SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 149

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 149: Prologue (2)

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Now, let's talk about someone's prologue.

"Ah! It was a joyous and happy time.”

In the Forbidden Book section of the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts. After the other hunters had left, it was just me and the Head Librarian.

It seemed the Head Librarian wanted to bid me a personal farewell. Beneath shelves where worn hardcovers rose like bricks into fortress walls, the Head Librarian looked infinitely small.

"Do you know, King of Death?"

"What?"

"Happiness evaporates quickly."

The Head Librarian smiled.

"Happiness is loving this very moment. It is being unable to help yourself because the moment is so lovable. Alas! A moment is like a stream that never stops flowing. Even if I set my happiness afloat upon it like a single maple leaf, it is bound to drift on and on."

The Head Librarian leisurely swirled their left arm.

Several volumes of Revelations flew over and gathered in one place.

Among them were Revelations I had cleared and others cleared by different hunters.

22nd Floor: The Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon (Genre: Martial Arts, Fusion)

23rd Floor: Chronicles of the Space Iron Knight (Genre: SF)

24th Floor: Daybreak Mountain Hut Diary (Genre: Mystery, History)

25th Floor: Tales of the Sormewin Academy (Genre: Romance, Fantasy)

26th Floor: Festival City Apocalypse (Genre: Sports)

27th Floor: Epic of Bakery Street (Genre: Cooking, Management)

28th Floor: Me and Our Scapegoat (Genre: Fairy Tale)

29th Floor: City of Ascension - Side Story (Genre: School)

“Wow, how beautiful... Not a bad [Book List] at all. Though not without its faults, compared to the book lists completed by warriors from other worlds. No, incomparably excellent. Almost too precious to give as a gift.”

The Head Librarian's eyes sparkled like a child's.

Everyone finds a treasure of their own in childhood. A fake jewel made of transparent plastic, a red or black BB pellet mixed in among the white ones, or a crudely made doll with beautiful fingers.

We always needed our secret treasures. The Head Librarian was admiring their own treasure.

"How were the hunters from other worlds?"

"Well, they usually chose one of two paths: Revelations that were easy to clear, or Revelations that would benefit their tower."

"Technically, we belong to the latter."

"Hehe."

The Head Librarian covered their mouth with their sleeve.

"You're being too modest. If it was just about clearing the floor, there was no need to solve the grudge of the Heavenly Demon. Do you know the simplest strategy?"

"What was it?"

"Hiding in a remote cave."

The Head Librarian lightly touched the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon.

Suddenly, the surroundings changed. Whoosh! Light enveloped us. I closed my eyes briefly and when I opened them, the library had vanished. Instead, we were floating amidst a snowstorm on a snowy mountain.

-Hey. From what I can tell, we just have to wait until those things die.

Unknown hunters were hiding in a cave on the snowy mountain. Wearing entirely different attire, I realized they were hunters from another world.

-It's not that hard. Just be careful of the zombies roaming around.

-Great! Let's all hang in there!

The Head Librarian looked down at them and said:

"A record from the distant past. Hunters who once challenged the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon. They were from a tower in a world different from yours. They chose to hide until the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance died."

"......"

"Ten days after the start, the Head of the Martial Alliance dies. The Heavenly Demon goes mad, recklessly scattering her innate energy until she dies. Ta-da! Cleared!"

The Head Librarian playfully moved their fingers.

"Well, they had a bad location and got attacked by zombies and died. But the strategy itself wasn't wrong. Just waiting was enough to clear the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon. The only things to prepare for were countermeasures against the cold, food supply, and the ability to stealthily avoid zombies and the Heavenly Demon. A suitable B-grade difficulty, isn't it?"

"......"

"But, King of Death, you didn't do that."

The Head Librarian looked at me.

Beyond their shoulder, a blizzard from the old days shimmered like a hologram.

"You always treated the characters as human beings. You did your best. You were angry and also saddened. You took the story of the Apocalypses as your own."

The Head Librarian moved their left hand and touched the Tales of the Sormewin Academy. Whoosh! The snowy scene vanished.

Now we were in the basement of the residence where Raviel stayed.

Raviel was standing there, and an unnamed man was kneeling, chained.

-This is a scam! It's a fraud!

The man was bloody, seemingly tortured.

-According to the strategy guide, you like white flowers! Why doesn't your favorability increase when I give you flowers every day, make your favorite food, and have pleasant conversations?! It's a scam! This ending makes no sense!

-Tsk.

Raviel clicked her tongue in disgust.

-Pathetic. Are all the apostles of the Constellations like this?

-Fall for me! You're nothing but a half-baked Constellation! Hurry up and fall for me!

-...Is my world considered the universe's trash can by the Constellations? Throwing their garbage here one by one. Oh dear. It's hard enough to care for my people, and life is getting harder as days go by.

Raviel lightly poured poison on the man's head. His scalp began to dissolve.

-Aaaaahhh! Ahhhhh!

The man writhed in agony from the deadly poison. Raviel sighed deeply and left the basement. Boom. The door closed, and the scream stopped.

“This is also one of the things that happened in the past.”

The Head Librarian shrugged.

“It is difficult for one human to treat another as a human being. You accomplished that difficult task, and I salute you for it. Although we will never meet again... always remember that I will be cheering you on.”

“Won't we meet again?”

"Ah! I must now welcome warriors from other worlds."

The Head Librarian giggled.

“I can't always look after just you. The world is infinite, and towers are countless. Just like you, numerous warriors are climbing the tower right now! I must welcome them as agreed with the Master of All Lives... Ah, sorry. I can't say any more."

The Head Librarian extended their right hand.

"Well done."

They smiled gently.

"The Great Library of Myriad Thoughts will now disappear from the 21st floor. A small rest area will be built in its place. Since I am feeling especially generous, I shall give you a rest area fit for paradise."

"Yes."

I shook the Head Librarian's right hand.

"Thank you."

"Now that I've shaken hands with my favorite character and recruited another as a librarian... oh?"

Their words trailed off for a reason.

Squeeze.

The Head Librarian tried to release the handshake, but I didn't let go.

"King of Death?"

The Head Librarian tilted their head.

"Regretting parting with me? I'm flattered, but you've already conquered from the 21st to the 30th floors. Ah, a rest area will also be created on the 30th floor. There's a Revelation called [Resort City Story]. A paradise-like resort will be there, and I'll provide it as a service..."

I looked expressionlessly down at the Constellation.

"......"

The Head Librarian grew quieter.

"King of Death...?"

According to the Head Librarian's favorite expression.

"Why? I'm a bit scared..."

Today was the day Kim Yul and the director ended their long prologue and finally started the main story.

"Head Librarian."

But that's not all.

"There's something I want to ask before we part."

"What is it...?"

"You."

Since conquering the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon.

"Do you have no meaning in life anymore?"

I've been waiting for this moment.

"Why do you favor the Constellation Killer? Leafanta Aegim is a human who goes around killing Constellations. If anything, I would think you would dislike him, not understand why you would like him."

We landed on a snowy mountain the day we finished the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon. Facing the dead, blackened corpse of a dragon, the Head Librarian and I had our first candid conversation about our true feelings.

"Since you asked, I'll tell you. I have a very old dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes."

The Head Librarian's eyes sparkled innocently.

"It's to appear directly in the novels I love!"

The Head Librarian explained. There's a difference between 'intervening' in a story and 'appearing' in it. They confessed they wanted to naturally appear in the story, becoming an equal character among the others.

"To avoid meddling, there's only one way to become a character in the story."

"Instead of me going to the characters in the novel, the characters in the novel come to me."

The Head Librarian whispered like a boy in love.

"Leafanta Aegim, the Constellation Killer, keeps moving between worlds, killing Constellations. Someday, he will visit the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts in my world. To kill me."

That was why the Head Librarian loved Constellation Killer.

"I'm waiting for the day the Constellation Killer visits the Great Library."

Their only way to become a character in the story.

"I look forward to the day he, of his own accord and following his story, stands before me. That day, I will finally appear in the story of Leafanta Aegim!"

The Head Librarian declared.

"Being killed by the protagonist, what a perfect epilogue, right?"

And then.

I speak up.

"Now, that's gone. Your reason for living."

"......"

The Head Librarian's expression hardened.

"…What do you mean?"

"You said it. Your dream was to become a character in a story. Not to forcefully intervene but to appear naturally. And Constellation Killer was the only one who could fulfill that dream. But now…"

I smiled.

"Do you still wait for the Constellation Killer to kill you?"

"......"

"Do you think Constellation Killer, who met the director, will kill you?”

The Head Librarian swallowed.

"No. I do not understand what you are saying... King of Death? The Constellation Killer taken in through Ghoul Reincarnation is merely someone you brought under your command. The Constellation Killer is still alive and well on the 50th floor. That person will come find me someday and kill me... won't he?"

"True, but."

I gripped the Head Librarian's right hand tighter.

"That Constellation Killer is not the one you chose. I asked you earlier."

Route 1.

Constellation Killer on the 50th floor, who neither met me nor forgave the director.

Route 2.

Constellation Killer who met me and finally forgave the director.

I asked which of these two would be recognized as "Constellation Killer's story."

"And you chose the second route."

And the Head Librarian acknowledged the latter as the official history. The story of the Constellation Killer possessing Kim Yul, and the story of receiving the Director's apology, were all accepted as part of the Constellation Killer's life.

Meaning.

"Even if Constellation Killer from the 50th floor comes to you one day, could you truly be happy in that moment?"

"Could you truly accept, from the bottom of your heart, a Constellation Killer who never even met the Director, who never experienced anger, sorrow, revenge, or forgiveness, as the real Constellation Killer? Could you accept an ending in which that Constellation Killer murders you?"

The Head Librarian might not have realized it, but they had essentially shattered their own 'dream.'

"It's impossible to accept. You are a person who follows stories more than anything. You wouldn't want to be killed by someone you don't acknowledge, by an [extra]."

"And just so you know, denying it is useless."

Because I can see it clearly.

'Character Window.'

Who the Constellation in front of me loves.

Name: Holed-Up Head Librarian

Favorability: 99

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

Disliked Genres: None

Preferred Characters: [Characters], [King of Death], [Kim Yul]

Disliked Characters: None

Preferred Plots: [Story]

Disliked Plots: [Serialization Cancellation]

Constellation Killer's name changed to Kim Yul.

The order changed too. Originally, my name was after Constellation Killer, but now it's in the front. As Constellation Killer's story came to an end, they grew to love my story more.

"......"

Silence.

The Head Librarian looked stunned.

They looked up at me with an incredulous expression.

"King of Death, what have you...? Since when have you been planning this...?"

"That day. On the snowy mountain, when I heard your dream, I started planning. Not every detail, but the big picture."

But the big picture was already drawn back then. The project to make them love me more than Constellation Killer. That's why I obsessively, almost to the point of fixation, relentlessly pursued Constellation Killer.

To hunt down one Constellation.

"Hamusutra."

The Head Librarian flinched at their true name.

"There are two paths left for you now."

"Two paths...?"

"Live here forever, never fulfilling your dream. That means parting with me. Giving up hope that the Constellation Killer will fulfill your dream, only serving and welcoming warriors who treat characters like trash, just as you've done, cooped up in this library."

"Eek..."

The Head Librarian trembled slightly. Instinctively, they struggled to shake off my handshake, but their own strength was negligible. My right hand was firm.

"If you do not want that, hand it over."

"What… what do you mean…?"

"The book containing your story."

The prey I've long sought.

"Give me the book that records your life."

Not a Revelation recording another world's end, nor a book containing another world's scenery, but a book about this place alone: a book containing the Holed-Up Head Librarian who lives in the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts.

"I will make it the 30th floor of this tower."

"......"

"Then you will naturally become a part of our tower. Do you understand? You'll become a character in our story. Become our comrade."

The Head Librarian opened their mouth.

"Climb the tower with me. Hamusutra."

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