SSS-Class Sui**de Hunter - Chapter 25

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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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Chapter 25. The Chosen Ones (1)
1
As blinding light poured down, Bae Hu-ryeong spoke urgently.
—Hey, wait a second. If only the top ten get summoned separately, Marcus will be there too, won’t he? That old man’s going to flip when he sees you and come charging. What’s your plan?
‘Ah, worry all you want. It’s fine. What’s the worst that could happen?’
—Kim Zombie, you fool…….
Bae Hu-ryeong’s mouth twitched as if about to launch into a lecture. Ugh. I quickly added more.
‘I’ve got it all figured out, so don’t worry. You don’t know? I’m Kim Gongja, Kim Gongja. A coward certified by Geom-seong himself! Trust me on this.’
—You’re saying you have a plan?
‘Of course! A solid plan. I’ll show you in just a moment.’
—Hmm.
Bae Hu-ryeong folded his arms, unconvinced.
But whether satisfied or not, it was already too late. The summoning had begun, and white light engulfed us completely. Whatever awaited, I would have to face Geom-seong.
I closed my eyes.
[Transfer complete.]
When I opened them again, I was already summoned to Floor 12.
It was utterly different from Floor 11. Opposite in every way—if Floor 11 was a fierce and filthy battlefield where life and death hung in the balance, then Floor 12 was a resplendent and luxurious palace. The Imperial Palace of the Aikim Empire.
‘…Well, not quite.’
I looked around.
‘Palace intrigue is just as fierce and dirty as any battlefield.’
Other high-ranking Clearers materialized in the Reception Hall of the Imperial Palace one after another. Some were unfamiliar, but most were hunters I’d met yesterday—the Witch, the Count, and others. No wonder they were the heads of the 5 Major Guilds.
My eyes met theirs.
“Oh?”
“Hmm.”
The hunters’ reactions varied. Some smiled broadly as if to say ‘I thought you’d already be here,’ while others frowned as if thinking ‘I didn’t know you’d take first place this time too.’
“Kim Gongja! Spectacular work!”
The Heretic Inquisitor belonged to the former group.
“I watched your performance on Floor 11 with great enjoyment! Using the NPCs so cleverly—I was genuinely impressed!”
The Heretic Inquisitor trotted over. With his small frame, he looked just like a puppy charging at me.
“That black sword at your waist—is it a special item? After the NPCs saw it, they began following you without hesitation. Did you receive it as a reward for clearing Floor 10?”
“Well, something like that…….”
“Just as I thought!”
The Heretic Inquisitor beamed up at me.
“To use a Floor 10 reward to break through to the forefront of Floor 11—your adaptability is remarkable!”
“No, it’s not really that much…….”
“From now on, many will envy you. They might even dismiss you as a lucky upstart. Pay them no mind! It’s all your skill!”
Huh.
What is this person? An angel?
—Hey! Kim Zombie! Idiot!
Bae Hu-ryeong suddenly shouted.
It was different from his usual teasing tone. This was urgent.
—Be careful! Right behind you now……!
In that instant, everything happened before Bae Hu-ryeong could finish his warning.
“Hmm.”
The Heretic Inquisitor reacted first.
The Heretic Inquisitor, who had only been smiling, suddenly narrowed his eyes and yanked my wrist. My stance crumbled backward. The Heretic Inquisitor pushed me aside and stepped forward in my place.
“…Holy Formula, Flesh God.”
It was the instant the Heretic Inquisitor murmured those words. Crash! The sound of steel colliding violently with something else rang out. But it was no ordinary steel.
A blade.
A sword strike carrying unmistakable killing intent.
“Aha.”
The Heretic Inquisitor laughed.
His eyes did not.
“Remarkable, Geom-seong. When did you transfer to the profession of assassin?”
“Move.”
An old gentleman in a business suit. Geom-seong spoke coldly.
Geom-seong held a long sword leveled at us.
No.
I misspoke.
“I will kill that one.”
It wasn’t aimed at us—it was aimed at me.
2
Silence fell over the Reception Hall.
Electricity seemed to flow through the air, my whole body tingling with it.
“Hmm.”
Only the Heretic Inquisitor responded, his tone unchanged.
“Forgive me, but when you say ‘that fellow,’ surely you don’t mean the hunter Kim Gongja?”
“Of course I do.”
Geom-seong replied.
“Step aside, or I’ll take one of your arms with me.”
The Heretic Inquisitor smiled pleasantly.
“That would be rather troublesome! I’m afraid I cannot yield the path just now. Hunter Kim Gongja is recognized by Mansincheon and the 5 Major Guilds alike. If I were to let him die here, the honor of the 5 Major Guilds would be dragged through the mud!”
“So you’re prepared to lose an arm, young man.”
“Ah, that too would be unfortunate! Both my arms still have much use ahead of them.”
The Heretic Inquisitor tilted his head with a smile.
“May I ask why you’re hunting hunter Kim Gongja?”
“That’s no concern of yours.”
“You have no intention of withdrawing, then?”
“Stop wasting words. Stand aside.”
Geom-seong refused flatly.
Yes, from the old man’s perspective, I was a murderer—a slaughterer who’d killed over four thousand people. Without knowing my skills, Geom-seong had no choice but to respond this way.
“I say again: I will kill him.”
“Well then, I’m afraid there’s no helping it.”
The Heretic Inquisitor brought his hands together.
“I shall subdue you here. Holy Formula, Send God.”
In that instant, light erupted from behind Geom-seong. Burst! Through the shower of radiance emerged two hunters.
Dok-sa, master of Cheonmukmun, and Sung Kisa, vice-captain of Ja-gyeongdan—two hunters renowned for their martial prowess unleashed a battle cry as they swung their weapons toward Geom-seong’s back.
“Hyah!”
Geom-seong’s brow furrowed.
“Gnats…….”
Geom-seong clicked his tongue. In the span of that single click, one blade fell. A blue aura sliced through the air, painting it with fine mist. Two cuts—just two cuts of his sword—and Sung Kisa bore a gash across his cheek while Dok-sa’s forearm split open with fresh blood.
“This damned monster of an old coot!”
It had all happened in a blink.
“What the hell does this old geezer eat to stay so spry! Christ, hurry up and age already! Retire before you finish off all us young people!”
Dok-sa screamed in fury.
Geom-seong let out a small, derisive laugh.
“You’re past forty yourself, aren’t you? To someone truly young, you’d look just as old.”
“You’re joking! Forty is still prime time! Life doesn’t even truly begin until——”
“Master of Cheonmukmun, you are indeed old! Your face is proof enough—you look far older than your years!”
“Wait, this religious fanatic is actually on my side? Isn’t that right?”
“Sigh.”
Sung Kisa exhaled.
“Focus on your opponent, Dok-sa. We’re in a bad position.”
Even as he sighed, Sung Kisa didn’t lower his guard—if anything, he seemed more alert. Three top-ranked hunters: the Heretic Inquisitor, Dok-sa, and Sung Kisa, hemming in Geom-seong from three sides. Yet the old man stood alone, serene and unbothered.
“Hmm. I must admit, this situation is disadvantageous.”
Perhaps the Heretic Inquisitor felt the tide turning.
He smiled brightly and called for reinforcement.
“Count!”
“What is it?”
“Might you spare some Gold?”
“How much do you need?”
“Fortunately, Geom-seong hasn’t lost his wits. A brief restraint should suffice. I’d ask for ten thousand Gold!”
“Fifteen percent interest. Compound.”
The Count, who had been watching the fight quietly, opened his fan.
“Three months, interest-free installments. Does that suit you?”
“Ah ha ha! You misunderstand me! I wasn’t asking to borrow money—I was asking you to give it.”
“Are you now extorting charity from a merchant?”
“Indeed! Surely that wealth came from dirty dealings. Let me put it to good use—donate to the temple and secure your passage to heaven!”
“A brigand more ruthless than I am…….”
The Count shook his head ruefully and pulled something out.
A pouch embroidered with a snail pattern.
The Count untied the golden cord cinched at its mouth.
“Withdraw, ten thousand Gold.”
The pouch gaped open. Whoosh! Countless gold coins cascaded out. The pouch itself was likely a rare item of extraordinary value. As coins accumulated into a modest hillock, the Count gathered the pouch back up.
“There. Take it, Priest. Exactly ten thousand Gold.”
“Much obliged!”
The Heretic Inquisitor beamed, clasping his hands together.
“Holy Formula, Dedication!”
The gold coins scattered across the floor burst into light. Golden radiance filled the Reception Hall entirely. In its center, the Heretic Inquisitor moved his hands in haste, muttering incantations.
“Holy Miracle, Body Enhancement. Enhancement targets: Sung Kisa, Dok-sa. Enhancement duration: three hundred seconds each. Gold shall seize our hands. Formula complete!”
“Hmm.”
“Tsk…….”
Then something extraordinary occurred. The gold coins piled on the floor vanished without a trace.
Instead, the light they had emitted transferred entirely to Sung Kisa and Dok-sa. A golden aura, like pure radiance, shimmered across both Hunters’ bodies. “And so,” the Heretic Inquisitor declared, spreading his arms wide.
“For the next three hundred seconds, Sung Kisa and the Master of Cheonmukmun will be utterly transformed. Geom-seong! No matter how formidable you are, facing a Joint Attack from four—myself, the Count, Sung Kisa, and the Master of Cheonmukmun—will prove difficult indeed!”
“…….”
“What’s more, the Count’s coffers remain undiminished. Haha. In fact, I wonder if the Count’s coffers will ever run dry! Should you wish to test whether the Count goes bankrupt first or your head flies off, by all means, test away!”
The Count, standing at a distance, pouted.
“Why must my coffers be tested when I stand idle? I merely made a donation because the clergyman asked. Sigh. Whether in the outer world or the Tower, commerce proves dreadfully difficult…….”
“One more thing to clarify.”
A cold voice cut through. The Witch—Ranking 2nd Hunter and Guild Master of Heugryong—broke the silence she had maintained until now.
The Witch regarded Geom-seong with an expressionless face.
“The Joint Attack doesn’t end with four. I will make it absolutely clear that I, too, am joining. Hunter Kim Gongja entered into a Covenant with us yesterday, formally witnessed by the 5 Major Guilds.”
Geom-seong’s brow furrowed.
“A Covenant?”
“Yes. A Covenant.”
The Witch nodded.
“Hunter Kim Gongja pledged himself to no single guild, but joined all five of the Major Guilds instead. In return, we promised to treat him as the equal of any Guild Master. Geom-seong—if you raise your blade against Hunter Kim Gongja, that will be tantamount to attacking all of us.”
“…….”
“Of course, by ‘all of us,’ I mean the 5 Major Guilds.”
The Witch produced a Mirror.
“Heugryong. Sang-ryeon. Mansincheon. Cheonmukmun. Ja-gyeongdan.”
The Mirror rose of its own accord. It circled through the air. One. Two. Three. Six Mirrors in all wheeled around the Witch like loyal hounds guarding their master.
“Can you truly face all of us at once, Geom-seong?”
Click.
Five Hunters leveled their weapons at Geom-seong in unison.
“…….”
The aged swordsman fell silent.
That’s right.
‘No matter how formidable Geom-seong is.’
In this moment—
‘He is not strong enough to face all five Major Guilds as enemies.’
This was precisely why I forged a Covenant with the Guild Masters.
One day, I might grow stronger than Geom-seong. No—I would make myself stronger. But that day was not coming today or tomorrow. Until it did, I had no choice but to lay my plans now.
I smiled inwardly.
‘Do you remember what I said back on Floor 11?’
-What did you say?
‘There are two ways to face a powerful enemy.’
Become a single warrior strong enough to devour your foe alone.
Or build an army of your own to stand against them.
‘Geom-seong is nothing but a solo player.’
But I was different.
‘I have already secured allies.’
Therefore, if Geom-seong and I were to clash now, victory was assured for me.
‘See? This is the countermeasure I spoke of. Do admire it, won’t you?’
-Tsk, tsk. I should’ve known a schemer like you would plan ahead…….
Bae Hu-ryeong sighed.
Yet his expression was unexpectedly not displeased. He seemed quite satisfied that I had not climbed to Floor 12 thoughtlessly, but had indeed prepared a plan beforehand. This ghost, for all his demeanor, carried considerable worry about such things.
I took a step forward.
“Geom-seong.”
Every Hunter in the Reception Hall turned their gaze toward me. Among them was Geom-seong’s stare. I smiled deliberately, making a show of composure.
Then I looked Geom-seong directly in the eye.
“Would you mind having a brief conversation with me?”
Listen well. These are the words of Gongja.
SSS-Rank Hunter: Dying to Live (serialized)
Author | Shin Noa
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyeong
Published by | J-Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyeok
Address | 204, 288 Digital-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Daelung Post Tower 1st)
Email | [email protected]
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© Shin Noa 2019
※ This work is published by J-Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder. The contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation of this 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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