WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 457: Episode 86: The Square Circle (4)

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The Scenario time limit was midnight tonight.

It was already nine o'clock, which meant there were only a little over three hours left.

Why was time passing so quickly?

They said happy times went by fast. Was that actually true?

「Four complaints left to resolve. Three hours remaining.」

No matter how I looked at it, it was tight. Asking me to solve five difficult problems in a single day had been unreasonable from the start.

In the end, I chose the following solution.

"Biyoo."

A Sub Scenario could be controlled under a dokkaebi's authority.

Besides, the penalty for failure was "Death(?)" rather than "Death," so I wanted to believe she wouldn't actually kill me...

But Biyoo didn't answer.

"Where's our Biyoo?"

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon snickers at your misfortune.]

[The Constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring advises you to approach the Scenario honestly.]

Biyoo had to be nearby, considering the channel was still open.

I decided to use my secret weapon.

"Baaat."

The air wriggled, and a small horn and something like a ball of cotton rose up.

[Abaat.]

Biyoo popped up over my head and burst into laughter. I didn't laugh.

"Biyoo, I'm sorry, but could you cancel the Scenario..."

[Eobaat.]

I couldn't tell whether she meant "that's too much" or "you're overdoing it."

[Constellations who have agreed to this Scenario's Plausibility refuse to cancel it.]

Was this a Bounty Scenario?

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire insists that this Scenario is absolutely necessary for you.]

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon scolds you, saying not to use cowardly tricks.]

[The Constellation Bald Army General says that if you are a true Companion, you should overcome this with spirit and grit.]

[The Constellation Goryeo's Top Swordsman simply refuses to cancel it.]

They were getting along awfully well at times like this.

"Yes, I understand."

[The Constellation Oldest Liberator cheers on the youngest.]

Ever since Great Sage Equaling Heaven's modifier changed, something about him felt unfamiliar. We had parted immediately after the Journey to the West Scenario ended, but I would probably see him again soon.

Anyway... who was it? Who should I speak to first? Naturally, it should be someone who seemed to have a lot of complaints about me.

After dinner, I looked over my Allies, who were relaxing together.

Then Midday Tryst immediately flew in.

-What are you looking at?

I would put Suyeong aside for now.

There was no way I could solve her problem anyway.

-Are you ignoring me?

I continued searching for the next candidate. Yuseong and Gilyeong caught my eye next. As I watched the children lying side by side and patting their round bellies, it felt as though the Fruit of Good and Evil was whispering deep inside me.

「Wouldn't it be easy to solve children's worries?」

Putting aside my cowardly reason, I did need to have a talk with Gilyeong.

[The Patron Constellation of Incarnation Lee Gilyeong is watching you.]

He looked the same as usual, but faint demonic energy had seeped into Gilyeong's Status.

Should I talk to him now? This place was too open, though.

[The Constellation Master of the Sky Walk observes your actions.]

[The Constellation Lily Blooming in Aquarius is paying attention to you.]

The Constellations were watching, too. I couldn't guess how the Constellations in the channel would react if I carelessly made contact with that side.

Still, I had to at least speak to him...

[Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Level 2 is currently active.]

My head tingled, and the skill was forcibly activated again.

This had been happening often lately. I didn't know whether it was because I had been reading TWSA so often or for some other reason...

「Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump」

Then I began to hear the children's voices.

「Dokja-hyung will come talk to us, right?」

「Is he coming now?」

Huh?

「I should tell him about an enormous worry.」

「I'll tell him something really enormous.」

「What if Shin Yuseong tells him something more serious than mine?」

「Mine has to be more enormous than Lee Gilyeong's.」

I stopped walking. It definitely wasn't because I was afraid of the children.

Anyway, I turned my gaze to the person crouched beside them.

「I miss them.」

Lee Jihye was looking toward the distant sky with a mournful expression. It had been a long time since I had seen the one who usually chattered nonstop make that face.

I knew who she could be missing.

The first Scenario was a nightmare for everyone, but it had to be especially so for her.

Even with Kim Dokja Company, one person couldn't replace another.

I approached without a word and poked her shoulder. Jihye turned around.

"Oh, what is it, mister? Are you done washing the dishes?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm... Did you come because of the Scenario?"

"Not really."

"I don't have any worries, so you don't need to listen. Go talk to someone else."

Even now, she was thinking of others. No matter how much she hurt, she thought of someone else's pain first.

That was how Lee Jihye of Chungmuro had grown up. That was how she had become an adult.

"You can talk whenever you want. If you don't want to tell me, tell someone else. Just don't stay curled up and let it rot inside you alone."

Jihye blinked as if she had never expected me to say something like that.

"Mister, don't get all high and mighty."

Jihye gave a small laugh and struck my shin with her fist.

I thought it might've broken.

[You have currently resolved 1 complaint.]

Jihye's worries wouldn't be solved by such a short conversation. Still, it was something that needed to be said.

Jihye shook her beer glass, then got to her feet.

"All right. I'm full now, so should I go loosen up a little?"

"You don't work out after drinking."

"I'm fine, you know?"

Like master, like disciple.

Wait. Come to think of it, there was one person who probably had more complaints about me than anyone.

I quickly searched around the campsite. Yet no matter where I looked, I couldn't find him.

"Hey, are you deaf? When someone calls you, you should answer..."

Someone smacked the back of my head with a crack.

I turned around.

"Suyeong."

"What."

"Where did Junghyeok go?"

"Junghyeok? He was here just a moment ago... Huh?"

Suyeong seemed to notice it then, too. Junghyeok usually acted alone and disappeared without warning, so it wasn't particularly strange. The problem was that he hadn't disappeared alone.

Suyeong looked at the wide-open back seat of the X-grade Ferrari.

"Secretive Plotter is gone too."

* * *

Secretive Plotter, wrapped in a transparent Sealing Orb, rolled across the rough ground. He was still unconscious.

Yu Junghyeok stared down at Secretive Plotter for a moment, then quietly drew the Black Heaven Demon Blade.

"I know you're awake."

Secretive Plotter slowly opened his eyes. Faint sparks crackled as fable energy surged over his entire body. His fables were temporarily returning.

【You really don't know how to enjoy a brief peace.】

"I don't have a hobby of enjoying peace with an enemy."

【Are you planning to kill me? That would be fine. But you know that even if you did, you couldn't truly kill me.】

It was true.

Secretive Plotter was Yu Junghyeok as well. Killing him would only create another worldline.

Even so, Junghyeok didn't lower the Black Heaven Demon Blade.

"That would still be better than watching you ruin this worldline."

Secretive Plotter smiled.

They were both Yu Junghyeok. They had lived different lives, but they undoubtedly shared the same essence. That was why they understood each other's thoughts better than anyone.

【Do you think you can kill me with your strength alone? As you are now, you can't fight an Outer God without Kim Dokja's fables.】

"Maybe not. But killing you is simple. I only need to break that Sealing Orb."

A faint disturbance crossed Secretive Plotter's face.

Secretive Plotter was currently trapped within the incomplete Apocalypse Sealing Orb cast by Uriel of the 999th round.

"You deliberately aren't releasing the Sealing Orb. If I break it, Hound Chasing the Abyss will appear from the cracks in space-time."

Junghyeok had briefly glimpsed the memories of the 1,863rd round engraved in the fable "Eternal Hellscape," and through them, he had learned some information about Outer Gods.

Hound Chasing the Abyss, the Hounds of Tindalos. He had learned of them then as well.

Cleaners that detected distortions in worldlines.

"They can only appear in places containing angles of ninety degrees or less. Hounds would be no problem for you normally, but things are different while you're weakened like this."

The flow of Status coursing through the Black Heaven Demon Blade grew stronger.

Junghyeok had not fully recovered from his injuries either, so a direct battle against Secretive Plotter would be too much. Still, breaking that Sealing Orb would not be a problem.

Perhaps because he understood Junghyeok's resolve, Secretive Plotter's expression changed as well.

He looked as if he had accepted something.

Just as Junghyeok was about to move the Black Heaven Demon Blade,

"Oppa."

Someone poked her head out from the bushes.

"What are you doing?"

Junghyeok turned toward her in alarm and shouted.

"Yu Mia! Don't come over here!"

A look of dismay flashed over Junghyeok's face. Because he had focused all his senses on Secretive Plotter, he had made an absurd mistake.

"Go back to the others! It's dangerous here!"

"No."

It was a sulky voice she had never used before.

Junghyeok asked blankly, "What?"

"Don't lecture me when you hardly ever come to Earth. You promised you'd stay with me for the next few days, didn't you? Aunt Sugyeong and Aunt Yeongran are always busy. I'm sick of listening to Grandma Boksun's old stories, too!"

Mia strode toward him, pouring out her words one after another. For a moment, Junghyeok's judgment faltered.

Taking advantage of that opening, Mia ran toward Secretive Plotter.

"But he looks exactly like you, oppa. Who are you?"

Mia was already close enough to reach Secretive Plotter.

Junghyeok grew anxious. He wanted to swing his sword and break the Sealing Orb immediately, but one wrong move could sweep Mia into the resulting torrent as well.

As he hesitated, Mia placed her hand against the transparent Sealing Orb and innocently asked,

"Are you trapped in there? Should I let you out?"

Junghyeok wanted to move at once and pull his sister away.

But why couldn't he?

Secretive Plotter was looking at Mia.

His eyes trembled with deep turmoil. Junghyeok was surprised that even Secretive Plotter, who had lived for so long, could make such an expression.

Mia urged him.

"Hey, answer me."

Footnotes:

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