The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Without drawing Gong Tae-su’s notice, Kang-hoo slipped closer in the darkness, biding his time in silence.

Casting skills, executing them, performing a bit of follow-up, and then getting ready to cast another.

From a distance, Gong Tae-su consistently bolstered his subordinates’ attacks with his routine support.

Likely due to the presence of the Archer Constellation, his skills remained potent despite the significant range.

Whoosh!

“Argh!”

A spear-like gust of wind hurtled forth, impaling a mercenary’s chest with unerring accuracy.

The feasibility of such destructive power at over 200 meters was questionable, but for Gong Tae-su, it was no challenge.

‘The best moment to strike is during his casting.’

Kang-hoo picked his moment.

Even the most adept hunter is bound by the passage of time.

‘Awakening’ can slash the duration of skill casts significantly.

Yet, Gong Tae-su’s rhythm suggested he lacked any awakening-related gear.

“Kekeke.”

Gong Tae-su chuckled as he surveyed the fray.

The spectacle clearly entertained him.

Events unfolded just as he anticipated, with the mercenaries falling one by one.

The dungeon echoed mostly with their cries; that’s how dire the situation had become.

‘2 seconds. That’s how long I can have him to myself.’

Kang-hoo completed his mental prep.

Factoring in the guards and their potential reactions, he knew he could isolate Gong Tae-su for a brief two-second window.

His breath became even more controlled.

He verified the consistency of Gong Tae-su’s attack pattern, ensuring no deviations.

With no adversaries in proximity, Gong Tae-su’s long-range assaults proceeded in a predictable sequence.

Timing everything precisely, Kang-hoo seized the moment right after Gong Tae-su released his next skill.

Then.

Wham!

He burst from the cloak of night. In the same instant, he launched a kidnapping skill at Gong Tae-su.

“Ugh!”

It was a success.

Gong Tae-su, who had belatedly noticed Kang-hoo appearing from an unexpected place, was immediately pulled by the Abduction technique.

He had no chance to resist.

Focused on providing skill support at the front, he hadn’t anticipated the ambush.

“Whoa!”

The moment their leader was dragged away, his subordinates shifted their attention, realizing what had happened.

Now was the time.

The brief window before they closed in was the only moment Kang-hoo could maintain a one-on-one fight.

Bang!

Kang-hoo employed an illusion technique, scattering five decoys resembling himself around as a distraction.

It was a tactic to buy time.

[Night Vision]

Thanks to the Skilled Empathizer Constellation, his constantly maintained night vision ability illuminated the darkness.

Now, nothing visually hindered Kang-hoo. In fact, it was so clear that it posed a problem.

“F*ck!”

Gong Tae-su, dragged away, cursed and immediately tried to use a short-distance movement skill.

A typical evasion method for a magic-based hunter, and an effective means to escape.

In fact, it was impressive that he had the mental fortitude to attempt escape as soon as he was abducted.

“You, I’ve got you figured out.”

Kang-hoo had anticipated Gong Tae-su’s evasion from the outset.

He hadn’t expected the abduction to go off without a hitch. Gong Tae-su was no fool.

He had predicted that Gong Tae-su would attempt to move backward, positioning himself perfectly for a counterattack, and he was right.

Gong Tae-su, whose tactics Kang-hoo had foreseen, faced only one outcome: a counterattack.

Swish!

Stab! Stab! Stab!

With a leap, Kang-hoo swiftly closed the distance and thrust his dagger into Gong Tae-su’s left armpit and shoulder.

Gong Tae-su was wearing a fairly decent breastplate, but unfortunately, it didn’t offer protection for the shoulder and armpit.

“Arghh!”

Gong Tae-su screamed.

He couldn’t believe it.

What kind of person had been keenly targeting his weak spots for so long?

The spot where Kang-hoo appeared was nowhere within the range Gong Tae-su had predicted for an enemy.

If he had sensed even a trace of mana or a glimpse, he would have cut it off long ago!

Gong Tae-su had never detected Kang-hoo, who had perfectly concealed his presence.

It was a fatal mistake.

“This bastard…!”

Flare!

Filled with murderous intent, fierce flames rose above Gong Tae-su’s right hand.

‘Too close.’

Exposed to such insane flames, even Kang-hoo wouldn’t be able to withstand them.

At the least, they would cause burns, and if exposed for too long, bones and flesh would melt in no time.

Kang-hoo leaped backward, retreating.

After all, the one-sided attack had ended.

Because of Blood Flower.

Boom boom boom!

“Aargh!”

As soon as he used the Blood Flower skill, an explosion occurred in Gong Tae-su’s left shoulder.

Having intentionally inflicted a deep wound from the start, Gong Tae-su’s bones and muscles couldn’t withstand the shock.

“Arghh…”

Gong Tae-su groaned, reaching his right hand to his left shoulder.

The arm that should have been there was already gone.

Snap!

At that moment, Kang-hoo grabbed Gong Tae-su’s left arm and quickly left the scene.

The guards were just arriving, and some were even shooting arrows toward Kang-hoo.

The objective was sufficiently achieved.

Clang! Clang!

Kang-hoo blocked the way with a protective barrier in the direction where the enemy’s attack might come.

Zip. Zip. Zip!

He swiftly left the scene at full speed.

He finished everything cleanly just before the onset of mana hypersensitivity.

Upon rechecking, the left arm of Gong Tae-su was indeed his, confirmed by the tattoo and the phrase etched messily on it, which matched Gong Tae-su’s favorite phrase.

‘He had done all sorts of luxurious modifications.’

Even a magistone was embedded in his forearm.

A common body modification among magic-based hunters.

Carrying what was essentially a portable ‘mana battery’.

There were numerous side effects, necessitating surgery by a specialist, yet the craftsmanship appeared to have been executed with great care.

Of course, the surgery was now pointless. The arm, severed from its owner, had become just a piece of meat.

Clutched between the stiff five fingers, three rings were apparent.

Even without a closer look, it was clear that they were mana-related artifacts.

Since he had no use for them, Kang-hoo intended to get rid of them as soon as he encountered Lee Ye-rin.

Upon examining the quality of the rings, he found one to be of the 4th grade and two of the 5th grade. They could fetch at least 1.4 billion won.

“Aaaah!”

“Ah! Save me! Please, save me!”

The cries echoed in the distance.

The agonized screams of mercenaries filled the dungeon.

Aside from Gong Tae-su losing his left arm to Kang-hoo, their prospects were grim.

The chances of their situation worsening were significant.

Now missing his most critical left arm, the Butcher of Ulsan would be consumed by fury.

“A sip of canned coffee would hit the spot.”

Longing for a milk-flavored canned coffee, Kang-hoo casually walked away from the scene.

The mercenaries’ efforts had been futile, while Kang-hoo collected the spoils.

Yet the mercenaries, oblivious to this, continued to shout for Gong Tae-su, seeking him desperately.

Their calls only intensified Gong Tae-su’s anger.

Elsewhere.

“Who is it? Who the hell is it…! Argh!”

“Captain! We must retreat for now! We’ll fetch a hunter with healing powers immediately!”

“My arm’s gone, what use is that?”

“We need to staunch the bleeding! You’re going to collapse at this rate!”

“Find out who did this! If there are photos, bring them to me!”

Gong Tae-su bellowed in a furious rage.

He had never sustained such a grievous injury before.

He, who had trodden a victorious path, had never tasted defeat or failure.

The symbol of unbroken triumph had lost his most vital left arm.

It was questionable whether he could still function effectively as a mage hunter.

It wasn’t just a blow to his pride; it was like being trampled, crushed, and thrown into a trash can.

Even in pain, he couldn’t comprehend the battle with Kang-hoo.

What kind of skill could cause an explosion using the wounds on the shoulder and armpit as a medium?

By craftsmanship, it had to be the work of an assassin-type hunter, but the nature of the skill also bore characteristics of the magic realm.

“I, Gong Tae-su…!”

An outcry filled with rage erupted.

Having lost his arm as a trophy, he couldn’t wash away the humiliation.

There was only one way.

To find the one who had done this and end it, somehow.

That was the only perfect revenge.

---

Three hours later.

“I got this… like this?”

“I thought I’d take a leisurely trip to Ulsan, but then I saw Gong Tae-su. I cut it nicely and brought it.”

“Wait a minute. This isn’t a dream, right? It’s really the arm cut by Seon-gyu, isn’t it? This is real?”

“If it seems like a dream, then take it.”

“No, no! I’m awake! This is real, it’s real!”

Lee Ye-rin’s mouth fell open when she met Kang-hoo at dawn and verified Gong Tae-su’s ‘left arm’.

It matched the information they had previously about the arm.

The tattoo with a famous quote in Latin, and the magistone, specially crafted for surgery, were evident.

She hadn’t hoped for Kang-hoo’s failure when she gave the request, but she had not expected his success either.

The title of the Butcher of Ulsan hadn’t been given for nothing. He was strong and tactful.

How Kang-hoo had managed to make Gong Tae-su helplessly lose his left arm was beyond comprehension.

Moreover, according to information obtained from the scene in Ulsan, most of the mercenaries were either dead or captured.

The dead mercenaries were rather lucky, while those captured alive were in the worst situation.

They were not only fodder for Gong Tae-su’s venting but also faced a high likelihood of being sold into human trafficking.

In other words.

Looking at the situation on the ground, it seemed as if the mercenaries had been massively sacrificed in a game set by Gong Tae-su.

Yet, Kang-hoo had effortlessly cut off Gong Tae-su’s left arm and brought it back.

While the scene was hellish, it appeared to have nothing to do with Kang-hoo.

“Let’s settle up. I’d like to receive the value for the left arm, and it would be great if you could buy these items immediately.”

“Wait a moment, Mr. Seon-gyu. Don’t worry about the settlement; it will be done quickly. Can we talk about something else for a bit?”

“We can talk while settling up. Why do you want to start with a conversation?”

“Alright. Then let’s begin by appraising these three rings while we talk. You want to dispose of all three, right?”

“Yes.”

Upon Kang-hoo’s answer, Lee Ye-rin began examining each ring while continuing with the ‘other matter’ she had mentioned.

“Have you ever thought about quitting being a requester and joining our Cheong-an? I’m confident we can support you well.”

“That playground is too small to be interesting.”

“I thought so. I expected that response, but it still hurts to hear it so quickly.”

“No offense meant.”

Kang-hoo didn’t dislike Lee Ye-rin. He simply thought their organization was too small.

For Kang-hoo, who intended to confront the Jeonghwa Guild, an organization much larger than Cheong-an was necessary.

“Mr. Seon-gyu, I really hope you will continue to work with our mercenary group. Honestly…”

“Honestly?”

“I think I might fall for your skills, Mr. Seon-gyu. I’ve managed thousands of requesters, but I’ve never met a ‘crazy guy’ like you.”

“Crazy guy, huh. Not a wrong description. Definitely.”

Kang-hoo, who rarely smiled, let out a chuckle at the unexpected metaphor thrown by Lee Ye-rin.

Yes, he was certainly a crazy guy.

A madman living only for today, casting aside tomorrow. Exactly that.