Chapter 90: Level 100 (1)
Half a day later.
A man downed a glass full of vodka in one gulp, his expression bitter.
He had been fixated on the CCTV footage displayed on the monitor for a while now.
The footage originated from a deserted factory used by Jeon Jong-dus Osho Mercenary Group as a secret meeting place.
Today, there had been a clash with the Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group at that location, resulting in Jeon Jong-dus death.
Useless fools. I have no idea where all the money theyve made has gone. Ive invested quite a bit myself.
The man waved his hand in the air, a gesture laden with disappointment.
His name was Nikolai Strakh. He was the master of the Kashimar Guild in Russia.
Kashimar means nightmare in Russian, which was quite fitting considering the nature of his work.
The goal of the Kashimar Guild was to kidnap useful hunters from overseas and weaponize them.
Bejumie, found in the abandoned factory, was one of the Kashimar Guilds creations.
The process, notoriously brutal, put human rights second to the cruelty of the method.
Moreover, the operation required a significant amount of patience and labor, making the supply far short of the demand.
The demand for human weapons that could be used freely anywhere existed worldwide.
Especially, guilds or organizations with dirty backgrounds preferred them more, even the Jeonghwa Guild had transactions with them.
The Osho Mercenary Group was one of the main suppliers of hunters to the Kashimar Guild from outside.
But this time, they were completely annihilated by the Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group.
Not to mention, Jeon Jong-du, who seemed unlikely to die under normal circumstances, was dead.
Even if he had lived, rebuilding the mercenary groups power would not have been an issue.
But with its roots torn out, reviving it through its branches was impossible.
As a result, the supply route for hunters in Korea was cut off, at least until a replacement was found.
Who could it be?
Strakh was closely examining the figure of Kang-hoo, captured on the screen.
There was internal CCTV in Jeon Jong-dus secret place on the second floor, and that footage had been secured.
Although not visible to outsiders, Jeon Jong-du had absolute obedience to Strakhs orders, granting him access rights.
Kang-hoos movements, adept even after being ambushed by Jeon Jong-du, were surprising.
Despite being physically overpowered by Jeon Jong-du, Kang-hoo was not.
Moreover, he twisted a typical counterattack pattern to strike unexpectedly, and there were indications he used mental skills, unsuitable for an assassin.
More than resentment for the fact that Jeon Jong-du was killed, Strakh was more interested in Kang-hoo.
Who could he be?
Using the guilds developed searchbot based on the secured footage yielded no information.
Given his skills, he seemed like someone whose photo would have appeared in Korean hunter broadcasts or articles at least once.
But the searchbot couldnt find any information on him, not even similar individuals.
Such a person would be more than enough as an alternative to Jeon Jong-du. Perhaps even better.
Strakh had no intention of giving up on the materials supply from Korea.
Hunters from Korea were highly valuable for sale and showed high compliance to experiments and drugs.
They were easier to modify and control, making the investment cost significantly cheaper.
Giving up on the Korean purchasing route was like cutting off a contract with a cheap source.
I should send someone.
Pondering over it in Russia wouldnt yield more information on Kang-hoo.
Strakh decided to create a direct route to approach Kang-hoo.
After all, if you look for someone, eventually youll find them.
Especially since this incident might have created a point of contact with the Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group, it was possible to establish a connection.
Strakh was already considering Kang-hoo as the successor to Jeon Jong-du in his mind.
Without even considering whether Kang-hoo himself harbored any such intentions.
40 billion won. It has been deposited. Please check. The process took some time due to the large amount.
Thank you for the prompt handling.
Kang-hoo had just confirmed the deposit of 40 billion won he received from Kim Su-kyung.
The balance leaped from 36.6 billion won to 76.6 billion won.
This sum included the 10 billion won reward from Kim Su-kyung, 20 billion won from selling Jeon Jong-dus items, and another 10 billion won from the sale of the orange magic stone he had acquired earlier.
And the additional deposit is a personal thank you. Thanks to you, the battle ended early, and the damage was significantly minimized.
Following this, Kim Su-kyung transferred an additional 5 billion won as a token of gratitude for Kang-hoos efforts.
This brought the balance to 81.6 billion won. Now, reaching 100 billion won seemed within reach.
Money.
When you deliberately set out to collect it, it can be quite challenging to earn.
Yet, by focusing solely on the work without giving it much thought, a significant amount had been amassed.
Of course, this was just the beginning.
To purchase more valuable and worthy items, more money was necessary. There was no ceiling.
As Kang-hoo looked at the balance of over 80 billion won for the first time, he felt quite satisfied for a moment.
Kim Su-kyung then tentatively made a proposal.
Would you consider joining our mercenary group?
I dislike belonging somewhere the most. I dont like having to be mindful of others or having more people to worry about.
He gave a firm answer immediately upon hearing her proposal, as it was a sentiment he had always maintained.
Being part of a group, as opposed to being alone, meant taking on more responsibilities.
Kang-hoo wanted to focus solely on himself in all situations. After all, its a world where surviving is already challenging enough.
As expected.
Kim Su-kyung laughed.
While the response was expected and thus not surprising, its swiftness and decisiveness seemed overly harsh.
Even with knowledge of Kang-hoos true feelings, she couldnt help but wonder if her mercenary group was that unattractive to him.
Thus, the proposal was rejected.
However, Kim Su-kyung introduced another form of tie that could link them.
How about being a client, then?
That would be acceptable. It doesnt burden me, and I have the authority to choose.
Kim Su-kyungs revised proposal was accepted by Kang-hoo.
There was no reason to decline.
Especially since Kim Su-kyung and her mercenary group were expected to continue their upward trajectory from now on.
With the Osho Mercenary Group, a hostile force in the original narrative, now eliminated, their growth was anticipated to quicken.
Hence, it was advantageous to establish some form of connection with Kim Su-kyung in any manner. It was a mutually beneficial situation.
Now I can also receive requests from the Gangwon-do area more frequently than before.
Although the requests coming from Lee Ye-rin were somewhat regionally distributed,
Requests from the Gangwon-do area had always been rare.
Perhaps there was some caution due to the relationship with the Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group.
Thanks to this development, there was an expansion in the variety of requests. It seemed to be a significant aid for the future.
Around the same time.
Why is it so crowded?
The troubleshooter, sent by the Ebony Bone gang leader Shin Jun-ho to track Kang-hoo, was wandering around Daejeon Station.
There were many signs of Kang-hoo here. A significant amount. But not enough to suggest it served as a base.
What the troubleshooter realized while tracking Kang-hoo was that pinpointing his location to one specific place was challenging.
Hunters usually have a central area of activity they consider safe.
It seemed Kang-hoo had no such place. Perhaps Daejeon Station was a location he visited only a few times, at most?
The smell is delicious This guy must have a lot of secrets.
The troubleshooter licked his lips with the tip of his tongue.
As he resumed his slow pace, he closed his eyes.
He was attuned to traces of mana, a sensation intertwined with his spiritual abilities, enabling him to quickly perceive sensations.
At that moment,
Its strong.
He sensed the presence of someone nearby with a significant trace of Kang-hoo.
It wasnt Kang-hoo himself, but unmistakably, this person was related, carrying a trace that linked them to him.
What the troubleshooter saw was a woman walking in front of Daejeon Station, wielding a long greatsword.
Ive found a link.
The troubleshooter smiled.
He had finally found a starting point connected to Kang-hoo. It was time to accelerate the tracking.
Swoosh.
On a night when a long-awaited downpour fell due to a northward-moving typhoon.
The weather was too severe for driving, so Kang-hoo rested in a safe hotel provided by Kim Su-kyungs courtesy.
Since the hotel was directly operated by the Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group, safety was not a concern.
He wondered about the possibility of eavesdropping or illegal filming, but after a thorough check, no such devices were found. His worries were unfounded.
Entering the room, Kang-hoo filled the spacious rectangular swimming pool with hot water.
It took some time, but as he lay on the bed without a thought, waiting, time passed quickly.
Eventually, Kang-hoo submerged himself deeply in the pool filled with steaming hot water.
He dove deep enough to completely submerge his head.
Kang-hoo went to the bottom of the pool and plunged into a world of submersion.
It was an excellent space for organizing and refining his thoughts.
To reach level 100 as soon as possible, I need to enter a dungeon. The downside of being a lone mercenary is the lack of free access to dungeons.
A lone mercenary.
It might seem appealing, but the main issue is the lack of connections to dungeons due to not belonging to any organization.
If youre affiliated with a guild, you can easily be assigned to conquer dungeons owned by the guild.
Theres no need to worry about securing licenses or scheduling conquests. The guild handles everything.
However, mercenaries have no easy access to dungeons other than open-type ones.
It would be a waste to use the Lee Hyun-seok chance now. Not yet.
There isnt a lack of easier paths.
Since Lee Hyun-seok owed him for rescuing Min Su-hyun, he could ask for a dungeon license.
But considering the value and difficulty of the dungeons he owns, it would be too wasteful to use now.
There are many useful dungeons to attempt once his level is higher. Its a big loss for now.
What about Jeon Se-hyuk?
Thinking of Lee Hyun-seok naturally brought his friend Jeon Se-hyuk to mind.
Being a mercenary with his own strength, he likely owns a few dungeons as well.
Keeping the pondering short and actions quick.
Kang-hoo called Jeon Se-hyuk.
As if things were meant to go smoothly, Jeon Se-hyuk answered the phone before it could even ring out completely.
-Yes, Shin Kang-hoo.
Along with Han Seo-yeon, one of the few who knew his real name.
Always being called Jung Sun-kyu and now hearing his real name felt ironically awkward.
Have you been well?
-Lets get straight to the point. I know you dislike unnecessary greetings or pleasantries.
Spot on.
This made the conversation easier.
If theres a clear request from both sides, theres no need to beat around the bush.
Kang-hoo broached the subject.
Do you have a dungeon suitable for a conquest? I just need it for farming experience points. I dont care about the loot.
Forsaking all loot.
It was a tempting offer if Jeon Se-hyuk had any dungeons to spare.
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