The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Meanwhile,

The skill stolen from the boss was ‘Collapse’.

Although my mind was preoccupied with acquiring the Clone Technique, the efficiency of the Collapse skill was quite satisfactory.

In the case of Collapse, it was possible to temporarily create a sinkhole on dirt or sandy ground.

It worked on any terrain that wasn’t hard. The hole wouldn’t be very deep, but it was a skill sufficient for creating variables.

---

Among other spoils, a few magic stones were yielded to Yun Sang-mi.

The amount was embarrassingly small, even to offset the cost of a dungeon license.

Thus, reaching level 100 came to an end. Now, it was time to decide what to do with the hematite.

I had been pondering it from time to time, but this would be the first time to seriously consider it.

After parting ways with Yun Sang-mi, I planned to drop her off at her home with the intention of observing.

She had a second house in Tanbang-dong, Daejeon, where she stayed.

The original plan was to drop her off at her home and then check into a hotel to rest, but…

I changed my mind seeing Yun Sang-mi’s unusually pale complexion.

It seemed to be a problem that she had fainted due to the troubleshooter and then immediately continued with the dungeon assault.

So, after laying her in bed, I wet a towel thoroughly and placed it on her forehead, although it was an old-fashioned method.

I didn’t forget to provide her with emergency medicine and warm water.

Being emotionally numb doesn’t mean I don’t know how to care for someone, though Yun Sang-mi seemed surprised.

“You know how to nurse someone back to health, that’s unexpected.”

“I knew you would say that.”

“It must have been too much for my body, being subdued and knocked out by that lunatic.”

“I wonder if I rushed the dungeon assault too much.”

“Not at all. I was the one who suggested we go in. It’s just the situation. You don’t need to blame yourself.”

“Anyway, rest up. I’ll stay by your side until you wake up.”

“Wow… That’s so unlike you.”

“My blood may be cold, but I’m not frozen. Instead of babbling, why not just sleep?”

“Heh, then can I be in your care?”

Yun Sang-mi tried to act fine, burying herself in the blanket with a playful expression.

Kang-hoo could feel it.

She definitely wasn’t in good condition.

It was just an act; she wasn’t okay. At the very least, she needed a proper sleep.

And sure enough,

In less than 10 seconds, Yun Sang-mi fell into a deep sleep, evidently exhausted.

Stepping out onto the terrace for a moment, Kang-hoo called Jung Yuri.

Having reached level 100 and with no Mad Solarkium left, there was now a definite reason to meet K.

I had thought about stopping by Osan Station on the way, but it seemed better to take care of necessary things first.

-Hello… Ugh.

Jung Yuri’s voice on the phone sounded like that of a dying person.

Of course, 6 a.m. wasn’t exactly a suitable time for a call.

“Did I call too early?”

-No, it’s okay… I’m fine, just give me a moment.

Immediately after, the sound of her washing her face vigorously could be heard. It was a real-life example of the expression “splish splash.”

Then, a fully awakened Jung Yuri continued the conversation.

-I don’t know why I’m still tired even after sleeping so much. Maybe it’s because I changed my bed?

“Is it okay to talk?”

-Yes, it’s fine. Brother, have you started missing grandfather now?

“Yeah. I need to go to Ground Zero. I have things to buy and questions to ask.”

How about we meet at Seoul Station tomorrow morning and go from there? Grandfather is closing up shop today.

“What does ‘closing up’ mean?”

-It’s also the day for harvesting Solarkium and organizing the stock!

“Ah, then I definitely need to avoid today.”

-Right. That’s why I said let’s meet tomorrow morning.

“Shall we take the train from Seoul Station?”

-No! I’ll arrange the transportation! You just need to come to Seoul Station. Is 7 a.m. okay?

“No problem.”

-Then, tomorrow morning at 7, I’ll be gone!

The call ended with Jung Yuri’s playful voice.

It was slightly puzzling that she insisted on arranging transportation instead of taking the train.

This was because, once you leave Seoul and head towards the northern part of Gyeonggi, public safety becomes quite unstable.

Not only was the Abyss present in the north, but numerous criminal organizations were also stationed there.

Passing through the areas under the control of the Abyss was as safe as being in Seoul, thanks to Lee Hyun-seok’s management.

However, traveling through regions not under their control, which were lawless lands rife with kidnappings and attacks, was a different story.

It wasn’t surprising to have a bazooka fired at cars moving on the road.

Jung Yuri couldn’t be unaware of this, so she must have meant that she could arrange for a ride that ensured safety.

This would require a significant amount of money, making me curious about who she had in mind.

Perhaps it involved an enigmatic figure, possibly with the assistance of her grandmother.

Anyway, that was for tomorrow to reveal.

Kang-hoo decided to examine the Hematite upgrade while enjoying the cool breeze on the terrace.

It wouldn’t do to proceed in the living room where Yun Sang-mi was sleeping, in case a bright flash occurred and caused a nuisance.

“Let’s set aside 2 of the 7 Hematites, just in case I come across a skill with good efficiency.”

He decided to use only five.

This was because it was possible to acquire skills later that were more compatible with Hematite. It was necessary to have reserves.

The first thing Kang-hoo invested Hematite in was a grade 5 item ring specialized in toughness, the Martial God’s Play.

Normally, items can’t be upgraded with Hematite.

However, items marked as ‘possible’ for upgrade, like the Martial God’s Play, existed.

Since it was an item related to one of the valuable stats, toughness, the investment value of Hematite was sufficient.

The value of investing in Hematite for an item was maximized when upgraded to grade 2 or grade 1.

【Would you like to proceed with the upgrade to a grade 4 item?】

【This item can be upgraded with Hematite, consuming a total of 1 piece.】

【Upgrading to a grade 3 item will consume 2 pieces of Hematite.】

Kang-hoo immediately confirmed.

Although he couldn’t invest all the Hematites today, it was clear that investing one in advance was necessary.

【Martial God's Play - Ring】

【Grade: Grade 4】

【Toughness +150】

【This special item can be upgraded one grade higher using Hematite.】

“Nice.”

Thanks to the upgrade, the toughness stat increased from 50 to 150.

His current toughness is 495.

Normally, exceeding 500 toughness significantly reduces basic attack damage from hunters below level 75.

Ordinary attacks would hardly scratch him, making it difficult to even cause a scrape.

“To reach grade 1, I need 2, 3, 4… a total of 9 pieces. Well, that’s something to work on gradually.”

Though the efficiency of Hematite might feel low for now, Kang-hoo saw it as an investment for the future.

Preparations for the future were sufficient.

Now it was time to bring about immediate and definite changes.

Kang-hoo unhesitatingly chose Self-Defense – Stage 2 next.

It was an essential skill for Kang-hoo, who wanted to minimize investment in defensive movements or psychology.

【Would you like to use 1 piece of Hematite to upgrade Self-Defense to Stage 3?】

Minor messages continued to appear, but Kang-hoo deleted all the unimportant notifications.

The upgrade was completed instantly.

The disappearance of a single Hematite significantly changed the skill tooltip, making Kang-hoo wonder if it should really be this simple.

Seeing this, he thought about how much the hunter system resembled a game system.

【Self-Defense – Stage 3】

【Skill Proficiency: Lv. Max】

【Passive Skill. When activated, it takes 1 hour to reactivate.】

【By activating Self-Defense, you can nullify all attacks from outside for 0.5 seconds.】

【33% of the owned mana can be used to reactivate Stage 2.】

“0.5 seconds of absolute invincibility. And it’s saying that I can nullify two attacks non-selectively.”

Kang-hoo nodded, understanding the tooltip.

0.5 seconds could block any attack, and afterward, it could block two more attacks.

The word ‘absolute’ in item or skill evaluations always signifies a significant benefit.

Of course, it’s a skill that can’t be used consecutively, requiring a time-based cooldown.

It seemed really useful for do-or-die moments or when a strategic counter is needed.

Relying on the invincibility judgment, it’s possible to rush in boldly. A very reliable insurance for an assassin.

Next, Kang-hoo invested a Hematite into the Illusion skill.

Originally, the skill had a 0.2-second absolute induction of illusion, making it a very useful skill.

After the upgrade, the absolute induction time of Illusion increased from 0.2 seconds to 0.75 seconds.

An increase of 0.55 seconds.

It might seem short as it’s less than a second.

But in that brief moment, a lot can happen in the world of hunters.

A minor injury could become severe, and a severe injury could lead to irreversible death.

Knowing the significance of that time, Kang-hoo felt the increase was substantial.

Next was Shadow Step.

Originally, it was possible to move to the position of one of five shadows.

Through the upgrade, it became possible to utilize all remaining shadows.

From the opponent’s perspective, they need to be cautious of not only the main body but also the positions of all five shadows.

It becomes a headache. Of course, for Kang-hoo, who enjoys outsmarting his opponents, this was exciting.

And the last Hematite was invested in the Clone Technique.

With just one Hematite, the skill firepower evaluation of the clone increased from 33% to 50%.

The ultimate goal is to have both the clone and the original yield 100% firepower.

It’s a story for the distant future, but Kang-hoo believed he could eventually make it a reality.

“Sigh. It feels like all the old blockages are being cleared away.”

After investing all Hematites except for the spare two, Kang-hoo let out a hot breath.

He had held his breath unconsciously while carefully examining the changed skill descriptions.

With the current configuration, it seemed much easier to compete with hunters at the level of Jeon Jong-du or troubleshooters.

Of course, this was just speculation.

Lifting his gaze slightly and thinking about someone like Kang Dong-hyun made him feel constrained again.

However, even Kang Dong-hyun couldn’t ignore and break through the judgment of absolute invincibility.

Kang-hoo felt good about using the Hematites efficiently across the board, anticipating significant benefits to come.

Just then,

【The Constellation 'Master of Shell Games' offers you the opportunity to spin a wheel without a miss.】

He finally paid proper attention to the constellation message alert, which he had neglected due to being preoccupied elsewhere.

The message that caught his eye was left by the Constellation ‘Master of Shell Games’.

Yes. It was time to spin the wheel of fortune.

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