SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 65

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 65: The Great Orthodox-Demonic War (4)

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While Guardian Spirit and I were chatting, the Medicine King boiled water using what seemed like an Evian-like bottled water. At the same time, he effortlessly laid out a frying pan and a cutting board, beginning to cook.

A savory aroma filled the cave.

“Hup, hah.”

The Medicine King was quick with his hands. In just 15 minutes, he had prepared a variety of dishes: a soup with mussels, a crispy fish steak on asparagus, a stir-fry of some unknown fish and long shellfish garnished with parsley, a cream-topped porridge with diced shellfish and mushrooms, and even a whole roasted leg of lamb. He served them up with a flourish.

“Here, you lot! It isn't much, but stuff your faces. You need to eat well while you're young. Tsk, tsk.”

The Head of the Martial Alliance’s eyes widened at the array of dishes laid out in front of him.

“Well, the Heavenly Demon and I are quite old, but…”

“Did you two swallow some elixir of immortality or something? Good grief, in Silicon Valley you could have patented that! Never mind. If you're old, then stuff your faces properly! That's how you keep your bodies going.”

As he ladled mussel soup into a huge bowl, the Medicine King looked exactly like a foul-mouthed old grandmother. No, a foul-mouthed old grandfather.

I too received a bowl of mussel soup. The aroma was promising, but I didn't expect much from a mussel soup. However, the moment I tasted it, I was shocked.

‘This is incredibly delicious!?’

Was it because I had just been eating those absurd scraps of food they called fasting pills?

First off, there was no fishy taste. The soup wasn't just boiled in water; it had a reddish hue, probably from some blended red vegetable, giving it a slightly tangy yet umami flavor. The mussels were perfectly chewy, their juices mixing exquisitely with the broth.

Fucking delicious.

Even after winning the Merchants Union lottery, the height of luxury for me had been a venti white mocha Frappuccino with four shots, half java chips, and extra chocolate drizzle. This was a shock.

The Apothecary, who had likewise been scraping by in the slums before she became famous, seemed to feel the same way. Her eyes widened.

“Incredible. It’s so delicious…”

Apothecary began to describe the flavors.

“This shrimp is plump and firm. And it tastes exactly like shrimp... It isn't fishy at all... H-how can shrimp taste this good? And this mille-feuille for dessert tastes like Nunettine was granted a noble title. Not just an ordinary title, either, but something like a marquessate. The yogurt ice cream underneath has a fresh layer of passion-fruit juice, so it feels like tartness squared... H-how can anything taste like this?”

The Medicine King’s pride was evident.

“Well, I did receive a Michelin three-star rating as an owner chef in my 50s! Ah, if only I had a proper kitchen instead of this burner, I would have really made your bellies burst.”

Could the Medicine King be genuinely remarkable at more than just making medicine? Had all that talk about Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and being a boxing champion actually been true rather than bluster?

“Why did such a great person come to the Tower?”

Viper, curious too, asked while slurping seafood porridge (which seemed to be officially called Abalone Truffle Risotto).

The Medicine King scoffed.

“Why, can’t a person like me come? Marcus came to the Tower too in his later years!”

Indeed.

“So, you knew each other from before?”

“Know him? He was just an annoyingly rich brat from a wealthy family. To someone like me, who made my own way in Silicon Valley, he was just lucky. Then in his later years, he suddenly got unlucky, took up a sword, and came to the Tower…”

His voice trailed off with a snort.

Apothecary, Viper, and I all looked at the Medicine King with renewed respect. Perhaps embarrassed by our gazes, he stirred the pot as if shooing a bird.

“Just shut up and eat!”

So we stuffed our faces. It was seriously incredible.

That was the moment the cook for the expedition into The Veritable Records of the Heavenly Demon was decided.

“Truly a sublime taste.”

Even the protagonist of the Heavenly Demon Records, the Heavenly Demon, couldn’t stop shoveling the food into her mouth.

“Could you be an imperial chef? Hmm, no. This is of a different character from the cuisine of the Central Plains.”

The Head of the Martial Alliance slurped up his cream pasta as well, spraying spit as he spoke.

“I’ve tasted various cuisines as the Head of the Alliance, but this is a first for me.”

“This richness and the elegance of the dishes… where exactly are you from, and why have you come here?”

“Could it be that you've found a cure for the zombie disease?”

Both martial artists' eyes shone with hope.

Understandably so. We were the first humans they had met in years, and they wondered if we had discovered a cure.

I felt a pang of regret but shook my head.

“No. We’re still searching for a cure too.”

“Mmm. So that is how it is...”

Perhaps their disappointment matched their hopes. Their faces fell with disappointment.

“After all, every doctor and monk in the martial world tried to cure the disease, but no one succeeded.”

“The experts of the Maoshan School, who specialize in zombies, even gave up. So, it’s unlikely things would be different even in the outside world…”

“Was there really no cure at all?”

I inquired.

“I'm not bluffing. You saw that cooking just now. We possess knowledge different from yours. This Apothecary in particular is better than anyone at treating illnesses and preparing medicine.”

The Apothecary, who had been taking a large bite of lamb, blushed. Beside her, the Medicine King grumbled, “I told you it was luck.” Considering that I was eating his delicious food, I did feel a little sorry for him.

“That gentleman over there is at least capable enough to assist the Apothecary. If you can help us even a little, we may be able to develop a cure.”

The Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance looked at each other.

“It would be a stretch to call it a cure...”

“Well. It is not as though there was no method at all...”

The Apothecary's face brightened.

“W-what is it?”

“Wait here.”

Shortly afterward, the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance brought in a large coffin.

Opening the coffin, we saw a zombie lying inside.

-.......

Just like when we discussed the warmth of the Head of the Martial Alliance’s body, the Sword Emperor fell silent, furrowing his brows.

The zombie was as docile as though it had been exposed to sunlight. Whether because it was tightly bound in chains or because needles as large as spikes had been driven into every joint, it lay utterly still.

I looked up.

“What’s this?”

“The Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke calmly.

“After being bitten by a zombie, they asked us to use their body for research. But the only method we found was to block all the body’s meridians with needles.”

She reached into the coffin.

“Be careful.”

She pulled out a needle from the zombie's neck.

-uhhhh!!

Instantly, the previously docile zombie opened its eyes.

“Eek!?”

Apothecary jumped back in fright. The zombie tried to bite her, but its chains prevented it from moving.

“As you can see.”

Thump!

The Heavenly Demon drove the long needle back into the zombie's neck. Its eyes slowly closed again, and its face grew peaceful as though it had never struggled at all.

“If the acupoint between the brain and spinal cord is blocked, a zombie can be put to sleep. It is the cervical acupoint. But this is no more than a temporary measure, not a cure.”

“Once bitten, the body is infected with corrupt energy through the meridians and Ki channels.”

Corrupt energy. Could this be referring to the virus?

“No matter how much they meditated or practiced Ki circulation, it was unstoppable. Even those cultivating demonic energy or possessing the purest Ki would end up as zombies. The body heats up like fire, and soon they become zombies.”

The Heavenly Demon closed the coffin.

“The monk from Shaolin lasted the longest. Even after a zombie tore off their arm, they retained their sanity for a year. But they was the rarest of exceptions. Ordinarily, even the greatest masters have difficulty lasting more than two weeks.”

She sighed.

“Young ones from the outside world, can you really find a cure?”

"......."

Apothecary couldn’t respond. Even the usually talkative Medicine King was silent.

As none of us could reply, the Heavenly Demon let out a bitter laugh.

“It is all right. I thought only this old fossil and I remained under heaven, but merely encountering living people like you means the Old Mother has watched over us. Stay here as long as you wish.”

The Head of the Martial Alliance nodded in agreement.

"We'll prepare a place for you to sleep. There’s much to discuss, but let's continue tomorrow."

On our first day in Revelations, we spent the night without any significant achievements.

“I can't eat anymore...”

"Marcus, you left me to forever be second best…"

In the middle of the night, my companions muttered in their sleep, all of them sleeping soundly.

We laid our beds near the hot spring, slightly damp but warm enough to fend off the cold.

-Why aren't you asleep, Zombie?

I looked up at the sky. The open ceiling of the cave offered a clear view of the dark night.

"I have something to check."

Instead of asking what I wanted to check, the Sword Emperor fell silent. He must have had an idea as well, probably the same one I did. I pulled the blanket up to my face, closed my eyes, and pretended to be fast asleep.

As I pretended to be asleep, the night deepened.

Someone approached quietly. Two people, in fact. I remained still, feigning sleep. The footsteps lingered near us, then whispered softly.

"...Are they asleep?"

"...Seems so."

“...Then let's hurry while we have the chance.”

“...Yes. Let us finish quickly.”

The voices of the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance.

Their footsteps receded toward the hot spring. I seized the moment.

Whoosh!

I sprang up and dashed toward the open-air bath. Beyond the thick steam, the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance were immersed in the water while dressed in white robes. They had been relaxing in the hot spring and were startled when I suddenly ran in.

“Huh!?”

The Head of the Martial Alliance hurriedly submerged deeper into the water, his face showing surprise.

Just as I thought.

Observing their bodies, I confirmed my suspicions.

“What is this? You were asleep!”

The Heavenly Demon narrowed her eyes, quickly grasping the situation. She sighed softly and stared at me calmly.

"...You're quick-witted. When did you realize?"

"From the start, I thought something was off."

I spoke up.

“Despite this cold, both of you were lightly dressed. One of you wore only a martial robe, and the other was dressed in nothing but a white robe.”

Outside, the weather was bitterly wintry, cold enough that no one could endure it at all without using Aura. In that severe cold, the martial artists before me had persisted in wearing clothing that was practically no protection at all.

"You must be circulating Ki to keep warm. That means you're proficient in using Ki, but then why the trivial scuffles or getting tired from a short walk? It’s strange."

I continued.

"There's only one explanation. Both of you are [focusing all your Ki elsewhere]."

“Earlier, you said that once someone is bitten by a zombie, their entire body becomes tainted with corrupt energy.”

I faced them squarely.

“Both of you have already been bitten, haven't you?”

“This is what I think, Heavenly Demon, Alliance Leader. Both of you were infected by zombies a long time ago. But as the leaders of the Demonic Cult and Orthodox Faction, you have been using your immense internal energy to hold the corrupt energy down. Am I wrong?”

Silence fell over the hot spring.

Splash.

The water rippled, and soon, the Heavenly Demon stood up.

"D-Demon. You…"

“Enough, old man. We’ve been found out."

“Young one from outside lands, your words are correct.”

She turned her back to me.

The Heavenly Demon’s pale back.

"We were bitten by zombies three years ago."

There, a purple, rotten wound was visible.

The Head of the Martial Alliance showed his neck as well.

“But you're wrong about one thing.”

A similarly rotted wound was there, but it stopped at the base of his neck.

“We’re not suppressing the corrupt energy.”

Rather, his face was as normal as ever.

“We’ve blocked our cervical meridian with Ki to cut off the corrupt energy.”

The Sword Emperor clicked his tongue.

-Fucking insane. It's Ki Telekinesis.

‘Ki Telekinesis?’

-You know about the Flying Ki Sword Technique, right?

‘Yes, where you wrap a sword in Ki to make it fly… Are you saying?’

Exactly that.

-They’ve blocked their cervical meridian, losing sensation below the neck, becoming paralyzed. In other words, they are now moving every part of their body [with Ki].

Guardian Spirit added.

-Even the heartbeat.

Every beat of the heart.

-Even breathing.

Inhaling and exhaling air.

-Moving an arm, controlling joints, extending a leg, and managing the waist, knees, ankles, and feet.

In short, everything necessary for living and moving.

-They are controlling everything with Ki.

To prevent the zombie virus from spreading to the brain.

The martial artists had placed their own brains in a state of seclusion.

I remained silent.

In other words.