard to get those nowadays," someone asked from the front.

"Oh, I have it," another responded.
"Awesome. What about 'Beul-e[1]'?"
"I bought it right away."

"And 'Dokpi[1]' too?"
"Yeah, but... it's weird, it's kind of making my head spin," the other replied, using slang that seemed exclusive to the readers.
As we sat and listened, the conversation continued.

"It's already the twelfth time..."
"The host said today is the last one, right?"
"Yes."
"There used to be a lot more people, now there's only a few."

"It's sad how everyone disappeared one by one."
This was apparently the twelfth time they had organized this mysterious 'Kim Dokja's Banquet.' Even though the numbers had dwindled, the remaining few seemed fiercely loyal.
"I'm sorry, can I sit here?" a voice suddenly interrupted, pulling me from my thoughts. A large man, resembling the character Lee Hyunsung, stood shyly pointing to the seat next to me.

"Sure, please take a seat," I invited.
"Thank you," he said, bowing slightly as he sat down. His name tag read [Judge Heewon], indicating he was probably a fan of Jung Heewon, the Judge of Destruction.
Sensing my nervousness at sitting next to a stranger, Ji Eunyoo tried to break the ice.

"You must be a fan of Jung Heewon," she said.
"Yes," he responded softly, nodding.
An awkward silence followed.

Ji Eunyoo nudged me, prompting me to say something. It had been so long since I had spoken to someone I didn't know well, and I struggled to think of what to say.
"Jung Heewon is great," I finally muttered.
"Oh, yes!" he responded, his face lighting up.

Even though my comment was simple, it seemed to spark a connection. We nodded, silently acknowledging our shared appreciation for Jung Heewon.
"Your nickname is funny," he noted, looking at my name tag.
"Thank you," I replied, feeling a bit more at ease.

"What's your favorite..." he began to ask, but then hesitated.
"I..." I paused, unsure.
As the silence stretched, he quickly added, "Oh, are you possibly an all-carer? I'm sorry..."

Not quite sure what "all-carer" meant, I guessed it referred to someone who liked all characters.
"I love them all, except for guys like Cheon Inho," I admitted. Cheon Inho was a minor villain who dies early in 'Omniscient Reader.'
"Cheon Inho, that bad guy," he agreed, his expression darkening.

"He deserves to be torn apart," I added, getting into the spirit of the conversation.
"Or burned to death with Hellfire," he concluded.
Our chat ended there as the host took the stage, dressed in a black suit and white coat, resembling Kim Dokja.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Kim Dokja, and I'm your moderator today," he announced, receiving a warm reception from the audience. His outfit, possibly handmade, was impressively detailed.
As the screen lit up, the event officially began. Calm background music played, and the words 'The Fourth Wall' appeared on the screen.
「And on the Fourth Wall, it was all written down.」

Slowly, comments from readers, spanning from the prologue to chapter 551, began to appear. They were all handwritten, a personal touch that added to the intimacy of the event.
"Hey, I wrote that!" a girl in the front row exclaimed softly as her comment appeared on screen.
The audience collectively reviewed the comments—some garnering lots of likes, others humorous or profound, and a few deeply sentimental.

"Wasn't that the first time Kim Dokja died?" someone mused.
"Ew, don't look at my comment, please take it down!" another pleaded, eliciting laughs.
"This section is full of our embarrassing pasts," another commented as more comments scrolled by.

Reading through these old comments, my heart felt a mix of nostalgia and affection. The novel had been published for two years, and then three more years had passed since its completion.
Five years of history, built with the contributions of readers from around the globe. I watched, speechless, as the story of those years unfolded before us like a myth retold by someone else.
Photos from fan-organized exhibitions and subway ads celebrating the characters' birthdays appeared one after another. When an illustration of Kim Dokja came up, someone in the audience whispered, "It's Kim Dokja's birthday today."

"It actually snowed in Seoul that day," another added.
The words of the readers continued to fill the white screen, interspersed with memories and moments they had shared. It was a tapestry of experiences and emotions, tightly woven by the community that had grown around 'Omniscient Reader.'
"You're glad we came, right?" Ji Eunyoo whispered to me, pulling me from my reverie.

"Perhaps all the sentences I've written were just to see this view," I confessed, feeling a resurgence of purpose.
If I deserved to, I wanted to reach out to these people—to write for them, not to flee or give up. I wanted to take up the challenge of this story once again.
「But can I?」 I questioned internally just as the moderator's voice called out.

"Without further ado, here are some words from our author-nim who has joined us for this event!" The announcement caught the readers off guard, and a murmur of excitement spread through the audience.
Dumbfounded, I hesitated. "Author-nim?" Ji Eunyoo echoed my surprise, her voice low.
Had she organized this without telling me? But her expression suggested she was just as surprised.

I looked up at the stage where the moderator, still smiling, gestured towards me. Realizing there was no escaping this moment, I stood up, feeling a mix of reluctance and responsibility.
As I rose, the screen changed to show a live video feed, a familiar face appeared, one that everyone in the room recognized instantly.
ㅡAah, aah.

The person tested the microphone briefly before speaking. Her presence, though virtual, was commanding. The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on her
The real author of 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint,' her identity unmistakable to anyone familiar with the story.
 

Author's Note
Hello, we're Singshong. It's wonderful to be able to greet you all once again.