Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 24

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 24: Episode 6 - Hour of Judgement (1)

The Limited Edition Random Item Box.

According to Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, this was a coin item once sold as a limited edition in past scenarios.

[W-Why is that thing here?]

Even the belatedly appearing dokkaebi, Biryu, let out a shriek of shock.

[Th-that item should have been banned a long time ago!]

In the original TWSA, the settings behind this item were quite complex.

This coin item, released long before the 8612 planetary system's scenario began, had been forcibly recalled by the Star Stream's Management Bureau. The reason was obvious—the setup that allowed it to always spit out a higher-grade item when a lower-grade one was inserted had such a massive impact that it threatened the balance of the entire scenario.

On top of that, the price of just one item box was a whopping one million coins. The constellations were furious at this absurd pay-to-win model, and the foolish dokkaebi who designed it was fired by the Bureau.

[W-Well, everyone, I-I don’t really know why that’s here either… A-Ahaha! Stream terminated!]

[Channel #BI-7623 has been temporarily shut down.]

As Biryu disappeared, muttering nonsense to himself, the voices of the constellations also vanished. It was a shame I couldn’t see their reactions anymore, but what could I do?

Rumble.

I looked down at the box that was now vibrating. The real random draw was about to begin.

[An item of the same type as the one offered has been placed. A reward of the same category will appear!]

[The random draw is starting!]

The Limited Edition Random Item Box would produce an item of a higher grade, but still related to the one you put in. Statistically, anything from a C-grade to an SSS-grade could appear. Statistically, of course.

[The offered item is related to a specific constellation!]

[The chance of obtaining an item related to that constellation has greatly increased.]

...Huh? I wasn’t expecting that message. But it didn’t seem like it would be a disadvantage. Sweat trickled down my clenched palm. I hadn’t felt this tense since gambling for random items in online games. Please, at least give me an A-grade.

[A higher-grade item has appeared!]

[The number of uses for the Random Item Box has reached 0.]

The trembling of the box stopped, and the dazzling light slowly faded. Yu Sangah and Lee Gilyeong were looking at me with eyes full of excitement.

“Should we open it?”

“Yes!”

We opened the box.

“Whoa!”

Lee Gilyeong screamed so loudly that it startled me. But the contents of the box were indeed surprising.

A beautifully sleek white blade, growing from an elegant dark hilt... It looked strangely similar to the 'Broken Faith.'

I immediately checked the item details.

<Item Information>

Name: Unbreakable Faith

Rank: Constellation Artifact

Description: A sword that once belonged to the hero Kaizenix, who led the Great Age of Magic in the world of Gruncia. Imbued with Kaizenix’s incredible ether manipulation, it can create blades of ‘Faith’ powered by fire, darkness, and divinity.

Additionally, it increases constitution and strength by 2 levels each when equipped.

+

I was momentarily speechless.

No way... Was this for real?

This wasn’t just an ordinary alphabet-grade item, but a Constellation Artifact?

“D-Dokja-ssi, this seems like an incredible item.”

It definitely was.

In the world of TWSA, Constellation Artifacts were excluded from normal item rankings. Not because of their power, but because they were exceptionally unique.

Every Constellation Artifact carried the power of the constellation it once belonged to. Depending on the constellation’s renown and how much recognition they had in the world, the artifacts could vary greatly in power, but their connection to a constellation made them valuable beyond measure.

And to top it off, this sword boosted both strength and stamina by 2 levels. Considering that raising just one stat by a single point would bump an item to A-grade, even the additional options on this sword made it at least S-grade. Yu Junghyeok definitely didn’t have anything this good yet.

I looked at Sangah and Gilyeong, making a polite gesture.

“...I suppose it’s alright if I take this, right?”

“Of course! It’s obviously yours, Dokja-ssi.”

Sangah quickly reassured me, as if she had expected the question. Gilyeong nodded energetically. I glanced at Han Myeongoh, but he was just chewing on a ground rat leg with a stupid expression, muttering to himself. I half expected him to demand the sword for himself, but… he seemed oddly quiet.

[You have acquired a Constellation Artifact.]

[The owner of the Constellation Artifact is curious about you.]

Judging by the messages, it seemed like the constellation still existed somewhere. I would have to look it up in TWSA later.

“Well then, let’s head back. There are plenty of ground rats outside, so we can just take the Mana Brazier with us.”

“But how do we get back?”

“We came using Gilyeong’s ability, so leaving shouldn’t be a problem. With [Inter-Species Communication]...”

But Gilyeong’s expression darkened.

“Hyung, I…”

“Hmm?”

“There aren’t any insects left nearby.”

Now that I thought about it, all the nearby bugs had burst from the pressure when we fought the Warden of the Dark. I hadn’t accounted for that.

“None at all? There should still be a few left. If we move around a bit while using your skill...”

There are so many insects in the world. It couldn’t be that all of them had died. But Gilyeong’s face remained grim.

“Well, there is one I can call, but…”

Closing his eyes, Gilyeong began muttering something to himself, concentrating.

“Dokja-ssi, Gilyeong’s acting strange.”

Gilyeong’s eyes were rolling back, and a thin stream of blood was trickling from his nose.

“Gilyeong?”

Suddenly, a loud thud came from above, and the ground trembled. Dust began falling from the ceiling of the cave. The vibrations were coming from the surface…

A chill ran down my spine.

“Gilyeong! Lee Gilyeong, snap out of it!”

“Huh... hyung?”

Gilyeong’s eyes returned to normal.

“Stop your skill, now! Quickly!”

Startled, Gilyeong deactivated his skill, and only then did the tremors subside. I let out a sigh of relief. The surface above was teeming with incredibly dangerous creatures.

Monsters like the Tier-7 Poison Rhino, as well as many other high-grade beasts. Among them was a terrifying creature whose rank couldn’t even be measured—the Monarch-Level Insect. As its name suggested, the Monarch-Level Insect was, of course, a type of bug.

“You… idiot.”

I wanted to scold him, but instead, I just placed a hand on his head. Summoning a Monarch-Level Insect? What are you, some kind of Fabre? We almost got buried alive here.

“This skill is sealed for now. Don’t use it until I say so. Understood?”

“Y-Yes…”

Gilyeong replied, crestfallen. Now, we had no choice but to wait.

“If we enter the Dark Mist, we’ll get lost. Let’s wait a bit longer. Once some smaller insects show up, we’ll move.”

Entering had been easy, but the Dark Mist was extremely dangerous. If we made even the smallest mistake, we could be trapped for days. Just then, Sangah raised her hand.

“If it’s just finding a way out, I think I can help instead of Gilyeong.”

“…How?”

I almost asked if she was planning to talk to the Dark Mist itself but stopped. Yu Sangah answered hesitantly.

“I have a similar skill.”

Come to think of it, I still didn’t know Sangah’s attributes or patron.

“What kind of skill?”

“Well, it’s a thread-like skill that helps me find my way…”

Thread?

“…Pardon me, but may I ask what your attribute is?”

Yu Sangah wasn’t an original character, so I couldn’t hear her thoughts. Just like I couldn’t hear the thoughts of Gilyeong or Myeongoh.

“Well, that’s…”

Yu Sangah looked troubled. If only I could use [Character Profile] on her, this wouldn’t be so frustrating. I decided to give it a try.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

[This character is not registered in the Character Profile.]

As expected. But then, there was an extra line.

[Information about this character is currently being collected.]

…Huh? That message wasn’t there before. Now that I thought about it, I vaguely remembered seeing a system message during the previous battle when Sangah used the [Interpretation] skill. Something I hadn’t noticed before. Could it be that the [Character Profile] updates over time? No way…

I mulled over my thoughts, then decided to ease Sangah’s discomfort.

“I’m sorry for asking. Well done. In the future, be careful not to share your attribute information with others so easily.”

“That’s not it! It’s not that I don’t trust you, Dokja-ssi...!”

Looking closely, it seemed like Sangah had more to say. A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“Did your patron mention anything about me?”

Sangah lowered her head with a guilty expression.

“I’m sorry.”

Her trembling lips barely formed the words. This wasn’t just about her patron saying something—there was a high chance she had made a pact involving a vow of silence. Whoever her patron was, they seemed to be serious about raising her.

“It’s okay. I understand.”

“Thank you… really…”

She didn’t need to thank me. It wasn’t as if I had to hear about her patron directly to figure things out... In fact, the suspense was kind of thrilling. Like the curiosity of a reader wanting to fill in the blanks, you know?

“Alright, I’ll use my skill now.”

A faintly glowing thread extended from Sangah’s fingertips, stretching out into the distance.

“Actually, I left some threads behind when we were captured earlier, just in case.”

One strand connected to me, while another extended outward. It was probably tied to Hyeonseong or Huiwon.

“Let’s go.”

There’s no way Sangah had this skill from the beginning. It had to be a stigma granted by her patron. A thread that could help navigate a labyrinth... It felt familiar, like it belonged to a constellation I knew.

[Channel #BI-7623 has reopened.]

I heard the system message as the constellations began returning.

[Multiple constellations have filed complaints about the channel’s broadcast system!]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is curious about what came out of the random box.]

Ah, you couldn’t see it, right? What a shame.

[Damn it! That son of a bitch messed with my channel again… Haha! Did you all behave while I was gone?]

And then, a familiar voice returned.

It was Bihyeong.

—…You’ve pulled off some amazing things while I was gone, huh?

‘Is the reason you couldn’t return because of me?’

—Well… yeah, you could say it’s somewhat related. I got a warning from the Bureau for suddenly ending the stream and keeping the ads running for too long.

Right now, Bihyeong’s voice was only audible to me. It was the so-called ‘Dokkaebi Communication,’ a method used solely between dokkaebis. Of course, it was clearly against the rules to let an incarnation like me hear it.

—Anyway, I’ve decided not to sweat the small stuff anymore. Worst case, I’ll just take a couple of trips to the Bureau. But more importantly… how did you even know about the ‘Random Box’?

‘I just happened to stumble upon it.’

—Damn it! I can’t believe remnants of that dark history still exist. Of all things, why was that box there…?

‘Dark history?’

—…!

‘Wait a second. Don’t tell me… you’re the idiot who came up with that ridiculous coin item?’

Even as a devoted reader of Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, I hadn’t known this.

—Damn it! If only I hadn’t been so greedy back then…

“Wow, this is seriously delicious.”

Bihyeong’s grumbling was cut off by Huiwon’s exclamation of delight.

Ten minutes earlier, we had successfully regrouped with the others, guided by Sangah. Fortunately, both Huiwon and Hyeonseong had been standing guard at the boundary, waiting for our return.

“Eating that should help you regain your strength.”

“Mmm, I feel like I’m recovering already.”

Huiwon twirled her shoulders experimentally, and she already looked visibly better. The detoxifying properties of the cooked underground creature’s meat seemed to be taking effect.

“Looks like you managed to get more than just the Mana Brazier in there.”

“We got a few things.”

I glanced over at Hyeonseong, who was still fixated on the ‘Rusty Iron Shield’ I had given him earlier. He kept putting it on and taking it off repeatedly, now even blowing on its surface and polishing it as if he’d just bought a new car.

[The character Lee Hyeonseong shows faint loyalty toward you.]

Watching Hyeonseong like this, Huiwon asked, looking somewhat envious,

“Do you have anything I could use?”

“Nope.”

“How about that sword?”

“It’s mine.”

“You’re going to share the meat, right?”

“I’ll take coins in exchange.”

“…You’re really stingy.”

“I’d call it being resourceful.”

While everyone was busy eating their roasted ground rat legs and making small talk, we finally reached the end of the tunnel. The surroundings brightened up, and we began to see people again. But something felt off. The atmosphere was urgent and chaotic. What was going on?

[There are 20 minutes remaining until the fee collection period.]

[Please prepare your Survival Fee.]

A quick glance at the clock, and I realized what was happening.

So, it was time for that, huh?

It was surprising how terrifying the word ‘fee’ could be now.

“Please, someone give me coins!”

“My child doesn’t have any coins! Please, give me some coins...”

If they had followed the scenario properly, getting 100 coins shouldn’t have been difficult, but hardworking people were always in the minority.

“I’ll pay a million won[1], no, ten million won[2]! Please, someone sell me 100 coins!”

The price of coins was skyrocketing.

It was laughable. Before the apocalypse, money had value, but now, a ridiculous premium had been placed on something as trivial as coins. And standing off to the side, laughing as they watched the scene unfold, were the ones who already had plenty of coins. Cheon Inho and the Cheoldu Gang.

I overheard some women arguing with them.

“Y-you said it would be 100 coins at once earlier!”

“Huh, did I? I don’t remember saying that.”

“What…?”

“The situation’s different now. How about 100 coins in two payments? Seems fair, don’t you think?”

The mocking voices of the Cheoldu Gang. It wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on. Huiwon, who had already drawn her sword, glared at them.

“Those bastards… they just can’t stop.”

[The character Jeong Huiwon is ready to awaken her attribute.]

It was almost time for Jeong Huiwon. It wouldn’t be bad for her to awaken now, but… it wasn’t the right moment yet. She needed a bit more patience to gain the attribute I had in mind for her.

At that moment, a system message popped up.

[The Survival Fee collection will begin shortly.]

“Please! Help me!”

The expressions of my group were varied. Hyeonseong bowed his head in sorrow, while Huiwon gripped her sword, biting her lip. Everyone knew what the penalty for failing to pay the Survival Fee was. No one here was unfamiliar with it.

“…Dokja-ssi.”

Yu Sangah looked at me.

“Yes?”

In this world, coins were power.

Those who had coins could buy better items, and those who had coins could raise their stats.

The ones who had coins, had everything.

[Multiple constellations have entered the channel after your scenario was recommended.]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter is waiting for you to make a decision.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is waiting for you to make a decision.]

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is waiting for you to make a decision.]

And right now, I was the person with the most coins in this entire station.

Footnotes: