A wide underground chamber lit by yellow incandescent lights.
Swish–
“Phew...”
In front of a training scarecrow, Ji Wonhoon stood with his eyes closed, carefully controlling his breathing. His arms moved fluidly in the air, resembling the motions of Tai Chi.
But there was something peculiar about him.
From one of Ji Wonhoon’s arms, a black aura pulsated, an unusual sight. Though Kang Hyunsoo had severed his left arm not long ago, a black artificial arm now took its place.
And this artificial arm was far from ordinary.
Ji Wonhoon moved it with precision and agility, surpassing the capabilities of a natural limb.
Moreover...
Hiss– Hiss–
The black aura emanating from the arm spread, coiling around the scarecrow.
Slash! Swoosh! Shing!
Suddenly, the aura transformed into a sharp, straight blade, slicing cleanly through the scarecrow.
It was an advanced technique, solidifying the black aura into a tangible form of energy—an aura blade.
“Phew... Finally,” Ji Wonhoon exhaled, relief evident on his face as the black blade retracted. He opened his eyes, looking satisfied.
At that moment—
Clap, clap, clap!
“Congratulations, President. You’ve finally succeeded in mastering the fused power.”
From the entryway of the underground chamber, Andy applauded as he stepped forward to greet Ji Wonhoon.
Ji Wonhoon wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, responding with a tired voice.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but it feels a bit late to celebrate. I didn’t expect combining the power of Greed with my latent potential would take this long...”
“That’s not true, President. As far as I know, merging two distinct forces is incredibly challenging. Even Lady Hayuri said it could take over a year. You’ve actually achieved this in record time.”
“Perhaps, but the urgency remains. I can’t afford to waste any more time.”
Ji Wonhoon clenched and unclenched his black artificial hand, his gaze fixed on it.
The arm was a gift from Hayuri, crafted after he lost his original limb to Kang Hyunsoo’s attack.
Despite being artificial, it functioned like a real arm, with performance exceeding human limits. Infused with the power of Greed, it offered incredible strength.
When combined with Ji Wonhoon’s latent potential, the power of Greed could be shaped into a solid form, allowing him to manipulate it beyond the arm’s physical structure.
At first, even maintaining the arm’s shape was a challenge. Ji Wonhoon had secluded himself in the underground basement of his estate, dedicating himself entirely to mastering it. After ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) relentless effort, he finally succeeded in materializing the aura within a one-meter radius.
Now, he could extend its use to both offense and defense.
It seemed almost time to seek revenge against Kang Hyunsoo—but finding him proved no simple task.
“How’s Kang Hyunsoo? Any leads on his whereabouts?” Ji Wonhoon asked, still testing his newfound power.
“We haven’t located him yet. The Hunter Bureau and the Samcheon Guild are keeping a tight lid on information. Babylon’s reduced manpower also slows our intelligence-gathering efforts,” Andy replied with a stoic expression, shaking his head.
Despite Ji Wonhoon’s adaptation to his new arm, neither his spies nor his personal investigations had uncovered Kang Hyunsoo’s trail.
Given Hyunsoo’s unexpected strength during his clash with Choi Jiwoo, Ji Wonhoon had anticipated a re-ranking assessment or public appearance. Yet, he remained conspicuously absent.
“That slippery bastard. Where the hell is he hiding?”
“Whether Choi Jiwoo is shielding him or he’s changed his identity, his tracks are completely obscured. However, we’ve managed to gather some information about a Samcheon Guild hunter connected to him.”
“A Samcheon Guild hunter?”
“Yes, a man named Han Sungbin. He’s reportedly seeking a B-rank open dungeon and offering a reward three times the market rate.”
“Han Sungbin, paying triple for a B-rank open dungeon? He doesn’t have the skills to clear one yet... Something’s off.”
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“I agree, President. There’s more to this than meets the eye.”
“Keep tracking Han Sungbin. If he leads us to Hyunsoo... eliminate him immediately.”
“Yes, President. Understood.”
Andy bowed and disappeared, leaving only a faint blur in his wake.
The training chamber fell silent once more.
“Kang Hyunsoo...”
Ji Wonhoon stretched his arm toward the scarecrow, summoning the power of Greed.
As the black aura coiled around the scarecrow, it thickened and tightened.
“I’ll crush you.”
Vwoom! Crack!
With a sudden contraction, the black energy obliterated the scarecrow in a single burst.
***
“Now, Swallow!”
“Yes, Master!”
At the edge of a lake, where water reached up to their ankles, Kang Hyunsoo gave a signal.
Swallow, breaking its concealment, flew low over the water.
Immediately—
“Puhah, puhah!”
“Puuuoooo!!”
The lake guardians, over twenty seahorse monsters, erupted from the water, their mouths forming sharp nozzles as they fired water cannons at Swallow.
Splashhhhhhh—!!
Golden streams of water cut through the air, hurtling with destructive force capable of piercing rocks and trees.
However—
Clanggg—!!
The incoming water cannons shattered mid-air.
[The Charming Companion uses a magnificent shield.]
A glowing blue barrier had materialized in front of Swallow just in time.
Flapping its wings, Swallow generated the protective shield, while Kang Hyunsoo used the distraction to flank the seahorse formation.
Seizing the moment when the seahorses' attention was entirely on Swallow—
[Activated]
[Acceleration (C)]
[Penetration (C)]
He darted into their midst, dual swords flashing in his hands.
Slash—! Crash—!!
Kang Hyunsoo cut into the densely packed formation of the seahorse monsters.
At such close range, their water cannons were ineffective.
“Puhpa...!”
The guardians tried to retreat, raising shields to maintain distance, but Hyunsoo was already too close.
[Activated]
[Stomp (C)]
Splash—! Boom—!!
As Hyunsoo’s foot struck the shallow water, ripples of energy exploded outward, throwing up a spray of droplets.
Vroooom—!!
The guardians froze in place, paralyzed by the shockwave.
Not missing the opportunity, Hyunsoo unleashed a flurry of attacks.
Starting with Crimson Flame and followed by Bladestorm and Celestial Blade, he deployed a series of high-impact, wide-area skills.
Clang-clang-clang—!! Swoosh—! Slashhh—!!
His blades tore through dozens of enemies in mere moments.
The seahorses tried to counter with shields and water cannons, but it was futile.
The intense heat of Hyunsoo’s flaming sword evaporated the water, while his aura-infused strikes cut through their armor like paper.
Eventually—
[Level 340. You have defeated the Golden Lake Guardian Seahorse.]
[Level 340. You have defeated the Golden Lake Guardian Seahorse.]
[You have automatically acquired a Golden Fragment.]
[Golden Lake Quest: Collect 200 Golden Fragments (182/200)]
[...]
[Golden Lake Quest: Collect 200 Golden Fragments (200/200)]
The swarm of guardian seahorses crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
It had taken less than a minute. Overwhelming them with a rapid chain of skills, Hyunsoo had annihilated the Level 300+ monsters.
“Phew, that’s finally done.”
Hyunsoo wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, taking a moment to catch his breath.
But as he straightened up—
“Take this!”
Swallow swooped in, its sunglasses gleaming, flapping its wings aggressively.
It unleashed an attack toward the front, where the seahorses had once concentrated their water cannons.
[The Charming Companion uses Stunning Feather Volley.]
Sharp feathers shot out in a whirlwind.
At first glance, it looked as if Swallow had mistaken Hyunsoo for an enemy and was attacking indiscriminately. But in reality, it was far from that.
Hyunsoo tilted his head slightly, dodging the incoming feathers.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud-thud-thud—!!
“Puhak...”
[Level 340. You have defeated the Golden Lake Guardian Seahorse.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Rewards: Intelligence +2, Health +3.]
A seahorse that had been feigning death and attempting a surprise attack on Hyunsoo collapsed.
Without needing verbal communication, the synergy between them was flawless.
Hyunsoo smirked at Swallow, which hovered nearby.
“Not bad. You pulled that off without needing instructions. I wanted to lure out the ambusher, and you handled it perfectly.”
“Hmph, don’t forget that I share your memories, Master. Besides, I’ve grown stronger—I can earn my keep now.”
Puffing out its chest, Swallow adjusted its sunglasses, clearly pleased with the praise.
Indeed, there was truth to the saying, Even a village dog can recite poetry after three years.
Having crossed life-and-death situations numerous times, their teamwork had become seamless.
Swallow’s inherited memories from Hyunsoo’s previous life further enhanced its combat effectiveness.
This synergy had been evident during their earlier encounters.
At the dungeon's entrance, when over a hundred seahorse guardians surrounded them, Swallow skillfully flitted between the water's surface and the clouds, diverting the enemies' attention.
Despite minimal instructions, it had perfectly executed its role, guided by Hyunsoo’s past experiences.
Together, they carved a path deep into the Golden Lake Dungeon.
While not every monster in the forest’s depths dropped golden fragments, they provided valuable experience and occasionally rare items, making it worth the effort to hunt them down.
Even without Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun, the raid’s speed exceeded anything from Hyunsoo’s previous life.
Swallow’s incorporation of Hyunsoo’s memories proved invaluable in combat, and it had genuinely grown stronger.
As they took a short break after clearing the mobs, a notification popped up in Hyunsoo’s field of vision.
[Hidden Condition Achieved]
[Complete 1,000 Hours of Combat with the Charming Companion (1,000/1,000)]
[Hidden Rewards]
[The Charming Companion’s attack and defense increase by 10%.]
[The Charming Companion learns the skill: Weakness Detection (C).]
[Skill: Weakness Detection (C) – Identifies a critical weak point of the enemy with a low probability. Consumes 10% of stored Charm.]
[The Charming Companion gains the trait: Telepathic Link (A).]
[Telepathic Link (A) – Allows mental communication with the Charming Companion, even across dimensions.]
Unexpected growth.
Swallow, sensing the change, spun jubilantly in the air.
“Oh! Additional power has been unlocked, Master!”
“Weakness Detection and Telepathic Link... Not bad.”
Both seemed useful. While it was hard to test Weakness Detection immediately due to the Charm consumption, the description alone looked promising.
And as for Telepathic Link...
Hyunsoo glanced down the path stretching along the lake, his thoughts shifting.
‘What’s left now is...’
“The boss monster, Master.”
Swallow seamlessly completed his train of thought.
“Your performance is solid.”
–Shall we proceed, Master?
This time, Swallow’s voice resonated directly in Hyunsoo’s mind.
So that’s how it works.
Smirking, Hyunsoo began walking toward the boss chamber.
With 200 golden fragments collected, the only task remaining was—
[Golden Lake Quest: Obtain 1 Golden Core (0/1)]
Acquiring the Golden Core from the dungeon’s boss monster.
The final stage of the raid.
The path ahead was briefly tangled with dense undergrowth, but Hyunsoo navigated it with ease.
Many hunters lost their way before even encountering the boss, but Hyunsoo’s familiarity with the area from his past life gave him an edge.
This terrain was identical to the Misty Forest, where he had obtained the Trust Bracelet.
Sure enough—
As Hyunsoo approached the lake with the golden tree, now broken and weathered, he was greeted by a low rumble.
“Prrrr... Prrrr....”
[Level 370. Golden Lake Guardian Seahorse King.]
A colossal seahorse, wielding two massive shields, emerged beside the fractured golden tree, awaiting him.