WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 236: Episode 44: Trickster (2)

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[You... Don't tell me you're the one from back then...]

Seeing the dokkaebi's trembling expression brought back some unpleasant memories. Biyoo, floating beside me, was scowling fiercely too.

Of course I couldn't help being angry.

That dokkaebi was one of the culprits who had turned Shin Yuseong of the 41st round into a Catastrophe and caused the tragedy of her descent on the Korean Peninsula.

His name was... Paul, wasn't it?

I'd heard he'd been sent to Purgatory for severe punishment, but of course. The Administration Bureau's punishments were all slaps on the wrist. Since when was being assigned to the Murim Redevelopment Team a punishment?

"You've aged a lot since I last saw you."

[Ugh, y-youuu...!]

"You were at least a mid-grade dokkaebi back then. Looking at you now... low-grade?"

[You! You...!]

Watching him get worked up made me want to request another private meeting and beat him senseless. I'd gotten a fable after beating this bastard last time. I wondered if the Hunchbacks were putting that fable to good use.

[Stop it and step back, Paul.]

Another dokkaebi stepped forward in place of Paul, who was too worked up to speak.

[Could you be Kim Dokja-nim?]

Looking closely, this dokkaebi's face was familiar too. I'd heard that voice somewhere before. Wait a second... This guy?

"You're that kid, right? The one who worked under Bihyeong... Your name was..."

[Yeonggi. It really is you, Kim Dokja-nim!]

The dokkaebi greeted me with delight. I vaguely remembered him now. Yeonggi was the dokkaebi who had managed Bihyeong's lower channels.

[I heard rumors that you were alive. I never thought I'd see you somewhere like this...!]

"Is Bihyeong doing well?"

[He's been noticeably depressed since you disappeared, Dokja-nim.]

Bihyeong had become depressed? I felt a little guilty. It seemed we'd grown attached to each other without me noticing.

"You've cleaned up nicely too. You couldn't even update a Scenario back then."

[Aha! That was so long ago... I'm a proper mid-grade dokkaebi now.]

A mid-grade dokkaebi. Since he'd been on the Korean Peninsula's Scenarios, it looked like he'd received a rapid promotion like Bihyeong.

It really made me realize how much time had passed.

Though it hadn't even been a full year yet.

[But Dokja-nim, what do you mean you're going to sell a skill?]

Yeonggi was looking at me with calm eyes now. No matter how innocent he seemed, a dokkaebi was still a dokkaebi. I couldn't let my guard down.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I'll persuade the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint to sell a skill."

[How could you possibly...]

"There's a way. What skill do you need? [phoenix walk]? Or [hundred-step godly fists]?"

[We already have hundred-step godly fists. What we need is...]

"[Sky Splitter Sword Art]."

Yeonggi nodded heavily at my words.

Just as I expected.

Sky Splitter Sword Art. The martial art that had granted the current Sky-Splitting Sword Saint her title of Sky-Splitting.

Yu Junghyeok's Sky Splitter Sword Art was a supreme martial art that anyone in the First Martial World would covet. The Sky-Splitting Divine Dog beside me looked ready to growl, so I quickly talked it down.

"Fine. I'll sell it to you. No, I might even give it to you for free."

The Sky-Splitting Divine Dog looked up at me as if I'd lost my mind. Yeonggi asked in shock.

[R-really?]

"On one condition. You grant me two favors. First... put [Sky Splitter Sword Art] up as a prize in the Scenario you're about to open."

[What?]

I smiled at Yeonggi's dumbfounded expression. No matter how generous I was, there was no way I'd simply hand over Sky Splitter Sword Art.

"You're opening the Martial Arts Tournament Scenario soon, aren't you? With the Black Heaven Demon Blade as the prize."

[H-how did you know that...?]

"Why are you so surprised? You do this all the time. It's one of Murim's regular Scenarios. A precious sword appears, and all the martial artists flock in to fight until they're bleeding for the chance to claim it."

[That's true, but... how did you know about the Black Heaven Demon Blade?]

How did I know? The Martial Arts Tournament was one of the event Scenarios Junghyeok participated in every time he came to the First Martial World. I couldn't count how many comments I'd left begging the author to skip the damn Martial Arts Tournament.

"You don't need to know. Anyway, put the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's martial art up as a prize too. Make it the grand prize."

Yeonggi's eyes darted quickly. It was probably a welcome offer from his perspective. Once they bought the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's martial art, there were only so many things the dokkaebis could do with it. They could use it to run a large-scale Scenario and gain more Subscribers, or sell the martial art at a high price through the Dokkaebi Compendium.

Yeonggi was probably calculating which option would benefit him more.

[Fine. If you do that, I have nothing to lose. It would save us the cost of buying the martial art as well. However...]

"However?"

[You said there were two favors, so I'll hear the second condition before deciding.]

I smiled faintly at his caution. Becoming a mid-grade dokkaebi had apparently made him much sharper.

"The second condition is simple. Let everyone in this estate participate in the Martial Arts Tournament Scenario."

[Everyone in this estate...?]

Yeonggi's eyes narrowed at once. It seemed he'd caught on to my scheme.

[It's an interesting proposal, but... that will be difficult.]

"Why?"

[The other Incarnations are one thing, but the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint herself cannot participate.]

I figured he'd say that. If the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint entered the tournament, she was highly likely to win. Naturally, fewer people would participate, and the dokkaebis would be forced to take a one-sided loss.

I spoke as if making a huge concession.

"Then leave out the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint."

[Then we have a deal. The Martial Arts Tournament Scenario will be held in two weeks. Please prepare the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's skill by then.]

Yeonggi answered as if he'd been waiting for it, and I readily went along with him.

"All right. Don't forget to send the Scenario invitation properly."

[Of course. Then I will see you again soon.]

"Give Bihyeong my regards."

[Ha ha, I will.]

Happy that things had worked out, Yeonggi vanished with a cheerful laugh. The other dokkaebis who had followed him began leaving as well. Paul glared at me until the very end, so I glared back with all my might.

A moment later, once the dokkaebis were gone, Jang Hayoung grabbed my collar.

"Hey, what the hell did you just do? Sell a martial art? Open a Martial Arts Tournament? What the hell are you..."

Woof! Woof woof!

「You're selling our martial art! What in the world are you thinking?」

The Sky-Splitting Divine Dog, which had been blankly watching what I was doing, finally reacted too. It was the response I expected. Honestly, this much was nothing.

"Kim Dokja!"

...Of course.

Yu Junghyeok came charging over in a cloud of dust, seized me by the collar, and shook me wildly as if I'd betrayed him more deeply than anyone in his life. I flapped helplessly like a paper doll as I spoke.

"Let go and talk."

"Shut up! What the hell are you thinking? You're going to sell a martial art...!"

"Calm down. I did it because of you, you bastard."

"...What?"

"Don't you know what we just gained?"

Junghyeok's hand stopped for the first time. Then a message rang out beside my ear.

[A new Sub Scenario has arrived.]

[Sub Scenario - Martial Arts Tournament has begun.]

Junghyeok read the Scenario details in silence for a moment, then muttered quietly.

"...Black Heaven Demon Blade?"

"Yeah. You said you wanted it."

"..."

"Look carefully and you'll find the Demonic Soul Pill too. I think that was the third-place prize, though I don't remember exactly..."

Junghyeok's eyes trembled as he looked at me. The strength left his hand, and he slowly released me. This guy, it wasn't like he had to be that touched.

Anyway, I seemed to have convinced one of them. The problem was the other side.

When I turned my head, the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint was standing there with a rigid expression.

「A being born with the divine power of a giant. The Sky-Splitting Sword Saint was no different from a god by her very existence.」

There wasn't a single thing wrong with TWSA's description. She was simply standing there, yet her presence was this overwhelming. I smiled politely and waved my hand.

"Have you finished talking with your disciple?"

"...You're not in your right mind."

"Why don't you hear me out first?"

"I have no time to talk to a mere martial-art peddler."

The mist around the Absolute Formation was growing thicker. I hurriedly added, "Sky-Splitting Sword Saint, you can't cling to the old ways forever."

The Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's thick eyebrows curved sharply.

"Is preserving that silly principle of not passing one's art to the unworthy really so important? Even if it means losing everything you have?"

Junghyeok looked at me as if I were insane.

"Kim Dokja! Don't say another word!"

Naturally, I kept talking.

"Your real strength isn't even [Sky Splitter Sword Art] in the first place, is it? You've transcended again and again. You abandoned form long ago, so what does it matter if you sell one martial art?"

Rumble!

The ground around us shook all at once. Junghyeok finally pulled out the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds, shielding me behind his back.

It felt as if gravity itself had intensified around us.

My shoulders ached as though Mount Tai were pressing down on them. Jang Hayoung and Han Myeongoh, standing nearby, were being forced into the ground without even being able to scream.

At this rate, my allies would be wiped out.

"Master, wait...!"

Even at Junghyeok's shout, the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint didn't ease her aura.

...So that's how you wanted to play it? Stubborn to the end.

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation has unleashed his status.]

Crackle!

Sparks surged, and the surrounding gravity eased for a moment. I grinned at the startled Sky-Splitting Sword Saint. My Incarnation body might be nothing special, but I was still a fabled-grade Constellation.

"Don't be so stingy when I haven't even sold the martial art yet."

"So you had a hidden card."

"You can reclaim the martial art anyway if you win the Martial Arts Tournament. It's just a tournament. You only have to win it."

Perhaps she'd calmed down a little, because the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's aura noticeably subsided. If she unleashed her true power, restraining someone like me would be easy. Still, she was probably showing me mercy because I was Junghyeok's companion.

"Isn't it a tournament I can't participate in anyway?"

"It isn't fun when a grown adult joins children at play."

"Murim's children are far stronger than you think."

"I know. But your disciple is strong too."

The Sky-Splitting Sword Saint stood silently as if asking what I meant. I patted Junghyeok's shoulder beside me.

"Junghyeok will enter the Martial Arts Tournament."

At that, Junghyeok turned to me with wide eyes. I didn't know why he was so surprised. Did he think I would enter it instead?

The Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's eyebrow twitched again.

"He's still weak."

"Then make him strong. He's your disciple anyway."

"I never said I would accept him as my disciple..."

Junghyeok stared at the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint with wide eyes this time. Master and disciple alike, neither could be honest about their feelings.

[Exclusive Skill, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is activating.]

Of course, I knew that inability to be honest was one of their virtues.

「It's still too early.」

「If he enters the tournament, Junghyeok will die.」

「He's not at the level to face the Top Ten Masters.」

Maybe because my understanding was still low, I couldn't hear the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's inner thoughts perfectly. Still, it wasn't difficult to understand what she was thinking.

In the end, I had to step in for this prickly master and disciple pair again.

"If you accept Yu Junghyeok as your disciple, I'll let you meet your kin."

"...What are you talking about?"

"The giants. Haven't you been searching for your kin all this time?"

The Sky-Splitting Sword Saint looked at me as if I were something bizarre.

"I don't know how you know that, but my kin have been wiped out from this world. There are no giants left anywhere."

"No. There is still one place where they remain."

"What...?"

I looked up into the empty air and spoke.

"King of the underworld, are you still watching?"

Hades was in my channel right now. He'd helped me last time, so it was about time I properly greeted him. But Hades wasn't the one who answered my call.

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring looks at you with a strange smile.]

"...It's been a long time, Persephone."

Damn it. This queen was difficult to deal with. When had she entered the channel? Just as I hesitated and was about to speak, another message appeared.

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring says she has already heard the story.]

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring says she will grant your request.]

Persephone was great because she got straight to the point.

The problem was that there was no way this queen would grant my request without an ulterior motive.

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring says she has a condition.]

...Of course.

"Please tell me."

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring invites you to a festival of Constellations.]

A festival of Constellations?

That was strange. It wasn't time for the Constellation Banquet to be held yet.

As if answering my question, Persephone's next message appeared.

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring has invited you to The Gourmet Association.]

Footnotes:

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