WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈
Chapter 832: Episode 43: Transcendence Alliance (1)
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Cheok Junkyung thought about death for the first time in a long while.
He could no longer remember when he had last considered it. Was it when he had repeatedly slaughtered a thousand men before becoming a Constellation, or when he was pursued by the [Fate] invoked against him while fighting giant nebulae after becoming one?
A faint laugh escaped him.
Perhaps such unnecessary thoughts came to mind because his history was facing another crisis.
[You've grown stronger than before, you damn bastard.]
Cheok Junkyung spoke as he watched the Outer God approach from afar, its footsteps thudding.
The Founder of the Absolute Throne.
That was the name given in some circles to this Natural Disaster-grade Fear. Unlike other Natural Disaster-grade Outer Gods, it possessed exceptional Intelligence and a habit of moving like a human.
[Whose fable did you steal this time?]
Despite Cheok Junkyung's provocation, the Founder of the Absolute Throne merely rattled its skull without replying. Knowing that was its laughter, Cheok Junkyung bit his lip and swung his sword.
However, a tremendous gale unleashed by the Founder swept him away and slammed him into the edge of the stratum in an instant.
Within the Fear Realm, Outer Gods regained their original strength.
[Fable Immortal King's Greed begins telling a story.]
[Fable Lord of Fear's Longing begins telling a story.]
[Fable Mystery of the Old One begins telling a story.]
...
Ancient fables rejected by the Constellations shone brilliantly across the Founder of the Absolute Throne's body.
This was the Natural Disaster-grade Fear said to be capable of wiping out a world.
However, Cheok Junkyung was not simply taking the blows.
[Fable One Who Slices the Sea begins telling a story.]
Transcendents, too, could display strength beyond their limits in the Fear Realm.
[Fable Arsenal of All Weapons begins telling a story.]
[Fable Adversary of Dreams begins telling a story.]
The fables accumulated by clearing countless Time Strata, along with the Fears.
The Fears they had fought themselves became their weapons.
[Disaster-grade Fear, Dragon Fang Sword, begins telling a story.]
Fear equipment made specifically for Cheok Junkyung.
The elongated blade rapidly grew and settled into Cheok Junkyung's right hand. Then pitch-black armor wrapped around his entire body.
[Disaster-grade Fear, Crow Armor, has activated!]
This was the full-power stance of Cheok Junkyung, Goryeo's Top Swordsman and Captain of the Third Battalion in the Fear Realm.
He fought like a berserker. He deflected the treasured swords flying at him and did not fall even as dozens of arrows pierced his body.
He swung the First Sword, then the Second Sword, then the Third Sword.
A sword that cut down a thousand men, brought down mountains, and sliced the sea.
Yet even that sword could not cut down the Outer God before him.
[It has been a long time since I encountered someone I couldn't kill even with the Third Sword Form.]
With a trickling sensation, fables spilled from the corner of Cheok Junkyung's mouth. His Incarnation body, pushed to its limits, swayed dangerously. The shattered Crow Armor scattered into ash, and the Dragon Fang Sword, robbed of its light, lodged in the ground.
Cheok Junkyung slowly felt the end approach.
Damn it.
In his final moments, he thought of his pale-faced disciple.
Still, he felt relieved. Even if he vanished here, his Three Sword Forms would not vanish with him.
As his consciousness faded, Cheok Junkyung kept replaying his disciple's face in his mind.
Just as his vision was about to go completely dark, he heard a voice that seemed to pull his soul back up.
“Master. Are you all right?”
Cheok Junkyung turned around blankly.
[Y-you crazy...]
“I came.”
[You damned disciple!]
Cheok Junkyung hurriedly looked around. None of the Third Battalion members nearby had survived.
Instinctively, he stepped in front of his disciple.
[Get out of here! I'll buy you time!]
“Then you'll die, Master.”
[I am a Constellation! I won't vanish just because my Incarnation body is destroyed!]
“But you'll suffer a near-fatal blow.”
His disciple was right.
Constellations were not invincible. In particular, if the essence of their fables was damaged while they lost an Incarnation body, they could end up vanishing for good.
[Did you come alone? What about the other captains?]
Cheok Junkyung asked with a sliver of hope. If Kyrios, Yoo Hoseong, or at least Ryunard had entered, the situation might have improved.
“It's just me.”
[Goddamn it!]
“Don't worry. I'll take care of everything.”
[What can you possibly do?]
Cheok Junkyung knew his disciple was strong. At that age, he had the talent to use even the Second Sword Form of the Three Sword Forms.
But his opponent was the Founder of the Absolute Throne. No matter how talented his disciple was, before that Natural Disaster-grade Fear...
【O O O O O ?】
The atmosphere of the battlefield changed in an instant.
The Founder of the Absolute Throne, which had been advancing with terrifying momentum, abruptly stopped in place.
Its emotions could be felt amid the chilling wind.
Confusion. And...
Fear.
Fear? That Outer God was afraid? Afraid of whom?
Cheok Junkyung slowly turned his head, following the Outer God's gaze. His disciple stood there, radiating a brilliant light from his entire body.
[W-what is that, disciple?]
“It isn't anything impressive. I just have a fable that thing might hate.”
A fable?
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name giggles.]
It was clearly an incredible Mythical-grade fable. Even so, in a sense, it was only one fable. Could that Natural Disaster-grade Outer God have stopped because it feared a single fable?
“Master. If there is a way to defeat it, will you help me?”
Cheok Junkyung did not understand what was happening, but it was clear that his clever disciple had a plan.
[Of course. Is there really a way?]
At that moment, Cheok Junkyung felt something strange. It was unlike this situation, yet it felt as though he had experienced something similar before.
“Yes. Then first...”
His disciple gave a pale smile and pointed at his own stomach.
“Could you knock me unconscious first?”
* * *
The moment I entered the Time Stratum, I realized I was screwed.
“Wow.”
It had been fine when I entered confidently. Even declaring that I would deal with it hadn't been bad.
However, the instant I saw the Founder of the Absolute Throne filling the sky, the goosebumps down my spine would not go away.
【O O O O O O O】
Its Status was on a completely different level from when I had seen it near the Void Curtain. It was at least dozens of times taller than before.
That was the Founder of the Absolute Throne's true form.
I knew instinctively. Even if I imitated someone with [Bookmark] or [Incitement], my current Incarnation body could not possibly face it.
Therefore, there was only one thing I could trust.
「Stage Transformation.」
In this Star Stream, history was powerful enough to overcome the matchup between powers. And though it had only happened once, I had experience defeating it.
But could I kill it with Stage Transformation alone?
Honestly, I wasn't confident. Above all, my Incarnation body was so weak that it could not even withstand Cheok Junkyung's Second Sword Form.
Still, there was a way to overcome that.
“Eternity.”
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name asks whether I could possibly be calling it.]
“Help me out.”
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name grumbles as though it is annoyed.]
“Come on. Don't you want to see the second one?”
After all, this fable's goal was to create the one and only Kim Dokja.
It surely understood that it had no choice but to listen to me for that purpose.
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name begins its story while grumbling.]
It also knew exactly what skill I needed right now.
“Master! Now!”
The next moment, Cheok Junkyung's fist struck my abdomen.
The world spun once with my scream, and my consciousness blinked out.
[Exclusive Skill, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, has activated.]
This was not the [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] I used, but the [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] used by the Demon King of Salvation.
As the skill activated, the Demon King of Salvation's distinctive exhilaration filled my body.
I could do this.
It was a method never attempted in the main story, but it might be possible now.
[Your understanding of the constellation Goryeo's Top Swordsman is high.]
Because...
[The target has deep goodwill toward you.]
My understanding of Goryeo's Top Swordsman Cheok Junkyung was greater now than it had ever been in the main story.
[Exclusive Skill, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Stage 3 has activated!]
‘Please lend me your Incarnation body for a moment, Master.’
Power brimmed through my entire body.
When I opened my eyes again, I had entered Cheok Junkyung's Incarnation body.
The Founder of the Absolute Throne saw me from afar and let out a threatening cry.
【O O O O O O O O】
A moment ago, that roar had made my knees buckle just from hearing it. Now, I could tolerate it.
Because I was now Goryeo's greatest warrior.
It truly was the strongest Incarnation body.
Only after entering it could I be certain. At least for now, no one with a human body was stronger than Cheok Junkyung.
Even so, fighting that Outer God with such a heaven-shaking Incarnation body would be difficult.
However...
“Things are different on this stage.”
A fable settled over Unbreakable Faith, and the Blade of Faith shone more brightly than ever, coloring the surroundings.
[Stage Transformation has begun!]
Was it because my fables had evolved in the meantime?
The scenery before me was not Gwanghwamun, where Dokja had destroyed the Absolute Throne.
A black curtain rippled overhead.
This place was...
【G A A A A A A A】
The place where I had lost Suyeong.
「How much stronger have I become since then?」
The image of Suyeong fading away in my arms was still vivid.
An old resentment surged up within me.
Memories of surviving beneath the rippling Void Curtain with her help swirled through my mind.
「“I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the story you wanted.”」
Where was the Suyeong who had said that to me on that day?
Was she still watching this story somewhere in this universe?
She probably was.
If it was her, she would surely be watching.
「This was proof of the vow I made that day.」
My Sword Aura expanded explosively and cut the Founder of the Absolute Throne. It cried out in shock. At the same time, its enormous blade bore down on my entire body.
Every time I blocked the blade, it felt as if the bones throughout my body were being crushed.
Even so, I did not stop.
Attacks in which we gave each other flesh and took each other's bones.
I swung my sword again and again, recalling the days I had struggled desperately to survive.
The countless nights I studied fables.
The time I spent reading TWSA.
The days I strove to show Suyeong the story I had promised her.
【O O O O O O O O】
Suyeong, I'm sorry.
Perhaps I have barely grown since that time. I am still absurdly weak, too weak to show you my story.
Even so.
At least now, I...
「Have become a person a little more like Dokja.」
"King of a Kingless World" was carried on the tip of my boldly swung blade.
The Founder of the Absolute Throne, fatally wounded by the fable that had suddenly appeared, cried out in shock.
“Can you feel it now? That things are different from back then?”
I knew who my crooked grin resembled, and who my way of speaking was becoming like.
There was a time when I was afraid of becoming Dokja. I wasn't anymore.
Because I knew that becoming Dokja, becoming like Dokja, did not mean losing myself.
Thinking like Dokja did not erase the Lee Hakhyeon within me. In the end, all people came to resemble someone.
“You might not know it, but a lot has happened to me too.”
I recalled the people who had seeped into the name Dokja.
There were Gu Seona and Kim Gyeongsik, who risked their lives for their companions. There was Jeong Jaewoo, luckier than anyone else. There was Go Jangwon, who gave his life for Jeong Huiwon's younger sibling. There was Noh Jiyoon, who missed her father until her final moment.
Therefore, for me to become Dokja now meant...
[Fable Heir to an Eternal Name shines brilliantly.]
That I could remember more people.
Footnotes:
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