The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

“It’s a picture from when I was a bit heavier. It might look different now.”

Kang-hoo knew the reason.

It was because he used a photo taken before he entered Cheongmyeong Detention Center.

It was also a picture taken with Han Seo-yeon, his lover at the time, at a studio.

It was a solo shot taken as a bonus concept, but it was too good to discard.

Attaching it to his documents, it seemed to make his current lean face look different.

After all, he was quite heavier back then, so it’s not strange to look like a different person.

“Looking closely, it’s indeed you. Now, let’s start the interview immediately. The questions will mainly be asked by Commissioner Gong.”

Go Ju-hee pointed to Gong Yu-seok, sitting next to her.

An undeniable instinct of men and women, a beautiful sight.

Gong Yu-seok cleared his throat a couple of times and then continued with the questions.

“You’ve mentioned your skill composition. Is this true? There seems to be a discrepancy with your level.”

“Please specify where you see the discrepancy.”

“You said you’re level 100. Normally, at level 100, having 7 basic skills and a few additional skills is the max.”

Gong Yu-seok was correct.

In fact, counting two or three additional skills was already generous, as many hunters only have the basic skills.

Originally, aside from acquiring basic skills and class skill books, there was no way to add more.

And skill books were worth a fortune.

The chances of finding them in dungeons were incredibly low, and even if found, they might not be for the same job class.

Unless the skill was useless or had low utility value…

To Gong Yu-seok and Go Ju-hee, the additional skills Kang-hoo possessed seemed too good.

“No need for a lengthy explanation. How about I just show you?”

Kang-hoo initiated.

Shadow Step, Illusion Technique, Protective Barrier, Craftiness Veil, Kidnap. These were the five skills Kang-hoo disclosed.

Shadow Step and Craftiness Veil had already been revealed when he humiliated the bald man.

Revealing them wasn’t a loss but rather an appeal, so there was no issue.

“Let’s see. In dungeons, there are various unpredictable situations, so we need to see if you can handle them.”

Gong Yu-seok and Go Ju-hee’s eyes sparkled.

For an assassin at only level 100, the question was whether these listed skills truly existed.

It was time for direct verification.

And then.

Whish! Whish! Whish!

Kang-hoo smoothly demonstrated his skills, starting with Shadow Step, a familiar movement.

After a whirlwind skill demonstration concluded in an instant.

“Hmm…”

“They’re real. And the skills seem to be highly proficient…”

Gong Yu-seok and Go Ju-hee were at a loss for words, barely realizing they were trailing off.

There had been assassins in previous interviews.

But that assassin had clumsily shown clone techniques, only demonstrating hectic hit-and-run tactics.

Though flashy, it lacked substance and seemed full of openings.

However, Kang-hoo was different.

He combined his skills in a way that remained in place while disrupting the enemy.

Especially the Kidnap skill, which pulled targets towards him, made it even less necessary for Kang-hoo to move.

The exchange of looks between Gong Yu-seok and Go Ju-hee had already concluded their judgment on Kang-hoo.

It was puzzling why such a talent was a mercenary instead of being affiliated with a guild.

If he applied to join the Jeonghwa Guild, he had the fundamentals to be welcomed with open arms.

He was not an assassin honed by just a day or two of training. His skill proficiency also seemed quite high.

Still, Go Ju-hee shifted the topic, seemingly deeming it improper to pass him immediately.

It was a question that had to be asked, but the timing had been missed.

“Let’s hear what you aim for in the raid of Judgment’s Hell?”

“Individual raiding.”

“There’s no need to move as a team, but wouldn’t that be quite dangerous?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Judgment’s Hell isn’t an easy dungeon. There’s a reason we’re even recruiting outsiders.”

“If you’re going to die, you’ll die regardless of being together, and if you’re going to live, you can do so even if you’re apart.”

“Still, taking down large bosses together would give you unique buffs or loot benefits.”

“I’m more interested in adventuring and exploring than raiding Judgment’s Hell.”

Kang-hoo made an outright lie, one he could tell without a change in his expression.

His goal had been clear from the start.

It was to preemptively seize opportunities that Jang Si-hwan or Chae Gwanhyeong might reach.

He didn’t want to give those two, who were already in a good state of growth, any more advantages.

“Wouldn’t that be too regrettable?”

“I’m satisfied with the experience.”

The examiners’ puzzled reactions were understandable.

Normally, raiding such mega-dungeons is done in team units swarming together.

But that would make independent action impossible, so Kang-hoo had laid the groundwork in advance.

After all, it wasn’t mandatory, so they would likely stop at recommending it.

However, Kang-hoo would have to share information about the areas he explored and scrutinized personally.

That was something Kang-hoo had considered before mentioning it, so he wasn’t worried about it.

“Alright. I’m very curious about the process, but you possess skills that don’t match your level. Good to see.”

“I appreciate the compliment.”

“We’ll allow the individual raiding part. A guide will speak to you about information sharing and the signing of a one-time contract.”

“Thank you.”

“As you know, the individual raiding part excludes you from the loot distribution except for the final boss monster.”

“I don’t mind.”

He was never interested anyway.

The entire structure of the large-scale raid was designed so that the Jeonghwa Guild could reap most of the benefits.

Kang-hoo’s interest extended far beyond mere crumbs in Judgment’s Hell.

The contract was swiftly concluded.

It was, in essence, a contract.

The entirety of its content revolved around the distribution of loot and the exemption from responsibility for any deaths during combat.

In other words, it was practically a consent form for potential death, so there were no clauses of particular note.

He was informed that the raid would commence within 7 days, with final notification given the day before.

It was puzzling why they wouldn’t specify the date. Setting a specific D-day and starting then would have been more straightforward.

“They might be excluding monsters they can easily capture on their own. No need to do others any favors.”

He vaguely guessed their intention, so the uncertain schedule didn’t seem odd.

Of course, he thought the notification process was transparent, but it was purely for convenience.

Soon after, Kang-hoo made his way to the elevator after leaving the interview room.

The line for the interview extended to the elevator, so he opted for the freight elevator at the emergency stair entrance.

It was an elevator people normally used, boarded without much thought.

But then.

A familiar face appeared.

Chae Gwanhyeong.

He seemed to have been riding the elevator alone, coming from the top floor, which must have been the VIP levels of the building.

Chae Gwanhyeong didn’t even glance at Kang-hoo.

Normally, when someone enters an elevator, they at least exchange glances, but he just kept looking at his smartphone.

“Look at the constellations.”

There were twenty-five in total.

At this rate, a level of over 700 was guaranteed. This wasn’t much different from what he remembered from the original story.

For a moment, Kang-hoo contemplated ambushing and killing Chae Gwanhyeong. It wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.

“Let’s leave dreams as dreams.”

But then, his reason took over.

If it was just about killing Chae Gwanhyeong, there would have been no need for hesitation. That would have been the end of it.

However, the moment he killed Chae Gwanhyeong, he would become a public enemy.

Narrowly, an enemy of the Jeonghwa Guild, broadly, an enemy of The Thirteen Stars, and even further, an enemy of the people.

This would significantly reduce his freedom of movement and make him a top priority on the wanted list.

The losses would overwhelmingly outweigh the gains, so he didn’t want to make a reckless move driven by emotions.

“Ha, damn… They’ll be annoyingly gathered at the entrance again. Like bugs.”

Chae Gwanhyeong carelessly spoke out, then shrugged his shoulders upon realizing Kang-hoo’s presence.

It was embarrassing for Kang-hoo to enter, but it was a gesture filled with confidence, as if to say, what could you possibly do about it?

Then, as the elevator reached the first floor.

No sooner had Chae Gwanhyeong stepped out than his fans crowded in the lobby began shouting.

“Oppa! Gwanhyeong Oppa! Happy birthday! Look here! Just once, please! Just once!”

“Oppa! Happy birthday! Sincerely!”

“I’ll definitely go to the departure ceremony! I’ll be watching from a good spot!”

Despite the cheers of numerous fans, Chae Gwanhyeong didn’t even glance their way and headed elsewhere.

He might have at least waved his hand for the sake of image management, but he seemed preoccupied with something else.

Then.

“Huh? Who’s that oppa?”

“That oppa is really handsome too! Who is he? A Jeonghwa Guild hunter?”

“Given he’s not in uniform, seems not? Look at his nose. It’s so sharp! Cool!”

Fans, disappointed for missing Chae Gwanhyeong, redirected their attention to Kang-hoo.

“……”

Kang-hoo felt a sense of déjà vu from an incident that had happened at Yongsan Station.

He quickly turned at a right angle and swiftly moved away from the crowd’s gaze.

He didn’t want to care about meaningless attention.

Afterwards, Kang-hoo headed to Seoul Market, located near Konkuk University Station.

Seoul Market wasn’t just one place, but a total of five.

Among them, the Seoul Market at Konkuk University Station was the first branch. It was also referred to as the main branch.

Fittingly for the number one branch, it mainly sold high-quality and valuable items.

Out of curiosity, he first looked for a talisman with the release option mentioned by Master K.

Unfortunately, it was not to be found.

So, he turned his attention to Class 2 items, as originally intended.

Among these, Kang-hoo particularly wanted to change his necklace.

This was because the Necklace of Favorable Winds he was currently wearing was ranked seventh.

The stat option only provided a +15 to agility, which wasn’t significantly impactful.

Then.

While browsing around for necklaces, a particular spot caught Kang-hoo’s eye.

It was a separate sales area, with a flag proudly hung in the center of the zone.

It was the flag of the Shinto Guild.

Meaning, this area was directly managed by the Shinto Guild. There were also officials present.

It wasn’t strange for the Shinto Guild to be in Seoul, as they had exchange relations with the Jeonghwa Guild.

However.

“……?”

The person overseeing the sales in this area was someone he knew.

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