WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 54: Episode 11 - Night of the Prophets (5)

The so-called 1,168th Renouncer watched the split flames, blocked by the shield, and spoke.

"My identity? What are you talking about all of a sudden…."

"Did you forget? I have the [Sage’s Eye]."

I said it confidently, though the truth was, I couldn’t actually see this guy’s information.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

[The information of this character cannot be accessed through Character Profile.]

[This character is not registered in the Character Profile.]

What could be the difference between registered and unregistered characters? I didn’t know yet, but it didn’t matter. Deceiving him wasn’t hard since he believed I was Yu Junghyeok.

"…There’s no fooling you, Junghyeok-nim."

"You’re an Apostle, aren’t you?"

"Yes. You’ve figured it out already."

The fact that he revealed himself so readily meant he still had tricks up his sleeve.

"This was a trap, wasn’t it? Is it because of the butterfly effect?"

"Haha, exactly."

He laughed as if he found my words amusing, then glanced toward the other renouncers.

"When there are too many fluttering butterflies, unnecessary storms tend to arise."

The renouncers who couldn’t find a platform were melting like moths in the ‘Flame of Destruction.’ Their horrifying screams faded away along with the information they once possessed. They were paying the price for coveting the holy relic without any real understanding.

"So, you want to kill the butterflies while they’re still larvae?"

"It’s easiest to kill them right before they become cocoons."

As the intense heat began to subside, the flames died down, and the Absolute Shield dissipated.

[The platforms will regenerate in one minute.]

This hidden scenario required finding and withstanding attacks on a total of 10 platforms before it ended. We’d only passed one cycle, which meant nine more rounds to go.

I pressed my foot down experimentally on a spot outside the shield. The heat was intense but manageable.

―Representative!

I raised my hand, signaling my allies to stay back. Now wasn’t the time to worry about them.

―You’ve probably picked up on the pattern by now, so each of you should handle things on your own. I can’t keep protecting you.

Sensing something was off, my allies paused. It was too risky to involve them when the Apostles’ abilities were still unknown. The 1,168th watched me.

"You’re different from how the revelation depicted you. Are you really in the third round?"

"Shut up. Where did you stop reading?"

"Hm? If you checked, you’d already know."

"I like people who are transparent. I don’t deal with two-faced scumbags."

The apostle’s eyes glinted with interest.

"Interesting."

"There must be a reason you revealed yourself so easily."

At that moment, the lesser dragon’s tail lashed out, striking the spot where we stood. With agility over 30, I dodged it easily, but 1,168th’s nimble movement surprised me.

I activated [Cold Observation], a skill I’d obtained in the Cinema dungeon. I had been saving it specifically for cases where [Character Profile] wouldn’t work.

The strength of his leg muscles, his speed, the rhythm of his breathing… His combined stat sum was around 49 or 50. Among the prophets, he was certainly one of the strongest.

As I approached his back, the apostle introduced himself formally.

"Let me introduce myself. I’m the 1,195th. Among the <Apostles>, I’m known as the ‘Fifth Apostle.’"

The first chapter of Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse had 1,200 views. As the 1,195th, he must have been one of the top five in terms of information among the quitters.

"What’s your goal? Are you seeking my help?"

"Ahaha, what if I said it was to save you, Junghyeok-nim?"

"About as believable as saying a worm will turn into a butterfly."

"As expected, your insight thanks to [Lie Detection] has no openings."

He licked his dry lips. Should I just take him out now? …No, not yet. I needed to hear more.

"But me saying I want to save you is not a lie. If you die here, the revelation will be thrown into chaos."

"So you knew I’d come."

"I found out a few hours ago, so we rushed to revise the plan."

Sparks flew, and a few more Prophets nearby perished. Some were still managing to survive, apparently familiar with the lesser dragon’s pattern. I kept an eye on them.

"Originally, we weren’t planning to get involved. But you wouldn’t be here otherwise."

"So?"

"You probably already know the answer."

[The platforms have regenerated!]

[The Tier-5 Fire Dragon Species Lesser Dragon Ignir is preparing the Flame of Destruction.]

This time, my allies safely reached a platform, and the apostle and I also found one marked ‘2.’ More accurately, he had muscled someone else off the platform. A splash of blood stained his cheek.

"We’re going to hunt the lesser dragon."

[The Tier-5 Fire Dragon Species Lesser Dragon Ignir has used Flame of Destruction.]

The reactivated Absolute Shield blocked the flames once more.

BOOOOM!

We’d only reached the second platform, yet barely a quarter of the Prophets remained. My allies were managing to hold on, but I couldn’t be sure how long they’d last.

[A penalty has been applied to the hidden piece.]

[The number of platforms generated in the next turn will be reduced.]

I narrowed my eyes.

"With just your power?"

"It’s possible. We’ve made enough preparations."

His voice was filled with confidence, and I felt a hint of unease. Now that I thought about it, he hadn’t even broken a sweat in this heat.

A faint blue aura shimmered across his skin.

It was… of course. They’d prepared thoroughly.

"Is that ‘Blue Ice Pill’?"

"Correct."

This rare pill could be obtained with a small chance from hunting tier-7 Elemental Species in Gangseo district. They’d already secured it. Consuming one allowed the user to emit a powerful cold aura for at least 30 minutes. In other words, they had the means to inflict damage on the lesser dragon. The only problem was attack power.

"But you can’t do it alone."

"I never said I was alone, did I?"

I scanned the remaining prophets. A few I’d noted earlier also had a faint blue aura around them.

"Heh, of course I didn’t come alone."

Counting quickly, there were at least five of them. To think they’d deploy half their force just for this plan. If all five apostles had taken blue ice pills, it made sense they’d feel confident. But still—

"A few more of you won’t make much difference."

"Which is why I’m asking for your help. If you help us, we’ll give you a blue ice pill as well."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then at the very least, Yu Junghyeok-nim, your allies here will die."

"You think you’ll walk away unscathed?"

"Even if we can’t kill the lesser dragon, each of us can protect our own life."

The smug confidence was laughable. If I were the real Yu Junghyeok, this guy’s head would have already rolled. I drew ‘Unbreakable Faith’ and pointed it at his neck.

"Do you think I’d waste my time worrying about allies? People die all the time. I’ll just gather more worthy ones."

The apostle shook his head with a faint smile.

"Haha, you are just as the revelation said. But I’d suggest thinking carefully."

"What are you implying?"

"By now, your ‘home base’ has probably fallen into our hands."

"What?"

"You’ve assembled quite the party, despite the deviation from the original ‘revelation.’ From Naval Commander Lee Jihye; the unusual kid with special abilities; and one of the Ten Evils… If they all die, would it still be easy for you to start over?"

They’d already learned that much? These bastards….

"And if, on top of that, you were to lose ‘Chungmuro Station’? For now, it’s just a suggestion, but don’t expect this to remain just an ‘offer.’ Our group has already secured ten stations and completed the ‘King’s Path’ scenario. I don’t need to explain the difference between a group with a King and one without, do I?"

"…"

"By now, everything should be in place. Our King is likely waiting at Chungmuro’s flagpole, waiting for your decision."

So that was their plan. The moment they learned I’d be attending <Night of the Prophets>, they must have decided to target Chungmuro.

"If Junghyeok-nim swears to join us, we’ll ensure the safety of your allies and pledge full support going forward. I swear on the ‘honor of my King.’"

It had been a while since I’d felt my heart pound from such a calculated threat. The audacity to negotiate like this against Yu Junghyeok… Even in Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, such a tactician was rare.

"Who’s your ‘King’? When did he stop reading and renounce the revelation?"

"Hm… Our King dislikes being referred to as a ‘renouncer.’"

"Then what should I call him?"

"Even if you’re Yu Junghyeok, I must ask you to be respectful when speaking of him. He’s the only prophet who has read the entire revelation. He knows all of your past and future. Yu Junghyeok-nim."

…What? For a moment, I was surprised, though I didn’t fully believe it. This was getting interesting. Was there another reader who had finished the novel besides me?

A laugh escaped me—not a hollow one, but a genuine scoff.

Because it was something I knew was impossible.

ROOOAAAR!

At that moment, the lesser dragon prepared for its third full-scale attack. I glanced at the apostle and then quietly stepped off the platform. Seeing me walk forward so nonchalantly, the apostle looked startled.

"Junghyeok-nim? What are you doing?"

Even my allies in the distance looked bewildered. I raised a hand and gave them a short wave.

―Don’t worry. No matter what happens, don’t move from where you are. Understand?

I started walking toward the lesser dragon, my steps slow but steady. The beast, charging up its ‘Flame of Destruction,’ turned its deadly gaze on me.

"What are you doing? Come back!"

The apostle shouted in panic. I turned back to him with a smirk.

"Looks like your ‘King’ didn’t tell you about this future, huh?"

As he’d explained, I kept thinking. These guys couldn’t be allowed to survive. But since they knew the ‘strategy,’ I couldn’t wipe them out on my own. In that case… I smiled as I continued.

"Did you all forget what my stigma is?"

If I were in their position, I knew exactly what would terrify me most.

"I’m not afraid of death. I can start over as many times as it takes."

The answer was simple. They believed I was Yu Junghyeok.

Which meant that the thing they feared most… was what I feared most.

"So here’s my question: If I die, what happens to all of you, these exceptional beings in this ‘round’? If I die here, would you exist in the next round, or would you vanish along with this world?"

What they feared most was Yu Junghyeok doing the unthinkable.

"If you truly read the ‘revelation,’ then you must know the answer, right?"

The apostle’s face turned pale. When you deal with strategists, sometimes they’re the easiest to manipulate.

"Stop him! Capture Yu Junghyeok!"

The five apostles guarding the platform charged toward me in unison.

Exactly as expected.

No matter how calm they pretended to be, they were just quitters caught up in this ‘scenario.’ They had no idea what would happen to them if the protagonist died.

"Quick, grab him!"

Just like me.

[The Tier-5 Fire Dragon Species Lesser Dragon Ignir has used Flame of Destruction.]

As flames erupted at the platform’s center, I pushed all my strength into sprinting toward the dragon’s leg. Then, at the base of Anguk Station’s ‘flagpole,’ I thrust the flag with all my might.

[You have occupied Anguk Station.]

[Currently occupied stations: Chungmuro (Home Base), Myeongdong, Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, Dongdaemun, Dongmyo, Sindang, Cheonggu, Yaksu, Sinseol-dong, Anguk]

[The merit of the Brown Flag has increased.]

[You have occupied a total of 10 stations!]

[Hidden Scenario - King’s Path has been completed.]

[You are granted a new choice as King based on the path you have walked.]

King of Arrogant Hypocrisy
King of Solitude
King of No Killing

...

I didn’t bother reading the list and answered immediately.

"King of No Killing."

[You have acquired the new attribute King of No Killing!]

That should do it. I hated having to resort to this method, but it was the only way to wipe these bastards out. I saw the apostles running frantically back toward the platforms to escape the oncoming flames.

But it was already too late to avoid it.

"Guess you should have been more careful. You only get one life, after all."

The crimson blaze swept over them like a tidal wave. Even with the blue ice pills, they couldn’t withstand this level of attack.

[The durability of your Reinforced Armor Suit has decreased rapidly.]

[The durability of your Reinforced Armor Suit has been depleted.]

My vision began to fade. As I felt my flesh searing from the flames, I lost consciousness.

[You have died.]

After a moment, a system message came through.

[The skill King of No Killing has been activated.]

Footnotes:

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