Chapter 29: The Protagonist and the Final Boss (2)

If my suspicions were correct, and if an Outer God had taken over Seolhwa's body, everything would make sense.

'Seolhwa always loved solving riddles like this.'

One of the theories she firmly believed in was "Chekhov's Gun." In summary, every plot element introduced in a work must be used.

The moment unnecessary plot hooks or elements were inserted, they became wasteful narration and created meaningless parts in the story.

'This becomes especially critical in web novels where the continuation rate is crucial.'

With published books or movies, people were more likely to finish them since they had paid for them. Unless the work was truly terrible, few people would quit halfway.

However,

Web novels were a field where one fought within limited word counts.

'There was no need to mention "someone" or the "original story." Why leave such words on my body?'

I wracked my brain trying to find the hidden meaning in Seolhwa's message. If she had been completely consumed by an Outer God, she wouldn't have left such traces for me.

I thought this way partly because I had developed an intense dislike for gods.

If there was a god, I thought they wouldn't have plunged me into misfortune.

At least, I had lived thinking they wouldn't take Seolhwa from me.

'...My thinking is too negative, that's the problem.'

I ran my hand through my hair once. She used to say I had a rebellious nature.

Even when seeming to follow the mainstream, my writing would eventually break down in search of my own color.

"Excuse me, what exactly does 'original story' mean?"

Verdandi, who had used her holy sword to remove the Outer God's influence, wore a satisfied smile, saying she had done her first proper job as a hero.

Azazel was sleeping, exhausted after being affected by Shub-Niggurath. I was currently carrying her down the mountain.

"It's the predetermined future this world should have headed toward."

I honestly told the truth to Verdandi's question. They must have had questions about who I really was.

"I actually possess abilities similar to a prophet."

Misunderstandings and distrust arising from lack of proper communication would pile up like sediment, eventually destroying relationships.

I regretted that if I had known about Seolhwa's anxiety earlier, I might have prevented her suicide.

"Is that why you suddenly wanted to take in a sister disciple? Indeed, I thought your actions were unusually suspicious, unlike you, Master."

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

Bi Wol spoke as if she had known all along. She must have felt something was off when I first headed to the Western Regions.

Running a small sect while preserving myself without drawing attention from others had been my usual way of life.

Bi Wol had watched this most closely. She was like a daughter who had lived following my teachings, enough to call herself my favorite disciple.

"I glimpsed a future where the Heavenly Demon stains the sky with blood, the Hero kills all life in the world, and the Holy Maiden summons an Outer God."

I didn't want to deceive even Bi Wol with lies. She needed to know something about her fate now.

"That's why I wanted to accept you as my disciples. I couldn't turn away knowing innocent children would go down the wrong path."

I spoke, unable to hide my complicated expression.

It was fortunate Azazel was sleeping. Her hope that some connection remained with Kang Si-woo would have been shattered.

"So that's why you said those things before."

Bi Wol nodded slowly, softening her lips. She didn't seem particularly shocked by the truth.

Rather, it was as if she had known all this and had been pretending not to notice for my sake.

"I had some idea during the fight with the Heart Demon. The fate engraved in my star said I should have killed you, Master."

"......"

Bi Wol told me about the vision shown by the karma of the Killing Star. Like a scene from the original "King of the Vajra Fist," it was a future where she, as the Heavenly Demon, beheaded me.

I swallowed hard. Goosebumps covered my body as I felt a chilling sensation like a blade at my throat.

"He's not lying! Master!"

Verdandi had apparently been judging the truth of our conversation. She meant Bi Wol wasn't making up stories to gain my attention.

"Yes, if that's truly the future... why would someone I know leave such a memo?"

I tried to understand Seolhwa's intentions. As a co-creator of this world, she must have anticipated how I would act once she knew I was here.

- Do-hyeon, what do you think makes a human anthem?

If so, there was only one reason she would send such a message.

- Even in the most extreme situations, it's about not losing your humanity. That's why we gave Azazel Morgidian, a kind Outer God.

That was Seolhwa, who had devoted herself to rehabilitation therapy with a smile even as her body gradually stiffened. She was the one who had said she would somehow endure, speaking optimistically about hope coming someday.

'Was she telling me what Shub-Niggurath wants?'

Seolhwa had once told me that a writer's perspective differs from a reader's.

Readers rightfully don't care whether the writer is sick, dealing with personal issues, or experiencing writer's block.

A writer provides a service of quality writing to readers. The difference between professional and amateur is delivering serializations no matter what happens.

'What the Outer God couldn't see was this world's ending...'

Why not? When reading web novels, one might sometimes want to know the original intended ending of a discontinued work.

'I had such thoughts too when I was a reader.'

Like puzzle pieces fitting together, I began to see parts I hadn't noticed before. Seolhwa had no reason to hide her identity and mention the original story.

From the start, it was Seolhwa who had twisted the dark stories in my middle school manuscripts as much as possible.

The protagonists and final bosses of these novels were all painful creations of hers and mine,

And her belief and driving force for writing was that everyone - whether reader, writer, or story character - should be happy.

She wouldn't show such contradictory behavior.

'As a reader, one might not want the final boss to suddenly become good and live peacefully.'

I organized my thoughts while resting my chin on my hand.

After all, having a final boss who had been built up through titles, materials, and plot hooks suddenly become good and do nothing would be,

From a reader's perspective, no different from drift (completely destroying the story's flow).

It would be equivalent to mixing pure love and harem tags, or ending a story with a meteor collision.

"Verdandi, do you think evil people can't change?"

"If it were the old me, I would certainly have judged so!"

I asked Verdandi, whom I considered the most righteous person I knew, for her opinion. My thoughts could be wrong.

The reader Outer God didn't know about the unfortunate pasts or settings of the final bosses. I had discontinued serialization before revealing them in the story.

Though some writers would explain the settings and backstory through short writings in such situations.

'My novels were the last means to remember Seolhwa.'

Just as a person's life couldn't be summarized in a brief phrase, I had only wanted to end the story we created properly.

Moreover, writers were professionals who should prove themselves through writing rather than words. No matter how amazing the settings and twists might be, they meant nothing if they weren't properly incorporated into the work.

"Then, what if someone misunderstood you as evil, and that person burned with a sense of justice?"

"They would try to kill me by any means necessary! Just as I once did!"

Though Verdandi spoke brightly, her face looked dark and gloomy in contrast. She feared what kind of future I might know.

"Such people will appear at the Dragon Phoenix Branch Meeting. Heroes who were originally destined to kill you."

Since Seolhwa would also know about the event where final bosses and protagonists gather, there was no guarantee she wouldn't appear.

My hands naturally clenched into fists, veins protruding on the backs of my hands.

"How can you call such villains heroes? They threaten the most noble person under heaven."

"......"

Bi Wol showed a cold smile as if displeased.

The person who had to fight her, the Heavenly Demon, was Kim Hyul, called the 'King of the Vajra Fist,' who possessed an indestructible diamond body that no blade or weapon could harm.

"That's right! Nothing can kill a hero anyway! Because heroes always triumph over evil!"

The person who had to fight Verdandi with her holy sword was Sieghart, the hero designated after her,

And the person who had to fight Azazel, sleeping on my back, was Kang Si-woo, who had abandoned her and chosen her twin sister.

"Yes, then I'll believe in you."

Honestly speaking, even I couldn't judge who would win in this situation.

"Until the Dragon Phoenix Branch Meeting, I'll help compensate for your weaknesses as much as possible."

There was still hope.

Hope that we could defeat the being who had possessed Seolhwa's body and was trying to shake my novels while openly claiming to be an avid reader.

* * *

Around the time Bing Yeon was returning to his sect to prepare for the Dragon Phoenix Branch Meeting, Seolhwa also began speaking to a certain man.

"...So. There's a huge error in this world. If left alone, this world itself could be destroyed."

"What do you mean?"

"Simply put, a man called Bing Yeon shouldn't exist. His very existence is like a seed that will destroy this world."

Bing Seolhwa spoke slowly while sipping tea. Her expression didn't change at all even while talking about Bing Yeon.

"For a potential heir that the Northern Sea Ice Palace would pay millions for to be abandoned at the Five Poison Sect, and then to live for decades as a terminal patient who should have died from the Killing Star..."

"...Come to think of it, it doesn't add up."

"That's what I'm saying! As an 'avid reader,' this is uncomfortable to watch. Don't you think someone needs to fix this? Of course, we must kill..."

At that moment, something felt off about one of Seolhwa's eyes. A warm, moist sensation dripping down.

"Huh...? Why am I...?"

Tears were flowing from one of Seolhwa's eyes. Her voice changed too, showing what seemed like emotional turmoil.

"Why are you suddenly crying?"

Kim Hyul, the King of the Vajra Fist, sighed deeply and turned his head. This woman called Bing Seolhwa often wavered like this.

"No, no. Just got some dust in my eye...!"

"Aren't you being too lenient toward the enemy?"

Like someone with two souls in one body. He could sense that subtle gap with his innate spiritual perception.

"I'll be fine after some time. Haha...!"

"Whatever. I'll confirm with my own fists whether this Heavenly Demon is really someone who deserves to die."

Kim Hyul was one of those who didn't easily believe Seolhwa's words, and he left to train in preparation for fighting Bi Wol.