Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 375

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 375: Episode 71: In fifty years' time (2)

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Fifty years? What could that possibly mean?

Through my fading vision, I saw the smile on the warrior monk's lips.

"Bodhisattva, endure the passage of time."

[Transfer to the Main Island has begun.]

[The Wall That Determines Reincarnation is examining your fable information.]

[The examination has ended.]

[Your Scenario region has been determined.]

The last thing I heard was the following message.

[The Sub Scenario Genre Selection has begun!]

* * *

Ricardo stared into the pitch-black liquid in his transparent cup and recalled memories from long ago.

「"Even if you train for fifty years, becoming a court mage will be impossible."」

When he first learned magic.

「"You don't have the constitution to become a sage."」

When he studied under the greatest sage in the Kaizenix Archipelago.

「"Your hands aren't suited to wielding a sword."」

And when he first held a sword at the royal swordsmanship academy.

「"Some lives are just like that. What's important is to keep moving forward without giving up."」

That was what Ricardo's father, Bertzen von Kaizenix, told him.

Of course, it wasn't comforting. What comfort could someone with no talent and nothing they wanted to do find in those words?

Keep going even if you have no talent?

What could you possibly become by living that way?

Ricardo drank every day so he wouldn't become anything. He ran with the archipelago's thugs, took drugs, and gambled away his family's assets.

He'd loved someone, too. Once.

She was the most beautiful older woman in the archipelago. But that love ended when she married his eldest brother.

Ricardo stared quietly at the liquid in his cup and muttered, "Let's die."

It was the first time in his life he'd mustered courage. He lightly gripped the cup, then drained it as though swallowing wine. It took effect soon after. His complexion darkened, and Ricardo's arm fell limply to his side.

Then, exactly four hours later.

Someone opened their eyes in Ricardo's body.

* * *

I'd read quite a lot of books besides TWSA.

When I was young, I read the good books my mother recommended. Once I was a little older, I chose books for myself. I read plenty of web novels, too.

For reference, the first web novel I ever read began with its protagonist babbling about his misfortunes, dying, and then waking up again.

Just like now.

Bleeegh!

"Prince Ricardo! Are you all right?"

Someone patted my back as I vomited for a long time.

After wiping my mouth and lifting my head, I saw a mirror.

A tall man with a pale, handsome face looked back at me.

It was clearly my face, yet something about it felt unfamiliar.

Who am I? Ricardo...?

「"As you know, I'm not a prophet. If anything, I'm very far from being one."」

I...

「"I'm not the Demon King of Salvation. I'm not the King of a Kingless World, either."」

Who was I?

「"I'm twenty-eight... No, I was twenty-eight, and I worked for a game company. My hobby was reading web novels..."」

[Your fables are resisting the Great Fable that forms this world's setting.]

[The Exclusive Skill The Fourth Wall has been strongly activated.]

I slowly closed and opened my eyes, and it felt as though the world had split apart.

[The Fourth Wall is interfering with your immersion into this character.]

[Due to The Fourth Wall's effect, your sense of self has been fully preserved.]

[The Island's Plausibility doubts your privilege.]

The sensation of an unfamiliar body. This wasn't my body.

「I am Kim Dokja.」

My mind snapped back into place, and a series of memories fell into order.

I had joined the Great war of Angels and Demons Scenario and had just entered the Main Island.

The Main Island was made up of third-generation fables across a wide spectrum. Each fable formed a world with a different genre, which meant this scene before me was...

"A possession story?"

Tzzzzzt!

[An utterance unsuitable for this world's setting has been detected.]

[The penalty has begun.]

I woke up again two hours later.

* * *

"Your Highness. Are you all right?"

Someone called to me through my hazy vision.

"Um, could I have some water?"

[You have used language unsuitable for this world's setting!]

[A penalty is being imposed...]

"Bring me some water."

"Here it is."

As I gulped down the cold water, I gradually regained my senses. My head was a mess from fragments of someone else's memories flooding in. I'd entered the body of someone who had already lived for thirty years.

「In some regions of the Main Island, speech unsuitable for the world's setting is forbidden.」

Vague passages from TWSA came to mind. It had only been mentioned in passing, but there was definitely a Scenario like this in TWSA.

A so-called possession Scenario.

I had to progress through the Scenario here from this character's point of view.

[Dokkaebi summons are unavailable in this region.]

[You cannot receive Indirect Messages from Constellations in this region.]

There were strange restrictions on top of that.

This differed from the early Great war of Angels and Demons Scenario I knew.

"I should gather some information first."

[You have acted in a manner befitting this character's traits.]

[Your understanding of this character has increased.]

I immediately began digging through my memories of TWSA.

「Kaizenix Archipelago. The island of heroes who led the Age of Angels and Demons.」

No particularly useful information came to mind.

Of all places, it had to be a region that barely appeared in TWSA.

Still, it didn't feel completely unfamiliar... Was it because the possessed character's memories were flowing into me?

[You have activated the Exclusive Skill Character Profile!]

Normally, I couldn't see my own Attributes Window.

But if it was the Attributes Window of the person I possessed...

Name: Ricardo von Kaizenix (Kim Dokja)

Age: 31

Patron: None (One Constellation is currently interested in you.)

Exclusive Attribute: Gifted Scoundrel (Common)

Exclusive Skills: [Royal Appearance Lv. 3], [Monologue Lv. 6], [Roleplaying Lv. 5]

Stigma: None

Overall Stats: [Constitution Lv. 10], [Strength Lv. 10], [Agility Lv. 10], [Mana Lv. 10]

Overall Evaluation: The character you have possessed is the fourth prince of the Kaizenix Archipelago. Unfortunately, he has no talent for any form of combat, including swordsmanship and magic.

You are currently afflicted with the status condition Possession*.

Why had I possessed someone like this?

Usually, possession stories had you possess someone connected to you. But what connection could there possibly be between me and a wastrel prince?

On top of that, this bastard's average innate stat was ten. The only thing we had in common was roughly our age...

"Your Highness, have you immersed yourself in roleplaying again?"

"Roleplaying?"

"Last time, you imitated the first family head... And now you're wearing an outfit I've never seen before. You're dressed just like a character from Chronicles of Earth."

I absentmindedly looked into the mirror and saw familiar clothes. Strangely, all my equipment had been transferred with me when I possessed this body.

I answered shamelessly, "It's the attire of a demon king."

"A demon king? Why would you wear the attire of a demon king...?"

When I slipped a hand into my coat's inner pocket, I was relieved to find my equipment was still there. First, I pulled out the smartphone tucked against my chest. To learn about this place, I needed to check TWSA again.

Tzzzt!

[This item cannot be used because it does not suit this world's setting.]

What a damned penalty.

Perhaps because of how the butler interpreted my actions, the butler said, "Well, it would be good to enjoy yourself one last time. The sovereign will summon you soon. Well, then."

With only those words, the butler left.

I was left alone in the empty little room.

「Kim Dok ja is lone ly」

Yeah, I'm glad you're here at least. I wondered what had happened to the others.

If things had gone as Mandala's Protector said, there was a good chance the others had arrived in the same region as me.

When I opened the Scenario window, a flood of delayed messages appeared.

[You have entered the Kaizenix Archipelago of the Main Island.]

[Kaizenix Archipelago is currently separated from the conflict region of the Great war of Angels and Demons in both space and time.]

[If you resolve this region's Sub Scenario, you may advance to the Great war of Angels and Demons.]

I would likely have to build a warlord faction in this region and join the Great war of Angels and Demons.

In other words, this was a staging ground for participating in the war.

[You cannot yet view the Scenario information.]

[This Scenario will unfold differently according to the route you choose.]

The route I chose?

No, I should at least know the Scenario's failure conditions.

[This Scenario will not fail unless you die.]

This was the first time I'd encountered a case like this.

Either way, it meant this was a Scenario where my life mattered.

I sat on the edge of the bed and calmly organized my thoughts.

My name in this world was Ricardo von Kaizenix.

Since the Scenario proceeded on the basis of possession, I had to fully play the role of a prince here.

After concentrating for a moment, I repeated Ricardo von Kaizenix's traits to myself.

Fourth prince, wastrel, no talent, drunkard... I had a rough idea of what kind of person he was. Acting wouldn't be too difficult with this much.

Still, if I was in this state, did that mean the other members of Kim Dokja Company were in the same situation?

"Your Highness, are you there? It's Sir Billston."

The moment I thought of it, someone knocked on the door.

Knight Billston Framer.

If Ricardo's memories were right, he was my guard knight.

"The sovereign summons you."

But when he opened the door and entered, a strange feeling came over me.

An aging knight in his forties with a white mustache. The man before me was clearly someone I didn't know. Yet...

[Your fables are reacting to this person!]

[The Exclusive Attribute Scenario Interpreter is taking effect!]

The man's face slowly changed.

「"...ja-ssi."」

Though not much time had passed, his voice carried an old longing.

「"I once lost a cartridge case in the military."」

The fables dwelling within the man were speaking to me. The exhausted sentences were trying desperately to tell me something.

「"I've lost a safety pin before."」

I knew the owner of these fables.

"Hyeongseong-ssi?"

Lee Hyeongseong looked at me.

[This person does not understand your words.]

"You’re Hyeongseong-ssi, right?"

[This person does not understand your words.]

[This world's setting recommends that you play your assigned role accurately.]

Hyeongseong stared blankly at me, then gave an awkward smile.

"Hyeong-seong? Haha, are you roleplaying again? May I ask who you're imitating?"

Hyeongseong showed no sign of recognizing me. He looked like someone who had no memory of me at all.

I called his name.

"Sir Billston."

"Yes."

"Don't you recognize these clothes?"

"Hmm. Are they the travelling clothes of demon hunters? Or costumes for a Revolutionary Army play...?"

His face was different, but the coat I was wearing was the white coat I had always worn. If this man really was Hyeongseong, there was no way he wouldn't recognize me.

Yet he didn't recognize me, which meant...

[You have activated the Exclusive Skill Character Profile!]

Name: Billston Framer (???)

Age: 43

Patron: None

Exclusive Attributes: Loyal Subject (Rare), Honourable Knight (Rare)

Exclusive Skills: [Waiting Squad Lv. 8], [Archipelago Royal Swordsmanship Lv. 8]...

Stigma: None

Overall Stats: [Constitution Lv. 80], [Strength Lv. 80], [Agility Lv. 80], [Mana Lv. 80]

Overall Evaluation: Two souls once lived within this body. He was a knight of the kingdom and, at the same time, someone's shield. The shield waited a long time for its master. It waited and waited. After many years had passed, the shield's master finally appeared. But now, the shield could no longer fulfill its role.

As I reread the Attributes Window's description again and again, I recalled One-Punch Invincible Yoo Hoseong's warning.

"When you reach the Main Island, be careful of Great Fables."

"But I can handle Great Fables now."

"That's not what I mean. There, you'll fight the Great Fable itself."

Only then did I think I understood what he meant.

When I raised my head, I could feel the enormous Plausibility surrounding the entire archipelago moving. Something there was watching me. It wasn't a Constellation or a demon king.

[The Great Fable Kaizenix Archipelago gazes at you greedily.]

I clenched my fist and bit my lip.

Hyeongseong, who knew nothing, continued muttering to himself.

"Hmm, if you're not a member of the Revolutionary Army, perhaps you're a fortune teller's..."

The Lee Hyeongseong I knew had already been swallowed by this world and disappeared.

Footnotes:

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