WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 288: Episode 54: Demon King Slayer (2)

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At last, the message I'd been waiting for arrived.

Secretive Plotter's personal Scenario.

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Category: Sub (Personal)

Difficulty: ???

Clear Conditions: ???

Time Limit: ―

Reward: You may return to your original round while retaining one fable, one skill, and one item acquired in this round. The proposer of this Scenario will bear the required Plausibility.

Failure: You cannot return to your original round, and your Incarnation body will disappear.

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The moment I opened the Scenario window, the reward was the first thing that caught my eye.

[The Administration Bureau is currently questioning your Plausibility.]

I didn't belong to this round. Even if I acquired items, skills, or fables here, I wouldn't be able to keep them when I returned to my original round, just as Catastrophe Shin Yuseong, who had crossed over from the 41st round, had been severely weakened and unable to properly display her Status.

But if this reward was real...

I would be able to take what I obtained in this Scenario back to my original round.

It was a reward so staggering it made my head spin. Even with the restrictions of Plausibility, the spoils of Scenario 95 were suited to Scenario 95. Even mediocre skills and fables here could wield world-shaking power in Scenario 20.

「Don't get carr ied away, Kim Dok ja.」

I barely managed to calm myself at [The Fourth Wall]'s rebuke.

This wasn't a situation where I could celebrate without reservation. The reward was immense, but the price of failure was just as great.

If I failed, I wouldn't be able to return to my original round, and I would lose my Incarnation body.

This wasn't the round I belonged to, so the influence of my fables was limited here. If I lost my Incarnation body in that state, I might be erased by the plausibility storm.

Besides, there was an even bigger problem.

[The Clear Conditions for this Scenario are being updated.]

The most important Clear Conditions still hadn't appeared. I couldn't tell whether an error had occurred while crossing dimensions, or whether Secretive Plotter was deliberately stalling for time.

Honestly, either was possible.

I watched Junghyeok fighting in the distance and thought about it. If I were Secretive Plotter, what would I make this Scenario's Clear Conditions?

Considering Secretive Plotter's actions so far...

I could only think of something ominous.

[Exclusive Skill, Reading Comprehension, has activated!]

Secretive Plotter.

I expected him to be Crawling Chaos, but he was an Outer God whose identity I couldn't confirm. He had been with me since the channel first opened, yet I knew almost nothing about him. He wasn't as bold as Great Sage Equaling Heaven, as righteous as Uriel, or as evil as Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.

He was even a Constellation who hadn't existed in TWSA.

Just as his modifier said, he was simply Secretive Plotter.

[You cannot comprehend the target with the information you possess.]

[Exclusive Skill, Reading Comprehension, has been cancelled.]

[Your curiosity about the unknown has awakened a new ability.]

...I don't know.

What did he want to show me through this Scenario?

And what did he hope to gain?

An Outer God had never done anything like this before, so it was hard to guess. One thing was certain.

[Kraaaaah!]

There was a high chance this Scenario was related to the monstrous bastard slaughtering Constellations over there.

[Good. Now! Attack together!]

[Die, Yu Junghyeok!]

While my attention was briefly on the Scenario window, the battle had taken an unexpected turn.

Something was wrong with Junghyeok. Just moments ago, he had been crushing Constellations and dominating the battlefield...

His movements had slowed.

As he took the barrage head-on, Junghyeok's body began to stiffen.

...What was wrong with him?

I adjusted the settings of [Character Profile] and examined his condition.

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* The character is currently afflicted with a status ailment.

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A status ailment? That couldn't be right.

Who was Yu Junghyeok of the 1,863rd round?

He was the man who had crippled the second-ranked Ruler of Hell's East and torn the fourth-ranked Demon God of Necromancy to death. None of them could inflict a status ailment on Junghyeok as he was now.

Junghyeok's vacant eyes.

An uneasy feeling rose in me, as though something were caught in my throat.

No, there was someone.

Exactly one being capable of inflicting a status ailment on him.

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* The character is currently suffering from an unexplained case of regressor's depression.

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Yu Junghyeok himself.

Regressor's depression.

His mind had been damaged through 1,863 rounds of life, to the point that the illness had practically become a Passive Skill. Once he fell into that depression, the immense weight of his memories held his consciousness beneath the surface.

[Kill him! He's not invincible!]

Under the merciless assault, even Junghyeok's tough body was gradually beginning to bleed.

It was strange. Normally, his regressor's depression wouldn't flare up in a situation like this. Junghyeok of the 1,863rd round had learned how to control that illness.

Then why was he like that now...?

「The Fourth Wall says, 'Ha ha ha.'」

"...Was this your doing?"

[The Fourth Wall] didn't answer, but it was the only thing I could guess right now. The clash with [The Fourth Wall] earlier had clearly caused some kind of disturbance within Junghyeok.

Damn it, what should I do?

Blood burst from the skin of Junghyeok's crouched body as he covered his face. The power of [Indestructible Diamond Body] meant the wounds were still minor, but if this battle continued, it would only be a matter of time before Junghyeok died.

「I have to help him.」

「Why should I help that bastard?」

The choices in my mind fought each other.

「Junghyeok is a monster right now. Even if I help him, he'll kill me when he wakes up.」

「Think carefully. You don't know the Scenario's Clear Conditions.」

The Scenario's Clear Conditions were still question marks.

「If the Clear Conditions are 'Yu Junghyeok's death,' then I've caught the perfect chance.」

But.

「What if Yu Junghyeok's survival is required?」

If Junghyeok died here, I would lose everything.

"Damn it..."

Should I help him or not?

Junghyeok's sturdy knees were slowly collapsing to the ground. Enemies who normally wouldn't even be worth one punch were gleefully tearing at his entire body.

[Ha ha ha! I'll take the fable of the Steel-Blooded Monarch!]

Even if Junghyeok died here, he would regress. Then he would start another new round. Regress...

【Then what will you do about the other world?】

...You damn Plotter.

【What will become of all the worlds you failed to save?】

If Junghyeok died here, a world that didn't exist in the original story would be born. Junghyeok would repeat hell once more. The abandoned rounds Secretive Plotter had shown me would be created again, and the Junghyeoks there would once again be trapped in an endless cycle of despair...

...Damn it, I don't know.

I activated [Electrification] and flew toward Junghyeok, scattering demonic energy from my entire body.

[Hey! Save some for me!]

At my rough constellation's declaration, the Demon Kings and Constellations attacking Junghyeok looked up at me.

[Who are you?]

[...Demonic energy? I've never seen you before.]

[Did you come to kill the Demon King Slayer too?]

The enemies who had briefly tensed at the black demonic energy flowing from my body relaxed. Just as I expected. I released my Status and said,

[We should share good things, shouldn't we?]

[Ahem, you arrived late, so you cannot have any good fables.]

[Don't worry. I'll quietly help from the back.]

[That's the right attitude. Then everyone, continue...]

I smashed the head of the Constellation who had turned away. With a strange scream, he flew in a straight line and crashed into the ruins.

[Ugh, urgh...! What are you doing?!]

I thought I'd hit him hard enough to kill him, but apparently it wasn't enough.

The Constellations glared at me, furious at my sudden move.

[Are you taking the Demon King Slayer's side?]

I didn't answer. I unleashed the power of my Great Fable.

[The Great Fable Spring of the Demon Realm begins its story!]

The veins of the fable pulsed deep within my heart. Sparks wrapped around my body as the fable's energy surged through my blood vessels.

A few Constellations who recognized my Great Fable shouted in shock.

[A Demon King's Status? I've never heard of one like that.]

Of course you hadn't. I wasn't a Demon King from your world.

I focused the power of [Electrification] again and tore open the stomach of a distracted Constellation.

Kwoooong!

The Constellation who took my blow groaned and staggered back more than ten paces.

It wasn't comparable to Junghyeok, but the effect wasn't bad. Just as I thought I might be able to fight them somehow...

Tssss!

[An error has occurred in the operation of your fable.]

[The origin of the Great Fable you possess cannot be found in this Star Stream.]

[The power of your Great Fable is rapidly diminishing.]

...Damn it. Just as I thought.

The 73rd Demon Realm, the foundation of my Great Fable, didn't exist here. Nor did the beings who had created that Great Fable with me. Naturally, my fable couldn't properly display its power.

I fired sword strikes wildly at the approaching Constellations and called to Junghyeok.

"You bastard! Snap out of it!"

Junghyeok didn't answer. I tried to think of something that might wake him, but nothing came to mind.

As my Status began to decrease, Demon King Ose, emboldened again, shouted,

[He's with the Demon King Slayer! Kill him first!]

There were seven Constellations, including Demon King Ose. I couldn't possibly face them with my current strength. I desperately dodged their attacks, but Scenario 95 was still Scenario 95. They were only ordinary Constellations of the Absolute Evil affiliation, yet every blow hurt terribly.

Spurt!

Flesh was torn from my body by the relentless attacks, and the space I had to move grew narrower.

Even in that urgent situation, I kept thinking of ways to wake Junghyeok. A few of them would certainly bring him back to his senses.

The problem came after that.

If I woke him with the methods I had in mind, there was a high chance I would die too.

Biting my lip until it felt ready to burst, I steadied my breathing.

There was no other choice. I had expected this might happen anyway.

After drawing a short breath, I spoke sharply.

"How long are you going to keep your mouths shut and watch?"

The Constellations' expressions turned strange at my words. They looked as if they were wondering what I was talking about. I continued anyway.

"If I die here, things will be difficult for you too."

Then a constellation's declaration rang out as the pocket over my chest shone brightly.

[What, you knew?]

Of course, I wasn't going to wake Junghyeok.

I might die. Why would I be crazy enough to do that?

"It would be stranger if I didn't know. Flower arranging isn't a hobby of mine."

Two flowers were tucked into the outer pocket of my coat.

A red cosmos and a white lily.

I hadn't noticed their presence from the beginning.

More precisely, I realized it when I crossed the worldline.

They really were bold Constellations.

[Tch. No choice.]

The Constellations hostile to me rapidly paled as they realized the identity behind the constellation's declaration.

As if mocking them, the lily spoke.

[Do both of us really have to step in? Jophiel, will you do it alone?]

[They are enemies of Eden. Execute them immediately.]

[...You want us to do it together, right? What a pain. Fine.]

The petals of the cosmos and lily fell one by one, scattering on the wind. As the petals flew toward the sky, a message appeared before my eyes.

I stared at it for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Tssss!

An overwhelming presence began descending behind me. Seeing the Constellations' faces fill with shock, I couldn't help but smile.

I had been curious.

What Jeong Huiwon had felt then.

Now I understood it perfectly. Six wings spread from my back.

Amid overflowing Plausibility, the Status of Eden's highest archangels poured from my entire body.

[The Constellation Commander of the Red Cosmos has manifested in Seoul!]

[The Constellation Lily Blooming in Aquarius has manifested in Seoul!]

Footnotes:

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