WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
DAMNED 13TH REGRESSION
Chapter 6: Entering Babel (2)
"In the 7th Mass Summoning."
The golden-haired archangel Metatron, draped in a flowing Greco-Roman toga, spoke with a tone of concern.
"We've reached our limit. Excluding the very young, we've summoned everyone with real potential."
"Don't worry, Metatron! I, Azazel, will nurture these humans into the strongest weapons to defeat the Demon King!"
A small angel, Azazel, burdened with dozens of weapons, fluttered beside Metatron, exuding enthusiasm.
"I hope so... Hmm?"
Metatron felt a strange sensation and a headache as if recalling something familiar.
"This feeling... Have I said this before...?"
The sense of déjà vu lingered with Metatron.
===
Babel, the Final Dungeon
1st Floor, Sector 3349.
Under a crimson sky, within walls of stone, a village stood.
Here, 201 hunters were summoned.
From those dripping wet from showers to those wounded in raids, a diverse group of hunters observed each other calmly.
"Damn, I didn't want to come here."
"Fuck, fuck!"
As the hunters came to grips with the situation, they started murmuring among themselves.
Their conversation was not as chaotic as one would expect from civilians; these were hunters who had repeatedly slain monsters.
Joo Gong-hyeok and Ha Yeon-si were also present.
Suddenly, a bright spotlight shone on a platform in the center.
Boom!
"Welcome, human hunters, to the 7th Mass Summoning!"
A flamboyant fanfare erupted as a demon troupe appeared, playing instruments.
Vrrrrooom-
The passionate music of trumpets, horns, and other instruments resonated. A demon in a flashy tailcoat ascended the stage.
"I am Cluesty, a servant of the Demon King Bel-Marduk, King Asura of the Lightning Heaven!"
Cluesty rapidly rattled off his words.
"I am Cluesty, known for my speed among demons! I hate and loathe pointless talk! So let's get straight to the point!"
"What the hell is this guy...?"
Someone voiced the confusion of all the hunters present.
Puff!
However, it was a careless mistake. The head of the speaking hunter burst open.
Bone and flesh splattered onto the faces of nearby hunters.
The headless body gushed blood like a geyser before collapsing.
Jingle, jingle, jingle.
"Now, look at that recent arrival to heaven. If you die here, you drop 20% of the coins you've accumulated! Hmm, that one must have had about 300 coins!"
"300 coins... Huh!"
A hunter inadvertently gasped at the mention of such a large sum of coins, then quickly covered his mouth.
"Hmm? Another chatterbox, huh? Shall we give them a service too?"
Cluesty playfully flicked his finger, sending a devastating shockwave.
Boom!
But the shockwave was blocked by two spears that appeared out of nowhere.
"Cluesty..."
"Oh, Azazel. Welcome."
The sky parted, revealing a radiant angel descending.
Azazel, the angel burdened with many weapons, appeared furious.
"No further unnecessary killings of participants will be tolerated."
"Agreed. Now, onto the rules! They're simple and straightforward!"
"Here on the 1st floor, hunters will be ranked from 1st to 200th based on their hunting performance! Prizes await the top 10! And... Hehe."
Cluesty licked his finger slightly.
"Those ranking from 51st to 200th will all die by my hand."
The atmosphere froze solid.
"The time frame is three weeks! Hunt and conquer the dungeons on this floor! The stronger you become, the more you develop the dimension's potential! It benefits us all! Let's harvest both leaves and mulberries! Wahahaha!"
Cluesty spun around maniacally and exited the stage.
As he left, Azazel sat cross-legged on the platform.
Rules appeared in the air above the platform.
===
Rule 1. Humans who fail to rank within the top 50 within three weeks will die.
Rule 2. Demons and angels will offer different achievements and quests. The choice is yours.
Rule 2-1. Neither demons nor angels can directly harm humans or influence their actions beyond giving quests.
Rule 3. Upon death, humans drop 20% of their accumulated coins.
Rule 3-1. Killing people within the village area is prohibited for the first two weeks.
Rule 4. Scoring System
10 points for killing a monster.
100 points for killing a named monster.
300 points for killing a boss monster.
1,000 points for clearing all floors of a dungeon.
===
Hunters swarmed towards Azazel on the platform.
"Hey, not hey, but Miss Angel. What are these conditions above us?"
"Where can we find food here, and what about water?"
"Oh, Lord. Here is your servant. Please look upon us mercifully."
"What are we supposed to do now? Please explain, Miss Angel!"
Azazel frowned at the hands grabbing her and the loud voices.
"Enough. I'll explain slowly. First, regarding food..."
Before she could finish, several cries of despair echoed.
"The one who just died was my comrade! Please save them, Miss Angel!"
"I've never hunted a monster in my life! Yet I was summoned. Not all Awakeners are hunters!"
"Miss Angel, mercy, please! Mercy!"
Order and decorum were lost in the chaos of 200 human voices. Amidst the clamor, two shadows quietly slipped towards the exit.
They were Joo Gong-hyeok and Ha Yeon-si.
"Oh, oppa. Can we really just leave like this? Maybe the angel there will have a solution..."
"That won't happen."
'She's just a quest NPC who makes empty promises and whines.'
Thinking this but not saying it aloud, Joo Gong-hyeok led Ha Yeon-si away.
Several cold gazes followed their departure.
These onlookers, too, wanted to start hunting and gathering points immediately. However, they lacked information. They didn't know what monsters awaited outside, nor if the angel might offer useful tips.
Moreover, they knew that when people gathered, rules were established. If they were to miss out, others might create rules in their favor, like "Kill selfish hunters who go hunting on the first day and split their coins."
In this unpredictable situation, some hunters chose to observe and wait, maintaining their composure.
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