SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

3.

The man had disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes. He looked at me with eyes devoid of any emotion.

“Nice to meet you. I am a body that has received the flag from [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains]. I am his Apostle.”

The man said.

“Pleased to meet you. I am the Death King.”

“I know. Normally, I would have no business meeting you. Never. But [Assistant Writer], [Berserker], and [Paparazzo] asked me to.”

The man with black hair looked around. In a deep underground cave. Hunters who had listened to my request and summoned the Apostle of Mahos were standing at a distance. They glanced at us with expressions wondering if they had done the right thing by listening to me.

“It’s rare for three people to ask for something at once. I like rare events.”

“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The Apostle of Mahos curved the corners of his mouth.

“I should be the one thanking you. After this conversation, I will capture you. For the first time in a long while, I will be able to pleasantly complete a quest bestowed by Mahos.”

“So? Why did you want to see me? I welcome surrender at any time.”

I smiled.

“To understand you all.”

4.

“What? Understand?”

The short girl frowned, her blonde hair tied in buns on either side of her head. They looked so warm to touch, even in the cold of winter, but there was no need to. The girl’s voice was always filled with anger, as if it had an engine.

She was the Apostle of [The Incarnation of Love and Lust], Babit.

“Yes. I want to deeply understand the Constellations you serve.”

“You’re funny. It’s laughable to think a person can understand another person, let alone aim to understand a Constellation? I wouldn’t have come to this smelly cave if [Assistant Writer] hadn’t asked.”

Just as the Apostle of Babit was about to retort, she narrowed her eyebrows. She gestured with her hand as if to shoo away a mosquito, showing her annoyance.

“Ah! So noisy. Don’t talk to me. I’ll talk to him myself!”

It seemed Babit was continuously sending messages to the girl. Truly an Apostle favored by the Constellation. She acted with a familiarity toward the Constellation that would be unimaginable for ordinary believers.

“Geez, really, why would Babit like someone like you…”

“I will bring down the Magic Tower.”

“…….”

“But it’s meaningless if I do it alone. I will collide with the Magic Tower, intertwining all your quests, all the Constellations you serve.”

“What are you talking about…”

“To do that, first, I need to properly understand the nature of the Constellations.”

I looked straight at the Apostle of Babit. She was draped in a cloak like a noblewoman. She had laid her red cloak on the damp stalagmite to use as a cushion, creating a small territory of her own.

“As an Apostle like you, you can have a much freer conversation with the Constellation. Through you, I want to talk to the Constellation. More vividly, more accurately. Deeper.”

“…….”

“What does Babit like? What kind of quests does she prefer?”

I poured tea for the Apostle.

Beyond the red tea, like wine, the girl’s expression was visible.

“What is Babit like to you as a Constellation?”

5.

“The believers of [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] are a kind of army.”

The man said.

“An army?”

“Yes. Ordinary believers are soldiers. An Apostle like me is a general. We think only of the victory in battle and the spoils of war. To us, every battlefield is just a [Dungeon].”

The man sipped his tea. His eyes widened, then he looked down at the teacup. “…Delicious.” The man blinked and then returned to his expressionless state, looking at me.

“Hmm, where did I leave off? Right. Our quest is to clear the dungeon. Only when the Magic Tower is toppled and our flag is planted, can the quest of us, the believers of Mahos, be considered complete.”

The man smiled faintly.

“Did you say you would gather the quests of various Constellations and clear them all at once? That’s impossible. Death King. Your plan is bold and courageous, but lacks practicality.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because the Constellations are too different from each other.”

The Apostle of Mahos replied with certainty.

“We must break the Magic Tower. However, [The Incarnation of Love and Lust] Babit, for example, would propose a completely different quest. And it would definitely be a quest that cannot coexist with ours.”

“…….”

“Meet with the Apostle of Babit. Then you’ll understand what I’m saying. How impossible your plan is.”

6.

“…We need to target the elders of the Magic Tower.”

The Apostle of Babit spoke up.

“We, or rather, Lord Babit, places utmost importance on the relationships among humans, disregarding everything else to the point of contempt. For us, clearing the 50th floor doesn’t mean demolishing the lifeless Magic Tower structure. It’s about winning over the heart of the leader of the Magic Tower. The mother of all spiders. [The heart of the human called an elder] is the real condition for clearing it.”

The girl asserted confidently.

“But that’s impossible.”

“Why is it impossible?”

“The elders of the Magic Tower have never opened their hearts to anyone.”

The Apostle of Babit drank her tea. “What? Damn, this is good.” She vented her frustration before sighing.

“Our Lord Babit’s power is [Pink Romantic Comedy].”

“…….”

“Don’t look at me with those eyes. I didn’t name it. I’ll slap you. Anyway, when [Pink Romantic Comedy] is deployed, it becomes easier to fall in love. I’ll show you as a trial.”

The girl set down her teacup and brought her hands together, closing her eyes in prayer. Pink light flowed from her hands, covering the ground in a 5-meter radius in a circle.

There were no other noticeable strange signs.

“Okay.”

However, when the girl opened her eyes again, her face was utterly serious.

“I’m ready in my heart. Do it.”

“Huh? Do what?”

“I don’t know. Just try anything. Stand up or keep talking. Anything works. Once you do something, you’ll immediately realize what kind of power this is.”

“Umm… Then.”

I picked up the teapot. The girl’s teacup was empty.

Just as I was about to tilt the teapot to pour her a second cup.

“Oops?”

I stumbled.

There was clearly nothing on the ground, no stone to trip over, but for some reason, I misstepped.

I quickly tried to secure the teapot safely. However, then my foot tangled a second time. Like an acrobat who failed at tightrope walking, my body wobbled.

“Whoa? Whoa, whoa?”

Splash!

I ended up falling over with the teapot.

And the place I fell was none other than where the Apostle of Babit was sitting.

“…….”

“…….”

I looked down at the Apostle in a daze. She stared back up at me. That’s right. I had fallen over her, inadvertently assuming a push-up position.

What sort of physics and mechanics were at play here?

“As you can see.”

Unlike me, the Apostle of Babit showed no signs of panic. She acted as if it was natural, like when you knock over a cup and water spills.

“Under the influence of Lord Babit’s power, whatever you do, however you struggle, people can’t help but get closer to each other. Whether that’s physical distance or psychological distance.”

“Ah…”

Now that I think about it, I seem to have heard about it before. Probably shown by the Heretic Questioner.

That’s right. Babit is the Constellation that turns everything into a love comedy event.

“For instance, even as you fell just now, you were mindful of the teapot until the very last moment. Thanks to that, I wasn’t splashed with hot water. Instead, you ended up soaking yourself with the tea.”

Drip. Drip.

The red tea trickled down my face. My hair was completely wet. The droplets that slid down my chin fell perfectly next to the cheek of the Apostle of Babit.

“Now I know that you’re a person who considers others. I didn’t even want to know that. Got it? I had no intention of getting closer to you, but now we have, both physically and mentally.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, that’s how it is. Moreover, right now, in front of me, there’s a man’s face drenched in red tea. Statistically, a man’s attractiveness increases fourfold when he’s wet.”

There was such a statistic?

“……Annoying.”

The Apostle of Babit, irritated, pushed me away. She stood up and dusted off her cloak.

“See? Now do you understand our Constellation? Obsessed with love, that’s all.”

“…….”

“No, it would be cute if it were just an obsession with love. But Lord Babit doesn’t just like love. [Hatred], [Regret], [Obsession], [Possessiveness]. Lord Babit loves all emotions people have towards others, especially the intense ones. And Lord Babit is certain that the person who must be cleared on this 50th floor is the elder of the Magic Tower.”

The Apostle smiled.

“Think you can handle it?”

It was a mocking smile.

It seemed less like she was mocking me and more like she was mocking herself, or even the situation itself.

“When a human lives for over a thousand years, Death King, you can no longer say [I have lived for a thousand years]. You should say [I have been dying for a thousand years]. The elder of the Magic Tower is a person who has been dying for that long. Whether it’s affection, hatred, obsession, or regret, do you think you can extract even a hint of emotion from that person?”

Clink.

The Apostle took out a gold coin from her pocket and placed it on a flat stalagmite. She then passed by me, dragging her cloak.

“It’s for the tea. Keep it.”

“Wait a moment, please.”

I grabbed her cloak.

Grip.

The weight of my hand pulled on the cloak.

“What?”

“Even if it’s impossible to obtain the elder’s affection, it’s possible to draw out [hatred].”

“……You’re mistaken. The hatred Lord Babit speaks of isn’t just an extension of annoyance.”

The Apostle flicked my hand off.

“The kind of hatred that equals the weight of love. A lifetime spent hating someone, cursing them, letting that hatred become a part of oneself – only that kind of emotion is recognized by Lord Babit. Do you have the confidence to draw out such hatred from someone who has lived for a thousand years? Does anyone have [a reason to be hated for a thousand years] for you?”

I nodded.

“I don’t.”

“See……”

“But still, it can be drawn out.”

I stared intently into the Apostle’s eyes.

Her irises were the same red as her cloak. A cloak is like a wall, an extra layer for those who don’t feel safe with just skin and clothing. Her eyes were just like that, with double concentric circles sunk into her crimson pupils.

“I am under the tutelage of the person the elder of the Magic Tower hates the most in the world.”

“…….”

“Maybe others can’t, but my master can extract the elder’s emotions. No. He can drive the elder mad.”

[‘The Incarnation of Love and Lust’ is listening to your words.]

“Please entrust your quest to me. Share it with me. Alone, it might be impossible, but using my master’s name, anything becomes possible.”

Silence followed.

The Apostle of Babit slowly opened her lips.

“……Who is your master?”

7.

“Sword Emperor.”

I said.

“…….”

The consistently expressionless face of the Apostle of Mahos cracked. He froze, teacup in hand. It was only after the steam rising from the tea thinned out that the man with black hair could utter a short nasal sound, “Ha.”

“A man who died 150 years ago. You’re talking nonsense.”

“Hw is a Hunter who ascended to the 99th floor. A legend. Do you really think that person died without leaving any trace? Reincarnated as another human. Roaming as a ghost if needed. Or at least, leaving behind a legacy in the hopes that a successor would emerge one day to carry on his will….”

“…….”

“There are countless ways. I also have the means to prove that I am the successor of the Sword Emperor.”

I smiled.

“Imagine. If I am indeed the successor of the Sword Emperor, then provoking the elder of the Magic Tower is possible. The elder will show unprecedented anger towards me, revealing her emotions. I can solve the quest given by [The Incarnation of Love and Lust].”

“But that’s not all. The emotion the elder will show towards me is hatred. A bottomless, abyss-like hatred. She will issue a decree to annihilate me and mobilize all the powers of the Magic Tower to wage war. If we win that war.”

“……It means that the quest given by [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] can also be achieved simultaneously.”

The man with black hair bowed his head, lost in thought.

[‘The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains’ is listening to your words.]

“Please entrust your quests to me.”

I said.

“I will show you the proof that I am the successor of the Sword Emperor shortly. The Constellations will recognize it. What you need to consider now is whether my proposal is realistic or unrealistic, to make a sober judgment.”

To the Warhorse of the Eternal Plains, to the Incarnation of Love and Lust, to the Eye Living in the Labyrinth, to the Lone Seeker of Truth, to the forgotten deities of lost faiths, to their proxies, I spoke to each one of them.

“I can bring down the Magic Tower.”

Uniting the quests of all Constellations into one.

I named this operation as follows.

Grand Campaign.

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ is listening to your words.]

[‘The Lone Seeker of Truth’ is listening to your words.]

[‘The Last Sword in the Wilderness’ is listening to your words.]

[‘The Bell that Mourns the Dead’ is listening to your words.]

I nodded.

“Announce that the successor of the Sword Emperor has returned to this land.”

****