WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 355: Episode 66: Beyond Good and Evil (4)

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At that moment, Bihyeong of the Administration Bureau was watching the Scenario screen for the Duet of Good and Evil.

[The stage for the Second Great War of Angels and Demons is the Island of Reincarnators, located in the Dark Stratum.]

The moment the Great Dokkaebi's declaration rang out, every dokkaebi in the Administration Bureau was thrown into a panic.

"Why that island all of a sudden...?"

"What could the Great Dokkaebi possibly be thinking?"

Even a Great Dokkaebi would never decide the stage for the 80th Main Scenario alone.

Unless the will of the Star Stream itself had moved...

[The will of the Star Stream has opened the 80th Main Scenario.]

[A new Main Scenario has been created.]

Bihyeong was startled by the messages that followed.

"The Star Stream really moved?"

The successive, shocking changes to the Scenario left Bihyeong speechless.

"Bihyeong-nim! A new Revelation has just come in!"

"A Revelation?"

A short while later, an image began loading on a new panel. It hadn't appeared yet, but Bihyeong knew what it was.

"Is that the Revelation Board?"

It was an unknown board said to be visible only to Constellations and Demon Kings who had obtained abilities related to Revelation. No one even knew what it was made of or where it existed in time and space. The Administration Bureau could do nothing but observe it. It was, quite literally, an unknown entity.

Still, since it was an unidentified object that spat out information about the future, the Administration Bureau had no choice but to watch it closely.

The Constellations in each nebula with Revelation abilities called this board by different names.

A Revelation from God, the one and only word, the whisper of the oldest demon...

The way Star Stream Constellations read the future through the Revelation Board was simple.

From time to time, a hole like an anus would appear on the board, and a series of Fable Fragments would fall from it. The Fable Fragments, which poured out like excrement, contained information about the future. Constellations and Demon Kings who noticed this would piece together those excrement-like words to predict the future or read their fortunes.

The Stigma created that way was called Revelation.

It was called Revelation, but it was really nothing more than reassembling excrement.

Bihyeong asked, "Has something happened to the board again?"

"Ever since it shook a few years ago, it's kept causing trouble."

Normally, the Revelation Board would spit out information about the future, but it didn't have a serious effect on the Administration Bureau's Scenario Plausibility. The futures reconstructed through Revelations were uncertain and vague.

But cracks had appeared in the board several years ago, and sometimes intact information about the future came through those cracks.

"A few days ago, an odd hole even opened up..."

The hole that opened a few days ago had caused a breach of Plausibility the Star Stream couldn't ignore.

Information that should never have crossed over had come through the ruptured opening intact.

Even now, Bihyeong got a headache whenever he remembered what had happened then.

The strange string of text that had been visible beyond the hole for some time.

「Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.」

That name, which looked like the title of a book, threw the Star Stream Constellations into utter chaos.

―What is Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World?

―Does "ruin" mean the ■■ of every Scenario?

Even Constellations who had neglected the Scenarios and taken it easy until then started acting as though a fire had been lit under them after that Revelation was deciphered. Old apocalyptic theories spread, and baseless rumors predicting the end of the Star Stream passed from one being to another.

"The screen is ready!"

Bihyeong tensed as he looked at the black, rippling screen.

Just a few strings of text coming through that hole had shaken the entire Star Stream. What kind of Revelation had come through this time?

A moment later, the Revelation Board appeared on the screen. At its center was a tiny hole.

"There's no change at all... Huh?"

The next moment, the dokkaebis were horrified by the pale object that appeared inside the hole.

It was someone's mouth.

―Ah, ah... I mean, um... Mic test?

The dokkaebis shouted.

"What is that?"

While the Administration Bureau descended into chaos, the mouth kept talking.

―Can you hear me? I'm going to give you all a Revelation now. I'll only show it briefly, so watch carefully and remember it!

A bright, clear voice rang out, followed by a sound like pages turning.

Then, Fable Fragments came through the hole.

「The third way to survive in a ruined world.」

The Revelation came through with incredible clarity.

It truly seemed like a Revelation from God.

「That way lies on the Island of Reincarnators.」

As the rippling Fable Fragments scattered through the air, the voice said,

―You all saw it, right? Well then, bye!

The hole closed, and the owner of the voice disappeared with it.

Bihyeong muttered, "My god."

The dokkaebis in the Administration Bureau were too shocked to speak.

Bells rang everywhere. Incessant inquiries from Constellations began pouring in.

On another panel, the scene of the Duet of Good and Evil was still playing.

[This is a reminder.]

Great Dokkaebi Baram's voice echoed throughout the Star Stream.

[The stage for the Second Great War of Angels and Demons is the Island of Reincarnators, located in the Dark Stratum.]

* * *

After the Duet of Good and Evil ended, our group returned to Earth right away.

Everyone looked excited on the way back to the industrial complex.

Huiwon and Jihye, especially, kept turning the plaques we'd received over in their hands as they checked their effects.

[Duet of Good and Evil Grand Prize Plaque]

In the Star Stream, Status normally rose only through the accumulation of fables. Yet among extremely rare constellation artifacts, there were some that could raise Status without accumulating fables.

The award plaques given out by the Duet of Good and Evil were like that.

"It feels like my sword got lighter... At this rate, even Hyeongseong ajusshi could swing it around easily."

Hyeongseong flinched at Jihye's murmur.

A Grand Prize Plaque would surely have an effect greater than gaining two quasi-Mythical-grade fables. Considering that I'd gone through hell to acquire every quasi-Mythical-grade fable I had, it was an enormous boost.

[5,000,000 Coin Exchange Voucher]

There was even a voucher for five million Coins in prize money.

"Ha, Dokja-ssi. We're rich now."

"We won't have to worry about Coins for a while."

"Kids, how much did you get?"

As soon as Huiwon asked, the kids who had received the Best Chemistry Award began scuffling.

"Shin Yuseong, honestly, I did a little more than you did. Hand over another hundred thousand Coins."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Of course we split it equally. Our fable shares are the same too."

Hyeongseong stepped in to stop them.

Everyone looked happy for their own reasons, but they were also watching for my reaction.

「In truth, there was a question none of them had asked.」

Why had Yu Junghyeok and I fought?

They had seen that scene with their own eyes, yet nobody asked me about it first. Maybe they'd instinctively avoided the subject. They were probably being considerate, waiting for me to tell them first.

I carried the still-unconscious Junghyeok on my back as I listened to Yu Sangah's voice in my head.

‘So you're saying you sent the contents of TWSA through the hole in [The Fourth Wall]?’

「(Yes.)」

‘And the Constellations accepted it as a Revelation?’

「(That's right.)」

It didn't make sense at first.

Information sent beyond [The Fourth Wall] turned into a Revelation for the Constellations?

No, wait. Could it be?

The pieces began fitting together in my mind.

Sangah asked,

「(Dokja-ssi, you know that "the fourth wall" is an existing term, right?)」

‘Yes. I don't know its exact meaning, but...’

「(Originally, the fourth wall is a theater term. It's the wall that separates a play from the stage. Characters in a play can never recognize the fourth wall, because a place "outside the stage" doesn't exist for them.)」

Outside the stage. That was the reality where I had lived.

Goosebumps rose along my arms.

If the name [The Fourth Wall] truly came from the meaning Sangah described, then it was only natural for TWSA to be inside this wall.

Because the contents of TWSA had been created in reality.

In other words, a Revelation was a spoiler flowing from reality into a novel.

But because they couldn't trace its origin, from the characters' perspective, it could only be a Revelation from God.

Sangah continued.

「(I'd thought it was strange all along. The information about TWSA that had been filtered from the Constellations suddenly became available... Then I realized the timing happened to overlap with when I entered [The Fourth Wall].)」

‘It overlapped?’

「(Yes, and the book that had been blocking the hole I entered through was TWSA. Its title was even clearly visible...)」

Only then did I understand everything.

Why Constellations and Demon Kings had suddenly learned information about TWSA.

I'd wondered why developments absent from the original story had suddenly started happening. All the information they had learned had leaked out through the hole in [The Fourth Wall].

‘This made things a little complicated, but it actually worked out in our favor.’

「(Right?)」

Sangah answered with a small smile.

She was probably thinking the same thing I was.

「(But I don't think I can use it often. I have to be really careful around the others... Ah, sorry. My seniors are calling me, so I have to go for a bit.)」

Sangah's voice disappeared from my head. As the youngest librarian, she seemed to have to watch herself around the others.

Either way, Sangah's efforts had given us a new card.

We could manipulate the Revelations the Constellations received through [The Fourth Wall].

Until it was exposed as a fake Revelation, we might be able to use that information to incite the Constellations.

Han Suyeong, who had been walking beside me, spoke up.

"You've been quiet for a while now?"

"I was thinking about something."

"You must have a lot to think about."

Suyeong pursed her lips and activated Midday Tryst.

―So what are you going to do now?

―What else? We need to prepare for the next Scenario. The Great war of Angels and Demons is the 80th Scenario, and it starts in a month, so if we start preparing now, it'll be tight but...

―Not that.

A complex look entered Suyeong's eyes. She was looking at Junghyeok, who was slung over my back.

―You know what'll happen when Junghyeok wakes up like this, right?

Junghyeok had learned what TWSA really was. I didn't know how much he knew, but now that he did, I couldn't keep hiding everything from him. He would be shocked and might be terribly hurt. But...

―For the record, I'm against it.

―Against what?

―What you're going to do.

As if she already knew every thought in my head, Suyeong beat me to it. She let out a small sigh and looked at the ground.

―Given your personality, it's a miracle you've kept it hidden this long.

Suyeong seemed to misunderstand me.

If I could have hidden it better, I would have kept hiding it. If possible, until this story was over.

Suyeong shook her head.

―It's best to hide it as much as you can. Just pretend you don't know. Keep pretending to be a prophet, like you've done until now.

―Do you think he'll believe that? I have to tell him now. Not just Junghyeok, but the others too.

Suyeong's eyes widened at my words.

―What nonsense are you talking about? Why would you tell those people?

―Because they have the right to know.

―I've tried it before. But the "characters" can't understand anything about TWSA. They just think it's a joke.

―It might be different now. The filtering has been lifted.

Suyeong opened her mouth slightly, then closed it again. Instead of pressing me, she looked at the faces of our companions, who knew nothing. A faint contempt for me flickered in her clear eyes.

―Is that for your sake, or for theirs?

―...

―You've already deceived them. Are you going to seek forgiveness now?

―I'm not asking for forgiveness.

I looked over the faces Suyeong had been watching, one by one.

Huiwon, strong yet sensitive.

Hyeongseong, diligent and guileless.

Jihye, prickly yet warm-hearted.

Yuseong, mature yet innocent.

As I looked at all their faces, I remembered the descriptions I had known. Some of them hadn't been in those descriptions, and some wore faces different from what the descriptions had told me. Faces I knew, but didn't know.

Yuseong suddenly turned around and waved at me. I waved back at her.

―I want us to become true companions.

Suyeong didn't speak for a long time. Then she quietly turned her back and abruptly disappeared toward the Factory. From far away, the message she sent came back to me like an echo.

―I made myself clear, didn't I? I'm against it.

We reached the Factory not long after, and everyone rested.

That evening, I gathered the members of Kim Dokja Company in one place, excluding the unconscious Junghyeok. I called Biyoo and blocked the channel beforehand, then put up a thick barrier so the other Constellations couldn't listen in.

Once the preparations were complete, I looked around at my companions.

"There's something I need to tell you all."

But when I finally opened my mouth, the words didn't come easily.

Thinking I was joking around, Jihye spoke playfully.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden, ajusshi? You're scaring me."

I forced a smile at her.

I had thought about this for a long time. I had known with certainty that this moment would come someday.

Hyeongseong and Yuseong were looking at me with concern as well.

Seeing how they worried about me first even in a situation like this, I slowly opened my mouth.

"Some of you..."

Their gazes wavered.

I saw Suyeong bite down hard on her lip and turn away.

As if pulling a trigger, I continued.

"are 'characters' in a certain 'story.'"

Footnotes:

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