I Can See the Comments on the Doomed Novel - Chapter 172



The Final Curtain

“Hatmaker.”

I muttered, gazing at the figure on the island.

The Hatmaker burst into laughter as he looked at me.

“What do you think? The spectacle I’ve created. Isn’t it magnificent that such great gods have fallen to poison like this?”

“…I never thought even the great gods could be brought down by poison.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true.”

The Hatmaker lightly waved his cane as he spoke.

“In mythology, many gods have fallen to poison. The god of immortality, the mightiest god of thunder, and countless others have suffered from poison, crying out in agony until they relinquished their immortality. Poison is the most certain means to kill a god.”

Indeed, they are beings of tremendous power.

It would be efficient to deal with them that way rather than face them one by one.

“Still, I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“You’re a merchant. You only care about making money, prioritizing your own gain above all else. So why would you do this to your trading partners, the gods?”

Why on earth are you doing this?

What gain could possibly come from it?

It was a fundamental question.

The hatter let out a faint scoff.

“Indeed, I am a merchant. Customer management is a very important task. But if there’s a product that transcends all that, wouldn’t the story be different?”

At those words, I recalled a tale I had heard before.

The purpose of this competition, and the vacant throne of Olympus.

“Are you, by any chance, aiming for the throne of Olympus? Surely, that’s not something you can obtain through this?”

If the goal were to become the sole god, I might understand.

There would be value in that.

However, the hatter turned away with a bitter smile.

“No, the product I desire is something else entirely.”

Not the prince of the gods, but something different?

If it’s something other than that in this competition…

“Could it be that you want Pandora’s box?”

“Of course! That’s exactly it!”

“…What on earth could be inside it?”

I know that Pandora’s box is a remarkable thing.

But is it truly worth going to such lengths for?

In a world where weapons like Gungnir are sold at auction?

The hatter adjusted his hat slightly and spoke.

“Do you know about the original sin of humanity?”

“Original sin?”

“Most humans are born inheriting original sin. Whether it’s because they ate the fruit of good and evil or because they are the last remaining descendants in the world. Humans cannot escape from that original sin. It’s the same for everyone. Well, in my opinion, it seems like a way for those in power to shift the blame for their misdeeds onto the gods.”

Original sin. Why is such a topic coming up all of a sudden?

I paused for a moment, then spoke.

“Is it true that when Pandora’s box was opened, all manner of wicked emotions spilled forth? Is that also considered original sin? Because of the gift the gods gave to humanity?”

“Excellent! Splendid!”

The hatter clapped briefly.

“However, the meaning of Pandora’s box is different. When Pandora opened the box, a terrible curse spread throughout the world along with evil deeds. But as a result of quickly closing the box, one last thing remained inside. That is ‘hope.’ Because of this, humanity can hold onto that last hope, even in a decaying, hellish world.”

“What does that even mean?”

“That’s precisely why it has meaning. As a result of opening Pandora’s box, humanity fell, and ultimately, this provided the pretext for the gods to destroy the world. Yet, hope still remains, allowing humanity to survive. Just as Misteltein signifies the end of the world, Pandora’s world represents not only destruction but also a new beginning. Yes! The right to wash everything clean and start anew from scratch.”

I frowned at the incomprehensible words.

“…A new beginning?”

“Yes, it’s possible with Pandora’s box. To reverse even the ‘destruction’ of this world. Personally, I call it this.”

The hatter chuckled softly as he looked at me.

“The ‘editing rights’ to this world, no, to this story.”

[The trait ‘Metafiction’ is strongly activated!]

I glared silently at the hatter.

This world is a story, and the editing rights that can be obtained through Pandora’s power.

If that’s the case, the meaning behind the hatter’s words is clear.

“You mean to change the world as you please? Just like that?”

If it’s truly such a right, I can understand turning all the gods into enemies.

Not just a king of the world.

It’s about seizing this vast dimension entirely in one’s hands.

“Of course, there are limits. We are merely characters. We can only change things once. And even then, it’s only a significant transformation.”

“What will you change with that? Are you trying to turn yourself into a god?”

“That’s not what I want at all. In this world, even the gods are ultimately just creations of life. What I desire, my goal, lies beyond that.”

The hatter spoke in a serious tone.

“Eternal peace, that’s all.”

“Peace?”

I still couldn’t quite grasp what he was saying.

He was fundamentally filled with contradictions.

I looked around at the fallen gods.

“Does this look like peace to anyone?”

“With a broader perspective, it can be seen that way.”

The hatter spread his arms wide.

“Lee Ji-hoon, you must understand. We are merely characters. There’s nothing we can do. We’re just swept along by the words someone else is writing, our lives manipulated! We don’t even know when this world will end! What if a meteor suddenly crashes here? What if ninjas suddenly kill everyone? Who could possibly stop it? Everything ultimately depends on that damned author’s whims!”

His eyes shone with madness.

The hatter had already laid down his answer within himself.

“I can’t allow that. No, it’s absolutely impossible. We were born into this world! Are we just supposed to let the author end it as they please? Are we meant to watch it unfold? I’ve decided to break free and attain eternal happiness. That’s why I’m going to reverse it.”

“Reverse it?”

“Yes. To the moment when the destruction of this world began. I’ll start from the first chapter again.”

I inhaled sharply without realizing it.

The enemies I’ve fought, the countless deaths that have brushed past my memory.

“You’re saying you want to repeat that tragedy once more?”

The path I’ve walked has undoubtedly been tragic.

Of course, there were joyful moments and happy memories along the way.

Many people died, many were sacrificed.

At times, I cried from an unbearable sorrow.

Yet, to continue this simply out of a wish for the world to carry on?

That’s no different from saying I want to repeat hell forever.

But the hatter chuckled softly.

“Why do you think it’s just once?”

“What?”

“You must have seen it. The previous world, some of the countless comments attached to that story.”

At that, what came to mind was ‘Comment Search.’

That skill allows me to read the comments on this novel.

But at the same time, I can also see the comments on the ‘story where Yura is the protagonist.’

Could it be that…

“Are you saying it has already repeated once?”

“The protagonist from that time, Yura, must not have been able to stop me. Well, I don’t have any memories of that myself, to be honest.”

“Then… the reason why the necessary comments didn’t appear as we went further back?”

“There could be many reasons, but Yura likely didn’t have the ability to reach that point in the first place. In that sense, you all are remarkable. You’ve woven the story this far, haven’t you?”

The world has already repeated once.

And if that guy uses Pandora here, that tragedy will repeat once more.

“I don’t think destruction will allow that.”

“Indeed, this world has the wall of plausibility, which restricts every action. But there is a way to permit it.”

“A way?”

“By killing the current protagonist.”

The hatter’s eyes turned toward me.

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“In this world, there exists a human who has been granted more than anyone else, who has been allowed more information than anyone else. Do you understand why I, like a third-rate villain, am laying out my purpose and methods so explicitly? It’s all to gain plausibility.”

A glint of determination flashed in his eyes.

“Of course, it wasn’t easy at first. So, in the beginning, I gained an unparalleled ‘karma’ by killing the protagonist. The only way to end this story is to return to the past.”

“……..So you killed Yura that way from the start?”

“Yes, she was strong. Even though she was alone.”

I drew the sword of the spirit.

This was not the first time.

He was repeating this story, inflicting wounds anew.

And he intended to repeat it over and over again.

“Then I will kill you.”

“Ultimately, that’s how it must be. But the time is not yet right.”

The island floating in the air began to howl.

Soon, as if a UFO were pulling something in, the light that spread from there shattered the coliseum’s gallery and drew Pandora in.

“By killing you, my story will be complete. After that, everything will be reversed.”

“What if I run away?”

“You won’t be able to. You have a human to protect, and eventually, time will trigger Pandora. Your death will only hasten that.”

Standing on the island, the hatter made his final declaration.

“Come to stop me. Let’s see who is right. That will be the damn endpoint of this story.”