SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 15

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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 15. Do You Have a Skill Too? (3)
3
A week had passed.
-Gur-gur…….
The monster staggered, emitting a sound like a pot boiling over. The Goblin King—a creature that had long ruled the 5th Floor Hunting Ground—finally collapsed with its throat slit.
I looked down at the corpse of the Goblin King with a solemn expression.
“Gor.”
Over the past week, this monster had been my toughest opponent. How many times had I died to fell this creature? I stood over the Goblin King with the sentiments of an honored warrior bidding farewell to a rival, and…….
-You’re really hamming it up. Goddamn crazy zombie.
“Ah, come on. I barely hunted it down after spending six Coins. Can’t you let me have a moment of reflection?”
To clarify, six Coins meant I’d staked my life six times. Since this was the sixth Coin, it meant I’d died five times trying to catch the Goblin King.
Bae Hu-ryeong snorted.
-Getting sentimental over killing one monster—that’s being crazy. I only speak facts.
“Wow, is that so? Our Sword Master really does have such a fine personality.”
That I could converse freely with Bae Hu-ryeong already proved I’d grown accustomed to the Aura. Even now, the Spirit Medicine’s effect kept time flowing sluggishly.
The only difference was that I’d concentrated the Aura on my tongue, allowing me to speak considerably faster than usual.
“Gur-gul-gul.”
It wasn’t an honest victory—I’d used underhanded tactics.
I pulled out a brown Card and examined it.
+
[Goblin High Society]
Rank: F
Effect: The Goblin King pondered deeply. ‘Our goblin culture is far too crude. Every word ends in “kerr,” “kur,” and such. This will not do—it diminishes the majesty of the leader!’ Then inspiration struck the Goblin King like lightning. ‘That is it! From this day forth, I, the leader, shall speak not “kerr” but “gor”—a sound far more befitting my refined sensibilities! Gor indeed!’
※Note: Internal tribal conflict will intensify.
※This is a Skill copied from the monster Goblin King.
+
I clicked my tongue.
“The goblins worry about the most pointless things. Whether it’s kerr or gor, it’s all the same.”
-That’s why they’re goblins. Humans aren’t much different either.
“What?”
-Nothing. Just talking to myself.
The moment I was about to ask what he meant, a voice rang out in my mind.
[Your existence becomes ever more vivid.]
A sound I’d never heard before.
But I knew what it meant. Countless Hunters had testified to it in interviews, and some had even shown it directly in personal videos.
“Fi—finally!”
A Level Up!
[Hunter Kim Gong-ja’s level has increased.]
“Ah…….”
I was moved beyond words. I’d lived my entire life as an F-Rank Hunter. I’d worried I might live that way forever. But having obtained the Copy Skill and the Regression Skill, and having overcome countless ordeals… the moment of Level Up had finally come to me.
[Your Skill Slot expands!]
[Your Hunter Rank is now E-Rank!]
Though for now, I was merely E-Rank.
[May fortune attend you.]
Whoosh!
A crimson Aura surged up from beneath my feet. Flames—or something resembling merely a stream of red light—engulfed my body once, then flowed downward and faded away.
-…Is that fire?
Bae Hu-ryeong’s brows drew together.
-No, blood maybe? Tch. Hard to tell. Looks like fire or blood…….
“That just now was the Level Up effect, yes?”
-It’s not just there to look impressive.
Bae Hu-ryeong scratched the back of his head.
-It’s a kind of hint.
“A hint?”
-Right. The Form of Aura is determined by what kind of effect manifests during a Level Up. For instance, that man Yeom-je you killed—I’d bet anything his Form of Aura was fire.
“Flames, then.”
I recalled the memory. Yeom-je burning a saint to death in some alley of the Slum. A memory I’d rather not revisit—deeply unpleasant—but…. It was certain that Yeom-je had wielded his Aura in the form of flames.
-What form an Aura takes is usually determined by the Hunter’s trauma.
Trauma.
-Critical events, scenes, memories—the kind that define your entire life. Those manifest as the Form of Aura. The shape of the unconscious, if you will. Though not necessarily negative trauma, mind you. But for the most part, yes.
“Indeed.”
From where I stand, you’re either fire or blood, Zombie.
The more I heard, the more curious I became.
“Come to think of it… what form does the Sword Saint’s Aura take?”
Moonlight.
Bae Hu-ryeong threw the answer out casually.
Marcus got lost in the mountains as a child, apparently. Desperate to survive, he clawed his way up to the summit, and as he climbed higher, the canopy thinned above him—fewer and fewer leaves blocking the night sky. Finally, when he reached the peak, the dark heavens opened before him.
Moonlight.
And he thought in that moment: that moon doesn’t shine by its own power—it merely receives the sun’s light. Yet a life of acceptance alone, he realized, could be beautiful enough. He wanted to shine like the moon, not through his own brilliance, but through receiving.
……
The thought etched itself so deeply into him that he carried it all his life.
I was speechless.
“But you said that was when he was a child?”
Right. Twelve years old.
“What kind of twelve-year-old thinks that deeply?”
Bae Hu-ryeong nodded.
Exactly why Marcus was born a pedant. Tsk. At twelve, I was only thinking about how to efficiently beat the gangster bastard standing in front of me.
“That’s… also not exactly normal, is it……”
If the Sword Saint was a born pedant, what did that make Bae Hu-ryeong? A born thug?
Anyway, we’ve gotten comfortable on the 5th Floor. Let’s head up to the 6th Floor Hunting Ground.
“Actually, about that.”
I spoke up.
“Why can’t we just tackle the 10th Floor boss right now?”
What?
“I’ve figured out that I can copy monster skills, and I’m getting decent with my Aura. I think I’m ready to take down the 10th Floor boss.”
Bae Hu-ryeong went quiet for a moment.
His gaze turned sharp.
Kim Gong-ja, you’re not already getting cocky for a greenhorn, are you?
“Not at all.”
I answered firmly.
The 10th Floor!
In our world, no one had cleared it for years. It was called Impregnable. For me to claim I’d conquer such a high-difficulty zone, Bae Hu-ryeong had every right to worry.
“I’m really confident about this.”
But the truth was, I had genuine confidence.
More than that—I was certain.
“If I don’t take down the 10th Floor boss within 2 Coins, I’ll call you Master.”
Two Coins?
Bae Hu-ryeong’s eyes widened suddenly.
The same guy who took six Coins just to kill a goblin chief thinks he can clear the 10th Floor boss in two? Seriously? You don’t know this about me, but I’ve never lost a bet.
“But I have a condition!”
Huh?
I held up my index finger.
“Tell me everything about what skills the 10th Floor boss has. Don’t hide anything. And no lying—no tricks with your Cards either.”
Hmm. That much is nothing……
“And!”
I grinned wickedly.
“If I win, call me Lord Gong-ja. As respectfully as possible. With proper courtesy and etiquette.”
……
“What? Getting cold feet? Come on. Back out if you’re scared.”
Twitch.
If you asked any street thug what phrase they hated most, “Are you scared?” would top the list. And Bae Hu-ryeong was no ordinary thug. He was the strongest thug in this other world, the one who’d climbed all the way to the 99th Floor.
His facial muscles twitched.
Kaaagh, spit! This thunder-headed brat with his cheat skill dares mock the Sword Saint himself? Oh, is that so? Fine. Let’s put some real stakes on this!
“You’re on.”
Done! Kim Zombie, you won’t clear the 10th Floor boss, and you’ll spend the rest of your undying life calling me Master. Ah, but you can’t even die, so you’ll just have to keep that honorific in your mouth forever.
“Got a fantasy skill? Better start preparing to serve Lord Gong-ja.”
Hehehehe.
Khehehehe.
We stared each other down, sinister grins spreading across our faces.
Hunters who’d been grinding goblin kills in the distance started whispering to each other.
“Hey, that guy’s been muttering to himself this whole time.”
“Now he’s even laughing by himself. Is something wrong with his head?”
“Shh! Don’t look over there. Act like you don’t see anything, just don’t see it.”
…….
I’d have to cut back on the muttering.
I clamped my mouth shut and headed for the 10th Floor.
4
Unlike other hunting grounds, there was an administrator standing in front of the 10th Floor boss chamber.
The man dispatched from the Hunter Management Bureau furrowed his brow as he listened to my request.
“You’re saying you want to challenge the boss alone?”
“Yes.”
It took the administrator less than two seconds to shift his expression to one of pure disbelief.
“Look, I don’t know if you saw the news recently, but the Black Dragon Guild assembled a raid party with thirty elite members and four of their top-ranked hunters on top of that. They failed. Solo hunting is suicide.”
“So what?”
I spoke with confidence.
“It’s Hunter Management Bureau policy to let any hunter attempt a raid if they want to.”
“Well, that’s true, but…….”
The administrator’s face fell.
“Forgive me, but I record every hunter who enters here. Later, my superiors at the Bureau will review those records, and I’ll look like a bad man for simply letting a hunter with a death wish in. Please, try to understand my position too.”
“Hmm.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully, weighing my options.
-What’s this? The Bureau? In our world, we didn’t raise bureaucrats like this to clear towers!
Of course, that meant only I remained composed.
-Because of these fools! The Bureau, the guilds—all this political garbage they’ve created, I never liked it from the start. That’s why you wasted energy on this nonsense and still can’t get past the 10th Floor! Hey, Kim Zombie! Just beat this bastard up and go into the boss chamber already.
‘But this man hasn’t done anything wrong. Why would I hit him?’
-He’s blocking my path, isn’t he?
True to form for a psychopath, his respect for human rights was on the level of a mosquito’s.
“Administrator.”
I clicked my tongue softly to myself and reached into my pocket.
“I can see you work hard every day. You’re right. Challenging the boss alone is nothing but suicide. But… I really want to commit suicide.”
“Pardon?”
“Things have been so hard lately…….”
I offered a bitter smile.
“My girlfriend died a year ago. Recently, the people at Yeon-geum Fortress diagnosed me with an incurable disease. They said I have at most half a year to live, but I don’t think I can endure that half year without her.”
“Oh…….”
-What?
Bae Hu-ryeong’s brow darkened.
-What kind of garbage is this zombie spouting?
I ignored him and continued whispering to the administrator.
“Even though I’m just a low-ranking hunter, I am a hunter. I don’t want to end my life waiting in a Yeon-geum Fortress hospital bed, wondering if I’ll die today or tomorrow. Even if I’m going to die… I want to challenge a monster one last time until the very end.”
“To have such circumstances…….”
As the administrator listened to my story, his expression gradually softened into one of sympathy. You know that look people get when they hear about some stranger’s unfortunate tragedy—that “ah…” expression? That one.
“I have money here that I’d been saving for treatment.”
I handed the administrator a pouch of coins. It was heavy. Inside were one hundred Gold.
“There’s no point in keeping it anyway… Please, take it.”
“N-no, I couldn’t possibly accept money like this!”
“It’ll disappear anyway. I want to leave this world without leaving anything behind, to depart lightly. Administrator, please don’t record my entry here either. It’s my last request as a hunter…….”
The administrator’s expression grew heavy, nearly trembling with emotion. The weight of the coin pouch likely added something to that heaviness.
“…Very well. Go ahead. I saw nothing…….”
-Well, well.
Bae Hu-ryeong sounded almost exasperated.
-Are you two making a movie? Are there hidden cameras rolling right now?
Regardless, the administrator let me through.
I parted from the administrator and walked onward. Stone path. The dwelling of the 10th Floor boss was a mansion decorated with ornate grandeur, like the noble houses of old. I walked along the stone path leading toward it.
‘Originally, the 10th Floor that Yeom-je cleared.’
I stood before the mansion’s gate.
Slowly, I pushed open the double doors with both hands.
‘This time is different. I’m not taking Yeom-je’s place… no.’
Creak-eeeek.
The hinges groaned, and the mansion doors swung open.
‘I will write a legend far more brilliant than Yeom-je’s.’
I stepped forward.
And it began.
Cackling echoed from every direction.
At the same moment, the front gate I’d entered swung shut. Boom! The world darkened in an instant, and from that darkness, the eerie laughter grew louder still.
Candles flickered to life one by one.
“Will you play with us?”
Here and there—though no one had touched them—candles stuck fast to the floor ignited. Wherever a candle burned, there stood a doll. Porcelain dolls of the kind children often played with.
“Will you play with us?”
The dolls’ mouths opened.
“Red Light, Green Light? Flower Bloom? Hide and Seek?”
“The ice has melted. The flowers are all torn. Let’s play Hide and Seek!”
“Yes! Play with us! Play Hide and Seek with us!”
Shrieks of laughter pierced the air.
I took my stance.
“Very well. I shall play.”
The Aura I’d cultivated over the past week bloomed from my body.
As though waiting for that response, a voice rang in my mind.
[You have entered the Boss Stage.]
[Challenger: Hunter Kim Gong-ja. Solo entry.]
[May fortune guide you.]
A stage no human has yet conquered.
The so-called Hellfire Mansion’s Hide and Seek had begun.
SSS-Rank Hunter Who Lives by Dying (Serialized)
Author | Shin Noah
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyung
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyuk
Address | 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Post Tower 1st)
Email | [email protected]
Website | www.jayplemedia.com
© Shin Noah 2019
※ This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the express permission of the publisher and author.
Violation of this prohibition may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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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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