Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 645

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 645: Episode 18: A reader's fight (3)

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Category: Hidden

Difficulty: F to A+

Clear Conditions: Clear a Relic Dungeon suited to the appropriate number of people.

Time Limit: None

Reward: 500 to 5,000 coins

Failure: Death

[Please select the type of dungeon you will enter.]

One-person dungeon - Hall of the Nagak*

Three-person dungeon - Hall of the Acupuncture Bronze Man*

Five-person dungeon - Hall of the Donguibogam*

Seven-person dungeon - Hall of the Dragon Vessel*

In TWSA, Kim Dokja had chosen the three-person dungeon, the Hall of the Acupuncture Bronze Man.

His party had consisted of three people.

I was alone, so I had no other choice.

"I'll select the one-person dungeon, the Hall of the Nagak."

[You have entered the one-person dungeon.]

I knew almost nothing about the Hall of the Nagak.

I repeatedly turned the TWSA Skill on and off, but no additional passages came to mind.

It couldn't be helped.

This time, I had no choice but to experience it firsthand.

[You are the fifth person to have entered the one-person dungeon.]

When I deactivated the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit, I finally took in the dungeon's true size.

The Hall of the Nagak resembled an enormous terrarium someone had artificially constructed.

Puddles deep enough to submerge my shins lay between rocky patches of land.

Hermit crabs about a meter long crawled over those patches.

Those were probably the Nagak.

[You will gain the right to escape this dungeon after killing at least 100 Nagak.]

[For every 100 Nagak you hunt, you will receive two ancient coins as a basic reward.]

Ancient coins.

To enter the Field of the Big Dipper, where the Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword slept, I had to collect ten ancient coins.

That meant I needed to kill at least 500 Nagak.

As I slowly moved forward, the Nagak that sensed my presence turned their antennae toward me in unison.

[A Tier-8 sea monster, Small Nagak, has noticed your presence!]

I didn't know these creatures' attack patterns yet.

Still, I knew what a nagak was: a brass instrument made from a conch shell.

If my guess was right, their method of attack was...

[Nagak Ensemble has begun.]

A heat haze seemed to rise ahead of me, followed by a sound like an enormous electric kettle boiling.

I instinctively threw myself to the right.

Kwoooong.

A muffled roar poured out, like dozens of bison bellowing at once. The ground where I had been standing moments ago was devastated as though a bulldozer had passed over it.

A sonic attack.

So they did attack with sound.

Fortunately, the ensemble wasn't continuous. They probably needed time to breathe.

That meant I had an opportunity.

I'd take them down one at a time, starting with the ones in front.

I crossed more than ten meters in an instant and drew Broken Faith. The hermit crab at the very front thrust out its claw in alarm.

[You have activated Blade of Faith!]

Slice.

The claw split in half.

I drove my sword into its joint, and with the sensation of a soft balloon bursting, the Nagak died.

[You have hunted one Nagak.]

Once I learned how to hunt them, everything went smoothly.

Avoiding the Nagak Ensembles that came at regular intervals, I darted between the conch shells.

[You have hunted 23 Nagak.]

[You have hunted 24 Nagak.]

Whenever my Mana ran low, I used Intermediate Mana Recovery Potions I had bought in advance from the Dokkaebi Compendium.

[You have hunted 152 Nagak.]

[You have hunted 153 Nagak.]

I didn't forget to keep an eye out for other Incarnations nearby.

Sometimes, I found equipment or clothing dropped by Incarnations, but I couldn't find anyone alive.

This was certainly a difficult one-person dungeon for so early in the story.

For ordinary Incarnations, killing hundreds of Nagak to obtain ancient coins wouldn't be easy.

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire rejoices at your growth.]

[The Constellation Naval Warfare God says they hunted quite a few Nagak in their younger days as well.]

[The Constellation Bald Army General says he heard Nagak meat is good for hair loss and boosting virility.]

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband asks if that is really true.]

The Constellations' messages echoed in my head.

Since we drove back the Ark at Seoul Station, it felt like more Constellations had taken up residence in my channel.

Of course, not all of them were cheering for me...

[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon grumbles that it isn't fun because there is no danger.]

Anyway, just as the number of Nagak I had hunted passed 400...

[A Constellation who has yet to reveal their modifier warns that it won't be such an easy dungeon.]

Along with that ominous message, a faint tremor ran through the entire terrarium.

[The number of Nagak slaughtered in the Hall of the Nagak has exceeded 400!]

[Someone is greatly enraged by the deaths of the Nagak!]

[A higher sea monster has appeared!]

Something rose from the enormous puddle at the center of the marsh.

A gigantic conch as tall as a small house.

[A Tier-6 sea monster, Ancient Nagak, has awakened!]

Not Tier 7, but Tier 6 all of a sudden?

At this point, even Huiwon would struggle to face a Tier-6 sea monster with [Hour of Judgement] activated.

And it was a large species.

A prickling killing intent reached me through the hairs on my arms.

Should I run now?

[The penalty for the appearance of a higher sea monster has activated!]

[You cannot escape this dungeon for the next 10 minutes.]

I couldn't escape for ten minutes.

Conversely, if I somehow endured for only ten minutes, I could escape.

[Few Constellations smack their lips, saying things are finally getting interesting.]

The Ancient Nagak twisted its massive body and slowly wriggled its antennae toward me.

[A Tier-6 sea monster, Ancient Nagak, has noticed your presence.]

I swallowed and thought.

「How far could I go in a fight as I am now?」

Come to think of it, I wasn't that weak.

Before the fourth Scenario had even ended, I obtained my first fable and raised my overall stats to the Scenario's limit.

I didn't have Unbreakable Faith, but I could summon Broken Faith with Thought. I could use [White Pure Star Energy], and the External Suit I had obtained in the Theater Dungeon still hadn't broken.

[The Constellation Bald Army General says that Ancient Nagak meat is gaining popularity as a food that prevents hair loss.]

[The Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband asks if that is really true.]

[The Constellation Bald Army General swears on his own hair that it is true.]

[The Constellation Naval Warfare God says it seems the Bald Army General has never eaten Nagak meat.]

...

[A new Bounty Scenario has arrived!]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: B+

Clear Conditions: Hunt the Ancient Nagak and offer its meat to the Prisoner of the Golden Headband.

Time Limit: 1 hour

Reward: 2,000 coins, ???

Failure: -

I stared blankly at the newly appeared Scenario window, then suddenly came to my senses.

A Bounty Scenario personally assigned by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

After taking a deep breath, I gripped Broken Faith more tightly.

Let's give it a try.

I knew how to deal with Nagak.

Kwooooh!

Without giving it any more time, I charged at the Ancient Nagak. I planned to activate Blade of Faith at maximum output and cut it apart, shell and all, in one stroke.

But then...

Craaaack!

To my surprise, the Tier-6 sea monster's shell repelled Blade of Faith.

It was tough enough to block an Aether Blade.

The moment I hurriedly retreated a few steps, I heard an ominous vibration.

Wooooong.

The Ancient Nagak was about to begin its ensemble.

I quickly backed away, searching for a place the sound waves couldn't reach.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

I could feel it instinctively. That Ancient Nagak's ensemble differed from the others in both power and range.

Its claw swayed as though mocking me.

Kwoooong!

A massive circular sound wave radiated from the Ancient Nagak. I reflexively turned and fled.

As far away as possible, somewhere that sound wave couldn't reach.

Ba-ba-ba-boom!

But sound was faster than my feet.

Even though I ran dozens of meters, the moment the attack hit me, it felt like I had a concussion. My insides twisted, and the swaying Ancient Nagak in the distance split into two.

[The Exclusive Skill Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World has activated!]

This time, TWSA activated in time as well.

「"A way to easily hunt an Ancient Nagak, huh."」

The passages from TWSA surfaced one after another.

They were undoubtedly Junghyeok's words.

「"You can't avoid its ensemble attack even if you cover your ears."」

I already knew that. I had covered my ears just now.

「"The strategy is simple."」

As expected, our regressor protagonist seemed to know how to deal with an Ancient Nagak.

「"Right before it opens its mouth to perform its ensemble."」

Right before it opened its mouth?

「"Run faster than the speed of sound and cut it in half with sky splitter."」

I desperately rolled across the ground, avoiding the Nagak Ensemble.

「"If that's too difficult, there's an easier method."」

Fortunately, Junghyeok's words didn't end there.

「"Pummel its shell with [Sky-Splitting Collapse Fist] at its peak. No matter how hard its shell is, it can't withstand the impact of my Internal-Style Heavy Fist."」

Junghyeok's obnoxious smile came vividly to mind.

「"It's a basic strategy anyone can use."」

Now I understood why Kim Dokja struck Junghyeok in the back of the head whenever he got the chance.

When I finally came to my senses, I was surrounded by Small Nagak.

There was nowhere to evade the next attack.

The Ancient Nagak's second ensemble was about to begin in the distance.

What should I do?

What if I used Heracles' Shield? Could [Area Defense] block a sonic attack too?

Or...

"Over here."

Was it an auditory hallucination?

I heard a human voice from somewhere.

When I turned my head, a small hand wriggled between Nagak shells a few steps away.

The owner of the hand strained to lift a Nagak shell, then peeked through a small gap.

"Here. Come in here."

The instant I saw the child's face, it felt as if my heart stopped.

Why was this child here?

Junghyeok's voice echoed in my head.

「"Of course, I don't dirty my hands hunting something like a Nagak."」

The Ancient Nagak's horn-like blast rang out in the distance, and the child's grimy hair scattered in the wind.

Distinct light brown hair.

A child I knew well.

"Mister."

The fifth member of Kim Dokja Company I had encountered.

The first Incarnation of the Demon King of Salvation.

"Hurry. Come inside!"

A child who would suffer the most terrible thing in this 41st round. An Incarnation who would lose her memories, wander the worldlines, and finally become the Calamity of another worldline.

「"Deal with it, Beast Lord."」

The Catastrophe of Floods, Shin Yuseong, was there.

Footnotes:

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