WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 340: Absolute Music (1)

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1.

[You are being transferred immediately to the 70th floor as per your request.]

I was engulfed in a sandstorm without hesitation.

[You have entered the 70th stage.]

The scent of sand, heated by the sun since the dawn of time, lingered at the tip of my nose.

The smell of the sun.

When I was young, I would sometimes glance down at my palm while playing in a crude playground and catch that same languid scent. Fragrant sand. My body and mind, heated by the battle that had raged until moments ago, settled.

There was also a message I hadn't heard in a while.

[The Princess Who Strolls Through Mirages blesses your ascent.]

Had she been watching my battle from somewhere?

Imagining the Princess lounging on a sofa, munching on potato chips while watching, brought a smile to my face.

"You're at ease, judging by your expression."

Before me stood another Pillar.

[The Staff of Time Immemorial] was sitting there.

"It's been quite some time since a challenger has shown up in the lobby that I manage. The one who backed you up, the Sword Emperor, when he came up here, he wasn't as composed as you..."

The mage furrowed her brows.

"...No. He was even more carefree than you. Perhaps it's such individuals who succeed in ascending."

"I'm curious. What kind of expression did he have?"

"The kind that asked if guests don't get offered a drink here. He actually said that, with some rather innovative swear words, but I won't go into those details."

I clicked my tongue and glanced back at the Guardian Spirit, who gave a “what?” kind of look.

-I do not remember that. Sure, the moment I came in, I thought the place was unimpressive and looked shabby enough that there would not even be anything to eat, but I never said anything like that.

"Of course, the Sword Emperor himself wouldn't be able to recall."

The mage spoke as if she heard the Guardian Spirit's grumbling. She probably didn't actually hear it. She possessed the intelligence to preemptively predict things that weren't audible, taking it for granted.

"It's not just the Sword Emperor whose memories were stripped away. Everyone who meets us Pillars for the first time in the tower loses their memory. Even the memory that a stage auction just took place fades quickly."

"......"

"That's right, King of Death. Except for you."

The mage rested the long staff against her shoulder.

The 70th floor was a white world without mountains, rivers, plants, or trees. But it differed from the [Purely White Waiting Room] where the Princess had stayed. Sssrrrkk... Cubes large and small rotated like Rubik's cubes.

Some cubes were as large as the moon, while others were smaller than a fist.

Sssk. The cubes moved continuously, meshing like gears. The cubes blended with the white background, protruded with sharp angles, and then disappeared into whiteness again.

That was all: becoming angular for a moment, then returning. Things that repeated that simple cycle forever served as both the celestial bodies and the objects of this world.

"What do you desire from me?"

"The one who wished for oblivion was the Tower Master."

The question came charging from the east, but the mage began feeling her way toward it from the west.

"The Tower Master, Jaa Soo-Jeong, wanted the Tower to belong entirely to all of you. Or at least, she wanted you to believe that it did. The fewer traces an administrator leaves, the better."

"For someone with such intentions, she sends us blessings via messages every time we climb a stage."

The mage smirked wryly.

"Selfish, is it not? The Duke cannot bear to leave you unaware that someone is by your side. That is the nature of a god who wishes to exist only when you need her."

Cubes moved slowly behind the mage.

"I can't save the Tower Master."

"......"

"Everyone chosen as a Pillar is the same. In a way, we are to the Tower Master what the Constellation Killer is to you. We owe the Tower Master a debt. We leaned our lives upon her. All we can do is help. Zuraqua... every subject of the kingdom born in the same world as the Tower Master is bound by a curse."

The mage looked at me.

"But."

"It's different for someone who comes from outside."

I had guessed what the mage was about to say.

"Like the Sword Emperor. Like me."

"Exactly."

Silver eyes sank.

"King of Death, it is not that I choose not to erase your memory. I cannot erase it. You earned that status and authority yourself. Wait a thousand years or ten thousand, wait until millions decline and tens of millions fall, and humans who reach the 99th floor will come. Any number of them. Someday the 100th floor will be cleared too, as many times as necessary. But I do not know when another being will be permitted to obtain a position like yours."

"......"

"You are a miracle. From the opening the Princess created, through the gap you made by entangling Mutia with Hisimet Cretsu, and with Hamusutra watering you with rain, you bloomed. You seized a flaw in the web the Tower Master had spun. I have no intention of waiting again for the miracle of life blooming in the universe."

I asked again.

"What do you desire from me?"

"Only what you will come to desire."

It was at that moment.

The mage lifted her staff and touched the void. A corner of a cube that had popped out from the white background was touched by the staff.

"Up until now, you have fought in your [specialization] area."

The cube was dyed in color.

The cube, turned yellow, had its sharp edges worn away. No, they melted. It seemed like paint flowing out of a balloon pricked by a scale.

Unlike the balloon, the cube's capacity was infinite.

"From now on, you will have to struggle in [non-specialized] areas."

The yellow paint melted down, wetting the floor.

First, at the feet of the mage.

Then, across my shadow.

"The areas you haven't been particularly interested in until now."

And to the horizon.

The ground beneath was dyed bright yellow.

The yellow was more gentle than gold and as soft as a wheat field.

"A Constellation of martial arts doesn't mean it's only worshiped by warriors."

Walking on the color of wheat grains, the mage looked down.

"Even a merchant who has lived a life completely detached from martial arts might find themselves in a dark alley fighting a robber. A musician chasing love might duel with a rival. Music, medicine, magic, academia, agriculture, commerce, navigation..."

Human figures were reflected in the yellow waves. Someone was striking the ground with a pickaxe, while another turned their ship's bow toward an unnamed sea. Tiiing! There was also a man plucking the strings of a violin-like instrument.

"These are the callings you must be willing to reach out to if you wish to become a Constellation."

"......"

"Well, to put it grandly, that's it. Simply put, these are non-professional, amateur fields for you."

The corners of the mage's mouth quivered like mimosa leaves.

I realized belatedly that it was a smile.

"So, whether you've cleared the stage or not, naturally, we need to call in an [expert] to judge, right?"

The mage struck the ground with her staff.

Whoosh!

Light burst forth, and a vague silhouette formed within it.

"Hmm?"

It was the shape of a person.

"Uh? Hmm? Uh-uh-uh----"

Perhaps they were in the middle of a meal. The person summoned by the mage appeared still seated and, with a metallic clang, landed hard on their backside.

"Ouch! Goodness, goodness. Is it the Black Dragon Master? Or the Heretic Inquisitor? Summoning me like this without an invitation is rather troublesome."

What stood out was the remarkably stable breakfall. Despite being suddenly summoned and falling in an entirely unprepared motion, that person immediately rolled on the ground and stood up.

And then our eyes met.

"Oh?"

"Yikes."

Both the other party and I knew each other all too well.

"What is it, Kim Gong-Ja? Did you summon me? I didn't know you had learned summoning spells."

The polished armor shone brightly.

There was only one acquaintance I knew who wore armor in everyday life.

"…Patricia?"

"That's right. I was worried for nothing. I thought some emergency had arisen, and I was summoned in haste, so I was momentarily tense."

It was indeed the Paladin.

"And for the record, Kim Gong-Ja, you're the only friend who didn't make a Patrasche joke after knowing my real name."

"Uh, this might not fit the current situation, but I'll ask anyway. What is that?"

"What…? You don't know Patrasche?"

The Paladin looked shocked.

"Are you in your right mind?"

"Why do I have to be treated like this…"

"This is serious. It's a sign of the end of the world. Kim Gong-Ja, what exactly do you know? What were you born to know? And you call yourself a representative hunter of our tower? I suggest you deeply reflect on your life. After reflecting, watch [A Dog of Flanders] and cry. The reason you have tear ducts is precisely for that."

"Okay. Now I'm certain this isn't the conversation we should be having in this situation."

One thing was clear. Even after so long apart, we did not ask how the other had been; we asked whether the other was sane. We were 360 percent friends.

Why 360%? Well, because it came full circle.

"King of Death."

While Patricia and I were puzzled, [The Staff of Time Immemorial] spoke up.

"I'll tell you the quest you need to solve from the 70th floor."

Both of us turned to look at the mage.

"Make that person your believer."

"......"

"From the 71st to the 79th floor, one person per stage. In total, you need to recruit at least 9 followers. That's your first mission as a Constellation."

The mage moved her lips.

This time, it was a clear smile.

"A Constellation without believers doesn't exist."

2.

The people fell silent.

-Indeed. I understand everything perfectly!

In other words, the ghost, rather than the people, was a bit noisy.

-That explains why those Sword Emperor Sect folks clung to me. Huh? If a religion worshiping me as a god were to be established, I would have personally stormed in and destroyed it, saying, "Hey, brats, why are you turning a perfectly alive person into a ghost on an altar?"

'But you are a ghost, aren't you?'

-Not at all! I wasn't!

The Guardian Spirit snorted.

-I knew something was off. I thought it was just because I was so awesome that people naturally started worshiping me. Tsk. Now it seems I was going through this quest from the 70th to the 80th floor without realizing it.

‘Huh?’

-Yeah, yeah. That pillar or whatever said, [Memories will be erased]. I had a strange feeling that my memories were distorted after clearing the stages. In the end, I successfully created followers, leading to the birth of the Sword Emperor Sect, but I conveniently forgot the process itself.

It sounded plausible.

While the origin story of the Sword Emperor Sect was inadvertently revealed, [The Staff of Time Immemorial] opened her lips.

"Ordinarily, the 70th through 80th floors are brutally difficult trials. Except in special cases, Tower hunters just like the challenger are selected as examiners, and challengers are usually on bad terms with those hunters. The examiners become desperate to make them fail."

"Haah…"

"Even the most skilled hunters usually fail here. Or they wander here for hundreds of years. But maybe things will be different for the King of Death."

Indeed.

The mage also explained the stage's gimmick to the Paladin. At first, the Paladin tilted her head in confusion, but she soon grasped the full situation.

"In short, if I worship Kim Gong-Ja as a god, the 71st floor will be easily cleared."

The mage nodded.

"That's right, child."

"Does worshiping a Constellation require any special conditions? For example, do I need to worship from the depths of my heart, sincerely, or offer my soul, and only then can it be said that I [worship]?"

"No. If the King of Death struggles on the 71st floor and you [acknowledge that's enough], then it's over."

"Good."

The Paladin turned to look at me.

"Gong-Ja."

"Yes."

"Take a good look at my face."

As always, her expression was utterly serious.

"My name is Patricia. Right now... I am the human who will make you a god."

"......"

"Be grateful."

What's with this?

"I don't ask for anything from you. Go to the 71st floor and live as you wish. Or, just breathe. Breathing should be something anyone can do without failing. It's okay. I will make you a god."

Why, when her expression and tone were so deadly serious, did this make me want to jab her in the chest and start wrestling and brawling on the spot?

"Even if you pull some stupid shit... I will accept you as a god. That too would make you a god of sorts."

"Did we really become friends after all this time?"

The first candidate for a follower was quite extraordinary.

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