SSS-Class Revival Hunter
Chapter 223. If (1)

Chapter 223. If (1)

Now that I look back on my memories, Amethyst had clearly warned me about this.

“Don’t try to stop me. I’m warning you.”

She told me this right before I opened her lock, already aware that I had the key in my hand.

If she had been a ruthless person, she would have made it impossible to use the key at all and would have ignored my inquiries. However, she didn’t destroy the key and instead answered my questions honestly.

Amethyst was more than capable of doing that, but she didn’t. She just calmly warned me that the locked door would lead to a secret room and that I was going to get hurt in there.

“I have a habit of inadvertently destroying adorable children when I see them.”

I opened the lock and paid the price the goddess had warned me about.

***

“Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha.”

The dark bar was familiar. There were many expensive bars like this one on the Tower’s first floor. The proper ones, decorated to resemble those in the outside world, imported a lot of high-end liquor and sold them for prices that would make many customers’ eyes become as wide as saucers.

Yes, these bars were ripping their customers off. However, there were always people who perceived rip-offs as shoulder massages. No matter how expensive the liquors were, customers lined up to buy them.

The outside world was the home they could no longer return to. Stopping by an average bar that seemed identical to the ones from the outside world and pretending it was the real deal was worth spending quite a good amount of money.

“Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha.”

“Hm?”

The Korean bar where Yoo Soo-Ha woke up mostly sold beers. It was called a hof[1]. Even in the wide Babylon, there was only one bar that was furnished like a hof, with beer cans of familiar brands lined up in their large refrigerator. The cheap silver-colored beer cans flaunted their names in blue letters, trying to be cool. Despite their tackiness, some beer cans used their golden edges to advertise themselves as premium.

Funny enough, none of the cans had Korean written on their labels. They were all in English[2].

“Oh, what the heck...”

To Yoo Soo-Ha, those beer cans were proof of his home country, where he had to say out loud that he loved the letters of mother tongue because they weren’t loved enough[3].

There was an epidemic of hatred over there. Everyone hated each other. People hated their children, who in turn hated their parents. Those who disliked each other gathered and built schools, where they continued their campaign of hatred.

“Why did you wake me up? Huh?”

The only thing Yoo Soo-Ha learned in that country was how to hate people, having grown up among people who only disliked each other. What else could he have learned? Math? Foreign languages? They were as useless as the ethics class[4].

How many parents could say out loud that they genuinely enjoyed the company of others? How many would be able to say they loved others? This didn’t apply just to parents, but to teachers, too. For over twelve years, numerous teachers wasted Yoo Soo-Ha’s time, their disappointed sighs having taken root in his lungs.

Yoo Soo-Ha had wanted to ask them at some point if they truly liked the company of others. The answer would have probably been no. However, the answer was easily predictable if he changed the question and asked if they hated humans.

His parents would be the first to raise their hands and say yes. The parents standing behind his classmates would also raise their hands and give the same answer. After all the parents and the students raised their hands, the teachers standing beside the podium would nod.

“Of course, I also hate humans, so fuck all of you.”

A girl tapped his shoulder with a small hand. “Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha, you’re completely drunk, aren’t you? This isn’t a classroom. Can you see me?”

“Ah, fuuuuuuuuck... This sucks... Damn... What...? What? Where am I?”

“Well, this is actually a school. Yes, this is the classroom of the high school you attended, Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha.”

“You said this wasn’t a school earlier...!”

“What school would give cans of beer for lunch?”

Thump.

The girl put down two huge beer cans on the table. Yoo Soo-Ha twitched. With intoxicated eyes, he looked and sniffed at the two gigantic can pillars in front of him.

“Um?”

“It’s beer. The Korean beer that you always say that you’ll die without, to be exact. If I had to pick the world’s worst beer, it would be this one on the table. But, well, the people from an island country[5] also love the food of their home country, so there’s definitely at least one or two Koreans who like Korean beer the most. Alright. Chug it down.”

“Ooooooo... Wow.”

Yoo Soo-Ha held the beer cans in his hands, but he couldn’t really hold them properly due to how intoxicated he was. The beer cans had just been taken out of the refrigerator, so they were very cold. However, Yoo Soo-Ha didn’t care. He quickly opened one of them and gushed the beer down his throat.

“Pheeeeeew!”

“Do you like it?”

“Wow, yeah. Gosh, it’s so good! Where are we?” Yoo Soo-Ha asked.

“There are two possibilities.”

“Do tell, manager!”

“The first possibility is that you skipped the school’s nightly self-study session today. You and your friends rode your scooters and headed to the bar district of Samcheong-dong. Because you were not really in the mood for soju today, you three came to a decent-looking hof and drank there until you got hammered.”

“Hammered! Haaaameeeered! Haaaaaaaaaameeeeeered!”

Yoo Soo-Ha shook the beer can, feeling like an ancient warrior. Some of the can’s contents spilled on his clothes, yet he willingly accepted Dionysus’ holy water showering down on him. Yoo Soo-Ha didn’t care, the bar owner didn’t care, and the person who was talking to Yoo Soo-Ha didn’t care either.

“The second possibility is that you’re no longer a high school student. This isn’t the cheap bar district of Samcheong-dong, or even Korea. You’ve already become a Class S Hunter and stormed into a beer bar, hoping to experience some nostalgia related to your home country.”

“Um.”

“Which scenario do you like more, Mr. Soo-Ha?”

“What... What is the weather like in the outside world right now?”

“Korea is in its rainy season now. It rained yesterday, and not much has changed today. It’ll rain twice today. The entire region is unpleasantly humid. If you walk down the street, your stress level will automatically add up, like DoT damage.”

“Did I bring an umbrella?”

“You didn’t. I don’t have one either.”

“Fuck. Well then, let’s go with the second possibility! Fuck!”

Yoo Soo-Ha emptied another can and turned around. “Ugh. I’ll have my check now!”

“Forget about the check. Please try to stay bipedal first.”

The girl snatched Yoo Soo-Ha’s wallet and took out numerous bills from it. After counting the numbers on the bills, the girl asked, “How much is it, sir?”

“That mister over there ate a lot. Including the drinks, sixty thousand won.”

“I can’t believe it.” The girl turned around and glared at Yoo Soo-Ha. “Did you really shove that much down your throat?”

“Sorry. I think I’m going to throw up now...”

“Hell, why don’t you burp out the alcohol first? Then maybe you can get a discount. You had five dishes and eleven cans of beer all by yourself. How did all of them even fit in your stomach?”

“Ooh, uh... Ugh, huh, huh...Ugh! Blaaaaargh!”

The girl’s expression turned sour. “The heck. I’ll clean that up, sir.”

The bar owner shook his hand. “No, no, it’s okay. That’s all part of the service. Anyway, sixty thousand won.”

The girl took out Korean bills from Yoo Soo-Ha’s wallet and handed them over to the bar owner, as if this was the actual currency of the Tower.

“One gold is equivalent to a hundred thousand won, right?”

“The price has gone up these days. It’s not easy to bring in Korean money. Chinese or Japanese bills can be easily imported, but Korean bills really aren't really used in the Babel Tower, except for collection purposes...” the bar owner whispered.

“I’ll give you two more gold. Please get plenty of bills. That way, customers can pay and get their change in won.”

“You’re Yoo Soo-Ha’s manager for a good reason. How can you be so smart and considerate about my bar?” the bar owner asked, bowing multiple times to the little girl.

Yes, this was a place of magic in the Babel Tower. One could pretend this bar was in Korea since only Korean money was accepted. The customers could taste the beers commonly found in Korean beer bars, including Korean, Belgian, and Chinese beer[6]. They could also enjoy the bar chef’s boneless chicken, Korean seasoned chicken, and even pizza of questionable quality.

「Recently, military provocations in the Korean Strait have become more intense by the day...」

Even the bar’s television broadcasted news from the outside world, especially Korean news.

It was a strange sight. In this Korean-style beer bar, there wasn’t much Korean alcohol on the menu. Even a few Korean alcohol brands were named in English. The food on the menu was fried chicken and pizza, neither of which were Korean dishes.

The customers paid in Korean currency. Behind the scenes, there were people who calculated the values of gold and won, trying not to run out of the “casino chips” known as won.

None of the people clinking their beer cups together and shouting “Geonbae![7]” were Korean. Those who abandoned their countries and entered the Tower had all been deprived of their nationalities, no matter what their reasoning was.

Despite the Tower having no countries, the customers shouted their patriotism and got into heated discussions about politics. Sometimes, they even exchanged punches.

This was a city for people who had lost their homes.

“Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha, are you sober now?”

“Uh, yeah, somewhat... Wow, all I need to do is circulate my aura for a bit, and then ta-da! My hangover is gone, but because of the promise I made... I thought I was going to die drunk.”

“Yes, you promised me that you are not going to use your aura today,” the girl said with a calm tone.”

“Yeah, how... Ah, shit. How did I end up making such a promise? I don’t remember.”

“On the way back from clearing the stage, you made a bet with me whether the Black Dragon Master would send assassins after you or not. You bet on yes, and I bet on no.”

“Ah, ah. Aaaaah.” Yoo Soo-Ha frowned. “Oh, I remember now. Fuck. The Black Dragon Master. That fucking bitch. That bitchy fuck. Hey, Su-Jeong, you know what? If you look closely at the word bitch, it looks like it’s a drawing of a real dog lying down. “B” is the head, “I” and “T” are the arms, and “h” is the tail[ref] It makes a bit more sense in Korean, lol. The Fire Emperor says 개 is the head and the front legs, 새 is the torso and the legs, and 끼 is the bum and the tail. [ref]. Wow. I’m a genius. A bitch is really a dog.”

“I see. Yoo Soo-Ha is also really a bastard.”

“Ugh?”

“Although you’ve come to your senses to some extent, this extent makes me uneasy. Don’t tell me you also forgot about the interview tomorrow. You didn’t, right?”

“Interview... tomorrow?”

The girl, a Hunter who looked like Amethyst, answered, “Yes, the interview that would choose your new manager.”

Yoo Soo-Ha grabbed Amethyst by her small shoulders. “I told you I don’t need a new manager!”

“That hurts.”

“Hey, Su-Jeong! Did I upset you with anything? If so, then please tell me. I will listen to any complaints you have. Am I too stingy with your salary? Shall I shower you with cash until your skin stings? Are people bullying you? Who? Fucking losers... I’ll cut off their limbs and throw them in a remote area of ​​the second floor’s hunting ground. Those bastards don’t know their place... Su-Jeong! I’m a guy with a big heart! Tell me!”

“Well...”

“Aha! What is it? I’ll do anything for you!”

“It’s hard for me to move things because I’m weak. I’m short, so it’s hard to get behind the wheel. Every time I drive you around, my butt, back, and neck hurt.”

“Uh...”

“We need to bring in a new manager, Mr. Yoo Soo-Ha. A star Hunter like you will inevitably need more manpower.”

“Can’t I just carry the luggage myself?”

“And are you also going to drive the car yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to be okay doing that?”

“That will make me look so uncool. Sorry. It won’t work... Everything else is fine by me, but I can never stop looking cool...”

“I’m on the verge of dying from overwork. Pick a new manager or I’m quitting.”

“Aaaah! What?! Why are you even considering quitting, Senior Manager Ja Su-Jeong?”

“When did I become a senior manager?”

“Just now. It’s my guild, so I’m the boss and the king. From now on, you’re Senior Manager Ja Su-Jeong.”

Ja Su-Jeong, sighed. “Then I will attend the manager interview tomorrow as scheduled.”

“I’m going to attend it too, right?”

“Of course. You need to be there to select your new manager.”

When they returned to the guild building, a colorful banner welcomed them.

—We are recruiting a manager for Class S Hunter Yoo Soo-Ha, the Rank 1 Hunter and the Tyrant of the Babel Tower.

1. The word is German, but it means beer bar in Korean. 호프. There are many theories about the connection, but it’s believed that Korean beer bars started to name themselves hof after one of the first Korean beer companies named their beer bar OB Hof. ☜

2. The most famous Korean beer brands are called Cass(카스) and Terra(테라). ☜

3. There was once a nationwide campaign to promote using hangeul over English. ☜

4. Korean schools have classes about how to be ethical. ☜

5. Japan? ☜

6. There are some Korean hofs that made it their business strategy to import beers from various countries. Beers like Hoegaarden and Tsingtao are famous in Korea. ☜

7. It means cheers in Korean. ☜