The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

The meeting with the two people from the Jeonghwa Guild concluded just like that.

As Kang-hoo expected, perhaps because it was their first meeting, they didn’t take any further aggressive actions.

They probably came with some guidelines from Jang Si-hwan, instructing them not to be overly submissive.

‘They’re definitely keeping an eye on me.’

He could sense it.

Jang Si-hwan is meticulous by nature.

That’s just how he operates.

Behind Plan A, there are always Plans B and C, especially when dealing with people.

If he were someone completely unrelated to Jang Si-hwan up to now, he might not give it a second thought.

But, whether by coincidence or fate, various connections have formed between them.

The incident at the observatory and the encounter in the Gold Goblin’s Mine are good examples.

Moreover, Kang-hoo had previously participated in the infernal campaign led by Jang Si-hwan, where external members were recruited.

That’s where an assassin with a hidden skill appeared.

Of course, Kang-hoo wasn’t the only assassin under suspicion. Hunters from China had participated at the time as well.

But just being a ‘person of interest’ is enough to catch the cautious Jang Si-hwan’s attention.

‘Definitely a two-track approach.’

Gong Yoo-seok and Go Ju-hee are the ‘light’ approach. And there’s bound to be an invisible ‘dark’ approach too.

Thus, he had no intention of lowering his guard.

To surpass the protagonist he, the original author, had created, Kang-hoo needed a wisdom that went beyond mere thinking.

After wrapping up the meeting with Jeonghwa Guild.

He said his goodbyes to Lee Ye-rin over the phone, who had left earlier for mercenary business, and then stepped outside.

He planned to head to Daejeon Station, book a room at the safety hotel run directly by the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps, and maybe visit the bar when he received a call.

‘Ma Jin-ho? What’s going on?’

It was Ma Jin-ho from the Groo Guild.

“Yes, this is Shin Kang-hoo.”

“Hello, this is Ma Jin-ho from the Groo Guild. I wonder if you remember me?”

“Of course.”

“If it’s convenient, may our Guild Master and Deputy Guild Master visit you?”

“You mean the three of you are planning to come to see me? I’d like to hear the reason first.”

“It’s nothing grand. Both of them are very eager to meet you, Shin Kang-hoo.”

By ‘the two of them,’ he must mean Oh Yoo-jin and Oh Hye-jin. From what Kang-hoo knew, they were quite skilled swordsmen.

In the original work, the Groo Guild, based in Jeju Island, maintained a neutral position, and that was about all there was to them.

They were neither positively nor negatively influenced by Jang Si-hwan, so they weren’t deeply explored.

The Oh Yoo-jin and Oh Hye-jin sisters ran the guild, with Ma Jin-ho handling the tough jobs. They maintained strict neutrality.

That was all there was to the Groo Guild’s involvement in the original work. They had no interest outside Jeju.

Of course, just because that was the case in the original story doesn’t mean it will remain so.

The life of Shin Kang-hoo has completely changed. The butterfly effect is happening in ways big and small.

“Where would you prefer to meet?”

“We’ll come to wherever you are. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself.”

“In that case, let’s meet at Daejeon Station.”

“Understood. Apologies for the sudden call and the rushed arrangement.”

“It’s fine.”

“Then I’ll leave a message once the arrival time is set.”

“Please do.”

Kang-hoo ended the call.

The Groo Guild’s visit was predictable. Either they wanted to recruit him or build a connection.

Lately, things have been quite tense. Assassins are in high demand worldwide.

From Kang-hoo’s perspective, someone who doesn’t require blood dealers, the scarcity of assassins wasn’t particularly special.

It came so naturally to him. Even when soloing, maintaining the bleeding effect was never an issue.

But most hunters lack the ability to sustain the bleeding effect, and their craving for it is intense.

Especially for upper and top-tier hunters, the demand for bleeding effects has surged as its importance grows.

Didn’t the Rikou Guild recently ask Kang-hoo to help with a dungeon that required a bleeding dealer?

‘If I want to raise my worth, it might be wise to enhance my options related to bleeding.’

He felt the need to strengthen skills or linked options related to bleeding.

Although he was already more than capable, if he had been content with that, he wouldn’t be living so intensely.

The identity of Kang-hoo, who could ‘do everything alone,’ had become his defining trait.

‘There’s that black magic skill that adds bleeding options to minions. If I use it… I might be able to link it to the shadow in Shadow Step, which conditionally qualifies as a minion.’

His thoughts expanded.

The challenge was obtaining the ‘Skillbook’ central to his plan, but if he was determined, it wasn’t impossible.

The only issue was that this skillbook was in North Korea.

‘North Korea again, huh.’

Even for Kang-hoo, who knew so much, it remained a mysterious world, scarce in information and extremely tricky.

As if the northern land was luring him in, he let out a dry laugh and bit his lip.

The more his ambition grew… the more frequent his trips to the north of Ground Zero seemed inevitable.

---

A bar near Daejeon Station.

He hadn’t picked a specific place but just chose one in the busiest district.

With guards posted around the area, he could drink comfortably, so he settled there.

The moment he entered, Kang-hoo instinctively ordered a drink from the bartender who was walking his way.

“A Solarkium Burst, please.”

“Yes! A Solarkium Bur… huh? Wait! We meet again?”

“Hmm?”

Turning his head, Kang-hoo thought they were about to try and chat him up as they would with any first-time guest.

And there she was, standing right before him. It was Beni.

They had met before at Club Hades, and once again when he went to Pyeongtaek.

“Pyeongtaek wasn’t profitable enough, so I came back to Daejeon! This is actually my home ground!”

“Oh, so you went there and then came back.”

“Seeing you again here! They say if coincidences repeat, it’s destiny. Isn’t this fate for us?”

“Then, I’ll buy your cocktail.”

“Huh… is that all? No romantic lines about fate or anything?”

“Nope.”

“Meh. Still, it’s nice seeing you again! I’m working at a bar that the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps backs up!”

The first time he met Beni was at Club Hades.

Since Eclipse had torn the place apart, her image of Eclipse couldn’t be a positive one.

Probably why she left Daejeon for a bit to work in Pyeongtaek.

But with someone calling her back and the stable support of the Cheong-an Mercenary Corps, she returned.

Thanks to her, he wouldn’t be drinking alone.

Kang-hoo bought her a cocktail, adding a bit extra for information.

“Oh my! Here, cocktails come with conversation tips included, so you didn’t have to add that.”

“Then should I take it back?”

“No, no! I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just, well, I really appreciate it. Haha.”

Beni chuckled as her eyes, guided by a capitalist instinct, traced the number of bills he handed her.

Kang-hoo knew well.

These bartenders tend to share more exclusive and confidential information based on the money they receive.

You can’t fully trust a bartender’s intel, but the cost is often worth the entertainment.

And Beni had proven reliable with her information before. Hadn’t it brought him some amusement?

But shortly after.

Beni returned the money he’d just given her and presented him with a Solarkium Burst, albeit a different color.

He’d been curious about what she was so focused on preparing out of his sight, and it turned out she had changed the color.

“This is a Cherry Blossom Solarkium Burst! Try it, and if you don’t like it, I’ll bring you the original.”

“Seems like you’re up to something strange.”

“You’ll change your mind once you try it. Just a regular Solarkium Burst can be a bit bland, don’t you think?”

“Alright. But why return the money?”

“Well… let’s just say I’ll only accept your gesture. No one’s ever given such a generous tip before.”

“You’re not satisfied with the amount?”

“No, no! I’m just accepting the sentiment. Let’s say I’m buying this round in celebration of seeing you again!”

Kang-hoo pocketed the returned money.

He figured she wouldn’t accept it directly, so he decided to leave it at the counter later.

Beni took a sip of the cocktail he’d bought her and, with her lips slightly moistened, continued.

“There are a lot of interesting stories circulating in Daejeon these days. This one’s about Eclipse—about the ranking above Kang Dong-hyun. Have you heard of it?”

“That rumor about there being uncertainty over who ranks above him?”

“That’s the common rumor. But the word is, the first or second in rank is a foreigner.”

“You mean they’re actually ranked first or second?”

“There might be two of them, or just one. But if they exist, they’re both foreign hunters.”

“So, you’re saying Kang Dong-hyun is just a puppet?”

“Exactly.”

In the original story, Eclipse naturally disbanded.

After the Jeonghwa Guild declared war on crime, they dried up Eclipse’s funding.

Crime organizations generally rely on a massive capital base, and without funds, they couldn’t survive.

There was no further mention of Kang Dong-hyun’s movements afterward.

So, there’s no way to know if there was a foreign hunter backing them.

“If it’s true that a higher-ranking foreign hunter exists, it means Kang Dong-hyun is just a toy.”

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From a hunter who left Eclipse. Actually, I overheard it rather than directly heard it.”

It’s quite a heavy story to dismiss as mere gossip. Of course, it’s not something he can believe outright.

Intriguing stories.

That’s the appeal of the enigmatic tales bartenders share with patrons.

Seventy percent may be lies, but the thirty percent truth hidden within makes it all the more engaging.

When Kang-hoo’s normally icy gaze started to sparkle with interest, Beni eagerly continued.

“And here’s something about Black Lion. This one comes directly from one of their higher-ups!”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Lately, Black Lion has been doing a lot of facility upgrades and putting serious effort into recruiting external hunters.”

“They’ve set up tons of booths around Daejeon Station.”

“Yes. That’s because a massive amount of capital came in from Russia. It seems they secured a significant investment.”

“Do you know from where?”

“No, I don’t know that part. But they apparently sold a portion of the mining rights for a magic stone mine in return.”

“Whoever the higher-up is, he has a loose tongue.”

“He’s a boastful old guy, haha.”

Was it just his imagination, or did the mention of Russian capital naturally bring the Kashimar Guild to mind?

Of course, he couldn’t fully trust Beni’s words.

But the story matched the current situation closely enough that it couldn’t be brushed off as a mere drunken tale.

Especially since his connection with Eclipse was fundamentally bad blood, he couldn’t help but be concerned.

The untold story of the two Daejeon-based organizations’ hidden backers—a tale left untouched in the original story.

What could be lurking behind that shrouded veil?

What if Kang Dong-hyun isn’t truly the pinnacle of Eclipse?

The scale of the enmity he’d cultivate in the future could grow even larger.

Gulp- Gulp-

Lost in thought, he downed his cocktail in one go.

The “Cherry Blossom” Solarkium Burst tasted surprisingly good.