WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 91: Episode 18 - A Reader’s Fight (4)

Suyeong asked in disbelief.

“What’s going on? What’s all this noise about? Why are you suddenly nitpicking the plausibility?”

“What else could it be? They’re just picking a fight.”

“A fight? Why?”

Why else? It’s because I rejected their defection offer. This is their response.

In the sky, the dokkaebi Dokgak could be seen reporting to the Bureau.

Plausibility review…

I never imagined they’d use it like this.

I had anticipated that dokkaebis from other major channels might start stirring trouble, but I didn’t expect them to resort to something like this.

Bihyeong, clearly guilty, had turned pale as he nervously glanced between Dokgak and me, his face scrunched up as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

―W-what should we do? What do we do?

‘Be honest with me. Did they find out about our contract?’

Bihyeong shook his head emphatically.

‘Then, did they find out about the Dokkaebi Compendium I got early?’

―N-no, not that either.

‘Are you sure?’

―M-maybe… I think so.

‘Then there’s nothing to worry about. Even if they caught us, none of that warrants a plausibility review. It’s not even a violation of the regulations.’

I was telling the truth. There were no explicit rules against an incarnation entering into a direct Stream Contract or using the Dokkaebi Compendium. It was just that no one had done it before.

Reassured, Bihyeong nodded hesitantly.

―O-okay. Got it.

Looking at Bihyeong’s panicked behavior, I couldn’t help but wonder who the real dokkaebi was between us.

I turned my gaze back to Dokgak and the other lower-grade dokkaebis.

[The Administration Bureau has been informed of the alleged manipulation of channel #BI-7623’s scenario.]

[The Bureau is currently deliberating on the matter.]

If my guess was correct, this suitability assessment would ultimately be dismissed. Unless Dokgak had substantial evidence to challenge the Plausibility, that is.

The issue was that I didn’t have a way to uncover what evidence they might be hiding.

In that case, there was only one option left.

“Hey, stop stalling and give us the rewards already. Don’t you see the constellations getting bored?”

[This matter is far more important than distributing rewards.]

―Have you reconsidered? If you agree to the proposal I made earlier, I can make all of this go away.

I looked up at Dokgak silently.

So, he wanted a direct confrontation, huh?

“What’s the issue? Go ahead and tell me. What part of my channel’s operations is supposedly illegal? Do you have proof?”

If they had evidence, this would confirm it. If not, this charade would end here and now.

Dokgak’s sly grin appeared as though he had been waiting for this moment.

[Are you sure you want to know? You’ll regret it.]

“Just tell me.”

[This matter is related to you, Kim Dokja.]

“…To me?”

In an instant, my mind raced. Was this about how I had been using future information from Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse? But thanks to the filtering system, that information shouldn’t have been visible to the constellations or dokkaebis. If this was about that, I would have been hit with a plausibility storm long ago…

[Do you see the screen?]

A massive screen appeared in the air. It displayed scenes from the battles I had been involved in recently.

The first clip was my confrontation with Lee Seolhwa, the Poison Beauty.

[This is evidence.]

“…What exactly is the evidence here?”

It just showed me sparing Lee Seolhwa instead of killing her.

Dokgak switched the video.

[Here is more evidence.]

The second clip showed me observing the battle between Lycaon and Antinus.

What the hell was this about?

[And finally, the third piece of evidence.]

The third clip showed me and my companions fighting the Catastrophe of Questions, Myeong Ilsang, as his seals were being broken. The sight of Myeong Ilsang growing stronger with each unlocked seal made my chest tighten.

[Do you see the commonality?]

At that moment, realization struck. Dokgak wasn’t speaking to me.

[Dear constellations, do you see the commonality between these battles?]

Silence fell among the gathered spectators.

[The battle with the Poison Beauty, the fight against Antinus, and the confrontation with the Catastrophe of Questions. All three battles share one critical trait.]

The clips replayed, highlighting key moments.

[He could have killed the Poison Beauty and prevented a catastrophe.]

Dokgak’s finger pointed at Seolhwa.

[He could have killed Antinus and prevented another catastrophe.]

Now, it pointed at Antinus.

[And he could have stopped the unsealing of the Catastrophe of Questions before it began.]

Lastly, it pointed at Ilsang. Then, it pointed at me.

[But instead, he chose not to.]

“Wait! Are you saying—!”

Finally, I realized what Dokgak was up to. Goosebumps spread across my skin.

So, this was how dokkaebis operated.

[Dear constellations, Kim Dokja, in collusion with Bihyeong, deliberately concealed his power and manipulated the scenario. He toyed with your emotions with contrived sentimentality and disrupted the narrative with malicious intent.]

The screen displayed the final scene—me using Way of the Wind to defeat Myeong Ilsang.

[And he did it all for the sake of crafting a dramatic climax.]

This bastard had never intended for a plausibility review.

Dokgak’s true goal was—

[To milk every last coin out of you.]

He wanted to destroy Bihyeong’s channel completely.

[Some constellations murmur among themselves.]

Dokgak’s so-called evidence didn’t technically violate any rules outlined in the plausibility review. It was common for dokkaebis to manipulate their incarnations to create engaging scenarios.

The problem was that certain constellations didn’t like such behavior.

The moment they felt the scenario wasn’t genuine, the constellations lost interest.

It was like the breaking of the “fourth wall” in theater. When the barrier separating the audience from the characters crumbled, the audience’s immersion evaporated.

And this was exactly what Dokgak intended to exploit.

[The constellation Bald Army General gapes in astonishment.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband chuckles.]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter shrugs indifferently.]

Some constellations were shocked. Others didn’t seem to care. But the real issue lay with those who reacted negatively.

[Some constellations whose immersion has been broken leave the channel.]

[Some constellations questioning the channel’s integrity leave as well.]

[Some constellations request refunds for their coins.]

The number of constellations in Bihyeong’s channel began to plummet.

[The channel’s scale is shrinking.]

Message windows bombarded the air in quick succession. Bihyeong, visibly pale, began to physically diminish. His horns, a symbol of his authority, started to shrink.

I sighed.

“The channel’s done for.”

There was now only one option left.

Watching the dwindling number of constellations, I turned toward Dokgak.

“You’ve made your point. Now that this is settled, give me the reward. I’ll accept your proposal.”

A faint smirk appeared on Dokgak’s lips.

―You’re still wise enough to make the right decision.

Bihyeong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

[You, you…!]

“Don’t look at me like that. What choice do I have?”

I shrugged and spoke in a deliberately scornful tone.

Bihyeong trembled, his small horns shaking in frustration.

Poor bastard.

‘Bihyeong, do you trust me?’

―What are you…?

‘Just trust me. If we do nothing, it’s all over anyway.’

Cutting the telepathic link, I turned to Dokgak again.

“Let’s get this over with.”

[Very well. Let us proceed to the sweet rewards.]

With a snap of Dokgak’s fingers, the surrounding scenery vanished. What replaced it resembled a luxurious hotel suite. The atmosphere, at least, was similar, I wouldn’t know for certain since I’d never actually been to a hotel suite.

…Was this his Gamtu?

Feeling slightly on edge, I carefully scanned my surroundings. Ornate rugs stretched across the floor, and peculiar furniture—distinctly dokkaebi in design—was scattered throughout the space. Along one wall stood a shelf lined with various liquors, a reminder that dokkaebis were surprisingly fond of alcohol.

I approached the window cautiously. The view beyond was unlike anything I’d ever seen on Earth.

…Good lord.

A vast darkness stretched out endlessly, glittering with stars that sparkled like a cascade of jewels. Galaxies swirled majestically, their movements grand and serene.

For a moment, I was overcome by pure awe.

So this was the <Star Stream>.

The magnificent flow of stars that governed all scenarios. The origin of every story.

“Breathtaking, isn’t it?”

Turning around, I saw Dokgak standing behind me.

“Even I sometimes find myself lost in that view. No matter how many times I see it, I never grow tired of it.”

“You’re…”

“Oh, surprised? This is my real voice.”

It was the first time I’d heard a dokkaebi’s natural voice. Normally, their voices were filtered through the broadcasting system. Which meant the Dokgak standing before me was his true form.

His eyes glinted with quiet intensity.

“You’re not entertaining any foolish ideas, are you?”

“What kind of ideas? Oh, are you worried I’ll try to kill you?”

A low chuckle escaped him.

“You understand it’s impossible.”

“I’m not crazy enough to pick a fight with a dokkaebi.”

“I like your attitude. Now, let’s get to the contract.”

With another snap of his fingers, a contract appeared before me, along with another figure, Bihyeong. He was bound in shimmering system text, his mouth gagged. His furious eyes glared at me.

“Bihyeong is here as a witness. To form a contract with me, your existing agreement with him must first be annulled. The penalties for breaking that agreement will be his burden to bear.”

I raised an eyebrow. So, he had known about my contract with Bihyeong all along.

In other words, Dokgak had approached me from the beginning, recognizing my potential as someone who could attract incarnations.

Feigning nonchalance, I said, “Do as you please. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Efficient. I like that. Shall we review the contract?”

The contract materialized before me. It was blatantly disadvantageous.

Revenue distribution was set at 50-50, and several clauses restricted my freedom. Worse, I wasn’t the “employer” in this agreement but the “employee.”

Dokgak grinned. “How does it look? It’s industry standard, but I can make adjustments if necessary.”

Industry standard, my ass. Even Bihyeong hadn’t tried to strongarm me with something like this. Nodding, I replied, “It’s fine. But before I sign, I have a proposal.”

“A proposal? Let’s hear it.”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame if I were the only one to switch channels? Surely, you’re not satisfied with just me. There are some pretty strong constellations on Bihyeong’s channel.”

“Oh? Who might they be?”

“The Prisoner of the Golden Headband, the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon, and even the Demonic Judge of Fire.”

Dokgak’s eyes widened with each name I mentioned.

“The Prisoner of the Golden Headband? I didn’t expect that… Bihyeong, I’m impressed.”

Bihyeong, still gagged, let out muffled sounds of protest. I pressed on.

This was the most crucial part.

“Honestly, it’d be a waste to leave those constellations behind. So, how about this? I want you to build a bridge so that the constellations can move channels with me.”

Footnotes:

[1]

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