WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 68: Episode 14 - Master of the Throne (4)

The man in the monk’s robe with the eyepatch was walking toward us. Out of all the Seven Kings of Seoul, it had to be him that we encountered first. Sangah sent a message through the group chat.

— Dokja-ssi, could that person possibly be…

— Yes, I believe so.

Sangah nodded solemnly.

Of course, there was no way she could see that appearance and not think the same as me.

— But I don’t understand. Even if his constellation is that ‘historical figure’, why is his Incarnation dressed like that?

— It’s likely that he has a high synchronization rate with his constellation. With a high enough synchronization, incarnations tend to adopt the tastes and mannerisms of their constellation during their lifetime.

The man with the ponytail knelt before the monk with the eyepatch.

"Your Majesty, you have returned."

"Yes."

"How did it go?"

"Need I say more? Here."

The eyepatched man gestured to his staff, where a blue gemstone from the Field of the Big Dipper was embedded.

The Star of Greedy Wolf.

The man with the ponytail marveled.

"Oh…!"

Impressive. He had already acquired one of the Star Gems.

Star Gems were reward items from the Field of the Big Dipper. Each one raised a stat by a level, making them valuable even individually. However, their true value lay in collecting all seven.

After all, these gems were essential materials for summoning the Four Yin Demonic Decapitator.

The eyepatched man looked in my direction.

"And who are they?"

"They just entered the Field of the Big Dipper. Their swordsmanship was impressive, so I was considering bringing them into our ranks."

"Is that so?"

The eyepatched man and I reached out our hands at the same time.

"I’m Cha Sanggyeong."

"Kim Dokja."

As I shook his hand, I activated a skill.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

+

<Character Details>

Name: Cha Sanggyeong

Age: 26

Patron constellation: One-eyed Maitreya

Exclusive attributes: Cult Leader (Heroic), Maitreya King (Heroic)

Exclusive skills: [Weapons Proficiency Lv.5], [Mental Barrier Lv.3], [Eloquent Speech Lv.3], [Skillful Deception Lv.3], [False Prayer Lv.1]...

Stigma: [Promised Land Lv.2], [Mind Reading Lv.2], [Accuse as the Devil Lv.3]

Overall stats: [Vitality Lv.28], [Strength Lv.26], [Agility Lv.28], [Mana Lv.25]

Overall evaluation: Under the watchful one eye of this man, no one is safe. Be careful not to make any reckless gestures in his presence.

+

If only Huiwon were here. She’d never doubt my patron was Gung Ye[1] again if she saw this guy blinking in front of me.

Sanggyeong spoke.

"I have a knack for reading faces. May I take a look?"

"Go ahead."

I had been wondering when he’d get to that.

[The character Cha Sanggyeong has activated the stigma Mind Reading Lv.2!]

The stigma [Mind Reading], bestowed by Gung Ye in TWSA, was an intriguing perception skill. While it didn’t reveal an opponent’s stats, it allowed the user to gauge someone’s disposition and general threat level. In simpler terms, a good person might appear as ‘Hopeless Devil’, while a traitor might appear as ‘Backstabbing Devil’. For example:

[The character Cha Sanggyeong has recognized you as a Do-Not-Touch Devil.]

Just like that.

"Th-this is…?"

"Your Majesty, what is it?"

[The character Cha Sanggyeong is visibly shocked.]

Sanggyeong’s face turned pale as he shouted,

"A-a devil!"

"Pardon? Surely not…?"

Upon hearing the word ‘Devil’, the Maitreya King’s followers, including the man with the ponytail, all looked at me. The tension in the air was palpable, but Sanggyeong quickly added,

"No, no. It was my mistake."

"Your mistake, sir?"

"Yes, there is nothing. Stand down, everyone."

So, he wasn’t a fool, he knew better than to ignore the warning of his constellation. ‘Do-Not-Touch Devil’, huh… It seemed that One-eyed Maitreya had no intention of fighting me.

"Phew… what a surprise."

More intriguing was the reaction of the man with the ponytail. For a fleeting moment, his expression revealed a hint of… disappointment.

"The plan will commence in precisely one hour. You joined a bit late, but I look forward to seeing what you can do."

With those words, Sanggyeong rejoined his followers. For a first encounter with Gung Ye, it was rather anticlimactic. The man with the ponytail spoke.

"That was a close call. Glad it didn’t go south."

"A king who claims to understand the hearts of his people sure knows how to spin words."

"Haha, while history remembers Gung Ye as a tyrant, he was initially regarded as a wise ruler. Who knows how things will turn out? History can always be rewritten."

"Perhaps. By the way, who are you?"

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Han Suyeong. I serve as an aide to Sanggyeong-ssi here."

A man serving the Incarnation of Gung Ye. If he had chosen to stay beside Gung Ye, it was likely his own Patron had reasons for it.

Who could he be? Could it be Wang Geon? I activated my skill again.

[Activating exclusive skill, ‘Character Profile’!]

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

[This character is not registered in Character Profile.]

…What?

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

Suyeong’s response was shameless, making me chuckle involuntarily. I see… I had figured it out now.

"Oh, it’s nothing. Just… it feels like there’s a bit of a devil in you."

"Devil, you say?"

Han Suyeong’s gaze shifted subtly as he looked at me. In that moment, both of us were likely thinking the same thing. The question was, ‘Who will draw their sword first?’

With a squeak, the doors to the waiting room began to open one by one.

"The king as arrived!"

Tension ran high among the Maitreya King’s group, and those on the opposite side of the waiting room began to cheer. Watching the kings step through the doors, I asked Han Suyeong,

"Are they allies as well?"

"Yes, all of them have agreed to cooperate. From the left, we have the Coward King Yun Giyeong, Brawling King Kim Baekho, and lastly, Earth Dragon King Gu Taeseong."

Hearing their nicknames sparked memories. Coward King and Brawling King—both looked the part. They had decent stats and skills but were a step below the Seven Kings of Seoul.

The one to watch was Earth Dragon King Gu Taeseong. Upon spotting Sanggyeong, Taeseong sneered.

"One-eye, out already? Fast as always."

"A wormy devil dares speak."

"Worm? Are you insulting my patron?"

At this, Sangah gasped and whispered to me,

"I think his Patron might be Kyŏn Hwŏn[2]."

"…How did you know?"

"I’ve heard that the King of Later Baekje was born as the son of Earth Dragon."

"Earth Dragon?"

"It means ‘worm’. Other kings apparently called Kyŏn Hwŏn the son of a worm to mock him."

Impressive. I hadn’t expected her to deduce his identity from such information, but she was correct.

Earth Dragon King Gu Taeseong.

In my memory, he was indeed one of the Seven Kings of Seoul, his patron none other than Kyŏn Hwŏn, King of Later Baekje.

"There are quite a few people with kings as their patron. Like that King of Beauty we encountered before…."

I nodded. It wasn’t a coincidence that many incarnations had kings as their patron. This situation was likely similar across other regions, not just in Seoul Dome.

For example, in Japan, figures like Oda Nobunaga and the Three Heroes of the Warring States were probably locked in battle through their Incarnations, while in the UK, King Richard the Lionheart and Henry VIII might be engaging in their own power struggles.

Around the world, the historic constellations were adjusting their synchronization rates with their Incarnations, preparing for a war over the throne.

[The constellation Naval Warfare God eagerly anticipates the rise of a new fabled constellation.]

[The constellation Bald Army General watches with bated breath as the situation unfolds.]

Other historic constellations seemed similarly excited. As mentioned, the fourth Scenario was an event designed for historic constellations worldwide.

"Is everyone here?"

The gathered kings organized their ranks, converging in the center to give a speech.

"Our enemy is the Tyrant King, who entered through the third entrance. Driven by greed for the Star Gems, he has ruthlessly slain two innocent kings. Some among you may have even lost your own kings to him."

So that’s why the waiting room was littered with corpses.

Apparently, the Tyrant King had killed two other kings here and stolen their Star Gems. That meant if we targeted the third entrance, we could gather all seven Star Gems.

"We must never surrender our new Seoul to a group of thugs. Should he obtain the Four Yin Demonic Decapitator and claim the Absolute Throne, this city would be left in endless sorrow and tragedy!"

"Therefore, warriors of the people, rise now! Every king here is wise and discerning. Whoever ultimately becomes king is a matter for the future, but for now, we must prevent the worst king from seizing power!"

"This will be a righteous struggle for survival. Take heed! You are warriors who will live to witness and prove a history of revolution!"

The crowd fervently cheered at this speech, despite its lack of real substance. They cheered, agreed, and some were even moved to tears, as if they were true revolutionaries rising for justice. Watching this spectacle, I stood alone.

Just a month ago, these people voted for their president. They fulfilled their duties, enjoyed their rights, and agreed to own private property through legal economic activities. Now, it all felt like a dream. In just one month, Seoul had reverted to a kingdom.

"Let’s go!"

Hundreds of people poured into the third entrance. Positioned at the rear of Sanggyeong’s group, we followed suit. Soon, the scene rippled before our eyes, revealing a massive cavern. A huge tunnel, so vast its size was immeasurable.

Walking beside me, Han Suyeong spoke up.

"Exciting, isn’t it? Feels like we’re in a martial arts novel."

"A martial arts novel?"

Suyeong nodded with a cryptic smile.

"You know, in martial arts novels, they often describe something like this. A mysterious cavern depicted on a treasure map, with a legendary sword sleeping inside. Any martial artist who claims the sword would become the greatest under the heavens!"

Suyeong’s voice, complete with theatrical gestures, sounded convincing.

"A common cliché in martial arts novels: Mysterious Treasure Map."

"Dokja-ssi, seems you’re quite familiar with martial arts novels yourself?"

Of course. When it came to genre novels, I couldn’t be left out.

"I’ve read plenty. You may not know this, but that cliché often leads to a certain development."

"A certain development?"

"It turns out that ‘the treasure map is fake!’ That’s usually how it goes."

Suyeong’s eyes sparkled with interest. I continued,

"Because of the fake treasure map, the masters who gathered in the cavern fall into a trap, while the mastermind behind the fake map quietly profits from behind the scenes. A classic martial arts trope."

"Ho… So, could this situation also be like one of those tropes?"

"It could be, but I’d be disappointed if that were the case."

"Why would that be?"

"To be honest, the mysterious treasure map cliché is overused."

At my words, Suyeong’s expression wavered for the first time. It seemed he had taken the bait. After a moment of twitching lips, he spoke.

"An overused trope is also a proven one."

"Using a trope solely because it’s proven is a poor excuse for a writer. Well… this isn’t a novel, so it’s not like there’s an author behind it."

Suyeong’s face stiffened slightly.

This was the critical moment. Whether he would bite the bait or not. And after a pause, he spoke.

"And if there is an author, what then?"

"Pardon?"

"If you were the author behind this situation, what would you do? Suppose you had to include the ‘mysterious treasure map’ trope?"

"I wouldn’t know. I’m just a reader, so I haven’t thought that far."

"I believe you’d end up doing the same. You’d get used to relying on obvious tropes, giving readers the obvious satisfaction."

I chuckled and replied.

"What’s with the criticism? You sound just like an author. I’m not saying using tropes is bad. I’m just saying not to use them so uncreatively that people call it plagiarism."

"Pl… agiarism?"

"Yes, plagiarism."

Watching Suyeong’s face turn red and blue was amusing.

"Isn’t it all the same stories with slight variations? Can you even call it plagiarism? If you were an author, you’d do the same―"

"No, I’d write it differently."

Suyeong’s eyebrow twitched.

"…Differently? How so?"

"Like this."

I drew Unbreakable Faith and swung it, slicing Han Suyeong’s neck. His severed head rolled across the floor without a trace of blood. I added,

"Why hide the mastermind when it’s obvious?"

Then, from where it lay on the ground, Suyeong’s severed head began to speak.

"Very interesting, Kim Dokja."

Footnotes:

[1] Gung Ye was the king of the Hugoguryeo kingdom. He was a Silla noble. His family name was Kim (Hangul: 김; Hanja: 金), but was changed to Gung (Hangul: 궁; Hanja: 弓). He was the illegitimate child of King Heonan of Silla or Gyeongmun of Silla. Later, around 880 he lost in the Silla royal family's war of succession. Gung Ye disappeared in the north. In 900, he started a country called Goryeo.

[2] Kyŏn Hwŏn was the king and founder of Later Baekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, and reigned from 892 to 935. Some records render his name as Chin Hwŏn (진훤; 眞萱). He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Kyŏn clan. Substantial accounts of his life are preserved in the Samguk sagi, which presents a single narrative, and the Samguk yusa, which presents excerpts about him from various sources.

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