WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 87: Episode 17 - SSS-grade Talent (6)

Returnees.

The first line mentioning them in TWSA was this:

「Some people turn back time, some move to another dimension, and some are reborn. In the end, how people adapt to destruction varies widely.」

The second way to survive in the apocalypse, destroying another dimension to return.

“Answer me. Are you curious about who I am?”

The returnee Myeong Ilsang. One of Earth’s “returnees” and a boy summoned to the otherworld Chronos as a hero-class warrior.

“Hmm… Usually, in situations like this, wouldn’t you blush and look down shyly? Guess you’re pretty good-looking for that to not happen, huh?”

As expected, the Catastrophe of Questions was a piece of scum. Yu Sangah opened her mouth.

“What…?”

―Sangah, do not answer his questions!

At my warning, Sangah’s head instinctively turned toward me. However, the hand gripping her chin forced her face back toward Myeong Ilsang.

“Where are you looking? Look at me. Is that guy your boyfriend or something?”

“Let go.”

Sangah slapped Myeong Ilsang’s hand away. Her dagger sliced threateningly through the air, prompting a smirk from him.

[The second question has been answered.]

[The second seal of the returnee Myeong Ilsang has been lifted.]

“Oh, so he is your boyfriend. Someone was fooling around in another dimension for a hundred years while someone else was enjoying a peaceful world, huh?”

The boy’s icy gaze locked onto me. Even without activating Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, I could clearly see the meaning behind those eyes.

“Someone was laughing and living it up while others were suffering, isn’t that it?”

His right arm extended toward me. As violet particles began condensing in his hand, I ducked and shielded my face.

[The character Myeong Ilsang activates the skill Small Red Flame Cannon.’]

The Red Flame Cannon. The same deadly flame that devastated Chronos’ eastern continent and incinerated entire forests filled with Monarch-Level Insectoids.

The air itself ignited as the flames roared toward me. Holding my breath, I was engulfed in fire. Searing pain spread across my skin. Internally, I swore profusely. Damn it, this hurts. It really hurts. But…

…It’s more bearable than I thought?

Moments later, I looked down at my scorched skin. Burnt and blackened in places, the pain was intense but manageable.

Was this the Red Flame Cannon that once instilled terror in Monarch-Level Insectoids?

I glanced up to see Sangah engaged in combat, swinging her dagger with unexpected skill. To my surprise, she was holding her own. Her attacks, honed to precision, seemed to unsettle the Catastrophe of Questions.

“What the hell? Why are you so strong? Are you a returnee too? Or maybe I’ve gotten weaker?”

It didn’t make sense. With two seals lifted, the Catastrophe of Questions should have been much stronger than this.

[The exclusive skill Character Profile has been activated.]

+

<Character Details>

Name: Myeong Ilsang

Age: 17 (127)

Patron constellation: Mass Production Maker

Exclusive attributes: SSS-grade Hero (Heroic), Catastrophe of Questions (Legendary)

Exclusive skills: [SSS-grade Growth Acceleration Lv.10 (Currently Lv.1)], [SSS-grade Swordsmanship Lv.10 (Currently Lv.1)], [Red Flame Cannon Lv.9 (Currently Lv.1)], [SSS-grade Movement Technique Lv.10 (Currently Lv.1)]…

Stigma: [The Answer is Fixed, You Just Have to Respond Lv.7 (Currently Lv.2)]

Overall stats: [Vitality Lv.99 (Currently Lv.55)], [Strength Lv.99 (Currently Lv.55)], [Agility Lv.99 (Currently Lv.60)], [Mana Lv.99 (Currently Lv.55)]

Overall assessment: The Catastrophe of Questions that destroyed Chronos. Currently weakened by scenario penalties, with all stats sealed. Each unlocked seal restores his abilities. When all seals are lifted, his true power as a catastrophe will awaken. If you wish to survive, do not answer his questions. Though it likely won’t make a difference.

+

For a moment, I was daunted by the sheer number of SSS-grade skills filling the screen. But as I read further, I began to understand why he was weaker now.

Those dokkaebis were at least fair.

At this moment, Myeong Ilsang was far weaker than his original form as the catastrophe.

“Suyeong! Sangah!”

I wasn’t sure if this was Bihyeong’s doing, but we’d been given an opportunity.

“Attack with everything you’ve got! We must kill him now!”

If this was all he could muster in his current state, perhaps I could win even without the Way of the Wind. I immediately poured my remaining coins into my stats.

[Vitality Lv.50 → Vitality Lv.60]

[Agility Lv.50 → Agility Lv.60]

[Mana Lv.25 → Mana Lv.60]

[You have spent a total of 39,500 coins.]

[All stats have reached the scenario’s restriction limit.]

Activating Unbreakable Faith, I charged forward.

“Remember! Never answer his questions!”

Ilsang looked at my flaming Blade of Faith with curiosity.

“What’s this? Sword aura? Really?”

With his high agility, he dodged my strike by a hair’s breadth.

“Hey, are you some kind of martial artist? How’d you manage sword aura so fast? That’s crazy!”

Ignoring his taunts, I activated my stigma.

[The stigma Song of the Sword has been activated.]

[A phrase left by the Naval Warfare God has been imbued into your sword.]

A fragment of Admiral Yi’s War Diary floated in my vision, accompanied by a message.

「The 28th. Clear skies.Conducted public affairs as per my fair share.」

…And nothing happened.

Damn it. Of all times for Admiral Yi to be unhelpful. Not every entry in his ‘War Diary’ was about battle, mundane records were common.

The sky was clear.

Admiral Yi attended to public affairs.

If my life was ever chronicled in an ‘Apocalypse Diary’ of some sort, it would now likely go something like this:

「 The sky was dark.

Kim Dokja was getting beaten up. 」

Thwack!

Ilsang’s kick sent me sprawling to the ground. His expression, initially serious, relaxed as he eyed my Blade of Faith.

“Oh, thank God. It’s not real sword aura. You had me worried there for a second. What’s your deal, old man? You almost scared me.”

“You sure do talk a lot.”

A sharp, feminine voice cut through the air. While I had been buying time, Suyeong’s avatars launched themselves at Ilsang.

“Die!”

Her relentless assault overwhelmed him, locking him in place. Yet her attacks, lacking physical strength, didn’t do much damage. The excessive number of avatars even hindered Sangah’s efforts to deal decisive blows.

As Ilsang, pinned under Suyeong’s fists, grinned and muttered, “You’re cute. How old are you? Middle school?”

“Shut up and die!”

As Suyeong’s barrage continued, Ilsang’s grin twisted.

“…What’s with you people? Did I do something wrong? Normally, when a good-looking returnee like me shows up, people cheer with both hands raised, right? I’m supposed to wipe out the monsters for you, aren’t I?”

“What kind of nonsense is that, you lunatic?”

“Whoa… harsh. Wait, don’t tell me… could this be…”

Ilsang’s expression shifted.

“You’re from the ‘Hunter Association,’ aren’t you? That explains it. They’re always the first to pick a fight when a returnee shows up.”

“What the hell are you talking about, you edgy freak? That doesn’t even exist here!”

[The third question has been answered.]

[The fourth question has been answered.]

[The fifth question has been answered.]

[The fifth seal of the returnee Myeong Ilsang has been lifted.]

Ilsang chuckled, nodding as though he had confirmed something.

“You answered, so it must be true. You are from the Hunter Association.”

…This was bad.

A powerful wave of energy erupted from Ilsang’s body, wiping out Suyeong’s avatars in an instant. His laugh rang out once again.

“Alright, time for the main character to shine!”

Suyeong retreated in frustration, glancing at me as if to say, What the hell is this guy?

I groaned in exasperation.

“Didn’t I tell you not to answer his questions? Don’t give him anything to work with!”

“I didn’t answer! I just cursed at him!”

“Don’t say anything at all! He takes everything as an answer!”

For the Catastrophe of Questions, the act of questioning wasn’t to seek answers.

Any response, no matter how irrelevant, only served to enhance his power.

Ilsang smirked.

“So… who’s next?”

But his words were cut off as Sangah’s killing intent surged from behind him.

[Hermes’ Stroll]

[Theseus’ Resolve]

[Arachne’s Web]

Although no system messages appeared, I recognized the techniques. They had been described in detail in the scenario Gigantomachia. These were stigmas of the constellations of Olympus.

Ilsang reacted with alarm, firing successive Red Flame Cannons at Yu Sangah. But she charged through the fire with her dagger gleaming.

“What the…?”

It was impossible. A single Incarnation couldn’t wield multiple stigmas unless they experienced a unique scenario event. I had barely acquired two stigmas myself.

How could Sangah, who wasn’t even a reader of TWSA, possess so many stigmas?

“Let’s take it easy, okay? That hurts!”

Sweat trickled down Sangah’s forehead. Threads of mana stretched and contracted like webs around her as she moved effortlessly through the air. Her strikes were precise, exploiting every gap in Myeong Ilsang’s defenses.

Her transformation in just two days was staggering.

I began to piece it together.

An incarnation wielding multiple stigmas wasn’t unheard of in Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse. Anna Croft, the Prophet of America, was an example. But if that were true, then Yu Sangah…

“Dokja-ssi! Now!”

Sangah’s voice snapped me back to reality. Seizing the opportunity, I activated Blade of Faith and joined her explosive assault. Suyeong, catching on, added her own attacks. As our teamwork improved, Myeong Ilsang began to falter.

The boy, now visibly struggling, moved slower. I capitalized on the opening, slashing his shoulder and abdomen with my blade.

“Damn it…!”

Blood spurted from his wounds as Myeong Ilsang retreated, muttering something under his breath.

[The character Myeong Ilsang has activated the skill Blink Lv.1.]

His body flickered and faded, panic evident in his movements. He couldn’t be allowed to escape. I swung my blade toward his midsection, but just as it connected, his body vanished.

All that remained was a spray of blood.

[The constellation Secretive Plotter sighs in disappointment.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband grumbles angrily.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon points a finger at you in frustration.]

[Several constellations’ excitement has reached dangerous levels.]

Suyeong screamed in frustration.

“Damn it, he got away!”

“It’s fine. We wounded him. We’ll catch him soon enough.”

[Some constellations calm down.]

“And Sangah-ssi… you did amazing… Sangah-ssi?”

Yu Sangah didn’t respond. Alarmed, I turned to find her unconscious, standing upright. Suyeong scowled.

“What’s wrong with her now?”

It dawned on me belatedly. Theseus’ Resolve was a stigma that pushed an incarnation’s power beyond their limits, squeezing every last ounce of strength. No wonder she could face such a monster, even briefly.

I carefully supported her limp body and handed her to Suyeong.

“Here. Take her.”

“Why me? What am I, a daycare worker?”

“No time to argue. Just focus on finding the catastrophe. Did you send more avatars?”

“I think I’ve got a lead.”

“Then guide me.”

We couldn’t let him escape after coming this close.

As we ran, Suyeong spoke.

“If I remember correctly… doesn’t that bastard get stronger with every answer he hears?”

“Exactly. He starts weak, but every response strengthens him. Most returnees face penalties when crossing dimensions to Earth. You saw his seals breaking earlier, right?”

“I did. How many seals does he have?”

“Dozens, probably. If they all break, we’re screwed.”

Five seals were already gone.

Fortunately, the dokkaebis hadn’t issued a supplementary scenario yet. If they had, other Incarnations would have flocked to hunt Ilsang, and their foolish answers would have unsealed him in no time.

…Or so I thought.

[Hmm. Impressive work, everyone. Even with penalties, that’s still a ‘catastrophe.’ Handling him with just three people? Truly remarkable.]

Suyeong and I instinctively looked up at the sky.

[But don’t you think you’re being a little greedy? After all, they say it’s better to share, even a single bean.]

“Fuck.”

As Suyeong cursed, the long-anticipated message arrived.

[A new sub-scenario has been issued.]

[The sub scenario - SSS-grade Hunt begins now!]

Footnotes:

[1]

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