Chapter 198
Chapter 198
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Infinite Regressor Spills the Tea
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1
I talked at length about writers, but to confess honestly, all of that was merely a prologue.
If calling it a prologue feels off, you could say it was the process of meticulously chopping vegetables before the main dish.
Having shown you examples of "great writers," the contrasting cases that follow will create an equally stark contrast.
Around the 600th regression. Roughly the 700th.
It didn't matter which turn—it could be any. In any regression turn, the SG Net novel serialization board was piled high with these kinds of notices.
[Literary Girl] O Dok-seo here....... (5 minutes ago)
[Literary Girl] Serialization Delay Notice (1 day ago)
[Literary Girl] Notice Regarding Tardiness (3 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Hiatus Notice (4 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Notice of Serialization Time Change (8 days ago)
...Omitted...
[Literary Girl] Notice of Irregular Serialization Cycle Due to Author's Health (1 year ago)
[Literary Girl] Author's Notes on Recent Serialization (1 year ago)
[Literary Girl] Same-Day Hiatus (1 year ago)
[Literary Girl] Regarding the Switch to 3.25 Episodes Per Week for the Time Being (2 years ago)
A whopping 1,019 notices.
It was like the inbox of a primitive man who had never grasped the concept of organizing emails.
All marked as "read," I experimentally clicked on the message that had arrived in my inbox five minutes ago.
[Literary Girl] O Dok-seo here........
Uncle, I'm sorry, but I feel like I have to let you know in advance that on-time serialization is impossible today, so I'm sending this message. You don't have to forgive me, but even so, I hope you'll keep a small faith in your heart that I'm always striving my best—that's why I'm writing this. Here, my excuses. Time has been scarce lately.
"Hmm......"
I rested my chin on my hand.
Not out of any particular doubt or surprise, but because I was impressed by the rhyme O Dok-seo had neatly fitted at the end, thinking, "She's pretty good."
Yes. O Dok-seo's serialization delay notices had already approached the realm of art.
Suppose, for example, one side is late to an inter-state summit. Naturally, it's an unforgivable "mistake" and "breach of etiquette."
But what if that tardiness piles up to 100 instances? At that point, it would be hailed as "Putin's political artistry," as per the ways of the world.
O Dok-seo's serialization delays were exactly like that. She could rightly be called a grand master of hiatuses.
If the Constellations truly existed in this world, she would undoubtedly have earned the achievement title [Achievement Unlocked: Writer Who Posted 1,000 Hiatus Notices] by now.
Who knows what effect it would come with. Probably something bug-like.
Unfortunately, Constellations didn't exist in this world, and since tricking her with fake ones wouldn't work anyway—O Dok-seo being part of the Regression Alliance—I moved my real fingers to send a real message.
[ZERO_SUGAR] Hey, Dok-seo.
Read your message. Don't stress too much.
Writing doesn't always go exactly as you want it to. This uncle has seen plenty of writers, so I know.
How about skipping this turn entirely and taking a full break?
The you of the next turn will do better.
Hold on.
To prevent misunderstandings, let me clarify.
I'm not No Do-ha, the Workshop Master. I'm not some poison-tongued machine born with a tongue that rotates 360˚, twisting every word into sarcasm.
If I say something to someone, just take it at face value. No need to excavate for hidden meanings with linguistic archaeology.
But writers are the kind of people who read between the lines of text from the start.
Even if there's nothing there, they suffer from the occupational disease of proudly declaring, "This is the hidden meaning of the work!"
Unfortunately, O Dok-seo was a writer.
"Uuuuncle! How could you say something so cruel to me?"
Bam!
O Dok-seo kicked open the door to Cafe Hideout. She flailed her arms and legs at me, having perfectly mastered Doraemon's Nobita's windmill punch technique.
"Huh? You think this turn's chapter is doomed! Doomed! That this turn's me is hopeless! How— even if you're a heartless regressor without blood or tears— how could you say that?!"
"Dok-seo, my roots are sturdy. They were just briefly shortened while I was gunning for a Walther PPK."
"You're saying I'm not even a writer anymore? That this turn's me isn't worth expecting anything from, so just drop it? Huh?"
"No, that's not what I meant at—"
"I... want to write too......!"
O Dok-seo grabbed my collar and roared, her head bowed.
For some reason, a youth drama's personal barrier enveloped her face. It had the kind of raw desperation that even Slam Dunk's Jung Dae-man would have to acknowledge as perfect.
"If only my hands were a little faster! Your regressions have already passed 800 turns! I swore I'd write your story— previous turns' mes, and the ones before that, why can't I write more than this—?!"
Now. Pause.
Here, I'll explain the secret to our prophet's creation process—the behind-the-scenes of how my biography novel comes to be.
① First, I tell the story. Since Dok-seo and I both live in the Inunaki Tunnel anyway, I can spill tales whenever we're bored.
② Based on my tales, O Dok-seo writes it down. We'll call the resulting draft the "first manuscript."
③ Then I pass the "first manuscript" to the O Dok-seo of the next turn. Thanks to Perfect Memory Ability, I can upload every single character.
④ O Dok-seo continues writing from the previous turn's "first manuscript."
⑤ Writing alone like solitary meditation is tough, so she slightly alters character names and proper nouns to pass it off as a "fictional story" and serializes it on the SG Net novel board. For reference, the serialization title changes each turn; in the 888th, it was [Epilogue of the Regressor].
In short, a relay novel.
And no matter the turn, Dok-seo unfailingly receives the previous turn's "first manuscript," reads it, and inputs comments like this:
"Why only this much?"
Dismissal.
"Whoa, Uncle! Don't worry, don't worry. The O Dok-seos up to the previous turn were trash who couldn't even write, but this turn's me is different."
Contempt.
"Shall we try writing...? This thing called 'writing,' which is nothing but grueling labor for the untalented, but mere bubblegum pastime for the gifted."
Confidence.
That's one set.
Before long, my inbox fills up with "O Dok-seo here......" messages.
A rare case of bubblegum yanking out human teeth.
Based on my rational suspicions, this chronic hiatus disease is most likely the final curse left by the "Operator of All Fictions."
Honestly, if not, there's no explanation.
Hundreds of turns, and only about 200 chapters accumulated—what's weirder than that?
"Dok-seo. I'm really fine."
I said this while removing my barista apron. It was soaked in the prophet's snot and tears.
"What writer in the world wants to take breaks from serializing? All writers dream of daily 6-chapter or 10-chapter streaks, piling on their stories endlessly. They're hunching over because they can't, but if they keep hunching, even their hearts will shrivel up."
"......"
"Don't torment yourself too much. I'm really f—"
"Whether you're fine or not is beside the point!"
What.
"I'm not okay!"
"......"
What was I supposed to do?
Fortunately or unfortunately, O Dok-seo didn't seem to be seeking an answer from me. She gnawed at her nails (I've advised her countless times to stop, but she never listens) and muttered under her breath.
"No. This won't do... I have to find a way somehow... umbrella... by any means necessary... I need to speed up the writing......"
Then she trudged out, wearing the face of Light caught by L.
Silence fell around us. Like after a typhoon had passed.
To reiterate, this was the 1,300-meter depth sector of Cafe Hideout. There were a few customers, of course, including Ha-yul.
As a witness to the youth drama, Lee Ha-yul delivered her line.
"Oppa, aren't you going after her?"
"It's fine. She might wander a bit, but she'll pull herself together soon. Rather than chasing after her every time for this, I'd rather trust her and wait now."
"You're just too lazy, right?"
That's why I hate quick-witted brats.
2
Thus, O Dok-seo would fiddle with a few chapters before tossing the first manuscript with a "Sorry! Next turn's me! Please handle it somehow......!"—that had been the routine until now.
But astonishingly, in the 888th turn, a new route I hadn't anticipated opened up.
[Literary Girl] 'Epilogue of the Regressor' will serialize daily, 7 days a week, at 16:00 from now on.
It was a miracle.
Lest you fail to grasp the terror of this miracle, let me elaborate: O Dok-seo originally serialized three days a week. And now she'd upped it to seven.
Have you ever seen such a case?
No. And you never will. A writer's serialization schedule, once reduced, never increases again—like the balance of a credit-defaulter's bank account.
Yet O Dok-seo had pulled it off.
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 273 (1 day ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 272 (2 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 271 (3 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 270 (4 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 269 (5 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 268 (6 days ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 267 (7 days ago)
Punctual serialization, not a single minute late. Razor-sharp.
And there was an even creepier fact.
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 276 (5 minutes ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 275 (5 minutes ago)
[Literary Girl] Epilogue of the Regressor Chapter 274 (5 minutes ago)
Once a week, at least a 3-chapter streak!
Sometimes, not rarely, a whopping 10-chapter streak.
Naturally, the SG Net serialization board was abuzz.
Readers who always waited to mock the "O Dok-seo here......" tardiness notices hurriedly posted comments.
-Anonymous: Yo, what's up lately? Why isn't Literary Girl late anymore??
-Anonymous: And doing streaks too ; she's insane ;;
-Anonymous: Like she awakened or something ㄷㄷㄷ
-Anonymous: O Dok-seo <[Honestly, if you think she's ripping Goryeo Jang a new one, upvote lololol └Goryeo Jang: Upvote lololol └Anonymous: ? SG Net readers entered an unexpected Literary Girl worship week. But not everyone joined the fan club. -[Baekhwa]HighSchool6thYear: Guys ; Isn't Literary Girl-nim's writing a bit weird lately?]_[;; Such reviews popped up sporadically. -[Baekhwa]HighSchool6thYear: Back then, her writing had that chewy, edgy feel]_[;; But lately, Literary Girl-nim's stuff lacks its unique flavor... like it's gone flat as the Earth]_[)!! └Anonymous: Flat Earth believer arrested └Goryeo Jang: Hell Joseon Guild level lololol └Anonymous: You feel it too? Actually, I've been thinking Literary Girl's writing got super shallow lately └Anonymous: Fr, it was insanely good when she was sporadic, but now I'm considering dropping └Anonymous: The writing's kinda off yeah ;; I tilted my head. "Still, Dok-seo's writing is pretty decent, though?" Truth be told, I'd been letting her novels sit unread lately. Didn't want her feeling burdened if I showed I was reading. "Did she sacrifice quality for serialization speed?" If so, contrary to SG Net readers' opinions, I actually preferred it. O Dok-seo was overly obsessed with writing quality. Better to let go a bit more than now, treat it like daily labor, and write—that would be far healthier mentally. "She must be stressing over the hate comments again, so I should brew some coffee as encouragement and deliver it." Thus, I volunteered not just as Cafe Hideout's barista, but as delivery guy too. In one hand, a coffee tray loaded with espresso (O Dok-seo's old brain's favorite) and cafe mocha (her young tongue's favorite). O Dok-seo happened to have left the door slightly ajar while wrestling with her laptop. "She's serializing so diligently!" Touched, as I moved to knock, I froze. Through the door crack. My aura-enhanced vision perfectly captured O Dok-seo's laptop screen.]> Enter prompt......
※ GPT-MSYH may make mistakes. Do not neglect cross-verification.
?
A question mark popped up in my head.
Before my brain could answer it, O Dok-seo's fingers rapidly tapped the laptop keyboard.
Tap tap. Tap tap tap.
Beyond her pianist-like graceful finger movements, the blinking prompt on the screen filled with these words.
>> Protagonist is Undertaker, regressor, 300th turn, starts at Busan Station, bizarre tale
Click-.
O Dok-seo hit enter.
Moments later, the laptop screen began vomiting sentences.
The Undertaker welcomed his 300th regression. In the protagonist's eyes, Busan Station was still bizarre. He always returned to the same Busan Station, but one unchanging fact remained. The bizarre incidents always found him at Busan Station, and protagonist Undertaker had to resolve Busan Station's bizarre incidents.
The Undertaker let out his 300th bizarre sigh and took out the black suit bought at Busan Station to wear it.
The bizarre tale of regressor protagonist Undertaker's another bizarre Busan Station story, 300th turn, was about to begin.
"Whew-."
O Dok-seo wiped her forehead.
"Work done today! Serialization chapter complete!"
"......"
Uh.
Dok-seo......?