Chapter 28: The Protagonist and the Final Boss (1)

As I descended the mountain range with my disciples, I began to ponder the message engraved on my back.

- I think this world needs to end 'according to the original story', properly. Do-hyeon.

First, there was someone who called me 'Do-hyeon' rather than Bing Yeon.

The name I used before being dragged into this world - the number of people who knew it could be counted on one hand.

Even if someone wrote it as a prank, they couldn't possibly know this was a world from inside a novel.

- From someone who loved your writing dearly.

Second, they hid their identity while claiming to be someone who loved my writing dearly. As if asking me to recognize them.

'Could it be the work of an Outer God?'

I momentarily held my breath. Two people immediately came to mind.

One was the avid reader who had followed all my serialized works to the end. The mysterious figure who possessed me into Bing Yeon's body, claiming to show sincerity.

Since Azazel also said I had an Outer God dwelling within me, perhaps I really had been marked by a god.

'An Outer God being a web novel reader... honestly, it doesn't make sense.'

I immediately began analyzing the plausibility. Thinking backwards about whether this was possible - a professional habit I'd developed since becoming a writer.

An Outer God could certainly possess me into this world, and knowing my real name wouldn't be impossible for them.

I closed my eyes tightly while messing up my hair.

Would a god-like being ruling outer space do all this because a creation made by a mere ant-like creature discontinued its serialization?

"Can you tell who wrote it? Azazel?"

"This distinctive pattern... I can only think it's the mark of Lady Shub-Niggurath."

Azazel let out a long sigh and slightly retched while speaking the Outer God's name.

Shub-Niggurath.

Known as the Mother of Black Goats, I knew she had followers due to her characteristic chaotic and promiscuous breeding behavior.

I had to delve deeper into the Cthulhu mythos, which I was already interested in, to create Azazel Blackheart's setting.

But why had such an Outer God left marks on my body?

While organizing my thoughts, Azazel noticed something strange and raised her voice in question.

"Why would they specifically call themselves 'someone'? If it truly was the Great Mother, there would be no need for such riddles..."

"That's true. Looking at the pattern of Shub-Niggurath, there's no need to say 'someone.'"

I nodded at Azazel's doubt. From the start, Shub-Niggurath wasn't a minor Outer God like Azazel.

She was a famous being who appeared often in creative works among the Outer Gods, known for corrupting human minds, trampling them, and driving them mad.

If it was someone who would leave such a mark asking to be recognized, there was one more person besides the avid reader.

"Could you tell me how the handwriting looks?"

"It's round and small. Not rough, more like a woman's handwriting, I'd say?"

Yu Seolhwa.

The one who had committed suicide by jumping from the hospital roof after becoming depressed about her body becoming paralyzed after a traffic accident,

The one I had promised to marry someday. My first love and girlfriend who I could now only remember through photos and memories.

"Could I see it directly?"

I remembered the handwriting I had seen in Azazel's dream. Seolhwa's handwriting was consistently called cute by others.

"If there's someone here who can use magic..."

"I know a little! Master!"

Verdandi raised her hand with a bright smile. The three genres I had written could be broadly classified into three categories, and each final boss primarily used different powers.

Bi Wol used qi and martial arts.

Verdandi used mana and magic.

Azazel used holy power and Outer God authority.

Martial arts, fantasy, and game possession novels respectively.

The experience of trying different genres had come from Seolhwa's suggestion, not mine.

- Do-hyeon, want me to tell you why your writing isn't improving?

Advice she had given me once.

Seolhwa really loved the drama "The Complete Life" about Go. She would recite lines from it even after becoming an adult.

- Looking at your writing, you're too bound by rules and precedents right now.

That's why I thought of Go during the sword debate with Bi Wol. She had told me that life was like all stones trying to live.

- Of course, I think you need to study plot development and market research, but...

This was what she had said when I abandoned my original writing style to write similar to existing works in an attempt to debut.

At that time, after experiencing repeated failures, I was in a state of low self-esteem, wondering what the problem was.

More precisely, I had been afraid to write.

I felt self-loathing about being cursed by others and not meeting my own expectations.

- After long consideration leading to a bad move, I actually liked your first writing better.

At such moments, Seolhwa had encouraged me through writing. Her words had the power to move people's hearts.

- In the end, my unchanging truth is that writing should be entertaining. Of course, that includes stories ending happily.

It was the value system she had always talked about. That misfortune and sadness were enough in our real lives.

At least in creative works, everyone should have a happy story - I was still following those words.

Even trying to accept the final bosses as my disciples and make them happy was because of Seolhwa.

- So what you need now is to break from formality. We call it breaking the mold.

Like in Go when you leave a trapped stone dead instead of trying to save it, I wrote new works without trying to remake failed ones.

- Hmm... is that too difficult? To use a game analogy, your experience gauge has become ridiculously large. You've passed the beginner stage, so growth has slowed down.

Seolhwa had told me that to write better, it was important to try completely new experiences.

- So, first you need to write a lot. I recommend trying different genres! After all, experience is more important than theory.

And this was the result of that journey.

Bi Wol, the Heavenly Demon from the martial arts web novel "The King of the Vajra Fist."

Verdandi, the hero from the fantasy web novel "A Hero Must Die."

Azazel, the saint from the game possession web novel "Possessed by an Idle Game."

They were like daughters that Seolhwa and I had created together.

"...It really is Seolhwa's handwriting."

Small and cute writing engraved in the white snow - with Verdandi and Azazel's help, I was able to transcribe the writing on my back.

"Is this someone you know, Master?"

"The problem is I know them too well."

I felt a hot, bitter sensation of acid reflux rising.

The last memory I had of Seolhwa was when she developed spinal paralysis, her entire body slowly turning to stone.

While I was in the military, she had lost all hope in life and committed suicide by jumping from the hospital roof.

"Azazel, could you look into the future for me?"

"...Why should I? If it's related to Lady Shub-Niggurath, all I'll see is despair and darkness."

Azazel kept her eyes down as she spoke, as if not wanting to see the future. She even turned her head away when I tried to force eye contact.

"I'm asking you as a favor. There's something I must confirm."

"......"

Azazel remained silent for a moment. The future she could see wasn't perfect and could always change depending on actions.

She had slightly let go of her lingering attachment to Kang Si-woo, whom she had unrequitedly loved, and decided to become my disciple.

"Just this once. I won't help you next time. This is all for Sir Si-woo's sake."

Azazel let out a long sigh and touched her forehead while meeting my eyes. A gleam was visible in her rainbow-colored eyes.

"...Thank you."

I barely managed to nod in gratitude. If Seolhwa had really left marks on my body, I might learn something through future sight.

She had dragged people from reality into this novel world.

Could she also revive and bring dead people here? From the start, one shouldn't try to understand how Outer Gods operate.

"...Huh?"

"What's wrong, Azazel?"

Azazel stared intently at my eyes, then began groaning as if something was wrong.

"Unlike before, I can't see the future. It's as if someone has covered it up."

"Did Shub-Niggurath use some trick..."

I couldn't hide my disappointment as I sighed. It meant something had occurred that would greatly change the future in that moment.

That's when,

"Then I'll just look at the nearer future─"

Beeeeeep.

Like the machine sound when a heartbeat stops, a chilling noise that scraped at our ears began to sound between Azazel and me.

"Ah, aaaaah..."

With a dull thud, blood flowed from Azazel's eyes. As if she had seen something she shouldn't have.

"I'msorryIdidn'tmeantopeepleaseforgivemepleasesparemylifepleasepleaseplease...!"

"Azazel. Get a hold of yourself!"

Azazel clasped her hands tightly together and wailed while praying to god. Her voice, mixed with screams and sobs, made it impossible to tell whether she was calling for an Outer God or the Main God.

'Damn it, what went wrong?'

I thought it would be fine to peek at the future involving Bi Wol and Verdandi. Moreover, the Seolhwa I knew had a personality that deeply cherished story characters.

I thought she wouldn't attack like this.

'Could it be...?'

I unconsciously furrowed my brow as something occurred to me.

Originally, this world's 'original story' ends with the protagonists defeating all the final bosses. From the start, I had transferred my dark past to them through the medium of writing.

- Do-hyeon. A reader's perspective is different from a writer's. No matter how difficult and painful things are for the writer, readers only care about the story's ending.

- Even if I make excuses about being sick, readers will leave me in the end. So I must show diligence.

A memory flashed by - Seolhwa who had said such things wouldn't harm Azazel, who was like her daughter.

However,

'Did Seolhwa experience something bad after being possessed like me?'

If an Outer God dwelled in her body like Azazel's case?

Outer Gods were beings far beyond human comprehension to begin with. Morgidian dwelling in her body was just unusually friendly.

Since it had personally made me terminally ill, there was no guarantee it hadn't done anything to Seolhwa's body.

If,

If Seolhwa was really alive in this world,

"Verdandi, quickly purify her with the holy sword...!"

"Understood!"

I prayed it wasn't what I was thinking.

* * *

"Good. Everyone's here. There was something a bit troublesome, so I almost got late."

Bing Seolhwa briefly closed her eyes and clapped her hands, smiling at the people around her as if enjoying the situation.

"......"

A black-haired man with bandaged fists - he was Kim Hyul, the protagonist of "The King of the Vajra Fist."

"Hey, are you really saying we have to kill people?"

A man scratching his blue hair while saying he didn't understand - he was Sieghart, the protagonist from "A Hero Must Die."

"Yeah, no matter what, the Azazel I knew couldn't be such a bad child..."

A man holding a smartphone while scratching his chin - he was Kang Si-woo, the protagonist from "Possessed by an Idle Game."

"Yes, because this is what our 'avid reader' wishes."

Facing these protagonists, Bing Seolhwa spread her arms wide toward the sky while smiling chillingly.

As if worshipping a god above this sky.