WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 297: The Legend Himself (2)
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2.
Disciples from various Constellations began to gather in the cave hideout.
“Assistant Writer? You were alive? That's surprising.”
“I heard all hell broke loose at the Magic Tower yesterday. So that was your doing.”
Followers serving different Constellations. Some had lost their Constellations long ago. Others still had theirs, but had been marked by the Magic Tower and were living as fugitives.
They were the non-mainstream hunters of the 50th floor.
“Wow! Impressive! The tower has issued an extermination order.”
A woman with her hood pulled over her head tapped the Assistant Writer on the shoulder.
“How badly did you piss off those spider bastards to get an extermination order? I’m envious. Hey, Assistant Writer, you should ditch that constellation like Hamusutra and come to us. We'll treat you well!”
“…The fact that I haven't twisted your wrist off is the last bit of courtesy I have as the person who invited you. Be grateful for my rational and elegant manners.”
“If I thank you twice and it sounds like I’ll lose my life. Heh heh.”
The disciples chattered and found spots to their liking. Some sat on flat stalagmites, others lay down, and some placed their rag cushions...
At first glance, they looked like a ragtag bunch.
It was a scene akin to a flea market.
"Hmm."
But my senses had been sharp since a while ago.
‘These hunters… are strong.’
-Well, they're all ragamuffins chased by the tower.
The Guardian Spirit crossed his arms.
-Otherwise, they wouldn’t have evaded the tower till now. Either they're clever, lucky, or just strong. Having even one of these traits makes them strong.
‘Each person gathered here is at least at Paladin’s level.’
I looked around. In our world, one of the top ten, maybe even five, would be the average here.
‘50th floor is indeed not to be underestimated.’
The hunters I had met in Monopoly City were not weak, but something about them had always seemed lacking. At best, they inspired the reaction, ‘Oh, you know the basics of using Aura? Not bad.’
However, the disciples gathered now were different.
‘There seems to be an uninvited guest hidden too.’
I glanced subtly into the depths of the dark cave.
Even a hunter who hid their presence and quietly observed was among them.
It was truly a lineup worthy of the 50th floor’s reputation.
“First of all, thank you all for gathering today, even though you probably don’t have money for today’s meal.”
The Assistant Writer stood up.
She walked to the center of the meeting. The disciples looked at her, but they were either not paying attention or pretending to be disinterested.
“There are people here I haven’t seen in ten years. There are also people I can no longer see. I…”
“Hey, writer lady.”
The woman who had tapped the Assistant Writer's shoulder earlier raised her hand. She was chewing something.
“Sorry to interrupt your passionate welcome, but…”
“...What?”
“I’ve been very uncomfortable since earlier. It probably isn’t just me. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not complaining about not having chairs or cushions, we know you can’t afford it.”
The woman laughed and turned her gaze…
Directly at me.
“What’s with that guy?”
"......."
“My gut is rumbling. The rat tails I ate yesterday feel like they’re coming up my throat. Writer lady, imagine if you were invited to a friend's house and they had a penguin wandering around without even a cage. Would you be able to eat?”
Despite her tone, the hunter's eyes were not smiling.
The noisy air quieted down.
I realized then. The reason the disciples weren’t focused on the Assistant Writer wasn't because they were rude. They were, in fact, paying attention to [me].
Just as I was surprised by their capabilities, they had sensed me as well.
“...Yes. I was about to introduce him.”
The Assistant Writer sighed.
“Let me introduce him. This person is…”
“Hello. Nice to meet you.”
I stood up. As my body moved, some disciples reached for their waists, ready to draw weapons at any moment.
It couldn’t be helped. We were strangers. To convey friendliness as much as possible, I smiled broadly.
“My name is Kim Gong-Ja. Thank you for calling me a penguin. I've always been curious about the feel of a penguin’s skin since I was a child.”
“Kim Gong-Ja? Hey, that's not a title but a name. We’re not joking around here. Tell us your title.”
“Yes. My title is King of Death.”
"......!"
The air in the cave tensed palpably. It was not a metaphor. Several disciples who had been conserving their energy suddenly surged their aura.
“King of Death? The one Mahos put an extermination and pursuit order on?”
“He devoured numerous worlds and turned countless humans into undead, that heretic cult leader!”
“Assistant Writer! Why did you invite such a lich to the meeting?”
Hmm.
Apparently my beaming smile had accomplished nothing.
I drooped a little, but kept the smile on my lips.
“Everyone, please calm down. I’m not a lich.”
“What?”
“Unless you attack me, I won’t attack you either. I’m as safe and harmless a creature as a penguin. Look at my smile. What about me looks like a lich?”
“...Uh, hmm. Are you saying you’re not a heretical cult leader?”
The same rough-looking hunter asked, her expression dubious.
I answered as politely as I could.
“I do lead one small religious order. It isn’t heretical, though.”
“...And you’ve never used dead people as undead?”
“‘Undead’ is a somewhat difficult term to define. I can summon the dead, but I don’t command them as zombies or vampires. If anything, many people have found happiness thanks to my art of summoning the dead.”
“...Mahos says you go around killing Constellations.”
“Come now. That’s a harsh way to put it. Going around killing Constellations?”
I shook my head.
“I’ve only ever killed one or two.”
“This bastard really is an evil undead lich, a No-Life King Overlord!”
“What are you all doing? Subdue him now! He’ll get us!”
Why is it turning out this way even after I kindly answered?
-You're actually enjoying this, aren’t you?
‘That’s an unfair accusation. Please stop the slander.’
I certainly was not enjoying it on purpose. I had merely discovered an inexplicable amusement in watching people mistake me for a terrifying villain and scream.
“Hup.”
I unfastened the sheathed Holy Sword from my waist. The followers watching me flinched.
Showing them I had no hostility, I slowly set the sword down at my feet. I then showed them my empty palms.
“Look.”
Still smiling broadly.
“I don’t bite.”
"......."
“The [Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] may have declared me a public enemy, but Mahos doesn’t truly consider me an evil lord. They just opportunistically used me, and they did that for you.”
“For us? Mahos?”
The rough-looking hunter asked.
“They’re like a ruffian among constellations. For us, really? What do you mean?”
“Assistant Writer told me. If you’re not part of the tower, you can’t ascend to the 51st floor. That’s the current situation here. But you don’t want to join the tower, nor... do you have the power to break it.”
"......."
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean any offense. It’s just that from the constellations’ perspective, the situation must be frustrating. Maybe Mahos thought I could be a kind of [breakthrough].”
Why did Mahos become hostile as soon as I reached the 50th floor?
Because I snatched their apostle, Goldencup? Was it just for that reason they decided to fight? Maybe, but if they truly wanted me dead, they wouldn’t have gathered some randoms for a surprise attack.
They should have gathered only [skilled fighters], like the hunters here, and attacked me with them.
“Mahos wants to make me the villain boss.”
"......."
"To replace the tower."
I spoke with certainty.
“...Indeed.”
The hunter closed her eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “They make you the [new boss], then subdue you. Right. I see. Just like with the Constellation Killer, they make you a [seasonal event boss].”
“Yes. That’s my guess. A chicken will do when no pheasant is available. If you have no teeth, you use your gums.”
The other disciples murmured in agreement. "Aha," "I see..." They seemed to understand our conversation.
I quietly smiled, looking at the cave ceiling.
[‘The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’ remains silent.]
Sometimes silence is an affirmation.
“Okay, King of Death. That's a very plausible point.”
The hunter stood up.
“But why tell us? It’s hard to say that’s wise. You’ve just given us more reason to see you as an evil lich.”
She smirked, fiddling with the hilt of her dagger.
“It is probably easier to defeat you than to break the tower, right? I was getting tired of living like a beggar on the 50th floor! I feel like joining Mahos’s quest.”
It was a clear provocation.
“Of course. That’s also your choice.”
I laughed heartily, spreading my palms.
“But, is it really easier to kill me than to bring down the tower?”
“What?”
“You, being skilled hunters, must have killed many enemies. You must be accustomed to the line between life and death. But, everyone.”
I smiled amicably.
“Killing someone is realistically a very difficult thing, isn’t it?”
“...What are you trying to say?”
“It’s simple. Mahos didn’t consider me a [replacement for the tower] without reason. Maybe I really am [as hard to subdue as the tower]. Just me, alone, replacing the entire tower. Can you really defeat someone like me?”
Everyone, including the flippant hunter, hissed through their teeth.
I humbly smiled, scratching the back of my head.
“You haven’t even caught Constellation Killer yet.”
Answer provocation with provocation.
That's the lesson I’ve learned.
“Huh.”
The hunter smirked.
“That’s good too! Let's see if you're really on par with Constellation Killer..."
“No. Stop it, [Berserker].”
At that moment, someone walked out from behind me. It was a man wrapped from head to toe in bandages. He made no sound, neither footsteps nor even breathing. Only his voice emerged, leaving no trace of where it came from.
The disciples were startled, having just noticed his presence. Even the hunter frowned.
“...[Paparazzo]? What’s this? How long have you been hiding like a cockroach?”
“I’ve been here before you all came.”
The bandaged hunter, Paparazzo, muttered.
“Looks like my skills haven’t rusted yet. No one here detected me.”
“Hah? Obviously. Who can find you when you’re hiding?”
“He did.”
Paparazzo pointed at me. His hand, from the nails to the back, was completely wrapped in bandages.
“He's been aware of me and cautious since earlier.”
"......."
“My competitive spirit rose as well. While you were talking, I kept aiming for his blind spots. I even felt tempted to cut his throat if an opening appeared. But even when he set down his sword, I found none.”
“That’s…"
“It means he’s stronger than us. Clearly.”
The hunter, [Berserker], gritted her teeth.
“Really at the level of the tower? Hey, don’t be kidding.”
“I don’t know how strong exactly. At least, he's a step ahead of us. I’m not so foolish that I’ll fight a stronger opponent and lose my life. I think you're the same.”
Berserker glared at me again. I felt her gaze rake me from head to toe. It held killing intent and competitive fire, but above all, it was the gaze of someone forcing down her own pride.
Yes.
That was a gaze I liked.
“It’s okay.”
I smiled brightly.
“I won’t kill you!”
"......."
For some reason, my consideration only made Berserker clench her fists. She let out a broken series of long breaths, then slowly removed her hand from the dagger.
‘Oh?’
She’s not going to attack? I was a bit disappointed.
I was looking forward to seeing the martial prowess of a 50th-floor fighter.
Ignoring my disappointment, the Guardian Spirit chuckled.
-You really know how to make a scene for your initiation.
Thanks to one person stepping in, the explosive situation was defused.
"......."
"......."
However, the atmosphere in the cave hadn't changed. In fact, it grew tenser. Even the previously relaxed disciples began to clearly guard against me after hearing the conversation between [Berserker] and [Paparazzo].
Many disciples swallowed hard.
“Hmm.”
This was awkward.
I had tried to keep things gentle precisely because I feared the atmosphere would turn out like this.
I scratched my cheek. Not everything in the world can be solved with words and smiles. It's important to think positively.
"Well. It's good that we avoided any bloodshed. It’s definitely a good start!"
"......."
“There is one reason I asked the Assistant Writer to invite you all. It would be difficult to bring down the Magic Tower alone... I could do it if I summoned my own forces, but that would mean little. It would merely be a repeat of the [Sword Emperor’s Return].”
“...What do you mean?”
“Just showing [victory] is not enough.”
I clapped my hands.
“I’m more interested in you all winning than just me.”
“What?”
“Assistant Writer.”
I turned to the Assistant Writer.
“You said you're not the [protagonist of this story].”
The Assistant Writer remained silent.
Repeated silence can convey resolve of its own, and through it I understood several things.
She wouldn't have said that just as self-deprecation. That statement carried weight.
But…
“Why does it have to be that way?”
“You….”
“Not just to the Assistant Writer.”
I looked around at the disciples again.
I said,
“The Constellations that have been forgotten on this 50th floor, the ones losing power and possibly their status, please contact them. As disciples of these Constellations, I believe you have a way to communicate.”
The disciples looked at me with suspicious eyes.
I hadn't done anything yet.
Still undeterred by their prejudice, I kept smiling brightly.
“Please gather [all your quests]. I will unify them and help you all reach the 51st floor!”
"......."
The gathering fell silent.
From behind, the Assistant Writer muttered lowly,
“...Hey, haven’t you heard that your smile is suspicious? If you talk like that while smiling, everyone will think you have a dark heart, only care about power, and treat human lives like flies, you son of a bitch.”
That's a harsh thing to say.
Raviel likes my smile, you know.
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