Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Chapter 546 - Epilogue 5 – The Eternity and Epilogue (1)
Previously on Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint...
Han Su-Yeong and Yu Jung-Hyeok were transported via stretchers to the clinic where Kim Dok-Ja was receiving care.
While enduring a continuous stream of scolding from Yi Seol-Hwa, Han Su-Yeong methodically structured a battle plan. An hour later, she presented her strategy to the group, selecting the most concise phrasing possible to ensure she covered every necessary detail.
Yet, speaking with precision did not guarantee that the listeners would interpret her meaning with equal clarity. Their reactions were telling:
“.....Could you repeat what you intend to do??”
Jeong Hui-Won queried, while Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Gil-Yeong both watched with slight disbelief.
Han Su-Yeong responded, “Let me break this down into simpler terms.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?”
“....Oh? So you actually do understand?”
“We cannot attempt that again. Have you forgotten the memories of two years ago? What became of us following the group regression....?”
“I am not suggesting we regress.”
“It is effectively the same thing! If we breach the world-lines once more....!”
“And I am not advocating for the distortion of another world-line’s destiny either. You heard me, didn't you? My intent is merely to transmit one novel to that destination.”
Yi Ji-Hye, who had been listening in silence, finalmente interjected. “So, to be clear, you want to deliver the story penned on this side to Dok-Ja ahjussi within the other world-line. Is that correct?”
“Precisely.”
“And what is the purpose of such an endeavor?”
Han Su-Yeong outlined her reasoning with a calm demeanor. “The ‘Most Ancient Dream’ is Kim Dok-Ja. That Kim Dok-Ja was shattered into innumerable fragments, scattered across the various world-lines before undergoing reincarnation into distinct forms. Are you with me?”
“.....Just because I failed my last test doesn't mean I am simple-minded! Go on.”
“The crux of the matter is this: while a newly-reincarnated Kim Dok-Ja might no longer exhibit the personality of the ‘Kim Dok-Ja’ we know, that does not mean he isn't the ‘Most Ancient Dream’. They may remain oblivious to it, yet every one of those souls serves as the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ that sustains this existence.”
When they finally departed from the [Final Wall], no soul remained on the subway, yet the ticking of the universe never ceased. Consequently, the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ had not perished.
The spirits formerly known as Kim Dok-Ja had migrated throughout the cosmos, reincarnating and, without their own knowledge, crafting the dreams that drive the various universes.
Yu Sang-Ah nodded in apparent realization. “So, you intend to harness their power of imagination.”
“After all, the imagination of the Most Ancient Dream manifests as reality.”
“By compelling the reincarnated Dok-Ja-ssi to imagine the ending we desire....”
“Exactly. It is equivalent to gifting him the foundation of imagination, ensuring they dream of this world’s conclusion.” Han Su-Yeong scanned the faces of her companions before continuing. “No one need suffer. No inhabitant of another world-line will be harmed. Our sole task is to ensure those iterations read a specific story.”
Countless Kim Dok-Jas, diverse in appearance and living in varied conditions across many planes, would all be envisioning it.
Meeting them or transporting them here served no purpose. In these circumstances, the companions could only pray for a miracle.
A miracle capable of restoring the Kim Dok-Ja they treasured.
It mattered not if it were merely a delusion or a falsehood—if only he could project their happiness...
Provided that all those countless ‘Kim Dok-Jas’ dreamed of one singular universe...
A heavy silence occupied the room. Every face mirrored the same somber expression.
They understood perfectly that the chances of success were virtually nil. Achieving this goal required overcoming several near-impossible obstacles.
Representing the group, Yi Hyeon-Seong, who had returned from his travels just thirty minutes prior, finally spoke.
“Su-Yeong-ssi.”
He had rushed back upon hearing the news regarding Yu Jung-Hyeok and Han Su-Yeong. The gaze that usually blazed with righteous determination was currently veiled in melancholy.
“We are all exhausted. We fear the burden of hope.”
It is not despair that truly breaks a human; it is the ‘hope’ that seems perpetually within reach yet never materializes into truth.
Han Su-Yeong acknowledged this. She curled her fingers into a tight fist. “I know. Which is why I am requesting a favor from all of you.”
Yi Hyeon-Seong’s eyes flickered upon hearing the word ‘favor’.
Han Su-Yeong had never utilized such a term before.
“I am fully aware that the probability of success is infinitesimal. Therefore, this is simply... a ceremony, if you will. A necessary step to provide closure to the past and allow me to conclude the rest of my life in peace.”
Jeong Hui-Won asked softly, “....How can we be of assistance?”
Rather than providing a verbal explanation, Han Su-Yeong placed her notebook PC on the bedside table and navigated to a document clearly familiar to them all.
It was a manuscript with no title assigned.
Han Su-Yeong began to type the title to the novel—with agonizing slowness.
*
From that moment on, Han Su-Yeong devoted every waking hour to the manuscript, with help from her companions. Since her own memory was not infallible regarding the exact sequence of events, she relied on the recollections of her friends to complete the narrative.
“So, we intend to make Dok-Ja ahjussi read this... But, by what method?”
“We must present it in a way that feels natural, without causing him to feel any dissonance. He needs to read it without ever suspecting that he is the one currently imagining this world.”
“In other words, we must craft a truly gripping narrative.”
“Dok-Ja hyung finished a mundane novel before, so wouldn't he read this regardless of the writing style?”
Han Su-Yeong looked at the glib Yi Gil-Yeong and shook her head. “We cannot predict variables, so we must be meticulous. The Kim Dok-Ja of another world-line may not possess the same level of patience ours did.”
“Allow me to assist!”
“Me too! Noona, surely you aren't familiar with current teenage slang, are you?”
Most of the drafting took place directly in Kim Dok-Ja’s room. Han Su-Yeong would arrive after her lectures were complete, and the others would cycle through during their visits.
“My apologies for the delay. An announcement tomorrow took up time....” Yi Ji-Hye explained.
“It would have been perfectly acceptable to finish your obligations first,” Han Su-Yeong replied.
“Impossible. Today is the scene of my awakening, correct?” Yi Ji-Hye’s excitement was palpable. She skimmed the manuscript and continued chatting away. “Wow. This area.... Truly, I nearly perished back then.”
“...”
“Keuh-heuh. Still gives me goosebumps to read again. Eonni, you don't mind if I ask when I am scheduled for my next appearance....”
“If you intend to be a nuisance, leave.”
“Ah? Why so cold? I found a setting error, for your information.”
“An error? Where?”
“I never claimed anything of the sort!”
Yi Ji-Hye pointed toward the screen. Han Su-Yeong glanced at the device and noted that the scene referenced occurred during the cinema dungeon sequence.
Han Su-Yeong clarified, “Creative license is unavoidable; reality may differ slightly from the text. However, that specific section.....”
⸢”Why do you feel alone? We are together, aren't we! No, wait... I am always by your side, aren't I?! So, hold onto hope! Consider the child...!⸥
“....I wrote that based on Uriel’s testimony, though.”
One day bled into two, then three. Sentences were painstakingly assembled.
On days when her memory failed, she would pinch the cheeks of the sleeping Kim Dok-Ja in frustration, or when sudden bitterness took hold, she would insert bizarre passages into the draft.
⸢”Seek the ugly king!”⸥
It likely mattered little. He would never realize he was reading his own autobiography.
The companions visited the room in shifts, as if seeking absolution.
“Actually, Dok-Ja-ssi was cursing quite a bit during this interval....”
“Do not include that. Understand? ....Hey, I said omit that section, why is it still there?”
They all expressed mild shock at how much of the original struggle they still retained, and...
“N-no, wait! Noona! I respect hyung, but surely you don't need to portray me as a religious zealot??”
...And they appeared to find a strange sense of solace in the fact that they remembered it, as well.
Occasionally, they wept, or reviewed the notes detailing plot points that would eventually comprise his future.
Shin Yu-Seung inquired, “Why depict regression in such a negative light?”
“Well, even there, Kim Dok-Ja should live only one life. He could be influenced negatively if he reads this, since he may still be just a child in that world.”
A shadow clouded Shin Yu-Seung’s expression at the reply. “But, we regressed, did we not? Given that, is it truly wise to write this differently than reality?”
“No. I shall record it exactly as is.”
“Why, though?”
“Regardless of who they are, every individual is essentially a regressor.”
She had conceived of that sentiment while locked in combat with Yu Jung-Hyeok. Honestly, she did not expect Shin Yu-Seung to grasp the deeper nuance anyway.
The younger girl gazed at the prose before shifting her eyes toward the window. “Our regression failed to influence this world-line at all. Sometimes it feels like a dream fading with the dawn. What separates a past that could never change the present from a delusion that changes nothing?”
Han Su-Yeong was caught off guard, her lips forming a slight pout, only for Shin Yu-Seung to shrug and offer a faint smile. “What if we write this too cryptically for Dok-Ja ahjussi to understand?”
“....Kim Dok-Ja will certainly comprehend it.”
“You place a great deal of faith in him, don't you?”
“If you are going to pester me, just leave.”
“No, wait! I have organized every past detail, you know! Even the ‘Disaster of Flood’ you inquired about....”
Not everyone proved as helpful as Shin Yu-Seung; for the most part, the others primarily acted as obstacles. Take, for example, Jang Ha-Yeong:
“Hey! You claimed I was the protagonist of the second volume! What is that based on?! are you mocking me??”
“It is a mere figure of speech. You aren't actually the lead, are you?” Han Su-Yeong retorted.
“Even so!”
“I will write side chapters centered on you. Massive ones at that.”
“Acceptable.”
Yi Seol-Hwa, pushing a stretcher past the door, offered her own interjection: “Healers in literature usually get relegated to 'heal shuttles,' do they not?”
“...Alright. Yi Seol-Hwa, you shall receive a side chapter as well.”
Furthermore, Yi Gil-Yeong went so far as to skip school to loiter near the room, while Yi Hyeon-Seong threw a tantrum as if he had been profoundly wronged.
“You neglected to include any events following my contract with Abaddon! And since I possess many skills, why is it constantly about the cockroaches?!”
“You have completely rewritten my military service! I have earnestly described every detail since my days as a private.....!”
“Both of you, silence! Kim Dok-Ja is the protagonist of this story! This is not your story!” Han Su-Yeong bellowed.
Eventually, the Constellations themselves arrived in succession after hearing rumors of the project.
Uriel, for one, appeared burdened by massive amounts of documents, sporting an absurd disguise of sunglasses and a mask.
[You should have contacted me immediately if you intended to record this! I possess extensive data on the subject matter!]
“.....Can this data be trusted? It contradicts a fair amount of what Yi Ji-Hye provided.”
[W-well, perhaps a minor variance, but this universe is vast and countless Kim Dok-Jas dwell in endless world-lines, so...]
Shortly thereafter, the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, arrived.
[If your intent is to record my Fable, you should have at least studied a complete translation of Journey to the West. Have you completed it?]
“I read the manga version.”
[In that case, you should at least understand who the true protagonist of the Journey to the West actually is.]
“I assumed it was Tang Sanzang?”
Then, the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon chimed in.
[Disappointing. Have you truly forgotten my true name? We are already in the second part, so why has my true name not been-]
“You never mentioned it to me. And frankly, there is no need to tell me now.”
And thus, by the time the first draft reached two hundred and fifty chapters, Han Su-Yeong collapsed from total exhaustion. It was her first attempt at writing a project of such magnitude with such urgency. Many aspects remained unsatisfactory, requiring significant revision. Yet, ‘quantity’ was the immediate priority. Because...
– Han Su-Yeong. It happens this Saturday.
....Because, time was rapidly running out.
<Epilogue 5. The Eternity and Epilogue (1)> Fin.