SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 35

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 35: My Death Is... (2)

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"Sir Sword Saint...?"

The Paladin narrowed her eyes.

"What business do you have here?"

She probably never expected to meet the Sword Saint in such an alley. It was an unexpected location and an unexpected person. The Sword Saint's demeanor was too serious to simply dismiss as coincidence.

"Young lady, your ears seem to be failing you."

The old man was radiating hostility towards me.

"I said to clear the path. I have business with that man there."

"Such harsh words. Do you have something to discuss privately with Hunter Kim Gong-Ja?"

"Ha! I have no interest in what that guy's name is."

"……"

The atmosphere in the alley changed dramatically.

The Paladin no longer narrowed her eyes but just stared coldly at the Sword Saint. Clear wariness. As the number two of a major guild, she must have concluded that the aged swordsman didn't approach with friendly intentions.

"Make way."

The Sword Saint spoke again.

"I have already asked you to move three times."

"A matter that cannot be resolved by saying once won't be resolved by saying thrice or even thirty times. Have you forgotten such a simple truth of life in your old age, Sword Saint?"

The Paladin slowly reached for her sword hilt.

"Hunter Kim Gong-Ja has formally joined the Five Great Guilds. Attacking him is tantamount to declaring war on the Five Great Guilds. I don't know what you're thinking, but don't expect the Vigilante Corps to stand idly by."

"Ha!"

The Sword Saint let out a scoff.

"As expected. All the guilds are in this together, eh? I knew it."

" 'In this together'? I'm increasingly unable to follow your train of thought."

As time passed, the air in the alley grew tenser.

"Sword Saint. I'm aware that you sometimes go on [human hunts], having received several reports. Of course, the Vigilante Corps is not idle enough to interfere with your personal beliefs. But if you try to hunt in front of me, that's a different story."

"Is it different?"

"If it happens, I will fight you with my life on the line."

"Do you believe you can stop me?"

"No."

The Paladin stared unemotionally at the old man.

"I will fight you with all my might and die. And the moment I die, you will become a lowlife murderer who killed an innocent person. Sword Saint, if you wish to spend the rest of your life as a murderer, feel free to attack."

"……"

"If there's not much left of your life anyway, I'll be the one to throw you into the gutter."

The old face of the Sword Saint twisted in anger.

It was already evening. The sun was setting quickly in the alley. The sounds of people walking in the distant alley reached us, but no one else was here besides us. The Sword Saint and the Paladin faced each other in a standoff, with silence enveloping the scene.

This silence...

'Yes.'

This was why I brought the Paladin here.

'The Sword Saint has a weakness for innocent people.'

And the Paladin is probably the only high-ranking official in a major guild who is truly innocent.

Last round, on the 12th floor stage, when the Sword Saint tried to kill me, it was the Paladin who stepped forward and mediated between us. The Sword Saint cryptically agreed to let her mediate.

-…Paladin girl. You are the only one here who hasn’t harmed a single person. Very well. I will trust you too.

An ordinary-sounding statement.

But I didn't miss it.

Meaning...

'The Paladin's kill count is [0].'

No matter how ruthless the Sword Saint's ethical views were... or rather, precisely because of his extreme views, he couldn't help but see the Paladin as a good person in his eyes.

'The Sword Saint can never harm the Paladin.'

A sort of compatibility.

To the wicked, the Sword Saint is a fearsome killer.

But to the righteous, the Sword Saint is just a harmless old man.

And moreover...

'It's not just the Paladin.'

Thud.

Someone stepped forward. It was the Alchemist. Startled by the successive appearances of the Paladin and the Sword Saint, the Alchemist had been frozen but finally stepped forward, arms spread wide.

"Excuse me!"

The alchemist spoke. Clack, clack. The shopkeeper's jaw trembled with nerves. After pursing trembling lips several times, the words came out one broken phrase at a time.

"Whatever the matter, this customer here is my benefactor!"

A hunter who would later rise to lead Alchemy Castle.

Master Alchemist.

A hunter destined for success shouted with all her might.

"Though Babylon doesn't have laws like the outside world... protecting a customer is a natural duty for a shop owner... Even if it's the Sword Saint! You cannot mess with my shop's customer!"

"……"

"A few days ago, I was already put through enough trouble when some thugs caused a scene! I'm sorry, but please leave the front of my shop now! This is a formal request that you vacate the premises!"

The alchemist shouted. If the shopkeeper actually faced the Sword Saint head-on, that head would be severed in less than a second. And yet, despite that, it was the Sword Saint whose menace weakened, for the same reason as before.

'Saintess. Paladin. Master Alchemist.'

These three were known to be kind-hearted hunters in the future.

'Even when the Flame Emperor set fire to the slum, the Paladin and the Master Alchemist were among the first to arrive at the scene.'

Good people.

People who live a bit more at a loss, suffer a bit more stress, and thus are often treated as fools by others.

But the only people who can stop the Sword Saint, the number one hunter in the ranking, were these good people.

No one else could.

"What will you do?"

The Paladin asked.

"If you want to plunge into the gutter, I'm more than willing to accompany you."

"……"

The Sword Saint hesitated for a while. If I was right, the outcome was already determined.

And I was right.

It didn't take long for the aged swordsman to retract his hand from the sword hilt.

"…It just wasn't my day today."

The Sword Saint withdrew his hostility.

Even as he turned away, the old man glared at me until the end.

"Pray that you don't cross paths with me. If it weren't for the Paladin and the shop owner here, your head would already be rolling on the ground."

Good.

Second-stage condition cleared.

This meant the Sword Saint wouldn't immediately start swinging his sword upon seeing me. Even if he decided to kill me, at least we could exchange a few words first.

What I needed was just that brief moment.

"Sword Saint!"

Before the old man completely turned away, I called out.

"I'll be waiting tomorrow at noon in the vacant lot north of the city!"

"……"

"You may come or not, as you please. I'll wait there alone. I mean it! If you want to know what kind of person I am, please come tomorrow at noon!"

The old man briefly turned his head to glare at me. His blue eyes scrutinized my face. But that was it. Without any further response, the Sword Saint quietly left the alley.

Thud. Thud.

Only after his footsteps had completely faded did the Paladin finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Phew! That took ten years off my life. To run into a killer out of nowhere like that."

Murderer.

"…Is the Sword Saint famous for being a murderer?"

"Not famous. But at least the heads of the Five Great Guilds know about it."

The Paladin shook her head.

"I heard that he lost his daughter to a murderer while living in the outside world. He's an old man who rarely speaks about himself, so even I don't know the details. Perhaps because of that, the Sword Saint shows murderers no mercy. His methods are ruthless. But we have no evidence, so in practice we look the other way... Hmm. Naturally, this is a secret."

The Sword Emperor chimed in.

-Right. Marcus told me about it. His daughter and son-in-law were killed by a serial killer. Only his granddaughter and grandson barely survived.

'Why are you telling me this now?'

-Huh? What do you mean? You didn't ask.

The Sword Emperor shamelessly replied.

Of course, that's what he was like.

"I can understand the Sword Saint's feelings to some extent."

The Paladin muttered, looking around.

The shabby alley.

The Harlem-like area of the city spread out like a shadow behind the sunset.

"Working with the Vigilante Corps, you encounter various criminals. Talking to them, you often wonder if such people deserve to live. Killing those who deserve death in advance... Even I am sometimes tempted by that thought."

The Paladin mumbled.

"All the heads of the major guilds have their own deep stories. Hunter Kim Gong-Ja, now that you've joined us, you'll gradually come to understand... Really, there are many places so rotten they stink. I wonder how you'll react... Hmm."

The Paladin shook her head, perhaps thinking she had shared too much with an outsider.

"I've strayed off topic."

She deliberately brightened her voice.

"So, how much for the potions? The Vigilante Corps is always tight on budget, so it's a problem if it's too expensive..."

The next day.

I stood alone in the desolate vacant lot, looking at my smartphone.

Unsurprisingly, not a single person was in the usually quiet plain. Of course, the hunters of Babylon were gathered in the square, celebrating a festival.

It was similar to the last round.

'But there are differences.'

I glanced at the news headlines on my phone screen.

-[Breaking] 11th Floor a Mass Battle? Black Dragon Executives Gather.

-As the festival approaches, major guilds hastily organize teams for the raid...

-Inquisitor's exclusive interview! "To conquer the 11th floor, you must form a team."

-Another secret pact among major guilds?

-The source of information remains a mystery...

Indeed.

The world had changed a bit.

Precisely because of me.

"……"

And it will change a bit more.

"Hmm."

From the other side of the field, the Sword Saint slowly walked towards me. Perhaps it was because of his black suit, but the sky behind the old man seemed unusually blue. Faint cheers from the city in the distance could be heard.

[00:01:31]

Above us, a clock of light floated gently in the sky.

The blue sky, the voices of the people, the clock of light.

With everything behind him, the Sword Saint approached me.

"You're really alone."

The Sword Saint stopped.

"Do you have confidence that you can face me alone? Well, for an assassin who has committed such slaughter, you must be confident in your abilities."

His gaze.

The way the old man looked at me felt quite unfamiliar. It was completely different from the last cycle. Last time, our eyes conveyed mutual trust and recognition.

But now, there was neither trust nor recognition.

Distrust. Hostility.

Just the look of someone seeing a murderer.

-Zombie?

'……'

-Are you okay?

I nodded inwardly.

'Yes. I'm fine.'

It just hurt my heart a little.

"Sword Saint."

I gathered my thoughts.

"There's something important I want to tell you."

"Speak. If it's your last words, I'll listen."

"I know why you want to kill me."

The Sword Saint's lips curled.

"Indeed. The guilty give themselves away. So you know your own crimes."

"It's because of a skill called [Eyes of a Detective]."

"……"

The Sword Saint's expression hardened for a moment.

"How did you...?"

"Please believe what I'm about to say."

I began to speak, thinking.

How difficult it is to gain someone's trust.

Everyone has their own stubbornness. For the Sword Saint, [Eyes of a Detective] was his stubbornness. A skill that shows the kill count of others. The fact that this skill could be wrong, that it could make errors, the Sword Saint just ignored it.

That's why it's stubbornness.

The man before me had lived his life according to this stubbornness.

People who have lived with stubbornness can't separate it from their lives. It's intertwined. Giving up their stubbornness is like giving up their life.

'I have to convince such a person.'

Even more, I have to gain his trust.

To persuade the man before me to deny his own life.

Thinking about it again, how difficult is this task?

'But... I can do it.'

I clenched my fist.

'If it's about putting my life on the line, that's all.'

I began to speak.

"Sword Saint. I'm a prophet."

"What?"

"To be exact, I have a skill like prophecy. Thanks to this skill, I know that you have [Eyes of a Detective]. If things continue as they are, you'll kill me, and I'll ask why I must die."

"……"

"When that time comes, you'll say you have [Eyes of a Detective] and this skill shows the number [4093] above my head."

A little lie.

But right now, I had to use a lie to convince the old man.

That I know the future.

Only if the Sword Saint trusts this fact can we safely clear the 12th floor.

[00:00:00]

The clock in the sky pointed to zero. Fireworks burst in the distant city. Cheers celebrating the opening of a new era echoed faintly.

The old man and I.

The only two people away from the celebration, looking at each other.

After a long silence, the Sword Saint spoke.

"Guess."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm hiding my left hand behind my back and holding up some fingers. Guess how many fingers I'm holding. If you're truly a prophet, it should be easy to figure out."

Okay.

As expected, he went this way.

As I predicted.

"If you fail to guess, I'll consider it as you daring to lie..."

Probably, the Sword Saint was fully prepared for any attack from me. Whether it was a surprise attack, using an item, or employing a skill, the Sword Saint would easily block it.

But 'this' he wouldn't have expected.

Before the Sword Saint could finish speaking, I drew a dagger. The Sword Saint flinched. And when he prepared to defend against an attack, I didn't hesitate to stab myself in the neck.

"What!?"

The Sword Saint's eyes widened.

The aged swordsman had only prepared for an attack from me. He never expected I would stab myself. A moment of carelessness. A second of time. Thanks to that, I was able to end my life.

And then.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

I only needed a second.

And so, I started the day again.

I descended from the 10th floor stage, met with the heads of the major guilds, played poker, won, asked the Paladin to join me in the alley, encountered the Sword Saint, and was defended by the Paladin and the Apothecary. The Sword Saint backed off, and I shouted to meet him tomorrow at noon.

[00:00:00]

And once again, I stood in this moment.

Chapter 35 Part 3:

The Sword Saint spoke the same as yesterday.

"Guess."

The same test as the last cycle.

However, my reaction was not the same as last time. When the Sword Saint said to guess, I didn't respond dumbfoundedly with 'Yes?'. Instead, as if I had anticipated it, I answered promptly.

"Right now, you're hiding your left hand behind your back."

"……"

"You're going to lift some fingers and then challenge me to guess how many. You're thinking that if I'm truly a prophet, it wouldn't be difficult to figure out."

The Sword Saint's face became even more rigid.

"Sword Saint. Please believe me. I have attained a skill similar to prophecy. It's simple for you to kill me here, but if you do, safely clearing the 12th floor stage will become impossible. Many people will lose their lives."

"…Wait. Hold on."

The Sword Saint spoke.

"This alone is insufficient proof. It might not be prophecy, but [Clairvoyance] or [Mind Reading]. Where's the guarantee that you're really a prophet...?"

Right.

Once isn't enough.

I was prepared for this.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

Convincing one person isn't easy, especially if that person has reached the pinnacle in their field.

"This alone is insufficient proof. It might not be prophecy..."

"You suspect that instead of prophecy, it could be [Clairvoyance] or [Mind Reading]. You're wondering where's the guarantee that I'm truly a prophet."

But that's okay.

Test me as much as you want.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

Doubt all you want.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

Whether it takes a week or a fortnight, it doesn't matter.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

I am confident I can convince you.

My death is longer than your life.

"……"

Finally, the Sword Saint closed his lips.

All his suspicions and doubts were pre-empted and overturned by me.

I spoke calmly.

"Sword Saint. Please believe me."

"……"

"If you kill me here, it will be disastrous. Numerous casualties will occur on the 12th floor stage. I'm not trying to say I'm innocent, nor am I begging to be spared forever."

"…Then what?"

"Five days."

I held up five fingers.

"For just the next five days, please don't kill me. Follow me, see with your own eyes whether I truly deserve to die or not, and judge for yourself."

The Sword Saint was silent.

I didn't need to stab myself with the dagger again; I knew the old man was conflicted internally. It was the moment for the final blow.

And I knew what would serve as the 'final blow.'

"You still don't believe my words."

"……"

"Sword Saint. Later, much later, you'll tell me a phrase. You said if I say this one phrase, you'll believe I'm truly a prophet."

"…What is it?"

I answered.

"Sword Emperor."

The old man's eyes widened.

Regardless, I continued.

"I don't know whose alias it is, but you said you'd believe me if I said this."

"……"

Silence settled.

Far in the city, cheers still resounded. The figure of the Goddess giving a long speech during her descent was faintly visible.

As the Goddess disappeared, the aged swordsman finally spoke.

"Five days, you say. Young man."

"Yes."

"Fine."

The Sword Saint looked into my eyes and said.

"For the next five days, I'll follow you. I'll watch every word, action, attitude, and posture you have. Then I'll judge whether you deserve to die or if you really are a prophet who approached me."

"……"

"Is that all?"

Good.

"…Yes. That's enough."

I bowed deeply.

"Sincerely, thank you."

I had cleared all the conditions.

First, to get a promise from the guild leaders.

Second, to ensure the Sword Saint wouldn't kill me on sight.

Third, to gain the Sword Saint's trust, at least for now.

'Finally.'

Finally, I can ascend to the 12th floor without the guild leaders and the Sword Saint being at odds.