WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 736: Episode 29: Recorders of Fear (3)
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From the next day onward, the Allies rejoined the Scenario.
“Wearing a mask really does make me feel more at ease.”
Mr. Dansu nodded at Sein’s words.
“It feels like putting on clothes after being naked.”
It might seem strange for a mere mask to make them feel that way, but the Allies’ attitudes clearly changed after they put on their masks.
[The character Gyeong Sein regains her confidence.]
I was glad to be wearing a mask too. I wasn’t confident I could hide my expression otherwise.
Slowly, I turned to look at Mr. Dansu.
[Character information on Lee Dansu is being updated.]
A chill clung to my spine. I had received a message before, in Gwanghwamun, saying that Ye Hyunwoo had become a character.
Yet now, after Sein, even Mr. Dansu.
What exactly were the standards for Characterization? What was the difference between a character and someone who wasn’t one?
Cha Yerim spoke.
“They hide inside a small fable so they won’t be devoured by a Great Fable.”
“Pardon?”
“There are stories you can only see objectively by hiding.”
A moment later, I realized she was talking about masks.
Beastfolk hurried back and forth beyond the window. It was easy to read the expressions of those without masks. Faces that were happy, sad, angry, or tired.
Having become part of the Recycling Center, they could now only wear the expressions Area 13 forced upon them.
Sein murmured as if in admiration.
“You said everything in the Star Stream was a fable.”
This mask was the minimum fable that could protect us.
The Recycling Center was telling us that, to avoid being swept away by a Great Fable, we had to steadfastly preserve our own fables.
Just as Dokja once had.
[You have understood the essence of the Recycling Center.]
[The Main Scenario has been updated!]
As if it had been waiting, the Main Scenario was updated. I immediately checked the message.
+
<Main Scenario #8 - Area 13>
Category: Main
Difficulty: S+
Clear Conditions: Unite the beastfolk of Area 13 and challenge the throne of the Twelve Zodiacs.
Time Limit: 60 days
Reward: Obtain an invitation to the Twelve Zodiac Ball, choose between 300,000 Coins or 50,000 Recycle Coins, obtain the Fable Fragment Understanding of the Hundred Beasts.
Failure: ―
* This Scenario has additional Clear Conditions.
+
Sein, who had checked the rewards first, brightened.
“A Twelve Zodiac Ball? Isn’t this like the Constellation Banquet? I really enjoyed the Constellation Banquet arc.”
“Will we get to see Uriel or Great Sage Equaling Heaven too?”
“It’s called the Twelve Zodiac Ball, so it seems like only the Twelve Zodiacs will come.”
The Twelve Zodiac Ball.
It was the event Rice Cake-Eating Tiger had mentioned before. I never expected it to take place in the Recycling Center.
Come to think of it, the Twelve Zodiacs of this round were unusual. Originally, the nebula Twelve Zodiacs wasn’t a group with any real cohesion.
Yet in this round, it even had Scenarios under its command through the stage known as the Recycling Center.
With no way of knowing what other Twelve Zodiacs we might encounter ahead, the rewards for clearing this Scenario were quite tempting.
「“Understanding of the Hundred Beasts” is a Fable Fragment that must be obtained to stand against the Twelve Zodiacs.」
It was a Fable Fragment mentioned even in Junghyeok’s memories in TWSA.
No matter what, I had to clear this Scenario. The problem was the Clear Conditions.
[Checking the additional Clear Conditions.]
+
―To challenge the Unification of Area 13, you must secure the support of the beastfolk.
―Once at least 80% of the beastfolk support you, you will be elected as Area 13’s Representative.
―Once elected as the Area Representative, you may form a committee to take responsibility for Area 13 together.
[9% of the beastfolk belonging to Area 13 currently support you.]
+
“You all checked the additional Clear Conditions, right?”
The Allies nodded one by one at Hyunwoo’s question.
“Shall we each say how much support we have? Mine says 3%.”
“Mine is... 0%.”
“1%.”
After Sein and Mr. Dansu answered, Yerim spoke up as well.
“2%.”
Killer King, who had been wearing a knowing smile, answered last.
“5%. Kim Dokja, you bastard. What percentage do you have?”
“9%.”
Hyunwoo nodded.
“Let’s make Dokja our Representative.”
* * *
After “The Three Little Pigs,” the crane innkeeper’s attitude toward us changed. Not only did they stop charging us for meals, they even changed our accommodations.
“I don’t want anything in particular.”
That was what the innkeeper said, but whenever they looked at us, they seemed to want to get something off their chest.
“If there’s anything you’d like to ask of us, please tell us anytime.”
The innkeeper gave a bitter smile.
“I think you’re very brave. Still, don’t be too disappointed just because not everyone can find courage like you.”
Caught off guard by that honesty, I hesitated before adding, “It’s all right. That’s...”
“What you did, defeating that pig, was a truly astonishing sight. Some beastfolk must have seen your actions and admired you. Their hearts may have burned with excitement. But.”
The innkeeper paused before continuing.
“Not everyone can be like that. When the beastfolk here look at you, they will fear you instead.”
At first, I didn’t understand, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
“Are they afraid of change?”
“Something like that.”
“But they can’t keep living like this forever. Even with ‘The Three Little Pigs’...”
“The beastfolk have stayed here too long.”
Stayed too long.
The words felt strangely familiar.
Was it in the Demon Realm? Or Paradise?
I felt as if Dokja had heard something similar somewhere.
“Not everyone wants to have their own mask.”
There was a peculiar fatigue in the innkeeper’s voice. A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Perhaps the beastfolk here didn’t fear the Twelve Zodiacs.
Having a mask meant building their own fable again.
They had become afraid of taking responsibility for their own stories.
After quickly finishing the omurice made by the chef, I went out to the clearing and examined the fables I had built so far, one by one.
[A new fable is budding within you.]
Other than “Persistent Martial Arts Master,” which I received from Cheon Gae of the Dragon Head Ark, I had built four fables myself.
“Recorder of Things That Will Disappear,” which I obtained at Seoul Station.
“Heir to an Eternal Name,” which I obtained after defeating an Outer God with Han Suyeong.
“One Who Rewrites Fate,” which I obtained while facing a great nebula alongside Demon King of Salvation.
And the new fable I would obtain this time.
I had already completed a Behind-the-Scenes Contract, so filling five fables wouldn’t suddenly make me a Constellation. Still, compared to Dokja in the main story, I felt I had built up my fables quite steadily.
[A new fable awaits your new achievement.]
[Additional achievements are required for the fable to blossom fully.]
I had never heard these messages before, but it wasn’t a bad situation.
It was good, if anything.
The longer a fable took to blossom, the higher its grade would be. If a high-grade fable blossomed successfully, Dokja’s name would spread even farther.
[Some Constellations of the nebula Twelve Zodiacs reveal hostility toward you.]
As if they knew that, the Constellations of the Twelve Zodiacs had begun to keep me in check.
Still, no stars directly interfered with Area 13.
I knew why they hesitated to intervene.
【Protector.】
It was because of this wolf.
【That isn’t how you do it.】
The Outer God who had defeated the pig Constellations that activated Stage Transformation.
Since yesterday, he had been teaching me [Way of the Wind].
【I’ll show you again.】
[Way of the Wind], Dokja’s main skill.
Dokja had struggled quite a bit to learn this skill too.
【I can’t understand why you’re unable to do this.】
“Um, could it be because I don’t have an Amulet?”
Originally, [Way of the Wind] was a skill only Incarnations with an Amulet of the imyuntar could learn.
But I had no Amulet, since I hadn’t participated in the Disaster Scenario.
【I am no longer the Scenario’s ‘Guide,’ so I can teach you [Way of the Wind] regardless of whether you possess an Amulet.】
“Skills are blocked in Area 13. Maybe that’s why I can’t learn it...”
【That is why I am teaching it in the form of a Fable Fragment. Skills are standardized Stigmas, and Stigmas are refined fables. In other words, if you learn to handle fables, you can use [Way of the Wind] without activating a skill.】
“I see.”
Yes. I was talentless trash.
【I’ll show you once more, so follow carefully.】
Lycaon slowly blinked, inhaled sharply, and said,
【A gale in the left hand, a storm in the right. Where the straight line and the curve collide, the Way of the Wind shall open.】
A fierce wind split before my eyes, and [Way of the Wind] truly opened.
I was impressed all over again.
So that was the original [Way of the Wind].
It felt different from the one Demon King of Salvation used.
【Now, follow me. A gale in the left hand.】
I hesitantly followed Lycaon.
“A gale in the left hand.”
【Grrr! Louder! A storm in the right hand.】
“A storm in the right hand...!”
【Where the straight line and the curve collide, the Way of the Wind shall open! Say it with confidence!】
Probably only Kim Namwoon or Junghyeok could recite lines like this without embarrassment. The former was that kind of guy to begin with, while the latter would look cool reciting anything.
I was neither of them, so I had to mumble like a coward.
“Where the straight line and the curve collide, the Way of the Wind shall open...”
[The Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon likes the Way of the Wind.]
Naturally, [Way of the Wind] didn’t open.
Lycaon stared blankly at me before asking,
【Why can’t you do it? I told you everything. Again! A gale in the left hand!】
Unable to take it anymore, I answered, “You’re just shouting the words.”
【No. Understanding this ‘realization’ is important.】
What realization could there possibly be in that?
【You must understand the meaning contained within the fable.】
No, I was asking what great meaning there could be in all that nonsense about gales and storms.
【Look at them.】
Lycaon pointed at the Allies practicing [Way of the Wind] in the clearing about ten paces away.
Yerim caught my eye first.
“Left hand. Gale. Right hand. Storm.”
Wind energy surged from both her hands as she chanted the words however she pleased.
It wasn’t as magnificent as Lycaon’s, but it was undeniably [Way of the Wind].
【Grrr! That Incarnation has extraordinary aptitude. She properly understands the essence of wind.】
It had only taken Yerim thirty minutes to master [Way of the Wind].
When I asked her for the secret, Yerim answered like this.
“It just... worked when I did it.”
Some people were simply geniuses.
I gave up on discovering the secret and looked over at the other Allies.
Mr. Dansu, who had been repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists in one corner for a while, let out a light sigh.
“Learning something new isn’t easy when you get older.”
For reference, it took Mr. Dansu five hours to successfully learn [Way of the Wind].
Sein, who had been practicing [Way of the Wind] beside him, added, “You’re too modest. You learned it an hour faster than I did...”
“Ahem. Dokja said it too. In this world, age and gender don’t matter.”
“Wow, you even remember that.”
“I actually have a good memory.”
Was this really the Mr. Dansu who mistook Secretive Plotter for a sinister schemer?
“By the way, Hyunwoo is late.”
“They went scouting to test [Way of the Wind], so won’t they return around evening?”
Hyunwoo, who had learned [Way of the Wind] early on, was flying around Area 13 as well.
For reference, it had taken Hyunwoo three hours to raise their first wind.
That was the second-best result among the Allies, after Yerim.
“Dokja. Don’t tell me you still haven’t learned [Way of the Wind]?”
I smiled at Killer King as they swaggered over. I never thought I would be glad to see that face.
“Didn’t you fail to learn it too, Killer King?”
“What nonsense is that? I mastered it long ago.”
Killer King put on a confident expression, spread both hands wide, and shouted loudly.
“A gale in the left hand! A storm in the right hand!”
Come to think of it, there was another person besides Kim Namwoon and Junghyeok who could recite that chant confidently.
“...The Way of the Wind shall open!”
A faint wind moved with the chant.
I stared at Killer King before asking, “Didn’t you just clap your hands really fast?”
“That’s enough training. I have realized everything about [Way of the Wind].”
It looked exactly like the back of someone who had given up and run away, but Lycaon, who had been watching Killer King from afar, murmured in admiration.
【They succeeded.】
“That counts as success?”
【It is faint, but I can sense the current of wind. They are truly a remarkable hard worker. It is astonishing. No matter how I look at them, they seem to have no understanding at all of the essence of the Way of the Wind...】
I was suddenly the only person who hadn’t learned [Way of the Wind].
Still, I didn’t feel too bad.
I looked at my Allies, gathered together as they chatted and laughed, then at little Junghyeok sleeping peacefully on the bench.
Behind them, our small Brick House stood tall.
It wasn’t as large as the house Kim Dokja Company wanted to live in, but it was still our first home.
【Protector.】
“Yes.”
【You are unchanged, even after reincarnating.】
Not long after he was summoned, Lycaon had realized that I was Dokja’s reincarnation.
It was only natural.
He was an Outer God, after all.
Lycaon must have quickly noticed that the fables I possessed differed from the Dokja he remembered.
Even so, Lycaon hadn’t changed his attitude toward me. Though I had neither the Amulet nor memories of being with him, he still treated me as the Dokja he knew.
Perhaps it was courtesy toward the fables Demon King of Salvation had left behind, not toward me.
“I’m sorry. Since I learned it in my previous life, I thought it would be easy this time. I guess I don’t have any talent.”
Lycaon looked at me with strange eyes.
He looked as if he pitied me, yet as if he himself were lonely or silently observing me.
【Even in your previous life, Protector, you never learned skills. Though you did steal them.】
“Well... that’s true.”
I wanted to steal them too, but damn it, I didn’t have [Bookmark].
【Do you know why you cannot learn [Way of the Wind], Protector?】
“Hmm.”
I recalled the passage about [Way of the Wind].
「“When one wind meets another wind, they form taiji. When yet another wind meets another wind, they form yin and yang.”」
[Way of the Wind], explained in TWSA and then read by Dokja.
「“Four winds meet and form the cardinal directions. Four more winds join them to form the mystery of the eight trigrams. Thus, wind exists everywhere and nowhere.”」
I remembered every passage about it.
Maybe that was the problem.
【Protector is a being who cannot understand [Way of the Wind]. More precisely...】
Some kinds of understanding only arise when you discard what you know.
But I couldn’t do that.
【It seems [Way of the Wind] has already been ‘recorded’ within you, Protector.】
Footnotes:
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