WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 35: Episode 8 - Emergency Defence (3)

Killing Gong Pildu wasn’t an option because of his role in the scenario, but getting him to walk out of his ‘Private Property’ was equally impossible. When faced with a tricky dilemma like this, it’s often best to focus on the premise of the problem.

If the issue was that he remained in his ‘Private Property,’ then the solution was to destroy the ‘Private Property’ itself.

“Ugh… let me… out.”

“This… damn bastard…”

Of course, this approach required overwhelming power—enough to shatter an entire ‘Private Property’ in one blow. That was why I had pushed Hyeonseong’s evolution.

“Ugh…”

People groaned, trapped beneath the collapsed floor panels as they plummeted down to the third basement level.

The plan was a success.

The ‘Green Zones’ were gone, and the landlords had lost their ‘rooms.’ Through the dust, I could see Gong Pildu’s enraged face staring at me. Just as he was about to speak, Bihyeong’s voice rang out in my ears first.

―What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Aaaah!

‘Shut up.’

―Are you crazy?! You’ve thrown the dokkaebis at Chungmuro into chaos!

Even without his whining, the endless messages from constellations buzzing in my head were giving me a headache.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband likes your mayhem.]

[The constellation Bald Army General is pleased with your revolution.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon enjoys the destruction and chaos.]

[You have been gifted 300 coins.]

“Catch that bastard!”

“Kill him!”

The coalition members, who had been picking themselves up one by one, began shouting as they rushed toward us. I started running down to the lower platform with Hyeonseong.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

[Only the specified characters will be displayed for user convenience.]

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<Character Details>

Name: Lee Hyeonseong

Exclusive attribute: Restorer of Justice (Rare)

Exclusive skills: [Swordsmanship Lv.2], [Camouflage Lv.2], [Endurance Lv.1], [Sense of Justice Lv.2], [Weapon Training Lv.3]

Stigmas: [Great Mountain Crush Lv.2], [Great Mountain Push Lv. 1]

+

Hyeonseong’s evolution had succeeded. Strictly speaking, this was just the first step, but the fact that Hyeonseong could use [Great Mountain Crush] now significantly bolstered our combat capabilities.

“Hyeonseong-ssi, how many more times can you use it?”

“At most, one or two more times.”

Hyeonseong was panting heavily, clearly exhausted. That was only natural. A stigma like [Great Mountain Crush] consumed an enormous amount of stamina and magic—essentially a kind of ultimate move. In terms of pure physical power, there weren’t many reinforcement skills stronger than it.

I could see our scattered companions running toward us. Leading the charge was Sangah, and I called out to her.

“Did you break everything?”

“It’s all done!”

“I didn’t know the ‘rooms’ would collapse like that. We kept hitting the floor until it just caved in.”

Huiwon, who was following closely, added.

Yu Sangah, Jeong Huiwon, and Lee Gilyeong had been assigned to deal with smaller ‘Green Zones.’ Except for Pildu’s ‘Green Zone,’ most of the others were under three slots. Some were trickier, but there were specific people for those tasks.

―Hey! Can’t you hear me? What’s your plan now?!

Meanwhile, Bihyeong was still making a fuss through dokkaebi communication.

‘What are you so worried about?’

―Did you forget? Chungmuro doesn’t have just my ‘channel.’ Do you even understand what kind of mess you’re making?

Of course, I understood. The channel managing Gong Pildu must have been in utter turmoil.

‘Who’s managing Pildu’s channel?’

―…It’s that bastard Biryu. Channel BIR-3642.

‘Biryu? The dokkaebi who subbed in for you before?’

―That’s right, him.

‘What’s the constellation lineup for his channel?’

―It’s mostly a bunch of ‘Thrill Seekers.’

A dokkaebi channel primarily catering to Thrill Seekers, huh. No wonder their streams had been so extreme. That was convenient; it meant the reactions within that channel were even hotter than I expected. They must have been seething.

As we descended the stairs leading to the Line 4 transfer, a familiar face appeared. A blade was idly slicing through the air.

“Did you break them all?”

“Yeah, it was easy.”

Lee Jihye had been tasked with handling the ‘Green Zones’ ranging from five to eight slots. The ones Huiwon couldn’t handle alone were left to her. As expected of Yu Junghyeok’s disciple, or rather, the incarnation of the Holy Hero—her strength was undeniable. With this, there were no more ‘Green Zones’ left in Chungmuro.

“So, what’s the plan now? Those guys are going to come rushing at us like maniacs. Oh, look, here they come.”

Jihye snickered, glancing over her shoulder.

“And for the record, I’m not helping you this time.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

Huiwon glared at Jihye as she backed away.

“What’s with her?”

I realized Huiwon wasn’t familiar with Jihye yet, but there was no time for explanations.

―Hah… You’re screwed now, you idiot.

As Bihyeong’s voice trailed off, the system message appeared.

[A bounty scenario has been triggered!]

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<Bounty Scenario - Assassination Request>

Category: Sub

Difficulty: C

Clear conditions: The constellations of Channel #BIR-3642 request the assassination of a specific individual. Kill the incarnation Kim Dokja at Chungmuro Station.

Time limit: 10 minutes

Reward: 2,000 coins

Penalty for failure: —

+

I had expected this.

Things were getting fun. Soon, all the incarnations at Chungmuro would be heading to the Line 3 platform to capture me. Huiwon, who was standing next to me, asked,

“If I kill you right now, do I get 2,000 coins?”

“Are you thinking of killing me?”

“Come on, I’d only consider it if it were 200,000 coins.”

Did she even know how much 200,000 coins were worth?

“Dokja-ssi, stand behind me.”

Hyeonseong stepped forward to shield me. Huiwon stood beside him, while Sangah and Gilyeong took positions on either side, forming a protective barrier around me. Huiwon chuckled.

“Looks like I get to repay my debt.”

“We’ll hold them off, Dokja-ssi.”

People with hostile intent began to gather around us. It wasn’t just the enraged Landlord Coalition but also tenants enticed by the bounty. I glanced at Gilyeong gripping his weapon tightly.

“Don’t be too tense.”

I lightly patted his shoulder and glanced toward the tracks.

“They won’t be fighting us.”

I couldn’t remember which regression it was, but I had read about it once. I didn’t have time to check the exact scenario, but there was a moment when a deranged Yu Junghyeok, driven mad by repeated regressions, came to Chungmuro and destroyed all the ‘Green Zones.’

Just like what was happening now.

[The Main Scenario system has gone berserk due to all the Green Zones being destroyed]

[The difficulty has been automatically adjusted to match the remaining duration.]

[The scenario content has been updated!]

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<Main Scenario #3 – Emergency Defence>

Category: Main

Difficulty: B-

Clear conditions: with all ‘Green Zones’ destroyed, the monsters scheduled to spawn over the remaining days will appear all at once. Survive the onslaught of monsters for the remaining duration.

Duration: 8 hours

Rewards: 1,000 coins

Penalty for failure: —

+

The original duration of the scenario was three more days.

When a ‘Green Zone’ scenario goes out of control, all the monsters that would have spawned over the remaining time are released at once. In other words, it was…

[Emergency Defense has begun!]

…A defense game.

“W-what’s going on?!”

The people inching closer to me recoiled, shouting in confusion. The menacing growls from beyond the screen doors grew louder. Soon, the shadowy forms of monsters, surging like a tidal wave, came into view.

“What the hell… What are those things?!”

The Line 3 platform descended into chaos. Panic spread across the faces of people as they watched the monsters pouring in from every direction. They seemed to have forgotten all about the ‘Bounty Scenario.’

As the leading grolls rushed in and began mauling one of the coalition members, panic erupted, and people scattered, screaming.

Now was the time. I yelled to my companions.

“Run to the transfer path!”

We sprinted up the stairs to the transfer, making our way to the upper level. When we were almost there, we stopped, turning to face those who had followed us. People shouted their frustration.

“What’s going on?! Move aside!”

“Do you want to die?!”

I kicked a few of the people who had been following us, then drew my sword. The blade, enveloped in [White Flash Qi], made them flinch and back off.

“You still don’t get the situation, do you?”

“W-what?”

“Even if you come up here, you won’t survive.”

Despair slowly spread across their faces. There were no more ‘rooms.’ There wasn’t a single safe zone in all of Chungmuro that would protect them from the monsters now.

“What the hell are we supposed to do, then?!”

“What do you think? Fight them.”

“Are you crazy?! Get lost! This is all your fault! If you hadn’t destroyed our rooms…”

I drove the blade of ‘Unbreakable Faith’ straight into the transfer staircase, sending a loud, reverberating crash through the air.

“Uwaaah!”

The center of the staircase collapsed with a deafening noise, and the people standing on it fell, screaming. It was harsh, but it had to be done.

“Damn it! Find another staircase, hurry!”

Good luck with that.

I caught a glimpse of Hyeonseong’s figure running ahead of us. We had already destroyed the alternate transfer staircases, leaving only one path. Soon, a loud crash came from the opposite direction.

“No! Aaaargh!”

The screams of those trapped on the Line 3 platform echoed through the air. Jihye, who had silently followed us up, glanced at me with a stiff expression.

“Hey, old man. This isn’t what you told me. If you leave them like that, they’ll all….”

“I know.”

I looked down at the chaos unfolding below. If I left things as they were, those people would die. The flood of monsters would keep piling on, and soon they’d use each other’s bodies to climb up to the higher levels. That wasn’t the outcome I was aiming for.

[The exclusive skill Bookmark has been activated.]

[The Character Bookmark feature is active.]

[You have 3 available Bookmark slots.]

[Loading list of characters available for Bookmarking.]

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<List of Bookmarked Characters>

1. Delusional Demon Kim Namwoon (Understanding: 35)

2. Steel Sword Lee Hyeonseong (Understanding: 65)

3. Inciter Cheon Inho (Understanding: 20)

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Activate Bookmark 3.

[Bookmark 3 has been activated.]

[Due to the low level of the skill Bookmark, the activation time is limited.]

[Active duration: 5 minutes.]

[Due to your low understanding of this character, only a fraction of this character’s skill will be activated.]

[The skill Incitement Lv.2 has been activated.]

Suddenly, I felt a peculiar sensation, as if my tongue was moving of its own accord. So this is what it felt like to be Cheon Inho. I looked down at the chaos below. In the midst of the confusion, I could see the back of a middle-aged man standing still, staring blankly.

“Hey, Gong Pildu! How long are you going to stand there like an idiot?”

Pildu’s head snapped around, and he glared up at me.

“You bastard…!”

“If you want to survive, you better get moving. If you do, everyone else will survive too.”

The power of agitation seeped into the ears of the terrified people around him.

“P-Pildu-ssi!”

“Pildu-ssi, please help us!”

Pildu’s face contorted. For a moment, I really felt like I had become Inho from Geumho Station.

“The third scenario isn’t as difficult as it seems. If everyone gives up their ‘rooms’ and joins the defense, the number of monsters isn’t unmanageable.”

I was telling half the truth. If Chungmuro had united before I arrived and fought together, the casualties would have been far fewer than now.

In the end, the biggest trap of this scenario was the ‘Green Zones.’

“And if you, Gong Pildu, fight alongside everyone, they’ll survive. You can make it happen.”

Those who fought together would live, while those who tried to escape would die.

[The constellation behind Lee Jihye reveals its aura.]

[The constellation Naval Warfare God nods in agreement.]

“There are no more rooms for you to run to. Forget about being landlords or tenants; fight. Otherwise, you’re all going to die.”

In an urgent situation like this, the [Incitement] skill was at its most effective.

“Damn it, you bastard…!”

“Pildu-ssi! Please help us!”

The coalition members began to gather around Gong Pildu. If he tried to flee, the ‘Landlord Coalition’ would be finished. After a moment’s hesitation, Pildu made up his mind.

“Damn it… Everyone, get together!”

The people below started clustering around Gong Pildu.

“The ‘Armed Zone’ takes time to set up when it moves, so hang on until then!”

The key was Gong Pildu’s [Armed Zone]. But it had a weakness: every time he moved it, there was a delay before it could be re-established. Blood splattered everywhere, and people screamed as their limbs were torn off.

“Uwaaaah!”

As expected, the first ones to be abandoned in the formation were the ‘tenants,’ not the coalition members.

“Sangah-ssi.”

“Yes. Leave it to me.”

Even without an explanation, Sangah already understood her role. Using [Thread Binding], she began to rescue the injured, one by one. Their job was merely to buy time until Gong Pildu could re-establish the [Armed Zone].

“T-thank… you…”

The rescued tenants were lifted one by one to the upper level.

The rescued were shivering, clutching their wounded limbs. A few of them made eye contact with me, gripping their weapons hesitantly. I smiled at them.

“Oh, are you thinking about going for the bounty?”

[The Bounty Scenario has expired.]

[The bounty on the incarnation Kim Dokja has been lifted.]

“That’s a shame. You should have tried a little sooner.”

“S-sorry.”

The tenants sheepishly let go of their weapons. From below, I heard Pildu’s booming voice.

“Move aside, everyone!”

[The character Gong Pildu has used the skill Private Property Lv.3!]

[The character Gong Pildu has activated the stigma Armed Zone Lv.4!]

With a mechanical hum, five turrets emerged from the ground. In an instant, the turrets charged with red energy and began firing. Ground rats shrieked as they were struck, and the advance of the grolls faltered. Cheers erupted from the people.

“Yeah, Pildu-ssi!”

“Woohoo!”

As expected of Gong Pildu. When it came to defensive scenarios, there was no incarnation more efficient than him. There was a reason he was known as one of the Ten Evils.

“Die, you bastards!”

Pildu shouted, firing off shells in all directions. Hyeonseong, who had been watching, murmured in admiration.

“That’s a truly impressive stigma. The mana consumption must be high; will he be alright?”

“It’s a cost-effective stigma, so he should be fine for a while.”

“So, we don’t need to….”

“Gong Pildu can handle this alone. Going down there would just get in his way.”

Pildu’s sponsor, the ‘Defense Master,’ was obsessed with scenarios like this. As long as it continued to support him, Pildu would survive no matter what. That is, as long as the support kept coming.

I stretched out my legs and sat down.

“We can relax for a bit.”

“…Is this really okay?”

Hyeonseong followed suit, and gradually, the rest of my companions started to settle down as well. Huiwon, looking grateful, said,

“Thank you. I was really short on sleep; I’ll get some rest.”

“Go ahead.”

Not even ten minutes later, Huiwon was lying flat on the ground, snoring. I had told her to rest, but this was impressive. How could she sleep like that?

“…Is it okay to be so laid-back?”

Sangah asked nervously. Understandably so—this scenario had been more ‘comfortable’ than any we’d faced so far. All we had to do was occasionally rescue those in danger.

“Think of it as being on the right team.”

“What about the others…?”

“They picked the wrong side.”

Below us, Gong Pildu was being pushed to his limits, practically reduced to pulp.

“Uuuaaah!”

This is what happens when you don’t live your life decently.

“Damn it… This is hell—!”

Gong Pildu’s screams echoed through the unending waves of monsters.

Footnotes:

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