Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Web Novel KR)

「At this rate, the real mastermind is Kim Dokja.」
— Comment on Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Chapter 516

***
If a person faints often enough, there comes a moment when you realize—ah, I must be unconscious right now.
If my editor, Ji Eunyeoo, were here, she’d probably say something like, “If you know that, doesn’t that mean you’re not unconscious?” and throw me into some kind of philosophical crisis. Thankfully, she wasn’t here.

So, to put it simply—
「I’m unconscious right now.」
At this rate, I might end up fainting more often than “Pass-Out Man” Kim Dokja himself. That would be a problem.

I forced my eyes open.
A gentle darkness surrounded me.
Still unconscious? I blinked hard several times, but there was only darkness.
Yet the darkness felt oddly familiar.

And the soft touch of the chair cradling my back. The comfortable weight of my arms resting on armrests.
This was a theater.
Specifically, one that looked very much like the screening room where Kim Dokja’s Banquet had been held.

I glanced around, almost without thinking. Scattered among the seats were children.
A school trip to the movies? I looked closer—and realized they all had Kim Dokja’s face.
The back of my neck went cold.

Had I been thinking about him too much? Was that why I was having this ridiculous dream?
I rubbed my face dry with my hands and looked again.
Still, unmistakably, little Kim Dokjas.

They acted as if they couldn’t see me at all. Most of them stared ahead blankly, yawned, or fiddled with something.
Watching a movie surrounded by a bunch of little Kim Dokjas—what the hell was this supposed to symbolize?
「“Ah, damn. No way. This is crazy.”」

As if to echo my thoughts, a voice came from the direction of the screen.
Together with the little Kim Dokjas, I turned to look. At some point, a film had begun playing there.
「“Mister! Please wake up!”」

Through piles of collapsed rubble, I saw the faces of Gyeong Sein and Uncle Dansoo.
I understood roughly what was happening. Probably right after I fell under Dongho Bridge.
Uncle Dansoo spat out a mouthful of dirt and asked:

「“What about Inho-ssi?”」
The first companion I’d met.
I could tell just by his expression. He was genuinely worried about me.
「“I don’t know.”」

Gyeong Sein shook her head weakly.
「“Heewon-nim disappeared too.”
“I remember Inho-ssi pushing us away…”

“He must have done it to save us.”」
The two began searching the ruins for any sign of me. Before long, they discovered something.
「“Looks like there was a fight here. A monster?”

“There was a monster, but…”」
Gyeong Sein’s face grew grave as she looked at the corpse of the Rhinoceros of Poison Reading.
「In that moment, Gyeong Sein realized what had happened.」

Her voice trembled faintly as she spoke.
「“It looks like Inho-ssi and Heewon-nim encountered Yoo Joonghyuk.”
“Yoo Joonghyuk?”

“Seems he’s gone now.”
“Did he leave with Inho-ssi?”
“I don’t think so… there are signs of a fight.”

“A fight?”
“I think Yoo Joonghyuk attacked them first…”
“Then Inho-ssi and Heewon-ssi—”」
Gyeong Sein fell silent, then spoke again as if steeling herself.

「“They didn’t die. You know as well as I do, Inho-ssi isn’t your ordinary reader.”」
She glanced toward the tunnel leading to Geumho Station.
「The truth was, Gyeong Sein had already awakened when Yoo Joonghyuk passed by her. But she hadn’t moved. Because her skill, [Sixth Sense], had warned her.」

So she had that kind of skill.
「[Sixth Sense] told her: if you get up now, you will surely die. And so she kept pretending to be unconscious until Yoo Joonghyuk’s presence vanished completely.」
Thank goodness. If she had moved then, she really might have died.

Clenching her fist, she looked toward the direction of Dongho Bridge, where I’d fallen.
「“For now, it’s best to return to Geumho Station.”
“But Inho-ssi…”

“If he and Heewon-nim are alive, they’ll head there too. It’s too dangerous for us to stay here alone.”
“…”」
Uncle Dansoo’s eyes were reluctant, but Gyeong Sein’s judgment was sound. The two of them together couldn’t even handle a single mole cricket.

「“You saw the dead Rhinoceros of Poison Reading, didn’t you? It’s impossible for us to find them alone. We’ll come back with the Cheoldoo Group… if they’re still alive.”」
For a moment, I thought: maybe I really could trust her when I wasn’t around.
She had a clear grasp of our available resources, and she didn’t forget what needed to be confirmed.

The little Kim Dokja next to me seemed to agree, curling his lips in a faint smile.
Cheeky little brat.
「The first thing Gyeong Sein needed to do: prevent Yoo Joonghyuk from annihilating the Cheoldoo Group.」

After all the effort I’d put into riling up Bang Cheolsoo and eliminating Geumho’s threats, I couldn’t let that lunatic ruin everything.
In the end, Uncle Dansoo agreed, and the two hurried toward Geumho Station.
Along the way, they fled from a swarm of mole crickets, or bravely fought one when it appeared.

I don’t know how long they ran.
At last, Geumho Station appeared before their eyes.
Just as Uncle Dansoo was about to enter, Gyeong Sein pulled him against the tunnel wall.

「“Wait.”」
Sharing her vision, a chill swept through me.
A black coat fluttering lightly in the breeze.

「Yoo Joonghyuk was there.」
He looked around Geumho Station, tilting his head as if something was odd.
「“One hundred and thirty-four. Strange. How did so many survive?”」

That psycho bastard. You should be glad more people lived.
Apparently, someone in Geumho thought the same.
「“Who the hell are you?”」

Swaggering forward with a cocky look—it was a man from the Cheoldoo Group.
「“I asked who—”」
Before he could finish, his body twisted grotesquely and slammed into the floor.

At least Kim Dokja and I had gotten introductions before being beaten.
I glanced at the little Kim Dokja beside me—he was smirking slyly.
「“Kyaaa!”

“W-What’s happening!”」
As screams rose, Bang Cheolsoo and the rest of the Cheoldoo Group rushed over.
Thanks to my repeated drilling, Bang Cheolsoo didn’t charge in with curses, but calmly asked:

「“Who are you to cause trouble here? This is our turf.”
“Bang Cheolsoo. You’re the leader?”」
He hesitated.

I thought, Already planning to betray me?
「“Our leader is a man named Cheon Inho.”」
Thankfully, not betrayal. But it didn’t help.

「“So Cheon Inho has already taken over.”」
And Yoo Joonghyuk began to misunderstand. Nodding several times as if he grasped the situation, he looked around and spoke:
「“Cheon Inho is already dead. So the outcast groups needn’t worry. From now on, I’ll tell you how to obtain food.”」

But no one moved.
They only stared at him fearfully, shrinking back. Some trembled at the news of my death.
He spoke again.

「“I said, outcasts, step forward.”
“There are no such outcasts. What are you—”
“Shut up.”」

Bang Cheolsoo’s huge frame slammed to the floor in his grip. Yoo Joonghyuk stomped on him like a bug, then looked around at the others.
「“The ones who tormented you are gone. No more need to cower.”
“Ghhk…!”

“The upcoming scenarios will be merciless. If you don’t act now, you’ll live forever as slaves.”」
So this was his first encounter with the people of Geumho.
How novel. He must have gone through this scene dozens of times, saying nearly the same words.

And still he sounded like a drill sergeant. Ridiculous, considering he hadn’t even served.
I glanced sideways—the little Kim Dokja was nodding.
I was starting to like that kid.

「“You won’t get luck like this again. Those who want to live, step forward now—”
“Let him go!”」
The one who interrupted Yoo Joonghyuk’s drill-sergeant act was, surprisingly, a little girl.

For a second I thought she might be another little Kim Dokja, but no. Just some girl I didn’t know.
Her mother rushed in and grabbed her.
「“Dayoung-ah! Don’t!”

“But that bad man’s hurting Cheolsoo ajusshi!”」
And I remembered them.
The so-called “Dayoung and her mother.”

Yes, they had existed in Geumho Station.
Minor characters from the original, part of the outcast group that resisted the main faction.
Dayoung shouted:

「“Cheolsoo ajusshi didn’t do anything wrong! Why are you hurting him?”」
Her mother quickly hid her behind her, but perhaps the girl’s outburst stirred something in her.
Finally, Dayoung’s mother spoke up.

「“Why are you doing this? What is it you want?”」
At her words, Yoo Joonghyuk’s brow twitched.
「“Still deluded? Did Cheon Inho threaten you? I told you, he’s dead.”

“No one threatened us. I don’t understand what you’re saying…”
“He stole your food. He enslaved you. He sent suicide squads to the surface in the name of scouting. You’d forgive that?”」
As he spoke, he kicked Bang Cheolsoo again.

Unable to watch any longer, Dayoung’s mother pulled him up, supporting him. He hung his head in shame.
Looking at his injured face, she seemed to decide something.
「“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Cheolsoo-ssi never did such things. He shared food with us.”

“Shared food?”」
Yoo Joonghyuk froze, glancing around. Only then did he seem to realize something was off.
「“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”」
At her words, people began to chime in.
「“He’s been taking care of everyone.”

“Yeah! Who do you think you are, barging in like this?”
“Cheolsoo-ssi, come here! You’ve done nothing wrong!”」
They were all people who’d received food from us.

In their midst, Bang Cheolsoo wept as they supported him.
That was when someone asked:
「“Wait, what do you mean Cheon Inho is dead?”」

After a pause, Yoo Joonghyuk replied.
「“I mean exactly that.”
“Did you kill him?”」

At Dayoung’s mother’s question, he stayed silent.
She sighed, murmuring bitterly:
「“Why would you… He was the only one who looked after us when the first scenario ended. I thought we’d already suffered enough.”」

The people began whispering, glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk.
When he slowly raised his head, they flinched and backed away.
The Cheoldoo Group filled the gap, gripping pipes and standing protectively before the others.

They were ready to fight if he made a move.
「“Go!”」
Dayoung pointed at him and shouted.

And the crowd joined in:
「“Get out! Get out!”
“Leave our station!”

“Bring /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Inho-ssi back!”」
Their voices echoed.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared down at a small snack box that had been thrown at him.

He must have seen these people countless times before.
Saved them, killed them, taught them, abandoned them.
And given up on them.

「Yoo Joonghyuk silently looked around at them.」
What was he thinking?
I only prayed he wouldn’t suddenly snap and slaughter everyone.

And after some time…
Yoo Joonghyuk slipped a hand into his coat.