SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 53

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 53: The Ultimate Fanboy (1)

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-You are now watching astonishing footage!

-The Witch, known by her alias "Black Witch," is leading the 11th floor assault team. This is the latest footage we've obtained at BBS. Ah! Let's zoom in on this part.

-Yes, right here! Let's pause the video for a moment.

In a quiet waiting room.

I was blankly watching the television.

-Viewers, do you see this? The Black Witch is holding hands with another hunter. This hunter is presumed to be the "King of Death."

-If this footage hasn't been manipulated, it appears the King of Death killed the 11th-floor stage boss with a single blow. Hunters commonly call that a one-shot kill. Until now, however, there has been no recorded case of anyone taking down a boss monster in one shot.

The caster and commentator were making a fuss.

-So, this is a first?

-Yes, indeed. Of course, the Black Witch assisted, but it seems that the King of Death was the only one who directly confronted the boss monster.

Below the screen, a breaking news ticker read, [King of Death's press conference this afternoon].

-Viewers, let's watch the next footage together.

-The King of Death, shrouded in mystery until now, finally revealed himself yesterday afternoon. He returned to Babylon via a transmission stone. As you can see, the Black Witch and Sword Saint are accompanying him.

-It almost looks like they are escorting the King of Death, right?

-Yes. To convey the atmosphere on the scene, let's turn up the volume for a moment.

A video, seemingly shot on a smartphone, played.

In the center of the screen, I was walking expressionlessly.

-Look here, please!

-Don't push! Can you say something?

-Black Dragon Master, when can we expect an official statement?

-What is the relationship between the two of you...

Click!

Unable to bear it any longer, I sharply pressed the remote.

The Guardian Spirit, watching TV beside me, frowned.

-Ah, why turn it off? I was enjoying it.

I spoke up.

"I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment!"

This was the waiting room.

A full night had already passed since the Sword Saint acknowledged me.

Today, a press conference was scheduled to report the progress of our tower assault. Normally, the leaders of the large guilds would handle it, but this time I was invited as a special guest. The conference would start soon.

-So what if you die? You don't die even when you're dead.

"I still don't like it!"

I thought of watching TV since there was nothing to do until the conference, but it was a mistake.

-Oh, come on. Then change the channel.

"It's the same on every channel, talking only about me!"

Regardless of whether it was a news channel or not, nearly all broadcasts were covering the 10th to 20th floor assault. And it wasn't just television; the internet was no different.

People talked about waking up famous after a single night. Now I was living it.

[The Goddess of Protection points out that your achievements are so exceptional.]

The holy sword at my waist vibrated.

[Fame is like a tax that heroes pay day after day. The Goddess of Protection advises you to grow accustomed to your position as a hero!]

"......"

I felt incredibly burdened and looked down at the holy sword.

"Yesterday, I was too tired to talk and fell asleep... Hey, Goddess? Aren't you overestimating me a bit?"

[You are the light!]

The sword vibrated more strongly.

She seemed like a fan idolizing a celebrity.

[The Goddess of Protection whispers that she still remembers it vividly. Atop the imperial pavilion, you unleashed a mighty roar all by yourself and declared, 'From now on, I entrust the empire to you.' The sight of you was truly gallant....]

"Ah!"

I covered my ears.

"Stop it! Stop! I was completely excited when I said that!"

But it was no use. The sword's voice reached me directly inside my head, not through my ears.

The sword continuously whispered about my embarrassing history.

[The Goddess of Protection says true heroes must love themselves! A hero without self-love always meets a miserable end, bringing misfortune to those around. In that sense, your confidence is very admirable! It's fantastic!]

Yes.

The Goddess of Protection was my fervent fan.

"Please... just stop...!"

Like how I once obsessed over the Flame Emperor, the sword was obsessing over me.

It would have been fine if the sword indulged her fandom somewhere I could not see, but her voice was broadcast live to me around the clock.

[The Goddess of Protection confesses.]

[She is happy to serve a person like you as her second master.]

Good grief.

Has anyone ever experienced someone praising them earnestly non-stop? Especially about memories you consider embarrassing and wish to forget?

I'd rather die.

[The Goddess of Protection especially treasures the moment you took the Demon King of the Autumn Rain as your subordinate and murmured, 'A lord has a responsibility to protect his people.'...]

This is unacceptable.

I took out maintenance oil from my backpack, used for polishing swords. I soaked a cloth in oil and glared at the holy sword.

"You started this."

My hand approached the blade. The holy sword blinked with white light.

[The Goddess of Protection feels threatened.]

[The Goddess of Protection begs you to stop.]

[The Goddess of Protection...]

10 minutes later.

[The Goddess of Protection apologizes for her wrongdoing.]

Sparkle-.

Thanks to my diligent polishing, the holy sword was now clean. The blade was so clear it reflected my face. But the sword trembled with humiliation.

"Phew. Finally, it's quiet."

I looked down at the now subdued holy sword.

"So, why are you a sword if you're a constellation? Were you always in a sword?"

Constellations, as I understood, were like stage managers.

There might be cases like Preta, who started as a monster and became a constellation. But I couldn't imagine how a 'sword' could become a constellation.

Expressing my doubt, the holy sword emitted a faint white light.

[The Goddess of Protection shakes her head.]

[It's easier to think of a constellation as 'something that represents that world.']

The representative of the world.

[The Goddess of Protection speaks.]

[She was originally a holy spirit revered as a god. However, the founder of the empire, 'Leafanta Aegim,' split her into five swords and sealed her.]

[She is the first holy sword, 'The Idol.']

I blinked.

"The sword's name is 'The Idol'?"

[Affirmative.]

The Goddess of Protection listed the five swords.

[First sword, The Idol.]

[Second sword, The Pity.]

[Third sword, The Prayer.]

[Fourth sword, The Sacrifice.]

[Fifth sword, The Salvation.]

[These are the five sister swords.]

[The Goddess of Protection boasts that gathering all the sister swords can restore power comparable to her heyday.]

"Oh."

In short, the glittering sword before me was only a fragment of the true holy sword. To draw out its real power, I would have to find the other four blades.

"Interesting. So where are the other sister swords?"

There was no reply.

An awkward silence settled in the waiting room.

"Hey? Goddess? Where are your sisters?"

Silent.

My eyes narrowed.

"...You don't know, do you?"

After a moment, a soft voice flowed.

[The Goddess of Protection exercises her right to remain silent.]

"So you don't know."

[She can sense their presence if they are close, the Goddess of Protection argues.]

I shrugged.

"Well, it's not urgent. Anyway, you have at least 1/5 of your power. So, what can you do, The Idol sword?"

[You can receive absolute support from the citizens of the Aegim Empire.]

"Nobody knows that better than I do. What else?"

Whooosh!

The Holy Sword emitted light at its maximum output, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

"Aack! My eyes!? My eyyyes!?"

I rolled on the floor, covering my eyes.

A gloating voice resounded in my head from the Holy Sword.

[The Goddess of Protection boasts of her ability to emit light.]

"I've seen enough of that already!"

Seriously, it was a close call. If I hadn't protected my eyes with aura in time, I could have gone blind!

"No, I mean, apart from getting support from the empire's citizens and shining brightly, what else can you do?"

Silence followed.

The Holy Sword emitted a dim light, almost as if it was stuttering.

[I am confident in cutting down monsters.]

"......"

[The Goddess of Protection hastily adds that she is also confident in cutting down humans.]

Knock, knock.

In the midst of my speechless reaction, someone knocked on the waiting room door. I quickly sheathed the Holy Sword. To anyone else, my conversation with a sword would look insane.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

The Witch's voice came from outside the door.

"It's been noisy here. What's going on?"

"Nothing! Everything's fine!"

"Really...?"

The Witch sounded suspicious but didn't press further.

"The press conference starts in 5 minutes. The reporters will bombard you with questions. After the conference, the 21st floor will open. We just need to answer the reporters briefly, then head straight to the 21st floor. Got it?"

"Yes!"

"Your answers are just perfect... Don't be late."

I heard her footsteps walking away. After ensuring the Witch had completely left, I drew the Holy Sword again and stared at its blade.

"So, apart from shining, you're pretty useless."

[The Goddess of Protection protests against this unfair opinion...]

"That's it. From now on, you're not the Goddess of Protection but Shiny. The name 'Holy Sword' is too grand for you!"

Come to think of it, this Constellation was utterly pathetic!

Unable to protect her world, devoured by the Demon King of Autumn Rain. I had to carry her to protect this Constellation's world. Like Preta, this Constellation too was not in a position to hold her head up against me.

"And you're too noisy. Having the Sword Emperor in my head is already too much. Your constant 'Goddess of Protection, Goddess of Protection' chatter is driving me crazy! From now on, unless it's really necessary, don't speak to me."

[The Goddess of Protection...]

"Ahem. Do you want to go back to the Aegim Empire? Got it, Shiny?"

Silence lingered for a while.

Then, the Holy Sword vibrated.

[Shiny answers, Yes, Hero.]

It was the moment I scored myself a Constellation.

The press conference was held in the plaza.

The plaza and even the alleys were swarming with people. Easily tens of thousands. As we walked onto the stage set up in the middle of the plaza, camera flashes erupted from all directions.

The Witch, Sword Saint, and me.

We three sat side by side at the prepared table.

"-Thank you for welcoming us."

The Witch was the first to take the microphone. Her calm voice flowed, and cheers erupted from a corner of the plaza.

"Black Dragon Master~!!!!"

"Kyaaa!"

"Please look here, Black Dragon Master! Just once!"

A group waved banners. Some even brought magazine covers featuring the Witch.

‘Impressive.’

Was it because it was before the era of the Saintess? As a female hunter, the Black Dragon Master enjoyed unparalleled popularity.

The Witch bowed in greeting and then smoothly led the conference.

"As you all know, we've conquered from the 10th to the 20th floor. As highlighted by various media and broadcasters, it's a remarkable achievement. We pondered how to share this joy, but you all publicized it for us. Yes, we're deeply grateful you saved us advertising costs."

A faint laughter came from the press.

"But what we're most proud of is something else."

The plaza grew quieter.

"It is not that we finally cleared the 10th floor, something everyone has longed for over the past several years. Nor is it that we cleared all the way through the 20th floor at a speed no one expected. Zero casualties. What pleases us most is that we did not lose a single person."

A little humor followed by sincerity.

Even to me, inexperienced in public speaking, the Witch masterfully controlled the conference.

‘Is this what it takes to lead a top guild?’

I wondered if this could really be the same person who had acted like a complete fool while trying one outfit after another on me yesterday.

"Please look down for a moment."

The Witch spoke.

"Look at the floor of Babylon's plaza you're standing on. You will see names engraved on each stone. Names of the fallen warriors who sacrificed their lives in the tower conquest. Our predecessors."

Whirring-.

The cameras of the press turned to the plaza floor.

"When the 2nd and 3rd floors were conquered, countless names were engraved. Their sacrifices brought us here. I'm sincerely happy to declare in front of them."

The Witch's voice filled the plaza.

"Today, we will engrave no one's name in this plaza."

Click! Click!

The reporters alternated between photographing the plaza tiles and the Witch. With that, the photograph that would run in the newspapers was decided, as was the mood of today's conference. The crowd cheered while chanting the Witch's alias.

‘I don't even need to step in.’

I observed the conference expressionlessly, feeling unexpectedly pleased.

‘It really pays to back the right people!’

Comforted, I glanced up at the sky.

[01:22:10]

Just like when the 11th floor opened. The light clock was drawn in the sky. When the numbers hit 0:00:00, the 21st floor would open.

‘I can't wait to finish this and head to the 21st floor...’

In the midst of the smooth conference, as questions from reporters and the Witch's answers were exchanged.

"John Evans from Babylon Daily News!"

A reporter suddenly stood up.

"I have a question for the King of Death, who recently rose to 3rd in the rankings."

‘Me?'

I looked at the reporter. Naturally, the crowd's gaze also turned to me.

"There has been considerable discussion about your sudden rise in the rankings. In particular, the theory that [you are a major new talent secretly groomed by the great guilds for years] is gaining traction!"

"Uh..."

"If this is true, it means you're a hero deliberately created by the major guilds. What do you think about these suspicions?"

Murmurs spread across the plaza.

"There are concerns that the major guilds are monopolizing the tower from the 10th to 20th floors. Especially since you, King of Death, have exclusive rights to the 20th floor! Is that true?"

The air buzzed more intensely.

Tsk.

The Witch, expressionless next to me, clicked her tongue softly enough only for me to hear. She turned off the mic and whispered.

"They're trying to provoke you. Don't answer. I'll handle it."

"No."

I shook my head.

"They'll keep coming anyway. I should clarify my position at least once."

"But..."

"It's okay."

I reached out my hand to the Witch.

"Please pass me the microphone."

"......"