I Translated the Necronomicon

4. Sometimes you have to do it even if you know you’ll regret it.

aaa-!

It was truly a damn bizarre dream.

The first memory of an unknown alien in who knows how long.

The reason that made him vow not to do any translations again.

Yudahee woke up with a dry mouth and found himself in an unfamiliar space with an uncomfortable ceiling. It seemed to be the passenger seat of a truck, where he must have been moved to when he lost consciousness.

Looking out the window, he could see that the truck was parked under a highway overpass, apparently to avoid the midday sun. But still…

“Damn, is this woman really crazy?”

If you hit someone with a truck, the least you should do is take them to the hospital emergency room. What kind of thinking was it to just lay them out on the passenger seat? At least it was fortunate that they hadn’t put him in the back cargo area.

“Ugh… Nng… My S…S…R… hehehe… You belong to me…”

Click!

In the driver’s seat, there was a crazy woman muttering with her golden hair tucked into her mouth.

With her long, stretched-out legs and leaning half on the steering wheel due to the wind pressing against her, it was hard to tell exactly, but she had quite a large chest.

If you only looked at her body, she was the epitome of a Northern European model.

Since when did South Korea become a multi-ethnic country?

He had certainly heard Northern European beauties fluttering their blonde hair and saying “Oh, I love kimchi~ Bibimbap is delicious~ Bulgogi is the best~” before, but it was the first time he had heard someone talk in their sleep so vividly.

Originally, sleep-talking was an expression of the unconscious, which meant that this crazy woman was Korean through and through.

This woman would probably go “Ugh, this pork rice soup is so good~” after eating a bowl of Busan-style pork rice soup.

Watching her peacefully sleeping, Yudahee couldn’t find any words to say.

He tried to quietly open the passenger door while she was asleep, but…

Clank-

“Ah.”

There was a chain tied around his ankle.

And the end of that chain was the madwoman’s wrist –

“Ouch!”

As one of her arms came off, the madwoman, losing her balance, slammed her head straight into the center of the steering wheel, and the horn blared loudly -!

She’s insane, completely insane.

The madwoman, with a flushed forehead, got up and staggered, her eyes meeting Yudahee, who was standing with the door half open.

“Ah.”

“Um.”

Silence fell.

*****

The fact that gods exist in this world and the numerous problems that arise from it had been keenly felt by Yudahee for countless times in the alien world.

The only problem was that the concept of those gods was a little different from Earth.

Monsters that could suck galaxies like grapes, each one a manifestation of terror itself.

Writhing tentacles all over the body…

Oh my!

Compared to the gods she had seen so far, this goddess in front of her might not be so bad.

“So, are you saying that Earth has transformed into a tourist destination for gods?”

“I, the maiden of the stars and the goddess of justice, swear by the name of Dike Astraea!”

It was a bit unsettling to see Dike confidently calling herself a goddess, but the latest news about Earth from her was shocking.

What? Gaia, the goddess of Earth, gambled with the Earth and turned it into a tourist destination?

And now, all sorts of tangled gods are flocking to Earth, enthusiastically manipulating endorphins in their brains?

Well, that’s fine up to there.

“All right. Let’s just call Dike a goddess.”

She was a goddess with a slightly strange demeanor, but… anyway, let’s consider her a goddess.

“Recently, goddesses drive trucks, hit people on the road without a care, put them in the passenger seat, and lock them with iron chains on their ankles, making sure they can’t escape. That’s the daily life of the gods, isn’t it?”

“Uh… well…”

Tugurururur.

“Don’t look away, you!”

Feeling repulsed, I grabbed her head and turned it like a cog, fixing her gaze on her neck.

“Ouch! It hurts! Ouch! Ouch!”

Just look at this person trying to die in pain with just a little force.

Where did her dignity and strength as a goddess go? I couldn’t figure it out.

“Whether you’re a goddess or whatever… can you loosen this a bit?”

When Yudahee shook the iron chain tied to her ankle, the goddess finally seemed to realize something and glanced at her with a self-assured expression.

“Hmph! Do you think I’ll easily loosen it?! If I do, you’ll run away immediately! Do you know how difficult it is to save a reincarnator like you?!”

It was clearly visible in Dike’s eyes.

Dike’s special ability, the [Eye of Truth] that discerns apostles.

Look at that bright golden aura, not the usual blue of the R-grade or the deep purple of the SR-grade!

Discovering that radiant golden aura shooting up from outside the aquatic park, Dike immediately drove her truck and rammed it in.

【SSR Yudahee】

“Ah…! If this brilliance is anything to go by… I might as well become a master… Sim Bongsa!”

Considering that talent is proportional to the intensity of the aura, Yudahee is truly overwhelming.

At this level, it’s like hitting the jackpot, considering the points earned so far and the power that will be generated. It’s not just winning the lotto, it’s like winning the Powerball or Mega Millions lottery after it’s been rolled over for a year!

An SR warrior from the neighboring holy sword village? Stand up! The reborn Korean isekai truck returnee is on the move!

…While Dice was busily indulging in fantasies, Yudahee’s thoughts were flowing in a completely different direction.

Escape, it’s all about escape.

It doesn’t seem like ordinary iron chains… I must have been tied up with a lot of this kind of thing.

Do you know how many crazy bastards from that alien world tried to imprison Yudahee?

This level is so high that even if you add up fingers, toes, and the number of synapses in the brain, it won’t rank.

“Oh? You won’t let me go? Roll the dice, try lockpicking.”

He held a small clip that had been stuck in the corner of the passenger seat.

If they won’t open it, there’s no choice but to force it open.

[Attempting lockpick.]

[-2 Manual Dexterity Adjustment due to a poor tool.]

[This is the 399,987th attempt to unlock by the user…!]

“Just a little more, and it’ll be 400,000 times.”

[+3 Manual Dexterity Adjustment due to familiar experience.]

[Rolling the dice….]

[Rattle… 1D20 is rolling.]

[…14!]

[Adjustment Total 15]

[Resistance of the Divine Power Chain… 14]

[The dice clinks its tongue.]

[Narrowly succeeds in lockpicking! However, the worn-out clip breaks and can’t be used again.]

Passe,

As if consumed by fire, the clip turns into dust,

Click.

The lock of the iron chain binding the ankles turns.

“Oh, it’s undone.”

“Kiyaaat!”

My SSR, SSR escapes!

Yudahee, quickly throwing off the chain before Dike could grab her, jumps out of the truck.

Thinking it’s best not to compromise with the crazy guy, she prepares to run with all her might, but in an instant, the scenery before her changes.

“…What’s this now.”

Where her foot lands is not under the elevated highway as before, but a bustling terminal with numerous people.

Looking back, the truck is nowhere to be seen, and Dike, who was holding the chain blankly, is standing there.

“I-It’s begun…! The arena…!”

She hastily looks around, but there’s no sign of an exit anywhere.

The smell of delimanju from the subway station, always satisfying, filled the air.

Amidst the clinking sound of weapons and the bustling noise of the crowd, the noise echoed throughout the grand hall.

In such a situation, the only thing to rely on was Deke, who seemed to know something at least…

“Oh my, isn’t this the infamous Deke?”

With a voice that seemed ready to shout “Hello~,” someone appeared behind Deke.

A petite woman with black hair, adorned with flashy jewelry from head to toe, pushed Deke’s shoulder with a mocking expression, as if she didn’t recognize him at all.

“Where did the dignity of a goddess go, wearing chains fit for prisoners? Isn’t that a deprivation of your goddess status? Oh, anyway, after this match, your assets will be automatically seized by the interdimensional credit vault, right? Oh-ho-ho~”

“Adikia…!”

“Oh my! There’s no need to shout so loudly~”

“Yo… you… contract thief…!”

“Kyaah! Don’t touch me! What are you touching!”

At that moment, Deke lunged and grabbed Adikia’s hair, and a chaotic fight between the two goddesses began.

But instead of stopping them, people actually made way for them to escape.

In one corner, there was even someone opening a bag of popcorn.

“Dwarf, do you happen to know what’s going on over there?”

The dwarf, who was munching on caramel-salted popcorn, looked at Yudahee, who had naturally sat down next to him, and grinned.

“Well, it’s just a common dispute over a contractor!”

“But isn’t it a dispute without a counterpart?”

There was no man in sight around them.

“I heard Adikia stole Deke’s contractor! Rumor has it she offered a higher contract fee and better equipment… Well, only the parties involved would know the details.”

“Is it just an ordinary job change, then?”

Leaving in search of better conditions should naturally be a guarantee for a salaryman.

It’s not a slave system, and pledging loyalty by dedicating oneself to a single company is a bit… demanding.

It’s not even a top-tier company.

“During that process, Deke invested in equipment and used them as they were!”

“Oh, was he an industrial spy?”

Well, that’s how you get treated in that kind of situation.

“But do you think you can stay out of it?”

“Why should I?”

“Well, aren’t you Deke’s new contractor?”

“Is it trendy these days to claim you’re a contractor after firing someone who drank vending machine coffee from a 25-ton truck?”

“If you’re a contractor, shouldn’t you fight for your own god, as a matter of principle?”

“I’m not some medieval samurai swearing loyalty to a lord.”

Thinking it had nothing to do with him, Yoo Da-hee tried to leave…

“Malcolm!”

As Adikia shouted, someone rushed over and grabbed Deke’s hand.

He was a man who must have been close to 190cm tall.

“Pro…fit…!”

Deke tried to move his arm with all his strength, but it was futile.

With arms like that, Deke’s waist was being held by what could be a reasonable gorilla, so how could he move?

“Pathetic, Lord Dike.”

“You, you… return my divine power!”

“I asked you to return it. Wasn’t this merely a ‘gift’?”

Malcolm, Dike’s former contractor and currently contracted to the Adikia, smirked.

Having consumed the equipment and materials invested by Dike, as well as the talents and enhancements, Malcolm, the former contractor who had fled after cleaning everything out, looked at the sobbing Dike without a hint of emotion.

It was refreshing, rather.

“Isn’t it because you, a weak and feeble lesser deity, could only do this much for your contractor that you had to leave the goddess? Learn from Lord Adikia here. With this abundant and powerful divine power, she reaches places you, in your previous state, could never have touched—the things the goddess couldn’t do, she makes them happen!”

“Well, Dike, weak and feeble lesser deities like you leaving the goddess in the arena promptly—isn’t that for the greater good of everyone?”

He simply let go of the hand holding Dike and pushed him backward, causing Dike to fall to the ground powerless.

Tears welled up in Dike’s eyes.

“Oh my, oh my, a goddess crying over such matters. Someone might think you’re a newly born divine being, huh? Ah, the poor goddess, is it inevitable for a poverty-stricken one like her?”

“Return it… my divine power… my equipment…”

“Even if I return it, who would you fight as a contractor? There’s no need for words where it’s unnecessary.”

“I have a contract… I have a contractor! I do!”

Then, glancing around anxiously, Dike spotted Yudahee and shouted, “My newly contracted contractor… is more… remarkable than Malcolm!”

At those words, Adikia also turned her head to look at the contractor Dike mentioned.

Naked, as if he had sold his clothes somewhere, with muscles that didn’t seem particularly impressive compared to Malcolm, and no apparent special aura visible outwardly.

Hmm… but since Dike had an excellent eye for recognizing people’s talents, Adikia tried to take a closer look, thinking there might be something, but… well, what could he have possibly done in that short time? Adikia dismissed the thought.

At best, he might be in the R-grade category.

“If I lose my participation rights, will I be dragged to the goblin dimensional vault? So, I signed the contract in a rush, thinking it’d be okay to be a homeless person on the street~”

“Homeless person… No! I’m an SSR…. a returnee!”

“Hmph…! That primitive being?”

Even at Adikia’s mocking words, Yudahee sat quietly in her place, munching on the caramel salt popcorn of the dwarf grandpa.

“Oh, don’t mind me and do what you need to do.”

Yudahee, who was well aware of how troublesome it was to get entangled with (external) gods, based on her past experiences, said so.

“Alright, since there’s a contract holder, I’ll show a little compassion~ Malcolm, bring the equipment I got from Dike before.”

“Yes, Adikia-nim.”

And as the bundle was thrown, the untied knot at the entrance came loose, revealing various equipment that Malcolm had brought.

“I’ll give it back. Dike.”

At Adikia’s words, Dike quickly reached out his hand, but soon it was met with Adikia’s foot.

“But you see… there are conditions~”

Adikia, with the face of a rascal, whispered into Dike’s ear.

“I’ve made a mistake, Adikia-nim. Please forgive this humble Dike and please return the equipment~ I’ll return all the equipment I took if you please pardon me~”

Dike trembled in humiliation.

But… but… somehow, to avoid a decrease in points, he had to take the opportunity to at least get into the middle ranks at the arena.

If he could just… just once lower his pride… he could clothe his contract holder, Yudahee, in equipment.

He knelt down, then bent his waist, and let his forehead touch the ground.

The posture of humiliation.

Yudahee was gazing intently at that figure.

“I… Well, I’ve… made a mistake… Adikia-nim… Please forgive this humble disciple…”

“hahahahaha! Really, truly!”

Yudahee saw Adikia’s face filled with joy.

The vile laughter that looked down on others and derived satisfaction from causing despair… It fiercely pierced a corner of Yudahee’s memory.

Whether it’s the gods of this world or the extraterrestrial news from over there, it really seemed alike.

Despite knowing there would be regrets, Yudahee sighed and stood up from the seat.

“Inspiration, can I borrow this for a moment?”

“Huh? You can’t use th-“

Dwarf Inspiration’s eyes widened.

“P-Please… return the equipment….”

“Yeah, yeah, Dike! Now I can finally see your level—”

Adikia, who was laughing, suddenly stopped talking and made a strange sound, freezing in place.

“Huh?”

Dike felt something flowing down his cheek, and silence enveloped the surroundings.

When he raised his head, there was Adikia, with an axe deeply embedded in his face, up to the hilt.

Squelch,

Yudahee, holding the handle, pulled the axe straight out of Adikia’s face.

Splat

As brain matter and blood spurted out, Adikia’s lifeless body swayed for a moment before collapsing backward.

“Don’t lie down and pretend to be dead, Dike.”

Yudahee reached out towards the fallen Dike.

“Get up, you’re dying.”