WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 399: Episode 76: Book of Revelation (1)

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Rumbleee!

On the screen, the Constellations of good and evil unleashed fierce pressure at one another. The tension was stretched taut enough to snap. Holding that balance was a single nebula, the smallest yet brightest of them all.

[It's been a long time since I last saw both good and evil gathered together.]

Mandala's Protector, Shakyamuni, watched the screen with a strange expression. Ancient memories passed through his eyes.

Scenarios before the Scenarios. An age when good, evil, and neutrality had all stood together.

The story of everyone facing the Dragon of Destruction together to prevent the world's end...

"I want to help them too."

Shakyamuni's gaze turned toward the small tank by the wall. Within it, the white-glowing body of a soul hummed as it spoke.

"When can I reincarnate?"

[That is not a battlefield for a child. You will reincarnate as someone meant to fulfill a greater meaning.]

"They are my meaning."

Even as a soul, Yu Sangah's voice was resolute.

"If I can't save them here, then my reincarnation won't mean anything."

[Meaning...]

Shakyamuni turned and stared at another tank across from the first.

Inside was the Incarnation body of a woman dressed in Buddhist robes.

[You will inhabit the body of someone I cherished.]

"I'm going into someone else's body? Isn't that reincarnation?"

[You will reincarnate using that body as your Incarnation body.]

"Then what about the original owner of that body?"

Shakyamuni didn't answer.

Did even a Buddha feel sorrow?

After thinking for a moment, Sangah asked, "Is that person your 'meaning'?"

Without a word, Shakyamuni looked at the woman in the tank.

[He has only returned to the providence of the universe. Everything is nothing more than the empty turning of a wheel.]

"That was someone you cherished."

[You will understand soon enough. That is what it means to become a Reincarnator.]

"I'm not a Reincarnator yet."

[You will learn that such bonds have no meaning. You will learn how futile the things precious to you truly are.]

"Is cursing others your hobby?"

[I am speaking the truth, child.]

Shakyamuni looked toward the battlefield on the screen.

There were Constellations there who had lived for a very long time.

[Constellations suffer from insomnia throughout their lives. They cannot sleep without Scenarios, and even in their dreams, they devour the fables of others. Through that consumption, they wish to erase the Scenarios they are trapped in. And they are always anxious, without even knowing why they are anxious.]

Shakyamuni, one of the oldest Constellations, continued.

[For them, Scenarios are an eternal daydream. They reject death, so they do not understand death. Because they do not understand death, they cannot awaken from the delusion of Scenarios. They mistakenly believe that a single story exists that can save them.]

Countless Indirect Messages were appearing on the screen from Constellations who supported or opposed Kim Dokja Company.

Shakyamuni slowly turned his gaze to the edge of the screen.

[But Reincarnators are different.]

The screen changed, showing the Reincarnators of the Island.

The Reincarnators who had followed Kim Dokja Company. Or those still serving the Great Fables after joining one side of good or evil...

Looking at them, Shakyamuni said, [Reincarnators live eternally like Constellations, but they die and are reborn. Because they know death, they know awakening. Because they know awakening, they realize they are no more than a single component within a Scenario. Reincarnation is understanding the essence of Scenarios.]

Lower-ranked Reincarnators lost their memories upon death, but not all of them did. Some, like Nirvana, reincarnated with memories of their past lives. They continued through the Scenarios after being reborn as different species and different genders.

As humans. Frogs. Orcs. Elves. Ants...

The Reincarnators bound to the wheel of life all wore the same expression.

"They all look resigned."

[Because they know nothing will change no matter who wins.]

"Scenarios can be changed. We've always done that."

[But the fact that they are Scenarios will not change.]

"Is that why you're giving up? Because no matter what you do, a Scenario is still a Scenario? That's running away. You're admitting defeat without even trying to fight."

[Child, those words insult the lives of Reincarnators. Reincarnators have fought against Scenarios through countless lives...]

"Have you ever fought without giving up even one life, giving everything you had?"

Shakyamuni closed his mouth at those words.

Had he ever not given up even a single life?

Before Shakyamuni could answer, Sangah continued.

"There's someone who fought without giving up through more than eighteen hundred lives."

Sangah looked at the screen. A man in a black coat stood there.

"And someone who watched over all those lives."

The man in the white coat beside him looked at his Allies. His gaze slowly moved, finally settling on the fallen Lee Hyeongseong.

[This body has lived too long to count its years. Still, there is one number I can count.]

Shakyamuni looked at Lee Hyeongseong.

[One Reincarnator to be added to this Island.]

* * *

"Not yet."

I checked Lee Hyeongseong's pulse. It wasn't beating. His nostrils drew no breath, and his rolled-back eyes showed only white.

"Really?"

Jeong Huiwon looked at me as if she wanted to believe in a miracle.

Seeing her bleached-white hair, I could guess what had happened here.

"He definitely isn't dead."

Everyone wore complicated expressions. Jihye looked as though she thought I was telling a well-meaning lie, while Gilyeong looked willing to believe me even if it was one. Suyeong asked, "Are you going to redefine death now, too?"

"If Hyeongseong had died, Master of Steel would've left the Scenario too."

I looked up into the air. I couldn't hear any Indirect Messages, but Master of Steel hadn't left the Scenario yet.

Huiwon urgently grabbed my arm.

"Then Hyeongseong..."

"Just as Huiwon awakened, Hyeongseong has awakened too."

I looked at the faint Fable Fragments flowing across Hyeongseong's skin.

A fable of steel.

It couldn't be clearly seen from the outside, but Hyeongseong's insides were likely filled to the brim with a fable of steel right now.

[The character Lee Hyeongseong is on the verge of Attribute evolution.]

There was a reason Hyeongseong had been called the "Strongest Shield" in the original story.

When he protected someone by offering up his own life, Steel Sword Emperor would reach the final stage of Steel Transformation.

When he regained consciousness, Hyeongseong would become the toughest shield in the world.

Huiwon asked in a trembling voice, "Then, then he's alive?"

"Yes."

"Really? You're not lying?"

Tears rolled down Huiwon's devastated face.

She placed a hand on Hyeongseong's chest. Feeling the indifferent silence of his unmoving heart, she struggled to continue.

"I can't hear anything..."

"You won't be able to from now on, either."

"...What?"

I looked down at Hyeongseong.

His heart had hardened like steel of absolute purity. Hyeongseong's heart would never beat again.

Huiwon probably didn't understand what that meant yet.

"But Hyeongseong is definitely alive. Don't worry."

"Either way, he won't be any help for now."

Yu Junghyeok, with his Status unleashed, spoke indifferently.

"Get a grip, all of you. This isn't the time to mourn."

Rumbleee!

Two forces glared at our nebula from across the battlefield.

Good on one side, evil on the other. To us, they were simply enemies.

At the center of both forces stood Metatron, the Scribe of heaven, and Agares, the Ruler of Hell's East.

[Who defeated Barbatos?]

Murmurs spread across the battlefield at that question.

Barbatos, the eighth-ranked Demon King, was dead.

Yet rather than surprise, the Demon Kings looked entertained.

[Those lunatics dared interfere with the Great war of Angels and Demons.]

Their gazes on our group held ridicule. They were certain we had survived by luck so far, but that we wouldn't be able to keep doing so.

As they guessed, Kim Dokja Company's group wasn't in any condition to fight properly. Yu Junghyeok's Mana was nearly depleted after fighting Indra, while Suyeong was exhausted from her battle with the Archangels.

Not to mention the fallen Hyeongseong and the drained Huiwon.

The only people who might still be of help were the kids who had gone to Next City.

"Don't worry, ahjussi. I'll sweep them all away."

Jihye beat her chest as she spoke, while Shin Yuseong nodded. They were incredibly reliable.

Just as I expected, the kids seemed to have returned after growing tremendously in Next City.

Gilyeong's eyes were shining too.

"Hyung, who should we kill first? Which one gives the most experience points?"

His tone made it sound as though he was enjoying a game, despite our overwhelming disadvantage.

[The Patron Constellation of the Incarnation Lee Gilyeong looks at you.]

I shook my head.

No. It wasn't time to use Gilyeong yet. Even if I did, I couldn't be sure we had a chance of winning.

Anna Croft, standing nearby, asked, "Are you really planning to fight? You know you have no chance, right?"

Anna Croft's aim was obvious. She already belonged to the alignment of good. If things went wrong, her best choice would be to stab me in the back and join them.

"We've never had a chance. But I intend to fight, and I believe we can win. That is, as long as you don't betray us."

At the word betrayal, Anna Croft shot me a glare and raised one hand. Selena Kim and Iris, who had been lined up behind her, stepped forward.

[The nebula Asgard supports Kim Dokja Company.]

Startled Constellations and Demon Kings shouted.

[Asgard, have you lost your mind?]

[It seems the God of Hammers finally smashed his own head.]

[God of Tricks! Don't tell me you're planning to cause trouble here too?]

Even amid the flood of declarations, some grinned as if the situation had become interesting.

One was the fifth-ranked Demon King, Marbas, the Lion of the Black Mane.

[A foolish choice, Asgard. Your nebula is powerful, but the number of participating Constellations is small. It is far from enough to shake this battlefield!]

"It's not just one nebula."

[Then who else is there? Kim Dokja Company? Do you wish to call that small club, with only you as a Constellation, a nebula?]

Loud laughter came from among the Demon Kings. Then...

[The Constellation Father of the Rich Night stares coldly at the Constellations.]

[The nebula underworld supports Kim Dokja Company.]

The laughter abruptly stopped.

[underworld?]

[Olympus! What is the meaning of this? Isn't that one of your subordinate nebulae?]

With those words, one side of the battlefield opened, and Olympus appeared.

It seemed they had joined this Scenario too.

The person at their head was a familiar Constellation.

[Hmm, this is troublesome... We can't recreate Gigantomachia here.]

Dionysus, the God of Wine and Ecstasy, smiled at me as though he was truly troubled.

"Dionysus. Are you going to fight us?"

[Ugh, you're making me crave a drink.]

Dionysus pulled a bottle from his clothes and gulped down the wine.

[Ah, whatever. I'll get drunk first and think about it later. Demon King of Salvation, come have a drink too. We have a lot to talk about, don't we?]

"I appreciate the offer, but I think that would be difficult right now."

Dionysus snickered and raised his bottle in a toast toward me. That was enough of an answer from Olympus.

They didn't support us, but they didn't show hostility toward us either.

As one great nebula suddenly withheld its participation, an uneasy mood spread through the forces of good and evil.

I slipped into that opening.

"Looks like the introductions are roughly over, so let's get this fight started."

At my provocation, the Constellations and Demon Kings of both forces erupted in anger.

Anna Croft, standing beside me, looked as though she couldn't believe I had said that so directly.

Suyeong said, "The Prophet is less perceptive than I thought. Just watch quietly."

Anna Croft shut her mouth at Suyeong's rebuke.

Then a Demon King stepped forward, drawing a pitch-black sword.

Even in this tense situation, Agares and Metatron remained silent.

[Many Demon Kings show intense hostility toward you!]

The Demon King's sword moved toward me with a sharp whistle through the air, and a message appeared.

[Members of the same alignment have clashed!]

[The rise of the chaos score accelerates!]

[The chaos score has increased by 1.]

[Current chaos score: 76]

The startled Demon King blinked.

In the distance, Metatron and Agares stiffened. They were looking at the night sky of the Star Stream.

They had probably realized it.

I issued a constellation's declaration to draw the Constellations' attention.

[The target you are about to fight is neither good nor evil.]

Kim Dokja Company included both good and evil.

Showing hostility toward our nebula violated the essence of the Great war of Angels and Demons, a war between good and evil.

[You might be able to kill us if you try. But what will happen to you?]

Clouds carrying an aura of chaos swirled beyond the sky.

Once the chaos score surpassed eighty, the countdown to destruction would begin.

From this point on, it was a game of chicken.

[The oldest good glares at you.]

[The oldest evil glares at you.]

A game where the side that got scared first and withdrew would certainly lose.

[Will we all die first, or will you be destroyed by the Apocalypse Dragon first? Aren't you curious?]

I drew Unbreakable Faith and smiled.

[I'm very curious.]

Footnotes:

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