“I understand.”
Kang-hoo nodded.
The Kashimar Guild was the one that had manipulated Jajang’s Osho Mercenary Corps from behind the scenes, effectively treating them like mere extensions of their own power.
This was because Nikolai Strakh, the master of the Kashimar Guild, was considered a superior counterpart to Jeon Jong-du.
Jeon Jong-du had revered him as a master, a sentiment only possible because their dispositions were nearly identical.
However, Kang-hoo was curious about the sudden mention of the Kashimar Guild.
He would have understood if Kim Su-kyung, who had fought alongside him, had brought it up.
But it was surprising that Jeon Se-hyuk, who seemed unrelated, mentioned the guild associated with the Osho Mercenary Corps.
Realizing that his mention might seem out of the blue, Jeon Se-hyuk explained his reason.
“It’s not about anything else. Originally, a partner who was supposed to be with us has been kidnapped by that guild.”“The Kashimar Guild?”
“Yes, that’s correct. The dungeon we’re heading to requires three people to synchronize, and now we’re one short.”
Naturally, there would be a gap since the dungeon required three people to work together, but they were down to two.
The Kashimar Guild was even worse than the Osho Mercenary Corps.
If the Osho Mercenary Corps were like neighborhood thugs, then the Kashimar Guild was a well-organized, giant criminal organization.
Moreover, their external facade was so polished that their reputation was as commendable as the Jeonghwa Guild’s.
Especially since they had solid connections within the Russian political sphere, they were almost universally praised in Russia.
Kang-hoo, having never met the kidnapped hunter, was curious about their fate.
“Have you confirmed their survival?”
“Yes, we contacted them yesterday. We sent the money they demanded, and for now, they’ve kept them alive.”
Jeon Se-hyuk’s expression was grave.
Kept them alive.
Because the money sent to the Kashimar Guild translated into time for the hostage’s life.
Once that time passed, the Kashimar Guild would either trade the hostage or use them as a test subject.
Becoming a human hunter weapon, like Bejumie, was also a frequent occurrence.
Seeing Kang-hoo’s bitter expression, Jeon Se-hyuk continued.
“I would like to go there myself and smash everything, but realistically, it’s impossible.”
“Can’t this be resolved through Mr. Lee Hyun-seok?”
Kang-hoo’s question held significance for Jeon Se-hyuk, who shared a brotherly bond with Lee Hyun-seok.
In fact, Lee Hyun-seok had more connections and influence with guilds abroad than domestically, including in Russia.
“Requesting help from Hyun-seok is too shameful, so I’ve kept it a secret.”
“I miss you, brother Dong-jae…”
Then,
Ban Se-yeong mentioned the kidnapped hunter’s name, her eyes slightly reddened.
Dong-jae. It was not a name that could be specifically identified, nor was it very common.
Kang-hoo, familiar with the original story, remembered a name and cautiously asked.
“Is this brother Dong-jae, Mr. Park Dong-jae, specialized in buff skills?”
“Oh! Yes, that’s right. Do you know Dong-jae?”
“Just heard rumors among hunters.”
Jeon Se-hyuk was surprised by the response, and Kang-hoo quickly provided a plausible explanation. It was a common occurrence, after all.
Kang-hoo was also slightly taken aback by his correct guess.
Park Dong-jae.
Known as the “Frenzied Conductor,” he was a very skilled buffer.
In the original story, a connection between Shin Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae was almost made, but Jang Si-hwan blocked it.
There were several reasons for this.
One of them was because Park Dong-jae’s mentor, Bok Hyeong-seok, was killed by Jang Si-hwan.
The reasons given were punishing evil and implementing justice, but those were merely the victor’s assertions.
Anyway, from Jang Si-hwan’s perspective, Park Dong-jae, a disciple of an evil person and dreaming of revenge for his master, was a thorn in his side.
Moreover, as Park Dong-jae became a formidable ally for Jang Si-hwan, and Shin Kang-hoo started showing interest in him,
Jang Si-hwan felt threatened and had him assassinated. It was an assassination involving many of the guild’s elite members.
“Having Park Dong-jae by your side is definitely a plus. It’s not just a simple addition, but almost like multiplication.”
Until now, Kang-hoo had been attracted to the abilities of people like Ban Se-yeong or Jung Yuri.
But compared to having Park Dong-jae by his side, they were hardly worth mentioning.
For Kang-hoo, who could maximize the power of a single attack, whether or not he had the support of a buffer was very important.
Park Dong-jae was truly a hunter who could give wings to Kang-hoo.
“I hope we can find him. So this is why his appearance in the original work was delayed so much.”
Knowing the behind-the-scenes story made the reason for the late encounter with Shin Kang-hoo in the original work understandable.
Clearly, Park Dong-jae was a hunter worth utilizing. Kang-hoo wanted to forge a connection with him by any means.
It was both an instinctive intuition and a rational recognition that he was the right hunter for him.
Kang-hoo decided to suggest something to Jeon Se-hyuk. It wouldn’t make sense for him to step forward directly.
“I think getting help from Mr. Lee Hyun-seok is a good idea. We can’t ignore the fate of our partner.”
“I’m seriously considering it.”
“If needed, I’ll lend my strength as well.”
It was a voluntary offer from Kang-hoo, who usually wouldn’t step forward unless money was involved.
Jeon Se-hyuk thought that Kang-hoo, the requester, wouldn’t offer his strength out of mere goodwill.
But there couldn’t be any malice. Could it be that he’s a good person? Jeon Se-hyuk smiled enigmatically.
Moreover, as Park Dong-jae emerged as a formidable ally for Jang Si-hwan, and Shin Kang-hoo began showing interest in him,
Jang Si-hwan felt threatened and orchestrated his assassination, involving many of the guild’s elite members.
“Having Park Dong-jae by your side is definitely a plus. It’s not just a simple addition, but almost like multiplication.”
Until now, Kang-hoo had been drawn to the abilities of individuals like Ban Se-yeong or Jung Yuri.
However, compared to having Park Dong-jae by his side, they paled in significance.
For Kang-hoo, who could maximize the power of a single attack, the support of a buffer was crucial.
Park Dong-jae was indeed a hunter who could give wings to Kang-hoo.
“I hope we can find him. So this is why his appearance in the original work was delayed so much.”
Understanding the behind-the-scenes story clarified the reason for the delayed encounter with Shin Kang-hoo in the original work.
Clearly, Park Dong-jae was a hunter worth leveraging. Kang-hoo was determined to forge a connection with him by any means necessary.
It was both an instinctive intuition and a rational acknowledgment that he was the right hunter for him.
Kang-hoo decided to make a suggestion to Jeon Se-hyuk. It wouldn’t make sense for him to approach directly.
“I think getting help from Mr. Lee Hyun-seok is a good idea. We can’t overlook the fate of our partner.”
“I’m seriously considering it.”
“If needed, I’ll lend my strength as well.”
This was a voluntary offer from Kang-hoo, who typically wouldn’t step forward unless money was involved.
Jeon Se-hyuk suspected that Kang-hoo, the requester, wouldn’t offer his strength out of mere goodwill.
But there couldn’t be any malice. Could it be that he’s a good person? Jeon Se-hyuk smiled enigmatically.
“As expected.”
Just as he had anticipated, Jeon Se-hyuk was using an entire building as a training ground.
It seemed he had purchased the land and constructed the building himself.
Next to it was the Haeohwa Guild’s 5th training ground.
Before entering, they caught the eyes of hunters belonging to the Haeohwa Guild, all of whom greeted Jeon Se-hyuk respectfully.
Of course, they did not seem to recognize Kang-hoo standing next to Jeon Se-hyuk, as he wasn’t a well-known face.
Once inside, they found a variety of expensive training facilities equipped.
There was also a simulation facility, featuring high-cost equipment that could replicate a virtual dungeon environment.
Additionally, nearly ten sets of high-end training suits equipped with highly sensitive sensors were prepared.
The array of top-tier equipment used to establish this training ground likely cost hundreds of billions of won.
“Change into the training suits. We’ll set the training level to 300. Higher is better than lower.”
“Sounds good.”
Kang-hoo accepted Jeon Se-hyuk’s suggestion.
Training inherently lacks the tension of real combat, leading to a potential drop in focus.
Thus, it’s common practice to intentionally set the difficulty a level or two higher.
After a while,
The training commenced.
The concept of the virtual training was set to ‘evasion’ and ‘sniping.’
Given the maze dungeon’s composition with numerous long-range attacks, evasion was a necessary priority.
Sniping was crucial for Ban Se-yeong to ensure she could support Kang-hoo from the back, requiring prior verification.
The training, without breaks, lasted about 5 hours.
According to Jeon Se-hyuk, it was the first time they had trained for such an extended period.
Even when he had trained with Park Dong-jae in the past, they would be exhausted after about 3 hours.
However, Kang-hoo did not let out a single moan throughout the training, focusing intently and sweating silently.
After the training ended,
While Kang-hoo was showering off his sweat in a separate shower room, the remaining two exchanged words.
The topic of their conversation was Kang-hoo, who was not present.
“Brother, did you see? Clean hits, zero damage. It’s like the training results of Brother Sun-kyu.”
“I saw. Impressive.”
“Is ‘impressive’ all you have to say? Not a single hit taken during training.”
“Others might have been more surprised. But I’ve said it before, haven’t I? Jung Sun-kyu is an assassin whose skills deserve recognition.”
“Plus, he threw daggers twenty-nine times without missing once.”
“Skills and fundamentals don’t lie.”
Jeon Se-hyuk had known from the start that Kang-hoo was no ordinary individual.
He had subdued Kang Dong-hyun’s hunting dog, Cha So-hee, in a one-on-one match, overcoming nearly triple the level difference.
From the start, he was a hunter of a different caliber, so his impressive performance paradoxically wasn’t surprising.
It was expected.
Thinking of Kang-hoo as a replacement for Park Dong-jae without hesitation was for the same reason: proven skills.
“Se-yeong needs someone with the ability to create a stage for her to excel on, like Shin Kang-hoo.”
That was Jeon Se-hyuk’s thought.
For the sake of paving a smooth path for his cousin’s growth, the relationship with Kang-hoo was very important.
If they could later rescue and bring Park Dong-jae, he too wanted him by Kang-hoo’s side.
This was Jeon Se-hyuk’s conviction, honed by experiencing all manners of battles as a hunter.
The only thing Kang-hoo lacked was level. He already possessed potential and skills.
Ignoring such talent would be an unforgivable mistake.
It was a loss in itself.
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