How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World-Chapter 409: Shock and Awe (5)

At the moment when protesters were gathering in front of the mansion and the publishing house, with various other reactions erupting here and there, Cherry, a writer who had been receiving support from Isaac, blinked her eyes slowly while reading the ending of Volume 29 of The Zenon Chronicles.

As a passionate fan of The Zenon Chronicles, Cherry thoroughly read each new release as soon as it came out.

This habit remained unchanged even after she officially became a writer herself.

Although working on her own novel, Crimson Sunset, Once Again, was important, The Zenon Chronicles always took precedence.

“Wow…”

She couldn’t help but marvel genuinely upon reaching the ending.

Unlike others, her reaction was closer to pure admiration.

How Jin discovered where Diabolos’s soul was resting and why he consumed the demon worshippers would likely be revealed gradually in the next volume.

But setting that aside, the story’s completeness was so exceptional that it naturally evoked awe.

The tension building as the story hurtled toward its conclusion was unbelievable.

Whether it was meticulously planned out or simply a flood of ideas spilling from the author’s mind, it was undeniably impressive.

“I’m struggling just to think of the plot for the next volume…”

Cherry briefly closed The Zenon Chronicles and stared at her desk with her characteristic dark eyes.

On the desk lay a neatly stacked manuscript of her unfinished work.

Unlike Isaac, who wrote on a typewriter, Cherry was handwriting Crimson Sunset, Once Again.

She gazed at her manuscript for a moment before turning her attention back to The Zenon Chronicles.

Her novel, Crimson Sunset, Once Again, was a work she began writing out of her admiration for The Zenon Chronicles.

Perhaps that was why she found it overwhelming to write beyond the third volume.

Even though she followed Isaac’s advice to organize her plot in a notebook, composing the story itself was incredibly challenging.

On top of that, her work was a regression novel—a genre with no precedent.

Although it wasn’t as widely popular as The Zenon Chronicles, it garnered attention due to the unique appeal of its regression premise.

Yet, paving a new path was always difficult, and Cherry was currently feeling the weight of that struggle.

While resolving events in advance through regression was a captivating concept, unforeseen crises had to emerge to keep things interesting.

Take The Zenon Chronicles as an example.

Just when readers let their guard down, it struck with an unexpected twist, gripping their attention relentlessly.

Even with its monumental 30 volumes, readers held onto every bit of tension and subscribed loyally.

‘How can I create a crisis?’

Cherry blinked slowly, staring at her manuscript.

Crimson Sunset, Once Again leaned more toward a political drama than an adventure story.

While the male protagonist was physically powerful, his strength was used mainly as a political tool.

Furthermore, the scale of the story was much narrower compared to The Zenon Chronicles, which spanned the entire world.

In contrast, Crimson Sunset, Once Again focused solely on events within a specific kingdom.

It also had little involvement from non-human races, aside from minor dialogue exchanges or their occasional participation in meetings.

‘Should I force Rex to participate in a war?’

Rex was the name of the male protagonist.

He was the man the female protagonist, Grace, loved most—someone who had protected her until his death in her previous life. In the story,

Grace was the daughter of a count, while Rex was a commoner.

Their relationship was only possible because Rex served as Grace’s knight.

After her regression, Grace worked tirelessly to protect Rex, while he, in turn, grew fond of her.

This dynamic formed the core of the story.

By Isaac’s standards, it might seem ordinary but acceptable.

However, in a world where regression stories didn’t exist, the novel stirred considerable interest.

‘Causality is crucial. It would look strange if I made him suddenly go to war without reason.’

Isaac had always emphasized one thing: causality—cause and effect.

There had to be a clear reason for an outcome to be convincing.

This was especially important in political dramas, where relationships were often intricately intertwined, making causality a vital component.

But considering the “butterfly effect,” the greatest challenge in regression stories, it was incredibly troublesome.

Setting up the groundwork alone could take an immense amount of time.

If the causality wasn’t solid, the story would face endless criticism, and readers would find it hard to follow.

Cherry adhered strictly to Isaac’s advice.

‘Or…’

She thought of one approach.

Grace, being the daughter of a count, and Rex, a powerful commoner, faced significant scrutiny as their relationship deepened.

One obvious obstacle was Grace’s father.

He treated his daughter as a mere tool.

Incidentally, Cherry had based his character on her own father, Count Leticia.

Although they had since resolved their conflicts and grown closer, he had once been the epitome of a terrible parent.

‘I can use this cleverly.’

A crisis would heighten the story’s tension and capture the audience’s interest.

That much became evident as she read Volume 29 of The Zenon Chronicles.

A story filled with convenient developments might still be entertaining, but for her debut work, she wanted a well-structured plot.

‘Then the ending should be…’

Cherry paused her writing and looked back at Volume 29 of The Zenon Chronicles.

Considering how the story had progressed so far, it seemed inevitable that Jin would die at Zenon’s hands.

A development devoid of hope or dreams, but there was nothing she could do about it.

It didn’t bother Cherry much.

She was merely pondering what kind of ending she could create to elevate her work’s completeness to the same level.

Despite all the ups and downs in her writing journey, she hadn’t yet decided how to bring her story to a proper conclusion.

“Hmm…”

Cherry stared blankly at Volume 29 of The Zenon Chronicles, blinking slowly once more.

Her dark, murky eyes seemed to bore into it.

The tragic development of Jin and Lily’s relationship was devoid of hope or dreams.

Judging from public reactions and newspapers, the atmosphere was so grim that it wouldn’t be surprising if riots broke out immediately.

She wondered if her story would evoke a similar reaction if she wrote such an ending.

She was slightly curious.

But for that, the causality must be thoroughly established, accompanied by a tragic narrative.

For instance, Rex failing to protect Grace, leading to their double suicide, or revealing that everything had been just a dream…

Cherry shuddered.

Though her self-esteem was at rock bottom and she was almost in a depressive state, she couldn’t bear the idea of such an ending.

Above all, characters in a story were creations of their author.

No matter how troubled she felt, inflicting a miserable fate on her creations was unbearable.

Instead, she needed a ray of light to break through the gloomy clouds in her heart—like a flower waiting for sunlight on a cloudy day.

On the other hand, Isaac willingly drove characters into tragedy for the sake of achieving perfection in his works.

It wasn’t that he lacked affection, as the narratives of Jin and Lily were near-perfect.

He skillfully unraveled the heretical elements of a demon and a priest through the lens of love.

‘…He wouldn’t do this to real people, would he?’

For some reason, an uneasiness crept in.

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If he treated his creations this way, could he possibly act the same toward real people?

The thought of being discarded someday, like an old shoe, deeply worried her.

Crunch.

Cherry nervously bit her nails again, a habit that reemerged whenever her anxiety flared up.

Though she had nearly overcome it, the ending of volume 29 brought it back out.

‘No, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.’

Even though Isaac might sentence his beloved characters to death, he wouldn’t treat real people that way.

But once emotions spiral out of control, they’re not so easily managed.

And Cherry was particularly vulnerable in this regard.

Determined to shake it off, Cherry quickly opened her desk drawer.

She had something prepared for moments like these—a “remedy.”

What she pulled out was a glass jar filled with strands of crimson hair.

It was unmistakably Isaac’s hair, which she had asked for and collected.

“Inhale… exhale…”

Cherry opened the jar and deeply inhaled its scent, almost as if she were taking in a drug.

If it had been ordinary hair, it might have smelled like nothing, but Isaac’s was imbued with divine power, preserving its unique fragrance.

A rich lilac scent cleared her mind, followed by the sweet aroma of peaches that soothed her anxiety.

Finally, a faint grassy smell, reminiscent of a deep forest, brought her a sense of calm.

Originally, there had only been lilac and peach notes, but the grassy scent had recently been added.

“Haah…”

After stabilizing herself with her “remedy,” Cherry slowly opened her eyes, revealing her darkened pink irises.

She quickly sealed the jar, lest the scent escape, and carefully stored it back in the drawer.

“I’ll never do something like that.”

She didn’t care if readers resented her—she wasn’t strong-willed enough for that.

‘I don’t want to subject my creations to such tragedies.’

Isaac had become a remarkable reverse role model in many ways.

★★★

Around the same time, in the Holy Kingdom of Savior.

Kate, who had briefly returned to her homeland for business, also came across volume 29 of The Chronicles of Zenon.

She had visited the publisher upon returning to Michelle Manor, allowing her to read it before anyone else.

‘This must also be part of Isaac’s prophecy. Sacrifices for love always lead to tragedy.’

She nodded without much emotion at the conclusion of the story.

Kate regarded The Chronicles of Zenon as a book of prophecy.

While others might react with shock or horror, she merely pondered its meaning.

Her method of reading involved analyzing Isaac’s messages embedded within the narrative.

After all, hadn’t the fallen cardinal been mentioned in The Chronicles of Zenon?

Back then, Isaac had even given her a subtle warning in advance.

It was only natural that Kate treated the book like scripture.

“Lady Kate, I’ve brought the child you asked for.”

A holy knight carefully approached Kate, who was sitting and reading quietly.

Kate closed the book and gently lifted her head.

The knight’s stern face came into view, and beside him stood a timid girl.

The girl, with brown hair and eyes, had a cute yet pitiful demeanor. She nervously avoided Kate’s gaze, appearing uneasy.

“Thank you, brother, for granting my request.”

“It was no trouble. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, the knight left the girl and turned away.

Now alone with the girl, Kate looked at her with kind eyes, while the girl, still unfamiliar with her, couldn’t meet her gaze and seemed anxious.

Kate smiled warmly and spoke in her gentle voice.

“Your name is… Laura, right? It’s nice to meet you.”

“Y-Yes…!”

Startled that Kate had addressed her by name, Laura flinched, and Kate’s smile deepened at her reaction.

Though it seemed like a friendly meeting on the surface, Kate’s next words were shocking.

“You came from a village brainwashed by demon worshippers, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes… that’s what the adults told me.”

“I see.”

Kate nodded.

Laura had indeed been rescued from a village that worshipped demons.

Her family, who were demon worshippers, had subjected her to unspeakable abuse, the marks of which still remained on her back.

Normally, the teachings of the faith would have demanded her immediate execution, but recent reflections had changed Kate’s perspective.

After staring at Laura with a complicated expression, Kate made a suggestion.

“Would you like to accompany me?”

By guiding Laura, Kate hoped to take the opportunity to reflect on herself as well.