Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Vol. 2, page 13
I hesitated a bit before I spoke.
“Then let’s try—”
“Let’s kill him.”
Jihye beat me to it and pulled out her sword. Our tied-up prisoner began to flail in terror.
“Didn’t you say the Cinema Master likes it quick and simple? So we should just finish him off, right?”
To be honest, that was what I thought, too. No, I wasn’t just thinking it; I was almost positive that was the solution. After all, that had turned out to be the correct ending for a similar movie TWSA.
But then, Huiwon, who had been staring at the terrified man, said something unexpected.
“Still…he looks just like a real person.”
“What?”
“I know we’re in a movie but he seems too real.”
It sounded weird coming from someone who had cut down evildoers without hesitation just a few days ago. Then again, she did also say that just because she’d become a murderer, that didn’t mean she wanted to become a monster.
“Huiwon, this isn’t the time to get all sentimental. Are you saying we shouldn’t kill him?” asked Jihye.
“No, that’s not what I mean…”
“It’s either him or us. We’re real, living people, and this guy’s just a fictional character!”
“Fictional character.” I was dumbstruck by what Jihye said.
“…I guess you’re right.”
“Even if he was real, he’s a villain who’s gonna do bad stuff! Is it bad to kill a villain?”
Perhaps Jihye had a point. This man was a villain in this movie, and he’d do bad things. Therefore, it was okay to kill him. But the funny thing was, this was something Junghyeok Yu said often in TWSA.
“The future is already decided anyway.”
As I was about to speak, Jihye suddenly got up to pull out her sword.
“Master’s in danger. There’s no time for second thoughts!”
Her blade came down and pierced the man’s chest. Blood spurted out of his wound. It all seemed so real that it was hard to believe this was fake. Then I heard the system’s messages.
[The Cinema Master is somewhat satisfied with the altered ending.]
[The path to the next floor has opened at the stern of the ship.]
“See? It worked.”
Jihye cried out triumphantly. We had definitely found the correct solution. The Cinema Master was satisfied by our ending, and constellations would give us coins. Those coins would help us stay alive. That was how you survived the apocalypse.
But…if we reached the end of this world in that manner, would we be able to look each other in the eye?
[You have reached the second end credits.]
I didn’t know the answer to that question.
[Cast: Dokja Kim, Huiwon Jeong, Jihye Lee, Gilyeong Lee]
[You have each received 500 coins for your performance.]
We couldn’t get any good rewards for this movie, so we moved straight on to the next floor.
[You have entered the fifth floor, the Room of Rewards.]
We went up the escalator and finally came to the Room of Rewards.
“The Room of Rewards? There’s no movie on this floor?”
“This must’ve been where movie props were put on display.” I feigned ignorance, even though I already knew.
Movie props, some of which I recognized, were displayed in glass cases in the middle of the room. There were iconic costumes and equipment used by characters in movies, as well as stage props. But these were more than just “props.”
Huiwon walked up to one of the display cases and exclaimed, “Whoa, check out this sword!”
[Mikazuki Munechika - Replica: Grade-A Sword]
I looked at Huiwon, who was staring at the sword with sparkling eyes, and gave her a nod.
“Looks like you finally got yourself a proper weapon.”
“Wow…”
With a single glance, I could tell it was an incredible sword. It was obviously a huge upgrade over Huiwon’s old groll horn sword. I had a feeling it was probably even better than Jihye’s sword.
Huiwon picked it up and tried swinging it in the air a few times.
“This is awesome! The blade’s razor-sharp, and it’s light as a feather!”
I had never seen Huiwon this happy.
[Character Huiwon Jeong feels deeply grateful to you.]
These rewards on the fifth floor were the main reason you’d attempt the Cinema Dungeon. It was the perfect place for farming items for my companions that would serve them well through the early scenarios. Especially for Huiwon, who had been in desperate need of a good weapon, this would prove to be a massive boost in combat power.
[Rewards are limited to two items per person.]
They may not have been true constellation artifacts because they were movie props, but they were still grade-A replicas.
This kind of grade-A item was almost like a cheat code in early scenarios.
Incidentally, it looked like Junghyeok Yu had already been here, judging by the two missing items.
“Let’s do this. We can only each take up to two items, so choose wisely.”
I asked Huiwon to pick something out for Sangah, and I was going to do the same for Hyeonseong. I found the perfect thing for him.
[Shield of Hercules - Replica: Grade-A Shield]
Good… This is perfect for him. It was on another level from his worn iron shield and would allow him to bring out his full potential.
Jihye, a self-proclaimed fan of superhero movies, was standing in a corner, seemingly struggling to pull something out.
“Ugh, why won’t this come off?”
I went to take a peek. Ah, so that’s what it was.
[Mjolnir - Replica: Grade-A Blunt Weapon]
The Hammer of Thor, God of Thunder, was there. If it were the real constellation artifact, it would’ve been an absolute game-changer… Still, the original was so powerful that even its replica was a formidable weapon.
“Only the chosen few can lift that thing, right?”
“Damn it, I’m special, too!”
At that moment, Gilyeong appeared from behind us and reached for Mjolnir.
“Hands off, kid! That’s mine—”
Gilyeong easily lifted the hammer. He held it for a while before turning to me.
“Dokja, can I keep it?”
“Yup, it suits you.”
Jihye looked devastated again.
“Just my luck… So unfair…”
I ignored her and checked out other items.
Let’s see. What should I pick for the last one?
[Reinforced Armor Suit - Replica: Grade-A Armor]
Since I didn’t know what was going to happen from here on, I grabbed some armor. When I put it on, it wrapped snugly around my arms and legs.
[You take 10% reduced damage from external attacks.]
[Your ability to detect enemies has improved.]
[Your movements have become more agile.]
It felt a bit stuffy, but it was better than nothing, considering the kinds of battles we’d have to go through on higher floors.
I guess it’s time to move on.
There was no change to the dungeon, which meant Junghyeok was probably still alive. If we were lucky, we might catch up to him as early as the sixth floor, if not the seventh floor. In the worst-case scenario, he was already fighting the boss on eighth floor…but at the very least, he was still alive.
Now, shall I go smack our dear Regressor in the back of his head?
4
Unfortunately, Junghyeok Yu wasn’t on the sixth floor.
On the bright sight, the movie on the sixth floor was easy to clear. It was a thriller with a twist ending, which I had seen before. We were able to clear the movie quickly by killing the culprit since I already knew who it was.
[The Cinema Master is satisfied with the altered ending.]
[You have received 500 coins as an appearance fee.]
Jihye was incredulous.
“So the real culprit was—”
“Stop. Don’t spoil it. Some people haven’t seen the movie yet.”
[Constellation Secretive Plotter hates spoilers.]
Anyway, the reward was quite unique, fitting for a thriller with a twist ending.
[You have acquired the skill book “Sharp Observation.”]
“Sharp Observation” was quite a useful skill.
It let you see people’s overall stats. “Character Profile” didn’t work on people like Sangah and Gilyeong, so this would come in handy. My guess was that I received this skill because I figured out who the guilty party was despite their great acting.
[You have acquired the exclusive skill “Sharp Observation.”]
That said, I did feel a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a combat skill. I wished we had gotten a movie about gladiators or wars.
This was a sore point for me because I still didn’t have a good passive skill for combat. I could purchase something like “Weapon Proficiency” from the Goblin Shop, but I didn’t want to spend coins on a low-grade skill.
“I’m tired of movies already.”
I agreed wholeheartedly with Huiwon. I didn’t want to even look at another movie theater for a while. I just needed to be satisfied with making a lot of coins from appearance fees.
We headed to the seventh floor right away. I thought we’d find Junghyeok Yu there but… Damn. Most of the posters on the seventh floor were torn. That meant Junghyeok was already at the boss chamber.
There was no time to waste.
“Let’s run. We’re almost at the last floor.”
We started running. We had to catch up to Junghyeok as quickly as possible before he lost his mind and gave up on everything.
We ran down the hall and passed the theaters. The posters on the seventh floor were a collection of movies from countries all around the world that had set box office records.
Please, please be all ripped up…
But despite my wish, the last poster was intact.
“Crap…”
[The screening will now begin for this floor.]
The blue spotlight enveloped my group, and the scenery changed at once. A moment of dizziness, and I sensed salty air on the tip of my nose.
Once again, the stage was an open sea.
But…it wasn’t a cruise ship this time.
The stinging smell of cannon fire. The feel of a wooden deck underfoot. The moment I looked up on the shaky ship, we heard someone’s voice.
“Everyone, get down!”
The moment we ducked by reflex, a barrage of bullets zipped through where our heads had been. Soldiers who were hit crashed to the floor, clutching their bleeding wounds.
“Turn back! Retreat!”
Soldiers in Joseon Dynasty naval uniforms rushed to prepare the cannons. The ominous winds of a battle sent chills down my spine. The whirlpool of Uldolmok. The sound of maritime war drums.
Damn it.
Every Korean knew this movie. After all, it was one of the top box office hits in the history of Korean cinema.
Huiwon came closer to me and mumbled as she looked at the horizon.
“Um…how do we win against that?”
The Cinema Dungeon only accepted decisive, satisfying endings.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The enemy’s armada of three hundred and thirty ships blanketed the horizon. I quickly turned to assess our own forces. I mean, this movie’s based on a historic battle, so there’s still hope……right?
“What the…?”
There were supposed to be twelve ships on our side, but there was only one left. I rushed to grab a soldier nearby.
“Where’s the admiral?”
“…Th-the admiral?”
“I’m talking about Admiral Yi Sun-sin!”
The soldier did not seem to know who I was talking about. My heart sank. This was different from the movie I knew. The Cinema Master had changed the plot.
The distance between us and the enemy was rapidly decreasing.
It didn’t make sense. We had to win the Battle of Myeongnyang without Chungmugong’s help?
I looked around urgently.
“Jihye Lee!”
I had thought this might happen. In fact, I had brought Jihye with me not only for her combat power but just in case of this situation.
[Constellation God of Naval Warfare regards incarnation Jihye Lee with sympathy.]
It wasn’t hard to find Jihye. There was only one ship, and Chungmugong’s indirect message was coming from only one direction.
“U-urgh… Hngh…”
She was gagging uncontrollably in a corner.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Jihye looked up at me with teary eyes.
“I can’t…I-I can’t do it…!”
She wasn’t saying those words to me.
[Constellation God of Naval Warfare tries to encourage incarnation Jihye Lee.]
“N-no. Never! I’m not going out there! Urgh…!”
She continued to vomit. I knew the reason why this girl who hated the sea and didn’t care about justice was chosen by Chungmugong.
[Your exclusive attribute improves your memory of the pages you’ve read before.]
Pages of TWSA flipped through my head. This scene was definitely in there, around chapter forty.
“Hey, how did someone who’s scared of the sea like you get chosen by Korea’s legendary naval commander?”
“I’m not sure. Apparently, one of my ancestors was an admiral. Maybe it has to do with that?”
“…Wait, are you saying you’re a descendant of Chungmugong?”
Around chapter forty of TWSA, when the connection between Jihye Lee and Admiral Yi Sun-sin was revealed, the few remaining readers were outraged, saying there was no way Korea’s greatest hero would give special treatment to someone just because they were related to him.
However, as someone who had read every chapter except the epilogue, I knew that Jihye wasn’t a descendant of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, often referred to by his posthumous title of Chungmugong, meaning “Lord of Loyalty and Valor.”
[Constellation God of Naval Warfare longs for his old comrade as he gazes at incarnation Jihye Lee.]
“Then are you from the Deoksu Lee clan?”
“Nope, I’m a Jeonju Lee.”
Jihye was a descendant of Yi Eokgi, a comrade of Chungmugong.
Admiral Yi Eokgi.
With Chungmugong, he led the Korean army to victory at the Battle of Danghangpo and Hansando. When Chungmugong was framed for treason, Yi Eokgi was one of the few who spoke up in his defense. However, he didn’t leave behind enough stories to become a constellation.
[Constellation God of Naval Warfare gazes at Jihye Lee with sorrow.]
For this reason, Chungmugong had chosen Jihye. Lending his power not to his own bloodline but to a descendant of his brother-in-arms. It was an honorable act befitting Korea’s most revered hero.
I was sure Chungmugong couldn’t bear to watch the descendant of his dear comrade become twisted by guilt and trauma after being forced to kill her friend.
Well…according to TWSA anyway.
[A bounty scenario has arrived.]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: B+
Mission: The God of Naval Warfare has asked for your help. Encourage Jihye Lee, the incarnation of Chungmugong, and lead the Battle of Myeongnyang to victory.
Duration: 2 hours
Reward: One of Chungmugong’s stigmas
Penalty for Failure:—
I couldn’t believe what I was reading.
It was rare for one historical-grade constellation to ask for a bounty scenario on their own. I thought something was odd, so I looked closer. The reward was extraordinary.
…One of Chungmugong’s stigmas?
In other words, I would gain the ability to use one of Chungmugong’s signature abilities without a sponsoring contract. I gave Jihye a shake.
“Jihye, get up already. C’mon.”
“No! Blergh… You guys take care of it!”
“Can’t you endure it for just a bit?”
“…Endure it? You don’t understand.”
“You don’t understand”… Yes, you say that a lot. But I don’t have time to play along with your tantrum right now.
“I do understand. Enough to know it’s not seasickness that’s got you like this.”
“…What?”
“This was your dead friend’s favorite movie.”
Jihye flinched like a boxer who had taken a punch straight to the chin.
It was obvious what scene was going through her mind. The scene of herself strangling her friend in the first scenario in Taepoong Girl’s High.
“H-how…how did you…?”
“Don’t ask me how I know. There’s no time to explain.”
She looked up at me in disbelief.
“Are you gonna die here after killing your own friend to survive?”
Hooks penetrated the first-floor deck. I grabbed one that was flying at Jihye with my bare hand. She looked up at me, shaking uncontrollably.
“Whether you flee or not, you’ll never be forgiven. But—”
Rahhhh! The sound of a battle cry. The enemy were boarding the ship.
“If you get up now, you can at least save a few people.”
Leaving behind the trembling Jihye, I headed for the upper deck. Gilyeong and Huiwon were already surrounded.
I pulled out my weapon. The enemy were ordinary soldiers. There was no way that I’d lose a one-on-one fight. The problem was there were too many of them.
