Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 792

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 792: Episode 37: Graduation Ceremony (8)

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Jihye signaled.

“Fire!”

Jihye's ships opened fire.

Poseidon frowned as the concentrated barrage struck him head-on. As though he couldn't accept being pinned down by mere human artillery, he swung Triaina with all his strength.

[Get lost.]

Waves made from fable light swept across the sea's surface and struck the Ghost Fleet directly. Unable to withstand Poseidon's attack, the ships sank.

[The Stigma Ghost Fleet Lv. ??? has reactivated!]

However, at Jihye's simple hand signal, the ships revived. The fleet, completely intact and without a trace of damage, began firing again.

“Load! Fire!”

This was why she could reign as an invincible sovereign over the great sea. As long as there was a sea, her fleet could never be destroyed.

Poseidon swept aside the barrage and growled as though he couldn't understand it.

[The sea belongs to me! If you don't remove that trash at once...]

“You sound just like Mister Pildo.”

[What?]

“Why does the sea belong to you? Did you buy it?”

Who would spout such nonsense before a Mythical-grade Constellation?

Poseidon froze for a moment, then answered in a twisted voice.

[The sea was made by the gods of Olympus. And I am the great mother's...]

“What nonsense are you talking about? The sea existed before you people were even created. Didn't you learn about primordial soup in school?”

In truth, Jihye didn't know much about how the sea had been made. She had slept through every science class.

Still, while she stalled for time with pointless chatter, two people raced across the pale sea of the universe.

Her master from the 41st round.

And...

‘Mister from the 41st round.’

Jihye knew he wasn't the Kim Dokja she remembered. But that no longer mattered.

Any Kim Dokja from any world was still Kim Dokja.

Jihye accepted that fact.

「Mister chose this world.」

She didn't know why. Dokja had simply judged that there was an ending he could reach only by fully reading this world.

Jihye respected that judgment and decided to withhold her own.

She didn't know whether Dokja would return to them. She didn't know whether this world would be a comedy or a tragedy. But just as Dokja had once protected her, she would protect his choice.

Then, at this world's ending, she would grab the nape of that idiot's neck while he smiled stupidly and laugh at him, saying, “I knew this would happen.”

‘For that to be possible.’

First, she had to defeat Poseidon.

「Poseidon, a Mythical-grade Constellation.」

A great star she would never have dared even look at before. Even the Father of the Rich Night, king of the underworld, had struggled against him once.

‘But now...’

Across the sea, the Status of the two beings began rising without end.

As Jihye's momentum grew fiercer, Poseidon's expression hardened further.

“Sea Mister. I'm going all out now. Can you handle it?”

Even a Mythical-grade Constellation was burdened by releasing Status above a certain level.

This was a universe without Scenarios.

One mistake, and they could draw the attention of the Outer Gods.

In other words, this battle was a life-or-death duel even for a Mythical-grade Constellation.

[Child of humanity. Who do you think I am?]

The sea grew angry. As a storm raged, waves throughout the area swirled and began warping every ship.

The fierce wind was powerful enough to sweep away even the nearby stars.

[Get away!]

Artemis and Apollo retreated in terror. It was a disaster that even a fabled-grade Constellation couldn't survive if caught in it.

Only Jihye ran through that catastrophic storm. [ghost walk], developed to its limit, supported her steps, while the Transcendent [Swordsmanship] that had reached its peak opened a path. Amid the foam filling every direction, the eyes of [Demon Slaying] flashed.

Poseidon's figure in the distance.

As she watched the wavering shadow that seemed close enough to touch but never was, Jihye remembered the face of the Dokja of old.

「“Jihye.”」

She had always felt like an outsider in this story.

She wasn't as strong as Junghyeok, as smart as Han Suyeong, or as kind as Sangah.

「“So what if you aren't?”」

She wasn't as honest as Huiwon, as steadfast as Hyeongseong, or as desperate as Yuseong.

Even after seeing the world's end, crossing beyond [The Fourth Wall], traversing worldlines, and finally losing Dokja, she was still an outsider in the story.

「“You worked hard. I know that.”」

[Instant Kill], pushed to its limits, split the waves. The rising water left cuts on her cheeks and arms like blades, but she didn't stop.

She cut, and cut again. How many times had she cut?

“Ahhh!”

A blind wave slashed her side. Bright red blood sprayed out, and she was swept away by the current. The storm of a Mythical-grade Constellation was tearing apart her entire body. Sea creatures, drawn by the scent of blood, rushed toward her.

Even as she was tossed about, she didn't let go of her sword.

「“I really loved your story.”」

The Lee Jihye Kim Dokja had spoken of that day wasn't her. So she worked. She swung her sword again and again to become the Jihye Dokja had spoken of.

To reach the sentence Dokja had read, then surpass it. So that someday, that damned mister would read the living her here.

「Sky-Splitting Sword Sect.」

A line she had barely earned after training again and again.

「True Body Secret Ultimate Technique.」

There was no such technique in the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect.

A technique that didn't appear even in TWSA, one that would have enraged her master or grandmaster, the Sky-Splitting Sword Saint, if they had seen it.

「Sky-Splitting Extinction Emperor Sword.」

The sword strike, possible only through Jihye's blade, shone.

「A sword strike meant to destroy the king of a world.」

She didn't know whether Dokja was watching this.

But if he was, she wanted to tell him.

Kwoooosh!

The exploding sea screamed, and Poseidon's Incarnation body flew into the air.

The moment Poseidon, his side deeply torn open, let out a fierce scream, Jihye's sword cut through him.

Beyond the scattering droplets, she saw the Recycling Center in the distance.

Watching the school crumble within the storm, Jihye coughed up a mouthful of blood and smiled bitterly.

‘Make sure you come to the next graduation ceremony.’

* * *

「Fables were pouring from Kim Dokja's heart.」

A sentence appeared in real time across the newspaper.

「Yu Junghyeok ran while preventing those fables from escaping.」

At this rate, the youngest would die.

The Demon King of Salvation scolded the nearby Little Kim Dokjas to soothe his troubled heart.

「“Hey, don't you have any ideas?”」

The Little Kim Dokjas all looked at the Demon King of Salvation. Their expressions seemed to ask why he was asking them.

「“Wasn't that person the biggest Kim Dokja?”」

「“What a useless older brother.”」

As the Demon King of Salvation stood there with his mouth open after suddenly being hit by a concentrated barrage, a Little Kim Dokja with a ponytail spoke.

「“You're the first Kim Dokja, right?”」

When the Demon King of Salvation nodded, the ponytailed Kim Dokja asked again.

「“Then isn't there a second one?”」

「“That's...”」

「“I don't know what happened, but this doesn't seem like the time to weigh your options.”」

The Demon King of Salvation's lips twitched before he let out a quiet sigh.

The Little Kim Dokja was right. The most important thing now was the youngest's survival. For that, the Demon King of Salvation could do anything.

After taking a slow breath, he spoke in a loud voice.

「“Second. Can you hear me?”」

The second Kim Dokja wasn't here.

But even if he wasn't here, he would hear him.

「“I know you're angry about my decision. You wanted to stay beside Kim Dokja Company.”」

If he couldn't hear him, [The Fourth Wall] would deliver the message instead. That skill belonged to him too.

「“It's all my fault. I admit it. So just once...”」

With his eyes tightly shut, the Demon King of Salvation thought of the second Kim Dokja.

「“Just once, could you help the youngest?”」

The Dokja who understood deep sorrow better than anyone else in this world.

「“At this rate, another sad fable you like will be created.”」

Then, shortly after, sentences began appearing across the newspaper again.

* * *

Junghyeok ran through the darkness with me. Space was pitch-black, and nothing could be seen. We ran through that universe together.

More precisely, Junghyeok ran alone with me tucked under his arm.

I forced out a voice that barely came.

“Junghyeok.”

“Don't speak. Your fables are leaking.”

Junghyeok bound my wounds with Heavenly Silkworm Thread he took from his clothes. He was using a martial arts treasure on me. Honestly, I was touched.

“As I thought, you're a good guy. I wasn't wrong about you.”

As though asking what nonsense I was saying now, Junghyeok glared at me with his wide eyes before slinging me over his shoulder.

Explosions sounded sporadically in the distance.

What had happened to Jihye?

Even if it was that Lee Jihye, could she defeat Poseidon?

And defeating Poseidon wouldn't be the end. Olympus had many powerful gods. Zeus was higher up the hierarchy, and there were the other Twelve Seats.

That was only Olympus.

And there wasn't just one enemy pursuing us now.

[Constellations of the nebula Veda are searching for you!]

[Constellations of the nebula Asgard are searching for you!]

[Constellations of the nebula Guiok are searching for you!]

...

The Demon King of Salvation's fables had run out, and I was no longer a Constellation or a Constellation proxy. I was only an Incarnation with a few decent fables.

The only thing I could do with this frail Incarnation body, too weak even to speak now, was use an item to convey my intentions.

[You have requested Midday Tryst.]

Junghyeok frowned for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

[Midday Tryst has been connected.]

Anyway, if you were going to accept it, why were you getting annoyed?

―Leave me behind and go.

I could feel the presence of stars pursuing us from afar. Even Junghyeok couldn't face all of them. It would be impossible even if he used every Fable Engraving.

―I know you received a personal Scenario. But there isn't much of a penalty even if you fail it.

Junghyeok's personal Scenario had been established through Uriel's authority.

Uriel would never offer Junghyeok a Scenario carrying an excessive penalty.

―I'm going to die soon anyway.

Of course, I didn't actually intend to die. There was a way to survive somehow.

There had to be.

But having Junghyeok beside me was a problem. If Junghyeok stayed here, he would eventually be in danger too.

―Why are you trying to save me?

So I made up my mind.

―Aren't I only an obstacle to you anyway? You never liked me from the beginning.

No matter what, I had to get this bastard away from me.

―I'm not the Inho Cheon you were looking for. I'm not the One Who Deceived the Stars, nor some great villain capable of recruiting the Ten Evils. I am...

“I know.”

―What do you know? Of all the Junghyeoks I know, you know the least. I am...

“You aren't Inho Cheon. I know.”

Junghyeok interrupted me and looked at me.

“You are Kim Dokja.”

Kim Dokja.

“I don't know whether that's your real name or not, but I'll call you that for now.”

It felt strange to see the Yu Junghyeok of the 41st round say that name.

I smiled bitterly.

―Yes. Do that. And leave that Kim Dokja behind and run. That's what you need to do.

“What I need to do is save you.”

―No, why?

Crows called nearby. It seemed Odin's Night Ravens had come close.

There was really no time left.

Yet Junghyeok continued in a calm voice.

“You saved every person from both the major and weaker groups at Geumho Station.”

―I did.

“It was foolish. Making humans who would eventually split apart into one group had no meaning or benefit.”

I wanted to argue immediately, but Junghyeok continued.

“You also did strange things in the Chungmuro group.”

I remembered what had happened at Chungmuro Station.

“You stopped the Emergency Defense Battle I made run out of control. It was worthless. Every human at Chungmuro Station was destined to become a subordinate of the Ten Evils.”

―No, wait. What exactly are you trying to say...

“When they chose the station representative, I clearly handed you the flag. Yet you dared refuse the position of Representative. Thanks to that, everything went wrong.”

―That was...

“You also did something you shouldn't have at Washington Dome.”

Junghyeok poured out his words as though he had no interest in hearing my reply.

The point was that I had chosen to do only the things I shouldn't have done.

“All those acts eventually led you to death.”

So that was what he wanted to say.

I smiled bitterly and nodded.

―Yes. You're right. They were terrible choices.

But Junghyeok wasn't finished.

“Why did you save me?”

―What?

“I tried to kill you several times. At Geumho Station, Chungmuro Station, and the Theater Dungeon. Yet why did you...”