WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 350: Episode 65: Good and Evil (5)

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The Duet of Good and Evil wasn't a Main Scenario.

It was classified as a Hidden Scenario, but strictly speaking, it was closer to an event than a Scenario.

I set Asmodeus aside for the moment and greeted my companions first. There was too much to do before recklessly proceeding with the Scenario.

"Hyung! Are you okay now? Does anything hurt?"

Everyone wore different expressions, but the concern in their eyes was the same.

They probably had a lot of questions.

Remembering what had happened before I fainted, I carefully explained everything to them, from saving my mother and Sangah to suffering Plausibility Backlash as the price.

After quietly listening to the whole story, Huiwon asked, "You trapped Sangah-ssi's soul inside you?"

"Put simply, yes."

"If there was a way like that, why didn't you do it sooner..."

"I wasn't certain it would succeed either."

Huiwon let out a relieved sigh and bent over, bracing her hands on her knees.

"I really thought Sangah-ssi had died..."

"Then Sangah unni is alive?"

Jihye sank down as she muttered. As if she couldn't believe it, she asked again and again. Tears welled in Yuseong's and Gilyeong's eyes. Beside them stood Hyeongseong, tall as a bear.

"She's alive. And..."

I looked Jihye straight in the eye.

"I'm going to bring her back."

Sangah was definitely alive. But in her current state, it was hard to say she was truly living.

Huiwon asked, "How? Like Biyoo, perhaps...?"

"I do intend to reincarnate her, but I won't turn her into a dokkaebi. The beings who can become dokkaebis are determined from the start. The Catastrophe of Floods was a special case."

Shin Yuseong from the 41st round had built up Status while wandering the Star Stream for thousands of years.

Sangah didn't have that kind of Status.

"To save Sangah-ssi, we need to go to a certain star. Among Transcendents, it's called the Island."

At the word Island, I saw Kyrios's small ears perk up in the distance. Kyrios probably knew about that Island. While I was gone, he must've already visited it.

"The problem is that we can't go there right away."

Huiwon glanced at Asmodeus, who was looking around the Factory behind us, and whispered, "Because of the invitation that Demon King brought?"

I nodded.

My thoughts were a mess. I had to go to the Island to save Sangah, and I had to participate in the Duet of Good and Evil. The more urgent matter was...

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire looks at you.]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire asks for your help.]

I never thought Uriel of all people would say something like that. Was Eden's situation really that bad?

But if I attended the Duet of Good and Evil, Yu Sangah's reincarnation...

「(Dokja-ssi, I told you. You should always complete prerequisite quests first.)」

Huh?

'Yu Sangah-ssi?'

「(Yes.)」

'Were you the one who woke me earlier, Sangah-ssi?'

「(That's right.)」

It was astonishing. How had Sangah spoken to me through [The Fourth Wall]? Even Nirvana couldn't do something like that so easily...

「(I'll explain in detail later, so focus on the problem in front of us for now. To get to the point, Dokja-ssi, you have to attend the Duet of Good and Evil.)」

'But...'

Sangah must be reading TWSA inside [The Fourth Wall]. Maybe she'd already guessed my plans through TWSA.

「(It's fine if my reincarnation is delayed. You may not know this, but this Library is quite comfortable.)」

'Even so...'

「(Besides, wouldn't attending the Duet of Good and Evil shorten the gap before we head to the next Main Scenario?)」

Sangah was right.

'Please hold on a little longer, Sangah-ssi. I'll bring you back soon.'

Sangah's faint smile flickered in my mind.

I turned to my companions and briefly explained the situation.

"I'm sorry to start something new when the aftermath of the last Scenario hasn't even ended yet. But we must participate in this Scenario."

Hyeongseong thumped his chest and said, "Dokja-ssi, I don't mind. I've rested enough already, and I want to get moving again."

"That's only true for Hyeongseong ajusshi. I thought I was finally going to get some rest..."

"Are we all going?"

"I think we should leave Seolhwa-ssi and Pildu Gong behind. We need a minimum number of people to manage the industrial complex."

Then rays of light flashed through the air.

[The Duet of Good and Evil calls you.]

"It seems it has begun."

With the message, rays of light enveloped my companions and me.

The forced transfer to the Scenario had begun.

* * *

The Duet of Good and Evil was, as its name suggested, a feast of good and evil.

At the end of one long Scenario season, it was a feast that judged the good and evil of all the Scenarios that had taken place.

It was hard to see what meaning such an act had, but for some Constellations, that judgment held great significance. The overall result determined the standing of the absolute good alignment and Absolute Evil in the next quarter.

[It has been a long time since a feast of this scale was held.]

"You've probably attended often, though?"

[I haven't always attended. This one is unusually large.]

Asmodeus gave an awkward smile as he looked at the exterior of the grand banquet hall.

The feast was impressive in scale, but even the entrance was extraordinary.

In the distance, the fortress's drawbridge was lowering as an enormous crowd cried out. Dokkaebis waited to broadcast the Constellations and Incarnations crossing the bridge on the Star Stream. There were even Constellations from independent Star Stream news agencies.

Asmodeus said, [Then I shall enter first. Don't feel too uncomfortable. Try to relax. Above all, you are a leading candidate for this season's awards.]

A leading candidate?

Before I could respond, Asmodeus snapped his fingers, and his clothes changed into a splendid black frilled dress. He crossed the drawbridge with elegant steps and began entering the banquet hall.

[Demon God of Lust and Wrath!]

[Demon King Asmodeus has arrived!]

The drawbridge filled with bright light amid a flood of shutter clicks. Asmodeus gave the dokkaebis a smiling glance, then turned toward me with a captivating expression.

Once again, I realized just how incredible Asmodeus was.

Images of the battlefields Asmodeus had fought on flowed with each of his steps. Countless Promotion Matches I knew nothing about.

[Demon King Demon God of Lust and Wrath, currently ranked 13th among Demon Kings.]

Not long ago, he had been ranked 32nd. Now he was already near the top of the ranking pyramid. It was an incredible rise.

"Let's enter too."

I turned to my companions, but their expressions didn't look good.

"Ajusshi. Is it really okay for us to go in too?"

"D-Dokja-ssi. I didn't know it was this kind of place when I made such bold claims earlier..."

Huiwon, who had at least visited Eden before, was taking deep breaths to compose herself, but the others were in a far worse state.

Jihye nervously bit her nails, while Hyeongseong's shoulders trembled like a large bear that desperately needed to pee. Yuseong and Gilyeong tightly held both my hands.

"It's fine. We received invitations too."

I was just as nervous, but I smiled to reassure them.

"Don't be intimidated. We've fought hard all this time. It doesn't matter what they think of us. What matters more is whether we've built a history we're not ashamed of."

"Dokja-ssi is right. What's the big deal? Let's go in already."

Huiwon's forceful words seemed to bring the others back to their senses. Her cheeks already flushed red, Jihye lightly slapped them with both hands.

Once everyone was somewhat prepared, I headed straight for the drawbridge with my companions.

A bridge covered in dazzling gems, including obsidian and diamonds. Beneath it flowed a river of fables.

Famous Constellations like Asmodeus had just passed through, so it seemed like the crowd wasn't paying much attention to us despite our arrival.

Or rather, I wished that were true.

[Ah, that person!]

[It's the Demon King of Salvation!]

Perhaps because my modifier had become fairly well known, a few Constellations recognized me. At the same time, the dokkaebis hosting broadcasts turned toward us. The cheers began like light applause, then spread across the entire drawbridge.

[Olympus's adversary!]

[Kim Dokja Company has arrived!]

All attention turned to us in an instant.

As an overwhelming number of gazes poured down on us, even my companions, who had barely managed to keep walking, looked flustered. Some Constellations even pushed through the crowd on the drawbridge and held out their hands. Messages poured in from all around as placards waved.

―Kim Dokja is handsome!

―9158 FOREVER

I hoped my companions wouldn't look in that direction, but Huiwon insisted on saying something to me.

"Dokja-ssi, you're a total idol."

"Huiwon-ssi isn't any less popular than I am."

[Judge of Evil! I've been enjoying your Scenarios!]

[Huiwon unni is so cool!]

[We support Steel Sword Emperor's love!]

Hyeongseong looked horrified.

"D-Dokja-ssi! They're talking about me too."

―The Korean History Preservation Comrades' Association supports Lee Jihye, descendant of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

Jihye frowned.

"Who are those ajusshis?"

―Shin Yuseong☆Lee Gilyeong, may you win the Best Chemistry Award!

I felt Yuseong's hand gripping mine tighten.

"Ajusshi, I suddenly don't feel well."

"Why am I with Yuseong..."

I knew our nebula's recognition had risen because of Gigantomachia. The Mass Production Maker had said as much.

Still, I never imagined it would draw such an enormous reaction.

[Demon King of Salvation, please say a few words!]

[How do you feel about being named a leading candidate for this season's awards?]

The microphones being thrust at me from every direction nearly gave me a panic attack. Thinking about it, this was the first time in my life I'd received this much attention.

Then someone saved me from the dokkaebis.

[■■, won't you all get lost?]

Her distinctive platinum-blond hair spread through the air as her emerald eyes radiated a chilling Status.

[R-Run away!]

[It's the mad angel!]

Through the parting dokkaebis, the Archangel in a black silk dress reached out to me.

[Kim Dokja! Welcome!]

Uriel rushed into my arms and rubbed her cheek against my chest.

I felt both glad and embarrassed as I pulled Uriel away.

"Uriel, it's been a long time."

[Yeah, yeah!]

Seeing Uriel's sparkling eyes made me feel better too.

I was grateful she was so happy to see me, but...

Hadn't she called me because Eden was in danger?

"Excuse me? Can't you see your own Incarnation here?"

[H-Huiwon! Hahaha! Of course I'm happy to see Huiwon toooo! Come on, let's enter!]

Uriel awkwardly changed the subject, cleared away the crowd blocking our way, and led us into the banquet hall.

The sight that unfolded inside made me exclaim without realizing it.

Rumbblee!

Demon Kings and Constellations that made me shudder just by looking at them sat around two long tables.

On the left sat the Constellations of Absolute Evil, including the 72 Demon Kings, though there were 73 now. On the right sat the Constellations of the absolute good alignment, including Eden's Archangels.

With our arrival, every being there focused on me.

Their gazes seemed to ask which of the two tables I would sit at.

[The Demon King Lord of Stars and Logic pays attention to your choice.]

[The Demon King Lion of the Black Mane wonders about your choice.]

[The Constellation Scribe of heaven watches you.]

[The Constellation Goddess of the Morning Star looks at you.]

Unfortunately, this time, there seemed to be no other choice.

Footnotes:

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