[End of the update in 6 hours]

The system started talking to me again when there were only 12 hours left for the update and reminded me again when there were only 6 hours left.

Wan: °only 6 hours left for this famous update...°

The update was 'almost' finished.

Wan: (looks at the time on his phone) °and it's... 6 o'clock sharp, which coincides with midnight, so... but in the meantime I'm...° (sighs)

Mia: Just say it directly if I'm boring you!

Wan: Well... I came because you told me you were going to buy me ice cream, but... (looks at all the bags he's carrying)

Mia: I-I didn't lie, I'm going to buy you ice cream! It's just that... I'm taking advantage of having someone who can be the... carrier.

Wan: ...you're not even hiding behind excuses anymore... (sighs) But if it's for ice cream, I can carry a little longer.

On this beautiful late autumn weekend day, Mia sent me a message asking me to go out. I responded with a firm no because, first, I didn't feel like it, and second, I never go out on weekends. But she then said that if I went out with her today, she would buy me an ice cream, so I went out.

After 2 or 3 hours of her continuing to collect her purchases and me carrying them, she finally went to buy my ice cream.

Wan: (looks very closely at his ice cream and doesn't move)

Mia: Aren't you going to eat it?

Wan: I'm scared.

Mia: ...of an ice cream?...

Wan: Of what might happen to the ice cream.

Mia: ...apart from eating it, I don't see what else could happen.

Wan: When I was little, I had my first and only ice cream in my life, but I ended up dropping it before I could even lick it...

Mia: ...

She stopped talking, and I could have looked at her face to see what was happening, but I couldn't risk my ice cream falling, so I preferred to say nothing and just look at my ice cream.

Mia: ...Pfft-

She burst into laughter, a laughter she tried to hold back but couldn't.

Mia: ...Pfft-

And there she goes again, determined to mock me.

Mia: (bursts out laughing) hahahaha, sorry I can't help it hahaha! (continues laughing)

Wan: ...I'm really upset.

Mia: Yeah, yeah (still laughing a little)

Wan: °She probably thinks it's like with the kiss she stole from me, and since I didn't care, she thinks it's the same.°

I was really upset. I don't know if it's because of my monotone voice and expression, but I was really upset.

Wan: (slowly sticks out his tongue and approaches it gently but surely to his ice cream)

And just as my tongue was about to finally touch the surface of the ice cream, a man threw a rather large and imposing stone at my chest. Although it didn't cause me any physical damage, it just really annoyed me because it made my ice cream fall.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Wan: °If my cerebral cortex wasn't...°

Mia: (tries to hold back her laughter but ends up laughing) hahahahahhaha

Wan: ... (stands up)

I must have been radiating a murderous aura. I can't control my murderous intentions when I'm angry.

Wan: (picks up the rather large stone from the ground) ...I know you're Mia's real stalker, and I don't care... but now...

Mia: Huh? My real stalker? ... What are you saying?

Real Stalker?: (stressed) Ha-... um, I-I- it's... wh-!!!

I placed my left foot forward and anchored it to the ground, then I squeezed the stone in my hand so hard that bits of it fell, and it took the shape of my hand.

Wan: ...you followed us when I went to her house yesterday, when we went out today, and you were there when she slept on the roof... even during the chase, you watched from afar... and despite all this voyeurism, I said nothing... after all, you didn't do anything serious except maybe the time you sent the fake stalker (Chapter 2 - 3)... I said nothing, I did nothing, I didn't even report you to the police, but now...

Mia: (shocked) °He was there all this time!?!°

Wan: But... making me drop the first ice cream I could eat in over 14 years...

I took a stance, putting all my strength into my legs, lower back, and right arm, then threw it very hard right at his face. He tried to put his hands in front of his face, but the stone shattered on impact, breaking the bones in his arms, probably due to the implosion caused by the stone combined with my strength. The small fragments of the broken stone that hit the stalker's face knocked him out due to numerous hematomas and the fragments hitting his eyes, which caused a shockwave that shook part of his cerebral cortex.

How could I describe it all so precisely? Thanks to the system, which explained in detail what had happened.

[You have earned 6 tokens for resolving the case from the original version of IT0]

From what I understand from the "System of this Single Reader" app, the 'tokens' are a system that should allow me, after the update, to acquire abilities or gifts to put me on the same level as those monsters who will have magical powers, mental abilities, and supernatural stuff. In short, I won't be thrown into the ocean without a lifebuoy.

After a few minutes, I called the police, and they took the stalker away. Mia and I went to sit farther away in a nearby park. After I explained the situation to her and the fact that the roof stalker was just a kid sent by the real stalker, whom I had just knocked out and who had been arrested by the police, we sat in silence for more than 2 hours, which was a lot. During this time, I took out a book and started reading it. I noticed Mia was throwing some innocently curious glances at me and my book. I thought she would take it badly, but surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind.

Mia: What are you reading?

After 2 hours and 20 minutes, she finally started talking.

Wan: I'm reading a table (sighs)... isn't it obvious? I'm reading a book.

Mia: I meant the title and genre! And also the synopsis.

Wan: This book is called "Sitting on Our Chairs," and it's about a man who has everything and meets a woman who seems detestable at first but eventually shows kindness. The woman then tells him about a very dangerous place that can grant a wish. So, he accompanies her, but we quickly realize something is wrong; regarding the genre, I wouldn't say it has a specific genre, but it's closer to drama than anything else; it really makes us think about evolution and the trust we give and receive.

Mia: Haa...

Wan: A problem?

Mia: No... it's just that I didn't see you as someone who would read such deep books.

Wan: And how do you see me?

Mia: As a geek, NEET, and Otaku. Oh, and also a loner.

Wan: ... I don't take it bad, but... that's a little wicked.

Mia: I know, I know, I shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Wan: (closes the book and turns to Mia) Well, do you have one last thing to say before I go home?

Mia: ... (a little embarrassed) Do you... do you think we can be friends?

Wan: ... (stands up and takes an indifferent look) I guess?

Mia: Okay, so now we're friends! (extends her hand for a high five)

[The character 'Mia Vermilion' greatly appreciates you]

Wan: (gently high fives) Woohoo (not very encouraging, then leaves)

After taking 2-3 steps, I turned around and headed back to Mia.

Wan: It's past 8:20 PM, and I live too far away, so let me sleep at your place again tonight.

Mia: It's partly my fault, so... okay... but this is the last time!

Wan: Yes, yes.

At 11:47 PM

While everyone was sleeping, I was by the window in a T-shirt, examining the scene where Eun-Seo was doing her self-critique regarding her nature and that of the protagonist:

"The wind and the water make monuments of dust

Terrible and beautiful

Were you formed like this too?

Your degradation plunges me into the deepest phases

And the way your gaze softens in the face of challenge

Not to mention how it strengthens resilience

Your erosion consists of golden cracks

Nothing like a or a scruple

Why do you make the earth feel emptier under my feet

And the world evolves too fast for me to follow

But I want to feel the heat on my heels

Like the roots of trees destroy the hardest ravines

And the waves shape the lowest caves

So would you let me burn you using the technique of a forest fire

I just tremble with fear

I think you are an unreachable mount

Because I haven't tried to climb the wall between our outer shells

You are a threat and a danger

So I would rather absorb your nature than give you a single thin chance to take mine under the pretext of "purifying" it, even though I know my nature is rotten and putrid

- Eun-Seo -"

Well, it was more of a poem reflecting her self-critique, but it's the same thing.

And when I said that Eun-Seo was a very well-written character, I wasn't exaggerating. I really appreciated her character because she reminded me of myself and a phase I went through during my 11 years of assassinations; Eun-Seo's development was excellent. I sincerely appreciated and thanked the author internally for such a deep, interesting, and... perfect character writing. But that's what I thought before the "conclusion" of her development. When the chapter of the "conclusion" of her development came out, I felt betrayed by the author because the protagonist came and ended her entire inner struggle with just a few words and an extended hand. Objectively, it was a good symbol, even if it's a bit cliché. The problem is that Eun-Seo herself said: "I would rather absorb your nature than give you a single thin chance to take mine under the pretext of 'purifying' it." She didn't want her nature to be taken away because it would mean losing her soul, her conscience, her critical mind, and her free will. But it was only after that I understood it wasn't really the author's fault. In fact, it was the protagonist he created who forced him to write this, otherwise his protagonist wouldn't be worth the character he gave him. And this is what made the protagonist invincible for an entire arc—more invincible than he already was. Whether it was his social relationships, his fights, his emotions, or even his enemies, everything was already acquired before he even started. I called this arc "The Great Takeover of the Human Weapon," but as the arc progressed, the author took back control of his book from his own protagonist and resumed writing in the way that made me appreciate his work so much. But... his work wasn't perfect... there was one thing missing that, although he tried to include, disappeared because the protagonist prevented it due to his naive and "innocent" nature... but it's okay, I will be what was missing... after all, I am "this single reader"... I will bring what was missing to this work that the protagonist prevented.

Wan: (holding a completely blank book) I will accomplish what you couldn't, author-nim*

[The update is 100% complete]

[The update is finished and completed]

[The parallel of the worlds will be put in place]

[/In progress/]

[The transposition of the parallel of the worlds is complete]

[May luck be with you ◽◽◻️◽◻️◽◻️◽◽**]

________________

End of chapter|

*An honorific title that Koreans use after a name or title

**Basically, what the system wanted to say was censored, either by the system itself or maybe by something or someone else.