SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 45

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 45. The Name of the Demon King (2)
2
[You have entered the Boss Stage.]
This was the second time.
Entering a Boss Stage—this made it the second occasion.
Comparing then and now, there were many similarities, yet much that had changed.
[The Challenger is the Death King. There is one of you.]
[May fortune walk with you.]
First came the notification.
Just as when I had challenged the Hell House, I remained the sole Challenger—a solo player. The Tower, as always, quietly wished luck upon the Challenger, luck upon me.
But.
There was certainly something different this time around.
[Your Clear Rewards are being distributed.]
[Rewards from floors 11 through 19 are being calculated in aggregate.]
I was no longer a mere Challenger.
I was a Conqueror who had conquered floors 11 through 19 and ascended to this point.
The Tower, greeting me as a Conqueror, graciously sounded nine fanfares to welcome my arrival.
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 11.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 12.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 13.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 14.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 15.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 16.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 17.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 18.]
[Calculating Clear Reward for floor 19…….]
Thud.
I took a step forward.
[Calculation complete.]
As I listened to the melody that greeted my stride.
[The Tower acknowledges your achievements.]
[You are granted the right to modify your skills!]
[Any skill that is not of EX-grade may be strengthened.]
It was like a hymn of blessing bestowed upon me.
The Tower had prepared stages in advance. The quest routes were already determined. Yet I did not walk the well-trodden path. I created an entirely new stage and cleared it in my own way.
The Tower had acknowledged my method of conquest.
As if to say, ‘That too is good.’
[The authority of the Death King is being adjusted!]
It happened this time as well.
[You are granted limited authority as an Apostle.]
[For this reward only, you shall possess restricted administrative rights.]
[Which skills to strengthen and how to strengthen them—this choice is left to you!]
An unpredetermined stage.
An unpredetermined method of conquest.
Therefore, naturally, the rewards too were not predetermined.
‘…Indeed.’
I nodded inwardly.
‘So it leaves the choice to me.’
I do not know why the Tower was built. I do not know who built it. I do not know why the Tower is filled with the lives of other worlds either.
There is still much I do not know.
But now I can sense what the Tower [truly is].
‘An entity that watches over our choices.’
And an entity that remembers my choices.
‘Good.’
Shing.
I drew my blade.
‘I shall show you my choice once more.’
An artifact said to have been wielded by the founder of the Empire.
The Guardian Holy Sword of Repantha Aigim resonated with my aura, shedding white light.
I leveled my blade toward the [enemy] before me.
“Now.”
The entrance to the twentieth stage.
It stood at a crossroads leading to some small village.
“It’s time to write your ending, Demon King.”
-…….
It growled softly.
Like a beast driven beyond the point of return.
A creature swept up in the world’s inferno, cast out by flame, now clinging to nothing but the smallest refuge—a path leading to a village. That was all it had left.
-My…….
A path lined with acacia trees on both sides.
In the middle of the lane hung with white blossoms, the beast stood alone.
-My village!
It wailed.
-Don’t you dare destroy my paradise!
And the voice rang out.
[Boss Stage commencing.]
The curtain had risen.
The stage to slay the weakest boss in all the world.
“…….”
I looked up at the sky for a moment.
Clear. Blue.
The sky had always been the realm of blue.
Gazing at the cloudless expanse, I was certain.
Today.
Rain will not fall.
3
Acacia petals drifted white.
In their descent, they made no sound.
The ground was painted pale with soundless petals.
Only the breath moving across the lane filled the void of the world.
-I cannot forgive!
The breath that filled the world was rough.
-Never, never can I forgive! Burn marks still linger in my eyes! The stench of burning is carved into my mind! That inferno! You wretches! How could I forget your malice!
It shrieked, wielding a crimson blade.
With each cry that echoes, the world grows smaller.
The twentieth stage was particularly cramped.
Floor twenty.
Looking at the minimap, it wasn’t even one-hundredth the size of other stages. Checking the world map changed nothing—just a single red pixel marking the map, smaller than a speck.
That was the boss stage of floor twenty.
-Go back! Turn back time!
Just an ordinary rural village.
-Will you burn my paradise again!
The smallest stage in all the world.
And.
The weakest boss monster in all the world.
-Again! Again you come! Always in the same way!
On the path where acacia petals fell, it wept and shrieked. A single voice. A thin, frail cry. Yet this narrow world was small enough to be filled by the anguish of just one.
A small world.
A tiny village.
“The positions have reversed entirely.”
I deflected the Demon King’s blade.
Steel met steel with a sharp ring.
“Remember? On floor twelve, you were the Demon King and I was the hero. You invaded, and I stood against you. Strange how the world turns, isn’t it? Now you’re the one defending.”
-Die!
“I’m sorry, Demon King.”
I twisted my blade.
“But those words mean nothing to me.”
My sword pushed through without resistance. The sheer difference in strength was vast. The Demon King’s muscles had already withered to nothing. It couldn’t withstand my force, and in that moment its guard opened—a wide, defenseless gap at its torso.
An opening.
My blade slid cleanly through the Demon King’s upper body.
—Shriek!
Red blood erupted.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
Blood spilled across the ground.
White acacia petals, fallen on the path.
Red droplets scattered across those petals like rain, staining them.
“You’ve grown weak. Demon King of Autumn Rain.”
I stepped forward.
Red petals were crushed beneath my feet.
“Truly weak now.”
—Hng, gasp… sob… ugh—!
“But it’s still not enough.”
I swung the blade.
“Weaker. Be weaker.”
—I…
“Much weaker than now.”
The blade cut through the Demon King.
The white petals grew deeper in crimson.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
The road leading toward town.
The path stretching beyond the Demon King’s back was pale.
But the ground behind me grew steadily crimson.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
One step.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
Another step.
With each footfall the Demon King retreated, the white of the petals diminished.
With each step I advanced, the acacia path grew deeper red.
But that was not all.
—Ugh… ahhh…
The Demon King’s entire form was slowly laid bare.
Resentment. Spite. Grievance.
The festering filth was peeling away.
—It cannot be…
The Demon King’s feet were exposed.
—It cannot be…! No more, not any further…
Both legs, rooted to the ground, came into view.
—Ugh…
Both arms stood fully revealed.
Below the waist and above the waist lay bare.
A long neck emerged.
—Tower, it cannot be… it cannot be…!
I swung the blade.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
At last.
The face began to strip away.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
The jaw.
Lower lip and upper lip.
The philtrum and the tip of the nose, both cheeks.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
Eyes of red.
A brow of white.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
Finally.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain’s presence grows indistinct.]
Hair like the mane of a lion.
Strand by strand, every lock surrendered its black.
Even the last of the filth drained away.
—Ah…
It whimpered. Thin forearms trembled violently.
The weight of the blade had become unbearable.
—Ah, ah….
What stood beneath the acacia tree was no longer the Demon King of Autumn Rain. No one in this world called someone unable to even lift a sword properly by such a title.
And.
[The existence of the Demon King of Autumn Rain grows dim.]
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain can no longer maintain its authority.]
The Tower, too, did not call it by that name.
[Rank adjustment commences.]
[The title of the Demon King of Autumn Rain is revoked.]
That which had been the Demon King trembled.
—No, no…!
White light enveloped it.
As though surrounded by a swarm of wasps, it thrashed about.
—No, no! No! No, no!
But it was useless. The light wrapped around it without dimming in the slightest.
[I repeat.]
Execution was carried out.
[The title of the Demon King of Autumn Rain is revoked.]
[The authority of the Demon King of Autumn Rain is revoked.]
It shrieked.
—Aaaahhh…!
Fall from Heaven.
The constellation that had boasted absolute power now plummeted.
—Ah, ah! Ahhhhh!
It reached out as though trying to grasp the fragments of light scattering in all directions. It clawed desperately at the luminescence. But the light would not be caught. It slipped through the spaces between its fingers.
The white light scattered, again and again.
—Ah.
What remained there was.
“Ah.”
Only a single frail creature.
“Ah, uh… no, no, ugh, ah… ahahh….”
Not the Demon King of Autumn Rain.
Not the master of nightmares.
Not the saint of distant lands.
A fragile thing.
“There we are.”
I gripped the hilt of my blade.
“Now you’re finally weak enough.”
“Don’t… don’t come closer….”
“Then stop me.”
Step.
I advanced one pace forward.
“With what will you stop me—your authority? Your blade? Stop me with anything you can. If you don’t.”
One step more.
“I will stand before you regardless.”
It retreated a step.
As I pressed forward, it spoke with difficulty.
“You… you people have done this to me, to my children…. Who are you to presume such a thing—”
“You’re wrong.”
I advanced another pace.
“As you said before, I am a foreigner who crossed into this world. Yes, the Alliance of Ain, the Temple, the warlords, the emperors—everyone alive on this continent joined together to burn you and your village. Let us suppose that no human on this land is free from that responsibility. But I am. I am a complete outsider. Hunters like us are free from such responsibility.”
“Hng….”
“You have no right to question my responsibility. And of course.”
As it retreated another step, I advanced one more.
“You no longer have the strength to stand against me.”
It trembled. That trembling leaked from its lips and spilled forth.
“I… I did nothing….”
“You mean you never did anything wrong?”
“I! I only looked after the sick….”
“Estel was afraid just like you are now.”
It flinched.
“She begged for her life. She screamed she didn’t want to die. She called for her father. And what did you do to that little girl?”
I spoke calmly of what it had done before becoming Estel, before it gained human memory.
“You sank your teeth into the throat of a struggling child. You devoured her on a whim and became Estel. And that’s not all, is it? You swallowed the infant that a woman cherished and entrusted to you with all her faith, then strutted about as if you’d saved humanity. You betrayed the woman who believed in you and gave you that baby to raise.”
“I… it wasn’t… I didn’t… I was……”
“You hid the truth. You concealed that you’d become Estel, said nothing of swallowing the child. You knew people would misunderstand, but you chose silence out of fear of being treated as a monster. You deceived them.”
I took another step forward.
“Your excuses mean nothing. No one in this world knows you the way I do. I know everything—what you endured, what you felt, how you changed. Every detail.”
“……”
“You are no spotless saint. No innocent victim. Forget the woman and the child for a moment—the instant you devoured Estel, as I said, you forfeited any right to claim innocence……”
“I—”
And then it cried out in a spasm.
“I didn’t know!”
I stopped.
Teeth clenched, trembling violently, it covered its face. Sobs spilled through the gaps between its fingers.
“I didn’t know. Back then I had no human memory… no knowledge… I didn’t understand……”
The meaning of pleas for mercy.
Struggle.
Desperation.
“Back then… I didn’t understand what any of it meant……”
“So you’re saying you made a mistake out of ignorance.”
“Yes! If I had only known, I would never have—”
It tried to say it would never have devoured Estel.
But I spoke first.
“That’s what humans do.”
It fell silent.
“Those warlords who burned you alive could make the same excuse. They certainly would—and probably already did. When the world was drenched in blood and they stood before you, what did they say?”
I didn’t know.
We didn’t know you bore us no malice.
We thought you were merely an evil witch. A monster.
So, for that reason, if only we had known, they said.
“Such a tired lie……”
“Of course some of them were lying.”
I acknowledged it.
“There were certainly those who ordered your burning and that of your kin out of lust for power, arrogance, prejudice—then tried to wriggle free from blame. How could there not be? It’s what humans do. But can you say with certainty that all of them were merely such men? Can you swear there was not a grain of truth in their excuses?”
“That’s……”
“Even if all the warlords gave their orders with those exact thoughts, it changes nothing.”
I simply said what needed saying.
“What of the soldiers who carried out their commands? The common folk who lived out their days in those territories and had to flee? Among all of them, was there not a single soul who could speak your words—’I didn’t know’?”
More than when the blade had struck, its face now twisted in anguish.
I took another step.
“What did the one-eyed giant sitting atop the mountain tell you?”
“……”
At last it fell into complete silence.
Speaking quietly to that silent thing, I said:
“Forgive me, but I haven’t learned much. I’m ignorant. The only justice I know in this world is one thing.”
Another step.
“Karma.”
It trembled at the shoulders.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If you vomited out what you swallowed in shadow, and humans believe it to be human—so be it. You shall suffer the same. Only then is it fair.”
“Wh… what are you saying……?”
“Tower!”
I looked up at the sky.
“I wish to use the Clear Reward!”
I drew out the Golden Card. The Clear Reward obtained by clearing floors eleven through nineteen. I had resolved to use it on this skill alone.
+
[Hundred Ghosts Summoning]
Rank: SS
Effect: Summons as monsters those you have directly killed. The dead do not inherit their former strength. They do not inherit their memories. They are summoned only as monsters—goblins, orcs, zombies, skeletons, and the like.
※However, you may only summon it once per week.
+
Hundred Ghosts Summoning.
An SS-rank skill.
I gripped the card and held it aloft toward the vast sky.
“You said I could modify the skill however I wanted!”
[The Tower affirms your words.]
A voice answered my cry.
[However, excessive modification is not permitted.]
[The Tower will provide an example to aid your understanding.]
[An SS-rank skill evolving into an SSS-rank skill falls within acceptable parameters.]
I nodded.
In truth, there was only one thing I’d ever wanted to ask for.
“I request modification of the Hundred Ghosts Summoning skill!”
[The Tower inquires as to your intent.]
“Don’t touch anything else! But there’s one part—the ‘summoned spirits do not inherit memories’ clause. I want you to modify that. If I so choose, let the summoned retain their memories from life!”
A tremor ran through it.
It faltered.
“You… what are you trying to—”
“Well? Isn’t this a reasonable request?”
I cut off Estel and shouted upward.
“I’m not asking to inherit the abilities of those I kill! I’m not demanding their skills transfer to me! I’m not even asking to reduce the cooldown. Just memories—only memories. I want those I’ve slain to remember their former lives!”
Silence fell.
The heavens themselves had gone mute.
[Measuring the level of your request.]
[Measurement in progress…….]
A moment passed.
[The Tower acknowledges that your request falls within appropriate parameters.]
Permission was granted.
[Confirming requirements.]
[Will you apply the privilege earned as a Clear Reward from clearing floors 11 through 19 to the Hundred Ghosts Summoning skill?]
“Yes.”
[Your requested modification to the Hundred Ghosts Summoning is as follows.]
[If you so choose, the summoned will inherit their memories from life.]
[Is this request confirmed?]
“Yes.”
[Confirmation complete.]
[Requesting approval from Zrakua.]
[Approval granted.]
And then.
[The Death King’s request is approved.]
White light engulfed my skill card.
A tempest of luminescence swept across me.
Once the light had fully faded, I examined the card carefully.
+
[Hundred Ghosts Rebirth]
Rank: SSS
Effect: Summons those you have directly killed. The summoned do not inherit their former abilities. However, if you so choose, the summoned inherit their memories and appearance from life. If you do not wish it, they are summoned merely as monsters.
※However, you may only summon once per week.
+
Hundred Ghosts Rebirth.
That was the new name of my first SSS-rank skill.
‘Perfect.’
Everything I desired had been realized flawlessly.
I turned my head to gaze upon it.
Our eyes met.
“From now on, I’m going to kill you.”
“…….”
“If the word ‘kill’ offends you, think of it your way—as ‘consuming.’ The way you consumed Estel and the sick and the children as shadows. I’m going to swallow you in exactly the same manner…….”
Slowly.
I lifted the sword.
“I’ll return it in kind.”
It trembled with fear.
SSS-Rank Hunter Who Must Die to Live (Serialized)
Author │ Shin Noah
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J-Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Post Tower 1st)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Shin Noah 2019
※This work is published by J-Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and the content may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violations may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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