The Reader's Fight (1)

It was the moment Park Jinwoo had thrown a tear gas canister at the Disaster of Questions, Myeong Ilsang, and the early hatching penalty had finally ended, so he was about to step outside My Room.

"Everyone stay here for a bit. I'll give you a bus ride."

Bang!

"A b-bus…?"

Han Sooyoung watched Park Jinwoo abandon them and walk out of My Room, her mouth opening and closing in pure disbelief.

She hurried over to Kim Dokja's side with urgent gestures and spoke.

"Hey, is that guy even sane? He's saying he's going to face the Disaster alone. Shouldn't we go out and help him right now?"

Hearing Han Sooyoung, Yoo Sangah also looked toward the door Park Jinwoo had just left through, worry written across her face as she continued.

"She's right, Dokja-ssi. No matter how strong Jinwoo-ssi is, we can't just leave him to fight something called a Disaster by himself…"

"……………."

At their words, Kim Dokja lowered her head slightly and began to think deeply.

…Even Park Jinwoo might not be able to easily gain the upper hand against the Disaster of Questions…

It was true that among everyone here, only Park Jinwoo had learned the hard counter skill to the Disaster of Questions, Path of the Wind.

But from what Kim Dokja remembered of Ways of Survival, the Disaster of Questions had a comprehensive ability score of at least 60. She was currently debating whether to ignore Park Jinwoo's words and rush out of My Room immediately.

Faced with a decision she couldn't make lightly, Kim Dokja turned her eyes to Yoo Joonghyuk and asked.

"What do you think?"

"About what."

"Do you think Park Jinwoo can handle the Disaster of Questions?"

"…………."

Yoo Joonghyuk closed her eyes and pondered the question for a moment. Eventually, having finished her thoughts, she slowly began to speak.

"Does Park Jinwoo know about the Disaster of Questions' abilities?"

"Yeah, I told him about them."

"Then as long as he doesn't answer the Disaster of Questions' questions, he should have a decent chance of winning."

Kim Dokja looked at Yoo Joonghyuk with a surprised expression.

"You keep saying you're going to kill Park Jinwoo all the time, but you actually acknowledge his strength, huh?"

"I don't like that bastard's usual words and behavior."

"But?"

"His strength ranks among the top one—no, at least the top three in the current Seoul Dome. You know that too, don't you?"

"That's true."

Kim Dokja nodded calmly at Yoo Joonghyuk's words. Because they were true.

At this point in time, Park Jinwoo's strength was absurd. His comprehensive ability scores were one thing, but even if you combined all the coins of the party members here, it wouldn't even reach half of what Park Jinwoo possessed.

And the most overwhelming aspect was Park Jinwoo's skill application ability. His talent for appropriately combining skills that worked well together to double their power was his greatest weapon.

"What do you rate his odds at?"

"At least thirty to sixty percent."

Han Sooyoung, who had been eavesdropping on Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk's conversation, scrunched up her face and pointed a finger at the window.

"Hey, stop talking for a second and look outside the window. The two of them just closed the distance."

At Han Sooyoung's words, Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk stopped their conversation. Yoo Sangah and Shin Yooseung also stared intently out the window.

Slap!

"Oh my…"

"…That guy really is a crazy bastard. Who the hell thinks of slapping a Disaster across the face?"

At the sight of Park Jinwoo slapping Myeong Ilsang's cheek, Yoo Sangah covered her mouth with one hand, while Han Sooyoung muttered in disbelief as she stared at him.

Then, seeing Myeong Ilsang and Park Jinwoo exchanging words, Kim Dokja's expression turned to panic as she prepared to rush out of My Room—

But for some reason, no system message appeared indicating that the penalty on Myeong Ilsang had been lifted. Finding it strange, Kim Dokja stopped herself from going outside and instead gazed out the window.

Just then, the conversation between Myeong Ilsang and Park Jinwoo drifted in from outside the window.

-…Why isn't the penalty lifting? You answered my question, didn't you?

-Tsk tsk!

"Right, that Park Jinwoo bastard definitely answered the Disaster of Questions' question, didn't he?"

"That's the mystery. I clearly saw him open his mouth and answer…"

As Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja conversed while staring at Park Jinwoo—

In response to Myeong Ilsang's question, Park Jinwoo clicked his tongue and pulled a recorder out of his pocket.

"…Huh?"

"…A recorder?"

At the recorder Park Jinwoo had produced, Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja both wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Park Jinwoo smiled faintly and pressed the button on the recorder, playing it back. Soon, a recorded voice began to play from the device.

-The fact that you've pulled out this recorder means you must be wondering why the Disaster's penalty hasn't been lifted.

-The answer is simple, boy. Really simple.

-If I don't answer your question myself, but instead play back words I recorded in advance on this recorder, then your penalty won't be lifted.

"This crazy…"

"…I see. So playing pre-recorded words through a recorder doesn't count as an answer."

At Park Jinwoo's answer and the hidden trick, Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja wore expressions of shock.

"…Cool."

Just then, Shin Yooseung, who had received popcorn and cola from Park Jinwoo and was happily munching on them while watching him, muttered softly with sparkling eyes.

The party continued observing Park Jinwoo from inside My Room.

When Myeong Ilsang, who had been toyed with by Park Jinwoo and had his face smashed into a cake, prepared to fire the Red Flame Cannon at him, Kim Dokja's expression turned panicked.

But—

Park Jinwoo simply smiled faintly at Myeong Ilsang's appearance and raised his index finger.

-You want a firepower contest with me?

An ominous dark-red flame bloomed from Park Jinwoo's index finger. The flame gradually grew in size, swelling larger and larger.

-Our caveman friend, feeling confident?

Then, from both their index fingers, a purple flame and a dark-red flame shot toward each other.

Fwoooosh—!!

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!!

The purple flame from the Disaster of Questions and the dark-red flame from Park Jinwoo's finger collided in the middle of Gangdong District.

KWA-AAAANG!!

When the signature techniques of the two powerhouses clashed, a tremendous roar echoed out, and the embers spreading from the two flames began to devour the surrounding buildings.

Fwoooosh!

"Crazy…"

As the surrounding buildings ignited from the aftermath of the two techniques colliding, turning the scene before them into a living hell, Han Sooyoung swallowed hard with a tense expression.

Then, an anomaly occurred in the power struggle between the two flames that had initially seemed evenly matched.

-…This crazy shit?!

As his Red Flame Cannon began to be gradually pushed back by Park Jinwoo's Flame of Destruction, Myeong Ilsang canceled the activation of the Red Flame Cannon and flung his body to the side.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!!

As the Flame of Destruction passed through the spot where Myeong Ilsang had just been, a straight crater formed. Then the building debris around that crater instantly burned up, and ash began to scatter around the crater.

"Whoa, damn…. Park Jinwoo is seriously ridiculously strong. You see that crater?"

"There's a reason Park Jinwoo claimed he was the second strongest after Yoo Joonghyuk."

"Yeah, he had every right to brag."

Han Sooyoung looked at the crater Park Jinwoo had created with an expression of admiration, and Kim Dokja nodded at her words, agreeing.

Just then, Park Jinwoo glared at Myeong Ilsang, who was about thirty paces away. Suddenly the view outside the window began to change.

Before they knew it, Park Jinwoo was standing right next to Myeong Ilsang.

"Isn't that almost at the level of Blink?! He was like thirty steps away!"

"…That speed is definitely abnormal."

Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja muttered in admiration at the sight of Park Jinwoo rapidly moving to Myeong Ilsang's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side from thirty paces away.

-Got time to catch your breath?

-This…?!

Park Jinwoo drove his fist into the stomach of Myeong Ilsang, who was looking up at him in panic.

Bang!!

-Keheuk…!!

Kwa-kwa-bang!

Park Jinwoo briefly glared at Myeong Ilsang, who had been hit by his fist and disappeared into the building opposite, then began muttering something.

-Hooo… Because of that fucking bastard, I just burned 360,000 coins in one go.

"““What…?”””

"Huh…?"

Hearing Park Jinwoo's muttering, Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung, Yoo Joonghyuk, and finally Yoo Sangah all stared wide-eyed at Park Jinwoo outside the window in shock.

"…Hey, did you just hear that?"

"Yeah… I heard it. What the hell did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he buy that cost 360,000 coins all at once?"

Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja began guessing with stiff faces what Park Jinwoo had purchased. Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Park Jinwoo, then scrunched her face and turned her head toward Kim Dokja.

"…What the hell does that mean right now?"

"What?"

"I asked what 360,000 coins means. At this point in time, gathering that many coins is nearly impossible."

"Yeah, normally that would be true. But…"

Kim Dokja smirked at Yoo Joonghyuk and looked at Park Jinwoo outside the window as she spoke.

"That guy's a little different."

"……………."

At Kim Dokja's smirk, Yoo Joonghyuk looked irritated, but soon composed her expression and fell silent.

Yoo Joonghyuk nodded slightly and slowly opened her mouth.

"…I see. So the owner of that one-million-coin achievement message that went up last time was that bastard."

"You figured it out?"

"There's a guy who just spent the huge sum of 360,000 coins right in front of me. How could I not notice?"

"Ah, is that so…"

Just then, a purple light flashed outside the window. Startled, the party hurriedly looked outside and saw Park Jinwoo charging at Myeong Ilsang while engulfed in the flames of the Red Flame Cannon.

"J-Jinwoo-ssi…?!"

"Oppa…"

Yoo Sangah and Shin Yooseung looked worriedly at Park Jinwoo wrapped in purple flames, while Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung, and Yoo Joonghyuk silently watched him.

And soon, the expressions of the party inside My Room began to change.

Park Jinwoo's form vanished in an instant, and before they knew it he was standing next to Myeong Ilsang again.

Myeong Ilsang outside the window also wore a greatly surprised expression as he looked at Park Jinwoo.

-Wh-what?! H-how… Keheuk…!!

Once again hit in the stomach by Park Jinwoo's fist, Myeong Ilsang went flying.

While flying, Myeong Ilsang moved his body, landed on the ground, and glared hard at Park Jinwoo as he muttered.

-Fuck… Mister. Look forward to it. I'll definitely kill you…!!

Just like Park Jinwoo had shown earlier, Myeong Ilsang's body briefly blurred, then vanished from sight.

Myeong Ilsang had activated the short-range teleportation magic, Blink.

Panicked by this, Han Sooyoung stammered as she opened her mouth.

"Hey, hey! That bastard ran away!! What do we do?!"

"What do you mean what? Obviously we chase him!"

Hearing Kim Dokja's answer, Han Sooyoung roughly opened the My Room window.

"Hey! What are you doing letting him get away!"

Park Jinwoo looked at Han Sooyoung with calm eyes and spoke.

"Don't worry. I'll catch up soon."

"What? Then hurry up and run—no, fly after him!"

"It's not time yet."

"No, what the hell does that even mean…"

Han Sooyoung wore a frustrated expression at Park Jinwoo spouting incomprehensible words.

Just then, red sparks began crackling in empty air, and a red dokkaebi appeared and suddenly issued a sub scenario.

After listening to the dokkaebi's long speech, Yoo Sangah looked at Park Jinwoo with a worried face and spoke.

"What do we do now? At this rate, people will fall into the Disaster's hands…"

"Don't worry about that."

Hearing Park Jinwoo's words, Han Sooyoung roared.

"Don't worry?! Did you not see the scenario just now?!"

Park Jinwoo sighed lightly at Han Sooyoung's words and closed the My Room window as he spoke.

"Hey, enough, enough. Just close the window for now."

"……Huh?"

As Park Jinwoo spoke in a tone that said her words were noisy and closed the My Room window, Han Sooyoung first wore a look of disbelief, then came to her senses late and shouted with an irritated expression.

"That bastard for real?! Seoul Dome might get destroyed…! Why is he so ca-calm…?"

Just then, Han Sooyoung, who had been right in front of the My Room window, stopped mid-sentence and stared blankly outside.

The other party members pressed their faces to the My Room window at Han Sooyoung's reaction. And they saw Myeong Ilsang, who had used Blink to put distance between himself and Park Jinwoo, standing right in front of Park Jinwoo's nose.

Like Han Sooyoung, the party members stared blankly at the scene visible outside the My Room window.

"…What is this?"

"……Spending 360,000 coins, could it be."

"…Does that mean he bought a skill specialized in spatial movement?"

"…There's no other explanation."

"Wow…!"

In turn, Yoo Joonghyuk, Han Sooyoung, Yoo Sangah, Kim Dokja, and Shin Yooseung each showed various reactions. However, there was one common point in their reactions.

That one common point was the emotion of certainty.

Certainty that Park Jinwoo alone could subjugate the Disaster of Questions.

Crunch!

-Kyaaaak!!

Myeong Ilsang, kicked in the back of the knee by Park Jinwoo, rolled pitifully across the ground. Park Jinwoo slowly approached Myeong Ilsang who had fallen, then—

Stomped on Myeong Ilsang's back.

Crunch!

-Keuk…!

Myeong Ilsang's face twisted from the pain felt in his back as Park Jinwoo stomped on it. Park Jinwoo looked down coldly at the pained Myeong Ilsang and muttered.

-Now I can just beat him up appropriately, kill him, and strip the items.

I placed my palm against the back and heel of Myeong Ilsang, who had collapsed on the ground.

Currently, the number of times I could inscribe the marking of Hiraishin no Jutsu was three in total. Two of them I inscribed on Myeong Ilsang's body for offensive use.

The remaining one I inscribed on a kunai I had newly taken out of My Room, to use for evasion.

-Over there!

-I can see that Disaster bastard from earlier!

-But who's that stomping on him?

"Hm?"

Just then, the murmuring of people could be heard from far away, and soon the figures of several men came into view.

At the sight of people armed with crude wooden shields and items that, even if I were being generous, were only C-grade, I glared at them with thoroughly cooled eyes.

"Who the hell are you. This guy is my prey, you know?"

The man who seemed to be the leader of the ones in front of me walked forward and glared at me as he shouted.

"Don't talk bullshit! Prey? What kind of crap is that!"

Shing.

As the leader drew his weapon, the rest of the men behind him also drew their weapons and pointed them at me.

Thick greed could be felt in their eyes.

Confirming their greed, I sighed lightly and opened my mouth as if giving them advice.

"Shut up and get the hell out of here. Before you all die."

"What…?!"

I ignored the reaction of the men whose faces flushed red as if enraged by my words, and activated Cold Observation to roughly estimate their comprehensive ability scores.

Having roughly estimated their comprehensive ability scores, I let out a deep sigh and opened my mouth.

"Two of them have average comprehensive ability scores in the mid-teens, the remaining five are in the late teens, and the one who seems to be the leader barely scrapes past 20."

Flinch!

At my words, the men's bodies twitched for a moment. Their eyes trembled violently, and they glared at me with looks that asked how I knew that.

Crunch.

"Keuuuuk…!!"

I put more strength into my leg so the Disaster of Questions couldn't pull any tricks, stomping on him even harder as I spoke.

"Do you even know what the average comprehensive ability score of this Disaster is before you try to jump him."

"Wh-what is that guy's average?!"

"55."

"What…?"

"I said 55, you idiot bastards. Even if a whole truckload of you came at him, you couldn't beat a 55."

I took out Varisada from My Room and drove it into the hand of Myeong Ilsang, who was fidgeting a little.

Thud!

"F-fuck…"

I looked down at Myeong Ilsang, who was letting out pained groans from his mouth, then raised my head and glared at the men in front of me as I asked a question.

"Then here's a question. What do you think the average is of someone who can easily subdue and beat the shit out of a guy with an average comprehensive ability score of 55?"

"…………."

Gulp…!

At my words, the men looked back and forth between Myeong Ilsang and me with tense expressions, then all swallowed dryly and began to break out in cold sweat.

I pulled Varisada out of Myeong Ilsang's hand, grabbed him by the hair, and spoke.

"This is the last chance I'm giving you. Run away right now."

Thud!

"Keheok…!"

I jabbed the end of Varisada's hilt into Myeong Ilsang's philtrum and cut off my interest in the men in front of me.

And then I began beating Myeong Ilsang with my fists. To pay back the grudge of those 360,000 coins.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

"Don't open your mouth. You'll get your teeth knocked out."

"Ke-keuk… Shit… Shit…! Fuck…!!"

Bang!!

"Puhuk…!"

Blood sprayed from Myeong Ilsang's mouth as a fist drove into his solar plexus. Myeong Ilsang clutched the spot where he'd been hit in the solar plexus and dropped to his knees.

I looked down at Myeong Ilsang, who was now on his knees with his head planted in the ground, gasping for breath, and sighed.

"Looking at him like this, he seems a little pitiful. Well, only a very little."

Shing.

I looked down at him as I raised Varisada, then activated Hiraishin no Jutsu.

Slash!

Snap!

"Huh…?"

Myeong Ilsang, who had been planting his head on the ground and catching his breath, felt a chilling sensation as if something sharp had passed over his heel, along with a spine-tingling feeling as if something had snapped at his heel. He raised his head and looked at his own heel.

And Myeong Ilsang could see that his heel—his Achilles tendon—had been cut and suffered a severing wound from something.

Myeong Ilsang's Achilles tendon had been completely severed in an instant.

"Kyaaaaaaak—!!"

Myeong Ilsang rolled his eyes back and let out a great scream at the unbelievable reality. Then tears streamed from both his eyes as he clutched his own leg.

"What was this technique called again…. Ah, right. It was definitely 'Hiraishin Slash,' wasn't it?"

I looked down coldly at Myeong Ilsang, who was screaming and wailing, as I wiped the blood off Varisada with my clothes and muttered.

Hiraishin Slash.

This technique was an application of the space-time ninjutsu Hiraishin no Jutsu. Instantly teleporting to a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠marked target and swiftly cutting a vital point.

I had used that technique on the heel of Myeong Ilsang, where I had inscribed the marking earlier. Aiming for Myeong Ilsang's Achilles tendon, that is.

"Don't cry. A bastard who spent a hundred years slaughtering, raping, and eating otherworlders has no right to cry."

I glared at the bastard who was sniffling and bursting into tears with eyes full of disgust.

In the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint webtoon, Myeong Ilsang had asked a woman trapped under building debris a question like this.

'Bug, wolf, bird. Which of the three races is the best at it?'

When I first saw that line, I didn't know what it meant, so I searched it online. And the search results were horrific.

I never imagined that line meant he had slept with women of the Parasites, the dominant species of Chronos, the Immunes, and the race called birds, the Belkia.

Here's a question. Did Myeong Ilsang, who was summoned as a Disaster to the world of Chronos under the name of a hero, fall in love with the women of the Parasites, Immunes, and Belkia tribes, mutually consent, and enjoy it together?

Or did he rape them? The answer was already decided.

Then Myeong Ilsang had asked the woman another question.

'Then, which of the three meats tastes the best?'

This bastard who, as a Disaster, had slaughtered Chronosians, raped them, and practiced cannibalism, had no need for mercy.

Rather, I should toy with him and kill him slowly.

I grabbed Myeong Ilsang by the hair, lifted his head, and began slamming his face into the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Guh…?! Keuk…! S-spare…!!"

In an instant, Myeong Ilsang's face became a mess of blood. Confirming that appearance, I released the hand that had been gripping his hair and whispered.

"Let's play one game, you and me."

"Keuk… keuk…?"

A look of bewilderment entered Myeong Ilsang's eyes, which were dyed with terror. He raised his head and looked at me.

I smiled as I whispered toward the bastard who was intermittently trembling all over.

"Don't answer, just listen. From now on, I'm giving you 30 seconds to run away."

"Of course, there are conditions. First, you don't throw questions at other people. Second, you run away only on your own two legs. That's all. Easy, right?"

"D-don't fuck with me… How am I supposed to run on th-this leg…"

Myeong Ilsang glared hard at me as he lifted the leg whose Achilles tendon had been severed. In response, I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hmm. Well, I'll answer just this one. If you don't like it, then die, you piece of shit."

At my words, Myeong Ilsang seemed to ponder deeply. But the bastard had no choice.

A moment later, Myeong Ilsang seemed to have organized his thoughts. He looked up at me and nodded slightly.

"Good, good. Run for 30 seconds. Ah, but."

"…?"

Myeong Ilsang stopped the posture he was about to take to run away immediately and looked back at me. And he flinched, his body trembling as he wore a startled expression.

Because I was looking at him with a smile full of madness.

Myeong Ilsang nodded with eyes filled with terror. In response, I smiled in satisfaction and spoke.

"Good, hurry up and run."

At my words as a signal, Myeong Ilsang began running with all his might, limping on one leg.

I watched Myeong Ilsang doing his best to put distance between us with a face that found him rather admirable.

I took my eyes off Myeong Ilsang and opened my attribute window.

After staring at the attribute window for 20 seconds, I turned my head and looked at Myeong Ilsang, who had now put considerable distance between us.

"…Shall I try gambling a bit."

I took out the anti-materiel sniper rifle M107 that had been stashed in a corner of My Room.

"I will synthesize skills."

At the system message ringing in my head, I glanced at the skill column of my attribute window and continued.

"I will synthesize 'Shooting,' 'Rapid Fire,' 'Deadeye,' and 'Magic Bullet' from my attribute window."

Charruruk!

The letters with the names and levels of the four skills I had spoken while looking at the attribute window left the attribute window and began floating in midair.

Then those letters began gathering in one place, and an anomaly started to occur.

Fwoosh!

Blue flames surged from the letters gathered in one place and began flying toward me.

Sook!

Hm?

That flame was absorbed into the left side of my chest where my heart was, and then nothing happened.

"What… Fai-lure…"

Judging that the synthesis had failed, I lowered my head with an expression full of disappointment—

Just then, an unfamiliar voice rang out in my head. It was not the usual system message sound.

Fwoooosh—!!

As that voice cut off, the M107 I was holding began to burn with blue flames.

The blue flames indiscriminately burned the M107, and the form of the M107 slowly began to twist.

The barrel portion grew a little thicker, and the colors of the receiver and stock began to be dyed gold and blue.

Before long, the form of the anti-materiel sniper rifle M107 was nowhere to be found, and some luxurious musket was gripped in my hand.

As I stared blankly at it, system messages flew in one after another.

"…I didn't expect things to go this well, though."

I raised the musket in my hand and aimed the muzzle toward Myeong Ilsang, who was still fleeing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far away.

Der Freischütz, the first bullet.

My Sacred Relic resonated with my words and began to be engulfed in blue flames. Then a cape shining blue and gold draped over my shoulders, and blue flames bloomed from my eyes.

I aimed the muzzle at the back of the knee of Myeong Ilsang's remaining good leg and slowly began to pull the trigger.

Myeong Ilsang, who had already put quite a bit of distance between us. If I had raised the accuracy with the original 'Deadeye' I used and fired a gun from this distance, I probably wouldn't have been able to hit Myeong Ilsang.

But.

It was different now.

Right now, I had the intuition that I could definitely hit the bastard.

Bang—!

Then a single bullet fired from the muzzle of my musket flew toward Myeong Ilsang, wrapped in blue flames.