The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“What is this about?”

To summarize Sohee’s bombshell announcement:

Cheon Gija approached her, warning that if they continued to travel together, attempts on my life might recur. Sohee must depart until she can shine brighter.

“Sohee, do you really have to leave?”

I understood the essence of what this Cheon Gija person conveyed.

The minimum stats required to win over Cheon Sohee were insufficient. It appeared that they’re hinting at the need for greater fame.

Continuing our travels together, Sohee’s next outburst might occur before achieving the necessary fame level. That seemed to be the implication behind the suggestion that she needed to leave for a while.

“Yunho. If you don’t want to be killed, I have to leave.”

Sohee attempted to speak as dispassionately as possible, her words emerging in fragmented sentences.

She was evidently struggling to conceal it, but to me, she appeared on the brink of breaking down at the slightest provocation.

“Sohee, what about you? If you distance yourself from oppa, won’t you struggle to control your murderous intent again?”

“Cheon Gija mentioned that during the Sung Family incident, the Defier of Heaven’s energy was transferred to me, thanks to Yunho’s sincerity. He assured there wouldn’t be any surges of murderous intent for a while.”

Sohee slightly bowed her head, touching her lips with her fingertips.

The action she’s referring to was clear, but did he possess such capability? Was this feasible because we’re in a visual novel world?

“Then, there’s no reason for you to leave.”

If a kiss could quell the murderous intent, then I should simply provide Sohee with daily kisses at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks if she desired, including tongue service, without any personal feelings involved

“If we continue to travel together, we’ll keep triggering each other, leading to the repetition of the same incidents,” she said.

Sohee shook her head from side to side.

Triggering each other.

Reflecting on it, both of Sohee’s outbursts were indeed caused by me.

If my mere presence guaranteed that such incidents would continue to happen, I could somewhat understand why Sohee decided to leave.

“Sohee, oppa wants to hear your opinion more than what Cheon Gija or anyone else says.”

After all, reasons were just that. I wanted to hear Sohee’s true feelings.

“……”

Sohee silently bowed her head.

“Sohee, we agreed to find the answer together. I don’t want to let you go like this.”

It’s not like before when Sohee was aiming for my neck.

Now that I know she’s the heroine, there’s no reason to let her go.

“…… I don’t want to leave either.”

Sohee barely managed to voice her inner feelings.

“Sohee, then you don’t have to leave.”

“What about Yunho then?”

Sohee’s eyes trembled with continued dissuasion.

“You didn’t intentionally try to kill me.”

“Yunho. My inner murderous intent is always unintentional. It greedily wants to devour what it desires.”

Sohee placed her hand over her heart, indicating her inner murderous intent. She smiled faintly in an attempt to appear calm, but her lips trembled with anxiety.

She looked dangerously unstable.

“Surely, we’ll find an answer if we look…”

“I targeted Yunho’s life from the first time. The second time, I stabbed Yunho with my own hands aiming for his life. What about the third time?”

Sohee’s chest trembled. The composure she had feigned gradually broke, and her eyes began to well up with tears.

“Sohee.”

“That day, I actually felt good. I was happy that Yunho came to save me and that we kissed. But the funny thing is, something inside me was also happy about stabbing Yunho. And as that feeling faded, it felt incredibly regretful. Not because it faded, but because I didn’t kill Yunho.”

Sohee confessed to me as if admitting a shameful sin.

“Sohee, that wasn’t you.”

“I know. I want to protect Yunho. Yunho is the storyteller, and I want to be Yunho’s guardian warrior. I want to travel the Central Plains together.”

“From now on, too. But something inside me will keep aiming for Yunho’s neck. I want to protect Yunho, but in the Central Plains, I’ve become the person most dangerous to him.”

Her voice trembled, as if she couldn’t control the overwhelming emotions.

“Is there really no way for me not to part with Sohee?”

“If you shine brighter than the Heavenly Death Star, it’s possible. What does that mean? It means the renown of the Defier of Heaven must spread throughout the nine provinces. What in the world is that?”

Sohee let out a scoff, as if she had heard something absurd.

Indeed, the skilled fortune-teller was correct.

Sohee seemed skeptical of such an outlandish statement, but I immediately understood.

It’s understandable, but saying it like that made it seem so far away.

How much fame did I need to outshine the Heavenly Death Star?

“Is the fate of the heavens truly inescapable?”

Sohee opened the window next to the bed where I lay and looked up at the night sky.

Was she searching for the Heavenly Death Star in the sky?

Tears eventually fell from one of her eyes as she blankly stared at the sky.

The first time I had seen her tears.

She, who never shed tears in any situation, was breaking down at the thought of parting with me.

‘Should we part for a while?’

If it’s certain that Sohee would continue to target my neck, then parting for a while might be right.

When the day came that my fame level completely controlled Sohee’s murderous intent, it might be better to call Sohee back then.

‘When will that day come?’

It’s the Heavenly Death Star, after all. As a martial arts novel enthusiast, I fully understand how difficult it is to change the fate of the Heavenly Death Star.

I looked at Sohee, who was blankly staring at the sky.

‘Does she think we won’t meet again?’

If she thought we’d reunite after a short parting, she wouldn’t be shedding tears like this.

She must think that if she leaves now, there’s no promise of when we’ll meet again.

‘I need to give her the courage to return.’

So that she didn’t give up.

Even if she left, as the heroine, she could always come back to me.

If I couldn’t change her decision, then I needed to give her courage.

Cheon Sohee blankly stared at a star in the sky.

The starlight indifferently illuminated the earth.

The starlight was so indifferent, yet she, who received a sliver of the star’s energy, suffered and agonized over her fate.

The fear of becoming not herself. The fate of leading numerous people to death.

She found hope on the path to such a catastrophe.

A man who shared similar experiences, understood the pain, and even shared the past.

She thought she could walk the thorny path with him, looking at his face. But,

一 To bear the fate of the Heavenly Death Star, he was not yet prepared.

She cannot walk with him. Walking with him will eventually lead to his death.

Cheon Sohee looked at Yunho, who was sitting carefully on the bed, with worried eyes.

To stay by his side, his renown must spread throughout the nine provinces. Was it possible?

She acknowledged Kang Yunho’s eloquence, but she had never heard of a storyteller whose fame spread throughout the nine provinces.

There was a meeting after parting, and there was a return after leaving (會者定離 去者必返). Cheon Gija said. But if she parted with Yunho now, could she stand by his side again?

Cheon Sohee couldn’t answer her own question.

“Sohee.”

Kang Yunho got up from the bed and approached Sohee.

“Yunho. Stay lying down.”

No matter what Yunho said, she had to leave for his sake. But could she leave if he embraced her?

Sohee took a half-step back to prevent her heart from wavering.

Yunho looked at Sohee with a look of pity and then gazed out at the sky beyond the window.

“The stars in the sky are numerous. They just seem to twinkle in the sky, but it’s unbelievable how such stars can twist a person’s life so greatly.”

“It seems that the fate of the stars cannot ultimately be overcome.”

Sohee spoke in a tone of resignation.

“Fate, huh? By the way, Sohee. When I was young, I learned how to read palms. Can I see your hand for a moment?”

Kang Yunho asked naturally, extending his hand towards Sohee.

After a brief hesitation, Sohee carefully placed her right hand in Yunho’s.

“Looking at this hand, Sohee, you’re destined to love one man for your entire life.”

Yunho smiled slightly as he examined Sohee’s hand.

“Can you really see that in my hand?”

“Not just that. There’s so much more I can see. Let me take a serious look.”

Sohee watched blankly as Yunho traced the lines on her palm with his finger.

A ticklish feeling arose somewhere within her. It was just the tracing of her palm lines, but it felt as if his affection was seeping through her palm, deep into her heart.

She wanted to feel this way in the future, too.

But time was running out.

Whether Yunho was aware of Sohee’s feelings or not, he began to explain her palm lines.

“You’re destined to love one man for your whole life, and to marry that man. The brain line shows that your intelligence is exceptional, with no obstacles to learning. Though somewhat cold in personality, you’re destined to show fiery passion to the one you give your heart to. And looking at the life line, you’re indeed destined to live a long life.”

Destined to live a long life.

She was destined to kill people and eventually be killed by someone.

That’s not something he should lie about. Sohee shifted her gaze from her hand to Yunho’s face to say that.

“Sohee.”

Yunho was already looking at her with a serious expression, as if he knew she would look up.

“Yes.”

“Sohee, you’re destined to live a long life.”

Yunho declared to Sohee as if stating an immutable truth.

“Is that even possible…”

“It’s not written by the indifferent sky but in Sohee’s hand. Sohee, tell me. Is your fate in the sky or in this hand?”

Yunho said this while holding Sohee’s hand.

Yunho’s grip on her hand reassured her not to worry, not to let go.

The sky suggested that parting with Yunho meant they will never meet again, forever.

But in this hand, it’s written that she’s destined to live a long life with Yunho.

There’s no need to ponder which to believe.

“It’s in this hand.”

“Right. Your hand. Not the indifferent sky. Your fate lies in this hand. So don’t give up.”

“Yunho.”

Sohee’s hand trembled. However, Yunho held her trembling hand firmly, steadying it.

“It saddens and troubles me more to part with Sohee than the thought that Sohee could kill me. But it must be troubling for Sohee too, knowing you could endanger me as much.”

Yunho stroked Sohee’s head slowly with his other hand, as if understanding everything.

“I don’t want to leave. But I have to leave for Yunho.”

She must let him go because he was precious. But letting him go felt like she could never walk the Central Plains with him again.

It was more regretful for Sohee to accept that fact than to accept the fate of the Heavenly Death Star.

“If you must leave, then go. But don’t forget that your fate is not in the sky but in this hand. Hold it tightly and don’t let go.”

“…Can I return to Yunho’s side then?”

“If Sohee doesn’t give up. If I don’t give up. Definitely. I will also try hard for Sohee. I will strive so that my renown spreads throughout the nine provinces. So promise me, Sohee, that you will return to my side.”

Sohee could feel his resolute will flowing from their clasped hands into her heart.

An impossible task. There’s a man declaring right before her eyes that he would accomplish it just for her.

To Sohee, changing the fate held in this hand seemed like a minor task compared to what he was about to undertake.

Yes.

Therefore, she would be able to contain herself.

Sohee finally faintly understood what Cheon Gija had said.

With this man, it’s possible.

If he’s her noble person, it’s possible.

…If he’s the man she loves, it’s possible.

“Yunho.”

At that moment, Sohee couldn’t contain her overflowing emotions.

“Hm? Oh!”

Sohee’s First Kiss

It was technically her second, but since it was the first initiated by her own will, she decided it counted as her first.

A peck where only the lips met.

It was like a kiss from a baby bird, craving infinite affection towards its one and only love in the world.

Her kiss was shy, yet more passionate and earnest than anyone else’s.

“Uh, Sohee?”

After the kiss, filled with enough affection, Sohee looked at Yunho, who was once again dumbfounded.

It’s not enough.

It’s lacking.

“Do it again.”

Sohee covered his lips again with hers.

Her kiss might have been inexperienced, but the love and passion for him contained within were unmatched by anyone.

After a long while, they looked at each other with flushed faces.

“Are you going now?”

It’s time to part.

If they hesitated now, they might never part again.

Both Sohee and Yunho were aware of this fact.

“Yes.”

Sohee began to memorize the face she wouldn’t see for a while as they were about to part.

The man who didn’t give up on her.

As long as he doesn’t give up on her, she too will firmly grasp their fate and move forward.

Therefore,

She won’t say goodbye.

“See you again, Yunho oppa.”

The only one in the world.

Her noble person.

Her childhood friend.

Her one and only brother.

The person she loves.

She vowed to return to meet him again.

Sohee etched the surprised face of Yunho, who was startled by her calling him “oppa,” into her heart and disappeared from the room before he could react.

“To acknowledge me as ‘oppa’ at the very end.”

Hearing ‘oppa’ from the Heavenly Death Star. It’s better than I thought.

I smiled briefly, looking in the direction Sohee had disappeared.

I won’t be able to meet her for a while.

But we will meet again soon.

Because I will make it happen.

“I need to become incredibly famous.”

I needed to become famous. That way, I can meet her again.

Because I can save her fate.

Now, what should I do?

“Is it time to write a book again?”

For our future.

It’s time to write a book again.