WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 56: Episode 12 - First-Person Protagonist’s Viewpoint (2)

[Your body’s regeneration has begun.]

Like spilled paint spreading slowly, my vision gradually returned. The contrast and saturation around me were still vague. Bones, capillaries, digestive organs, respiratory organs, and even the eyes were fully regenerating. My senses, yet to settle into place, were tangled in confusion.

Regardless, with Junghyeok stepping in at Chungmuro, things were secure.

No matter how powerful the apostles were, there was no way they could beat Junghyeok, who was even stronger than in his third regression.

Anyway… it was a truly unique experience. To actually become Yu Junghyeok in the first person… I hoped I’d never have to go through that again.

[Your exclusive skill Fourth Wall negates the psychological shock from your death.]

[The reward for using Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Stage 3 is being calculated.]

…A reward for using it? I could see Huiwon shouting from afar, restrained by the horrified face of Hyeonseong. Minseop and Seongguk also stared at me, shocked.

Thankfully, everyone was safe. It hadn’t been too late.

“Dokja-ssi!”

Huiwon yelled out without remembering to keep my name hidden.

Well, there was no need to hide it anymore.

Huuuuuh.

Air filled my newly created lungs. Nearby, a lesser dragon was still ruthlessly slaughtering people.

“As expected of Junghyeok-nim!”

“Did he use Recovery?”

Now, there were only a handful of Prophets left. Of course, I didn’t have [Resuscitation]. Recovering from severe wounds and coming back from the dead were entirely different matters.

[The effect of the King of No Killing has been completed.]

[100 Karma Points have been expended.]

[With all impurities expelled, your physical performance has improved.]

[Your Constitution and Mana levels have each increased by 1.]

Along with that came the bonus for revival. This was why the King of No Killing was overpowered. Only Selena Kim in America managed to obtain this feature in the entire Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.

[Current Karma Points: 0/100]

[Accumulate points for your next revival.]

[Gain 1 Karma Point each time you save a comrade’s life.]

The effect of the King of No Killing was resurrection. However, it wasn’t an unconditional revival; it required Karma Points. Fortunately, it started by providing 100 points for the first revival.

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

I couldn’t die immediately after coming back to life. My points were now at zero, meaning I couldn’t use the revival privilege again for a while. Conveniently, there was a platform nearby marked with the number ‘2.’ The others had already secured their places on various platforms.

“Hyeonseong-ssi, head over there! We’ll go to the next platform!”

At Huiwon’s swift command, Hyeonseong dashed towards me, sweating profusely in the searing heat.

“Dokja-ssi, are you okay?”

“Just as you see.”

“…I thought my eyes were deceiving me for a moment.”

Explaining how this was possible was out of the question, as there wasn’t enough time.

[Absolute Shield has been activated.]

A blazing Flame of Destruction split before my eyes. Seeing me as if he’d just witnessed a miracle, Hyeonseong looked at me with wide eyes.

“Hyeonseong-ssi, do you have anything I can wear? Like a poncho…”

“Even as a soldier, I don’t carry stuff like—oh.”

Suddenly realizing, Hyeonseong’s gaze swept over my body.

Revival was great, but I’d overlooked one thing.

The suit that had provided some form of protection had melted away, along with most of my miscellaneous items. In other words, I was currently stark naked.

“…Forget it.”

Hyeonseong, who had been about to lift his hand to his waist, quickly retracted it. Even a person with a strong sense of sacrifice should have limits. I didn’t need clothes immediately; the items that had fallen around were of more importance.

Even the Flame of Destruction couldn’t melt relics or crucial scenario items.

Sure enough, Unbreakable Faith was rolling near Ignir’s claws, and the Brown Flag scenario item lay discarded nearby.

Why did it have to fall there…? Fortunately, no one else could reach it easily either.

As soon as the shield deactivated, my allies began to sprint toward me.

The first to arrive was Huiwon.

“Dokja-ssi!”

Her expression froze as she ran toward me.

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon gazes intently at your Black Flame Dragon.]

The moment I subtly turned my back to avoid her line of sight, I felt something gently drape over my shoulders.

“I didn’t see anything, so don’t worry. Is this really the time to care about that?”

The phrase ‘to care about that’ made my body flinch reflexively. The ‘poncho’ that covered me turned out to be a makeshift cloak. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a straw mat.

It was Samyeong Daesa’s robe. Come to think of it, Huiwon did have this item.

“Thank you, Huiwon-ssi.”

For now, this was a godsend.

[The constellation Bald Army General feels a bit disappointed.]

“Let’s move.”

The Lesser Dragon Ignir entered its Flame Phase. Once again, we dodged its attacks by circling anti-clockwise. Huiwon and Hyeonseong ran ahead of me. All the while, it seemed they kept an eye on my ‘Black Flame Dragon’ dangling beneath the robe.

The robe wasn’t enough to cover everything in front.

Minseop, who was running beside me obliviously, asked, “What are we going to do now, Representative? All the other apostles are dead…”

As Minseop said, no other apostles remained.

In proof, blue ice pills scattered around like relics marked where they had died. The pills were long-lasting items resistant to flames, so they hadn’t melted.

Whoosh!

The lesser dragon’s claw slashed through the air.

“Kyaaah!”

Two prophets following behind us were crushed into meat chunks. I dashed to the center of the platform and grabbed the flag and Unbreakable Faith.

[You have recovered the Brown Flag.]

[You can now reuse the blessing of the flag.]

I looked around, only our group was left. As I searched for a solution, the platform activation time arrived.

[The numbered platforms are activating!]

“Gather up!”

Fortunately, a platform marked with the number ‘5’ activated. The issue was that only one platform activated this time. The voice of a mid-grade dokkaebi echoed from the air.

[Hehe, you’re holding out well. But will you be so lucky next time?]

Next time, the number on this platform might be 3 or 4. If that happened, someone in our party would surely die. Worse still, if the number 6 appeared…

[The Tier-5 Fire Dragon species Lesser Dragon Ignir uses Flame of Destruction.]

[Absolute Shield has been activated.]

We barely bought another 10 seconds. I had to assume this was the last chance.

“Hah… that damned bastard. Dokja-ssi, what are we going to do?”

Hyeonseong and Huiwon both looked exhausted. They had already been running from the intense heat for over ten minutes, so it was understandable.

“I think we’ll have to fight.”

“But you said earlier we couldn’t defeat it?”

“That changes if we use those.”

I pointed to the blue ice pills scattered on the ground. There were precisely five pills, just enough for our group. If we used the items prepared by the apostles, dealing damage to the lesser dragon might not be impossible.

The question was whether we could kill it before the next ‘Area Attack’ started.

[The Absolute Shield has been deactivated.]

“Run! Everyone, pick up one of those pills!”

At my command, the group dashed out.

[You have invested 4,100 coins into Mana.]

[Mana Lv.16 → Mana Lv.25]

[Your soul harmonizes with the world!]

To deal a massive amount of damage in the limited time, increasing mana instead of strength was necessary. I quickly swallowed one of the blue ice pills I picked up.

[The Ice attribute has been temporarily unlocked.]

[Your attacks deal an additional 40% Ice attribute damage.]

Now, the only thing left was to deal damage. But how?

Charging in recklessly had its limits.

Hyeonseong had [Great Mountain Crush] but lacked agility, while Huiwon was agile but lacked one-hit power.

It would help to target the creature’s weak points.

Could I possibly identify those with [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint]?

Oh, right…

[Your exclusive skill Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is already in use.]

[The reward for using Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Stage 3 is now available.]

The message mentioned a ‘reward’ earlier.

[You have experienced the First-Person Protagonist’s Viewpoint.]

[You can inherit one skill from the protagonist you were immersed in.]

…What? I was so stunned that I missed the lesser dragon’s approaching claw. Huiwon, quick on her feet, shoved me aside, and the spot where I had been standing caved in.

“Are you spacing out?!”

Huiwon’s reproach rang out, but I had no time to respond. I could inherit one of the protagonist’s skills. In other words, I could acquire one of Yu Junghyeok’s skills.

[Displaying the available skill options for selection.]

Oh, there were options? With the blue ice pill, if I could just take one of Yu Junghyeok’s skills… Even something like Tiger God Aura or Sky-Splitting Qi…

+

[Select a skill to acquire.]

Ice Resistance
Flame Resistance
Lie Detection

+

…Damn it. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. The only skill worth considering was [Lie Detection], but it wasn’t helpful right now. The most useful choice in this situation was the second option, Flame Resistance…

Grrrooooooooar!

The lesser dragon roared, scattering flames everywhere. Once this behavior ended, it would enter the ‘Flames of Destruction’ phase again.

Think. I was the reader. The answer was in what I had read.

[Your memory of what you’ve read has been enhanced due to your exclusive attribute!]

Pages turned rapidly in my mind. Information on conquering lesser dragons, from rounds 12, 14, and 17. Then, considering what I had available now…

“Dokja-ssi, quickly…!”

I slowly opened and closed my eyes. Then…

“I choose to acquire Ice Resistance.”

I made my decision.

[You have unlocked the skill Ice Resistance.]

I turned to my party and shouted.

“Huiwon-ssi, Hyeonseong-ssi! You haven’t eaten the blue ice pill yet, right? Give them all to me.”

“Huh?”

“Seongguk, Minseop! You too!”

Minseop, who was about to pop the pill into his mouth, froze in place.

“Hurry!”

“A-alright!”

In no time, I gathered four blue ice pills. Dodging the flames, I swallowed them all at once.

I was sure. This was the optimal move.

[You have ingested a blue ice pill.]

[Due to the stacked attribute effect, the blue ice pill’s damage output has increased!]

[Your attacks deal an additional 200% Ice attribute damage.]

[A chill that feels like it could freeze your heart envelops your entire body.]

Normally, doing something like this was unthinkable. Despite its medicinal-sounding name, the blue ice pill was actually more like a poison. Just a single pill made you feel like you were standing naked in the dead of winter. Eating five at once? That would typically lead to instant death.

But that was only in normal circumstances.

[Your exclusive skill Ice Resistance Lv.5 protects you.]

It seemed I had inherited a portion of Junghyeok's mastery level, as my Ice Resistance started at level 5.

“Everyone, get behind me!”

I shouted, gripping the sword hilt. Perhaps due to the lingering memory of being Junghyeok, the feeling of holding the sword felt subtly different.

[The Blade of Faith has been activated!]

Vrrrmmmm!

[The special property of Unbreakable Faith has been activated.]

[The ether attribute has changed to Darkness.]

[Due to the blue ice pill effect, the Ether attribute gains an additional Ice attribute.]

The ether blade shone with a dark blue hue. A combination of darkness and ice. The blade, now infused with dark, icy ether, began slicing through the flames of the Lesser Dragon. I concentrated all my strength and sprinted toward it. From here on, it was all or nothing.

[The stigma Song of the Sword has been activated.]

[A phrase left by the Naval Warfare God has been imbued into your sword.]

Depending on the verse, the sword would receive different buffs.

Please, let it be a useful verse.

「At night, a god appeared to me in a dream and said, ‘If you do this, you will win greatly; if you do that, you will lose.’」

I couldn’t make sense of the phrase, but suddenly, parts of the lesser dragon’s body began to appear in different colors. Most of it looked green, but some spots were distinctly red.

[The constellation Naval Warfare God cheers on your battle.]

I finally understood Admiral Lee Sunshin’s message.

Of course. Those were its weak points.

I charged forward, aiming my blade at the joint of the Lesser Dragon’s wing.

The first spot was a faint red.

As it thrashed, I slid under its wing joint and sliced through the achilles tendon of its hind leg.

The second spot was a deep red.

Jumping to evade its tail, its front claws came crashing down, targeting me with precision.

[The Brown Flag’s effect activates a protective shield.]

While it couldn’t block flames, it could withstand a few direct hits. With a roar, I plunged my sword into its chest.

Thunk!

The color there was almost crimson. The lesser dragon thrashed in agony, its mouth gathering flames in preparation for another attack.

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

The area-wide attack phase had begun.

There were no more shields. With all my mana depleted, I swung the lengthened ether blade again and again into the creature’s chest.

Again and again, I struck.

Explosive ice damage seared into the dragon’s heart. But still, it refused to fall.

Just a bit more.

Kaaah!

Just… a bit more…

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

A surge of flames rose before me. If I got hit, I was dead. I could hear the cries of my comrades in the distance. Even as I listened, I didn’t retreat. I kept swinging my sword.

I could do this. My calculations couldn’t be wrong.

In other words, this was the reader’s sheer stubbornness.

If I were Yu Junghyeok—

In a trance, I continued to slice, gripping the blade with heightened senses.

For a fleeting moment, I mimicked Yu Junghyeok’s fatal, unseen, and soundless strike.

With all my strength poured into the blade, I tried to capture that feeling. Just once, if I could replicate even the slightest shadow of that strike…

Grrroooooar!

My sword moved, and I heard something burst.

A sound like flesh rupturing could be heard. My body was drenched in the dragon’s blood, and I felt the shock of its retaliatory strike as I flew through the air.

I tumbled across the hot, dust-covered ground, spitting out blood from the impact. As I struggled to regain my footing and lifted my head, I locked eyes with the Lesser Dragon looming above me.

Startled, I froze.

Gradually, the blazing Flame of Destruction began to die down. The massive creature’s eyelids twitched, and its colossal form slowly toppled backward. The Blade of Faith, embedded in its heart, hummed softly.

[You are the first to defeat the Lesser Dragon Ignir, a minor catastrophe.]

[You have contributed to the first clear of the fifth main scenario.]

[You have achieved an impossible feat.]

All strength drained from my body. I was so spent I couldn’t even clench my fists. As my heavy breaths escaped, I collapsed on the spot.

It was a reckless challenge.

This time, I’d nearly died for real.

[Due to the impossible feat, calculating your reward will take some time.]

[Several low-grade dokkaebis have requested a Plausibility Review from the Bureau.]

A mid-grade dokkaebi appeared, silently watching me from the air.

Anyway, now it was time for the sweet rewards.

Footnotes:

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