SSS-CLASS SUICIDE HUNTER

by Legrev

I want an S-Rank skill too! I want it so badly, I could die for it! [You have awakened an S-Rank skill.] [But it only works when you die.] Eh ? WHAT IS THE POINT OF GETTING ONE IF I DIE ?

9. 201 - 210

Chapter 201. Reflection in the Mirror(3)

Translator: Seven

4.

-What?

There was nothing in front of my eyes except endless whiteness.

The Dream Demon in my head, no, in my mind, also made a sound of confusion. It seemed even the Dream Demon had noticed something strange.

-What are you doing… Are you trying to break into [Our World]? That's ridiculous. You don't have a 'terminal' to connect you to us. How the hell….

"Scared?"

I snickered. I felt the Dream Demon freeze. I didn't have a mouth with which to smile, but my emotions and intentions of provoking the other were still transmitted clearly.

-Insolent…!

"It seems that when you don't have confidence, your tongue becomes longer. Ah. Since you were a deer, I guess your tongue was long from the start." (TL: having a long tongue=talking a lot)

-For a species living in that filthy world, you are really arrogant. We have countless dreams in our world. I wonder if you'd even be able to maintain your sanity after taking a single step.

"So you're saying I can just go in?"

-You can go wherever you want!

Okay.

I smiled inwardly.

"I'll take that as your agreement, Guest."

My vision, which had been completely white before, suddenly changed.

My mind had been overlaid onto the Dream Demon's mind.

[Congratulatiions!]

[You are the first foreigner to enter the World of Dreams.]

[You are the first to gain this achievement.]

[You have been awarded 3000 race points!]

And the world before my eyes was quite strange.

The sky was pink.

It was a color that gave me a sweet taste in my mouth just from looking at it. It was as if some transcendent being had carefully modeled the sky after the painting of an adventurous child

"……! Hup!"

The pink invaded not just the sky but also my consciousness. My consciousness? No. I couldn't distinguish the outside of my consciousness from the inside. I had become my consciousness itself.

"Uh…."

My memories quickly began to fade.

The things that made me 'me'. The steps that Kim Gong-ja had walked so far were slowly being erased. Like footsteps on a sandy beach being washed away by the tide. The pink waves were quickly eroding my memories

"——."

I could hear the sound of children's laughter from somewhere.

An auditory hallucination.

And a visual hallucination.

Before I knew it, the sky turned from pink to yellow. The color of my mind also became yellow as well.

The sky turned blue. And my consciousness also became blue.

"Mm."

My very existence was transparent like water in a glass cup. And whenever a bit of color was added to the world, my water would turn red, yellow, blue.

It was a world where fleeting moments carried on endlessly.

This was the place where the Dream Demons lived.

"This… is a bit dangerous."

My past was gone. My memories fading.

And as my past disappeared, the breadth of my movement narrowed, and my shadow faded as quickly as my fading memory.

My consciousness felt blurred as though I'd been drugged.

Now, all I could perceive was the present.

It felt like I would lose my sense of self if I were to let down my guard for even a moment.

'If I were alone, I would have been helpless.'

But I wasn't the only one who contributed to my sense of self.

Feeling a bit impatient, I hurriedly called out.

"—Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation."

Suddenly, my shadow expanded.

[Your skill is being activated.]

My shadow was black. It wasn't translucent, it was just black. Pitch black, which did not allow any other color to appear within its influence, quickly spread out in all directions.

Swoosh-

The black swallowed the pink sky. It even devoured the yellow and the blue.

My shadow became like tens of thousands of fingers that scratched the sky. And this sky, which had been scratched by the black claws, shed colorful blood

"No. What the fuck?" (TL: Shibal?)

From the place where the pink paint melted and dripped down, my ghosts and my memories were gradually retrieved bit by bit, and the characteristics that made up my existence were revealed one after the other.

"What kind of bullshit mess is this?"

Flame Emperor.

A handsome man with a ponytail looked around moodily.

"……."

Hungry Ghost.

A girl, whose face was covered by a mask made of animal bones, looked up at the sky. There was a cool glint in her eyes. The Hungry Ghost was looking at this world like the corpse of a beast.

"No, I'll remake the tea immediately. I'm sorry, Duke! I will bring scented tea that will make you feel like you've been reborn immediately… Huh? Uh. What the fuck is going on? What is this?"

The Lady of Golden Silk.

A girl in a maid outfit raised her head sharply. She had been kneeling with her palms and forehead on the ground. For reference, the Lady of Golden Silk, Sylvia Evanail, was now working as a maid in our Duke's family.

'Raviel….'

It seemed that she had been summoned in the midst of being taken advantage of by our Duke.

I'm happy you seem to be enjoying your life, my love.

"Where is this?"

"Look over there. The colors in the sky are very strange."

"This is too amazing to even be called Shangri-la. Goodness me, the young master really knows how to find interesting places!"

"Huh…."

The Four Demon Lords.

Elite members of the Demonic Cult dressed in fluttering black cloaks were summoned. The Four Demon Lords marveled at the scenery of a different world. By the time their cloaks stopped rippling, the one thousand strong army of the Demonic Cult was also summoned.

"Hoo."

Finally, I let out a sigh.

I was finally able to take a breath.

"Everyone, long time no see."

The ghosts looked back at me, and I also looked at them. As our gazes crossed, distant memories returned. My memory had become clearer. The outline of my existence was more defined.

To the Flame Emperor, I was an Enemy.

To the Hungry Ghost, I was a Ruler.

To the Lady of Golden Silk, I was the Man of her Love Rival.

To the Cultists, I was the Young Cult Master.

My revenge, my duty, my love, and my responsibility. Everything was contained within the eyes of the ghosts. Just as they had become reincarnated ghosts because of me, I had also become the current Kim Gong-ja because of them.

As long as they were here, I would never disappear.

"It's nice to see you all. Except for the fucking chimpanzee over there."

"Huh? Are you talking about me?"

Yoo Soo-ha frowned.

"You bastard, you called me away when I was going to work, shouldn't you speak more nicely?"

He was wearing a brown apron. The apron had [The Planetarium Cafe] written on it. Together with Kim Yul, he was making significant contributions to attracting customers to the cafe run by The Librarian, where he worked part time.

Yoo Soo-ha and Kim Yul both wore ponytails.

One of them was an asshole who cursed with every sentence. The other was a silent cool guy. Their hair colors were also black and white, so they were called the twins. The regulars all thought it was worth drinking a cup of coffee every day if they could stare at them until they became addicted.

"Am I some kind of barber who comes to give you service whenever you call me? Ha, this bastard is starting to get bad habits. It's unfair that I couldn't even get to E rank while I was alive, but now I even have to suffer after death…."

"Go dance over there."

"Fuck!"

On the other hand, while Yoo Soo-ha showed off his hip-hop skills, I explained the situation to the other ghosts.

"Heh. A race that lives by parasitizing dreams. How interesting."

After hearing my explanation, the young lady stroked her chin thoughtfully. I couldn't help but wonder where the young lady, who was praised as the 'The Flower of Imperial Society' had disappeared to. But even though she was wearing a maid outfit, her face seemed to be shining.

"This place is a dream in a dream… It is a dream where the succubuses live their dreams over and over again. It's similar to being eroded by a Constellation. Isn't it romantic? I'm sure you find it romantic, butler."

"I'm the Duchess' butler, not yours."

"Hey, there's no need to sweat the small stuff, butler. If you do that, you'll get hair loss. From my perspective, it seems like the butler might soon start to lose hair! I can feel it! Ah, I can just imagine. I can really imagine it! The sight of Duke Ivansia sighing while stroking the top of the butler's bald head…."

"Right. You go dance over there too."

"Fuck!!"

While the Lady of Golden Silk performed a waltz beside Yoo Soo-ha, I continued to discuss the operation with the normal people.

"As the blonde maid pointed out, the characteristics of the Dream Demons are similar to those of Constellations."

The Hungry Ghost spoke.

"If we had to classify them, they wouldn't be combat-type Constellations, but instead trait-type Constellations. The kind that project their thoughts into reality and create a type of distortion… They are not beings we can use force to defeat."

"That means these kids can decide the rules on their own."

"That is correct, My Lord."

Clatter.

The Hungry Ghost tapped her mask.

"In truth, dreams are the reproduction of experiences and the realization of desires. The act of dwelling on the past or grasping the future. Among these, I believe the latter would be more important for My Lord. If My Lord is able to fulfill those desires in a more satisfying manner than the Dream Demons, then you will naturally be able to repel this world.……."

The Hungry Ghost closed her mouth.

Then, a slightly bewildered look appeared in the eyes of the Hungry Ghost, who usually remained indifferent all year round.

It wasn't just the Hungry Ghost that was confused.

-Ahahaha! Tell me who I am!

Paak.

From the other side, a young lady riding a majestic chariot appeared. It wasn't horses, but people that pulled the chariot. Naked people. The young lady swung her whip excitedly.

-Now! Hurry!

-Y-, you are the brightest moon in the Empire, Your Majesty Empress Sylvia Evanail, whom everyone looks up to!

-Aha, that's so nice to listen to! But your voice isn't good at all. Try saying it in a more emotional voice. Praise me in a voice that's as soft as a wet mop!

-Ahh, benevolent and beautiful Empress……!

-A little more!

It was the Lady of Golden Silk.

Or, to be precise, it was a dream being with the appearance of the Lady of Golden Silk.

"……."

"……."

Um.

In unison, we turn our heads to look at the side.

There, the Lady of Golden Silk was still showing off her waltz skills.

"Th-, That's not me! That's a fake illusion! It's a fabrication intended to instigate the ignorant!"

"No…. This is the world of dreams. In other words, [that] is your dream…."

"That's not very nice, butler! I will file a complaint to the Imperial Court!"

"Half of the Nobles in the court support our Duke Ivansia. You know that, right…?"

"Dammit! So that's why she's so powerful!"

The Lady of Golden Silk somehow managed to pull off a triple axle in her maid uniform.

Beside her, the Dream Lady of Golden Silk… so, the dream fragments that had been embodied by a Dream Demon, smiled as she whipped people.

As expected of the World of Dreams.

It was confusing as hell.

"Ah."

The Hungry Ghost finally regained her senses and spoke slowly.

"Umm…. This. It seems that our dreams are also beginning to be reflected."

"That seems to be the case."

"This is a different world, My Lord. The longer you stay here, the more distorted your knowledge and common sense will become. We need to find the core of this world as soon as possible, before we lose our minds… That way, the damage will hopefully be kept to a minimum."

The Hungry Ghost was probably trying to say 'Before I lose my mind', but I fully agreed with her.

"Where is the core? Do you have any ideas?"

"Specific locations seem to have little meaning in this place. Directions don't matter, it is the order and sequence that matter."

"Hmm."

"To paraphrase one of the common games in My Lord's world, it is linear progression, not sandbox type. If you endure the dreams that appear one after the other, eventually… you should be able to reach the Dream Demon's [First Dream]… at least… I think so……."

There was a reason why the Hungry Ghost's words stuttered at the end.

-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. The signature cocktail you ordered is here.

-Mm. It's not that good, is it? I could probably order this at a normal bar.

-I'm sorry. I deserve to die 100 times for defiling the great Sir Yoo Soo-ha's noble tastebuds.

-No, well. That's not necessary.

0

-As expected of Sir Yoo Soo-ha… the riper a rice stalk becomes, the lower it bows its head, but no stalk of rice can compare to Sir Yoo Soo-ha. (: Basically the wiser a person is, the more humble they are)

-Hey. Hey. That's an exaggeration.

-I'm sorry. I'll stop. But I was only telling the truth….

-Well. Since you're so honest, it can't be helped.

The figure of Yoo Soo-ha, which had been embodied in the dream world, was walking in a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

And behind Yoo Soo-ha was an endless line of gentlemen dressed in fancy suits.

-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. This is the new watch our brand is planning to release. It would truly be a great honor on us ignorant people if Sir Yoo Soo-ha were to put this piece of garbage on your noble wrist.

-Huh? It's nothing special. Well, I'll use it for you. But I'll only use it for two days before throwing it away.

-I will remember those two days for the next 1,000 years.

-Sir Yoo Soo-ha. We've gathered all the famous chefs in the Tower and prepared a full course meal for you. If Sir Yoo Soo-ha's mouth were to enjoy any of these dishes even a little bit…

-Ah, you're so noisy. Just bring it here.

-He told me I'm noisy… I'm touched.

In the distance, the sky shone pink.

We all quietly turned to look at the 'real' Yoo Soo-ha.

Yoo Soo-ha swallowed slightly before finally seeming to find his tongue.

"What are you looking at? Fuck. Are you guys any better than me?"

"……My Lord."

The Hungry Ghost spoke up.

The eyes behind her mask became serious.

I looked into those eyes that said she didn't want to be treated like the other ghosts.

"I beg you, if you need to take someone under your command, please filter them multiple times before finally accepting them."

For some reason, I felt sorry for her.

Chapter 202. Black Dragon(1)

Translator: Seven

1.

We headed to the heart of the World of Dreams.

-Ahaha! Come on, worship this Empress!

Behind us, the succubus, who was still imitating the Lady of Golden Silk, swung her whip, but we tried to ignore her as we passed by. No one in our party wanted to get involved with something like that.

After walking for a while, we arrived before a strange scene.

Firstly, the sky above our heads became very strange.

"The moon… has eyes, My Lord."

"I know."

Blink.

The moon blinked. As the Hungry Ghost said, the full moon had eyes. Red eyes. The moon's red eyes looked down at us.

"It's a bit strange, but the eyes are beautiful. It makes me want to look at them all the time."

For some reason, my heart was pounding.

The Hungry Ghost's expression changed slightly when she saw my reaction.

"Uh. Um. I think it might be influencing My Lord's subconscious. Perhaps it might have copied the Lady's eyes…." (TL: The Lady being the wife of the Lord.)

"Huh? Is that so?"

Now that I thought about it, they did look like Raviel's eyes.

I couldn't believe it had almost stolen my heart just by using her eyes. As expected of my Duke. From her head to her toes, there was no part of her that wasn't alluring.

The next scene we encountered was from the Hungry Ghost.

"Mm."

Beneath the Red Eyed Moon, fields of yellow wheat stretched.

In the fields of wheat, farmers toiled with bent waists.

"……."

The Hungry Ghost' expression became noticeably stiff.

I immediately realized what this was a copy of.

"This is Estelle's Village."

"…Yes. That's right."

The village that had been devastated by the Aegim Empire and the Allied Forces.

The fields of wheat that the child I saw in the Hungry Ghost's trauma used to play in.

-Spirit! Spirit!

Something lay among the yellow wheat.

A giant beast.

The blue furred beast, a wolf to be precise, opened its eyes to look at the approaching children.

-We have a present for you!

-We picked only the pretty ones to make it!

The village children lifted the flower wreath they made for the wolf.

However, the wolf's head was too big for the wreath to fit. The children were unsure of what to do for a while before finally settling for hanging the wreath around the wolf's ear. And so, the wolf suddenly obtained a flower earring.

-Grrng.

Apparently satisfied, the wolf carried the children on her back.

0

The wind blew, shaking the wheat in the fields, and carrying the children's laughter.

The sound of the laughter filled the wind with happiness.

"That beast is……."

"My dream."

The Hungry Ghost murmured.

"If I hadn't eaten Estelle. So if I hadn't become human and continued being a beast… this might have happened. Then, I wouldn't have been revered as a saint, nor would I have been cursed as a witch after becoming Estelle. And the village wouldn't have been destroyed by fire."

The Hungry Ghost's voice was calm.

"It's foolish."

She quietly gripped the hilt of her sword.

"If I hadn't devoured a human, I wouldn't have been able to understand the human heart. I'm a part of a race who only understands the prey we consume and digest. If I hadn't eaten Estelle, I wouldn't have gained human desires. The scene out there is filled with contradictions."

The Hungry Ghost began to walk to the wheat fields.

The wolf, who was still carrying the children, stopped.

They had a silent confrontation.

The doppelganger looked at her copy with cold eyes.

"Break."

She drew her sword and slashed out.

As soon as it was cut by the Hungry Ghost's sword, the wolf melted into pink paint.

Even the children who were smilingly riding on its back, the farmers working in the wheat fields, and the village in the background melted away in an instant.

"……hoo."

The only thing that was left was the Hungry Ghost standing beneath the red moon.

The Hungry Ghost slowly turned her head and looked at me.

"Let us be on our way, My Lord."

"……you're firm. Nevertheless, that scene probably depicted your happiness."

"With all due respect, my life is not so light that I would be interested in such contradictory delusions. My memories of devouring Estelle's flesh and drinking her blood are still clear in my mind, so how can I dream about anything else?"

I nodded.

"Right. You're right."

We continued our journey.

Along the way, we encountered the dreams of the cult members and the dreams of Uburka. The Uburka in the World of Dreams crushed me while shouting 'Ugor!'. It seemed that since Uburka was also in contact with the Dream Demons, his dreams were being reflected in the World of Dreams.

"Is the core of the world still far away?"

"No. We're almost there."

The Hungry Ghost kicked the Uburka to the side and pointed ahead.

"I can feel a presence similar to a Constellation over there."

A place surrounded by an iron fence topped with barbed wire.

A Dream Demon was sitting in front of the iron fence.

The Dream Demon tilted her head to the side with a 'heh'.

-You really managed to maintain your sanity in this place. How strange.

This succubus had a familiar face.

She looked much smaller and weaker than I knew, but it was still easy to tell who she was.

"Black Dragon Master?"

-Mhm. That's what it's called. This human.

She looked around seven or eight years old.

The Black Dragon Master, who looked much younger now, stood up.

-We don't naturally have our own faces. So I'll borrow the face of an animal so that we can talk. This child is the only one you can talk to calmly, even though you seem to value them.

"What do you mean?"

-I mean you won't easily get caught up in your emotions. It's simple.

The Dream Demon looked over my shoulder.

At Yoo Soo-ha, the Hungry Ghost, the Lady of Golden Silk, the Four Demon Lords, and the cult members that were following me.

-There are a lot of guests, but I have no tea to serve. Sorry. But I hope you can understand my situation. Why did you bring so many troops to a shabby place like this with nothing to plunder?

"It is you, not us, that are trying to plunder. Don't you think? You are crossing the ocean to invade."

-It is natural for wild beasts to become ferocious at the scent of blood.

"In that sense, it is also natural for the strong to beat up the weak, so it would be smarter for you to listen to me."

-How scary.

"Would you like me to scare you more?"

Rumble.

I approached the Dream Demon with the army behind me.

"I think you are looking down on me because physical force doesn't work well here…"

-Hmph. And so?

"If conversation won't work on you, then I'll have no choice but to use another method."

-How interesting.

The young succubus smiled.

-I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what that is.

"I have a skill that allows me to bring the dead back to life. I will kill you all and bring you back."

I summoned the [Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation] card.

The gold card glittered above my hand.

"Those who are killed by me are forced to obey my orders after being revived. It wouldn't be difficult for me to subjugate all of the Dream Demons."

-…….

"Do you think it's a bluff?"

I looked right into the eyes of the succubus in front of me.

I had already wiped out the [Evangelist of Everlasting Happiness] before.

I didn't have any problem doing it again.

The smile disappeared from the corners of the Dream Demon's lips.

-……No. I don't doubt your sincerity. Because you, Death King, are a scary person.

The succubus looked me in the eyes and shook her head.

-I just find it regrettable.

"Regrettable? What are you talking about?"

-Exactly that, it's not from me, but the original feel of this animal's body. After all, the way you are trying to persuade us is also with the logic of force.

Suddenly.

We heard gunshots from the other side of the fence.

"My Lord!"

"Young Cult Master!"

The Hungry Ghost and the Four Demon Lords surrounded me in an instant. But there was nothing wrong with me. It also didn't seem like the Hungry Ghost or the Four Demon Lords were injured either.

The succubus giggled at our actions.

-Don't worry. By your definition, this is also a dream.

Gunshots continued to ring out from behind the fence.

When I looked in that direction, I saw a man and a child running.

Like they were being chased by someone.

-How deep the mark a single experience can leave on you is. The more I learn, the more surprised I get.

The man kept looking back.

But he kept covering the child with his body, as if he didn't want the child to look behind them.

The bearded man whispered to the child.

-Don't ever look back. Do you understand?

-Ng.

I realized after hearing the child's voice.

That it was a young Black Dragon Master.

The man and child alike had stains on their bodies and clothes like they hadn't washed for a long time. Muddy water had soaked the bottom of their clothes and hardened. With heavy steps, the man and child continued running away.

「When I was seven years old.」

I remembered the story the Black Dragon Master told me in the past.

「In the outside world, my father died in a civil war.」

There was a narrow opening in the iron fence.

The man pushed the child through the opening first.

The gunshots were coming closer and closer.

「I was running away with my parents, but I think soldiers were chasing us. My father stayed behind.」

The child screamed as she fell through the opening in the fence.

-Dad! Dad…….

-Don't look back! Go first! Dad will follow you!

The man pushed the child again. The child continued to scream, but she listened to her father's words and moved her feet.

「I really continued to run without looking back」

After that, the man disappeared from the Black Dragon Master's memory.

However, at the end, I heard something fall behind the Black Dragon Master.

Following that sound, the iron fence disappeared.

"……."

I could guess what that sound was.

The man probably tried to climb over the fence topped with barbed wire after sending the child away.

Then he was struck by a bullet, died instantly, and fell to the ground.

That sound was probably the last thing the Black Dragon Master remembered.

-No matter how strong you are, you can't undo the irreversible.

The succubus spoke in a calm tone.

-Therefore, the best policy is to prevent the situation in advance. You have to constantly prepare for the worst. That's what this original body thought. Every time it meets someone, it has the habit of imagining that person's death. It's pitiful.

"You don't have to tell me that, I know."

-Huh. Then do you know this original body has prevented eight abductions and assassinations against you?

"…What?"

I looked at the Dream Demon in surprise.

-You've grown very quickly. So it's natural for a lot of people to be interested in you. The original body prevented and destroyed as much of it as possible, but the Tower contains spies from all over the world.

"……."

-If you're not strong enough, you can't even protect your life and the lives of those around you.

Crack.

The moon in the sky above the World of Dreams cracked.

Then the red moon shattered into countless pieces.

-Death King. Since you are the stronger person, I will lower my head for now. I will order those who are sailing across the ocean to return. But you can't stay on the continent overlooking the seven races forever, can you?

The ground beneath us became soft before turning into a pink sea.

Splash, splash-

Pieces of the moon fell into the sea one after the other.

-You have only suppressed us for now. We haven't truly been convinced by you. That is what coercion by force is.

A tsunami started from the place where the moon fell.

The moment the wave hit us, the succubus' shape also began to melt.

-I'll see you next time. Death King.

And the World of Dreams collapsed.

2.

"—Death King? Are you okay, Junior?"

I suddenly regained consciousness.

The Black Dragon Master was looking at me with an anxious expression.

"Senior?"

"That's good. The light in your eyes is back."

I looked around.

We weren't in the jungle scene of Uburka's dream.

Instead, I was lying in the square of the port town.

"The Dream Demons……."

"They suddenly left the dream right after you talked to the deer. What happened? Did you successfully persuade them, or did you?"

"For now, it was a success."

As if to prove my words, the people laying in the town square began to wake up one after the other.

Perhaps because they were just waking up from their dreams, their movements were sluggish, but fortunately, their lives didn't seem to be in danger.

"Hah…."

The Black Dragon Master let out a long sigh of relief.

"Good job. I don't care how you did it…."

"Senior."

I grabbed the Black Dragon Master's wrist.

The Black Dragon Master tilted her head to the side as she looked at me.

"I have something to tell you."

"…why do you look so serious all of a sudden?"

"Because I am serious."

A strange silence passed between us for a moment.

I gathered my breath.

Then, I looked straight into the Black Dragon Master's eyes and opened my mouth.

"Senior. I… am a regressor."

Chapter 203. Black Dragon(2)

Translator: Seven ED: Sasha

"…What?"

The Black Dragon Master blinked.

The leader of the Tower's top guild slowly lowered her eyelids before raising them up again. Slowly. The entire action literally took a full second.

Then, she furrowed her brows.

"Returner? What are you talking about?"

"I've been thinking about it for a long time. Senior crossed the Aegim Empire with me. It would have been easier if I had revealed my identity back then, but at that time, I didn't completely trust Senior yet. So I hid it until now."

"…"

The more I said, the heavier Black Dragon Master's expression became.

It was clear to her now that I wasn't telling a joke.

"Senior always said. You don't know where this rookie who doesn't seem like a rookie appeared from. That I'm like an old fox despite my age. Senior was right. I'm not a rookie."

I summoned a skill card.

"Skill card open."

Golden light shined.

I flipped the golden card in my hand and showed it to the Black Dragon Master.

[Returner's Clockwork Watch]

Rank: EX

Effect: Activates automatically upon death. Returns to 24 hours before death. Even after returning, all memories and stats are retained.

※However, the higher the Hunter's rank, the more the penalty will increase.

※This skill was copied from Hunter Yoo Soo-ha.

"Wait a minute."

The Black Dragon Master stretched out her left hand and grabbed my hand which was holding the card. Her hand covered the skill card, so the Black Dragon Master was unable to see its description.

The Black Dragon Master herself was blocking the skill that I wanted to show her.

"Don't."

Dark eyes.

Her dark eyes, which resembled a bottomless well, somehow looked desperate at that moment. She was looking at me with an urgent expression. Beyond those eyes, at the very bottom of the well, a ripple appeared in the pool of water. (TL: A bottomed bottomless well)

"Don't do this. Please."

There was a faint tremor in her voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about. However, I know what would happen if I were to listen to it. There's a line between people that should never be crossed. No matter how familiar you are, no matter how close you are, that line should never be crossed."

The Black Dragon Master spoke naturally as though she'd predicted that this would happen a long time ago.

This naturalness probably came from her many past experiences.

"Don't tell me your secret. Don't share it. If you were to reveal your secret now, we will cross the point of no return. When we begin to rely on each other too much, it's no longer reliance, it's dependence."

"I know. I know that too."

"……you and I are good friends. Reliable comrades. You shouldn't expect more than this in your relationships with people. I take care of my work, and you take care of your life. Wouldn't that be best?"

The Black Dragon Master was basically asking my consent.

Her serious words made me ponder again. It was always difficult to decide what kind of relationship you wanted to have with someone.

Soon, I came to a conclusion.

"Then listen to me first and then decide."

"It will be too late then."

"It won't. I can return. Even if we talk now, I can make it so that this never happened. I have that ability."

"…"

The Black Dragon Master fell silent.

In the Port Town's square, the people who were gradually waking up began to look around. The residents groaned and stretched, expelling the poisonous qi that accumulated in their bodies due to sleeping for too long. Uaah. Uhh. The sounds of yawns could be heard from all around us.

"…let's not talk about it here."

The Black Dragon Master, who was still holding my hand, muttered.

"Transfer."

The next moment, we were out of the square.

The town pier.

The ships tied to the dock creaked as they were pushed by the waves. Almost as if they were responding to the ships' cacophony, for a moment all we could hear was the roar of the waves.

"Fine. Alright."

As if she'd finally made up her mind, the Black Dragon Master nodded.

"I'll listen to what you have to say first. But we can't talk about this sober."

The Black Dragon Master waved her hand and a black vortex appeared in the air. It was as if she'd opened a portal to a pitch black abyss. The Black Dragon Master stuck her hand into it without hesitation.

And after a while, pulled her hand out with a wine bottle in her grip.

I was a bit surprised.

"Is that a skill?"

"Mhm. [Item Storage]. Although the storage space is limited, there is no better skill than this when it comes to killing people and destroying the evidence."

The Black Dragon Master said those words casually before taking two glasses from the vortex.

"You should be honored. Not many people know I have this skill. You're also the first living Hunter to see it, Death King."

I took the glass from the Black Dragon Master.

For a while, we only quietly emptied the bottle.

Before I began to sober up, I opened my mouth.

"I am a returner."

Then, I started talking again.

"I don't know where to start… I have a skill that allows me to turn back time. To be precise, it allows me to go back 24hrs when I die. Thanks to this, I was able to overcome many difficulties. The 10th floor. 20th floor. I used my regression skill to survive all of them."

I showed Black Dragon Master the skill card.

This time, she didn't avert her gaze.

"…I see."

However, she then let out a soft sigh.

As if she'd found the final puzzle piece that she'd been looking for for a long time.

"You suspected something?"

"Kind of. At the very least, I knew that [Prophet] was a lie."

The Black Dragon Master lifted her cup.

"No matter how you look at it, it just felt like a convenient excuse. I've been watching you from the side for a long time. You never did [what you already know]. You always fought like every battle was your last. Right. You didn't know the future, you were going back to the past."

She turned to look at me again.

"I would like to ask you something."

"Please ask."

"The battle on the 11th floor."

It felt like she was about to say something she'd doubted for a long time.

"On the 11th floor, our Tower experienced our first group battle. Everyone was so excited about clearing the 10th floor which we had been stuck on for years that we jumped into the 11th floor. There, we fought the Devil King's army. Do you remember?"

"Yes."

"At that time, miraculously, not a single Hunter lost their life. Some people got hurt, but no one died. So…"

The Black Dragon Master hesitated for a long time.

"By chance…."

"Yes."

"…did you return at that time?"

"Yes."

"Until there were no casualties?"

"Yes."

The Black Dragon Master closed her mouth.

The well within her eyes seemed to become a bit lighter.

"How many times……?"

"A lot."

"Ten times? Twenty?"

"Probably a bit more than that."

"The 12th floor too?"

"It continued after that. It was always like that until I met Raviel."

"…"

The Black Dragon Master began to breathe a bit faster.

"Why? Going so far… There was no reason for you to do that."

"I didn't do it because I'm a good person. If I had gone up to the 11th floor on my own, I would have needed to redo it dozens or hundreds of times. You were also one of the reasons why I returned."

I looked into the Black Dragon Master's eyes.

"Every time the number of people who died on a stage decreased, the Black Dragon Master would smile a bit more."

It was something she couldn't remember.

"Before that, I'd never seen the Black Dragon Master smile even slightly. While they weren't bright smiles, they were still smiles filled with happiness. During a raid, when the Hunters died by the hundreds, you carried out your duties with a rigid and emotionless attitude… The Black Dragon Master changed a lot when the casualties dropped to double digits."

I was the only one who could remember her transformation.

「Oh my God! Less that 40 Hunters probably died!」

「This doesn't make sense… It seems, less than 10 people died.」

「This is unbelievable. It shouldn't be possible. On a battlefield like this.」

A smile that blossomed like a tightly closed flower bud spreading its petals.

I could still remember that moment vividly.

"When I saw it, I thought it was really beautiful."

"…"

"It made me happy. It was the first time I realized I could make someone smile."

I smiled.

"Thanks. Black Dragon Master. Senior."

"Why…?"

"Thanks to Senior, I was able to walk a path that I would never have been able to walk on my own. I now know about loving life. I'm with someone I love. Even if it wasn't your intention, I was able to step onto this path because of the smile you showed me that day."

I wanted to say this.

I wanted to tell her.

"Senior, you are someone who helped me get this strength. You are not alone. Even if Senior worries about saying goodbye to every person you meet, you don't have to worry about me."

Since I have the ability to go back one day upon death.

"I'll be fine."

I won't die.

"You don't have to stop the assassinations against me. You don't have to worry about what will happen if you don't stop them. I'm here, and I'll keep being here as long as you let me."

"…"

"It's fine even if we fail."

"Saying something like that……."

"You don't have to be afraid of failure anymore. You can do whatever you want to achieve. Even if something goes wrong, I can give you another chance."

"Don't say that."

The Black Dragon Master was afraid.

I already knew what she feared the most.

Even when we got drunk with the Crusader, the Black Dragon Master had been muttering.

「Don't be late. Death King.」

「You can't always be late.」

An irreversible situation.

That was what the Black Dragon Master was most afraid of.

So, I decided to give her the sincerest gift I could.

I said the one thing that only I could say.

"You can be a little late sometimes."

"…"

The Black Dragon Master paused as if she had been stabbed.

"As long as I am by your side, nothing is irreversible. Anything can be redone. So it's fine to take more chances and gamble, Senior. Senior deserves it."

The wind from across the ocean swept the Black Dragon Master's hair.

"Senior is much more skilled than I am. You started your own business and you manage an entire organization… You rule over the entire Tower. That is a talent I don't have. Likewise, the talent to start over was only given to me by chance instead of you, Senior."

My dear best friend.

"We can do a lot more if it's the two of us."

I didn't want to see her shedding tears.

So I lowered my head and took the Black Dragon Master's hand.

"I'm already dependent on Senior, so please depend on me too."

"You……, really."

The Black Dragon Master swallowed her words.

"You're a bad person. Why are you saying all of this after saying that you can make it so this conversation never happened? That. You're saying it's okay since if you die and go back one day our conversation will disappear. Would you kill yourself to make this conversation go away…?"

"Yes."

"Crazy guy."

The Black Dragon Master held my hand.

"Crazy guy…."

She murmured again.

"You'll see. I'll use it till you're sick of it. What was it? Returner? How dare you share such an ability with me without being scared? You really don't know how crazy the leader of the Black Dragon Guild is. You'll see. Crazy guy. Crazy bastard…."

I waited for the Black Dragon Master's trembling to subside.

After some time passed, Black Dragon Master spoke in a much calmer voice.

"Anastasia."

"…"

"That's my real name. Kim Gong-ja."

I slowly lifted my head.

The Black Dragon Master had a thin smile on her face

"I'll make sure to use it properly, so be prepared for the future."

"Yes."

I also let out a genuine laugh.

"Senior Anastasia." (TL: Anastasia sunbae)

The people climbing the Tower.

Among them, I found a comrade with whom to share my secret for the first time.

Chapter 204. Black Dragon(3)

Translator: Seven ED: Sasha

3.

"Ahhh. For some reason, I thought it would be something like this."

As the sound of the crashing waves became familiar and calming.

The Black Dragon Master stretched with a relaxed expression on her face.

"Well, I thought something like this would happen with you."

"Huh. Really?"

"Mhm. As soon as I look at a person's face, I usually have a feeling. How close I will get to this person, and how much I will get to know them. I haven't been wrong once since I was 25."

"That's amazing."

"It all comes down to experience."

The Black Dragon Master snorted.

"You tend to learn a lot about human perseverance when your expectations of failure tend to repeat themselves. Ah, by the way. I'd prefer it if you kept calling me by my title instead of my name in front of the others. Would that be a problem?"

"It wouldn't be a problem, but…. uh, why?"

"Why? Because it's embarrassing to have my real name called in front of others."

Despite saying that, her face showed no signs of embarrassment.

"You should also refrain from calling me [senior]. It makes chills run down my spine. I really hate showing off my personal relationships to people."

"No. Well. I'm not saying it doesn't make sense, but… Would it be embarrassing if I said it when it's just the both of us…?"

"That's a philosophical difference. Fine. Our opinions split pretty quickly."

The Black Dragon Master nodded to herself before taking something out of her [Item Storage] skill.

It was a cube covered in several round dots. It was a die, a prop used in gambling all over the world.

"Mr. Kim Gong-ja."

The Black Dragon Master looked at me with a serious gaze.

"Wh-, what is it? You're making me nervous."

"Please make and sign a [Friendship Contract] with me."

"…huh?"

What was this about a contract?

"I believe that a proper relationship between people should be documented."

The Black Dragon Master looked proud.

"Humans are prone to making mistakes. Whether it's because they stayed up all night, or they worked for 20 days straight, it's possible for their minds to crack at least once. No. Even if there is no underlying problem, if they were to bottle up their emotions for 5 or 10 years, it would become a problem."

"Uhh…."

"So in order to prevent any accidents, a contract must be written. It's a must if you want to have a strong and healthy relationship."

What was she talking about?

Really, what the hell was she talking about?

"Of course, the [agreement] must be made by both of us. Neither side can force it. As the first clause of our contract, I would like to write [In the case of differing opinions, we will follow the will of the person who got the highest number after throwing the dice]."

"…"

"What do you think?"

-Indeed.

Bae Hu-ryeong, who had been silent all this while, stuck his nose in.

-I understand now. Zombie, you became friends with a really troublesome girl….

I was dumbfounded.

I had never met someone like this in my entire life.

"U-, Uh. Um. Maybe that would be okay?"

"Take this seriously!"

The Black Dragon Master got angry.

But why?

"People who don't know anything think that friendship is about being honest without question, but that's not true. Such relationships are only possible if, by chance, you happen to get along very well. If you want to maintain a relationship, you have to use your head! Right, your noggin. Friendships can only work if you use your head well!"

"Th-, that's true, but is the contract really necessary…?"

"If someone breaks the contract then you can immediately stop being friends, so it's convenient."

What was going on? I was confused.

It felt like the concept of friendship that I'd known and lived for was now being shaken.

"If you have a limp attitude then you will only have limp relationships. Kim Gong-ja. If you're going to start something then you should build a solid foundation from the start. Either agree to the terms quickly, or argue against them with proper logic."

"…"

In the end, I used a part of my brain that I don't normally use and thought long and hard.

As a result, our [friendship contract] started with a very historic first sentence.

[Friendship Contract(友情契約書)]

This contract was concluded when the request of Anastasia Zelenski(hereinafter referred to as A) was accepted by Kim Gong-ja(hereinafter referred to as C).

A does not trust the validity period of human emotions, so she is confident in the belief that a firm attitude and diligent intelligence will be the foundation for the two parties to stand on. As such, A and C pledge to the following.

1. All promises are only valid if both parties agree.

2. All promises can be abrogated if both parties agree.

3. However, the establishment or abrogation of a promise can only be carried out during the weekend(i.e Saturday or Sunday).

4. If there is a difference of opinion between the two parties, they will roll the dice and follow the opinion of whomever rolls the highest number.

Signed: Anastasia Zelenski(signature)

Signed: Kim Gongja(signature)

I looked down at the contract with a blank expression.

Was this really for the best?

"…"

"What are you doing? Come on, stamp it."

The Black Dragon Master urged.

She was a bit scary.

"To be honest, I don't have a stamp…"

"You have fingers. You can use your fingerprint."

"That's right…."

My fingerprint.

As I was stamping a red fingerprint with my thumb, the thought that popped into my mind was 'I'm glad she didn't suggest writing a pact in blood'.

During the past half hour, I was able to get a really good understanding of the Black Dragon Master's personality.

"Good."

The Black Dragon Master inspected the contract with a satisfied expression.

"This isn't too bad of a start. Well, we can revise it in our second or sixth year. This will have to do for now."

"There's still more after this…?"

"Kim Gong-ja."

The Black Dragon Master spoke in a soft tone.

"You shouldn't underestimate human spinelessness. In the first place, hairless beasts could transform into different humans in just six months."

This statement was said with great conviction.

"Daddy! Daddy's comrade!"

A familiar voice sounded in my ears as I looked at the first friendship contract I'd ever signed. My son, Uburka, was running towards the pier.

"Where did you two disappear to?! I've been looking for you for a long time."

"Ah, Sorry. Just now we…."

Before I could finish talking, the Black Dragon Master's boot landed on my instep.

"Uhuukuhuuk!?"

The sound that came out of my throat as the pain shot up my leg was quite splendid.

This wasn't a level of skill that could be acquired just by stepping on one or two feet.

"…I-, I had something to talk about with the Black Dragon Master."

"Right. Death King and I needed to have a private conversation."

The Black Dragon Master smiled softly.

"Your father and I have a special relationship now."

Uburka froze.

"S-, special relationship?"

"Mhm. You could even say we are the only ones for each other."

"Only ones…?"

"Ah, how shameful. I'm saying such things in front of a child. In any case, the two of us are finished talking now. What did you come here for?"

"The townspeople… everyone woke up… it seems that the problem has been solved completely… I came to look for you… to report that…."

Uburka muttered softly before suddenly turning to look at me.

His glare was particularly menacing.

[The Constellation 'The Musclehead Who Dreams of Sinning Against Heaven' demands an explanation!]

No.

You're misunderstanding.

She's just using me to kick you away!

"Daddy, is what she just said true…?"

"Death King. Was there anything wrong with what I said?"

My son and best friend turned to look at me at the same time.

Even after countless deaths, this was my first time facing such a situation.

I was trapped between refusing to support my son's first love or a friendship where we understood each other's hearts.

"…son."

"Say it, Daddy."

"The Black Dragon Master and your father…"

I gulped.

"…really do have a special relationship."

Uburka's expression crumpled.

Silence.

The hobgoblin's thick lips twitched, and his long eyelashes trembled.

"I really hate you, Daddy!"

Uburka ran away after leaving those lines fit for a teenage boy. His footwork while using aura was truly amazing. In an instant, Uburka disappeared over the horizon, leaving nothing but chicken poop tears(1) behind.

It was the moment when the first love he'd developed in hundreds of years came to a disastrous end.

[The Constellation 'The Musclehead Who Dreams of Sinning Against Heaven' is badly hurt.]

[The Constellation 'The Musclehead Who Dreams of Sinning Against Heaven's distrust in human's increases.]

Ahh, Ahhh….

I was frustrated.

"No. Uburka, son. Your father will only have one person in his heart till death… How could you have such a misunderstanding… You'd understand if you tried to talk even a little…."

"Thanks."

As soon as Uburka disappeared, the Black Dragon Master's expression became calm again.

She gracefully swept her hair behind her ear with the back of her hand.

"Thanks to you, that troublesome child left. If I get a troublesome child like that in the future, I'll ask for your help often, Kim Gong-ja."

"I'm your friend, but aren't you too comfortable after using me…?"

"What are you talking about? Really."

The Black Dragon Master smiled brightly.

"I'm able to be comfortable after using you because you're my friend."

This was my third time seeing that smile.

Perhaps, I'd be able to see it countless times from now on.

4.

I'll tell you about what happened after.

"You're wrong."

-…

A seven year old Anastasia looked at me.

The World of Dreams.

The sleeping pioneers of the new continent were all awake by now. The sailors who had left to cross the ocean once again had returned safely, except for a few unfortunate victims. Because of that, the Black Dragon Master and I had to spend a lot of race points. (TL: Author put 'civilization points' here. For now, I changed it since I think it was a mistake, but if something like civilization points are added later, I'll fix it.)

"I came back to tell you that."

Once the situation was handled, I chose to reenter the World of Dreams.

-…I'm not sure what you mean by that.

The young succubus responded in a blunt tone.

The iron fence stood behind the Dream Demon like last time.

An old iron fence with broken barbed wire.

The remnants of a civil war.

The Dream Demons parasitized scars like this.

"The first time we met, you said something. That whenever Anastasia met someone, she had a habit of imagining that person's death. That the best policy was to prevent situations in advance, and to constantly prepare for the worst."

-Right.

"But I became an exception for Senior."

Gunshots rang out.

"You will see it too."

A man was running towards the fence while holding a child's hand.

It was almost like watching a broken video tape that could only play the same clip over and over again.

In this world of broken images, I spoke quietly.

"You just know Senior, you can't change her. That's your natural limit. You guys are a race that only lives on the trauma of the past."

-….

"I overpowered you with my strength. You guys only backed down because I had more power than you did. But you were wrong to think that our relationships in the world are only based on power."

-What are you trying to say?

"I'm saying don't mess with me. You brats."

I released my red aura.

The pink tainted world became a bit darker.

Startled, the Dream Demon shuffled backwards.

"You can talk as much as you want. You make it seem as if you can rule the world as long as you have [Power] and [Logic]. But the world isn't so thin that it would be cut by your scissors."

-…

"By your wording, everything under this sky is a power."

I filled my finger with aura.

"Subduing people is a power. Convincing people is a power. Therefore, sharing a past with someone and walking forward with them is also a power. You are capable of recreating someone's past in a dream, but beyond that you are just incompetent."

-We…….

"You will never be able to change Senior. I did. You are more incompetent than me, you're weaker than me, and in the end, you were ultimately defeated by me."

I waved my hand.

My aura split the space apart.

The iron fence snapped, instantly becoming a pink bubble before finally disappearing.

The man and the woman, who were trying to escape through the narrow exit, also melted.

"I wonder if you'll become a bit more competent when I return in the next era."

-…

"If I give you hundreds of years and you still repeat the same thing over and over again. Well, I'll have no choice but to turn back time and wipe you out."

It was a simple task.

I would just be adding the Dream Demons to my Hundred Ghosts.

I got to my feet.

-Even so, how many people can you find?

The Dream Demon stared at me.

-One person? Two? Maybe ten people, maybe twenty, or maybe a hundred. Even if you do, that number is only a handful of dust in our world. So what's the point?

I snorted.

"If you're worried about the number, then maybe this will help you figure it out."

-…

I spread my aura and cut off my surroundings from the World of Dreams.

If my Master was here, she would probably be able to cover the entire world, but that level was still out of reach.

The best I could do was make an area my own.

[Quest Clear!]

And best seemed to be enough for this stage.

Just before leaving the World of Dreams, I took one last look at the Dream Demon.

The young Black Dragon Master was biting her lips as if she was angry.

"I look forward to the next time we meet."

'Declare stage clear.'

After murmuring this in my mind, a bright light covered my eyes.

[Stage Clear!]

[You have cleared the 35th floor.]

[Your compensation will be settled after entering the 36th floor.]

[Chain layers in progress—you will be sent directly to the 36th floor!]

To the place where my best friend was.

(Note:

1. 닭똥 같은 눈물 – This is kind of a korean saying which basically means 'really large tears that fall to the ground like chicken poop'. There was even a video of a woman saying her baby was crying prettily before describing it as 'chicken poop tears')

Chapter 205. Easter Egg(1)

Translator: Seven ED: Sasha

1.

I had one incredibly important task.

It had nothing to do with attacking the Tower, but it was something that I absolutely had to do before I moved on.

I spoke with a resolute expression.

"I would like Raviel to meet Uburka."

Immediately after clearing the 35th floor.

We were all summoned to the completely white space once again.

While my colleagues were talking amongst each other, I made a request of the Constellation, [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage].

"No, I have to introduce them. I've put it off until now, but I can't put it off any longer."

"Hmm…."

The Lady stroked her chin.

"Really?"

"Yes. Even though they aren't really my children, I still think of the goblins as my children. And since we're husband and wife, it is something that Raviel needs to know, and it's something that I need to tell her."

"I understand Death King's personal situation, but… You all are currently attacking a chain from the 30th floor. Inhabitants who are not participating in the attack cannot enter other floors."

"Can't you bring Raviel here for a moment?"

"No, no!"

The Lady made an X with her arms.

"The Silver Heart didn't participate in the attack. Besides, she's not even a part of your Tower yet. I can't bring her here."

It seemed that 'Silver Heart' was an abbreviated form of [Silver-Plated Heart]. This Constellation. She really had a habit of calling people by nicknames

"Why? We already cleared Raviel's stage."

"How should I explain this… Uhh. You can think of the Silver Heart as a foreigner without a visa. There are places that you can enter without a visa, but there are also places that you can't, right? It's the same thing. If they are from the 30th floor or lower, then they can't be brought here. That is a rule of the Tower! Even if you have complaints, there isn't much I can do about it."

I thought about it.

"…Then what if Uburka and I stopped by Raviel's world for a bit?"

"Uhh, that would be difficult too. That broken hearted pig is a Constellation. He has the authority to visit other floors but…"

Indeed. Uburka was a broken hearted pig.

Dad is sorry that I couldn't support your first love…

"With regards to the rules, it's certainly possible, but I'm not exactly sure if I should allow that or not. That's because Death King is currently in the middle of an attack. You can't just go back and forth as you please."

"Okay. Then let's do this."

I smiled.

"Give me and Uburka a visitation pass as my reward for the 35th floor. Or at the very least, allow Uburka to stay here."

"Hehh?"

There was a hint of interest in the Lady's eyes.

"Why should I do that?"

"Since he's a Constellation now, Uburka won't die from his lifespan. If we go to the 36th floor from here, we will skip over hundreds of years again… I don't want to leave Uburka there alone."

"In other words, it's a [parent's responsibility to their children]?"

"You could say that."

"Understood."

The Lady nodded.

"If that's the case, then I should be able to convince the top brass in the Tower. The Tower Master thinks that motherly love, parental duty, and stuff like that are incredibly important! Hang on."

The Lady closed her eyes.

The Lady's bangs floated into the air like an antenna. The bangs then began to sway from side to side.

…Was she communicating? Like that?

"Mhm. Communication complete."

The Lady opened her eyes.

"I've been given permission to accept Death King's proposal."

"Ohh."

"However! You're not allowed to meet in the world Raviel was born in. You can only meet on the 29th floor. Death King, Uburka, and Raviel, you three are only allowed to meet on the 29th floor."

"…?"

I tilted my head at the Lady's words.

"Thank you for listening to me, but, uh… Why only the 29th floor?"

The 29th floor was no ordinary floor.

It was none other than Kim Yul's stage.

It was made up of the Shinseo Middle-High School and the surrounding commercial district.

"It's not even a real world."

That was right.

The Librarian even called it Ascending City's [side story].

The city was merely an embodiment of a fantasy because it was not a part of the real history of our world.

It had no special resources, and no unique tourist attractions.

Was there a special reason why we could only meet on the 29th floor?

"—sorry."

The Lady suddenly became expressionless.

"I can't tell you the reason."

The determination on her face was obvious.

"I owe the Death King. I have [debts]. So if possible, I'd like to accept all of Death King's requests. But this I can't."

"I will admit that the broken hearted pig deserves to be a Constellation. If the Death King agrees to be a responsible guardian, I'll allow him to go to the 29th floor. Isn't that good enough as a reward?"

I nodded slowly.

'There is some secret on the 29th floor.'

But I wouldn't forcefully ask when she rejected so firmly.

The Lady was my friend. There was no reason to push the Pillar that liked me.

'I already got what I want.'

I freed Uburka from years of waiting.

And I was given the chance to introduce Uburka to Raviel.

Having achieved both of my objectives, there was no need for me to be greedy.

'However….'

It was a secret that made even one of the Pillars serious.

What could it be?

I suppressed the curiosity within me and opened my mouth.

"Yes. That reward is enough."

"Great! Sorry to the kids that are on the 29th floor now, but you guys have to leave-."

[The Constellation 'The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage' has temporarily taken over the management of the 29th floor.]

[The Constellation 'The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage' has removed all hunters from the 29th floor.]

With a soft yap, the Lady shook her hand.

"While I'm at it, I'll adjust the time as well."

[Administrator Authority- Activate 'Country Lockdown'.]

[The 29th floor has been sealed.]

[The entry level for the 29th floor has been increased.]

[You are eligible to enter the 29th floor!]

"Good."

Seemingly satisfied, the Lady smiled happily.

"Now, no one can enter the 29th floor till Death King leaves. Even Constellations won't be able to enter. That place has been prepared for Death King, so go have a private conversation with your family!"

"Uh…. tha-, thank you?"

"It was nothing."

I wasn't sure what she did, but I still bowed my head. In any case, it seemed like an extravagantly authoritative action was taken just for me.

"Head to the 29th floor first. I'll send Silver Heart and the broken hearted pig there soon. Well, this is also part of the service. Feel free to enjoy it."

The Lady clapped her hands.

"If you want to come back, just think of my face and say [return]. Before that, I won't interfere with the 29th floor, so don't worry. See ya!"

A smile finally appeared on the Lady's lips.

[Confirming the Death King's qualifications.]

[Permitted to enter 'Ascension City – Side story'.]

A black shadow covered my eyes.

2.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in the middle of an intersection.

Hooonk!

A car horn blared loudly at the intersection. It was really noisy. But thanks to it, I was able to clear my head. When I turned my head, the driver of the car pointed towards me.

"Hey! You want to die? What kind of brat can't get out of the way in time!?"

He was being rude even though it was our first time meeting.

But the universe got revenge on the driver's impatience. A red light. The sign indicating a complete stop flashed overhead.

"I'm sorry."

"If you're sorry then get out the way! I swear young people…."

I stepped out of the middle of the intersection. The cars which had stopped moving because of me, began to move once again.

The drivers turned to glare at me again, but that was it. They quickly drove away. The cars moved in two lanes, and soon, the city became completely indifferent to my existence and flowed according to its own schedule.

Just as the city became indifferent to me.

"Mm."

I also lost interest in it.

Because on the other side of the crossing was a face I missed dearly.

"Raviel!"

She was dressed casually.

In clothes that didn't match the modern city setting.

Raviel created her own paradise under a traffic light.

"…Gong-ja?"

It seemed the aftereffects of the teleportation hadn't yet cleared. Raviel rested her hand on her forehead.

"Is this hallucination magic? Is another Constellation invading? It's sad that my wife is wagging his tail in front of me, and I can't pet him because I have to figure out the truth…"

"Ah. Are you feeling dizzy? Do you need to take a seat? No. It's too hot here. Let's go to a store first and rest. But first, give me a hug."

"Umm, this silliness. It's definitely my love."

Raviel's tensed brow relaxed and she finally smiled.

"I'm sorry I doubted you even for a moment. Gong-ja."

"It's fine. We are each other's biggest weaknesses, so we always need to be careful. When I was clearing the 35th floor, I ran into a Dream Demon who tried to imitate Raviel."

"Hoh? That caught my attention. How many seconds did it take you to realize it wasn't me?"

"1 second. I figured it out before I breathed out."

I smiled brightly.

"It was a stupid Dream Demon who wasn't even wearing your wedding ring."

"Indeed. That was a fatal mistake."

Raviel giggled softly.

I grabbed her left hand before her laughter died down. Gently. I rubbed the wedding ring on her finger, pulled her hand slightly, and kissed her.

"I missed you."

"I'm happy to see you."

"Is everything alright with the family?"

"Ahh. The Lady of the House is gone and the Lady of Golden Silk maid suddenly disappeared which caused a major disruption in the management of the mansion. If this Duke had been even a bit less capable, the family might have collapsed." (TL: So he's the lady of the house? xD)

"That. No matter who it is, to marry such a capable person, they must have saved the country three times in their past life."

"I heard you saved the world a few times."

This time, Raviel was the one that initiated the kiss.

We looked lovingly into each other's eyes for a while.

"…Anyways, what's going on Gong-ja? As I was doing my morning work, a little blond child suddenly popped up from the floor and said [Hi? Sorry. Death King asked me to take you to the 29th floor for a while]."

"Ah. That person… is a Pillar."

"A Pillar?"

"Yes. You can call them Constellations above Constellations. She's one of the people that manages the Tower. I asked her to let me meet Raviel for a moment as a reward for clearing the 35th and she agreed. Mm, but I didn't just bring you here recklessly."

"Ahh."

Raviel stroked my cheek.

For reference, we were still at the intersection.

Cars and passersby were still going past.

"Oh my god. Kids these days…."

"Seriously, the level of education…."

The people walking down the street stopped one by one and looked over at them while whispering. Well. A beautiful woman like Raviel was openly showing her affection in broad daylight so any sane person couldn't help but be distracted.

Of course, we didn't pay them any mind.

This was my first time reuniting with Raviel after a few months so why would I have space in my consciousness for other people? My brain was currently busy taking and storing images of Raviel's face.

The [Ascension City – Side story] was a world created because of me, so they could tolerate this kind of behaviour.

"You asked for such a cute reward. Did you miss me that much?"

"Umm. Actually, I have something to tel Raviel…"

"Daddy?"

At that moment, the world seemed to freeze for a moment.

"You're Daddy, right? No matter how I look at it, you're definitely Daddy."

Raviel and I slowly looked over.

There, Ubukra stood, staring at me with his arms folded.

Raviel tilted her head to the side.

"…[Daddy]?"

My heart sank.

"Uh. No. Wait a minute. Raviel, what happened was…'

"Oh my God!"

Uburka frowned.

"What a disappointment! You were grinning so happily with your colleague not so long ago and now you're trying to bump lips and make love with someone else. My hope for daddy is fading by the day!"

Scrunch.

Raviel's eyebrows moved about 11 degrees down.

"…a colleague? Is that so?"

Raviel turned to look at me.

"Gong-ja. This guy keeps saying interesting words and sentences. Unless my language skills are lacking, it's hard for my doubts and inferences to drift off in a certain direction."

"No. No. No! Raviel! It's not like that."

"You're so shameless Daddy. You confidently said in front of me [I have a special relationship with the Black Dragon Master]. How shameless are you to meet someone else? I can't understand it!"

"…"

Hoh.

Raviel's lips were stretched thin.

"If it's Black Dragon Master, that should be the person who came to the first meeting."

Raviel reached out and grabbed my neck.

The strength of her grip wasn't that strong.

But even if the Devil King grabbed my throat, I wouldn't be this scared.

"Of course, I believe in our love. I wouldn't doubt you even if words like 'affair' somehow intruded into our life. But I still want to ask for an explanation. I don't know why. Gong-ja, I will give you exactly 60 seconds, so speak for your life and my peace."

This was unfair!

Chapter 206. Easter Egg(2)

Translator: Seven ED: Sasha

3.

"I see. So it was just a misunderstanding."

After hearing my desperate explanation, Raviel nodded.

A fast food restaurant.

I'd wanted to go to a cafe, but the timeline of the [side story] was in the past. The time when cafes began sprouting all over the country like bamboo shoots was still a ways away.

Unfortunately, this meant that there weren't many places we could enter freely and have a conversation.

"Well. I should have known that you would never look at someone else. In fact, the news that the laws of physics had been disproven would have been more believable. I just got caught up in my emotions for a moment."

"No. I'm glad you believed me…"

Honestly, I thought the world was going to collapse.

"Well. In my opinion, the Black Dragon Master is a capable person. Even if she had been born in the empire, she would almost certainly have become a noble. To become such close friends with such a person is a wise decision. You're pretty lucky. Of course…"

Raviel squinted her eyes at looked out the store's front window.

"I never would have expected you to come back with a goblin child."

Outside the window, Uburka was standing with his back to us and his arms folded.

Although a giant hobgoblin was standing in the middle of the city, people continued to pass by as though it wasn't strange.

Some seemed to be surprised by how big Uburka was, but none of them recognized him as a hobgoblin.

"Is there some kind of perception altering spell on us?"

"Maybe."

Clink.

Raviel swirled her glass of coke, causing the cubes of ice to tap against the sides.

"The clothes I'm wearing are very different from the ones here. Normally, this would make me stand out. But while there are a lot of people staring at my face, no one seems to care about the clothes I'm wearing."

Raviel was wearing a dress in the empire's style. And yet, the store clerk didn't react to it when he saw it earlier.

Even though Raviel's otherworldly beauty was enough to make the world quake.

"The conclusion is obvious. In their eyes, we all appear to be dressed in normal clothes."

"A world wide perception alteration… That's ridiculous."

"That just means that the person who gave you this opportunity is omnipotent. You have a talent for being appreciated by the powerful. Gong-ja."

"Haha."

Around the restaurant, customers of all ages and genders kept glancing at Raviel. This showed that while the perception alteration worked for our clothes, our appearances seemed to be the same.

If this was an era with smartphones, they might have taken them out and sneakily tried to take pictures of us.

"Then bring that child you call your son."

"Is it really okay?"

"Right. Even if he is not your biological child, it is still a relationship you made in your heart. You never know. I might even recognize him as a member of the Duchy of Ivansia."

Raviel rarely ever granted favors like this.

Before the Duke could change her mind, I quickly went to get Uburka.

"…"

Uburka grabbed two chairs and sat down on them. With his arms still folded, he looked down at Raviel, who was much smaller than him.

"…"

"…"

The silence continued.

What was going on?

Why am I the one who's most nervous?

"…silver hair like the light of the moon, and red eyes like the lilies in the valley."

In the end, it was Uburka who broke the silence.

"Now that I look at you, you remind me of someone from a legend. Ugor. Are you Raviel Ivansia?"

"Oho. Contrary to how you look, you speak quite well."

"I just remember the things Daddy told me."

"Has Gong-ja been talking about me in your world?"

"Daddy created five legends. The fourth is about you, Raviel Ivansia. The Silver Lily. The moon whose heart was stolen by a mirror. There isn't a goblin who doesn't know you."

"Hmm."

The corners of Raviel's lips raised and I felt a bit better. Raviel grabbed her thin straw and slowly swirled it around, stirring her coke.

"I heard that you are a Constellation."

"Ugor."

"I was once a Constellation, too. It wasn't because I wanted to be, but it wasn't like I was offended that the world revolved around me. You are on a completely different level from other people. Do you really not feel strange having Gong-ja as your father?"

"That's a stupid question. Even when goblins were immature beasts, Daddy fulfilled his role as a parent. Relationships aren't formed when you're on the same level, but emerge when you throw that level aside."

"Do you not care about your own dignity?"

"Ugo. Dignity comes from qualifications. Daddy deserves it. In fact, I don't know anyone other than Daddy who has the right to be honored by the goblin race."

"Mm.""

Raviel nodded.

When I, the one who loved her, saw that, I knew it was a good sign.

More than that, this guy Uburka acted so much like a child when he was around me, but he was now acting mature to Raviel. Was he discriminating against his father? That made me sad. This was why it was useless to raise a son.

"How did you first meet Gong-ja…"

"Ugor, it was when the war had broken out with the Slime Empire…"

Soon, the two began to have a friendly conversation. Without me.

Sadness continued to pour in as I was ignored by my wife and child simultaneously.

This was the sorrow of being a goose dad(1)….

'Huh?'

As I looked through the window beside us, my attention was suddenly grabbed by a passing pedestrian.

Upon seeing them, I felt a strange sense of deja vu.

"…?"

At first, the reason the pedestrian caught my eye was because of their clothes.

Shinseo Middle-High School uniform.

To be precise, it was the middle school uniform.

Middle school students were among those who bullied Kim Yul. Regardless of gender. Maybe that's why the uniform caught my eye.

'I never saw this student before.'

Was this just deja vu?

When I strengthened my eyesight with aura, I immediately noticed several strange points of the passerby.

First was the hair.

'Blonde.'

It wasn't a dyed color, instead it appeared to be their natural hair color.

Whenever the pedestrian walked on the sidewalk, their blonde hair swayed.

I thought it could be a foreigner, but considering the fact that he was wearing the uniform of the Shinseo Middle-High School, that was unlikely.

'He's wearing a dirty uniform and… carrying a briefcase?'

The pedestrian wasn't carrying a student bag.

Instead, he was politely carrying a briefcase that office workers would have with both hands. The briefcase was very old and worn. The leather of the briefcase seemed to be on the brink of peeling. It was safe to say that it was already past the point of being called trash.

The last time that caught my eye was…

'He has a steady gait.'

There were no changes to his stride.

That fact alone accounted for a majority of the strange feeling.

'His pace and stride haven't changed at all.'

This wouldn't have been that difficult if he trained his body and movement to a considerable level. But the pedestrian didn't show any signs of exercising regularly, let alone the traces of aura. Instead, he seemed to be particularly weak when compared to his peers.

The pedestrian slowly passed in front of the fast food restaurant.

And for a moment, our eyes met.

"…"

Time seemed to slow down.

No, it wasn't my time that slowed down.

The pedestrian was completely expressionless. It was as if he'd never shown any expression since birth. And the pedestrian's expressionless face was perfectly sculpted.

But his eyes.

His eyes were endlessly transparent.

This world was currently in the middle of summer, but this pedestrian didn't seem to mix with the sweltering heat on the street or the nervous sighs of the other people. It was a type of transparency that did not tolerate any impurities.

Hooonk-

The car horns in the distance.

The traffic lights blinking at the intersection.

Even the sight of the yellow light becoming red at the three way intersection was not reflected in this pedestrian's eyes. It was as if he was walking in a different time.

The same rhythm. The exact same stride. Like an absolute being was walking through the world.

The [walking] proved that they had once been a part of this world.

But he wasn't a passerby. He was someone who could reject the the entire world simply by walking. Once in one step. Twice in two. Thrice in three. Four times…

Endlessly.

"Gong-ja?"

Suddenly, I realized that I'd gotten up from my seat.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry."

Raviel and Uburka stopped talking and looked at me.

"Please wait here for a moment. I have to go somewhere."

As I apologized to them, I kept my gaze on the back of the pedestrian who was gradually drifting away.

"I'll let my aura out so you can follow me if you want to. Uburka should easily be able to follow me."

"Daddy?"

"Son. Look after Raviel."

After saying that, I hurriedly ran out of the restaurant.

'Where did he go?'

The pedestrian was crossing the street. The light at the crossing had only just changed to green, but it was already beginning to flicker, urging the pedestrian to hurry.

Hooonk-

Since it was the middle of summer, there weren't many people on the street, and there was only one pedestrian on the crossing. Despite the fact it was still blue for the pedestrians, drivers seemed to ignore the signal. Cars drove on the road behind and in front of the lone pedestrian.

'When… where did I see him?'

I followed him.

'When I went to Shinseo High School?'

The pedestrian walked into an alley.

'No. I wouldn't have forgotten a student that walked like that. Even if I only saw him once, I would have remembered.'

The trees lining the street casted their shade on the road.

'This is definitely the first time I saw him. So why….'

The summer sun shined brightly.

The boundary between the shaded and unshaded places was stark. As the pedestrian walked under the shade, he seemed to drift like a mirage, trying to escape the season.

Chirp chirp.

The cicadas cried.

'Who is he?'

Tap.

The pedestrian stopped in the middle of the shade.

I had no choice but to stop walking, too.

"…"

The pedestrian slowly turned around.

I immediately felt an invisible attraction.

In the short moment when the pedestrian turned around, it felt like time slowed down once again. My breathing stopped, and my thoughts accelerated.

In this slowed time, memory fragments began to flow.

「I want to know how the Towers are built.」

Before entering the 35th floor, the Crusader asked.

「There just needs to be someone living the unhappiest life in that world.」

The Lady's voice answered.

「The Tower is built by the Master.」

「The Master lives on behalf of the life of the unhappiest person in the world.」

「The Tower is built in a world that the Master has already lived in and passed. Worlds without Towers are those that the Master hasn't passed by yet.」

Something tickled my nose when the pedestrian turned halfway.

It was a certain scent.

A scent I knew.

「I'm going to school a bit early today.」

Kim Yul.

「I have to go to the farm and feed the rabbits.」

The scent of old animal feed that had been stored in the warehouse for a long time.

「Anyway, we don't have an animal caretaking club anymore. The middle school class presidents are supposed to take turns feeding the animals, but… There's no way middle schoolers are going to stick to it, you know? So the security guard and me…」

「And some middle school kid.」

「Take care of feeding the animals between the three of us.」

A Tower had been built in our world.

If the Lady's words were true, that meant the Master of the Tower had [lived] in our world before.

On behalf of the unhappiest person.

If so, it meant that someone had been judged to be unhappier than Kim Yul.

「Kim Gong-ja.」

So that's why.

The words the class president had said resonated in my mind once again.

「You went around calling him the 2nd-year loser of Shinseo High School or whatever.」

The pedestrian looked at me.

I was standing under the summer sun. The pedestrian was standing under the shade.

There was a space.

A gap.

The loud cries of the cicadas was the only thing that filled the gap between us.

"—who are you?"

An unceasing ringing.

It was only after the pedestrian opened his mouth that I realized the true origin of the feeling of deja vu.

It was a voice I'd only ever heard in the Tower.

"And if possible."

"…"

"Tell me why you're following me."

Tower Master.

The Master of Manseng looked at me.(TL: Manseng=10,000 lives)

(Note:

1.A '기러기 아빠', literally "goose dad" is a South Korean term that refers to a man who works in Korea while his wife and children stay overseas, usually for the children's education. The term is inspired by the fact that geese are a species that migrate, just as the gireogi appa father must travel a great distance to see his family.)

Chapter 207. Easter Egg(3)

Translator: Seven

(TL: I really should start reading ahead. The Tower Master is female. Or at least in this instance they are)

4.

After I said 'I want to talk to you', the Tower Master stared at my face.

Then, after a few minutes.

The Tower Master nodded and turned around.

"Understood. Follow me."

I walked behind the Tower Master.

"This way."

A dilapidated alleyway.

Old houses with tiled roofs lined both sides of the alleyway.

But the atmosphere was not as tidy as Hanok Village(1).

The tiles were old and covered in weeds. Stone walls, which had already collapsed in the past, had never been repaired, and endured the gravity of time in that collapsed state.

'What kind of hanoks are these?'

Just as I had an uncomfortable feeling and opened my mouth to ask.

"These houses were built during the Japanese Colonial Era(2)."

Tap tap.

The Tower Master muttered softly as she walked ahead.

"When the war broke out, this city was wiped out almost instantly. Because of that, there are more traces of the past here than in other places."

"What war?"

"The Korean War(6·25 War)."

The smell of summer rot drifted up from the sewer.

"These are houses that missed their time to die."

"…"

The procession of tile roofed houses with years of history looked down upon us.

Rather than antiques, it was more like looking faces covered in age spots.

We walked along the stone path to one of the stone walls, opened a lacquered gate, and stepped into a yard where even weeds didn't seem to grow.

"Please wait here for a moment."

I sat on the wooden floor and waited.

Not to mention an air conditioner, there wasn't even a fan, so the only place to cool off was in the shade of the eaves.

Chirp, chirp, chiiirp… irp…

The cicadas chirped in the sunlight.

After a while, the Tower Master returned with a tray.

"I don't have anything to serve to guests."

"No, I'm sorry for dropping in so suddenly."

I politely accepted the cup with both hands.

It was water in a stainless steel cup that was often seen in school cafeterias.

"This might be my first time seeing you."

The Tower Master sat in front of me and bowed her head.

"I am Ja Soo-jung, a third year from Shinseo Middle School."

"Ah."

Now that I thought about it, I hadn't introduced myself.

"I am Kim Gong-ja."

"Right, Mr. Kim Gong-ja. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"…"

I wondered how I should say it.

'I think you are the Tower Master and I'm wondering why you're here'?

'Can you tell me how you made the Tower'?

However…

"That."

The question that came out of my mouth was completely different.

"You said your name was Ja Soo-jung…"

"Yes."

"May I ask what it means?"

"I'll write the characters."

The Tower Master took a notebook out of her briefcase.

Ja Soo-jung(慈水晶)(Amethyst).

The sharpened pencil scratched black onto the white paper.

'This is the Tower Master's name.'

Perhaps that was just the name that she used in this world.

Nevertheless, it was the first name I learned for the Tower Master.

'Ja Soo-jung.'

I repeated the pronunciation in my head.

I wouldn't forget.

"Do you have any other family members living here?"

"I lived with my uncle until last year, but now I live alone."

"I'm sorry, but may I ask…"

"A robber broke into the house and killed my uncle. The three men who were with my uncle were also killed. The case hasn't been solved yet, so I can't really tell you much."

There were no emotions on the Tower Master's face when she said those words.

No. There hadn't been any emotion from the start.

Since the first time we met.

"By chance, do you know anything about the [Tower]?"

"What tower are you talking about?"

"The Tower of Babel. It suddenly appeared in our world one day, and if you just thought that you wanted to enter it, you could get in after going through some procedures. if you entered, you would see a new world… um."

I got a little embarrassed after saying so much.

It was almost like I was advertising a cult.

I coughed into my hand.

"Anyways, do you really not know?"

The Tower Master shook her head slowly.

"Yes. I don't know."

"What about the word [Pillar]? Have you ever heard of [Hunters]?"

"I'm going to guess that the words Mr. Kim Gong-ja is saying have a different meaning from their normal meanings. I only understand the normal meanings of hunter and pillar."

"…I see."

I wasn't sure how to say it.

But as the conversation progressed, my strange feeling intensified.

'She has no memories of being the Tower Master.'

This girl in front of me really didn't know about the tower.

'The voice is the same, but the tone is completely different.'

A god who lost their memories.

I'm not sure what information and circumstances were hidden, but the child in front of me didn't have the memory or authority of the Tower Master.

She was just living the life assigned to her.

"…"

It would be pointless to ask her about the Tower now.

I shifted my curiosity.

"You've been answering all my questions since early, is that okay? You even said that someone broke in. Mm. What if I was a criminal who is targeting Ms. Ja Soo-jung?"

"It's fine."

The Tower Master slowly opened her mouth.

"If Mr. Kim Gong-ja was a criminal, then you wouldn't have tried to contact me at the intersection, you would have picked somewhere else."

"Huh?"

"I pass under two underpasses on my way home from school. One of them is abandoned. Because the lights there are broken, it's very dark, and there are many hidden spots. A criminal who planned to attack me would either do so at that underpass, or they would come in the cover of night."

The Tower Master spoke quietly.

"And when I saw Mr. Kim Gong-ja's face, I didn't see any intentions of committing a crime. Mr. Kim Gong-ja's gaze remained on my face the entire time. Particularly on my eyes. If you were aiming for me, you would have looked at my body, if you were worried I would run away, you would have paid attention to my lower body, and if you thought I would fight back, you would have paid attention to my hands. But Mr. Kim Gong-ja only looked at my face. That is usually how people act when they're trying to figure out if they know someone."

"Uh…"

"The first thing that Mr. Kim Gong-ja paid attention to was my name. This proves that you were curious about my personal information. Even when I went to get the water, Mr. Kim Gong-ja didn't try to look around the house. If you were a criminal, you would need to ensure there wasn't a third party inside the house and how it was structured."

The Tower Master held the stainless steel cup with both hands.

She took a sip to moisten her throat.

"None of Mr. Kim Gong-ja's actions are that of a criminal. Therefore, I don't believe that Mr. Kim Gong-ja is a criminal who harbors ill intentions towards me."

"…"

"So to answer Mr. Kim Gong-ja's question. Yes, it's fine."

Chiiirp-

The sound of the cicadas echoed throughout the house.

In a daze, I just listened to the sounds of summer.

'…huht!'

My mind was blown.

"Y-, you're very articulate. And smart."

"Yes."

The Tower Master calmly affirmed my words.

"I am smart."

"…"

That was when I realised.

Even if she had lost her memories, the girl in front of me was not normal.

"That… I'm sorry, but do you mind if I used the restroom…?"

0

"It's around the back of the house. Be careful when you come back."

After going to the squat-style toilet, I later realized why the Tower Master said 'be careful when you come' and not just 'come back safely'.

It was as I left the restroom.

"Huh?"

I felt a faint presence in a warehouse built on the other side of the backyard.

I couldn't feel any signs of them moving.

It was as if someone was hiding in the warehouse.

"…"

What was it?

Even though it was a hot summer, the back of my neck still felt a bit cold.

As I looked at the warehouse door, the presence remained silent, as if it was trying to avoid my gaze.

'What really is it?'

I took a step closer.

With each step, the presence became stronger.

And the cold feeling on the back of my neck became more pronounced.

'Hey. No, what are you doing?'

I tried shooting some of my aura forward just in case, but there was no response.

The presence didn't fade, and instead continued to grow stronger as I got closer.

One step.

Another step.

'Fuck.'

I gulped slightly.

Just as I was about to grab the handle of the warehouse door.

"Don't"

Someone grabbed my clothes from behind.

"Don't go in."

When I turned around, the Tower Master was looking at me with her expressionless face.

I didn't notice when she arrived.

"Huh…?"

"Mr. Kim Gong-ja will scare [those children] if you enter."

Children.

"Uh, children… What do you mean by children…?"

"Please wait here for a moment."

The Tower Master opened the warehouse door.

When the door opened, the presence increased sharply.

Until now, it felt like someone was stroking the back of my neck, but now, the sensation felt more like someone was scratching it with their nails.

"…"

"I'm sorry. A guest came to visit."

There were a number of curtains scattered around the warehouse.

When the Tower Master pulled one of the curtains aside, all I could see was a full length mirror.

As soon as the mirror was revealed, the sharp presence disappeared as if it had been washed away.

"Relax."

The Tower Master picked up a nearby towel and began to wipe the surface of the mirror.

I couldn't help but watch the Tower Master from behind.

"Th-, that mirror. Isn't there something strange about it?"

"Yes. It's a strange child."

"I think it might hurt people…"

"This child won't hurt anyone anymore."

The Tower Master took back the rag and once again covered the mirror with the curtain.

I felt the presence again, but it wasn't as harsh as before.

It felt like it was acting more obedient now.

"Isn't it possible that it may cause harm in the future?"

"Humans are the same."

"…"

Meow.

I heard a cat's cry from my feet.

Without me realizing it, a [puppy doll] had climbed onto my feet.

"…"

Meow.

Without a doubt, the sound of a cat's meow was coming from this puppy doll which had no mouth or vocal chords.

"Th-, this is?"

"It's Meow."

It was a name that shouldn't have been given to a puppy doll.

"Never pet his head just because you think it's cute."

"What would happen if I pet it?"

"Until he finds his next owner, Mr. Kim Gong-ja would make a meowing sound every 6 seconds."

"…Really?"

"Yes."

"Crazy."

"For now, I put him in a puppy doll and he's calm. He's still wondering if he's a cat or a dog, so he's been putting off finding an owner. He's a child who worries about his own identity first before relying on others."

"This… isn't this a bit dangerous?"

"It's fine. Once he has established his identity, I'll move him to a squirrel doll."

"Huhhh…?"

"Then he'll start wondering if he's a squirrel or not for about a year. It's safe as long as I change his body every 10 to 13 months. No, Mr. Meow. Don't bother the guest. Please come over here."

The Tower Master grabbed the puppy doll by the neck.

Meow.

The doll who was contemplating its identity was placed on a shelf.

"Oh my god…"

In shock, I looked around the warehouse.

Countless items were displayed on similar shelves.

A frame hung on the wall, and when I looked at it, the picture changed to Raviel.

"…what is that?"

"Whoever looks at that child will see the one they love the most."

The Tower Master spoke calmly as if that wasn't a big deal.

"Don't look at it for too long. The more you look, the more you forget about the one you love the most. And in contrast to your fading memories, the image will become more and more alive. Eventually, when all the memories of the person you love the most disappears, the image of the person you love the second most will take its place."

I quickly looked away.

"Wh-, why do you collect these things?"

"If they were in another place, they would bother people."

"B-, but aren't you scared? After all, they're like ghosts."

"That's a strange question."

The Tower Master tilted her head to the side.

"If we're talking about ghosts, Mr. Kim Gong-ja also has one"

I blinked.

"…Huh?"

"There."

The Tower Master pointed her finger behind me.

"There is a rugged muscular ghost behind Mr. Kim Gong-ja."

"…"

Where her finger was pointing, Bae Hu-ryeong was floating.

-Uh?

Bae Hu-ryeon was startled.

-What the hell? You can see me?

An expression that only I could see and a voice that only I could hear.

However, the Tower Master responded to Bae Hu-ryeongs question as if it was natural

"Yes."

She was the first person other than me who could see Bae Hu-ryeong.

(Note:

1.Hanoks are traditional Korean-style houses.

2.In 1910, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan. After years of war(and other factors), the country was considered a part of Japan until 1945.)

Chapter 208. Cheat(1)

Translator: Seven

1.

"I researched it like wife asked"

Raviel slammed a pile of newspapers down.

"Did you manage to find anything?"

"Right. She's a pretty famous student."

The newspapers had been marked with a light green highlighter. The words [Mother Ja, [Miss J] and [Ja Soo-jung] were all underlined in the bright color. They had even exposed the real name of a minor.

The media in this era.

"She's more famous by her nickname than her name. They call her [The Ghost Seeing Detective]. Even if you stop a random person on the street and ask, one in two people will know her."

"It's like that even when she hasn't been on a public TV show…"

"The younger they are, the more likely they are to know her. In particular, almost all the high school and middle school students know her. They might not know her personally, but at least they know [The Ghost Seeing Detective]."

It didn't seem to be a kind form of attention.

"Most of them responded [Ah, that fraud?]. It's pitiful. It seems that child you call the Tower Master isn't very popular."

"…a fraud."

It had been two days since I met the Tower Master.

Uburka and Raviel had traced my aura. I introduced them to Ja Soo-jung as the Tower Master. Although they were surprised, they decided to stay here with me for now.

When I asked if it would be okay for us to stay for a while, [Ja Soo-jung, Class A 3rd Year Shinseo Middle School] nodded expressionlessly.

「Yes. That's fine. There are a lot of empty rooms here. Please stay as you like.」

However, there was a condition.

「Please ask for my permission before entering the warehouse. And please try to not walk around the house after 1 am. That's the time for the kids to play.」

I quietly accepted her words.

No matter how big my liver was, I was still not brave enough to play with ghosts.

The fact that my aura didn't work was already a mystery in itself.

"12 administrative measures. And at least 8 civil suits."

Raviel furrowed her eyebrows.

"Considering her young age, she's experiencing too many unnecessary troubles. This might be why she is considered a fraud… It's amazing that she can see ghosts. Gong-ja, is she really the Tower Master?"

"Yeah. I'm certain."

Tak, tak, tak, tak.

A kitchen knife danced on a cutting board.

Tower Master.

In this world, the middle school student named Ja Soo-jung cut raw chicken with her back turned to us. She was preparing dinner, and Uburka was helping from the side.

"To be honest, I noticed a few strange things when attacking this stage."

"Strange things?"

"Yes. Originally, this world was the place that embodied the Constellation Killer's trauma."

Earlier, on the 50th floor, I'd faced the Constellation Killer.

I managed to kill one of the Constellation Killer's puppets, but I was killed in the end.

And when I died, I managed to catch a glimpse of the true nature of the Constellation Killer's trauma. That was the essence of [Ascension City – Side story]

"As soon as the trauma materialized, I heard the Tower's voice."

I wrote in my notebook.

Warning.

The trauma of the enemy who killed you is being materialized.

The data necessary for materialization will be extracted from your memories.

The last sentence was the most important part.

"The landscape painting that is this world is a painting of the Constellation Killer's, but all the paint used to paint it came from me. So all of the characters took the appearances of people I knew."

The Class President was the Black Dragon Master.

The Student Council President was Raviel.

My mother and father were my respected Master and Bae Hu-ryeong respectively.

However, there was only one – one person that [I didn't remember].

"Kim Yul's face didn't change."

"Hmm."

"I had no idea what face the Constellation Killer had in his previous life. Since I don't know, I couldn't have remembered. And yet, in the trauma world, Kim Yul had taken his true form from the beginning."

Raviel stroked her chin.

"…that certainly is strange. If the data had been extracted from wife's memories then it should have also changed Kim Yul's face to [someone you know]."

"That's right. So that only leaves one conclusion. Kim Yul was extracted from [different data, not from my memories. It was borrowed from someone else's memories. And I'm pretty sure the [other person] is the Tower Master."

"On what basis?"

"This."

I lifted my pencil.

"When I cleared this world, the Tower said something strange."

I tried to recreate the voice as best as I could.

The clear requirements have been achieved.

Considering the uniqueness of this stage, requesting judgment.

Judgment complete.

The Lord of Manseng accepts the clearing.

"Until now, the Constellations were the ones in charge of whether a stage in the Tower was cleared or not. The Constellation in charge of the 21st to 30th floors was the [Head Librarian of the Universe]. It was Hamustra. But for some reason, the [Lord of Manseng] was the one to make the judgment of this world."

"In other words, this stage was specially managed by the [Lord of Manseng] himself."

I had more evidence.

"Even after the stage clear was approved, I received a suspicious message."

Today, the 29th floor Stage has been cleared.

The Lord of Manseng announces instead of the Tower.

Good work, everyone.

May luck be with you all.

There was a longer message in between those, but I couldn't remember it.(1)

But this was enough.

The [Lord of Manseng] himself had personally congratulated me.

"There is no doubt about it. The Tower Master was in charge of this stage."

I was confident in those words.

"It was the Tower Master that manifested Kim Yul's face. According to the [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage, the Tower Master had once lived in this world. In place of the unhappiest person. And coincidentally, this child, Ja Soo-jung, knew Kim Yul."

"…so you made the connection because they managed the farm together."

"Yes."

So Kim Yul was recreated using the memories of the Tower Master.

The gap in the data disappeared.

"That makes sense. However, if that little girl is the Tower Master, why has she lost her power and memory?"

"…"

I looked at the back of Ja Soo-jung in the kitche.

Bubble.

The chicken boiled in an old pot.

"I can think of a few possibilities, but…"

"What is it?"

"From how I see it, the Tower Master is the type of person who doesn't interfere much with the affairs of the Tower. They won't show up unless it's absolutely necessary. I think the Tower Master might have placed a restriction like [Unless it's an urgent situation, I'll just be a normal person] on themself."

I played with the pencil.

Raviel rested her head on my shoulder and we looked down at the notebook together.

About Trauma.

"For example, Trauma. I can see the trauma of someone who killed me. This rule is basically guaranteed by [Returner's Clockwork Watch]. But it's still unclear what determines the nature of the trauma."

Ssk.

Two possibilities were written on the page.

About Trauma.

1. The Trauma the party remembers.

2. Trauma that had a profound impact on the person's life, even if the person in question doesn't remember.

"At first, I thought it was the first one, but…"

"This world's stage practically denies number 1."

"Yeah. Because the Constellation Killer [cannot remember] Kim Yul's trauma."

So the answer was number 2.

An event that had an impact on the person's life, regardless of whether they remembered it or not.

That was what determined the nature of the Trauma my skills showed me.

"The Tower, in the event of a contradiction, tries to solve it somehow. This is the contradiction that arose when the Constellation Killer's trauma was recreated."

1. The past trauma of the Constellation Killer had to be recreated.

2. But the Constellation Killer lost his past due to his skill.

3. [Kim Gong-ja's skill to manifest trauma] and the [Constellation killer's skill which deleted his past] conflict with each other.

4. A contradiction occurs.

"The Tower recognised this as a crisis. So the Tower Master, who was living a life as the ordinary middle school student, Ja Soo-jung, was temporarily awakened to deal with the issue. The Tower Master came up with their own way to resolve the issue, but…"

5. Because of the hurry, data was extracted from Kim Gong-ja's memories instead of the Constellation Killer.

"They hesitated before completing the final piece of the puzzle. The Tower Master must have thought. Is it really okay to cover the origin of the trauma, Kim Yul, with someone else's face?"

"…"

"In the end, this place is [Kim Yul's trauma]. Even if there was no choice but to cover the faces of others… if even Kim Yul became another person, then it could no longer be called [Kim Yul's trauma]. It would be a lie."

The Tower Master could not tolerate Kim Yul's face being changed to a different face.

That was the type of person they were.

In the end.

6. The Tower Master used their own memory to reproduce Kim Yul's appearance.

7. After the stage was cleared, the sealed their memory and power once again and continued living as the ordinary Ja Soo-jung.

"I believe that this… is the truth of this world."

"Indeed. There are still a few uncertainties, but… that's amazing."

Raviel brushed my bangs aside.

"You must be busy just climbing the Tower, but you still try to understand the truth by revisiting a path you already passed. That effort is your most brilliant talent. There is no Hunter more interested in the Tower than you."

"Well. This is basic."

"No, it's only possible because it's you. If it was someone else, they wouldn't have been able to gather any information on the Tower Master, and if it wasn't for your skill, you wouldn't have been able to attract the Tower Master's attention. You should be proud of that."

Raviel praised me.

Uhihihi.

"Gong-ja. What do you plan to do now? Even if this girl is the Tower Master, she has no power nor memory. Her ability to see ghosts is amazing, but that's it."

Mm.

"If my reasoning is correct… There should be a way to make the [Lord of Manseng] appear again."

"Hoh?"

"Contradictions created by skills cannot be solved by the Tower on its own. It would need the Tower Master's judgment. So if I cause another contradiction, the Tower Master will appear."

"That makes sense. But how exactly do you plan to create a contradiction?"

"…I will die at Ja Soo-jung's hands."

"…"

Raviel's lips closed.

I spoke quickly.

"There will be a problem with the manifestation of the Trauma. Trauma highlights an even that had a major impact on the life of the person in question. Regardless of if they remember or not. In other words…"

Ja Soo-jung(Tower Master)'s trauma.

1. The trauma of the middle school student Ja Soo-jung living in this world.

2. The trauma of the Tower Master before they started living as Ja Soo-jung.

"There will be a conflict. Because the Tower won't know which trauma to show me."

"…"

"If we were to follow the Constellation Killer's example, the right choice would be to show me the [Tower Master's trauma]. That was the source. This is a chance to get close to the truth and identity of the Tower Master who created and governs this tower before even reaching the 50th floor."

"…"

"This might be the first and last chance."

Tuk. Tuk.

Raviel tapped the table with her fingers.

"…how can you be so sure that it's your last chance? If you go to the 50th, 60th or 70th floors, you might be able to find some secrets about the Tower Master."

"I'm certain."

I glanced at the side.

Bae Hu-ryeong, who was listening to our conversation, folded his arms.

-Mm.

He wrinkled the tip of his nose.

-I reached the 99th floor. But I never met anyone like a Tower Master. Even the existence of a [Pillar] was something I only learned after meeting Kim Zombie.

This was the testimony of an experienced person.

-If you compare this to a game, you'll probably be able to see the ending if you go up to the 100th floor. And I'm sure there must be a prize there suitable for the ending. However, the [developer who created the game] has nothing to do with the ending, do they? In the end, the identity of the developer, and their life story, don't matter. I can't be 100 percent certain since I didn't manage to reach the 100th floor, but… the 100th floor probably has nothing to do with the Tower Master.

I nodded.

"Yes. My Bae Hu-ryeong says that there was no information about the Tower Master at least up to the 99th floor."

This had nothing to do with the progress in the Tower.

In other words, it was an Easter Egg.

It was just information about the creator of the Tower, the developer of the stages.

"I want to know the identity of the Tower Master."

"…"

"Why that person made the Tower. How they made the Tower. Why they would want to live the life of the unhappiest person in the world… If there is a chance to know. I'd like to seize the opportunity."

"And this is your last chance."

"Yes. I think so."

The secret of creation.

The life of the creator.

I think it was worth a life.

"Raviel."

I carefully looked into Raviel's eyes.

"Please allow me to die to that child."

(Note.

1.For those curious, it was 'Though I am on everyone's side, with this much, others would also turn a blind eye. I am a little more generous to those who struggle.'

Chapter 209. Cheat(2)

Translator: Seven

"…my lover always forces me to make difficult choices."

Raviel paused to take a deep breath.

But then stopped the breath halfway.

Afterward, she just stroked my earlobe gently. I knew that she'd been about to sigh before the thought [I don't want to sigh in the face of my beloved] popped into her mind.

"I understand that it's worth it. If I were in your shoes, I would have wanted the same. I understand that in my head, but… my heart doesn't want to allow it."

It was natural.

Raviel's words applied to me as well.

If my role had been reversed with Raviel, I wouldn't have wanted to allow it either.

"Have you thought of a way to persuade that child?"

Raviel looked at Ja Soo-jung's back.

"All I've seen until now was a person with a strong will. No, rather than being someone with a strong will, she's more like will that took human form."

Ja Soo-jung's eyes were able to see Raviel and Uburka [as they were].

For others, Raviel's silver hair shined black, and Uburka's green skin just looked like a darker skin tone. Their perceptions were deceived.

However, that change in perception did not work for Ja Soo-jung.

"The day before, she didn't even bat an eye when she saw Uburka. She's that kind of person. I don't think she'd accept it just because you tell her you want to die."

That point was where our thoughts differed.

However, I asked Raviel for her consent first.

"Then will Raviel allow me to act?"

"Fine."

Raviel revealed her condition.

"As long as you die in front of my eyes."

"…"

"If you die in front of me, I'll allow it."

I nodded.

"I'll do it."

2.

"It's time to eat, everyone."

Ja Soo-jung walked in with a tray. Uburka also brought bowls in both hands. Chogye Guksu(*). The noodles were rolled up in the bowl and ice floated around them. (: Noodles(국수-guksu) in Chilled Chicken Soup(초계-chogye)

"Thank you for the food."

With a slurp, I took a mouthful of the soup.

The cool dongchimi(*) broth filled my mouth. (: Radish water Kimchi)

"…isn't this really delicious?"

Unknowingly, I made an expression of amazement.

"Wow, it's so delicious. It seems you're really good at cooking."

"It's a hot day, so I made Chogye Guksu."

Ja Soo-jung spoke.

"The gem that Miss Raviel gave me was quite expensive, so the table won't be lacking for a while."

"It was a worthwhile gift."

Two days before, Raviel had given her an emerald, claiming that it was in return for letting us stay.

Even someone like me, who knew nothing about gemology, could tell that it was ridiculously expensive.

At first, Ja Soo-jung refused, saying it was [excessive, but she finally acquiesced when Raviel said [I'm the one who decides whether it's excessive or not. Or does the landlady intend to treat me as a beggar instead of a guest?].

As expected of the Ivansia Duchy. The richest family in the empire.

Although that family was my family.

Ohohoho.

"…Daddy. Your face is really ugly right now. Can you not smile while you're eating? As your son, it's really embarrassing."

"By the way. What did you do with the gem?"

I changed the subject.

"It probably isn't easy for a student to easily turn a gem into money."

"One of my classmates is Lee Mi-ho. She's the third daughter of one of the largest groups in the secondary finance and construction industries. Since she's the daughter of one of the local bigshots, I asked her to take care of it."

"Huh?"

Umm.

Local bigshot secondary finance construction… uhh.

'Is it a gangster!?'

Did she ask her classmate from a gangster family to get rid of the gem?

'Really?'

I looked at Ja Soo-jun who was eating her noodles. There was no telling what kind of life hid behind that expressionless face, but it was definitely not ordinary.

Ja Soo-jun tilted her head to the side.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-, n-, no. I was just thinking that your friendship was very interesting… Is it really okay to say all of that to an outsider like me?"

"Yes."

Ja Soo-jung's answer was short.

"Because Mr. Kim Gong-ja asked."

Um.

"…to clarify your meaning. You're not saying it's because I'm a special person, but because you were asked a question, right?"

"Yes. That's right."

I closed my mouth.

I'd felt this since we first met two days ago.

'This person. Has no barriers.'

She responded to anyone's requests and questions.

At least up to now, she hadn't refused anything. Not even once.

When I said I wanted to talk to her, and when I asked if it would be okay for Raviel and Uburka to stay here, Ja Soo-jung said [yes] without any hesitation.

"Excuse me. Miss Ja Soo-jung."

After dinner was over.

I decided to test that theory.

"I'm sorry, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes. Anything I can do to help."

"Please sit on the table."

Ja Soo-jung tilted her head to the side.

Her blonde hair slipped to one side.

"The table is not a place to sit, Mr. Kim Gong-ja."

"Yes. I know that. But please."

"…"

Ja Soo-jung slowly climbed onto the table and sat down.

"Hmm."

"Ugo?"

Raviel, who was watching the two of us, furrowed her eyebrows slightly, and Uburka's eyes widened.

I made another request, already believing that my judgment was correct.

"Can you please put your hand on my head?"

"Yes."

Ja Soo-jung put her hand on my bangs.

I continued asking.

"I'm hungry. I'd like to eat some yakitori as a late night snack. Please make it."

"…Mr. Kim Gong-ja."

Ja Soo-jung scolded me gently.

"Using me for your convenience might end up adversely affecting Mr. Kim Gong-ja in the future. Also, late night snacks are bad for your health. As far as I can tell, you're not actually hungry, you're just making these requests to understand my behavior."

"Yes. You're right. So please."

"…"

Ja Soo-jung nodded before going to get the shopping basket.

She was really going to leave the house to buy the ingredients for yakitori.

"Wait a minute."

Raviel grabbed Ja Soo-jung's shoulder. With the situation progressing this far, Raviel couldn't help but step in.

"Miss Ja Soo-jung. Just to be clear, if a stranger on the street asks you for help and tells you to follow them, would you?"

"Yes."

Ja Soo-jung agreed without hesitation.

"Anything I can do to help."

"This might be a bit of an extreme example, but what if someone requested to hold you captive in an abandoned facility for a year?"

"Yes. Anything I can do to help."

Raviel closed her mouth.

After a while, she muttered 'indeed'.

"This… is dangerous."

Raviel and I met each other's eyes.

I showed my agreement by nodding my head.

"Right. It's dangerous, Raviel."

"…she's smart, so she can see the other party's true intentions. She can grasp what their goal is. However, if the other party asks her something sincerely, she will never refuse. No, it should be more like it's impossible for her to refuse."

Raviel furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm convinced by what just happened. As Gong-ja said, this child is the Tower Master. At the very least, she's not a human who was born and raised in a normal manner."

"Yeah. It would be better to say her personality was [entered] instead of [formed]."

Just like an AI that responded to conditions.

She was a person who answered requests.

"Miss Ja Soo-jung."

I knelt in front of the little blond child.

It was only then that our eyes met.

Ja Soo-jung, who was still holding the shopping basket, looked at me.

"I am from another world. Raviel and Uburka are also travelers from other worlds."

"Alright."

Ja Soo-jung's expression didn't change even after hearing those absurd words.

Instead, she just nodded her head slightly as if she expected it.

"Skill card, open."

I took out a gold card.

[Returner's Clockwork Watch]

Rank: EX

Effect: Activates automatically upon death. Returns to 24 hours before death. Even after returning, all memories and stats are retained.

※However, the higher the Hunter's rank, the more the penalty will increase.

※This skill was copied from Hunter Yoo Soo-ha.

I showed my trump card as proof.

"There are skills in our worlds. Skills that allow us to move through space and even turn back time."

"…"

"As you can see, I have a skill that would stop me from dying even if I die. By showing you this skill, I would like to ask Miss Ja Soo-jung a favor. Please kill me one time."

"For what reason?"

"I believe that you are the god that rules over our worlds."

I looked Ja Soo-jung straight in the eyes.

"Our god implants terminals in every world on behalf of himself. The person who lives the unhappiest life becomes the candidate to become one of those terminals."

"Are you saying that I am a terminal?"

"Yes."

Then I started talking.

The story of how I came into the Tower. The story of the Director and Kim Yul. The things I experienced in the Tower, when I met Master, when I met Raviel. I dedicated my life as proof to the child in front of me.

"…"

The story continued for an hour and a half, but Ja Soo-jung silently looked at me the entire time.

Finally, I closed my lips and waited for her reaction.

"…according to Mr. Kim Gong-ja, there is a chance that I am a terminal of the Tower Master. The idea of using a contradiction to bring out the administrator and learn the truth about the administrator makes sense."

0

Ja Soo-jung stretched out a hand.

"You are a diligent person, Mr. Kim Gong-ja."

Slim fingers brushed my bangs aside.

"Not too long ago, senior Kim Yul suddenly disappeared." (TL: Would you guys prefer 'senior' or 'sunbae'. E.g Kim Yul sunbae)

"Not just senior Kim Yul, but also many other people disappeared. The ones who bullied senior Kim Yul. No one seemed to notice their disappearance except me. I thought that it was pretty strange, but Mr. Kim Gong-ja's story explained it."

Ja Soo-jun stroked my hair.

"If you do meet the Tower Master, I'd appreciate it if you could pass on a message for me."

"What is it?"

"I'm happy."

Ja Soo-jung spoke softly.

But those words made me numb for a moment.

"I love this city, and I love the children who live in it. I love the sound of the radio that drifts through the old window next door, and I love the chirps of the cicadas in the summer."

And I realized I'd misunderstood something.

The child in front of me was never like an AI.

Without emotions of her own, it would have been even more difficult to listen to the questions and requests of others.

Just.

'She sees all of us as [children].'

She just saw us as children to look after.

Even the strange monsters sleeping in the warehouse.

From the way she was talking now.

It showed that even if she knew it was wrong, she wouldn't refuse a request.

In short, this child was a 'mommy'.

"So please tell them not to worry about me."

"…Yes."

I nodded.

"I'll definitely tell them."

"Give me a knife."

I handed over a dagger holstered at my waist.

Ja Soo-jun took the dagger and swung it a few times.

As soon as she got the hang of it, she turned to me.

"…"

Raviel looked at me without saying a word.

"Mr. Kim Gong-ja, I might not be able to do it in one shot since I'm weak."

"I'm prepared. This isn't my first time experiencing this…"

"I'm sorry if it's painful. I apologize in advance."

Puk!

Cold iron pierced my throat before I could finish my sentence.

'Huh?'

My vision split into pieces like a broken window.

As pain spread through the cracks, I couldn't help but feel shock in the corner of my brain that was still working.

'No, no matter how you look at it. She's a student, but she still stabbed me in the throat without hesitation…'

My body swayed.

If I wasn't mistaken, Ja Soo-jung swung the dagger one more time.

'Words…'

In my broken vision, I could see that Ja Soo-jung's face was still expressionless.

But her lips were moving.

"I wish you luck."

My consciousness faded.

Accompanied by the sound of my death.

[You have died.]

[Your Hunter Rank is now B rank.]

…….

[The trauma of the enemy who killed you is being materialized.]

[The data necessary for materialization will be extracted from your memories.]

…

[Failed.]

[The data to materialize the trauma has been rejected.]

[Requesting data from Zrakua… Failed. Rejected.]

…

[Unable to materialize trauma.]

[Requesting approval from Zrakua.]

[Failed.]

[Approval from Zrakua has been denied.]

[This issue is not on Zrakua's agenda.]

…

[Unable to deal with this issue.]

[Manifesting 'Lord of Manseng'.]

That moment.

" —Oh my god."

Someone.

No, 'something' grabbed my chin.

Strongly.

"You can be so mean."

It was a voice like red silk soaked in peach juice for several days before finally being pulled out and wrung dry, causing sweet juice to splash everywhere.

"As much as This One(*) enjoys sowing coincidences in spring and harvesting them in the fall, this one was unexpected."(: This One represents an ancient(humble) way of addressing oneself. I couldn't think of a better alternative)

It was also a voice like a hundred vipers sticking out their long, thin tongues and digging them into my ears.

"How dare you try to peek into This One's past."

I opened my eyes.

In a dark space, a young girl smiled at me.

The girl looked exactly like Ja Soo-jung that had just been in front of me. Except for one thing.

"The first time, I was persuaded by logic, and the second time I pretended not to notice. The third time, I admired your spirit so I went easy on you. Foolishly."

Her eyes.

"Finally, today is the fourth time, so I guess it can be considered This One's mistake."

The [Lord of Manseng] had purple eyes.

"Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that the side road is straight, or that cheating is accepted as a standard. Death King. You really did something interesting this time."

A dark color like purple couldn't really illuminate anything.

But the Tower Master's purple shined in the darkness.

It was a light that shined not on someone's face, but directly on their heart.

"How should I scold this cute, naughty boy?"

"I don't recommend you keep your mouth shut like a mute. If you know what This One can do to you, then you'll realize that the most foolish thing you could do is stay quiet. So speak up."

I opened my mouth.

"Nice to officially meet you."

And smiled brightly.

"Tower Master."

For the first time, I looked at the face of the being who created this Tower.

Chapter 210. Cheat(3)

Translator: Seven ED: Sasha

3.

"My name is Kim Gong-ja."

Suppressing my pounding heart, I said.

"And, I'm the one you gave the name Death King."

"I'll say it once again. It's nice to officially meet you, Tower Master."

Purple eyes stared intently at me.

"Hum."

The Tower Master was still holding my chin. Our faces were so close we could hear each other breathe. The sound of the Tower Master's breaths was low, but I could still barely hear it.

"You introduced yourself, so it would be rude for This One to not respond with an introduction."

The Tower Master clicked her tongue.

"Fine. As you said, This One is the Tower Master. I was given the title Lord of Manseng, my first name is Ja Soo-jung(紫水晶)(Amethyst), and Man Hwa-gyeong(萬華鏡)(Kaleidoscope*). I have many nicknames, but there's no need to tell you all of them."(: Or Ten Thousand Reflecting Mirrors)

"I would appreciate it if you could tell me some of them."

"You really are shameless."

"I wanted to know more about the Tower Master, so even if it had to be a method like this, I wanted to meet you. Isn't that commendable?"

The Tower Master snorted.

"As I heard, you speak in a wise tone. I know all about how Hamustra was swayed by your tongue. However, if you planned on doing the same to This One, give up. That is This one's specialty."

"…so your specialty is swaying people with your mouth?"

"Yep. You're lucky I don't have a habit of going after married men, Death King. If it was a married woman, then I don't know."

Tuk.

The Tower Master let go of my chin.

[The Lord of Manseng has removed Dragon Pressure.]

It was only then that I regained feeling in my body. Until now, I could only feel my face, mouth, and heart in this dark space. However, after the Tower Master let go of my chin, the feeling of my limbs became clear again.

"Mm."

It was fine.

My heart was still pounding, but at least it was in my control.

"Tower Master. You know why you were called. Using my skill, I would like to take a peek at your past."

"…"

"You may be the most powerful being in this Tower. However, at the same time, you are an administrator who tries to be strict and impartial. Since I've used my skill in a legitimate manner, you have no choice but to comply with my request."

"Shit."

The Tower Master furrowed her eyebrows.

Now that I was looking at her properly, she was really different from [Side Story]'s Ja Soo-jung.

Ja Soo-jung, who lived in the side story, usually had no expression on her face. She didn't speak much either. But the Tower Master, who had the same beautiful appearance, was now furrowing her eyebrows, clicking her tongue, and sighing right in front of me.

Like a living person.

"Death King."

"Yes."

"I sincerely recommend you don't look at This One's past, especially when it comes to trauma. It is dangerous. It would be safer to explore a volcano that was about to erupt with dynamite strapped to your waist."

The Tower Master shook her head.

"If you don't want to break, please give up."

"I want to know more about you."

"Death King. Do you know who the saddest being in the myth of Icarus was? Was it the Minotaur who was trapped in the labyrinth from birth? Was it Icarus, who just wanted to fly a bit more/ Was it Daedalus, who gave the wings to his son? No. It was the Sun, who could not help but to burn the one who got close to it and make them fall into the blue sea. Please don't make me sad."(1)

"…"

"Your access authority right now is B rank."

The Tower Master snapped her fingers.

Purple letters appeared in the darkness.

Hell Road(地獄道).

Hungry Ghost Road(餓鬼道).

Animal Road(畜生道).

Sura* Road(修羅道). (TL: An abbreviation for 'Asura', one of the eight Buddhist gods.)

Human Road(人間道).

Heaven Road(天上道).

"With Animal Road, you would experience the full depth of Manseng. As you said the last time in the Constellation Killer's trauma, with the Animal Road, you don't just [see] the trauma, you [relive] it. If your rank was C or lower, This One might consider it…"

The Tower Master looked me in the eyes.

"I can't."

"…"

"If you don't want to lose your mind, give up."

The Tower Master spoke in a surprisingly rough voice.

"…You know a lot about my skill. Even I didn't know what the next step was after the Animal Road."

"That's natural."

The Tower Master spoke briefly.

"That… was originally This One's skill."

"Huh?"

It was a statement I never expected to hear.

The Tower Master sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair.

"Every skill has an origin. It is much easier to develop something based on what already exists rather than to create something that had never existed before. The [penalty of seeing trauma] was something that the Dragon Emperor… Anyway, it was one of the abilities of This One's ancestor. This one calls it Manseng(萬生) ."

Uhh.

"Then the name [Lord of Manseng]…?"

"That's right. It comes from that."

Oh my God.

Then did that mean that I shared an ability with the Tower Master?

"What an unexpected honor. No, what a coincidence…"

"What honor? It's because of this fucking ability that This One's life became like hell."

I'll correct myself.

The Tower Master was much rougher than I expected.

"It's not even a coincidence. It's a penalty that's attached to [Returner's Clockwork Watch]. Don't you know who made that skill?"

"Ah, yes. [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage] made it…"

"That child is This One's daughter."

My mouth fell open.

"Huh?"

"She's This One's daughter."

The Tower Master sighed and raised her left hand.

"Here."

"Wh-, what do you mean?"

"Smell it."

It was a very difficult request.

"Uh. That. Miss Tower Master. I… my body already has an owner…."

"Are you crazy? Do you want to die? Didn't I say earlier that I'm not interested in husbands? I have something to explain, so just put your nose on the back of my hand and smell it. Otherwise, I'll turn your nostrils inside out and exchange your nose hairs with the hairs on your head."

"…"

After hearing a threat like that for the first time in my life, I lowered my head to the back of her hand and took a gentle sniff.

"Ugh."

In an instant, a dizzying smell filled my skull.

My vision swayed.

Raising my head reflexively, I quickly retreated.

"…Peach scent?"

"Yes, that is This One's natural scent."

"Crazy."

"That's something that even This One thinks is crazy."

The Tower Master made an exasperated expression.

"Now think about the pillow that This One's daughter always carries around."

I pictured the [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage] in my head.

As the Tower Master said, the Lady always walked around with a pillow in her arms.

And the pattern on the pillow.

"Peach…"

"That child. Is a serious mama's girl. No matter how old she gets, she won't sleep if she can't smell This One's scent. It's not that she can't sleep, but that she won't sleep."

My mind went blank.

"I was hoping to hear many secrets when meeting the Tower Master, but…"

"You never thought you'd learn a secret like this, did you? I know. I understand. There were originally no secrets in the world, but if you force yourself to find things out, you will end up with unlimited responsibility. Shit."

The Tower Master had a habit of saying 'shit'.

"It's the same for This One. I won't tell you This One's secrets. And you should also not try to uncover them. If you manage to uncover them, it'd be nice if you could recover, but the only things you will find at This One's bottom are depraved screams."

"…what would you do if I still wanted to look?"

"This One can give you another reward instead."

The Tower Master looked at me.

While looking at me, the Tower Master's face was expressionless.

This was the first time she looked like the Ja Soo-jun from the [side story].

"Tell me what skill you want. I will take care of it. Tell me what authority you want. I will consider it. In return, destroy [Returner's Clockwork Watch]. To avoid the trauma penalty."

"…"

"If you're worried about losing your ability to regress, then you don't have to worry. I will only get rid of the trauma penalty, and I will give you the same, or better, skill."

"Indeed."

I nodded my head.

"So you won't forcibly stop me?"

The Tower Master sighed.

"…right."

"The only thing you can do is persuade me. Even here, you only came to persuade me. If you stop the skill penalty from triggering then it's an [abuse of authority]. You have the power to stop me, in fact, you could even change the world and make it so that none of this ever happened, but you won't."

Because you are bound by your own rules.

"No matter how much you want to stop me, if I decide to go ahead with it, you would have no choice but to accept it. Am I right?"

"Death King."

"I have no intention of destroying [Returner's Clockwork Watch]."

"Please. You will break."

"If I step back here then I will reach the 99th floor, or maybe even the 100th floor without ever knowing anything about you. I don't want that. I want to live with you, even if it's only for one day."

"…"

Suddenly, the Tower Master's eyes fell.

"Right."

The Tower Master lamented.

"I knew that this day would come. Someone who wields a sword will eventually be cut down by a sword someday. There's no way that a child who speaks in a similar manner to This One, has the same sense of logic as This One, and the same beliefs as This One wouldn't eventually appear after such a long time."

The Tower Master reached out with both hands and grabbed my head.

"Please be strong."

Then she put her forehead against my own.

[The Lord of Manseng blesses you.]

Purple eyes shined into my own.

"This One will always be by your side."

The moment her whisper voice entered my ears.

[Your Hunter Rank is now B rank.]

[Warning.]

[The trauma of the enemy who killed you is being materialized.]

The hand of time, which had been stopped, began to turn once again.

[The penalty's depth has risen.]

[This is the Animal Road.]

Eyes.

My eyes looked into the middle of a purple world.

Again and again, my eyes looked into purple eyes.

And in the purple eyes, my eyes were reflected…

My consciousness gradually faded in the maze of mirrors

ㆍ

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The rumors were even more plentiful that year.

An untouched stone in the territory of a Baron rolled by itself. The people murmured, saying that it was a bad sign when the rocks in the territory began to wander on their own.

Every night, the water in the great river boiled for no reason. Frogs jumped out from the waterways, buried their heads in the ground and died.

In the Royal Capital, lightning struck 26 times in a single day. The fortune teller at the north gate said, "It's a bad omen because 26 is the number 13 doubled".

It was a great crime because he recklessly foretold the fortune of the nation. The Royal Guards pulled the fortune teller aside and beat him up. On the same day, the rainy season had not yet arrived, but the river overflowed, blocking all of the roads leading to the Royal Capital.

"The Kingdom is a sick patient that cannot be saved."

The nobles lamented openly.

The bad harvests continued. The epidemics never stopped. Time was like a rotten spine, with pus accumulated in every vertebrae. The bodies of the dead floated endlessly in the overflowing river.

A time of destruction.

And in the center of this crumbling Kingdom, in the twelfth month, a girl was born.

Baron Ja Soo-jung. (TL: I'm not sure whether to use the name Amethyst or Ja Soo-jung here to be honest. But for the sake of simplicity, I will stick to Ja Soo-jung even if it sometimes feels wrong.)

Because of her unique eyes, the young daughter of the Baron was given the name Ja Soo-jung.

The Baron's daughter was extremely beautiful, as if she'd absorbed all of the remaining nutrients of the dying kingdom.

"Purple eyes."

A certain noble once praised those eyes, saying, [once you see them, you could never forget them, while another criticized, saying, [there is nothing special about her apart from her rare eye color].

Her delicately combed hair flowed gently every time she turned her head.

"Her hair is platinum, truly sacred. With one look in her eyes, one will be lost. Even looking at her from afar is a luxury."

There were also those who overpraised her.

"When I got close to her, I suddenly had the urge to touch the scene before my eyes, and I unintentionally stretched out my hand. Time felt like it had stopped for a moment after I stretched out my hand. She'd turned back to look at me. Slowly, carefully. And I then realized. The fact that I'd grabbed her wrist."

Ja Soo-jung was expressionless.

"She does not speak, so at first glance, she seems mute."

She had been expressionless from birth.

Her long eyebrows were straight, as though she'd never frowned.

"She never shows interest."

"She never gets nervous."

"An inborn constitution."

The year the young lady turned 17 years old.

That year, the rumors continued. Untouched stones rolling on their own, rivers boiling for no reason, lightning striking the Royal Capital 26 times. There was a drought in the spring, and a revolt in the fall.

There were also rumors about the young lady.

"All of the people in high society are keeping quiet."

That year, the young lady took the position as Family Head in place of her deceased father.

"It's nothing short of an open secret that the Baron's daughter killed her father."

And young lady Ja Soo-jung smiled in front of the nobles who spread those rumors. The expressionless flower seemed to bloom, and all of the socialites were stunned into silence. Then, an almost melodious voice flowed from her angelic lips.

"—you're trembling so much. You infectious diseases."

Baron Ja Soo-jung.

That girl was the greatest nutjob in the Kingdom's 2,000 year history.

(Note:

1.For those interested – The Myth of Daedalus and Icarus)

(TL: This chapter really made me question how well I know the language lol.)

:)