WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 307: Reunion (3)

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3.

I relayed the Guardian Spirit's words.

"He says he's sorry."

"......"

"For being late."

The Elder's breath slowed down. It might have even stopped for a moment.

"Ha......."

I couldn't see her face. The brim of her pointed hat was too wide. The shadow it cast was deep. Her eyes were hidden by her bangs.

I could only hear the sound of her grinding her teeth in a sneer.

"Ha."

As if living flesh was being ground on a millstone.

The Elder's life was being finely ground on her teeth. All that was left was a sneer scattering in the air around her.

"Even if he says he's sorry."

[Quest Progress.]

"What good does that do now,"

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust nods in agreement.]

"Don't say something so absurd."

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust acknowledges your progress.]

"Surely you're not blaming me? After all, I have lived for over a thousand years, but one hundred and fifty years is just too long for a human. It's too long to be stuck on a single floor. Who could imagine spending one hundred and fifty years trying to break through?"

[The quest progresses.]

"It's too long, idiot."

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust declares quest completion.]

"It's just too damn long."

[Quest Cleared.]

[The temporary quest you participated in has ended.]

[All followers of the Incarnation of Love and Lust who participated in this quest are granted the right to advance to the next stage.]

"......"

Before I knew it, the Elder was holding my collar with both hands. She was a godslayer, a witch who nailed six constellations, the master of all spiders, and had five fingers.

"...This child. You're saying this is the Sword Emperor's successor?"

-Yes.

"You wouldn't have chosen just anyone as your successor. Your lineage boasts tradition and legends. Even if I didn't care, you were always showing off."

-Of course.

"If this kid fails, you won't be able to reach the 100th floor either."

-Unfortunately, that becomes more likely.

Beyond the Elder's shoulder, the Guardian Spirit stood silently with his arms crossed.

The two conversed using my words as a shaky bridge.

"If you only chose him as a disciple because he can use Aura, I'll kill him."

-It's surprisingly up to you to decide who you kill.

"Draw your sword."

Thud.

The Elder let go of my collar.

She took a step back, then another.

Finally, her hair swayed, revealing her expression.

"It's not the gods who decide who can climb to the 51st floor. Tell those Constellations to get lost. Quests? Damn it. Go eat shit."

The Elder looked straight at me while pointing her staff.

"I'll test you, successor of the Sword Emperor."

"......"

"If you're too weak to climb the 99th floor, just despair here. By now, you've become a god after passing the 40th floor, having been treated like one by ignorant beings, enjoying all luxuries. At least kneel before me to show you're just a human. Admit to your people that you've been lying all this time. Even if you don't have the strength to reach the 100th floor, at least free your people from the oppression of lies. I'll question your qualification."

I glanced at the Guardian Spirit.

He showed no reaction.

So be it.

"I don't think Constellations are gods."

"They are merely beings capable of doing a little more than other people. Calling them dragons would change nothing. Grey Spider, whether it's the hunters who persecuted you in the past or you who now rule over hunters, to me, it's all the same."

I unbuckled my sword sheath from my belt.

"But that's just my opinion."

And I let go of it.

[The Goddess of Protection remains silent.]

Thud.

The Holy Sword fell to the ground, emitting a noise.

Hwi, the Goddess of Protection, had once guided the Constellation Killer into another world, been torn to pieces, and then been restored by my hand to the full power of her prime. The Holy Sword silently accepted the fall.

"I enjoy fighting according to my opponent's perspective."

I took a stance.

There was no sword.

Just like the Grey Spider, I only had five fingers.

"That way, I can completely shatter them."

I clenched my right fist.

"Come at me."

"......"

"I'll break you without borrowing the power of a Constellation."

I beckoned with my left hand, a cheap taunt.

"......Really."

Seeing that, the Elder, who had only let out a grating laugh until then, finally burst into laughter.

She took off her hat.

"It's clear that the Sword Emperor chose you for your personality, if nothing else."

Thud.

The black pointed hat fell to the ground.

"I used magic because it let me kill people faster and in greater numbers. If I beat them down one by one with my fists, who knew how long it would take to exterminate all five races and fuck up those divine-race bastards? I simply chose efficiency."

Her staff dropped.

Her thick robe dropped.

Lastly, the black hairpin holding her hair broke in her grip.

"I didn't neglect learning how to fight with my fists, though. Little one."

Her ash-colored hair flowed down.

"You might not know, but I am a genius among geniuses."

"Hmm. It's irrelevant to the current situation, but I'm reminded of an old saying about the world's most annoying person. I thought of it every time I saw the Sword Emperor, but now looking at you, Grey Spider, I'm reminded of the same words. I wonder why? Maybe because you two are a match made in heaven."

"Got wisdom teeth?"

"What?"

"Do you have wisdom teeth in your mouth?"

"...Yes?"

"Good for you."

The Elder crouched and assumed a fighting stance.

"If you lose a molar, use your wisdom tooth to fill it. Little one."

In an instant.

Her figure vanished.

The shock arrived before the sound.

Bang...!!

My skull twisted. Then, a loud noise echoed in my head, not my ears. The pain followed.

I realized that the Grey Spider's fist had struck my right cheek.

Right in front of me, the Elder stood with her fist clenched, laughing.

"Wow, oh..."

Aura.

Acceleration.

"Sword Emperor’s girlfriend sure has a punch..."

"Tooth number 26. The first molar."

In the accelerated timeline, the Grey Spider muttered.

Bang!

On the opposite cheek, a sharp pain exploded.

"Tooth number 45. The premolar."

"-----"

"Oops. Two corn kernels are already gone."

Something whizzed past my eyes.

It was a bloodied tooth.

The Elder caught my tooth, ejected from my mouth, and deliberately rolled it in her palm.

"If I knock out two more here, you'll lose all those wisdom teeth you saved up too, you know? Ah, come to think of it, I still haven't asked your age. Do you perhaps have nothing but baby teeth? When you get a little older, you'll grow things called permanent teeth, so take good care of them."

"Okay."

I smiled.

"I'm okay with this kind of thing."

Then I shot out an arm like a snake and seized the Elder's wrist. When I feinted as though I were about to twist it, the Elder braced with all her strength so she would not be pulled along.

But that was exactly what I wanted.

I relaxed my grip.

Like releasing a rubber band, my body shot forward.

Thump...!!

My forehead struck her face. It was a hammering headbutt. A squishy sensation vibrated on my forehead.

"You, motherfucker, son of a bitch..."

The Elder's nose bled profusely in mid-air.

Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped. Like me, the Elder must have strengthened her body with Aura, but when a sturdy forehead meets a sturdy nose bone, it's clear what would break.

"You shouldn't bleed like a child at your age, Elder."

I threw a punch.

"You're too old for this lack of dignity."

"I'll turn you into an old man by knocking out all your teeth!"

"Then I'll rejuvenate you, Elder. See? My nature is a bit better than yours, proven by..."

My tooth flew out.

"Wow, haha! Ah ha!"

My speech slurred. Losing three teeth affected my pronunciation, but what does it matter? I can use telepathy with Aura, so it's no problem.

"This is incredible!"

"You're insane!"

A crack sounded somewhere. It felt like a rib. Why am I not sure even though it's my body? Because before I could check which part broke, I had already smashed the Elder's shin. So we each belatedly realized our own pain.

"Aaaaah!!"

"Damn it, shit."

Screaming, I stamped on the Elder's foot. Cursing, the Elder struck my jaw. Below, above. Up, down, left, right. A slugfest erupted anywhere either of us could land a blow. "Urk." "Kgh!" Once again, our screams crossed.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth is speechless.]

[The Lonely Seeker watches the duel.]

[The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains is dumbfounded.]

Before I knew it, the Constellations were watching our dogfight too. But only for a moment. The instant their messages rang in my head, the Grey Spider raised her right foot and slammed it into the ground. Boom! I did not know what magic she had placed in that kick. I knew only one thing for certain: the noisy messages vanished all at once.

"Get lost!"

The Grey Spider's face, soaked in blood, contorted like a demon. Her roar echoed over the city she ruled for a thousand years.

"This is my fight! I'm not asking the star-headed bastards to gawk! If any Constellation spouts nonsense again, I'll hunt them to the depths of hell and rip their souls apart! So, shut up!"

What now?

"That's cool!"

"And you, shut up too!"

My jaw shattered. No joke, it really broke. But I didn't stop laughing. I reconnected the broken bone with Aura and replaced the severed nerves. The same for my ribs and just now, my left knee.

The Elder did the same.

Despite our battered bodies, our fists didn't slow down.

"The Sword Emperor says he hates you!"

-What?

The silent Guardian Spirit was startled. Regardless, I laughed heartily, throwing punches freely.

"He said he ran to the 99th floor because he hated you!"

-What are you saying, you punk!

"He was sick of being stalked by you!"

-No! Hey! When did I do that?!

"He said he felt peaceful for 150 years without seeing you!"

The wonderful thing about provocation is that even when it is baseless agitation, fabrication, and outright lies, the listener gets angry anyway. Normally, they could simply ignore it. But the story changes when the situation can hardly be called normal, when the two of you are trading punches, and especially when those punches have broken your nose, crushed the top of your foot, and split your shin.

"This bastard is really fucking crazy?"

The Elder was furious, nearly fainting.

"Hey, hey! You're putting too much force in your punches! You'll tire before me! Ever heard of conserving energy?!"

"What kind of shitty advice is that!"

"Apologize to Viper! Viper hasn't done anything wrong! Don't you feel sorry for Viper? You cold-blooded monster. Unbelievable!"

"Ah, shit. Ah, where did this lunatic come from..."

Good.

Her breathing was disrupted.

At that moment, thump...! I powerfully hit the Elder's side.

"-----Shit."

The Elder's face soured.

"I won't use the power of the Constellations!"

I burst out laughing.

"But I never said I won't use my tongue!"

"What kind of damned, wretched, crazy, ah, wow,"

"Okay. An opening."

I hit again.

"------!!"

"Grey Spider! You are strong!"

Seizing the moment her rhythm faltered, I hit more, and more at the same spot. The rhythm shifted entirely to me. Blood rushed to my head, and endorphins flowed.

"I'm simply a little stronger! Hahaha!"

"Ugh..."

"Why? Because you're in front of the Sword Emperor! You can't afford to fall apart in front of the Sword Emperor you've longed to see after 150 years! To prove you're better, superior! But I don't have that! No way!"

Slap.

I stomped the ground.

"I've already made a fool of myself in front of the Sword Emperor!"

Then I launched an uppercut.

With all my strength.

"With one more embarrassing moment, what difference does it make?!"

"------"

Time froze.

The Elder's movements, which until now had flung out fists before acknowledging pain, faltered and reeled. Her chin still caught in the posture of my strike, she glared at me.

"What the hell..."

I bet she had the most unjust expression in the universe.

"What kind of... Sword Emperor-like bastard are you...?"

Thud.

After one final stagger, the Elder collapsed onto the ground across which she had spread her webs with her own feet. She was unconscious, unable to close her eyes, glaring at me.

"Sigh."

However, standing on one's feet is greater than staring with two eyes.

I stood tall and laughed loudly.

"I won!"

And roared.

Loud enough to echo through the city.

"I won!"

-.......

No response came.

The Constellations were chased away by the Grey Spider. The ordinary followers and other spiders, busy fighting around the Tower, couldn't spare attention here. Everyone evacuated, fearing getting caught in our fight.

Only the Guardian Spirit watched me with an indescribable expression.

"See! Did you see!"

-.......

"My victory! Your fated connection, your lingering regret, the one who believed she had been left behind by you! I defeated her! With these hands! With my two fists! Now, what do you think?"

-.......

"You’re proud, aren't you!?"

"Too proud to go insane, right!?"

Why?

-Yeah....

The Guardian Spirit looked terribly embarrassed.

-Kim Gong-Ja, I think I'm going insane because of you....

Of course.

The ultimate winner is me...

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