Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 723

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 723: Episode 28: Home (1)

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「"When Mister comes back, we're going to live in a very, very big house."

Shin Yuseong, who had been silently looking up at the sky, spoke.

"The house will be so big that it'll have the Han River inside it, and even the sea. There'll be a PC café and a Library too. We won't have to go outside to eat pizza by the Han River or chicken at the beach. We can all go to the PC café together and learn games from Mister Junghyeok, and then..."

"Idiot. There isn't a house that big."

Lee Gilyeong rebuked her. Shin Yuseong was silent for a long time before she answered.

"I know."」

* * *

An hour earlier, the first thing we agreed on was finding somewhere to stay.

"I don't know what Event Scenario is coming in an hour, but let's find lodging first."

Actually, that was a lie. I did know what was coming.

Since the Event Scenario was called Three Little Pigs, there would surely be an event related to it.

Fortunately, little Junghyeok nodded without arguing.

"Lead the way."

"Yes, sir."

Somehow, I felt like a farmhand serving a young master.

I walked on, carefully examining the signs scattered throughout the city. This was still a city of sorts, so there had to be somewhere we could use as temporary lodging.

Since this was a cyberpunk world, there might even be a hotel.

"You."

"Yes, sir."

"Your steps are fast."

I glanced back at little Junghyeok and slowed down a little.

A moment later, he spoke again.

"I said your steps were fast."

"What do you want me to do about that?"

When I turned around, Junghyeok only looked up at me without answering.

I stared at him, then let out a deep sigh.

He looked about ten years old at most. Since he couldn't benefit from Skills or Stigmas in his current state, he probably hadn't recovered from the exhaustion of the previous Twelve Zodiac Race.

With no other choice, I knelt and offered him my back.

As if he'd been waiting for it, Junghyeok sprang up and stood on my shoulders.

This wasn't a surfboard.

"Can't you just ride on my back normally?"

"You should pay more attention to your training."

"What?"

"Your trapezius and deltoids aren't properly developed, so your body's balance is compromised. From now on, when holding a sword, move your shoulders while paying attention to the range of motion in your shoulder blades."

"Are you sure losing your memories wasn't a lie?"

Grumbling, I carried little Junghyeok and started walking.

If Uriel had been watching, she might've given me Coins for being good.

For some reason, none of the Constellations I was usually close to were anywhere in sight.

"Will your body return to normal in ten days too?"

"I don't know."

"It'll be a little troublesome if it doesn't."

"It will recover. I don't know how much, though."

If this round's Yu Junghyeok didn't continue growing in this state, it could become a real Calamity.

Then what should I do?

Should I throw this little brat into the Dark Dimension's Time Stratum and wait for him to grow up?

"You may not know this, but there's a place called the Time Stratum in the Dark Dimension."

"Do you perhaps have a Skill called [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint]?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Why did you bring up the Time Stratum?"

"It's a good place for a weakling like you to train your body."

Ah, that was what he meant.

"Why exercise when I can raise my stats with Coins?"

"That's not the real thing."

"What's the difference between real and fake? Coins can do anything in this world anyway."

While we exchanged such Petty remarks, we arrived at a building called the Fox and Crane Hotel.

It was called a hotel, but it looked more like an inn.

The moment we entered, the stale smell of beer hit me. Beastfolk sitting at the bar sent wary looks our way.

Pretending not to notice them, I headed straight for the counter.

"W-welcome."

The proprietor stammered after spotting us.

For the record, the proprietor was a crane.

"What brings such honored guests to a shabby place like this..."

"Isn't this a place to stay?"

"Y-yes, it is, but it isn't a place worthy of such distinguished guests..."

Distinguished guests?

I looked over our appearance. I was wearing a decent coat, but Junghyeok was only dressed in filthy rags.

Other than the mask...

「Mask.」

A sense of discomfort came over me too late.

Since entering District 13, Junghyeok and I had encountered quite a few Incarnations.

They all had something in common.

「None of them were wearing masks.」

Why? They had all entered wearing masks at first, but now...

"Are you newcomers by any chance?"

"Why do you ask?"

"D-did you come straight to District 13 without choosing the Twelve Zodiacs?"

I nodded lightly.

The proprietor's eyes widened as they muttered.

"Why would you make such a crazy choice..."

As expected, there weren't many who chose District 13 from the start.

Of course not. Most people would choose the Twelve Zodiacs, receive support, and grow stronger. Only crazy bastards like Kim Dokja and Yu Junghyeok would make a choice like this.

"Do you have any rooms?"

"O-of course."

The moment the proprietor realized we were beginners, their manner of speaking changed.

Not a very kind crane.

"How much?"

"One adult and one child. Two thousand Recycle Coins."

It was obviously an inflated price, but finding a room was more urgent right now.

The moment I materialized two thousand Coins on my palm, the proprietor's expression hardened.

"Are you trying to make a fool of me?"

"What?"

"Hehe, it looks like you didn't read the guide properly."

As soon as the proprietor spoke, a message rang in my head.

[The existing Coins are not circulated in this world.]

[The primary currency of this world is Recycle Coins.]

Recycle Coins?

"Like these."

The proprietor opened a drawer beneath the counter.

I stared at the Recycle Coins filling the drawer, then asked.

"Aren't those bottle caps?"

"That's the currency here."

From old bottle caps to new bottle caps, caps of every color gleamed brilliantly.

"Everything has its own use. That's the spirit of the Recycling Center."

Could the director's modifier be Environmental Activist?

"We only have Coins. Can't we exchange them?"

At my question, a few beastfolk drinking beer became indignant.

"Tch, this is why Incarnations these days..."

"They only want everything to come easily."

"They don't know that fables earned through hardship are real."

"I bet that guy only raises his stats with Coins."

I'd become someone who wanted an easy life just because I tried to exchange currency.

When little Junghyeok glared at them, the beastfolk immediately shut their mouths.

The proprietor shrugged.

"Sorry, but exchanges aren't possible."

"I'll give you ten thousand Coins for one night."

"I said no."

"Fifty thousand Coins for one night."

"No, listen..."

"One hundred thousand Coins."

After hesitating for a moment, the proprietor glanced at the other guests and asked.

"Are you serious?"

"No."

"...Go find some Recycle Coins. Night will arrive soon, so you'd better hurry."

We were thrown out of the inn just like that.

It seemed the currency used here had to be earned here.

What a harsh world for beginners.

[Fifty minutes remain until today's Event Scenario begins.]

[Find lodging that can withstand Night.]

Little Junghyeok, who had climbed down from my shoulders at some point, asked,

"What are you going to do now? Didn't you tell me to trust only you?"

"I never said that."

Night in this world was probably as dangerous as Night in the Demon Realm. That was why the messages kept telling us to find lodging.

But we had no way to obtain Recycle Coins right now.

"What are you thinking so hard about? Get Recycle Coins."

"Do you have a clever plan?"

I asked without much expectation. He would surely say something like, "Beat up passersby," or, "Sweep out the inn and steal their lodging and Coins." In other words, he would suggest smashing this world to pieces.

"Buy Recycle Coins with Coins."

I thought over his words, then asked in admiration.

"Ah, you mean we give them Coins and take their Recycle Coins?"

"What nonsense is that?"

"They said exchanges aren't allowed here."

There might've been an illegal money changer if I looked hard enough, but there wasn't enough time to search for one when I didn't even know where they were.

I was considering whether I should rob a passerby like Junghyeok would when he spoke again.

"Recycle Coins are bottle caps."

"Bottle caps are Recycle Coins."

"I mean you should obtain bottle caps, not Recycle Coins."

As he said that, little Junghyeok pointed to a street stall. Various potions were displayed there.

I blankly stared in that direction and muttered.

Good grief. Little Junghyeok had thought of something I hadn't.

* * *

A little later, we were opening bottle caps after piling up potion bottles.

Of course, we hadn't stolen them from the street stall. We had bought them ourselves.

How had we bought potions without Recycle Coins?

[A total of 2,000 Coins has been spent in the Dokkaebi Compendium.]

[100 Low-grade Constitution Recovery Potions Nearing Their Expiration Date have been purchased.]

We diligently opened bottle caps.

Then we threw away the remaining potions.

[The Constellation Protector of Polar Bears gapes at your decision.]

The environment was important too, of course, but we had to survive first. That was the only way we could protect polar bears as well.

Soon, holding an armful of bottle caps, we went back into the inn.

The proprietor looked astonished at the bottle caps we brought.

"Aren't these all new bottle caps? Don't tell me you opened potion bottles?"

"Yes."

"What did you do with all the remaining potions?"

"We threw them away."

"Idiots! You could've just sold the potions!"

Little Junghyeok and I looked at each other with foolish expressions.

"Ahem, I was joking. Those potions are trash here anyway. The Recycling Center only deals in Recycled Potions."

The proprietor seemed to enjoy jokes.

"Even so, this is only worth 500 Recycle Coins."

The proprietor clicked their tongue softly and shook their head.

It seemed low-grade potion caps weren't worth much.

"Even a small room is fine. Can't you do something with this?"

[The Event Scenario begins in 15 minutes.]

There wasn't much time left.

We might die if we didn't find lodging. We couldn't keep opening bottle caps.

"There is a place, but... would you be all right with somewhere very run-down? Other people use it too, so it might be uncomfortable."

"That's fine. Give us that place."

The proprietor nodded and jerked their chin, telling us to follow.

We quietly followed behind them. The proprietor left the inn and led us down the path behind it.

"The lodging is outside the inn?"

"Think of it as a guest house."

After walking around a hundred meters through the alley behind the inn, an abandoned residential district of unknown origin appeared.

"This is it. Go into Room 101."

The proprietor stopped in front of a wooden villa that looked ready to collapse at any moment.

This didn't feel like a guest house. It felt like a haunted house attraction.

"Breakfast is served in the morning, so come to the hotel once the sun rises."

"So there is breakfast service."

"Of course, assuming you survive until tomorrow morning."

Leaving those meaningful words behind, the proprietor disappeared, leaving little Junghyeok and me alone.

"Will this be all right?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm used to sleeping outdoors."

"Why do you remember things like that but forget your own name?"

Junghyeok didn't answer for a while, as if he was thinking about something.

Watching him, I felt a faint sense of guilt.

Normally, an ability activated in exchange for memories would erase unnecessary memories first.

Yet Junghyeok had forgotten his own name before any other memory.

"It's been a while since I entered a house."

"I'll find us better lodging next time."

"It doesn't matter."

We immediately opened the door to Room 101. Loud voices came from inside.

"Oh, it looks like someone new has arrived."

"Welcome..."

The greetings from inside the entrance were warm. Fortunately, they seemed like polite people.

The moment I bowed and raised my head, my eyes met the woman who had come to greet us.

Unlike us, she had removed her mask, and her face was covered in grime.

Beside her stood a haggard-looking man with soot smeared beneath his nose.

My throat tightened, and no voice came out.

「"I won't choose any Area."」

Maybe I should have expected it.

If it was Kim Dokja, he had no choice but to make the same decision.

The thought was both welcome and sad, and I couldn't speak.

The first to open his mouth was Gyeong Se-in.

"Could it be..."

Mr. Dansu, standing beside him, widened his eyes as well.

There was also Literature Girl 64 Cha Yerin, sitting in a shabby chair and looking this way, and Seventh Apostle Ye Hyunwoo, lying listlessly on the floor with only his head turned toward us.

"Everyone."

The moment I barely managed to speak through my emotion, Ye Hyunwoo, who had been sprawled on the floor, suddenly jumped up.

"Don't tell me..."

At the same time, a man leaning against the window turned to look at us.

I was about to nod happily when I looked down at little Junghyeok.

Come to think of it, I wasn't Inho Cheon right now.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Dokja."

My Allies looked stunned.

Gyeong Se-in moved his lips, unsure what to say. Mr. Dansu looked pitying, while Ye Hyunwoo stared at me like I was crazy.

Only the man at the window wearing a black wolf mask reacted differently.

Even with the mask on, he was so obviously Yu Junghyeok.

A man wearing a pitch-black coat that looked just like Yu Junghyeok's.