The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

It seemed necessary to set an example.

While deploying the Curtain of Techniques, Kang-hoo immediately concealed himself and dodged the magic attack using the Rapid Evasion skill.

He knew someone targeted him from behind, so he could dodge without looking.

From within the stealth provided by the curtain, he aimed precisely at the forehead of the Mage Hunter who targeted his life.

Shaaa!

Thanks to the Lightning Speed skill, the Blood Spear with tremendous propulsion flew instantly toward the Mage Hunter.

Since Kang-hoo threw the Blood Spear while hidden, the opponent’s perception was inevitably delayed.

And then…

Pwook!

The sharp blade of the Blood Spear embedded deeply into the hunter’s forehead, almost invisibly.

It embedded so forcefully that it shattered the skull.

“Wow…”

“When did the dagger fly?”

The remaining members froze in place as if petrified.

They feared that moving toward Kang-hoo could result in meeting the same fate as their fallen comrade.

“You should have just scavenged the scraps within your means. Why did you take an interest in my cooking?”

“I’m… I’m sorry!”

Surrender came quickly, and dignity was promptly discarded.

Shaken by the death of a colleague and realizing the true fear, the ‘Crocodile Birds’ quickly understood their place.

They deeply regretted their mistaken desire to become crocodiles, even for a brief moment.

Now, it was a matter of what Kang-hoo would choose to do.

He could kill all the remaining ones, or, not wanting to waste his energy on trivial matters, spare them.

But sadly, they were not appetizing prey.

None of them had a proper Throne Contract. In other words, they were mere small fries.

Just then…

“…?”

Kang-hoo tensed up, feeling a sudden tingling sensation.

The dungeon that had exploded was right ahead. By distance, it was about 300 meters away.

The entrance wasn’t far off, but he sensed an unusual aura.

‘Why isn’t it a dispersal flow?’

Kang-hoo sensed a wave pattern much more chaotic than the mana he had detected from the dungeon earlier.

Normally, after an explosion, the mana waves should have stabilized, but…

He perceived a complex and tangled flow of mana.

It seemed that only Kang-hoo noticed this, as other hunters around him eagerly rushed towards the dungeon.

In the distance, hunters from the Kenax group were also assembling in significant numbers.

It was natural for them to hurry to the scene to clean up after the explosion.

At that moment…

‘This is the real deal.’

Without hesitation, Kang-hoo activated the second stage of his protective measures. He had a gut feeling.

Sure enough…

Swoosh! Boom!

A suction effect preceded a massive explosion, as if drawing everything nearby into it.

The previous explosion in the dungeon was merely a prelude.

This was the actual detonation.

Kooong!

“Kugh!”

That was a narrow escape.

It was a truly close call; the protective barrier from Defense Stage Two barely absorbed the shockwave.

Had he deployed only a simple protective barrier, he would have sustained injuries from such a powerful explosion.

The calamity didn’t end there.

Squang!

A second explosion erupted.

Kang-hoo activated the continuous use feature of Defense Stage Two, shielding himself again.

It was fortunate to be Stage Two; Stage One would have left him helplessly exposed.

“……”

Cold sweat trickled down his back. The successive explosions took even Kang-hoo by surprise.

The moment was so dangerous that he couldn’t help but consider Defense Stage Two his saving grace.

Hwiieeee.

A hollow wind whispered through the aftermath.

Kang-hoo surveyed the scene.

Hunters caught in the earlier erratic explosions were all dead.

There was utter devastation, not even a faint groan audible.

The hunters from Kenax, who had drawn near the dungeon, were either burst like balloons or shredded into several pieces.

The shockwave was something no human body could withstand; it was as if they burst like popcorn.

“What a messed-up explosion.”

Kang-hoo looked at the now-sealed entrance of the dungeon and smirked bitterly.

After the second explosion, the dungeon’s entrance, which had been bidirectional, became one-way.

Given the statistics that 99% of dungeon explosions are one-time events,

it was like winning the rare 1% gamble. The prize had been unattainable from the start.

The hunters who were lured in like moths to a flame all met a gruesome end, with Kang-hoo as the sole survivor.

['Great Catastrophe – Darkness' is deeply impressed by your insight that defied death.]

“Hmm?”

Kang-hoo startled at the sudden appearance of a message from a significant constellation.

The name of the constellation mentioned in the message glowed in golden light.

This was a privilege not even afforded to the Dimension Plunderer. In other words, it indicated someone of much higher rank.

The Grand Throne Hall, the entity that coordinates the orders of all constellations.

The names of constellations within the top 50 of the entire hierarchy in the Grand Throne Hall glow in gold.

Kang-hoo had pegged the Dimension Plunderer’s rank at around the 60th.

But now, an existence far superior had made itself known.

[A freak who just likes to watch death, huh? This guy's turning up here?]

The Dimension Plunderer, who normally wouldn’t blink at the appearance of an ordinary constellation, reacted immediately.

If she reacts, there’s no need to ponder its significance. It means it’s something momentous.

At that moment,

A communication channel, which only opened with the support of at least one constellation, activated.

Naturally, the one who initiated it was the Great Catastrophe – Darkness. A series of unexpected events was unfolding.

[Intriguing. Typically, in such explosions, most perish. No, perhaps it's accurate to say all?]

The voice was chillingly indifferent.

It was a chill that could even slap the face of the Dimension Plunderer.

“As you can see the result.”

Kang-hoo shrugged.

[Interesting fellow. It's been a long time since I've seen one. You are indeed worthy of observation (注視).]

‘Observation?’

Kang-hoo was surprised.

Observation meant that a constellation designated three hunters to be under its constant watch, a strong expression of intent.

It was akin to a shopping cart or wishlist in online shopping but with more compulsion.

In other words,

if a constellation decided to ‘observe’ three hunters, it had to contract with at least one of them.

[Great Catastrophe – Darkness has 'observed' contractor Shin Kang-hoo. One remaining observation contract.]

[See you again, contractor Shin Kang-hoo.]

‘Great Catastrophe – Darkness’ appeared abruptly, unilaterally observed, conveyed its message, and then vanished.

There was also a gift.

['Great Catastrophe – Darkness', having expended a large amount of holy power, bestows upon you an enormous buff.]

[Experience Increase +100%]

The support was so immense that it made the backing from other constellations seem insignificant.

[Crazy.]

The reaction of the Dimension Plunderer was immediate and sharply edged.

Hadn’t the ‘Strategist of the Wasteland’ already been a potential main constellation competitor?

Now a higher-ranked constellation had appeared, making it impossible not to feel heated.

“Huh. My worth is rising.”

Kang-hoo smirked.

Just by diligently engaging in everything, his value had skyrocketed beyond belief.

The once clear master-servant relationship between the Dimension Plunderer and Kang-hoo was reversing. Or rather, it had already reversed. The Dimension Plunderer just didn’t want to admit it.

Kang-hoo left the Hongcheon Liberation Area.

All events within the liberation area had been stopped due to the aftermath of the dungeon explosion.

Additionally, he had already reaped benefits from the Death Match, and with the markets closed for now, there was nothing left to gain.

He had taken everything he required.

He had formed a bond with Emilia and acquired a useful ring.

Moreover, with his recollection of Park Sang-oh, he easily amassed 300 billion won.

By successfully handling the dungeon explosion, he even attracted the attention of a high-ranking constellation.

Things were going exceptionally well, almost too well to believe.

After departing from the Hongcheon Liberation Area, Kang-hoo made a beeline for Seoul.

He had learned that Park Min-sung’s parents had already flown into the country via Gimpo Airport.

He had been puzzled by how they managed to arrive so swiftly from the UK, but it turned out they were in Japan.

It appeared they had planned something when they decided to go to Japan.

Still, considering their son’s roots were in South Korea, their move was somewhat unfortunate.

In the meantime, Kim Su-kyung’s mercenary group reached out to him.

He had thought his time in Seoul would be constrained, but now there was a change in plans.

“Yes, this is Jung Sun-kyu.”

“This is Kim Su-kyung. I’ve confirmed the information with Lee Ye-rin, but this is our first direct conversation.”

“Has there been a change in plans?”

They were scheduled to meet the following day.

Typically, barring any changes, meetings would commence in person.

“The target has extended their stay in the dungeon. We need to delay our plans.”

“I understand. How does this affect the subsequent schedule?”

“Let’s reschedule for three days from now.”

“Understood. I’ll see you then.”

With that, the brief call concluded.

The previously tight schedule now had some breathing room.

With no urgency in dealing with Jeon Jong-du, there was no need to hasten.

“Perhaps I should take some time to study the Era of Barbarians here?”

The meeting regarding Park Min-sung’s parents wasn’t expected to be lengthy.

Given the three-day cushion provided by Kim Su-kyung, even if he finished today’s obligations in Seoul, he would still have two days to spare.

With no urgent requests to handle or places he needed to visit,

he thought it might be good to quickly learn the Era of Barbarians using the skill book tricks like before.

He could rent the Baltman Dungeon again from the Onnuri Guild near Suwon Station.

If not, he had second and third plans, so there seemed to be no issues.

Kang-hoo, who had just stopped at a rest area, opened his smartphone to check the secure email from Lee Ye-rin.

It contained information about Park Min-sung’s parents, whom he would meet in the morning.

Who could they be, these named hunters in the UK with such high status?

With just the condition of being named, there were too many possibilities for Kang-hoo to easily guess.

And the moment he checked the email:

“Spitfire Guild. The master and deputy master of this guild are Park Min-sung’s parents?”

Two prominent hunters appeared, exceeding his expectations.

The Spitfire, a UK-based adventure guild, was owned by Park Min-sung’s adoptive parents.

For Kang-hoo, it was a moment that could potentially open paths not only to Japan but also to the UK.

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