A Hunter on Borrowed Time Keeps Surviving - Chapter 44

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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 44.
The moment the black curtain was drawn back, Siúl caught his breath without thinking.
That surprise was less admiration than bewilderment.
The object resting on the glass display case looked nothing like what Siúl had imagined.
He’d expected an elegant longsword or a spear with an extended reach.
At the very least, he’d pictured something with an imposing appearance.
What was revealed instead was something that struck him as cute (?) rather than majestic.
A weapon with a muted silver handle and a transparent blade.
‘It’s a sword, I suppose.’
Even counting the handle, it was barely a span in length—remarkably small.
Too ambiguous to call a short sword, it was more accurately a thin, brief blade that resembled a utility knife.
‘…Why does an S+ Grade weapon look so trivial?’
At first glance, it looked like a decorative blade that some collector had bought at great expense.
Yet there was one thing—exactly one—that prevented this weapon from being dismissed.
‘The magical power radiating from it is vicious.’
The magical power flowing from the blade pressed down heavily on the air in the room.
Despite its unremarkable appearance, its presence was the strongest of all the merchandise in the VIP Room.
‘But this magical power—it’s different from ordinary magic. I feel like I’ve sensed it somewhere before… What is it?’
It was an odd impression where strangeness and déjà vu coexisted.
At that moment, Lee Hyeon-suk, standing beside Siúl, opened her mouth gently.
“Fascinating, isn’t it? Despite being so small, the magical power pours out in such suffocating abundance.”
She smiled, as if she’d anticipated his reaction.
“This blade is far more fearsome than appearances suggest.”
With that explanation, she released the lock on the display case with her white-gloved hand.
The glass cover slid sideways, opening to reveal the contents.
“Would you like to hold it?”
“Would that be permitted?”
“Of course.”
Siúl hesitated before reaching out, unable to commit.
Though the item had no price tag yet, seeing that the surrounding products were priced in the tens of billions made him reluctant to touch it carelessly.
But curiosity soon overcame caution.
“Then… just a moment.”
Siúl carefully extended his hand into the display case.
He spread his palm wide, grasped the handle, and lifted it very slowly.
“……!”
In an instant, Siúl’s eyes transformed.
A chilling phenomenon occurred.
Just moments before, the small blade had radiated such vivid presence that it dominated the room.
Yet the moment Siúl gripped it, that aura vanished like a ghost.
More precisely, it wasn’t that the energy had extinguished—it felt as though it had simply disappeared from sight.
Siúl instinctively examined the blade he held.
The transparent edge caught the light, glowing softly.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyeon-suk stepped back and opened a display drawer deeper in the VIP Room.
What she withdrew from the drawer was a single black card.
“The product just arrived, so it’s not quite ready for display yet. This is the product description—would you like to read it?”
Siúl’s gaze shifted from the blade to the card.
『 Gui Jam Do 』 ― S+ Grade
When used in Dormant Mode, it suppresses presence and killing intent to extreme degrees.
Upon Activation Mode, the blade’s size and radiated magical power surge dramatically, revealing its true power.
Siúl turned over the contents of the black card Lee Hyeon-suk had handed him.
‘Silent as a ghost when dormant, and terrifyingly explosive when unleashed?’
It was an ability that seemed to warn not to underestimate something simply because it was small.
“This blade has been anything but ordinary from its creation,” Lee Hyeon-suk added.
Siúl looked up at her words.
“Materials from S-Grade dungeons were gathered, a master blacksmith worked on it, and in the final stages of completion, Magic Stones from an SS-grade Demonic Dungeon were incorporated.”
In other words, a top-tier product refined through premium materials and premium craftsmanship.
It was the kind of marketing pitch befitting a dedicated VIP Room attendant.
But Siúl’s attention turned elsewhere—away from the blade’s manufacturing process.
‘Magic Stones from an SS-grade Demonic Dungeon for the final work?’
A spark of electricity flickered through Siúl’s mind, and in that instant, the puzzle fell into place.
The strange energy emanating from the Gui Jam Do.
It had a different quality than ordinary Magical Power, yet it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar—there had to be a reason for that.
It matched the Magical Power flowing from Zero and the Hidden Roulette.
‘So that’s Demonic Magical Power? I have a feeling this isn’t the first time I’ve sensed it.’
Along with the satisfaction of finally solving that nagging mystery, Siúl’s favorability toward the Gui Jam Do climbed higher.
From Siúl’s experience, items imbued with Demonic Magical Power possessed a peculiarity that couldn’t be judged by simple grading alone.
It was a power with the nature of a variable—mixing advantages and disadvantages in ways that couldn’t be neatly sorted into one category or another.
From that perspective, the Gui Jam Do was an intriguing weapon: S+ Grade power combined with variable properties.
‘Not bad at all.’
Siúl spun the Gui Jam Do in his hand, examining it from all angles.
He’d been disappointed by its size earlier, but now he thought its compactness would actually make it easier to handle.
‘Am I really that fickle?’
Well, who cared. Good is good.
Still, there were a few things about the Gui Jam Do he hadn’t confirmed yet.
‘I understand that Dormant Mode is convenient for assassination strikes—I mean, the moment I gripped the blade, even my presence vanished.’
But he still hadn’t tested its most crucial function.
‘What exactly happens to this blade in Activation Mode?’
The manual stated that the Gui Jam Do’s true power revealed itself only in Activation Mode.
He couldn’t help but be curious.
“Is it possible to test the Activation Mode on this weapon as well?”
Siúl asked as he set down the card.
Anticipation was written all over his voice, though he kept it light.
“My apologies. Our VIP customers do have a separate space where they can test weapons, but I’m afraid I don’t have the authority to grant access to that area.”
Lee Hyeon-suk delivered the refusal politely.
“I see.”
Siúl maintained an outward calm, but inwardly he felt quite disappointed.
Lee Hyeon-suk must have read the expression on his face, for she lowered her head apologetically.
“It’s difficult to decide without a hands-on demonstration, I know. I’ve tried my best to explain everything, but I’m sorry it probably doesn’t feel satisfactory….”
“No, I’m grateful just for being shown this room at all.”
He meant that sincerely.
Not just the Gui Jam Do, but every item in this VIP Room was on a level that couldn’t even be glimpsed in the regular sections.
Yet that very fact made his dilemma worse.
He had no idea when he’d get another chance to see things this good, but his wallet had limits—it was pie in the sky.
‘Of all the things here, I feel like I’d regret it if I let this blade slip away….’
Siúl stared down at the Gui Jam Do he was gripping, lost in thought.
Its origin, the commanding aura it had given off when it was on the display, the ability to hide that very presence in an instant—
Everything about the Gui Jam Do drew him in.
Even without seeing Activation Mode, the result wouldn’t be disappointing, surely.
If that was true, then only one problem remained.
‘How much would it cost?’
He was afraid to ask.
When he’d glanced at the price tags of the nearby displays, even equipment that seemed less valuable than the Gui Jam Do had numbers that made him wince.
Considering that, this blade’s price could only be more terrifying.
Siúl let out a nervous cough and asked anyway.
“How much is this, roughly?”
Lee Hyeon-suk answered immediately, as if she’d been waiting for the question.
“I’ll apply a special VIP discount for you.”
At those words, Siúl’s expression brightened a little.
At least it would be a bit better that way.
It would still be expensive, obviously, but judging by how far she’d brought him, he figured she wouldn’t quote a price he absolutely couldn’t afford.
“Eight billion one hundred million won, after the discount.”
……
He felt betrayed.
Siúl’s nostrils shrank weakly.
He couldn’t find words.
Cold sweat rose from his fingertips.
‘If the discount price is eight billion one hundred million, what’s the original cost?!’
That calculation burst forth first.
The next thought was more grounded in reality.
‘If I lived on instant noodles, could I ever afford it? Zero, I’m sorry. We can’t afford treats for you anymore….’
Siúl pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze.
The Gui Jam Do remained perfectly still in his palm.
Lee Hyeon-suk matched his silence without pressing him further.
She had grown accustomed to waiting while he wrestled with the numbers.
After a suitable interval, she asked politely.
“Will you be purchasing?”
In the few seconds before answering, Siúl waged a fierce internal debate.
One faction urged him to stay silent and return home—the price was insane—while the other insisted this was his only chance, with the Special Hunter Examination looming. The two sides clashed fiercely.
In the end, one faction won the argument and took control of his fingers.
“I’ll take it.”
Siúl had already pulled his credit card from his wallet.
Lee Hyeon-suk swiftly prepared the payment terminal.
“Could you… set up installments?”
As Siúl’s voice wavered, Lee Hyeon-suk maintained her composed smile and asked.
“How many months would you like?”
Siúl’s face sagged with the weight of reality, and he murmured quietly.
“All the seasons, please….”
* * *
The moment Siúl stepped out of the shop building, his expression turned cold.
‘Again?’
Across the entrance, a cluster of journalists with cameras had dug in, and behind them mingled a handful of obviously suspicious figures who were anything but ordinary passersby.
‘I’m sick of this.’
Siúl pulled his hat down low and quickened his pace.
‘I’m not a celebrity. What’s so interesting about a man who makes his living killing monsters?’
It was no wonder Siúl was fed up—the moment he moved, dozens of people surged forward behind him.
The commotion even caught the attention of passersby, who began craning their necks.
‘Damn nuisances!’
Fortunately, Siúl reached the Apartment Complex entrance after only a short walk.
He’d moved into a place just five minutes on foot from the shop.
The moment he stepped through the complex gate, everything changed.
Men in black suits rushed forward instantly.
They were the apartment security guards.
The paparazzi trailing behind Siúl hesitated.
“This is a residents-only zone.”
“Please leave if you don’t have an access card.”
“Photography is prohibited.”
The guards’ manner was uncompromising.
Being a high-end complex, their training was evident.
“Just let us go in for a moment. It’ll be quick.”
One journalist pushed his camera forward and tried to hold his ground, but a guard’s eyes flashed with intent.
The journalist startled and quickly retreated.
Siúl, watching from a distance, let out a low whistle.
‘Does he have Magical Power? Is he a former Hunter?’
Siúl didn’t know it yet, but every guard at this complex was a former Hunter.
Because of that, they emanated a sense of security far beyond what ordinary security personnel could offer.
‘You really do get what you pay for.’
Watching those who had hounded him pushed back beyond the barrier, Siúl felt a surge of satisfaction.
After walking a bit further along the complex promenade, the surroundings fell completely quiet.
“Ah.”
Only then did Siúl relax his shoulders.
He leisurely pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed someone.
— Yes, this is Kang Ho-cheol.
“Am I calling too often?”
— Not at all. What’s the matter?
“There’s something I’d like to ask your help with.”
Siúl looked down at the shopping bag in his hand.
Inside it lay an 8.1 billion won item, now financed across all four seasons.
“Is there any chance you could help me rent a training facility to test out a weapon?”
A Hunter with a terminal diagnosis continued to survive
Author|
Classmate
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(주) Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of (주) Samyang C&C – 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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