WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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SSS-CLASS HUNTER WHO DIES TO LIVE

Chapter 231: My Legion (1)

1.

Silence descended upon the dark alley.

"Wanting to revive someone."

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong slowly looked around.

"How interesting."

A crystal-clear purple mirror reflected the alley within.

"But this place doesn't suit [revival] at all. You know? Mr. Gong-Ja."

Calling my name, Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong stepped into a muddy puddle. Squelch. A plastic bottle got caught under Jaa Soo-Jeong's foot.

Jaa Soo-Jeong lifted the dirty waste with her white, long fingers.

"Think about this beverage bottle. It must've been imported from the outside world. Though it's just a trivial drink, someone wanted it badly enough to pay in platinum. Treasuring it, drinking sparingly... Oh dear. It's completely drained now."

The Tower Master hummed in delight.

"Such a cherished drink. It would've been a waste to simply throw it away. Maybe it was used as a water bottle for a while? Or perhaps as a pencil case. But, such affections have their limits."

Thud.

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong threw the plastic bottle back into the muddy puddle.

"And so, the garbage was discarded where it belongs."

The already dirt-covered plastic bottle slowly slid into a puddle and then stopped.

"Here."

Suddenly, Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong stood among us.

Both the Flame Emperor and I seemed to sense instinctively that we would be fucked if we challenged her carelessly, so we watched Jaa Soo-Jeong as quietly as possible.

"A place where everything discarded is discarded once more."

Once again, silence fell.

In the dark alley.

Those discarded by the vast outside world gathered in the Tower, built Babylon, and those discarded by Babylon crept into secluded alleys to establish Harlem. And now, even in Harlem, there are cursed houses and cursed objects, bringing a foreboding silence around us, the three people present.

"In such a place, you say you want to revive someone, Mr. Gong-Ja?"

I nodded.

"That's correct."

"Alright."

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong smiled faintly.

"Could you explain how you plan to achieve this revival?"

Yes.

I looked at Jaa Soo-Jeong---not only at her but at all the discarded and forsaken things here, proving my qualifications.

"As you know, I have a skill that can summon those who have already died."

Flash.

A golden card radiated light in my hand.

+

[Ghoul Reincarnation]

Rank: SSS

Effect: You summon those you've personally killed. The deceased do not inherit their abilities from life. However, if you wish, they can inherit their memories and appearances from when they were alive. If you do not wish it, they will only be summoned as monsters.

*However, you can only summon once a week.

+

"And."

I drew another card.

"I also have a skill that can grant a complete body to a person if I have their [memory]."

+

[Earth Bone Dragon's Skull]

Rank: SSS+

Effect: Stores the memories of the living. Stored memories are kept in a 'box.' This box can only be destroyed by the owner of this skill.

As long as the box remains intact, you can repeatedly produce bodies of individuals inheriting the same memories. The bodies can roam the world, accumulating new experiences, which can then be 'updated' into the box. Of course, only if you permit it!

Even if the body of the individual is destroyed, the box remains unharmed. Bestow the privilege of immortality on those around you.

*However, memories of a destroyed body cannot be updated into the box.

+

I showed the two cards.

“Jaa Soo-Jeong.”

"Yes, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"If I activate both skills together, I can revive Yoo Soo-Ha."

Beside me, Yoo Soo-Ha, who had been quietly overwhelmed by the scenery, twitched, tensing his shoulders.

“Please allow me to bring him back.”

"Hmm."

Jaa Soo-Jeong's eyes narrowed.

"Really interesting, very clever, and personally, I would naturally want to fulfill such a request, but..."

Jaa Soo-Jeong ran her finger over the cards.

"Look closely at the skill descriptions. Start with Ghoul Reincarnation."

+

You summon those you've personally killed.

The deceased do not inherit their abilities from life.

+

"Look," said Jaa Soo-Jeong.

"Ghoul Reincarnation clearly mentions [the dead]. Summoning through this skill doesn't mean the person is [revived]. For example, Yoo Soo-Ha standing there…"

Yoo Soo-Ha shuddered again.

"is not alive. He's a summoned entity. It's like having a doll identical to the body before death and overlaying it with memories from before death. On the other hand......."

Jaa Soo-Jeong smiled.

"Look at the next card."

+

Stores the memories of the living.

Stored memories are kept in a 'box.'

As long as the box remains intact, you can repeatedly produce bodies of individuals inheriting the same memories.

+

"It's explicitly stated that it stores memories of [the living]," she said, flicking her fingers on the card, tap, tap.

"Not memories of the already dead. Not memories of a summoned entity created through necromancy or summoning spells. Only memories of the already living can be stored in the box."

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong tilted her head with a smile.

"What a pity."

"......"

"If Yoo Soo-Ha were still alive, you could have stored his memories in the box without any problem. Skills are very strict, and no matter how regrettable, they don't allow exceptions. Sorry."

"No."

I shook my head.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Tower Master."

"Hm?"

Jaa Soo-Jeong looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't need the process of collecting memories, whether from the living or the dead."

I had already envisioned the entire picture the moment I saw the skill [Earth Bone Dragon's Skull].

“Because [Ghoul Reincarnation] already stores every memory of the dead.”

"......"

Jaa Soo-Jeong fell silent.

The silence in the alley deepened.

I continued to speak to those purple eyes.

"[Ghoul Reincarnation] is a box of memories in itself. It contains Yoo Soo-Ha's memories. It contains the Constellation Killer's memories. It contains Goldencup's memories. It contains Preta's memories. It contains the memories of believers who harbored Demonic Heaven in their hearts."

Below my feet.

From that very shadow which had once molded Yoo Soo-Ha, more ghouls were successively summoned.

The shadow spread wider and wider, covering the discarded plastic bottle at Jaa Soo-Jeong’s feet. It covered the muddy puddle. It covered the alley that had already fallen into ruin, then the slums that had long ago become a haunted ruin, and finally everything that had been discarded twice by this world.

Preta, the followers of Demonic Cult, Goldencup, Constellation Killer.

One by one, slowly, those gathered in my shadow raised their heads.

Turning my back to them, I faced Jaa Soo-Jeong.

"My [Ghoul Reincarnation] is already a [box] containing numerous memories."

I appealed to the deity of this tower.

"Since I already possess their memory boxes, there's no need for me to seek out a living person to acquire memories. Tower Master, that process is unnecessary for me."

Therefore.

"What I need is only their physical bodies."

"......."

“Not dolls bound to my summoning spell, called forth the instant I summon them, possessing none of the abilities they had in life and left with nothing but a body and memories...”

Not just puppets tied to me with chains.

"Bodies belonging to these children."

Able to go where they want.

Able to do what they desire.

Bodies indistinguishable from humans.

"I only wish to give these children their bodies."

“.......”

Jaa Soo-Jeong pressed her lips together.

The ghouls risen from my shadow looked at Jaa Soo-Jeong. The shadow, indistinguishable from the muddy water, made it seem as though countless stars in the mud were looking up at her.

"So, King of Death. Not just Yoo Soo-Ha but---"

"Yes."

I nodded.

"I wish for all of them, here, to be revived."

2.

How long did the silence last?

"Ahaha..."

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong laughed.

"Hmm. Yes."

I didn't know what she meant by [that].

But it was clear she was very pleased.

From her expression alone, I could tell that she was utterly satisfied with the way I had devised to use the skills.

"Everyone deserves a second chance at life."

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong lightly kicked the muddy puddle with the tip of her foot.

Mud splashed up.

Just before the muddy water could stain Jaa Soo-Jeong's socks and calf, the black droplets froze in mid-air.

"That's exactly why I built the tower."

Time stood still.

Jaa Soo-Jeong playfully kicked the muddy water again. Her skirt fluttered. In that slow-motion as if a circus tent was spinning---Jaa Soo-Jeong, beaming, clapped her hands.

"Mr. Gong-Ja, you are trying to build your own tower within the one I built."

Clap!

Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong just clapped her hands.

But in the frozen world, her clap resounded like a bell in the night sky.

If there were beings that lived regardless of whether time stopped or not, they surely heard Viscount Jaa Soo-Jeong's clap.

"Alright, everyone."

Jaa Soo-Jeong smiled brightly.

"To this [junior] who dares challenge me."

I had never seen her smile so radiantly before.

Like a performer on stage, like a conductor facing an orchestra, Jaa Soo-Jeong stood in the midst of the Harlem ruins, arms wide open. "As your [senior], let me show you my experience."

Jaa Soo-Jeong shouted excitedly.

"Everyone! Please come here!"

At that moment, the night tore apart.

There was no other way to describe it.

As if a colossal god had sliced the night sky with a sword, a long wound opened up. Split in two. It was as if there was an invisible zipper in the night sky, and someone had just zipped it open.

The full moon split.

The Milky Way parted.

Moonlight tore, starlight split, and finally, the entire sky opened.

Inside the gaping maw, only pitch-black darkness breathed.