WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 425: Episode 80: Our Strongest Ally (3)

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At my words, a few Constellations standing in line behind me began murmuring.

For a moment, I wondered if my modifier had already become widely known, but thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case.

[They must've changed it at the Administration Bureau's naming office, right? Do they still do that these days?]

[I thought no modifier like that could surpass Abyssal Black Flame Dragon...]

[Tsk, why do young people these days all have modifiers like that?]

I could roughly guess what they were talking about.

After a simple search procedure, Virupaksha looked down at my shoulder.

[What's with that dumpling?]

[This is my lunch.]

[How unusual. Yesterday, someone carrying cotton candy came through.]

Cotton candy?

[Next.]

Thankfully, Virupaksha let me through without incident.

[You have entered the channel overseeing the Scenario area.]

As I entered the gate, a brilliant rainbow aurora swept over me, followed by a guide message and video.

[Welcome to the world of the nebula Emperor!]

As expected, even the entry video was on another level.

When I blinked, I was standing on a white cloud. It flew swiftly while carrying me along. Looking around, I saw a handsome golden monkey flying through the air beside me.

「"Let's go, friend."」

The monkey winked at me, then somersaulted through the air and swung a massive Ruyi Staff. The image in the sky changed, and countless monsters of fable began pouring in.

Even knowing it was a fake video, I couldn't help being overwhelmed.

[The most beautiful epic in the world.]

That was because it was the most famous Great Fable possessed by the nebula Emperor.

Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong fought countless monsters of fable as heavenly soldiers followed behind him.

[We invite you into the world of that grand adventure.]

When the video ended, I was standing on the floor of a plaza.

The dumpling on my shoulder spoke.

―What a flashy sales pitch.

"Don't talk. You're a dumpling."

I grumbled for no reason, embarrassed that my heart had raced a little.

As I slowly looked around, the full view of Heavenly Palace came into sight.

A plaza filled with elegant ancient palaces. Traces of civilization gleaming in splendid gold. A world lay before me, built as stars gathered and piled their fables upon one another.

I'd visited the strongholds of other nebulae, but I'd never seen a world with such a massive crowd.

For now, I decided to explore the area a bit more.

Then I saw a holographic video playing across the plaza's electronic billboard.

―All members of the nebula Kim Dokja Company have vanished without a trace!

―They are believed to be participating in a new Great Fable Scenario...

[The Fourth Wall has activated strongly!]

―Where will Kim Dokja Company head next?

Yu Junghyeok and my companions were shown passing through a dazzling gate.

I stopped for a moment and watched them cross into the bright light.

[The Fourth Wall has activated with even greater force!]

A new Great Fable.

I could roughly guess the situation.

By now, my allies would be running all over the place to obtain a new Great Fable. Since I'd left Kim Dokja Company, they would lack the fable shares needed to reach the Final Scenario.

When I turned my head, Yu Junghyeok [999] was looking at me.

―I hope you won't act rashly.

"I know. Don't worry."

I desperately wanted to return to my companions immediately, but I couldn't contact any of them right now.

―I'm saying this for your companions, not you.

"I know."

Even without the contract, the path I had to walk for a while would be a thorny road where no one's life could be guaranteed. If I contacted them carelessly, all my allies could be placed in danger.

[Would you like to move to the Great Fable Scenario area?]

I nodded.

[Automatic guidance has begun.]

True to a nebula that pursued the utmost convenience, my legs automatically began running.

A few Incarnations near me were running automatically in the same posture.

We awkwardly avoided each other's eyes.

[Automatic guidance has ended.]

I arrived before a giant holographic panel installed on the western side of the plaza.

Many Constellations and Incarnations had already gathered before it. Golden statues rose abruptly beside the crowd, and the statue occupying the center was of a Constellation I knew well.

The Prisoner of the Golden Headband, with golden fur and a massive Ruyi Jingu Bang in hand.

Statues of the protagonists of "Journey to the West," led by Great Sage Equaling Heaven Sun Wukong.

As expected, Emperor seemed to know perfectly well which story was most famous in its own world.

[A new Main Scenario has arrived!]

And this Scenario was related to that very famous story.

I opened the Scenario window.

+

Category: Main

Difficulty: ???

Clear Conditions: Create a fable room with other Constellations or Incarnations and remake Journey to the West. The remade Journey to the West will be evaluated in real time by judges and viewers, and a total score will be assigned through categories such as popularity, faithfulness to the original, and originality. The fable with the highest final vote count will become the Scenario's winner.

Time Limit: ―

Reward: A Great Fable related to Journey to the West, the favor of the nebula Emperor, 3,000,000 Coins, ???

Failure: ―

The copyrights of reconstructed fables will be jointly owned by the nebula Emperor* and the participants.

Depending on the judges' vote count, you can acquire a Legendary-grade or Historical-grade* fable.

* Each participant can take only one role, excluding extras.

* Additional Coins will be awarded according to ranking.

+

As expected, Emperor operated on a different scale. They had turned the adaptation of their own Great Fable into a Scenario.

According to the description, participants could acquire a Legendary-grade or Historical-grade fable even if they failed to clear the Scenario.

Yet little dumpling Junghyeok seemed confused.

―We're supposed to remake "Journey to the West"?

"I guess you didn't come here in your round. Still, there must have been an earlier round where you came here."

―I don't possess the memories of every round.

“Well, it's exactly what it says. To put it simply, the participants in this Scenario can choose one of the roles in "Journey to the West" and play through the story.”

―Wouldn't everyone try to take an important role if they did that?

"Right. That's why there are those fable rooms."

―Fable rooms?

Instead of explaining, I pointed to the Constellations displaying advertisements everywhere.

[Looking for people to open a fable room together!]

[All roles are available except Sun Wukong, Xuanzang, Sha Wujing, and Zhu Bajie! A Scenario Writer is ready too! Let's make an incredibly fun fable together!]

Fable rooms. Every participant here had to form one of those fable rooms to enter the Scenario.

―I see. So they divide into teams like that and compete.

"Right. That's how they guarantee a diverse range of fables."

―Diversity?

“The main purpose of this event is to increase the influence of "Journey to the West." The more entertaining versions of "Journey to the West" there are, the stronger the original becomes, and the more secure Emperor's position grows.”

―You're surprisingly knowledgeable. I thought you were an idiot.

I smiled awkwardly.

Actually, I'd just quoted something Junghyeok of the 1,287th round of TWSA had said.

That was when I heard the complaints of some older Constellations.

[I don't know what Emperor is thinking these days. The rear waves of the Yangtze are pushing out the waves ahead, huh...]

[Even if it's the flow of the times, isn't this disrespecting the original?]

I could understand why old Constellations would think that way. Still, what could they do about the changing times?

In fact, most Constellations had already adapted to the new trend.

[5,412 rooms are currently remaking Journey to the West.]

The room count had already reached 5,412.

It hit me again just how many Constellations and Incarnations had flocked to this Great Fable. The Final Scenario had opened, so the other Constellations must have grown desperate too. The Great Fable "Journey to the West" would be a perfect opportunity for them as well.

"The problem is that I can't enter the Scenario alone..."

In the end, I had to create a fable room like the other Constellations and participate in the Scenario.

Looking around, I saw quite a few people who had just created rooms or were looking for new members.

[Looking for a Constellation to take the role of Red Boy. An Incarnation of a fabled-grade Constellation is OK.]

[Looking for someone to play Gold-Horned King. Historical or above only.]

In those cases, the main roles must have already been cast.

As expected, more rooms were looking for villain roles than main roles. It was probably because of how the fable shares would be divided if they acquired a Great Fable.

The protagonists would receive larger shares than the villains, after all.

[Looking for someone to play Yellow-Robed Monster. Coin distribution 7:3, no fable shares. Status doesn't matter.]

Still, maybe it was just my imagination...

[Looking for a multi-role extra. Status doesn't matter. No fable shares. 1,000 Coins per appearance.]

[Hey, brother! Come over here! We'll treat you well!]

No matter where I looked, it felt like there were only scammers.

I had hoped otherwise, but I couldn't see the faces of any Constellations I knew. The formidable Constellations had probably already joined fable rooms, so perhaps that was only natural.

For now, I approached the panel and brought up the list of fable rooms. The list was automatically sorted by ranking.

Surprisingly, the room at the very top belonged to someone I knew.

+

[True Journey to the West]

―Current vote count: 8,651

―Introduction: The secret of the true Journey to the West, which we never knew, will be revealed.

―There are currently no available roles.

―[Refreshing], [Regression], [System]...

―Current ranking: 1st

+

If I remembered correctly, this fable room belonged to Peihu of the nebula Emperor. In a great many rounds, Peihu's fable became the winning fable of this Great Fable. People even said, "Peihu is going to win anyway," before the contest had ended...

―Decide already.

"Wait."

Believe it or not, I had well over ten years of experience as a genre-fiction reader.

Just by looking at the title... no, just by reading the introduction, I could easily tell which fables would become popular.

I changed the list sorting to newest first and began searching for fable rooms.

"These days, changing the protagonist is what's popular."

―Changing the protagonist?

“For example, most people think Sun Wukong is the protagonist of "Journey to the West." But it turns out... Oh, this one looks like it'll be popular.”

+

[I Reincarnated as Journey to the West's Youngest Disciple?!]

―Current vote count: 3,313

―Introduction: How long is Sun Wukong going to remain the protagonist? Now is Sha Wujing's era.

―Extras are always being recruited.

―[Reincarnation], [Possession], [Healing]...

―Current ranking: 8th

+

―It's already popular.

"Damn it."

I scrolled again.

Before long, I found some excellent room titles.

+

[The Disciples I Supported]

―Current vote count: 3,310

―Introduction: Xuanzang, who raised the strongest Disciples, is coming!

―[Possession], [Child-Rearing], [Healing]...

―Current ranking: 9th

[Journey to the West's Extra]

―Current vote count: 3,221

―Introduction: I entered Journey to the West. But then... I became Xuanzang's horse.

―[Extra], [System], [Animal]...

―Current ranking: 11th

+

Damn it, all the fable rooms likely to be popular were already full.

―You dawdled, and now it looks like you've already failed.

I didn't want to admit it, but it seemed true. All the reasonably high-ranking rooms had already chosen their main roles, and their fables were in progress, making it awkward to join them. I considered taking an extra role at this point, but I couldn't obtain what I wanted with such a minor part.

[The fourth fable room list will close soon!]

[After the list closes, additional roles other than extras cannot be registered!]

To make matters worse, the rooms' deadline was approaching.

I had to make a decision quickly. Then, after some time had passed, I noticed something unusual in one of the room advertisements I had casually scrolled past.

―(Urgent) Looking for someone to play Sun Wukong and get carried. All other roles are ready. Just show up.

They were looking for Sun Wukong?

Not any other role, but Sun Wukong?

[Became a Retired SSSSS-Grade Sun Wukong]

That was an awfully familiar number of S's.

Even though I knew I was being fooled, I unconsciously clicked the room title.

Then I saw its introduction.

―Introduction: Only I know Journey to the West's ending.

Footnotes:

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