SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 16

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

Episode 16. Trauma Penalty (1)
1
Heiryong.
The guild that had dominated the summit ever since the Tower opened in this world.
「We didn’t fail to conquer Floor 10 because our skills were lacking.」
The Black Witch, a Hunter ranked second and the commander of Heiryong, had challenged Floor 10 dozens of times. Each time, she failed. The second-ranked Hunter was defeated, yet she still managed to bring back alive every Hunter who participated in the attempt.
In one interview, the Black Witch said:
「We simply had a bit of bad luck.」
By contrast, Yeom Je had cleared Floor 10 alone and declared:
「Luck is skill, you losers.」
It was the interview that would later be called the Loser Manifesto.
Heiryong, suddenly branded as a group of losers, began to oppose Yeom Je—but none of that mattered now. Yusu-ha had died by my hand, after all. The possibility of that interview ever taking place had vanished.
The real question was this.
‘Why had all the other Hunters failed, yet only Yeom Je managed to conquer Floor 10?’
‘Because Yeom Je was overwhelmingly strong?’
Or.
‘Was there another reason?’
The answer unfolded before my eyes now.
2
[Commencing Boss Stage.]
The moment the voice rang out, the scenery of the Mansion transformed entirely.
Whoosh!
Candles toppled over everywhere. Where they fell, flames erupted skyward. Had they been soaked in oil beforehand? The Fire Demon consumed the Western-style Mansion in an instant.
Crack-crack-crack!
Only the dolls remained unscathed within the raging inferno.
-You’re it, mister! We’re running away!
-Let’s escape, let’s escape! Let’s escape from here!
Hundreds of them. No—thousands upon thousands of young lady dolls. Just in the lobby of Floor 10, the dolls lay scattered in such profusion. Likely tens of thousands of dolls were hidden throughout the entire Mansion.
‘Somewhere in this sea of dolls.’
I swallowed hard.
‘There is exactly one [real doll] hidden somewhere in the Mansion.’
Odds of one in tens of thousands!
This was precisely why every conquest party had failed until now.
‘While searching for the real doll, they all burn to death. Before dying, they have at most ten minutes to search.’
The flames now engulfing the Mansion were no ordinary fire. A Fire Demon. Karmic Fire. That which was called hellfire—an [Aura] manifested in the form of flames.
In other words.
‘This entire massive Mansion is burning in an Aura of hellfire.’
A Boss Monster that knows how to wield Aura!
Until now, every conquest party had met one of two fates: burned to death in that hellfire Aura, or escape before dying. Some Hunters risked their lives on the one-in-tens-of-thousands chance, but it was all for nothing. They simply burned alive, screaming in agony.
An impregnable hellfire.
And here lay the reason why only Yeom Je had managed to clear Floor 10.
“Lucky bastard.”
I muttered to myself.
That’s right. Yeom Je’s nature was identical to the Boss Monster’s Aura.
To other Hunters, this Mansion was a hellfire. But to Yeom Je, it was as comfortable as his own bedroom. The Boss Monster’s Karmic Fire attribute was simultaneously Yusu-ha’s own elemental attribute.
“Tsk.”
In a word, the matchup was perfect.
‘He must have wandered around leisurely until he found the real doll.’
And then he had the audacity to brag about luck being skill.
I really didn’t like that bastard.
-The Hunter eating off luck is you, Zombie.
“What luck are you talking about?”
At Bae Hu-ryeong’s sarcasm, I furrowed my brow.
“I’m struggling right now just to endure this with my Aura.”
Sweat streamed down between my eyebrows. The oppressive heat! My entire body was drenched in flames so scorching that no sauna could compare. If I hadn’t wrapped an Aura around my body, I would have burned to death long ago.
-Right. But your limit is what, one more minute tops?
Bae Hu-ryeong read my condition with irritating precision.
-By the way, did you know? Marcus could endure this just fine for thirty minutes. Want to know why that old man hasn’t challenged this floor yet? He’s building up his skill until he can stretch those thirty minutes into an hour.
“…Yeah, thanks for reminding me how much my skill gap with Marcus is.”
-Hehehehe.
The Mansion lobby, engulfed in flames, became Bae Hu-ryeong’s playground. Below, puppets giggled in high-pitched squeaks; above, the spirit cackled. It was a genuine haunted house.
—So? You only have 2 coins. What exactly are you planning to do now?
“Well, there’s only one way. We die and see what happens.”
—Right. If you die here, you think your Aura is suddenly going to spike?
Bae Hu-ryeong laughed mockingly.
—There are only two ways to clear this place! Get lucky and find the real puppet, or use your Aura so brilliantly that you can endure the flames until you find it. But you were stupid enough to stake only 2 coins yourself, weren’t you? It won’t work. Probably.
“Heh heh.”
Even as sweat poured down my face, I didn’t lose my smile.
“You know one thing and miss two. Or is it you know two things and miss three?”
—What?
“Let’s see who wins after I die once.”
Twenty seconds left before my Aura ran dry.
I approached the nearest puppet. There was no particular reason—it was simply boring to just stand here and wait to die. Maybe, just maybe, I’d be lucky enough that the puppet in front of me was the real one.
—Will you play with us?
Creak-creak-creak.
The puppet’s neck twisted around. Only its neck. It could’ve been cast in a horror film without anyone batting an eye. The puppet wore a frilly dress, yet not a single thread of fabric burned, no matter how wildly the flames ravaged everything around it.
As if it were immune to the fire itself.
“Caught you.”
I placed my hand on the puppet’s head as I spoke.
—Cackle.
Laughter spilled from the puppet’s expressionless mouth.
—Wrong! It’s not me!
What poured from the puppet’s mouth wasn’t just laughter. Lips, skin, eyes—the puppet’s body melted like candle wax. The flames consumed it in an instant, and even as it was devoured, the puppet mumbled like a broken record.
—It’s not me! It’s not me! It’s not me!
—Not me! I’m, it’s not. I’m… I’m… not me… I’m…….
—I’m… not…….
It burned away completely, melted to nothing.
“Wow…….”
I was at a loss for words. Despite the heat burning across my whole body, my spine chilled. It was more grotesque than I’d imagined.
“That gives me the creeps. Why did the Tower have to make the Boss Stage so disgusting?”
—Who can fathom the Tower’s holy will, Zombie? The fact that it grants a Cheat Skill to a coward like you is also the Tower’s will. If the Tower had anything like a personality, it’d probably be a twisted psychopath.
“Even when you’re being honest, you sound so…….”
I couldn’t complain any further.
“Kh—?”
My Aura had completely depleted.
As if waiting for this exact moment, the flames surged forward. Sizzle! First, the soles of my shoes melted. Then my sleeves. Then fire caught my hair.
“Ah.”
From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.
“Ahhhhh! Aaaaaaahhhhh!”
My entire body ignited. Flesh melted. Skin streamed away, yet the flames didn’t stop. Rather, they clung more intensely, as if they’d discovered something even more delicious hidden within the meat. Nerves, bone, throat, organs.
“Ugh, shit……! Ack, kraaaagh!”
—And you’re a deviant who surpasses even the Tower. Tch, no matter how much you want to become the greatest Hunter in the world, you accept burning to death without flinching. I admit it, Kim Zombie! You’re truly twisted!
I wanted to die.
Faster, I wanted to die even a second sooner!
“Nngh……!”
No sound came from my throat. My voice had grown muffled. My eyes and ears had burned away.
Just as my head felt like it would burst from the heat, at last I heard the voice I’d been desperately waiting for, echoing through my consciousness.
[You have died.]
Damn it.
Couldn’t it have killed me just a bit faster.
* * *
‘—Gasp!’
I breathed like a person who’d been diving deep underwater and had just reached the surface. Of course, I wasn’t actually breathing—it was merely the sensation of exhaling.
This was the Underworld. A pitch-black place where my naked spirit wandered like a ghost.
[Skill conditions are achieved through death.]
[You copy a random skill from Monster Hellfire Maiden.]
And to me, this was a place of opportunity.
[Skill Card is being formed.]
Cards floated up in the dark void. If anything was surprising, it was this: despite being a Boss Monster, there was only one golden card. The rest shone with silver and bronze.
‘Well then. You didn’t forget our promise, did you?’
-I know, you little bastard. You think I’m the kind of person who’d go back on a bet? Don’t worry.
Bae Hu-ryeong chuckled.
-Let’s see what skills this young lady has up her sleeve.
Bae Hu-ryeong floated upward and drifted to the reverse side of the cards.
As we’d arranged beforehand, he was about to tell me what each skill did.
-Oh! Now that’s a hell of a find!
Bae Hu-ryeong read from the golden card first.
+
[Hellfire Boundary]
Rank: S-
Effect: Resentment. Lamentation. Despair. Burn all those grievances you could not settle, all those cries you could not voice, all those dreams you could not achieve. “It burns.” Does it burn? Turn the world into an inferno. “I think I’m dying.” Then let them die. If it is your will, an Aura of Hellfire shall descend upon a radius of two kilometers. No one shall leave this hell without your permission. Not a single soul.
No one may escape without your leave.
Not anyone.
※However, you too must remain within the boundary at all times.
+
It was a terrifying skill.
-That’s non-negotiable. Zombie, shut up and pick this skill. Right now.
‘…….’
-Huh? Hey, Kim Zombie. Why aren’t you answering?
‘No, it’s just…’
I furrowed my brow.
‘Something about it bothers me, that’s all.’
What is it?
It was certainly a formidable skill. Yet something nagged at me. Like I’d eaten something that had stuck in my throat. The feeling of a broken pipe when you can’t quite locate the leak.
‘…Anyway, let’s hear the rest of the skills.’
-Huh? I don’t think there’s a technique better than this. Why not just pick this one?
‘I have a different skill in mind. Come on, hurry!’
-Tch.
Bae Hu-ryeong pouted but listed the cards as I asked.
-Right, listen up. [Labyrinth Design] rank A-, [Puppet Manipulation] rank B, [Remote Control] rank B-, [Trap Installation] rank C….
He stopped short.
-…….
Bae Hu-ryeong had been reading with momentum, then froze. The final skill. Before the card with its silver-gleaming back, his pupils trembled.
-What the hell?
I let out a dry laugh.
‘That’s more like it.’
-No, wait… hold on….
‘Never mind. I get it. You don’t need to read it.’
I was certain.
That was the card I wanted.
[Please select a Skill Card.]
The cards took flight, whirling through the air at speed. Yet from the start, I’d had my eye on only one—confusion was never going to work on me.
-Hey! Gong-ja! Come on, don’t do this to us.
Bae Hu-ryeong called out urgently, as if he too could sense it.
-Look at this. Wow, golden card! Wow, S-rank skill! So cool! You’d have a Hellfire Boundary sprouting up whenever you wanted, just like that. How incredible would that be?
‘I don’t think so.’
-How could you not know? I’m in love! If I were a woman, I’d fall head over heels for Kim Gong-ja’s fiery charm! Let’s go! From today on, Kim Gong-ja, top-star life, let’s go!
I couldn’t help but smirk.
‘I should have noticed something was wrong from the beginning.’
The clues were there.
‘Out of tens of thousands of puppets, there’s only one [real] one. The true puppet would be the one using the skill, so naturally it wouldn’t take damage from flames.’
I reached out my hand.
‘But why were all the fake puppets unharmed in the fire?’
And I snatched the silver card.
-Nooo! No! Damn it, no!
‘There’s only one answer, isn’t there, Marcus?’
I flipped the silver card over.
+
[Fire Safety Always]
Rank: A
Effect: Oh my, how scorching! If we leave something this hot unattended, our entire house will burn to ash, won’t it? But fear not. The living beings and objects you designate will become immune to flame, never to burn again. Be liberated from the terror of the Fire Demon and enjoy a safe, peaceful life!
※However, damage from water and ice elements increases by 300%.
+
That was it.
Floor 10. The hidden ace of the Hellfire Mansion.
This boss possessed more than just the ability to burn.
‘Aha!’
Quite the opposite—it also held the power to make things fireproof.
I clenched my fist, drowning in the euphoria of victory.
‘I came. I saw. I conquered!’
—No… no, ugh-hehehehe. This isn’t… this really isn’t how it’s supposed to be……
Bae Hu-ryeong’s mind shattered.
‘What do you mean, no? Now then, all I need do is use this Skill to grant myself flame immunity, and it’s over. Simply take my time finding where the real puppet is hidden. Game over. From this day forward, you must address me as Lord.
—Damn… hell… bastard… this is a scam. A broken game……
‘Ahahaha! Call me Lord right now!’
My laughter echoed through the darkness.
Another voice, not my own, rang out softly.
[Selection confirmed. Skill copied.]
[Reverting 24 hours.]
The fanfare announcing my victory in our wager.
Now I simply had to go back one day and challenge the Floor 10 boss again in the same way.
Clearing it was within reach.
[Your current Hunter Rank is E-Class.]
But today wasn’t finished yet.
[A Penalty has been triggered by Skill use.]
—What?
‘Ah. Right.’
An alert I’d never heard before, having remained an F-Class nobody until now.
But now that I’d grown to E-Class Hunter, my first-ever Penalty had arrived.
What could the Penalty possibly be?
[The trauma of the enemy who killed you will be recreated.]
[Penalty severity: Weak. The Hell Realm.]
‘Huh? Trauma?’
I tilted my head at the unexpected word.
‘Recreate the enemy’s trauma? What does that even….’
Whoooosh!
Before I could finish, the space before my eyes turned white.
SSS-Class Hunter: Only the Dead Live (Serialized)
Author | Shin Noah
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyeong
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyeok
Address | 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Daelung Post Tower 1, Guro-dong)
Email | [email protected]
Website | www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Shin Noah 2019
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder. No part of this content may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violations of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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