SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 389

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 389: The Time He Waited, The Time He Walked (2)

──────

II.

Thus, the heavens and the earth faced each other, but neither was content with just their counterpart; they yearned for something beside them as well.

So, the heavens forged a sword, and the earth did likewise. This time, because they had an opponent, they did not need to cut themselves.

The heavens swung down their sword towards the earth, and the earth raised its blade against the heavens.

Hundreds of slashes rose and fell.

Winds poured down from the chasms in the sky, and water burst forth from the fissures in the earth.

The fragmented heavens were sealed into various moments like spring, summer, autumn, winter, polar night, midnight sun, new moon, and full moon. The split earth was divided into dozens of continents and hundreds of thousands of islands, each becoming a unique ecosystem preserved in time.

To honor the birth of climate and seas, seasons and life, people named the moment of the second clash the ‘Month of the Sword.’

Planetarium.

In a brunch café serving as a midway base in the Lion World, an unexpected commotion was taking place.

"Uhehehe, miss, let's climb the tower together~"

A punk with a Mohican hairstyle roughly grabbed a frail-looking woman's wrist, insisting as his tongue, adorned with a small piercing, flicked incessantly.

"Pl-Please let go…"

The woman, wearing glasses, shrank in fear, but the Mohican punk was relentless.

"Come on, let's climb the tower~ Don't be satisfied with the floor you're on now, embrace an insatiable desire for improvement and aim for the 100th floor~ Muhehehe~"

"Uh...someone, please help me…"

Like a subordinate facing a boss who unilaterally sets impossible targets, the woman sobbed, calling for help.

But cruelly, it seemed there was no one in this tower willing to assist her.

Was it this injustice that touched a nerve of a girl who was about to quietly have her meal?

"Ah... really. Can't even let me eat in peace."

A girl who had been enjoying her meal with a shovel strapped to her waist started to rise.

It was no secret; the girl was none other than the [Chamberlain of the King of Death Family]. Her power could shroud the heavens and shatter the earth. Once she intervened, the fate of the punk was sealed to be effortlessly vanquished.

However, in the end, the girl never got the chance to step in.

"Hold it, Chamberlain of the King of Death Family."

"Hmm?"

Voices called out to halt the girl.

Justice existed in the world, after all.

"You are..."

"It's our turn to step in."

The ones who stopped the girl were men.

Dressed in white doboks*, their backs emblazoned with the large character for "Heaven" (天).

*Dobok (Korean: 도복) is the uniform worn by practitioners of Korean martial arts, such as taekwondo. Do means "way" and bok means "clothing". The dobok came from the Japanese keikogi/dōgi, used in Japanese martial arts, such as judo.

"The beautiful hands of the Chamberlain of the King of Death Family weren't made to clean up petty trash like this, were they?"

The man in the lead spoke, and the girl took her seat.

Then, with a raised eyebrow, she remarked,

"Ah... please go ahead. Right now, I must attend to this fellow named [Seafood Cream Pasta]."

The men in white doboks smiled and crossed their arms in unison.

"Alright then."

"To prevent such petty villains from running rampant."

"That's what we're here for, after all."

The men in doboks stood up and slowly approached.

Only one remained silent, his hood deeply drawn, but they all walked towards the Mohican punk.

Thud, thud.

Their simple white attire belied the weight of their stride, reminiscent of elephants that once roamed the Serengeti when it was still a savanna.

"Hey, that's enough, okay?"

"Eh? What's this? Who are you guys?"

The Mohican punk sneered, baring his teeth.

The man in the lead shook his head as if to say it was unavoidable, revealing his face from the shadows. Seeing the lead man's face, the Mohican punk chuckled.

"What's this? All tough and then just a pretty little kid?"

Indeed.

The man leading in the dobok, upon closer inspection, seemed more a boy than a man.

A Mohican punk and a delicate-looking youth. At first glance, one might worry for the latter in this dire mismatch.

But the youth, with a smile that could steal the hearts of girls in a second, said,

"My name is Gahaeil."

"What?"

"I was once the successor to the Orthodox Path's True Heavenly Sword Sect, with the [Martial Name] [Sun-Shooting Sword]. After various twists and turns, I came to be registered with the Celestial Martial Clan, and my current [Alias] is [Haruto (春堂)]."

Introducing himself as Haruto, the youth snapped his fingers.

"Let's skip the rest of the introductions., Hunter Card, open."

With a pop, a card-shaped luminescence flickered in the air.

"Huh? A Hunter Card? At your age, your rank would be... Aaahhh! This, this rank is...!?"

The Mohican hunter, who scoffed at the card, screamed in agony.

It was inevitable, a sure thing.

What was there to hide? And even if hidden, where could it be concealed?

The Hunter ranks of the men in doboks were astonishingly, on average, [B-Rank].

And when it came to Haruto, who revealed his card---

"A, A-Rank Hunter...!!"

For context, [Hunters] refer to those who climb the tower, and among them, these individuals belonged to the [Strongest] category. Their strength should be clear enough once you know they were highly regarded even within the [Celestial Martial Clan], one of the [Five Great Guilds].

"I-I didn't realize!"

Like a frog encountering a snake, the Mohican hunter dropped to his knees, bowing his head.

Haruto looked down at the petty villain's pitiful display, his face steeped in melancholy.

"This whole space-time is too fucking awful to watch. Can we please stop it???"

"Why stop, junior... It was just getting to a good point..."

Haruto, looking awkward, scratched the back of his head.

The man who had remained silent under his hood suddenly burst out in frustration, throwing off his dobok.

"Enough with this bullshit! Seriously, all of you... Haruto or whatever, just all of you are a pain!"

The man who threw off his dobok was handsome, with an ink-dark ponytail.

Haruto was at a loss for words.

"Come on, Yoo Soo-ha, that's a bit harsh, isn't it...?"

"Harsh? What's harsh is the mere existence of you guys!"

"What did we even do...?"

"Do what? Do what, you ask!?"

"Um..."

Haruto could only repeat "Um" and "It's not like that," as if an indoor person was being oppressed by an outdoor enthusiast's club.

The sight must have been terribly familiar, because none of the Planetarium's guests or employees joined the commotion. The Chamberlain of the King of Death Family and the two other retainers who had finished eating beside her had also vanished, apparently having returned to their sanctuary.

Perhaps that was why Yoo Soo-ha vented his frustration, pointing at others.

"What are you all looking at? Do something!"

Where Yoo Soo-ha pointed, an old man and a boy, their hands cupped like tulips under their chins, were enjoying the commotion with glee.

The boy spoke first.

"Did you know? Surströmming might seem like an odd food at first, but as you eat it, you come to understand the intricate flavors."

The old man added,

"Hmph. Why would I stop them for somebody else's benefit? At my age, I need at least the pleasure of watching things like this."

"That's too much...! That's why you get called a water flea, old man...!"

The bespectacled woman, who had been harassed by the Mohican punk, scolded the old man.

The old man retorted angrily.

"What are you doing? You, who've now claimed the title of Master Alchemist, sitting here pretending to be bullied by such riff-raff!"

The Mohican punk seemed even more shocked by this.

The woman called Master Alchemist pointed at the Mohican punk, protesting her innocence.

"H-Hiding my strength and pretending to be weak...? Just look at this man...! He's frightening...!"

"Good grief, you're the scarier one!! Do you know how often your disciple comes to me and pleads? 'My master is terrifying. If I go back, my master will chew me out again. Professor Shawn, please tutor me a little longer,' they say..."

"What...?"

The Master Alchemist pressed her glasses firmly up her nose.

This brunch café, the Planetarium, was carved from the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts. The Great Library gathered various world fragments under the name ‘Apocalypse,’ thus the Planetarium was inhaling the air from countless worlds just beyond a thin sheet of paper.

Perhaps that's why, although the atmosphere of a space is usually determined by the actions of those within it, the Planetarium was particularly susceptible to changes.

When the Mohican punk caused a disturbance, it resembled a cheap bar; when the disciples of the Celestial Martial Clan intervened, it took on an inexplicably bizarre ambiance; and when Yoo Soo-ha yelled, it was as fiery as a blaze. However, with the simple gesture of the Master Alchemist, the café welcomed a winter's night.

"Ahaaaa... I see... Yes... What should I do with this ungrateful wretch... I should probably head back for now..."

Feeling a strong sense of duty, the Master Alchemist made her way out of the Planetarium.

The boy looked at the old man indifferently.

"What?"

"Don't you feel sorry for the disciple of Lady Apothecary?"

"Who told them to hitch their wagon to her? This is exactly what they brought on themselves."

"Did you know? I'm starting to like your character..."

The old man snorted. Meanwhile, the Mohican hunter sneakily crawled away.

Yoo Soo-ha, having witnessed it all, rubbed his forehead.

"Crazy bunch..."

The former disciples of the Celestial Martial Clan looked at Yoo Soo-ha warily, worried about his reaction.

Yoo Soo-ha, realizing anew the insanity of his seniors, slapped his chest in frustration.

"Ah, really. Gong-Ja, oh you damn Gong-Ja! Do you see? Do you understand? This is the fucking world you've created!"

"It doesn't seem like such a bad world to me..."

"Senior, please, let's get the train of keeping your mouth shut moving... Departing in 3~ 2~ 1~"

"No..."

Haruto clamped his mouth shut. At his reaction, Yoo Soo-ha, once again infuriated, took a deep breath before exhaling sharply.

"We shouldn't have just let him off when he suddenly started doing the Cossack dance... Should have made him dance more. Left him in some desolate void to dance forever..."

[The God Who Dances in Emptiness expresses grave concern and profound regret.]

Such proclamations of the tower did not reach Yoo Soo-ha.

He simply pulled his hood down further and approached the old man, saying,

"Hey, old geezer... Pack me some food."

"What'll it be?"

"Oh, the usual... You know, the thing that old geezer likes. What's it called, risotto? That."

"As always, no respect... Reminds me of me when I was young. Ah, well."

Despite saying that, the old man took the order with practiced hands, lit the kitchen burner, and began cooking after taking out bottles of water that Evian itself would want as mentors.

Watching him, Yoo Soo-ha urged his seniors.

"What are you doing! Hurry up and get ready to go. Lunchtime is almost over, you know?"

"But we haven't even finished eating yet..."

"Then take it with you and eat on the way! Always so unreliable, my seniors."

"No..."

Their flustered behavior aside, they were still celebrated rising talents of the Orthodox Path. They deftly picked up their bowls and chopsticks and continued eating.

Yoo Soo-ha looked back at the old man.

"And, well... You know the big old man. He said you should take some time off and visit. Bring the Sword Saint with you too."

"Why?"

"Why, you ask? Probably misses an old man like himself. Go play some Go or something."

"That Great Axe Sage..."

The old man finished cooking while mumbling, but not without a hint of fondness in his expression.

Taking the packaged meal, Yoo Soo-ha addressed his seniors.

"Let's go."

The disciples of the Celestial Martial Clan chuckled and gathered up their bowls and chopsticks.

"Yes, junior."

"Let's return to our [Fortress]."

"To the pinnacle of the Orthodox Path, [Heavenly Martial Alliance]---"