Chapter 658: Failure of Negotiation and the Way to Break the Impasse

"Are we just leaving like this?"

After glancing back at the small tavern where noises clattered wildly, the princess in her server's uniform couldn't help asking:

"Mr. Elijah hasn't run yet—if he stays there, he might…"

"Don't worry, he won't be harmed."

After tossing the baby goat onto his shoulder to settle it, Li Ang took the rag he'd just taken from the restaurant and wiped the sauce off the black goat's face as he replied:

"He's got someone watching over him—he's far safer than we are. Even if those three sailors just punched him, as long as Master Wang Erde is willing, even if a cruise ship ran him over, he'd just roll over and jump right back up."

???

What even is this?

Without the abnormality resistance provided by 【Materialism】, the princess was still just the tavern server "Agatha," and naturally had no idea what Li Ang was talking about. But remembering the usual nonsensical "crazy ramblings" of "Mr. Joseph," she didn't press further, instead looking worried and suggesting:

"Mr. Joseph, if you turn the corner at the next street, you'll reach the police station. Could you please go report it? I'm worried about the tavern…"

"The tavern won't have any problems!"

After wiping the sauce clean off the black goat, Li Ang tied it to his belt, then gripped the princess's shoulders firmly and said with serious expression:

"Wei… Agatha, listen to me!"

Seeing the princess's startled expression, Li Ang, preparing to try and lead her to escape, explained earnestly:

"What I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but I swear every word is true—you're not a tavern server at all, but…"

Feeling an inexplicable danger, Li Ang's hair stood on end as he suddenly looked up and saw a transparent thread, vastly thicker than before, silently descending from the sky, heading straight for the back of his skull!

It's the 【King of Drama】 coming for him!

Realizing the danger, Li Ang didn't use the Holy Pendant to attack the thread. Instead, he concentrated his tangible spiritual power into a giant hand and shoved himself sideways—barely avoiding the descending thread.

But as a powerhouse with "Two-Goat Strength," the 【King of Drama】's ability was far harder to evade. The thick thread, thicker than an adult man's thigh, instantly shattered into nearly a hundred invisible filaments, instantly enveloping Li Ang and sticking every movable part of his body tight.

"Damn you! How dare you ruin my play!"

With a voice full of fury, as if a pause button had been pressed, the birds in the sky froze mid-flight, the fresh yet salty sea breeze halted, the crash of waves against the dock ceased—everything in the world fell utterly still.

Then, "Master Wang Erde," dressed in a crisp double-breasted white suit and wearing a matching top hat, limped over, leaning on his cane, standing before Li Ang with a face full of rage.

This must be the incarnation of the 【King of Drama】's will.

Li Ang, completely stuck in filaments except for his eyes, shifted his gaze and stared fixedly at the furious 【Master of Drama】.

According to his deduction, the true form of this "Two-Goat" abnormality was this seaside town… or rather, the dramatic world it had fabricated.

That's why he'd immediately obtained information about the 【King of Drama】 upon entering—and to escape its fabricated world, besides brute force, he could find the 【King of Drama】's will incarnation and strike it hard enough to cause its world to collapse prematurely.

His original plan had been to lure out the 【King of Drama】's will and use the Holy Pendant's spiritual shock to try and damage it. After all, creating such a vast world must consume enormous energy; with its remaining strength, the 【King of Drama】 might not withstand the Pendant's impact.

But now…

After sensing the 【King of Drama】's will strength, Li Ang shook his head with a quiet tsk and wisely abandoned the idea of "charging" it.

This thing's will was too thick—solid as a concrete wall. He simply couldn't break through. He'd have to think of another way.

…

"Y-you… how are you still moving?!"

Seeing Li Ang, coated in hundreds of threads, still able to shake his head and sigh, "Master Wang Erde" was startled. He tried to add more threads—but the man merely twisted his body slightly, and every strand of the master's control lines snapped, none remaining.

"I can move because I'm immune to your control… Also, though the odds seem slim, I'd still like to try negotiating with you."

After reviewing his current options and realizing he had no real means to counter the 【King of Drama】, Li Ang, now free of the threads, pointed at the princess and said earnestly:

"If you let me and her leave, and promise to release everyone trapped once this play ends, I'll help you…"

"No!"

Before Li Ang could finish his offer, the 【King of Drama】 cut him off sharply, raising his cane to point at the princess with an unyielding tone:

"You may leave after your part ends, but she is the female lead of 'Twelve Days Together'—she must stay!"

"Wait… you really have to finish this play?"

"Of course!"

Hearing Li Ang's words, "Master Wang Erde" declared stubbornly:

"Even the worst play is better than one stopped mid-performance! Once my drama begins, nothing—not anything—can halt it!"

"But can you even continue this play?"

Pointing toward the tavern, Li Ang reminded the "single-minded master": "I haven't seen this play, but if I'm not mistaken, the scene just played was meant to have the male and female leads face trouble together, quickly drawing them closer so the 'Twelve Days Together' invitation could be made.

But now, it was me who saved Agatha. Your male lead spoke up—but he only got beaten. Your play's already ruined. Is there still any point continuing?"

"There's every point! How to proceed is none of your concern, you disruptive guest!"

Shooting Li Ang an angry glare, "Master Wang Erde" coldly shooed him away:

"Also, since you're a paying audience member, I'll overlook this disruption. But never come to watch any of my plays again—I and my Morning Star Troupe do not welcome you!"

"…"

So no deal after all?

After hearing "Master Wang Erde's" words, Li Ang sighed again as he stared at the strange door that had suddenly appeared before him, marked with the word "Exit."

Leaving the princess behind was impossible. Though the 【King of Drama】 had shown no intent to harm anyone and seemed communicative, prompting him to consider negotiation, it was still an abnormality—no matter how reliable it appeared, it couldn't be fully trusted.

Besides, this thing was already on the verge of losing control. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gone berserk over two critical reviews and instantly trapped thousands. If this play ended poorly, who knew what other extreme acts it might commit.

And as a Clearance Officer, he had a duty to handle out-of-control abnormal entities—to capture "Master Wang Erde" and turn him over to Headquarters. Clearly, there was nothing left to discuss. He'd overthought this…

"Since you won't leave, then don't leave at all!"

After patiently waiting a while and seeing Li Ang still not heading for the exit, "Master Wang Erde" sneered, shutting off the door to the outside world, then waved him off like a fly, disgusted:

"I don't know why you're immune to my control, but I'm the creator of this world—I have countless ways to deal with you… Go lie at the bottom of the sea! Don't show your face in this city again until 'Twelve Days Together' ends!"

At "Master Wang Erde's" command, the world around Li Ang twisted rapidly, instantly shifting dozens of kilometers. One moment, a clean, empty street; the next, the dark, endless depths of the ocean.

Yet strangely, though the world around Li Ang had changed, when he took a step forward on the seabed, he inexplicably reappeared exactly where he'd been—standing once more on the deep blue street of the small town, as if nothing had ever changed.

What's going on? I'm the creator of this world—I could swap the sun for the moon! Why can't I move a mere supporting character?

…

Thank you, 【Materialism】! If we get out of this safely, you're unquestionably MVP!

Naturally, he didn't tell "Master Wang Erde" why he was immune to displacement. After glancing at the glowing crimson badge on his panel, Li Ang's lips curled slightly, then he looked up at the 【King of Drama】 and remarked with deep implication:

"You don't even understand your own created world. Looks like the drama critic was right—you really don't understand drama at all."

?!!

Caught off guard by this sudden provocation, "Master Wang Erde" froze, then, upon realizing what Li Ang meant, his face flushed with rage as he shouted:

"You—"

"Do you remember what I just did?"

Again pointing toward the tavern, Li Ang explained (and spun) with solemn gravity:

"In your original script, my character, after demonstrating cowardice and highlighting Elijah's bravery, was meant to exit—easily discarded.

But now, things have changed: it was me who saved Agatha. And if this play has an audience, at least half their attention has shifted to me and the fleeing Agatha. If I'm suddenly dumped into the ocean now, can your play still continue?

For this dramatic world, structural integrity, logical coherence, and dramatic impact are fundamental rules it must obey. A character as important as me—saving the heroine with intelligence one moment, then vanishing without explanation the next—does that fit the rules of this dramatic world?"

"…"

It… might really be because of this? But… but I'm the author!

After hearing Li Ang's plausible nonsense, "Master Wang Erde" felt something was off, but couldn't think of any better explanation, so he stubbornly argued:

"Without you… it's a bit incomplete, but I'm the creator of this world—I even wrote the script for 'Twelve Days Together'—so…"

"You're just a scriptwriter. What do you know about 'Twelve Days Together'?"

After this exchange, Li Ang roughly gauged the 【King of Drama】's IQ and EQ, finding both slightly below human average. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then pushed harder, spinning wildly:

"In short, after that scene at the tavern, I've already been woven into the plot of 'Twelve Days Together.' You can't just delete me. Even as the world's creator, you can't blatantly violate the rules of this dramatic world. You've lost control over me now—your only option is to accept my existence!"

"Damn it! You won't get away with this!"

Whether he believed Li Ang's nonsense or couldn't bear to let his painstakingly crafted play suffer an irreparable plot hole, "Master Wang Erde" hesitated briefly—then actually gave in, reluctantly accepting Li Ang's presence.

"You wait—I'll rewrite the next few acts!"

Glaring at the bastard who had disrupted his play and dared to provoke him, "Master Wang Erde" snarled:

"Don't think gaining a few lines means you can replace me as the ruler of this dramatic world. You're a half-baked amateur—you'll never write a script more popular than mine!"

"Once I finish rewriting the new plot, by the second… at most the third act's first scene, I'll expel you, this plague, from my world forever!"

"…"

Wait—forget about expelling me… how did "replacing you as ruler of the dramatic world" even come up?

After hearing "Master Wang Erde's" threat, Li Ang didn't get angry. Instead, his brow twitched involuntarily, his eyes sharpening with thoughtful calculation.

From his words… could it be that completely disrupting the original plot and rewriting it to be more popular than his original script would make him the new ruler of the dramatic world?

(End of Chapter)