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Translator/Editor: Ryuu

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SSS-CLASS HUNTER WHO DIES TO LIVE

Chapter 21: A Moment of Leisure with a Cup of Coffee (3)

-Sir! She has a straight. Be careful.

"I fold."

-Ah. Sir, that guy is bluffing with just one pair. How pathetic. Just call and crush him.

"Call."

-Aha, you and he have the same hand, both with two pairs. But your two pairs are higher. Oh, this is going to be fun. Let's see who drops out first, Sir!

"Raise."

-Wow, this guy is aiming for a full house? Don't worry, Sir. I just peeked under the table and checked their cards. He won't make a full house even at the end. Trust me and let's go for it!

"All-in."

The poker game had gone around thirty rounds.

"......"

The man opposite me, Viper, was trembling. The one-eyed Hunter's face was turning red and blue in rage.

"Damn it! This is a scam!"

Viper stood up abruptly, shaking the table. Other Hunters, as if expecting this, lifted their coffee cups in unison, avoiding a coffee spill on the table. Impressive timing.

"It doesn't make sense! We've been playing for over 30 rounds and this guy hasn't lost once. His bluffs never fail. He's definitely using some sneaky skill! It's cheating! Cheating!"

"Do you have any evidence?"

I sipped my hot chocolate, which had now turned into a bland chocolate latte. It had its own charm.

"You're accusing me without proof. That's unfair. Please, be a little kinder, senior."

"Is this guy really registered as an F-rank Hunter!?"

Viper shouted, looking around.

"How can he be F-rank! I'd believe it if he was at least B-rank, given his sly demeanor!"

"Wow. How did you know I'm not F-rank?"

"That's right! I knew it...”

"Actually, I just advanced to E-rank yesterday. I've been too busy conquering the 10th floor to report it to the Hunter Association."

"......"

I smiled.

"Thanks for thinking highly of me. But, Viper, you're out of chips, aren't you?"

"Ugh..."

Viper turned his back and walked away with a defeated stride, joining the other eliminated players in the spectator area.

"Welcome, Viper!"

The first to be eliminated, the Heretic Inquisitor, greeted him with a bright smile.

"I thought it was about time for Viper to be out. So, I ordered another espresso for you! Don't hesitate, enjoy it."

"I hate espresso..."

"Yes! I know. You should overcome your pickiness!"

"Damn religious nut..."

In the end, only three Hunters remained in the game: me, the Black Witch from Black Dragon, and surprisingly, Paladin.

"Umm."

Paladin looked down at her cards, furrowing her brow.

The Deputy Guild Leader of the Vigilante Corps, known for her righteousness and fairness. Vigilante Corps, a guild established to maintain the order in the City of Babylon on the 1st floor of the tower, was akin to a police chief in the outside world. She was known for donating her entire fortune to orphanages.

"I'm out."

Paladin sighed and laid her cards down.

"I thought I had a good poker face. Kim Gong-Ja, do you possess a mind-reading skill?"

"Who knows? Maybe mind-reading, maybe clairvoyance. Take a guess."

"…The young ones these days are really something."

Paladin gave a wry smile, nodded at me, and joined the others in the spectator area.

"Hey! How can you give up so easily, you fool!"

Viper, already seated among the eliminated, scolded her. He had apparently spilled some espresso on his face.

"Shouldn't you cling on like a hunting dog? Are we just going to let this trickster get away?"

"Calling a new hero a trickster. That's harsh."

"Can't you see he's blatantly using his skills!?"

Paladin shrugged.

"I knew it from the start."

"What? Really?"

"Of course. It would've been strange not to know. Did you think a rookie would propose a poker game based purely on luck without any preparation? Proposing the game itself was a declaration that 'I have the confidence to beat you without getting caught using skills.' We accepted that challenge."

Viper's mouth hung open.

"Was that it?"

"Viper… Focus on martial arts is good, but use your head too."

Paladin looked at him with pity.

"From the beginning, this game was risk-free for us. Winning would be a windfall, of course. But even if we lose… Didn't the rookie say he would join all our guilds? That's also a decent outcome."

"But, but… Our pride! How can we treat a green youngster as our equal...?”

"Does pride feed you?"

Viper turned mute.

"Espresso does! Here, Viper. Finish it!"

"Damn it…"

Ultimately, the last to remain were the 2nd-ranked Hunter, the Black Witch, and me.

"......"

The Witch gazed at her cards before speaking.

"Lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to be a reasonable human after all."

The Witch bet chips. Raise. She was provoking me.

"I'm from Ukraine. Or rather, from a place that used to be Ukraine. I've been a wanderer since I lost my family in a civil war. As you know, whether in the tower or the outside world, it's tough for a woman to survive alone."

"That's true."

I willingly accepted her challenge. Reraise. I increased the bet.

"......"

After a moment's hesitation, the Witch tapped the table twice. Tap. Tap. A sign of accepting the duel. The Countess, who had volunteered to be the dealer after being eliminated, laid out the cards.

"What are you trying to say?"

I pretended to ponder, stroking my chin.

"Those who entered the tower, especially the first generation, it's harder to find someone without a story. I'm just a plain orphan."

My card hand was One Pair.

"…This tower is like my homeland."

The Witch's hand was a Flush.

"The tower doesn't ask about origins. Or rather, we've made it so. It doesn't matter that I'm from Ukraine, Viper is from China, and you're from Korea... In our tower, that doesn't matter."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Thanks to the tower's grace, we can understand each other's words. Here, we are all equal challengers... at least more so than in the outside world."

If the game continued as is, I would lose.

But I confidently raised the bet again.

"People in the outside world treat this place like a trash can."

"It’s called a trash can. Not a trash cannot."

The Witch firmly signaled a call.

"Kim Gong-Ja, the moment the sky clock hits [00:00:00], the media will flood with articles about you. A completely different life will begin. I hope you handle it wisely."

"That sounds good."

Another card flipped on the table.

"I love getting attention. I want people to praise me, look up to me, envy me. I'm serious. That's all there is to me."

My hand had changed to Two Pair.

"…You're frank. Quite the opposite of the Sword Saint."

The Witch's hand remained a Flush.

I was still at a disadvantage, but I went all-in.

"......"

"I'm confident."

I looked directly at the Witch, detaching my gaze from the cards.

"I might as well tell you all now. I don't just want your respect because I conquered the 10th floor. I plan to conquer the 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, all the way up to the 100th floor. No matter how long it takes, I will conquer the tower."

"......"

"I understand you all cherish the tower. I respect that. I have no intention of needlessly fighting with you. However, I will consider you all as my rivals."

Who will be the first to conquer the tower?

Who will be praised as the greatest hero?

To be remembered, praised, envied, and looked up to by everyone, to build a tower of gold in their eyes.

"I want to see the world beyond the tower."

Thus, I will ascend the tower.

"I don't have time to worry about things like war refugees or food shortages, honestly. If you need my name to solve these problems, use it. Just support my climb up the tower."

That feeling of conquering the 10th floor today, the sensation of being at the top, I wanted to feel it again. I had only tasted it once, but I already seemed addicted to that feeling.

It was just that incredible!

"Ha..."

After a moment of silence, the Witch sighed.

"I was wrong. You're not the opposite of the Sword Saint; you're exactly the same."

The Witch pushed all her chips forward with both hands. All-in.

"A compliment?"

"No, it's an insult. Greedy people."

The final card was turned.

Her hand was still a Flush.

My hand... a Full House.

"Turns out it is a compliment."

I grinned.

"Thank you."

I had won.

"As promised, I look forward to being treated equally with you all."

"Can we expect you to carry the duties as much as you enjoy the rights?"

"Isn't a Hunter's duty to ascend the tower? Don't worry. I'll continue to fulfill my duties as a hunter."

"Such arrogance in a rookie..."

The Witch smirked.

-Yeah, if there was a skill called 'Arrogance', Zombie boy here would be S-rank.

"…Are you really going back to calling me a zombie right after the game?"

-Of course, you zombie! Zombie brat!

The Sword Emperor excitedly flew around.

-Zombie! Zombie! Zombie brat! Ah, how sad it was not to be able to call this arrogant guy a zombie! Never again will I make a bet with this pretentious guy!

"Disgraceful…"

How could the so-called Sword Emperor be so disgraceful?

I shook my head inwardly and stood up.

"Leaving already?"

"Yes. The 11th floor will open soon. I need to prepare to not fall behind others."

"How can you prepare when you don't even know what the 11th floor holds?"

Hmm.

'Giving a little hint here wouldn't hurt.'

Now that I've been promised equal treatment, creating a bit of a debt would make future endeavors smoother.

I gathered my thoughts and spoke up.

"Role-playing."

"Huh?"

"The theme from the 11th to the 20th floor is role-playing."

The Hunters all looked at me, their eyes ablaze. It was natural. Even a small hint could provide a significant advantage.

"The reward for clearing the 10th floor included this hint."

Of course, it was a lie.

I hadn't received my reward for conquering the 10th floor yet. The reward would be given when the sky clock hit 00:00:00. But I already knew what was going to happen.

Knowledge of the future. There was no reason not to use it.

"That's all I know."

"…Thanks for sharing the information."

The Witch nodded.

"I'll repay this debt later."

An exciting statement for the future.

After a good night's sleep, I went to the plaza.

The city was in a festive mood, celebrating the first conquering of the 10th floor in years. Some bars were giving away free beer, and some talented individuals performed songs in the square.

"But who really conquered the 10th floor?"

The only lingering question among the people.

"There's still no official announcement..."

"I heard the guild masters gathered in one place."

"Did you see the video denying it was the Sword Saint? He seemed genuinely upset, insisting it wasn't him."

"Then who is it?"

Murmurs filled the air.

I held back my laughter.

'I'm right here.'

I was standing right in the middle of the festive crowd.

[00:02:09]

Almost a day since the 10th floor was conquered, the sky clock's numbers were slowly ticking down.

[00:00:10]

"Ten!"

Unprompted, Hunters began counting down as the clock reached ten seconds.

[00:00:09]

"Nine!"

[00:00:08]

"Eight!"

The plaza echoed with the synchronized voices of countless Hunters. Seven, six, five... It felt like welcoming the New Year.

[00:00:04]

"Four!"

I checked the media on my smartphone.

I wanted to see if the embargo was still being respected, if there were any articles about me yet.

[00:00:03]

"Three!"

That's when articles began appearing on the media sites operated by Babylon. Maybe they were eager to get the scoop even a second earlier.

[00:00:02]

"Two!"

I browsed the articles.

-[Breaking] The Hunter who cleared the 10th floor is an unknown E-rank rookie!

-[Breaking] Real name Kim Gong-Ja, a Korean...

-[Breaking] The 10th-floor conqueror has joined several major guilds simultaneously.

-[Breaking] Official statement from the Black Dragon Guild. Welcoming the new hero...

I smiled.

[00:00:01]

"One!"

A new era had begun.

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