I head to my seat on the [Round Table]. We have nothing better to call it that as it really is a round table in every sense of a word. Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, Kim Hajin, and I are pursuing to mark our objectives in response to the changes that we have caused.
Kim Hajin opens the table, by referring to the latest change. “We haven’t exactly foreseen it, but the reaction has been more explosive than we could imagine…”
“The technology you can create Hajin is that much powerful…” I add, pertaining to his Authority of [Setting Intervention] which is closer more to a God than any powerful man out there.
“I agree.” Suho echoes.
“Hajin, is there something you are not telling us? In the world I know, you haven’t created a technology of this level… What is the difference?” Nayun points out the discrepancy between her memory to the current reality.
“This is good timing to broach this topic… Hyon suggested that at some point in time, we might fight something more transcendental than a Devil... like God, right? I also claimed something along the lines that an ambiguous God was responsible for my transmigration here. Comes with the package is the power for me to alter reality, and transform the inherent properties of objects, to give them effects.”
I show my PowerPoint just right on time, helping Hajin with his presentation.
“…” Hajin silently looks at me, finding my PowerPoint too abrupt.
“Why? I like my PowerPoints.” I protest indignantly.
“Fine,” Hajin proceeds to ignore me as he goes on in his explanation. “This [Setting Intervention] is one of the packages I received from the Co-Author who I assume to be God’s identity. This thing has a cost— they go by Story Points, or SP for short. By spending an appropriate amount of SP, I can alter an object, and even empower myself through this.”
My PowerPoint shows a bullet of SP, and under it is its rough description.
Hajin moves forward in his explanation. “I can earn SP by increasing my significance in the story. Hyon has been helping me accrue them as much as I can. Basically, it goes with the territory of being popular, but that’s not exactly it. The more my meaning being here grows, the more SP I earn.”
I add in my own words, an explanation of a system that Hajin does not know. “This SP is something that none of you guys should know. Hajin has some kind of legally binding contract that disallows him to share the future. The SP also has some kind of restriction on sharing their function. The lack of narrative power disallows Hajin from informing anyone of you guys of the truth that we live inside a novel. My theory is that because of the Co-Author’s death, this binding has become loose, and now Hajin is free to blabber as much as he wants. There is also the theory that the world has been muddied up because of Nayun’s regression. But my money is in the former.”
The narrative power is another unexplored area of The Novel’s Extra. I barely remember it being mentioned in the manhwa. The more distinct impression it has to me is implicit too. When The Novel’s Extra is about to end, only Yi Byul, AKA the boss, AKA the final (romanced) heroine is able to learn Hajin through her own narrative power of Kim Hajin’s real identity.
When Hajin is erased from the past timeline, Yi Byul is the fastest to remember him, and also the only one to learn that Hajin is God. Something like that.
Kim Hajin explains the much finer details to them using the future that he has experienced through Nayun's past life. “As you guys know, I now share Nayun’s memories from her pre-regression. Not everything though, but I have enough grasp of it.”
Everyone on the Round Table gives a nod, affirming Hajin’s words.
“The Hajin of that world is very different from me. I can say for certain I am not as edgy as the Hajin you know, Nayun.” Kim Hajin explains the most obvious reason why in this world, he has chosen to stand out. “It is fact that I did not create this technology unlike as you might have been suspecting to be out of my intellectual capacity, but through my Authority. As I said, I won’t lie to you guys anymore, and that is why I am coming clean.”
Instead of labeling this mysterious power on the scope of his Gift, Hajin has decided to be more open as he promised since this organization’s forming. Organization unlike merely the Devil Hunter’s Club, but the now.
“…”
At Nayun’s silence, I press forward for my next slide. Tackling Hajin’s Story Points is not within our main agenda, but since it has come up, we can only put light on it. I am anticipating this to happen today after factoring in the mass Djinn hunt happening around the world with Hajin’s technology as the catalyst.
The next slide presents pictures of Hajin’s Desert Eagle, with gifs of transforming either into a Sniper Rifle, Ak-47, or a shotgun. “This is one of the few altering abilities of [Setting Intervention] that Hajin wields.” I then click the slide once more, showing another gif with Hajin and Nayun drinking a cup of coffee together. Bold fonts of ‘Thank you for listening’ are written on it.
The PowerPoint presentation has the touch of some random high schooler’s project presentation to it.
Suho appreciates my joke in great strides, chuckling a great amount. Nayun and Hajin don’t take it well as they give me a glare.
“Since when did you do that?” Hajin curiously asks.
I honestly answer. “I have a 'literal' photographic memory now, and everything I see and do is being recorded by Cube in our big ass servers. If only you knew how difficult it is. I cannot even touch myself. So just indulge me with the little fun I get.”
“…” “…” “…”
At least, they understand that I am serious.
I proceeded further on my PowerPoint presentation, by showing another slide. On large bold fonts is the words 'badass name' which I take great effort to style with animation and transition. “I trust that the matter with Story Points is a done deal now.”
As they have no objections, I proceed on one of the few topics I wish to discuss. Our meeting is very informal, but it has a semblance of order to it, and I make sure of that as just beside me is my own little notebook where I write the minutes. I honestly hate keeping records as it is a chore, but as the weakest of the four, I should at least do this trivial task.
No matter how trivial though, I won’t pass up a good chance to have a badass name for our group. “I wanted to raise it a long time ago, but our founding was made in the most sensitive times, so I pushed back the date. So, any suggestions with a badass name?”
Suho is confused by my remarks. “Don’t we already have a name? We are the Devil Hunter’s Club, right?” He scratches his head too innocently.
Nayun is equally as innocent as Suho, but she is not against a badass name. “I am all for it. I cannot think of an awesome name though.”
Hajin is more calm-minded. “It will only do us good if we have an identity separate from our surface persona. The Devil Hunter’s Club is nothing more than a front for us.”
Nayun adds, recalling her recruitment to Jonghak. “Yeah, that brings back annoying memories… When I and Hajin, recruited Jonghak, the guy clearly misunderstood that we were strong-arming him to join the club. Calling ourselves as a super secretive organization that fights Devils doesn’t really translate well.”
“So, Devil Hunters then? It is the most accurate shot we have.” Suho sensibly voices out the obvious answer, but I quickly turn it down.
“Doing that might be dangerous as we are actually cluing anyone smart enough to our Cube Club front. I imagine we will be at loggerheads in the shadier part of society, so we must play safe. Mind you that we might be bumping heads with the Chameleon Troupe a month’s time soon.” I reasonably argue.
A proper name for our organization. Something that we can call ourselves when we move in earnest while hiding our true identities. The idea is thrilling and has a lot of advantages if we manage to pull it off. The act of naming ourselves is exciting, but it looks like a more challenging task than I initially thought.
“How about… uhh… Legion of Angels?” Suho recommends.
“Hell no!” “No.” “Yuck”
“I am sorry.” Suho immediately retreats at the adamant refusal.
“Hmmm… Atheist Faction!” Hajin tries to give it a shot.
“Heavens, please don’t!” “We are not!” “Cool~ Let’s write 666 in our foreheads.”
“Then… Anti-Christ! No. How about Anti-Devil Faction!?” Nayun seriously gives it a thought.
“There is already a cult with that name.” “Ugh… I don’t know… It sounds like the name of a terrorist group.” “Wow~ you might as well call yourself an atheist. But hey, it has a sci-fi feel to it.”
“Back then, I suggested a Seven Deadly Sins theme as using them as our aspect, right? I wasn’t kidding at that time.” I remind them of that short episode when we are on our way to leave [Under Cube] to tie the loose ends. “How about… Sinful? I am actually gunning for a poetic feel to it. We are meagre mortals who simply wish for penance as the thought of slaying God is nothing but more sinful than any blasphemous thought. Yet, we continue to pursue this very lofty goal. I don’t really mean God in a literal sense as Devil Slaying is also within our purview…”
The others become eerily quiet, and I too reduce to a mute as I realize their facial expressions of unknown tension. “What? Did I say something wrong?” Apparently, which I understand as tension is actually anticipation.
“Let’s go for Sinful.” Hajin raises the motion.
“I second the motion.” And Suho easily seconds.
“Ok, it is decided… We are Sinful.” And Nayun finally seals the deal.
I head to my seat on the [Round Table]. We have nothing better to call it that as it really is a round table in every sense of a word. Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, Kim Hajin, and I are pursuing to mark our objectives in response to the changes that we have caused.
Kim Hajin opens the table, by referring to the latest change. “We haven’t exactly foreseen it, but the reaction has been more explosive than we could imagine…”
“The technology you can create Hajin is that much powerful…” I add, pertaining to his Authority of [Setting Intervention] which is closer more to a God than any powerful man out there.
“I agree.” Suho echoes.
“Hajin, is there something you are not telling us? In the world I know, you haven’t created a technology of this level… What is the difference?” Nayun points out the discrepancy between her memory to the current reality.
“This is good timing to broach this topic… Hyon suggested that at some point in time, we might fight something more transcendental than a Devil... like God, right? I also claimed something along the lines that an ambiguous God was responsible for my transmigration here. Comes with the package is the power for me to alter reality, and transform the inherent properties of objects, to give them effects.”
I show my PowerPoint just right on time, helping Hajin with his presentation.
“…” Hajin silently looks at me, finding my PowerPoint too abrupt.
“Why? I like my PowerPoints.” I protest indignantly.
“Fine,” Hajin proceeds to ignore me as he goes on in his explanation. “This [Setting Intervention] is one of the packages I received from the Co-Author who I assume to be God’s identity. This thing has a cost— they go by Story Points, or SP for short. By spending an appropriate amount of SP, I can alter an object, and even empower myself through this.”
My PowerPoint shows a bullet of SP, and under it is its rough description.
Hajin moves forward in his explanation. “I can earn SP by increasing my significance in the story. Hyon has been helping me accrue them as much as I can. Basically, it goes with the territory of being popular, but that’s not exactly it. The more my meaning being here grows, the more SP I earn.”
I add in my own words, an explanation of a system that Hajin does not know. “This SP is something that none of you guys should know. Hajin has some kind of legally binding contract that disallows him to share the future. The SP also has some kind of restriction on sharing their function. The lack of narrative power disallows Hajin from informing anyone of you guys of the truth that we live inside a novel. My theory is that because of the Co-Author’s death, this binding has become loose, and now Hajin is free to blabber as much as he wants. There is also the theory that the world has been muddied up because of Nayun’s regression. But my money is in the former.”
The narrative power is another unexplored area of The Novel’s Extra. I barely remember it being mentioned in the manhwa. The more distinct impression it has to me is implicit too. When The Novel’s Extra is about to end, only Yi Byul, AKA the boss, AKA the final (romanced) heroine is able to learn Hajin through her own narrative power of Kim Hajin’s real identity.
When Hajin is erased from the past timeline, Yi Byul is the fastest to remember him, and also the only one to learn that Hajin is God. Something like that.
Kim Hajin explains the much finer details to them using the future that he has experienced through Nayun's past life. “As you guys know, I now share Nayun’s memories from her pre-regression. Not everything though, but I have enough grasp of it.”
Everyone on the Round Table gives a nod, affirming Hajin’s words.
“The Hajin of that world is very different from me. I can say for certain I am not as edgy as the Hajin you know, Nayun.” Kim Hajin explains the most obvious reason why in this world, he has chosen to stand out. “It is fact that I did not create this technology unlike as you might have been suspecting to be out of my intellectual capacity, but through my Authority. As I said, I won’t lie to you guys anymore, and that is why I am coming clean.”
Instead of labeling this mysterious power on the scope of his Gift, Hajin has decided to be more open as he promised since this organization’s forming. Organization unlike merely the Devil Hunter’s Club, but the now.
“…”
At Nayun’s silence, I press forward for my next slide. Tackling Hajin’s Story Points is not within our main agenda, but since it has come up, we can only put light on it. I am anticipating this to happen today after factoring in the mass Djinn hunt happening around the world with Hajin’s technology as the catalyst.
The next slide presents pictures of Hajin’s Desert Eagle, with gifs of transforming either into a Sniper Rifle, Ak-47, or a shotgun. “This is one of the few altering abilities of [Setting Intervention] that Hajin wields.” I then click the slide once more, showing another gif with Hajin and Nayun drinking a cup of coffee together. Bold fonts of ‘Thank you for listening’ are written on it.
The PowerPoint presentation has the touch of some random high schooler’s project presentation to it.
Suho appreciates my joke in great strides, chuckling a great amount. Nayun and Hajin don’t take it well as they give me a glare.
“Since when did you do that?” Hajin curiously asks.
I honestly answer. “I have a 'literal' photographic memory now, and everything I see and do is being recorded by Cube in our big ass servers. If only you knew how difficult it is. I cannot even touch myself. So just indulge me with the little fun I get.”
“…” “…” “…”
At least, they understand that I am serious.
I proceeded further on my PowerPoint presentation, by showing another slide. On large bold fonts is the words 'badass name' which I take great effort to style with animation and transition. “I trust that the matter with Story Points is a done deal now.”
As they have no objections, I proceed on one of the few topics I wish to discuss. Our meeting is very informal, but it has a semblance of order to it, and I make sure of that as just beside me is my own little notebook where I write the minutes. I honestly hate keeping records as it is a chore, but as the weakest of the four, I should at least do this trivial task.
No matter how trivial though, I won’t pass up a good chance to have a badass name for our group. “I wanted to raise it a long time ago, but our founding was made in the most sensitive times, so I pushed back the date. So, any suggestions with a badass name?”
Suho is confused by my remarks. “Don’t we already have a name? We are the Devil Hunter’s Club, right?” He scratches his head too innocently.
Nayun is equally as innocent as Suho, but she is not against a badass name. “I am all for it. I cannot think of an awesome name though.”
Hajin is more calm-minded. “It will only do us good if we have an identity separate from our surface persona. The Devil Hunter’s Club is nothing more than a front for us.”
Nayun adds, recalling her recruitment to Jonghak. “Yeah, that brings back annoying memories… When I and Hajin, recruited Jonghak, the guy clearly misunderstood that we were strong-arming him to join the club. Calling ourselves as a super secretive organization that fights Devils doesn’t really translate well.”
“So, Devil Hunters then? It is the most accurate shot we have.” Suho sensibly voices out the obvious answer, but I quickly turn it down.
“Doing that might be dangerous as we are actually cluing anyone smart enough to our Cube Club front. I imagine we will be at loggerheads in the shadier part of society, so we must play safe. Mind you that we might be bumping heads with the Chameleon Troupe a month’s time soon.” I reasonably argue.
A proper name for our organization. Something that we can call ourselves when we move in earnest while hiding our true identities. The idea is thrilling and has a lot of advantages if we manage to pull it off. The act of naming ourselves is exciting, but it looks like a more challenging task than I initially thought.
“How about… uhh… Legion of Angels?” Suho recommends.
“Hell no!” “No.” “Yuck”
“I am sorry.” Suho immediately retreats at the adamant refusal.
“Hmmm… Atheist Faction!” Hajin tries to give it a shot.
“Heavens, please don’t!” “We are not!” “Cool~ Let’s write 666 in our foreheads.”
“Then… Anti-Christ! No. How about Anti-Devil Faction!?” Nayun seriously gives it a thought.
“There is already a cult with that name.” “Ugh… I don’t know… It sounds like the name of a terrorist group.” “Wow~ you might as well call yourself an atheist. But hey, it has a sci-fi feel to it.”
“Back then, I suggested a Seven Deadly Sins theme as using them as our aspect, right? I wasn’t kidding at that time.” I remind them of that short episode when we are on our way to leave [Under Cube] to tie the loose ends. “How about… Sinful? I am actually gunning for a poetic feel to it. We are meagre mortals who simply wish for penance as the thought of slaying God is nothing but more sinful than any blasphemous thought. Yet, we continue to pursue this very lofty goal. I don’t really mean God in a literal sense as Devil Slaying is also within our purview…”
The others become eerily quiet, and I too reduce to a mute as I realize their facial expressions of unknown tension. “What? Did I say something wrong?” Apparently, which I understand as tension is actually anticipation.
“Let’s go for Sinful.” Hajin raises the motion.
“I second the motion.” And Suho easily seconds.
“Ok, it is decided… We are Sinful.” And Nayun finally seals the deal.
