Chapter 8: The Reason He Talks To Himself (2)

I managed to avoid the Sword Star’s attack by sheer luck.

“Hmm?” The Sword Star raised an eyebrow. He thought I was an elite assassin, so he had been braced for a counterattack or for me to skillfully dodge his attack... But he had probably not expected that I would choose to roll on the ground like a fool.

“M-Mr. Sword Star, wait. Please hear me out!”

I didn’t care if I died since it was the whole reason why I had followed him down here. However, I wanted to avoid a needless fight next time, so I tried to figure out if there was a way to resolve the Sword Star’s misunderstanding.

“I’m really just an ordinary Class F Hunter—”

“You are indeed an elite assassin!” the Sword Star confidently declared. “You dodged my sword!”

“Come on! Do you have a hearing problem, old man?!”

The misunderstanding only grew, which was quite a problem. Again, I only managed to dodge his attack because I had been lucky. I still didn’t even know which direction he had swung his sword.

I’ll never be able to dodge his next attack with my physical abilities!

I embraced my death, wondering if I had to give up on persuading the Sword Star as I watched him slowly approach me.

Suddenly, he came to a stop.

Huh? I thought. Is he going to hear me out?

He was not. The Sword Star wasn’t looking at me, he was frowning at the empty air. I glanced up in the sky to see if a mosquito was flying around, but, as I expected, there was nothing there.

“...I told you I’ll take care of it,” the Sword Star said to the air. “...Be quiet. What do you mean, capture and interrogate him? This kind of devil doesn’t deserve to live...”

What?

He was talking to himself again. The Sword Star had looked like he was ready to kill me right away, but he lowered his sword for some reason, postponing my imminent death.

I narrowed my eyes. ...Is he talking to himself because of his Skill?

Yes, that might be it. Although I had assumed at the pub that he was just mentally ill, now that I got a closer look at him, I noticed that his mumbling was a little too elaborate. The Sword Star actually seemed to be talking to someone.

Is his Skill telepathy? Then... is he telling other people about me?

Another shiver ran down my spine. I knew that telepathy was an actual Skill in the Tower, which made my theory entirely possible.

He’s telling other people that he found a guy who slaughtered 4091 people?

That would guarantee me a spot in the Hunter Management Bureau’s wanted list. Though the Bureau rarely put people on their wanted list, everyone on it was practically kill-on-sight. They would be hunted by all of the major guilds and High Rankers so they could be publicly executed in Babylon’s plaza.

I can’t let that happen. I clenched my teeth. I need to die right now!

I had to go back twenty-four hours so none of this would ever happen, eliminating the possibility of the worst possible future coming true. I glared at the Sword Star. He was still talking to himself.

“...Forget it. My mind is set. Even if you’re my teacher...”

I was still unsure if the Sword Star was mentally ill or was actually talking to someone...but I had to prevent the worst-case scenario.

“How are your grandchildren?” I asked.

The Sword Star stopped talking and slowly turned toward me.

“I heard that it’s quite dangerous in the outside world nowadays. You must be so worried about your adorable grandchildren.”

His blue eyes were still as the ocean depths.

“Your family used to be famous back in Northern Europe, right? Isn’t that the type of family that terrorists usually love? Who knows? Your grandchildren might have already been murd—”

It sounded like a ripe apple was cut in half.

Huh? At first, I couldn’t understand what the sound was. I was watching the Sword Star the entire time, so I was certain that he hadn’t moved an inch; he was just standing there with his wrinkled lips pursed. Where could that sound have come from?

While I was still processing, the world gradually tilted. The Sword Star was standing straight, but the half-moon in the night sky was turned upside down so that it looked like a little boat. The waxing moon was waning, leaving only an old man on the horizon.

The Sword Star continued to look at me with blue eyes that resembled the starry night. Now I understood why he was called the Sword Star.

Ah.

And I realized that it wasn’t the ground that had turned upside down. My head had been cut off, and it was falling to the ground.

It’s beautiful.

It only took one slash. Even though I couldn’t follow his movement, I got to see the world cut in half afterward, and I thought it was beautiful.

After a moment, I hit something. I felt light-headed, and my ears were numb. I couldn’t hear anything; it took me a little longer to realize that my head had hit the ground. By that point... I couldn’t see anything.

[You have died.]

What kind of Skills did he have? How long did he train to reach his current level?

[It has been determined that your death met the requirement for the Skill activation.]

It felt completely different from the time I had been killed by the Fire Emperor... I felt betrayed by the Fire Emperor, so I wanted to get revenge. But I didn’t with the Sword Star; it was the opposite.

I want to be like him.

I envied him.

I want to reach his level.

It was just like the times before I knew the true colors of Yoo Soo-Ha, the Fire Emperor.

I want to be like him!

Jealousy, obsession, yearning...an endless stream of desires rushed over me. A voice answered my burning emotions.

[Duplicating Hunter Marcus Carlenbery’s Skills at random.]

Skill Cards arose in the dark world.

[Creating Skill Cards]

I could only see the back of the cards; maybe it was to hide which Skills the cards had.

Well, I can see the colors more clearly than when I was killed by the Fire Emperor.

Perhaps I’d gotten used to dying. Just like what the Sword Star’s kill count Skill said, I had already died 4090 times. I was certain that no Hunter would be more used to dying than I was.

That isn’t particularly something to be proud of. I smiled bitterly.

[Choose a Skill Card.]

The Skill Cards began to fly through the air.

Whoa! It caught me by surprise, but I swiftly pulled myself together and focused on the cards. I don’t need anything else. Gold! I must pick a golden Skill Card!

They were so fast that it was impossible to keep track of them.

Oh my god.

The Skill Cards had been quick even when I had been killed by the Fire Emperor. How had I actually picked a golden Skill Card? I realized once again how incredibly lucky I was.

Who knows? I might get lucky this time too! Now, where are you, golden card? Gold Skill Card!

But something was weird.

Huh?

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see it.

There... is no golden Skill Card.

Among the flying Skill Cards, there were shit-colored Skill Cards, along with some silver ones. However, I couldn’t find a single Skill Card that was shining with golden light. I looked around several times, unable to believe my eyes, but there was still none. I was left with only one answer.

N-no way. He seriously doesn’t have any?

My jaw dropped to the ground.

***

Impossible! I wanted to scream. He’s the Rank 1 Hunter. He was a legend before the Fucker came around. How can the Sword Star not have a single Class S Skill?

It was hard to believe this horrifying, shocking news, but it was the truth. My Skill showed me that Marcus Carlenbery, the Sword Star, reigned as the number one Hunter without any Class S Skills.

No, no! It can’t be!

I chose to deny the reality presented to me.

There must be an ultimate cheat Skill Card among the silver ones!

Some may think I was desperate and would no doubt call me a loser for trying to reject the truth. Anyhow, I glared at the cards with feverish eyes.

Three shit-colored cards, and four silver cards.

A total of seven cards flew chaotically in the air.

I’ll ignore the shit-colored ones.

It was a reasonable choice. The problem now was picking which silver Skill Card to get! These cards would probably include the Sword Star’s kill count Skill and the mysterious, overpowered skill. I wanted his overpowered Skill, obviously, which would be as good as the Fire Emperor’s time regression Skill, not a Skill of questionable usefulness like his kill count.

I have a one in four chance!

It all would come down to my luck.

Please! Please, please! Come on, Sword Star’s overpowered Skill!

I snatched a silver-colored card from the air.

[You have chosen a Skill Card.]

[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]

I gasped and immediately sat up.

My “luxurious” seven-square-meter studio welcomed me with the moldy smell of my long unwashed comforter. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to look around.

“D-did I get it?”

I checked my Hunter Status Window first to see if I won my gamble.

Name: Kim Gong-Ja.

Class: F

Skill (3/4)

1. I Want To Be Like You(S+): Passive

2. Returner’s Clockwork(EX): Passive

3. Sword Constellation(A+): Passive

4. Empty

“Ah...” I groaned, both happy and lamenting. “Well, at least I managed to pick a Class A+ Skill...”

Although it wasn’t a Class S Skill, the good news was that I had picked the best Skill I could get from what was given. I could consider myself lucky that I had managed not to get a questionably useful Skill like the Sword Star’s kill count.

“...It’s a passive Skill.”

And then I lamented for my failure to get a high-level combat Skill. I was trying to get a combat Skill—a rare martial art, swordplay, a Skill that would awaken my aura... Most of those abilities were bound to be active Skills.

I sighed. “Come to think of it, I’m just whining about my blessing...”

Numerous low-Class Hunters would go nuts if they heard me complaining even though I’d received a Class A+ Skill. I decided to be optimistic and focus on the Skills I had.

“Show me my Skill Cards.”

The Skill Cards floated before my eyes.

I Want To Be Like You (S+)

Returner’s Clockwork(EX)

Sword Constellation(A+)

I had no idea what kind of Skill “Sword Constellation” was based on its name.

“Well, I Want To Be Like You does sound strange too.”

I couldn’t really tell whether I’d received a shitty Skill or a jackpot based on the name. I consoled myself with the possibility that maybe it was a great Skill and grabbed the silver Skill Card.

—Ah, why is it so noisy around here?

A voice I shouldn’t have been able to hear echoed.

—Gramps, I already told you this several times. Listen to your teacher, please. If you want to go out and train at night, do it quietly. When you move, I automatically follow you, so you don’t need to bother waking me up. Have some manners, okay?

I slowly turned toward the voice. In the corner of my comforter—which was small even for me on my own—was a man who resembled a bull with his back to me. His form was faint, but he was definitely there.

I felt goosebumps rising on my skin. “Excuse me. Who are you?”

—Huh?

Then I met the mysterious man’s eyes.

—Huhhh???

There was nothing life-like about the man’s appearance. He was like a ghost, but he also looked menacing. I would have mistaken him for a gorilla if he hadn’t been wearing clothes. When the robust ghost even furrowed his brows, I could see a monster straight out of a horror movie.

—Hey, who are you?

“...That’s my question. Who are you?”

—You can see me?

I nodded reluctantly. “That’s right.”

—And you can hear me too.

“Umm, since we can talk... I think so.”

What? Am I talking to a ghost? I wondered. I had thought that ghosts would act like monsters seeking revenge for their grudges from before their death. But it was different with this ghost. Except for how his form was very faint, he talked like an ordinary human.

—Huh, that’s strange. This shouldn’t be possible.

The ghost tilted his head in confusion. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t make sense of what was happening right now.

—Where am I? This is smaller than most dog houses. Where is Gramps Marcus, boy?

The ghost finally said something I could understand.

“Marcus... Marcus Carlenbery? Are you talking about the Sword Star?”

—Tsk, tsk. The ghost clicked his tongue discontentedly. That title is too fancy for a beginner like him, but yeah, that’s the guy. Where is he? He’s supposed to be around here.

I was dumbstruck. The Sword Star is a beginner?

Since I had killed Yoo Soo-Ha, the Fire Emperor, the Sword Star would continue to be the Rank 1 Hunter far into the future, yet the ghost sitting in front of me was calling him a beginner.

Who in the world was he? And why could I suddenly see this ghost? To answer my questions, I flipped the silver Skill card over and read the Skill description.

Sword Constellation

Class: A+

Effect: He is from another world and managed to clear the ninety-ninth floor of the Tower in his world. However, he was brought to his knees right on the verge of reaching the Tower’s hundredth floor. Due to his regret, he failed to find eternal peace and became a Guardian instead. He can’t physically influence the world, but he is able to talk to you. He has abundant experience and is incredibly skilled, so ask him for advice!

※No one can perceive your Guardian except for you.

※The Skill has been copied from Hunter Marcus Carlenbery.

I was speechless.

—Hey, where is Gramps? Hey, hey! Are you ignoring me? I used to be famous back in my day! Blinking was enough to make most warriors crawl on their knees, so don’t you ignore me!

Oh my god. It looked like I’d duplicated the Sword Star’s Guardian.