A Hunter on Borrowed Time Keeps Surviving - Chapter 3

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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 3.
A road destroyed by the appearance of Wyvern Goblins.
And there, in the middle of it all, Si Ul stood utterly lost in thought.
‘Whose voice was that just now?’
Someone had spoken to him.
He felt it in his bones — a message sent from a place impossibly far away.
The silhouette of that presence took shape in his mind, natural and unbidden…….
‘The Judgment Dragon?’
There was no one else it could be.
‘It’s asking me to come kill it?’
That’s what the voice had said, unmistakably.
“Hey.”
While Si Ul remained lost in contemplation, a long shadow fell across him.
He looked up to find Jang Jin Yeong staring down at him, his expression grave.
The moment Si Ul saw his face, memory returned — what had happened just minutes before.
He’d accidentally sprayed the man with alcohol, put him in a foul mood.
And of all people, this was an A-Rank Hunter with a temperament to match his appearance — which only made it worse.
“I’m very sorry. The thing is, I——”
“You’re a Hunter, aren’t you?”
Jang Jin Yeong cut him off mid-apology and pressed his own question instead.
“How did you just do that?”
Si Ul’s eyes trembled.
‘Did he see it?’
In the middle of the road, a human body had burst open — then immediately regenerated.
Anyone who’d witnessed that would never forget it.
The problem was, for Si Ul, this was very bad news.
【※Warning※ If information related to the Judgment Dragon is disclosed, your designated death date will be significantly accelerated.】
‘Even if it’s not my intention, the information leaks — does that shorten my lifespan?’
Of course, there was no way to know until it happened.
Si Ul broke out in cold sweat and risked a sideways glance at Jang Jin Yeong.
“I had no idea you were a Special Hunter. Your skill is impressive.”
“……?”
“I couldn’t see it clearly because of the Wyvern Goblin in the way, but I know you masked your presence in that instant.”
Si Ul thought, ‘What is this man talking about?’
“You hid your aura and vanished, then went for the Wyvern Goblin’s eyes. Striking a vital point from an unseen angle — that’s basic combat doctrine for a trained Special Hunter.”
In Jang Jin Yeong’s eyes, the sequence had unfolded like this.
His own strike had sent the Wyvern Goblin flying toward Si Ul.
Up to that moment, he’d been worried Si Ul would collide with it and take serious damage.
But in that fraction of a second, he’d felt Si Ul’s presence vanish from the world entirely.
When that presence returned, the Wyvern Goblin was already dead.
Faced with this astounding turn of events, Jang Jin Yeong had drawn a conclusion.
‘The fact that I couldn’t sense him means he’s at least S-Rank or higher. But this guy……’
Jang Jin Yeong’s eyes swept across Si Ul’s left chest, near the heart.
No badge was visible.
That meant he wasn’t an officially ranked Hunter.
‘There’s only one type who won’t reveal their status as a top-tier Hunter.’
A Special Hunter covertly employed by the South Korean government.
That was what Jang Jin Yeong believed Si Ul to be.
“You’re too good at feigning drunkenness — I didn’t catch on. Sorry for interfering with your operation.”
“Interfere? How could you say that?”
“Right, right. I won’t pry further. Don’t want to make things awkward for you.”
Jang Jin Yeong pulled out his wallet from inside his jacket and drew forth a business card, which he handed to Si Ul.
“If you ever need assistance, reach out anytime. The Daeho Guild welcomes retired Special Hunters. You’re the kind of people whose abilities are already proven.”
Daeho Guild
Executive Director
A-Rank Hunter Jang Jin Yeong
☎ 010―XXXX―XXXX
‘The Daeho Guild?’
Si Ul stared at the card, his eyes widening.
The Daeho Guild was South Korea’s premier private Hunter guild.
An executive in that guild, no less.
‘Wait, what does he mean by a special Hunter?’
As Si Ul’s expression went blank, Jang Jin Yeong turned around hastily.
“I should get going. I was on my way to an important meeting.”
Jang Jin Yeong checked his schedule on his phone as he spoke.
“If fate brings us together again, we’ll meet.”
He offered a brief farewell and disappeared into the crowd.
Si Ul stood rooted to that spot for a long while, dazed.
“……What was that about?”
* * *
Inside a cramped studio apartment, barely fifty square meters.
Si Ul sat at an old desk in one corner of the room, staring up into empty air.
【Remaining Time: 173 Days 21 Hours 30 Minutes】
Ten days had passed since the Curse took hold.
‘I’ve experienced everything in just ten days.’
Surviving an SSS-Rank Dungeon and returning alive.
Being cursed and receiving a death sentence.
My body crushed twice over, yet regenerating without a trace.
And….
【Awakening Level Raised: D-Rank → C-Rank】
That message still floated before his eyes.
‘If I clear Quests like that one, I can grow stronger. Thanks to my trait, my body’s already become invincible in a sense.’
Until the appointed day of death, he would live as an immortal.
Using that power, he should be able to clear Quests without much difficulty, and by repeatedly succeeding at Quests, his Awakening Level would continue to rise.
‘It’s different from when I couldn’t do anything.’
Si Ul pushed his chair back and stood.
He walked to a mirror hanging on one wall and faced himself.
‘So… what am I going to do?’
Si Ul posed the question to himself.
There were two choices.
Pass the remaining time well and die on the appointed day.
Or use this power granted to me to challenge the Judgment Dragon.
‘Don’t think too grandly for now.’
Si Ul shook his head.
‘Killing the boss of an SSS-Rank Dungeon? It’s too soon to talk like that. First, I need to test it.’
How far does this power extend?
What standard do the Danger Level and reward points that Quests mention use?
And can I handle all of this?
‘I’ll confirm everything.’
Si Ul immediately powered on the laptop sitting on his desk.
He entered the Hunter community site’s Mercenary recruitment board.
It was the only avenue for freelance Hunters to participate in Dungeon Raids.
Si Ul applied filters.
Rank: B-Rank
Region: Seoul Metropolitan Area
Duration: Short-term
Si Ul set these parameters for a reason tied to the Quest generation conditions.
【Continuous Quests appear whenever an enemy with Danger Level 10 or higher appears.】
Quests didn’t simply trigger whenever any threat to life appeared.
The condition was met only when facing enemies exceeding the Danger Level 10 threshold.
‘Since that Wyvern Goblin had a Danger Level of 30, I’ll need to tackle at least a B-Rank Dungeon to see meaningful results from testing the Quests.’
Si Ul applied the filters and clicked search.
Posts rolled down the screen in rapid succession.
Yet no matter how hard he looked, he found no postings that matched his criteria.
[Recruitment Requirement: C-Rank or higher Hunter]
[Rank verification mandatory]
‘Strict, aren’t they….’
Si Ul’s actual Rank was C, but his official record showed D-Rank, making him ineligible to apply.
Especially in higher-Rank Dungeons, recruiters refused Hunters with insufficient experience like Si Ul.
“Mm.”
Si Ul leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.
He wanted to test his newfound strength, but without an arena to do it in, he was hopelessly stuck.
“Hm?”
That was when Si Ul’s gaze snagged on something.
Among the scattered papers piled on one side of the desk, something caught his eye.
A single white business card.
Si Ul reached over and picked it up.
Daeho Guild Executive Director
Rank A Hunter Jang Jin Yeong
☎ 010―XXXX―XXXX
Suddenly, Jang Jin Yeong’s words from when he’d handed over this card echoed in Si Ul’s mind.
‘Call me anytime if you need help.’
Si Ul read the business card again.
In the Hunter industry, it was truly an extraordinary position.
The perfect person to ask for assistance.
There was some history of friction between them, which made him reluctant to call, but….
‘There’s no one else.’
After deliberating, Si Ul picked up his phone.
The line rang a few times, and then a familiar voice came through.
— Yes, this is Jang Jin Yeong.
“Hi… hello. I’m not sure if you’ll remember me.”
Si Ul introduced himself to Jang Jin Yeong and then got straight to the point.
“The thing is, I was hoping to ask whether there’s a Raid team under Daeho Guild that owns a Rank B Dungeon and is looking for Mercenaries.”
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment.
— Do you really need to run Raids? It’s strange that someone of your ability would want a Rank B.
Si Ul opened his mouth to respond, then stopped.
He didn’t know what to say.
A Curse, a Quest, a test—he couldn’t speak of any of it.
“Well….”
— Oh, I’m sorry.
Jang Jin Yeong cut in first.
— I was being tactless again. You’re someone who can’t carelessly divulge information.
“……?”
— Given the nature of your work, there are times when you’d need a lower-Rank Raid. I asked a pointless question. As it happens, there’s one Rank B Dungeon Raid team that’s short on personnel, so I’ll introduce you to them.
At this good news, Si Ul’s mind snapped into focus.
— The timeline is tight, so they’ve been looking for Mercenaries. Someone of your caliber would actually be a godsend for us.
“Really?”
— It’s not a team directly affiliated with Daeho Guild; it’s outsourced. The terms are straightforward, too.
Si Ul clenched his fist tightly.
‘Perfect!’
— I’ll send you the details by email.
Click—the call ended.
Si Ul stared at his phone for a while.
“Who is this benefactor….”
The words spilled out as he thought aloud.
It wasn’t intentional, but Jang Jin Yeong’s misunderstanding had opened a door for him.
Soon a new email notification appeared on his laptop screen.
[Rank B Dungeon Raid Information]
* * *
In the middle of a vacant lot cordoned off by temporary barriers, a Gate stood open.
It was an elliptical rift shimmering with blue light.
An ominous aura seeped out from within the Gate.
“This must be it.”
Si Ul checked his smartphone one more time and then walked toward the Gate.
The Hunters who would participate in the Raid were already gathered there.
A Hunter checking equipment, a Hunter smoking a cigarette, a Hunter sitting quietly with eyes closed, steadying his Mana.
Even at a glance, they all looked quite experienced.
‘Since it’s a Rank B Dungeon, they’re probably all mid-to-high Rank Hunters.’
Si Ul was the only novice.
Si Ul quietly positioned himself among them.
“You’re the Mercenary we hired for today, right?”
A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties turned to Si Ul with a greeting.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Park Do Hyun, and I’ll be handling support.”
“Si Ul. I’ve also been assigned to support.”
An awkward exchange of pleasantries followed.
Since this was only Si Ul’s second Raid, he wasn’t accustomed to such an environment.
“I’m C-Rank. This is my exactly tenth Raid. What about your Rank and experience, Si Ul?”
Park Do Hyun’s question lasted only a moment, but it sent a chill through the air.
“I’m….”
“Hey.”
A sharp voice cut in.
It was Team Leader Min Hyung Sik.
A B-Rank Hunter in his mid-thirties.
He had a sturdy frame and a long horizontal scar running across his cheek.
Just looking at his eyes, you could feel that he was a seasoned Hunter.
“Don’t ask questions like that.”
“Sir?”
Park Do Hyun turned toward the Team Leader with a bewildered expression.
“He’s a Mercenary. Why does Rank matter? All that matters is clearing the Dungeon. Stop asking unnecessary personal questions.”
“Ah, yes… I apologize.”
Park Do Hyun scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and turned away.
Then Min, the Team Leader, sidled quietly up to Si Ul.
“I heard about you from Director Jang.”
“……?”
Min leaned in close and gave a thumbs-up gesture.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the team doesn’t ask about your background.”
Si Ul found himself at a loss for words.
‘Does he really think I’m a special government-affiliated Hunter?’
He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but couldn’t figure out where or how to start.
So instead.
“…Thank you.”
He let it pass.
Min, the Team Leader, smiled contentedly and gave a small bow.
“It’s an honor to have you with us.”
Min left that weighty comment hanging and walked back toward the Gate.
“Alright, if everyone’s ready, let’s head in!”
At Min’s signal, the team moved toward the Gate.
The blue light of the Gate grew steadily more vivid.
‘So it’s a B-Rank Dungeon after all. Just looking at the Mana seeping from the Gate, the concentration is quite dense.’
Si Ul swallowed hard, tense.
“The terrain is dark and hard to see ahead, so everyone stay sharp.”
Min, the Team Leader, called out these precautions as he stepped onto the Gate first.
Si Ul and the other team members followed in his wake.
Blue light swallows the field of vision.
The noise of reality cuts off in an instant.
『 You have entered the B-Rank Dungeon “Rocky Gorge.” 』
A Hunter with a Time Limit Continues to Survive
Author |
Kutsutsu Matsu
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Corporation
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Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C Corporation – Dream Books
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G720:N+A063-20260731071
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@dreambookss
Submissions |
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Samyang C&C Corporation — The contents of this book may not be used in any form or by any means without written permission from Dreambooks.

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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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