WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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SSS-CLASS HUNTER WHO DIES TO LIVE

Chapter 344: The Voyage of the Full Moon (1)

"Indeed."

After hearing the reason for her summoning, the Countess nodded.

"So, all I have to do is declare a pass and that's it? Simple. Easier than adding a slice of cheese to a hamburger."

"Of all things, why is the analogy a hamburger?"

"I'm on a diet at the moment..."

The Countess revealed a slightly despairing expression, reminiscent of a hamster who had just been told it's illegal to nibble on sunflower seeds. As someone who had never been on a diet, I found it difficult to relate, but it seemed she was enduring a particularly challenging period.

"Why not just burn off the fat with Aura?"

"That sort of thing is only possible for a crazy Aura fanatic like you, King of Death. Keep in mind that not every hunter in the world can use Aura as effectively as you. What if I burn my insides while trying to burn fat?"

"It's not that difficult..."

"Keep your deceit to yourself. Well, anyway, I see no reason to oppose. It's a pass, a pass. Now send me back to the 1st floor."

The Countess gestured as though the matter was settled.

However, the Staff of Time Immemorial shook its head.

"Sorry, but it doesn't work like that. You have a duty to observe the King of Death as a judge."

"If I had to pick the worst word I've ever heard, it would be 'duty'. It's just a sneaky way of shifting the blame not to the one who exercises power but to the one who is coerced. The worst scammers aren't merchants like me, it's language."

"You make a valid point. Then let me rephrase. Observe. You have no choice but to follow my power."

"Damn it."

The Countess flicked her fan into the air, and a miraculous event occurred. Out of thin air, poof! A luxurious sofa materialized and settled down.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth informs you that this is a divine power of the God of Commerce.]

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth says that if you have enough money, you can buy almost anything from the God of Commerce.]

The God of Commerce, then.

Just as Patricia's skills stemmed from Hisimet Cretsu, most of the Countess's skills seemed to have been granted by some unknown God of Commerce.

"Nice. Very nice. Being coerced by someone else feels so exhilarating, it makes even my life feel complete. At the very least, I want to fulfill my duties in comfort, but that's not too much to ask, right?"

"That's your prerogative."

The Countess leaned back on the sofa and propped up her chin. With a swish of her fan, the sofa was joined by a fluffy pillow, a cat plushie, potato chips, wet wipes, and cola. Even the potato chips were opened, and the cola came with a straw already inserted.

Munching on the chips, the Countess looked at me.

"What's the plan? Hurry up and get started with your quest. Consider it like watching a movie."

Incredible...

"Why can't you use that skill for dieting?"

"If the money spent on a diet item could buy a hair growth product, would you believe it?"

"Uh, there seems to be a serious error in price assessment..."

"That's how my skill is. Sometimes the prices of products go haywire. I once bought an item called [World Peace] for only 100 gold, and a message popped up saying, ['The world was peaceful to begin with! By realizing this fact, you have become a better person than yesterday!']"

"Wow."

"If I weren't a sufficiently rational person, I would have torn that skill card to shreds at that moment."

The character of the God of Commerce is clearly questionable.

"Quick question before I send you off."

"Yes?"

"I heard you're taking on the 72nd floor. That means someone else must have taken the role of judge for the 71st floor. Who was my predecessor?"

"Ah."

I didn't hesitate to answer.

"It was Patricia."

"Ho..."

The Countess crunched on the potato chips with a mustached gentleman's logo, famous for chips.

"I see."

There was no significant change in the Countess's expression.

"Just out of curiosity, hypothetically speaking. What happens if the judge refuses to stamp the pass?"

"What would happen, mage?"

"You'd wander in that stage forever. Simple."

The Staff of Time Immemorial explained.

"That's why many hunters give up on challenging the higher floors and settle for the previous ones. Honestly, you're the strange one for challenging the upper floors without any worries."

"Hmm..."

The Countess wiped her fingers, now dusty with chip crumbs, on a wet wipe.

"And the judge? I get that the challenger gets stuck in the stage, but what about the judge who has to watch over it?"

"Likewise, the judge has to stay here as long as the challenger is trapped in the stage."

"For decades?"

"Yes. For decades. However, they experience time differently. If a challenger has to fully endure 30 years as 30 years, a judge can use 'acceleration' as much as they want. If the challenger is a movie director, then the judge is a critic. A critic doesn't need to spend the same amount of time watching a movie as it took to produce it."

"So they can only watch. I see, I see... Got it."

Crunch.

"I've got the rules down. As long as there are rules, there's a way. The world I'm about to enter is related to [money], right?"

"Yes."

"Then that's settled. Go ahead with a light heart. Whether you find a part-time job and earn a... no, a weekly wage, the result will soon become clear."

The Countess's words were probably not a lie.

Naturally, I felt reassured.

[The Staff of Time Immemorial transfers you.]

The soft white ground swallowed my feet.

Until the moment my line of sight aligned with the ground level, the Countess watched me intently.

A gentle curve formed on the Countess's lips.

"You make a fine friend, King of Death."

Those were the last words the Countess offered me.

[You have entered the 72nd stage.]

[You are stepping into a place where you should not be.]

[A certain penalty has been given.]

I opened my eyes.

I was in what could typically be described as a "Mediterranean seaside village," the kind that corporations would likely prefer as a computer boot screen.

Blue and white.

The two colors that make up the sky were extracted with a dropper and then directly planted on the ground, creating a blue-and-white harbor.

It was truly peaceful...

"Orange apples for sale! Fresh and zesty orange apples!"

"Try the sweet potato grape wine imported from the distant Bastar Island!"

"Have you heard of the Dodeok pig barbecue? It's insanely delicious."

Okay.

There, among the street vendors' stalls, was the sale of utterly evil-looking, questionably sourced, and horrifyingly prepared monster barbecues, which at a glance could strip one of their sanity and incite an urge to immediately slaughter and gut them.

This world is not okay. Let's escape.

[You have not cleared the stage.]

[You cannot voluntarily exit this stage.]

Damn it!

"Hey, thin snake, quickly explain what kind of situation this is."

"Kkeeeek...."

The thin snake swayed its tail gently.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth manifests his authority.]

[General information about this stage is revealed to you.]

Amid the bustling noise of street vendors in the port city, words began to dance in front of my eyes.

I read the information eagerly, hoping for an explanation of the unidentified foods laid out on the stalls.

+

[Heaven of Gold]

Floor: 72nd Floor

Constellation: The Cat That Bites Gold Coins

Difficulty: B+~A+

Description (Lv.1): A world where everything revolves around bargaining. There's no such thing as a free lunch here. Nor is there a fixed price. If you wish to purchase something, you must bargain with the seller, and the 'satisfaction' felt from this bargaining is what sustains you.

The nourishment for the inhabitants of this world is satisfaction from transactions. The feeling of successfully bargaining, sucking the marrow out of the other party's back, giving a sucker an experience of a lifetime fills them with fulfillment. Conversely, feelings of being duped, cheated and backstabbed will leave you starved.

There's no such thing as a set price. It's the sucker's fault for being duped. Think of everything as being subject to bargaining!

+

What is this?

Hell?

Why is this a hell instead of heaven?

"Try the orange apples! Orange apples here. Just one bite and the juice will cling to your palate forever, never to leave..."

"True grape wine must have a sweetness that lingers at the tip of your tongue. For those who believe so, our sweet potato grape wine will offer a perfect experience! Hey, sir. Try it comfortably. No, just drink it..."

"Deodeok pig. Absolutely, the Deodeok pig!"

Upon closer inspection, the street vendors' eyes were bloodshot.

It was the murderous intent of remnants who had fled from battle and starved for days, seeing nothing but survival.

This is scary.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth manifest his authority.]

[Exposure.]

A new message arrived, slightly different this time.

[You have not met the conditions to acquire hidden information.]

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[Hidden information has been revealed!]

But fear stems from ignorance. The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth quickly updated the information, revealing secrets that an ordinary hunter could never have accessed from the very beginning.

+

[Heaven of Gold]

Floor: 72nd Floor

Constellation: 'The Cat That Bites Gold Coins'

Difficulty: B+~A

Description (Lv.2): This is one of the afterworlds prepared by the Tower.

Description (Lv.3): Heaven of Gold. For those who don't want to believe there's anything beyond money, for those who fear their entire life would be invalidated if it were, wishing even the afterlife could be purchased with money so that their life wouldn't be invalidated.

Even for such individuals, the heavens extend.

Here, they need not ponder the world. Everything is clear. You don't have to become a cold human to deny morality. There's no reason to be criticized for refusing to understand others. As they wished, as they desired, only transactions exist here. Like all heavens, the Heaven of Gold welcomes you.

Do not agonize. Do not ponder.

Die as you have lived.

You have the right to do so.

You will trade to fill your belly. The only concern is your daily bread. You may tire of the daily grind, but if there's nothing beyond the wheel, there's no reason to tire in the first place.

May eternal labor console your soul.

+

"......."

For a moment, a chill ran down my spine.

'Someone's heaven is another's hell. But this place is the opposite.'

It wasn't surprising that there were people who considered this place heaven. Not at all.

The reason for my chill was the fact that a whole afterlife was truly constructed for those who [consider such a place heaven].

'The Tower Master.'

She was determined not to let even a single soul escape.

That almost curse-like determination was what I felt.

What kind of heavens were built on the other seven floors?

'...No, focus.'

I shook my head to clear the distracting thoughts.

'Right now, the priority is to receive the Countess's passing stamp. Yes, that's the immediate task.'

I refreshed my mood.

The condition set by the Countess was to earn money through any job, even part-time.

The job didn't matter.

"Hey, you..."

Just as I was about to look for a job.

Among the street vendors, someone who had merely spread out a stall called out to me. It was a voice imbued with Aura, precise enough to leave no doubt about who it was addressed to, drilling directly into my ears.

"Yes?"

"Judging by your appearance, you're a [Challenger], aren't you? Am I right? Your eyes are too bright, unlike a soul that has forgotten its past life..."

The person was hooded, concealing their face. Before I could even respond, the hooded figure spoke with a somewhat breathless voice.

"How about it? I'm also a challenger like you. A senior who fell into this damned world 300 years before you. Wouldn't you like to buy a piece of advice from such a senior, for a mere pittance...?"

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