Side Story: Episode 21-5 - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Episode 21. Kim Dokja (5) In the distance, the 'Absolute Throne' shimmered with radiance. The seat that only one 'king' could occupy. Once, even Han Sooyoung had yearned to sit there. She believed that by occupying that spot, all the grievances she had endured would be compensated. Until she realized that such desires were merely toys for the Constellations' amusement. [Several Constellations are aware of your presence.] [Some Constellations are concerned about your interference.] [Certain Constellations request a plausibility review from the Bureau regarding your involvement.] She could feel the attention of stars from the distant sky. Would those stars understand her story right now? [A Constellation yet to reveal its Modifier is watching you.] What she desired was even further and more unreachable than that throne. So distant that even she could hardly comprehend what it was. 「She had no reason to intervene in this situation.」 This was the 'normal progression' of the 41st iteration. In the 41st iteration, Yoo Joonghyuk would seize the 'Absolute Throne' and walk the path of a Supreme King, governing all. No one else would rise to his level of vision. There would be no companions for him. 「Just leave it be.」 By mere neglect, the 41st iteration would head toward failure. A despairing Yoo Joonghyuk would send Shin Yoosung back to the past at the end of this iteration. That would conclude the storyline of this world line. The story, when read entirely by Kim Dokja, would return to her. It must return. For him, she had to remain still. She must not write a single sentence. She had to let the characters move as they were, to let the flow be as it was. She knew it well. Yet why? "Yoo Joonghyuk. Once you sit there, it's all over." Had she finally picked up the pen? "You know too, don't you? What kind of object the 'Absolute Throne' is." She knew the answer well, of course. The memories that still surfaced vividly when she closed her eyes. Perhaps it was because she had seen something she shouldn't have. 「"What you're trying to do is not end the story, but give up."」 The Kim Dokja she had turned away from. The Kim Dokja she didn't wish to be reborn as. Yet the Kim Dokja who had to return to this story. She had found that Kim Dokja and thus found herself here now. "Are you 'Han Sooyoung'?" The Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st iteration, holding a black spear, was gazing at her. Han Sooyoung responded with a wry smile. "Who told you my name?" Han Sooyoung stared silently at the 41st iteration of Yoo Joonghyuk. "I owed you last time." This was her second encounter with the 41st iteration of Yoo Joonghyuk. "Do you think it will be different this time?" "It will be different." "Your learning ability seems lacking. Haven't you realized after our fight? You can't beat me." On the rooftop of the theater dungeon, she had once clashed with Yoo Joonghyuk. She had risked plausibility, drawing upon narrative and exploiting the 'regression depression' to subdue Yoo Joonghyuk. But would that work once more? There was no way to know. "Then again, perhaps that's why you regressed over 40 times." Since she couldn't know, she provoked him intentionally. To gauge his reaction. However, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't react. His eyes, deep like a serene ocean, merely observed her. All surrounding sound vanished. The weight of tension pressing down was palpable. Silence so profound that not even an insect's cry could be heard. Han Sooyoung was the first to move. The sound of dust being pushed came slightly after, and a black spear and a white sword clashed in midair. A cacophony resounded as magic and magic intertwined, reverberating like a thunderclap among storm clouds. Kaang! The spear technique, descending like a falling thunderbolt, pressed down on Han Sooyoung's sword. A heavy blow. As she exhaled and pushed back against the spear strike, Yoo Joonghyuk spoke. "You seem to know about regression." "Yeah. Surprised?" "I expected it." Yoo Joonghyuk responded without even a twitch of his eyebrow. "This iteration is filled with strange people." Strange people. Han Sooyoung knew who he was referring to. "Each one claimed to know me." At the end of his words was a keen emotion. The concentrated fury sharp and honed from a regressor. [Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk' activates 'Destroying the Soul Spear Lv.10'!] From Yoo Joonghyuk's spear technique, black magic swirled. The eerie pattern of that magic caused Han Sooyoung's expression to harden. This was where the real battle began. Han Sooyoung, risking plausibility, unveiled her primary stigmas. [Black Flame]. The stigma of the Black Flame Dragon, which led her to be known as the Black Flame Demon Empress. With a boom like thunder, the spear technique imbued with [Destroying the Soul Spear] clashed with the sword technique imbued with [Black Flame]. Han Sooyoung had confidence. Though the [Destroying the Soul Spear] was a powerful martial art, it couldn't possibly withstand her stigma. Kugugugugu! The magic waves that painted one side of the sky black. Han Sooyoung was the first to be repelled. Her face paled, she swallowed back the rising blood, clenching her teeth. 'This is absurd.' Even accounting for the backlash from risked plausibility, she was someone who had seen the end of the scenario twice. Yet the Yoo Joonghyuk above was merely the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st iteration. So how? 「"Don't underestimate the 41st iteration of me."」 Only belatedly, the advice of a fellow regressor came to mind. 「"It's just the 41st iteration, so what?"」 「"That iteration of his might be different."」 This world was one not documented even in 'Ways of Survival'. In a sense, it was a world line unknown even to its creator, Han Sooyoung. Yoo Joonghyuk, who lived an unrecorded 41st life's story, was speaking. "You know me too, don't you?" Han Sooyoung bit her lip. 「"He's the guy who couldn't handle it alone, so he sent Shin Yoosung to the past. How strong could a guy like that be, when he gives up so easily?"」 「"That's precisely the problem."」 「"What?"」 「"The fact that I wouldn't crumble just at the 41st iteration."」 Han Sooyoung looked at Yoo Joonghyuk in the sky. The narrative sealed around him spoke volumes. The narrative was a testament to his life. Slowly, Han Sooyoung shivered with a growing chill. --- New Terms Translated: - 'Absolute Throne'(절대 왕좌) - A concept symbolizing ultimate power, typically meant for a single ruler in the narrative. - 'Plausibility'(개연성) - The narrative logic or consistency within the story, particularly crucial for incidents involving regression or narrative interruptions. - 'Narrative Stigmas'(성흔) - Unique powers or abilities tied to a character's identity and role within the story. - 'Destroying the Soul Spear'(멸혼신창) - A mighty martial art, suggestive of a technique aimed at obliterating the soul. - 'Storm Clouds'(비구름) - Used metaphorically to describe the tension in the scenario. - 'Rooftop of the Theater Dungeon'(극장 던전의 옥상) - The location for a past confrontation between Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk. The translation retains the essence and utilizes evocative and thematic language to convey the gravity and tone of the original. Context for expressions like "narrative" and "plausibility" revolves around maintaining story integrity in a world with complex rules such as regression. Han Sooyoung's internal struggle and confrontation with Yoo Joonghyuk are highlighted through intense dialog and descriptive expression. The emphasis on Yoo Joonghyuk's indomitable will despite countless regressions is crucial to understanding the character dynamics. 「"In that world line, I gave up on the possibility of the next iteration. I must have seen a despair that I couldn't overcome no matter how much I struggled. A conclusion that I, who could choose to regress, wouldn't see the end unless I sent Shin Yoosung to a different world line."」 Gazing into the endlessly submerged eyes of Yoo Joonghyuk, Han Sooyoung pondered the nature of a regressor. A regressor does not regress personally. Only the worlds surrounding the regressor regress. The regressor's soul ages continuously, and the memories accumulate. Hearts worn down and afflicted. Endless melancholy and madness. Han Sooyoung understood this as well. Regression was not a curse that an ordinary human could bear, and Yoo Joonghyuk was no ordinary human. A mind as unyielding as steel, a spirit unbreakable by simply saying 'strong.' He was a character defined by this strength. A protagonist crafted to endure over 1,800 regressions. 「"If he made such an extreme decision at just the 41st iteration."」 That 'protagonist' gave up on his future in merely the 41st iteration. And he entrusted the future to his past self. 「"It means he gave everything to the point where he couldn't face another life."」 "You don't understand," he stated. The narrative flickered from the [Destroying the Soul Spear]. An infinitely bleak and ominous narrative gained at unknown times and in unknown ways. Han Sooyoung thought. Truly strong. To the point of disbelief that he could be at the 41st iteration. Stronger than any 'Yoo Joonghyuk' who lived through the fourth scenario. 'I could win if I use the narrative of Kim Dokja's Company.' But if she did so... [The <Star Stream> reacts to your choice.] This time, the plausibility of this world would not forgive her. Kagagagak! Facing Yoo Joonghyuk's incoming spear technique, Han Sooyoung swung her sword in response. Once, twice, thrice. With each clash of spear and sword, the sound of her grip tearing echoed. Blood streamed down, and nerves became progressively numbed. On the fourth strike. Han Sooyoung finally lost her grip on her sword. The 'Unbreaking Conviction' lost its light and plummeted to the ground. A moment's gap. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't hesitate. As if there was no place for her in this world, he thrust his spear with a cold and precise motion. Thud. A strike aimed precisely at her heart. Dumbfounded, Han Sooyoung gazed at her wound, then looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk. That was the end. Limbs drooped lifelessly. An unmistakable demise. The moment Yoo Joonghyuk confirmed Han Sooyoung's magic wave vanish and retrieved his spear. "It hurts, you bastard." A voice emerged from behind. Yoo Joonghyuk, startled, instinctively turned to face the source, intending to swing his spear. "Do you know how much memory loss occurs when an avatar dies?" Small, soft hands clasped his head. Tstststst! With blinding sparks, an overwhelming shock inundated Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind. His body trembled like an aspen, unable to withstand the aftermath. In Han Sooyoung's hands, a narrative nestled deep in Yoo Joonghyuk's head. 「"The stronger he is, the heavier the despair he carries."」 This was the method a comrade had shared. 「"With even a single feather, he might easily be swept under."」 Han Sooyoung was well aware of the weakness of a regressor afflicted by profound despair. [The grand narrative, 'Kim Dokja's Company,' begins its tale.] She felt a wave of nausea and her body trembled as if electrified. "How does it feel to taste happy memories, you bastard?" The memories of <Kim Dokja's Company> flowed from her fingertips. 「"Why was that guy so good at cooking, anyway?"」 Memories of stealing Yoo Joonghyuk's cooking with Kim Dokja. Memories of a picnic <Kim Dokja's Company> took together. Within the stories yet to end, the Kim Dokja she remembered spoke. 「"Let's bring more beef next time."」 Han Sooyoung gazed blankly at the narrative. Such times seemed to exist, now feeling surreal. A square circle. A person who could only exist through sentences. The stories she was sure were her memories, now felt like lies from a novel someone else wrote. Looking at Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes rolled white, Han Sooyoung chuckled faintly. "Happily dying, aren't you?" While speaking the word 'happiness,' Han Sooyoung briefly tilted her head. What was that again? Maybe due to losing part of her memory from the avatar's death, she couldn't immediately recall the meaning of the word. Perhaps it wasn't the only thing lost. But Han Sooyoung believed. [A Constellation, 'The Lotus Blooming Beneath the Moonlight,' watches your choice.] That a comrade would remember the word in her stead. 「"I asked you to try persuading him. Are you ready to be persuaded?"」 That a writer would create the story in her stead. "Damn it." A mutter. An unlikely line she would use, mumbled as if to herself, Han Sooyoung finally understood her actions. Every writer is a reader first, and Han Sooyoung was no different. She was curious about the story that guy wanted to create after returning to this world despite all his struggle. [The Constellation, 'The Lotus Blooming Beneath the Moonlight,' watches you with sad eyes.] That's why she stopped Yoo Joonghyuk. [The Constellation, 'Intriguing Schemer,' lowers his gaze.] Acting on her own decision, without consulting <Kim Dokja's Company>. "Don't you think so too, Yoo Joonghyuk?" Even knowing such a choice could ruin all her plans. Han Sooyoung exhaled lightly and hoisted the unconscious Yoo Joonghyuk over her shoulder. There wasn’t much time left. Yoo Joonghyuk would soon regain consciousness. Before that, she needed to destroy the 'Absolute Throne' below and sever the 'Starry Fate Yarn.' That was the only way this scenario would conclude. 「However, there was something she didn't realize.」 Suddenly, Han Sooyoung felt the hair on the back of her hand stand on end. With a muffled roar in her ears, she heard the sound of a giant scale's plausibility tipping from somewhere. --- New Terms Translated: - 'Regressor'(회귀자) - Refers to individuals who experience regression, retaining their memories through various iterations. - 'Unbreaking Conviction'(부러지지 않는 신념) - Represents an unyielding belief or resolve, depicted as a tangible narrative. - 'Square Circle'(네모난 원) - A rhetorical contradiction in terms, emphasizing the surrealism of Han Sooyoung's memories feeling false. - 'Starry Fate Yarn'(별자리의 연) - Suggests a metaphorical connection or destiny interwoven in the narrative fabric of the world. The translation aims to maintain the gravity and tone of the text, preserving the depth of the narrative while clarifying complex concepts like regression and its psychological toll. Han Sooyoung's decision to act autonomously in contrast to Yoo Joonghyuk's role is central, driving the story's thematic core around identity and determination amidst fate. These terms and expressions reflect the balance between personal choice and the overarching narrative. The translation sustains the original's introspective and philosophical qualities while making it accessible to a broader audience. Han Sooyoung suddenly grasped what was unfolding. She had participated in this scenario from another world line, and the abnormal miracles she caused would inevitably trigger the backlash of plausibility. Yet, she hadn't anticipated the backlash would take such a form. The plausibility of the heavens was going berserk. Unknowingly, Han Sooyoung's mouth gaped open. She was quite familiar with this sensation. ["The Great Hall" is opening.] A vast hole was forming beyond the swirling black sky. [Entities with 'Divine Status of Otherworld' have taken notice of your presence!] [The Scales of Plausibility achieve balance.] The owner of the 'Absolute Throne' was revealing themselves beyond the 'Great Hall' of the heavens. --- New Terms Translated: - 'Miracles'(이적) - Refers to extraordinary feats or occurrences, often defying regular plausibility. - 'Divine Status of Otherworld'(이계의 신격) - Implies entities with divine or otherworldly powers recognizing Han Sooyoung. - 'Scales of Plausibility'(개연성의 저울) - Symbolizes the balance of narrative consistency or reality within the story. The translation maintains the mystique and anticipation of the original text while introducing new terms to represent higher interconnected elements in the narrative. These terms elucidate the divine dynamics and the existential balance within the constructed reality of the scenario, retaining the literary and thematic depth as intended.