WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 155: Episode 30 — Dark Castle (3)

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"That thing earlier was about you, mister?"

"What?"

"You know, that thing about a new constellation in Seoul..."

"Ah... Yeah. Something like that."

I gave a bitter smile as I looked over the demonic species corpses strewn around us. I'd rushed over in shock after seeing the children in danger, but it seemed I'd gone a little too far.

Demon Viscount Nosorock.

This sinister, rhinoceros-like creature was a demonic species that had toyed with countless incarnations in this round before tearing them apart. I'd subdued a noble-class demon in an instant. Only then did I truly realize how strong I'd become.

Lee Jihye sounded deflated.

"He was incredibly strong... Is that how strong you get after becoming a constellation?"

"I didn't kill him with my own strength. I borrowed the power of some other fables."

"Other fables?"

[Grgh... You... Who...]

When I turned around, Nosorock was still looking up at me, not quite dead.

"Wait a moment."

I casually stomped down and crushed Nosorock's head.

[You have defeated a demonic noble!]

[You have acquired 10,000 coins!]

[You have acquired the item advanced demon's proof.]

[The lower species of the Demon Realm will fear you.]

Normally, killing a demonic species would make an enemy of the demon king it served. This scenario was different. Every demonic species in the Dark Castle Scenario was waiting for a new master, so no demon king would be particularly angered by their deaths.

[Some constellations are astonished by your overwhelming martial prowess.]

[A considerable number of constellations doubt your Plausibility.]

It made sense for them to doubt it. My current strength clearly violated the balance of the Scenario.

Still, I hadn't defeated Nosorock so easily just because I'd become a Constellation.

[The effect of the fable Path of the Messiah is being partially applied.]

"Absolute Divinity," the effect of "Path of the Messiah." I had borrowed this fable, which was especially effective against demonic species, from Eden.

[The nebula Eden demands payment for your Fable Citation.]

I drew the sign of the cross in the air, and a message rang out.

[The nebula Eden is pleased by your Fable Citation.]

It was annoying that I had to do whatever Eden wanted every time I used Fable Citation, but it was better than getting accused of plagiarizing fables. Besides, all I had to do this time was make the sign of the cross. They hadn't demanded any other payment.

It was a special service from Eden to celebrate my becoming a Constellation.

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is delighted!]

It was all thanks to adorable Uriel. Thankfully, it seemed things had worked out well at the banquet.

"Mister, did you start a religion already?"

Jihye laughed as she caught her breath in uneven gasps. Her right shoulder and lower abdomen were covered in puncture wounds and cuts. She lowered her head, trying to hide them.

"Sorry. I'm supposed to be tenth in Seoul, but I look pretty pathetic, don't I?"

"This is the hardest period for you. It'll get better from here, so don't worry. Now stay still. I'm going to set your bones."

"Huh? Aaaaargh!"

I probably needed to use Ellain Forest Essence. Yet there wasn't a single item left inside my coat.

Come to think of it, I'd entrusted everything to Han Suyeong before I died.

Just before dying in the eighth Scenario, I made a contract with Suyeong and gave her all the items I had at the time.

Then there was only one way.

"Dokkaebi Compendium."

The moment I spoke, the Dokkaebi Compendium screen appeared before me.

[Some constellations question your casual use of privileges.]

Until now, Bihyeong had covered the Dokkaebi Compendium with advertisements whenever I used it, so most constellations had no idea I enjoyed such benefits. Now that I was a Constellation myself, there was no reason to care what they thought.

I immediately bought Ellain Forest Essence and made Jihye swallow it.

"Mmph!"

"Take it and get some sleep."

"Thanks, mister."

"For what? Thank you for bawling at my funeral."

"...I'm going to pass out now, so don't talk to me."

Jihye promptly fell asleep. I carried her on my back and stood up when a familiar voice came from behind me.

"Mister...?"

A warm feeling spread through me. I knew the owner of that voice without turning around.

[Your Incarnation is looking at you.]

Without that feeling, I wouldn't have been able to rush here right away. Shin Yuseong was looking at me as she held back her tears, and my heart ached too. I thought this was what being a parent must feel like.

"Mister!"

I gently patted Yuseong as she threw herself into my arms.

"Sorry. I was too late, wasn't I?"

"You were a whole week late...!"

A week. Damn it, I had revived later than planned.

"Let's go. We need to retrieve what I entrusted to someone first."

* * *

"...It's been a week already. Why hasn't he come yet?"

Suyeong lay sprawled on the floor of the Dark Castle, staring at the ceiling as she muttered to herself.

Talking to herself in a Dark Castle maze swarming with demons was insane, but thankfully, no demons came running at the sound of her voice. That was because someone had already wiped out every demon nearby before climbing to the second floor.

Of course, that someone was Yu Junghyeok.

"That damn protagonist bastard."

Suyeong gritted her teeth.

Thirty minutes ago, she had fought Junghyeok here. She lost miserably and ended up like this. Her battered body ached all over, and dizziness made her head spin. Demonic species? They weren't the problem. Junghyeok was the real demon.

"He's completely broken. How the hell am I supposed to make use of someone like that... Kim Dokja must be out of his mind too."

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand.

Junghyeok was ranked third in Seoul, and Suyeong was fourth. What was this absurdly huge difference between them? The only reason she hadn't lost her life was because of what she had shouted in a moment of quick thinking.

"Hey! Those are Kim Dokja's things! Are you really going to take them?"

"...Why did Kim Dokja entrust his things to you?"

"Well... Isn't it because I'm the most trustworthy person?"

"Then it doesn't matter if I kill you and keep them myself."

"If you kill me, you'll regret it. Kim Dokja will think so too!"

Junghyeok considered her words for a long time before finally letting her go.

"If you mention that bastard in front of me again, I'll really kill you."

Then he immediately went up to the second floor.

Thinking about it again made Suyeong boil over, and she shouted.

"That fucking bastard... Aaaaargh! Abyssal Black Flame Dragon! Aren't you supposed to be the strongest constellation? Why can't you beat that guy?"

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon groans.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon protests that he is not at fault.]

Suyeong huffed for a while before sighing. Anyone watching would have mistaken her for someone with multiple personalities.

"Still, this is bad. That bastard went up with his little sister... At this rate, it's bound to turn into something Kim Dokja would hate. With things like this, where the hell is Kim Dokja, and what is he doing?"

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon asks what you mean.]

"There's something like that, you idiot. Anyway, Yu Junghyeok took all my proofs, so I'm practically starting over from scratch..."

Suyeong opened the Scenario window.

+

Category: Main

Difficulty: A++

Clear Conditions: Hunt demonic species, collect nine Demon's Proofs, and offer them at the altar leading to the second floor.

Time Limit: 23 days

Rewards: 50,000 Coins

Penalty for Failure: —

+

The Scenario itself was difficult because the demonic species were so powerful, but it was still possible to clear if the strong fighters worked together.

The major groups had already pooled their strength and gone up to the second floor.

Even if she was a ranker, if things continued like this, other top-ranked people would overtake her. The proof rewards in Dark Castle were quite good, so her rank would change if she delayed even a little longer.

...What should she do?

That was when she sensed other people on the other side of the corridor. This might be better. Since things had come to this, she had no choice but to steal other people's proofs and go up...

"Han Suyeong?"

Suyeong inwardly sighed when she saw who had appeared.

"Suyeong! What happened to you?"

"I just got a little hurt fighting demonic species. Looks like you entered this maze too?"

"Yes. Are your injuries all right?"

It was Pure-Hearted Steel Lee Hyeongseong. Suyeong clicked her tongue inwardly.

...Why did it have to be this guy?

If Hyeongseong was here, Dokja's companions must be here too. No matter how urgent things were, she couldn't steal the proofs of major characters...

Huh?

"Lee Hyeongseong! Don't approach her carelessly!"

A sharp voice came from a pretty face. The four companions who had appeared with Hyeongseong were not people Suyeong knew. The woman shouted again.

"Lee Hyeongseong! Can't you hear me? It could be a trap!"

"That's right! Step back! Hurry over here!"

"But..."

Flustered, Hyeongseong looked back and forth between Suyeong and the women. Suyeong glanced their way as well, then said,

"Your companions changed? Did you suddenly build yourself a harem?"

"It's not like that. I got separated from my companions in the maze..."

Hyeongseong scratched the back of his head awkwardly. In the end, the other women ran over, each clinging to one of his arms and pulling him away.

"Why won't you listen to us!"

"Those injuries weren't caused by fighting demonic species. That woman is suspicious!"

"That's right!"

"Hyeongseong, you're too trusting! You can't trust anyone in a world like this!"

The women pulled Hyeongseong backward while he stood there, unable to do anything. It was an image that didn't suit him at all.

'...Wait, could this be?'

Suyeong immediately activated [ATTRIBUTE DETECTION]. The moment she saw the names floating before her, a cruel smile formed on her lips.

'Well, look at these guys. They're those people, aren't they?'

People adapted to a ruined world in different ways. Some, like Jeong Huiwon and Jihye, believed in themselves and moved forward. Others clung to people or tried to exploit them. What was even more interesting was...

"Lee Hyeongseong, I didn't think you were like this, but I guess you have unusual tastes?"

"Pardon?"

"They're all middle-aged men. You know that, right?"

[A constellation who likes gender-swapping is startled!]

[A constellation who likes cross-dressing men is horrified!]

The women cried out in shock at Suyeong's words.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't slander us!"

From their voices alone, no one could tell they were men.

Suyeong knew them, though.

A group of four who used the skills [disguise] and [forbidden charm] to swindle powerful rankers or murder weaker people. Suyeong remembered this group's name.

'Pinkies.'

They had a name that sounded like a girl group, but they were all men in their forties.

"Hey, misters. Is it fun pretending to be young girls? Lee Hyeongseong, if you stay with them, those old men will suck you dry and kill you."

"What the fuck are you talking about, you crazy bitch!"

"Hyeongseong, let's go. She really is strange!"

Cross-dressing as another gender to swindle people was common in the world of TWSA. There were villains far worse than the Pinkies in this world. So these old men might have been capable of reforming.

"...Kim Dokja might have thought so."

Suyeong was different from Dokja.

"I can't rest until I get rid of things that annoy me."

At this rate, Hyeongseong would one hundred percent be stabbed in the back by the Pinkies. And the damage would directly affect clearing the Scenario.

Srrr.

Suyeong's clones split apart in an instant and began surrounding them. Hyeongseong hurriedly stepped forward.

"Suyeong, what are you doing?"

"Move. I need to kill them."

"These people aren't bad people!"

Hyeongseong showed no sign of moving. He didn't seem to be affected by charm, yet he remained firm. Thinking about it, it was like Hyeongseong. The Pinkies behind him clasped their hands together at him with touched expressions.

Annoyed, Suyeong said,

"If you don't move, I'll kill you too."

"Han Suyeong. I know you are strong. But please withdraw your skill. I'm confident in my own strength as well."

"Then let's see!"

The multiplied clones charged Hyeongseong all at once. Suyeong ran toward the Pinkies in the meantime.

"Die, you perverts!"

"You mustn't!"

"Eek! Save me, Hyeongseong!"

Hyeongseong activated [Steel Transformation] and began smashing Suyeong's clones apart with terrifying momentum. Suyeong broke into a cold sweat at that overwhelming presence.

'As expected of the Steel Sword Emperor.'

The Pinkies, who had been watching for an opening, were slowly getting ready to run. At this rate, she would lose every one of them. She had already made a hostile impression, and there was no benefit in letting them live.

'Fine, then.'

There was no choice but to use her trump card. Suyeong smiled mischievously at Hyeongseong.

"Hey. Want to see something good?"

The next moment, the Suyeong clones surrounding Hyeongseong all stripped off their clothes at once. Pale, naked bodies hung exposed in midair. Hyeongseong's face turned bright red, and he covered his eyes as he collapsed to the ground.

"U-uaaaagh! What is this?!"

Suyeong's main body stomped on Hyeongseong's head and leaped into the air.

"A naked woman!"

Suyeong accelerated through the air and instantly drove a dagger into the neck of a fleeing member of the Pinkies.

"W-who are you to do this to us...! Aaargh!"

'Yoon Woocheol. Forty-one years old. Runs a Coin farm.'

Another member of the Pinkies wailed as he saw his companion stop breathing.

"Damn it! We didn't do anything wrong!"

'Hwang Mingyu. Forty-three years old. Sexual assault of a minor and... what else was it?'

Her dagger flicked once, and another head fell. The transformation of that member of the Pinkies was undone, revealing hairy legs as he collapsed.

"S-save me! Save meee!"

'Bang Takho. Thirty-nine years old. Ate human flesh and murdered infants in the third round... Anyway!'

Slash!

Only one member of the Pinkies remained. Suyeong frowned as she looked at the cross-dressing middle-aged man trembling before her.

'What was this one again?'

Suyeong thought for a moment, then raised her dagger to take the head of the last member of the Pinkies. At that instant, pale blue Mana flew in from somewhere and caught her dagger.

Then a calm voice spoke.

"You've got the wrong person."

"...What?"

"Don't kill that guy. We need him for this scenario."

Suyeong turned her head and breathed a sigh of relief.

She smiled.

"You're too late, Kim Dokja."

Footnotes:

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