Chapter 0: Prologue
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 0: Prologue
The Deep Sea.
Beyond its literal meaning, the term is also used as a metaphor. [T/N: I could also use Bottom Barrel, Bottom Pit, but I chose to use Deep Sea as it works well in this case]
In the world of web novels, the lowest-ranked works that never get exposure on the platform are called ‘Deep Sea works.’ Those who salvage the promising ones and raise them to the top are known as ‘Deep Sea Explorers.’
A Deep Sea Explorer. Someone who introduces the world to hidden masterpieces buried in the Deep Sea, unnoticed.
Needless to say, I am one of those Deep Sea Explorers.
*
Someone once asked me.
-Why on earth do you explore the Deep Sea? Are you okay, man? You’re not coughing up blood, are you?
To that, I would answer:
Because there’s a certain romance to it.
That’s right. There is romance in Deep Sea exploration. That mountain of hakko [T/N:Small time/Obscure] novels. The thrill of pulling a masterpiece, buried within and unseen by the light, out with my own two hands.
The sense of accomplishment that comes from watching an aspiring author with low self-esteem continue to write, day by day, fueled by your support.
That’s the feeling that keeps me from quitting.
“Alright, let’s see…”
The novel I’d been holding onto and nurturing for a while had finally blown up and made it into the light.
Dokyun moved his finger, looking at the screen of his smartphone.
[The Girl Who Catches Bugs.]
It was a hakko novel that couldn’t even break 100 total views after more than 10 chapters.
A world where insects brainwash and farm humans. The story was about the only human who hadn’t been brainwashed, a protagonist who exterminates the bugs and saves people.
As Dokyun looked at the novel’s main page, he was suddenly overcome with a bittersweet feeling.
A novel he had unearthed with his own hands, one that had now joined the ranks of proper bestsellers.
The moment he first discovered it, he had trembled with the conviction that it would be a hit, slamming the ‘Favorite’ and ‘Notification’ buttons.
He left a recommendation and a comment on every single chapter. Occasionally, when the story dragged or the author’s notes hinted that they might abandon the project, he would slam them with a donation and unleash a storm of extreme nadenade. On top of that, he wrote a long-form review packed with 5,700 characters and emptied his wallet to commission an illustration. He used every means at his disposal to promote the novel.
As a result, it now stood proudly in the top 10 of the daily charts, and no one could call it a hakko novel anymore.
But Dokyun’s mood as he looked at it couldn’t be called good, not even as a joke.
Dokyun scanned the novel’s main page.
Ten thousand favorites, already smudged with the fingerprints of countless others.
The total view count, which had somehow soared past a million.
And…
1. A Cat That Donates to Good Novels: 10,000 Coins
2. tprtmgkrhtlvek: 4,000 Coins
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3. Minkynet: 300 Coins
Looking at the donation section, which was now overflowing with a chaotic mess of support, Dokyun felt his mind go blank.
“Ugh…”
A wave of nausea washed over him.
This novel… was now a ‘non-virgin.’
Dokyun’s finger moved toward the favorite icon.
Press—.
[Are you sure you want to remove this from your favorites?]
[Yes/No]
His finger, which had been reading the confirmation pop-up, moved toward the ‘Yes’ button on the screen.
The memories of their time together flashed before Dokyun’s eyes. The moment the favorite count, which had been stuck at ‘0,’ changed to ‘1’ because of him; the author who had shyly replied to his first recommendation and first comment; the author who had written a 5,700-character notice to thank him for his first donation. Of all his explorations, these past moments had been by far the most rewarding.
Recalling those times, Dokyun’s hand paused for a moment, but…
“Be happy…”
Press—.
[Removed from favorites.]
I, Chae Dokyun, a Deep Sea diver, the top-tier user ‘Deep Sea Honeybee’ on the novel forums.
I don’t give a second glance to a novel that’s made it into the light.
Having sent off the novel he’d spent the better part of a month with, Dokyun turned off his smartphone screen, let out a sigh tinged with regret, and closed his eyes to compose himself.
“No, this is no time to be sentimental.”
Now that he’d sent off the novel he’d poured so much effort into, it was time to begin his next dive.
“Alright, let’s see…”
He turned the screen back on and scanned the free serialization section of the web novel site. His hand stopped on one page, halting the rapidly scrolling screen.
[Conquering Another World with Sex]
A title that reeked of a hakko novel at first glance. 0 favorites, 0 recommendations, 0 comments.
As Dokyun looked at the novel’s main page, the corners of his mouth crept upward.
“I choose you.”
It was time to begin the salvage operation once more.
*
Click. Click. Click.
A small, dark room, seemingly cut off from the outside world, where not a single ray of light could enter. A space where the only thing faintly illuminating the scene was the blue light radiating from a monitor.
In a corner of that space, the rhythmic sound of a mouse clicking filled the silence.
“He’s not here. Not here. Not here. Not here. Not here.”
A figure huddled in front of the screen spoke, their voice cracked and hoarse.
“Did I… miss it…?”
The first day, she thought it was possible. Not everyone reads novels every day. The next day, she thought he must be busy and couldn’t read it. The next, and the next, and the next day after that, he still didn’t show up. The anxiety that had taken root in a corner of her heart began to swell, consuming her entire being.
“He’s not here… not here, not here, not here!!!!”
Thud—!
A sudden, dull thud filled the room.
“Where… where did you gooo…”
Kkwadeuk—, kkwadeuk—.
Even while thinking, I shouldn’t be doing this… the habit of biting her nails whenever anxiety surged came rushing back.
This was all his fault.
“He praised me so much…”
She had been about to quit. She thought it was meaningless, that nothing would change even if she kept at it, so she was ready to let go.
But every time, he would gently coax her, making it impossible for her to give up.
Kkwadeuk—. Kkadeuk—.
“I-I-I’m trying so hard…”
The day before yesterday. Yesterday. Today. While waiting for him, she forced herself to wring out words, to keep writing. Even as she wrote, she would wonder, Did he come back? Did he leave his usual kind words? The thought would strike her, and she would check the comment section dozens, hundreds of times.
Eujeok—. Eujeok—.
“Ah…”
The sharp scent of blood spread through the air. A throbbing pain pulsed from her fingertips.
“Againnn…”
Droplets of blood were welling up on the tips of her fingers.
She reached out and picked up a bandage she had tossed onto a corner of her desk.
“Th-this is all his fault…”
She hastily wrapped the bandage around her wounded finger and turned her gaze back to the screen.
Click, click, click.
“Where… where are you…”
He had to be somewhere. There was no way he would just disappear like this.
She had to find him, no matter what.
*
One day. Two days. Then four. She stopped eating, stopped drinking, stopped writing, and began to search through every single novel on the platform, one by one.
And then.
[Deep Sea Honeybee: Wow!!! Today's chapter was amazing ㅠㅠ... I'm so excited to see how the story unfolds!!!]
“Found him…?”
She had found a trace of him in a piece of trash that barely qualified as a story.
The same warm words he had always directed at her.
Kkwadeuk—.
“That’s mine…”
Those kind words are mine.
Kkwadeuk. Kkwadeuk—.
“They’re miiine…!”
The story he’s supposed to be reading is the one I wrote.
“My… mine! It’s mine!!! IT’S MIIIIINE!!!!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The resentment that had been building up for the past few days exploded, and she completely lost control of her body.
Fzzt—.
“Huh? Huh…?”
The screen went black. She pressed the power button to turn it back on, but it wouldn’t work, as if something had broken.
Reflected in the blackened screen were her own bloodshot eyes.
“Aah…”
A world dyed black, and herself, trapped within it.
“I… I don’t want this…”
I don’t want this. This isn’t what I want.
I want it to be like before, like back then, so I can look forward to tomorrow, every single day.
“I have to find him… I have to go find him…”
Find him. And keep him by my side.