SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 178

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 178: The Giant’s Legacy (2)

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"Uburka, after seeing how you use Aura, I grasped a certain principle."

-Are you talking about the Damn Aura Method?

"The linguistic destruction of your people is so tragic that it pains me… But yes, exactly. I saw profound potential in the Damn Aura Method."

I said this while sitting atop Uburka's head.

"It's all about Formation Methods."

-Formation Methods?

Uburka tilted his head in confusion.

-What is that, dad?

Formation Methods.

Before meeting my master, I had barely read a few lines of martial arts novels, but later, I intermittently learned the common knowledge of the Martial Realm from Guardian Spirit.

Formation Methods are, as the name suggests, the methods of forming formations.

"Martial arts are fundamentally disciplines for handling the body of a single individual, yourself. A formation method, on the other hand, is what happens when several people perform that discipline together."

-Ugor. Is it like combat?

"Similar. But it's different from a mere brawl."

I explained.

"Imagine people from different clans with different intricacies fighting on the same side. That could be a joint attack or a cooperative attack, but it's not a Formation Method. Only when you share the same doctrine and the same way of manipulating Aura does it become a Formation Method."

-Are you planning to teach me Formation Methods?

"Yes, exactly. First, I'll teach you Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven, and then together, we will develop Formation Methods. I haven't experienced Formation Methods myself, so I'm worried about how it will turn out, but what's the harm in trying!"

-I don't quite understand. Why do we need to learn this?

"Hey, hey. My child, if you start questioning the purpose and value of everything from the beginning, nothing will ever get started!"

I tapped the crown of Uburka's head.

"Just try it out casually! If it doesn't work, we can give up. If it feels right, we'll delve deeper. Okay?"

-I see. Casually, you say.

"Yes. Just casual."

I smiled broadly.

"But, my child. There’s something I want to ask you."

-What is it?

"Have you ever gone hungry for more than a week?"

Uburka blinked.

-Gau?

That’s when I started teaching him the 'casual' Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven.

"Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven consists of nine forms. Its grand opening form is the Sword of Starving Death, a sword modeled on the yearning and desperation of hunger. The reason you're starving right now has to do with this. Ah, dreams are wonderful! Time stretches as you wish, and no matter how long you starve, you don't die!"

-Kill me!

Uburka, who felt like he had been starving for a week in the dream, cried out. Clang. He was chained by the hands and feet. I sat in front of him, eating delicious fruits and fish.

It was the result of fairly defeating Uburka in a duel.

-Just kill me!

"Are you suffering?"

-I'm suffering!

"Does it hurt?"

-It hurts! Every muscle in my body is screaming!

"That's exactly it, my child! You sing through the sword with that suffering and pain. I starved for a week too. But it's not enough just to starve thoughtlessly. Imagine a farmer somewhere in the world starving to death, or their child. You have to starve while thinking of them."

-Daddy is insane!

I continued teaching.

"Dreams are really great. If you think of a snowy field, a snowy field appears, and if you think of a plague, a plague breaks out. It's the perfect environment for learning Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven. Back in my time, we didn't have such things, ah."

-Cold... Daddy, it's so cold...

"That's the Sword of Freezing Death! Imagine the heart of a peasant without even a blanket, scraping leaves together to cover themselves."

-I might freeze to death before I can even imagine...

"Don't worry, you won't die. You're the strongest warrior in the history of the Earth Spirit Tribe, aren't you? This is nothing for you, right?"

-For the first time in a long while, I find myself forced to use this word. Damn...

I continued teaching.

"Is it hard to learn? Does burning hurt too much? Okay, I'll burn with you. If we hurt together, it's a bit better. Still not okay? Still hurts? Of course, it's supposed to hurt. But, my child. I can't hear your voice. If your vocal cords are burned, use Aura to speak. Look at your dad. I'm chattering away freely with Aura alone, without even moving my tongue. Now, you try."

-This... is hell…

"Ai, as expected of my little one. Quick to grasp! Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven is essentially unfolding the hells of the human world in sequence."

-This… such a dreadful martial art… How did you ever learn it, daddy?

"Indeed."

I smiled gently.

"I wonder how I came to learn it."

I continued teaching.

[Purchasing 'Appearance in Dreams'.]

[100 race points are consumed!]

[Your current race points are 8800.]

For ten days.

While other fellow Hunters were busy caring for their respective races, I devoted my time solely to Uburka. In terms of perception, it felt much longer than ten days spent together in dreams.

"Hmm."

I scratched my cheek.

"Well, not bad. Not too bad. A bit disappointing, but I'll be satisfied with this."

-Is that all?

Uburka ground his teeth.

-I've experienced a living hell for ten days!

"No. Uh. That’s the thing… I realized something while teaching you. It turns out I was exceptionally talented in Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven. Even with overflowing talent, it's hard to grasp."

-Of course! Who would be crazy enough to vividly comprehend and manifest Swords of Starving Death, Parched Death, Submerged Death, Frostbitten Death, Noxious Death, Plague Death, Contusing Death, and Scorching Death! People can only die once, and once they're dead, that's it! Even I wouldn't have dared to learn it if it weren't in a dream!

"Indeed…"

Our Demonic Cult is indeed a tough place.

-It's odd in the first place for daddy to freely execute such a terrifying martial art! How can you do that? Maintaining sanity while doing so is a miracle in itself!

I smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment. Now, before I bid farewell to this era, let's sketch out an initial concept for Formation Methods."

-.......

"Although you haven't deeply grasped Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven, you've at least reached the stage of Novice Demon. Uburka. Now you and I breathe in the same way in this world. Since we can share dreams, it should be possible to unfold them as well."

Heave-ho.

I jumped off Uburka's head.

"Sit down."

-Ugor.

"Unlike martial arts, the principles of formation methods have never been organized into a coherent system. They're all over the place. Some martial sects begin by creating formations that amount to little more than coordinated attacks."

Sitting face-to-face with Uburka, I picked up several pebbles and lightly drew up my Aura. The pebbles rolled around in my hand like jackstones.

"Imagine each pebble as a martial artist."

-Understood.

"Five out of six move in a certain rhythm. It's like a kind of music. The opponent becomes accustomed to the rhythm of these five. At that moment, the remaining one charges with a completely different rhythm."

Whoosh!

One of the pebbles suddenly shot out. Uburka, caught off guard, was hit in the chest muscle by the pebble.

-.......

With zero damage but shocked by his inability to react, Uburka looked at me blankly.

"This is a formation at the level of a coordinated attack. People possess intelligence, and intelligence is the power to identify patterns. Rhythm is another kind of pattern. The essence of this formation is turning human cognition against itself."

-…Isn't that amazing?

"Indeed. It's the most basic level of Formation Methods."

I grinned.

It had been worthwhile to learn whatever I could from my Guardian Spirit whenever I had time after inheriting the Demonic Cult's lineage.

"The next level is Illusionary Techniques."

I raised Aura in my palm.

"What does it look like?"

-Like a flame.

"Right. It's not a flame, but it looks like one because I'm imitating a flame with Aura. Uburka, the fact that you seem giant without actually growing is also a kind of Illusionary Technique."

I focused Aura on the six pebbles.

The pebbles ignited.

"Imagine if six people were to burn Aura together. Picture being surrounded by them. There. It would feel like you've fallen into a pit of fire, right?"

-Ugor.

"This is the kind of formation method we'll be developing together."

Thump.

I snatched the jackstones out of the air.

"There are only two of us now who have learned Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven. But what if there are three? Or six? Twelve? Twenty-four?"

-.......

"What if a hundred, three hundred, six hundred people learn Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven and can all unleash the same technique simultaneously?"

Uburka's eyes slowly widened.

I smirked mischievously.

"Alone, I can only create a small inferno within a radius of five steps. But together, we can extend it to ten or fifteen steps. And if hundreds join…."

-The whole battlefield could be engulfed in flames.

Uburka opened his mouth.

Had he imagined the scene I described and become entranced by it?

-Hundreds of warriors burning their souls with the same vision, the same intricacy. The battlefield will turn into hell in an instant.

Exactly.

Not an individual skill, but a collective technique.

My newly conceived Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven will become a Formation Method.

-You called it an illusion art, but I think otherwise. When an illusion swallows the world, it becomes real.

"How about it? Worth trying?"

-Yes, I'd like to try.

"Okay. Let's proceed step by step."

I smiled.

"For this Formation Method to succeed, we all need to harbor the same image. To sing in chorus, we must memorize the same lyrics. Uburka. Not only will you widely spread Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven among your people, but you'll also disseminate the visions we'll share."

-What sceneries?

"I'll show you now."

I drew a mansion on the ground.

"It was when I met children's dolls in a remote mansion---."

And I told the stories.

Of all the things I've experienced.

Of the sceneries I've seen.

The First Formation.

The child dolls of a certain infernal mansion.

The Second Formation.

The Shadow Demon King in a remote village.

The Third Formation.

A peony blooming in a ruined winter.

The Fourth Formation.

The moon robbed of its heart by a mirror.

The Fifth Formation.

A tear that fell from a certain rooftop.

Sometimes drawing on the ground, sometimes creating shapes with Aura, I recounted the stories and sceneries I've encountered.

These were just stories for now, not yet taking shape or form to be called Formation Methods.

But someday, they would become the seeds of Formation Methods.

"These are the images I have. Five. There may be more in the future, probably will be, but for now, there are five."

-Is that so.

Uburka murmured.

-Daddy… You've lived diligently. I pride myself on living more fiercely than anyone, but daddy is even busier than me. The density of time you've experienced….

"I've wandered a lot here and there."

-Can I also travel to such places like dad?

"Well."

I stood up.

"Maybe. You're a child who achieved bodily reformation all on your own. You might even be capable of returning to youth. I'm leaving this era, but you may survive until the next era and meet me again. Perhaps in the era after that too, and the era after that..."

-I'll have to live a long time.

Uburka smiled.

-I'll widely share daddy's stories among our race. I'll turn them into plays and stage them. Tell them to growing children. I'll turn the five stories into five Acupoint Flowers, and on every darkest full moon I will demonstrate them myself. I promise. Just as daddy cares for our race, we will not forget daddy.

I extended my hand.

Uburka bent down and reached out his large hand.

My small hand was enveloped in the palm of the hopgoblin, and we shook hands.

"Uburka.”

-Hmm.

"You're a great kid. Keep spreading your fuckery throughout the world."

Uburka grinned, showing his fangs.

-Of course, daddy.

And then.

'I declare, stage clear.'

[Stage Clear!]

[You have cleared the 33rd floor.]