SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 1

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 1: Unprecedented Envy

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-Breaking news!

-The Black Dragon Guild has once again returned empty-handed, despite their confidence in conquering the 40th floor of the Tower.

-Number one in the Hunter rankings!

-Flame Emperor has once again soloed the boss!

I'm envious.

I thought blankly as I watched the TV.

So envious. Insanely envious.

-Good day to you, Flame Emperor!

-Ah. Yes. Good day...

On the screen, the man frowned.

Somehow, even his frowning eyebrows looked good.

-You've set another record today. You're the only person to have set this many records, Flame Emperor. May we hear your thoughts?

-I'd prefer it if you stopped using that damn nickname.

-Excuse me?

-Flame Emperor. Why use such a shitty nickname when I have a perfectly good name? It's embarrassing. Why not just call me Flame Retard while you’re at it? I’m going to find and beat up the motherfucker that came up with this nickname.

-Uh, uh...

The flustered reporter merely stammered, unable to answer the man.

The man was the protagonist of this era, writing one overwhelming legend after another.

And I was nothing more than an extra, not even worthy of a supporting role.

“Ah…”

I muttered.

“I'm so envious.”

How great must it feel?

To live a life where you can say whatever you want on TV.

I fiddled with my smartphone and entered an online Hunter community forum. I was curious about people's reactions to the interview.

-Yeah, the Flame Emperor is being a Flame Retard again!

-That guy is always going on TV and pulling this Flame Retard shit.

As expected, the forum was ablaze.

People were fuming after watching the interview.

-Can't he watch his words in front of a global audience?

└It's not his first or second time, you know.

└It's the broadcaster's fault, really. They know what he's like.

└Seriously... They're just trying to stir up controversy for ratings...

└This place is overrun by Flame Emperor fanatics. Disgusting.

└I wish I could be like the Flame Emperor.

Supporters and critics of the Flame Emperor.

The internet was divided like the Red Sea.

-I wish the Flame Emperor, with all his skills, would also become a national representative with a good character. It's embarrassing as a citizen when his interviews get translated and spreads abroad...

└It's 'translated and spread,' not 'translated and spreads.' Love your own language before worrying about foreign languages. And in the Tower, nationality doesn't matter.

└So it's okay for your idol to curse in Korean? Shameful.

└They just corrected a typo; why the insult? Twisted personality.

└What's twisted is not my character, but your life lololol

└I wish I could be like the Flame Emperor.

The community was in an uproar.

Not just here, but everywhere that discussed Hunters.

-Flame Emperor's got a girlfriend! He's dating the Saintess!

└The Saintess? Really?

└My friend, who's a Hunter, said they saw Flame Emperor and the Saintess together.

└My friend is the Saintess, and she says it's not true.

└I wish I could be like the Flame Emperor.

Some places were even buzzing about who the man was dating.

Along with the Flame Emperor, the Saintess was one of the most popular Hunters. The post even included what people called the definitive photo of her. She was famous for her outstanding beauty and equally good nature.

So, he's dating this Saintess.

“Ugh.”

Finally, I put down my phone and grabbed my head in frustration.

By the way,

-I wish I could be like the Flame Emperor.

All those comments were written by me.

I had just browsed through the posts and written the comments. I always leave such comments on any post I see.

Why the same comment over and over?

"Envious! So envious! I want to be successful too!"

Because I'm envious.

That's truly how I feel.

I can say this honestly because I'm alone in my single-room apartment.

Anyone who saw my room would be shocked. It's covered in magazines and newspaper clippings. All about the world's number one, the Flame Emperor.

"Flame Emperor solos floor 39!"

"Solo play conquers floor 38! Another legend of the Flame Emperor!"

"Hunter Yoo Soo-Ha. First Korean to reach world rank 1."

...

"Who will claim the throne of Rank 1 with Sword Saint gone? Foreign experts say 'Korean Yoo Soo-Ha is the most likely.'"

"The enigmatic hero breaks through floor 10. Who is this hero?"

"Sword Saint missing for 22 days. Is this the worst turmoil for the Hunter industry?"

From the most recent newspaper articles to those over ten years old.

The walls were filled with clippings. Some papers were fresh, others yellowed with age. A history. The history of the Flame Emperor. No, it's a history that dates back even before Hunter Yoo Soo-Ha became known as the Flame Emperor.

Ah.

"I wish I could be successful like the Flame Emperor..."

To become so successful that other people envied me. To succeed and teach everyone who had looked down on me or refused to respect me a lesson. Then, after teaching them that lesson, I wanted to tell them, "Live decently from now on," forgive them magnanimously, and even be praised as a broad-minded man...

Yes, I was envious of the hero on TV.

-Flame Emperor.

-Wow. I told you to call me by my name instead of Flame Emperor. I thought hack journalism only rotted your brain. Does it rot your ears too?

-I'm s-sorry. Could you please say a few words to our viewers?

-Sigh. What should I say?

-Many aspiring Hunters strive while looking up to you. You entered the Tower in your early twenties and awakened as soon as you arrived! You defeated a boss monster in less than a month! You truly are a Hunter who has written a legend, Flame Emperor Yoo Soo-Ha! Please define the secret of success in a single sentence and give those aspiring Hunters some advice!

The Flame Emperor let out a hollow laugh.

-If someone's going to succeed, they'll succeed no matter what I say. What difference does it make whether I give advice or not?

-But please, just a few words!

-Ah, these damn broadcasters... Fine, just a few words then.

The Flame Emperor scratched his head. His hairstyle, with the front hair pulled back and tied with a rubber band, was called a ponytail, right? His long black hair, like a horse's tail, swayed slightly.

-If you're destined to succeed, you'll succeed.

The Flame Emperor glared directly at the camera.

-But even if you succeed later, don't challenge me. You'll die.

-Excuse me?

-That's it. I have nothing more to say, so don't follow me.

That was the end. The Flame Emperor left the camera behind and walked away alone. The reporter, in a panic, shouted, "Flame Emperor! Flame Emperor! What did you mean by what you just said?" but was completely ignored.

I silently watched the Flame Emperor's receding figure.

“Sigh…”

I was furious.

It should be the reporter who felt ignored. Yet, for some reason, I felt like I was the one being snubbed.

I was truly angry.

"If only I had one good skill..."

In reality, I was an F-class, low-tier Hunter.

To have interviews that heat up the internet in real-time.

To have people interested even in the minor details of your private life.

Above all, to succeed on your own merits... and become wealthy.

That kind of successful life was far from mine.

"I want to succeed... I wish I had an S-class skill... Ugh. Not just for the money, but just so I can succeed. How great would it be if I had the Flame Emperor's skill?"

If anyone saw me now, they'd think I was crazy.

Muttering to myself, shamelessly exposing my desires.

But again, I'm alone in my single-room apartment. Muttering to myself in a place where no one can hear is my way of relieving stress.

It might look pathetic, but what does it matter?

Better than causing a scene outside and being a nuisance.

After all, no one's listening.

“...Huh?”

But it seems I was wrong.

As if someone heard me, a golden light flashed before my eyes.

“No, could it be?”

A scene I had only seen in videos. I clicked the replay button hundreds, thousands of times. I watched it every morning to fuel my envy.

The light that appears when a Hunter awakens a skill.

“Golden color!?”

And it was the golden light that only appears for S-class skills or higher!

My heart pounded wildly.

Soon, the golden light gathered into the shape of a card.

[An unprecedentedly ugly envy!]

[The Tower is appalled by your vile envy and throws a skill at you.]

Huh?

This doesn’t sound like the skill awakenings I've heard about.

Usually, when awakening a skill, you hear things like, 'The Tower is moved by your will', 'The Tower rewards your earnest training', 'The Tower sends its accolades for your achievements'.

But appalled by ugly envy and throwing a skill?

It sounded as though the Tower were tossing me alms and saying, "Here, eat this."

'No, no. It's an S-class skill. What does the tone matter?'

I ignored the unsettling feeling.

I'd been waiting for this moment. No need for ominous thoughts.

[Creating skill card.]

Whoosh!

Finally, with another burst of light, a golden card was created.

I grabbed the card with trembling hands.

[I Want to Become Just Like You]

Rank: S+

Effect: Automatically activated when killed by an enemy. You copy one of the skills of the enemy that killed you and make it yours. You may not copy from an opponent you’ve already copied from. The copied skill is selected randomly.

*However, you will die!

"Wow! Wow, oh... Oh... Huh?"

As time passed, my voice naturally became puzzled.

I blinked my eyes.

"Huh?"

For a moment, I thought I had read something wrong.

I read the sentence at the bottom of the card again, slowly.

*However, you will die!

It was indeed written like that.

Using this skill meant dying.

"......"

I stared blankly at the card.