SSS-Class Hunter is Going to Rest - Chapter 96



Only Krnovel

Episode 96 SSS-Class Hunter Tears the Crack (1)
2024.06.19.

Suji slowly raised her arms and hugged him, pressing her cheek against the cold armor. Not only was Elaine’s chest so big, but because of the solid armor, she couldn’t wrap her arms around his body with both arms.

She just leaned against him and muttered.

“I didn’t forgive you.”

“Daphne doesn’t need to feel responsible.”

“Don’t say that, please. … … I need to think about it for a moment.”

Her head was really in a state of confusion.

She needed time to sort it out.

She didn’t know that the fucking doomsday countdown would be considered more polite.

A week?

She didn’t want Elaine to become someone else.

She was Elaine too, but she didn’t want to lose the memories of their time together.

Those memories were Elaine’s, but they were also hers.

It was strangely unpleasant that he was losing part of his memories.

“… … “ After reaching the 100th floor, if I solve the apocalypse, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“In the end, it was my greed that I confessed. There’s one more 〈Deviation〉, so you can use that.”

Suzy clenched her teeth. She

felt like slapping his cheek.

Either way, the thought of him losing all his memories and looking at her like an idiot made her so angry that she couldn’t help it.

Why did she hate him so much?

Instead of naming that feeling, Suzy straightened up and glared at him.

Then, so that all her teammates could hear, she turned on the terminal’s communication and spoke clearly.

“I’m going back right now.”

“Team Leader?”

“Noah is waiting for you?”

She could hear her teammates’ answers, but Suzy made her decision first.

“Team Daphne will be speedrunning to the 100th floor from now on, so brace yourself.”

* * *

The welcome that followed Suzy and Elaine as they exited the tower was even greater than when they entered.

Because of her, the sudden craze for the Tower of the Philosopher was blowing, and all the hunters were keenly aware of how difficult it was to climb the tower, so the cheers were bound to be even more enthusiastic.

Suzy smiled and waved despite her haste and left.

The private plane was not far away. The group, who moved to the vehicle Noah had prepared, immediately boarded the plane again. They

received calls from their dedicated manager, who knew that Team Daphne was planning to return to Korea after visiting a few more countries, and from Noah, who was waiting for them to leave the tower.

Suzy made a joke about how she had a clue from the tower in the US, so they had to visit the tower in Korea first.

Honestly, I was dazed.

The conversation I was having and everything passing by felt unrealistic. I should have explained all of this to Peace and Saint, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to do so.

One scene kept repeating in my head.

Elaine, who was in a mess, was holding him, and I was watching Elaine’s tearful face in his arms.

“But if you come here, you can stop it. That horrible thing.”

“It’s just delaying it.”

“I thought delaying it was nothing, but now I’m really sick of it. I’d rather die.”

“… … Daphne.”

“… … I don’t know, what should I do now.”

“This time, really, don’t worry and close your eyes. I don’t know if there will be a good outcome, but… … I don’t have much regrets about life, but I want to find a good outcome.”

That conversation wasn’t in the future.

It was something that happened in the past.

No, to be more precise, it was something that had already happened in the future.

It was a scene where he, who had been tired of repeating the same life over and over again, weakly made Elaine write “Deviation” and gave up everything.

“Idiot.”

Suzy cursed inwardly at her other self, whom she could never meet in person.

Just because you can live life over and over again doesn’t mean your abilities will improve faster. But what if you give up on the idea of ​​knowing all the strategies?

You shouldn’t have done that.

Elaine spoke as if she sympathized with herself back then, but Suzy couldn’t do that. She was angry.

Of course, she felt sorry for herself, thinking about how she had to go back in time 101 times and remember things that no one else could. She wondered why Elaine had volunteered to do it for her.

But she shouldn’t have let it come to this.

‘… … In a week? That’s absolutely impossible.’

The answer was already out there.

The remaining tower was 15 floors.

The team members who had been gradually recruited turned out to be members of the “Messiah,” and in the end, there was no way that the four of them could climb 15 floors in a week.

“You’re not going to die. You’re just going to lose some minor memories.”

That’s how she tried to console herself.

But it didn’t work.

People would die in the tower all the time. When the end came, countless lives would be lost.

So, it didn’t work out well. Even though she wondered if she really needed to cling to memories, let alone her life, she didn’t.

Memories of playing two-player games or drinking with him and laughing, memories of playing board games with her teammates, all the little things like those moments when they lived and died together while climbing the tower… … She just didn’t want to lose it all.

Soo-ji turned her head and looked at Elaine, who was sitting in the conference room across from her.

Perhaps because she had confessed everything, she felt relieved, and the tension that had always been on one corner of his face seemed to have disappeared. He was looking at me with the most comfortable face I’ve ever seen.

What was he thinking, staying by my side all this time?

It was a problem that she had not been able to solve while repeatedly consuming 100 copies of “Deviation,” so what must Elaine have been thinking when she suddenly took on this?

“If everything goes well and we survive, what do you want to do most?”

“I want to be by the side of the person I love.”

Suzy closed her eyes.

She tried to picture Elaine’s face as she said those words.

Elaine seemed embarrassed. She had not looked me in the eye, which was unusual. She seemed embarrassed, but I remembered that her expression was so sincere that I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“… … My stomach is rumbling.”

Is this what happens when you’re too suffocated? She

felt seasick, as if she were on a small fishing boat instead of an airplane.

“Team Leader.”

“Huh?”

“I got a call from Priya.”

Suzy opened her tightly shut eyes and looked back.

Saint was looking at her with a worried expression.

It was understandable. He was suddenly returning to his home country in a chaotic manner without even explaining the detailed reason.

However, it was a problem that was harder to talk about with anyone than the world’s annihilation.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, he could understand a little why Elaine had kept the secret all this time.

Considering the trouble Elaine had gone through to return with the item “Deviation” that existed on the last floor of the tower, he had to think only about moving forward. In that case, it was logical that Elaine would naturally be sacrificed.

However, if he were to sacrifice the group, the very purpose of why he had worked so hard all this time would fade.

In the end, Suzy couldn’t utter the words that were on the tip of her tongue and asked Saint something else first.

“… … What did Priya say?”

“It’s the same thing you say all the time, you know.”

Saint turned the terminal around so Suzy could see it.

[To: Daphne

Nature took on that role because she was worried about you.

Please treat him with care.

It was already expected that Daphne would join us. It depends on when you make your decision.

Daphne is the one who deserves eternal life.

Judgment Day is coming soon.

I look forward to holding your hand before that.

From: Priya]

Suzy read the email as if it was boring and waved her hand.

Since the ‘Great Beings’ appeared in my life, everyone was talking nonsense. Even Elaine was talking about turning back time. In

the past, I might have been swayed by such meaningful words, but now I had no interest in things like eternal life. More urgent matters were piling up right before my eyes.

“What should I say in reply?”

“Tell them to pick up Nature. I’ll leave it at the entrance to the tower.”

“Understood. And… … ”

Saint seemed to hesitate, then whispered in Suzy’s ear.

“Are we officially dating now?”

Suzy blinked quickly and turned her head to look at Saint’s face.

It was probably just the usual teasing, but her face turned red from those words. She must have blushed from the side.

“What are you talking about?”

“If not, there’s no way we would be exchanging such loving glances… … That’s what Peace said.”

Saint quickly shifted the blame, and Suzy tried to say something before letting out a deep sigh.

Saint glanced at the team leader, then quickly returned to his original seat and got angry at Peace.

“Oh, look at that! I said no!”

“Hey, Saint. Didn’t Saint say it was real this time? I was just making remarks?”

“That’s true, but.”

“Don’t you keep saying you want to be alone… … Isn’t it stranger to not suspect anything?”

“Shh! Be quiet. You’re not in the mood for that right now, Team Leader!”

She tried her best to ignore the bickering between Peace and Saint, but it wasn’t easy.

Suzy gathered her team members together in less than 5 minutes.