WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 434: Episode 82: Outer Gods (3)

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[Ahem, I'm not Hayoung or anything. I was just passing by... Damn it, Pilgrim Sun. Come over here and take an elixir.]

The golden-haired celestial immortal dropped the act and called me over with a grumble.

Journey to the West was full of setups like this.

[Some judges complain, asking whether even things like this are taken into account.]

[1 bonus point has been added!]

A divine spirit would appear from nowhere to help the Allies, then say everything was Buddha's will. Its implausibility and Deus Ex Machina were so excessive that I couldn't help wondering if Journey to the West was the first novel to pile all its fortuitous encounters onto one protagonist.

I politely bowed my head.

"Thank you for helping us every time."

[I'm only doing it because I was told to.]

Thinking of someone, Hayoung looked up at the sky with a resentful expression.

[You have no idea how lucky you are. If I hadn't arrived so late, the role of Demon King of Salvation would've been mine...]

I'd naturally come to learn that this role had originally belonged to Hayoung.

"Why did you want that role?"

Hayoung looked at me with distant eyes, then snorted and shook her head.

[Of course someone like you wouldn't know how amazing the Demon King of Salvation is.]

After thinking for a moment, I spoke with great affection for myself.

"I like the Demon King of Salvation a lot too."

[Oh, really? Have you heard any fables about him?]

"For example, \"Liberator of the Industrial Complex,\" which he gained in the Demon Realm."

[Oho?]

As though that had flipped a switch, Hayoung suddenly began speaking at length.

To roughly summarize it, it went like this.

[So, back then, I saved the Demon King of Salvation when he was dying. If you think about it, that makes me the Demon King of Salvation's savior. What do you think? Interesting, right? Not interesting? ...Anyway, beneath the roots of darkness, we hit it off and swore brotherhood. We decided to join forces and liberate the industrial complex from that demon duke...]

The broad details were correct, but I didn't know why it felt like I was listening to a novel.

[Then the Demon King of Salvation looked at me with eyes full of sorrow and said, "You, become a Fighter who will gladly fight for me."]

I wondered if it was all right to spout such absurd stories, but messages were already filling the air.

[The judge Prisoner of the Golden Headband criticizes the celestial immortal's nonsense!]

[The judge Prisoner of the Golden Headband claims that he contributed the most in the Demon Realm!]

[The judge Handsome Monkey King ridicules the Prisoner of the Golden Headband.]

[Many audience members are interested in the fables of the nebula Kim Dokja Company.]

At this point, I couldn't tell whether this was Journey to the West or Kim Dokja Company's Haphazard Grand Adventure.

Maybe that was what Suyeong was aiming for.

The stronger Kim Dokja Company's fables became, the stronger the Great Fable we would gain through the Journey to the West Remake would become.

[The fables of Kim Dokja Company are spreading through the Star Stream by word of mouth.]

Whether that was the right call remained to be seen.

After some time, Jihye yawned as though she were bored.

"Ah, enough already. Hurry up and give us the elixir."

[Here.]

* * *

Another week passed.

We defeated countless monsters of fable, then encountered Emperor's Constellations, who appeared again to retrieve them.

[The monsters of fable you just defeated were ones I raised in my backyard...]

"Get lost."

Junghyeok drove them off in my stead. Perhaps unwilling to face Supreme King Zhu Bajie, Emperor's Constellations grumbled but obediently withdrew. I didn't know why Junghyeok had claimed that role, but I was grateful.

[Outer God Transformation progress: 95%]

[The speed of your Outer God Transformation is currently slowed.]

My transformation into an Outer God hadn't progressed much during that time.

On the other hand, my Allies' progress through Journey to the West was astonishing.

[Current Journey to the West progress: 94%]

At last, it had crossed into the nineties.

Jihye said, panting, "Wow, this is really exhausting."

"Today was especially difficult."

"What are you talking about? All you did was get carried."

Ignoring Jihye's scolding, I checked the fable room's ranking.

[The current ranking of this fable room is 4th.]

[Votes: 21,912]

[Many audience members are amazed by this fable room's incredible growth.]

We had climbed to fourth place in less than ten days, surpassing all those formidable rooms.

I hated to admit it, but I couldn't help respecting Suyeong's talent.

[The current first-place fable room is True Journey to the West.]

[Votes: 30,408]

At this rate, it didn't seem impossible to catch Peihu, who was far ahead in first place.

Still, it was too early to get ahead of myself. Even if we overtook Peihu's room and took first place, the contest wouldn't end there. The final victory would be determined by the total number of votes and the judges' decisions.

I looked up at the stars shining in the night sky.

Constellations who were currently marked only as anonymous audience members.

[Some audience members harbor hostility toward you.]

Emperor would certainly be watching our rise in the rankings.

「They take tremendous pride in their Great Fable.」

They would never tolerate a weaker nebula inheriting their Great Fable. Besides, they had plenty of reasons to be dissatisfied with us.

For example.

"There are so many of them."

The hordes of monsters of fable following us.

The procession of monsters of fable filling the mountain trail had grown so long that its end was no longer visible.

They were all monsters we had spared.

[Your promise with the Hunchback King is in progress.]

[To fulfill the promise, the Outer God's share in this fable must rise to at least 30%.]

[The Outer God's current share in this fable is 15.772%.]

Journey to the West was nearing its end, but the Outer Gods' share was still low.

Even after saving so many monsters of fable, it was only around 15%...

In a way, it was only natural. There were many of them, but they didn't play a major role in our story.

The essence of Journey to the West still hadn't changed.

They were still only taking the stage as extras, not protagonists. Their share had risen as high as 15% only because many audience members had taken an interest in the strange phenomenon.

[Many audience members watch the Pilgrimage Road with admiration.]

[Some judges take note of the possibilities of a new Journey to the West.]

[Some judges worry about the distortion of the original...]

That long procession of monsters of fable had even gained a nickname.

"Pilgrimage Road."

A journey to Tianzhu, undertaken by countless monsters of fable seeking the meaning of their existence.

[Some audience members have joined this Scenario to watch the Pilgrimage Road!]

Recommendation posts about our fable room had even appeared on Journey to the West's recommendation board.

[Cool Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, Cute Master Sanzang, Frail Sun Wukong]

Author: uri9158

- Review: Zhu Bajie is cool, and the Sanzangs are cute.

[Became a Retired SSSSS-Grade Sun Wukong, A Masterpiece I Thought Was a Mass-Produced Fable]

Author: Non-Mass Production Maker

- Review: The true protagonists of Journey to the West are the monsters of fable. Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing are all monsters of fable. Yet the theme of Journey to the West is close to humanism because every monster of fable in the original has been humanized in an extremely human way. In other words, the monsters of fable in the original Journey to the West had their status as monsters taken from them and were forced to live as humans...

Those author names felt strangely familiar, but it was probably my imagination.

Anyway, we received many inexplicable recommendations.

"They keep following us."

Yuseong, who was walking at the rear of the group with me, kept looking back at the monsters of fable with concern. After hesitating, she reached out toward one that was trotting around her feet like a puppy.

"Hello?"

I tensed up slightly, worried that it might attack Yuseong, but thankfully, nothing happened.

The monster of fable crouched like an obedient puppy and rubbed its nose against Yuseong's fingertips. It was no longer the terrifying Outer God I knew.

【Warmwarmwarmwarmwarm】

They weren't beast species that Yuseong could tame. Outer Gods weren't assigned such convenient biological classifications. They were simply something that had lost its use outside the Scenario.

Even so, Yuseong listened to them with a serious expression.

【YuseongYuseongYuseongYuseongYuseong】

【IwantanametooIwantanametooIwantanametooIwantanametoo】

Could this child hear those words?

Could she understand what they said and see their true forms?

After hesitating for a moment, I asked, "Aren't you scared?"

"Not at all. The more I look at them, the cuter they seem. And..."

Small tentacles, like those of an octopus, tickled the back of Yuseong's hand like foxtail grass.

"Someone I like has appeared in a form like this before."

A brief, sharp headache and a wave of dizziness hit me at once.

[The Exclusive Skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Stage 2, has forcibly activated!]

「Because he might be here again this time.」

Watching Yuseong look at the procession of monsters of fable with resolute eyes, I bit my lip hard.

[This is an announcement for Constellations currently taking part in the Scenario.]

A sudden announcement rang out.

The air around us shook, and the monsters of fable looked up at the sky uneasily.

【Comingcomingcomingcomingcoming】

【NoNoNoNoNoNo】

The screams of Outer Gods rose from all around.

The translucent image of the Great Dokkaebi that had descended in midair was being broadcast.

[The Journey to the West Remake Scenario is gradually approaching its finale. I hear the gap between the top-ranked and mid-ranked groups has widened so much that many Constellations have half given up on the Scenario.]

It was a very ominous opening.

[Opportunity in the Star Stream is fair. A striving loach can become a dragon, and even a dragon that ruled the skies can fall.]

For a moment, it seemed as though the Great Dokkaebi's gaze had turned toward us.

[So it would be a little disappointing to end things like this.]

"Huh? What's going on?!"

With Jihye's shout, the scenery around us began to change.

In a burst of bright light, my Allies and the monsters of fable found themselves at a vast riverbank.

[Fable rooms are being merged!]

[Became a Retired SSSSS-Grade Sun Wukong has been included in the Great Fable.]

(Sun Wukong knew which river this was.)

(The western bank of the Tongtian River. This was the final gateway to Tianzhu.)

The Great Dokkaebi smiled.

[It isn't entertaining to determine first place based only on votes. Isn't it the natural order of the Star Stream to determine which fable is stronger?]

[Many audience members cheer in agreement!]

[Some audience members lick their lips!]

[Some judges frown at the dokkaebi's interference.]

Along with the messages, huge beams of light flashed all around the riverbank.

[Fable room 421 has been merged!]

[Something Went Wrong With My Sun Wukong Somewhere Along the Way has been included in the Great Fable.]

Groups like ours were standing there.

Gilyeong cried out in surprise.

"What are those?"

Groups consisting of Sun Wukong, Master Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and a Dragon Horse.

They were Journey to the West expeditions from other fable rooms.

[Fable room 7,133 has been merged!]

[I Thought I Was Sun Wukong, but I Was an Ordinary Monkey has been included in the Great Fable.]

[Fable room 6,523 has been merged!]

[Omniscient Sun Wukong's Ruyi Staff's Viewpoint has been included in the Great Fable.]

With the pouring beams of light, countless Sun Wukongs were appearing along the riverbank. Some had weak Status, while others had strong Status.

And then.

[Fable room 1 has been merged!]

[True Journey to the West has been included in the Great Fable.]

There were others with truly overwhelming Status.

Every member of that fable room was an elite Constellation.

The first-ranked Sun Wukong, scattering bright blue ghostfire from their eyes, was looking our way.

So it came to this after all.

I had expected it to some extent. At this rate, Peihu's side would fall behind us in votes.

[Some judges worry for your safety.]

[The judge Prisoner of the Golden Headband is enraged by this development!]

[The judge Bimawen wonders about the Scenario's conclusion.]

[The judge Handsome Monkey King orders you to sweep them all away!]

Even the main judges were taking our side.

The other side would have no choice but to make a move before the situation worsened further.

[The Main Scenario's details have been updated!]

The Great Dokkaebi's voice rang out.

[We now begin the final event of the Journey to the West Remake.]

Footnotes:

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