The Reader's Fight (4)

I smiled faintly as I stared back at Dokgak, who was glaring at me with burning eyes.

Dokgak had thrown the first punch at me and Kim Dokja. That meant I had to pay him back in full.

In that game, how many political arenas had I sharpened my tongue in, match after match, just to protect my parents…

It was time to dust off those hard-earned political skills and put them to work again.

Beep.

Heart hot, head cold.

That was a line I truly loved—especially when I was about to play politics.

"Ah, ah! Mic… wait, no. Megaphone test! Can everyone hear me?"

My voice rode the megaphone and spread across the entire Seoul Dome.

It was only a feeling, but I could sense the gazes of the Constellations watching the Incarnations of Seoul Dome, the Dokkaebis, and every person inside the Dome locking onto my voice—onto me.

"Pleasure to meet you all. I'm the guy who just became a Constellation here in Seoul Dome—Park Jinwoo. The one who just got politically sucker-punched by a Dokkaebi bastard."

I kept talking as I began to stroll slowly down the street. On a stage this big, you had to draw every eye to yourself when you played politics.

Especially this time, when the gazes of the Constellations and Dokkaebis mattered most.

"Listening to that Dokkaebi friend of mine, Dokgak, I found quite a few things that didn't sit right, so I decided to pull a little aggro and file an official complaint."

I kept the smile on my face as I looked up at the night sky. The reason was simple.

The most basic rule of politics was none other than Poker Face. You had to know how to hide your emotions.

So right now I was smiling, performing perfect ease, branding that image into the Constellations and Dokkaebis.

This guy doesn't seem to have anything to hide, does he? That was the thought I wanted them to have.

"Earlier this Dokgak friend of mine said some interesting things, didn't he? That Park Jinwoo and Kim Dokja colluded with the Dokkaebi Bihyung to put on a blatantly forced performance just to squeeze coins out of our Constellations."

I continued while gazing up at the night sky.

"Our dear Constellations, let me ask you just one thing."

"Do you still not know me? Do I look like the kind of bastard who would put on a forced performance? Me, Park Jinwoo?"

The second most important thing in politics: gaslighting.

Honestly, some Constellations had probably been swayed a little by Dokgak's rhetoric. Even in the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint webtoon, a good number of Constellations had left Bihyung's channel after hearing Dokgak's words.

But I had deliberately cut in at just the right moment and stopped that from happening.

All for this exact moment.

To deliberately ask the Constellations ambiguous questions, to subtly manipulate their psychology and the situation—to build the foundation for right now.

"If I had really only planned forced performances, would the Star Stream have given me a Story? Have the Star Stream's eyes fallen that low? Is a Dokkaebi allowed to spit out that kind of claim so freely, or not?"

I flew through the air on flight propulsion, gliding right up in front of Dokgak as I continued.

"And our friend Dokgak? You said earlier that I planned a forced performance, right? But you know what? That statement is basically the same as insulting our Constellations. Did you not realize that?"

【W-what do you mean? I have never once—toward the Constellations…】

"You think our Constellations wouldn't notice the things even you could pick up on? You just claimed your eyes are higher than theirs. You basically insulted them by saying their eyes are lower than yours, you bastard."

I glanced at Dokgak, whose face had stiffened a little, and kept going.

"Looking at the scenes that played on that giant screen our friend Dokgak put up earlier, a lot of Constellations and our fellow Incarnations probably felt their hearts burn. But that was a video he manipulated, so don't trust it too much."

【I manipulated it?! What nonsense!!】

"You didn't manipulate it? For someone who didn't, there sure are a lot of cut scenes. How do you explain that?"

【…Hah! Then by all means, explain! What exactly did I manipulate in those scenes!】

"Gladly."

I pulled a bottle of water from My Little Hideout, took a sip, and opened my mouth again.

"First scene. Kim Dokja could have killed Dokhee. This one's a bit ambiguous~ That wasn't Dokhee's or Kim Dokja's fault—it was the work of the 'Fallen Guide, Antinous.'"

I pointed a finger straight at Dokgak.

"Does any Constellation or Dokkaebi remember what our friend Dokgak said when he handed down that sub-scenario?"

I cupped one hand to my ear and waited.

Ding!

"Nice~ As expected of our Plotter sunbae-nim. Truly one of the viewing Constellations of our #BI-7623 channel. That's right—exactly what he said."

I deliberately praised the Plotter and smiled faintly.

"Dokgak clearly said 'certain parties' screw-ups.' But you know what? That screw-up wasn't us. It was the work of that insect queen bitch, the 'Fallen Guide, Antinous,' who planned and carried it out all by herself. Our party did everything we could to stop her."

I glared at Dokgak as I spoke.

"And yet some Dokkaebi decided to twist our efforts and call them screw-ups?"

【…………….】

Dokgak glared at me with blazing eyes. I just shrugged at his reaction and continued.

"Wipe that look off your face, you personality-bankrupt, ugly-as-shit bastard. A trashy storyteller who throws the first punch and distorts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the truth—where do you get off glaring at an innocent human?"

The curses had slipped out so naturally that I put on a startled face and brought the megaphone back to my lips.

"Oh dear, oh dear. Sorry for suddenly dropping the swears. I got politically beaten half to death by a Dokkaebi first, so I was briefly in a state of mental and physical weakness. You'll understand, right? Our shitty red Dokkaebi bastard? Whoops! Another little slip of the tongue…"

I smirked at Dokgak. His furry body trembled as he glared back at me.

"I've gone on too long. Moving on to the second point. We could have killed Antinous? NO, NO. That was impossible too. Want to know why?"

Because Antinous's overall stats averaged 75.

"How the hell were we supposed to stop a bastard that strong? It was impossible for me. One wrong move and we could have gotten wiped instead. So I called a friend. Remember the wolf with the silver mane from the second scene? That friend's name is Lycaon. A good 'Guide,' unlike the 'Fallen Guide, Antinous.'"

I looked toward the window of My Little Hideout, where Lycaon was staring up at me with a startled expression.

"Our friend Lycaon is a truly reliable and kind guy. The moment I asked for help he came running and stood against Antinous, who was trying to revive the 'Disaster of Questions.' Well, in the end that still failed. No one expected Antinous to squeeze out her last strength and throw herself at the disaster meteor."

I turned my head and looked at Dokgak.

"Is there a single lie in anything I've said so far, Dokgak? I can swear an Existence Oath right here that I haven't spoken even a single falsehood."

【…………….】

"Our friend Dokgak has nothing to say? Of course not. All those detailed parts were cut out of the video you so cleverly manipulated."

I smiled deeply and opened my mouth again.

I had given the Constellations something that wasn't quite an explanation but close enough. Now it was time to seize the hearts of the people.

"Ah, ah. And to all the survivors still alive in our Seoul Dome? You remember receiving that sub-scenario 'SSS-grade Hunt' earlier, right? Did you know that was actually Dokgak's plan to kill every last one of you?"

It might have been my imagination, but for a moment I thought I heard a murmur rising from the entire Seoul Dome. I smiled and continued.

"A lot of you are probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about. But who am I? Unlike this Dokgak next to me, I'm someone who only speaks the truth. I'll tell you everything without holding back."

I put on a look of bitter lament and went on.

"The Disaster of Questions' ability works like this: it asks people questions, and if the person answers with anything at all, it counts as a reply and unlocks its stats—more precisely, its seals."

I waved a hand and smiled.

"Do you know what the Disaster of Questions' early stats were? A full 55. Considering most people in Seoul Dome right now have overall stats in the late teens to mid-twenties, that's completely unbeatable. But you know what's even more shocking?"

I pointed one hand at our friend Dokgak.

"Once every seal is broken, the Disaster of Questions' stats hit 99. Ninety-nine! Wow! Ninety-nine that even if every single person in Seoul Dome charged it together, they still couldn't win?!"

I looked up at the night sky with a shocked expression and shouted.

"A lot of you are probably screaming, 'How the fuck are we supposed to beat that?!' So why am I bringing this up right now? I already told you what the Disaster of Questions' ability is. You all remember, right?"

I cupped a hand to my ear and pretended to listen.

"That's right! It asks questions and unlocks seals when it gets answers. And what was the sub-scenario our friend Dokgak gave you earlier? He lured you by saying he'd give you SSS-grade items if you caught the Disaster. He deliberately stimulated your greed so you'd approach the Disaster of Questions, break its seals, and destroy our Seoul Dome!"

【N-no. C-Constellations, that isn't—! It's all a misunderstanding!】

Dokgak's expression cracked a little at the messages from the enraged Constellations of Korean origin. His emotions were starting to churn.

Idiot. Shaking over something this small. You're already finished.

Politics and gaslighting were about controlling your emotions well and mixing truth with lies just right to toy with people.

But the moment I deliberately dragged in the Korean Peninsula Constellations and politically framed Dokgak as having tried to destroy Seoul Dome, his face twisted with panic.

Next I put on a truly sorrowful expression, dredging up old sad memories on purpose, and forced tears out.

I spoke while crying.

"I'll admit to a certain extent that the Disaster of Questions hatched because of our party's mistake. So, so I did everything I could—I risked my life and stopped the Disaster of Questions all by myself. But the price for stopping a Disaster… turning out to be political attacks from a Dokkaebi…. Is this what they call discarding the hunting dog once the rabbit is caught…? I'm so sad I can't stop the tears… sob…"

Finally, a reaction…

I smiled inwardly at the Constellations' indirect messages floating before my eyes, roughly wiped the tears from my eyes, and shouted.

"Both Kim Dokja and I truly did everything we could within our means. We smashed the forces of the 'Fallen Guide, Antinous,' pushed her to the brink of execution, stopped the Disaster of Questions, and protected the lives of the people of Seoul Dome. But all we got in return was a Dokkaebi's dogshit politics…"

I shouted toward the night sky.

"Finally, they say I toyed with the Disaster of Questions. Fine, I admit it. I played with it a little. But you know what? Do you have any idea how many coins I spent buying the means to stop that Disaster of Questions, you fuck?! Three hundred sixty thousand coins. Three hundred sixty thousand coins!!! I spent that kind of fortune to stop the Disaster of Questions—so if I play with it a little before killing it, is that a crime?! You dogshit Dokkaebi bastard!! I spent my own three hundred sixty thousand coins to stop it—so if I play with it a little before killing it, is that a fucking crime, you dogshit fuck!! You one-horned Dokkaebi bastard who looks like absolute shit?!!"

I shouted at the night sky, then deliberately acted like my eyes had spun out of control, lunged my face right up to Dokgak's, and screamed like I was having a fit.

"Huff… huff… Ah, I'm really sorry. I lost my reason for a moment. After getting discarded like a hunting dog and then having to take insults even after spending my fortune of three hundred sixty thousand coins…. Please bear with me, everyone."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠glared at Dokgak, who was now staring at me with a dazed expression, and continued.

No—I pretended to continue while activating Shop User.

Now for the highlight. I'm buying a 'Hypnosis Sticker' from the Story Shop.

I pretended to slip a hand into my pocket, touched the sticker with a finger, and thought the following words.

For the next three hours of its duration, every thought I have and every word I speak will become the truth.

I smiled.

With this, all preparations were complete.

Everything I've said until now was for this single moment.

By now the frame that Dokgak's words were all lies and mine were all truth should have been branded to a certain degree into the Constellations, the Dokkaebis, and the people of Seoul Dome.

Because right now Dokgak was just watching me without a single rebuttal.

"Ah, ah. And now for the most important matter…. I sincerely hope our Constellations of the Korean Peninsula will absolutely, absolutely listen to this."

I forced tears out again and opened my mouth with an expression of utter shame.

"F-for our Korean Peninsula… kuh… sob…. F-for the Korean Peninsula…."

Yes—right now, focus on my tears, my expression, my words, Constellations of the Korean Peninsula.

Once you hear what I say, you will absolutely pour out your rage on that Dokgak.

"A-alright…. What I want to say is…."

The low-ranking Dokkaebi 'Dokgak' insulted and cursed our Constellations of the Korean Peninsula over Dokkaebi communication, calling them inferior trash compared to the Japanese Constellations he works with, broke-ass bastards with fewer coins, and pig-like fools who get swayed by his politics.

For a moment a heavy silence fell over the entire Seoul Dome.

I glanced around out of the corner of my eye. Bihyung and the other low-ranking Dokkaebis around him were staring at me and Dokgak with expressions of pure shock.

When I lowered my gaze, Kim Dokja and the rest of the party were all staring at me and Dokgak with wide, round eyes.

And finally, when I looked at Dokgak, he was staring back at me with a face full of shock, panic, and utter confusion.

I smirked inwardly at those expressions, then covered one eye with a hand, poured out tears, and began to sob as if I were lamenting and filled with shame.

"T-this unworthy descendant failed to protect the honor… the prestige… the names of our Constellations of the Korean Peninsula…. This unworthy descendant is truly sorry that he could say nothing while the great figures who have worked and sacrificed for the Korean Peninsula were being insulted… kuh-huh-huh……."

Only then did Dokgak finally come to his senses and start babbling at the Constellations.

【N-no! Constellations of the Korean Peninsula! It's all a misunderstanding! Park Jinwoo is lying right now!!】

"And after that, what did he say again… that the Western, alien, and other Eastern Constellations currently watching our Korean Peninsula channel were nothing special compared to the Japan he works in…?"

…

…

…

…

【N-no…. N-no! Constellations! Please listen to me! I absolutely never said such things…!!】

The reason I had spoken only the truth and deliberately dragged out the time was for this.

When the Constellations' gazes were focused on me and then shifted toward that Dokgak, I needed one final blow to drive into that dogshit Dokkaebi bastard.

And the means for that decisive blow lay with my companions.

I flew over to the party, snatched Kim Dokja's and Han Sooyoung's hands, and said,

"Kids. Use Lie Detection right now. And ask me this: 'Were all the words I just spoke the truth?'"

Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja, who had been looking at me with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blank expressions after I suddenly grabbed their hands, dazedly nodded and asked me the question.

"Were all the words you just spoke the truth?"

"Yeah. They were the truth."

Ding!

I glanced at the Constellation chat that I could now see thanks to becoming a Constellation myself.

Every single one of them was hurling absolute filth and parental insults at the low-ranking Dokkaebi Dokgak, promising they wouldn't let him off and that they would definitely kill him if they ever met him—death threats flying left and right.

【Uwaaaaah!! N-no! I-I! I-I would never say such things! Please! Everyone calm down and l-listen to me!】

Dokgak's face had gone blue with panic. Unlike earlier, he was now stammering and screaming.

It seemed the final decisive blow still wasn't enough. Looking at how he was still raising his voice and thrashing about, that was clear.

I smirked.

I looked down at Dokgak, who was babbling with a deathly pale face, and slowly opened my mouth.

"I stake my heart and swear that Dokgak, over Dokkaebi communication, made statements that completely disregarded our Constellations of the Korean ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Peninsula, as well as the other Eastern and Western Constellations, and even the Constellations of other worlds."

The duration lasts until the Hypnosis Sticker's effect ends.

Whoosh!

The moment I thought of the time limit for the Existence Oath, a change occurred. Blue flames flickered around my body, then began to seep into my heart.

I looked up at Dokgak, who was now staring down at me with a hollow expression, and smirked.

After seeing both Lie Detection and the Existence Oath applied to the statement I had just made, the light had completely gone out of Dokgak's eyes.

He knew it too. There was no hole left for him to escape through.

I looked up at him with a deep smile and said,

"That's why you shouldn't have picked a fight, you shitty bastard. Because of your politics, I got scared and spilled everything."

Meeting you was absolute shit, and let's never see each other again!