Chapter 96

Singularity (5)

I wanted to sleep for a while but it was early dawn when I opened my eyes .

[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ encourages you to take care of your incarnation . ]

I unknowingly woke up from Uriel’s message . Damn, the constellations had been making a fuss since I made the ‘sponsor declaration’ yesterday .

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is chuckling at your choice . ]

Truthfully, there was no way I could be a sponsor when my narrative wasn’t properly built . A sponsor who couldn’t give their incarnation a stigma was just a hindrance, although I had a lot more money than a decent sponsor .

[Many constellations are curious about your choice . ]

[Some constellations think that your actions are ridiculous . ]

The reaction of the constellations to my incarnation was split into two . Those who liked me were the ‘incarnation seekers’ while those who disliked me were the ‘amusement seekers . ’

Of course, there was one constellation who was unclear .

[The constellation Secretive Plotter is watching your strategy with interest . ]

[1,000 coins have been sponsored . ]

I thought he was ordinary when I first saw the modifier but I recently changed my mind . The average size of his sponsorship was too large . This constellation was at least ‘narrative’ grade . However, no matter how much I searched through Ways of Survival, I couldn’t see the name Secretive Plotter at all .

This meant he wasn’t a constellation of this world or he wasn’t properly handled in Ways of Survival . Who was it?

Wooong . Since last night, Shin Yoosung had been practicing her skills in one corner of the abandoned building . Shin Yoosung used the magic power recovery potions that I gave her and kept using a skill on the nearby young groll .

A faint aura stretched out from Shin Yoosung and touched the skin of a groll . This was the power of Diverse Communication that I saw from Lee Gilyoung .

I looked down at Shin Yoosung who had dark circles under her eyes . “Yoosung, have you slept?”

“Not yet . ”

“Don’t you know the penalty for not sleeping? Go to sleep . ”

“Just a bit more . ”

[The character ‘Shin Yoosung’ has used ‘Diverse Communication Lv . 8 . ’]

[The character ‘Shin Yoosung’ has used ‘Taming Lv . 7’]

Shin Yoosung’s concentration soon disappeared .

[Taming has failed!]

[The monster has started to run wild!]

The groll broke away from the control and rushed towards Shin Yoosung . Before I could move, the drooling Han Sooyoung sleeping nearby acted . The groll stopped breathing as it slammed into a wall of the abandoned building . Han Sooyoung fell asleep again .

I spoke to Shin Yoosung, who was controlling her breathing with a dejected face . “Do you understand now?”

“Yes . ” Shin Yoosung made a gloomy expression .

[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated . ]

The abridged version .

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[Character List]

Name: Shin Yoosung

Private Attribute: Beast Tamer (Rare), Reflexive Killer (General)

Exclusive Skills: Taming Lv . 7, Diverse Communication Lv . 8, Agile Feet Lv . 8, Hybridization Lv . 6 .

Stigma: None

Overall Stats: Physique Lv . 19, Strength Lv . 14, Agility Lv . 44, Magic Power Lv . 45

* Growth Package I is currently applied .

* Growth Package II is currently applied .

* The New Scenario Commemorative Package is currently applied .

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Her skills growth rate was enormous thanks to the growth package I bought her .

There was also the New Scenario Commemorative Package that promoted the evolution of stats . I didn’t know if any incarnation on the Korean peninsula had received such package support .

She was a talented person so Diverse Communication would soon break through the 10th level and become Advanced Diverse Communication .

The problem was that she couldn’t properly tame the 8th grade groll despite her stats . This should be impossible thanks to the help of the system . Shin Yoosung bowed her head like she was embarrassed . “…I don’t have any talent . ”

If she didn’t have talent then I should just kill myself .

“Don’t worry . You have talent . ” I couldn’t let my precious incarnation become frustrated . Perhaps Shin Yoosung couldn’t use it properly because of her trauma . “What are you thinking of?”

“I’m scared . ”

It wasn’t hard to guess why she was scared . I told her, “The monsters aren’t pets . ”

“I know . ”

“Still, it might be okay to make one a companion . They are durable and strong . ”

Shin Yoosung was someone who killed her dog with her own hands . It was to survive . This fact still remained deep in this child’s heart . I thought for a moment before saying, “Did you know? If all the scenarios are cleared, you can make a wish…”

“Ahjussi’s face changes when you lie . Your nostrils become larger . ”

This reminded me of Gilyoung . Perhaps the children with Diverse Communication were more sensitive to body language . I decide to go forward like a gangster . “…What do you want to ask?”

“Can I do it?”

“You can do it . ”

“You are speaking without any sincerity . ”

“I chose you . ” Shin Yoosung’s eyes shook at my words . “I chose you instead of Seoul . I don’t regret it . ”

“…”

“You can do better than anyone else . ”

Shin Yoosung looked up at me as she squeezed her fingers together . Then she started to tear up . “Ahjusshi, if I really become strong…”

“Strong?”

Shin Yoosung hesitated for a moment before laughing . “It’s nothing . I will try hard . ”

Then Shin Yoosung turned around and used the skill again . I suddenly remembered something . I recalled the type of person Shin Yoosung was like in the original novel .

「 “Jonghyuk oppa is handsome . ” 」

「 “Jonghyuk oppa is the best . ” 」

「 “I like Jonghyuk oppa the most . ” 」

…This girl, she was a fan of Yoo Jonghyuk in Ways of Survival . Of course, she wasn’t a heroine candidate . Due to her age, she was in the younger sister position . I remember her having a big fight with Yoo Mia…

I suddenly became a bit worried . Would I lose the person I worked so hard to raise to Yoo Jonghyuk?

I suddenly turned my head to where Han Sooyoung was stretching as she woke up . Han Sooyoung noticed my gaze and turned away . This girl, she had been sulking since yesterday .

I called out to her . “Hey . ”

“What?”

“Are you going to keep sulking?”

“Don’t talk to me . ”

“There is something I want to ask you . ”

Han Sooyoung raised an eyebrow at my words . I lowered my voice so that Shin Yoosung couldn’t hear and asked, “What do you think about my looks? Especially when compared to Yoo Jonghyuk . ”

Han Sooyoung looked at me like bugs had entered her ears . “Why the hell are you asking me this?”

“I’m just purely curious . ”

I had never been interested in what I looked like since I graduated from high school . Then I thought about the reactions of the prophets when I pretended to be Yoo Jonghyuk and it seemed that I was ugly . I didn’t think I was ugly when I took occasional selfies in the bathroom .

[A windy constellation is looking at you like you are pathetic . ]

She replied, “Accept your fate . ”

“No, I really am just curious…”

“All I can do now is cheer you up . ”

Shit .

“…To that extent?”

I quietly looked at Shin Yoosung and made up my mind . I could never let her meet Yoo Jonghyuk . ’

***

We hunted the monsters around us and collected the coins . I invested the collected coins into Shin Yoosung, causing her stats to grow remarkably fast .

The coins were primarily used for agility and magic power . It was to maximize the advantages of Agile Feet, Taming and Diverse Communication .

By the time night came again, Shin Yoosung finally learnt Advanced Diverse Communication . However, the Taming skill still didn’t succeed . Shin Yoosung asked, “The future me will be much stronger?”

Of course . The current Shin Yoosung was no match for the future Shin Yoosung in a frontal battle .

However, if she trained intensively then she could seal one of future Shin Yoosung’s important abilities . The Disaster of Floods was dangerous because she could lead an army by herself .

“I believe in you more than the future that hasn’t come yet . ”

If the future Shin Yoosung could do it then it was a possibility for the present Shin Yoosung . Besides, there was a chance of winning if she confronted her future . It was because the future Shin Yoosung could never kill the present Shin Yoosung .

“I ate well . ” Yoo Sangah gave a short prayer after eating the groll meat and cleaning up its bones .

“Yoo Sangah-ssi is religious?”

“No I’m not . ”

“Then why pray…”

“I did it for the gods of Olympus . ”

It was such a realistic prayer that I was dumbfounded . That reminded me . The gods we knew had become reality and the objects of our prayers were no clear .

“Today Han Sooyoung and I will stand guard first . Yoo Sangah can sleep . ”

“Is it okay?”

“Yes . ”

Yoo Sangah lay down and fell asleep first . Han Sooyoung leaned against the wall opposite her and messed around with her smartphone .

It was natural to be uncomfortable . They were enemies by nature . Han Sooyoung’s ideas were the opposite of Yoo Sangah’s ideals . No matter what happened in the future, the two of them would be more antagonistic than friendly .

The tired Shin Yoosung had fallen asleep and only embers remained of the fire . Han Sooyoung spoke first . “You sleep too . ”

I lay on the floor but sleep didn’t come easily . There were four days left until the start of the fifth scenario . Shin Yoosung hadn’t made any new progress today but a message came from the Gangseo area this afternoon .

[Someone has dealt with the Disaster of Ice that came from the west . ]

This was the message . I didn’t have to ask who killed the disaster . Yoo Jonghyuk had prevented the disaster that would’ve caused Seoul to become an Ice Age . Perhaps he had met up with Lee Hyunsung .

Han Sooyoung was watching the embers when she suddenly opened her mouth . “Hey, I have a question . ”

“You are ugly . ”

Han Sooyoung frowned . “Who is wondering about that? You bastard . ”

“…Then what is it?”

“What do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?”

“What is your purpose? I think it is strange every time I see you . You shattered the throne and didn’t kill me . What do you want?”

“I have a desired ending . ”

“Ending?”

I nodded lightly . Unexpectedly, Han Sooyoung didn’t ask anything else . Instead, she spoke about something else . “There was an ending I wanted to write . ”

“For your novel?”

“Yes . ”

“Then let me ask you something . ”

“What is it?”

“Why did you plagiarize? You write well . ”

“It isn’t plagiarism . Do you think that Ways of Survival is like the Bible? Aren’t the ideas everywhere? The sponsorship of transcendent beings . Survival missions . A protagonist who regressed . Isn’t it harder to find a novel that doesn’t have one of these ideas nowadays?”

“It is because yours is the closest . ”

“There is a reason for that . Shall I tell you a story? In the past, there was a poor girl…”

“It is a story of a literary girl living in poverty who became frustrated with her dream and eventually plagiarized a novel for food and living . ”

Han Sooyoung’s mouth gaped open . “Can you actually read someone’s mind?”

“Eh?”

“Anyway, something like that is possible . Right?”

“What type of god do you think I am? I wouldn’t be suffering like this if I had that skill . ”

[The character ‘Han Sooyoung’ has used ‘Lie Detection Lv . 3’ . ]

[The character Han Sooyoung has confirmed that the statement is false . ]

Han Sooyoung laughed . “Is it possible for me?”

I didn’t answer .

“Well, you don’t have to tell me . In any case, if possible please read my mind right now . ”

“I can’t read it . ”

“In fact, I didn’t plagiarize . ”

I looked at Han Sooyoung suspiciously and she used Lie Detection on herself .

[The character Han Sooyoung has confirmed that the statement is true . ]

…What?

“It is just a coincidence that the story I wrote was similar to Ways of Survival . I just wrote according to the dreams I had . ”

[The character Han Sooyoung has confirmed that the statement is true . ]

…This girl was using her subconscious as a shield .

“In any case, you saw it . It was a dream to you . ”

“Maybe that is true . Then…” Han Sooyoung hesitated before saying, “Sometimes I think about it . ”

“Think about what?”

“If this reality is the original and I only reproduced the original then I might’ve plagiarized…”

“What are you saying? Then you did plagiarize?”

“Who said that? I said it was just a thought . ”

In fact, I didn’t mean it . It was a thought I had from the moment Ways of Survival became reality .

Was this world overlaid on a novel? Or was reality turning into a novel?

I stood up and shook my head . “Hey, let’s change the shift . Go ahead and sleep . The constellations on my channel will be reduced if I keep listening to such a painful story . ”

“My constellation support has reduced because I’ve been with you lately . ”

“That’s because you keep doing cancerous things . ”

We shot a few more barbs at each other before shutting up . I leaned against the wall of the building and looked at the snoring Han Sooyoung .

I suddenly had a thought . Perhaps I was a bit lucky that she was here . At least I wasn’t alone in knowing that this world was a ‘novel . ’

At some point, I fell asleep . It might be because I was too tired or perhaps I was distracted by the unexpected comfort . It was a short but sweet sleep . However, perhaps I shouldn’t have fallen asleep .

When I opened my eyes the next day, Han Sooyoung was a cold corpse .