WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 807: Episode 39: Rumors (6)
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‘The Recorders of Fear’ appear in this world through ‘Possession’?
“Are all the Recorders of Fear like that?”
“I don't know for certain either.”
A few cases came to mind along with the thought that surely not.
One was Flying Fox, whom I'd met at the Recycling Center. Another was me and the other readers.
If the Attribute of ‘Possession’ itself was a characteristic of the Recorders of Fear...
“However, they say this. The Recorders of Fear appear as if infiltrating worldlines, then disappear.”
They appeared as if infiltrating worldlines, then disappeared.
I repeated those words to myself before asking, “What is their purpose?”
“Who knows? Perhaps it is to interpret ‘Fear.’”
Fear. The word that had been repeated for some time now sounded unfamiliar.
“What exactly is this ‘Fear’ they speak of?”
“If it could be explained so simply, there would be no name like Recorders of Fear in the first place.”
“Can you at least explain it broadly?”
“Broadly...”
The Divine Doctor began tidying the area where he had been working. He swept up the scattered Fable Fragments and neatly placed the used brushes in a case. Perhaps every movement of his seemed meaningful because he was a Fable Expert.
Once he had finished, the Divine Doctor spoke.
“What do you think is the greatest fable making up this world?”
I didn't need to think long before answering.
“Probably the ‘Scenario.’”
Everything in this world was made of ‘stories.’ And the greatest current guiding those stories was the ‘Scenario’ overseen by the Star Stream.
Tzzzt.
Just seeing how quickly my existence as an Exile became precarious made that clear.
This universe was a world where simply participating in a Scenario granted one a ‘qualification.’
Perhaps pleased with my answer, the Divine Doctor nodded and smiled.
“Then where do you think that ‘Scenario’ came from?”
“That...”
Saying that Suyeong, a writer, had actually written it probably wouldn't help much here.
Even if Suyeong was the designer of the Scenarios, that wasn't the logical plausibility supporting this world.
There were surely Scenarios in this world that Suyeong hadn't written.
Besides, Suyeong hadn't known every detail of the Scenarios from the moment she was born.
She had likely written them using things she learned through other content and firsthand experience.
That thought gave me a strange feeling. Come to think of it, all the Great Fable Scenarios I knew had seemed familiar.
Olympus's Gigantomachia.
Eden and the Demon Realm's Great War of Angels and Demons.
Emperor's Journey to the West.
They were all Scenarios based on famous fables.
And it wasn't only those. Ordinary Scenarios were the same.
Battle royale-style survival games, variations on mafia games...
In the end, Scenarios were built on existing ‘stories.’
“Don't most Scenarios come from old ‘fables’?”
The Divine Doctor nodded again, but he didn't smile. My answer was insufficient.
“Correct. To be more precise.”
The Divine Doctor blinked as if choosing his words, then spoke.
“All Scenarios are ‘interpreted fables.’”
Interpreted fables.
A bright light went on in my head.
“One tiny interpretation of a fable can sometimes change the entire universe.”
The Divine Doctor nodded once more and smiled.
“It seems you understand now.”
“Could it be that the Recorders of Fear interpret fables that have not yet been interpreted?”
“That is what I think.”
“Those fables are ‘Fear.’”
Stories that couldn't be interpreted were difficult. They were unfamiliar and sometimes even incomprehensible. The source of that incomprehensibility touched upon fear.
“Fables that even this Star Stream has yet to interpret. The Recorders of Fear like stories such as those.”
Secretive Plotter suddenly came to mind.
Perhaps the Recorders of Fear worshipped him because he was a being more uninterpretable than anyone else in this world.
“I heard you are taking part in the Fear Realm expedition.”
“Yes, that is how it turned out.”
The Divine Doctor looked at me with a somewhat complicated expression and was about to speak again.
“Divine Doctor, the family head is calling for you.”
The escort martial artist appeared at just the right moment after opening the door. Perhaps they had been listening to our conversation, because their gaze was suspicious.
Divine Doctor Rowellin let out a soft sigh, then silently mouthed words at me.
“I went to the trouble of saving you, so don't die.”
I nodded my thanks.
* * *
My conversation with the Divine Doctor had been useful in its own way.
Above all, I had gained information about the Recorders of Fear.
「Perhaps I and the other readers are also destined to become Recorders of Fear in the end.」
I decided not to think too deeply about it. The information I could know for now was too limited. What mattered was dealing with the matters before me one by one.
Diligently, like writing one sentence and then the next.
If every moment I lived became a fable, then one day this moment would be written as a fable too.
If I didn't want to leave this moment as a vague ‘Fear’ then, I had to keep thinking and moving.
Around the time Junghyeok finished his Circulation and Breathing, the escort martial artist came to find us again.
“The expedition party will be announced shortly. I believe the honored guests should attend.”
After discussing it with the family head, we would take part in the Fear Realm expedition as representatives of the Namgung Clan.
[A new Main Scenario will begin shortly!]
My heart pounded at the thought of finally entering a new Scenario. I wasn't sure if it was because I was afraid or nervous.
To hide my trembling, I deliberately spoke to Junghyeok.
“You suddenly began your Circulation and Breathing while listening to the Divine Doctor. Did you gain some kind of realization?”
Junghyeok shook his head at my question.
“I thought you might have achieved Transcendence.”
“If Transcendence came so easily, the Martial World would already be full of Transcendents.”
“I suppose so.”
“When I think there might be something, I make a habit of practicing Circulation and Breathing. I can't overlook even the smallest clue to a realization.”
I was reminded once more of just how diligent Junghyeok was. No matter how often this guy pulled sunfish antics, Junghyeok was fundamentally a hardworking sunfish.
He had lived so diligently that he was able to become the ultimate sunfish after regressing through a full 1,863 rounds.
[Your understanding of the character Yu Junghyeok has increased.]
[The character Yu Junghyeok is showing you a slight amount of favor.]
I was startled by the messages that suddenly appeared.
My understanding had increased out of nowhere?
“What is it?”
“It's nothing.”
I had to bite my lips several times to hide my expression.
When I first met him, I had thought we could never become Companions.
After all, the Junghyeok of the forty-first round was considered one of the worst Junghyeoks among all the Junghyeoks.
Yet I had won even a little of his favor. That alone made me feel as though I had received sufficient compensation for this trip to the Martial World.
“So you won't throw me off a cliff once we enter the Fear Realm.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
I only shrugged.
Junghyeok glared at me with an unreadable expression before adding, “It seems you have made some progress.”
“You noticed?”
As expected, I couldn't escape the eyes of the regressor.
I really had made progress. Not something profound like a realization, but obvious progress I could see at once.
[Congratulations! Your fable has successfully evolved!]
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name has evolved into a Mythical-grade fable!]
Heir to an Eternal Name had finally become a Mythical-grade fable.
I didn't know why my fable had suddenly evolved. Perhaps it had evolved on its own because it was worried I might die soon.
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name scoffs.]
Or perhaps it had helped that I spent all night contemplating ‘Kim Dokja’ after speaking with the Divine Doctor yesterday.
In any case, I had finally become the owner of a Mythical-grade fable.
Then, bright light began to flow from Kim Dokja's Smartphone.
[The function of your constellation artifact is evolving!]
The evolution of a constellation artifact's function.
Could this be the first effect of a Mythical-grade fable?
As soon as I turned on the smartphone, the platform screen appeared first.
+
...
Episode ■■. ■■ (■) +[??]
Episode ■■. ■■ (■) +[??]
Episode ■■. ■■ (■) +[??]
...
+
Why couldn't I see the latest chapters?
I pressed refresh several times, but the screen didn't change.
Had something happened to the serialization record? Or perhaps...
「An uninterpreted fable.」
My head buzzed.
I was an Exile now, outside the Scenario.
What if this moment couldn't be ‘interpreted’ because of that? What if that was why I couldn't see these chapters?
It was a plausible assumption, but I wasn't at the point where I could be certain yet.
Above all, there was one thing I still needed to check.
[You can use a Daily Free Pass to check one comment from any chapter you want.]
Fortunately, I could still check the comments. Did that mean the serialization was continuing normally?
Checking the comments would tell me.
[You can now check the most recommended comments first without using Coins.]
[Would you like to use a Daily Free Pass?]
An unexpected offer. This seemed to be an additional effect gained through Heir to an Eternal Name.
Until now, it had been difficult to gather information efficiently because of the random comment-checking system.
After all, checking comments at random made it difficult to avoid comments that suddenly spammed Yu Junghyeok's name, Yu Junghyeok villains, or those that spammed Demon King of Salvation's name, Demon King of Salvation villains.
However, it was different if I could view only the comments with many recommendations.
Having many recommendations from readers meant there was a fairly high chance that it identified the core of that chapter. Above all, it was more likely to avoid villain comments.
There had already been a feature that allowed me to check recommended comments using additional Coins, but the cost increased with each chapter. Once it passed chapter 200, it began demanding a full 10,000 Coins for each comment, so I had barely been able to check recommended comments lately.
But it was giving me that feature for free. I couldn't let this opportunity pass.
[One Daily Free Pass has been deducted.]
[Checking the comment with the most recommendations.]
I immediately checked the comment.
Now then.
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Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i! Eong■i...
Recommendations 195 / Dislikes 10
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I stared at the blank ■ between ‘eong’ and ‘i’ for a while.
Uninterpreted fables were frightening, but perhaps uninterpretable comments were frightening too.
That was probably that, wasn't it?
Why had this comment received the most recommendations?
I truly couldn't understand what Kim Dokjas were thinking.
I checked the second comment.
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Pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang■pang...
Recommendations 123 / Dislikes 6
+
Hmm.
Fortunately, the third most recommended comment left room for interpretation.
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Not rea■ly going to di■ like thi■, righ■?
Recommendations 98 / Dislikes 3
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Sometimes, comments were more frightening once interpreted.
「Not really going to die like this, right?」
I blankly stared at the comment, then suddenly returned to the first comment and counted how many times ‘Eong■i’ had appeared.
There were forty-one in total.
At that moment, a series of keywords came together in my head.
Eong■i. Forty-one. Pang■. Not really going to die like this, right?
Wait. Could this be...
I reflexively turned to the side and muttered, “Yu Junghyeok.”
Then true fear began.
“Yu Junghyeok?”
Yu Junghyeok had disappeared.
Footnotes:
“Eong■i” preserves fragments of eongdeongi, Korean for “butt.” The corrupted comments and their repetition intentionally form an incomplete clue.
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