Let me get straight to the point.
I ended up possessing a character in a novel.
I looked at the large full-body mirror hanging on one side of the room. Something translucent appears above the head of the unfamiliar man reflected there.
<Aiden Stroke>
[Level: 3/32]
[Description: 14 years old, human race. The infamous second son of the grand duchy, notorious throughout the principality for being a wastrel.]
This status window-like thing was the privilege given to me, the possessor.
Aiden Stroke, the name of the character in the novel I possessed.
The important thing is that this guy is neither the protagonist, nor the protagonist’s ally, nor even a villain.
According to the original history, he was just an extra who would soon lose his life.
But that’s not even a problem.
I’m a devoted reader of the original novel.
And not just any reader—a veteran fan who has memorized everything from the early developments to the finale, the backstories not shown in the main story, the locations and functions of fortuitous encounters and overpowered items!
[Paid Web Novel > Completed > Fantasy, Fusion]
Title: Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent
Episodes: 1,000
The serialization section of a web novel is reflected on the monitor. It’s a novel that just uploaded its epilogue today, completing at 1,000 episodes.
Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent.
Abbreviated as ‘Reca Chronicles’.
This novel with its old-fashioned title is my favorite… to be precise, it was my favorite novel.
You probably noticed from the past tense, but not anymore.
Did my passion cool down?
I wish that were the case. Right now, the very existence of this novel is repulsive to me.
It’s only because it’s a web novel made of 0s and 1s data; if it were a paper book, I’d want to tear it into pieces with a knife right now and hold a burning ceremony.
Do I need to explain more?
On the other hand, it was also regrettable.
‘Reca Chronicles’ is undoubtedly a novel that doesn’t even deserve the expression “masterpiece of the century.”
But it had at least one unique strength that could be highlighted anywhere.
That is, the worldview in the novel is vast and meticulously crafted to an unbelievable degree.
It’s not just about quantity.
The greatness was that all those settings were naturally integrated throughout the worldview. As if depicting a world that actually exists.
In the early parts of the novel, it fully utilized those settings and the charm of the characters, carefully laying out foreshadowing that could be used in future developments.
Even though it was a minor-oriented writing that ambiguously mixed classic bases with current trends, the reason it secured a clear reader base during free serialization was all thanks to that.
But that’s all old news.
This novel lost all its unique strengths long ago. What’s left now are countless problems.
Listing them one by one would be endless.
From the mid-part, the deepened conflicts between the main characters were never resolved until the end.
It’s hard to even count how many MacGuffins and unrecovered foreshadowings there are.
An unpleasant Mary Sue character even exerts great influence at the forefront of the plot.
And the ending doesn’t give any lesson to the reader.
If you gain something from seeing this kind of meaningless epilogue, that’s beyond having rich sensitivity—it’s just being a lunatic.
That it’s not just my thought can be seen by skimming through the comment section.
Cheshaker Yeowo: Around volume 15, something felt off, and I knew it would be like this. If this author writes a next work, I’ll never read it ᄉᄀ
ㄴ rornflvpvp: Your life is legendary for not dropping it there and reading to the end
ㄴ Cheshaker Yeowo: Then your life for holding hands with me and following to the epilogue is also legendary
ㄴ Trueblue: I endured and followed, but in the end, it’s a novel that only disappoints until the finish.
ㄴ Plude: Impression after seeing the ending, like going to the bathroom for a big one and coming out midway.
ㄴ Niku: Every time, they elaborately explain settings only in notices or postscripts, but don’t utilize any in the main story, so this mess happens.
ㄴ Keepcro: So what was that Sun Priestess or whatever from the beginning? They said she had a deep connection with the protagonist or ego sword, sprinkled bait excitingly, but no mention until the end?
ㄴTuna Mammoth: What do you expect from this crap novel? I meticulously noted every foreshadowing when it came out, but 99% weren’t recovered until the end.
ㄴ Anger Control X: Noshibal the protagonist is pushed by power inflation and can’t even be seen, yet you remember that sun priestess bitch, you fucking idiot go die lol
(Comment under report processing)
ㄴ dlrjsnrkgotjrgksek: Ahᄏᄏ Just imagined fighting the demon king and the Heavenly Priestess and Dragon God appearing to helpᄏᄏᄏ All characters that existed only in settings until now come out and recover the sprinkled baits amazingly ᄏᄏᄏᄏ
ㄴPark Wooman: But no way ᄏᄏ They did setting dumps insanely and then put out an ending worse than early completion~
“…Fuck.”
A curse came out naturally.
The moment I first discovered this novel 3 years ago flickers in my mind.
After clicking the prologue with 0 views, I read up to the latest episode 3 as if my soul was being sucked in.
Back then, I was sure this would be my life’s novel, but who knew it would end being mocked by everyone like this.
I felt something welling up in my chest.
ㄴ Aiden: Author-nim. I’ve been a reader since the first day of free serialization, but this ending seems a bit off. Just picking out the baits sprinkled in the early to mid parts that I remember…
I start transferring what I felt watching the novel deteriorate one by one into text.
It’s a comment written entrusting myself to dawn sentiments.
Clearly, when I wake up tomorrow, it’ll be an embarrassing result that I’ll delete while kicking the blanket.
Even knowing that in my head, my fingers didn’t stop.
Tap! Tatatat! Tak!
…That’s all. I don’t know if the author will read this comment, but I hope it conveys even a little how much expectation readers including me had for this writing.
Written fluidly, it turned out to be a long comment of a whopping 3,700 characters. In 30 minutes, I produced an amount equivalent to one episode of a web novel.
Click!
With the cursor sound, my comment is uploaded to the server. Soon, reactions from other readers came up.
ㄴHartree: Recaf Sicily Continent honorary resident Aiden-za appears ᄃᄃ
ㄴPhysics Mage: Thought you dropped after not showing for a while, nice to see you after long. You suffered a lot pouring passion into this fucking novel. Not that I, one of the 30 suicide squad, should say.
A few recognized me.
I was a celebrity among the readers of Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent. In the comment section of this minor but loyal novel, I posted countless analysis posts about the work, so naturally, I had to boast a crazy presence in the fandom.
“A devoted reader of a ruined novel….”
Smiling self-mockingly while checking other users’ reactions, I stopped scrolling upon seeing a familiar nickname.
ㄴ Black Flame: It’s a comment overflowing with affection for the work, but they won’t see it anyway. No nameC is an author who doesn’t communicate at all.
Bitter but true.
The author of Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent, pen name ‘NonameC’, has never communicated properly with readers even once.
Never unpacked personal stories in the postscript section provided by the platform, never replied to readers’ comments.
The reason I stopped writing impressions or analysis comments was because it felt like talking to a wall.
That’s why I had to doubt my eyes seeing the message that came up the next moment.
ㄴ ‘NonameC’ has requested a one-on-one conversation. Would you like to enter the chat room? [YES / NO]
“…Crazy. Impersonation?”
No way.
On the genre novel platform Moonstopia, duplicate nicknames are impossible.
When I came to my senses, I had already pressed the ‘YES’ button.
[System Message: ‘Aiden’ has entered the chat room.]
[NonameC: Nice to meet you.]
[NonameC: This is NonameC.]
…It’s real.
The author of ‘Reca Chronicles’, who has never communicated with any reader until now, is sending messages from beyond the screen right now!
I had so much to say to this person, but my mind is blank as if bleached.
After being dazed for a while, I startled back to senses and pounded the keyboard.
[Aiden: Hello]
[Aiden: Um… are you really the author of Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent?]
[NonameC: Yes ᄒᄒᄒ]
[NonameC: I’ve seen all the comments Aiden-nim left until now. First, I want to say thank you for having affection for my writing.]
I felt a surge.
It’s hard to express why in one word. Because I felt two opposing emotions at the same time.
‘So the feedback I put into the wall until now wasn’t in vain’ and.
The anger of ‘so the guy who read all the comments made the development like that?’
It’s profound to face the author even online, but I still have to say what needs to be said.
[Aiden: Excuse me, why did you develop the latter half like that?]
[Aiden: No, honestly, it was strange from the mid part. The beginning was really good. Did you lose affection for the writing as you kept going?]
[NonameC: I have nothing to say about the shortcomings in composition.]
[NonameC: Um.. instead, though it’s awkward to say, I have a proposal.]
[NonameC: How about Aiden-nim stepping up and fixing the content of Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent yourself?]
“…What?”
Fix the content of a novel that’s already messily completed, not you the author, but me a mere reader?
I pause the chat for a moment at the sudden proposal and think.
I don’t know the exact meaning, but probably remaking ‘Reca Chronicles’? Noname C would need advice from a devoted reader like me in that process.
[Aiden: I can help fix the content of Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent?]
[NonameC: Yes. But this might be tough work, you might suffer. If that’s okay…]
My heart is pounding.
The anger that was burning fiercely just before is already gone.
To participate in the remake of my favorite novel, this is the greatest honor as a reader.
[Aiden: That’s fine. How can I help?]
[NonameC: Ooh.]
[NonameC: Thank you. How to fix it, once you go there, you’ll roughly get the feel.
I was dumbfounded by the explanation with front and back cut off. Wait.. ‘there’, where is that?
The moment I had that doubt.
Strength drained from my whole body. Sudden fatigue makes my eyelids heavier than usual.
[NonameC: Thank you for accepting the proposal, Aiden-nim. As expected, you were the person I anticipated. I’ll entrust the most important role in the remake work, so please take care of it.]
With the message that came up in the chat room as the last, I fell into deep slumber.