WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 688: Episode 23: Fragment of a God (3)
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My jaw wouldn't close.
Ten to zero?
Seriously? He got a ten-to-zero contract out of Bihyeong?
When I looked up, Bihyeong was sweating nervously with an awkward expression. He seemed to be talking to someone, and it was obvious who that person was.
―We're done talking. You know we get the ten, right?
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Right.
Dokja was this kind of person.
‘What on earth did you do?’
He had brought me to the center of the battlefield, opened a Star Stream channel, renewed the Stream Contract, and drawn the stars to this channel.
[Many Constellations are watching your actions!]
[You have received a sponsorship of 300 coins.]
All of that had happened in less than five minutes.
―Are you ready?
I was reminded once again of who I had made a contract with.
He had once been the Star Stream's golden child, a Demon King who had mocked, humiliated, or saved the stars.
"Yes."
I had five minutes left to live.
Like I said, I wasn't afraid.
Now I knew why.
[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation is with you.]
Perhaps I had been waiting for this moment all along.
―Let's start the comeback stage.
As I ran with all my strength, my Strength of 70 condensed and sent me surging forward.
[The fable Persistent Martial Arts Master begins its story.]
The Ark's fable coiled around my hand, and my more refined Mana painted blue waves through the air. Along the dense, unbroken arcs, Groll heads flew off like toys.
[The Constellation Goryeo's Top Swordsman nods at your rapid growth.]
For some reason, handling fables felt more natural than before.
Was that also my Patron's influence?
Grrrooooaaar!
A furious dragonkin howled in the distance and exhaled a scarlet Breath.
[The Grade-5 monster dragon species Variant Imugi Bracky is preparing Breath!]
A Variant Imugi.
It was a beast species that hadn't appeared in the main story.
―It's literally just an imugi. Strictly speaking, it isn't a proper dragon.
But I had Dokja.
―Its Breath pattern is vertical. Looking at the markings on its back, it's a lesser subordinate of fire dragons and earth dragons. There should be rocks mixed into its Breath.
[The Grade-5 monster dragon species Variant Imugi Bracky has used Breath!]
Large hailstones were mixed into the Breath rushing toward me.
Dokja calmly continued explaining as he watched the fireballs fly in.
―The flames are clustered around the rocks, so you only need to avoid the big ones. Keep your eyes open. You've played rhythm games before, right?
‘I get what you're trying to say.’
―Think of it as entering that game from now on.
It was ridiculous nonsense, but I actually did it.
I ducked whenever the hailstones flew toward me and shattered the smaller rocks I couldn't avoid with [White Pure Star Energy]. Heat exploded right in front of my face, but I didn't look away.
I thought I could do it.
―All right, next!
The moment I kicked off the ground at his signal, I met Jeong Huiwon's eyes in midair as she avoided the Breath.
"Inho?"
Before Huiwon could shout anything else in surprise, I pointed behind her.
"Huiwon-ssi! Behind you!"
The tail of a Grade-4 earth dragon species that had been waiting for an opening flew straight down at Huiwon. There was no angle from which she could dodge it.
―Don't worry.
A dazzling aura burst from Huiwon's entire body at the same time as Dokja spoke.
[The Incarnation Jeong Huiwon has activated Hour of Judgement!]
It was an incredibly powerful skill that displayed absolute combat power against monsters.
[Hour of Judgement], which only the Demonbane Judge could use, had revealed its power.
"Hold on tight!"
Huiwon snatched my hand and fell toward the ground with an unnatural movement in midair. The monster dragon species' tail barely grazed past us, and Huiwon kept hold of my wrist as she shouted,
"When did you wake up... No, more importantly, why are you here? Do you even know what kind of situation we're in..."
"We can talk about that later. Huiwon-ssi, if it's you right now..."
I glanced at the Grade-4 earth dragon species staring at us after withdrawing its tail.
"Can you take that thing on?"
Even with Dokja beside me, hunting a Grade-4 beast species with my current stats was impossible.
But Huiwon was different.
She was a specialist at hunting great beasts.
With [Hour of Judgement] active, she might be able to fight even a grade-4 species.
"If it's only that one, we have a chance."
"The other one is the problem."
I looked at the Grade-5 monster dragon species charging toward us.
"I'll take the Grade-5 one. Huiwon-ssi, handle the Grade-4 one."
"Wait, you can't just decide that on your own..."
"You know what's more important right now, Huiwon-ssi. If we can't kill those things, everyone here dies."
Huiwon hurriedly looked behind her at my words.
Sergeant Kim was retreating to the rear with Jeong Eunho on his back. Bang Cheolsu's group was also there, protecting him.
Huiwon frowned, released my wrist, and said,
"I'm going to ask you a lot of questions later."
She immediately charged toward the Grade-4 earth dragon species. As if it had been waiting for her, the earth dragon swung its massive forepaw at her.
A deafening roar rang out soon after. An ordinary Incarnation would have been crushed into the ground by that blow.
But Huiwon endured it.
Grrrooooaaar!
Her physical stats had greatly increased while breaking through the seventh Scenario. On top of that, she had the buffs of [Hour of Judgement] and [Mad].
Even if she faced Yu Junghyeok from the forty-first round now, she probably wouldn't be outmatched.
I called Dokja in my mind.
‘Excuse me, Kim Dokja-ssi.’
I knew the fight was too intense to look away from, but he still had things to do.
―Ah, sorry. It brought back some memories.
Memories.
It wasn't hard to imagine what Kim Dokja, the Demon King of Salvation, might have been thinking as he watched Huiwon.
‘I have exactly three minutes left to live.’
―Don't worry. You won't die here.
‘Do you have to say it in such an ominous way?’
The Grade-5 monster dragon species, having regrouped, charged toward me once more.
A Grade-5 species was a Minor Calamity-grade beast that, forty-five days ago, even a combined attack from the readers couldn't defeat.
It was a monster we could only hunt after buying time with the Labyrinth Keeper, after Uncle Dansu died once, and after I risked my own life.
Could I kill such a monster by myself?
―Strictly speaking, it isn't Minor Calamity-grade. At least it can't use something like a total annihilation technique. That only activates in a Disaster Scenario.
‘It might not have a total annihilation technique, but it's still strong.’
―Your current stats are enough. We don't have time, so let's finish this quickly.
I nodded.
No one had to tell me what I needed to do. It was crystal clear in my head.
―Sylphid's Leap Boots.
[The special option Leap has activated.]
I shot up the monster dragon species' body in one leap.
―Now.
When I activated Blade of Faith through Thought, the slash made sharper by [Leap]'s acceleration drove into its spine.
The sensation of the blade cutting in was clearly different from the fourth Scenario.
It was probably thanks to how much my physical stats had increased.
Grrraaaah!
Still, that attack wasn't enough to bring it down.
I needed a more decisive blow.
―[Sentence Enhancement] and [Incitement]. You know, right?
The combination of [Sentence Enhancement], which strengthened an action, and [Incitement]. It was one of the few things I was good at, using [Incitement] to imitate a specific character and borrow that character's strength.
‘Should I do Yu Junghyeok?’
―How are you going to imitate Yu Junghyeok at your current level?
‘I have imitated him before.’
It was true.
Only for a moment, and it hadn't gone very well.
―It's a monster dragon species that evolved from an imugi. Isn't it obvious who you should imitate?
‘Ah.’
I nodded.
This was the seventh Scenario.
I had three fables.
Considering one of them was quasi-Mythical-grade, there was a character worth attempting to imitate with [Incitement], even at my level.
Especially if that creature's original form was an imugi.
Grrraaaah!
The tips of its sharp claws scraped across my thigh.
Suppressing the pain, I activated [Sentence Enhancement].
[The subskill Sentence Enhancement has activated!]
[You can input your action.]
[The action you input will be strengthened.]
......
[An error has occurred!]
[You cannot currently activate Sentence Enhancement!]
[You have exhausted all Plausibility needed for Sentence Enhancement!]
Only then did I remember the last time I activated the skill.
Back then, I had spent all my Plausibility in my contract with the Demon King of Salvation to kill the Founder of the Absolute Throne.
‘I think I'm screwed.’
―It's fine. Use [Incitement] at least!
‘[Incitement] can't imitate a character's skills.’
―It doesn't matter, so trust me! Hurry!
[The Exclusive Skill Incitement Lv.10 has activated!]
"I am..."
The pages of 『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint』 began turning in my head.
He was someone who could easily subdue the imugi before me.
The star who had killed Yamata no Orochi in the sixth Scenario's peace land.
"I am Kim Dokja, who killed the Sovereign of Eight Heads in peace land!"
[Incitement has activated to its limit!]
An intense conviction surged from deep inside my cells along with the activation of [Incitement].
「I am Kim Dokja. The very Kim Dokja who hunted Yamata no Orochi.」
Then the monster dragon species before me really did seem like nothing.
Right. I had hunted the shadow of a fabled-grade Constellation. What was there to fear from some Grade-5 species?
Filled with confidence, I swung my sword at it.
I could win. I could kill it...
Clang!
Blade of Faith was easily blocked.
Its enormous jaws opened right in front of me.
Kwoooaaah!
I desperately dodged the pouring Breath and screamed.
If I had been hit by that, I would've died.
Really died.
―Are you insane? Why would you charge in there?
‘You told me to trust you!’
―You can't win with [Incitement] alone! Give me 20,000 coins. Now.
‘Yes... no, how much?’
Dokja didn't answer.
Then...
[The Behind-the-Scenes Contract clause has activated!]
[Your Patron has extorted a portion of your scheduled sponsorship amount.]
[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation has acquired 20,000 coins.]
That bastard.
Dokja spoke as though satisfied.
―Good. Let's get started.
[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation has used coins.]
In that moment, I realized what Dokja was trying to do.
He had paid the production cost.
Twenty thousand coins were the minimum Plausibility needed to place my fake acting onto a real stage.
[The fable One Who Hunted the King of Catastrophes begins its story.]
One Who Hunted the King of Catastrophes.
It was Dokja's Legendary-grade fable, obtained by slaying the shadow of Yamata no Orochi, which had been empowered by an Outer God.
That fable settled over my entire body.
[Stage Transformation has begun.]
The stage before me began to change according to the fable's influence.
Part of Gwanghwamun changed in an instant into Veronica Castle, the stage of peace land.
[The current reproduction level of Stage Transformation is low.]
The reproduction level was low because my opponent wasn't Yamata no Orochi, but this was enough for now.
Grrrooooaaar!
As proof, the Grade-5 monster dragon species' momentum clearly changed.
Unlike before, there was a strange fear in its eyes.
Of course there was.
[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon is startled by your fable!]
This was the fable of someone who had killed the king of imugis.
[Constellations of the dragonkin lineage doubt the Plausibility of the Demon King of Salvation!]
[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire's eyes gleam at your exploits.]
I charged forward as though I had truly become Dokja in peace land.
The Grade-5 monster dragon species opened its vicious jaws as though it would bite me to pieces.
―Jump in!
At Dokja's signal, I used [Leap] and Thought's Mimicry at the same time.
‘Transform into the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit.’
[The effect of Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit has activated!]
Just as I had when entering the Star Gem Dungeon, I used the Myriad Transformations Stealth Suit to shrink my body.
The confused monster dragon species opened its mouth, and I burrowed into it like a small meteor.
In an instant, I passed its uvula and reached its esophagus. Dokja gave the signal.
―Now.
I deactivated the Stealth Suit and reached into my clothes.
There was the real Unbreakable Faith that the vanished Han Suyeong had left behind.
‘Help me, Han Suyeong.’
I gripped the sword's handle as if praying.
I couldn't do this with my strength alone.
Because of the story you wrote, I had also made it this far.
[The fable One Who Hunted the King of Catastrophes roars!]
Shamelessly, I needed that story's power once more.
Kiiiiing!
Light exploded from Unbreakable Faith, and an intense Blade of Faith surged forth.
The attribute [Cyclical Body] activated and released Mana like a waterfall.
Stronger, faster.
[The Constellation Demon King of Salvation nods.]
I might not be able to become Kim Dokja, the man who killed the King of Catastrophes, but if I had even a little of the right to be Kim Dokja.
If that name was still permitted to someone like me.
「At least in this moment, I won't doubt that I am Kim Dokja.」
Deep blue-white Mana drew a dazzling path.
Footnotes:
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