Chapter 255

“Are we just gonna leave like this?”

After casting a glance back at the pub where chaotic sounds of clinking echoed, the princess dressed in server attire couldn’t help but ask:

“That Elijah guy hasn’t fled yet. If he stays there, it might not end well…”

“Relax, nothing will happen to him.”

After tossing the puppy onto his shoulder and settling it down, Leon grabbed a cloth freshly snatched from the restaurant and began wiping the sauce off the black goat’s face as he replied:

“He’s got someone powerful watching over him, much safer than us. Don’t worry about those three sailors just hitting him with their fists. If Master Wilde wants, even if he gets run over by a cruise ship, he’d still pop up alive and kicking.”

????

What on earth is he talking about?

Without the resistance granted by [Materialism], Agatha, currently still the barmaid, naturally didn’t understand what Leon was saying. But recalling “Mr. Joseph’s” usual nonsensical “mad ramblings,” she didn’t pursue it further. Instead, with a worried expression, she suggested:

“Mr. Joseph, just around the corner ahead is the police station. Could you trouble yourself to report the incident? I’m concerned about the tavern…”

“There’s absolutely no way anything will happen to the tavern!”

After cleaning the sauce off the black goat, Leon fastened it to his waistband. Then, grabbing the princess’s shoulders with both hands, he earnestly said: “Vi… Agatha, listen to me!”

Looking at the somewhat startled princess, Leon, who was preparing to try to escape with her, explained sincerely:

“What I’m about to say may sound hard to believe, but I can assure you every word is true. Actually, you aren’t really the tavern waitress; you’re… uh?”

At that moment, sensing an inexplicable danger, Leon’s hair stood on end. He suddenly looked up and saw a transparent thread, far thicker than any he’d encountered before, silently descending from the sky straight toward the back of his head! It was [King of Drama] coming for him! Realizing things were getting dicey, instead of attacking the transparent filament with the Holy Spirit Pendant, Leon controlled his substantial mental energy to form a large hand, violently pushing himself out of the way, narrowly avoiding the falling filament.

But as a strong person possessing the power of “Two Rams,” [King of Drama]’s abilities weren’t so easy to dodge. The thick thread instantly shattered into nearly a hundred invisible filaments, enveloping Leon completely, sticking firmly to every part of his body that could move without missing a spot.

“You damn fool! How dare you ruin my play!”

Accompanied by a voice filled with irritation, it was as if the birds in the sky had been paused, the fresh sea breeze stopped flowing, and the sound of waves crashing against the dock abruptly ceased. The entire world fell into stillness.

Next, the “Master Wilde,” wearing a neatly pressed double-breasted white suit with a matching hat, leaned on his walking stick and limped over, standing angrily in front of Leon.

This must be the embodiment of [King of Drama]’s will, right?

Leon, whose whole body was covered in threads and could only move his eyes, glanced at the enraged [Drama Master].

Based on his deductions, the “Two Rams”-level anomaly’s true self was the seaside town in front of him… or rather, the fictional dramatic world it created.

That’s why when he entered, he immediately picked up information related to [King of Drama]. To escape from its fabricated dramatic world, apart from brute force, one could also find [King of Drama]’s will incarnate and deal it a heavy blow, causing this world born of will to collapse prematurely.

His original plan was to lure out [King of Drama]’s will and then use the spirit shock ability of the Holy Spirit Pendant to see if it could harm it. After all, creating such a vast world must have consumed a lot of energy, and with the remaining strength of [King of Drama], it might not withstand the impact of the Holy Spirit Pendant.

But now…

After sensing the intensity of [King of Drama]’s will, Leon shook his head with a sigh, sensibly abandoning the idea of trying to hit it.

Its willpower was simply too strong, solid like a concrete wall—this was something he truly couldn’t break through. Looks like he needed to come up with another plan.

…

“Why… why can you still move?!”

Seeing that despite being covered with hundreds of threads, Leon could still shake his head and sigh, “Master Wilde” was slightly surprised. Just as he was about to increase the number of threads, he found that all the control lines he had released with full force were snapped, not a single one remaining.

“I can move because I can bypass your control… Also, though I feel it’s unlikely, I still want to discuss something with you.”

After reviewing his current options and realizing he had no effective countermeasures against [King of Drama], Leon broke free from the threads, pointed at the princess, and earnestly proposed:

“If you let her and me leave and promise to release everyone trapped after the play ends, I can help you…”

“No!”

Before Leon finished stating his terms, [King of Drama] outright rejected them. It raised its walking stick, pointing at the princess and declared sternly: “You can leave after your role is done, but she’s the heroine of ‘Twelve Days Together’ and must stay!”

“It’s not… do you really have to finish this play?”

“Of course!”

Upon hearing Leon’s words, “Master Wilde” obstinately stated: “Even the worst play is better than one that stops halfway! Once my drama begins, nothing can stop it until the end!”

“But can this play even continue?”

Pointing toward the tavern, Leon reminded this “stubborn master”:

“I saved Agatha, your male protagonist merely spoke up but essentially got beaten. Your play has already been disrupted. Is there any point in continuing?”

“There is plenty of reason! As for how to proceed, it’s none of your business, you meddling guest!”

Annoyed, “Master Wilde” glared at Leon and coldly shooed him away:

“Besides, since you bought a ticket to watch my play, I’ll overlook this disruption this time. But from now on, you are forbidden from attending any of my plays—I and my Morning Star Theater Company don’t welcome you!”

“…”

So there’s no room for negotiation then? After hearing “Master Wilde’s” words and seeing the strange door that appeared out of nowhere with the word ‘exit’ written on it, Leon sighed again.

Leaving the princess behind was impossible. Though so far, [King of Drama] showed no intention to hurt anyone and seemed communicative, leading him to consider solving the problem through “peace talks,” it was ultimately an anomalous item. No matter how reliable it seemed, it couldn’t be fully trusted.

Moreover, this thing was already on the verge of losing control. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone berserk due to two mocking comments from critics and trapped thousands of people. Who knows what extreme actions it might take if the play doesn’t turn out well?

Furthermore, as a cleaner, he had the responsibility to deal with out-of-control anomalies and capture this “Master Wilde” to hand over to the General Bureau. Clearly, there was nothing to negotiate about—it was wishful thinking on his part…

“If you won’t leave, then just stay!”

After waiting patiently for a while and seeing Leon make no move toward the exit, “Master Wilde” scoffed and turned off the door leading outside. Waving his hand dismissively, he sneered: “Though I don’t know why you can bypass my control, I am the creator of this world, and I have plenty of ways to handle you… Go lie at the bottom of the ocean! You’re not allowed to appear in this city until ‘Twelve Days Together’ ends!”

Following “Master Wilde’s” command, the world around Leon rapidly distorted, covering a distance of dozens of kilometers in an instant. The clean, empty street from the previous second transformed into the pitch-black depths of the ocean the next.

Strangely, although the world around Leon had changed, when he took a step underwater, he strangely returned to his original position, once again standing on the deep blue streets of the small town, as if nothing had ever changed.

What’s going on? I’m the creator of this world! I can even replace the sun with the moon! Why can’t I move him, just a supporting character?!

…

Thank [Materialism]! If I manage to escape safely this time, you deserve the MVP title!

Naturally, Leon didn’t inform “Master Wilde” of the reason he was immune to relocation. Glancing at the glowing crimson badge on his panel, he smirked slightly and looked up at [King of Drama], making a significant comment:

“Not even understanding the world you created, it seems the drama critic was right—you really don’t know much about theater.”

??

Thrown off by this sudden provocation, it took “Master Wilde” a moment to react. When he finally realized what Leon was implying, his face flushed with anger as he shouted: “You’re blabbering nonsense…”

“Do you remember what I did earlier?”

Lifting his hand and pointing toward the tavern again, Leon explained (fabricating) earnestly:

“In your original script, my character, after demonstrating cowardice and highlighting the bravery of the male protagonist Elijah, was supposed to exit the stage, allowing myself to be easily removed.

However, circumstances have changed. The one who rescued Agatha became me. And if this play has an audience, at least half of them have shifted their attention to me and the departing Agatha. If you throw me into the ocean now, can your play still continue?

For this dramatic world, structural integrity, rationality, and dramatic flair are fundamental rules that must be followed. A character like me, who cleverly saved the heroine in one scene, disappearing without a word in the next, do you think that aligns with the rules of the dramatic world?”

“…”

It seems… it might indeed be for this reason? But… but I’m the author!

After listening to Leon’s reasonable but deceptive explanation, though “Master Wilde” felt something wasn’t quite right, he couldn’t think of any other plausible explanations. So, he stubbornly argued: “Without you… it does seem a bit incomplete, but I’m the creator of this world! Even the script for ‘Twelve Days Together’ was written by me, so…”

“You’re just a scriptwriter. What do you know about ‘Twelve Days Together’?”

Through this conversation, Leon roughly estimated [King of Drama]’s intelligence and emotional quotient, finding both slightly below average human levels. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he intensified his persuasion efforts: “In short, after the commotion at the tavern, I’ve successfully joined the plot of ‘Twelve Days Together,’ and you can’t easily erase me. Even as the creator of this world, you cannot grossly violate the rules of the dramatic world. Now that you’re powerless against me, all you can do is quietly accept my existence!”

“Damn it! Never!”

Whether believing Leon’s bluff or unwilling to allow irreparable plot holes in his painstakingly crafted work, “Master Wilde” hesitated for a moment. Surprisingly, he didn’t attempt to expel Leon from the plot but gritted his teeth and accepted him.

“I’ll show you! I’m going back to revise the later scenes!”

Glaring at the bastard who disrupted his play and challenged him, “Master Wilde,” shaking with anger, barked: “Don’t think getting a little screen time makes you the controller of the dramatic world. You, a half-baked amateur, could never create a more popular script than me! By the second… at most the third act, first scene, I’ll drive you, this pest, completely out of my world!”

“…”

Wait! Forget about whether you can drive me out… what does taking control of the dramatic world mean?

After hearing “Master Wilde’s” fierce threats, Leon didn’t get angry. Instead, his eyebrows unconsciously twitched, and his eyes revealed a thoughtful look.

Judging by his words… could it be that thoroughly disrupting the original plot and writing a more popular script than his original could make him the new controller of the dramatic world?(End of Chapter)