Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 725

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 725: Episode 28: Home (3)

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I carefully studied my companions' faces and behavior.

There were four people who weren't wearing masks.

Gyeong Se-in, Uncle Dansu, Ye Hyunwoo, and Cha Yerin.

It was hard to put into words, but aside from their appearances, something about them felt different. It was as if the very fables that made up their essence had changed.

[An Incarnation who loses their mask undergoes beastfolk transformation.]

Beastfolk transformation. Put simply, it probably meant they had become animals.

For some reason, the moment I heard those words, "beastfolk" seemed to carry a slightly different meaning.

They're prisoners of the story now.

Prisoners.

"Come outside with me for a moment."

Killer King spoke in a serious voice. It struck me anew that this man was capable of speaking normally.

Using the excuse that I was going out for some air, I followed Killer King outside. Little Junghyeok came with us.

Rain fell steadily beyond the wooden villa. Somewhere in the distance, a building collapsed.

[The Event Scenario is currently underway.]

The screams of Incarnations followed one after another. Horrible cracking sounds spread through the air. The sound of flesh being torn apart.

As if he were used to it all, Killer King calmly pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Had this man always smoked?

"Honestly, I was confident when we first came up here. We weren't just any Incarnations. We were us."

Killer King's confidence wasn't strange.

They were all complete readers, readers who had grown by clearing seven Scenarios. Even if they encountered an unfamiliar Scenario, they had enough strength by now.

Some had acquired good Patrons, while those who hadn't each had their own specialties.

"Our positions were perfect too. Gyeong Se-in was Lee Hyeongseong. Lee Dansu was Lee Gilyeong. Cha Yerin was Lee Jihye. I was Yu Junghyeok."

Though the last one was a little strange, it was an Ally lineup that wouldn't have been outclassed anywhere.

Yet they had been defeated.

"It might've been different if you'd been there, but it's pointless to talk about that now."

"What happened?"

"It's a predictable story. We let our guard down and got beaten badly by an Event Scenario."

The hazy smoke dissolved into the air.

"I never imagined losing our masks would mean that. Gyeong Se-in was the first. Then Lee Dansu. Ye Hyunwoo. And my younger sibling."

Killer King's voice grew heavier with every name.

"They can no longer live as humans."

"What does that mean?"

"I'll show you."

Killer King led the way through an alley, as if telling us to follow him.

Why was that?

His back as he walked ahead felt unfamiliar. Only a month and a week had passed. In that time, Killer King seemed to have become someone else, someone I didn't know.

That was when the Event Scenario's details arrived.

Category: Sub

Difficulty: B

Clear Conditions: Find a safe house to avoid the wolf's hunt.

Time Limit: 8 hours

Reward: 500 Recycle Coins

Failure: Loss of your mask and beastfolk transformation.

Just as expected, this Scenario was about finding a safe house where we could avoid the wolf.

[You are located in District 13, Zone 64.]

[You may select the Pig faction and proceed with this Scenario.]

[Find a safe house and avoid the Wolf.]

[If you are hunted by the Wolf, you will lose your mask.]

[If a sacrifice occurs in the area, the Event Scenario for that area will end.]

According to the description, this Zone would never be safe until a hunt was completed.

Killer King, though, spoke calmly.

"Don't worry. The wolf has already chosen its prey."

Killer King arrived at an old house one block away from the guesthouse.

More precisely, it was an old tent that was embarrassing to even call a house.

Killer King rang the bell set up in front of the tent.

"Who is it?"

Killer King answered the voice from within.

"The wolf."

I stared at Killer King in surprise. Then a system message sounded beside my ear.

[The Wolf has appeared in this Zone.]

Frightened breathing came from inside the house. A pale prairie dog poked its head out.

"Y-You've come."

"Yes."

"We've finished preparing."

"Good."

Inside the tent were several small beastfolk, including the prairie dog. A hippopotamus beastfolk was tied to a chair.

The prairie dog pointed at the hippopotamus beastfolk.

"This is the volunteer prey for this hunt."

The hippopotamus beastfolk trembled and whimpered. Killer King slowly approached.

"I'll begin."

Begin what?

A sinister energy flowed from Killer King's right hand after he removed his fingerless glove.

Sensing danger, I grabbed Killer King's shoulder.

"Wait."

Killer King's eyes flickered as he turned to look at me.

At the same time, someone grabbed my hand. It was Little Junghyeok.

"Leave him alone."

Little Yu Junghyeok spoke.

"This isn't your business."

The beastfolk inside the tent clearly didn't welcome my intervention either.

"I don't know who you are, but..."

As the prairie dog started to speak, a meerkat beastfolk beside them added, "Please don't interfere."

"We're begging you."

Seeing the beastfolk tremble, I let go of Killer King's shoulder.

Then Killer King said, "Don't worry. It'll be over soon."

Killer King stood before the hippopotamus beastfolk. The moment the hippopotamus beastfolk squeezed their eyes shut, Killer King let out a long cry toward the empty air. It was a long, lonely howl that brought a real wolf to mind.

[The Wolf confirms its prey.]

At the same time, Killer King grabbed one of the hippopotamus's arms.

Crrrack.

The arm was torn off in an instant, and blood splattered everywhere.

The other beastfolk held down the writhing hippopotamus beastfolk and hurriedly began first aid.

Killer King tucked the severed arm under his side, then took out a jingling pouch from his clothes and handed it to the prairie dog.

After checking inside, the prairie dog's face brightened.

"Th-thank you. Thank you."

"This will get us through another week..."

The pouch was full of Recycle Coins.

Killer King watched the beastfolk gathered around the coin pouch for a moment, then turned and left the tent.

Little Junghyeok and I hurried after him.

[A hunt has occurred in Zone 64 of District 13.]

[The sacrifice condition for this Zone has been fulfilled.]

The messages arrived a moment late.

Only then did I understand what Killer King had done.

"This is the core of this Scenario. When the wolf hunts prey, the event condition is fulfilled, and the remaining beastfolk can survive."

"Don't tell me... you've survived this way until now?"

"Yes."

The reason my companions had managed to survive in that old wooden villa until now was because Killer King had been acting as a wolf and hunting other prey.

"The others chose the Pig faction. They planned to form a community with the beastfolk and fight the wolves."

Thinking about it, it was only natural.

My companions had read Kim Dokja's story, and more than anything, they had sided with the small folk in peace land. Of course they would side with the pigs in "The Three Little Pigs."

Besides, "The Three Little Pigs" was a story where the pigs won in the end.

"You failed."

"That's right. And our masks were taken."

"Then what about you?"

"I chose the wolf."

"But there was only one choice."

I had clearly received only the message saying that I could choose the Pig faction.

"The Wolf faction is a hidden choice. It's designed so that you can join the Wolf faction only after harming another beastfolk."

In other words, Killer King had harmed another beastfolk and deliberately chosen the Wolf faction.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because this is a game the pigs can't win."

I hadn't expected Killer King of all people to say something like that. I was confused, and a little disappointed. Perhaps it was because I had trusted him that much.

"You don't know what kind of place District 13 is."

"I asked why you did it."

Killer King's eyes widened slightly behind his mask. It was as if it had been a long time since someone had said that to him.

"Right. You can say that. Just as expected of Kim Dokja."

"Every Scenario has a way to clear it. You know that too."

Even if they had chosen the Pig faction, there had to be a way to clear it if they used the original fable properly.

There were plenty of smart people among my companions. Ye Hyunwoo and Cha Yerin weren't people who could be defeated so easily. Then why...

"I know what you're thinking. I know very well what fable this Scenario is based on."

"Then why..."

"You checked the other houses while coming here, didn't you? Didn't you notice anything strange?"

I looked around.

The streets I had walked through with Little Junghyeok. The inn we had entered when we first warped here. The wooden villa where my companions lived. The old tent house. And...

"No way."

A chill slowly crept over my skin.

A cigarette fell to the ground. Killer King took out another one, lit it, and said, "There are no brick houses here."

"The Three Little Pigs" had a clear original story.

The youngest pig built a sturdy Brick House to prepare for the wolf, and eventually stopped the wolf's attack.

"I don't know why, but no matter what you do, you can't get bricks in this area."

Yet District 13 had no bricks with which to build a Brick House.

That meant this was a place where recreating the original story was impossible.

"Is that why you chose the wolf?"

Killer King nodded.

"District 13 is divided into sixty-four Zones. Once a hunt is fulfilled in one Zone, no more Event Scenarios occur in that Zone for the rest of the Night."

By hunting other prey, Killer King fulfilled the Scenario's Clear Conditions for this area every time.

For an entire month, he had protected my companions that way.

"This is the solution I chose."

Killer King stared at the distant sky, then looked at me and Little Junghyeok. He smiled bitterly.

"It's a choice Junghyeok would never make."

Another explosion rang out through the rain. The sound of a tent collapsing and flesh being torn apart. Ominous footsteps were approaching.

"They're Wolf Harvesters. They've come to collect today's harvest."

Killer King waved the hippopotamus arm in his hand.

"The hunt in this area is over, so it shouldn't matter. But just in case, take him and hide."

Little Yu Junghyeok and I hid behind the tent.

A moment later, Harvesters wearing wolf masks appeared one by one. They were Incarnations with imposing physiques.

I could tell from the fables I sensed alone. They were all Incarnations who had survived for a very long time while ruling this Zone.

"Newcomer. What's today's harvest?"

"It's here."

Killer King casually threw down the hippopotamus's foreleg.

The Wolf Harvester checked the foreleg and gave the flesh a small crunch.

"A stinking scrap. Was it some bastard without even a proper fable?"

"You got what you came for. Get lost."

The Wolf Harvester spat on the ground and smiled coldly.

"You're as rude as ever. Are you overestimating your strength?"

"If you want to find out, I'll show you."

At Killer King's growling voice, the Wolf Harvesters flinched and stepped back.

One of them hardened their expression.

"Ever since you took control of this Zone, the harvest has dropped sharply."

"So?"

"I heard a rumor that you've been raising livestock in secret."

"It's a false rumor."

"Whether it's false or not, we'll find out if we check."

The Wolf Harvester turned toward the wooden villa.

Only then did Killer King realize what the Harvesters truly wanted, and his brow furrowed.

"The beastfolk in this Zone belong to me."

"New livestock belongs to the central Zone. Before they're assigned, you can't take them for yourself."

"This is my Zone. I decide that."

Killer King must have gathered quite a few fables, because the fables flowing from his entire body were extraordinary. He was at a level that wouldn't fall behind any top-class Incarnation I had met in the Washington Dome.

A strange thought suddenly came to me.

If Killer King had reached that level, why did he still need to choose the Wolf faction?

The answer was simple when I thought about it.

There was someone in the Wolf faction he didn't dare oppose.

From behind the Wolf Harvesters, a figure two heads taller than the other wolves slowly walked out.

[How amusing, young wolf.]

The moment I heard the constellation's declaration, the hairs on my arms stood on end.

[You have no right to decide anything.]

According to TWSA, the Recycling Center was clearly a place where Incarnations gathered.

Then why was something like that here?

[The Constellation Wolf Who Likes Red Riding Hood gives a vicious smile.]

There was a Constellation in District 13.