NOVEL WEB Chapter 4: It Was There, But It Wasn’t
< Chapter 4: It Was There, But It Wasn’t (4) >
I also moved quietly and swiftly in the direction that Shin Jia ran.
I needed to assess the situation first.
“Piale Aro…!”
As I got closer, I heard Shin Jia’s angry voice.
I quickly hid myself and looked at the two of them.
She was holding a bow with a refined shape in her hand.
“Hmm.”
Piale Aro didn’t seem to care about Shin Jia at all, as he stroked his chin and scanned the surroundings.
The people who had become burnt corpses from the sudden explosion.
The people who were running away in terror like madmen.
He smiled as he looked at them.
“I have bestowed the mercy of purification on the blessed ones who live leisurely under the protection of the Absolute God. Please forgive their sins. Amen!”
If I had to define him in one word, it would be a madman.
A fanatic who claims that the ‘status window’ was created by the ‘Absolute God’ and worships him.
And he firmly believes that he is the apostle of that Absolute God.
“ A sinner who has lost the protection of the origin, what do you want from me?”
Piale asked Shin Jia calmly.
“…Do you not know?”
It is blasphemy for those who receive the protection of the status window to live comfortably without doing anything. This is why Piale Aro commits terror around the world.
“But why today…”
According to the setting, he was supposed to cause terror tomorrow.
Something intangible surged around Shin Jia’s body.
“You…!”
Even though I was so far away, I felt a chill that made goosebumps all over my body.
That was killing intent.
I felt it for the first time in my life, but I was sure of it.
Because Piale Aro was Shin Jia’s mortal enemy.
“Kuk!”
Shin Jia bit her lower lip and desperately controlled her emotions.
She knew how foolish it was to fight while giving in to her emotions for a moment.
The intangible energies that were swirling around her gradually gathered together.
But Piale Aro was not foolish enough to watch his opponent calmly return to normal.
“Aha! I remember! The daughter of that trashy woman! She was so disgusting that I forgot about her.”
“Uh!”
Kugugugugu-!
Shin Jia’s energy exploded again.
I understand.
Piale Aro is the one who killed Shin Jia’s mother, Kang Su-kyung, who was one of the superhumans in the world.
No one can be calm when they face their parents’ enemy.
“Even now, I shudder when I think about it. She was so repulsive and abominable.”
Piale’s eyes turned red with blood.
“Ah. Of course, you are no different.”
He looked at her as if he was looking at a disgusting bug.
“…You beast.”
In the original novel, the protagonist defeats Piale Aro and becomes connected with Shin Jia, and she becomes his ally.
That’s the story of the original novel.
“Ahh. Lord. The time has come to condemn the sinners who abuse your power and enjoy wealth and glory. Please strike them with your hammer of God!”
Suddenly, Piale shouted.
But his words were not just nonsense.
He also knew that other superhumans would arrive here soon.
He didn’t seem to have any intention of running away, even though he knew that.
He looked like he was sure he would win no matter who came.
“…Bluff?”
Shin Jia seemed to come to the same conclusion as me.
She is Shin Jia after all.
She is still maintaining some calmness even though she has her mortal enemy in front of her.
But there was no way a normal person could read the mind of a madman.
“Judgment for the sinners who use your protection for their own benefit. Amen.”
Shin Jia frowned as if she felt something uneasy.
But soon she returned to a calm expression.
She must have judged his words as bluffing.
Even if it wasn’t bluffing, she must have trusted the power of other superhumans who would arrive here soon.
But unfortunately, losing this battle is inevitable.
His ‘unique skill’ is not something that can be dealt with without knowing it.
An absurd ability that can shake the foundation of this world.
[Status Window Interference]
A non-standard ability that interferes with status windows within a certain range and temporarily shuts down status windows and consciousness.
The reason why he believes himself to be an apostle of the Absolute God is also because of that ability.
It doesn’t matter whether they are superhumans or ordinary people in front of him.
Those who have status windows cannot be his opponents.
The only weakness is that it cannot be used continuously.
“Hmm. I can feel the magic. It seems that the bugs have come close.”
Of course, he had another weakness.
The only one in the world who did not have a status window.
That is me.
Status window interference works against the protagonist and instead awakens his S-class status window.
This is the content of the first chapter of the novel.
I sighed with relief inside.
Only the date and Shin Jia’s presence are different. Everything else seems to be the same.
Then there’s no need to panic.
I reassured myself and waited for the moment.
“Miss!”
At that moment, other superhumans arrived.
I couldn’t tell who they were from the description in the novel.
There must be some famous superhumans among them.
“He really showed up in the middle of Seoul.”
“That arrogant bastard. First, surround him and form a formation to block his escape. Capture him later.”
“Yes! Got it!”
They surrounded Piale and sealed off his magical escape.
It was a textbook move.
“Ahh. How sad. It seems that your prayers have not been answered.”
Piale Aro spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky from the center of the encirclement.
“Yes. Of course, I know! I will judge them with blood!”
Kikikikikik.
His face twisted grotesquely as his eyes turned red with blood.
“Please judge these sinners forever!”
Woo woo woo woo-!
With a scream of madness, red magic spread out from his body like an explosion.
“What is this…uh!”
Shin Jia, who was closest to him, lost consciousness and fell first.
Thud-
“First, get away…!”
Thud-
Then, other superhumans began to fall one by one.
It took less than a second for all the superhumans in this place to fall.
“Amen.”
They were not incompetent.
Status window interference was just too cheaty.
“….I felt it.”
A while ago, I felt something indescribable sweep through my body.
It was exactly the same as the sensation described in the novel.
I’m sure of it.
Status window interference definitely affected me.
My awakening will start soon.
“Oh. I pray again to you, Almighty Absolute God, who bestowed this power upon me.”
I prepared myself to attack him at any time.
3 seconds.
The awakening message will pop up soon.
5 seconds.
Just a little more.
10 seconds.
Right now.
14 seconds.
Any moment now.
20 seconds.
But even after 20 seconds passed, nothing changed in my body.
“Why?”
The system message didn’t pop up either.
Nothing happened.
I looked at Piale with trembling eyes.
“Please inflict eternal pain on these sinners.”
Piale Aro was scattering bombs around him while babbling nonsense.
They didn’t explode.
He probably planned to detonate them all at once when he escaped.
Then there was still time.
“Kuk!”
I had no choice but to crouch down again and think.
Why didn’t I awaken?
Is it because the date is one day earlier?
No, that can’t be.
There’s no way that awakening would be decided by just one day’s difference.
There must be another reason.
…Think. Think!
There’s no time. Hurry!
The installation of the small bombs that Piale is scattering will be over soon.
If I can’t find the cause by then, a massacre will happen.
That can’t happen.
This many superhumans can’t die right now.
And above all, Shinia. She must not die here.
‘Think. Think!’
I racked my brain more desperately.
The reason.
The reason why the status window didn’t awaken.
The reason why I possessed the novel.
There must be a clue.
If this situation was caused by Kim Shin, the author, he wouldn’t do such a thing without any clue.
I know his personality best.
There must be something.
For example, what happened at the drinking party that day…?
“······Huh?”
Maybe it was because I squeezed my brain so hard.
─···Yula. My novel is lacking···
―No readers··· Just the two of us···
The memory of that day slowly came to mind.
A thick fog slowly disappeared with the sun’s light.
―Hyung. Do you want a cold word? Or a sweet word?
Thump, thump.
My heart beat fast.
No way. No way. No way···!
―Hyung’s novel has a problem with the status window. Huh? S-class status window! Status wiiiindow! It would have been a hit if it wasn’t for that!
It can’t be.
Just because of that?
There’s no way······.
―No, you can’t just take out the status window. The worldview itself will be completely twisted.
My pupils trembled violently.
―If you don’t want to change the worldview, then······ How about this! How about just lightly removing the protagonist’s status window? Doesn’t that sound fun?
The moment all the memories came back.
Everything went dark.
I couldn’t say anything because I was speechless.
······Haha. So now that day.
I said I wish he didn’t have a status window.
That it would be a hit if you remade it like that, and that I would do anything to help you with that.
So this situation happened?
“…Fuck.”
I swore without knowing it because it was such a trivial reason.
But in this quiet situation, swearing out loud was a really stupid thing to do.
“What?”
Piale’s bloodshot eyes looked right at me.
“Who are you?”
He dropped all the small bombs he was holding and walked towards me one step at a time.
“Why? Why? Why?”
He shook his head intermittently and walked like a zombie.
It was fear itself.
Piale Alo is weak.
But he is only weak among the worn-out superhumans.
He is not an enemy I can face.
I bit my lip and looked around desperately.
“Kuk!”
But the surroundings were an empty park.
There was no way to escape from here with my physical abilities.
“Why? Why? Why!”
No, there was one.
I saw a way out.
The core of the World Tree.
It was said to be a natural maze inside.
Maybe if I run in there!
I kicked the ground right away.
If I lure him now, maybe the superhumans here can live.
I ran towards the core of the World Tree.
“Aha! Is that it!”
A desolate voice rang out from behind.
“This is a test! A new test that Absolute God gives me! I will become stronger through this ordeal!”
The roar of a madman.
I ran more desperately.
But compared to Piale, I was nothing but an ant.
The presence or absence of a status window and ability is overwhelming.
Boom-!
“Kuhuk!”
Suddenly my body flew into the air.
My stomach hurts.
As I flew, I saw Piale holding his fist in his hand.
I didn’t recognize it, but maybe he hit my stomach with his fist.
Crash!
“Kul, uk!”
My body hit something and bounced off. I felt a strong impact on my back.
Blood gushed out of my mouth.
“Ah, pa….”
It hurts.
It hurts so much.
An unbelievable shock ran through my body.
I felt like I was going to lose consciousness just from getting hit by a body blow.
“That’s it.”
In this faint state of mind, Piale’s silhouette appeared.
The silhouette got closer and closer.
Little by little.
Very little by little.
“Oh, Lord.”
Was it because he was praying?
His steps were very slow.
“Ha, ha.”
I laughed without knowing it. How did this happen?
To be honest, I was a little happy when I came into the novel.
It was something that a web novel reader would dream of once in a while.
I was even happier because I possessed the protagonist of a cider series novel that had no big trouble.
That’s why I didn’t look for the cause or the way out of this situation desperately.
All I had to do was go back to reality and wait for the company life with overtime and night work.
This is the result.
My laziness at that time led to this result.
If I had remembered that night’s memory a little sooner, this wouldn’t have happened.
If I had doubted that my status window might be gone, that I might not have awakened, I would never have made this situation.
“Kul···uk.”
I was full of regret.
“Please be my stepping stone for growth.”
I’m probably going to die here.
I resent God Hyung.
If you’re going to put me in a novel, just put me in as a normal protagonist with an S-class status window.
Or at least throw me some other special ability.
Who reads a novel where the protagonist is a normal person!
Sob.
Suddenly, anger welled up in me.
“…This trash…novel, anyway!”
I moved my body desperately.
I felt wronged.
It was too unfair to give up my life like this.
“Kuk, uk!”
I just had to resist a little bit.
I tried to get up somehow with all my strength.
Thud-
But my body was already unable to function.
My legs had no strength.
“Kuk!”
Then I just had to lean on something and get up.
I leaned on the World Tree behind me and slowly lifted my trembling body.
That’s when it happened.
Ziiiiing-!
“Kuk! My eyes!”
A bright light burst out from where I put my hand.
A bright and pure white light.
But unlike Piale, my eyes were fine.
It was just warm.
Like a mother’s embrace.
“…The pain?”
As I entrusted myself to the light, the pain in my body disappeared.
On the contrary, I felt energized.
I could feel the cells and muscles in my body pulsating.
It felt like I could do anything.
The light slowly subsided.
“What is that?”
Piale’s voice was trembling with confusion.
He was looking at my right hand.
I also slowly turned my eyes to my right hand.
Woo woo woo woo.
“…Bow?”
A bow made of wood was in my hand.
“This, no way!”
A bowstring made of the same material as the World Tree and a rainbow-colored flower bud at the end.
There was only one bow with such a unique appearance that I knew of.
The ancient legacy sealed in the World Tree.
[World Tree’s Blessing]
There are many settings for this bow, but one of them is:
“…How?”
‘The World Tree’s Blessing’ had an ‘Elf Race Restriction’ on its user limit.