Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Trans-Sexual
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Due to the gate that ripped open in the sky, the world was destroyed in an instant.
[Monsters from the sky!]
[The U.S. Air Force has scrambled! No, the missiles aren't working at all!]
[The government has launched nuclear missiles! They're having no effect!]
First came the monsters pouring out of the gate.
From small ones the size of dogs that ripped human heads off, to colossal building-sized behemoths that leveled cities in a single blow.
Humanity's weapons had no effect on them, leaving everyone helpless.
『Sigh, you idiots! It's common sense that attacks without mana can't damage monsters from the gate, right?』 But the damage from the monsters was less than expected. Around 20% of the world, at most. That was thanks to the shadowy organizations lurking behind the scenes springing into action the moment the monsters emerged. 『Whoa, what are those guys? The Foundation, right? They're pretty strong. Didn't expect that.』 However, all the Foundation could do was deal with the monsters. While they worked to close the gate, the mana—the power pouring from it—swept across Earth, infecting all of humanity. 『I think power like mana shouldn't be used by just anyone. So survive from now on! If you make it, you can awaken!』 Humans addicted to mana mutated. Those who couldn't overcome the mutation died. Those who did awakened to mana and gained powerful abilities. The survival rate: 10%. 90% of humanity perished. The survivors became Awakeners, wielding mighty powers as they navigated the ruins of a fallen world.
"Ah... ah..."
Naturally, our protagonist, Shin Ki-cheol, was one of them.
"S-Constellation? What the hell is this...?" 『Why? I switched it to a hunter story! Regular hunter stuff is boring, so I added an apocalypse twist!』 "B-But, but the world!" 『The world? Oh, you can fix it from now on, right? Be the hero protagonist and restore everything to normal!』 "That won't bring back the dead!" 『......Sigh.』 Ppobi's Constellation's voice grew distant. 『Whatever. Even sweet potatoes get old after a day or two. What a useless protagonist—if I don't spoon-feed you help, you can't do anything. I went out of my way to change things up, and you whine like a little girl. I'm out. I'm done. Good luck.』 "Y-Yes? Constellation? Constellation!"
Ppobi's Constellation was already gone.
"Ah."
Shin Ki-cheol's body returned to normal. Not just his body—his mind reverted too. He went back to his hometown home as the ordinary guy he'd been before the Constellation descended.
"Mom! Dad!"
But they'd long since died from the mana. Next, he searched for his harem members.
"Damn it!"
Most of them were dead too. Some were still alive, but...
"H-He, he, heroine, heroine, heroine needs, protagonist's, help, help, help..."
Just as Shin Ki-cheol's body had reverted when the Constellation left him. Their souls had returned to normal once the Constellation's power vanished. Unlike Shin Ki-cheol, who could endure it as an avatar, they couldn't. Their personalities had collapsed long ago, and without the Constellation's power propping up their heroine personas, they were left as empty shells—dolls without souls.
"......"
After checking the last member in Korea, he stepped out onto the apartment balcony.
"That time."
He climbed over the railing and threw himself into the void.
"I shouldn't have prayed back then."
Overwhelmed by guilt. It was the end of an utterly ordinary webnovel reader.
"Excuse me? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Drank too much,"
I let go of Mr. Shin Ki-cheol's hand.
『Hey, be careful. That pretty boy's holding your hand too long—kinda sus. Might be gay. What? He says no? He said he's married? He's not, right? See! Let's not network with him. Makes me nervous. If he pulls any two-window drift bullshit, I'll rip everything apart. Got it.』 I used smoking as an excuse to step outside. Lit the cigarette in my mouth and quietly left the place. [Ppobi's Constellation views our world as a playground, much like Munchkin Mary Sue Constellations do.] The difference: while Munchkin Mary Sue ones feel like they're playing a hero-nurturing game, Ppobi treats it like a novel. [Ppobi's a reader-participation novel, so not only can he meddle with the protagonist at will, but if the genre fits, he projects his power onto the entire world.] Back home, I organized the intel.
[1. Ppobi's Constellation (hereafter Ppobi) observes our world as a reader. However, he perceives it as a reader-participation novel, occasionally projecting his power as a result.]
[2. If the story doesn't unfold as he wants, Ppobi shakes the soul of the target to force a change.]
[3. Ppobi's power affects those around too. But unless they're an avatar, their sense of self dies the moment they receive it—and it doesn't come back even after Ppobi leaves.]
[4. Ppobi sees our world as a modern story without fantasy elements. Thus, he tries not to use his Constellation powers unless necessary.]
[5. Ppobi loves modern fantasy. The moment he realizes fantasy elements exist here, he opens gates to flood the world with mana. Before the Foundation can react, 90% of humanity dies, and the world ends.]
Ppobi's Constellation intel doubled as the process of how his power ends the world.
"Fantasy elements must never be exposed."
Even without gates, it's a problem.
From then on, he'd unleash his full Constellation might, making world-ending disaster highly likely somehow.
[So, no reporting to the Foundation.]
The instant they use anything supernatural, the Constellation goes all out.
[He knows virtual reality games exist but doesn't count them as fantasy, so maybe many worlds he knows have VR tech.]
Next, countermeasures and solutions.
[1. Ppobi won't notice surreal elements unless he sees them directly or they affect his avatar. Proof: he barely reacted to seeing the avatar's and his own future.]
[2. Ppobi hates boredom. If the avatar's story gets dull, he'll likely bail (leave our world).]
[3. Ppobi likes modern fantasy, harems, genius protags, etc. Hates homosexuality.]
[4. He despises gay stuff so much it could backfire and destroy our world. He said he'd "rip it apart," so probably tear a hole in the dimension or cause massive chaos.]
[5. Solution: Avoid big stimuli or direct use of fantasy elements/entities, while subtly inducing displeasure, frustration, or pointlessness to make him bail.]
"Tough."
Too many restrictions.
I'd love to flip it—use a quest ticket or equivalent exchange scale to tweak Mr. Shin Ki-cheol's tastes and drive Ppobi off.
[That'd just get the dimension ripped.]
Or he might sense fantasy power on his avatar and open gates immediately.
[Indirectly plant things he hates, subtly.]
Wait.
Given Ppobi's extreme biases, maybe?
"Honey, find out where Mr. Shin Ki-cheol mainly reads his webnovels."
『Got it.』 "Then connect me to someone at that platform?" Moments later, I was on the line with a webnovel site rep. "Hello? This is Lee Seung-hoon. I've been really into webnovels lately and want to invest, so I'm reaching out." Even without fantasy, herding human behavior is easy. "I'm thinking around 100 billion won. In return, could you run an event this week?" If you've got the money.
[Sigh, still feels like a dream.]
On his day off, Shin Ki-cheol pinched his cheek in the bathroom mirror.
Yesterday, the Constellation would've snapped, "Stop pinching already. So damn suspicious." But he'd said he'd just spectate as a reader, and true to his word, it was silent now.
[Hm?]
Then his smartphone buzzed.
[Webnovel Event! Premium TS works free for a week starting today!]
[Oh, an event?]
His usual webnovel site was running one.
[TS event?]
The site was famous for TS novels anyway, so an event making all TS-tagged works free drew a wry chuckle.
[Haven't read TS in ages.]
But the messages kept coming.
[Read a TS work, get a free 1-month subscription!?]
[Draw: 100 readers who read TS works get 1,000 coins!]
[Write a review for a TS work: Win a solid gold gazelle figurine!]
[Hmm.]
Might be worth a peek.
As a pro who'd once devoured even the darkest TS tales, Shin Ki-cheol logged in and started browsing the event lineup.
[Yup, better than dark despair stuff—light-hearted, fluffy TS is easier to enjoy.]
Perfect brain-off reading.
The antics are cute too.
Used to like the heavy ones as a kid, but with age, mentally draining stories wear you out. Fluffy ones are comfier.
『Hey.』 [Eek, Constellation!] 『You—what the fuck are you reading right now?!』 'This? The #1 TS work [The Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family Is a Vtuber Actress, But Also a Fox Spirit Loli Magical Girl Who Moonlights as a Cute Keyboardist in a Band]. So basically...' 『TS? TS!? You were grinning at that shit?!』 Huh? Why's he freaking? Not getting it, Shin Ki-cheol asked back. 'What's wrong with TS?' 『That's the genre where guys turn into girls! You were laughing at a dude acting all cutesy and coy?!』 Classic logic from TS haters. 'Nah, no way. You can just read it as a female lead story. Sure, if it's dark gender-swap maybe, but this? Guy happens to become a girl somehow, then plays up the cuteness and toys with dudes as one...' 『Fuck off with the excuses! He was a dude anyway! You're watching that—watching a dickhead become a girl! Wearing girl clothes, pretending to be one! And grinning! Loving it! You think that's normal?!』 Ppobi's Constellation's rage sealed Shin Ki-cheol's mouth. 『No matter the looks, he was a guy deep down! Current state matters? Then date a post-op tranny! That's all! Inside! They're guys! Being a guy never changes! So you were laughing at a dude, calling him cute!』 'J-Just calm...' 『TS fuck! TS fuck! TS is—TS is!』 The Constellation bellowed.