WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: ChaoticRain

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 184: Episode 35: 73rd Demon King (1)

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[You have died.]

The aftereffects of this death were severe. It was probably the shock of having my fables torn apart by the One Who Devours Dreams. I was recovering quickly thanks to [The Fourth Wall]'s restoration ability, but even if you put something broken back together, it couldn't be as whole as it had been before.

...Had it already been three days?

As my consciousness faded and returned over and over, I reflected on everything that had happened so far and made plans for what lay ahead in my soul state.

「Once I get through this Scenario, the story's flow will return to normal.」

Over the course of nine Scenarios, I had altered the original story considerably. Sometimes it was as minor as saving a few characters, and sometimes I changed the course of a Scenario itself.

Of course, changing the Scenarios didn't make the original story's elements useless. Yu Junghyeok had lived through well over a hundred rounds, and even if the Scenarios changed, I still had more information than I could use.

Still, if I wanted to use the broader flow, some parts had to proceed as they did in the original Scenarios.

Fortunately, the Seoul Dome Scenario was a closed Scenario. There were a few things that could cause a butterfly effect, but the Star Stream's overall flow was still just as I remembered it.

Besides, the characters had grown far more than I expected, so they had enough potential to lead the story from here on.

Using Third-Person Perspective, I observed the characters one by one. The first person I checked was Jeong Huiwon, the Judge of Evil.

"It's still not easy to control. My Patron said that once I can use this perfectly, I could even deal with that tentacled monster... I have no idea when that'll happen."

Huiwon muttered as she withdrew her white flames. She had barely played a role in the original story, but she was now the strongest force among the characters I had recruited.

She had blossomed as the Judge of Evil, one of the most overpowered Attributes in TWSA, and even inherited Uriel's [hellfire inferno]. If enough time passed, she could easily enter not only the top hundred strongest people in TWSA, but the top ten.

Lee Hyeongseong, who had been sparring with Huiwon from across the room, spoke.

"Still, aren't you improving little by little, Huiwon?"

"Hyeongseong, haven't you improved a lot too? You're getting really good at covering your whole body in steel now."

She had said it without knowing anything, but Huiwon's encouragement wasn't wrong.

There hadn't been many rounds where Hyeongseong had begun inheriting [Steel Transformation] before the Seoul Dome Scenario ended. Yet he still looked unconvinced.

"I'm trying... but I still have a long way to go before I can be useful to everyone."

Some people performed better when you kept telling them they were doing well.

Hyeongseong was exactly that type of person.

[A constellation without a modifier has sponsored Incarnation Lee Hyeongseong with 100 coins.]

"D-Dokja?"

Hyeongseong blinked in surprise and stammered. Huiwon clicked her tongue.

"Wow, you really were watching. But isn't 100 coins a little cheap?"

I turned my gaze to the two children practicing [taming]. They were continuously giving orders to a massive dragon. Perhaps she sensed my attention, Shin Yuseong smiled softly into the air.

[A constellation without a modifier smiles.]

In TWSA, the relationship between a Constellation and an Incarnation was often compared to that of a parent and child. I had never had children, but looking at Yuseong, I felt like I could understand what that might be like.

A bond tied by something stronger than blood. A frail, tender feeling, so precious that I didn't know what to do with it...

Of course, not every Constellation would feel this way. It was common for an Incarnation to be betrayed by their own Patron.

Kroooar!

The second-grade evolved species, the Chimera Dragon, let out a fierce roar.

It still didn't seem very obedient, but with that thing joining the party, our strength had risen sharply. It was only a second-grade species now, but once it passed the first grade and reached the transcendent species level, that dragon would become a monster even Constellations feared.

Watching the Chimera Dragon, Jihye sighed enviously.

"Damn it, I should've chosen my Patron better too. I thought I hit the jackpot when Admiral Yi Sun-sin appeared...."

Seriously, people who didn't even try properly always complained the most.

She didn't even know what a great Patron Admiral Yi Sun-sin was. One day, I needed to sit her down and teach her a lesson.

Anyway, this should be enough to clear the next Scenario.

Jihye and Pildu Gong's growth was a little disappointing, but the situation wasn't bad. With Yu Sangah, an extra character outside the original story, on our side as well, the following Scenarios would be much easier once we escaped Seoul Dome.

"Master! Isn't there a skill that can make me strong without a Patron? Teach me one!"

"That is beyond you right now."

Junghyeok seemed to have overcome his regressor's depression to some extent as well. If we kept following the Yu Junghyeok route, I wouldn't need to worry much about the characters' survival. The problem was me.

[A massive Fate desires your death.]

I looked at the Fate message that still hadn't disappeared. I had hoped that perhaps my death because of my mother would fulfill the Fate, but as expected, it hadn't.

Maybe the important thing wasn't who killed me.

What mattered was that I couldn't escape this Fate through resurrection tricks.

...Those damn nebulae.

This had happened because I changed the Scenarios too much. The excessive attention I had drawn after rising to the level of a Constellation was also a major reason. Even if I somehow prolonged my life through resurrection, the trouble would never end.

The incident with the One Who Devours Dreams was proof enough.

An Outer God had nearly descended, wiping out my Allies. I could resurrect, so it didn't matter for me, but my Allies couldn't. None of them could return from death, and if Junghyeok died, everything would come to nothing.

None of this would have happened if I hadn't been here in the first place.

[The nebula Veda awaits your resurrection.]

[The nebula Papyrus awaits your resurrection.]

[The nebula Olympus awaits your resurrection.]

I thought and thought as I watched the nebulae hold their breath and wait for an opportunity.

I had already drawn their attention, and I was too weak to fight them.

How could I protect my Allies and shake those bastards off?

...Was there really only one way?

That was when a system message appeared.

[All resurrection conditions have been fulfilled!]

[The special benefit of the Attribute Eight Lives has activated!]

It was already time to return.

[Your body is resurrecting from death.]

* * *

I took a deep breath with a sharp inhale.

I said this every time, but the hardest part to get used to was taking my first breath after resurrection. When I opened my eyes, total darkness filled my surroundings. My Allies had probably put me in a coffin.

Damn it, why put someone who was going to come back to life in a coffin?

[The special benefit of the Attribute Eight Lives is activating.]

[The third head of the snake is sacrificed.]

[The ability of the corresponding head is Fighting Spirit.]

As always, I received the special benefit.

The benefits I got from Eight Lives were modest compared to other high-grade protections, but they were still better than nothing.

The leg I had lost when I died had returned to normal, and now all I had to do was kick open the coffin lid.

"Oh! The rumor was true!"

"He really resurrected!"

The moment I pushed the coffin lid open with a creak, applause and cheers broke out from somewhere. Word of my resurrection must have spread, because Incarnations of every sort had gathered to watch me.

It felt really strange to receive a welcome as I climbed out of a coffin.

[Your fame among Incarnations has increased due to your consecutive resurrections.]

[Your status has risen slightly.]

Huiwon, who was nearby, welcomed me by firing [hellfire inferno] into the sky like fireworks. The Constellations of Eden would be furious if they saw her using that skill like this.

"Congratulations on resurrecting."

"...Please don't put me in a coffin next time."

"Wait a moment. I'll bring everyone over."

The moment Huiwon left, Indirect Messages from the Constellations poured into my ears.

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is delighted by your resurrection.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband congratulates you on your return.]

[The constellation Goryeo's Top Swordsman praises your courage.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon grumbles as he turns out his pockets.]

[Multiple Constellations are greatly astonished by your achievement.]

[You have received 90,000 coins as sponsorship.]

Ninety thousand coins...

It seemed everyone still felt bad about not being able to help me the day before yesterday.

I was a little disappointed, but it wasn't hard to understand. If the Constellations had helped me while opposing other nebulae, that would have been even more suspicious.

[The evaluation of your achievement has been completed.]

[You have acquired a quasi-Mythical-grade fable.]

[You have acquired the fable One Who Slayed an Outer God!]

...

[Several Outer Gods have become hostile toward you due to your fable achievement.]

[Some Outer Gods have become curious about you due to your fable achievement.]

[Some of the Great Old Ones have noticed your existence due to your fable achievement.]

[Your modifier will soon be announced.]

A quasi-Mythical-grade fable... It was a little disappointing that I hadn't received a Mythical-grade fable, but this was still enough to be satisfied with.

If I had fought a Great Old One, I would definitely have received a Mythical-grade fable. But if I had faced a being like that, I would have vanished before I could even try talking to it.

[You have acquired a new fable during evaluation.]

[Your status is being reassessed due to your acquisition of a fable that surpasses your existing fables.]

[Your status will be announced in the next Scenario.]

[Your fifth fable is still in progress.]

I thought I would be lucky to start at the bottom of Historical-grade, but at this rate, my status might be announced at a considerable level even within Historical-grade. More importantly, it would be announced in the next Scenario. The timing was good.

The long-awaited tenth Main Scenario, "73rd Demon King."

This was the final Scenario held in Seoul Dome, and the number of participants was extremely limited. Only the first and second ranks of Dark Castle could challenge it. Of course, they wouldn't challenge it alone. Each person could form a team with up to four rankers besides themselves.

[Your current Dark Castle ranking is 2nd place.]

I could bring a total of four Allies with me.

But that number alone wouldn't be enough to deal with the enemies waiting on the next floor.

In other words, to complete this Scenario, I had to receive help from the first rank of Dark Castle.

The question was who held first place.

Just as I thought that, a voice came from behind me.

"Kim Dokja."

Well, who else could it be?

"Yu Junghyeok, are you first in the rankings now?"

"Are you asking about the Dark Castle rankings?"

"What other ranking would I be asking about?"

"Of course I'm first. This isn't like the Seoul rankings."

This bastard. He was still bothered by not taking first place back then. What a petty jerk.

I grumbled inwardly and spoke.

"I need your help. As you know, there's a limit to how many people we can take into the next Scenario. If you and I don't split them between us..."

In the distance, I saw my Allies running toward us. Shin Yuseong and Lee Gilyeong were especially busy shoving each other to get to the front. It wasn't like there was a prize for arriving first. Why were they acting like that?

"Kim Dokja, what is your goal?"

"Goal? What goal?"

I glanced at Junghyeok at the sudden serious question. He was looking at the Allies too.

"Is your final goal to reach the 'end of all Scenarios'?"

"More or less."

"Can you promise that you will never give up on that goal, no matter what happens?"

...What was with him all of a sudden? I wanted to laugh it off, but seeing Junghyeok ask without changing his expression made me serious too.

"Of course I won't give up. But why?"

"It's nothing."

Junghyeok changed the subject, but his left eyebrow was twitching. Watching that eyebrow wriggle like a caterpillar, a chill ran through part of my chest.

"Hey, you...."

Having read TWSA to the end, I knew. Yu Junghyeok only twitched his left eyebrow when he had made a serious decision. And after he made a serious decision, there was always a high chance of a death regression.

I was about to use [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint], wondering what nonsense this bastard was planning now, when my Allies arrived. Before I could even speak, Junghyeok beat me to it.

"I will announce the participants for the tenth Scenario."

Footnotes:

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