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SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (Web Novel) - Chapter 271: Epilogue (1)
Chapter 271: Epilogue (1)
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
There's a story to tell.
The tribes, seeing their god for the first time in thousands of years (literally in front of their eyes), celebrated.
Was it a neat meeting?
Many tribes were happy to find that their parents were better than expected.
"......Ah."
It was when we were sitting together on a wide rock, watching the jungle festival. Ah, said the Black Dragon Witch, as if she had realized something.
"Why?"
"No... It’s just that, hearing from [The Princess Who Strolls Through Mirages], there are many hunters climbing the tower from other worlds, aren't there? It's hard to imagine."
"Well, yes...?”
I glanced back subtly. A ghost was floating and yawning in the air. Despite being a ghost, it burped, "Gurgle! Huhuhu.” It was an amusing sight I thought would be fun to show others.
"Huh? Why are you looking back suddenly? Is there someone there?"
The Black Dragon Witch narrowed her eyebrows, following my gaze into the empty jungle. To Anastasia’s eyes, it would just be the sight of the jungle with vines hanging down the palm trees.
She doesn't have spiritual insight. What a pity.
"No, just felt a presence. Probably a snail or squirrel."
"Hmm."
"Please continue."
"Well, so... As such, strong warriors from all sorts of worlds are flooding into the tower, right?"
"That’s correct."
"Among them, there will surely be hunters much stronger than us. King of Death, you're right that we are strong but... we're not invincible. There may be forces more ruthless, stronger, and more numerous than us."
"Yes."
"So I was thinking…"
The Black Dragon Witch slightly lifted the corner of her lips. A hint of awkwardness, absurdity, or whimsy? Anyway, it was that kind of smile.
"Why don’t we just not climb to the 50th floor and live?"
"......."
"Ah. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting we do that. It’s not like we are going to. Just, it seems like many hunters and residents of the tower might think that way."
Hmm.
I quietly sipped my tea.
"That’s probable."
In the remote jungle, far from cities and towns, and gathered here for a war against the Ki Dragon, it was hard to find even proper tea leaves, let alone a cup.
But the Earth Spirit Tribe found unusually sturdy leaves. They selected non-toxic ones, overlapped and knotted them, creating a respectable makeshift leaf teacup from the jungle. The children of the Earth Spirit Tribe shyly laughed and gifted me the teacup.
-The jungle is cold in the morning! The body gets cold.
-Ugor, you need warmth inside to have a happy day!
That was my offering this morning.
As a god, there couldn't be a happier offering than this, and as a parent, there couldn't be a more endearing service than this.
I'm happy.
"There would be many people like that."
I took a sip from the world's most luxurious teacup.
Warmth slowly enveloped my throat and stomach.
The care of people isn’t just seen in smiles and laughter, but also permeates deep into their insides.
"Right. We’ve already incorporated the continent ruled by the Aegim Empire into our tower. The magic books obtained there are just the most trivial resource. Millions of labor forces, countless monsters and hunting grounds, ores, gold, oil……"
“There are already many extremists who want to drive out the Aegim Empire.”
The Black Dragon Witch lowered her voice.
"Like America did to the natives. They argue that if we seize all the lands they occupied and loot their resources, we, with our advanced civilization, can become the new conquerors of the world."
"Thanks, Anastasia. If you hadn't strictly limited the movement between stages in the Black Dragon Guild, such incidents would have already happened."
"I'll gladly accept your gratitude, but I can't suppress the voices of the extremists forever."
"......."
"Kim Gong-Ja. You are a hero."
The Black Dragon Witch’s face became serious.
It was the expression of a friend giving a heartfelt advice to a close companion. Therefore, her words "You are a hero" felt not like praise, but the beginning of a warning.
"You've been treated as a hero so far because you really didn't get involved in governance. Black Dragon, Temple of All Gods, Merchants Union, Celestial Martial Guild, Vigilante Corps... top-tier guilds offered you vice-guild master positions. But you never once used the title to wield power. You didn’t jump into politics. You understand what I mean?"
"If I start governing the tower, even the mask of a hero will be stripped away."
"More like the mask will be split in two. One half held by those who fervently follow you and the other trampled and shattered by those who oppose you. It’ll split into two factions."
Indeed.
Perhaps because of her experience with civil wars in the outside world.
The Black Dragon Witch’s words were laden with heavy conviction and strong intuition.
"If the two forces are evenly matched, a civil war will break out. Guilds following you against those who dislike you. They’ll fight over who will dominate our tower... but not this time."
"This time it won't happen."
The reason is simple.
"The five guilds ruling the tower from above. Black Dragon, Temple of All Gods, Merchants Union, Vigilante Corps, Celestial Martial Guild, all strongly support you."
We are bound by an unprecedented trust relationship.
On the other hand, what about the opposing side?
Those who want to snatch and break my mask are simply too weak.
Overwhelmingly weak.
There can't be a war.
Therefore.
"I'm planning a [purge]."
"A purge means..."
"Yes. I'll purge all dissidents and extremists."
There was silence for a moment.
Somewhere, the sound of wood crumbling into charcoal in a bonfire was heard.
I wasn't listening to that sound. Instead, I remembered the story told by the Heretic Inquisitor in Raviel's world.
I recalled the repeatedly heard words, "You have died."
"Anastasia."
I looked into the Black Dragon Witch’s eyes.
"That purge once broke all the guild masters' relationships."
Long ago.
Since the great purge that cost hundreds of thousands of lives, the relationship between the five great guilds deteriorated.
The Sword Saint descended from the Vigilante Corps Captain position. The Paladin stayed as a Vice-Captain instead of becoming the leader. The Black Dragon Witch hid in the darkness, and the Viper, the Heretic Inquisitor…
The view of a rainy street in another world seen through half-closed eyes. The world shown by the Tower Master. Thinking of that while I brought up that topic, the Black Dragon Witch didn't remain silent.
She immediately responded.
"Yes, that happened. But Kim Gong-Ja, you appeared, and thanks to you, we became good friends again. I'm truly grateful for that."
The Black Dragon Witch took a breath before continuing.
"But back then, it wasn't like the five great guilds tightly held the political power like now. That's why it was hard to weed out and eliminate the rotten apples. That's why there were so many unnecessary noises. But now…"
"Now?"
"Now it's different. The relationship among the five great guilds is better than ever, and I've been accumulating information about influential hunters in the tower for a long time. Roughly what kind of thoughts they have, what they've been doing. We just need to single out the extremists and deal with them. Swiftly. And secretly."
The Black Dragon Witch said firmly.
"No one will even know that they died."
At those words, I thought of a certain alley.
I remembered a nameless hunter who died there.
Then I thought of a certain hunting ground.
There, I remembered a nameless hunter who died and is now in my shadow.
"......."
I crossed my arms.
Thought about it, then spoke.
"What about after that?"
"......."
"People keep coming in. As you said, the number of [extremists] will increase over time. What will you do with them?"
The Black Dragon Witch bit her lip slightly.
Then she said.
"I'll deal with them too."
"......."
"Skin peels and changes. Digested food turns into waste. Accumulated nutrients turn into fat. It’s just dealing with the inevitable waste products... the necessary tasks to maintain an ideal self. You keep repeating that. Without it, you can't maintain an ideal organization---"
“Anastasia.”
I reached out and laid my hand on Anastasia's hand. Despite the stifling heat of the jungle, my friend's hand was always as cold as if holding ice.
“I've talked about this before.”
In the past.
When I was conquering [The Immortal Missionary of Happiness]’s world.
“Bring them to me.”
I declared to the Black Dragon Witch, the Heretic Inquisitor, the Countess, the Paladin, the Viper, that I would become their king and lead them. I proclaimed that I would guide them forward. I never intended to retreat from my declaration.
And the same holds true at this very moment.
“What kind of person are they? Do they really deserve to die? Anastasia, you can advise and warn me about them, but in the end, it’s me who will decide. I will judge them by looking into their eyes and observing their life.”
"......."
“I will make the decision. So, bring them to me first.”
“Ah.”
Anastasia sighed.
It wasn't a sigh of fatigue but one tinged with sorrow.
“So, what? Planning to persuade them?”
“Choosing to kill will be my last option.”
“How difficult that is to...”
“Once you get a taste for killing, persuasion feels bothersome. But, Anastasia. That’s the correct sentiment. You should find killing the most difficult.”
Anastasia closed her mouth.
After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly.
“As you are, nominally, the vice-guild master of the Black Dragon, it would be difficult to criticize you for wandering around our guild. I won't guide you, so find the extremists yourself and try to persuade them.”
“Okay."
I smiled.
“Thank you, Anastasia. For listening to me…”
“I’m truly grateful, Black Dragon Witch.”
Thud.
There was the sound of footsteps behind us.
Without any hint, someone approached suddenly, the footsteps resounding within 10 meters.
"------!"
It took 0.5 seconds for me to grab and draw my sword.
"Black Dragon Witch! I agree with you!”
"[Teleport]!"
It took Anastasia 1.5 seconds to grasp my sleeve, seek agreement, and activate the skill.
"Gong-Ja, step back."
"Hey. It’s really impolite to approach our family head without making a sound. What kind of unexpected guest is this, intruding like this?”
Ester, along with the Four Demon Lords, jumped down from the top of the palm trees, rushed out of the dark bushes, and emerged from the shadowy corners of the rocks, taking 2 seconds.
“Whew.”
"Hmm."
And Anastasia and I were teleported far to the rear. By this time, my holy sword was already drawn. Hundreds of church members began to perfectly encircle the area.
3 seconds.
In just 3 seconds, we perfectly responded to the intrusion of an unidentified intruder.
"Huh......."
The intruder stroked his beard. His face was masked, and his voice was distorted by aura, making it difficult to identify his expression and voice. His body was wrapped in a cloak, concealing his identity.
A true uninvited guest.
Yet, it was clear that the guest was quite surprised.
“I just wanted to test how much you’ve improved as a joke. But this... It would only be embarrassing for me if the joke failed, but I saw something remarkable. The protection here is nearly perfect.”
Yet, even with a distorted voice, there was a rhythm hard to conceal.
I roughly estimated the intruder's physique, posture, and aura intensity.
And with a stunned voice, I called out the intruder's name.
“Uh. Could it be... Sword Saint?”
“It's been a while.”
The intruder removed his mask.
A familiar face appeared.
Aged gracefully, the wrinkles only added charm to the smile of the old man.
“When I met the Heretic Inquisitor on my way here, we had a brief conversation. He pledged allegiance to you, and the Black Dragon Witch has become your friend, right? That’s understandable, after all, I’ve lived long enough to know that extraordinary things happen from time to time. But,”
The Sword Saint chuckled lightly.
A rare sight to see him smile, and when he did, it was as pure as a child's, leaving me no choice but to gaze at it in a daze.
“I heard that even the Vice-Captain of the Vigilante Corps has become your friend! Haha.”
"......."
“What a way to confirm things, huh? Sneaking around incognito?”
“Of course.”
The Sword Saint now removed the cloak he was wearing.
“It was an important event that needed to be confirmed before my retirement.”
Thud.
As the straw cloak fell, the Sword Saint's true attire was revealed.
A suit that seemed ready for a corporate meeting. The black suit perfectly fit his physique, showing off his muscular build.
“Retirement? What are you talking about?”
As I was admiring the Sword Saint's appearance, the Black Dragon Witch inquired about the worrying words with a sharp look.
“Finally fantasizing about becoming a secluded old man? Congratulations. Even after retiring from the Vigilante Corps, you’ve been just like a secluded old man, but now you're truly realizing your position.”
“Hmm."
“Really? When you were chasing the Demon King with Gong-Ja, I thought your heart might have changed a bit, but then it was the same laziness afterward…”
“I’ve been trying my best.”
“That attitude is annoying.”
The Black Dragon Witch frowned.
“You did the same this time as well. The Pure Humans Race you chose had almost no impact on history. It should have been the most active race, but you must have ordered them to hermitage and seclusion, right?”
The old man smiled faintly.
It was also a rare occurrence.
“I won’t deny it.”
“Why? Thinking of retiring?”
“No matter my position in the outside world, now I’m just a hunter here. My profession is a swordsman. If a swordsman retires from the sword, it’s only at the moment of death when the sword slips from his grasp.”
"......."
“I’ve been watching you. Not surveillance, no, not that. Ah, there’s a more suitable term.”
The tension around seemed to grow thicker.
Mostly due to the Black Dragon Witch glaring at the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint nodded as if understanding her pressure. But that was it. The Sword Saint wiped the smile from his lips and spoke softly.
“I was testing you all.”
Test.
The Black Dragon Witch let out a scoff.
“Still speaking from a high and mighty position. Who are you to test someone—”
“If.”
The Sword Saint said.
“If the King of Death had accepted your [purge], I would have done everything to kill the King of Death.”
"......."
“Right here, right now.”
At that moment, the encirclement was complete.
Ester drew her red sword and confronted the Sword Saint, with the Four Demon Lords forming a line behind her. Sssring! Sssring! The sound of swords being drawn echoed from all directions. A thousand church members, hidden in the shadows of the jungle, concealed by palm trees, ready to pounce at any moment.
No one uttered a word. Thousands of eyes watched the Sword Saint's hands, feet, waist, and eyes. The Sword Saint was segmented by their gazes.
The moment the Sword Saint ignited aura or harbored killing intent, a thousand swords would mutilate him along those dividing lines.
"......."
But the Sword Saint only kept his eyes on me.
I slowly sheathed my sword back into its scabbard. The Black Dragon Witch nudged my shoulder, but it didn’t matter.
“Sir.”
I too looked into the Sword Saint’s eyes.
“I know you would never harm me.”
"......."
The old swordsman’s eyes were clear.
