WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 194: That Wasn't My Intention, Though (2)
──────
“So what happened was… actually, how about I just show you? Yes, that would be better.”
The Princess, still with her head buried, clapped her hands. It was quite a bizarre spectacle. As she clapped, the space, which had been purely white, started to color vibrantly.
It was as if a landscape unfolded around us like in VR.
“Huh?”
But this scene. Somehow it felt familiar.
“…This is the second floor hunting ground, isn’t it?”
“Right.”
It was unmistakable. Before regressing, when I was struggling as an F-rank hunter, I roamed this place daily. It was also a place Yoo Soo-Ha destroyed before he rose to become the Flame Emperor.
A familiar voice echoed in this familiar space.
-Ah, fuck. How long do I have to keep grinding here?
A man with a ponytail, his black hair tied back.
Yoo Soo-Ha.
Whenever he opened his mouth, he spewed curses as though his tongue would break out in boils if he did not. At the end of every sentence, he played dazzling riffs on the Korean consonants ssang-siot and jieut. Just listening made one want to cleanse their ears of the vulgarity.
-Damn. What is there to life? I should just beat the shit out of whoever I can, fuck.
The VR-rendered Yoo Soo-Ha started chasing a slime.
-Hey! You! Stop right there!
The slime scurried away as Yoo Soo-Ha gave chase. His hunting style reeked of inexperience. He couldn’t have been more than F-rank at best.
“…When is this Yoo Soo-Ha from?”
“Very old. In your terms, it would be [before regression].”
The Princess, still with her head buried, answered.
“At this time, the Flame Emperor was like you, roaming only the second floor. He hadn’t awakened his skill. But then…”
Before she could finish, a blonde girl appeared in the VR. It was [The Princess Who Strolls Through Mirages].
The VR Princess strolled through the bushes, humming a tune, walking as leisurely as if on a stroll.
-What? Why is a brat like this here?
Yoo Soo-Ha, too, noticed the Princess and approached her.
-Hey, kiddo.
Yoo Soo-Ha walked up behind the Princess and abruptly grabbed her by the collar. Despite the Princess’s childlike appearance, it was extremely rude. However, Yoo Soo-Ha lifted her as if it were the most natural thing.
-What are you doing here?
As their eyes met.
-Congratulations!
The Princess beamed, holding up a sign with both hands.
On the sign, written in crooked letters, was [Golden Goblin Lottery].
-The first person to find and catch me gets a golden skill! You're really lucky. Today, you are the luckiest person in all the towers!
-What, what? What’s with this crazy kid....
-Just check your status now, and you'll see the golden skill. Bye!
With that, the Princess vanished as if her task was done.
Only Yoo Soo-Ha remained in the bushes.
-What is this….
The VR illusion ended there.
The space I was standing in returned to its blank, white state.
The Princess, looking just as she did in the vision, was still burying her head at my feet.
"......."
I stared down at the back of the Princess’s pretty head.
“I don’t understand. Explain, please.”
“I sometimes hold a [Golden Goblin] event. It's kind of a game. I appear in any tower and wander around thoughtlessly, and the first person to find and catch me…”
“You can’t possibly give out a golden skill, do you?”
“Yes. That's exactly what I do…”
“This is insane.”
It was unbelievable. My mind went blank.
What came to mind, strangely enough, was how the Flame Emperor scowled whenever people asked him the secret to success.
「Flame Emperor! Please define the secret to success in a single phrase for aspiring people!」
「The ones who are meant to make it will make it.」
The Flame Emperor never elaborated.
「That’s it. No more questions, don’t follow me.」
Until now, I thought his response was nothing but arrogance.
But what if he really caught a [Golden Goblin] by chance and obtained an EX-grade skill?
No one would believe it if he told them. He’d just be branded as crazy.
He had no choice but to preach a luck-driven life in which ‘the ones who are meant to make it will make it’!
“Why, why would you do such a thing?”
“There are two reasons: a very personal one and a very public one. Which one do you want to hear first?”
“Let's start with the public one.”
“There are two factions among the pillars: the observers and the interveners. I’m from the interveners. I’m in favor of actively intervening in the lives of those climbing the tower. Holding various events like the Golden Goblin is part of that activity…”
“And the personal reason?”
“It’s fun.”
“Get your head back down, now.”
“Yes…”
Now I understand why I've been favored by the high beings of the tower.
I was a victim murdered by Yoo Soo-Ha, the Flame Emperor. And the skill [Returner’s Winding Clock], which led to the Flame Emperor's success, was a technique whimsically given by one of the pillars. In other words.
“Compensation for the victim…”
“That was part of it.”
My head began to hurt.
“I did wonder why a complete bastard like Yoo Soo-Ha had such an incredible skill. But even so, this isn’t merely a story about a frog being killed by a stone someone tossed for fun….”
“Really sorry.”
“Tsk.”
I sighed.
“So, did you descend to be punished? You, a pillar?”
“Yes. Mula… the Tower Master ordered me to come down and learn a lesson. Even put restrictions on me. Now, compared to my original state, I’m weakened in every aspect: strength, power, intelligence, charm. Isn’t that a bit too much?”
“The Tower Master truly is a wise ruler.”
A truly sagacious judgment.
“Anyway, I personally want to compensate the King of Death. I’ve subtly sided with you during meetings so far, but that feels insufficient, right?”
“Hmm.”
I pondered, chin in hand.
‘I don’t really want compensation for the Flame Emperor matter at this point.’
Thanks to Yoo Soo-Ha having [Returner’s Winding Clock], I was also able to activate [I Want to Become Just Like You]. I lived a successful life and met my master and Raviel, becoming happy.
I was unfortunate, but not unhappy.
-Hey. Zombie. What are you talking about, pillars and stuff?
Lost in thought, the Guardian Spirit spoke to me. The Guardian Spirit had shared every journey with me, except for when I met the pillars.
‘There is such a thing. I’ll explain it later… ah.’
Seeing the Guardian Spirit floating around, I changed my mind.
“That’s right. I should receive compensation from you, Princess.”
“What do you want? Shall I give you a lot of race points?”
“That’s tempting, but... no.”
I shook my head.
“Show me how the kids lived after I left.”
"Huh?"
“Ssonia, Arika, Yumar, Sakum. The kids who were under my care before I left. I want to see how they lived after I disappeared. If possible, Uburka and Gorke too.”
The epilogue of my children’s lives.
I wanted to see it.
Desperately.
"......."
Slowly, the Princess raised her head.
Looking up at me, her eyes were filled with kindness.
“The King of Death is really greedy.”
“Yes.”
“Alright. I'll grant you that much.”
The stark white space transformed into a landscape.
Soon, the faces of the children appeared.
2.
Ssonia didn’t give up acting.
-It’s okay.
After I left, Ssonia was plagued by harsh criticism. People said her skill with aura had suddenly deteriorated and that she could no longer perform as well as before. The Earth Spirits had already developed discerning eyes, and Ssonia’s Blood Flower Plays no longer satisfied them.
-It will work out.
But Ssonia didn’t quit.
She practiced relentlessly until her fingernails cracked and her toenails crumbled.
-I can do it.
Ssonia grew quiet. Except when performing or practicing, she hardly opened her mouth, as if firmly resolved not to live at all unless she was onstage.
At Ssonia’s side were one-eyed Arika, one-armed Yumar, and one-eared Sakum.
-Starting anew with such a mindset is enough.
Despite the decline in the troupe’s reputation, the actors didn’t mind.
-In the beginning, the dance drama was innovative and shocking, but now the audience is used to it. Don’t be disappointed and keep performing. Praise will return someday.
-Ugol.
An outdated troupe.
Even with such a reputation, the actors diligently did their job.
Arika’s mother, who had left long ago, returned. Having already lost their chance to share a life, it was difficult for the two to form a relationship as mother and son now. Still, Arika allowed his mother into his life and occasionally ate with her.
Yumar donated a substantial portion of their acting income to their hometown. With almost all its young people dead, the village was declining. Thanks to Yumar’s donations, the village held on until the next generation could grow up.
Sakum learned that the household they had once served had fallen into ruin. Never one to miss an opportunity like this, Sakum hurried over and tossed a single coin to the former master, who was now a beggar living on the street. Leaving the stunned former master behind, Sakum departed in high spirits.
Time passed.
-.......
Wrinkles now marked Ssonia’s face.
Ssonia, who had lived her entire life onstage, had clear eyes. Her life had been narrow, but within that narrow space it had been full.
Sitting alone in the empty auditorium, she gazed at the stage and at the wooden floor, not one part of which her feet had failed to touch.
-I’ve lived well.
Ssonia peered into the darkness of the stage through narrowed eyes, recalling like shadows all the versions of herself that had danced there.
-I should have been kinder to people.
Ssonia slowly closed her eyes.
What could she be thinking about?
-Lord Kekerkker...
Then the scenery changed.
Unlike the delicate Ssonia, Uburka was a hobgoblin with a body as massive as a mountain. The undisputed strongest warrior in Earth Spirit history. The highest-ranking chair of the Fire River Council.
-Nothing good will come of me continuing to rule.
Over 20 years after sending me off, Uburka had reigned supreme.
Countless warriors challenged Uburka over the decades, but he never faced defeat.
An undefeated warrior.
Then one day, he abruptly announced his resignation.
-Now, I shall step down from my chairmanship and walk only the path of martial arts.
The Hopgoblins were in an uproar, becoming accustomed to Uburka’s iron rule. The idea of the emperor abdicating was bewildering.
But Uburka was resolute.
-If anything, I already feel a little late. Ugor. Stabilizing the Mountain Snail Tribe and pacifying the continent was an enormous nuisance. Since the mess I started 20 years ago has settled somewhat, I will now live for myself. Don’t worry. I won’t return. I sever ties with the mortal world.
-Where do you intend to go, Chairman?
-It’s not me who is going.
Uburka grinned.
-I’m waiting for my daddy to come.
Uburka left Guru and climbed the mountains.
The most treacherous spiritual mountain in the continent.
Snowstorms raged all year round.
At its peak, Uburka sat in meditation.
-My daddy descends to the earth every few hundred years.
Uburka murmured, immersed in meditation.
-With my current state, I can only endure for about a hundred and fifty years. I need to transcend my limits.
Joy was evident in Uburka’s voice.
-Come quickly, Daddy. I’m waiting.
The snowstorm buried Uburka.
Just as the scenery seemed about to fade, it continued.
"......."
The Princess didn’t withdraw the after-story’s scene.
Even after a minute, then three, the snowstorm of the spiritual mountain continued to rage around me.
“Princess?”
"Yes."
“It seems we’ve seen all of Uburka’s after-story.”
“No, not yet.”
The Princess smiled enigmatically.
“It’s not over yet.”
Her smile hinted at a secret joke.
"......."
Could it be?
My heart started to race.
Despite thinking it was impossible, I asked.
“Is he still alive?”
Uburka.
The child who smiled and said ‘I have to live very long’ when we parted. I assumed he was dead by now. To the Earth Spirits, Uburka had already become a legend.
But if Uburka succeeded in rejuvenation.
“Did he manage to survive?”
My voice trembled slightly.
Seeing me, the Princess’s lips curled up.
"Yes."
“Do you want to meet him?”
The next stage.
On the 35th floor, the child I must meet was decided.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
