SSS-Class Suicide Hunter - Chapter 88
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āIām moving the headquarters of the Chen Mu-mum to the 22nd floor,ā said the Venomous Snake.
It was a few days after our group conquered the [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon].
āWhat?ā
āI decided to move. Weāll move the whole dojo. Just as you inherited the will of the Demonic Cult, I became the disciple of the Murim Lord, you know? And Chen Mu-mun is my guild. Therefore, itās only right that they follow me to the Murim alliance.ā
The Venomous Snake calmly read the novel.
Like I saw last time, the Venomous Snake was a fan of reading. Although his hobbies were very lopsided, there were a lot of books here that satisfied his weird tastes.
The Venomous Snake, wearing glasses (no frames, just for style, market value of 9800 won), turned the page of a book with a magic cover (a hero-grade item that can be put on any book and change the title and cover design at will, market value of 2000 gold).
āMy teacher is also half-disabled, but he still has his arms and legs. The Alchemist somehow made it possible for him to move around. Therefore, I intend to place him as the Taesang Hobeop.ā
āThe Murim Lord as the Taesang Hobeopā¦.ā
āYeah. Heās heartbroken because the Heavenly Demon died. When I see that, I get all depressed,ā the Venomous Snake said bluntly.
The Hobeop was the bastion of a clan. Literally, it means someone who watches over traditions. Among them, the Taesang Hobeop was the highest. The Venomous Snake was actually trying to set up the Murim Lord as the most important elder.
āIn that case, itās better that heās distracted. Such as by being busy teaching the younger students. Itāll also help our guild members become stronger.ā
I was a little surprised. Wasnāt that really thoughtful?
The Venomous Snakeās hand stopped turning the pages of the book as if he felt my gaze.
āā¦Oi, Death King. Why are you looking at me like that?ā
āIām not. I was just admiring that the heads of the top 5 guilds are definitely something else.ā
I had wondered how this ridiculous otaku was so popular with his subordinates, but there was a reason. It was because he took care of his people.
āI-is that so?ā
The Venomous Snake blushed and scratched his nose.
āAhem. Hmm hmm. D-donāt get me wrong! I just did something that should be done. The world gets too melancholy if you praise someone for doing what is reasonable. Hoo, the world shouldnāt become sad just because of me.ā
āWhat a bad feelingā¦ā
āHuh?ā
āI didnāt say anything.ā
Anyway, I felt troubled when I heard the Venomous Snake speak.
Taking good care of your people. It was a problem I had been thinking about even before I entered the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon.
I also reached the 3rd place ranking as a Hunter. But was it enough just to have a high ranking and know some martial arts? Popularity. Virtue. Wasnāt this the time when I should develop such a mindset?
Letās see.
A person who I can say is one of āmy peopleā hereā¦.
-Ah, I want another sword match. I really want another damn match. The overwhelming and diabolic sword fight. Iām so hungry for a match with my life on the line. Zombie, letās go to a martial arts novel for the next apocalypse. This time, letās go to a Murim world where instead of the Demonic Cult, the Evil Sect dominates! Letās go to an Evil Sect masteeeerrr!!
Um.
No.
This man isnāt reallyā¦.
āGongja! With special consideration, the main office has made nail cutters tailored for your fingers and toes! If you feel my handiwork as I snip, snip your nails, youāll never want to clean your fingernails and toenails yourself again! Just three minutes! No, just two minutes! Please leave your hands and feet to me for 120 seconds!ā
Not this perverted Constellation, either.
I reject him even more.
[Shiny sings today as well. The brilliant feats of the Warrior-nim. The figure of the manly warrior who spoke so eloquently at the fortress of the Aegim Empire The struggle of the warrior who was as beautiful as he was desperate in the Murim world. Oh, Shiny is so happy to see the heroās esteemed face even today. Long live the warrior! Hooray! Hooray!]
āā¦ā¦.ā
Huh?
Was it possible thatā¦ā¦ nobody around me was normal?
Not at all?
Was this for real?
Strange. I was normal. I was a model student who tried to live normally. But why was I surrounded by only crazy ghosts, kooky Constellations, and ditzy swords?
Thinking about it, all three of them werenāt even āhumanā. This was nuts. Was this my destiny? If this was my destiny, wasnāt it a bit like a dog? Was God perhaps a dog? This Siberian Husky-likeā¦. [1]
āAha, Death King! What are you thinking about?ā
āHeretic Questioner. I was thinking that it would be nice if you go to the 13th floor and negotiate with the priests of Aegim. It would be nice if newbie Hunters could take quests there.ā
āOh! I was thinking the same thing. Death King and I are on the same wavelength, thinking about how we can help everyone! Iāll be back!ā
After chasing out the blond corgi-bear like man, I became less and less confident in my companions.
āThere. D-Death King-nim.ā
A savior appeared before my despairing eyes.
āI succeeded in mass-producing the zombie virus treatment. The medicinal components should also be commonly available. I-if people get vaccinations in advance, they wonāt have any problems going around the 22nd floor.ā
This is the person!
āBoss.ā
āY-yes. Death King-nimā¦.ā
āDo you have any plans to move?ā
As I spoke about the plan I had right after the confrontation between the Alchemist and the Medicine King, the Alchemist blinked.
āWhat?ā
āYour store is too small right now. Since you cleared this stage, the value of your name increased even more, so youāll have to expand it. Youāll have a lot of orders. Would you be able to handle the demand with your store right now?ā
āAh. That. I was also thinking about expanding the store. The price of real estate on the first floor isā¦. You know how it is. I have to get a big loanā¦. The Count showed me some kind of contract, saying that he would pay for it all.ā
āNo, you should never sign that.ā
Who does he think he is? He was a cat that put his paws on someone elseās fish.
āThe real estate. If itās something like that, Iāll give it all to you.ā
I shouted loudly.
āIn addition, Iāll pay for the moving costs and interior costs. Iāll take care of everything, so please just bring yourself without worrying.ā
The Alchemist opened her mouth.
āEh. Uh. R-reallyā¦?ā
āYes. Did you know that the 20th floor is my property? Iāll arrange a nice spot for you. You just have to show up.ā
The Alchemist opened and closed her mouth again. She didnāt seem to believe my proposition.
But I was saying it sincerely.
āWhat good is land if I donāt make use of it?ā
It was not a waste to invest in a colleague who would become the master of the Alchemy Castle in the future.
I smiled.
āIn exchange, please make the medicine or potions I ask for with a slightly higher priority. Does that sound good?ā
āO-of course! Iām already doing that for youā¦ Uh. Wh-what should I do? Iām receiving too many things from Death King-nimā¦.ā
The corner of the Alchemistās mouth trembled. She was saying this and that, but a good thing was a good thing. The Alchemist was embarrassed, but she couldnāt hide her joy.
Her tightly clasped hands seemed to shout, āScore! Letās go!ā on the inside.
My mind was also pleased.
āYeah. It feels rewarding to take care of people.ā
At that moment.
āAhem. Hmm! A-he-hem. Ahem, khmph!ā
āā¦ā¦.ā
āUh huh. Kiddo. Did you forget something?ā
The Medicine King was standing there. I couldnāt detect him at all until he was right behind me. Did this old man learn an interesting technique in the Murim world without me knowingā¦? It was quite the skill.
āI wish I had some more land in my old age as wellā¦.ā
He glanced at me.
āOh, my store is so old these days that it smells stale. It often gets damp, too. Itās so bad for my back! Because it is on the third floor, my knees squeak as I go up and down the stairs every dayā¦.ā
Another glance.
āIt would be great if a nice young man gave me a roughly 100,000-pyong place with good airā¦.ā [2]
āIām sorry. Excuse my rude friend.ā
The Sword Saint approached and grabbed the back of the Medicine King. Like that, he dragged him away.
While being dragged, the Medicine King raised his voice and screamed.
āJeez! In what country does a friend interfere instead of help with someoneās business deals? Did they teach you that in Northern Europe?! Marcus, you bastard! Youāre from a prestigious chaebol family, but your business ethics are like a beggarās!ā
āMy friend. I know youāre upset about being old, but you donāt have to be indecent, tooā¦. You already make a lot of money.ā
āItās a deficit, a deficit! The orders have stalled lately! Alchemist! You there, Alchemist kid! Last match I had given it away. In fact, I donāt have the power to stand in the way of Sean McCallisterās Victory Road. Just say something like this! Canāt you just do that for me?!ā
The Hunters in the Great Library looked at the Medicine King. The Alchemist had seen the Medicine King through new eyes after doing the joint research and working on the surgery together, enough to call him her elder, but now, she regarded him again like he was a water fleaā¦. saying, āWoah.ā
The Venomous Snake, who had been quietly reading novels, grumbled.
āAh, frick. Why do the heroines always die in all the novels I read? Is this the trend these days?ā
Like I thought, this group had no normal people.
2.
Opening a new pharmacy for the Alchemist on the 20th floor proceeded without difficulty. The cost of construction materials were adequately covered by the gold received from the lottery. There was no problem with manpower, either.
āLook here, Death King. I told you, I can reduce the cost of the construction materials. And thatās not all. I can recruit more than enough people to build it. Just sign this contract along with the Alchemistā¦ā¦ā
āAh, I said itās fine!ā
After ditching the Count, who kept lingering like a cat on a laptop, I looked back at the Demon.
āIs everything going well?ā
āYes, milord. The construction progress is going smoothly.ā
The Demon, wearing a yellow helmet, a green armband, and a pink whistle in her mouth led the construction. The labor force to be used for the construction was replaced by skeletons that were called forth using the Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation.
āThis fuckingā¦! Shit! Hey! You bastard, beggarās foot bandage! What kinda grudge do you have against me?! Why am I stuck between some bones and have to move stones! Talk to me, fuckers!ā
There was one gap where there was a young man with a ponytail and an extraordinarily strong mouth, but the construction continued to progress without a problem as the vast majority of the construction workers were skeletons who moved in perfect order.
In the middle of the smooth construction, the Alchemist, and the Chen Mu-mun master, and I signed an agreement.
āThere. I guess thatās about done.ā
The contents of the agreement were as follows.
āThere are still many Jiangshi on the 22nd floor. Which means there are many mobs. And there are a lot of ruined channels everywhere. There are also many dungeons.ā
āYeah. So, our Chen Mu-mun will have our base right thereā¦ā¦ā
āThatāsā¦ā¦ Hunters who want to go to the 22nd floor, visit the 20th floor beforeā¦ā¦ vaccinated at my new pharmacyā¦ā¦ Is that it?ā
āThatās right. In the process, I get a commissionā¦ā¦ Thatās common sense.ā
I, the owner of the 20th floor; the Alchemist, building a new nest on the 20th floor; and Chen Mu-Mun, who would move its headquarters to the 22nd floor, all benefited.
āNice. I didnāt think that the day would come when I would get commission from real estate.ā
I felt very happy.
However, when the pharmacy actually opened, it turned out that there was a problem with the plan. Specifically, too many people gathered on the 20th floor.
āMedicine God-nim!ā
āAlchemist King-nim!ā
āMedicine Emperor-nim!ā
āDear God of Alchemy! Please sell me some medicine!ā
You can go to and from the 20th floor without a title. Therefore, not only were Hunters trying to get vaccinations to go to the 22nd floor, but even more Hunters flooded the 20th floor.
The procedure to produce the zombie vaccine was rather complicated. Generic drugs were being manufactured and sold in the midst of that, so the flow of human traffic was twisted. At first, the Alchemist tried to deal with it on her own before screaming.
āDeath King-nim, this canāt go on!ā
Eventually, I had no choice but to call the last member of the 22nd floor attack team. The Venomous Snake put his arm around the Medicine Kingās shoulder and said,
āMedicine King. Your business is no fun these days, right? Iāll give you a good spot at the 22nd floorās Chen Mu-mun headquarters. Would you like to come and act as an exclusive doctor?ā
āOho, Chen Mu-mun master! Who do you think this Sean McCallister is?ā
Though he yelled so loudly, the Medicine Kingās business was going through a rough patch. The merit of the Medicine Kingās pharmacy was that it handled high-end medicine. However, as soon as the super-competent Alchemist appeared, the high-end strategy had become awkward.
Everyone knew it, including the Medicine King. Eventually, when he was asked several times, the Medicine King groaned.
āAll right. For the time being, Iāll give out vaccines on the 22nd floor and take care of emergencies for a fee.ā
āYes, please. ā¦ā¦I was in need of a doctor who could take care of Master exclusively.ā
āHmph. Well, that man is easier to talk to than Marcus. All right. I was also somewhat lonely.ā
In the meantime, the attacks continued.
There were many Hunters besides us who were eager to take on the next stage.
+
21st floor: The Great Library of All Things
22nd floor: Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon (Genre: Martial Arts, Fusion)
23rd floor: Saga of the Iron Knights in Space (Genre: SF)
24th Floor: Dawn Mountain Cabin Journal (Genre: Mystery, History)
+
āExcellent. Truly, really excellent.ā
The Witch smiled contentedly.
Before she knew it, she was commanding the Hunters, carefully deciding what Apocalypse to target and how many and who to attack.
āDeath King. Your cool conquering of the [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] had a great impact. The other Huntersā wills are burning, saying that they canāt lose to you. These are people who donāt listen well to what I say! Ah, it would have been great if things were like this in the past, too.ā
The Witch looked at me with affectionate eyes. Kind of like how one would look at a golden goose? She seemed like she was going to say that it was all thanks to me that this tower was built.
āIf we continue this momentum, weāll be able to break through the 30th floor before next month.ā
Unfortunately, the Witchās prophecy was wrong.
Two weeks after the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon were cleared.
[Today, the attack on the 25th floor stage has failed.]
Hundreds of Hunters, including the Witch, stared blankly into the air.
[Announcing to everyone again.]
[Today, the attack on the 25th floor stage has failed.]
āWhat, whatā¦ā¦ā
The Witch was bewildered. Shock permeated her black eyes.
āI planned and sent out the best teamā¦ā¦ Failureā¦ā¦?ā
A hologram floated in the air of the Grand Library. The attackās situation was broadcasted through the screen. On the holographic screen, countless demons giggled and slaughtered humans.
There were familiar faces among the people being massacred.
The 4th ranked Hunter. Count.
The 9th ranked Hunter. Crusader.
One was a Hunter who handled the gold in Babylon, and the other was a Hunter who handled the people. The people in charge of economy and public order. As the Witch muttered in surprise, it was the strongest hand that we had.
But it was a failure.
+
[The Tale of Sormwyn Academy]
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Difficulty Level: D-Class
Player Limit: 2ā5 people
ā»The Serialization is currently suspended.
Introduction: Sormwyn is a magic school with a long history. It is an ordinary academy where friendship, competition, love, and jealousy come and go. This Apocalypse could have stayed as an ordinary school. However, there was a world-class artifact sealed in the basement of the academy!
Reason for Discontinuation: The villainessās fiance (the crown prince) was stolen by a girl who had reincarnated for the second time. The villainess turned around and unsealed the artifact, liberating the Great Devil and destroying the world.
+
The Apocalypseās difficulty was only D-class.
The world was chosen because āmagic had been developed and it was rich in Mithril-like ores.ā
āAww. What a shame.ā
The Librarian looked down at the devastated Hunters.
āBut spilled water is spilled water! Maybe you can put back what was spilled, but I canāt overlook an attack that has already failed. Gentlemen. Please understand my position.ā
The Librarian smiled with his eyes.
In other words, if one had the ability to put back spilled water, he would make an exception.
It was obvious whom the Librarian was referring to.
āā¦ā¦.ā
I headed to the bathroom in the library. I had stopped by here once before entering the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon. A man with a stiff face was reflected in the mirror above the sink.
āDamn it. Iāve never read a romance novel before.ā
-Well, you havenāt read martial arts novels before either, but you resolved things well. There probably wonāt be a problem?
āThatās true, butā¦.ā
I grabbed my dagger with a sigh.
āI canāt let the Count and Crusader die. And I donāt think things will be cleared by sending someone else. As expected, I have to challenge this myself.ā
Someone may ask why I donāt give up and take on another Apocalypse. Things werenāt that simple.
There was a reason I couldnāt skip that Apocalypse.
[Shiny cheers at the warriorās decision.]
That was because the fragments of the Holy Sword were hidden there.
āā¦ā¦Okay.ā
I touched the handle of the dagger and made up my mind.
āLetās go back one more time!ā
With that, I returned to the day before the attack team was decided.
It was that moment when my next stage was chosen to be [Romance].
~~~
[1] The word for ādogā in Korean is kind of like a soft āfuckingā; itās used for emphasis and is usually bad. Itās not really a swear word, though.
[2] Pyong is a unit of measuring area. 100,000 pyong is 3,558,317.5 sq ft or 330,578.51 sq m.