Chapter 23
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Reader III
Shin Noah
"The environment is too good?"
What's the problem with that?
"Sigh. Uncle seems to have some fantasy about the profession of being a writer...... Writers are laborers. Just laborers. They all write to make money and get attention."
So-called web novel expert Oh Dok-seo said. As I mentioned before, I'll have a chance to cover what kind of person this Oh Dok-seo is later.
For now, it was enough to know that Oh Dok-seo was a frontrunner in nerd fashion—red short hair, a cap, a bandage on the bridge of her nose, and a fondness for hoodies.
"Right. You don't have mind reading on right now, do you?"
"Turned it off."
"Good. Anyway, Uncle, have you ever seen a construction worker who works on building sites for self-actualization? Have you ever seen a kid who says 'I like getting ripped apart so much I'm going to spend my whole life just getting ripped apart'?"
"Well... that would be rare."
"Exactly."
Oh Dok-seo chewed her gum and blew a bubble.
For reference, that wasn't a bubble gum product—just ordinary gum. Naturally, there was no way a proper bubble would form. With a wet *pishuuk* sound, the gum burst and stuck to her lips.
Oh Dok-seo wiped her mouth as if nothing had happened. This was proof of just how serious a fashion-obsessed chuunibyou she was about her nerd concept.
"Uncle. Remember. Creation... comes from deficiency."
Oh Dok-seo's expression was serious.
More accurately, it was fucking serious.
I normally wouldn't want to use such modifiers, but I had no choice. If I didn't use the adverb 'fucking' after seeing Oh Dok-seo's face, it would be ignoring the very reason this word should exist in the world.
"Why give them allowance? Take it away instead. Push them into the pit of despair. Shove them toward monsters and make them witness people being massacred by monsters. Uncle, you're strong. You can do it. Why not do it?"
"Hmm......"
"Just don't kill them. Oh, and their hands and waist need to be intact. Right? Anyway, as long as they're not cripples, it's fine. Writers are supposed to write better novels the more you exploit them."
Oh Dok-seo declared. Not like a scholar who believes she serves truth, but like an authority of the academy who believes truth exists only to serve her.
"Didn't you say they were all going to die anyway if it wasn't for Uncle? Then just keeping them alive means Uncle has done everything he needs to do, doesn't it?"
Is that so? Is that how it is?
'That actually sounds plausible.'
It was worth testing.
Counting the 560th iteration's canned hotel as a failure, in the next iteration I trained the writers according to Oh Dok-seo's advice.
This time I showed them not heaven but a mild version of hellfire.
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Save us! Someone save us!"
I took the writers for a walk beyond their quarters.
*Baaaaang! Bang!*
*Baang! Baang! Baaaaang!*
*Baaaaaaaang! Bang bang!*
The reincarnation trucks exceeded 1,000.
The parking lot and the road leading to the quarters were packed solid with 11-ton trucks, recreating a highway during Chuseok holidays. The surreal sight of trucks colliding, overturning, and crashing while chasing writers was truly something.
And that wasn't all.
"Ugh, cold......"
"Hungry...... I want yukgaejang......"
"Mom......"
The environment had changed too.
This time, instead of a luxury hotel, I built a shabby refugee camp for the writers to inhabit. Fairy chefs making gourmet dishes? Fairy casino dealers? None of that existed.
The only things prepared for writing were cheap computers.
It hurt to watch writers sitting on the ground staring blankly at the ceiling or sobbing. But shock therapy doesn't exist for nothing.
I spoke.
"Ah, mic test. Writers. From now on, you will be living in this village. I will block most dangers for you, but I cannot guarantee your safety. As you write diligently and write entertaining novels, supplies will become more abundant."
"......"
"I love you, writers. Good luck."
And then something amazing happened.
This extreme prescription actually worked!
The writers wrote as if possessed by ghosts. Among 335 people, not a single one didn't type on their keyboard.
Writing speed incomparable to the previous iteration!
I couldn't help but be moved.
"This is what a proper writer looks like, and this is proper output."
Seeing the piled manuscripts, a satisfied smile naturally formed on my face.
And the moment I turned the page with anticipation——.
"...Hmm?"
Something. Something was strange.
Just like a yellow dog flinching reflexively when given feed different from its usual fodder, I, Director Jang, also hesitated instinctively while holding the manuscript.
"This is...... Why has the taste gone bad?"
It was different.
The taste of the writing had changed.
The orthodox fantasy writer who used to sing human praises was somehow writing a grimdark story about being slaughtered by the Demon King's army. In the world of a yuri writer whose charm was cutesy characters, monsters somehow intruded and tore couples apart. In martial arts novels, zombies appeared and the murim was destroyed. Regardless of genre, all characters fell into despair and the world met its doom.
And I realized.
"This... isn't genre fiction!"
Pure literature!
That all-too-familiar taste of pure literature!
Especially the type that could be summarized as 'fucked and fucked so everything is fucked'!
An unfamiliar scent wafted from the writers I used to love. My head went blank as if I had witnessed my lover's infidelity.
'It's well-written. It's well-written, it's well-written but......'
The feed I wanted wasn't this flavor!
I could produce grimdark just by reflecting on my regression life. Why would I need to read grimdark even in my free time? Am I a masochist?
Besides, no matter how hard the writers tried, they couldn't be more knowledgeable than me about how horrific the monsters were or how far human society could crumble. In terms of detail, they were actually below me, a reader.
'What...... what have I done to my writers?'
This couldn't be.
I immediately went to Oh Dok-seo to protest. But even accounting for the changed iteration, Oh Dok-seo's reaction was completely indifferent.
"Not fun? So what?"
Oh Dok-seo nonchalantly trimmed her nails.
"Doesn't a creative work just need the writer's soul? Does Uncle have to sell their soul for your entertainment?"
"......"
"You said you love these writers. Then you should love whatever they write. Why? Did your love change? Wow. I didn't think Uncle was that kind of person, but you're pretty stingy."
"......"
"Well. Maybe it's my fault for expecting anything from humans again. How can love change? Do people change? Ah, here 'change' is the 'change' for defecation. The rhyme is killer, right? I'm normally pretty good at this."
This fashion-obsessed chuunibyou cosplayer was impossible to communicate with!
Ultimately, the 561st iteration's canned experiment failed miserably too.
Back at square one, I fell into deep thought.
Too comfortable is bad. The motivation to write disappears.
Too painful is also bad. Motivation overwhelms the writing.
'A conundrum indeed. How exactly can palatable web novels be born? Are novel writers truly beings beyond salvation from birth?'
I pondered and pondered again.
And finally reached a conclusion.
5
The next iteration.
A new board was created on SG Net, which had only had community functions.
Novel Serialization Board. Aka So-yeon-ge.
The notice posted on that board was as follows:
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[Novel Serialization Board Usage Guide]
1. All SG Net regular members acquire novel points each time they log in daily.
2. With novel points, you can purchase serialized chapters of novels you want. You can also donate points to writers you like.
3. Points used by readers are delivered to writers. Writers can use these points to purchase products they want. The product list will be announced separately to writers.
4. Every day at 24:00 sharp, rankings of each novel will be displayed at the top of the novel serialization board. Rankings are determined solely by how many readers purchased them.
5. SG Net provides manager services for non-awakened writers who cannot access the site. Works by non-awakened writers are uploaded to So-yeon-ge by managers. If any non-awakened person around you wishes to serialize on So-yeon-ge, you can upload on their behalf.
6. Let's create a healthy So-yeon-ge culture!
──────────
In short, I created a platform for serializing novels.
The initial reaction of members who saw the notice was lukewarm.
-Anonymous: Novels? Can anyone upload novels?
-[Yuldok]Sword Queen: The time has come to reveal my profound esoteric verses to the world.
-[Samcheon]Witch Judge: There wasn't much to do besides community activities, so this is good.
-Anonymous: What are the products you can buy with points?
-Goryeojang: Probably just going to be boring trash writing. If there are any writers thinking of serializing, be careful. I'll comment on every single one.
-dolLHoUse: Looking forward to it.
-[Baekhwa]6th Grade Elementary: Hoeng...... >_<);
There weren't many writers among the awakened. Even if they were writers, most were in situations dealing with the world's destruction. They had no leisure to serialize.
But leisure was always something created, not possessed by those who had it. A minority of awakened squeezed out time to serialize novels——.
-Goryeojang: ? What the hell are these point purchase lists?
One day, a verification post on SG Net caused a stir.
-1 month accommodation + meals (5-star hotel)
-Fairy Bodyguard: Cannot conquer gates, only capable of defending against enemy attacks. Abuse of said bodyguard will be punished.
-Real-time chat fanmeeting with desired Constellation: May be rejected depending on Constellation's disposition. Points refunded if rejected.
-Consultation on own awakened ability tech tree: Constellation personally guides on direction to maximize awakened ability efficiency. However, only provides guidelines, does not handle training.
.
.
.
-Goryeojang: No, look, the point products are just insane? By the way, I already bought the awakened ability tech tree. SG Net retards, why aren't you serializing yet? lol
The comment section exploded.
-Anonymous: ?? Is that real?
-Anonymous: Who bought this kid's writing with points? You guys are idiots?
-Literature Girl: No, Goryeojang actually writes deliciously well...... He was a web novel otaku before his Gate exploded, and I can proudly say there aren't many who write as well as him......
-Anonymous: What's this psychopath's novel about?
└Literature Girl: A story about an incredibly good protagonist who uses healing abilities to help the sick and weak one by one, eventually saving a small kingdom. A human praise story. Truly a rare protagonist type in web novels these days. I cried a bit at the scene where he treats the inquisitors saying 'doctors don't choose their patients' even while almost getting witch-hunted......
└Anonymous: ?
└[Samcheon]Historian: ?
-Anonymous: Fuck, are the products real? As expected of SG Net. Different class for a site directly run by Constellations.
-dolLHoUse: Fun.
-[Yuldok]Sword Queen: Why does no one read my esoteric verses?
The messenger was shocking enough, but the fact that it was a famous troll on SG Net made the members' reactions even more intense.
Starting from that verification post, SG Net entered the Great Serialization Era.
Some awakened tried serializing novels themselves, and a system was established where guilds scouted skilled writers to handle uploads.
The writer profession, rendered useless in the destroyed world, began functioning as support members.
-The Protagonist Doesn't Return from the Volcano (★9.9)
-The Circumstances of Why She Had to Become the Count Family's Cheat Character (★9.9)
-Comedy Talk Club [19+ Complete Edition] (★9.9)
-The Apartment Hid the Rebar (★5.7)
Sure enough.
The works that began serializing on SG Net showed quality on a different level from the 560th and 561st iterations.
Masterpieces that not only gained flavor from the writers' personal feelings and despair experienced during the world's destruction, but also properly delivered entertainment as web novels.
"What exactly is the difference? What do you think, Uncle?"
After hearing about my journey from the 560th iteration, Oh Dok-seo asked.
I made espresso for Oh Dok-seo. Because she only drank black coffee or espresso.
"The number of readers. And competition."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Writers are generally attention-seekers. They're deficient beings, as you said. But a writer's deficiency isn't filled through experience. It's filled only through people's attention, affection, and fanaticism."
Because what's absent in them isn't themselves but others. Writers are beings who have too much of themselves in their hearts.
"That's why writers need as many others as possible. Like celebrities. Like Roman gladiators standing in the Colosseum."
"Hmm."
"But that's secondary. Actually, what's more important is competition with other writers."
I accessed So-yeon-ge on SG Net and showed the novel rankings.
The ranking column, listed from 1st place in order, was displayed before any other page. Anyone accessing So-yeon-ge would see the rankings first.
"Infinite competition with other writers. Here, the sole standard of competition is purchase count. So it's infinitely fair competition. Writers can't help but rush toward that proposition of 'proving one's worth purely through writing skill,' that mirage shining brilliantly like the tall lights of a New York skyscraper."
Come to think of it, ancient Greek tragedy writers were the same.
They held competitions and ranked them. The city's audiences gathered and followed the writers' works in real-time with fanaticism. Since Athens at the time was the world's greatest city holding hegemony over the Mediterranean, receiving fanaticism in this city virtually guaranteed being 'the world's greatest writer.'
Competition. Fanaticism. A certificate that you are the best in the world.
Because that system was established, classical tragedy launched its brief but brilliant fireworks display.
It wasn't for nothing that Nietzsche analyzed that the essence of the Greek people was 'competition.'
"This is my...... our, humanity's last Dionysus theater."
But.
I was a legendary mutt. I ate up works craving the love of many, but also deliciously consumed minority genre works satisfied with few readers while expressing their own desires.
Such works were generally unpopular both before and after the world began ending.
I scrolled down the rankings for a while and clicked on a work.
-Title: 101 Ways She Accepts Death (★7.7)
-Pen name: Bad Ending Enthusiast
A writer walking the minor path, then and now.
After reading the latest chapter, I pressed the [Sponsor Writer] button.
-You have donated 2,000 points.
-ZERO_SUGAR: Writer, your writing is always... really good^^ I enjoyed this chapter too. Always be careful of trucks~
Hmm.
Something felt off, so I tilted my head.
"Ah."
Right. I forgot to write this.
-ZERO_SUGAR: But there's a spelling error. It's not '사단이 났다' but '사달이 났다' is the correct spellingㅎ. You've made the same error three times just in this work. Writer, are you the type who doesn't run spell check?ㅋㅋ I hope you stay in good health. Keep writing^^
I nodded.
Even looking again, it was a perfect sponsorship message.
Later, this total nonsense actually ended up being helpful, but.
*Baaaaaaaang!*
Let's talk about that another time when there's an opportunity.
For now, I need to deal with the reincarnation truck that's arrived in front of my quarters.
- Reader. End.
I'm an Infinite Regressor But I'm Telling a Story