SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 123

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 123: Utopia (2)

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-.......

The Constellation fell silent. [The Immortal Missionary of Happiness], its entire body caked in blood, quietly bit their lip. Their gaze wavered, not like ripples on the surface but like the turbulence of a deep ocean current. The Constellation remained silent for a long time.

“......King of Death.”

As the Constellation became silent, so did the army of apostles. A brief respite emerged on the battlefield that had been relentlessly raging from the beginning. Meanwhile, the Paladin approached me.

"Executing all villains and sinners, what do you mean by that?"

Behind the Paladin, the other companions also looked at me. Puzzlement. Astonishment. Shock. Eyes, each holding different emotions, were directed at me.

"It's exactly as I said."

I met their gazes squarely.

"I know you've purged many people in managing the tower. It must still be happening covertly right now."

"......."

"I can't say that the way you've been doing things so far is wrong and needs to be corrected. I don't have the confidence or the ability to manage the tower better than you. But, if in the future you must eliminate someone, just bring them to me instead."

"Ahah?"

The Heretic Inquisitor tilted his head. He tilted it once to the left, then once to the right. After two nods, the Heretic Inquisitor smiled as if he understood what I meant.

"That's a great idea, King of Death! Why didn't I think of it until now? Truly a wonderful idea!"

The Black Dragon Master frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it. The King of Death’s ability isn’t just about summoning the target. It's about gifting them with their memories from their lifetime! Then, we can use the King of Death as a [moving prison]!"

Ahahat, laughter echoed across the silent plain.

"It requires no food! It doesn't consume resources! Imagine if the King of Death takes in a serial killer. Just by ordering, 'Never commit murder again,' the murderer will be eternally forbidden from committing crimes!"

"......."

The Black Dragon Master's eyes gradually widened. The Countess and the Paladin did the same. They were confused, but they quickly calculated the advantages proposed by the Heretic Inquisitor.

"Using the King of Death's skill as a prison...."

"Yes! Ahahat. The criminals would be quite terrified. And isn't it beautiful? The King of Death. A king who imprisons and manages those who deserve death, there couldn't be a more fitting alias!"

"As the leader of Sang-Ryun, I would like to offer my opinion."

The Countess took out her fan and tapped her lower lip with it.

"Not bad at all. You all must know, the tower has a significantly higher crime rate than the outside world. Prisons are chronically suffering from overcapacity, and maintaining those numerous prisons is no small expense."

"That's a sound argument. As the leader of the Pantheon, I naturally agree!"

The Heretic Inquisitor grinned, effectively turning this into an impromptu meeting of the highest guild leaders.

"The purpose of a prison is [isolating criminals] and [preventing re-offenses]. But no matter how excellent the rehabilitation programs are, it's hard to achieve 100% [prevention of re-offenses]. The human heart is as difficult as it is beautiful. But the King of Death can completely prevent re-offenses!"

"......."

The Paladin hesitated.

"I... don't know. I admit that it is efficient, but it still does not sit right with me. Aren't we placing far too great a burden on the King of Death alone?"

"The King of Death is already housing two thousand martial artists from the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction! He must be holding others we do not know about as well! Once he is already carrying two thousand, a larger number makes no meaningful difference."

"......I abstain."

Meanwhile, the Black Dragon Master was intently looking at my face. Her black eyes were mixed with various emotions.

"Are you really okay with this?"

I felt her regret. The Black Dragon Master was feeling responsible. Responsible for having dragged me into their world.

"It's okay."

I spoke sincerely. I was grateful. Even though it was a situation I had jumped into willingly, she felt responsible. The Black Dragon Master is a kind and noble person. Perhaps one day I'll get to hear her real name.

I turned my head and looked up at the Constellation.

"What will you do?"

-.......

"If you want to keep fighting us, I won't stop you. But the outcome is already determined. The utopia you boast of, I will take it under my wing."

The Constellation broke its long silence.

-......I am not just a fragment of the [Goddess of Protection], but also [The Immortal Missionary of Happiness], commanding a million apostles. If you take me in, all the apostles will also be subjected to you. Tell me, how can you guarantee that you won’t use the apostles as private soldiers for evil deeds?

"I won't use them."

I asserted firmly.

"When you invaded Raviel's world, I summoned only the followers of the Demonic Cult. I had killed martial artists from the Orthodox Faction too, so I could have summoned them, but I did not. It would have violated what is right. Those people should not be made to obey the Vice-Lord of the Demonic Cult."

-.......

"I will let the million or ten million of your apostles live happily in this world as they have done until now."

The Constellation slowly lowered its head.

When overwhelmed by force and subdued by logic, a person finally utters the last words hidden in their heart.

The Constellation, wearing the guise of a child, murmured softly.

-Ah, Lord Leafanta Aegim...

The Constellation's body began to melt away.

-Once again, to meet you...

Blood rained from the sky. The blood hit the ground, congealed, and slowly solidified into the shape of a sword. The sword, lacking a mouth, couldn't fully express the Constellation's last words.

[The Sacrifice Sword speaks, waiting for your disposition.]

Only the sword expressed its intent, relayed by the tower.

[My name is Sacrifice.]

[I can transform someone's pain into the happiness of others.]

[The nobler and purer the one who suffers, the more greatly happiness is amplified.]

I walked towards the sword stuck in the ground.

Raising my Holy Sword, I struck down the blood-stained sword.

[The Goddess of Protection absorbs a fragment of herself.]

The sword shattered.

[The Goddess of Protection’s existence becomes better defined.]

Simultaneously, the apostles surrounding us also melted away. Hundreds of thousands, millions of children who had covered the horizon, crumbled. Even as they collapsed, the children were still smiling.

Ssshhhh-

As the apostles crumbled, releasing red liquid, the horizon quickly turned into a crimson horizon.

[Stage Clear.]

[Today, the 28th floor has been cleared.]

In the shallow sea of blood.

The Black Dragon Master stared blankly at the blood rising to her calves.

"......Really, information is crucial in clearing a stage. As long as you know the weakness, you can easily conquer it. When we first dropped into the midst of the enemy, I was preparing to flee far away. But to think we'd clear it so quickly..."

"Eh? What? What's happening?"

The Viper, who was busy dealing with the apostles and skeletons, was utterly confused. He was the only one among us who hadn’t been listening to what I was saying and was just doing his job.

"Why are these guys suddenly turning into red paint? What's going on?"

The Paladin sighed.

"It's good to see you haven't changed, Viper..."

"...What's that supposed to mean? Hey, are you into me or something?"

"Ahahat. That would be interesting, but probably not. The deputy leader of the Vigilante Corps has been seeing someone for a long time!"

Viper's single eye widened in surprise.

"What? Really? Who is it?"

"I can't disclose that much. Find out for yourself!"

Nobody told Viper. Judging from the atmosphere, it seemed to be an open secret that everyone knew. I was curious too and was tempted to open the [Character Window] to read the Paladin's psychological state, but refrained because that would invade her privacy too deeply.

"My, my. That was splendidly fast!"

The Countess approached and patted my back.

"I was prepared to pour money into a bottomless pit for at least a full day! But you are the King of Death, after all. Remember who first took notice of you when you were still a rookie?"

The Countess was happy we successfully navigated the surprise attack. I didn't want to dampen her spirits, but I wasn't planning on resting just yet. This stage was only a stepping stone from the start.

"Sorry, Countess. The conquest isn't over yet."

"Hm? What do you mean? Didn't the notification say that the 28th floor was cleared?"

"Yes. The 28th floor is done."

I nodded.

"But today, I plan to clear all the way up to the 30th floor."

At those words, the Black Dragon Master, who had been staring blankly at the sea of blood, Viper, who had been pestering the Paladin about who she was dating, and the Heretic Inquisitor, who seemed to be considering what came next, all turned toward me at once.

"Today? In one day?"

The Black Dragon Master was surprised. It wasn't a tone of doubt about its feasibility. She no longer doubted my abilities. She was just concerned about my condition.

"King of Death, or rather, Kim Gong-Ja, you've been pushing yourself too hard. Ever since entering [Tales of Sormewin Academy], you haven’t had a day's rest."

'Ah.'

She must be right from her perspective.

As for me, I had spent my time with Raviel wreaking every kind of havoc imaginable under the guise of a honeymoon. But that was a private game shared only between Raviel and me. To everyone else, I truly must have looked as though I had been running without a moment's rest.

"Just take some time to rest. Humans wear down under stress. If you don't balance work and rest wisely, you'll eventually collapse. Really. You might not realize it yet since you're young…"

I smiled.

She was genuinely concerned about others, and it was beautiful to see.

"You're right. I have been overdoing it."

"Right? So, take a break from conquests for a while…"

"That's why I’ll finish it all today and then rest."

The Black Dragon Master held her forehead in exasperation.

"You're not listening at all! Please, just rest!"

"Black Dragon Master. The Tower's population is increasing by hundreds of thousands every day. Even if ninety-nine out of every hundred people who enter are good, one will still be a criminal. That means another thousand criminals every day."

"......."

"Ten criminals make an organized gang. A hundred make a mafia. A thousand make a warlord faction. At this rate, an entire warlord faction is forming every day. We cannot remain preoccupied with clearing Apocalypses forever."

I spoke calmly.

"We need to finish as quickly as possible and return to managing the tower. It's for our sake, for the residents, and for the newcomers."

"Put that way…"

The Black Dragon Master bit her lip.

"If you put it that way, what can I say…"

"Don’t worry."

I grinned and extended a fist to the Black Dragon Master.

"I’ll make sure to rest properly when I do. I doubt anyone rests as well as I do. If you see how I rest with Raviel, you’ll be surprised."

"I don’t want to see lovey-dovey newlyweds…”

“If you’re so concerned, help me prepare a ring later. I need to gift Raviel a ring, but I’m clueless about these things."

"Haah."

The Black Dragon Master sighed deeply, covering her forehead.

“Right... It has to be the most beautiful ring in the world. Honestly, how did I end up coordinating this child from head to toe...?”

"I'm always grateful."

“Enough. If we start comparing what we owe each other... no, let us not say such things. It is embarrassing in front of everyone. I realized it when I watched you dating in Sormewin, but King of Death, you truly have no sense of shame, do you...?”

Despite her grumbling, the Black Dragon Master went along with my suggestion.

She, along with the other leaders of the tower, knew it was time to gradually return to management. They were not only hunters conquering the tower but also administrators managing it.

It was time to end our days in the library.

"Transfer."

Whooosh!

We returned to the library in phases.

Hunters had gathered in the library. They had clearly watched the live broadcast of the six of us effortlessly overwhelming a million apostles. Perhaps because of that, they merely watched us quietly from a distance.

A staggering gap.

The authority of the top rankers was firmly established by this display.

'Okay. Good.'

This was the atmosphere I wanted. Proving our rankings through sheer ability, and as a [united team]. For the time being, no one would dare cause discord.

“Hmm.”

There was one more observer of us.

The Head Librarian of the Great Library, with chin resting on hand, stared at us intently.

"Welcome back. Congratulations. I thought you'd struggle a bit more with the conquest, but the synergy you create together far exceeded my expectations. I never imagined the world under the Constellation's rule would be wrapped up so quickly."

Despite the congratulatory words, the Head Librarian's expression was flat.

'It can't be helped.'

[The Holed-Up Head Librarian] is a lover of stories.

They adore characters overcoming adversity, unexpected challenges, and unpredictable resolutions. Overwhelming victories or defeats don't suit their taste.

But I knew how to tempt the story aficionado.

‘Character Window.’

Text floated before my eyes.

Name: Holed-Up Head Librarian

Favorability: 98

Preferred Genres: [Fusion], [Romance], [Mystery], [Adventure], [Horror], [History], [War], [Sports], [SF], [Mythology], [Fairy Tale]…

Disliked Genres: None

Preferred Characters: [Characters], [Constellation Killer], [King of Death]

Disliked Characters: None

Preferred Plots: [Story]

Disliked Plots: [Serialization Cancellation]

Psychological State: 'Well, The Immortal Missionary of Happiness was simply too incompatible with the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven. Bad luck. Tsk, tsk. Foolish thing. Had it anticipated its disadvantage and sought reinforcements from other Constellations, there might have been a fight.'

I nodded.

‘There it is.’

My name was added to the Librarian’s preferred characters.

[Constellation Killer] was their most cherished character, and now [King of Death] was listed alongside. This meant I had risen to a position comparable to [Constellation Killer].

“Head Librarian.”

"Hm. What Apocalypse will you choose next?"

The Head Librarian smiled, their robe fluttering.

"If you wish, I can personally recommend one. Since the fairy tale ended too quickly, how about a myth next? It's grand and dangerous, but the rewards are unimaginable. Or…"

"The character you love the most is Leafanta Aegim, isn’t it?"

I interrupted the Head Librarian.

"How do I compare to him?"

"Uhmm? Well, of course... It’s hard to rank you two. You and the Constellation Killer have completely opposite natures!"

The Head Librarian stroked their chin.

"Let’s see. If the Constellation Killer is a man burdened with all the misfortune and suffering of the world, then the King of Death... you’re like a chocolate ice cream! You look black and bitter on the outside, but surprisingly sweet when tasted!"

Regardless of the appropriateness of the analogy.

"Our next Apocalypse is decided."

"What will it be?"

"The Leafanta Aegim Epic."

"......."

The Head Librarian hesitated.

"When we went to the snowy mountain after clearing [The Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon], you showed it to me."

Then, in front of the giant dragon corpse, the Head Librarian had said that being killed by Leafanta Aegim was their dream. They showed us a precious, worn-out leather book, read countless times.

[Leafanta Aegim’s Epic].

That book would still be hidden in the Head Librarian’s possession.

"King of Death...?"

The Head Librarian's lips curved slightly.

"Yes."

“I know you consider the Constellation Killer as your rival, but [Leafanta Aegim’s Epic] is not an Apocalypse…? I can only introduce you to Apocalypses, worlds that tragically faced serialization cancellation."

The Head Librarian's lips trembled slightly.

“[Leafanta Aegim’s Epic] is still an ongoing story. I absolutely must not intervene. I cannot grant your request…"

“But.”

I looked straight into the Head Librarian’s eyes.

“You want to see it, don’t you?”

"......."

“You said it yourself, the Constellation Killer is your favorite character. And I’m comparable to him."

The owner of the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts.

The constellation who loved books more than anyone.

Therefore, I threw an 'irresistible temptation' at the story aficionado.

“A scene with your favorite characters together. Don’t you want to see it?”

The genre of the next stage I chose.