WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 598: Episode 9: Words That Cannot Be Written (4)

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[You have entered Snowfield.]

In the monochrome world spread before me, all blood looked the same.

Red blood, blue blood. Everything in the Snowfield had been dyed gray.

It was sorrowful.

In a world so vast.

[Exclusive Skill □□ resonates with your emotions.]

There wasn't a single page for extras.

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# Words That Cannot Be Written

「□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□······.」

* Based on your current proficiency, you can add a total of 260 characters.

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[You can remain in Snowfield for a total of 3 minutes.]

I began to write. It wasn't a story written for anyone.

There are stories like that. They have no literary merit or entertainment value, yet I couldn't bear not to write them.

[You have described content that cannot be evaluated.]

[The chance of successfully recreating this description cannot be assessed.]

[The Plausibility available to you cannot be measured.]

[Checking reader feedback.]

[No reader feedback exists.]

There was no feedback.

But.

[rlaehrwk37 checks your story.]

Someone had definitely read this story.

[rlaehrwk61 checks your story.]

[rlaehrwk99 checks your story.]

[rlaehrwk73 checks your story.]

······.

[You have secured additional Plausibility through a sufficient number of recommendations.]

[You have succeeded in scene recreation.]

[You are leaving Snowfield.]

As I slowly blinked, color returned to the world.

Before my eyes, a Ground Rat mercilessly tore into a citizen whose breathing had stopped.

「Lee Hakhyun knew why extras weren't written about.」

I knew better than anyone.

After all, the one who excluded extras from a story was none other than the writer.

「Because their stories have already been written.」

An unnamed Ground Rat bit an unnamed person to death.

As I stabbed that unnamed Ground Rat to death in turn, I thought.

「Because this page that no one can read is, in truth, their story.」

The world that had been a gray Snowfield until then was now filled with red and blue blood.

Stories that were never told because they lay scattered everywhere.

Deaths occurring between lines where nothing had been written.

「There is no sentence for extras.」

It was only natural.

The moment a sentence was written for an extra, that extra became a protagonist.

When one person became the protagonist, everyone else became an extra.

"Save me-"

"Aaah!"

Whenever I barely saved one person, another died.

I didn't know the names of the dead. Even when they had been right beside me, I hadn't properly seen how they died.

People who died with their eyes open as if they were grieving.

Damn it, even in this scene, I was a writer. An unfeeling recorder trying to write sentences over the void their deaths created.

「Even so, someone must leave footprints in this Snowfield.」

A Ground Rat bit my thigh.

「In the end, someone has to become the protagonist.」

When I cut off its head, a second Ground Rat bit my arm.

「Because that is why this Snowfield was prepared.」

I struck the head of the Ground Rat biting my arm. Yet when I killed one, two came. When I shook off two, three rushed at me.

"N-no!"

"Inho-ssi! Stop! Inho-ssi!"

As I glanced back toward the landing, I saw Gyeong Se-in, Mr. Dansu, and Ye Hyeonu in turn.

Pildu Gong and Huiwon apparently still hadn't regained consciousness.

Jihye looked too busy stopping the monsters climbing onto the landing.

"Mister, what are you doing? Get over here, now!"

Quite a lot of people still hadn't made it up to the landing. The gun battery formation had completely collapsed, and the people were cornered.

At this rate, Chungmuro Station would be wiped out.

I made a decision.

I didn't know whether this would work.

"Thought."

Still, I had no choice but to try.

"Y-yes."

Thought of Almost Everything babbled from its bracelet form.

I gave it an order.

[Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.5 has been activated!]

"Transform into the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit."

The Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit.

It was the disguise item worn by Kim Dokja Representative.

Back then, I had met the condition of being hit ten times to obtain the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit's mimic form. Thanks to that, I had been able to add the item to my mimicry list.

[You have equipped the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit!]

'Transform into a Ground Rat.'

A moment later, my appearance changed into that of a Ground Rat amid a dazzling beam of light.

The Ground Rats charging at me all stopped where they stood.

They sniffed as they circled around me.

A few bared their fangs at me with obvious hostility.

They had seen that I was human until just moments ago. Of course they would be suspicious.

I used [Incitement] on them.

"I am a Ground Rat."

The Ground Rats that had approached me several times to sniff at me soon began passing by one after another.

Fortunately, the plan had worked.

I ran swiftly toward the center of the platform, going against the stream of Ground Rats.

Two giant centipedes were roaring at the ceiling.

Just a little farther.

Ground Rats let out harsh cries from all around.

Then.

「······ ······」

I heard a strange voice.

I turned, wondering where the voice was coming from.

[Your Exclusive Attribute has been activated.]

[You understand the settings of the relevant language.]

[Ground Rat language is being interpreted.]

「Goupstairs」

A Ground Rat was speaking.

「Runrunrunrun」

「StayrightbesideMom」

「HanginthereHanginthere」

「Upupup」

A Ground Rat passing by stopped when it saw me.

「Notthatway」

The Ground Rat added as it looked at me.

「Youhavetorunthatway」

I asked it.

"Why?"

「BecauseweweretoldtoBecauseweweretoldto」

Told to. By who?

The Ground Rat trembled as it looked back toward the tunnel, then began running past me again.

I couldn't get an answer, but I thought I understood why it was running.

Humans weren't the only participants in the Scenario.

Every being in this world belonged to the Scenario. The Ground Rats before me were no exception.

「Mom」

「Savemesaveme」

「Can'tbreathecan'tbreathe」

I looked down at the ground.

The corpses of Ground Rats, pitifully killed by gunfire, were piled up there.

There were dozens of times as many as there were dead humans.

「Extras do not even realize that they are extras.」

A huge shadow fell over me.

「You」

Since when had it been there?

A giant centipede had bent its body over my head.

「Why did you come this way?」

Without answering, I looked around.

This was exactly the center of the station.

Nearly everyone had made it up to the landing.

What mattered now was buying time until Pildu Gong could deploy [Armed Zone] again.

[Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.5 has been activated!]

"Look over here!"

When I used [Incitement], the Ground Rats in the area all turned toward me.

「Whatwhatwhatwhat」

「Wherewherewherewhere」

It wasn't enough.

I shouted again.

"Over here!"

[Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.5 has been used to its limit!]

[Incitement proficiency has increased.]

Pshhh!

Blood flowed from my nose.

This time, even more Ground Rats turned toward me. The Ground Rats that had only been running forward and those leaping toward the landing to attack people were all looking at me.

「Whatwhat」

「Whowhowho」

「Whywhywhywhywhy」

I suddenly thought of the Outer Gods that appeared in TWSA. The extras who had died as Nameless Ones in the world of TWSA.

I wasn't Kim Dokja, so I had no power to save the monsters.

If anything, I was in a position where I had to kill them all to end the Scenario.

'Thought.'

When I called Thought, the mimic forms I had collected so far surfaced in my mind.

Mana Recovery Bracelet.

Damaged Samyeong's Bamboo Staff.

Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit.

Mana Brazier.

And...

I hadn't wanted to use this item until the very end. The price would be turning this platform into a deathly ruin for some time.

But there was no other way now.

"Transform into a Virulent Poison Bomb."

A Virulent Poison Bomb.

It was an item left behind by the Readers' Association party when I fought them in the Dark Fold.

A kind of biochemical weapon made from Poison Rhino anal sacs.

At the time, I had picked up one of the spent bombs and registered it on the list of forms I could mimic.

[A consumed item has been restored by the effect of Thought of Almost Everything.]

[A form evolution event has occurred despite the slim odds!]

[The mimic form has evolved into a form with performance one level higher!]

[Thought of Almost Everything has mimicked a High-Performance Virulent Poison Bomb.]

A moment later, a bomb glowing faintly appeared before me.

[This item is consumable.]

[Once the item is used, you can never mimic this form again.]

[The effect of the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit has been deactivated.]

As my appearance returned to normal, the Ground Rats growled and revealed their hostility.

Yet none dared rush at me.

Even that giant centipede kept its distance warily as it stared at my hand.

The reason was obvious.

They knew, too.

If I detonated this bomb now, every monster in the station would be wiped out.

「WhatdoIdoMomI'mscared」

「HidebehindMom」

I looked at the monsters for a moment.

「What'sgoingon」

「Humanhumanhuman」

「Idon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodie」

Then I slowly opened my mouth.

[Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.5 has been activated!]

"You don't have to die like this."

I looked from the Ground Rats to the giant centipedes and Grolls as I spoke.

"Go back without hurting the people. Then I won't kill you either."

[The Constellation Nail-Eating Rat admires your boldness.]

[The Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger gapes at your proposal.]

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is surprised by your nobility.]

I knew the possibility was slim.

Still, in theory, monsters and humans could solve the Scenario without harming each other.

[7 hours and 12 minutes remain until Emergency Defense ends.]

I continued.

"Emergency Defense is a Scenario with a time limit. It will end eventually, even if we don't hurt each other."

I could feel the Ground Rats wavering.

「Perhaps a story where no one becomes the protagonist is possible, too.」

Enough extras had died.

Monsters and humans alike knew that.

[The Ground Rats are confused by your Incitement.]

The monsters were only Incarnations, too. They feared death.

They had families and friends.

They had lives.

Tzzzt!

That was when sparks burst through the air.

[Some dokkaebis have judged your attempt to be a threat to Scenario progress.]

[A considerable number of Constellations want to see the Scenario progress quickly!]

[The Plausibility of the Star Stream is moving.]

[Your Incitement has been deactivated.]

[Emergency Defense has resumed.]

[Some Constellations mock your reckless actions.]

As I looked at those messages, I thought.

「In the end, isn't this world one great incitement?」

A Ground Rat looked at me and spoke.

「Thereisnosuchstory」

With those words, the Ground Rat pack rushed toward me.

I answered.

"Yeah."

A thunderous explosion erupted.

Along with a sickening smell, virulent poison gas swept over the entire platform like a snowstorm.

The screams of monsters rang out. Giant centipedes and Ground Rats died as black blood gushed from their bodies.

Monsters that had run in from the tunnel collapsed one after another.

As I watched them die, I thought.

「If the monsters hadn't died here, would this story really have been interesting?」

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon cheers at the sight of the massacre.]

[The Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger says monsters are best when they are killed.]

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband admires your idea.]

[The Constellation Reclining Dragon highly values your stratagem.]

······.

I barely let out a breath and staggered.

I felt as though I would collapse at any moment, but it wasn't time yet.

I began walking back, swallowing small amounts of the Poison Rhino Horn Powder in my mouth.

One step, then two.

I methodically stabbed the approaching Ground Rats to death one by one as I walked through the scenery swallowed by the thick fog.

I fought back the nausea rising in me.

Several times, I tripped over corpses and stood back up.

A tiny cry reached my ears.

It was a dying Ground Rat.

Unthinkingly, I raised my spike to bring it down.

Whine.

I realized that Ground Rat was already dead.

Instead, I found a small living creature squirming in its arms.

A baby Ground Rat.

I stared blankly down at it.

「In the end, every story has a protagonist.」

As if it wanted to live, the baby struggled weakly and breathed in soft little gasps.

I could see the tip of its nose gradually turning pitch-black from exposure to the gas.

I bent down and held the baby Ground Rat in my arms.

Then I slowly poured the remaining Poison Rhino Horn Powder into its mouth.

Its whimpers gradually quieted.

[The Constellation Sinister Schemer watches your story.]

Holding the baby Ground Rat, I walked across the platform.

The path was difficult to see through the fog.

[The Constellation Lotus Blooming Under Moonlight watches your story.]

I walked and walked again, relying on the faint voices of the stars.

My consciousness slowly grew hazy.

I could hear people's voices here and there.

They were voices calling for me.

The toe of my shoe struck something hard.

It was a staircase.

I had to climb it.

[A Constellation that has yet to reveal its modifier watches your story.]

I unconsciously looked back.

The countless monster and human corpses were now buried deep in the fog, no longer visible.

I took one step onto the stairs.

A footprint appeared.

[You have achieved an unbelievable accomplishment.]

It was a pitch-black footprint.

[Your first fable has begun to bud.]

I climbed the stairs.

Footnotes:

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