SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 233

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 233: My Legion (3)

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After waking up in the Realm of All Lives, I found myself indebted to Jaa Soo-Jeong, not the noble who had received the title of viscount in the kingdom, nor the god who wielded authority in the Realm of All Lives, but simply Jaa Soo-Jeong, the middle school student living in the [Side Story].

"Jaa Soo-Jeong, your cooking is really good."

"Yes. It's all thanks to the carefully prepared recipe."

Jaa Soo-Jeong, the middle school student, slowly set down the tray. Uburka helped her serve the side dishes for dinner.

Looking down at the table, Jaa Soo-Jeong asked, "Did you accomplish what you wanted, Mr. Gong-Ja?"

For a moment, I felt a stiffness set in.

"Yes?"

"What you wanted, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"......."

Jaa Soo-Jeong's voice was like the sound of a lone dandelion leaf falling to the ground. If not careful, her voice could easily be carried away by the summer breeze.

"I'm a bit worried about how you're feeling, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"…You were concerned about me?"

"Yes, I was worried. As a host. As someone welcoming a guest. But beyond that, I also feel a pure curiosity about you, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"…I'll help with setting the dishes."

We organized the dining table. We carefully arranged the bowls of soup and grilled fish on the tray, across the table.

Stew in the center, bean sprouts and cucumbers to the left. Steamed eggs in the back.

As the soon-to-be-consumed foods were neatly placed, my arm brushed against Jaa Soo-Jeong's multiple times.

"What you wanted, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Jaa Soo-Jeong said.

"......."

"You mentioned meeting another me, not of this place, but perhaps a god or the source of me. That's what I heard from you, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"Yes."

"Did you achieve what you wanted?"

That was the first question Jaa Soo-Jeong asked me earlier.

But this time, the question gave way, revealing a second layer beneath it.

"What you sought even at the cost of dying. Your purpose. Did you get it?"

I remained silent for a moment.

"Yes."

And then I spoke.

"Well, my goal was to meet, person to person, the Tower Master I could never meet simply by climbing to the top. In that sense, I truly accomplished my goal. I learned a great deal about the person called the Tower Master."

"I see."

The student who smiled faintly in front of me was not the colorful noble of any kingdom. But I knew that faint smile was when she felt happiest.

"You did really well."

"You've worked hard, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Before I knew it, Jaa Soo-Jeong was holding both my hands.

'So.'

Feeling the warmth of Jaa Soo-Jeong's hands tightly holding mine,

As a conclusion, I couldn't help but feel a heaviness in my heart.

'So this is your true nature.'

A being of concern.

One who praises you when you do well and grieves when you go astray.

Just a person born from taking that to the extreme.

[May fortune be with you.]

To her, everyone in the world is still a child.

When a child goes outside, she worries about dangers, worries about them wandering into dangerous roads, saying, [Be careful of cars!] [Be careful of motorcycles!] Her heart pounds with anxiety until the child returns. But when they do return, just for coming back safely, she wraps them in her arms, saying, [Well done] [You did really well].

[May fortune be with you.]

Be careful on your way.

[May fortune be with you.]

Be careful of motorcycles on your way back.

[May fortune be with you.]

Be careful not to be swallowed by misfortune while ascending.

[May fortune be with you.]

Please come back safely.

"......."

A god trying to be everyone's protector.

In front of this avatar of the god, I smiled.

"Shall I show you what I gained from meeting the Tower Master?"

Jaa Soo-Jeong nodded.

"As you wish, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Yes.

Translated, that also means [Do what you want to do].

At this point, I guess I'm somewhat skilled as a translator of divine words.

"Then, please follow me for a moment. I have something to show you…"

"Ah. Before that."

Jaa Soo-Jeong pointed at the table.

"Please have your meal first."

"......."

"Eating on time is important for your health, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Indeed.

Translated, that means [Eat before you do anything].

I laughed bitterly and obeyed the command of the god.

The place I headed to was the backyard of the old Korean house.

Namely, the [Warehouse Where Ghosts Sleep].

Carefully, very carefully, I opened the warehouse door just a crack.

"I never thought I'd enter this ghost den again…"

I hung on the door, checking the inside of the warehouse.

Fortunately, there were no bizarre spectacles or festivals of evil spirits that would drastically reduce the viewer's sanity.

The warehouse was quiet, merely old junk peacefully gathering dust.

"......Not here?"

Just then, something clung to the top of my foot with a meow!

"Yikes!?"

"It's just Meow. You're too startled, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Jaa Soo-Jeong bent down as if this were perfectly familiar and picked up the puppy doll plastered to the top of my foot. Even as she moved it, the puppy doll kept crying, "Nyaang! Nyaang!" as if to remind us of its existential predicament.

"Ahem."

I tried not to get too close to the puppy doll.

"Is this one dead? Like, a dead spirit attached to a doll?"

"No, Mr. Gong-Ja. Meow is just a being who eternally ponders [who they are]. That's all there is to it."

Holding the puppy doll, Jaa Soo-Jeong spoke softly.

"Meow believes its contemplation should never end, nor should it ever be resolved."

"Why so?"

The puppy doll then bounced energetically.

-Nyaa! Nyaooong, Meow! Meowwww!

Jaa Soo-Jeong nodded in response.

"Meow says that if it stops pondering, the world will end."

"......."

Indeed.

Well, I'm not exactly sure what part of that qualifies as 'indeed,' but anyway.

"So, you're saying this puppy doll is alive?"

"Of course. Meow is alive, will remain alive, and if it dies, it will be when the world ends."

"......."

I summoned a skill card right in front of what might be the most dangerous puppy... cat... cat-sounding puppy doll... oh, never mind, Meow.

"Card summon."

Woosh!

[Earth Bone Dragon's Skull]

Rank: SSS+

Effect: Stores the memories of the living. Stored memories are kept in a 'box.' This box can only be destroyed by the owner of this skill.

As long as the box remains intact, you can repeatedly produce bodies of individuals inheriting the same memories. The bodies can roam the world, accumulating new experiences, which can then be 'updated' into the box. Of course, only if you permit it!

Even if the body of the individual is destroyed, the box remains unharmed. Bestow the privilege of immortality on those around you.

*However, memories of a destroyed body cannot be updated into the box.

*Skill copied from Master of All Lives.

"Jaa Soo-Jeong."

"Yes?"

Jaa Soo-Jeong tilted her head. At the same time, the puppy doll flailed and let out a long "Nyaaaang," which was probably a yawn.

Why are you so cute when you're an apocalyptic-level item?

"I've gained the ability to give a [body] to this puppy doll."

"......."

Jaa Soo-Jeong hesitated.

Her expression remained impassive, but her eyes deepened slightly, attentively and quietly observing the place where my skill card was.

"A body...?"

"I can give these children living bodies."

"......."

"What do you think, Ms. Soo-Jeong? Will you trust me and allow me to use this skill on the children?"

Jaa Soo-Jeong pondered for a while.

Neither a noble of the kingdom, nor the Sun King's concubine, and certainly not the Tower Master, Jaa Soo-Jeong of Class 3-A at Shinseo Middle School, born bearing nothing but a god's mercy, slowly opened her mouth.

"I'm truly, very grateful for your offer."

She bowed her head.

"But I think the children should think it over and decide for themselves."

Indeed.

"I would be happy if the children gained living bodies and could live a little more freely than they do now... but they may feel differently."

When the shells of [Kingdom Noble], [Hero], and [Tower Master] were peeled away one by one, and I saw what remained before me,

there was truly only a handful to the person called Jaa Soo-Jeong.

"If possible, I want the children to decide for themselves."

I nodded.

"Yes. I think that's right too."

And so I went around asking every bizarre lifeform gathered in the [Ghost Warehouse], though whether they were truly lifeforms was questionable, or in any event, every strange child.

For instance, I asked a mirror. Looking into it, you'd feel like some ghost was chillingly gripping your neck.

"Uh..."

Squeeze.

Even from a distance, looking at the mirror, I felt as if long fingers were pressing on both sides of my neck. It wasn't an illusion. Squeeze, squeeze! I genuinely felt each finger.

I tried to dispel it with aura, but even that didn't work.

Before such a mirror, I presented the skill card.

"If you wish... I can give you a body..."

Squeeze?

"Of course, there are conditions. First, your memories will be stored in a box. And that box becomes my property... And when your body dies and needs to be recreated, well, that requires my permission to access the box."

Squeeze, squeeze.

"No! But, I don't have any ulterior motives! Really! I'm not the kind of person who will bring you back to life to create a Ghost Demon Corps and conquer the world or anything..."

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze!

"Jaa Soo-Jeong! Help! This thing doesn't understand jokes!"

Save me!

Mr. Gong-Ja is dying at the hands of a ghost!

"You're quite adept at communicating, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Jaa Soo-Jeong admired me with an expressionless face.

"You're the first person I've seen who can communicate so well with a mirror other than myself. You're doing well."

"No, don't just praise me from a distance! Help me! I feel like I'm going to die!"

"Hmm."

Jaa Soo-Jeong approached the mirror and gently stroked its surface.

"Mr. Mirror. Mr. Gong-Ja is a very kind person."

As Jaa Soo-Jeong began to speak, the mysterious grip on my neck vanished abruptly.

"Just because he looks like a playboy? No, he's truly upright and strong enough not to be swayed. Upset because he looks young for his age? That can be understandable..."

"...."

What is this inanimate object that doesn't even qualify as a living being saying?

"But Mr. Mirror won't be exploited. The body of Mr. Mirror belongs to Mr. Mirror. Deciding whether to revive or destroy is entirely up to Mr. Mirror. You can trust Mr. Gong-Ja on this matter."

The mirror trembled.

"Yes? Do I have a special fondness for Mr. Gong-Ja? No, I cherish all of you. Unfortunately, I don't possess the special emotion of 'favoritism.'"

The mirror twinkled.

"Yes."

Jaa Soo-Jeong turned to me and spoke politely.

"The mirror agrees to be revived but requests a dedicated Victorian-style, monocle-wearing, black-haired young butler to be kept on standby. And preferably, he should have a strong British accent when speaking English. Also, if possible, it hopes for some interesting backstory, like being the second son of a now extinct marquis family."

Indeed.

Yes, this is truly an 'indeed' moment.

"......There are two cafe workers in our tower who can charm everyone with their looks. One with silver hair and the other with black hair. Though butler cosplay is a bit of a stretch, how about as cafe workers? I'll treat you as a mirror in the cafe."

Wait a minute.

Why am I desperately convincing a mirror that only knows how to choke people? Shouldn't I be the boss here?

There's only one reason.

'To reduce the burden of the Tower Master.'

Yes.

I will reduce the lives the Tower Master has to shoulder, one by one.

First, I will save the unknown lifeforms in the [Ghost Warehouse], whose lives Jaa Soo-Jeong bears as one of the Tower Master's incarnations.

'Because that's the only way to defeat the Tower Master.'

Renewing my resolve, Jaa Soo-Jeong, the translator between humans and bizarre creatures, nodded her head.

"The mirror says it will graciously accept your proposal, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Next.

I began to gather the [Unknown Objects], one by one, into the [Earth Bone Dragon's Skull].

The box that stored the memories was small. A small, pitch-black cubic box.

The moment I saw it, I knew what to do. Following the guidance of the image in my mind, I opened my mouth and swallowed the box.

Gulp.

Then, as if it never had any form to begin with, the box melted away inside my mouth, esophagus, and stomach.

"........"

My heart darkened a little more.

"The Earth Bone Dragon’s Skull."

In front of me, a bright light flickered.

[Activating skill.]

Where the light subsided,

There stood the mirror, seemingly no different from before.

"......."

Yes.

It stood.

On [legs].

"It has legs."

I noted.

"It has legs."

Jaa Soo-Jeong answered impassively.

"It seems that this was originally Mr. Mirror's body."

The four-legged mirror scurried excitedly around the warehouse. Even if the poet with the greatest descriptive powers in the entire Realm of All Lives were brought here, there was only one thing they could call such a sight.

[A cockroach].

A cockroach with the body of a mirror scuttled around energetically.

"No, no matter what, that's just......"

"Thank you, Mr. Gong-Ja."

Jaa Soo-Jeong spoke seriously.

"You're really a good person, Mr. Gong-Ja."

"......."

I gave a body to each of the rest.

As a result, the warehouse ended up with, among others, Meow who looked like an ordinary poodle but cried out "Nyaaa!" every time it opened its mouth, a painter drawing a portrait within a portrait, and a muscular but fortunately only 15cm tall Red Dragon, straight out of myths.

-What the hell, damn it.

Even the Guardian Spirit, who had been silent so far, couldn't help but comment.

-What a complete mess.

"Maybe it's a parade of a hundred ghosts..."

-The curry tastes like crap. Is that still curry? No matter how you name it, it's crap. You dung merchant.

"I think I know when my life started to get twisted, but I'm not sure how it got this way. Sword Emperor, it's since I met you. Ever since then, all the crazies, ghosts, and unidentified freaks started to flock around me. Do you understand?"

-Gong-Ja. If your life twists by 10 degrees, my life stuck to yours twists by 100. So if you're going to twist anyway, twist at intervals of 36 degrees. Shiny, don't you agree?

[Shiny points out that being whipped around by every move the Hero makes has a certain roller-coaster charm of its own.]

-Shiny...

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Ghoul Reincarnation."

I started what I had to do.

[Activating skill.]

Having alleviated the burden of lives the Tower Master's avatar bore, it was time to conclude my task.

"----Have you called for me, my lord?"

Faded blond hair.

A bone mask covered one side of her head.

Preta, once revered as Ester and feared as the Demon King, my vassal, knelt before me.

"Preta."