Episode 8. Representative Kim Dokja (3)
< Episode 8. Representative Kim Dokja (3) >
At the sound of RepresentativeKimDokja's words, the chatter of readers calling each other's
names and nicknames quickly died down.
As a heavy silence settled over the room, I could see the reader's appearances clearly.
They ranged in age from teenagers to people in their 60s.
Some looked like friends and siblings, others wore aprons as if they were cooking. Some were
dressed in neat suits, while others were in their pajamas, shyly hiding by a pillar.
Apparently, this was a place where everyone would show themselves as they were 'just before
they were transmigrated'.
No matter what kind of person the readers were, their demeanor was the same here.
A deep silence, not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
Eventually, RepresentativeKimDokja spoke again.
[I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, but you are not saying anything.]
Everyone who had survived so far were veterans.
Old-timers who had survived the hell of the first and second scenarios.
[Certainly, the first person to step forward at times like this is bound to get their head cracked
off. You all know the clichés very well.]
As if he understood, RepresentativeKimDokja's lips curled into a smile.
[But you can rest assured this time. I'm not here to harm you. The Banquet is short, so ask any
questions you want.]
The readers looked at each other.
Even if RepresentativeKimDokja said that, it wasn't easy to believe him.
After all, he had the power to summon all the readers here.
He could probably kill everyone here with a snap of his fingers.
「That is, of course, if my guy can handle the 'probability'.」
At the original's beginning of the scenarios, it was impossible for a high-grade constellation to
descend in their true form or summon such a large number of incarnations.
That's why I was able to raise my hand.
Tsuchuchuchut.
A spark has been flowing faintly through his body since earlier.
There was no way that a man who was already overdoing it would carry out a showmanship of
killing an incarnation like a dokkaebi.
But there was a reader who raised his hand faster than I did.
RepresentativeKimDokja pointed to him and said.
[Oh, go ahead.]
He looked to be in his mid-to-late teens, and he was quite a memorable reader, with his unique
serious eyes.
"Who are you, and where am I?"
[Curiosity about people and places. Good, that's how stories start. Who is the main character and
where is this place?]
Inhaling lightly, RepresentativeKimDokja looked back at the other readers and said.
[But who I am and where this place is doesn't matter, because I'm not the main character in this
story. I'm just—]
"Are you Kim Dokja?"
Several readers gasped at the boy's question.
That's probably the biggest question on most people's minds here.
Is this 'RepresentativeKimDokja' the 'Kim Dokja' we know?
RepresentativeKimDokja raised his eyebrows slightly.
[You can think what you want about me. I may or may not be Kim Dokja. But more importantly —]
"Come to think of it, I don't think you're Kim Dokja."
The boy's voice was subtly hostile.
RepresentativeKimDokja paused.
[What made you think that?]
"There is no way Kim Dokja would bring us to a dangerous place."
The boy's voice was calm and rational.
Next to him stood a girl who seemed to be his family, but her eyes were unusually closed.
It didn't seem to be because she had narrow eyes like Cheon Inho, but because of other
circumstances.
After staring at the two, RepresentativeKimDokja smiled.
[Are you two siblings?]
"That's none of your business—"
[That's sweet. The Kim Dokja you know would never summon your blind sister to this world.
Did you come up with such a naive idea?]
As the boy clenched his fists and frowned, the girl tightened her grip on his sleeve as if to
restrain his movements.
RepresentativeKimDokja laughed in satisfaction.
[Kim Dokja is not a character who sympathizes with anyone for just that reason; if he were, he
wouldn't have let the old woman die in the first scenario.]
I thought the line was somehow familiar, and then I remembered that I had written a similar
scene in Omniscient Reader.
[He led people to stab each other to death at Geumho Station.]
Maybe it was during the 'Duet Between Good and Evil'.
[In 'The Strongest Sacrifice' scenario, he sat on the sidelines and allowed tens of thousands of
Seoul citizens to die.]
Everything RepresentativeKimDokja said was true.
However, the readers didn't seem to be shaken by his words.
[Do you really believe that such a Kim Dokja wouldn't bring you in for his own purposes?]
"He wouldn't."
[Why?]
"Because—"
"Because I am a fragment of that 'Kim Dokja'."
It was a girl across from him who cut the boy off.
A girl about Jiyoon's age.
"I know because I'm a fragment of Kim Dokja. Kim Dokja wouldn't do this."
The conviction in her voice was so strong that even I was stunned.
The girl really believed in Kim Dokja.
Maybe she wasn't the only one.
"Are you really 'RepresentativeKimDokja'?"
Even an ahjussi who had been watching the conversation.
"I've messaged RepresentativeKimDokja before, but you don't sound like him."
The others, who had been timidly backing away, also chimed in.
"What are you trying to say? We know what kind of person Kim Dokja is better than you do."
"Why are you dressed as Kim Dokja in the first place? Just reveal your identity."
As he listened in silence, RepresentativeKimDokja took a deep breath. When I swallowed my
breath, it felt like all the oxygen around me suddenly disappeared.
When I turned around, I saw that not only me, but also the others had turned pale.
[That bastard Kim Dokja.]
As I felt my breath return, RepresentativeKimDokja spoke.
[Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja, you're really loud. Why the hell do you like him so
much?]
He sounded like he had a grudge against Kim Dokja.
[All he cares about is the life and death of
doesn't care how many extras die in his dreams.]
I felt like someone was poking me in the head with a needle.
Part of me knew that. In a way, I knew it was possible to think like that.
[In your favorite story, was Kim Dokja really a good person?]
A giant screen floated up behind RepresentativeKimDokja. The screen showed a scene from the
scenario. Judging from the atmosphere, it wasn't the world line we were on a moment ago.
「"I wish to see the novel's epilogue."」
It was a story in a novel that I once wrote and the readers once read.
From the first scenario to the last. The long journey of the protagonist, Kim Dokja, and Dokja's Company>. 「Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint」. Kim Dokja's story, from Kim Dokja's point of view, for Kim Dokja. RepresentativeKimDokja said. [You've all thought about it at least once: In that world, what kind of life will those who are not chosen by Kim Dokja live? Beneath the feet of nameless corpses piled up. Their souls cried out. They were in that world. They were part of this story too. But Kim Dokja didn't look back at them. [I believe you know the truth about what it's like to be an extra in this world.] The readers were speechless for a moment. Even those who had been defending Kim Dokja were unable to say anything for once. On the screen, a close-up of an incarnation dying alone in a scenario change. A lonely incarnation dying without the gaze of any stars. He looked at me and said. 「"Save me...."」 Maybe someone between us is possessing that incarnation now. Now that death wasn't just an extra's story. It was our story. "What are you trying to say?" It was I who spoke. "Are you asking us to relieve some dead extra's resentment? That's why you dragged us into this damn world?" RepresentativeKimDokja grinned from ear to ear, and then a message popped up in front of me. As if that was his answer. [ [A new sub scenario has arrived!] + Category: Sub (Personal) Difficulty: ??? Clear Conditions: You have been transmigrated into the world line through an 'Outer World Covenant'. Work with the other transmigrated people to prevent its predestined destruction and develop a new story. Time Limit: — Reward: Return to the original world line and additional rewards. Failure: Death + To a certain extent, this was expected. We are from another world, just like Kim Dokja when he went to the 1,863rd turn. It was only natural that there would be a scenario to return to the original world line. The problem was the content. 「Prevent its predestined destruction and develop a new story.」 Prevent the predestined destruction. In other words, RepresentativeKimDokja summoned us because he wanted to change the ending of this world line. I could hear the boy who had first spoken to him earlier muttering. "As expected, an 'Outer World Covenant'...." I looked around and saw that some of the readers had already calmed down and started calculating. The hope that if they could somehow prevent the destruction of this world, they could return to the original world. As they gathered their thoughts, a few raised their hands and asked. "Wait, you have to tell us where this world is. Is this Yoo Joonghyuk's '3rd turn'?" "Is "Where is Kim Dokja now? Is he with us?" At that moment, everyone had a similar thought in their minds. The surest way to prevent the end of the world. Borrowing the power of those who had already 'stopped the destruction'. But. [Why do you want to know that?] RepresentativeKimDokja didn't seem to like the question. [Are you really planning to rely on haven't come to your senses.] The readers who had been asking questions shivered at the cold voice. RepresentativeKimDokja sighed softly and shook his head. [Keep this in mind. You are the protagonists of this world, and this world exists only for you.] He swept his gaze across the room with a strange glint in his eye, then added with a slight smile. [Please, make a story worthy of being written on the 'Last Wall'. That way, this world will not be forgotten in vain.] Why is it? His last words sounded sincere. [This is the end of this Banquet. See you next time.] RepresentativeKimDokja's figure disappeared into thin air, and pillars of light began to appear everywhere. One by one, the summoned people were returning. The surprised readers called out each other's names. After regaining our senses, Kyung Sein and I looked at each other. We hadn't found Dansoo ahjussi's daughter yet. We hurriedly called out Jiyoon's name and searched through the rest of the crowd. Then, I bumped shoulders with someone. I turned around and saw the boy who confronted RepresentativeKimDokja earlier. The boy frowned and said. "Hm? By any chance, you—" The boy, along with the girl next to him, was engulfed in a pillar of light and disappeared. In a matter of moments, the crowd had shrunk to less than half. Now there were no readers who looked Jiyoon's age. "Inho-ssi—" A pillar of light rushed right next to me and then Kyung Sein's figure disappeared. Almost simultaneously, the feeling of Dansoo ahjussi on my back disappeared. A deep sense of emptiness washed over me. I didn't find anyone after all. It was then that a familiar backside caught my eye. A small back, light brown bob hair that fell to her shoulders. For a moment, my heart beat wildly. 「The person who made me a writer was there.」 The one who never gave up on me, even when everyone else in the editorial department did. My editor. "Ji Eunyoo-ssi!" She was alive. I knew she would be alive. The moment Ji Eunyoo turned around, a pillar of light descended from thin air. Ji Eunyoo's surprised eyes looked at me. I felt my breath catch in my throat. There was no time. We couldn't even afford to ask each other who the other was possessing. All we could do was shout, "Gwanghwamun!" We could only agree on a meeting place. Ji Eunyoo was the last one, there was no one left in the theater. I was left alone. Soon, I would be gone too. I sighed lightly and waited for my turn. One minute, two minutes.... I kept waiting. Three minutes, four minutes.... Something was wrong. No matter how much time passed, my body was not enveloped in a pillar of light. What was going on? I absentmindedly looked up at the ceiling, where the lights were flickering intermittently. "Excuse me?" I asked, but no one answered. "Hey!" I called out a little louder, but still no answer. I hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. I decided to explore the area a bit more. After all, there's something that's been bothering me since earlier. .... As I listened, I heard a faint sound. I didn't hear it wrong. There is someone else in this theater besides me. The sound was coming from the entrance to the theater tucked away in one corner of the lobby. [Entrance to Theater 1]. In front of the theater's door was a sign that said 'playing'. I wonder what's playing. A movie? As I cautiously opened the theater door, a feeling of anticipation flashed through my mind. 「"Inho-ssi? Inho-ssi, wake up!"」 The familiar voice triggered a series of memories. Slowly, a chill ran down my spine. I knew this place. 「"Why is Inho-ssi the only one who didn't wake up?"」 The view of Chungmuro Station reflected on the vast screen, and there were my companions waking me up from my collapse. And then. The backs of countless 'kkoma Kim Dokjas' watching the scene. It was the same movie theater I had seen in my dream. The kkoma Kim Dokjas I met that day were not part of a dream. The moment I took a stumbling step into the theater, a kkoma Kim Dokja looked back. The name tag pinned to his left chest shook. rlaehrwk37. As soon as the kkoma Kim Dokja's eyes widened and he was about to say something to me, something grabbed me by the back of the head and yanked me hard. It was a cold grip that sent a chill down my spine. [You shouldn't have seen that.] The voice was icy cold. When I turned my head, RepresentativeKimDokja was looking at me. Author's Note Thank you.