WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 290: Episode 54: Demon King Slayer (4)

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It had been a day since I arrived in the 1,863rd round.

The pitch-black rain that had continued since last night had thoroughly soaked the Gwanghwamun area. Soon after the rain began, monsters that had been crouching asleep among the abandoned buildings started waking one by one. Some resembled the elephant-like monster I had first seen, while others reminded me of giant octopuses.

The most terrifying of all was a baby the size of a large building.

Gyaaarrrr...

Not all Outer Gods were named beings like The One Who Devours Dreams or Indescribable Distance. Most were called the Nameless Ones and existed without even a sense of self.

I held my breath and hid as I watched the diapered baby bulldoze through the city.

Honestly, I felt like I was the one who needed a diaper.

[The Constellation Lily Blooming in Aquarius is looking at you.]

Several hours had already passed since the Archangels went to sleep to conserve their strength.

Perhaps Gabriel had recovered enough power, because the white lily tucked into my coat trembled faintly.

It was Gabriel.

"Have you awakened?"

[Why did you make that choice?]

"What choice?"

[Do you really need to ask?]

"There wasn't any other way."

Crunch!

From afar, I heard something being crushed. Just as I wondered what had happened this time, I spotted the severed leg of an elephant monster. It had been ripped off by tremendous force. Someone was dragging that leg toward me.

It was this Scenario's true monster, Yu Junghyeok.

The petals shook again, like a sigh.

[You acted like you were going to kill him. Then why were you holding that sword?]

"He might try to kill himself. Though, looking at him now, I don't think that's likely."

I casually waved Junghyeok's Splitting the Sky Sword through the air. Naturally, I hadn't killed him yet.

Gabriel fell silent for a moment, then muttered softly.

[What does Uriel even like about someone like him...]

"Ah, is Uriel all right?"

[Why would I know about that one?]

That was an excessive reaction.

Just as I was about to ask something else, another Indirect Message rang out.

[The Constellation Commander of the Red Cosmos glares at you.]

It seemed the troublesome angel had awakened too.

Jophiel immediately asked in a fierce tone.

[Are you going to keep that man alive?]

Instead of answering, I took the elephant leg Junghyeok had brought. Plenty of flesh still clung to it. It must have been rich with fable, too.

For a moment, I met Junghyeok's empty gaze.

Jophiel spoke again.

[You know you cannot leave him alive. The Scenario you received...]

"Was to kill Yu Junghyeok."

It would've been nice if I could lie, but it was too late to deceive the Archangels. They must have seen the Scenario window I saw when they manifested before me.

―Kill Yu Junghyeok.

That was the Scenario Secretive Plotter had given me.

Only by killing him could I return to the original third round.

"As I said before, we can't interpret this Scenario at face value. We need to consider whether the ‘death’ Secretive Plotter proposed is the same ‘death’ we have in mind."

The Archangels said nothing. They didn't seem convinced.

I continued while calmly turning the elephant leg over the Mana flames.

"Junghyeok can't experience ‘death.’ Surely you Archangels already know that."

I felt the two angels looking at me.

[What do you mean?]

"He's the regressor."

If this had been an early Scenario, the information I had just shared would've been filtered. But now, things were different. This Scenario was one factor, but by now, rumors about the regressor must have spread far and wide enough that Eden's high-ranking Constellations would already know.

The red cosmos's leaves shook uneasily.

[...Could it be?]

I nodded.

"He's a being who repeats his life forever. No one can kill him. Even if they do, he'll simply move on to another round."

[How do you know that?]

"Why do you think Uriel was monitoring someone like me?"

Answering an unanswerable question with another question was best.

Jophiel's stem trembled as if holding back anger.

[Then... what do you plan to do now? If you cannot kill him, you cannot return to your original round.]

I shrugged and brought a piece of roasted meat to my mouth.

"I'll have to think of a way. We have plenty of time."

My calm response created an ominous atmosphere around the two flowers. I tensed up, wondering if they were about to release their Status, when a strange sound suddenly rang out.

Grrrrrr...

It hadn't come from my stomach. It didn't seem to have come from Junghyeok either.

...Then who?

When I lowered my head, I saw the two flowers looking in different directions.

"...Are you hungry?"

* * *

Sluuurp.

[Gabriel, how long are you going to stand by and watch him?]

Sluuurp.

[I'm not standing by. I'm keeping a close eye on him. If it weren't for Uriel, I would've killed him long ago...]

The white lily in the plastic bottle sucked up water through her stem as Gabriel answered. Beside her, Jophiel's cosmos was similarly stuck in a plastic bottle filled with water.

A short distance away, Kim Dokja was saying something to Yu Junghyeok. Gabriel blankly watched the scene before asking,

[Do you think Uriel is doing all right?]

[Focus on the mission, Gabriel.]

[I'm worried about her. Uriel always causes trouble when she's left alone.]

[I didn't know you liked Uriel that much.]

[What nonsense are you talking about? More importantly, haven't you found a way back yet? How long do we have to stay stuck with those two?]

As Gabriel's petals trembled, Jophiel replied,

[I'm looking for a way, but it seems difficult.]

[Why? Even if this is another worldline, Eden should exist here too. If we ask this world's Scribe for help...]

[There has been no reply from the Scribe.]

[What?]

[Not only the Scribe. We cannot contact anyone in Eden.]

They couldn't contact Eden...?

Even if the worldline had changed, that was strange.

The Scenario's restrictions prevented them from returning to their original Nexus of the Constellations. It was frustrating.

Gabriel sighed, then sucked up more water.

[What's this? They were grabbing each other's collars and fighting just a few hours ago...]

In the distance, Dokja appeared to be stroking Junghyeok's head.

For some reason, Gabriel thought of herself and Uriel as she watched them. They were obviously different, but perhaps there was something similar about them too.

...Camaraderie.

For a brief moment, Gabriel felt like she understood, at least a little, why Uriel liked those two.

* * *

"Eat dirt, Junghyeok."

Junghyeok silently began eating dirt. Startled, I smacked the back of his head.

"You actually eat it because I told you to?"

I had only told him to do it as a test. I never expected him to actually obey. The Junghyeok I knew would never have done something like that. But regressor's depression had completely swallowed his sense of self, so Junghyeok would remain in that foolish state for a while.

Junghyeok looked up at me with a blank expression. Feeling oddly sorry for him, I sighed.

"It'd be nice if you were always this obedient. You're better than that bastard from the third round."

"..."

"...Spit out the dirt."

Watching Junghyeok obediently spit out the dirt, I thought of another Junghyeok I knew.

Was that bastard doing all right? I hoped he wasn't losing his mind over regressing again.

I had left various things to Sangah. All I could do was hope they went well.

"Now go lie down over there and rest, Junghyeok No. 1,863."

At my words, Junghyeok trudged toward an abandoned building. In the distance, the sun was setting.

Even in the 95th Scenario, a sunset was still a sunset.

Watching the hazy heat shimmer scatter, I felt strangely peaceful. It was odd to be lost in such thoughts during such a terrible Scenario.

「Kim Dok ja has to ki ll Yu Junghyeok.」

...I know, so quit nagging me.

Fortunately, the Scenario Secretive Plotter had given me had no time limit.

When I turned my head, Junghyeok was crouching with a foolish expression, waiting for my orders.

"I told you to rest."

Perhaps he understood me, because Junghyeok peacefully closed his eyes.

Since this Scenario began, Junghyeok probably hadn't slept properly even once. Perhaps this sleep was his first proper sleep.

A proper first sleep, freed from all memories.

Once Junghyeok had fallen completely asleep, I turned on my smartphone.

As always, there was a file of TWSA on the home screen. Something was slightly different, though.

Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.txt

...What was this? The one I had should have been the third revised edition.

A chill ran down my spine.

Had I returned to the round of the original work? Was that why the file had changed from the revised edition to the original version?

Confused, I opened the file.

It was exactly the original version of TWSA I knew.

Maybe that was for the best.

To properly consider what came next, I first needed information about this round.

I quickly scrolled to the 1,863rd round and carefully read every detail.

「He lost Lee Hyeongseong in the 54th Scenario,」

I read that story again and again.

「Lee Seolhwa died in the 67th Scenario,」

A story in which he had lost and would keep losing.

「Lee Jihye died in the 78th Scenario.」

The Junghyeok of this round was completely alone. It wasn't only this round, either. Every one of his rounds existed so that he would be left alone. Even after reaching the end, his life had only become the same once more.

"...Poor bastard."

I didn't know the epilogue of TWSA. Even so, there was one thing I could be certain of: TWSA was never a happy ending.

What if I didn't return to the third round?

What if I stayed here and helped the final-round Junghyeok clear the Scenarios?

「The Fourth Wall says, ‘Kim Dok ja, th at.’」

I know.

「Ye s.」

Even having these thoughts meant I was being played by Secretive Plotter.

Secretive Plotter had probably anticipated even this when he gave me the Scenario. That was likely why there was no time limit.

I could kill this Junghyeok and return to my original world.

Or I could see the Scenario through to its conclusion alongside this Junghyeok.

It was the kind of thought an Outer God would have. What was funny was that I was genuinely wavering over the proposal.

If I saw the conclusion here, I wouldn't be able to see the ending I truly wanted. Yet if I killed this bastard, the Junghyeok from the original work I knew would disappear forever.

Thinking about it made my head hurt. To kill Junghyeok, I would eventually have to sever his Regression. But his Patron wasn't someone I could reason with, and I didn't even know who he was.

Perhaps it was fortunate that I had no clear solution for now.

I sighed and scrolled through TWSA again.

That was when a cold sensation ran down my spine.

[The Constellation Lily Blooming in Aquarius warns you!]

In the distance, the two flowers stuck in plastic bottles were shaking. My senses sounded a sharp alarm.

...Could it be an Outer God?

"So this is where you were hiding, Yu Junghyeok."

Just as I reflexively tried to turn around, I felt a chilling killing intent. If I turned around now, I would die. The premonition was that clear.

Stealth good enough to deceive even the senses of a Constellation. This was undoubtedly someone who had reached a level beyond my ability to judge.

Someone like that had been nearby?

"What are you? Yu Junghyeok's Companion?"

The voice felt familiar. It was a voice I knew.

Slowly enough that the enemy wouldn't feel threatened, I turned my head.

A woman with a familiar appearance stood behind me.

Panic swallowed me whole.

...How?

That was the only thought in my head.

Because the person standing there was already dead in this round.

"Well, you don't need to know. I'm going to kill you anyway."

Admiral Lee Jihye smiled brightly as she aimed the Twin Dragon Swords at me.

Footnotes:

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