SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 318

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 318: Me and You, on the Frontlines of Time (2)

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I have no place that I can call my hometown.

If there was one, it would be the pillowcases spread out in the sunlight, wafting with a fresh scent. The bunk beds at the orphanage and that very place where, when I was young, the director would clean my ears with a cotton swab.

A hometown now unreachable.

[You have died.]

Blink. Blink.

Like a broken lamp gasping for breath, a warning sounded in my mind.

[You are currently an S-class hunter.]

[Due to the enhanced penalty, you will choose the order in which skills are activated.]

If Gong-ja's hometown was the bedspread on the orphanage bunk bed, faded into a pale green-and-yellow checkered pattern, then this place could also be called a hometown.

The hometown of the King of Death.

It was a dark origin.

[1. Will you first acquire the skill of the enemy who killed you?]

[2. Will you first materialize the trauma of the enemy who killed you?]

If one were to add a bit of humor, perhaps this was the essence of the King of Death.

Heh.

A man with roots. The King of Death, Kim Gong-Ja...

-Yeah, I've heard your escapism.

The Guardian Spirit said.

-Hey, there's a lot I want to say, but choose option 1 for now. Starting with trauma will be a disaster.

"Damn it..."

-Yeah, I get that you're dying of embarrassment right now, but can you just choose 1 for now? Even when you were B-class, your trauma was messed up. Now you're S-class. Screwed, right? Now, choose. Option 1.

"Arghhh...!"

-Choose!

I chose.

[You have selected option 1.]

[The condition for your skill has been fulfilled by your death.]

[Randomly copying a skill from the Constellation ■ ■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■.]

Swoosh.

Golden fireflies fluttered around.

[Creating skill cards.]

[Please select a skill card.]

And that was all.

I clutched my head, waiting for the cards to form. 3 seconds. 6 seconds. But no matter how long I waited, I could only see one bright light moving around in the dark void looking like a firefly.

Which meant that...

"......Just one?"

There was just one skill.

The Constellation that mocked me possessed only one skill.

"There's no point in choosing. I have to pick that one anyway. Wait, now that I think about it, didn't my appearance change a bit too? Not just the choices, but me."

I opened and closed my hand in the darkness. There was a sensation. It wasn't like moving an imaginary hand in consciousness or swimming in a dream. It was the real sensation of my body moving.

-Right?

The Guardian Spirit also stroked his chin.

-Back in the day, I could only hear your voice or see you faintly like a ghost, but now you have a full body. It's still pitch dark around, though.

"Is this also because my Hunter rank has gone up?"

-Who knows. Even if I'm a genius, how would I know your skills better than you do?

Muttering "let's see," the Guardian Spirit turned to the back of the golden card.

And read the skill description written there.

[The Universe’s Wild Expanse] (1/3)

Rank: EX

Effect: Manipulates the world in real-time. The world changes according to the skill caster's imagination. If the caster wishes to be in the sea, a sea will appear. The world would have 'always had a sea there' from the beginning.

This power, originally not permissible, is allowed under limited conditions due to the contract ■ ■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ made with the tower.

The skill's restrictions are as follows:

*However, if imagination is lacking, the world change will not occur.

To create a sea, one must be able to imagine a sea. There is a big difference between simply imagining and vividly imagining.

*However, the skill holder cannot change the world alone.

The holder can only use the skill in the presence of someone else. It's not about fulfilling your imagination alone, but [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] is effective only when you and your companion try to fulfill an imagination together. Choose your companion wisely.

*However, this skill can only be used three times.

This skill is not permanent. The number of uses decreases with each casting. When [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] is used for the third time and completely ends, the skill will be destroyed.

*A penalty is imposed each time the skill is used.

Currently, '1 use' of [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] remains.

My mouth fell open.

At first, I was speechless at the skill's immense power. But then...

"So many restrictions!?"

I was shocked at the unprecedented number of limitations.

"One, two, three... four restrictions? Four? My God. Even [Returner's Winding Clock], which is also EX-ranked, only has one restriction. I've never seen a skill with more than two restrictions before, and now this..."

-Hmm.

The Guardian Spirit murmured. Unlike me, he seemed to find it reasonable.

-Even if it was a top-tier Constellation, I wondered how it could be so terrifying. Indeed. Originally, it maximized the effect by slapping penalties on its own power. My intuition is never wrong. A pervert playing with perverts. The Master of Perverts.

"Master of Perverts..."

-Do you remember?

The Guardian Spirit suddenly asked.

"Yes?"

-The name of the Constellation. You were half-brainwashed into worshiping it as a god, but it was your dedicated Constellation for a while. Every time it used its power, its name appeared in the messages. Do you remember the name of the Constellation?

"......"

I furrowed my brows deep in thought.

"......No, I don't remember. Is this also the effect of [The Universe’s Wild Expanse]? A wish, an imagination, not wanting its name to be revealed, erasing our memory of it."

-It’s possible, but there's another interpretation.

The Guardian Spirit flicked his finger.

The golden card bobbed up and down.

-The name was stolen.

"Stolen?"

-The penalty.

Penalty.

-This space isn't under the Constellation's influence. It's free. However, the skill card's description doesn't even mention the alias, just ■ ■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■. There must be a reason for it.

"......So the name was completely erased?"

-Ninety-nine percent.

The Guardian Spirit crossed his arms and slowly tilted his head.

-According to this, [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] can only be used 3 times. And it's already been used twice. Kim Zombie, you're probably the last target chosen for [The Universe’s Wild Expanse], the 3rd and final companion.

"......"

Upon hearing those words, a voice came to mind.

The Constellation had informed me when asking me to become its believer.

『You are the one I have waited thousands of years for.』

『You are my third disciple.』

『Will you trust me?』

The third disciple.

The Constellation had clearly said so.

-Therefore.

As I gathered clues from past memories, the Guardian Spirit speculated on his own. With a snap, the Guardian Spirit flicked his finger.

-This mysterious Constellation has already used [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] twice and received two penalties. One of them was probably 'losing its name forever.'

"Losing its name... Is that such a severe penalty?"

"Why do you think Constellation Killer was so strong? Why did you make such a fuss about getting back the name of Constellation Killer?"

I pondered, resting my chin on my hand.

The Guardian Spirit scratched his cheek.

-A name is important. Losing one is an enormous penalty.

"Um."

-It's significant for people, but for a Constellation, it's an enormous penalty.

The Guardian Spirit explained.

-A name is like a coordinate. Without a name, there's no target, without a target, there's no direction, and it's nearly impossible for faith to gather to a Constellation whose whereabouts are unknown. Losing a name is akin to 'giving up on faith.' It becomes impossible to become a major Constellation like Mahos or Babbit.

That was one penalty.

"What about the other penalty then?"

-Something similar to a name. Something that occupies a part of one's existence.

The Guardian Spirit's gaze deepened.

-I believe it's probably the appearance.

Appearance. Looks. Outward form.

The physical whole through which one reveals oneself to the outside world.

-Any guesses?

"......"

There is.

An idea came to mind.

『I would like to buy some clothes for that child.』

『Something comfortable to wear. Do you have anything good?』

There was a time when I tried to buy a set of clothes for the Constellation in a village which was probably constructed by [The Universe’s Wild Expanse].

The shopkeeper said.

『A child? Where is this child you speak of?』

『Over there. You see the boy dressed in little more than rags.』

『Hmm? Sorry, but I don’t see anyone. I don't know what you're...』

That's right.

Initially, the shopkeeper didn't recognize the Constellation. Rather, even if they did, they couldn't precisely identify it.

It was the same for me.

『But, isn’t it a bit big?』

『That’s sttrange. I thought it would fit perfectly...』

I ended up buying clothes that were too big for the Constellation.

Even though I perceived the Constellation as a ‘boy,’ for some reason I had unconsciously given the child clothes far larger than a ‘boy’ would need.

"......That's right."

Not just the physique. The voice, gender, tone of speech, everything I remember is dubious.

Everything was utterly unknowable.

All things forming the appearance of the Constellation were shrouded in fog.

"The Constellation lost its name. It lost its appearance too. That's the penalty the Constellation bears. And choosing me as the third believer, the last partner for [The Universe’s Wild Expanse], means..."

-There's one more penalty far worse than losing a name or appearance left.

"Yes."

Perhaps.

"......Its entire existence might be erased."

All traces of the Constellation's life.

Including its own memories and those of others who remembered it, everything might disappear as the third penalty.

So called 'erasure of existence'.

I couldn't think of a more severe penalty than losing a name or appearance.

-Indeed.

The Guardian Spirit nodded at my conjecture.

-Despite such penalties, the Constellation wanted to use [The Universe’s Wild Expanse] on you, not caring if it disappeared.

"......"

-Why, I might ask? But I guess we'll find out soon enough.

"Yeah."

I reached out.

"Anyway, I'll have to see the trauma."

I caught the only golden light twinkling in this void.

[Selection complete.]

[Copying skill.]

As I gripped it with my fingers, the card dissolved into nothingness. It transformed into golden fireflies and flowed towards my heart. For a while, my heart was dyed in gold.

And then.

[You are penalized by the skill.]

[You are currently an S-class Hunter]

[Warning.]

Tick.

Somewhere, a clock hand started to move.

[The level of penalty is supreme.]

[It is the Human Realm.]

At a furious speed, tick, with movements beyond perception, tick, the hour, minute, and second hands tangled chaotically together, tick, spinning madly and scattering only afterimages.

[Re-enacting the trauma of your killer.]

Suddenly, my heart chilled.

When I was B-class and faced the Constellation Killer's trauma, the Guardian Spirit couldn't enter with me. No. He did enter, but couldn't maintain his existence. He was overlaid on mine and Kim Yul's memory, and he transformed into someone else.

There was also a time when I died as an A-class.

It was none other than the Jester. While preparing for war against the Magic Tower, I drank poison over and over and abruptly suffered a whole string of deaths.

'That person's trauma wasn't much.'

She had lived while enjoying life. Her trauma was nothing on the level of Kim Yul's or Ester's.

Not every human living in the world can be that unhappy.

Ultimately, the density of trauma was determined not only by my level but also by the killer's life.

'......What will it be this time?'

Tick.

'The trauma of a Constellation.'

Tick.

'If it's severe, I might even disappear myself...'

Somewhere, a clock hand stopped.

'But.'

I bit my lip.