A Hunter on Borrowed Time Keeps Surviving - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 21.
“Your Majesty…!”
Zero flinches at Siul’s instruction to conceal his mana.
A moment too late in recognizing his mistake.
Zero immediately suppressed his power.
‘There. The presence is completely hidden now.’
By nature, Zero excelled at Mana Concealment.
Even Park Jung-gi, an A-rank Hunter, could not sense Zero while under Transparency.
“Is there any decent armor around here…?”
Siul played along smoothly, watching the security officers for any sign of suspicion.
He scanned the shelves as if browsing, all the while checking whether anyone was approaching.
“Did you feel that surge of mana just now from this direction?”
“I don’t see anything unusual. Could be a sensor glitch?”
Fortunately, the security officers glanced around briefly, decided there was nothing amiss, and returned to their posts.
“Phew, my heart…”
Siul pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled sharply.
Beside him, Zero brushed his shoulder apologetically with his tail.
“You have to be more careful. If this happens again…”
Siul was about to lecture him when it happened.
“Excuse me.”
“Y-yes…!”
A stranger’s voice suddenly came from behind Siul.
Startled, he reflexively answered and turned around.
“You are Siul Kim, aren’t you? The Hunter.”
It wasn’t a security officer.
A young man with blonde hair swept back and slanted eyes stood before him.
He approached as if he knew Siul and began to speak.
‘Who is this?’
Siul didn’t recognize the man and felt confused.
“Don’t you remember? We met when you received your commendation at the Association.”
A commendation?
Siul had received a commendation only once in his life—when he dealt with the Wyvern Goblin all day long.
A memory flashed: receiving the commendation alongside Jang Jin-young in the Hunter Association lobby on the first floor, followed by a commemorative photo.
“Ah!”
Siul’s face suddenly came to mind.
“You were that promising hunter the Daeho Guild was training…”
“Yes, that’s right. You remember me?”
Do I-hyeon—the promising hunter Jang Jin-young had proudly introduced to Siul.
A nineteen-year-old A-rank Awakener sponsored by the Daeho Guild, training to become a Special Hunter, and introduced to Siul with great fanfare.
“Wow, you were looking at some really expensive equipment, weren’t you?”
Do I-hyeon gazed at the S-rank Weapon display in front of Siul and exclaimed loudly.
It was a pure reaction befitting his young age.
“As expected, Hunter Siul uses such high-grade equipment?”
From Do I-hyeon’s tone, it was clear he, like Jang Jin-young, regarded Siul as a Special Hunter.
This was something Siul had picked up on to some degree.
‘So that’s why he introduced me to this kid. He was probably hoping I’d help guide his own son toward becoming a Special Hunter.’
Layer upon layer of awkward misunderstanding had accumulated.
Siul simply smiled as if he knew nothing.
“Aren’t you running Dungeon raids these days? There were huge rumors about you.”
…Rumors?
“I heard there was an outsourced team clearing B-rank Dungeons at the highest level. I was curious which team it was, so I checked the records, and when I saw your name in there, I understood why they were achieving such results.”
This was news to Siul entirely.
“There were rumors like that?”
He knew Min Hyung-sik’s team had risen in status, but he hadn’t realized they’d become famous enough for industry gossip to circulate.
He certainly never expected anyone to look up his name from the records.
‘Did I stand out too much?’
For Siul, every day was precious—it was an inevitable consequence.
“I still run Dungeons from time to time. Though I parted ways with that outsourced team not long ago.”
“That makes sense. I was wondering why someone like Hunter Siul would clear B-rank Dungeons with an outsourced team.”
Do I-hyeon glanced around, then lowered his voice.
“You only joined because of the mission, didn’t you?”
“…….”
He’d clearly gotten the wrong idea about something.
“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have asked. I’ve put you in an awkward position.”
“No, it’s fine. I should get going, actually. Let’s catch up next time.”
Siul tried to slip away from the table, as if fleeing.
But Do I-hyeon’s parting words caught him mid-stride.
“If there’s a particular Dungeon you’d like to run, feel free to reach out. Then you won’t have to waste time hunting down other freelance teams.”
Siul stopped and turned back.
“You mean you can source Dungeons directly?”
At the question, Do I-hyeon smiled and replied.
“I mentioned it briefly before, but I’m sponsored by the Daeho Guild. For training purposes, I can get you any Rank Dungeon you want right away.”
The Daeho Guild’s Rookie Development System.
It was well-known enough to have been featured in numerous media outlets.
Rarely, there are gifted children who Awaken to A-rank or S-rank while still minors.
But Hunter activity is legally restricted to those over twenty.
These early Awakeners end up squandering their talents for years, despite their gifts.
The Daeho Guild’s Rookie Development System was built precisely for such children—a sponsorship framework designed to nurture their potential.
“As long as there’s one Companion Hunter present, promising prospects like me can run Dungeons. Of course, only the Companion Hunter is allowed to enter the Boss Chamber.”
The Daeho Guild, licensed by the state, provided promising young Awakeners with generous equipment support and real-world experience.
This allowed them to emerge as exceptional Hunters once they reached adulthood.
“If someone as accomplished as you, Siul, would agree to be my Companion Hunter, I’d be truly grateful. Would you… consider it, if you have the time?”
Do i-hyeon asked carefully, his tone bright despite the weight of the request.
“I don’t have much practical experience yet. Heh….”
Under different circumstances, Siul would have laughed off the cute request from this young talented friend.
But Siul was not himself today.
‘Where on earth did this windfall come from….’
Something flickered behind Siul’s eyes.
He couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity—he answered eagerly, without hesitation.
“How about we grab some coffee somewhere?”
* * *
A small café tucked away in a quiet alley, far from the bustle.
Few customers lingered, and only gentle music filled the space.
It was an ideal setting for the important conversation Siul and Do i-hyeon needed to have.
Siul glanced down beneath the table.
He could feel Zero, cloaked in Transparency, nestled against his foot and dozing.
“So you want to build up more real-world experience? And for that, you need a Companion Hunter?”
Siul opened the conversation first.
“That’s right. Recently, the Daeho Guild’s affiliated Hunters have been taking turns as my Companion Hunter, so I’m getting some raid experience.”
Do i-hyeon explained his situation, sipping on an iced chocolate.
“Who’s your current Companion Hunter?”
“It varies. For C-rank Dungeons, a B-rank Hunter comes along, and for B-rank Dungeons, an A-rank Hunter does.”
“So they send someone one rank above the Dungeon, for safety?”
“It’s not about Hunter Rank per se. The law stipulates that the Companion Hunter must be someone with a record of Perfect Clearing that specific Rank of Dungeon.”
A Perfect Clear meant clearing the Dungeon within the expected timeframe and harvesting resources worth twice the projected revenue.
For reference, Siul had Perfect Cleared every Dungeon except for the Giant Golem Dungeon.
‘So that’s why he asked me.’
Siul had thought it was because he’d been mistaken for a Special Hunter, but Do i-hyeon had made his request after reviewing Siul’s record.
“What did you mean earlier about only the Companion Hunter being allowed in the Boss Chamber?”
“That’s because the Boss Chamber always has variables, so the law forbids promising prospects from entering—it’s a protective measure.”
“But the Companion Hunter can go in?”
“Yes. Even if it’s for training, it’s still a real Dungeon, so it’d be a waste not to clear it. So usually the Companion Hunter hunts the boss alone and comes back out.”
The more Siul heard, the more he felt this system was tailor-made for his situation.
‘If I become this kid’s Companion Hunter, I can enter higher-ranked Dungeons and monopolize the bosses.’
And the pretext was flawless.
This wasn’t an opportunity gained through deception like before, claiming to be a Special Hunter—this was a legitimate chance earned by his recent outstanding Dungeon-clearing record.
Siul couldn’t have asked for better terms.
“Hmm.”
Still, one thing gnawed at him.
‘This promising prospect can’t get hurt. What’s more, his Awakening rank—A-rank—is higher than mine. Can I really guide this kid properly….’
He was afraid that his own greed might wound this precious seedling.
Siul hesitated before accepting the Companion Hunter proposal, wrestling with doubt.
As he deliberated, Do I-hyeon ventured softly into the silence.
“Is it… perhaps because I’m too inexperienced that you worry about taking me along?”
To this direct but well-meaning question, Siul laughed and waved his hand.
“Jang Jin-young has praised you as a prospect so often his voice must be hoarse by now. That’s not it at all. The truth is, I need dungeons for my own purposes, and I felt guilty dragging you into it.”
Siul laid bare his heart, sharing the source of his conflict.
He couldn’t bring himself to lie to this radiant young talent.
“If that’s all it is, then it’s fine!”
Do I-hyeon suddenly raised his voice and leaned across the table.
“To be honest with you, everyone else does it worse.”
“…?”
Hesitant at first, Do I-hyeon finally couldn’t resist and spoke what had been itching at him.
“When you go into a dungeon with a prospect, the Companion Hunter takes all the profits. Most people volunteer as Companion Hunters for exactly that reason.”
Apparently, the previous Companion Hunters had ignored Do I-hyeon’s training entirely, fixating only on boss hunts and Magic Stone extraction.
One Companion Hunter had even forced Do I-hyeon into dangerously difficult raids that left him severely injured, and received disciplinary action for it.
“That’s appalling.”
Siul frowned and clicked his tongue in disgust.
“Those people have no shame at all.”
Yet Do I-hyeon, touched that someone would take his side, actually smiled.
“I understand their feelings, though. They’re taking precious time to raid an easy dungeon for them.”
Do I-hyeon added that he didn’t think the Companion Hunters’ greed was malicious.
“I’m just grateful for the chance to enter a dungeon at all.”
The boy laughed brightly, scratching the back of his neck.
Siul gazed at Do I-hyeon and felt a surge of wanting to cheer him on.
‘He’s mature for his age. The way he doesn’t complain and gives his all despite his circumstances—it’s admirable.’
It only deepened his sense of responsibility.
He didn’t want to let his own preoccupations blind him to this boy’s needs during a raid.
“I’d like to make a few promises. As a condition for me becoming your Companion Hunter.”
Do I-hyeon’s eyes lit up.
“Really? You’ll actually go into a dungeon with me?”
“If you keep the promises.”
Siul laid out three conditions.
“First, your safety is always priority one. When I tell you to fall back, you fall back immediately. When I tell you to run, don’t look back—sprint straight for the exit.”
“Yes, understood!”
Do I-hyeon answered with crisp conviction.
“Second, I’m going into dungeons for my own purposes. So this is a partnership. I’ll share dungeon experience and some of my raiding knowledge with you. In return, I’ll take what I need.”
At this moment, Do I-hyeon felt genuine shock stirring inside him.
No Companion Hunter had ever been so openly honest about their real intentions.
“And third—this is the most important, so listen carefully.”
Siul lowered his voice further.
Do I-hyeon leaned closer, hanging on every word.
“Everything you see in the dungeon is confidential. You must never speak of it anywhere, and don’t ask me about it either.”
“Ah… yes, I understand. But what exactly do you mean—”
Curiosity spilled out despite himself, but Do I-hyeon caught himself and retrieved the words.
“I’m sorry! I won’t ask!”
As Do I-hyeon apologized with sudden military stiffness, Siul smiled and offered the faintest hint.
“Have you ever seen someone’s head split open?”
The terminal Hunter keeps surviving
Author |
Kutsumattsu
Publisher |
(주) Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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G720:N+A063-20260731071
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@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
© Samyang C&C — No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without written permission from Dream Books.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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