WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 244: Episode 45: The Gourmet Association (6)
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There were ten Constellations gathered here in total.
I didn't know where the other four had gone, but they were probably scattered somewhere in this Scenario area.
[If you refuse to yield.]
[I'll devour you too.]
The Constellations' declarations flowed from the evil spirits' mouths. Without hesitation, I poured Mana into my sword.
[Exclusive Skill, White Pure Star Energy Lv. 8 has activated!]
The Mana wasn't mine but Iris's. Still, since she had made it this far as an Incarnation, the reserves of her true body were nothing to scoff at. When the pure white Mana of White Pure Star Energy fused with [Eoren's Sword], the blade's force grew even greater.
Riiing!
Eoren's Sword could deal powerful blows to evil spirits for ten minutes. Still, having a powerful weapon didn't necessarily mean I had the advantage.
One Constellation burst out laughing at my sword strike.
[Hahaha, you're slow! Young Constellation, entertain these old monsters!]
[Old monsters? I've only lived for five hundred years. Besides, that bastard might be even older.]
Was it because this was my first time possessing a child's body?
The sword only drew clumsy arcs through the air. Even if they could use only one-tenth of their power, Constellations were still Constellations, from upper Historical to lower fabled-grade.
The Constellations gathered to become evil spirits released their status.
As ten Constellations unleashed their momentum at once, Iris's movements began to stiffen and falter. Like prey caught in an invisible spiderweb, her arms flailed helplessly through the air. The hunters approached with grins on their faces.
Tremble...
Seeing Iris's body shake against my will, I bit down hard on my lip. It had always been like this.
But this time was different.
[Don't underestimate me. I'm a Constellation too.]
I had never properly released my status before. Throughout the Demon Realm Scenario, I had been half-crippled the entire time. But while riding in the Gourmet Association's carriage, I had steadily recovered my fables.
So now, even if I wasn't at one hundred percent, I could use my status at nearly full strength.
[You are releasing a Constellation's status!]
[Some of your fables are responding to the situation and beginning their stories.]
[The Historical-grade fable Heterodox of the Gourmet Association resists the surrounding oppression!]
[The Legendary-grade fable Demon King of Salvation responds to the situation of Incarnation Iris!]
The ground around us cracked with a roar, and the nearby forest shook with feral sounds.
The Constellations looked stunned by the flood of sparks erupting throughout the area. Constellations who had undergone Descent in this Scenario could originally use only one-tenth of their power. But I wasn't in a state of Descent. I had manifested through [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint], which meant I could release my original status in full.
[How can a novice have this much status...!]
[...Is that really a state of Descent?]
The Constellations who didn't know that looked nearly horrified. They would probably mistake this status for one-tenth of my true power. That was why I was pushing myself on purpose.
[Get lost or die. Pick one.]
If I made them misunderstand properly now, they wouldn't dare act carelessly after this was over.
[Th-that arrogant bastard...!]
[...The Star Stream really is vast. Where did someone like that come from?]
Several Constellations recoiled from my momentum, but one of them grew even more excited.
[Khahahahat! What a supreme dish. Today's Gourmet Association is the best!]
A Constellation charged at me with a bizarre scream. The evil spirit's arm stretched out and rushed toward me. I hurriedly stepped back and swung my sword, but ridiculously enough, it couldn't even cut the arm coming straight at me.
Iris's voice sounded in my head.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm terrible with a sword..."
Damn it. Was that why her movements had been so sluggish?
Blood sprayed from Iris's elbow as her wound tore open. Perhaps the Constellations had sensed something wrong with my movements. The momentum of those who had hesitated began to change.
[...Something's strange.]
The scattered Constellations attacked from all directions, each using an evil spirit's body. I tried to overcome the barrage with my sword, but Iris's swordsmanship proficiency was too low.
It was nothing like when I had possessed Junghyeok's body. It made me realize all over again just how incredible an Incarnation Junghyeok was.
[I see. He's just someone with high status. Kill him!]
[We just have to avoid the sword. Hahaha, today is a feast!]
The worst situation I had wanted to avoid was unfolding.
Slash! Spurt!
Attacks from the evil spirits flew at me from every direction. A small sickle grazed between Iris's legs. A boomerang circled around to strike at her back. Even a spear stabbed at the opening in her side. Before a minute had passed, Iris's body was covered in cuts and bruises.
Her Constitution was falling rapidly.
I hurriedly used [Bookmark] and opened the [Way of the Wind], but even that felt awkward in Iris's body.
In the end, her tangled steps tripped over each other, breaking my momentum. Seizing that brief opening, the Constellation who had charged first reached out.
"Urgh..."
Iris's body was lifted helplessly into the air by the grip around her nape.
[You were unlucky, novice.]
As if everything was over, the Constellation opened its mouth.
[It's time to eat.]
Grotesque fangs crowded its mouth, which was filled with heated digestive fluid. Considering that evil spirits could customize parts of their appearance, it really was the worst possible taste. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth.
"I activate Bookmark No. 5."
Actually, I hadn't wanted to use this skill here.
I wasn't sure whether Iris's body could handle [Electrification], and I didn't want to consume too much Plausibility either.
But I had no other choice now.
[Bookmark No. 5 has activated.]
The moment I activated Bookmark, an unexpected message appeared.
[This skill is not suitable for the selected character.]
[The use of Exclusive Skill Miniaturization has been cancelled.]
[The use of Exclusive Skill Electrification has been cancelled.]
The power of [Bookmark] vanished with a crackling sound. Sometimes, a skill simply didn't work well with an Incarnation body. But for that to happen now...
I hadn't expected this.
[A final struggle? Fine. Go ahead and try.]
With a mocking voice, the long tongue that had slipped out of the evil spirit's mouth began tightening around Iris's throat. Her airway closed, and her face turned blue. I could feel Iris's consciousness fading. My connection through [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] was weakening.
[Your thoughts are accelerating due to an Attribute effect.]
Dozens of possible ways out flashed through my head, and one of them caught in the net of my thoughts.
...I didn't know whether it would work.
My understanding of that character was still low.
But if I could do it...
"I release Revolutionary Knight Mark Xavier from slot six."
I released my status with all my strength and momentarily broke free from the Constellations' restraint. Then I continued.
"I'll put Sky-Splitting Sword Saint Namgung Minyeong in his place."
[Bookmark No. 6 has activated.]
An overwhelming presence seeped into me. It felt as though every word I had read, felt, and experienced had become a human being and embodied itself within me.
[Your understanding of this character is insufficient!]
It felt similar to when I had first loaded Kyrios Lordgrime.
[...!]
[What kind of power is that?]
Even the Constellations of the Gourmet Association were shocked by the energy surging from deep within me.
[The character's level is too high to reproduce this skill fully.]
[The character's level is too high. Only part of the skill has activated.]
[Your understanding of this character is low. Bookmark's duration has decreased.]
Originally, [Sky Splitter Sword Art] was a skill only a female body could use. Junghyeok had overcome that through bloody effort, but I couldn't.
[Your current Incarnation body composition closely resembles this character's physical composition.]
More precisely, I couldn't have done it in my original body.
[Exclusive Skill, Sky Splitter Sword Art Lv. 10(+1) has activated.]
Kwarrrrumble!
Lightning that seemed to shatter the sky descended into Eoren's Sword. At the perfect moment, I unleashed every watt of power I could produce. Before the Constellations could understand what was happening, I would finish everything.
[Exclusive Skill, Sky-Splitting Sword Lightning Lv. 10(+1) has activated.]
With thunder that seemed to overturn heaven and earth, blue lightning tore through the sky and struck everything around us. The words of TWSA contained within that sword formula flowed through my mind.
「Martial artists do not count the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint among the Top Ten Masters.」
The evil spirits' bodies scattered into ash before they could even scream.
「Martial artists consider the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint a kind of disaster.」
A being born as a small human, who had faced Constellations after relentless effort.
This was the power of the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint, the disaster of the martial world.
[The skill's status far exceeds the Incarnation body's aptitude.]
I felt my qi and blood flow backward and twist apart. It was only natural. Neither Iris nor I could originally use power like this without becoming Transcendents.
The sky flickered as if there had been a power outage.
When the dazzling prelude of lightning swept through the area, not a single evil spirit remained around me.
[The Constellation Predator of the Hasty Swamp has been eliminated from the Scenario.]
[The Constellation Gourmet of the Quiet Island has been eliminated from the Scenario.]
[The Constellation Lord of Forgotten Longing has been eliminated from the Scenario.]
...
[A total of 10 Constellations have been eliminated from the Scenario.]
[You have achieved an unbelievable achievement!]
[You have achieved impossible achievements in succession!]
Barely catching my breath, I looked up at the sky.
[The Star Stream is taking interest in your achievements.]
[A new fable for you is being prepared.]
Even if the Constellations' status had been severely limited, I had slaughtered ten Constellation Incarnation bodies with an Incarnation body. Of course a fable would be created.
Sizzle!
Blood surged from my mouth, while blood poured from my ears and nose at the same time. I had bled from all seven orifices so often that I was getting used to the taste of blood. Fortunately, the Gourmet Association had granted me enough Plausibility for me to endure so far.
I stuck Fable Fragments all over Iris's collapsing body. Her consciousness had already gone out from the shock of the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint's martial arts.
[The Constellations of the Gourmet Association are shocked by the Scenario's events.]
[Several Constellations of the Gourmet Association have become hostile toward you.]
I knew they would hate me.
But if there was something to lose, there was also something to gain.
[Some Constellations of the Gourmet Association are showing great curiosity about your fables.]
[Several executives of the Gourmet Association have taken a liking to you.]
I led Iris's body as I staggered toward the volcano.
Iris could only survive if the Scenario was completed. To complete the Scenario, I had to throw this bracelet into the volcano's lava.
There wasn't much distance left now.
Forty steps, thirty steps, twenty steps...
The heat of the nearby lava made my face burn. When the cliff that could shatter the bracelet was right in front of me, I sensed someone's presence.
I had expected them to appear around now.
There were still four evil spirits I hadn't dealt with.
[Demon King of Salvation, you're doing something very interesting.]
At the familiar voice, my grip on Eoren's Sword tightened. When I turned around, a little girl with a familiar appearance stood there.
Even after becoming an evil spirit, that basic appearance hadn't changed at all.
I opened my mouth through gritted teeth.
"Asmodeus."
Perhaps pleased to hear his True Name called, Asmodeus spoke in an ecstatic voice.
Sizzle.
[...Ah, say it again.]
The culprit who would wreck Junghyeok's body and cause our third round to fail. Asmodeus's status slowly approached, constricting my entire body.
And this was only one-tenth of his power.
Was this what set one of the seventy-two Demon Kings apart?
I stepped back and quickly watched my surroundings.
This was already a difficult situation, but three more evil spirits remained besides this one. If they came too, I would have no chance of winning.
So before that...
[Don't be so wary. There are no other Constellations.]
Three heads dangled from Asmodeus's small hand. Black cape fragments hung beneath the heads where they had been cut off.
They weren't Incarnation heads.
A chill slowly crept up from my toes.
In that brief moment, I understood exactly why TWSA described Asmodeus as a mad star. A cold smile settled on Asmodeus's lips, stained with Constellation blood.
[I ate them all.]
Footnotes:
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