WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: smol_anon
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 17: Episode 4 - Even Hypocrisy is Virtue (2)
I sometimes thought about it.
Why do so many post-apocalyptic stories have such obvious villains?
Is it the laziness of writers to assume that crimes like rape or theft would run rampant in such situations? Wouldn’t humans behave more rationally than expected if true “destruction” came?
“You’re not going to come out, huh? Hey, go kill him!”
The answer was standing right in front of me. Men creeping toward me cautiously, while their leader watched from behind as if it was some sort of spectacle.
[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire expects a righteous judgment.]
I realized again, human imagination is trite, and real humans are even more predictable. The arc of a metal pipe clumsily cut through the air. It wasn’t a deadly blow. In fact, even if it hit, it probably wouldn’t hurt much.
“If you don’t run, I’ll really kill you! Get lost!”
Four men surrounded me as if trying to corner me. Some were trembling, but they looked much more relaxed than before. Probably because they had numbers on their side.
“What the hell are you waiting for, you idiots!”
Finally, with a shout, one of the men charged at me. His posture was so unguarded that I almost felt sorry for him. I swung the thorn.
“Aaah! My leg! My leg!”
The man collapsed, screaming, as the thorn pierced his thigh.
“That bastard’s crazy!”
“Attack him all at once!”
Excited, the other men charged at me in succession, but I wasn’t scared. Their Strength level was barely over 5. I stood still, enduring their rain of blows, quietly stabbing the thorn into each of them. One by one, they dropped to their knees, howling as their thighs were impaled. But I didn’t kill them. The scenario's completion condition was only ‘neutralization,’ after all.
[The constellations of the Absolute Good system nod in approval of your judgment.]
[A few constellations mock your sense of ethics.]
[You have been gifted 100 coins by the constellations.]
I could become a bloodthirsty killer to gain more attention from the constellations, but it wouldn’t last long. Raising the threshold of excitement all at once isn’t beneficial in the long run.
[Three minutes remaining until the sub-scenario ends.]
So far, it had taken me two minutes. In a time attack, timing is everything.
“W-what the hell is this guy? Why won’t he die?”
At that moment, the leader, who had been watching from the back, stepped forward.
“Seems like you’ve got some guts. Stand back, I’ll handle this.”
“Cheolsu hyung! I think that guy has a patron!”
“Good. He looks like he’s got quite a bit of coin on him.”
His knuckles gleamed with a black shine. These weren’t ordinary iron knuckles.
Was he supported by a patron constellation too?
His fingers cracked as he flexed his knuckled fists.
[The character Bang Cheolsu has used Intimidation.]
[The difference in overall stats is too great. Intimidation has no effect.]
“Huh, you’ve got some nerve. Not scared at all, are you?”
Before he finished speaking, his fist shot toward me, aiming for my chin. I took two quick steps back, and he smirked.
“Not bad. You must have trained a bit, huh?”
With a level 10 Agility, anyone could dodge that easily, even without a special footwork skill. Since I’d invested most of the coins I didn’t spend on items into my stats, my total Strength, Constitution, and Agility level was now 33.
Let’s see how much this guy has.
[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]
+
<Character Details>
Name: Bang Cheolsu
Age: 34
Patron constellation: Monarch of the Small Fries
Exclusive attribute: Assault Captain (Common)
Exclusive skills: [Dogfight Lv.2] [Bluff Lv.2]
Stigma: [Intimidation Lv.1]
Overall stats: [Stamina Lv.6], [Strength Lv.8], [Agility Lv.7], [Mana Lv.2]
Overall evaluation: A typical thug who got lucky by acquiring a Patron. He tends to overestimate his abilities in actual combat.
+
Ah... Now I remembered.
“Bang Cheolsu of the Cheoldu Gang.”
“What? You know me?”
“Maybe.”
He was one of those characters who showed up like the wind in the beginning of the story and disappeared just as quickly, but I vaguely recalled a character named Bang Cheolsu. He was the dumbest of the humans in the Geumho Station group. According to what I remembered, Yu Junghyeok was supposed to kill these guys, but somehow they were still alive.
“Oh? Are you one of those types too? You must’ve killed a lot of people, right? I can feel we’re the same, you and me.”
[The character Bang Cheolsu has activated the skill Bluff.]
Bluff. A skill common among low-tier thugs. It’s a good debuff for lowering the morale of weaker opponents, but in this case, it didn’t matter.
[The exclusive skill Fourth Wall blocks the Bluff of character Bang Cheolsu.]
[Bang Cheolsu’s confidence has plummeted.]
“You ignoring me? You really wanna die, huh?”
Cheolsu struck a Greco-Roman wrestling pose, as if he were about to charge at me. But it was all just bluff. After all, he didn’t even have a [Wrestling] skill.
“Stop wasting time and come at me.”
“You bastard!”
His core skill was [Dogfight] at level 2.
As long as I didn’t let it turn into a chaotic melee, his combat ability was pathetic.
“Die!”
Maybe because the difference in Agility was so big, his attacks never landed. I looked at him with mild sympathy.
Not all constellations want their incarnation to be the ‘protagonist’ of the scenario. Take his patron Monarch of the Small Fries for example. This constellation was known for not caring about his incarnations. He liked to use dumb incarnations like Cheolsu for his amusement, watching them get slaughtered by other incarnations. The Monarch of the Small Fries was nothing but a masochist.
[The constellation Monarch of the Small Fries is enjoying himself.]
[The constellation Monarch of the Small Fries has gifted you 100 coins.]
He even cheered for me as his own incarnation was about to get destroyed.
Originally, I was planning to finish this quickly since I was on a time limit, but this changed things.
[Two minutes remaining until the sub-scenario ends.]
I might as well make the most of the remaining time.
“You rat bastard!”
Even his insults were straight out of the Monarch of the Small Fries handbook. Poor guy.
Smack!
“Haha! Gotcha!”
His punch landed by sheer luck, but as expected, I barely felt it. At most, the spot stung a little.
“How did you...!”
How did I? My Constitution level was 12. His Strength was a measly 7. A difference of just one number in the tens place creates a huge gap in combat power.
“Now it’s my turn.”
I slapped Cheolsu’s cheek lightly, then with all my strength, I smashed my fist into his face. Several of his teeth went flying as he collapsed, screaming.
Without hesitation, I drove the thorn through his arm, pinning him to the wall.
“Uaaaaah!”
I had him pinned by one arm, and then I started pummeling him without mercy. His back, thighs, waist, sides—only the most painful spots that wouldn’t knock him out instantly.
[The constellation Monarch of the Small Fries is enjoying himself.]
[The constellation Monarch of the Small Fries has requested an extension of the sub-scenario time.]
[The sub-scenario has been extended by 1 minute.]
They were the same areas where the fallen woman had been injured.
“Ugh! Gah! Guhh!”
Blood splattered, and flesh tore. Broken teeth rolled across the floor, and his twisted limbs bent at unnatural angles. Still, I didn’t stop kicking him.
“S-stop! Please! Let hyung go!”
The other men screamed in panic. I glanced at them briefly, then at the woman lying on the ground.
Humans are weak. But how can such weak beings commit such cruelty? Just because the world is ending? Killing others, assaulting the helpless, stealing from those even weaker?
Is it instinct?
Looking into Cheolsu’s terror-stricken eyes, I became curious.
“Why did you do it?”
It was a question with no lead-in or context. I didn’t expect an answer. But just as I was about to land another kick, Cheolsu suddenly glared at me.
“Just kill me, you son of a bitch.”
In that moment, I realized that in his own way, he had answered my question. His eyes showed no desire to live. I see. So it wasn’t instinct after all.
With a fading voice, Bang Cheolsu muttered.
“This fucked up... this fucked up world…”
This guy was the kind of person who had given up long before the world ended. The type of person who had been living in despair all along. Just like me.
[10 seconds remaining until the sub-scenario ends.]
Without wasting any more time, I kicked him hard in the neck.
Cheolsu gagged, coughing up blood, and finally passed out.
[The clear conditions for the sub-scenario have been met.]
[You have obtained 300 coins.]
That should be enough to satisfy him.
[The constellation Monarch of the Small Fries is satisfied and has gifted you an additional 100 coins.]
The men crawled forward, looking over Bang Cheolsu’s broken body. Not one of them dared to speak as they glanced up at me, looking like dogs awaiting slaughter. I slung the unconscious woman over my shoulder and grabbed the convenience store bags.
The world had ended, but I had a new life to live.
“Take me to where your group is.”
Originally, Geumho Station would have been cleared out by Junghyeok and developed into a regional base.
In his first round, Junghyeok had broken through the second main scenario alongside the Geumho Station group, and as a result, its members had managed to claim significant positions in the new world. But that was in the first round. The Junghyeok of the third regression was different.
The Yu Junghyeok of the third regression was a monster who devoured everything for himself.
“…Still, he usually cleaned things up a bit before leaving.”
“Pardon?”
The man guiding me flinched and turned his head.
“Just talking to myself. It’s a habit.”
[The constellation Secretive Plotter enjoys your monologue.]
“Uh... yes, this way.”
The men of the Cheoldu Gang, who had been supporting each other, finally stopped walking. Descending into the darkened subway platform, I saw there were still some areas with electricity. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, I could hear the faint sound of people chattering.
“It’s the Cheoldu Gang! Someone’s hurt!”
Several people rushed over to help carry Bang Cheolsu and the others. Things seemed more organized than I expected. As I looked around, I saw some familiar faces running toward me.
“Oh my god, Dokja-ssi! Kim Dokja-ssi!”
Thankfully, they seemed unharmed.
“Sangah-ssi.”
“I’m so glad! You’re really okay!”
Yu Sangah stood before me, her face full of relief. She was so overwhelmed that she didn’t know what to do with herself. I awkwardly extended my hand for a handshake, and when I saw the small scratches on the back of her hands, I realized how much hardship she must have gone through over the past four days.
Suddenly, there was a soft thud as something clung to my leg.
Lee Gilyeong. I ruffled his hair.
“You doing okay?”
He nodded, but his cheeks were sunken, likely from hunger. I took a chocolate bar from one of my bags and placed it in his hand.
“As expected, you’re alive, Dokja-ssi. Whew…”
The next to approach was Lee Hyeonseong. He looked a little more developed, with his upper body muscles seeming more defined. He had probably been the one protecting Yu Sangah and Lee Gilyeong during this time.
“I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have left you behind…”
“There was no other choice at the time.”
“Hah… Yu Junghyeok-ssi was right. It’s such a relief.”
…Yu Junghyeok? Why is his name being mentioned now? Sensing my confusion, Hyeonseong hesitated before continuing.
“Well, Junghyeok-ssi said that Dokja-ssi was probably still alive…”
“Where is Junghyeok now?”
“He’s… he’s not here.”
Not here?
“Junghyeok-ssi left the station yesterday. So…”
Before Hyeonseong could finish, I understood what had happened.
I see. So that’s how it is. That impatient bastard, of course.
“Now that I think of it, someone else is missing, too.”
“Ah, as for the manager…”
Sangah’s explanation was cut off by a sudden interruption from several men. But in the end, it was probably for the best.
“Move aside!”
I didn’t need an explanation to know what was going on. Armed with hammers and pipes, a group of men started to surround me like they were staging a protest. At the center of the group, there was a familiar face.
“You...!”
Han Myeongoh, the man who had abandoned me on the bridge, stood there, looking as if he’d just seen a ghost. It seemed he had attached himself to this group.
“Get him out of here! He’s a vicious bastard! He shouldn’t be here!”
As the saying goes, a thief feels the owner’s footsteps. Myeongoh must have been worried that I’d seek revenge, and now he was panicking. But the men around him hesitated, simply glancing at each other without moving.
Something felt off. Myeongoh was in the center of the group, but they weren’t listening to him?
“Haha, Myeongoh hyung. We survivors need to get along. Why are you acting like this?”
“Ah, well…”
“So, you’re the new guy who arrived today.”
The group parted to let a man through. He had a slim build, and even just by looking into his eyes, I could tell. This guy definitely had a patron.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. May I ask your name?”
“Kim Dokja.”
“Kim Dokja-ssi, I see. My name is Cheon Inho.”
Cheon Inho? That name sounded familiar… I tightened my grip on the thorn. Judging by the way the Cheoldu Gang men deferred to him, he seemed to be their leader. Since I had already half-crippled his men, it was no surprise he was coming to confront me.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the people who came with you. They said you fought the monsters to protect our group members.”
…What?
“Everyone, gather around! We have a brave new member in our group!”
At Cheon Inho’s words, people started to gather, peering curiously in my direction.
So that’s it. It wasn’t Han Myeongoh’s charisma that brought these people together. The real leader of this group was Cheon Inho.
“Wow! Is that food?”
Their hungry gazes immediately locked onto the convenience store bags. Cheon Inho took the opportunity to step forward and speak again.
“He went out of his way to get this food for us. He’s quite a rare, kindhearted man.”
Sighs of gratitude swept through the crowd, and they all stared at me, eyes filled with desperation. Mothers holding their children, the elderly with injured legs—every one of them gazing at me with pleading expressions.
Cheon Inho… now I remembered. He was the real leader of the Geumho Station group.
[The constellation Secretive Plotter is thrilled.]
In a ruined world, the truly dangerous people aren’t thugs like Bang Cheolsu. The people who run wild, consumed by despair, are not the real threat.
The real danger comes from those who use the despair of others as fertilizer for their own power. People like him.
“Welcome to Geumho Station, Kim Dokja-ssi.”
Inho smiled deeply as our eyes met. I shook his outstretched hand and smiled back, knowing something he didn’t.
Inho had no idea that his future was already decided.
Footnotes:
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