WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 31: Episode 7 - Landlord (4)

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Casualties started appearing on Chungmuro's Line 3 platform about ten minutes after Bihyeong disappeared.

At present, there was only one 'room' left on the Line 3 platform. Since there were no real powerhouses on Line 3, the weak refused to back down and bared their killing intent at one another.

"Die! Just die!"

[30 minutes remain until the third Main Scenario begins.]

Even as everything around me descended into chaos, I quietly read TWSA. Today's Scenario would probably unfold exactly as I thought it would. If I wanted to survive, I had no choice but to remember every single word without missing any of them.

-What the hell are you doing right now, idiot!

Along with Bihyeong's dokkaebi communication, I also heard messages from the Constellations.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is puzzled by what you're doing.]

I reflexively turned off my smartphone. Come to think of it, there was something I hadn't considered until now. Why were the Constellations showing no reaction even though they could see me reading TWSA?

In the original TWSA, there was a scene where the Constellations questioned the fairness of things after learning that Yu Junghyeok was the regressor.

If that was the case, then it would have been natural for them to have said something long ago about me possessing this text.

-What are you doing with a blank memo pad open right now? Because of you, all the Constellations are dying of frustration!

...A blank memo pad?

I turned my smartphone back on. The screen still showed the TWSA file open.

"You mean this?"

-Yeah! What are you trying to do with that? Plot out some kind of strategy? If you just stay there, you're dead! Ha, and to think I trusted a guy like you enough to make a contract...

A chill ran down my spine for an instant. The dokkaebi couldn't read this 'text.' If even the dokkaebi, who possessed the system's highest level of administrative authority, couldn't read it, then the Constellations probably couldn't either. Then just what kind of being was the author who gave me this text?

"Kyaaaaah!"

A final scream rang out. At last, the owner of the 'room' on the Line 3 platform had been decided.

[Green Zone 1/1]

"...Don't come any closer."

A boy pointed a knife at me with clumsy hands. To my surprise, the winner was the same boy who had guided us earlier. The boy whose name I still didn't know.

"Don't worry. I'm not taking your place."

I deliberately moved farther away from him, as if to reassure him. Then I immediately sensed someone behind me.

"Oh? Pretty relaxed, ajussi. I guess you want to die?"

That rude way of talking was enough for me to know who it was without turning around.

"Looks to me like you're taking it easy too."

"No one touches my room. Everyone knows they'll die if they do."

Lee Jihye said this while idly swinging a long blue sword. At Lee Jihye's current level, there were almost no Incarnations who could match her except Yu Junghyeok or the landlord coalition. After watching me closely for a moment, Lee Jihye spoke again.

"I hope you don't die, ajussi. It was pretty impressive when you mouthed off to my master earlier."

"I'm not going to die, so don't worry. Besides, failing to find a 'room' doesn't automatically mean you'll die."

What I said was true. Just because you failed to find a 'room' didn't mean death was guaranteed.

There was someone in this station who had already proven that impossible thing by surviving. And it had only been three days ago. Lee Jihye's eyes narrowed.

"Ajussi, do you even know what you're saying right now?"

"Yeah."

"Are you strong? As strong as our master?"

No sooner had she said it than Yu Junghyeok appeared behind her.

"Go back to your room."

"Ah, yes! Master!"

Lee Jihye instantly became obedient and vanished, and Yu Junghyeok, who turned as if to leave as well, glanced at me.

"Are you planning to fight the monsters?"

I shrugged.

"You will die. And so will your companions."

"We'll see."

For a brief moment, an unreadable emotion flickered in Yu Junghyeok's eyes as he looked back at me while leaving. I didn't activate [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint]. Not every emotion had to be put into words to be understood.

[20 minutes remain until the third Main Scenario begins.]

I heard people coming down the stairs from the transfer corridor. Lee Hyeongseong, Lee Gilyeong, and Yu Sangah...... Judging from their dark expressions, things had gone exactly as expected. Yu Sangah spoke in a gloomy voice.

"We... couldn't get a room."

"It's all right. More importantly, where's Huiwon-ssi?"

"She said she was going to try negotiating upstairs..."

No sooner had Yu Sangah finished than Jeong Huiwon came running down the stairs, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Two thousand coins for one night? Are they kidding me? I swear, I ought to slice them up like sashimi."

Jeong Huiwon snorted in agitation and continued,

"Dokja-ssi. Do you know what they said upstairs? I mean, seriously-"

"They suddenly raised the rent, right?"

"Huh? You knew?"

It was more than predictable. If they couldn't get a room in the next twenty minutes, the ones who would die were the tenants. Since the landlords held all the leverage, of course they would raise the rent.

"Did you find anything, Dokja-ssi?"

"No, I couldn't find one either."

"Ah......"

I looked over each of my companions' faces one by one. In the end, the time to choose had come.

"There are two ways."

At the words two ways, my companions' eyes lit up. But the methods I was about to offer would probably betray their expectations.

"The first is an easy method that lets all of us live."

Jeong Huiwon narrowed her eyes and asked,

"Usually when someone says that, the story goes with the second method...... So what's the other one?"

"The second is a very difficult method. And there's a high chance that one of us will die."

"Then let's go with the first one."

"What do the rest of you think?"

Lee Hyeongseong responded first.

"If everyone can live, I think the first option would be best."

Lee Gilyeong nodded as well. The only one who hesitated was Yu Sangah.

"Could I ask what that method is first?"

I nodded, then climbed up to the landing of the stairs leading to the Line 4 transfer passage.

"The first method is that."

My companions looked where I pointed. There, five men and women stood trembling as they anxiously watched their surroundings.

[Green Zone 5/5]

"The 'room' they're occupying has exactly five spaces. But their individual stats aren't all that high. To be honest, even if not all five of us stepped in......"

"Wait a minute, Dokja-ssi, are you saying-"

"Yes. The first method is to kill them and take the room."

At my calm voice, my companions' bodies trembled slightly. Jeong Huiwon looked deeply hurt.

"Do you think we didn't do that because we don't know how?"

"If hyung tells me to, I can do it."

The first one to step forward was Lee Gilyeong.

"I'm not scared. I'll do it."

"No, Gilyeong!"

Yu Sangah grabbed Lee Gilyeong by the shoulder. I looked at her and deliberately spoke in an indifferent tone.

"They probably killed someone too to take that place. Honestly, we won't be able to overcome the future Scenarios if we go on like this."

"Dokja-ssi."

Jeong Huiwon cut me off.

"I killed someone at Geumho Station. I killed because I wanted to, and I don't regret killing. But."

Jeong Huiwon continued with a pained expression,

"Just because I've become a murderer doesn't mean I started liking murder. I don't want to become a monster."

"......"

"...Dokja-ssi, I'd like to hear about the second method."

With Lee Hyeongseong's words bringing the conversation to an end, I closed my eyes for a moment.

"I understand how you all feel."

Right. This was enough.

"Let's go with the second method."

At my words, my companions' faces visibly brightened. The truth was, I had intended to use the second method from the start. Killing someone and surviving was also a method, but if we kept choosing only the easy path from the beginning, we would never be able to attract the attention of the Constellations.

However, using the second method required a considerable amount of resolve. Not just from me, but from all of my companions. That was why I had needed to check that resolve. I needed to know what these people were really thinking.

Jeong Huiwon let out a hollow laugh.

"I knew it. If you were going with the second one anyway, why were you testing us like that?"

"I wasn't trying to test you. No matter what choice you made, I would have respected it."

I said this while patting Lee Gilyeong, who was looking up at me with slightly anxious eyes. Yu Sangah sighed and spoke.

"Dokja-ssi, you're really mean."

"I'm sorry for not being a good person."

"So what's the second method?"

"This method doesn't require killing anyone. But it is a very difficult method."

At the weight in my voice, my companions' expressions hardened as well.

"If you choose the second method, then you must follow my instructions unconditionally. Even if it sounds completely impossible, trust me and follow me. If even one of you can't trust me-"

"......"

"Then we'll all die."

Someone gulped. My companions nodded almost at the same time. Lee Hyeongseong spoke on behalf of them all.

"We trust you, Dokja-ssi. Honestly, we've only made it this far thanks to you."

[5 minutes remain until the third Main Scenario begins.]

"Then follow me."

I moved with my companions toward the Line 3 tracks. Past the shattered screen doors, we stopped at the entrance to the tunnel leading to Euljiro 3-ga. In the pitch-black tunnel ahead, I could see the 'Red Zone' glowing crimson.

"The monsters will probably spawn from over there. Then they'll sweep through the underground and climb aboveground one level at a time."

Lee Hyeongseong asked in a tense voice,

"...Then are we going to fight the monsters here?"

"No, we can't fight them. If we fight here, we'll all die."

Lasting until dawn against those terrifying monsters without a Green Zone was something only Yu Junghyeok could do. This time Jeong Huiwon asked,

"Then should we run toward Dongdaeipgu Station?"

"That won't work either. If you leave Chungmuro after the Scenario activates, you die."

"Then what are we supposed to-"

"This operation requires splitting up the group. Lee Hyeongseong-ssi, Yu Sangah-ssi, and Jeong Huiwon-ssi. When the monsters appear, the three of you are to run straight toward the direction they're coming from."

"What...?"

"Understood? Run straight at them. And just before you collide with them, make sure you look at the wall on your left. Then you'll immediately understand what I mean."

My companions looked like they couldn't make sense of my words, but there wasn't enough time to explain further.

"Just trust me. Otherwise we're all going to die. And don't forget to look at the wall on your left."

"All right, Dokja-ssi."

Yu Sangah answered first, as if she understood what I meant.

"And let me say this just in case. You absolutely must start running only after the monsters appear."

I picked up a piece of stone and threw it toward the tunnel. The stone sparked in midair and flew back. Lee Hyeongseong and Jeong Huiwon nodded as if they understood as well.

"What are you going to do, Dokja-ssi?"

"I'll look for another way with Gilyeong."

This method couldn't be used unless my companions trusted me. Who would listen, logically speaking, if told to launch a suicidal charge straight at the monsters that were about to appear?

Now all that remained depended on their will.

[The third Main Scenario is activating!]

With a soft sliding sensation, the barrier blocking the tunnel toward Euljiro 3-ga disappeared.

"Run!"

At my shout, the three people who had already taken running stances started sprinting at the same time.

Grrrrrr...!

The monsters began to spawn in the Red Zone. Most of their ranks were filled with Ground Rats, tier-9 underground species. Here and there among them were tier-8 underground species called grolls. They were monsters shaped like bears with black manes. The sharp horn on their foreheads was especially threatening.

If you considered them one by one, they were manageable opponents. The real problem was their numbers. That tightly packed formation no longer suited the word pack. If you crashed into that wave, you died. No exceptions.

Just as Lee Hyeongseong was about to collide with the groll at the front line, I shouted,

"Now!"

Yu Sangah spotted it first. A faintly glowing green tile on the wall.

"Ah-!"

Understanding came in an instant.

[Someone has activated Chungmuro Station's hidden function.]

[The hidden area refuge of the brave has been activated!]

The moment Yu Sangah's hand touched the wall, the wall burst into bright light and activated.

[Green Zone 1/3]

Agile Jeong Huiwon immediately followed right behind her and pressed herself against the wall.

[Green Zone 2/3]

However, Lee Hyeongseong missed the timing. The Ground Rats had latched onto Lee Hyeongseong's shield.

"Hyeongseong-ssi! Grab on!"

Yu Sangah used her specialty, [Thread Binding], to catch Lee Hyeongseong. With the strength of both women, Lee Hyeongseong rose into the air for an instant and barely managed to reach the wall.

[Green Zone 3/3]

It worked.

Grrrrrrr...!

The monsters glared at my companions in frustration, but now that they had entered the Green Zone, the creatures could no longer attack them.

"Dokja-ssi!"

Yu Sangah called for me, but I had no time to look back. I was already running with Lee Gilyeong on my back.

「......There are several hidden 'Green Zones' in the third Main Scenario. They activate on specific 'walls' each time, and only reveal themselves after the Scenario begins. A 'Green Zone' attached to a wall...... When you think about it, the only ones who accepted that as the concept of a 'room' from the start were humans.」

In TWSA, Yu Junghyeok succeeded in discovering several of Chungmuro's secret Green Zones over the course of countless regressions. The refuge of the brave was one of them. And on the current Line 3 platform, there were only two such hidden areas.

Crunch.

A few Ground Rats that had already caught up bit into my thigh. My Constitution level was high enough that the damage wasn't serious, but if little things like this kept piling up, they would become a problem later.

Lee Gilyeong, riding on my back, used his club to fend off the charging Ground Rats. But there were simply too many of them. On top of that, the faster grolls were mixed in as well. About ten meters away, that same boy was staring at me in terror.

[Green Zone 1/1]

Cowardly as it was, for a brief moment I felt tempted to take the easy path.

[Hahahahaha! This is getting interesting. Then I guess there should be a penalty today too, just like yesterday?]

Along with the booming voice of the dokkaebi echoing through the air, a system message followed.

[A Scenario penalty has occurred!]

[Some of the existing Green Zones have been deactivated.]

"No, no! U-ugh, uaaah, uaaaaaah!"

Screams rang out all over Chungmuro Station. The nearest scream belonged to the boy nearby.

"Aaaagh!"

The instant the Green Zone vanished, the boy's small body was torn to pieces and swallowed into the bellies of the Ground Rats. While the boy's corpse bought me time, I ran down the passage with Lee Gilyeong on my back. However, monsters that had poured in through the shattered screen doors had already blocked the path I needed to take. I hid Lee Gilyeong behind me and drew Unbreakable Faith.

Slash!

The blade of White Pure Star Energy rapidly cut down the approaching monsters. But their numbers didn't decrease in the slightest. He had held out until sunrise among these monsters, even if it was only for one day. Yu Junghyeok really was a monster. Even if I poured every coin I had right now into my overall stats, I wasn't confident I could pull that off.

Then Lee Gilyeong spoke.

"Hyung."

"Don't talk to me right now. I'm busy."

"You can just leave me here."

"What?"

"I don't really get it. Why are you helping me, and the other hyungs and noonas too? If you were alone, you'd be able to survive a lot better."

To be able to say something like that so calmly, even with death right in front of him. Maybe this kid's heart was already dead.

"Yeah, you're right."

Another Ground Rat hit the floor with its neck cut through.

"It probably would be easier to hog everything for myself, survive by myself, and live large all by myself. But......"

Why did I act like this? If someone asked me that, I wasn't sure I could explain it properly either. Still, there was one thing I could say for certain.

"I know a novel that went to ruin after developing that way."

"Huh?"

I thought it every time, but I really wasn't protagonist material. I wouldn't become a hero, and I wouldn't become a savior. But......

Lee Gilyeong's eyes shook. I hoisted him back onto my shoulders and said,

"Hold on tight."

Lee Gilyeong wouldn't die. At least not today.

Footnotes:

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