WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 468: Episode 89: Great Apocalypse (2)
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Yu Junghyeok didn't wake up for four hours after collapsing.
"Hey! You crazy bastard! Get a grip!"
Han Suyeong and I took turns slapping Junghyeok's cheeks. Yet he showed no sign of waking up.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
His cheeks were so hard that no matter how long we slapped them, they didn't even swell. Our palms started hurting first. Suyeong spoke with genuine admiration.
"This is kind of fun."
"This isn't the time for that."
[5 hours and 12 minutes remain until the Great Apocalypse Scenario begins.]
There really wasn't much time left. The Great Apocalypse would begin soon, and the expanded Plausibility would allow the Outer Gods to invade.
Yet Junghyeok was in this state.
I couldn't begin to guess what had gone wrong.
Was it related to my [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint]?
[The activation of Character Profile has failed.]
[The applicable individual is not a character.]
I tried using [Character Profile] again, but the same message appeared. There were countless Yu Junghyeoks in this universe, but only one had ever produced that message. The Yu Junghyeok who had vanished toward his own story in the 1,863rd round.
That made me think of something.
But... surely not?
Seolhwa, who had been watching us nearby, asked, "Should we give him a Life-and-Death Pill?"
Not long ago, Seolhwa had finally completed the ultimate restorative medicine, the Life-and-Death Pill.
An elixir said to heal even the most critical injuries as long as it was administered.
"Can you already mass-produce them?"
"No. I've only managed to make a few. There aren't enough ingredients..."
I groaned softly. With no idea what lay ahead, we couldn't waste a Life-and-Death Pill carelessly.
[The ego of the character Yu Junghyeok is clashing!]
Besides, even a Life-and-Death Pill might not be able to solve a mental problem.
That was when a faint tremor spread through the entire industrial complex.
"Dokja-ssi, we've detected movement."
Hyeongseong burst through the infirmary door. Suyeong and I looked at each other at the same time. The panel screen we hurriedly activated showed the Pacific Ocean.
Rumble!
The wave that had swallowed the American continent was reappearing. The enormous wave was blocked by the wall of a transparent dome, only raising the water level.
It was still bound by Plausibility restrictions.
Sizzle!
Still, the wall of Plausibility was gradually being pushed back.
The border crossing the Pacific continued to widen.
Outer Gods writhed between the rising waves.
In five hours, that boundary would reach the Korean Peninsula, and this land would vanish from Earth that day.
"Kim Dokja, what's the plan?"
"I have one."
I glanced at the unconscious Junghyeok.
"Though I think I'll need to change it."
"Don't make me nervous. How did they stop that in the original?"
"It wasn't exactly the same Calamity, but the nebulae all rushed in to stop it. Most of the Constellations were wiped out."
"Where are all those great Constellations now?"
"Where else?"
[Many nebulae are watching your decision.]
They were probably watching our destruction from there.
[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire rebukes the Constellations, asking whether all justice in the Star Stream is dead!]
[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon shakes his head with his arms crossed.]
[The Constellation Oldest Liberator finds the Constellations of the great nebulae pathetic.]
Even our Constellations' provocations didn't faze them.
[Some Constellations claim that Kim Dokja Company brought this upon itself.]
There were even those who turned the accusation back on us.
[Some Constellations claim that Kim Dokja Company was the one that took their shares first.]
Normally, those absurd claims would have enraged me. Oddly enough, though, I felt calm. I thought I understood why they acted that way.
When I visited Oz, the monkey had told me this.
"The fables that originally made up Great Fables are following a path of decline similar to Oz. A recently emerged fable has begun devouring the shares of other fables. Your fables, that is."
The true leaders of this stage should have been the nebulae that had built ancient myths. Yet many of those nebulae had their main fables stolen or destroyed by us. Then the Star Stream even elevated us to the status of a top-three-ranked nebula. The sense of loss those old stars felt must have been immense.
Of course, that didn't mean they were doing the right thing.
Suyeong, chewing her nails, asked, "Wouldn't it be better to just give up on Earth? We should figure out how to get everyone into the Final Scenario..."
"You know we can't."
Only those who had been permitted could go to the Final Scenario.
Even if we brought everyone on Earth into Kim Dokja Company, they would be annihilated by the Plausibility Backlash caused by such an impossible Scenario jump.
"Damn it..."
I could feel "Predictive Plagiarism" spinning fiercely in Suyeong's head.
"The Kings of the Outer Gods are from the 999th round, right? How many are there?"
"Four, excluding Secretive Plotter."
"We have to fight all four?"
Shaking my head, I recalled the list of Kings of the Outer Gods.
「The "Living Flame" that rises in the east.」
「The Calamity of the western world, "Sunken Island's Owner."」
「The ruler of the northern universe, the "Great Abyssal Lord."」
「The ruler of the southern interstellar region, the "King of the Silver Heart."」
Beings who had seen the conclusion of the 999th round and become Kings of the Outer Gods.
Still, even the Administration Bureau probably hadn't deployed every King. The Administration Bureau didn't like uncontrollable Scenarios.
If so...
"One has already appeared in the Pacific. Once our forces begin moving, another will probably move too. That makes two in total."
"One is that thing in the Pacific, and the other is the Uriel from the 999th round?"
"That's right."
"How strong are they? I saw them then, but it was only for a moment..."
"Secretive Plotter ended up like that because of the Uriel from the 999th round."
"Fuck, and things like that are bringing subordinates with them?"
Suyeong had clearly witnessed Secretive Plotter's power during the battle against the Apocalypse Dragon. Her reaction was understandable.
"Are you sure the Constellations in our channel will help us?"
"Even with their help, we can't be certain of victory. More importantly, we can't organize our forces properly without Junghyeok."
My original plan had been to split my Allies into two groups and defeat the Kings of the Outer Gods one at a time. But if Junghyeok, one of our main fighters, was out of action, we couldn't call on the strength of the 1,863rd round.
Beyond the panel screen, the waves continued expanding their territory. If we started defending after the Great Apocalypse's domain reached the Korean Peninsula, it would already be too late.
I made my decision quickly.
"Let's move. I'll tell you what everyone needs to do."
Five hours remained.
We had to finish every preparation before then.
* * *
While Suyeong gave the others their orders, I met with Lee Gilyeong. When I called for him, he ran straight into the reception room with a bright expression.
"Hyung! You called for me? What is it?"
I nodded.
"Why don't you sit over there?"
Gilyeong immediately sat on the sofa, staring up at me with sparkling eyes as if eager to hear what I had to say.
I looked directly into those eyes.
「The child who had regarded this world as a game.」
I could still vividly remember the moment I first met Gilyeong. The flickering subway lights, the nightmare of locusts springing toward empty air. If Gilyeong hadn't caught that locust, I would have died.
「The insect-collecting boy who lost his mother was now old enough for middle school.」
I hadn't saved Gilyeong's mother. What would have happened if I had made a different choice that day?
If my hatred for humanity had been just a little less. If I hadn't noticed the obvious wounds on the child's arm while picking up the locust. If I hadn't had the habit of jumping to conclusions about someone's history from a few clues.
If I hadn't read TWSA.
If I hadn't been Kim Dokja...
"...did."
What?
"I was wrong, hyung."
Gilyeong lowered his head. His shoulders shook anxiously, like a child awaiting a terrible punishment. Had my expression frightened him, or was there another reason?
He continued, "But, but I had no choice... If I hadn't made that contract then, Shin Yuseong would have..."
Only then did I understand what he was talking about.
「And the boy made a contract with a demon to protect what was precious to him.」
The scene from "Journey to the West" passed through my mind. I had clearly seen Gilyeong, surrounded by the Nine Luminaries Star Lords, unleash a yellow storm.
He was talking about that moment.
"I remember exactly what you said, Dokja hyung! You told me not to borrow my Patron's power! I didn't break my promise on purpose. I really, I really...!"
I placed a hand on the babbling child's head.
"You did well."
"Huh?"
His eyes widened. I spoke firmly.
"You did well, Gilyeong. If it hadn't been for you then, we all would have died."
I knew how hard it must have been for him. I knew the misery of being unable to do anything while your Allies died before your eyes. Gilyeong must have felt the same way.
"But you can't do it again. You know that, right? With your power as it is..."
"No."
"What?"
"Even if the same thing happens, I'll do it again. I'll use that power again. To protect Shin Yuseong and... the others."
"Gilyeong."
After hesitating for a moment, Gilyeong slipped out from under my hand. All kinds of emotions swirled in the child's raised eyes.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had been preparing myself for this.
"I know you called me here to scold me. But I came to say this too. I'm not a child anymore, hyung. I'm qualified too. Just like everyone else, I've made it through every Scenario to get here."
I groaned inwardly.
I knew. I did, but...
As if my thoughts were pathetic, the voice of [The Fourth Wall] rang out.
「Don't tre at him like a chi ld. You'r e more of a chi ld.」
'Gilyeong is a child.'
「An yway, you can't fi ght with out that ch ild.」
「Pretend ing to be a go od pers on doesn't su it Kim Dok ja.」
I knew. But even so...
「Don't wor ry. My fri end will he lp.」
Friend?
Sizzle!
Something like a transparent wall rippled around Gilyeong.
[The Fourth Wall responds to its friend.]
I carefully reached toward the air.
Something was there. I already knew the feel of that wall. But it was still incomplete.
All at once, I understood several things.
So that "wall" had...
"Hy-hyung, even if you try to stop me...!"
Perhaps he had felt the pressure from my outstretched hand, because Gilyeong cried out in a trembling voice. I quickly lowered my hand and took his. I held it tightly for a long time, until the child's trembling slowly faded.
"You're right, Gilyeong."
"Hyung...?"
"I... We can't see the ending without your help. Your role is essential to the Scenarios we're facing."
I slowly closed and opened my eyes.
There was no avoiding it now. I had to accept this reality, where I had no choice but to rely on a wounded child. I had to value the heart that had grown beyond his years, and the courage he had shown first.
To answer that courage, I had to be honest too.
"But that doesn't mean I'll let you fight alone. This is my selfishness, and it's something I can never compromise on. Can you understand that?"
Gilyeong slowly nodded. He wiped away his tears and smiled faintly.
My heart ached anew at having to go to war with a child like him.
But it was time to make a choice.
"I want to speak with your Patron."
At my words, Gilyeong's gaze wavered violently.
"But hyung, this guy is..."
"Don't worry."
There was a reason I had never made use of Gilyeong's Patron until now.
It was simply too dangerous.
「"Are you really not going to come with me? You'll grow much faster if you come with me than with that bastard. Are you still not coming?"」
Yu Junghyeok had probably tried to take Gilyeong with him because he knew that well.
That fox-like bastard.
I gently gripped Gilyeong's shoulder and spoke to the worried boy.
"Your hyung is a Mythical Constellation now."
Until a few days ago, I would have avoided this choice if possible. But things were different now. I took a shallow breath and looked up into the air, speaking a constellation's declaration.
[I know you're watching. Come out.]
The moment my tone changed, a heavy reverberation spread through the room. Sparks filled the reception room as Gilyeong's expression changed. His face twisted in pain, and his eyes rolled back until only the whites showed. Realizing what was about to happen, I gripped the child's shoulders firmly through the backlash.
[I didn't tell you to Descend.]
The backlash abruptly weakened, and pain rushed through my arm. I endured it. Unless I showed this much showmanship, I couldn't make a proper deal with that thing.
[Your Status suppresses the effects of a localized Plausibility Backlash!]
Gilyeong's expression quickly calmed. The next moment, something like the sound of insect wings came through his mouth, now filled with empty darkness.
[I am accustomed to waiting, but you have taken far too long.]
It was a voice like millions of locusts taking flight at once.
Footnotes:
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