WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 10: Episode 2 - Protagonist (4)

At that moment, Sangah shouted.

“Dokja-ssi! Behind you!”

I instinctively ducked, just as a bloodstained fist sliced through the air where my head had been. I recognized that dark, ominous aura immediately.

As I rolled, my foot connected with something, sending it flying. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

A tier-9 Corrupted Human.

These were mutated humans infected by black aether. Even though they were classified as tier-9 monsters, Corrupted Humans were considered high-risk because of their unpredictability. They were essentially zombies, but when the host had been someone exceptional, they became particularly dangerous.

I looked down at the name tag of the student whose head had exploded earlier.

“…Kim Namwoon.”

The guy who had died just minutes ago was now back, but this time as a humanoid, his grotesque vocal cords twitching in a monstrous manner.

“Gwaaaah.”

[The exclusive skill Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has been activated!]

[This figure does not have sentience. The activation of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint has been canceled.]

Damn it, I figured it wouldn’t work.

Slash!

Namwoon’s elongated black nails tore into my thigh, sending a burning sensation through my leg. His claws had easily shredded through my skin, which hadn’t even been pierced by a knife earlier. A Corrupted Human was far stronger than it had been in life.

“Sangah-ssi, run—”

But something felt off even before I finished speaking. I didn’t need to turn around to know what was happening.

“Let go of me! Let go! Dokja-ssi! Dokja-ssi!”

Myeongoh, who had been limping moments earlier, had grabbed Sangah and was now sprinting across the bridge with astonishing speed.

[The constellation Secretive Plotter marvels at how easy it is to walk all over you.]

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is moved by your sacrificial spirit.]

[You have received 100 coins.]

…So that’s how it is.

He had abandoned me.

But something about the way he was running struck me as odd. Despite his limp, Myeongoh was running as fast as an Olympic athlete. This wasn’t his own ability, though. It had to be a Stigma from his patron constellation.

[One-legged Swift Steps]

I knew which constellation granted this stigma. I used [Character Profile] on Han Myeongoh as he fled.

[This figure’s information cannot be read through Character Profile.]

Once again, [Character Profile] failed to work.

If I remembered correctly, One-legged Swift Steps came from the constellation known as the Limping Trickster. But that constellation didn’t grant mental barriers, and there was no way Myeongoh had a skill like that from the start.

This meant my skill had failed for another reason.

…How foolish.

I laughed bitterly as I read the floating message.

[This figure does not have a Character Profile.]

I was reading too deep into things. The skill name said it all. [Character Profile] could only access information on characters in the original story, and neither Yu Sangah nor Han Myeongoh hadn’t appeared in TWSA.

They were supposed to die. That’s why I couldn’t access their information.

“Graaaah!”

On one side, Kim Namwoon and other Corrupted Humans were advancing toward me, and on the other, Myeongoh had already crossed more than half the bridge with Sangah. Hyeonseong and Gilyeong had already reached the safe zone across the bridge, so they couldn’t help me. I was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

I thought quickly. Could I take down a humanoid and make it across the bridge? It was possible, but the success rate was low. Unlike what the name ‘Corrupted Human’ suggests, these monsters belonged to the ‘inhuman species’ classification and weren’t human. They didn’t count as ‘people’.

“Graaaah!”

Several humanoids lost their footing and fell over the side of the bridge.

Crunch!

The sea serpents in the river devoured the fallen humanoids in an instant, tearing them apart like piranhas.

A cold fear crept over me. If the number of people on the bridge ever became “odd,” I would end up just like those humanoids. Crossing alone wasn’t an option. So…

“…Take it slow.”

I muttered to myself, forcing calm. I needed to keep a clear head. There were still ways to survive, and the first step was dealing with what was in front of me. I grabbed the leg of an approaching humanoid and tripped it.

“Graaaah?”

Luckily, these humanoids didn’t have eyes, so using momentum to toss them over the edge wasn’t difficult.

Screeeech—crunch!

I steadily reduced their numbers. Overhead, the dokkaebi’s countdown continued to flash. Fifteen minutes left until the scenario ended.

“Huff…”

Another humanoid slashed at my shoulder, tearing my skin. No matter how much I knew or how calm I was, my untrained body couldn’t keep up.

“Gwaaaah!”

Namwoon’s attacks were getting faster. His claws swiped at my left shoulder, right thigh, and head.

I had to break this pattern. Dodging another swipe, I stomped on his leg.

“Graaah?”

But Namwoon felt no pain. As I stepped back, I stumbled over a broken piece of the bridge. Beneath me, the Ichthyosaurs thrashed in the river, eager for more prey.

[A few constellations are reveling in your plight.]

[You have received 200 coins from a few constellations.]

My coin count had steadily risen. I now had 5,000 coins, a substantial amount for this early in the game.

[Wow, you’re holding out pretty well. Now, is there a constellation out there willing to help this poor soul?]

The dokkaebi’s voice was annoyingly upbeat.

I wanted to kill him.

[Seriously? No one?]

Of course not. After the <Patron Selection>, it would be strange for any constellation to sponsor me.

[See? You should have been more careful when you had the chance. Poor thing.]

Namwoon’s attack caught me off guard, hitting me square in the waist. But I had managed to slash his side in return, leaving his entrails hanging like ropes.

To kill a Corrupted Human, I had to destroy its heart.

But the skin around a humanoid’s heart was incredibly tough. There was no way my pocket knife could pierce it.

Damn it. If only I had a proper combat skill.

[The exclusive skill Bookmark has been activated.]

…Bookmark?

[The Character Bookmark feature is active.]

[You have 3 available Bookmark slots.]

[Loading list of characters available for Bookmarking.]

+

<List of Bookmarked Characters>

1. Delusional Demon Kim Namwoon (Understanding: 25)

2. Steel Sword Lee Hyeonseong (Understanding: 35)

3. —

+

Bookmark. I had read all 3,000 chapters of TWSA, but I had never seen a skill with that name. Yet, even without prior knowledge, I instinctively knew how to use it.

“Activate the first bookmark.”

With a flicker, memories of Kim Namwoon from TWSA flooded my mind.

「Hahaha! I’m overflowing with power!」

「Die! Die! Die! Die!」

「A new world needs new rules.」

Namwoon’s memories filled my head, making my muscles twitch. A foreign strength surged within me.

[Bookmark 1 has been activated.]

[Due to the low level of the skill Bookmark, the activation time is limited.]

[Active duration: 1 minute.]

One minute. That was more than enough.

[Due to your low understanding of this character, only a fraction of this character’s skill will be activated.]

[Grimdark Awakening Lv.1 has been activated.]

Namwoon, now completely feral, rushed at me, black energy crackling around his body. I steeled myself, channeling every ounce of power into my legs as I charged at him.

As long as I had the same skill, there was no way I would lose.

For that brief moment, I became Kim Namwoon. The deranged killer who had terrorized the world of TWSA, the Delusional Demon who had been a nightmare on the battlefield when fully awakened.

“Gyaaaaah!”

The pocket knife sliced through muscle and sinew, tearing apart Kim Namwoon’s body from his left shoulder to his heart. His body spasmed, staggering back, his flesh shredded and his heart barely hanging on.

If he had eyes, they would have been staring right at me.

“I… don’t… want… to… die…”

Kim Namwoon, the young man who had resented the world and dreamed of escape. In another life, he might have taken the college entrance exam and lived a normal life. Maybe he would have enjoyed the freedom of campus life if TWSA hadn’t started.

“…I don’t want to die…”

I watched silently as Namwoon’s body fell over the edge of the bridge. Though I had hated him, in that moment, I felt a strange pang of sympathy as I watched him fall.

[Your understanding of the character Kim Namwoon has increased.]

[Bookmark 1 has been deactivated.]

A wave of exhaustion hit me like a truck as soon as the Bookmark deactivated. The crushing fatigue that followed left me barely standing.

This was tough. Really tough.

“Gwaaaah!”

There were still ten minutes left on the countdown, and more humanoids were slowly advancing. Even with my constitution at level 10, there was no way I could deal with all of them. Not by myself. But that was never my plan from the start.

…A little late, isn’t he? He should be here any second now.

Crash! Crunch!

Just as I’d predicted, a loud, bone-shattering sound rang out. I wasn’t surprised. Whoever it was, he was probably trying to rack up achievements and earn sponsorships by taking advantage of this chaotic situation.

Crack! Rip!

Though it was a fight between living beings, the sound was like metal being torn apart. For a moment, I’d thought that with 5,000 coins in hand, I could probably put up a decent fight, even against the protagonist.

But now, seeing this scene unfold, I realized how mistaken I had been.

In a straight line from where the train had stopped, Corrupted Humans exploded one after another, as if crushed by an oncoming tank. Could a human really cause such destruction?

“Graaah?”

Even the humanoids, eyeless as they were, seemed to realize something was off. One by one, they turned to flee, but it was too late.

Crunch!

In the blink of an eye, the man had obliterated every humanoid in my vicinity and now stood right in front of me. His sheer force was terrifying. Without even a weapon, he had torn through the humanoids using only his fists.

Despite mentally preparing myself, cold sweat ran down my back. How could I ever face someone like this? It was impossible. Even if my overall stats were doubled, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

“Who are you?”

The man’s icy gaze locked onto me, and my body instinctively tensed up. Desperate to gain control of the situation, I activated my skill.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

[There is too much information about this figure. The Character Profile will be modified to a Character Profile Summary.]

+

<Character Profile Summary>

Name: Yu Junghyeok

Exclusive attributes: Regressor <3rd round> (Mythic), Pro-gamer (Rare)

Exclusive skills: [Sage’s Eye Lv. 8], [Close Combat Lv. 8], [Weapons Proficiency Lv. 8], [Mental Barrier Lv. 5], [Crowd Control Lv. 5], [Deduction Lv. 5], [Lie Detection Lv. 4]…

+

The list of skills seemed endless. Before I could fully process the information, a strong hand gripped my throat.

“How are you still alive?”

The living example of the ‘first way’ to survive the apocalypse was right before me. He was none other than the regressor, Yu Junghyeok. The grand tragedy of this world began with this very person.

Footnotes:

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