SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

“Let’s put the small talk aside for now.”

A staff intervened between the Crusader and me. Turning my head, I saw [The Wand Of Ages] staring at me bluntly.

“Before you go up to the 71st floor, listen to the last explanation.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Death King. The world you are about to enter is already dominated by Constellations. But it’s different from before. You don’t need to fight the Constellations at all.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Why? Are they good Constellations?”

“Well, to be precise, it’s more like ‘there is no means to fight them’. Until now, you’ve only met Constellations with personalities, relatively speaking, Constellations that are close to human form. However, from the 71st to the 79th floor, there are [Constellations without personality] that reign.”

No personality.

“Then, are they like objects or plants?”

“Something like that. You could also say they are the very laws of the world itself. The important thing is that you have no way to fight those Constellations. Unless you have reached the realm where you can freely use the Heart Sword. Not yet, anyway.”

“…….”

“The reason I specifically summoned this knight among your companions is simple. The 71st floor is, well, a [world dominated by music]. It’s what you call a musical heaven.”

“Oho.”

Patricia was the first to react to the word ‘music’.

“Then indeed, I might be the right person for this. Not to brag, but I am one of the finest musicians in our Tower. My concert sold out all seats this time. An excellent selection.”

Patricia crossed her arms and looked at [The Wand Of Ages] confidently.

Why she looked so confident… I didn’t quite understand myself. Since she started performing jazz again, Patricia had become somewhat, much freer than before.

“Why are you bragging to me? Anyway, yes. Death King. You too will become a musician of the musical heaven and survive.”

“Do I have to be a musician?”

“There’s no freedom of job choice. In the musical heaven, every being is a musician. Don’t think that every world will be as free-spirited as your neighborhood.”

What a harsh world.

“I’ve learned a bit of piano from Patricia, but I’m still a complete beginner…”

“Most Hunters are like that. Outside their area of expertise, they’re all amateurs.”

The magician looked as if wondering what the problem was.

“So that’s why so many Hunters despair in the 70-floor zone?”

“……Certainly. You have a point.”

“Don’t worry, Kim Gong-ja.”

Patricia patted my shoulder.

“Didn’t I say? No matter how pathetic you look, I plan to stamp a pass without any conditions. Unless it’s a Fire Painting Play. It’s impossible for you to move me with ordinary music anyway. Take it easy.”

“That’s oddly insulting. Hey.”

“People should be humble about their talents…. For instance, Kim Gong-ja. It can be said that you lack a bit in fashion talent. Your leather fetish is serious.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who wears armor 365 days a year?! Besides, this style was chosen by Anastasia! Don’t blame me!”

“Indeed.”

The magician nodded deeply.

“You and your friend will endlessly gossip if left alone. I’ll have to forcibly teleport you.”

Squish, the ground beneath me collapsed.

[‘The Wand Of Ages’ is teleporting you.]

Looking down, my feet were sinking into a floor wobbling with yellow paint.

“Huh? Wha-what?”

“Be gone already.”

I sank up to my waist in an instant. Just before my whole body was completely submerged, Patricia desperately shouted at me.

“Kim Gong-ja! Even if you lack talent in fashion, it’s okay!”

“Patricia…….”

“Because, in fact, you also lack talent in looks either. Your fashion and face are a perfect match.”

“You- let’s talk after I clear the 71st floor.”

“Have a safe journey.”

And then, I was swallowed up by the bottom.

3.

[You have entered Stage 71.]

[You have stepped into a place where you originally could not enter.]

[A certain penalty will be given.]

I opened my eyes.

The place seemed like a village straight out of a fairy tale, exactly what one might imagine when thinking of ‘heaven’, painted in watercolors.

Utterly quiet.

And deathly still.

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ manifests its authority.]

[General information about this stage is revealed to you.]

It was the first time I had set foot in this world, but there was no inconvenience in gathering information. After all, Hishmith Kritz, a high-ranking Constellation, had already submitted to me.

Before I even took my second breath in this world, texts appeared.

+

[Musical Heaven]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: ‘The Maestro Singing the Heavens’

Difficulty: B~A+

Explanation (Lv.1): Everything in this world operates through music. If you want to buy something, you must play ‘music’ for the seller. The better the music, the higher the price; the worse the music, the lower the price.

The only nutrient consumed by the residents of this world is music. Waking up to music fills them with nourishment, and not listening to music for a week leads to starvation. Currency. Food. Power.

Think of everything as being made of music.

+

Everything is made of music.

‘This is much more convenient than before.’

After taking Hishmith Kritz as my subordinate, collecting information became hassle-free. Is this why Constellations feared losing their powers so much? Even a newbie in the Constellation realm like me is growing by leaps and bounds.

‘Now, how should I strategize… Hmm?’

I was plotting my route in my mind when it happened.

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ manifests its authority.]

[Expose.]

Another new message arrived.

This time, it was a bit different.

[You have not met the conditions to acquire hidden information.]

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[Hidden information is revealed!]

Wriggle, wriggle!

The letters floating in front of me suddenly disassembled and reassembled. Moving like black worms, the characters transformed into new meanings.

+

[Musical Heaven]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: ‘The Maestro Singing the Heavens’

Difficulty: B~B+

Explanation (Lv.2): Not every Hunter enjoys the fortune of living for hundreds of years. Some die. Many people die. Have you ever wondered where the souls of those who die in the Tower go?

This is heaven for the souls who die in the Tower. The afterlife. The so-called underworld of the Tower.

+

I blinked. What?

‘The afterlife?’

Astonishment sprang up, causing my tongue to stiffen. However, regardless of my shock, Hishmith Kritz continued to embroider the texts. It felt like a serpent was wrapping around my wrist, its tail flickering gently.

The torrent of information did not stop.

+

The Tower contains nine levels of the underworld.

Known as the Nine Heavens.

Humans in the Tower, even in death, if they wish not to vanish but to linger somewhere, they roam the Nine Heavens. Which heaven under they wander is entirely up to the Hunter’s last wish.

This is the 71st floor.

The first heaven of Nine Heavens. Musical Heaven.

+

Just as the information continued to unfold.

“■■■■!”

Suddenly, the texts churned. Wriggle, the snake flicked its tongue. Then, it raised its head high and glared at the void.

Hishmith Kritz seemed stressed at a glance. I wondered why it suddenly started to bite at the empty air, but the reason soon became clear.

[You have not met the conditions to acquire hidden information.]

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

I grasped the situation. Something invisible was interfering with Hishmith Kritz’s power.

Whether it was the system’s interference or obstruction by the Constellation governing this stage, I couldn’t yet know. But Hishmith Kritz was not at all diminished in spirit. “■■! ■■!” It even bared its teeth, threatening whatever it was.

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ forcibly satisfies the conditions!]

[You have gained the right to view hidden information.]

[Hidden information is revealed!]

Finally, the letters calmed down.

Hishmith Kritz snorted, as if to say, ‘Who dares to block me in such a shabby manner?’ Then, it flaunted, as if to boast, ‘Now you see, my existence is much more valuable than something like [Goddess of Protection], right?’ displaying the letters.

+

[Musical Heaven]

Floor: 71st

Constellation: ‘The Maestro Singing the Heavens’

Difficulty: B

Explanation (Lv.3): Musical Heaven. A heaven for souls tired of life, weary of language, and nauseated by conversation.

Now, they do not believe in the language between people. They do not attempt to approach each other, and if they do, they only approach through music.

Everything that lives and breathes here possesses a soul. The lowest dandelion crossing the lowest heaven. The daffodils hanging their heads. The sticklebacks soaking their feet in the shade of rocks by the stream. Every life is merely a reincarnated soul.

They have forgotten the memories of their past lives. Sometimes, perhaps always, when they dream, memories of their past lives rise like dim fog, and they swim through it.

In this Nine Heavens, echoing with music, the weary souls will be soothed.

If they wish, forever.

+

Indeed.

“…….”

I looked around.

It was eerily quiet.

Under the serene sky, migratory birds did not form flocks but scattered individually, each flying in the direction they desired. According to the information revealed by [The Eye Living in the Labyrinth], these too must be souls.

My head throbbed.

‘…So the Tower even arranged for a place after death.’

Reincarnations were everywhere.

Flowers overlapped on both sides of the dirt road leading to the village. Chillingly white hydrangeas. Skullcap flowers sat in meditation in a row, silently chanting sutras.

‘The Tower Master doesn’t intend to let a single person go. Not a single one.’

There were many white flowers.

White didn’t choose seasons.

The skullcap flowers folded their petals in prayer, and behind them, acacias hung their heads. The white safflowers plucked at the sky with their fingertips. Cherry trees, like grown nails, shaved off their petals and tossed them into the void.

Those wishing to shed their color were erasing their past lives.

‘…But I can’t hear any music.’

I suppressed the turmoil in my heart and thought differently.

‘Isn’t it too quiet?’

Since arriving on the 71st floor, I hadn’t heard any sound at all. Oddly silent. Even when Hishmith Kritz had cried out earlier, only the vibration of silence had been transmitted through my wrist.

-Huh? Quiet?

Bae Hu-ryeong tilted his head.

-What do you mean? It’s almost too noisy for me.

‘What?’

I stepped on the dirt road. Although the world was silent, where I needed to head was clear. Beyond the road, in the midst of the faintly spread village, a tree large enough to cover the sky was growing.

Perhaps it could be called the World Tree.

Villages clung tightly to the massive trunk. It resembled layers of territorial mushrooms growing in tiers.

When I enhanced my vision with aura, I could see people coming and going around a large staircase made of wood. Not just people, but animals like deer and giraffes were also freely mingling among them. Not all souls were reincarnated as plants.

-The birds’ chirping is one thing, but even the flowers are singing here.

‘What?’

-And if you look closely, the insects are whispering songs too. I admit, it’s quite a chorus. Listening to it, it feels like my heart could be at peace. But personally, this stage isn’t to my taste… Wait. Hold on. Kim Zombie, can you really not hear anything? Nothing at all?

“…….”

Could it be?

I opened my mouth.

I moved my tongue and tried to emit a high note.

“…….”

No sound was heard.

I moved my aura to supplement my hearing. I wrapped the organs responsible for human hearing in aura again, making sure there was no gap, perfectly supplementing my hearing. Then I made a sound with my mouth.

“…….”

Still, no sound was heard.

It wasn’t that my hearing was broken; rather, it was as if my sense of hearing itself had been deleted.

‘Damn it.’

I realized what the message [A certain penalty will be given.] meant, which appeared right after I landed on the 71st floor stage. Why the cries of Hishmith Kritz had sounded like ■■ to me.

‘I… can’t hear any sound here at all!’

Clearing a world made of music without any sound.

And thus, to win over the musician Patricia’s heart and make her a follower.

This was the penalty given to me.

*****