WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 447: Episode 84: 1864 (3)
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I recalled the first time I visited the 1,863rd round.
When I first saw Yu Junghyeok of the 1,863rd round there, I thought he was the Junghyeok of the original novel I knew.
The protagonist who had shared my childhood and supported my life.
But he wasn't.
The Yu Junghyeok who had kept me going had already finished his story long ago. He had reached the ending of the 1,863rd round, seen the end of the world, and wandered through the abyss of terrible worldlines.
For thousands of years, perhaps tens of thousands.
I didn't know how long he had spent that way. What was certain was that he had survived until now, remembered all those years, and was now hostile toward me.
【You aren't qualified to see ■■.】
He was right.
Everything I had done to make it through the Scenarios had only been possible because Secretive Plotter's life had come first.
Secretive Plotter's Status was steadily growing stronger.
The Outer Gods watching the situation all dropped to their knees.
【Oooooooo...】
A billowing aura rose and engulfed the Splitting the Sky Sword.
That was the power he had gained while living through the 1,863rd round and walking through the worldlines that came after.
[The Great Fable Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse begins its story.]
Countless Yu Junghyeoks stared at me from within him.
[Yu Junghyeok of the 41st round is looking at you.]
[Yu Junghyeok of the 362nd round is looking at you.]
[Yu Junghyeok of the 666th round is looking at you.]
[Yu Junghyeok of the 999th round is looking at you.]
The history they had built and their sins were all there.
A sin score whose limit even Jophiel's [Eye of Sin] couldn't discern.
He was an existence the Star Stream defined as Fear. An existence beyond the category of evil, one this world had declared incomprehensible.
The king of the Outer Gods.
Yet his essence was neither evil nor Fear.
The reason he was inevitably rejected by the Star Stream was that his sense of justice was too unyielding.
「“I'll destroy the Star Stream.”」
The Star Stream didn't like justice that allowed no flexibility. Justice had to bend, compromise, and sometimes collapse.
Secretive Plotter's justice wasn't like that. That was why he had made it this far, and why he had ultimately become Secretive Plotter.
「“I will destroy the one who began this story with my own hand.”」
That was the destruction he wanted for this world.
The end of Regression that all Yu Junghyeoks wanted.
[The Constellation Secretive Plotter is looking at you.]
Secretive Plotter was entirely justified.
More than anyone, he had the right to see the end of this entire story.
Far more than someone like me, who had done nothing but read TWSA...
‘Don’t get any stupid ideas. And don’t go sympathizing with him on your own.’
Junghyeok was speaking.
‘Did you come all this way only to yield to someone else? Were the fables you built nothing more than an imitation of that bastard's life?’
I couldn't answer.
‘Accepting what he says means denying the time your other companions spent fighting alongside you.’
At first, I had relied on TWSA to avoid danger, but things changed afterward. Events that never happened in the original novel occurred, and dangers that hadn't existed in the original novel found us.
Together with my companions, I overcame those dangers.
As fables accumulated, the gap between this world and TWSA grew. At some point, I stopped using the original novel as a reference. That was also why I ultimately never read the Final Version.
This world was no longer the world of TWSA that Secretive Plotter had lived in.
Junghyeok continued.
‘He might be right. His sense of justice may be valid. But that doesn't mean you have a reason to yield.’
[The fable Companions in Life and Death begins its story.]
‘Because we're right too.’
It was Junghyeok, who had endured the tragedy of the 1,863rd round, speaking.
Without a doubt, he too was Yu Junghyeok.
‘It still doesn't feel real, but if I truly went through 1,863 Regressions...’
Junghyeok, gripping the Black Heaven Demon Blade, briefly turned his gaze toward his allies at the Tongtian River.
Jihye's warship continued firing, while Yuseong's Chimera Dragon scattered Breath across the battlefield. Huiwon was fighting hard, as was Hyeongseong, whom she held in her grasp. Hayoung ran with Gilyeong on her back.
No one had died. Everyone was giving it their all.
To see the end of this damned world.
‘Then perhaps I came all this way to see this sight.’
The Black Heaven Demon Blade and Splitting the Sky Sword collided again. The two unbroken swords screamed as they bore their wielders' convictions.
Secretive Plotter shouted.
【Do you still not understand? Even if you've regained your memories...】
"You're persistent. What answer do you want to hear?"
【What?】
"Do you want me to admit defeat? Or do you want me to understand your life?"
【Understand? Your understanding means nothing to...】
"You don't need it."
Junghyeok spoke in an indifferent voice.
Words only Junghyeok could say.
"I don't want you to understand me either."
They were words possible because they already understood each other.
A sharp scraping sound rang out whenever their swords collided. Status clashed violently against Status.
[The fable Eternal Hellscape is roaring!]
A battlefield where two hellscapes intertwined.
Frustratingly, all I could do in that situation was watch the two Yu Junghyeoks. All I could do was somehow turn this damned page.
[The Great Fable Season of Light and Darkness is surging.]
The victor wasn't decided easily.
Secretive Plotter was relaxed. Perhaps that was only natural. We had only just become able to use the power of the 1,863rd round.
Our proficiency and adaptability put us at an overwhelming disadvantage.
As though victory was already certain, Secretive Plotter asked,
【I'm curious. Puppet of the Oldest Dream, what ending do you want to see?】
"Why should I tell you that?"
【Could it be the same ending that Demon King of Salvation wants? Do you really trust that guy?】
The two blades collided in midair, creating a massive shockwave.
Junghyeok wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took a step back.
【You don't know how pathetic that oh-so-great 'companion' you trust is. You don't know what kind of ending that bastard wants for this world.】
Secretive Plotter smiled faintly as he unleashed the Sky Splitter Sword Art.
【When this worldline first opened, Kim Dokja's goal was survival.】
「I blankly raised my head and looked at Yu Sangah. This woman would probably die. And so would I.」
The fables I had lived through breathed at the point where the swords met.
【Then his next goal was to use you to grow stronger.】
「“Make me your companion. I can make up for what you lack.”」
「To clear the countless remaining Scenarios, Yu Junghyeok was indispensable.」
As if pages were turning, the fables I had lived flashed before my eyes.
Junghyeok swung his sword roughly, as though trying to stop the story, but every attempt was thwarted by Secretive Plotter's Splitting the Sky Sword.
Secretive Plotter continued.
【After that... yes. Once he had a little breathing room, he dared to dream of this world's ending.】
「“Hyung, aren't you going to make a wish?”
I looked down at Gilyeong for a moment before answering.
“I wished to see the epilogue of a certain novel.”」
Great Sage Equaling Heaven had said that I wasn't the only one who read others. Just as I had read other people, others might be reading me too.
He was right.
While I read TWSA, Secretive Plotter had been reading my story as well. He had watched every life I lived.
【Kim Dokja began dreaming of the things I once dreamed of. He wanted to destroy the Star Stream in the sky and the world beyond the wall I couldn't cross. He wanted to save every companion, and even...】
「At the center of the black night sky, I saw groups of nebulae. Veda. Olympus. Papyrus... I'll never forget what you bastards did.」
「“I'm going to create a fable that has never existed before.”」
Memories passed before my eyes. Some were exactly as I knew them, while others had been twisted or distorted. This was because they weren't complete fables.
This was Secretive Plotter's reading of the story called Kim Dokja.
「This was how Secretive Plotter felt.」
Secretive Plotter said,
【Kim Dokja can no longer achieve that goal. To be precise, he has become unable to achieve it.】
I wanted to ask him why he thought that.
[The Fourth Wall trembles faintly.]
【A fable may be fiction, but it doesn't tell lies.】
Secretive Plotter's left hand touched Junghyeok's hair. Junghyeok reflexively swung the Black Heaven Demon Blade and knocked away Secretive Plotter's hand, but it was already too late.
[The fable One Loved by an Archangel begins its story.]
My fables cried like newborn babies.
Some were fables familiar to me.
[The fable The Fifth Sun Wukong begins its story.]
Some were fables I had only recently obtained.
[The fable A Rival Recognized by a Dragon begins its story.]
[The fable Comrade of the Sea God begins its story.]
[The fable Goryeo's Second Sword begins its story.]
Some were fables I had no idea when I'd obtained.
All those fables spoke at once.
【Demon King of Salvation, you can't destroy the Star Stream.】
The stars in the sky were shining.
The stars I had hated.
[The Constellation God of Wine and Ecstasy is watching you.]
The absolute beings who gazed lecherously upon this world of the Star Stream.
The beings who treated Incarnations' lives as entertainment.
[The Constellation Mass Production Maker is watching you.]
[The Constellation Father of the Rich Night is watching you.]
The ones who had watched over me all this time, allowing me to make it this far.
[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring is watching you.]
My ancient enemies.
【Because you no longer hate Constellations.】
Listening to Secretive Plotter, I couldn't say anything.
I wanted to say it wasn't true. I wanted to say I hated Constellations. I wanted to say that bringing them down was one of my goals.
But I couldn't.
Because, damn it, I now knew that
[The Constellation Naval Warfare God is watching you.]
not every star in that sky gave off the same light.
[The Constellation Bald Army General is watching you.]
[The Constellation Goryeo's Top Swordsman is watching you.]
In the Absolute Throne Scenario and the Demon Realm, without the Plausibility they had gathered for me, I couldn't have made it this far.
[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is watching you.]
[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is watching you.]
[The Constellation Oldest Liberator is watching you.]
I had no choice but to admit it.
They had helped me create all my fables.
【You don't want any loss in this worldline. Because you have come to love this story. Therefore, you...】
As if placing a period at the end of the story, Secretive Plotter declared,
【You will never see this world's ■■.】
Thunder roared in the sky.
The battle between Great Sage Equaling Heaven and the nebula Emperor was intensifying.
[Many audience members are watching your battlefield.]
Constellations looked down at me. Some pitied me, while others raged on my behalf. Countless Indirect Messages came flooding in.
Junghyeok said nothing.
The rain pouring down over the Tongtian River spoke in his place.
I wanted to say something.
Before I could even open my mouth, someone stole my words.
"So what are you trying to say in the end?"
It was Junghyeok.
"Kim Dokja isn't qualified, so you'll see this world's ■■ in his place?"
A faint line appeared between Secretive Plotter's brows.
【It seems you can't make a rational judgment. The one you consider a companion is no different from the Constellations you hate. That bastard is...】
"He's pathetic."
Junghyeok took over.
"He was a contract employee at an insignificant game company, and reading novels was his only hobby."
The words rang out like a pitiful self-introduction.
They were words I had once said to Junghyeok.
"He specializes in running his mouth, and when there's no solution, he has a habit of throwing away his own life to escape a crisis."
Junghyeok was describing a side of me I didn't know.
"That guy led his allies all the way here."
Kagagagak!
The Black Heaven Demon Blade pushed back the Splitting the Sky Sword. For the first time since the fight began, Junghyeok launched a concentrated assault.
Secretive Plotter's expression wavered.
Junghyeok's sword strikes pierced Secretive Plotter's defenses for the first time.
"No matter what ending awaits us, this world couldn't have made it this far without him."
【You don't know anything...!】
"Actually, I think you're the one who can't make a rational judgment. Why are you interfering with this worldline?"
The furious Sky Splitter Sword Art sliced through the darkness. Secretive Plotter's figure shook violently and was pushed back. Junghyeok didn't miss that brief instant, and his sword came down like a storm.
"What exactly is your goal? If Kim Dokja bothered you that much, why didn't you kill him long ago? If it disgusted you so much that Kim Dokja lived by using your life..."
The Black Heaven Demon Blade pointed at Secretive Plotter's throat.
[The Constellation Secretive Plotter glares at the Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]
The moment their gazes met, Junghyeok asked,
"Why are you still watching this story?"
Footnotes:
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