WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 18: Trauma Penalty (3)
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[Challenger: Hunter Kim Gong-Ja. Alone.]
[Calculating clear reward... Calculation complete.]
[The reward will be given 24 hours later, upon entering the 11th floor.]
Boss stage cleared.
An achievement no one else had achieved. And it was I, not yet ranked or known by any alias, who accomplished it. If this news spread, it would undoubtedly turn the world upside down.
“Sigh.”
Yet, my feelings were unsettled. A mix of joy and melancholy occupied my heart. Like a lonely poet, I wandered the ruins, nothing but ashes around me.
-Hey. Why do you look like you just chewed on shit? You even cleared the hidden stage. Even in my lifetime, I could count on one hand how many hidden stages I cleared. The reward should be decent.
“You wouldn't understand why I'm down, being a psychopath with no human emotions.”
-Hmm. Now I see you weren’t chewing shit. You were taking a shit.
“......”
It was astonishing. Sword Emperor's single remark wiped away my gloom. Right, staying sentimental around this lunatic was impossible.
“It's just that the world seems a bit messed up.”
-Oh?
“We just saw it in the boss stage. It turns out there isn’t much difference between our world and another world when it comes to shitty things happening.”
Sword Emperor nodded.
-People’s nature is the same everywhere.
We stood silently for a while, just absorbing the moment. The Sword Emperor shuddered suddenly.
-Enough of that. It doesn't suit me! Besides, Kim Gong-Ja, you were impressive earlier!
“Huh?”
-Your unique approach to tackling the boss. It was remarkable. I'll give you that!
I frowned. Perhaps he was trying to compliment sincerely, but it felt eerie.
“Why are you complimenting me all of a sudden?”
-What? I give credit where it's due. You overcame that challenge with your skill, not luck. Our Gong-Ja is my partner, and when there's a cause for celebration, we should celebrate together, right?
I furrowed my brows even more.
“Something's fishy...”
-Ah, stop it. Nothing's fishy. Well done, Kim Gong-Ja! Awesome, Kim Gong-Ja! Once the 11th floor opens, let's rush through and grab the number one rank! Who cares if others call it cheating? If they're jealous, let them get their cheat skills!
The Sword Emperor laughed heartily. What's with him all of a sudden? Unless the sun rises from the west or the tower collapses, the Sword Emperor acting like this is unthinkable.
Then it happened.
[This is a Public Announcement.]
[Today, the 10th floor stage has been cleared.]
A voice.
[Announcing again to everyone.]
It wasn't just for me; the voice echoed, filling the sky.
[Today.]
[The 10th floor stage has been cleared.]
An announcement declaring the dawn of a new era.
[In 24 hours, the 11th floor stage will open.]
Whoosh!
Something burst in the sky. Fireworks. First, purple fireworks exploded, followed by red, blue, yellow, and dozens of colors and thousands of streams of fireworks brilliantly bloomed.
“Ah...”
I gazed blankly at the sky. The fireworks didn't disappear after bursting. They moved on their own. Each firework, like a dragon, twisted and slowly took shape.
[24:00:00]
A clock.
[23:59:59]
And the clock in the sky began to move.
“......”
Beside the Sword Emperor, I looked up at the celestial spectacle.
Suddenly, the Sword Emperor muttered.
-At last, the main story begins.
I nodded.
“Indeed.”
-I saw the exact same fireworks show when I was alive.
“This is my second time seeing this. But.”
I clenched my fist.
“Back then, I was in a bar on the first floor. Just a spectator. Clueless about what was happening. Eventually missed the opportunity and remained a F-rank hunter for life... Damn. Thinking about it, I was foolish.”
-Haha.
The Sword Emperor laughed.
-Right. Upgrading from an extra to a protagonist, how does it feel?
I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I took out my smartphone.
I wanted to check the reaction in the hunter community.
-What's with the fireworks?
-I'm on the 1st floor watching fireworks. Is this only happening here?
-I'm at the 3rd-floor hunting ground, and there's a fireworks show going on here too.
Unsurprisingly.
The midday fireworks stirred up all the communities.
-Just heard a voice.
-Heard about the 10th floor being cleared, is it true?
-Did Black Dragon guild clear the 10th floor?
-No official announcement, what's going on?
Post after post.
-The next planned assault by the Administration is in two weeks.
-Definitely not Black Dragon! All their officers are at a café at the intersection in front of Babylon Bank on the 1st floor.
I've attached a photo as proof.
-Who cleared it then?
Another post.
-[Breaking News] 10th Floor Cleared!
-The guild that achieved the clear remains unidentified.
-[Breaking News] Black Dragon did not declare a clear.
Every second, dozens of posts poured in. Not just one place. All hunter communities were ablaze, and soon the fire spread to other communities.
The news agencies operating in Babylon frantically released brief breaking news, and the rumors turned into fuel, igniting the communities further.
-If not Black Dragon, then who?
-I’m praying at the Pantheon right now, and I just saw the Heretic Inquisitor suddenly gathering the clerics. It’s chaos. Looks like the Temple wasn’t the clearing party either.
-It's Sword Saint!
-Sword Saint cleared it alone. Definitely.
-Ah, if it's Sword Saint, that makes sense.
Initially, the flames in the communities burned separately. Some backed the Pantheon guild. Others pointed to Sword Saint. Countess, Viper, Paladin, and other top-ranking hunters were all mentioned at least once.
But...
-What are you talking about? Sword Saint is drinking milk at a bar right now.
-Not Sword Saint. Attached proof photos.
-Viper is teaching students at his dojo.
-What are you saying?
-Paladin is working in Babylon Square.
-I asked directly. Sword Saint said it wasn't him.
-Just wait a minute. This doesn't make any sense logically.
-A Sang-Ryun executive here. I can't reveal my real name or alias, but it's not Sang-Ryun.
-Why hasn't any guild declared the clear yet?
-What the heck.
The separate fires of the communities soon merged into one.
-So who is it?
-Does no one know who cleared the 10th floor?
-Who is the hunter who cleared the 10th floor?
-Who on earth could it be...
...
...
I turned off my smartphone screen.
Then, I decided to answer the question the Sword Emperor had asked earlier.
“How do I feel right now?”
Before I knew it, a smile had formed on my lips.
“To be honest, it's exhilarating.”
It was a feeling I had never experienced before. Even without being taught by anyone, I instinctively knew what this emotion was. It was the feeling of standing at the pinnacle.
“It feels like I have the world in my hands.”
-Right?
The Sword Emperor smiled mischievously.
-Of course, it's just an illusion for now. You haven't conquered the world, you've just cleared the 10th floor. But it's not entirely a delusion either. Kim Gong-Ja, you are now closer to the top than anyone else in your world.
“I know.”
I looked away.
“Now, all that's left is to truly reach the top.”
A figure was rushing up the stone stairs one had to climb to challenge the Hellfire Mansion. It was the administrator I had deceived by claiming I had an incurable disease.
“Huff, huff...! Hunter...!”
The administrator was drenched in sweat. They seemed to have run here in a tremendous hurry. They stopped in front of me and panted for breath.
“Just now... Did you...?”
“I'm not sure what you're referring to.”
“The 10th floor clear!”
They shouted.
“I was in charge today... and you were the only one who challenged the 10th floor today, so... it's chaos now. The Administration keeps calling me...!”
“Hmm.”
I glanced over the administrator. Their trouser pocket kept vibrating even as they spoke to me, probably from incoming calls. Just as they had said, the tower seemed to be in turmoil.
“If I really did clear it, what would you do?”
“Uh?”
“If I'm really the Hunter who cleared the 10th floor, what would you do?”
“That, well...”
The administrator looked flustered.
“I didn't properly check your ID... I should check it now...”
“Come now, Administrator. That’s a strange way to put it. It isn’t honest to say you simply failed to check, is it? You took a full 100 gold from me.”
“That, well...”
“Keep up the good work.”
Thump.
I gently patted their shoulder. The administrator stared at me blankly as I passed them and leisurely descended the stone stairs.
From behind, a desperate plea came.
“W-wait, please! Hunter! Just your alias will do! Please tell me your alias before you go! Otherwise, my seniors at the Administration will beat me up!”
I didn't look back but responded.
“I don't have an alias.”
“......”
“Take care. Oh, and don't follow me. If you do, I'll really run away.”
Fortunately, the administrator did not chase me. Even if they had, it would not have mattered. They were exhausted from climbing the stairs, so I could easily have shaken them off.
-Hey. They look utterly dumbfounded. Like they've seen a ghost.
The Sword Emperor chuckled, glancing back.
-Anyway, well done. You should always elevate your worth like that. Yep. Keep your identity hidden and make others seek you out. I don’t need to teach you; you're already doing well...
“Sword Emperor.”
-Huh? Why?
I stood before the teleportation stone at the entrance to the 10th floor.
“I've realized something.”
-What did you realize?
“Why you suddenly praised me.”
As I reserved my teleportation to the 1st floor, I spoke.
“The bet.”
The Sword Emperor flinched.
“You remember, right? We agreed that if I cleared the boss within two coins, you’d call me Master Gong-Ja. Oh, what a predicament. I really did break through the 10th floor in only two coins. Our Sword Emperor is in trouble now.”
-Hey, Gong-Ja... We're partners, after all... Isn't that a bit much?
The Sword Emperor pleaded with a crestfallen face.
-Think about it. A partnership implies equality. You and me. Equal. The conqueror of 99 floors and the future challenger of the 100th. Ah, partner! Friend! How magnificent and beautiful is that!
I gave him a bright smile.
“Enough. From now on, address me as Master Gong-Ja.”
-......
“For the rest of your life.”
That was the moment the Sword Emperor’s expression sank into despair.
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