WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 61: The Expedition Without Dreams or Hope (3)

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The two looked silently at the medicines they had made.

Everyone else was speechless too. The same ingredients had yielded such vastly different results that they were all stunned. 

"Heh."

The first to move was the Apothecary.

With fingers so thin that the joints stood out, she pushed her glasses firmly into place and tilted her head.

"Is this the medicine you made, elder?"

The Medicine King remained silent.

The Apothecary picked up Medicine King's potion, examining it from all angles.

"Hmm."

She tilted it,

"Heh."

and even turned it upside down.

Then, handing the potion back to Medicine King, she adjusted her glasses again.

"Is this it, huh?"

Hmm.

'Is she the type who becomes infinitely bolder when she thinks she has the upper hand?'

In other words, does she have the seed of a lunatic, like all other high-level hunters?

That can't be.

It just can't be...

While I was reaffirming my trust in humanity, Medicine King finally reacted.

"Hmm..."

The height difference between them was significant.

The woman's stature was as vibrant as the days ahead of her, long and lively, while the old man's figure had shrunk as much as the years he had lived.

Thus, the Apothecary looked down at Medicine King, and he looked up at her.

"Could it be, elder..."

"Could it be, youngster..."

Both spoke at the same time.

"Is your skill lacking...?"

"Is it just good luck...?"

Hmm.

"What?"

As the Apothecary tilted her head, Medicine King nodded.

"Lucky, indeed."

"What?"

"Tsk. That's the problem with the youth. Reminds me of when I made about 1.7 billion dollars in Wall Street in just 10 minutes in my 30s. I thought it was all thanks to my skills."

"......"

The Apothecary tilted her head, and her glasses followed suit.

A genuinely annoyed voice came from her slightly slanted lips.

"Shall we try again...?"

"Would that be wise? Luck rarely smiles twice. Tsk, the impertinence of youth..."

Three minutes passed.

"Luck is on your side, indeed. But fortune doesn't smile thrice. This time, my experience and years will shatter your mere stroke of luck..."

Another three minutes passed.

"Your luck is remarkable. But fortune doesn't smile four times..."

"Enough..."

Finally, the Sword Saint grabbed the Medicine King's shoulder.

"Enough, Medicine King..."

"Marcus, what are you talking about!"

"You're being disgraceful now..."

"No! This time for sure! This time, my skill and experience will crush that novice's luck! Can't you see Shawn McCallister's road to victory!"

"I'm sorry, young lady. You truly are the best Apothecary. It was my fault not to trust the King of Death's word."

Sword Saint bowed his head in apology.

The Apothecary, looking down at Medicine King with an expression as if seeing a water flea, cleared her throat with a 'Hmm'.

"It must be hard for you... because of your friend..."

"Well, this friend of mine... He's not completely useless. He can make medicine... not as well as you, but still..."

"Yes... Well, better than nothing, I suppose... He has the basics, so he might be usable as an assistant..."

It was at that moment when the Apothecary adjusted her glasses and mumbled to herself.

"You there!"

With the agility of a cat pouncing on catnip, the Countess, leader of Sang-Ryun, sprang forward and grabbed the Apothecary's wrist.

"Contract!"

"What!?"

"Contract! Right now! Exclusive contract! Make a contract with me!"

"Uh, uh..."

"I guarantee the best terms in the industry! I'll even let you pet a cat! No, I'll let you roll around in a whole field of cats! How about it? What do you say?"

The Apothecary was too bewildered to respond.

But the Countess was just the beginning.

"Me too!"

"Apothecary! The King of Death has recognized you, you're the Apothecary King!"

"No, drop the 'cary'! Just Apothe!"

"Goddess of Medicine! Please provide us with your medicines!"

What I faced when I soloed the 10th floor.

Countless requests for handshakes now enveloped the Apothecary.

4.

"Okay, everyone!"

The Apothecary struggled to push the people away.

"If you want to trade medicines with me, please go through King of Death! Ah, of course, the Paladin can continue as is! But for others! I'll only sell to those approved by the King of Death, so please... don't inconvenience him..."

With that, everyone's gaze, including the Countess', turned to me.

The Paladin alone quietly raised her hands in a victory pose, then lowered them back down.

I smiled slyly.

"Let's think about that after clearing the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon."

"Ah! Yes, yes!"

The mention of ascending the tower always worked on hunters.

Even the Countess retreated with a bitter face.

'Good.'

Now the team was complete.

First, there was the Sword Saint.

Then, the Apothecary.

And above all, there was me.

"No! It can't be! It can't be! My experience! My years can't be mocked by a mere youngster's stroke of luck!"

That Medicine King, or rather, Emperor of Cognitive Dissonance, might be... well, as the Apothecary said, better than nothing.

"Hmm! It seems all the characters are in place."

The Holed-Up Head Librarian, who had been watching our show, spoke brightly.

"Let me remind you again. Dying in the Revelations means actual death. There's only one way to safely escape! Overcome the crisis of cancellation in any way. And face a proper [ending]!"

"What does a proper ending mean?"

"That's up to you to decide."

At my question, the librarian grinned.

"Perhaps you'll save the Martial Realm by eradicating a pandemic. Or maybe you'll use the pandemic to become the masters of the Martial Realm yourselves. The possibilities are nearly infinite! What the [best ending] is, is for you to decide."

In other words, it's entirely up to us.

I nodded.

"Okay. Then send us to the Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon right no..."

"Wait a minute!"

Someone shouted.

"Isn't the clan leader coming?"

"Yeah, if it's martial arts, it's a perfect opportunity for the Celestial Clan Master!"

The Celestial Martial Clan.

The hunters from the guild led by Viper were speaking up.

Viper, who had been quietly blending in with the martial arts group, blinked.

"Huh?"

As the Celestial Martial disciples threw in their two cents, Viper looked confused.

"It's a world made for our clan master..."

"In my opinion too. Clan master, it's your duty to uphold the martial way, right?"

"I think so too, master. You should step forward."

Viper narrowed his brows.

Then, slowly, he crossed his arms.

His thick eyebrows and the determination in his one eye showed a manly resolve.

"Alright. I was planning to step in anyway. You guys, you haven't forgotten me, have you?"

"........"

I was speechless.

Strange. That guy shouldn't be interested in a martial world.

Something felt off, so I opened his character window to read his psychological state... And, as expected.

「Damn these disciples!」

「Why are they sending me to the boonies!?」

Viper was internally screaming.

But outwardly, he maintained composure. As if he had been waiting for his disciples to give him a push, the one-eyed swordsman spoke softly.

"Those who revere martial arts and chivalry. The world of warriors and heroes, that is the Martial Realm! Though I was born elsewhere, my heart has long belonged to the Martial Realm."

「There won't even be a modern toilet there. I suffered so much because of that in the Aegim Empire, damn it...」

Oh my.

"Why is my sect called the Celestial Martial Clan if not for this reason?"

「It stands for: 'I have the cheat skill Unrivaled Under Heaven (cheon), but before I entered the Tower I was the very picture of a thirty-two-year-old unemployed man (mujik). Is there a problem (munje) with that?' Cheon, mu, mun. But everyone thinks it means the Celestial Martial Clan. Even the sign maker wrote it that way. It is too late to explain now. Fuck...」

Incredible.

"I must go."

「I absolutely don't want to go!」

I was at a loss for words.

It seemed that the Guardian Spirit sharing my consciousness was also at a loss for words.

[Shiny reports that she too is at a loss for words.]

An entity that could leave people, ghosts, and Constellations speechless was before us.

The hunters cheered, "Woah!"

The members of the Celestial Martial Clan were especially overjoyed.

"As expected of our leader!"

"I knew the master would step up!"

"Our idol! The true hunter of this era!"

"I will follow you for life, leader!"

If I didn't have the ability to read minds... I might have been impressed too. To anyone's eyes, Viper looked every bit the devoted swordsman, just like Sword Saint.

Sword Saint crossed his arms.

"Hmm... Viper, you might indeed feel compelled to go."

"Without a doubt."

"That does not mean I have any reason to yield, though."

Sword Saint raised his Aura.

Viper was already in high spirits, their auras clashing. Bang! The air around them changed abruptly, like a balloon popping. Bookmark Maids either ran away or were flung around by the force.

The hunters were more thrilled.

"Sword Saint and Viper are facing off!"

"It's a battle of pride!"

A truly remarkable sight.

Knowing Viper's inner thoughts, it was a remarkable sight for a different reason.

Then, a clinking sound.

"Sword Saint. Celestial Martial Clan Leader. Let's stop this."

It was the Paladin stepping forward. The clinking came from her purse. She had been one of the few people to bet on the Apothecary in the earlier wager, and her normally thin purse was now bulging with a forty-sevenfold payout.

With a gravely serious face, she said, "We can't have a sword fight here, can we?"

Whatever one made of the purse, the Paladin's voice was serious. As always, she had stepped in to mediate between the two. As always...?

'Wait, has it always been like this...?'

-Yeah, zombie. What if it's always been like this and we just didn't notice?

'This world is full of forbidden knowledge we're not supposed to know...'

Viper snorted.

"If a sword fight is needed, then let it be. Damn it, I'm a martial artist too. Let's fight and the stronger one goes, right?"

「Lose on purpose!」

「Lose but make it look close, so it's not embarrassing!」

「If I lose to the Sword Saint, even my disciples will accept it. Yes.」

A truly bizarre scene.

Unaware of all this, Sword Saint wiped sweat from his brow.

"Sorry, Viper... I must give my all against a strong opponent like you. Last time, it cost you an eye. I can't guarantee a different outcome this time."

"I should be the one saying that, old man. Come at me thinking of my past, and you'll end up in a coffin."

「Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!」

Viper's outward appearance was that of a valiant warrior.

My ghostly companion, Sword Emperor, also wiped sweat from his brow.

-Zombie.

'Yes, Sword Emperor.'

-High-level hunters are all crazy, right? But among them, this guy, what do I say...

'He's the [real deal]...'

Sweat covered my forehead too.

'If only considering sweating from the forehead, we were all the same.' All hunters were watching this scene with sweaty foreheads.

Even those in Babylon Square watching the broadcast must be sweating.

Paladin's forehead was also sweaty, with drops falling onto her bulging purse.

"Viper, you are..."

Viper flashed a bold smile.

"A warrior has moments when he can't back down."

「Paladin, do something!」

Though his urgent inner cry could not possibly have reached the Paladin, the Paladin really did do something.

Specifically, she said to Sword Saint:

"Sword Saint... Can't you step back this time?"

「Why is she asking him to step back!?」

'Why is she asking him to step back!?'

Ah, we overlapped. My thoughts had overlapped with that [real deal]...

[Shiny reports that she is trembling her blade and massaging the Hero's waist.]

The Sword Emperor patted my shoulder.

While I silently received their consolation, Paladin continued to speak to Sword Saint.

"I know you always want to be at the forefront. But you've already joined the King of Death and the Witch from the 12th to the 19th floors. It would be shameless to push yourself into the 22nd-floor raid too."

Her tone was calm and logical. Her face was dead serious.

"The thing is,"

Paladin pointed to Viper and those who suggested that the leader of Chun-Moon should participate.

"The Celestial Martial Clan Leader is the head of a group. Though he may not care about face in front of his disciples, his situation is different from yours, who is alone. Can't you respect him a bit?"

"Hmm..."

Sword Saint, Marcus Callenbury, let out a thoughtful sound.

The seasoned old man furrowed, then relaxed his brows. His eyebrows moved up and down several times.

Finally, he crossed his arms.

"When has this old man ever cared about the face of your Five Great Guilds?"

Paladin clicked her tongue.

"Sword Saint, really..."

"However."

Interrupting Paladin, Sword Saint turned to look at me.

But why is he looking at me now...?

"Lately, even this old man has been thinking that I ought to show a little decency."

It was a good sight. The obstinate old man was bending his own stubbornness. The beauty of it made me wish that Medicine King, or whatever his name is, could learn even a tiny bit from him.

‘But why now...?’

"Understood."

Sword Saint took a step back.

His gaze, examining the Revelations, was filled with regret, but the old man cut it off and said,

"Viper. This time, this old man will yield to you."

Viper's eyes widened for a moment but soon, he smiled broadly, exuding more force. Like a gambler who had won just as he wanted.

"About time. Know your life's been spared, old man."

「No! Why the sudden yielding!? Marcus Callenbury! You're not one to yield to others! No, I don't want to go!」 

It was an indescribable forbidden scene.

Paladin, too, with a face that said 'indescribable,' looked at Sword Saint. The Heretic Inquisitor, watching with bright eyes, jumped and hugged Paladin's arm.

"Amazing! Paladin, you persuaded Sword Saint!"

"Hmm. No. It's the Sword Saint who accepted my persuasion."

"Aha-ha! Is that so! Then I must hug the Sword Saint!"

"I firmly refuse."

Sword Saint put up an impenetrable wall. However, nothing stops a natural-born psycho, so Sword Saint had to endure quite a bit.

"Really... everyone is growing a little."

The Witch, touching her lips, chuckled softly, punctuating the scene.

It was as if a heartwarming story had just unfolded, and the three selected for the expedition to the Apocalypse [The Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon] were ready.

"Tsk. If it's decided, let's hurry up and go. Wait any longer and the day will break. Just like when I was young... Can't help it, then. Ha, really. I have to go, don't I? Earlier, I was continuously outdone by that youngster's luck, but the unrivaled, universally acknowledged greatest pharmacist of ancient and modern times is me, Medicine King."

"Eek, King of Death. I'm scared... Is it really okay for someone like me to go along? Of course, I am at least better than that old geezer called Medicine King or whatever? It's a fact as certain as Galileo Galilei's heliocentrism, though strangely, that flea-like old man refuses to acknowledge it? But me, going along..."

"You noncombatants over there, keep yourselves safe when a fight starts. A person's head can go flying in an instant."

「I don't want to go... Please, let's switch... Sword Saint, swap with me even now...」

I blankly stared at my fellow expedition members.

Rarely, the Sword Emperor spoke in a comforting tone.

-Don't worry, zombie. If it doesn't feel right, just die! Whether you catch a disease or throw yourself off a cliff, just reset to before this moment! I really respect this reset ability from the soul. Though I'm just a soul now.

I weakly nodded.

"Yes... let's go..."

"Good."

The Holed-Up Head Librarian chuckled and snapped their fingers. Snap! The Revelations flew from Sword Saint's hand into the librarian's. As if to say, 'I only lent it to you, but this book is originally mine,' they skillfully opened the book.

"King of Death, Viper, Medicine King, Apothecary."

Light burst forth from the book.

"I designate the four of you as new characters in [The Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon]. When you open your eyes, you'll be in a world 10 days before the unfortunate cancellation of the Records."

And light enveloped us.

"I hope you'll present a splendid ending."

The moment the expedition, devoid of dreams and hopes, was dispatched.

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