WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 48: Change
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Drip, drip, drip...
Tea that had run down to Chuk-sin-doo’s chin fell like rain.
A master like Chuk-sin-doo maintained perfect control over his body in any situation. Even if startled or flustered, it was rare for him to spit out the tea he was drinking.
In other words, this was an extremely rare occurrence.
He had not even managed to spit it out. It simply ran from his open mouth because he was too stunned to realize he needed to tense his jaw or lips.
“Why are you making such a disgusting mess?”
Orca clicked her tongue.
Only then did Chuk-sin-doo come back to his senses. The tea that had run down his chin and wet his trouser cuffs evaporated in an instant.
“Uh... uh, uh...”
Chuk-sin-doo covered both his chin and mouth with his hands as incoherent sounds slipped from him. His eyes, wide with shock, trembled.
‘A transmigrator?’
That guy he had seen half a year ago, the one who seemed to be some sort of disciple of the Fist Wolf, was a transmigrator?
“That’s impossible.”
He could not believe it.
Chuk-sin-doo had met many transmigrators. Even transmigrators who were confident in their ability to hide their identities could not conceal them perfectly before him.
Half stiffened the moment they saw him. When he performed tricks with Madorido, their cheeks trembled. When they saw his signature celebration, they could not hold themselves back and burst out laughing.
Chuk-sin-doo had never been ashamed of his name, appearance, martial arts, or celebration. He did all of it because he truly liked it, and because it was an expression of reverence for the brother he admired with all his heart and soul, someone who did not exist in this world.
At the same time, it was a trap for finding other transmigrators.
The reactions of this world’s natives and transmigrators to Chuk-sin-doo’s appearance were distinctly different.
It could not be helped. The brother he admired, the inspiration for this appearance, was such a global superstar that there were only a handful of people in the entire world who did not know him. Any transmigrator from that world could not help reacting to this appearance.
Even Lacey Yuzha, who was in this room right now, had once burst out laughing at both Chuk-sin-doo’s appearance and celebration.
“That... Yuri is a transmigrator? How can that be?”
Chuk-sin-doo could not accept it.
“Could that guy have been blind before he transmigrated?”
He had said it because he could not believe it, but the possibility seemed high. Otherwise, Yuri’s reaction made no sense.
“No, maybe he came from the middle of nowhere. Somewhere so remote that television, mobile-phone reception, and YouTube do not even work... Did he come from the Amazon...?”
“Don’t say something so ridiculous.”
Lacey clicked her tongue.
“If he came from somewhere that remote, how could he have played the game and come to this world?”
That was true as well.
Chuk-sin-doo pondered for a moment, then sprang from his seat.
“Could he be... a Guto?”
“Pardon?”
“No, that cannot be it. If he were a Guto, he should have reacted to my appearance even more...”
Though Lacey was also a transmigrator, she could not understand all of Chuk-sin-doo’s references. They had come from different countries before transmigrating.
“Guto...? Do you mean vomiting? Did you swallow the tea wrong?”
No matter how shocked or flustered he was, a Martial Apex Venerable did not seem likely to choke on tea. Lacey and Orca both gave Chuk-sin-doo dubious looks, but he did not answer. He began pacing as he sank into thought.
“...”
Still deep in thought, Chuk-sin-doo suddenly leaped into the air.
“Hoo!”
He turned half a rotation in midair, landed, and spread both arms powerfully like the wings of a soaring eagle.
“Pfft...”
Lacey, who had been seriously watching Chuk-sin-doo think, could not hold back her laughter.
Snap!
Chuk-sin-doo’s thumb and index finger struck together with a crisp sound.
“That is the correct reaction.”
“I was not laughing because it was funny.”
Lacey quickly wiped the expression from her face.
“I told you before, did I not? It is not ‘Hoo.’ It is ‘Siu.’”
Lacey pointed to both her lips and tongue.
“The closest pronunciation is something like ‘ssiu,’ but when you stretch out the sound and project your voice, a final ‘u’ sound gets mixed in. ‘Ssiu, u.’ ‘Ssiu-u.’”
“Hoo.”
“Ssiu-u.”
“Hoo.”
Chuk-sin-doo snorted and wagged a finger.
“Hey, Thor. Do you think I say ‘Hoo’ because I do not know that?”
“I am not Thor.”
“I say ‘Hoo’ because in Korea, unless someone is an obsessive overseas-football fan, ‘Hoo’ is more familiar.”
“Hoo!”
Chuk-sin-doo spread his arms again and shouted.
“...”
Lacey had no idea why Chuk-sin-doo was suddenly doing that shit.
“Ah.”
After thinking for a moment, Lacey found the answer. A faintly surprised expression appeared on her face as she looked at Chuk-sin-doo.
“I see... Chuk-sin-doo, you are looking for a transmigrator from your homeland.”
“That is it.”
Chuk-sin-doo grinned and dropped back into his seat.
“If they are foreign, they will not react to ‘Hoo.’ But they will react to my appearance. And if they are Korean, they cannot help reacting to both my appearance and ‘Hoo.’”
Chuk-sin-doo had even gone against the accurate form of his admired brother’s true celebration to meet them halfway.
“But Yuri... that guy did not react to my ‘Hoo’...”
Chuk-sin-doo’s eyes narrowed.
“The only possibilities I can think of are that he was blind before transmigrating or that he came from somewhere remote.”
“Someone blind or from somewhere remote could not have played that game. Think more simply. Perhaps Yuri’s self-control was good enough that seeing you did not shake him.”
“Is that possible? A transmigrator who does not react to me? That is a psychopath.”
Chuk-sin-doo spoke with a serious expression.
Lacey could not help feeling a chill.
Moonlit Reveller, Chuk-sin-doo was clearly not sane, but Lacey knew that appearance was not merely the result of innocent intentions and madness.
His appearance was widely known now, and his martial prowess had risen high enough for him to rank among the Martial Apex Venerables, but he had not been strong from the beginning.
In the past, that appearance must have been a weakling’s disguise.
Many transmigrators must have seen Chuk-sin-doo’s appearance, judged him a madman whose mind had broken after transmigrating, and approached him while looking down on him.
And Chuk-sin-doo had survived until now.
Lacey knew well that Chuk-sin-doo’s Madorido had not only smashed the heads of demonic masters. Whenever Lacey considered how cunning he was to maintain an appearance that invited transmigrators to approach him, it sent shivers down her spine.
“It has not been confirmed that Yuri is a transmigrator.”
Orca spoke.
“It is only speculation.”
“What? You did not confirm it?”
“I asked, but did not receive an answer. Given the circumstances, I believe there is a high chance Yuri is a transmigrator, but it has not been confirmed.”
“What happened?”
“I heard that two years ago, in Logos, Elena, an escort assassin, and Yuri were attacked by the Blood Fiend.”
Blood Fiend.
At the name, Chuk-sin-doo’s eyebrows twitched.
He had many ill-fated connections with the Demonic Cult. The reason the Righteous Heavenly Alliance treated Chuk-sin-doo, a confirmed transmigrator, as an honored guest was that he had consistently stood against the Demonic Cult.
“Blood Fiend... I know that old man. I have never met him myself, though. Was he not the old dog who went into seclusion after losing to the Demon-Eyed Saber Master around ten years ago?”
Blood Fiend was a shameful loser from the previous generation. He had survived by begging for his life, then gone into seclusion as if fleeing because he feared the treatment that awaited him in the Demonic Cult.
“Your disciple encountered Blood Fiend? How did they survive?”
Chuk-sin-doo could not help questioning it. Blood Fiend might have been an old dog from the previous generation, but that did not mean he could be dismissed as washed-up. This was a world where old men who belonged in nursing homes were far stronger than vigorous young men.
“I heard he was not in good condition.”
Orca shrugged.
“His dantian was severed ten years ago. He had not recovered his internal energy since then, and it seems he suffered Qi deviation after overexerting himself. His tier had fallen, and he could no longer maintain his rejuvenated body.”
“Hmm.”
Chuk-sin-doo tilted his head with a serious expression.
“Even so, I do not understand. Internal injuries, Qi deviation, a decline in tier. Even then, Blood Fiend was one of the Seven Evils ten years ago. Your disciple should have been fourth tier two years ago, so what tier was the escort assassin?”
“Probably fifth tier. At the time, Yuri had been studying martial arts for less than half a year.”
“Hahaha! They encountered Blood Fiend with that combination and survived? That is impossible.”
“They did not merely survive. I heard the three of them joined forces and killed Blood Fiend.”
“I see! That truly is impossible. Then Yuri can only be a transmigrator.”
Chuk-sin-doo’s face brightened.
Blood Fiend might have been burdened with several penalties, but there was no way he could have died to a fourth-tier mage and a fifth-tier assassin. A surprise attack might have made it possible, but from what Orca had said, it did not seem to have been one.
They had faced Blood Fiend head-on and killed him.
For that to be possible, there had to be an impossible variable beyond ordinary common sense.
“When I saw Yuri two years ago, I never imagined he was a transmigrator. He certainly seemed talented in martial arts, but his talent for mana was merely ordinary.”
“I thought so too. I even checked the internal energy accumulated within his body.”
And Orca had not checked only once.
Once when Namgung Jin had trespassed into Elena’s estate, and once when Orca used Thunder God’s Mirage to go meet Chuk-sin-doo after speaking with Yuri.
“The internal energy I checked was, as you say, Moonlit Reveller, nothing remarkable. Neither good nor bad, simply average. That was the extent of his talent.”
That meant Yuri had completely deceived both Orca and Chuk-sin-doo.
“Is that possible?”
“It is not.”
“Did he learn some special martial art?”
“Who knows? I have a rough grasp of the martial arts Yuri has learned, but there could be more that I do not know about.”
“What martial arts has he learned? Tell me, if it is not a great secret.”
“You only ever want to take without giving.”
Orca chuckled, but did not refuse to answer.
“For a cultivation technique, the Art of the Untainted Heart. For a fist technique, the Fist of the Rending Cloud. And I gave Yuri the Art of the Violet Lightning Flash.”
Chuk-sin-doo fell silent for a moment after hearing the answer.
“Nothing special.”
Eventually, Chuk-sin-doo frowned.
‘The Fist of the Rending Cloud...?’
Chuk-sin-doo did not reveal it outwardly, but inwardly, he could not help being horrified.
Chuk-sin-doo knew the Fist of the Rending Cloud.
Not the Fist of the Rending Cloud from this world, but the Fist of the Rending Cloud from the game.
[UrMumSpammer, you mother-insulting bastard, are you grinding the Fist of the Rending Cloud again? lol]
[No, that thing seems fucking terrible. Why are you so obsessed with it?? That evasion only triggers by dumb luck.]
[Stop trying to play by luck and switch builds already. That fucking Rending Shit Cloud Fist is seriously trash.]
[Your big bro found an amazing hidden-gem skill lately. Call me big bro and I will share my build.]
[Your mum.]
There was no doubt.
“Hmm... The Art of the Untainted Heart sounds shabby from the name alone, and the Fist of the Rending Cloud has no special function for concealing internal energy.”
[Hey, did you get the Veil of Deception?]
[Why does the Veil of Deception never drop for me??? Fuck, I think my game is bugged.]
Yuri was UrMumSpammer.
Chuk-sin-doo was certain of it.
‘You finally came...!’
Stepping back from the memories rushing through his mind, Chuk-sin-doo looked at Orca.
“The Art of the Violet Lightning Flash... From the name, it sounds like a lightning-energy martial art. Is that right?”
“Yes. I had no use for it, so I gave it to Yuri.”
“Looking only at the martial arts he has learned, I do not know how he hid that internal energy. You said he left two years ago? Why did he leave?”
“It seems he had intended to leave after returning from Logos anyway, but he and Elena parted ways after killing Blood Fiend. I did not hear the details. Nor did I ask.”
But Chuk-sin-doo could easily guess the reason.
As a transmigrator, how could he not understand a transmigrator’s troubles? Unavoidable circumstances must have exposed Yuri as a transmigrator, and it seemed that his relationship with Orca’s disciple had gone badly because of it.
‘Should I consider it fortunate that neither of them died?’
Chuk-sin-doo folded his arms and looked at Orca.
“If he really is a transmigrator, then he deceived and used your disciple. Does that not bother you?”
“If Elena had died or been left unable to recover, I would have held him accountable.”
Orca smiled strangely and continued.
“On the contrary, I believe meeting Yuri became a great turning point for Elena. Elena did reach fifth tier in only two years.”
“You have quite a nasty personality.”
“As a teacher, I cannot help being pleased by my disciple’s growth. I even feel grateful to Yuri. Whether he really is a transmigrator or not does not interest me much at this point. What about you, Moonlit Reveller?”
“I am interested.”
Chuk-sin-doo snorted and shrugged.
“Orca Dersia. If not for your disciple, I would have gone to interrogate Yuri immediately. It is a shame I cannot.”
“If you are so curious about Yuri, why not go find him yourself?”
There was clearly intent behind this entire conversation.
Chuk-sin-doo was certain Orca was testing him. Whether Lacey was truly Thor or not did not matter, but she knew about Chuk-sin-doo. She knew about the users he had been close to in the community before coming to this world.
Chuk-sin-doo had formed connections with many transmigrators because he maintained this appearance. Among them were quite a few hostile relationships. But he had not met every transmigrator in this world. In particular, among the friends Chuk-sin-doo truly wanted to meet, he had personally met only FUCKINGSEXY so far.
Cat Panties.
USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎.
UrMumSpammer.
He had not met those three yet.
But Chuk-sin-doo knew Cat Panties and USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎ had come to this world. They might already be dead, but he did not want to think that way. They had to be alive.
And UrMumSpammer.
As far as Chuk-sin-doo knew, that bastard had not crossed over yet.
If Yuri was a transmigrator.
If he had learned the Fist of the Rending Cloud.
‘UrMum, it is you.’
Chuk-sin-doo was certain inwardly, but could not reveal it before Orca. He knew that UrMumSpammer’s notoriety was high among transmigrators who had crossed over within the last ten years.
Chuk-sin-doo did not know Orca’s stance. But if Lacey was Thor, if she was the punching bag THOR123 whom UrMumSpammer beat up every day, then she was unlikely to be friendly.
“He hid the fact that he was a transmigrator from me. If he really is one, then he must not want to meet me. Besides, I am a busy man. I have to leave Rutlan soon.”
UrMumSpammer must have had thoughts and plans of his own when he chose not to reveal himself two years ago. Chuk-sin-doo had prepared many things for him, but decided to set those thoughts aside for now.
“If fate brings us together someday, we may meet. I do not think I need to seek him out myself.”
That was what Chuk-sin-doo would say before Orca, then he would secretly look for Yuri.
‘And I am curious to see how he grows without my help.’
Chuk-sin-doo wanted to teach him Full Moon Killing Kick and Hoo, but if Yuri had already learned excellent martial arts, Chuk-sin-doo intended to respect that.
‘...’
There were many other things Chuk-sin-doo wanted to ask, but...
“Rice tastes best after it has been left to steam.”
“What does that mean?”
“The Korean Table.”
Chuk-sin-doo muttered that and leaned his head against the chair.
“All this talk about transmigrators has made me crave spicy stir-fried pork and fermented soybean paste stew today...”
More than twenty years had passed since Chuk-sin-doo came to this world.
Chuk-sin-doo could no longer properly remember what the stir-fried pork he had eaten in the past had tasted like...
Footnotes:
Guto is derogatory Korean football slang for a Messi fan, while the Korean word also means vomiting, which is why Lacey misunderstands it.
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