WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 110: Episode 22 — Three Promises (2)

At those words, the dokkaebis of the Enforcement Bureau turned to look at each other again.

[No way…]

Judging from their expressions, the quick-witted Enforcers must have caught on to something. Off in the distance, Paul was staring at us in bewilderment. After a short hesitation, the Enforcers exchanged cryptic smiles and spoke:

[We permit a private meeting with the prisoner dokkaebi, ‘Paul.’]

[You have 20 minutes.]

They looked thrilled to have found some unexpected entertainment. That was no surprise, members of the Enforcement Bureau typically dislike storytellers. By nature, they are closer to “Subscribers” than to “Streamers.”

No sooner had the words left their mouths than a small, transparent dome formed around Paul and me.

A dokdae, normally an enclosed space for secret contact between constellations and dokkaebis.

[A Private Meeting with the mid-grade dokkaebi Paul has begun.]

But an item’s use depends on its user.

I could see Bihyeong outside the dome, saying something to the Enforcers. Before I knew it, I was trapped in here with Paul, just the two of us. Gnashing his teeth, he glared my way.

“Suddenly asking for a dokdae, what sort of foul plot are you hatching? Trying to provoke me, is that it?”

He was still bound by the Restraining Code the Enforcer dokkaebis had placed upon him. With that code in effect, Paul couldn’t use any of his powers, dokkaebi authorities or otherwise.

In other words, the creature before me was now utterly powerless.

“Don’t even bluff. You know your situation perfectly well.”

Paul flinched and retreated to the edge of the dome, yet a belittling grin lingered at the corner of his mouth.

“I see. I can guess your vulgar little plan. You want revenge for that ‘Catastrophe,’ right?”

“…”

“Pathetic. Did you think I’d be oblivious to the crude desires of you humans? Fine. Give it your best shot. I don’t know how you found out about ‘dokdae,’ but inside here, we cannot kill each other. No matter how much you thrash about—!”

I dashed forward and slugged him across the face with all my might.

A burst of blue capillary blood spurted from his nose, and Paul, slow to grasp the situation, let out a scream and collapsed. I spoke:

“We can’t kill each other, but I can still beat you up.”

“Grrrgh! How dare you—!”

“You’ve probably never felt pain like this before, huh? I bet you never took a punch in your life after becoming a dokkaebi.”

“K-kh… khuhuh….”

Even as he spewed blood, Paul was still laughing.

“You… you’ve made a grave mistake. Th-this space… has certain rules in place for cases where scum like you misuse ‘dokdae’….”

Right on cue, a system message rang out:

[You have inflicted harm on a dokkaebi inside the ‘dokdae space.’]

[A penalty of 500 Coins has been deducted.]

I should’ve guessed these creatures would prepare for something like this, wary of any Constellation who might lose their cool. Coin-obsessed freaks.

Still, knowing of the penalty in advance, I simply shrugged.

Wiping away his blood, Paul sneered:

“How foolish. You’re letting anger lead you to ruin. Go ahead, hit me all you want. With your meager Coins, an Incarnation like you can’t possibly—”

“How many Coins do you think I have?”

Paul suddenly fell silent.

“Strange, isn’t it? A mere Incarnation like me, somehow becoming a ‘Platinum Member’ of the Dokkaebi Compendium.”

Smiling at his wavering eyes, I added,

“I have plenty of coins. Thanks to you, I made a ton.”

Paul went pale as I calmly flexed my fists.

Memories of the cursed scenarios I’d been through flashed across my mind.

[Coin balance: 205,902 C]

I remembered Shin Yuseong’s final moments.

Among the things I told her, there was this promise.

—That dokkaebi bastard… I’ll make sure he gets what he deserves.

And so, this is the first promise I keep.

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

With another punch, I broke his nasal bone. I never said whose revenge this was supposed to be. It wouldn’t truly belong to anyone anyway.

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

“Grrraaaah! You lowly human—!”

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

“You think you can get away with doing this to me—!”

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

“I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you—!”

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

“S-stop! Wait, please, st—”

When he curled up in fear, I paused for the first time. A brief glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

“G-good. You’ve come to your sen—there’s no point in doing this here. You can’t gain anything—”

Looking at that wretch, who had abruptly switched to polite speech, I asked,

“Did you stop?”

“…What?”

“I’m asking if you stopped when Yuseong begged you to.”

Gazing down at him, I waited. He said nothing, glancing at me, then at the ground, then up at the sky—maybe believing the real blame lay somewhere above.

“B-beating me like this won’t bring your dead comrade back!”

It’s true. The dead do not return. But…

“There’s meaning in it.”

I raised my fist again toward the trembling dokkaebi.

“If I’d died… Yuseong would have done the same.”

With a dull thwack, flesh tore. One of his fangs flew out and skittered across the dome’s floor.

“Hyeonseong would have, too. And so would Sangah, and Gilyeong.”

My fist struck his abdomen, rupturing his organs.

“Even that bastard Junghyeok would do it.”

Though Junghyeok’s reasons for revenge might differ… anyway.

I could see my companions watching through the transparent dome. Yuseong (from this worldline) had clenched her fists and was blinking back tears. Jihye and Gilyeong seemed to be yelling something. Hyeonseong studied us solemnly, and Sangah watched me, biting her lip.

Lastly, I glanced at Yu Junghyeok, then back at Paul.

“I-I’m not part of your scenario! There’s no bounty scenario on me, so you won’t earn a single coin for doing this! You have nothing to gain at all!”

Coins…

Yes, that’s all a dokkaebi like you can think about, isn’t it?

Which stories pay coins, and which do not.

“Maybe so.”

No constellation announced a bounty scenario on him, nor was there any sub scenario calling for his demise.

And precisely because it yields no profit, it has value.

No one told me to do this.

“I’m doing it because there’s no profit.”

“W-what?!”

Since the start of the world’s destruction, Coins have governed human behavior. If the constellations pay, humans move. If they don’t, humans don’t.

But sometimes, humans move for reasons having nothing to do with coins.

“You wouldn’t understand, but humans are creatures that find meaning in exactly this sort of thing.”

“What…? Guh-aaaah!”

I raised my fist again and started pounding him. One blow shattered his face, another caved in his ribs and joints in careful sequence.

With no fear of killing him, there was no need to hold back.

Each strike landed with full force. As his flesh tore and his bones cracked, something deep inside me was also breaking out.

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

I knew the truth all along.

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

That no matter how much I beat him, it wouldn’t bring Shin Yuseong back.

She wouldn’t be watching this anyway. Yet I couldn’t stop my fists. I kept going. Just like how Yu Junghyeok had repeated his regressions even when no one appreciated his cause.

[A penalty of 500 coins has been deducted.]

Eventually, messages arrived from constellations.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is thrilled by an unseen development!]

[You have been gifted 500 coins.]

I halted for a moment and looked up.

To the constellations, even this was another scenario.

“This time, I’m not acting.”

[You have returned the sponsored 500 coins.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is extremely flustered!]

I resumed pummeling.

[The constellation Secretive Plotter has taken an interest in your actions.]

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is moved by your actions!]

All that echoed through the dome was the wet impact of fists on a dokkaebi’s flesh, and his occasional groans. The Constellations silently watched what I was doing. None paid me any more Coins, but I could sense they were all observing.

“U-uuh… s-save me! Please! I’m begging you!”

Unable to endure, Paul dragged his shredded body and pounded on the dome. His frantic knocks echoed emptily. But the Enforcement Bureau didn’t respond.

If anything, they appeared delighted at my outburst.

They were probably saying something like.

“Even that can earn coins, apparently.”

“Ugh, those damned ‘storyteller’ types.”

As I mentioned, Enforcer dokkaebis dislike Streamers. Born as monstrous beings who evolved into dokkaebis, the Enforcers are good at fighting but lack the knack for driving a scenario’s narrative.

It didn’t take long for Paul’s entire body to become a pulp. Grabbing the blood-soaked collar of that dokkaebi, I figured it was time to ask what I wanted.

“Where is Shin Yuseong’s soul right now?”

A soul that dies within a scenario remains bound by its contract even in death. But if the contract itself ceases to exist, the situation changes. Paul talked only after I’d beaten him dozens more times.

“Th-that… I don’t know. B-because you borrowed the power of those archangels… the contract with her was severed….”

As expected.

The dokkaebis obtained Beast Lord Shin Yuseong from the demons, and in the process of transferring her, the contract’s link was sustained through the demons’ authority.

Then, Uriel’s [Hellfire Inferno] incinerated that entire link.

Meaning Yuseong’s soul, cut loose from its anchor, began drifting in this world.

“Y-you’ll never get her back. That pitiful soul will soon… vanish into… the Labyrinth of… worldlines….”

With those final words, Paul slumped over.

[The Private Meeting has ended.]

The transparent dome vanished, and the Enforcement Bureau approached, whistling.

[He’s in bad shape, and we haven’t even started discipline yet.]

They shot me a sidelong glance, flashed me a cheerful smile, and walked away. Bihyeong hurried after them. I called out.

‘Did you pay them off?’

—Of course I did. But aren’t you using way too many coins?

‘I still have plenty left.’

Paul had collapsed after precisely 124 hits.

[Coin balance: 143,902 C]

With a sigh, Bihyeong gave me a long-suffering look.

—Once I’m taken to the Bureau, I won’t be able to communicate with you for a while. I’ll leave the channel open, but please try not to get into trouble. Seriously.

Watching him depart through the portal, I thought it was just as well. With him gone, no one could interfere with what I was about to do.

[The distribution of additional rewards has been delayed due to an error in the scenario.]

With the manager of the Main Scenario completely absent, scenario progress would stall for a day or two, but that was enough time for me.

I watched the dokkaebis vanish and remembered the last conversation I’d had with Yuseong.

—Don’t worry. You won’t die.

—What do you mean?

—I’ll make it so you can be revived. I’ve done it twice myself, and it’s not as impossible as you might think.

In truth, I’d been reluctant to use this method until the end.

Under this plan, she’d have to die once for it to succeed.

And there was no absolute guarantee that revival would work.

—I don’t know how long it’ll take. But if you’ll wait, if you don’t give up, I promise to bring you back.

If Yuseong’s soul got lost in the “Labyrinth of the Worldlines,” it’d become impossible to revive her.

But that had not happened yet.

If I could just retrieve her soul, then she could definitely be brought back to life.

The question was “how” to find that soul.

I turned to Sangah.

“Sangah-ssi.”

“Yes, Dokja-ssi.”

Even if Yuseong’s soul came from another worldline, all souls still passed through the Underworld before departing this world.

I recalled some constellations connected to the Underworld.

All of them resided in places I had no right to enter, or were far too lofty in station for me to contact right now.

But there was one I might be able to negotiate with.

“Could you call forth ‘Lover of the Abandoned Labyrinth’ for me?”

Sangah hesitated a moment, then nodded. A faint spark ran across her. With the plausibility cost for direct descent too high, Ariadne merely hovered over Yu Sangah’s consciousness, but I could sense the presence clearly.

I spoke.

“Olympus. I want to make a deal with you.”

The sparks intensified. Naturally, our last meeting didn’t end on the best of terms. But this time, I had to yield first. Drawing in a short breath, I came right to the point.

“Let me meet your King of the Underworld.”

It was time to keep my second promise.

Footnotes:

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