SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 341

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 341: Absolute Music (2)

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"Alright, let's leave the chit-chat there."

A staff wedged itself between the Paladin and me. Turning my head, I saw the [Staff of Time Immemorial] looking at me impassively.

"Listen to the final explanation before you ascend to the 71st floor."

"Ah, yes."

"King of Death, the world you are about to enter is already dominated by Constellations. However, it's different from before. You have no need to fight the Constellations."

I tilted my head in confusion.

"Why? Are they good Constellations?"

"Well, to be precise, you have no means to fight them. Until now, you've only met Constellations with personalities. Relatively, Constellations that are close to human forms. But from the 71st to the 79th floor, [Constellations without personalities] reign."

Without personalities.

"Are they like objects or plants, then?"

"Something like that. You could say they are the laws of the world itself. The important thing is that you have no way to fight those Constellations. Unless you've reached the realm where you can freely wield the Sword Heart, it's not possible."

"......."

"I specifically summoned this knight among your comrades for a simple reason. The 71st floor is, how should I put it, a world dominated by music. It's what you'd call a Heaven of Music."

"Hoh."

The first to react to the word 'music' was Patricia.

"Indeed, I must be the right person for the job. Not to brag, but I am among the most excellent musicians in our tower. My concert was sold out this time as well. An excellent choice."

Patricia crossed her arms and looked confidently at the [Staff of Time Immemorial].

The reason for her confident gaze... I wasn't quite sure. Ever since she started performing jazz again, Patricia had become much, much more liberated than before.

"I don't see why you're bragging to me. Anyway, yes. King of Death, you will also become a musician in the Heaven of Music and live on."

"Do I have to be a musician?"

"There's no freedom of career choice. In the Heaven of Music, every being is a musician. Don't think that every world will be as free and vibrant as your neighborhood."

What a harsh world.

"Even though I've learned a bit of piano from Patricia, I'm still a complete beginner..."

"Most Hunters are like that. Outside their field of expertise, they're all amateurs."

The mage looked as if wondering what the problem was.

"That's why so many Hunters despair in the 70th floor region, right?"

"......Indeed. You have a point."

"Don't worry, Kim Gong-Ja."

Patricia patted me on the shoulder.

"Didn't I say? Even if you show the most embarrassing side of yourself, I plan to stamp a pass without any conditions. Unless it's the Blood Fire Drama. It's practically impossible for you to move me with ordinary music anyway. Relax your mind."

"That was oddly offensive."

"One should be humble about their talents... For example, Kim Gong-Ja, one could say you lack talent in fashion. Your leather fetish is quite severe."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who wears armor 365 days a year?! Besides, this style was designated by Anastasia! Don't complain to me!"

"Indeed."

The mage nodded deeply.

"You and your friend could chat endlessly if left alone. I'll have to send you by force."

Squish, the ground beneath my feet gave way.

[The Staff of Time Immemorial is transporting you.]

Looking down, my feet were sinking into a floor that swayed like yellow paint.

"Uh? Wh-What?"

"Off you go."

I sank up to my waist in an instant. Right before I was completely submerged, Patricia urgently shouted at me.

"Kim Gong-Ja! Even if you lack talent in fashion, I don't mind!"

"Patricia......"

"Because you also lack talent in your face. Your fashion and face are a perfect match."

"Let's see each other after I clear the 71st floor."

"Have a good trip."

And then I fell through the bottom.

[You have entered the 71st stage.]

[You are stepping into a place where you should not be.]

[A certain penalty has been given.]

I opened my eyes.

It was a village that seemed like it could come to mind when one thinks of 'heaven,' resembling a fairy-tale elf kingdom painted in watercolor.

It was very quiet.

And deathly still.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth manifests their authority.]

[General information about this stage is revealed to you.]

It was the first time I set foot in this world, but there was no inconvenience in gathering information. The supreme Constellation Hisimet Cretsu had submitted to me, after all.

Before I could take a second breath of this world's air, texts appeared.

[Heaven of Music]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: The Maestro Singing of Heaven

Difficulty: B~A+

Description (Lv.1): Everything in this world revolves around music. If you wish to buy something, you must 'play music' for the seller. The better the music, the higher the price, and the worse the music, the lower the price.

The nutrients consumed by the inhabitants of this world are also solely music. Waking up in the morning and listening to music fills them with nutrients, and not hearing music for a week leads to starvation. Currency. Food. Power.

Think of everything as being made of music.

Everything made of music.

'It’s much more convenient than before.'

After taking Hisimet Cretsu as my subordinate, the trouble with gathering information disappeared. Is this why the Constellations so feared having their authority taken away? Even I, who am a newcomer in the Constellation realm, am growing unstoppably.

'Now, how to strategize... Hm?'

It was while I was planning my route in my mind.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth manifests their authority.]

[Exposure.]

A new message arrived, slightly different this time.

[You have not met the conditions to acquire hidden information.]

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[Hidden information has been revealed!]

Wriggle, wriggle!

The letters that appeared in front of me suddenly decomposed and reassembled. Like black worms wriggling their bodies, the characters changed into new meanings.

[Heaven of Music]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: The Maestro Singing of Heaven

Difficulty: B~B+

Description (Lv.2): Not every Hunter enjoys the fortune of living for hundreds of years. Some die. Many people die. Have you ever thought about where the souls of those who die in the tower go?

This is the heaven where the souls of those who have died in the tower arrive. The afterlife. The so-called underworld of the tower.

I blinked my eyes. What?

"The underworld?"

Astonishment blossomed in my mouth, and my tongue stiffened. But regardless of my surprise, Hisimet Cretsu continued to embroider the characters. The thread snake coiled around my wrist, flicking its tail.

The torrent of information did not stop.

There are nine levels of the underworld in the tower.

They are known as the Nine Heavens.

Even if the humans of the tower die, if they wish to remain somewhere instead of disappearing completely, they will wander the Nine Heavens. The heaven which they will wander in is entirely dependent on the hunter's last wish.

This is the 71st floor.

The first heaven. The Heaven of Music.

At that moment, as the information continued,

"■■■■!"

The characters suddenly stirred. The thread snake flicked its tongue. Then, it raised its head high and glared into the void.

Hisimet Cretsu seemed stressed, to say the least. I wondered why it was suddenly trying to bite at the empty air, but the reason soon became clear.

[You have not met the conditions to acquire hidden information.]

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

I grasped the situation. Something invisible was interfering with Hisimet Cretsu's authority.

Whether it was interference from the system or obstruction by the Constellation governing this stage, I couldn't yet tell. But Hisimet Cretsu was not at all diminished in vigor. "■■! ■■!" It bared its teeth, threatening that something.

[The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[You have earned the right to view hidden information.]

[Hidden information is revealed!]

Finally, the turmoil among the characters settled.

Hisimet Cretsu snorted, as if saying 'How dare something so insignificant try to block me?' Then, as if boasting that its existence was now far more valuable than the [Goddess of Protection], it displayed the characters.

[Heaven of Music]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: The Maestro Singing of Heaven

Difficulty: B

Description (Lv.3): Heaven of Music. The heaven where souls tired of life, weary of language, and nauseated by conversation arrive.

Now, they no longer believe in the language between people. They do not attempt to approach each other, and if they do, it is only through music.

Everything that breathes life in this place possesses a soul. The dandelion crossing the lowest heaven. The narcissus bowing its head. The stickleback enjoying a footbath in the shade of a rock by the stream. Every living being is merely a reincarnated soul.

They have forgotten their past lives. Sometimes, perhaps always, whenever they dream, those memories rise like a dim fog, and they merely swim within it.

In this Heaven of Music, where music echoes, the weary souls will be soothed.

Forever, if they wish.

Indeed.

"......."

I looked around.

It was eerily quiet.

Under the tranquil sky, birds did not form flocks but scattered individually, flying in whichever direction they wished. According to the information revealed by the [Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth], these were also souls.

My head throbbed.

‘...Even the afterlife is arranged in the tower.’

Reincarnation was everywhere.

Flowers lined both sides of the dirt road leading to the village. Stark white hydrangeas. Buddha's head flowers sat in meditation in a row, silently chanting mantras.

‘Not a single person has been overlooked by the Tower Master. Not a single one.’

There were many white flowers.

White didn't pick seasons.

The Buddha's head flowers clasped their petals together in prayer, and behind them, acacias bowed their heads. White spider lilies nibbled at the sky with their fingertips. The cherry tree pared off petals like fully grown fingernails and tossed them into the air.

Those wanting to shed their color were erasing their past lives.

‘...But I don't hear any music.’

I pressed down on my uneasy heart and thought differently.

‘Isn't it too quiet?’

Since arriving on the 71st floor, I hadn't heard any sound. Strangely, it was silent. Even when Hisimet Cretsu had roared earlier, only silent vibrations were transmitted to my wrist.

-Huh? Quiet?

The Guardian Spirit tilted his head in confusion.

-What are you talking about? It's almost too noisy for me.

‘What?’

I stepped on the dirt road. Though the world was silent, where I needed to head was clear. In the middle of the village, far down the road, a tree large enough to cover the sky was growing.

Perhaps it could be called the World Tree.

The villages clung tightly to the massive trunk of the tree, much like layers of bracket fungi.

When I enhanced my vision with Aura and looked closer, I saw people and animals like deer and giraffes mingling without issue, moving up and down a large staircase made of wood at the center of the tree. Not all souls were reincarnated as plants.

-Even the chirping of birds is one thing, but the flowers are singing too.

‘What?’

-If you look closely, even the insects are whispering songs. Of course, I admit it's a magnificent choir. If you listen quietly, it seems like it could bring peace to the mind. But personally, this stage isn't really to my taste... No, wait. Kim Zombie, you really can't hear anything? Nothing at all?

"......."

Could it be?

I opened my mouth.

I moved my tongue and tried to emit a high note, "Aaah."

"......."

No sound was heard.

I moved my Aura to supplement my hearing. I wrapped the organs responsible for human hearing in Aura once more, making sure there were no gaps, and perfectly supplemented my hearing. Then, I made a sound with my mouth again.

"......."

Still, no sound was heard.

It wasn't that my hearing was broken, but rather, as if the very sense of hearing had been deleted.

‘Damn it.’

I realized what the message [A certain penalty has been given] meant, which came to mind right after I fell into the 71st-floor stage. Why even Hisimet Cretsu's roar sounded like ■■ to me.

‘I... I can't hear anything here!’

To clear a world made of music without sound.

And to win over the heart of Patricia, a musician, and make her a believer.

This was the penalty given to me.

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