SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 55

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 55: The Ultimate Fanboy (3)

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In any field, latecomers are at a disadvantage.

In a red ocean already dominated by veterans, newcomers must dive in and prove their worth, much like a low-ranking soldier struggling to climb a fortress seized by the enemy.

The tower was no exception.

"---Welcome!"

As the white light faded and we regained our sight, we were not greeted by the goddess's voice.

"Warriors ascending the tower!"

It was a child, indeterminate of gender.

A little kid, draped in an overly large robe, reminiscent of traditional eastern clothing at first glance.

"This Holed-Up Head Librarian has been eagerly awaiting your arrival like a day feels like three autumns!"

However, upon closer inspection... it was entirely different.

Other than the long sleeves, there was nothing resembling traditional eastern formal wear. In fact, the sleeves themselves were extraordinary, stretching out over 5 meters.

"Ah, but no matter! Life starts and ends with encounters. Looking back, what matters most in life is whom we've met. Waiting is just a spice that deepens life!"

There's a saying that fashion is completed by the face. No matter how special the clothing, it varies drastically depending on who wears it.

In that sense, the kid fluttering the 5-meter-long sleeves was definitely unique.

"Let me express my sincere welcome once again!"

In the air.

"Welcome to the Great Library of Myriad Thoughts!"

The kid floated high in the sky, looking down on us who had been abruptly summoned.

[Holed-Up Head Librarian welcomes you all!]

The Constellation known as the Holed-Up Head Librarian, manager of the 21st through 30th floors.

The representative of this world spread their arms wide and smiled brightly.

Regrettably, no one responded to the child's greeting. The hunters still had not grasped the situation and looked around in confusion.

"Uh, uh... what?"

"Why were we teleported all of a sudden?"

"Where are we?"

Roughly a few hundred people.

The hunters murmured in dismay. Most were those who had been in the plaza counting down just moments ago.

But there were others who were having 'personal time' elsewhere.

"Ahhhh!?"

"Don't, don't look here!"

Embarrassed screams echoed here and there.

There were hunters summoned in the middle of a shower, lovers transported while naked, and even people looking around sleepily after apparently being summoned from bed. One hunter after another had been caught in an absurd predicament.

"Oh my."

The Head Librarian chuckled.

"I might have lacked a bit of consideration."

While the hunters floundered in panic, the Librarian snapped their fingers. Large book-shaped cases came flying over. With holes for heads, arms, and legs, the cases sought out the naked hunters and fitted themselves around them.

"Ah..."

"Th-thank goodness."

Onlookers sighed in relief. I, too, felt a bit embarrassed by the scene.

"What… what the heck is this..."

The actual victims, now dressed in gigantic bookcases like Gundam suits made of cardboard, looked distressed. But they were in the minority. With this wave of embarrassment passing, people started to regain composure, looking up into the sky one by one.

"...Who are you?"

The Witch, representing the hunters, spoke up.

"And where is this...?"

"Ah. I'm just a humble manager of a slightly large library. Black Witch. Compared to you, I'm nothing more than an extra. I'd appreciate being treated as invisible."

"........"

The Witch frowned.

The stranger knew her identity, which she found to be an ominous sign.

I was already somewhat familiar with the concept of constellations, having recruited both the Demon King of the Autumn Rain and the Goddess of Protection. But to other hunters, constellations were still an unknown entity.

"-Just a slightly large library."

Seizing the moment when the Witch closed her lips, I took the initiative.

"I do not think 'slightly large' quite covers it."

The 21st floor.

This place was one enormous library. Perhaps it was even an understatement to call it merely enormous. Bookshelves packed with books stretched from nearby to the horizon, from the floor we stood on to the ceiling above.

It was more akin to 'a world made of a library.'

"Interesting."

The world's master looked at me.

Eyes of pure innocence.

Eyes like those of a purely innocent child sparkled.

"Indeed. You must be the King of Death."

Hmm.

"Do not be so wary, all of you. I am harmless. I truly wish only to welcome you. To me, you are no different from heroes in an epic."

Heroes from an epic.

Knowing what that meant after 4,000 days of regression, I pretended not to understand and asked.

"Heroes from an epic?"

"Like this."

Snap!

The Head Librarian snapped their fingers. Two hardcover books flew from the countless shelves and floated around the Librarian.

Their titles were clearly written on the covers.

[Chronicles of the Aegim Empire]

[Story of the City of Ascension]

The Head Librarian smiled softly.

"My hobby is reading books. But the books in my library are no ordinary records. They're your histories. Books about the worlds where the tower has been erected."

The Head Librarian gently caressed the spine of the books.

"Wondering why only you among many warriors were summoned? The reason is simple! In your world, only you have 'character names.'"

"...Character names?"

"Aliases, as you call them."

The Head Librarian looked down at us with a faint smile.

"302 of you gathered here. All warriors with aliases."

The hunters murmured.

"Only hunters with aliases were summoned?"

"Then, the others are..."

"Wait. Does this mean we have to climb the tower amongst ourselves!?"

Yes.

Not the real names used outside, but the unique names given by the tower. Aliases. That was the entrance ticket from the 21st floor onwards.

'...That's why I couldn't set foot beyond the 20th floor before regressing.'

Pioneers with aliases.

Those without aliases, the latecomers.

'The gap between the two groups will only widen.'

I fiddled with the hilt of the dagger at my waist, a method to calm and focus my mind... a small personal ritual.

'I'm different from before.'

No longer was I the dropout who couldn't even step beyond the 20th floor due to lack of skills and aliases. Now, I was a hunter who just ascended to the 3rd rank.

'I won't just be excluded and fall behind.'

But few others maintained such composure.

The Witch was among those who could not remain calm.

She muttered in disbelief.

"It's impossible. Climbing the tower with just 300 people..."

"Don't worry!"

The Head Librarian took hold of [Chronicles of the Aegim Empire] and smiled.

"You defended the Aegim Empire with just three people. 300 is a hundredfold more! You'll easily pass the stages I've prepared. Have confidence!"

"......."

Most hunters exchanged anxious glances. In the midst of the vast library extending to the horizon, the small group of hunters seemed insignificant.

Before the anxiety spread further, I interjected.

"Let's proceed, Head Librarian."

"Ah!"

"I know you are excited to meet living people for once, but we want to climb the tower as soon as possible. You have not even given us a quest yet. Please move things along."

"Ah, ahaha."

The Head Librarian chuckled softly.

"Indeed! In my excitement, I neglected to assign the quest. However, explaining everything verbally isn't quite my style...."

Thud!

Hundreds of books flew towards us.

The hardcovers circled around the librarian, whirling in the air.

"Let's see... Which work will resonate most clearly? This apocalypse is too bland, and this one's end of the world is too quiet... Ah, yes! This one will be perfect."

They grabbed a book.

"But be warned."

And opened it.

White light burst from the opened pages.

"It's just a taste, so don't be too startled."

Whoosh!

A wave of light engulfed us.

All the hunters were transported somewhere.

It was clearly not our world. Buildings of unfamiliar architecture surrounded us, resembling termite mounds enlarged hundreds of times.

Including me, the hunters floated in the sky. We were high above, and beneath us, buildings unlike any we'd seen or heard of before stretched out.

"E-eek!"

Someone screamed. Perhaps they had a fear of heights? Despite not falling, the hunters instinctively clung to each other's sleeves.

Watching their antics, the Head Librarian laughed.

"I am the Head Librarian. But as mentioned, the records that gather in my library aren't ordinary history or fiction books. They are much more, no, significantly higher in level!"

The Great Library of Myriad Thoughts.

A repository where the records of numerous worlds converge.

"This is the world you cleared."

The Librarian tapped the hardcover titled [Chronicles of the Aegim Empire].

"And this is your world!"

There was also a book titled [Story of the City of Ascension].

Hundreds of other books flew around the childlike Constellation. The Librarian gazed at the collection as though it were too adorable to bear.

"People call these books various names. Some call them epics. Others refer to them as novels or chronicles. Annals. Or even sagas. But my preferred term is different."

The librarian turned to us.

"Apocalypse."

The Constellation laughed.

An eerie laugh echoed across the sky.

"Your apocalypse is... let's say, still in [serialization]. You've just ended a long prologue and are beginning to climb the tower. You're entering a phase that's just starting to get interesting."

Then…

"But not all apocalypses are smoothly [serialized] like yours."

Rumble, rumble.

Something began descending from the sky. Descending was too gentle a word; they were tearing through the heavens.

"Regrettably."

Meteors.

"Some apocalypses have unfortunately faced [serialization cancellation]."

Massive rocks blazed and plummeted.

They struck the termite-mound-like buildings. Boom! An immense roar shook the world. The earth itself split under the torn sky. Cities that might have harbored other intelligent life were obliterated without a trace.

The hunters screamed.

Clouds of dust from the impact engulfed us.

"Not just one, but many."

In the darkness where nothing could be seen, only the Constellation's aloof voice rang out.

"There are many."

Snap!

A book closed somewhere. With that, the dust clouds vanished. The destroyed city disappeared. The cracked earth and torn sky were gone.

In their place, new worlds unfolded beneath us.

"If the cause of cancellation in that apocalypse was stone -"

Tsunami.

"Then the reason for this one is water!"

A tsunami, reaching the bottom of the sky, engulfed the city.

It was too vast to be called a wave and too violent to be merely a tsunami. It was a disaster. The tsunami, nearing us, set off more screams among the hunters.

"Ah."

The librarian sighed sorrowfully.

"How tragic is it?"

Worlds where all humanity died from a disease.

Worlds where the last drop of water dried up under encroaching sand.

Worlds where volcanoes erupted, shrouding the sky in smoke and clouds.

Even a world ravaged by a zombie virus.

"These people were just like you. Alive, creating their own stories. But before reaching a proper ending, before achieving a grand finale, they met an unjust end."

The librarian closed the book.

"I call this 'serialization cancellation,' but..."

Hundreds of books still circled the Constellation.

"You would simply call it 'the end of the world.'"

Before we knew it, we were back in the enormous library.

"Ugh, ugh..."

"Blargh!"

Sounds of retching echoed. Dozens of worlds had been witnessed meeting their demise. Though physically unharmed, many hunters were mentally shaken.

"The quest for you is simple."

The librarian looked down at us.

"Choose eight apocalypses from those that have faced cancellation."

Select eight worlds from those that have been destroyed.

"I wish to finish reading the apocalypses that faced untimely ends!"

The Librarian wanted to see the stories of the destroyed worlds continue.

"Enter the eight apocalypses yourselves,"

Enter those eight worlds directly.

"And save them from the brink of cancellation!"

Prevent their destruction.

"That is the quest I bestow upon you."

That was the quest from the 22nd to the 29th floors.

As the retching in the library continued, a voice resonated in the hunters' heads.

[The 22nd floor quest has been assigned.]

Text appeared before our eyes.

[Remake The World, Volume 1]

Difficulty: Undecided

Objective: There are countless worlds, and countless destructions. The 'Holed-Up Head Librarian' refers to this as 'serialization cancellation.' They wish for the worlds that have faced unjust cancellation to resume their stories.

First, choose one of the canceled apocalypses!

If you succeed in saving the world, it will be registered as your 22nd floor.

*However, if you fail, the 22nd floor will not open.

Indeed.

This librarian was none other than a book-crazy, world-obsessed reader.

"So..."

I slowly opened my mouth.

"You're unsatisfied with the endings, so you want us to write the books for you?"

"Exactly so!"

The librarian laughed heartily.

"Please satisfy my reading tastes!"

Remaking the endings of worlds for this book-crazy reader.