WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 654: Episode 19: Person from Long Ago (6)
──────
Yuseong and I held our breath as we hid among the underground passageways.
Then, a group of people burst from the passage across from us.
"This way!"
Had they noticed us?
Judging from their movements, they seemed to be deliberately heading this way, but I couldn't tell whether we were their target. I used Group Chat to message Yuseong.
―Yuseong, if anything happens, run immediately.
No matter what happened, I had to save this child.
If Yuseong died here, the forty-first round would end with the worst conclusion I could imagine.
―What if you run with me too, Mister?
It wasn't an easy answer.
As I hesitated, Yuseong sent another message.
―But couldn't we win?
―We might.
Was it because she had the potential to become the Beast Lord? Yuseong seemed to have gauged the Incarnations' abilities at a glance.
[The fable Persistent Martial Arts Master stammers through its story.]
The enemies charging toward us were clearly highly skilled. They were the elite of the Seven Kings of Seoul, after all.
Still, if someone asked whether I thought we would lose, the answer was no.
―Those two people are strong.
Of course, there were people we couldn't let our guard down around. For example, the two unusual presences I could feel among those Grunts.
"Earth Dragon King, this way!"
As expected, I knew who it was.
Gu Taeseong, the Earth Dragon King.
One of the Seven Kings of Seoul, with Gyeon Hwon, King of Later Baekje, as his Patron.
An Incarnation in a black stealth outfit stood beside Taeseong, but I couldn't identify him by appearance alone. The hint came from Taeseong's mouth.
"Assassin King. Where is the target?"
"Somewhere nearby."
Assassin King. The assassins who had tried to harm us at the dungeon entrance had mentioned that nickname.
[The Character Profile cannot be used on this individual.]
An opponent on whom Character Profile didn't work.
Then the answer was clear.
[The Exclusive Skill Reader Comment List has activated!]
[That reader has used Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint through an abnormal route.]
It was a message I had seen before.
The Assassin King was the same type as the text-file author I had met in the Theater Dungeon. In other words, he was definitely from the Readers' Association.
―Big star, big star, big star.
The Dust Man's reaction changed as well.
That probably meant those two had Star Gems.
Yuseong held a finger to the Dust Man's mouth as if telling it to be quiet, then asked,
―What should we do, Mister?
―Let's watch the situation for a moment.
I remembered Bang Cheolsu's warning.
「"Even you, hyung, should avoid the Seven Kings if you run into them."」
That had been my plan so far. Gathering Star Gems was important, but I didn't want to take unnecessary risks with Yuseong.
Yet from what I heard, we weren't their target.
"He'll be here soon."
"What are the unit's losses?"
"There are people with serious or minor injuries, but no deaths."
"No one has died yet?"
At almost the same time, a thudding sound came from far away.
It seemed the owner of that sound was their target.
"Didn't you hear? They say he doesn't kill anyone."
"He doesn't kill anyone?"
"There's a rumor he's with the Apostles."
"The Apostles... I don't like those bastards and their hypocrisy. They read a failed novel, just like us."
"That's true. As if spending a few hundred won makes them someone important."
From the sound of it, not only the Assassin King but Gu Taeseong's side also seemed to be Readers' Association Possessors.
Still, they were no ordinary people if they could openly say things like that.
[Some Constellations protest, asking why there have been so many filtered conversations lately.]
Since the conversation would be filtered anyway, they had no intention of hiding it.
"Don't we have people on our side who possessed Constellations too? Have you contacted them?"
"Not yet. It looks like they're wandering around after getting kicked from the channel."
"Those damn idiots. That's what they get for messing with Goryeo's Top Swordsman."
"They don't even know that novel's contents properly. We should have been the ones to possess Constellations."
The two kings stopped grumbling at the same time when the vibrations shaking the labyrinth drew near.
"He's here."
A strange tension spread across their faces.
Then, the sound of flesh tearing came from the corridor.
A group of panting Incarnations appeared.
One had an arm torn off. Another limped with a broken shin. Having lost their weapons, they were fleeing here in a panic.
The two kings didn't look particularly surprised, even as they watched their injured subordinates.
It was as if they had expected all of this.
"So that's what happens when someone gathers three Star Gems."
"If you're jealous, I'll give you my Star Gem."
"I'll pass."
A massive figure swayed behind the Incarnations.
A huge man who looked at least twice the size of an ordinary Incarnation.
Could that be the Labyrinth Keeper?
The Dust Man spinning beside my ear shook violently.
―Big star! Big star! Big star! Big star!
It wasn't the Labyrinth Keeper.
Which meant that monster was an Incarnation like us.
But had there been an Incarnation like that in the main story of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint?
Yuseong clutched my sleeve in surprise. A faint tremor traveled through her fingertips.
「We can't beat that.」
The fine hairs on the back of my hand prickled a warning.
His form hadn't fully come into view yet, but that huge man was stronger than Taeseong and the Assassin King combined.
Who was he?
At this point, who could possess combat power greater than the Seven Kings of Seoul?
"Lights!"
At Taeseong's shout, someone lit up the underground passage, revealing the huge man's appearance.
Two arms packed with solid muscle.
His eyes were empty, as though he had lost his mind. His lips moved over the same words like a chant.
"I won't kill you. I won't kill you."
I stared blankly at the huge man.
Yuseong gripped my hand tightly and asked,
―Mister?
I let go of Yuseong's hand and ran forward.
"Aaaah! What is this?"
One startled Incarnation swung a sword at me as I emerged from the corridor.
I deflected the blade, then kicked them down.
The Incarnation let out a small scream and fell backward, striking the back of their head against the floor.
Thud.
Were they dead? I didn't know.
This wasn't the time to indulge in sentiment.
I was looking at the huge man.
"Looking for a person. Looking for a person."
I saw a thick hand searching through empty air.
It was much bigger, but it was a hand I knew well.
With that hand, he had found the bug beneath the vending machine and thanked me.
"Looking for a person."
Something inside my chest seemed to collapse.
The first reader I had met after possessing someone in this world.
A man dragged into this world because he had read the novel his daughter had read.
"No Jiyoon. No Jiyoon."
Jiyoon's father.
"Uncle Dansu."
Yet Uncle Dansu seemed unable to hear me. He only kept reaching helplessly toward empty air.
When I looked closely, the flesh around his eye sockets had been gouged deep, leaving blackened hollows.
My breath caught as deep anger and grief surged through me at once.
What had happened to him all this time?
Why had Uncle Dansu become such a horrible sight?
Who had turned him into this?
Perhaps it was the killing intent that burst from me.
The Incarnations nearby all turned toward me at once.
Taeseong and the Assassin King frowned at me. The Assassin King muttered as if annoyed.
"An obstacle?"
The sound of flesh breaking came from the Incarnations standing near Uncle Dansu.
Crackkk!
[The Incarnation Lee Dansu has acquired 3 Star Gems.]
Every time Uncle Dansu swung his huge hand, Incarnations were helplessly swept away.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
The Incarnations he struck suffered serious or minor injuries, but none of them died.
"I won't kill you. I won't kill you."
Thinking back, Uncle Dansu had been like this since the first Scenario.
After surviving the first Scenario by killing bugs, he had never killed another person.
「"It's just because I'm weak."」
That was what he said, but I knew the real reason Uncle Dansu didn't kill people.
He was always searching for his daughter.
There was only one reason he didn't kill anyone.
「He wanted to be worthy before Jiyoon.」
"Uncle Dansu! Snap out of it!"
He still looked around as though he couldn't hear me.
An Incarnation who had been waiting for an opening ambushed me from behind. However, a dagger flying in from the side struck them in the neck, and they collapsed to the floor.
"Mister."
It was Yuseong. I nodded, then looked around at the surrounding Incarnations. No matter how I looked at it, these were people after Uncle Dansu.
In that case, taking care of them came first.
Taeseong looked up from the watch he had been checking.
"I think you've misunderstood something. We don't intend to fight."
Taeseong looked over his fallen group members, clicked his tongue, and said,
"Do you have no idea what's happening right now?"
"Gu Taeseong. Don't waste your breath."
Despite the Assassin King's warning, Taeseong continued speaking to me.
"You seem pretty capable, so here's some advice. You should get far away from here. Otherwise, that monster will kill you too."
"Gu Taeseong. He's here."
With those words, Taeseong and the Assassin King moved. I gripped my sword hilt, tense. If necessary, I planned to cut them down from behind and save Uncle Dansu.
But then,
"We'll just throw it some food and leave."
Instead of drawing their weapons, Taeseong and the Assassin King reached toward their Dust Men.
―Staaaar.
Two gems glowing pure white shot out from the small Dust Men's mouths.
There was no doubt.
They were the Star Gems we had been searching for.
What shocked me was what they did next.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
The Star Gems flew toward Uncle Dansu, who kept repeating his apology.
The Dust Man floating near Uncle Dansu's head opened its mouth wide as if it had been waiting.
[The Incarnation Lee Dansu has acquired 2 additional Star Gems!]
Crackkk!
Uncle Dansu's muscles tore and began to expand.
His body became twice as large as before. The Assassin King gave an unpleasant laugh.
"It worked."
"Now we only need to feed him two more. Everyone, retreat!"
The Assassin King's and Taeseong's groups scattered into the labyrinth's darkness without looking back, as though they had completed their mission.
I couldn't understand what was happening.
Amid my confusion, I sorted through the situation.
Firstly, Uncle Dansu already had three Star Gems.
Secondly, Taeseong and the Assassin King fed Uncle Dansu the Star Gems they possessed.
That was the simple explanation for what had just happened before my eyes.
In other words, the meaning was clear.
「They deliberately gave Uncle Dansu their Star Gems.」
Why?
Then I remembered the dungeon's rules.
+
8. Each time you acquire 1 Star Gem, your berserk stat increases.
+
No. That couldn't be it.
I approached Uncle Dansu, who had fallen to his knees.
"Uncle! It's me! Uncle!"
Uncle Dansu had grown even larger than before. He was now big enough to resemble a small giant.
I could feel his presence just by approaching him.
The suffocating pressure reminded me of Yu Junghyeok.
Uncle Dansu clawed at the floor and howled as though he were in pain. I reached toward him and shouted,
"I'm Inho Cheon! Snap out of it!"
At the name Inho Cheon, Uncle Dansu raised his head.
Hope welled up inside me for a moment.
Did he recognize me?
His lips were saying something.
Jiyoon.
The next moment, Uncle Dansu's huge palm flew toward me.
It was a brutal blow, too fast to dodge. If Yuseong hadn't pulled me back at that exact moment, my body might have been crushed.
I looked down at the floor where Uncle Dansu's palm had struck.
The ground was split viciously around the imprint of his hand.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Yuseong was shouting something as she held my sleeve, but all I could hear were Uncle Dansu's words.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Uncle Dansu repeated his apology.
Uncle Dansu, who had lost both eyes, looked at me through those hollow sockets.
[The Incarnation Lee Dansu is in Berserk Stage 4.]
Berserk Stage 4.
+
9. Each time the Berserk Stage rises, overall stats increase dramatically, and you lose your reason.
+
Only then did I understand why the Seven Kings had thrown away their Star Gems and run.
The tenth rule appeared before me.
+
10. When someone gathers seven Star Gems, the Four-Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword will be summoned.
+
Goosebumps ran down my back.
「The goal of this dungeon wasn't to gather seven Star Gems.」
The Star Gems in this dungeon granted powerful strength in exchange for one's reason.
Which meant that to properly gather Star Gems, you could never gather Star Gems yourself.
Therefore, the objective of the Star Gem Dungeon in the forty-first round was this.
「Make someone other than yourself gather seven Star Gems.」
Uncle Dansu, now turned into a monster, slowly rose to his feet and began walking toward me.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
