The Plagiarist’s Survival

Tsu-chut, chuchut!

Like a bolt of electric current that spread through her body, a message displayed itself unto the air.

[Your 'Existential Story' is in a precarious state!]

[Your mental power has reached its limit!]

She didn't care.

She moved away from her desk.

She parted her fingers from the keycaps of the keyboard.

And she ran. 

[The main body's ego is trying to wake up from her dream]

And ran.

[Your actions are in serious violation of the Probability]

And ran through the sparkles covering her sight.

[Your Story is disappearing]

And then she saw him.

In an attempt to call out to him, no voice came out.

[Your mental state is crumbling!]

[Your story is being extinguished.]

[The main body's ego is regaining its control.]

"Hah…"

She let out one last breath, frustrated. 

And yet somehow, deep beneath these clouded feelings and forgotten stories, she felt a glimmer of contentment.

[Your ego will convert into the 'subconsciousness'.]

Then darkness followed.

***

Cra-crack!

Kiiiii–!

"Huh?"

Han Sooyung blinked numerously in a dazed expression as the train stopped in its tracks with a screech.

"... What the hell? Why the hell am I standing here!?"

She asked out in confusion, although, the clock ticking upon the platform caught her attention.

"Shit, I sleepwalked down to the subway station. I gotta get home quickly, I haven't published today's chapter yet!"

Not wasting her time and boarding the train that coincidentally was headed in the direction of her house.

Han Sooyung was the epitome of the 'living the dream' author.

She had the talents.

Had the time.

And had the success that followed one after another after first picking up a pen, well, in her case, a laptop to write in.

Especially in her case, her most famous work: [SSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor] was a novel whose primary idea came from her own dream.

Thus, she started and it blew up, garnering a lot of attention from people all around the world.

To the point she is currently making around ₩200,000,000 after taxes per month, hence, the reason why she cannot afford to miss updating any single day.

It would cost a lot.

Fshh~

The train was moving, and Sooyung scrolled through her phone.

"That loser again, sigh…" She breathed out words of exasperation as she read another comment from a persistent reader who accused her of plagiarism.

[Kim Dokja: Everyone, I've said this before and I'll be saying it again, this novel she is writing is a plagiarised version of the novel 'Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World', please check that out instead and see for yourself.]

"Pfft, how many times has it been that he's commented this?"

And the response from her dear and loyal readers was all the same.

[Killer-King: That novel is dogshit.]

[Literature-teenager19: I agree with @Killer-King, it is indeed dogshit.]

[Hyunwookshi: it has no development and is sickeningly repetitive within five chapters alone, please don't ever tell people to read that disgusting thing again]

"He must be feeling quite dejected by now–"

Krack–Kiiieeek!

Boom!

"Kiyaa!"

The train stopped, rather, it came to a brute halt unexpectedly the moment the clock hit 7:00 PM.

Ding.

[The Free Service of Planetary System 8612 has been terminated.]

A blue holographic screen appeared in front of her eyes as a downy creature wearing a straw garment was seen floating midair.

Two small horns.

It was too peculiar to be called a fairy, too malicious to be called an angel, and too innocent-looking to be called a devil.

So it was…

"Dokkaebi?"

Han Sooying muttered mindlessly to herself as another pop-up followed after.

[The main scenario has started.]

At that moment, Han Sooyung's overactive mind came to an immediate conclusion.

That…

"The world is fucked…"

She whispered to herself, as she shut her phone and slid it in the pockets of her sweatpants.

"@#$$$k!"

"Ah, ah– You can understand me now, can't you? Well, dear incarnations, I'll say this from the get-go."

The fluff ball spoke as its expression distorted grudgingly, attracting more reactions that were necessarily needed from people.

"We are not filming a movie, this is not a dream, nor is it a virtual reality test gear. This is reality!"

'What exactly is going on…?" 

Han Sooyung wondered to herself as the screaming and panicking of the boarders hindered with her thought processes.

"Out of all the possibilities and worlds to decide to become a reality…"

"It had to be that one."

Her heart began to race, as adrenaline pumped blood throughout her body way more than usual.

It was her first time throughout her life feeling like this.

'Here…'

She reached inside the pockets of her zip-up pockets to feel a key.

A sweat bead trailed down the side of her forehead as her ears rang, covering most of the words that the Dokkaebi spoke.

After all, she knows that there is no salvation for her, the people inside this train wagon, and the people scattered and living throughout the whole world.

Piiii–

Feeling hyperaware and euphoric, the moment the system pop-up window appeared in front of her, she pulled her Porsche's key from her pocket and started towards the buffiest guy in the wagon.

[#BI-7623 Channel is now open]

[The Constellations have entered]

+

[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value]

Category: Main

Difficulty: F

Clear Conditions: Kill one or more creatures.

Time Limit: 30 Minutes

Compensation: 300 Coins

Failure: Death

+

Ding.

[You have achieved the 'First Kill' achievement]

[100 Coins have been earned as additional compensation]

"Huff, huff…"

Blood gushed as she drove the key into the guy's head, her mental and physical state numb from the pressure and stress she had found herself in.

'I'm the only one who understands.' 

'I'm the only one who understands.'

'I AM, THE ONLY ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION!'

People pulled away forming a circle around her, gazing upon her dark hair, and skinny build as if she were a monster that would swallow up anyone that dared approach her.

Ding.

[50 Coins have been sponsored]

[You have received the attention of numerous constellations]

"Oh my, I see we got a psycho on this wagon! Bwahahaha, this looks like it's going to turn out interesting!"

Ding.

"Attribute Window…" 

With a whisper, she stared at her attributes.

[You have obtained an Exclusive Attribute]

With another breath letting her lips, electrifying ripples stretched from her body as another copy, the same as her detached from her own body.

"Turns out it's going to be useful…"

[Exclusive Attribute: Avatar has been activated]