Chapter 56 — Chapter 55
12 min read ·
Episode 12 – First Person Protagonist’s Point of View (2)
[The recreation of your flesh has begun.]
Just like falling paint spread out, my vision slowly cleared. The surrounding contrast and saturation were unclear. By bones, capillaries, digestive and respiratory tract and my whole eyes regenerated. My senses were confused because they still hadn’t found their place.
In any case, I could rest assured about Chungmuro.
No matter how strong the apostles were, they wouldn’t be able to defeat Yoo Jonghyuk who was stronger than the original.
By the way... it was a truly unique experience. I shared a first person point of view with Yoo Jonghyuk. If possible, I didn’t want to do it again.
[The exclusive skill ‘Fourth Wall’ offsets the mental shock caused by your death.]
[Compensation is being prepared for the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint stage 3.[
...Usage compensation?
I could see Jung Heewon shouting from afar. Her face was astounded as Lee Hyunsung held onto her. Jung Minseob and Lee Sungkook were in shock when they looked over here.
Fortunately, they were all safe. I wasn’t too late.
“Dokja-ssi!”
Jung Heewon forgot and cried out my name.
Kyaooooh!
In fact, there was no need to hide it anymore. Air flowed into my newly created lungs. There was still the merciless lesser dragon in the vicinity.
“As expected from Yoo Jonghyuk-nim!”
“Did he use a divine restoration pill?”
These cries came from the few prophets who had survived. Of course, I didn’t have a divine recovery.
Reviving from death was completely different to recovering from a serious wound.
[The benefits of the King of No Killing has been completed.]
[100 karma points have been consumed.]
[The wastes of your flesh have been completely removed and the performance of your body has increased.]
[Physique and magic power has increased by 1 each.]
There was even a resurrection bonus. This was why ‘King of No Killing’ was a scam. In all of Ways of Survival, Selena Kim of the United States was the only one who obtained this attribute.
[Current karma points: 0/100]
[Fill up the points for your next resurrection.]
[One karma point will be obtained every time you save someone’s life.]
The privilege of the King of No Killing was ‘resurrection.’ Of course, it wasn’t unconditionally resurrection. Karma points were necessary. It was fortunate that the first resurrection started with 100 points.
Kyaooooh!
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ is using the ‘Flames of Destruction’.]
I couldn’t die as soon as I revived. Since my points had fallen to 0, the resurrection privilege couldn’t be used for a while.
I looked around and saw the number ‘2’ written on a foothold. The other people were already standing on a foothold.
“Hyunsung-ssi, go over there! We’ll go to the next one!”
Lee Hyunsung rushed towards me at Jung Heewon’s quick judgement. Lee Hyunsung arrived and opened his mouth while sweating.
“Dokja-ssi, are you okay?”
“Just take a look.”
“...I thought my eyes were mistaken for a while.”
I didn’t have time to explain in detail how it was possible.
[Absolute Shield is activated!]
The Flames of Destruction burned in front of my eyes. I spoke to Lee Hyunsung, who was looking at me like I was Jesus.
“Hyunsung-ssi, do you have anything for me to wear? A poncho or...”
“I might be a soldier but... ah.”
Lee Hyunsung belatedly recognized the situation and looked at my body. The resurrection was good except for one thing. The external suit had melted and most of the items I picked up were destroyed.
In other words, I was now naked.
“...No, that’s okay.” I muttered.
Lee Hyunsung had raised his hand to his waist and now he returned it to his original position.
No matter how strong a person, this sense of sacrifice was too much. In any case, I didn’t need clothes but the items that fell.
Even the Flames of Destruction couldn’t dissolve star relics or scenario items. In fact, Unbroken Faith was rolling around the lesser dragon’s legs and the brown flag was also on the ground. It was a location where other people couldn’t easily pick them up.
As soon as the shield was lifted, people started to run from far away. The one who ran first was Jung Heewon.
“Dokja-ssi!”
Jung Heewon’s expression gradually stiffened as she ran towards me.
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is looking at the black flame dragon.]
I felt her gaze covering my shoulders and back before she looked away.
“I didn’t see anything so don’t worry. Is now the time to care about that?”
I reflexively shrank back at the words. Then a poncho covered my body. Looking closer, it was a big one.
[Samyeongdang’s Straw Mat]
Jung Heewon handed it over to me.
“Thank you, Jung Heewon-ssi.”
I was very thankful to her right now.
[The constellation ‘Bald General of Justice’ is a little sad.]
“Let’s move.”
Kyaooooh!
The lesser dragon Igneel’s physical movement stage had begun. We once again moved counterclockwise and avoided the attack.
Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung ran ahead of me. They seemed to care about the ‘black flame dragon’ dangling from my lower body. The straw mat was more uneven than I thought and didn’t cover the front.
Jung Minseob ran without noticing and asked, “What now representative? All the apostles have died...”
As Jung Minseob said, I didn’t see any remaining apostles.
The proof was that their ice pills were rolling around the areas where they died. They were items with a long digestion time and didn’t melt in the flames.
A dragon’s paw flew through the air.
“Kyaaak!”
Two prophets running behind the party were crushed.
I ran to the centre of the platform and grabbed Unbroken Faith and the brown flag.
[You have recovered the brown flag.]
[You can use the flag’s abilities.]
I looked around and it was only my party members remaining. As I was thinking, the time for the footholds to be activated had already come.
[Numerical footholds are activated.]
“Gather!”
Fortunately, a foothold with the number ‘5’ was activated. The problem was that there was only one active foothold this time.
The intermediate dokkaebi’s voice could be heard in the air.
[Huhu, you are still holding up well. But will that luck continue?]
Next time, the number on the foothold might be three or four. If so, someone in the party would surely die. If it was six...
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ is using the ‘Flames of Destruction’.]
[Absolute Shield is activated.]
We barely made it with 10 seconds to spare. I had to think of this as the last time.
“Phew... this bastard. Dokja-ssi, what do we do?”
Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon were exhausted. It was natural since they had ran dozens of times in an environment where it was hard to breathe.
“I think we should fight.”
“Can we catch it?”
“It isn’t impossible.”
I pointed to the ice pills rolling around on the floor. The number was exactly a match for the members of our party. If we ate the items that the apostles prepared, it wasn’t impossible to damage the lesser dragon. The question was if we could kill it before the next full attack began.
[Absolute Shield will be released.]
“Run! Pick up the pills that have dropped on the ground!”
The party members popped out as I yelled.
[4,100 coins have been invested in magic power.]
[Magic Power Lv. 16 -> Magic Power Lv. 25]
[Your soul is attuned to the world!]
In order to get rid of the lesser dragon as quickly as possible, I needed to raise my magic power instead of my strength.
I picked up an ice pill and swallowed it.
[The ice property has temporarily opened.]
[40% ice damage is added.]
Now the only thing left was to inflict damage. What should I do? There was a limit to charging recklessly.
Lee Hyunsung had Great Mountain Smash but he lacked agility. Jung Heewon had excellent agility but she lacked a powerful finishing blow.
It would be good if we attacked a weak spot. Was it something that Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint could point out? Ah, that reminded me...
[Exclusive skill, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is already in use.]
[The compensation for the exclusive skill, Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint stage 3 is available.]
I used the reward.
[You have experienced the first person protoganist’s point of view.]
[You can take one of the protagonist’s skills.]
...What?
I was too puzzled to see the flying paw of the lesser dragon. Jung Heewon’s body pushed against mine and the paw landed where I used to be.
Kwaang!
“Why are you freezing?”
Jung Heewon cried out but I couldn’t easily answer. I could take one of the protagonist’s skills. This meant I could get one of Yoo Jonghyuk’s skills.
[Presenting the list of available skills.]
Oho, I got a choice?
Now that I had eaten the ice pill, what if I could get one of Yoo Jonghyuk’s skills?
If I could obtain something like Strong Self-Defense or Breaking the Sky Sword...!
[Please select a skill to acquire.]
Cold ResistanceFire ResistanceLie Detection.
...Shit, it was like this.
Things couldn’t be resolved so easily. I liked Lie Detection the most among the available skills, but it was useless for me right now.
The most useful thing for this situation was Fire Resistance...
Kuoooooh!
The lesser dragon roared and breathed out fire. Once this action was over, the Flames of Destruction phase would being.
Let me think. I was a ‘reader.’ There would be an answer in what I had read.
[Due to the effect of your exclusive attribute, the memories from the books you have read will increase.]
The pages flashed in my head. The lesser dragon’s attacls. There was some information in the 12th, 14th and 17th regressions. Now these things were given to me.
“Dokja-ssi, quickly...!”
I slowly closed my eyes.
Then.
“Cold Resistance.”
I decided.
[The skill Cold Resistance is now available to be used.]
I turned to the others and shouted.
“Jung Heewon-ssi, Lee Hyunsung-ssi! Have you eaten your ice pills yet? Give all of them to me.”
“Huh?”
“Lee Sungkook, Jung Minseob! You too!”
Jung Minseob’s eyes widened just as he was about to put the ice pill in his mouth.
“Quickly!”
“Ah, yes!”
I quickly received the four ice pills. I avoided the flames and poured all of the pills into my mouth. I was certain. This was for the best.
[You have taken an ice pill.]
[The attribute overlay effect of the ice pill will increase the attribute damage.]
[200% ice damage is added.]
[The chill of your heart engulfs your entire body.]
I would’ve never done this in a normal situation. The ice pill was actually a type of poison. Eating just one would make you feel like you were standing naked in the middle of winter.
It meant that I should usually only take one.
[The exclusive skill ‘Cold Resistance Lv. 5’ has protected you.]
The skill I gained from Yoo Jonghyuk started at level 5.
“Everyone come behind me!”
I shouted as I held the handle of my sword. Perhaps it was due to the memories when I was Yoo Jonghyuk. The feeling I got when I grasped the sword subtly changed.
[Blade of Faith is activated!]
Kiiing!
[The special option of Unbroken Faith is activated.]
[The ether property is converted to ‘darkness.’]
[The effect of the ice pill will add ‘frost’ to the ether property.]
The ether blade became a dark blue. It was due to the overlay of ice and darkness.
Chwaaaaak!
The dark blue ether blade started to hit the flames. I exploded all my muscle strength and ran to the lesser dragon.
Now it was an all out battle.
[The stigma ‘Song of the Sword’ has been used.]
[Your sword is filled with the words left by the Duke of Loyalty and Warfare.]
The buff ability varied according to the verse of the Song of the Sword. Please don’t let it be a strange verse.
「 In the night, a god appeared in his dream and said, “You will win big if you do this. Otherwise, you will lose.” 」
I wanted a different verse when different colours appeared on the lesser dragon’s body. Most of them were green but there were parts that looked a toxic red.
[The constellation ‘Maritime War God’ is supporting your battle.]
I realized the meaning of the Duke of Loyalty and Warfare. I see. These were the weak points.
I ran through the fire and swung my sword at the lesser dragon’s head. The first point was pale red.
Kyaaaah!
It floundered while I cut the Achilles tendon of its hind legs. The second was dark red.
Kyaaaak!
I jumped to avoid the tail and its paw swung towards me.
Peeeeok!
[The shield effect of the brown flag is activated.]
The flames couldn’t be blocked but the shield could endure a few ordinary attacks.
I ran as it roared and stabbed my blade.
Puok!
It was at a red light on its chest.
Kyaaaack!
The lesser dragon started to wince.
The shield of the brown flag was instantly destroyed and flames started to gather at its mouth.
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ is preparing the ‘Flames of Destruction’.]
The attack phase was finally starting. Now I had no shield. I used all my magic power and the elongated ether blade struck its chest. I swung and swung again.
The explosive ice damage hit its chest. But it still didn’t fall.
Kuaaaaaah!
Just a bit more.
Kyaaaak!
A bit more...
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’ is using the ‘Flames of Destruction’.]
The flames burned in front of me. I would die once they struck me. I could hear the calls of the party members in the distance. I listened to the calls and swung my sword without backing down.
I could do it. My calculations weren’t wrong. I was a ‘reader.’ If I had been Yoo Jonghyuk...
A sharp sense of emotion came as I wielded the sword in a trance. Yoo Jonghyuk’s sword was invisible and silent. The sensation was strongly embedded in me.
I grabbed the hilt with all my strength. I recalled the feeling of that moment with my senses.
At least once. If I could iminate even a bit of that ‘one sword.’
Kuooooh!
The sword moved and I heard something burst. It was the sound of flesh exploding.
The blood of the lesser dragon soaked my eyes and its body parts flew through the air.
After rolling around in the high-temperature dust, I vomited up all the congested parts.
I shook my head to regain my vision. I staggered as I barely got up. I was staring into the lesser dragon’s eyes. I was taken aback and shook. It seemed that the burning Flames of Destruction had quietly turned off. The huge eyelids blinked once before it slowly backed away.
Kuuong!
The Blade of Belief was crying out silently from what it was stabbed into the dragon’s heart.
[You are the first to kill the disaster ‘Lesser Dragon Igneel’.]
[You are the first to contribute to clearing the fifth main scenario.]
[An impossible feat has been accomplished.]
The power slowly went out of my body. There was no power in my clenched fists. I gaped for breath as I sat down.
It was a reckless challenge. This time I really almost died.
[The compensation settlement will take some time due to the impossible achievement.]
[Some low-grade dokkaebi have requested a ‘plausibility’ request from the Administration Bureau.]
The intermediate dokkaebi was staring down at me quietly.
Anyway, now was the time for sweet rewards.