WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: smol_anon

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 7: Episode 2 - Protagonist (1)

The subway had come to a stop when it was halfway over Dongho Bridge.

“Holy crap…”

The few survivors stood up awkwardly from their seats to look outside. The ruined city of Seoul, with collapsed buildings, came into view. Monsters that resembled giant snakes were feasting on the wreckage of a downed fighter jet in the Han River.

“W-what the hell is that…?”

I immediately recognized what those creatures were.

Sea Dragons.

Commonly referred to as Sea Serpents. In the future, they would be classified as a tier-7 monster species in the world of TWSA. One of the sea serpents turned its head towards us.

“A-ahh! It’s coming!”

The people screamed in fear, but even as the ichthyosaur approached, I remained indifferent. These things were no threat.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The sea serpent let out a cry, circled beneath Dongho Bridge, and vanished into the water with a burst of bubbles.

In the world of TWSA, the "scenario" took precedence over everything. As long as the scenario’s protection was in place, there was no immediate threat from those creatures. At least, not for now.

[Due to an unexpected error in the scenario, the reward settlement has been delayed. Please stand by.]

At the time when the reward should have been distributed, only an error message hovered in the air.

It was probably because of me.

I looked down at the corpse of Kim Namwoon, whose body had been severed at the torso. If things had gone according to the original progression of TWSA, Kim Namwoon would have killed most of the people in this train car and moved on to the next scenario.

But I had stopped him.

If I was correct, those who were angry about Namwoon’s death would soon make their appearance.

[Due to the death of the character Kim Namwoon, two constellations are expressing a faint hostility toward you.]

Constellations.

The most mysterious beings in TWSA, they sat atop distant nebulae and observed all these events from behind the scenes. Seeing their reactions to Kim Namwoon’s death made me realize that things were finally starting to get serious.

It was funny. Just a day ago, my position was completely opposite to theirs, and now, those same beings were watching me.

[A few constellations are expressing admiration for the way you cleared the scenario.]

[You have been gifted 500 coins by the constellations.]

For every constellation that disliked me, there was one that liked me. Either way, it was an uncomfortable situation, but there wasn’t much I could do about them for now.

I had become the clown in this game.

As I picked up Namwoon’s pocket knife from the floor, I thought to myself:

Watch all you want. In the end, the price you pay for watching will be your own lives.

“…Dokja-ssi? Are you okay?”

When I lifted my head, I saw Sangah’s face. Her shoulders were slumped. Bloodstains were scattered across her white blouse, and her stockings were torn. The Sangah I knew no longer existed. I held her hand and helped her stand.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t save that lady.”

I looked down at the body of the old woman, whose head had also been severed. An old woman whose name I didn’t even know. Many more people would die in the same way.

Sangah looked at me with a complex expression.

“How are you able to…?”

“Pardon?”

“N-never mind. More importantly… thank you.”

“For what?”

“Well, earlier…”

A scene flashed in my mind. I remembered the moment I threw the cage, and Sangah had been standing in the direction I aimed for. I could guess what she was thinking.

“It was just a coincidence. Don’t expect it to happen twice.”

“Oh…”

Yu Sangah nodded silently. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she was smart enough to understand my point.

Because of my choice, someone had lived, and someone else had died.

No matter who survived, I wasn’t someone who deserved thanks.

[Wow, amazing.]

Suddenly, a sound like static buzzed through the air, and a dokkaebi appeared.

[What the hell happened here? I was only gone for a moment, checking the other cars…]

The dokkaebi’s expression was a mix of joy and disbelief. Above its furry head, shimmering stars floated in the air.

I counted the stars in my head. One, two, three… twenty, twenty-one. There were twenty-one in total. No wonder it looked so happy.

[Twenty-one constellations connected to my channel… Maybe my luck is finally turning around? Oh, thank you for the sponsorship, constellations! Haha! Hey everyone! Looks like you all did a good job!]

The number of stars represented how many constellations were watching the channel. Twenty-one wasn’t a huge number, but for a novice dokkaebi, it was a surprising amount.

[Wow, you’ve even got quite a few survivors! The guy in the next car was a maniac, too… You’re giving me quite the show today.]

The dokkaebi smirked and fiddled with something in the air. Moments later, a list of the survivors appeared.

[Survivors of Bulkwang Line 3434, Car 3807: Kim Dokja, Lee Hyeonseong, Yu Sangah, Han Myeongoh, Lee Gilyeong. Total survivors: 5.]

Five people. More than I expected had survived.

I looked at the faces of each survivor one by one. Lee Hyeonseong, with his strong physique and quick reflexes, was someone I had expected to survive. I had also somewhat expected Yu Sangah to make it.

Then there was Lee Gilyeong.

If I was correct, the name ‘Lee Gilyeong’ belonged to the boy standing next to me. In his hand was the crushed remains of a grasshopper I had given him earlier.

The boy stood silently, staring at the headless body of his mother. His mother had abandoned him and taken part in killing the old woman. And this boy had witnessed the entire scene from start to finish.

After a moment’s hesitation, I gently placed my hand on the boy’s shoulder. It wasn’t out of pity. If I had to describe it, it was… yes. It was hypocrisy.

“Hey, kid.”

The boy slowly raised his head. His eyes were filled with the fear of death, something he had never experienced before.

It was only natural. He wasn’t grieving his mother’s death. He was simply afraid of his own.

That was what it meant to be human.

“Do you want to live?”

The boy’s pupils trembled in terror. His body shook as if resisting an unstoppable force. Then, faintly, he nodded.

“Then come with me.”

Slowly, Gilyeong moved closer, pressing himself tightly against my leg. Sangah looked at me as if she were deeply moved. Once again, I was going to be misunderstood. It wasn’t on purpose this time. Well, not entirely. The person I was trying to show wasn’t Sangah, though.

[A few constellations are moved by your kindness.]

[You have been gifted 200 coins by the constellations.]

It was dirty, but it couldn’t be helped. I wanted to live too. Considering the important events coming up, it was essential to grab the constellations’ attention now.

“Are you going to let us go now? We’ve already done everything you asked!”

A few steps away, Myeongoh was yelling, his shirt torn into several strips.

Han Myeongoh, that lucky bastard. Something about this situation was odd, though. Why was he, a man with so much money, riding the subway home from work?

Not long ago, he had paraded around the office bragging about his new Mercedes.

[Hmm, let you go? Haven’t you been paying attention to what’s happening outside? You really want to be let out?]

The dokkaebi cackled.

[Well, I’m impressed. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from this car, but you’ve somehow managed to survive the first scenario. You’ve proven that even bugs deserve a chance to live.]

His words were a harsh reminder of our reality. In the dokkaebi’s eyes, we probably looked like insects.

[Well, since you overcame the challenge, there should be a reward, right? As a prize for surviving the first scenario, you’ve earned the right to be sponsored by a constellation! Wow! Isn’t that exciting? Hm, you don’t look excited. This is a big deal!]

It was only natural. I was the only one here who knew what a constellation or a sponsorship meant. Constellation sponsorship. The meaning of those words was obvious. It meant that one of the core events of TWSA, the <Patron Selection>, was about to begin.

[Hmm, you all look so confused. Let me explain it simply. Right now, you’re all extremely weak. If I threw you into the next scenario as you are, you’d be killed in an instant. Even a puny Ground Rat could take you out. But fortunately for you, there are some very kind beings in this universe who want to sponsor you.]

Finally, Lee Hyeonseong couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke.

“What do you mean? Who would sponsor us…?”

[Hah, are you serious? Don’t you get it yet? There’s a saying in Korea: seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. So, why don’t you experience it for yourselves? Though, some of you might not even get that chance! Hahaha!]

I braced myself. It was starting now. Choosing the right option here would make survival much easier in the future.

“Dokja-ssi? I suddenly got two weird choices in front of me. What the hell is this?”

“Why are you asking me?”

Of course, I was lying to avoid suspicion.

Still, it was interesting. Two choices? Sangah must have been pretty lucky.

“Just think of it as a personality test.”

“A personality test…?”

“None of us know what’s going on. Just take it easy.”

“Ah… I see.”

Sangah seemed to agree and fell silent, staring into the air with a serious expression as if pondering over some mysterious fortune.

The others had also fallen silent. They were probably reading the choices that had appeared before them.

And I, too, was now looking at my own choices.

+

<Patron Selection>

- Please select your patron.

- The patron you choose will be your staunch supporter.

1. Abyssal Black Flame Dragon

2. Demonic Judge of Fire

3. Secretive Plotter

4. Prisoner of the Golden Headband

+

Four mysterious choices. It meant that there were four constellations who wanted to make me their incarnation. Considering that the protagonist of TWSA had five choices, four wasn’t a bad number. But the number wasn’t as important as the cryptic words beside each choice.

Constellations never revealed their true names.

As a result, all incarnations had to carefully analyze the flowery language like “Abyss” or “Demon” to figure out the Constellation’s identity. But for me, the sole reader of TWSA, these kinds of puzzles were no big deal.

First, Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.

If my memory was correct, this constellation was a powerful being that led a group of constellations known as Black Cloud.

I couldn’t remember its true name, but I recalled it being absurdly long.

The strength of this constellation lay in the immense combat power it provided to its incarnations. In the early stages, when enhancements to physical stats like constitution and strength were crucial, there was no better patron than the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.

Of course, that was only for the early stages.

The more you used this constellation’s power, the more your mind became corrupted, eventually turning you into a bloodthirsty maniac. Usually, this constellation sponsored characters with the Chuunibyou attribute… I had no idea why it chose me.

It felt too risky, so I decided to pass on this one.

The second choice was Demonic Judge of Fire.

Seeing this option in front of me filled me with mixed emotions.

Although the name made it sound wicked, the word “demonic” was actually misleading. In fact, the phrase “demonic judge” simply meant “not a demon.” Combined with the words “fire” and “judge,” it referred to a being who carried out judgment through flames.

Paradoxically, this constellation was an angel. If I remembered correctly, it was Archangel Uriel. In the story, there had been a character who chose this constellation as their patron.

It was a decent option, but I decided to hold off on it for now. Absolute good Constellations tended to impose some pretty ridiculous restrictions.

The third option was Secretive Plotter.

As an avid reader of TWSA, this was a first for me. I had never seen this choice before. It might be connected to a constellation mentioned in passing, but I couldn’t recall it. If I had read the novel more carefully, I might’ve figured it out.

What was certain was that this constellation probably wasn’t very strong. The lack of distinctive descriptors and the absence of a proper title implied as much.

Secretive Plotter was too simple a title to represent a powerful being. I decided to pass on this one, too.

Finally, Prisoner of the Golden Headband.

My heart raced when I saw this fourth choice. It was surprising to see this constellation appear so early. I reread the name several times, but there was no mistake.

This was definitely Prisoner of the Golden Headband.

Though the word “prisoner” gave it a negative connotation, the key phrase here was “golden headband.”

Golden Headband. The smallest prison in the world.

Anyone familiar with Journey to the West would instantly recognize the hint. There was only one prisoner in all of history who wore the golden headband.

The Lord of Mount Huaguo, who lived in immense pain from the band shackled around his head. The Handsome Monkey King with fiery golden eyes—it . It was none other than the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, Sun Wukong.

There had been a character in TWSA who had chosen Sun Wukong as their patron.

With a single swing of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, they wiped out hundreds of incarnations, and with one thunder strike, they obliterated thousands of monsters. The author had put so much effort into describing this character’s power that the memory was vivid.

I had no idea why such a powerful constellation would be interested in me, but if I became the incarnation of Sun Wukong, I would have the power to survive in this world with ease. But…

I silently gazed at the door connecting our cabin to the one right ahead. I could plainly see the image of him looking at the selection screen, just like me. If I chose the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven as my patron… could I win against him?

[You have 1 minute remaining to choose your patron.]

Time was slipping through my fingers. I let out a shallow breath and went through my choices one last time.

It wasn’t long before I made up my mind.

Footnotes:

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