WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 322: Episode 60: Taste of Ruin (5)

──────

"Demon King of Salvation, what are you doing? Hurry and take the coins."

Anna Croft continued provocatively.

"Or you could simply admit defeat. That wouldn't be a bad choice either."

I slowly looked over the Constellations in the audience before turning back to Phobos, who stood in my way.

Old information from TWSA flashed through my mind.

「Among the nebulae that wield the greatest influence in the Nexus of the Constellations, Olympus is the strongest. Certain Areas are sanctuaries where a nebula's power is maximized, and the most representative of them is the Auction House.」

That was why Anna could remain so composed.

Gigantomachia was the largest event accessible through the Nexus of the Constellations, the Area of the forty-seventh Scenario. Naturally, the authority of Olympus, its foremost host, was at its strongest here.

"I think there's been some misunderstanding. I have no intention of fighting you."

[I will repeat myself. Withdraw your skill and return to your seat. Otherwise, I will restrain you with the authority of the jurisdiction zone.]

He wasn't someone I could reason with.

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband admires Olympus's stubbornness.]

If I used a skill to retrieve the coins here, those Constellations would surely exercise the authority of the jurisdiction zone against me. In other words, Anna had arranged this bet knowing from the beginning that I couldn't use skills.

I spoke to Phobos.

"Anna Croft used a skill first. By your logic, shouldn't you punish that woman first?"

[The Incarnation Anna Croft has already received Olympus's approval to use skills.]

"Then approve me as well."

[You cannot.]

"Why not?"

[I cannot give you the details. The auction is over, so leave this place with your Allies.]

Anna watched me with her usual enigmatic smile.

I laughed inwardly at the absurdity.

Right. So she'd calculated all the way to this point.

Han Suyeong, who had been listening from afar, cursed.

"What kind of bullshit is that? Are you kidding me right now?"

Yu Junghyeok had already drawn the Black Heaven Demon Blade. Even mild-tempered Hyeongseong pulled his gloves tight and rolled his neck.

I warned Suyeong.

―Stop the others. Don't move carelessly.

―What? You think this makes any sense?

―If we fight here, it'll go exactly as they planned.

―You're just going to play along with that woman's scheme?

―Of course not.

I waved to show her not to worry, then turned back to Phobos.

"Then I'll take the coins as planned."

[What?]

At the same time, I activated a skill.

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

The Constellations' faces turned pale at the suddenly unleashed Great Fable.

Phobos shouted in shock, apparently never expecting me to unleash my Status.

[Demon King of Salvation. I don't know what you're thinking, but you're making a mistake.]

"A mistake? What mistake?"

[This is our nebula's jurisdiction zone. Do you not know that causing a disturbance here will result in Plausibility restraints?]

I drew in a breath, then answered with a constellation's declaration.

[So what? What are you going to do about it?]

[What?]

[You might not know this, but I've put up with a lot until now. Ever since you bastards started playing with my Fate.]

Phobos was Ares's son.

He had probably helped create my goddamn Fate too.

[What nonsense!]

[Try restraining me. Make all the prophecies you want. If you have the power to do it.]

Rumbblee!

The fable of the Demon Realm settled into the Mana of [Electrification]. Black Mana spread through the blue-white Mana like a gradient.

Phobos shouted, still unable to grasp what was happening.

[You bastard! Are you really daring to make an enemy of Olympus...!]

[Pass this on to Olympus's Twelve Seats.]

I swung my fist at Phobos, who was raising his Status against me.

[Kim Dokja Company plans an aggressive expansion.]

An explosion erupted at the center of the Auction House, and Phobos's Incarnation body, reduced to a mangled mass of flesh, flew through the air. Repeated bolts of [Electrification] struck him, and Phobos's Incarnation body let out a horrific scream before crashing deep into the floor.

[Multiple Constellations are shocked by your actions!]

[The nebula Olympus has noticed your actions!]

Groaning, I looked down at Phobos, who was embedded in the floor. Terror That Wanders was still a fabled-grade Constellation. He wouldn't have been an easy opponent if we'd fought properly. But he'd let his guard down because I was a Constellation from a small nebula, and this was the price of that carelessness.

[Anyone else want to talk about jurisdiction zones or whatever?]

I raised my head and glared at the murmuring Constellations of Olympus.

The stunned Constellations of Olympus backed away from me.

[You have committed an unlawful act in Olympus's jurisdiction zone!]

Plausibility restraints didn't activate immediately.

I instantly activated [Way of the Wind], leaped into the air, and snatched the coins.

[You have acquired 1,000,000 coins as a reward for the Sub Scenario!]

System messages poured in at the same time.

[Sub Scenario - One Shot of Ruin has ended.]

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband cheers!]

[Some Constellations applaud your recklessness!]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire worries for your safety!]

[The Constellations that won the bet have sponsored you with 100,000 coins!]

One punch for 1,100,000 coins. It couldn't have been a more profitable deal.

[Catch him! Restrain him now!]

A few Constellations shouted, but none of Olympus's Constellations readily stepped forward. They had seen the power of the Great Fable I'd displayed.

Anna was looking at me from below. She looked slightly taken aback.

"You're far too reckless for someone with the power you possess, Demon King of Salvation."

Despite losing a full million coins, she didn't look disappointed. She probably knew what would happen next.

"You will now be imprisoned by Olympus."

A Constellation who caused a disturbance in a jurisdiction zone would be restrained by Olympus.

"Which also means you will lose the right to participate in Gigantomachia."

I smiled at Anna.

[That really is a serious problem.]

Anna probably didn't know that I'd been aiming for this from the start.

[Olympus's Plausibility is restraining you.]

[Your Incarnation body is being transported to Olympus's tribunal.]

A brilliant light poured down from above, and something began pulling me in.

Suyeong shouted.

"Kim Dokja! Where are you going now, you crazy bastard?!"

The Plausibility of the jurisdiction zone had finally begun to work.

Every dispute occurring in this Auction House was handled according to the will of the nebula with jurisdiction over the Area.

I grinned at Suyeong.

―I'll be back!

"Don't tell me... You crazy... you insane bastard!"

―See you in a week. You remember what I told you, right? Get everything ready.

I heard Suyeong shouting something after me. It was all curses.

Then, in the next moment, my body disappeared into the rays of light. A brief dizziness struck me as the forced dimensional transfer took place.

I let out a small groan and staggered as I opened my eyes. I had been thrown into dim darkness.

But I wasn't the only one who had come.

"That scared me. Why are you here?"

Yu Junghyeok was gripping my shoulder hard enough to crush it.

"I'm sick of your insane plans."

As expected, he seemed to know what I was planning. Junghyeok's hand trembled with rage as he gripped the Black Heaven Demon Blade. I quickly continued.

"Those insane plans have kept you alive until now, asshole."

"Plans where you go off alone and get yourself killed?"

I was about to answer, but stopped when I sensed a presence emerge from the faint darkness. When I turned my head, a small staircase appeared before me. Two thrones rested at the top.

Two figures shimmered upon those thrones.

Rumble.

That gaze alone made my skin crawl. There was a being there whose Status even Junghyeok, bold as he was, couldn't endure without tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

One of the two figures in particular possessed a great Status that we couldn't even begin to measure.

[Demon King of Salvation, did you really have to go this far?]

A woman sitting on a throne spoke with a sigh. She rose as the darkness cleared and gracefully walked down the stairs. I bowed deeply to her.

The woman who came down the stairs was Persephone, the Queen of the Darkest Spring.

"It's been a while. You've changed your appearance again."

Persephone smiled faintly at my words.

[I've been interested in Eden lately. You seem to like this Constellation as well, don't you?]

"Well, I do like her, but..."

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire likes your words.]

[In any case, someone is very angry at your insolence. You know that, don't you?]

"I do."

「Those who commit unlawful acts in Olympus's jurisdiction zone are brought before Olympus's most terrible tribunal.」

Normally, one of the underworld's judges would have greeted me instead of Persephone. I would have received an appropriate sentence and spent some time imprisoned in Tartarus.

Yet I had met Persephone instead of a judge.

Persephone had likely arranged it.

"I'm sorry, but this was the only way. Olympus had blocked every portal there was."

[Hehe, your arrogance reaches the heavens.]

The air around us froze.

The darkness solidified with a sound.

Breathing gradually became difficult, and even moving my fingers took effort.

It was astonishing that someone could radiate such overwhelming pressure through will alone.

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband looks intrigued.]

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is filled with competitive spirit.]

[The Constellation Naval Warfare God sincerely admires the feast of Status.]

[The Constellation Bald Army General cannot close his mouth in surprise.]

The Constellations sharing my screen through the channel reacted intensely.

Even if someone searched the entire Star Stream, it would be difficult to find anyone with a more powerful Status than the Constellation sitting upon that throne.

[Allow me to introduce him.]

When I raised my head, a faint light appeared at the peak of the darkness. Someone was at the center of the deep darkness.

How could I describe that being in words?

A man who looked like darkness itself. Obsidian-like eyes set in the middle of his pale white skin seemed to pierce through my existence.

[The Great Fable Underworld begins its story.]

One of the oldest myths in this world was looking down at me.

A being always mentioned alongside Olympus's myths, yet one who didn't actually belong to Olympus.

The loneliest, most solitary Constellation in all of TWSA.

To safely make it through this Gigantomachia, and to save Yu Sangah, I had to enlist that Constellation's help.

After drawing in a breath, I slowly opened my mouth.

"King of the underworld, Father of the Rich Night."

The night of the underworld looked down at me. A chilling aura pressed against me, but I couldn't back down here.

Because I had come here as the Representative of Kim Dokja Company.

"Would you consider starting the real Gigantomachia with me?"

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried