Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (Web Novel) - Chapter 288: 50th Floor (2)
Chapter 288: 50th Floor (2)
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
On a rainy morning.
I covered my face with a raincoat and stepped out into the square.
From the hologram billboard installed in the square, suddenly, a strange voice flowed out.
-I ask everyone to please vote carefully.
It was none other than my own voice.
A video recorded two months ago was playing.
'Eek.'
My face suddenly felt hot.
'Why does my voice always sound like that? Damn. It gives me the creeps…'
I quickly fled the scene.
As I left the square, I glanced at the hologram. My face was reflected in it, seriously staring straight ahead, speaking each word clearly.
-Everyone. This vote is not just about whether you trust us, the 5 great guilds.
-Will we ascend to the 50th floor? Or will we give up on further exploration and stay here? In other words, it’s a vote that will determine the direction of our entire Tower.
-A completely different world awaits us from the 50th floor onwards.
Next, the scene of Babylon Square was shown in the hologram.
The square in the hologram was bustling with a huge crowd. Residents of the Tower who had just finished voting were ecstatic.
-King of Death! King of Death! King of Death…
-Yes. You have just seen the video from two months ago.
An announcer appeared in the video.
-As you can see, the vote conducted two months ago passed with an overwhelming majority. It was essentially a decisive vote on whether to trust the 5 great guilds and maintain the current system. Professor, the approval votes overwhelmingly outnumbered the opposition, didn’t they?
-Yes. It seems the King of Death, er, our second-ranked hunter, has a positive image, doesn’t he? The couple is also popular.
-Very popular!
-Yes. So, it was kind of a popularity vote...
-A popularity vote?
-It had to be. Yes. The way the King of Death appeared in the vote, and how that Ivansia Duchess methodically rebutted. Sigh, such things must have moved people's hearts…
-But, Professor. From the 50th floor onwards, hunters from other worlds will join us, right? Other worlds. Different worlds? What about that...
As I moved further away from the square, the sound of the news gradually faded, and my embarrassment slowly subsided.
I sighed and adjusted the hood of my raincoat.
'...Has it already been two months?'
It was the 60th day since the vote was held.
'Time sure flies.'
In the meantime, I devoted myself to organizing the inside of the Tower.
Dealing with the Seta Learning Institution, the fanatics hidden in the Temple of All Gods and the Black Dragon, was also part of the internal cleanup.
'No more worrying about being stabbed in the back.'
Everything was ready.
There was little chance that our Tower would be divided from within.
I stepped on puddles filled with the smell of clouds and left the city outskirts.
“Welcome, King of Death.”
Sitting in the middle of a desolate harem was [The Princess Who Strolls Through Mirages].
“It’s been a while.”
“Two months is nothing.”
“Have you been waiting for me here?”
The street was now uninhabited. Long-neglected roofs failed to stop the rain. Water flowed through the holes in the punctured pipes. [The Princess] crouched down, pressing her index finger against a downspout where water gushed out.
“Yeah. You were going to look for me anyway, right? I anticipated the path the King of Death would take and came out to meet you. It’s raining too. There’s no need to waste time.”
“Indeed.”
I approached behind the blonde [Pillar].
She didn't turn to look at me, still playing with the water in the downspout. As [The Princess] moved her finger, the flowing water split into two following the trail of her finger.
“You're looking for me to ask to open the 50th floor, right?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. I can grant any request. But are you sure? You’re alone now, King of Death. Wouldn’t it be better to be transferred with your reliable companions, especially since you’ve made so many?”
I shook my head.
“If the 50th floor opens, other worlds will be accessible. In reverse, it means other worlds can invade us.”
“Hmmm.”
“All hunters except me will stay here to prepare for the invasion. The Earth Spirit Tribe... the Asuras are fully prepared. If some force underestimates us and invades, well, they’re in for a surprise.”
“You’re cautious as always.”
[The Princess] stood up with a grunt.
“All the others are on defense, and you alone will be the scout diving into the 50th floor. It doesn't matter if things go wrong, you won't die anyway.”
“Yeah, that is exactly what we’ll do.”
“Alright.”
She reached out and grabbed my wrist.
“From now on, you have graduated from the [beginner*] phase.”
*Novice is now changed to beginner, because it fits better with the new context.
The moment the dampness of her palm transferred to me, the sky above ripped open.
Krrrrrr...
Violet lightning struck down. Once, twice, thunder roared within the steam clouds. Even the storm clouds couldn’t contain the thunder. Krarrrrrr! Krrrrr…! The clouds split into ten, a hundred paths, and purple thunderbolts branched out in the sky like capillaries.
[Beginner's protection is now disabled.]
Thunder poured down over me.
[Beginner's privileges are permanently revoked.]
[The World of the Lone Child formally joins the common route.]
[From this point on, The World of the Lone Child is free to travel to and from the 50th floor.]
[From this point on, different worlds are free to travel to and from The World of the Lone Child.]
It’s disappearing.
The intangible walls that have protected us are crumbling.
'A world Yoo Soo-Ha has never breached once.'
I swallowed the rainwater seeping into my lips.
'A world where hunters like the Constellation Killer roam... a world conquered by the Sword Emperor.'
Thunder struck down.
Krarrrrrrr!
It was louder than any other thunderbolt. From the heavens to the horizon, the sky literally split in two. Not just the storm clouds, but even the continuous rain was divided. Krrrrr...! The gap that had opened only grew wider.
Like an eggshell.
[Announcing to everyone.]
The sky was shedding its skin.
[Today, the 50th floor has been opened.]
[Announcing once again to everyone.]
[Today, the 50th floor has been opened.]
Finally, on the other side of the completely split sky, a scene unfolded that we had never known.
The Tower.
A single tower stood like a world tree.
“From now on, whenever you look up, you’ll see that tower!”
[The Princess] stood with me in the rain, looking up at the sky.
"In the mansion where dolls sleep. In the Aegim Empire. In the snowy wilderness filled with warriors, outside the library windows, in the birthplace of the Earth Spirit Tribe.... In any world you've chosen to be a part of, whenever, wherever."
"......."
“Bye-bye, King of Death. Make sure to survive."
[The Princess] smiled, drenched in the rain.
“I'll wait for you on the 100th floor!”
I smiled back.
And just as I opened my mouth to say "Yes,"
[You are entering the 50th floor.]
A blinding white light enveloped my vision.
I had visited the 50th floor before.
Using a kind of trick, an unofficial cheat, maybe loophole is a better word.
But I remember the moment I entered the stage, it was quiet around me.
[‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’ detects your presence!]
This time it was different.
[‘The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth’ senses the aura of the Constellation Killer from you.]
[‘The Lonely Seeker’ welcomes the resident of the new world.]
[‘The Lotus Reflected on Water’ is observing the sword you possess.]
Before I could even open my eyes, while my mind was still clouded in whiteness, alarms aggressively intruded.
Aliases I had heard before. Some I hadn't, sending messages, responding to my official entrance to the stage.
‘That’s quite the grand welcome!’
Then, Guardian Spirit, who had been silent since the dog dream this morning, blandly commented.
-Obviously, it has to be grand. You, Kim Zombie, must be on the watchlist of almost all the Constellations.
‘Huh? Why? I did cause a commotion here, but that was undone by regression. From their perspective, this should be their first time seeing me.’
-It's technically their first time seeing you directly. Kid, think about what you’ve done so far.
The white blur in my vision slowly faded.
‘What have I done to deserve this?’
-First, you killed the Apostle of Mahos. Then you killed Mutia’s Apostle. You didn’t just kill her, but you harvested her life with your skill and turned her into your subordinate. And he even captured the Constellation Killer. Do you even know how famous the Constellation Killer is among the Constellations? He was considered the craziest of the crazy. And you are the one who captured that lunatic.
‘Eh. The fact that I captured Kim Yul is already known among the Constellations?’
As my sight returned, the scene before me became clearer.
‘That doesn’t make sense. What I captured was Kim Yul, not yet the Constellation Killer’s [puppets] that are still moving around….’
-Right. They might not know everything. But there must be sharp ones. At least one or two would have been watching the Constellation Killer, and they would’ve found out he was devoured by you. Do you get it? Be careful, man.
Thud.
The first sense to return before sight was touch.
I had been transported, and my feet touched the ground.
-You captured the [Demon King of Autumn Rain]. Not just that, you gathered all [Goddess of Protection] and subdued them. The [Holed-Up Head Librarian] became a mere kid because of you. That's what you’ve done. A newbie who couldn’t even climb the 50th floor!
Guardian Spirit chuckled softly.
-Normally, Constellations would kindly guide you and you would scrape through quests for rewards, but you just smashed those quests! And, nobody knows this, but you even met the Tower Master. Huh? Even I find it strange.
Finally, I could see the surrounding landscape.
-It's a strange situation, isn’t it? Now, Zombie. No matter if it’s their first time seeing such a crazy newbie, wouldn’t they be interested? Wouldn't they?
Hmm.
‘Seems like it.’
-Of course, they’d be overflowing with interest.
‘So what? I like getting attention. Don’t worry. Be happy. Okay?’
-Sorry, but that attention is not that kind of attention, kid.
And then.
-Constellations are like game masters, GMs. They create quests. When you get attention from those guys, you’ll see what happens.
I had been transported to the middle of a wasteland.
Where strange monsters should roam, the place was, strangely enough, crowded with dozens of people.
These people, who came out to hunt monsters, and me, who was transported here, our meeting was entirely coincidental, or so I wanted to believe. But at first glance, it didn’t seem so.
"---He’s here! That guy!"
Because as soon as those guys saw me, they pointed fingers at me.
“He finally showed up!”
“Everyone, get ready for battle!”
Moreover, because each of them was holding a hideous sword in their hands.
Despite the pointing fingers and blades, it's quite hard to chalk everything up to coincidence.
For me, too.
“What's this now…?”
Without even having a chance to savor the feeling of finally reaching the 50th floor, I quickly drew my Holy Sword. Already surrounded. Over twenty people had encircled me.
[‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’ issues a quest to its followers.]
[You are designated as the target of the quest!]
[The quest is now public.]
And then, an absurd text appeared in the air.
+
[King of Death Subjugation]
Difficulty: Unknown
Objective: The King of Death is a human from the newly registered World of the Lone Child. Even before entering the common route, he dared to oppose the ‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’. He slaughtered the Apostle of Mahos.
Warriors!
The ‘Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’ commands you, brave disciples. Subjugate the King of Death! Take advantage of his arrival on the 50th floor and ambush him!
Be careful.
The King of Death is fearsome and cunning. A heretic who spares no means. He is also a wicked cult leader with hundreds of fanatics under his command. But do not fear, warriors. If you attack when he is still unfamiliar with the common route, you will have a chance of victory!
The warrior who kills or captures the King of Death will receive the Apostle's blessing from Mahos.
*However, you cannot participate in this quest.
*You are the [target of the quest].
+
"......."
I felt dizzy as common sense flew out the window.
‘What? Fearsome and cunning?’
A heretic who spares no means?
‘Who is that!?’
I don’t know such a person.
Is this some kind of error or misunderstanding?
-It’s no misunderstanding. You’re a member of the Demonic Cult, zombie. To those who don’t know you, you’re exactly like a heretic.
But am I supposed to be a wicked cult leader with hundreds of fanatics under me?
-That’s quite a reasonable assumption. Vice-lord. According to that Viper guy, you're actually the big bad Heavenly Demon of this time. H.E.A.V.E.N.L.Y D.E.M.O.N. Even just the name sounds bad.
No.
What kind of nonsense is that!
“Don't let your guard down!”
A hunter, a resident of a different world who accepted this ridiculous quest, shouted.
“Mahos himself warned us to be extra careful with this guy! Don’t be fooled by his human appearance! He’s a devil among devils, a novice who can catch us off guard! Draw your swords!”
“Draw your swords!”
“Attack!”
The hunters forming the encirclement charged at me, all yelling in unison.
I raised my Aura to prepare for battle, but I couldn’t help but scream out.
“Wait! I’m not a bad guy! If anything, I’m more of a good guy! Everyone, this quest is a lie! How can you blatantly lie in a quest like this? Hey, everyone. Everyone? I’m not the bad guy the quest is talking about!”
-Useless.
Guardian Spirit giggled.
-Quests are at the GM’s whim. Remember the quest the [Demon King of Autumn Rain] gave you? It’s no wonder that the Constellation Killer went around killing Constellations.
‘Then what do I do here?’
-Fight.
Guardian Spirit smirked.
-Welcome to the 50th floor's world of manipulation and distortion! Sir Gong-Ja!
Damn it.
