WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 77: Episode 16 - The Fifth Scenario (1)

Minwoo’s blood dripped onto the floor, soaking it red. My fists, drenched in blood, had gone numb. Minwoo occasionally coughed up frothy blood but neither opened his eyes nor spoke a word. His body, broken beyond repair, seemed to have given up on regeneration.

Suyeong muttered under her breath.

“You beat a werewolf to death with your bare hands…? What a scary dude.”

The nearby werewolves had already fled or had their heads lopped off by Suyeong. I looked down at Minwoo and said.

“He’s not dead yet.”

Even as I looked at him, the [Fourth Wall] remained steady. My trauma hadn’t been resolved, but at least I had developed some resistance to the memories of the past.

[The constellation One Who Overcame Trials A Little Too Late is cheering you on.]

[The constellation One Who Overcame Trials A Little Too Late wishes to bestow their stigma upon you.]

A stigma? Seriously?

This bounty scenario wasn’t even commissioned by a single constellation, so offering a stigma as a reward was highly unusual. Not that I was complaining.

[You have acquired the stigma Self-Justification.]

[The constellation One Who Overcame Trials A Little Too Late smiles warmly upon the inheritor of their stigma.]

[You have gained a defense mechanism that will not yield to any trauma.]

I stood there, dumbfounded.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband bursts into laughter.]

Self-Justification? What’s with that wording? Are they making fun of me?

Suyeong broke the silence.

“Hey, aren’t you going to kill him?”

“What?”

“That guy.”

I looked at the collapsed form of Song Minwoo.

Should I kill him? He was an inhuman species, so I wouldn’t have to carry the burden of his death.

[The patron of Wanderer Song Minwoo glares at you.]

If I killed him, the constellations in the Bihyeong channel would likely cheer.

[A considerable number of constellations wish for your revenge.]

I stared at Minwoo a little longer before turning away.

“Let’s just go.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

[Some constellations are disappointed in your hypocrisy.]

[Many constellations question your judgment.]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter observes your decision closely.]

“You’re really not going to kill him? That bastard probably has a decent stash of coins.”

“Yeah.”

“Then can I kill him?”

“Do as you please. You’re going to regret that later though.”

“Regret?”

I shrugged and walked past her, heading in the direction from which the werewolf pack had come.

If I was right, their main base would be at the end of this path. And there would also be the meteorite that had caused them to mutate into werewolves. To prepare for the catastrophe scenario, I had to collect the meteorite.

As I walked, Suyeong lingered behind, occasionally glancing at me with suspicion.

Footsteps soon increased behind me, only to fade away. They were headed back toward where Song Minwoo lay.

An avatar, huh… Well, Suyeong, I expected as much from you.

I let her greed run its course. It was a small token for overlooking my hypocrisy. And shortly after…

“Urgh! What the hell is this?!”

Suyeong screamed in anguish, her body convulsing. Though I couldn’t see her messages, I could imagine what they said:

[By killing the tier-6 inhuman species Wanderer Song Minwoo you have drawn the attention of the Demon King Architect of Discord.]

[The Demon King Architect of Discord will remember the incarnation responsible for the final blow.]

[The Demon King Architect of Discord has issued a bounty for the incarnation who dealt the final blow.]

[Final nlow dealer: Han Suyeong.]

As she stared at me in shock, I gave her a sly grin.

“I told you you’d regret it.”

Minwoo had been a subordinate of Andras, the Demon King of Discord, one of the 72 Demon Kings.

The powerhouses of the Star Stream weren’t limited to constellations. Some strong individuals still roamed the scenarios in their physical forms, refusing to ascend as constellations. These supreme beings were known as Demon Kings.

“You’re a real bastard, you know that?”

Demon Kings, like constellations, created their own subordinates. However, instead of incarnations, they favored inhuman species or demonic beings who had chosen the path of corruption.

Andras, a low-ranking Demon King among the 72, symbolized ‘wolves.’

Minwoo’s exceptional [Physical Regeneration] had been thanks to Andras’s blessing.

Suyeong stammered.

“How could this… how could you do this to me?”

“Don’t worry. Someone I know also got cursed by a Demon King, and they didn’t die immediately.”

“And that’s supposed to be comforting?!”

Come to think of it, Myeongoh had been cursed by the Demon King Demonic God of Wrath and Lust. I wondered how he was doing now. Was he still alive?

“Look at the bright side. The ‘Architect of Discord’ isn’t a particularly high-ranking Demon King. Opposing a Demon King might even earn you favor from the Absolute Good faction, and that means more sponsorship. It’s a win-win.”

“I don’t give a damn about archangels! Besides, my potential patrons don’t get along with angels anyway!”

What, are you thinking of choosing a Demon King instead?

I was about to ask but held my tongue when a strange realization hit me.

“…What did you just say?”

She quickly covered her mouth, realizing her slip.

“You mean you still don’t have a patron?”

It wasn’t impossible. After all, I was still without one myself.

Most survivors from the first scenario wouldn’t have patrons yet. Or rather, they wouldn’t have had the chance to choose one.

But for someone as strong as Suyeong to not have a patron? That was surprising.

“It’s not that I couldn’t choose, I didn’t want to. Isn’t it strange to pick so early? You only get one shot at it.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

Delaying a <Patron Selection> was usually the best course of action. Good constellations were abundant, and with enough scenario accomplishments, you could turn a bad offer into a great one.

The <Patron Selection> event occurred right after the first scenario and then regularly before major catastrophe scenarios. Since the fifth scenario was a catastrophe scenario, Suyeong would soon have her second chance at selection.

Feigning nonchalance, I asked.

“So, have you thought about who you’ll pick? Got any constellations in mind?”

Suyeong smirked confidently.

“You’ll be shocked. One’s already shown interest in me.”

“Who is it?”

Could it be the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal?

“Ever heard of the ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’?”

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon gauges your reaction.]

I hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Oh, good choice. That’s an excellent patron.”

In the original story, the ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ had been the patron of Delusional Demon Kim Namwoon, one of the strongest supporting characters. It was definitely not a bad choice.

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon looks at you with a hint of disappointment.]

Wait, wasn’t that guy uninterested in me now?

Suyeong squinted at my neutral tone.

“Why do you sound so unenthusiastic? Who’s your patron that makes you so smug?”

“No one. I’m just jealous.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

[The character Han Suyeong has activated the skill Lie Detection Lv.1.]

[The character Han Suyeong confirms your statement as false.]

“You little liar. Do you want to die?”

Abyssal Black Flame Dragon, huh? I genuinely hoped she’d make that her patron. They’d be a perfect match.

[A harem-loving constellation supports the chemistry between you and Han Suyeong.]

[You have been gifted 500 coins.]

Suyeong frowned, clearly receiving the same message.

“What the hell is this…?”

Sorry, harem constellation, but your dreams are doomed. Suyeong and I would part ways after these ten days of cooperation. Despite our temporary alliance, she was still a dangerous rival.

“We’re here.”

Soon, we arrived at what seemed to be the werewolves’ base of operations.

Around Bangbae Station. The air reeked of blood between the tightly packed buildings. It seemed like a battle was already underway, as the howls of werewolves mixed with the screams of humans in the distance. Han Suyeong commented:

“Looks like we’re a bit late. Someone got here before us?”

There were no sentries in sight, as if the place had been completely deserted.

Venturing further in, we came upon a farm far larger than the one Mr. Yun had set up.

The so-called ‘coin farms’ were exclusive to this post-apocalyptic world.

I was becoming all too familiar with this kind of sight.

The harvesting appeared to be complete, as there were no survivors left in the iron cages.

Suyeong, leading the way, suddenly pinched her nose in disgust.

“Ugh, what the hell is that?”

Past the cages, in the heart of the werewolves’ den, the sight turned even more grotesque. Severed human thighs hung on rubber cords, resembling meat hung in a butcher shop. Their purpose was horrifyingly clear.

[The exclusive skill Fourth Wall shields you from mental shock.]

Even though I had read about scenes like this, seeing them in person was a different matter entirely.

There were limited ways for ordinary humans to evolve into inhuman species, and one of them was cannibalism—consuming their own kind.

Suyeong spat out a curse.

“These beasts…”

Most inhuman species evolve spontaneously. Those who fail the ‘Find Food’ sub-scenario often end up walking this path. Once a human begins eating their own kind, there’s no turning back. They lose their humanity and stop feeling guilt for killing others.

“You do get angry when you see things like this, huh?”

“Of course! Anyone who doesn’t would be a monster themselves.”

“Other prophets have said you only care about manipulating the world with your knowledge.”

“Who said that?”

Suyeong snorted, clearly annoyed.

“That’s as absurd as those plagiarism accusations.”

“…”

“World domination? Sure, it’d be nice. But my first priority is stopping the apocalypse. Did you think I gathered apostles for fun?”

“All your apostles are trash, though.”

“They were trash to begin with! How is that my fault?!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

We instinctively fell silent. Gunshots echoed ahead, followed by the sound of flesh tearing apart.

This was odd. The military had been wiped out ages ago.

We ran toward the source of the noise, weaving through the buildings.

Even if there were still soldiers around, trying to fight werewolves with guns was suicidal. However, the scene that unfolded before us made the impossible seem plausible.

Piles of werewolf corpses lay before us, stacked like mountains.

The bodies, riddled with bullet holes, were charred black. Almost simultaneously, Han Suyeong and I muttered:

“…Attribute bullets.”

“They’re infused with holy power?”

In the distance, people armed with modern rifles came into view.

They all wore prison uniforms and were heavily armed, their rifles glinting ominously.

Suyeong grabbed my sleeve. Her voice was tense.

“Hey, remember what I told you about that person near Seodaemun Prison who was like you?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s her group.”

The person she pointed at stood apart from the rest. They wore a trench coat over their sky-blue prison uniform, their long hair spilling out from beneath a mask.

“That’s their leader. Judging by their growth and actions, they must be a renouncer, but I can’t see any information about them.”

So these were the people from Seodaemun Prison Han Suyeong had mentioned. But if they were this powerful, why hadn’t they shown up during the Battle of the Kings?

Suyeong glanced at the mountain of werewolf corpses and muttered:

“They’re wanderers. Pretty strong ones too… And now, they’ve become the strongest wanderers I know.”

A woman holding a rifle began walking straight toward us from the opposite side. She wasn’t the leader Suyeong had pointed out.

I drew [Unbreakable Faith], and Suyeong prepared to summon her [Avatar]. As the woman approached, she raised her gun—but not at us. Instead, she aimed at the pile of werewolf corpses.

Ratatatatatata!

The burst of gunfire caused the corpses to collapse, revealing something hidden beneath.

“What is that?”

A glowing rock, roughly two meters in size, emerged. It was one of the meteorites we had been searching for to prevent the catastrophe scenario.

A [Yellow Meteorite] lay before us.

So that’s what had been enhancing the werewolves’ powers.

The woman, now staring at the meteorite along with us, slowly turned her gaze toward me.

“…Kim Dokja?”

Footnotes:

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