WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 69: A World Where Constellations Died (1)
──────
1.
One winter day.
So BaekHyang followed her mother across the snowfield.
The day was overcast. Snow poured from the cloudy sky. In the swirling blizzard, a person was barely a shadow.
Her mother's receding back was also as faint as a shadow.
So BaekHyang raised her voice.
-Mom!
Suddenly, So BaekHyang felt afraid. The sound of the snow was too loud. Her own voice seemed to be drowned out by the noise of the snow.
-Mom!
Her mother's shadow remained distant.
So BaekHyang grew anxious.
She had to walk faster to follow her mother. But the faster she walked, the more breathless she became. The faster she walked, the quieter her voice got. What should she do?
-Uh...
Should she stop shouting and walk faster to catch up with her mother? Or should she stop walking and shout with all her might?
The young Heavenly Demon didn't know.
While she was uncertain, the shadow grew even more distant.
-Mom!
Finally, So BaekHyang stopped.
-Mom!
When she stopped, her voice did gain a little more strength. Until then, her footsteps had been taking up the space her voice needed. So BaekHyang thought her mother would now turn to look at her, and that the shadow would grow clearer by just that much.
But why?
The shadow grew even more distant.
While So BaekHyang shouted, it grew more distant.
Eventually, her mother's shadow was buried in the blizzard, becoming indistinguishable from the snowfield.
-......
Did her mother abandon her?
Had her mother used crossing the snowy path as a pretext for a natural-looking farewell?
Or did her mother genuinely lose her?
So BaekHyang didn't know.
She couldn't know.
2.
[You have died.]
When I closed my eyes and opened them again,
It was a space that was endlessly dark.
[The condition for your skill has been fulfilled by your death.]
[Randomly copying So BaekHyang's skills.]
My hell.
[Creating skill cards.]
Cards floated before my eyes.
But my immediate concern wasn't the skill cards.
I sighed and spoke to the Guardian Spirit.
'Sword Emperor, did you memorize the file?'
-Well, to some extent.
The Guardian Spirit scratched the back of his head.
The file containing the desperate research findings noted down by the Apothecary and the Medicine King was crucial. In the chaos caused by the Heavenly Demon's spiritual deviation, I hadn't been able to calmly memorize the contents of the file.
-If we combine what you remembered and what I remembered, we'll more or less piece it together. But we need to go back before we forget...
'Okay. Then let's quickly select the skill.'
-Um.
The Guardian Spirit moved in the air and read the backs of the cards to me. The Heavenly Demon had many skills, but one in particular caught our attention.
+
[Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven]
Rank: A+
Effect: The Demonic Cult. They hate and curse the principles of heaven. They not only hate and curse but formed a sect and ultimately established a doctrine. Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven is a martial art containing the essence of this doctrine.
Those who comprehend the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven can tear apart the heavens and crush mountains! However, one must deeply understand the hatred and curses contained in the techniques of the art.
The more you hate and curse the world, the more colorless the heavens will become. The one who attains the ultimate state of Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven, that person will be the true Heavenly Demon, capable of overturning the heavens.
*However, using the art makes it difficult to maintain one's self.
+
Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven.
It was an outrageously grandiose name, but I could not scoff at it.
‘...This must be the martial art we saw earlier, right?’
Because it was indeed that powerful.
The Medicine King's head fell off with a swing of the sword from afar. The Viper couldn't even withstand three exchanges and died. Even I, who prided myself on having trained quite well fighting the [Demon King of Autumn Rain], couldn't follow the sword path of the Heavenly Demon with my eyes.
Truly the greatest technique of the martial world.
-It’s typical of demonic arts.
The Guardian Spirit frowned.
-It all comes down to how you deal with the world, whether it's martial arts or formations.
‘Deal with the world?’
-Yeah. Those who accept the world generously are usually orthodox sects. Those who try to scratch at the world are demonic cults. So, martial artists of orthodox sects craft their bodies into vessels to accept the world, while those of the demonic cults shape their bodies into claws to scratch at it...
Hmm, the Guardian Spirit crossed his arms.
-Let me give you a simple example. Take the downward slash, a typical move where you bring the sword down from above your head. In some sects, this move is called Tiger Stance Sword Strike, likened to the posture of a tiger pouncing.
Whish!
The Guardian Spirit posed and swung his arms.
'......!'
For a moment, I flinched. I truly felt the momentum as if a ferocious beast was charging at me.
He was strong.
His speech and appearance were so pathetic that I sometimes forgot, but the Guardian Spirit before me was the Sword Emperor, a martial artist who had nearly conquered the Tower with a single sword.
-Well, it does not really matter whether it is a tiger, a bull, or anything else. Techniques vary wildly depending on what insight the martial art's founder gained. What matters is that the practitioner is, to some degree, [imitating] the tiger or bull.
Imitating. Mimicking.
Thus, turning something of the world into one's own.
That's what the Guardian Spirit meant by 'accepting the world'.
-But demonic arts are different.
He assumed the same stance again.
-When teaching this technique, the demonic cults say this:
With a sharp inhale, the Guardian Spirit planted his foot.
-Remember the rage you felt when a thief stabbed you in the gut.
The empty air seemed to split.
Faced with it, I involuntarily stepped back.
His face.
It was the Sword Emperor's face that caused this reaction.
A frigid anger lingered in his expressionless face.
As if he had become a completely different person.
-Remember the moment the county magistrate dragged your younger sister away. Remember how powerless you were. You stood blankly before the yamen all night, and at dawn your sister came back as nothing but a cold corpse. Fix her face in your mind.
The Guardian Spirit performed a sword dance.
Even without a sword in hand, I somehow saw the Guardian Spirit's sword. That sword was as dark as the space we stood in.
-Recall digging your sister's grave. Was it winter? Was the ground so frozen that it was hard to dig? Did you finally scoop out the earth with your fingertips? Did your fingernails break? Did blood flow from your broken nails?
'......'
-In the end, did you lay your sister's body in a hole not even one cheok deep? Did you bury her feet first? Did you heap cold earth over her body? When only her face remained uncovered, did you gather grains of soil in your own hands and sprinkle them over her, one handful at a time?
I gasped for breath.
As the Sword Emperor's sword dance continued, the endless space seemed to shrink inch by inch. It was slightly dizzying. Despite being mere gestures, the Sword Emperor's resentment vibrated.
-Feel the texture of the soil. Grasp the sword with the hands that dug out the earth. Swing the sword with the same motion you used to sprinkle dirt on your sister. Lament your helplessness and curse the cruelty of the world.
I murmured as if groaning.
‘Claws to scratch at the world...'
-Exactly.
The Guardian Spirit retracted his arms.
Finally, I could breathe again.
-You could call it an inner-cultivation method for circulating internal energy. Literally, it is a way to arouse and drive the mind. Whether one is a martial artist or a hunter, victory ultimately depends on how well one uses internal energy or aura.
He shrugged nonchalantly.
-Basically, it's a battle of momentum. Demonic arts just have a bit more intense momentum.
'......'
-Anyway, there's no need for you, a zombie, to learn it.
I quietly looked at the silver skill card.
-No, there's no need for you to learn any other martial arts. Who am I? The Sword Emperor, right? The greatest martial artist in this universe! You might not know it, but you're already slowly learning my technique! Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven, whatever that is, compared to my martial arts, it's just garbage...
‘I want to learn it.’
-......What?
The Guardian Spirit blinked.
‘I want to learn it. This. The Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven.’
-Uh, uh... uhhh...
Blink. Blink.
It took about 3 seconds for the Guardian Spirit to find his words.
-Why!?
‘Because I want to.’
-My martial arts are superior, this is just trash compared to mine!
He began to rant.
-Do not tell me that Heavenly Demon trash seduced you with her swordplay! Holy shit, this is driving me crazy. She only reached the Life-and-Death Realm for a moment by pouring out all her true energy! It was the energy carrying her, nothing more! Zombie, a martial artist must never get drunk on a true-energy high!
I smiled faintly.
‘Are you sulking because I want to learn someone else's martial art instead of yours?’
-Wh-what?
‘Do not worry. Of course our Sword Emperor's martial art is the strongest in the universe. Do you think I would try to learn the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven because I did not know that?’
-Hmm...
The Guardian Spirit's nose twitched. A little flattery seemed to have satisfied his pride. Honestly, this ghost was far too easy to handle.
-Right. I am the strongest. ...But then why learn the Demonic Cult's divine art?
‘To clear this stage perfectly.’
In other words, to give this world the right ending.
‘Suppose we make a cure. At best, that saves the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance, and then it ends. Everyone else has already been dead for more than two years. Treating them will not bring them properly back to life. Right?’
-Hmm.
The Guardian Spirit furrowed his brow.
-You are right about that.
‘Then what kind of ending would we get? The Head of the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon [become Adam and Eve] in the reborn world? Sword Emperor, does that look like a good ending to you?’
-......
The Guardian Spirit looked as if he had bitten into shit. He was probably imagining the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance as a married couple.
-No, that is not right... It is really not right. I cannot imagine the two of them becoming a lovey-dovey couple. It is disgusting...
‘Exactly.’
I looked ahead.
[Please select a skill card.]
Swish! Shwisssh!
The cards whirled chaotically through the air. But I had already marked one. My gaze never left the silver card.
‘Making the cure is only the first requirement for creating a [good ending]. Ultimately, a wonderful ending depends on whether the characters in the story can truly be satisfied...’
I reached out and snatched the card.
‘I want to give the Heavenly Demon and the Head of the Martial Alliance an ending that satisfies them completely.’
[Selection complete.]
[Copying skill.]
Of course, it did not end there.
[Your current Hunter Rank is D.]
[A penalty will be imposed because of the skill.]
The Heavenly Demon's nightmare.
The resentment pooled in her heart.
Another hell I had to cross.
[Recreating the trauma of the enemy who killed you.]
[Penalty depth: Medium.]
But this wasn't the first or the last hell I would cross.
[You have entered the Hungry Ghost Realm.]
I would have time to calmly describe the landscapes of the hells I had crossed.
3.
After returning to the previous day, I committed suicide eight more times.
It was so I could return to the [first day] we had fallen into the Apocalypse.
"---It's cold!"
Just as in the previous loop, Viper cried out in surprise. The Apothecary and the Medicine King instinctively hugged themselves as the dreadful cold engulfed our party.
Whooooo!
The blizzard swept around us with a piercing howl. Achoo! The Apothecary had already begun to cough.
"What's with this cold? Wasn't this supposed to be the martial realm?"
"Yikes. Is this some Siberian wasteland...?"
It was a white snowy field.
A scene I had grown accustomed to over the past ten days.
However, the others panicked and shuffled around, while I silently held Apothecary's hand.
"Ah."
She shyly bowed her head.
"Th-thank you, King of Death."
"......"
A recent memory flashed through my mind.
「I still believe in you.」
The Apothecary's upper body strewn across the snowfield, followed by the snow dyed scarlet, flashed through my mind. My stomach lurched slightly.
Without letting it show, I spoke quietly.
“It is only natural. Celestial Clan Master, please look after the Medicine King.”
“Of course!”
“And I just caught a glimpse of a human figure over there.”
Unlike the previous loop, I led the group this time. Before long the blizzard subsided, and a forest of human figures spread before us. No, a forest of corpses.
Viper stared in confusion.
“...What are these? Why are all these people frozen?”
“They look like zombies.”
I touched one corpse's face.
“Huh? Zombies?”
“Yes. Look at this.”
I pointed inside the zombie's mouth, specifically at its teeth.
“Bits of flesh are stuck all over its teeth. Maybe people here did not brush after meals, but even so, this is excessive. It means this person tore into something like an animal...”
“......”
The Apothecary's expression changed. With a much more serious gaze, she examined the corpse's mouth. A moment later, surprise spread across her face.
“...It is true. The DNA of this corpse and the flesh in its mouth do not match. They belonged to completely different people.”
“C-could it have eaten human flesh?”
The Medicine King recoiled.
“Why, people in the old days sometimes ate human flesh. Perhaps it was not a zombie...”
“The dates of death make that interpretation impossible.”
The Apothecary adjusted her glasses.
“This corpse died roughly three years ago. The owner of the flesh, however, died two years ago. Unless this corpse remained alive and moving for an entire year, that would be impossible. It is hard to imagine, but... yes. As the King of Death said, I suspect it was some zombie-like creature.”
“I cannot stand monsters from horror films! Do something about it!”
“Er, old man. Complaining to me will not...”
The Apothecary looked troubled.
‘Okay.’
We were progressing much faster than in the previous loop. Even if the zombies began moving now, no one would panic as badly as before. Whether a person anticipated a situation made all the difference in how they reacted.
Most importantly...
“Hmm.”
I remembered the results of the last several days of research.
“Boss. Medicine King.”
“Yes?”
“Hmm?”
“I possess an unusual skill. I cannot tell you what it is, but according to its analysis...”
I carefully explained the research results.
My memory was not perfect. There was no way I had memorized the entire file at once. But after the Heavenly Demon killed me and sent me twenty-four hours back, I had another chance to study it carefully.
The Guardian Spirit had helped memorize it too.
“Hmmm...”
After hearing my explanation, the Apothecary sank into thought.
“...This is incredible. It is a flawless research method. I cannot find a single fault. It feels exactly like something I would do... but the terminology is completely different from mine. No, it truly is incredible. You possess an amazing skill, King of Death...”
The Apothecary regarded me with admiration.
From my perspective, she was praising herself.
I see. So Boss considers herself a [truly incredible] person. In this bleak world, perhaps that confidence is impressive in its own right. At least, that is how I see it.
“Hmm. Is it not a good thing that this will shorten the research?”
The Medicine King took a simple view of matters.
“In any case, I would like to get farther away from these zombies. Hmm. If only there were somewhere warm we could stay...”
At that moment...
“---Wahahaha!”
Laughter rang out. During the previous loop, I had not known who was laughing. This time I did. The old man who was the Head of the Martial Alliance and the former head of the Namgung clan was the one roaring with laughter.
"The reign of the Demonic Cult ends today!"
And...
“Hah. Even a passing dog would roll over laughing at that.”
I heard the voice of the Heavenly Demon too.
"......"
I held my breath and moved towards the direction of the voices. The snow crunched under my boots. The closer I got, the clearer the memory of the Heavenly Demon confessing her feelings became in my mind.
「I'm scared.」
"As long as I, the leader, remain intact, the Demonic Cult's reign will persist.”
「The world is so terrifying.」
“Great Axe Sage, it's time for you to bid farewell to the Orthodox Faction."
「Where is Namgung Woon! Bring me the former head of the Namgung clan! Present the Head of the Martial Alliance before me!」
The most powerful being in the world.
The strongest in this world, and therefore, the last to survive to the end.
In a tragic sense, the person who achieved true supremacy in heaven and earth.
"Hmm."
That person was still smiling.
Still proudly laughing, standing in the middle of the snowy field, defying the world.
Like a single point in a blank canvas.
“That old monster certainly has a long tongue. The Blood Ghosts merely left for the Outside Lands on my secret orders... Hmm?”
I just hoped.
That single point would turn into a line.
"Who are you...?"
Heavenly Demon's eyes widened, unable to believe the sight of me walking towards her. For her, seeing a living person after many years must have been unbelievable.
"Ah, ahem. Am I seeing things right now? It looks like a living person is moving..."
"Heavenly Demon."
I reached in front of her and slowly knelt down.
The soft snow gently compressed under my weight.
“Huh?”
"From a far land, I heard of your majesty, Heavenly Demon, and came searching for you. I have long admired the fame of the greatest of all times since ancient days."
No matter how long it might take, I was ready.
I called out to the Heavenly Demon.
"Please accept me as your disciple!"
"......"
The Heavenly Demon's mouth gaped open as if she had seen a ghost.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
