WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 523: Epilogue 1: The Zeroth World (7)

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Two months had already passed since I began watching the zeroth round.

If there was one thing I'd realized during that time, it was that Yu Junghyeok was Yu Junghyeok in every round.

"I won't choose anyone."

[The Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has not chosen a Patron.]

This was already the second patron selection to end this way.

Including the sudden patron selection event in between, there had been three in total.

And in all three, Junghyeok had never chosen a Patron.

Of course, he hadn't been able to make a choice the first time because of me.

The palm I'd used to strike the back of his head still hurt. I had interfered in an early Scenario and knocked out an Incarnation just as he entered an important event, so even I couldn't have come away unscathed. Ever since then, Junghyeok had been extremely wary of patron selection.

「Constellations... They can suddenly knock me unconscious. I can't trust them blindly.」

It was regrettable from my perspective. Still, the other Constellations hadn't been chosen either, so it wasn't entirely bad.

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon complains that Yu Junghyeok isn't choosing him.]

[The Constellation Nail-Eating Rat covets Incarnation Yu Junghyeok's nails.]

[The Constellation Progenitor of Humanity takes an interest in Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire finds Incarnation Yu Junghyeok's actions puzzling.]

As time passed, Bihyeong's channel gradually grew, and the number of modifiers I knew increased considerably as well.

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation greets Demonic Judge of Fire.]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire snorts.]

Uriel...

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband giggles.]

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation happily greets Prisoner of the Golden Headband.]

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband starts picking his nose.]

Right. This was TWSA.

I'd briefly forgotten while thinking only of the familiar Constellations.

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon warns the other Constellations that Demon King of Salvation is an attention seeker and they should be careful.]

Of course, that bastard was the most annoying of them all. Just as I was about to spend coins to say something, Bihyeong spoke.

[Supreme King Yu Junghyeok, are you really not going to choose a Patron? You'd better think carefully.]

"I won't."

[Ahem. Now then, Constellations who have applied to become his Patron. This time, I'll give you a special chance to appeal to that Incarnation!]

Thanks to Junghyeok, Bihyeong had gained a great many groups dedicated to finding Incarnations, and the smile hadn't left his face all day. He must have realized this was his chance to make a killing.

A message window appeared before me shortly afterward.

[A special sponsorship opportunity provided by dokkaebi Bihyeong!]

[Sponsor an item for the Incarnation you want!]

I almost pressed confirm without thinking, then read the small warning beneath the window.

* 3,500 coins will be automatically deducted when purchasing this product.

I let out a light sigh.

[Coins held: 500C]

「Stu pid Kim Dok ja」

There was no way I had any coins left after emptying Kim Dokja Company's treasury to clear the Final Scenario.

I'd considered using the authority of the Oldest Dream to produce coins, but it wasn't efficient with my current power, so I had put that idea aside for now.

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon says that if you contract with him, he can make your Black Flame Dragon look cool...]

[The Constellation God of Wine and Ecstasy says that if you contract with him, Olympus's legendary liquor will be a special benefit...]

[The Constellation Lady of the Sleeping Brocade says that if you contract with her, she will provide a mid-grade Starter Pack...]

Constellations' sponsorship messages poured down from the air.

Constellations lined up to offer early benefits that even I had never received.

If things had gone according to the original novel, even third-round Junghyeok wouldn't have received this much attention so early. Then why had zeroth-round Junghyeok become famous already? The reason was simple.

[The Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has rejected the Constellations' offers.]

"That's not enough."

Zeroth-round Junghyeok had gotten too bold.

"There are plenty of people offering that kind of junk. Is there no one who can tell me about Hidden Pieces?"

[The Constellation Lady of the Sleeping Brocade says, sweating profusely, that she doesn't know much about those things.]

"Is there no one who can show me something like a Revelation of the future?"

[The Constellation Master of the Sky Walk says that leaking such information is illegal.]

"You're worse than Demon King of Salvation."

[Some Constellations wonder who Demon King of Salvation is!]

That was how Demon King of Salvation was rapidly becoming famous in the zeroth round, entirely against my will.

-Demon King of Salvation! A leaker of future Revelations?

-Olympus states that leaking Revelations is impossible under Plausibility...

-The Demon King Association declares that no demon king called Demon King of Salvation exists.

-Abyssal Black Flame Dragon claims that Demon King of Salvation resembles a modifier he once used...

Reading the information coming through Daily Star Stream, I was once again realizing what the life of a Constellation was like. Becoming a Constellation after being an Incarnation was completely different from being a Constellation from the start of the Scenarios.

[Your fame is beginning to spread throughout the Star Stream.]

[Some gossipmongers compose and spread a song about the fraudulent Demon King of Salvation.]

[You have gained 5,000 coins due to your increased fame.]

At any rate, this wasn't a bad situation for me.

[Hehe. Demon King of Salvation-nim, will you continue your channel subscription this month as well?]

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation replies that of course he will.]

[Thanks to you, Demon King-nim, this month's sales have risen significantly. Um, if it isn't too rude, may I ask what your True name is...? Honestly, you're the first person I've seen who treats Plausibility like rat droppings. Ah, hahaha. I mean that as a compliment, of course!]

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation says that he cannot reveal his True name.]

[Is that so? That's a shame. To be honest, I do find it a little strange that someone as remarkable as you would stay on my channel for so long. It's not as if I have any powerful backing...]

Bihyeong looked uncertain.

I watched him for a moment before telling him this.

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation says that he is only repaying a debt.]

* * *

A book you've read once can be read again with less effort. Yet it can still trouble you in completely unexpected places.

The zeroth round felt like that to me.

[The Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has not chosen a Patron.]

In some ways, Junghyeok's zeroth round resembled my worldline.

A story that had strayed far from its predetermined course.

After coming this far, it would already be impossible to return the zeroth round to its original course.

"Junghyeok-ssi. Should we set up the barricade here?"

Steel Sword Emperor Lee Hyeongseong.

"Hey, Captain! You said you'd teach me swordsmanship too!"

Delusional Demon Kim Namwoon.

"Master. Can I go farm some items after this Scenario ends?"

Naval Commander Lee Jihye.

And one person who hadn't existed in the original zeroth round had been added here.

「When you pass through Geumho Station, make sure to recruit her.」

Maybe that was my greed.

Yu Sangah, Lee Gilyeong, and I didn't exist in this world...

But there was at least one member of Kim Dokja Company I could recruit.

"Hyeongseong-ssi. That's crooked."

Judge of Evil Jeong Huiwon.

Watching Huiwon check every detail the other Allies had missed, I was overwhelmed with old memories.

「"I really liked it back then. Going to a department store together to buy clothes, then visiting Eden looking all nice."」

I'd given many memories to the 49% Avatar, but I still had many left. I focused to keep from losing my way among the pages of memory rushing in like a storm.

「"That's why this is all you're capable of, isn't it?"」

The Jeong Huiwon I remembered would be doing well.

That world's story had ended safely. With that world's me and Allies, she would be going to the Han River and the sea, living peaceful everyday lives.

I murmured it like I was brainwashing myself, trying to focus on the world before me.

「This pla ce isn't your wor ld ei ther.」

I know.

「Kim Dokja's world no longer exists anywhere.」

For a being to whom every world was a dream, there was no meaning in something like a single reality.

To forget that fact, I immersed myself in the scene before me. It would be better to become a thoughtless Constellation. If I became a devourer of stories who enjoyed Scenarios and created the situations I wanted, I could forget all of it.

"Brother! This Mia did it!"

Fortunately, this was my favorite story.

"I told you not to talk like that in front of other people."

"Hng."

Watching Junghyeok criticize his sister's way of speaking, I smiled bitterly.

You should fix the way you talk first, bastard.

Even if he was a Pro Gamer, he must have spoken to people before. How had he managed to function in society speaking like that?

Was it the Plausibility of his face?

"The fourth Scenario will begin soon. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

Junghyeok gradually grew through the information I gave him.

「Keep Namwoon under control so he doesn't go astray. He admires you, so it'll be easier if you use that. Remember, no one is evil from the start.」

Information I'd passed on each time at the cost of immense Plausibility.

「Don't fool around in the Theater Dungeon. Proceed calmly. The final boss uses mental attacks, so make sure you get this skill before going-」

「Pildu Gong can be useful if you keep him under control during the early Scenarios. He's not a completely horrible man, so try to make him repent. The hint is-」

Junghyeok had been suspicious at first, but as my advice proved correct one by one, he gradually began to trust me.

Well, who did he think had gotten him this far?

Honestly, it was enough to make me resent him when he still hadn't chosen Demon King of Salvation as his Patron.

"But Captain, how do you know so much about the Scenarios?"

"There's someone helping me."

"Helping you...?"

Thankfully, zeroth-round Junghyeok wasn't completely ungrateful.

-Give me the next Revelation.

Junghyeok paid Bihyeong the enormous sum of 300,000 coins to open a private one-on-one communication channel. It was an obvious choice since I supplied him with vital information, but I still found it admirable.

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation has bestowed a Fragment of Revelation upon Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]

「The key to the fourth Scenario is the Absolute Throne. What you must remember is, never...」

Crummble...

Each time I passed information along to him, an enormous amount of Plausibility was being consumed.

The fundamental unit of this world was story. Naturally, revealing the future damaged Plausibility more than striking Junghyeok on the back of the head.

"Enemies!"

At the sight of the approaching enemies, Junghyeok's Allies simultaneously drew their weapons.

The final act of the fourth Scenario would soon begin.

[The Fourth Wall] spoke.

「Yo u know what you are do ing.」

Crummble...

My fingertips were melting away.

I watched Junghyeok fight the Seven Kings of Seoul. The Splitting the Sky Sword flashing in his hand let out a valiant cry.

「No mat ter how hard you try.」

The zeroth-round story had become entirely different from the original novel.

In this worldline, Junghyeok would walk a path unlike that of any other Yu Junghyeok.

「That gu y can't see be yond the Wa ll.」

I knew what [The Fourth Wall] meant.

There was no way to obtain [The Fourth Wall] in this worldline. In other words, there was no final key to open [The Final Wall]. No matter what he did, zeroth-round Junghyeok wouldn't obtain that key.

But Junghyeok being unable to cross [The Final Wall] didn't mean he would be unhappy. As long as I was the Oldest Dream, his worldline wouldn't be destroyed even after the Scenarios ended.

「Some truths make everyone unhappy simply by existing.」

I couldn't show him the truth, but I could show him a proper ending to this story.

[Congratulations! Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has passed all trials of the Absolute Throne.]

Having finally defeated all Seven Kings of Seoul, Junghyeok stood before the Absolute Throne. The night sky radiated light. Every Constellation in the Seoul Dome, along with every citizen gathered at Gwanghwamun, watched Junghyeok's actions.

Junghyeok slowly drew a sword from inside his coat.

The Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword.

I lent him my strength in place of the Northern Dipper Star Lords.

[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation watches Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]

Seven constellations began to light up one after another. The Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword in Junghyeok's hand shone brilliantly as it evolved into a constellation artifact.

[Outer Gods are shocked by your terrifying power!]

[The Northern Dipper Star Lords are startled by your existence!]

[All Constellations on the Korean Peninsula...]

"I have no intention of representing disgusting humans like you."

Junghyeok continued.

"Nor do I intend to become the plaything of filthy Constellations like you. I won't sit on the Absolute Throne."

Words I felt I'd heard somewhere before.

Junghyeok's sword moved.

"And I won't let anyone else sit upon this throne either."

The Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword.

A sword that severed a Constellation's connection to its artifact. Junghyeok brought that sword down on the Absolute Throne. Again and again and again.

Craaaack!

The Star Stream's night sky brightened like White Night, and messages burst forth in a flood. The Plausibility Backlash caused by the Scenario's distortion had begun.

I silently reached out and blocked the surging backlash.

[The worldline is dissatisfied with your excessive interference!]

[This Overwrite is beyond your control!]

[Part of your fable has been lost!]

Junghyeok was currently in his zeroth round.

He wasn't the regressor, so he didn't know information from the future. Nor could he restore the skills he'd used in previous rounds through [transmission].

The Scenarios ahead would become even more difficult.

He couldn't use [Bookmark] like I could, nor could he use [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint].

「That was why Kim Dokja knew what he needed to use to fill those shortcomings.」

Junghyeok wouldn't regress.

He wouldn't become Secretive Plotter.

Nor would he become an unhappy pilgrim wandering through worldlines.

In this world, Junghyeok would see the proper ending he deserved.

[The Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has acquired his first fable!]

[A new fable is being created for Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]

Junghyeok looked up at the sky. Behind him, a fable in the shape of a white tiger looked at me. It was the very fable that had once protected me.

[The fable King of a Kingless World has been born.]

Through the gaps in my crumbling right thumb, I saw Junghyeok's delighted face.

There would be no Kim Dokja in this story.

「Even so, it was the story Kim Dokja truly wanted to create.」

When I slowly closed my eyes, it felt as though a page appeared before me.

An old page already marked with traces like someone's scribbles.

「At that moment, Kim Dokja resolved to write that story himself, the one absent from the original novel.」

I began writing something on that page.

One page, then two. Time passed whenever the pages turned.

Five, six, seven, eight...

One finger disappeared each time the Scenario advanced.

The missing fingers grew back over time, but they were smaller than before. I wrote Revelations with those fingers. The ending the Yu Junghyeok of the original novel wanted. The conclusion I wanted to see. Things I had done wrong, and things I had newly learned.

All those stories became one, then soon became a fable.

How much time passed like that?

I slowly opened my eyes.

「At last, zeroth-round Yu Junghyeok had reached the Final Chapter of the Scenario.」

Footnotes:

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