NOVEL WEB chapter 583 - Relic (1)
Back when I still didn’t know much about web novels, I once attended a short course at a web novel academy on Ji Eunyeo’s recommendation.
The instructor was a writer who had dominated a generation of genre fiction.
He had a small, soft voice and spoke at an incredibly slow pace, which meant I spent most of the classes dozing off.
But there was one thing he said that stuck with me.
“Always include fortuitous encounters. The more the better. Heap them onto the protagonist.”
That phrase was practically his motto. Then one day, he disappeared without a trace. Sometimes I wondered if maybe he had transmigrated into one of his own novels.
Just like I had.
“Th-th-this is real! Inho! It’s real!”
“Yeah, it is.”
Who would’ve thought I’d actually retrieve one of those fortuitous encounters I had set up myself?
Gyeong Sein shook the box several times, flipped it over, and screamed in delight over and over.
“How did you even know? This wasn’t in Ways of Survival!”
Honestly, I was just as confused.
Because this box had been part of the Episode 23 draft of Ways of Survival.
「An item written into the second draft that got discarded.」
Still, since the setting value existed, I thought it was worth checking—and sure enough, the item was really there.
The questions began here.
If this was part of Destruction of Death’s intrinsic setting, then naturally even Kim Dokja in the main text should have used this box.
But Kim Dokja never did. Which meant this box was something not in the actual text of Destruction of Death.
So then, when did this setting come into existence?
From the moment I thought of it? From the moment Han Sooyoung passed me the draft?
The more I thought about it, the more tangled my head became.
Was this really the “41st regression” of Destruction of Death that I knew?
I couldn’t tell.
For now, what mattered was that we had obtained the item. That was enough. I answered Gyeong Sein:
“It just crossed my mind. This box was originally a discarded cash item made by a dokkaebi, right?”
An item so dangerous it could ruin the balance of the scenario—it was once designed as a cash item by a crazed dokkaebi.
“Oh… right?”
“But do you think they’d really discard just one of those in a single place?”
“Wow. Seriously. Wow.”
Hearing my explanation, Gyeong Sein and Uncle Dansoo each drew their mole cricket knives and started stabbing the ground here and there.
Of course, they wouldn’t find another box.
There were only two.
[Some Constellations are shocked to realize the existence of this item.]
[A few Constellations protest, asking when such a cash item was ever released.]
[A very small number of Constellations begin to criticize the plausibility of it.]
Several Constellations started to complain, but Bihyung had scurried off and was nowhere to be seen.
I was half afraid he’d close the channel and flee like in the main story—but thankfully he hadn’t.
I needed to observe the Constellations’ reactions.
[The Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ takes interest in your fortune.]
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ asks if that box is really that box.]
[The Constellation, ‘Rat Who Eats Nails’ glares in disbelief.]
In this world, countless “readers” like me had transmigrated.
From the battle against Misreader’s Association, I had learned that readers weren’t only incarnated as Incarnations—but even as Constellations.
[The Constellation, ‘Primordial Cow’ strokes its chin with a foreleg.]
I studied the Constellations’ indirect messages carefully.
If among them was a reader, then surely some unconscious slip might reveal a clue.
[The Constellation, ‘Pig Living in a Brick House’ piles up bricks.]
[A Constellation who has yet to reveal their epithet urges you to go inside the box.]
I observed each incoming message, trying to gauge their identities.
Ones that looked like ordinary Constellations.
Ones that seemed like readers incarnated as Constellations.
Ones I couldn’t tell apart.
Readers who had possessed Constellations but stuck firmly to their roleplay.
Readers who had possessed Constellations but failed to understand the role at all.
And then just plain weirdos.
Of course, it was all speculation.
What could I really know from a single line of text?
They were all avid Ways of Survival readers; roleplaying as a Constellation wouldn’t be hard for them.
That aside… where had the Sneaking Schemer gone?
His reaction was the one I wanted most.
“Looks like that’s all the boxes. I can’t find any others.”
Apparently, Gyeong Sein and Uncle Dansoo were still digging around.
“Ugh… well, at least we got one. It’s just such a shame we don’t have the Broken Faith. With that we could’ve made Indomitable Faith, just like that!”
If things worked exactly as he said, I couldn’t ask for more. But for now, Broken Faith was beyond our reach anyway.
So I made a decision.
“I’ve been thinking… Since things turned out like this, why don’t we try putting something else inside?”
“Something else?”
I pulled out the item I’d just obtained near the box.
+
Name: Unshaped Thought
Grade: D
Description: A magical weapon of the past that lost its form. It could have become anything, but in the end became nothing.
+
At a glance, it looked like a half-rotted slime.
“If you all don’t mind, how about trying this one?”
“This… wasn’t in Ways of Survival, right?”
That’s right. And likely it never appeared in Destruction of Death either.
Kim Dokja had never shown any interest in it.
Gyeong Sein studied the Unshaped Thought closely before speaking.
“Well, if not for you, Inho, we’d never have found this box anyway. Do as you like.”
Uncle Dansoo nodded.
“I feel the same.”
“Ha, we’re starting to look a lot like the ‘Kim Dokja Company,’ aren’t we?”
“Haha, it does feel that way.”
They yielded so easily it almost made me feel guilty.
“Then I’ll use it gratefully.”
Without further hesitation, I placed the Unshaped Thought into the Random Item Box.
[A Constellation who has yet to reveal their epithet says this is a dangerous choice.]
I knew it was risky.
But no matter what you put in, there was always a chance of failure.
“Now we just need the ignition material…”
“The core of a demon species, right?”
“Exactly.”
Just like in the main story, the box required both the target item and a Demon Species’ Core to be placed in together.
Unfortunately, we had failed to hunt the grade-7 Demon Species, the Dark Sentinel.
Our best chance now was to try the Auction House… unless some lunatic had braved a Demon Species hunt this early, curse of the Demon King and all.
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ asks if you need a Demon Species’ Core.]
We gasped and looked upward.
Even more shocking was the Tiger’s next message.
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ says she can give you a Demon Species’ Core.]
Beside me, Gyeong Sein’s voice rose in astonishment.
“Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes… that’s from the fairy tale, right? The Sun and the Moon…”
I nodded.
There was only one tale that came to mind with that name.
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ says she is that very tiger.]
[The Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ snorts, asking since when were you famous.]
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ replies meekly that she’s a little famous on the Korean Peninsula.]
An item sponsorship from a Constellation this early… Even Kim Dokja never received that.
If a Constellation was offering something this early, then they must have a reason.
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ says she has one request in return.]
Of course.
“Thank you, but…”
Usually, these kinds of deals came with ridiculous conditions.
Another of Kim Dokja’s maxims.
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ asks only that you attend the ‘Zodiac Martial Gathering’ once in the future.]
The Zodiac Martial Gathering?
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ insists it’s just a Zodiac social gathering.]
That was an unexpected request.
The Zodiac Martial Gathering.
It was probably their version of the Banquet of Stars or the Gourmet Association.
Gyeong Sein and Uncle Dansoo whispered among themselves.
“Wow, …?”
“The twelve animals—Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, right?”
“Back in my day, there was a cartoon with the Zodiac as the protagonists…”
In the original Ways of Survival, the Constellations of had been Kim Dokja’s enemies.
But this time things seemed different.
Maybe it was because I was a villain?
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ says not to feel pressured.]
I made my decision.
“Participation in the Zodiac Martial Gathering. That really is all?”
[The ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ says that’s all.]
“Then that’s fine.”
[The Constellation, ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes’ rejoices greatly.]
[You have received the sponsorship of a ‘Grade-7 Demon Species’ Core.’]
A very generous sponsorship.
A moment later, a dark-colored orb appeared in the air.
The Core of a Grade-7 Demon Species.
Judging by its hue, it was even top-grade.
Crackle…
Sparks shimmered faintly around it, proof that the Tiger had borne considerable plausibility cost.
Why show such generosity to me, not even her Incarnation?
[The Constellation, ‘Primordial Cow’ shares the plausibility burden with ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes.’]
[The Constellation, ‘Pig Living in a Brick House’ shares the plausibility burden with ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes.’]
[The Constellation, ‘Dog Who Threw Himself into the Flames’ shares the plausibility burden with ‘Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes.’]
[The Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ claps, saying it’s because they’re all animal siblings.]
In any case, thanks to the animal friends, we had all the materials.
Staring at the shining Core, Gyeong Sein shouted excitedly.
“Hurry, Inho! Put it in!”
“Let’s all cover it at once.”
“Right!”
We closed the box together.
Gyeong Sein chanted like a prayer:
“God! Buddha! Demon King of Salvation! Please!”
Moments later, the box shone with brilliant light.
***
At the heart of the ‘Shadow Corridor,’ not far from the core of the ‘Dark Root.’
In the midst of the surging black ether stood a woman in a white coat.
“Wow…”
She frowned as she saw the distant glow of the Random Item Box.
“Don’t tell me… I lost the box? Me? How is that possible?”
[The Constellation, ‘Sneaking Schemer’ says you should’ve moved faster.]
“Who the hell is that?”
[The Constellation, ‘Sneaking Schemer’ says it’s a reader from another world-line.]
“A reader?”
[The Constellation, ‘Sneaking Schemer’ says yes.]
The woman tilted her head, then bared her fangs in a white smile.
“Not just one.”
Clutched in her hand was the Broken Faith—an item no reader of this world had ever managed to obtain.