WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 265: Episode 49: Specialty (5)

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After Yu Junghyeok's Attribute blossomed, the match flowed as smoothly as water.

[Participant Yu Junghyeok has killed Helper Progenitor of Humanity!]

[Participant Yu Junghyeok has achieved the Living Legend achievement!]

The Constellations, still unaccustomed to the game, couldn't keep up with Junghyeok's deft movements. Whether it was his use of game items or his grasp of terrain and buffs, Junghyeok was overwhelmingly superior.

[Participant Yu Junghyeok has begun writing a new myth in the Mythical Battlefield!]

[Participant Yu Junghyeok's myth has entered the battlefield rankings!]

The outcome was decided in an instant.

[The time limit for the first game has ended!]

[The winning team will be determined based on the points gained within the time limit!]

[The winner of the first game is the Yu Junghyeok-Kim Dokja Industrial Complex team!]

We had earned a total of six points. On top of that, thanks to the crest we snatched from the opposing team midway through, our crest now had two lines.

『In this cruel hellscape, the flowers of fable bloom in riotous profusion』

Jang Hayoung, who had been staring at the crest we'd gained over and over, blankly raised her head.

"...Did we really win?"

"Yeah."

It didn't feel real to me either.

Even if circumstances had favored us, we'd still managed to take the first points off those powerful Constellations.... This wasn't the sort of thing I could just smugly call "all according to plan."

[The Demon King Demonic God of Wrath and Lust watches you with interest.]

[A considerable number of Constellations support the Yu Junghyeok-Kim Dokja Industrial Complex!]

[You have gained 100,000 coins each as a reward for the first game!]

I saw Junghyeok approaching from afar, casually swishing his sword through the air. I was about to say something about the idiot showing off for no reason, but Junghyeok spoke first.

"Those messages were something this brat sent on her own."

Before I could even ask what he meant, Biyoo popped out from inside Junghyeok's coat.

[Baaaat!]

Looking much more energetic now, Biyoo was swinging the Uriel doll around like a windmill, clutching it by the collar with one hand.

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire protests that she didn't do anything!]

Biyoo tossed the doll into the air, then slipped neatly into my arms. I stroked her head a few times before asking Junghyeok, who had snatched the doll out of the air,

"How far did you go?"

"Near Meledon."

"Why all the way there...?"

"There was an item I needed."

"An item? What kind?"

"I got it, so you don't need to know."

The look Junghyeok shot me seemed oddly displeased.

"And... if the Selection was going to begin anyway, I judged that it would help to start from an unexpected location."

"Good call."

In the first game, your summoning point changed depending on where you'd been right before entering the Selection. Since Junghyeok hadn't started from the same place as us, he had been able to farm items along a completely different route, which must have made it much easier for him to strike at the enemy's weak points.

[Hahaha, something incredible has happened. But the game isn't over until it's over.]

Bihyeong's voice rang out through the air. Maybe because we'd won, he sounded a little excited.

[The second game will begin in five minutes!]

This wasn't the time to get drunk on a brief victory.

There were three games in total.

I looked over my exhausted Allies. The Incarnation bodies of Venerable Samyeong and O-su, who had died in the earlier battle, had already revived.

"We only have to win one more time. Once we take two wins first, the game is over. So everyone, just hang in there a little longer...."

I meant it as encouragement, but my Allies didn't look good at all.

"Venerable Samyeong, why are you like that?"

Venerable Samyeong, who had turned into a wooden fish, was making a clear wooden clacking sound.

[That is... it seems I used too much Plausibility.]

In this game, dying didn't erase an Incarnation body. But every time you lost, some of the resources you possessed were still consumed.

"O-su?"

Whiiine!

Like Venerable Samyeong, O-su, who had died in the last game, had shrunk to almost the size of a guinea pig. O-su too seemed to have overused Plausibility and stamina. Even among Constellations of the same grade, differences in status could be enormous depending on the quantity and quality of the fables they had accumulated.

The next to speak was Han Myeongoh.

"I-I can't do this anymore."

Myeongoh had safely spent the whole first game running away while fulfilling his role. It was as if he'd received some kind of lizard's blessing, because the leg he'd cut off was slowly regenerating too. But even if the leg recovered, the look on his face, as though he'd aged ten years in the meantime, didn't seem likely to recover so easily.

"It's okay. You did well, Manager."

Even if their status had been suppressed, our opponents were still Constellations.

An ordinary Incarnation would have had their mind collapse long ago after facing Constellations like that for over an hour.

The one small consolation was that the Sky-Splitting Divine Dog was still safe.

Woof! Woof!

Starting from the middle of the last game, the Sky-Splitting Divine Dog had helped Junghyeok and even managed to hunt down one Constellation.

Me, Junghyeok, Hayoung, and the Sky-Splitting Divine Dog. Those four were all that remained on our team now. Of course, there was no way the four of us alone could win this game.

Junghyeok spoke.

"I'll try to replenish our forces."

"Do you know any Constellations?"

"I don't know if they'll make it in time. I'll put them on the list for now."

I had no idea who he meant to call. Did Junghyeok already have that kind of network at this point? Junghyeok continued.

"We need to change our strategy in the second game. And our Positions."

"Why? Can't we just do what we did last round?"

At Hayoung's question, Junghyeok silently shook his head and looked at me. In the end, I answered for him.

"Junghyeok's Attribute is powerful, but it isn't invincible."

"...It looked pretty close to invincible to me."

"That's because the Constellations didn't know much about this game yet."

Starting with the second game, the penalty on stat limits would begin to loosen little by little.

The Constellations who had looked down on us would start gathering Attributes and skills related to this game, and they'd use enormous amounts of coins to close the gap.

No matter how powerful Junghyeok's Master of Play was, there was a limit to what he could do alone. I thought for a moment, then opened my mouth.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"This round, we'll be cooperating with the Berkan Industrial Complex."

[...You're saying we should join hands with those Papyrus scraps?]

"This isn't the time to be picky."

A deep sigh escaped Duke Meledon's rhinoceros-like face. A single mere Incarnation had run roughshod over every Constellation on the battlefield. They had let their guard down and been struck from behind, or cut by blades springing up from beneath their feet. Some had even fought one-on-one and lost.

"We can't let them take any more points this time. You all know that."

[Don't worry. We let our guard down last round, but we won't this time.]

The Progenitor of Humanity, Manu, ground his teeth and raised the Spear of the Primordial Age.

[We've studied this game thoroughly.]

In fact, alarms had been blaring nonstop through the air for some time now.

[The Constellation Progenitor of Humanity has purchased the Attribute Premium Gaming Talent!]

[The Constellation Thunder-Eating Bird has purchased the item Even a Birdbrain Can Master Games in a Week!]

The ones grinning from ear to ear at the sudden buying frenzy were the Dokkaebis.

[Oh my, Constellations! To go this far....]

The Constellations found the sight of the Dokkaebis distasteful, but their wounded pride at having been crushed by a mere Incarnation mattered more.

[Go.]

The moment the game began, the Constellations moved in perfect unison.

The influence of Attributes and items was great. They now used the terrain to repeat flawless concealment and cover, and they had fully mastered how their Stigmas and skills applied within this game.

The enemy team's only All-Rounder was that absurd Incarnation. If they killed that one bastard, the game would be over.

[There.]

Thunder-Eating Bird created a fierce gale with a rough glide. Through the grass the wind had thrown aside, a man in a jet-black coat revealed himself.

It was Yu Junghyeok.

"Now!"

At Duke Meledon's signal, four Constellations charged all at once.

[This will be different from before!]

The Progenitor of Humanity swung his spear first, and Oedipus King's flash cannon followed right behind it.

Chiiiiik!

Blood ran from Junghyeok's forearm, which hadn't managed to avoid the attack in time.

General of Vanara's shadow erupted and aimed for the opening in Junghyeok's defense. The sharply thrust staff grazed Junghyeok's side. It had only barely brushed him, yet the sound of flesh bursting followed.

The Constellations could now manifest thirty percent of their full power. The damage Junghyeok was taking was on an entirely different level from before. And yet, even under the Constellations' ferocious onslaught, Junghyeok endured.

[...What? Why isn't he dying?]

Sensing something strange, Duke Meledon used a skill to estimate Junghyeok's Constitution. Astonishingly, Junghyeok still had more than seventy percent remaining.

"Th-this bastard's Constitution is a little strange. Don't tell me...!"

That was when screams rang out from behind the Constellations.

* * *

The enemy was surely convinced that Junghyeok had to be the All-Rounder.

"Sky-Splitting Divine Dog!"

At my signal, the Sky-Splitting Divine Dog launched herself forward. Like a spear of light splitting space, she pierced straight through Thunder-Eating Bird's torso as that Constellation targeted Junghyeok from the air.

Kuweeeeh!

As the heavily wounded bird thrashed through the air, the Sky-Splitting Divine Dog sank her fangs in and tore at its torso relentlessly.

Keong!

The instant our position was exposed, nearby Constellations started rushing this way. There were three of them. Since Hayoung, a ranged dealer, took an Agility penalty, she had no chance if it turned into close combat.

This time, however, things were a little different.

"Kim Dokja, buy me ten seconds."

"Got it."

Hayoung dropped into a horse stance. Left hand forward, right fist drawn in toward her shoulder, she began gathering strength.

[Jang Hayoung uses the points she has earned to unseal a specific skill.]

[Helper Jang Hayoung is preparing an Ultimate Move!]

In this game, Stigmas and skills above a certain threshold of power were treated as Ultimate Moves. And Ultimate Moves could only be unsealed with points earned through the game.

Hayoung had just used the points she'd gained from her assist.

[Helper Jang Hayoung has activated Sky-Splitting Collapse Fist Lv.10!]

A roar like cannon fire thundered out, and a gale of force that tore through space shot from Hayoung's fist. It crushed even Oedipus King's flash cannon and sent the two charging Constellations flying as they were.

Sky-Splitting Collapse Fist.

I had seen it before in TWSA.

A martial art the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint had supposedly made on a whim after walking only the path of the sword.

...If something made on a whim was this strong, then I had no idea what her full, true power was supposed to look like.

[Helper Jang Hayoung has killed Helper Thunder-Eating Bird!]

[Helper Jang Hayoung has incapacitated Helper General of Vanara!]

I had thought it would be a success if we managed to cut down even one Constellation. But instead, one Constellation died and another suffered a critical wound.

"Didn't I tell you I'd been training hard too?"

Hayoung was smiling, but she was clearly pushing herself too far.

Even Hayoung herself would've had difficulty achieving this level of growth in such a short span of time.

She had probably struck a bargain with the Unidentified Wall.

[Kill them!]

The enraged Constellations came charging in, scattering terrifying force. Hayoung ran toward them instead.

"Kim Dokja! Go! Follow the plan!"

If I carried Hayoung with me here, I'd only lose time. Besides, this time I was the one holding the crest. Not long after I started sprinting toward the gorge, screams rang out from behind me.

[Helper Sky-Splitting Divine Dog has been killed!]

[Helper Jang Hayoung has been killed!]

...Damn it.

Fortunately, Junghyeok still seemed to be safe.

Whether he was acting as the tank or the All-Rounder, Junghyeok was still Junghyeok.

By the time I made it down to the lower part of the gorge, dark fog had started to seep in around me. Just as calculated. If the fog had started to rise, that monster would appear here soon.

That was when I sensed the presence of Constellations from above the rocky zone.

[You're quick, Demon King of Salvation.]

It was an unexpected move.

Junghyeok should have had them tied up. And yet they'd already made it here? The moment I saw the shadows rising over the rocks of the gorge, I understood what had happened.

The shadow of a massive mummy.

And a goddess with a sharp scorpion tail.

They were Constellations from Berkan's camp, ones I hadn't seen in the previous game.

Cleopatra, the Last Pharaoh, and Selket, the Goddess of Scorpions.

To my surprise, Oedipus King from Meledon's camp was among them as well.

I gave a bitter smile.

"I see. Looks like you've decided to join forces."

Selket's tail swelled up enormously, then shot something into the air. Soon after, poisoned stingers began raining down from above.

The moment I moved to avoid the attack, old bandages scattered by the Last Pharaoh wound around my ankles. A close-range dealer was vulnerable to the rapid fire of a ranged dealer. And now that even my movement was restricted, it was all too obvious that I'd die here.

I could see Oedipus King preparing the finishing blow.

I reflexively curled up my body.

Kwoooom!

A powerful storm of light swept over me. Amid the deafening roar, I thought I heard the Constellations laugh. It was the laugh of those convinced that strike had killed me.

[The score earned in the previous game is being converted into points!]

[The seal on a specific skill has been lifted using points!]

I slowly rose from within the hazy dust. Through the pale blur, I saw the Constellations' expressions, now stripped of their laughter.

[The Constellation One Who Gouged Out His Own Eyes is astonished!]

[The Constellation Goddess of Scorpions opens her eyes wide!]

The white fur coat wrapped around me was protecting me without so much as a scratch, despite that powerful combined assault.

[Exclusive Skill Bookmark is activating!]

It had been a long time since I'd used Bookmark No. 3. I'd hesitated over using this Bookmark for quite a while. I had thought using it would be discourteous to my dokkaebi.

[Your understanding of the individual is extremely high, increasing the skill's abilities!]

[Exclusive Skill Beast Lord's Sensitivity Lv.10(+1) is activating!]

I could feel the warmth of Biyoo, curled up small against my chest.

Bookmark No. 3, Beast Master Shin Yuseong.

Wrapped in white fur, I looked up at the Constellations above the gorge.

[Participant Demon King of Salvation receives the bonus effect of his Position.]

I didn't have Junghyeok's attack power. Nor could I learn things as quickly as Hayoung.

But there was still one thing I did better than them.

"Sorry, but in this game, I'm the All-Rounder."

The Demon King Selection would end in the second game.

Footnotes:

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