SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 85

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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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Chapter 85. A Reader’s Heart (1)
1
I held my master for a long time.
Even when breath leaves the body, flesh remains.
That was what made death so cruel and pitiless.
“Daeин.”
After some time had passed, I heard a voice calling me. Martial artists in black dobok crowded around—the elite of the Demonic Cult—encircling me where I stood.
While I held my master in silence, the Demonic Sect Great Battle continued. In the end, the Demonic Cult emerged victorious.
“We were occupied with combat and had little time to attend, but multiple disciples heard the Cult Master address you as his disciple.”
The martial artist asked with a tense expression.
“Did you perhaps inherit the Legitimate Succession from the Demon King?”
“…….”
I looked around.
All the Cult disciples who had survived the great battle stared at me. The demon lords whom my master had called the Four Demon Kings also fixed their eyes on me. Some of them had bloody noses, split lips, or missing arms. All were drenched in blood, and all held their breath, waiting for my words.
“…I’m not certain whether I’ve inherited the Legitimate Succession.”
“But the Cult Master took you as his disciple, did he not?”
“That’s true.”
I held my master’s cooling body a little closer.
“I am my master’s disciple.”
“…….”
The martial artist’s face hardened further.
“If the Cult Master indeed took a direct successor, he would surely have taught you the Demonic Heavenly Divine Art. Forgive my rudeness, but I must ask. Daeин, would you demonstrate the first form of the Demonic Heavenly Divine Art before us?”
His tone was courteous, but the meaning was clear: prove that you truly are the Demon King’s disciple, for it’s hard to believe.
‘So simply being the master’s disciple grants successor’s treatment.’
I understood then. Why my master had hesitated so much before taking me as his disciple. To become the Demon King’s direct successor was to inherit the very succession of the Demonic Cult.
Now, as my master drew their last warmth from this world, the doctrine of the Demonic Cult rested with me.
“…Very well. Would the Starving Death Sword suffice?”
“Yes. The Cult Master often said that if even a single hair’s breadth fell short, he would not acknowledge me as his successor. Though we are but unnamed swordsmen, we possess the skill to judge by witnessing a single strike.”
Other disciples nearby muttered among themselves.
“Hey, what’s that Blood Demon grumbling about?”
“Don’t you understand? He’s saying that by seeing the first form of the Demonic Heavenly Divine Art, we can tell whether this person is truly the Demon King’s disciple.”
“So? Then why is that guy coming forward as our representative?”
“Because he’s the only one among us who knows proper courtesy. He’s of the Moyong clan. Though a bastard.”
“What? That bastard was a Moyong?”
“Why are you acting surprised, as if hearing it for the first time? This was mentioned dozens of times before… Never mind. A river is a river, a mountain is a mountain, and no matter what you teach a blockhead, a block remains a block.”
“What are you saying?”
“What I mean is that you yourself are a living embodiment of poison arts rivaling the Sichuan Poison Sect, Sword Demon—a malignant tumor of existence. And given that I’ve mastered the Thousand Poisons Imperviousness, I find you remarkable indeed that I’m currently contracting cancer from you in real time.”
“Huh? Is that a compliment?”
“Goddamn blockhead.”
“Ahem.”
The martial artist cleared his throat. Then he glared at the disciples muttering behind him, his eyes flashing with a commanding authority that seemed to demand silence without words.
But the Sword Demon and the Ghost Soul Flame Demon tilted their heads.
“What are you looking at? Want to start something?”
“That’s unpleasant. Look elsewhere. You’re getting on my nerves.”
“…….”
The martial artist turned his head back to me. His gaze seemed to insist that nothing had happened just now.
“I see.”
A small laugh escaped me.
‘So this is how it is, then.’
The Demonic Cult was naturally where the uneducated sought refuge. My master had been exceptional; most of the disciples were understandably ignorant of courtesy and propriety.
“The nature of hunger is…….”
I did not draw my blade. I did not wish to swing steel while cradling my master’s body. Instead, I gathered aura in my left palm and gestured.
A single strike carved itself into the snowy field.
“…Children awaiting the sunlight.”
A tremor ran through them.
Both the martial artist who had stepped forward as representative and the disciples who had been murmuring fell silent. In the snow field that my strike had torn through, a deep ravine opened like someone’s wound.
I did not stop at the first form. The second form. The third. The fourth. I unfolded every technique I had mastered all the way to its culmination, each one flowing through my fingertips.
The world around me grew quiet.
Perhaps because I had witnessed the blood feud between my master and the Backhoe Spirit, the power behind each strike had grown sharper than before. This, too, had been my master’s careful design.
“The remaining forms I have not yet deeply grasped. It’s embarrassing to display them.”
“……”
“Will this be enough?”
Crunch!
Muin dropped to his knees in the snow.
“I bow before the legitimate successor to the Demonic Sect’s throne. Our new Demon King.”
Ghost Soul Flame Demon, Moonlight Shadow Demon Lord, and Sword Demon knelt in succession. Crackle, crunch. The snow beneath their knees compacted. The cult members who had survived the Demonic Sect Great Battle swiftly prostrated themselves across the snowfield.
“I bow before the legitimate successor to the Demonic Sect’s throne! Our master!”
“……”
I opened my mouth slowly.
“The title of Demon King is too grand. I already bear the epithet Sa Wang, and I wish my master’s name alone to remain eternal, honored forever.”
“If that is the case……”
“The title of Cult Master sits uneasily on me as well.”
I turned my head. Across from me, Backhoe Spirit stood with arms crossed, eyes closed in silence—likely replaying the duel with my master in his mind. After studying Backhoe Spirit’s face, I spoke to the cultists.
“I still lack so much. I have nothing to teach any of you. How could I claim the title of Cult Master? It would be mere words without substance.”
Muin’s expression grew troubled.
“……In life, our Demon King never erred in choosing people. Since he accepted you as his legitimate successor, you are surely worthy of the position of Cult Master.”
“Thank you. But by my own judgment of what befits a Cult Master, I am still insufficient to inherit the Demonic Sect’s spiritual legacy.”
The cultists murmured among themselves.
“Then……how should we address you, honored one? We cannot simply call you ‘honored one’ forever……”
“Little Cult Master.”
Someone spoke up.
“Would it not suffice to call you Little Cult Master?”
It was Ghost Soul Flame Demon—the cultist who’d lied about ceding three bouts to a Shaolin monk. His broken nose hadn’t fully healed; the dried blood still marked the groove above his lip.
“In the martial world, titles like ‘Little Young Master’ or ‘Little House Master’ are common. If you merely mean to say the full rank of Cult Master feels burdensome, and you do not refuse the position entirely, then there is no shame in accepting the title of Little Cult Master.”
“Mm.”
I nodded. That much I could accept.
“Very well, then.”
The cultists released a breath of relief. Their faces brightened as they looked upon me.
“Little Cult Master, we offer our heartfelt gratitude. We know not what arcane art you wielded, yet we all remember being bitten by the corpses. Without you, we could neither have concluded the Demonic Sect Great Battle nor paid our final respects to our Demon King!”
Muin clasped his fist in salute.
“Blood Demon, first commander of the Demonic Sect’s squads. Together with all members of the Blood Ghost Squad under my command, I pledge eternal loyalty to the Little Cult Master.”
A dozen cultists followed suit with salutes.
“Ghost Soul Flame Demon, first commander of the Demonic Sect’s squads. Together with all members of the Consolation Spirit Squad under my command, I swear loyalty to the Little Cult Master.”
“Moonlight Shadow Demon Lord, commander of the squads. I and all members of the Corpse Shadow Squad pledge our loyalty to the Little Cult Master.”
“Sword Demon here! Along with the Assassin Squad under my charge, I vow loyalty to you.”
Dozens more stepped forward.
“……”
I slowly lowered my master to the ground.
My master, like a flower blooming upon the snowfield, lay perfectly at rest in the white expanse.
Before this single petal of peony, I clasped my fist in salute to the cultists.
“I declare: so long as my breath remains, the teachings of shadows shall never perish.”
That was the moment.
[Stage Clear.]
[Quest ‘Remake the World Volume 1’ has been cleared!]
How long had it been since I heard that voice?
[Floor 22 has been cleared today.]
[We announce once more to all.]
[Floor 22 has been cleared today.]
It felt like such a distant sound.
[Measuring Clearer count.]
[Measurement complete.]
I spoke without lowering my salute.
“I ask that you see to my master’s funeral rites.”
[We recognize 4 Clearers.]
At my master’s gesture, the snow mountain split into two.
Characters were inscribed upon the sky above the peak.
+
[Clearing Contribution Ranking]
1st. Sa Wang
2nd. Pharmacist
3rd Place. Viper
4th Place. Pharmacist King
+
“Please don’t hold an elaborate funeral. It’s not what my teacher would wish for. She would be happy enough simply knowing that you all stayed by her side until the very end. Please, I beg you…….”
Please. The words that should have followed—I didn’t speak them aloud.
There was no need to. And I couldn’t have, even if I’d tried.
The moment my eyes blinked, my body was no longer in the Snow Field.
“Welcome, Sa Wang.”
The Great Library of All Things.
“I’ve been waiting for you with such longing—a single day feels like three autumns!”
The Librarian, a Constellation, gazed down at me with a knowing smile.
2
“Congratulations!”
The Librarian hovered in the air.
Five-meter sleeves rippled like the fins of a goldfish.
“Hmm. The final word of the Demon King’s Records has ended with ‘please.’ Ah, yes—’please’ denotes a wish, a prayer for someone. In the Demonic Cult, we speak of it as ‘yearning.’ ‘Please’ and ‘yearning’ are essentially the same, you see. A most fitting conclusion indeed…….”
“Wait.”
I cut the Librarian short.
Something felt off.
This was my second visit to the Great Library. I’d spent nights here reading before. I’d grown quite familiar with this place.
But what had changed since my last visit struck me with unmistakable clarity.
“Why are all the other Hunters unconscious?”
The Hunters who’d participated in clearing the Revelation.
All two hundred and fifty of them—every Hunter who bore a Title—lay sprawled across the floor.
“Hmm.”
The Librarian’s lips curled upward.
“Don’t worry. I’ve simply put them to sleep.”
“Put them to sleep……?”
“Yes. I burned a harmless incense, you see.”
The Librarian extended a hand. Dozens of books drifted lazily around the Constellation’s form. Among them, one bearing the title “Tales of the Fragrant City” caught my eye.
“There are many worlds that communicate through speech like yours, but there are also worlds that speak through song, and worlds that communicate through scent. In this Revelation, people converse using the fragrance of anger, the aroma of sorrow, the scent of joy.”
“…….”
“Of course, there is also the incense of sleep.”
I tensed, my guard rising.
“Ah, please don’t look at me that way. I merely quieted the surroundings so that I could speak with you, Sa Wang.”
Speak.
“You put your colleagues to sleep—for what conversation?”
“Ah! ‘Colleagues,’ you say. How like you, Sa Wang! You could dismiss them as troublesome baggage, yet you think of them as companions as naturally as breathing. This Librarian finds herself moved to tears once more by your noble heart.”
“…….”
“Every move your party made has been visible to me here. Like watching a film unfold. It was a crucible of emotion, truly. The people of this place would have welcomed you warmly.”
The Librarian giggled softly.
“But if I left things as they were, how long would I have to wait before speaking with you? My turn would come far too late in the queue.”
The Librarian shrugged.
“To create a space for conversation, I had no choice but to put people to sleep for a moment. Don’t worry. I assure you, I employed the gentlest method available.”
It was hard to accept at face value.
I glanced quickly around the space. I spotted the Black Dragon Lord. She leaned against a bookshelf, her long hair cascading down. I approached her and lightly checked her pulse.
Thump.
Thump.
‘Thank heavens.’
Her color was calm, her breathing steady and normal.
I confirmed my comrade was safe, then looked back up at the Librarian.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly and wake them up.”
“Isn’t that rushing things? I’d prefer to take my time conversing with you, Sa Wang. I went to the trouble of summoning only you, setting aside the other Clearers.”
“I still have work unfinished on Floor 22. There’s a sword I need to find…….”
“Later.”
The Librarian’s smile twisted like an inverted crescent moon.
“Such matters can be attended to another time.”
“…….”
Tension settled over the air.
The Librarian’s diminutive frame was deceptive. She commanded these strange creatures of the otherworld at will. Hadn’t she swallowed fifty Hunters in a single instant the last time?
‘No matter how well I’ve mastered the Demonic Heavenly Divine Art, if I fight now, I’ll lose for certain.’
I swallowed hard.
“…What is it you want to discuss?”
The Librarian’s smile deepened.
“A very intimate matter.”
Flutter.
The Librarian’s sleeves billowed as she descended to the ground. Drawing near, she reached into her robes and produced something.
“Hmm.”
Scissors.
“Why the scissors all of a sudden…?”
“Your hair’s grown quite nicely. Allow me to trim it for you, Sa Wang.”
Rising on her toes, the Librarian snipped at my hair with practiced strokes. Not much—perhaps half a span at the back. She gathered the severed strands into a Red Silk Pouch.
“…….”
“Your nails could use attention too. A martial practitioner who neglects nail care invites disaster. Let me attend to them.”
The Librarian produced another item from her robes.
Nail clippers.
She took my right hand and clipped each nail methodically—from the smallest to the thumb. Each one went into a different silk pouch.
Hmm.
“Er, Librarian?”
“Yes?”
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Sa Wang.”
The Librarian bowed at the waist and knelt to the floor. Then, as naturally as breathing, she removed my shoes.
“Imagine, if you will, that you’ve fallen desperately, utterly, completely in love with someone.”
“…I’ll imagine it. But why?”
“Because there isn’t a single thing about that person you dislike—from their toes to the crown of their head. It’s love. Pure, absolute love. The problem is that this person doesn’t exist in reality. They exist only on the page, only within the pages of a novel.”
The Librarian removed my socks.
“And then, lo and behold—what miraculous twist of fate is this? My ideal character from a novel appears before my very eyes.”
“Uh…….”
“Tell me, Sa Wang—what would you feel in such a moment?”
The Librarian spoke with utmost seriousness.
Holding the nail clippers.
“That’s what this is.”
“…….”
“That’s precisely what this is.”
What does ‘that’ even mean?
“Oh, ah! Don’t move! What are you doing! If you move, my clippers might leave an ugly scar on your marble-like toes! That would be catastrophic!”
“Why are you angry at me?! Leave at once!”
“Wait! Just wait! Let me clip one pinky toenail and I’ll stop! Just one! Surely this compromise is generous!”
“Why are you acting this way toward me, you lunatic?!”
“Ah! Ah! If toenails won’t do, I’d gladly negotiate for three eyebrow hairs instead!”
That’s when I finally grasped the nature of my discomfort.
“You weren’t always one to use polite speech!”
That’s right.
The Constellation Librarian had never used polite speech. She’d been consistent in her formal tone. She definitely had—yet now, for some reason, she was speaking to me with politeness. That was the source of the unease.
“Go back to your formal speech!”
The Librarian’s lips trembled.
“Impossible! How could this lowly creature use formal speech with the Young Master of Radiance?!”
Mad.
[The Librarian desires your pinky toenail.]
Absolutely mad.
‘Character Window!’
As I fought desperately to keep my toenails from her grasp, words materialized before my eyes.
+
Name: The Librarian
Favorability: 95
Preferred Genres: [Fusion], [Romance], [Mystery], [Adventure], [Horror], [History], [War], [Sports], [Science Fiction], [Mythology], [Fairy Tale]……
Disliked Genres: None
Preferred Characters: [Character Archetype], [Sal Cheon-sung]
Disliked Characters: None
Preferred Plot: [Story]
Disliked Plot: [Serial Hiatus]
Mental State: ‘Nails! If it’s at all possible, I should acquire the eyebrows too! Ah, after he grows out his beard, I’d love to ask him to pluck some for me—though even I can see that won’t fly. Oh, radiant one! Light itself! Brilliant protagonist! I wish I could make you into a bookmark and keep you forever!’
+
What madness.
SSS-Rank Hunter Who Lives Only by Dying (Ongoing)
Author | Shin Noa
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 Noa 2019
This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and the contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this 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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