The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

The wine in the glass disappeared without a trace, only to be refilled several times.

In the safety of a house, where there was no need to worry about their surroundings, two women comfortably enjoyed their wine.

From time to time, a beeping alarm sounded, but they ignored it as just a trace left by a passing stray cat.

“Unnie, it’s really hard to see you these days!”

“It’s the same for others. Aren’t you busy too? But why did you come to Daejeon?”

“Well, you know how it is with mercenaries? Just wandering around looking for work, ending up in places like Daejeon, Busan, and so on.”

“You’re not going to say you came all this way just to see me?”

“Of course, I always want to see you, Unnie! But you have to agree to meet, right? It’s a wonder we’re even meeting like this.”

“If you had answered just 10% of my calls, we would have met sooner. Were you with a man or something?”

“Are we going down this path of mutual revelations? Hahaha.”

“Anyway, it’s good to see you, Sang-mi. I’ve been feeling a bit lonely lately.”

Yun Sang-mi and Han Seo-yeon were deeply immersed in their wine.

They had been friends and ‘Unnies’ for a long time but had grown apart since becoming hunters.

Yun Sang-mi had become a wandering mercenary.

Han Seo-yeon had joined the Haeohwa Guild, a satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild, serving as the Daejeon branch.

“Unnie.”

“Yeah?”

“I met an interesting hunter. I was at Osan Station for some business and ended up traveling with him.”

“Hey! You shouldn’t travel so easily with a hunter you just met. Do you even know which group he’s from?”

“Hey, hey. I do this all the time. I can take care of myself.”

“Hmmm… Alright, so?”

“His name is Jung Sun-kyu. Probably an alias, but we ended up going to Daejeon Station together. And you know…”

“Yeah, the incident at Club Hades. You said you escaped from there, right?”

“Right! That person cleared the way for me. His attacks were concise and destructive.”

“For Yun ‘Salt’ to praise someone like that…”

“Unnie, I always give credit where it’s due. There just haven’t been many hunters worthy of it.”

“What was his class?”

“Assassin. He could take down or find weaknesses in most hunters with a single strike.”

“Anything unique?”

“His skills were highly refined. He must have a high level of expertise. It seemed like he had a high level, too.”

“Jung Sun-kyu… I’ve never heard that name before. Even as an alias, it’s unfamiliar.”

“Exactly. He didn’t seem to have been active for long. It was his second deal with Lee Ye-rin.”

“Second?”

“Yes!”

At this moment, Han Seo-yeon’s mind suddenly recalled someone who might coincidentally be making their second deal at this time.

Of course, numerous mercenaries came to Lee Ye-rin for requests, dozens a day.

But she remembered introducing Kang-hoo to Lee Ye-rin recently.

If Kang-hoo had successfully completed his first request, it would be about time for his second.

However, she didn’t think Kang-hoo, who had just escaped from Cheongmyeong Detention Center, would receive such high praise from Yun Sang-mi.

If he had that level of skill, he would have escaped the detention center long ago.

“By the way, Unnie, what happened with your ex-boyfriend? You said he suddenly contacted you?”

“Yes, Kang-hoo.”

“What happened?”

“It seems he was kidnapped by Eclipse and taken to Cheongmyeong Detention Center, to a mana stone mine.”

“So, he escaped from there?”

“Yes. That’s all I heard. He didn’t tell me how he escaped or what happened.”

“Didn’t your ex-boyfriend become a hunter just before you lost contact?”

“That’s right. Being trapped in the detention center, he probably couldn’t develop much…”

Han Seo-yeon also found this puzzling now that she thought about it.

For Kang-hoo, there shouldn’t have been any change in levels or stats.

How did he manage to escape from a detention center that was supposedly guarded by skilled wardens?

“Unnie, you had a lot of lingering feelings for your ex-boyfriend. Why didn’t you hold on to him tighter? You struggled after the breakup.”

“You know Kang-hoo’s personality. Once he decides it’s over, it’s over. He might worry about me secretly, but…”

“You’re living too much in the past, Unnie.”

“Before we broke up, Kang-hoo said the same thing to me. I guess people think alike, right?”

“Ah, I don’t know! Let’s just drink more wine, cheers!”

Although they were talking about a common acquaintance, they had no idea that Kang-hoo was the shared connection.

In a world where aliases change frequently, remembering someone by their ‘name’ is almost meaningless.

---

“Lucky me.”

Kang-hoo picked up a green mana stone. Each was worth about 100 million won.

Blue mana stones were worth about 10 million won, so the price jumped significantly with just one grade higher.

It was generally believed that there was a 10% chance of obtaining a green mana stone from boss monsters, assuming a boss of Alisha’s level.

Definitely not an easy stone to come by.

Although it was a superstition, there was a saying that if you defeated a boss monster quickly, you got better rewards.

There was no verified data since it was just hearsay in the original story, but he had indeed defeated it quickly.

“Seems like my mana hypersensitivity is actually helping me.”

That’s what Kang-hoo thought.

His innate mana hypersensitivity wasn’t just a burden.

It also enabled him to make strategic and calm decisions.

If he hadn’t attempted a calculated attack, he would have been at a disadvantage due to his hypersensitivity.

Of course, this is a positive viewpoint. The flip side is that he was always under pressure.

The loot left by Alisha’s death included two items.

One was a grade-4 ring, and the other was a skill book.

Kang-hoo first checked the ring.

[Bloodthirsty Feast - Ring]

[Grade: 4]

[All stats +15]

[When the target is in a bleeding state, this ring worsens the bleeding by 50%.]

“Found the perfect match for my Bleeding Stab. Fits well with the Blood Flower’s traits too.”

The ring, seemingly crafted to complement Alisha’s skills, turned out to be ideal for Kang-hoo.

He registered it for immediate use.

The ring was flawless in every aspect, including its grade—a +15 to all stats is an undeniable advantage.

[Health: 146]

He glanced at his health stat.

While other stats had a long road ahead, health was paramount.

When he first awoke in the detention center, his health had been at 10.

Now, his health stat greatly exceeded that of an athlete, significantly boosting his endurance.

Of course, this only applied under normal circumstances. In ‘battle’, with intensive mana use, the dynamics shifted.

Once the side effects of innate mana hypersensitivity set in, he began to suffer intense headaches and nausea, losing 1 health point per second.

Compared to before, even when mana hypersensitivity struck, he now had the fortitude to withstand it for some time.

Previously, system overload occurred after using two or three skills in quick succession.

Now, he could manage four or five skills in a row.

In combat, the ability to use even one or two additional skills can make a tremendous difference, often determining survival.

“It seems he’s become a bit more human. At least under normal circumstances.”

With a slightly awkward but content smile, Kang-hoo reviewed the rest of the loot. Among them was a skill book.

[Skill Book – Great Decapitation]

[Special Note: Swordsman Exclusive]

[Utilizes a certain amount of health and mana to execute a powerful strike in one blow.]

In plain terms, if he learned it as it was, due to the class penalty, he would only reap 10% of its effectiveness.

For Kang-hoo, an assassin class, the skill would manifest as only a moderately powerful strike.

However, if he could negate the penalty, it might serve as a lethal one-hit kill.

“I’ll need a clever workaround for this one, so I’ll keep it for now.”

Since there was no immediate way to learn the skill, he decided to hold off for a few days.

There was no need to sell it hastily since there might be other ways to learn it without the penalty.

Just past midnight, Kang-hoo entered a bustling area near Gapyeong Station and stopped by a bar to cool off after the fight.

The place was relatively safe.

Guards stood in the middle of the path, and it wasn’t far from the Gapyeong Hunter Public Safety Bureau.

Fortunately, the modern bar served Solarkium Burst, and Kang-hoo could order a drink to his liking.

“I’ve been wanting a drink since Hades.”

Kang-hoo nodded as he took the Solarkium Burst handed to him by the stoic male bartender.

It was a long-awaited drink.

Was it a reward for himself?

“Solarkium Burst, two more.”

He ordered more.

He remembered what Beni had said about the unique taste of Solarkium Burst, but it didn’t matter.

Taste varies from person to person. “As long as it tastes good to me, that’s enough.”

While drinking the second glass, Kang-hoo glanced at his forearm.

His muscles had definitely grown.

His stamina had increased, too.

Even with alcohol in his system, his body didn’t feel helplessly slack; it just relaxed appropriately.

He planned to rest for a day before going to find Heo Jeong-tae.

Unless there were significant changes in the setting, he could figure out where Heo Jeong-tae lived.

However, he was more concerned about what to do after dealing with matters related to Heo Jeong-tae.

Rests were just brief pauses; his body needed continuous growth.

Thinking of Jang Si-hwan, who held all the top privileges, he knew he needed to run a few more steps ahead.

“Maybe I should visit Ground Zero a bit earlier…”

Just as Kang-hoo’s thoughts deepened, his smartphone vibrated.

Only two people knew this number.

Han Seo-yeon and Lee Ye-rin.

[Han Seo-yeon]

[I am Han Seo-yeon from the Haeohwa Guild! Please take care of me!]

The sender’s name appeared plainly in three characters, along with the greeting added by the sender’s settings.

“…”

Knowing Han Seo-yeon was in a satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild wasn’t pleasant.

Well, that’s not a problem for now. There might not even be a clash with her.

Kang-hoo answered the call.

“Yeah.”

“Oppa, sorry, is it okay to talk for a bit? It’s a secure call. No wiretapping, so don’t worry.”

“It’s fine. What’s up?”

“Cha So-hee was at Daejeon Station. I just went out to buy some more wine with a friend and saw her.”

“Cha So-hee?”

That was a name he couldn’t forget.

The third-ranking member of Eclipse and Kang Dong-hyun’s most trusted subordinate.

Also known as Kang Dong-hyun’s ‘hunting dog’.

“She’s been investigating you, Oppa, roaming around hotspots where mercenaries gather. She’s asking about your real name too.”

“So, the gist is Cha So-hee is after me.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Be careful, Oppa.”

“Thanks. I’ll hang up now.”