Chapter 5: The Client (2)
Before Judgment Day and the dawn of the hunters era, the area near Daejeon Station bustled with people.
That story dated back 10 years.
But now, it had turned into a place of silence and stillness, with only the eerie, cold wind blowing through.
The once busy commercial district, filled with many shops, had become a desolate street lined with vacant spaces.
It had transformed into an empty street devoid of people, a secret zone hidden from prying eyes.
Lee Ye-rin stood at a distance from Kang-hoo and initiated the conversation.
I will only test one thing with Sun-kyu: Whether you can dodge skills. Thats it.
Given my assassin title, you want to see if I can at least fend for myself.
Right. Being able to dodge means youre also seizing opportunities to attack.
This was the type of test he desired.
No matter how eloquently one spoke, it meant nothing to someone who evaluated based on skill, like Lee Ye-rin.
They trusted their eyes, not their ears.
They valued a single movement over a hundred words.
Im ready.
Kang-hoos eyes sparkled.
[Unique Talent: Quite Excellent Strength/Exceptionally Outstanding Dynamic Vision]
He always had a unique ability at the ready for such moments.
A villain to always keep Jang Si-hwan on his toes that was the purpose of this arrangement.
He regretted not endowing himself with more talents back then, but he hadnt known he would embody the character.
Yet, he had solidly established his identity as an assassin, so he felt no anxiety about the future.
However, he recognized the need for caution.
There was a danger in overconfidence in his exceptional talents.
Jang Si-hwan and The Thirteen Stars held themselves to a high standard of skill.
If even these underlings, who thrived in a world of high skills, did so, there was no room for complacency.
The test skill is
Right now.
Interrupting Lee Ye-rin who was about to kindly inform him of the test skill, Kang-hoo knew that manners didnt exist on a battleground filled with deceit and hypocrisy.
Swoosh!
Lee Ye-rin instantly conjured a green sphere of light in her hands.
He recognized the skill immediately.
Mist Tracker.
It created a minion in the form of mist that latched onto the target.
Even a mere touch left a trace on the targets body, allowing for tracking from afar.
It wasnt an offensive skill, so being hit wouldnt kill you.
But failing to dodge left evidence, effectively ending the test.
Swoosh!
Lee Ye-rin swiftly extended her hand, sending the Mist Tracker toward Kang-hoo.
Being able to control its movements at will made it particularly challenging.
If I can just dodge it properly, Ill have earned my keep.
Lee Ye-rin never envisioned Kang-hoo dodging it in her mind.
It was just a matter of how soon he would get caught by the Mist Tracker.
As expected.
Kang-hoo seemed unable to decide on a direction and stood still, tense in his spot.
The unpredictability must have been difficult.
As Lee Ye-rin injected more propulsion, the Mist Tracker sped up and quickly engulfed Kang-hoo.
Just then.
Whoosh!
Kang-hoos body, which had disappeared from sight for a moment, reappeared about ten meters back.
For a level 10 assassin, that basic leap skill is too flashy, isnt it?
As a veteran like Lee Ye-rin, even if it wasnt her class, she could estimate other skills.
The proficiency of the leap skill displayed by Kang-hoo matched that of an assassin over level 250.
That estimate was conservative; it could be seen as high as levels 350 to 400.
Once could be a coincidence.
Lee Ye-rin immediately increased the speed of the Mist Tracker.
Being a primary skill for her at level 250, maximizing its performance was quick.
Whoosh!
The noise of slicing through space was audible; the attack was lightning-fast.
Swoosh.
But Kang-hoo effortlessly moved two steps to the side, neatly dodging the attack.
He then used a nearby pillar as a shield for lateral movement, effectively concealing himself.
Behind the pillar, he naturally activated his stealth skill.
Caught off guard, Lee Ye-rin tried to track the flow of mana to locate Kang-hoo.
In front?
She reacted instinctively and quickly retreated.
By a narrow margin, Kang-hoo materialized where she had just stood.
He had used his leap skill after stealth, aiming for a counter-attack.
Of course, there was no real intent to harm.
Wow.
Her exclamation was a mix of surprise, shock, the unexpected, and relief.
Lee Ye-rin dismissed the Mist Tracker with a gesture.
The test having been apparently completed, she immediately questioned Kang-hoo.
Have you had training?
No.
The level scan showed 10. But these movements arent typical for that level.
Is it confirmed?
Kang-hoo deflected the question, seeing no need to elaborate.
The purpose of what had just transpired was what mattered.
Yes. Based on this, Id rate you as level 50 for requests.
Thats good to hear.
Despite the positive undertone in his words, Kang-hoos expression remained unchanged.
Observing him, Lee Ye-rin thought he looked like someone who had never smiled.
His facial muscles were notably rigid.
As if he had forgotten how to use them.
Clearly, he was a hunter with a past, but it seemed unlikely that he would share it with her.
That was the essence of their conversation, right?
He carefully avoided answering anything beyond the immediate topic.
Their next conversation took place inside a black van that Lee Ye-rin had provided.
Their discussion, intertwined with mercenary work, followed a simple formula of offer and agreement.
The vans windows were fitted with layers of transparent plates, evidently for bulletproofing.
Feeling Kang-hoos gaze, she produced a contract, speaking.
A pesky gunman has been tailing me lately. Getting too much love from those Eclipse folks. Ho ho.
That meant Eclipse was wary of her, likely due to conflicting business interests.
The gunman tailing her signified that a Gunner class hunter, specializing in mana guns, was following her.
It was a warning indicating he could target her at any time, without even needing to pull the trigger.
Is this it?
Kang-hoo reached out to take the request form from Lee Ye-rin.
He found what she said somewhat interesting, but ultimately, it was her problem.
Knowing it didnt mean he had to care.
She hadnt asked for help first, either.
Yes. Its a request to track down a wanted person. Im the client. It should be a useful request for Mr. Sun-kyu.
Members of the mercenary group were adept at condensing content while capturing the essentials.
The request form Lee Ye-rin handed over contained only the necessary information and request, succinctly written.
[Kim Mok-hyun. Level 50. Mage.]
[Gyeonggi-do Osan. Abandoned ruins dungeon. Request for retrieval of the 3rd-grade item 'Bartalos's Shoes.']
Do I need to bring him back alive?
Hearing Kang-hoos question, Lee Ye-rin burst into laughter.
Ha, sorry. No ones ever asked me that so directly before.
Typically, people inquire why someone has become a wanted person.
In other words, they ask for the reason they are being tracked.
But Kang-hoo was asking whether he needed to capture the target alive or if it was permissible to kill him as long as he retrieved the item.
In fact, there was nothing bad to say about his question, and to put it nicely, it indicated he was professionally accepting the request.
Lee Ye-rin continued.
Its okay to kill him. There have been too many civilian murders confirmed as Kim Mok-hyuns doing. You might even be doing a favor.
What about the Hunter Public Safety Bureau?
If caught, its onsite execution.
Hunter Public Safety Bureau.
A national agency with several hunter public safety officers, but their influence is only effective in Seoul.
Anyway, since the bureaus judgment provides official grounds, killing the target wouldnt be considered a crime if its deemed an execution.
Of course, in the current world where the legal system has crumbled, the laws reach is extremely limited.
A small fry like Kim Mok-hyun, whether dead or alive, wouldnt concern anyone.
Then Ill just retrieve the requested item.
Sure. Everything else is outside of my request, whether Mr. Sun-kyu keeps it, disposes of it, or does whatever.
Lets get started right away.
The abandoned ruins dungeon is quite large. It wont be easy, as its hidden away in some corner.
I understand enough just by the fact that you didnt go search for it yourself.
Chik. Chik. Fwoosh!
Kang-hoo immediately burned the request form. He had memorized the content, so there was no need to check it again.
She added.
The reward can be provided in various ways, how would you like to receive it?
Kang-hoo had one thing in mind even before receiving the request from Lee Ye-rin.
Just getting a dungeon raid license is enough. Especially for areas with many middle bosses and last bosses.
Middle bosses, also known as intermediate bosses, and the boss monsters.
He could steal skills from these two.
Obtaining the unique skills of the bosses, something no other hunter could achieve.
Kang-hoo wanted to increase not only his level but also the number of skills he owned as quickly as possible.
Thanks to the constellation, he could maximize proficiency in any skill he acquired, so it was definitely a benefit.
Alright. Will the reward be discussed post-completion? Or pre-agreed?
At Lee Ye-rins words, Kang-hoo turned to step outside, opening the car door.
Lets trust the chiefs sense.
With those words, Kang-hoo headed to the station to catch the Mugunghwa train to Osan, Gyeonggi-do.
On the train.
He thought himself lucky to have snagged a seat despite purchasing his ticket at the last minute.
But as soon as he sat down, he understood the reason for his fortune.
The entire seat was soaked in blood.
Judging by the vivid red color, it appeared there had been a knife fight there either the day before or the day prior to that.
It was almost a superstition.
Many hunters strongly disliked sitting on seats or benches with blood that hadnt yet faded.
In fact, trying to avoid such seats often resulted in altercations and physical fights in other places.
However, Kang-hoo, who found superstitions and jinxes to be pathetic, didnt mind such things.
The abandoned ruins. Not a bad place for my official debut into a proper dungeon. I know exactly how to raid it.
He was content with the beginning.
The entire abandoned ruins dungeon served as Shin Kang-hoos hideout in the original story.
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