WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 745: Episode 30: Twelve Zodiacs (7)

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The Twelve Zodiacs often appeared in TWSA, and they had clashed with Yu Junghyeok several times throughout the story.

The most notable instance was the 137th round.

To talk about what happened in the 137th round, though, I first had to mention the 136th round. Anyone who had successfully reread TWSA at least twice while aspiring to become the Second Killer King would know this, but Junghyeok defeated the Outer God The One Who Devours Dreams in the 136th round.

「"I've become stronger."」

To be precise, it wasn't much of a fight. Junghyeok was beaten senseless until his mental illness flared up, and that illness infected the Outer God, allowing him to win by sheer luck.

Still, a victory was a victory.

A fable remained.

[The fable One Who Slayed an Outer God begins its story.]

That was how the infamous 137th round began.

[The Constellation Nail-Eating Rat glares at the Incarnation Yu Junghyeok.]

[The Constellation Plague-Calling Rat says that if he wants to fight, he should attend the Twelve Zodiac Ball.]

Normally, Junghyeok wouldn't have responded to such a provocation. Yet in the 137th round, he had just defeated the Outer God The One Who Devours Dreams and become unbelievably bold, in Han Suyeong's words. He never avoided a fight to begin with, and this time, he was even less inclined to do so.

As a result, Junghyeok fell into a trap at the Twelve Zodiac Ball and was beaten to death.

The last things the dying Junghyeok saw were a rabbit stealing his liver and a rat devouring his fingernails.

There was no way to know whether Nail-Eating Rat lived on while pretending to be Junghyeok afterward, but one lesson was certain.

「"Even a Historical Constellation is still a Constellation."」

It was the last lesson left behind by Junghyeok of the 137th round, after his liver and fingernails had been ripped away.

「"So if you ever face a Constellation's true body, run no matter what."」

That advice applied directly to me now.

[The Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger looks at you.]

A pitch-black shadow covered Area 13.

At one edge of that shadow, a tiger's outline slowly emerged, as though the shadow's skin were being peeled away. Its height was like a towering mountain. Two red eyes hung from the mountain's peak, watching me.

They were the eyes of someone carefully inspecting a product they had ordered, checking whether it had arrived safely and whether it bore any stains or scratches.

After a suffocating silence, Rice Cake-Eating Tiger smiled as if satisfied.

[You've finally come.]

The moment I heard his voice, my stomach churned.

Junghyeok had been right.

Even a Historical Constellation was still a Constellation. A being who had amassed great fables and become a star in the sky.

This was the true voice of a Historical Constellation. A resonance strong enough to make an ordinary person's head explode the instant they heard it.

My companions and I could remain safe only because the fables we had built up so far were no small thing.

"Dokja-ssi, what the hell is that...?"

As Gyeong Sein started to speak, Ye Hyunwoo raised a finger to his lips, as if telling her not to interrupt carelessly.

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger gave an odd smile, as though pleased by our behavior.

[My little bean powder, you've grown a great deal.]

That was a strangely unpleasant way to put it.

[You've become at least a little rice cake slice now.]

Was that a joke from the days of "The Sun and the Moon"?

Only then did my frozen companions gradually regain their composure.

The newly appeared member of the Twelve Zodiacs didn't seem hostile toward us. That made sense, since the bear beastfolk had stopped moving the moment Rice Cake-Eating Tiger appeared.

[I've waited for you for a long time.]

I cautiously tested the waters.

"For someone who was waiting, you haven't reacted at all recently."

Quite some time had passed since I entered the Recycling Center. During that time, I had come first in the Twelve Zodiac Race, cleared "The Three Little Pigs," and defeated the pig Constellation brothers.

Yet Rice Cake-Eating Tiger hadn't cheered me on even once while all that was happening.

Despite this being the very headquarters of the Twelve Zodiacs.

I believed we had some personal connection, so I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. More than anything, he had provided me with a Demonic Species Core at the beginning, and if possible, I wanted to thank him, but...

[Little rice cake slice. Why did you choose Area 13?]

His voice didn't sound like it would tolerate jokes at all.

Come to think of it, I had only communicated with him through Indirect Messages, so I had no way of knowing what his real personality was like.

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger nodded to himself without waiting for my answer and continued.

[Well, it doesn't matter. You can change Areas.]

"Change Areas?"

[There's no longer time to waste on children's games.]

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger lightly waved a hand through the air, as though he found this troublesome.

The portal high in the sky swirled as it emitted a bright light.

[Come with me. I will become your sponsor.]

It was a Constellation-like proposal delivered in a Constellation-like tone.

I opened my mouth nervously.

"I already have a Patron."

That Patron was on the verge of death and couldn't be contacted. Even when it wasn't on the verge of death or cut off from contact, it was rarely much help, but it was still undoubtedly my Patron.

I couldn't betray it over something like this. I had no intention of betraying it in the future, either.

[Your synchronization rate with your Patron has increased.]

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger's lips twitched as if that fact greatly displeased him.

[That doesn't matter. I don't wish to be your Patron. I wish to become your sponsor.]

"What does that mean?"

[You will become my proxy in the next Twelve Zodiac Scenario.]

A proxy in the next Scenario.

One thing was certain. Rice Cake-Eating Tiger was seeking an Incarnation to act in his place during the next Scenario.

If that was the situation, then I held the negotiating leverage.

"I'm sorry, but I have a Scenario to clear in Area 13."

[If you come with me, you won't need to concern yourself with such trivial Scenarios.]

A system message rang out through the air with a low hum.

[The Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger has activated the authority of the Twelve Zodiacs.]

[The proxy selected by the Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger may skip the lower Scenarios of the Recycling Center.]

I had a bad feeling about this.

Wait. The Scenarios I had been going through until now would be skipped?

The moment bright rays flashed from Rice Cake-Eating Tiger's enormous right hand,

[N-no, no, no, no.]

A timid constellation's declaration came from behind me. It was so faint and weak that it was hard to believe it came from a Constellation.

[D-d-don't go...!]

Nail-Eating Rat.

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger's gaze slowly shifted away from me. The rat that had peeked out from behind my back hurriedly lowered their head. I could feel them trembling against my back.

Rice Cake-Eating Tiger slightly opened his mouth. His true body, half-covered in shadow, flashed white fangs.

[A rat bastard was hiding in a place like this.]

The declaration was filled with murderous intent. I could barely breathe, as if my heart had been bitten.

[I should have killed you long ago. This will be your grave.]

"Wait."

I stood in front of Nail-Eating Rat to protect them. Rice Cake-Eating Tiger's brow furrowed.

[Little rice cake slice. What are you doing?]

The atmosphere was growing increasingly dangerous. Watching the fables slowly begin to boil, I swallowed hard.

Honestly, it wasn't a situation where a mere Incarnation like me should step in. Nail-Eating Rat was also one of the Twelve Zodiacs.

That wasn't all. In the original story, Nail-Eating Rat was one of the Constellations that harassed Kim Dokja before dying.

Yet if my memory was correct, Nail-Eating Rat wasn't a bad one in this round, at least.

「[The Constellation Nail-Eating Rat sponsors you with 100 coins.]」

They had supported me from the very beginning.

「[The Constellation Nail-Eating Rat agrees with the intentions of the Incarnation Jeong Huiwon.]」

They had helped Huiwon awaken and lent a hand whenever we lacked Plausibility.

Most importantly, they had information I needed to hear about the Five Poisons Association.

"Rice Cake-Eating Tiger. You're not planning to reveal your Status here, are you?"

That was enough of a reason for me to take a little risk.

"You must know who is here."

At my signal, my loyal guard, the First Wolf, Lycaon Isparang, appeared.

【Withdraw, Twelve Zodiacs.】

His presence brought silence to the whole area with just one declaration.

Due to his contract with me, Lycaon couldn't exert his full strength and could only sway listlessly like a windblown doll, but an Outer God was still an Outer God.

Tststst...

Honestly, I was deeply moved that he had helped with a declaration alone. Making this kind of declaration placed a burden on Lycaon's Plausibility even now.

[The Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger glares at the Lost Guide.]

As expected, Rice Cake-Eating Tiger seemed bothered by Lycaon's presence.

Lycaon had already defeated the symbolic form of the pig Constellation. Rice Cake-Eating Tiger wouldn't want to take an unnecessary risk.

As far as I knew, every member of the Twelve Zodiacs was a coward.

But there was something I didn't know.

For example, Junghyeok said this in the 137th chapter of TWSA.

「When the other side is weak, the Twelve Zodiacs become predators who plunder with horrifying persistence.」

[Do you take me for a fool?]

Surprisingly, Rice Cake-Eating Tiger showed no sign of being shaken by Lycaon's presence.

[If that creature could use its power, it would have helped you when the bears came.]

It had struck the mark.

[For an Outer God to exist in such a low-level Scenario, it must have made a contract with absurd terms. I already know that it can't move.]

I never expected him to have guessed even the terms of my Otherworld Covenant.

[Your intelligence has already been proven. I wish you would stop playing now.]

Honestly, I was surprised.

It wasn't Reclining Dragon. Was that really Rice Cake-Eating Tiger?

I had been driven into a corner with nowhere left to retreat, but I answered without losing my calm.

"Even if Lycaon can't fight, it changes nothing. Using power through your true body will itself cause a Plausibility Backlash. If I stop you here..."

[My actions are entirely plausible. Haven't I already told you?]

A ringing sound filled my head.

The fable I could still hear in real time echoed through my mind.

「Give me a rice cake, and I won't eat you.」

Only then did I understand the meaning of this fable.

[I've only come to collect my rice cake.]

A system message appeared with his declaration.

[You have entered into a contract with the Constellation Rice Cake-Eating Tiger.]

[You received a Demonic Species Core as payment for the contract.]

[In return for the Demonic Species Core, you must attend the Twelve Zodiac Ball.]

I never expected that promise from back then to have taken the form of a contract.

Perhaps that was Rice Cake-Eating Tiger's ability.

He gave me an item I desperately needed to lower my guard, while attaching a condition that seemed relatively insignificant by comparison.

All to hide the fact that it was a contract.

[Do you understand now, little rice cake slice?]

Now I had no choice but to attend the Twelve Zodiac Ball.

I didn't exactly like suddenly becoming his proxy, but honestly, it wasn't something I couldn't do.

The problem was this.

If I left, could my remaining companions clear the Scenario on their own?

Footnotes:

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