WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 572: Episode 3: Protagonist(?) (9)
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[The Constellation Sinister Schemer warns you.]
[The Constellation Sinister Schemer glares coldly at Yu Junghyeok.]
Alarm bells rang in my head.
I was running into Yu Junghyeok first, right here?
What about Lee Hyeongseong? Yu Sangah? Lee Gilyeong and Han Myeongoh?
No, did they all even truly exist here?
The moment I met Junghyeok's piercing eyes, an eerie sensation washed over me.
「Originally, Inho Cheon wasn't someone who was supposed to encounter Yu Junghyeok now.」
I barely managed to stay calm.
When I glanced behind me, Huiwon, Gyeong Se-in, and Uncle Dansu still hadn't regained consciousness.
Do I have no choice but to talk my way out of this somehow?
Fortunately, if my opponent was Junghyeok, I had plenty of options. Early on, Junghyeok had a surprisingly naive side to him, so if it came down to it, I could pretend to be a prophet like Kim Dokja and get out of this.
"Answer me. What are you doing lurking around a place like this?"
The moment I heard those words, something felt strange.
First, I noticed the weapon Junghyeok held.
A spear that looked as if it had been carved from the bones of a beast species.
A chill ran down my spine.
「Yu Junghyeok of the third round doesn't use a spear.」
Without hesitation, I activated Character Profile.
[You have activated Character Profile!]
[The Exclusive Skill Character Profile has activated!]
[There is too much information related to this person. Character Profile has been converted to Summary Profile.]
A light dizziness came over me, and Junghyeok's information appeared before my eyes.
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<Character Summary Profile>
Name: Yu Junghyeok
······(Omitted)······
Exclusive Skills: [Sage's Eye Lv.9], [Close-Quarters Combat Lv.10], [Weapon Mastery Lv.10], [Mental Barrier Lv.6], [Crowd Control Lv.7], [Reasoning Lv.7], [Lie Detection Lv.7]······.
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The skill list went on endlessly.
Yet that wasn't what shocked me.
The moment I saw Junghyeok's Attribute and regression round in the profile, my mind went blank.
「How could this be happening?」
Only one thought remained in my mind.
「If I stay here, I'll die.」
But then.
"It seems you met Anna Croft in the Chungmuro Tunnel. Did you recall the memories of the previous round...?"
I stared blankly at Junghyeok.
What was he talking about?
"Inho Cheon, why are you here? If your memories returned, you should remember the promise we made as well."
My thoughts suddenly became a mess.
What the hell was this bastard talking about?
When I didn't answer, Junghyeok's expression hardened slightly.
"Why did you come looking for me? Did you suddenly develop complaints about our promise?"
This was a major crisis.
There had been no mention of a development like this anywhere in Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. The same was true in the novel-within-a-novel, TWSA.
[You want to take an unexpected action.]
[The activation conditions for the Exclusive Skill □□ have been met.]
So, if I could, I had to test every option. Especially when my opponent was that Junghyeok.
[Your creativity is depleted, so you cannot enter the Snowfield.]
[You may enter the Snowfield one additional time by accepting a penalty.]
[After this additional entry, you will be unable to enter again today.]
[Would you like to enter the Snowfield?]
I hesitated for a moment.
This was my last chance for today?
‘Do not enter.’
In the end, I cancelled the skill.
There could be an even greater crisis ahead, and I couldn't recklessly take the risk. For now, I had to trust my gift for talking.
I took a breath and began to speak.
"Do you think I came here over some trivial promise?"
Junghyeok paused for a moment, but I shamelessly continued anyway.
"I was just looking around to see if there were any items worth picking up nearby. To think I'd come looking for you first. How naive."
As I spoke, I rummaged through the Poison Rhino's corpse.
The Poison Rhino was a Tier-7 Monster. If I could get part of its corpse now, it would be extremely useful in the early stages.
"You bastard..."
At the sound of his voice, I turned my head slightly. Junghyeok was looking down at me with contempt.
But why?
It was definitely contempt, yet...
"Even after so many rounds, you haven't changed from the trash you always were."
That bastard was smiling faintly.
Hope began to rise inside me.
"I'm flattered."
When I started cutting off one of the Poison Rhino's smaller horns without permission, Junghyeok picked a fight.
"That's mine."
"It's fine if I take the small horn, isn't it?"
"Since when were you greedy enough to covet even something like this?"
I realized my mistake, but there was no undoing it.
"I'm not strong from the very beginning like someone else."
Junghyeok made a strange expression.
"This round is truly strange. You were like this even in the first Scenario..."
"What happened?"
"You don't need to know."
"What happened to Lee Hyeongseong and Kim Namwoon? Why didn't they come with you?"
Junghyeok's gaze turned cold at my question.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Inho Cheon. Do you think you've become a real Companion? You haven't forgotten what happened in the previous round, have you?"
I was confused.
He said we had made a promise, but now he was saying we weren't Companions.
Then what kind of relationship did we have?
"Don't forget what you have to do. Don't make me regret going out of my way to employ trash like you."
Junghyeok glared at me fiercely, and I instinctively lowered my eyes.
So even narrow eyes could be lowered.
"Thank you for the verbal abuse."
"You're more talkative than you were in the previous round. Stop dawdling and go back."
Leaving those words behind, Junghyeok took several important parts from the Poison Rhino's corpse and turned toward the tunnel.
"Don't come looking for me until you've sorted out the task I gave you. If I find you lurking around here again, I'll kill you."
As Junghyeok walked farther away, the whole thing somehow didn't feel real.
「I survived.」
Relief washed over me belatedly.
I had no idea why, but I had survived. I had successfully fooled that Junghyeok.
That was when I heard rustling beside me. Huiwon, who had regained consciousness at some point, was getting to her feet a few steps away.
"Ugh, that hurts. Mr. Inho, are you okay? You're not badly hurt, are you?"
Realizing my mistake, I was about to rush toward her when Junghyeok's footsteps stopped amid the thick dust.
"Strange."
It felt as though my heart had dropped.
"Bringing a woman like that along wasn't part of your plan."
Goosebumps rose from my head to my toes. Junghyeok stood atop the ruins, staring at me with icy eyes.
I tried to hide my panic as I spoke.
"What business is it of yours who I bring along?"
Instead of answering, Junghyeok began walking toward me again.
A bad premonition crept over me. Instinctively, I sensed danger.
Now.
[You want to take an unexpected action.]
[You describe your own actions.]
[You have consumed 5 points of Plausibility.]
[The activation conditions for the Exclusive Skill □□ have been met.]
My instincts as a Writer told me I had to use it now. If I couldn't overcome this crisis, I would die.
[You have used up your additional entry into the Snowfield.]
[You have received a Plausibility penalty.]
[You have entered the Snowfield.]
[Describe Inho Cheon's next action.]
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# Inho Cheon's Death
「Then Inho Cheon□ □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□······.」
* Based on your current proficiency, you may add a total of 150 characters.
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[You are currently receiving a penalty.]
[You may remain in the Snowfield for a total of 2 minutes.]
Of all things, the scene title was dreadful.
‘Inho Cheon's Death.’
I quickly began writing. I roughly wrote that Inho Cheon used his incredible gift for talking to persuade Junghyeok, overcome the crisis, and become his Companion.
[You have described content with low Plausibility.]
[The chance of successfully recreating this description is below 1%.]
[You do not have enough Plausibility available.]
[Checking reader feedback.]
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rlaehrwk37: Would Yu Junghyeok really accept Inho Cheon as a Companion?
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Was that still too much?
I decided to use the hidden card I had been saving.
「Then Inho Cheon said, "Yu Junghyeok. You need a reliable Companion. You can't clear the 46th Scenario alone. You know that, don't you?"······. (147 characters total)」
Even as I wrote it, I felt certain this would work because Kim Dokja had said those words in the main story.
In other words, it was a cheat code guaranteed to work.
[You have described content that does not suit the character.]
[The chance of successfully recreating this description is 3%.]
[You do not have enough Plausibility available.]
[Checking reader feedback.]
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rlaehrwk81: Did he forget who he is?
rlaehrwk37: Inho Cheon has Inho Cheon's own life.
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Biting my lip tightly, I wrote again.
「Then Inho Cheon said, "Yu Junghyeok. My real name isn't Inho Cheon, it's Kim Dokja. I've read the entire novel you're in..." (149 characters total)」
[You have described complete nonsense.]
[The chance of successfully recreating this description is 0.01%.]
「Then Inho Cheon said, "Respected Yu Junghyeok-nim, please take me as your subordinate!"······(148 characters total)」
[You have described ordinary content.]
[The chance of successfully recreating this description is 3%.]
「Then Inho Cheon said, "Actually, I'm a prophet..." (147 characters total)」
[You have described content that is impossible no matter what.]
[The Snowfield has begun to doubt your talent.]
[The chance of successfully recreating this description is 1%.]
Maybe my life would end here.
[10 seconds remain.]
As a last resort, I recalled Ji Eunyu's advice.
「What does Yu Junghyeok desire right now?」
I closed my eyes and thought carefully.
Then I realized it.
[Scene recreation has failed.]
There was no way I could know that.
I couldn't even understand what that bastard was saying right now, so how was I supposed to know what he desired?
[You have exited the Snowfield.]
[Your creativity has been depleted. You cannot enter the Snowfield again today.]
The colors of the world returned, and Junghyeok began walking again.
I swallowed as I watched the situation. The scene recreation had failed, but it was too soon to give up.
"This round has had many strange bastards from the beginning."
Junghyeok's chilling voice echoed through the cold night air that had settled around us.
"Until the previous round, they had all been nobodies. Yet they suddenly approached me, as if possessed by something, and started saying strange things."
I thought I understood what Junghyeok was talking about now.
Wait, could this be...?
"They said I needed a Companion to clear the 46th Scenario. They said they were prophets."
Cold sweat began running down my back.
Junghyeok smiled strangely.
"One of them even said they would take me to the end of this world."
"Mr. Inho, get back."
Huiwon noticed the strange atmosphere and stepped in front of me, gripping her Ground Rat Sword.
The next moment, Junghyeok's figure disappeared.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I heard the sound of wind blowing from far away. It felt as though the grim reaper were speaking from the darkness. To me, it was the unyielding language of death, something I couldn't resist.
[The character Jeong Huiwon has activated Swordsmanship Lv.1!]
But Huiwon resisted it.
A sharp crack rang out right in front of us, and dazzling sparks burst in every direction. Huiwon's sword, which had blocked Junghyeok's spear, trembled dangerously.
"Swordsmanship and Ghost Slaying. You're the same type as Lee Jihye."
"Mr. Inho! Who is this person?"
As I watched blood drip from Junghyeok's spear tip, an eerie feeling came over me.
I wanted to ask him what had happened to all those prophets he said he had met.
"Inho Cheon."
Junghyeok asked me, "Are you really Inho Cheon?"
[The character Yu Junghyeok has activated Lie Detection Lv.7!]
A whopping Level 7 [Lie Detection].
Perhaps this was my last chance.
[The Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.3 has activated powerfully!]
「I am Inho Cheon.」
[Lie Detection] was fundamentally a skill that reacted to body language.
In other words, if my acting was perfect, there was a chance I could deceive him.
"If I'm not Inho Cheon, then who the hell is Inho Cheon? What are you doing right now?"
My heart pounded.
Then, after a moment,
[The character Yu Junghyeok has confirmed that your words are true.]
It worked.
Now he had no choice but to believe me.
Yet Junghyeok's expression was strange.
"[Lie Detection] isn't always perfect. You fooled [Lie Detection] in the previous round without [Poker Face], too."
"······."
"Inho Cheon. What was the first task you promised to carry out?"
My words caught in my throat.
"That..."
If I got this wrong, [Lie Detection] could expose me.
Should I use [Incitement] once more? Or...
Junghyeok watched me with an unreadable gaze before speaking.
"I'll give you a chance."
Junghyeok's spear suddenly flexed and sent Huiwon's sword flying into the air.
The instant Huiwon reached out to catch it, Junghyeok's spear moved again.
The fight ended in an instant.
Blood burst from both of Huiwon's knees, and she fell forward after losing her balance.
Junghyeok's left hand moved.
"Urk."
Gripping Huiwon's neck, Junghyeok had already moved to the end of the bridge.
He turned toward me and spoke.
"What I need is the great villain Inho Cheon, who was 'One Who Deceived the Stars' and 'Sophist of Evil.'"
I didn't know why someone like Inho Cheon had such grand titles, but Junghyeok's goal was clear.
"If you're truly the Inho Cheon I know, prove it."
Junghyeok's left hand slowly moved.
Huiwon's face turned pale as she struggled. Below her feet stretched the hellscape of the Han River, where ichthyosaurs swam.
Junghyeok asked, "Is this woman your Companion?"
Junghyeok was testing me.
Whether I was truly the Inho Cheon he remembered.
Huiwon looked at me with trembling eyes.
There was probably only one way to save her now.
「Willingly becoming the villain the protagonist wanted.」
I slowly closed my eyes, then opened them. Cold night air rushed deep into my lungs, and for a moment, I felt like a different person.
[The Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.3 has been powerfully activated!]
[Your synchronization rate with the Possession target is rapidly increasing!]
"Let me make one thing clear."
Wearing Inho Cheon's characteristic vile smile, I spoke as if whispering a secret.
"I have no Companions."
Deep disappointment passed through Huiwon's eyes as she looked at me.
Junghyeok nodded.
"You truly are Inho Cheon."
A breath of relief escaped me.
This was the right answer after all.
Or so I thought.
"Then it doesn't matter if this woman dies."
What?
Junghyeok opened his hand wide, and Huiwon's body fell.
I concentrated all my Strength in my legs and threw myself toward Huiwon.
"So you weren't Inho Cheon after all."
The world spun once as Huiwon and I began falling beneath the bridge.
The bleak wind clawed at my cheeks, and the fishy smell of the river filled my nose. When I looked up at the dizzying sight, I saw Junghyeok looking down at us from the bridge.
So you really let go, you bastard.
Then the frigid waters of the Han River swallowed us.
[The dokkaebi Bihyeong has agreed to a Stream Contract with you.]
Footnotes:
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