WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 104: Episode 21 — Something That Cannot Be Changed (2)

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Shin Yuseong's right hand quietly rose into the sky.

"Cry out, King Masswood."

Then the king of the sea dragons coiled behind her slowly raised its body.

The king of the sea dragons that ravaged the sea, King Masswood's [Ice Breath].

The bottom of the Han River froze in an instant, and the Ghost Fleet that had been firing its cannons gradually began to lose its function within the breath.

"Let me give you one piece of advice, unni. The Ghost Fleet is strong, but in the end, it means nothing without water."

Everything happened in a flash. Shin Yuseong's fist moved, something exploded, and Lee Jihye's Cloak of the Recluse rose helplessly into the air after she lost hold of her sword.

"Of course, it's advice that won't do any good in this round anyway."

There wasn't even a shred of consciousness left in Lee Jihye's blood-spattered eyes as she flew through the air. King Masswood's [Ice Breath] was finally spreading across the entire Han River.

"Aaaaah! What is this?!"

The Incarnations crossing the river screamed at the sudden cold snap. Swept up in the wave of cold, hundreds of people on the frozen Han River were left facing death by exposure, unable to move. The one who saved those helplessly stiffening Incarnations was the owner of monstrous strength who had been watching nearby.

[The character Lee Hyeongseong has activated the stigma Great Mountain Crush Lv.5!]

Lee Hyeongseong's abnormally swollen right arm slammed down onto the frozen river. His arm, swollen to the point of bursting from overusing [Great Mountain Crush], began to break down. But his effort was rewarded.

Craaack!

The cracked surface of the Han River collapsed just like that, and the influence of [Ice Breath] faltered. Taking that chance, the Incarnations came up aboveground and advanced on Nodeul Island.

"Waaaaah!"

"Hit them!"

Watching Lee Hyeongseong at the center of the troops, Shin Yuseong smiled sadly.

"Right, Hyeongseong oppa. I knew you'd be here too."

"......Do you know me?"

"Our most dependable shield. You saved my life many times."

At Shin Yuseong's gesture, the giant chimpanzee behind her beat its chest and stepped forward this time. Level 5 monster species, Heavy Metal Kong.

Kuuung!

With a stomp of its hind legs, the nearby Incarnations were thrown sprawling. Lee Hyeongseong charged toward Heavy Metal Kong.

Lee Hyeongseong's swollen arm and Heavy Metal Kong's steel muscles collided head-on. Lee Hyeongseong's strength was astonishing. Even with capillaries bursting and blood running from his lips, he wasn't pushed back in the slightest against the Level 5 monster species.

No, he was overwhelming it instead.

Kurur......?

Watching Lee Hyeongseong like that, Shin Yuseong spoke on in a numb voice.

"You're the same now as you were then, Hyeongseong oppa. Yu Junghyeok's most loyal hound."

"......Who are you?"

"You saved countless people, and in the end, you died protecting Yu Junghyeok, struck by the Iron-Blood Dragon's breath and scattered into a handful of ashes."

"What are you......"

"Do you know what Yu Junghyeok said then?"

As though grafting her own wounds onto someone else, Shin Yuseong's tongue moved like a sharp scalpel.

"What a waste. I lost a useful shield."

Watching Lee Hyeongseong's expression subtly change, Shin Yuseong writhed in a lonely thrill. Right, you all have to feel it too. The pain I received, the sight I saw. I may not be able to make you take all of it, but you have to understand this too.

But she didn't know.

That this round was somehow different from the rounds she knew.

After knocking aside Heavy Metal Kong's attack, Lee Hyeongseong opened his mouth.

"I don't know what you mean, but I do not follow Mr. Yu Junghyeok."

"What?"

"I am Kim Dokja's Ally."

"Kim...... what?"

With a booming crash, Heavy Metal Kong toppled over.

Shin Yuseong's expression stiffened, and she walked toward Lee Hyeongseong.

"......What are you talking about?"

With a sound like a bursting drum, Lee Hyeongseong's Cloak of the Recluse flew through the air. Shin Yuseong followed through with a savage barrage at his abdomen. The storm of ether that swept through tore through Lee Hyeongseong's solid stomach and sent him flying to the middle of the Han River.

It was a blow powerful enough to rupture all his internal organs.

Lee Hyeongseong would no longer go on living through this third round.

But one question remained in Shin Yuseong's mind.

A name she had never heard before.

Kim Dokja...... Who in the world was that?

Tearing open the throats of the Incarnations charging toward her, Shin Yuseong slowly walked out across the frozen river. The frightened Incarnations tried to run, only to be ripped apart and killed by the monsters' claws. Fear was beginning to settle over people's eyes.

Resignation spread among the Incarnations as they faced a disaster they couldn't resist.

Of course, there were those who resisted it.

"Fire!"

The kings who had re-formed their lines rained down arrows and Mana bullets with long-range attack skills. Shin Yuseong knew them too.

King of Beauty Min Jiwon.

Maitreya King Cha Sanggyeon.

Neutral King Jeon Ildo.

It was strange. They were people who originally shouldn't have been alive, or who should already have become Yu Junghyeok's Subordinates. Because every other "king" besides Yu Junghyeok should have been merged into a single throne the moment the Fourth Scenario ended.

Then what in the world was that?

"Strike them! There's only one enemy!"

Whose orders was that ragtag army following?

Where had the Absolute Throne gone?

Who ruled this world?

That was when she felt killing intent. With a chrrrr sound, the ground Shin Yuseong was standing on was freezing over.

......[Ice Breath]?

When she reflexively turned around, there was a massive sea dragon breathing frost toward her. It wasn't King Masswood. At her reflexively raised right hand, King Masswood moved.

Groooooooar!

The two sea dragons roared at each other at the same time and tangled together in a collision. King and queen bit at each other, turning the entire Han River into a giant octagon. A sea dragon large enough to fight King Masswood. As far as Shin Yuseong knew, there was only one.

"......Queen Mirvad?"

She knew the queen was on Earth, but there was no reason for the queen to attack her.

No, why?

"You're the future me, aren't you?"

The moment she turned that way, Shin Yuseong's mind went blank. A time she had missed with all her heart shook her soul as it brushed past.

"Bring ajussi back to life!"

The sight of a screaming girl, and a woman blocking that girl.

"Yuseong, no!"

With a sharp ringing shock, the Catastrophe of Shin Yuseong understood everything.

"Haha....... Right. I thought so."

Shin Yuseong floated up on Cloak of the Recluse and approached the girl.

The Yu Junghyeok she knew should have been like this.

For the sake of his objective, that vile human who would stop at nothing should have been like this from the start.

"Yu Junghyeok, you scum of the human race......"

"Yuseong, run!"

Yu Sangah pulled out her dagger and charged while activating [Hermes' Stroll] and [Arachne's Web] at the same time. A strange light passed through Shin Yuseong's eyes.

"......Olympus?"

But the dagger didn't reach Shin Yuseong. At a simple gesture, the flying species that came out of the [Monster Gate] poured toward Yu Sangah all at once. Yu Sangah was surrounded in an instant, and her Cloak of the Recluse disappeared into the swarm of monsters.

Leaving Yu Sangah behind, Shin Yuseong walked toward the girl.

The girl's eyes, dyed with fear and anger, looked up at her. As if she were bound, the girl couldn't move a single step. Shin Yuseong placed a hand on the girl's cheek.

"So Yu Junghyeok found the 'me' of this worldline after all."

"U-uh......"

"He was trying to kill the younger 'me' to stop the current 'me.' Right?"

At that deduction, which fit perfectly into place, a terrifying exhilaration boiled through Shin Yuseong's mind. The hatred and rage that had briefly dimmed quickly found their place again. As expected, there were things that couldn't be changed no matter how many times one went back to the past.

The Catastrophe of Shin Yuseong laughed.

"Hello, me of the past."

The moment her hand was about to move, a powerful strike slammed down from behind and swallowed her with a thunderous crash. When the dust cleared, the scythe of a giant mantis was flashing there.

"A Level 6 Monarch-Level Insect?"

"Titano! Kill her!"

The giant mantis's scythe attacks came pouring down wildly, churning up the ground like tofu. It was a fearsome assault. But of course, it wasn't an attack that could deal with a Catastrophe.

"Get lost."

The ether condensed in the Catastrophe Shin Yuseong's right arm exploded against Titanoptera's abdomen. The giant mantis spilled green blood in pain and dropped to its knees on the spot.

"Titano!"

An enraged Lee Gilyeong jumped down from the giant mantis's head. Yellow mucus spread out from his body like a parachute through the air.

"Go! Antinus!"

The parasitic species that emerged from Lee Gilyeong's body spread its wings and shot forward.

Level 5 parasite species, 'Parasite'.

Shin Yuseong was startled.

"......Antinus?"

Shin Yuseong knew of that existence too. Because the place she had destroyed before coming to Earth was Planet Chronos. Antinus was Chronos's ruling species. It was a monster that possessed the stature of a queen.

She couldn't believe it. There was a child who commanded a ruling species?

"Not bad, little kid."

But her surprise was brief. Antinus, who had tried to parasitize her, was caught futilely in Shin Yuseong's grasp. The mucus touching Shin Yuseong's fingertips began to burn black.

Kyaaaaaaah.......

It was only natural. Guides couldn't stand against a Catastrophe.

"A talent great enough to tame a Guide. So you also have the talent of a 'Lord.' Right? You're one the leader found too......"

Lee Gilyeong came charging at her without caring about her question.

"What did you do to Dokja hyung?!"

"What?"

"I'm asking where our hyung is!"

Lee Gilyeong's fist struck her in the stomach. It was a blow he had put everything into, but the side that broke was Lee Gilyeong's wrist instead. It was tremendous talent, but he had the wrong opponent. Shin Yuseong's white hand grabbed Lee Gilyeong by the neck and lifted him up.

"......Who exactly is 'Dokja'?"

Blood was rushing to Lee Gilyeong's face as he struggled.

"Tell me. Otherwise you'll die."

Then the sound of artillery fire came from far away and exploded the ground where she had been standing. Shin Yuseong lightly jumped and dodged the bombardment.

The [Ghost Fleet]'s naval gunfire? How?

"Gilyeong!"

In the distance, Lee Jihye and Lee Hyeongseong came running. A question rose in the Catastrophe Shin Yuseong's mind.

That's strange. That should have been a blow strong enough to kill him instantly, so how is he alive?

Did I fail to control my power? Me?

Realizing this had become troublesome, Shin Yuseong tightened the hand gripping Lee Gilyeong's neck. Since it had come to this, it would be better to ask them instead.

"Goodbye, little kid."

But the moment she clenched her hand tight, a stabbing pain spread through her head and her ganglia suddenly stopped obeying her. Startled, she dropped Lee Gilyeong to the ground. Her trembling right hand was twitching in a grotesque way.

Could she have been infected by Parasite?

No, that couldn't be. There was no way a mere Level 5 parasite species could interfere with her, a returnee of the worldline. Then...... what in the world was this?

Why had her body suddenly stopped obeying her?

At that moment, she heard a voice.

「Stop, Shin Yuseong.」

It wasn't even much of a sentence, but for some reason, the moment she heard that voice, it felt as if something deep in her heart was collapsing. One side of her chest began to ache like mad. It was a voice she didn't know. It was definitely a voice she didn't know.

"......W-who are you? Get out of me!"

Why did it feel this way, like something she had longed for?

As if resisting that sensation of her own, Shin Yuseong clutched her head.

"Get out! Get out of me!"

Nausea welled up, and memories she didn't know circled inside her head. A world that should never have connected and reels of film that could never have been joined were tangling together.

「Yuseong-ah.」

When the voice suddenly brought her back to her senses, the younger Shin Yuseong was standing right in front of the Catastrophe Shin Yuseong.

The little lips of the younger Shin Yuseong moved.

"......Ajussi, are you there?"

Footnotes:

- Used "single throne" for 단 하나의 왕좌 to keep it distinct from the locked term Absolute Throne (절대 왕좌).

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