WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 295: Sword Emperor’s Return (3)
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3.
“Who are you...? What the hell are you?”
The [Assistant Writer], a disciple of Hamusutra, abruptly asked.
“Apart from the fact that the Great Librarian of All Knowledge chose someone... What was that insane aura just now? A skill? How did you learn such a skill?”
“I'm just a newbie who arrived on the 50th floor yesterday.”
“Don’t lie to me. There’s no way a newbie like you exists in this world.”
“Every company is desperately searching for an experienced entry-level hire like me.”
The Assistant Writer's face twisted like a sweet potato.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Let’s get out of here first. I’ve been feeling a chill on the back of my neck. Seems like some annoying guys are following us.”
“...Alright.”
The Assistant Writer reluctantly swallowed her words. She seemed to be holding back from asking various questions due to the situation.
The others hurried on as well.
-Uooooh! Guooo!
The beasts poured out through the escape route we had just crawled out of which was a hole I had made.
The real chase had just begun.
“Ahhh!”
“R-Run…! Hurry!”
The disciples screamed. They were running so hard that they seemed unable to properly scream. Perhaps their physical strength had dropped considerably from being imprisoned for a long time.
“What a shame.”
I clicked my tongue in sympathy.
“Come here. I’ll help you. How do you plan to survive in this harsh world with that kind of stamina?”
“Y-Yes?”
I didn't wait for an answer. Instead, with a grunt, I grabbed one believer by the scruff of the neck and lifted them effortlessly.
It wasn't difficult. A life of imprisonment takes away various things from a person. Those who lost their dignity over a long period were that much lighter.
“Uh? Eh?”
“Relax. Don’t you understand? If you tense up, you’ll get hurt unnecessarily.”
"Uh, uhm......."
“Shut your mouth so you don’t bite your tongue.”
I put more strength into my right arm as I continued to run.
“Hrmpf!”
And then I threw them.
“Eh?”
I literally threw them.
Like a shot put athlete in the Olympics.
I wrapped the believer in layer after layer of aura barriers, then hurled them forward with my right hand.
“----Ah."
The disciple flew. In the slow, extended time. Above all, in the air.
Like an elegant flamingo dancing over a zoo lake.
The believer desperately flailed their arms and legs, but as with life itself, there was nothing in the empty air for their hands to grasp. Only nitrogen and oxygen existed there.
“Eeeyyiiiiiieeeek!?”
And so, one of the most novel screams I've ever heard in my life existed there too.
I clicked my tongue.
“I told you to shut your mouth, and yet you scream like that.”
Koooom!
The believer sailed magnificently through the air and landed. Some might call it a crash landing rather than a landing, but viewed across the span of a life, there was no remarkable difference between the two.
“Now, let’s move on to the next one.”
“Huh?”
I grabbed another believer by the scruff of the neck. It was simple. The believers were staring blankly at the sky, transfixed by their comrade's flamingo act, and lacked even the presence of mind to evade my hand.
“It’s dangerous, so shut your mouth.”
“Huh? ……Yes?”
“Hrmmmpf!”
“Ahh, ack, haa, aaaaahhhhhhh!?”
What followed was a repeat performance.
I picked the weakened disciples one by one and threw them far away. Then I ran up to them, sprawled on the ground, and threw them again.
“S-Save me... please save us…!”
“This is all for you to survive.”
Thanks to this, the disciples, despite their lack of strength, could sit still and move quickly. The beasts couldn't keep up with our speed and gradually fell further behind.
It was a truly divine dribble.
[‘The Lonely Seeker’ is at a loss for words at your actions.]
[‘The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth’ realizes you are out of your mind.]
[‘The Incarnation of Love and Lust’ has taken a liking to you from now on.]
Local broadcasting is so noisy.
-Ah, ah! Mic test! Mic test!
How far had we run? Finally, a familiar voice came from the direction of the tower.
It was the Magic Tower's spokesperson, the person who had publicly tortured Hamustra's believers yesterday.
-What the hell, who are you?
The spokesperson was fuming. Their voice transmission flew straight to me, singling me out precisely. I was already prepared to send a voice transmission back.
-What kind of crazy bastard are you? Can’t you hear meee?
“Good day. Thank you for your hard work. Lovely weather today.”
-You really are crazy, huh!?
Quite a habit of answering their own questions.
-Do you know who you're messing with? Eh? Eh?
“Well, I don't know much since you haven't introduced yourself. Don’t you think introductions are a very important part of etiquette in a world where people live?”
-Where did this deranged lunatic come from...? We are the Magic Tower! The Magic Tower! A thousand years of magic! The greatest Magic Tower under heaven! We are the power that monopolizes this great Poison-Drenched City on the 50th floor!
So this city was called Poison-Drenched City.
“That’s right. Nice to meet you!”
-Can’t you return them right now!?
“Ah, sorry, but I don't think I can do that... I heard your broadcast yesterday, and it seemed like you were going a little too far. Life is short enough even when everyone tries to get along, so why pick on Hamustra's innocent believers? I felt sorry for them as I listened, so I'm helping them escape.”
-Oh, wow. Really, such a crazy guy.
The sound of the spokesperson furiously kicking something came through the voice transmission.
In the midst of provoking the other party appropriately, I continuously searched for a way to escape. I was trying to buy as much time as possible.
If we return to our tower like this, we could easily escape.
‘But nine times out of ten, they'd trace us back.’
I shook my head.
The Magic Tower had ruled this city for over a thousand years. Even if it took a beating, it would pursue us to the bitter end for revenge.
Of course, to counter the invasion of other worlds, the Sword Saint and the Black Dragon Master would be fully prepared, but still, it was best to avoid unnecessary battles as much as possible.
-Which Constellation's lackey are you? Huh? I don't care which Constellation it is. Once I catch you, I'll grind you to a pulp!
“I don’t serve any Constellation. If I have to say, I always carry my beloved in my heart.”
-Ah! Catch that bastard and beat the crap out of him! Anyone will do, just please!
That's when it happened.
“...Over there.”
The Assistant Writer, who had been keeping up with me, spoke next to me. While all the other disciples had regressed to flamingos, only the Assistant Writer was able to run on her own feet, keeping up with my pace.
“It doesn’t matter which world you're from, it's dangerous to run there. Not everyone from that world can be as strong as you.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“There is a secret hideout where our comrades are hiding. I'll guide you there. ...It’s a place we’re not supposed to reveal to outsiders, but since you’re someone who received that person's message.”
The Assistant Writer muttered.
“Gray, embrace us.”
At that moment, the voice of the tower echoed in my head.
[A certain skill affects you.]
I tilted my head. I couldn’t feel any effect with my senses.
But apparently it looked different to someone other than the person affected, because the Magic Tower's spokesperson immediately flew into a rage.
-Damn it! Assistant Writer! How dare you do such a shoddy trick...!
The voice transmission changed. Until moments ago, it had struck straight into my mind. Now it began ringing from the sky instead.
I wondered what was happening.
“It’s a skill that hides the presence of aura.”
The Assistant Writer explained from beside me.
“The Magic Tower identifies people by their aura to send telepathy. Aura is like a person's fingerprint... From now on, even the Constellations won’t be able to talk to us.”
“Interesting.”
Indeed, the Constellations who had been noisily broadcasting in the local channel also suddenly fell silent.
In short, the Assistant Writer had activated a kind of [Stealth] skill.
“But it can’t hide our physical presence... Thank you. I could use this skill with peace of mind because you helped us escape this far.”
“That’s impressive. It’s quite a convenient skill.”
“In my opinion, the truly impressive one is you...”
The Assistant Writer gave a bitter smile.
“This skill won’t last long. Follow me, Mr. [Protagonist] of this story. I’ll take you to our hideout.”
-We’ll kill youuuu!
The spokesperson's voice raged behind us.
-You may be a lunatic, but let's see whether you can stay crazy after we catch you! Yes! I'll tear your fingernails apart and drive them into your eyeballs. And Charumu! You! I saw you join them!
“Hic...”
The mage boy following us in silence hiccuped.
-You know how it ends for traitors. Ahaha! But you’ll realize how ignorant you were because, uh! Because you will set a new record for the worst punishment ever given to traitors!
“Ugh... Huh…”
-Expect it!
Bang, a noise sounded. The spokesperson seemed to have slammed the table.
-I'll give every one of you the most horrific slaughter! No! The most horrific eternal life! I swear it! Without fail!
4.
We successfully shook off our pursuers.
“This is the place.”
The Assistant Writer led us to an underground cave.
“As you know, the 50th floor is eroded by void poison. The land itself has a strong magical nature. The deeper you go underground, the stronger the disturbance becomes, so the tower's spiders can't accurately locate us. It's a natural fortress.”
As the Assistant Writer said, the secret hideout extended deep underground, without a single light.
“Is there only one entrance?”
I lit my fingertip with aura to use as a light. The disciples carefully descended the passage using my light.
“No, there are several. I know fourteen exits, and there are probably more than twenty-three times as many passages I don't know about.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Well, that's necessary in case we're invaded so everyone can escape on their own...”
The Magic Tower also knew about this hideout and occasionally invaded it. However, the underground cave was unimaginably vast and had countless entrances, making a complete sweep virtually impossible.
"......."
There were eyes watching us from the dark depths of the cave.
“...They are the librarians…”
“Why did they come back? How did they return?”
“Shh, don’t show any interest...”
They were ragged-looking people. It seemed they had set up dwellings in a corner of the cave, with cluttered living tools scattered around. There were also dirty tents spread out to avoid the dew dripping from the ceiling.
As we walked down the cave passage, there were people like that, with their belongings strewn about.
“...This is a communal refuge.”
Noticing my curiosity about their identity, the Assistant Writer informed me.
“A communal refuge?”
“Yes. Not only librarians like us, but almost all hunters who lost their Constellations live here. The toxicity is strong, so it's hard to live long... But it’s better than being captured by the Magic Tower and be subjected to human experimentation.”
Indeed.
Now that I looked, the cave dwellers' meager tent homes included small statues of gods.
Some even arranged a modest altar with a deity statue on it.
“Outside, they call us [escapees]. Well... Even though we’re in similar situations, there’s no sense of solidarity. Rather, they hate each other. They served different Constellations, and each thought their own was the best.”
“I can understand that.”
“Is your world the same? Well, all worlds are similar. This way, please. Each Constellation’s followers have strictly divided areas, so it’s dangerous to enter the wrong one.”
As I followed the guide, looking around.
“...Hmm?”
Something strange caught my eye.
I rubbed my eyes, thinking I saw it wrong. After wiping away nonexistent eye gunk, I looked again, enhancing my vision with aura.
"......."
But my vision was normal.
In one corner of the cave.
Another passage extended away from the direction we were walking. What had caught my eye stood on both sides of it: statues carved like the Four Heavenly Kings at Seokguram.
*For more info, check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seokguram
The sculpture had a very familiar face.
"Huh?"
The Assistant Writer, walking ahead, stopped and looked back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… I’m just seeing things right now...”
"What is it?"
The Assistant Writer also looked where I was staring.
She tilted her head after seeing [something].
“Huh? Why?”
As if it were a very familiar, everyday sight.
“That’s just a normal [Sword Emperor] statue.”
".............."
I fainted.
“Careful, intruder.”
If the mage boy hadn't been right behind me, I would have collapsed.
“That, that, Sword Emperor statue? Sword Emperor staaaatue?”
“...Why are you so surprised?”
“Why. Why. How come, why is there a statue of something like the Sword Emperor!?”
I grabbed the Assistant Writer's shoulder and shook her. I couldn't help it. The Assistant Writer looked at me as if I were crazy, then shook off my hand.
“Why? Well, because the Sword Emperor is also a Constellation. Of course, there are people who serve him.”
“Yeees?”
“I don't know why you're so surprised... The Sword Constellation, commonly known as the Sword Emperor, is quite famous. A hundred and fifty years ago, while still human, the Sword Emperor even brought down the Magic Tower. They say that Constellation never created believers, just like our Librarian didn't... but followers spring up everywhere.”
The Assistant Writer furrowed her brow.
“Especially, followers of the Sword Emperor are often seen as fools obsessed with martial arts. I’ve seen them a few times passing by, but I recommend not getting involved with them. How should I put it... It feels like they live in a different world.”
"....................."
Creeeak.
I slowly looked at the Guardian Spirit.
The Guardian Spirit looked at me as if to say, what are you staring at now?
-Why?
‘Explain this to me.’
-Flip your card over.
‘Card? What damn card?’
-My card, you idiot. The one you took from that gramps Marcus.
I summoned the card.
I flipped it over.
+
[Sword Constellation]
Rank: A+
Effect: This being came from another world and cleared that world's Tower through the 99th floor, only to be thwarted with the 100th floor just ahead. His lingering resentment kept him from passing on, and he became a Guardian Spirit.
He cannot physically interfere with this world, but he can meddle with the skill holder's mind.
Seek advice from his vast experience and astonishing skill!
*Only the holder of this skill is able to feel his presence.
*Skill copied from Marcus Calenbury.
+
What is this?
-Look at the card's name, Mr. Zombie.
I looked.
-Is [Sword Constellation] visible to your eyes or not?
"......."
-Then am I a Constellation or not? You brain-dead zombie.
This is insane.
Why didn’t you tell me?
-You didn’t ask.
This insane son of a...
-And I did tell you.
‘When?’
-When you invaded the Magic Tower today. When I told you a secret passage to sneak in. I told you a story from the past.
[Yes. There was a profound meaning behind the Sword Emperor bringing down the Magic Tower's spire. Even a power that rules the 50th floor cannot remain supreme forever! Anyone can rise in rebellion. The Sword Emperor personally took up the sword to teach this noble truth to common folk like us, so praise the Sword Emperor! From now on, we shall serve the Sword Emperor as believers of the Sword Emperor Sect. Let us all follow...]
-But you told me to shut up and just lead the way.
"......."
-I speak nothing but the truth, you brain-rotten zombie. But just as a Buddha sees Buddhas everywhere and a zombie sees only zombies, you always belittle my truthful words as bullshit. At least now, take deeply to heart that I am a great senior of upright character.
So.
‘You’re telling me there really is a Sword Emperor Sect in this world, with followers who serve you? For real?’
-That’s correct.
This world is crazy.
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