Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (Web Novel) - Chapter 263: Idol Destruction (3)
Chapter 263: Idol Destruction (3)
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
[Quest Complete.]
[All races have learned the secrets of their gods!]
Have you ever seen a sunset in the jungle?
[Stage Clear.]
[The 39th floor has been cleared.]
When the sun falls to the horizon, drawn by its gravity, all the palm trees bend their backs to watch the sunset. The sun doesn't grant them a gaze. Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of palm trees, all become blackened by the shadows... allowing only the sky and river to possess 'color', exiting the stage as black pillars.
A world distinctly divided into black and color.
-It's impossible! Our god would never do such a thing!
In the midst of nature's indifferent play of colors, hundreds of thousands of people were clamorously bustling.
-Above all, our god takes the form of a great puppy! But these images keep flowing out of my head... Lime! That's a total pureblood! This makes no sense!
-Kekerkker looks handsome.
-True, calling him a white lion felt a bit too much given how intense the romance in the fire dramas was.
-So, that was a disguise? The gods, they took animal forms to approach us easily. Not just any animals, but ones that looked very special, either white or black. Thanks to that, we revered them like gods. Isn't it all for the best in the end?
-This is deception!
-We are worshippers of the great puppy, not followers of some weird-looking brat!
The Heretic Inquisitor watching the hologram with me tilted his head.
"Do I look strange?"
The Black Dragon Lord answered his question.
"You don't look like a snail."
"Is that so? I thought I resembled a snail quite a bit."
"What are you talking about... No, now's not the time for such discussions."
That's right. It wasn't the atmosphere for joking around.
The chaos in the hologram footage was getting worse.
Being in the waiting room of the eliminated, all we could do was watch for the time being.
'Although the stage clear announcement appeared...'
No one was able to rejoice over the stage clear.
Anastasia, the Countess, the Paladin, everyone was just tensely staring at the hologram.
'It's not over yet.'
Rather, it was just the beginning.
What reaction would the children, now knowing the truth, show?
The success or failure of this raid depended on that.
[Sequential Layer Progression in progress.]
As if to confirm our premonition, the tower immediately presented us with the next challenge.
[Forcibly entering the 40th floor.]
[Since you've entered the 40th floor, the original eliminated participants regain their status as raid participants.]
[Displaying the 40th floor quest!]
The era had not changed.
The body of the Ki Dragon was still freshly molted, and the children were engulfed in confusion and excitement. Truly a sequential layer. Without a moment's break, keeping the current moment alive, we were confronted with a new quest.
+
[Mountain Calamity Tribe's Idol]
Difficulty: B+
Mission Objective: The Heretic Inquisitor has aided the Mountain Calamity Tribe.
Under your dedicated care, the Mountain Calamity Tribe achieved the most successful early civilization! The extent of the Slime Empire is almost the same as the territory now covered by the Mountain Calamity Tribe. The Mountain Calamity Tribe distributed jobs according to their racial characteristics, developed a highly concentrated division of labor, and continuously prospered, turning great cities into trading hubs.
But the brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
In your empire, other races were enslaved. Eventually, the slaves rebelled, destroying your grand empire and the proud cities of the Mountain Calamity Tribe. Thereafter, the Mountain Calamity Tribe became public enemies of the continent, forced to live in foreign lands.
Heretic Inquisitor, you have tasted both the first glory and the first defeat.
Now the Mountain Calamity Tribe has come to know about you. They have realized that you are not a god. They understood that the glory and luxury they enjoyed, the yokes they had to bear, the oppression they endured, all originated from you.
How will the Mountain Calamity Tribe treat you now?
The voting begins.
Option 1: 'I am glad to have been guided by you.'
Option 2: 'I disliked being guided by you.'
You must obtain as many votes for Option 1 as possible. If Option 1 receives more than half the votes, the 40th floor will automatically be cleared. However, you cannot bribe or make promises for votes, and must only sway the hearts of the Mountain Calamity Tribe through [conversation] and [meetings].
*However, if you lose in the vote, you must exterminate all Mountain Calamity Tribe members living on the continent to move on to the next stage.
+
Everyone sitting in the waiting room was silent.
Anastasia, the Countess, the Paladin, even I, kept our mouths shut.
And slowly, we all turned to look at the lunatic chosen for this quest.
"Ahaha. I understand! Yes, I get it!"
This psychopath, who would definitely be in the top 5 of the 'list of people you should never meet as parents', laughed cheerfully.
"It seems I'm the first batter!"
"Ah, ahhhh…"
Anastasia was in despair.
"This is serious..."
"Why? Is it because the Heretic Inquisitor is the first batter?"
"Yes. Ah, I shouldn't have fallen for Kim Gong-Ja's sweet talk. At the very least, I should have prepared a minimum safety net before starting work. We should have created and distributed propaganda about how much we've worked for these kids, stirring up sympathy... Damn, it's my specialty."
"That's not revealing secrets, it's brainwashing."
Anastasia always seemed unflappable, but whenever something seemed like [her failure], she became incredibly flustered.
Perfectionists must be exhausting.
"Don't worry too much. It’s okay."
"It’s okay? Is it the situation where all the kindness we showed those kids turns into naught and only anger grows? Or…"
Anastasia turned sharply and pointed at the Heretic Inquisitor.
"This situation where we entrust our fates to that 100% pure psycho!?"
"Ahaha."
"How well will he convince the Mountain Calamity Tribe kids? All I can vividly imagine is him tilting his head in confusion, not understanding what he did wrong!"
The Heretic Inquisitor just kept smiling brightly.
Meanwhile, the situation in the hologram was continuing to worsen.
-Our guiding deity is a beautiful pink-skinned dolphin! Keeek, how can a human without gills or fins pretend to be our god!
-Well, but our god can transform into a cat, right? Then I don't see much of a problem. The cat god polymorphing into a human to wander the world and have fun is a pretty common theme in old blood fire dramas...
-That we built mining cities, burying children in them...
-That we were dragged to the mines and lived like slaves for hundreds of years, it was all because of that Mountain Calamity Tribe's god!
The jungle sunset illuminated each of their faces.
Their faces were half blackened, resembling the shadows of the palm trees, and the other half brightly red, receiving the sunset from the sky.
-Why would you do such a thing!
-Were we just pawns in your little game!
-No, look at the footage carefully. The gods were merely trying to take care of us…
-The problem is they're not gods but humans!
People with open mouths in anger, those enraged, others holding their heads in confusion, some unsure what to do, individuals resting their chins on their hands deep in thought, and occasionally someone realizing something with an 'Ah, so that's why that happened…'
-False gods!
Someone shouted out.
-We must drag the false gods from their sacred thrones!
-They're just humans!
-They always said they were doing this for us, that they loved us, but in the end, it was all for their own agenda! To climb the tower and incorporate stages into their own territories, wasn't it!
Though still a minority...
A faction violently reacting to the fact that we were human and feeling betrayed had emerged. To them, it didn't matter how much we had struggled or what lives we had led.
[They are not gods].
That alone was enough for them to feel betrayed. Their sense of betrayal turned into curses against the gods who had reigned over them for thousands of years. Their curses soon became calls for our execution.
-Yes! Let's bring down the false gods!
-Let's hold the false gods accountable for the suffering, life, everything our ancestors endured!
-Bring down the false gods! Bring down the false gods!
Still, the absolute majority of the races were either dazed or puzzled. But if left alone, the minority's anger would spread like a plague, swiftly engulfing the jungle.
"…It's not okay. Kim Gong-Ja. This is really, not okay."
Anastasia muttered.
She had lived as the guild master of the Black Dragon. More than anyone, she was deeply involved in public opinion and propaganda campaigns. Being the Black Dragon Witch, she must be feeling most acutely how dire the situation was turning, and how unreliable the Heretic Inquisitor was for this situation.
"No."
But I continued to cut off Anastasia's worries.
"What I meant by saying it's okay isn't that the current situation is good. Nor am I saying that the Heretic Inquisitor is reliable. It's just..."
I turned to look at the hologram.
"Our children will be alright."
That's when it happened.
Whack!
A whip crack echoed across the jungle. The enraged, the shouting, the contemplating, the anxious, everyone's ears were sharply pierced by the sound of the whip. Hundreds of thousands in the crowd were startled, turning towards the source of the sound.
-Be quiet, Lime.
The 629th Chairman of the Fire River Council.
The strongest warrior of the Mountain Calamity Tribe, Seimslam.
-Stop talking.
-What? How can we not discuss such a shocking event…
-Let me propose a bill as the Chairman of the Fire River Council. The bill's name: [To speak even a single word about the gods here, one must duel the Chairman of the Fire River Council. For every attack you block or dodge, you will be granted one chance to speak.]
-......
Let me reiterate, the Fire River Council has a unique custom.
Anyone from any race or origin, if they're around the 2000th strongest in the world, can join the council. Upon joining, they are treated as members and can freely speak or vote in meetings that determine the fate of their race.
However, if they lose a duel, they must yield their opinion.
Consequently, the [strongest fighter] typically becomes the Chairman, and decisions usually go as the Chairman wishes. Isn't it obvious? If there are any dissenters, just challenge and defeat them in a duel.
-......
-Well then, all members of the Fire River Council present here, raise your hand if you oppose this bill.
Seimslam spoke coolly.
-Though I doubt there will be any opposition. Unanimity has always been a long-standing tradition and pride of our Fire River Council.
-......
The warriors hesitated.
It was the first time in council history that someone from a race other than the Earth Spirit Tribe became the Chairman. Just this fact alone sufficiently proved that Seimslam was a formidable fighter. Many Earth Spirit Tribesmen, reluctant to accept this proof, led to a boom in the funeral industry at that time.
-Ugor... Chairman.
As all members remained silent, one from the Earth Spirit Tribe raised a hand. Or rather, he should now probably be called an Asura.
Unlike before, the children's skin glowed red. Bulging muscles on the shoulders, chest, and abs were like red flesh faintly oiled. The fangs protruding from the mouth in a crescent moon shape were incredibly sharp, instilling fear in those who saw them.
-I don't necessarily oppose the bill proposed by the Chairman but... Huh?
The formidable Asura adopted a very respectful attitude. Hands placed over the stomach, head bowed at a 45-degree angle, and not emitting any aura or fighting spirit. What are you guys doing?
-If it’s not that. What is it?
-We, we look quite different, don't we? Ugor. Our bodies have grown larger. Just looking at it, it seems the amount of aura itself has risen enormously, doesn't it? And it's not just low-quality aura that seems to be stacked up and ready to blow away. It's the aura of the Ki Dragon, which has been in this world since the beginning. Isn't it amazing?
-What do you want me to do about it?
-Ch-Chairman. We seem to have become stronger, right...? Maybe the Chairman position will move from the 629th to the 630th today, and maybe you will be that person...
-Are you challenging me to a duel?
-Just, once.
No more words were needed.
Seimslam grasped the sword with her remaining tentacle and charged at the challenger. In one step, she closed the significant gap between them.
-Ugor!?
But the challenger was no amateur. A master worthy of swaggering in the Fire River Council. The Asura countered with an axe, and clang! His red palm went numb from the impact.
-Crazy,
-It's either a life-and-death knot or just a life knot, if you don't answer within 1 second, I'll...
-Life knot! Life knot! Life knooooot!
Boom.
The challenger flung away his axe. Seimslam's sword had already reached right under the challenger's chin. Sweating profusely on his red forehead, the challenger looked at the strongest of his era in disbelief.
-No... we... even evolved....
-Did only you evolve? Lime. I evolved too. While you were gorging on the Ki Dragon's aura, do you think I was just breathing the nice air of the jungle?
-Damn it!
-If the Earth Spirit Tribe and Mountain Calamity Tribe split into two factions and fight, the Earth Spirit Tribe would certainly win a sweeping victory. Your evolution seems to have had much more dramatic effects. But, I'm not just any snail. Lime.
Seimslam shook off his sword.
-I'm the strongest snail in this world.
She looked around at the hundreds of thousands watching her duel and spoke.
-Any opposing opinions?
-......
-If there are none, I declare the bill I proposed passed. This place has become the temporary chamber of the Fire River Council, and under the authority of the Fire River Council, all of you who have stepped in here must follow our orders. And if you want to blabber about the gods here, at least, block my sword once. Like the council member who just got defeated by me.
Seimslam chuckled, puffing out air.
-This world is too beautiful to waste time on the excuses of the weak.
And then.
In the waiting room of the eliminated, another anomaly began. Whoosh! White light leaked from the sofa where the Heretic Inquisitor sat, slowly enveloping his body.
As we all turned to see what was happening, the Heretic Inquisitor seemed to have realized something.
"Eh? Ah. I see. So persuading through [conversation] and [meetings] means [I have to go there and talk in person]! Ahaha. Of course, it's much more efficient for me to be summoned there than summoning the entire Mountain Calamity Tribe here!"
Whoosh-
The light intensified rapidly. In just a few seconds, it would probably engulf the Heretic Inquisitor and transport him to that world, not here.
I had to warn him before that.
"Heretic Inquisitor!"
"Yes! My master!"
"You are those children's parent! A parent, you understand? Respond and converse with the feelings of a parent... No, damn it. Even if I tell you this, you won't understand!"
The Heretic Inquisitor laughed broadly.
"Yes! I don't understand!"
Damn it!
"Just try your best to think and imagine from others' perspectives! Got it? If it's hard, ask the kids around for help!"
The Heretic Inquisitor laughed, saluting.
"I'll do my best!"
Whoosh!
The white light completely enveloped the Heretic Inquisitor.
