If Kang-hoo had fully understood the abilities he possessed, the incident would not have happened.
As soon as Kang-hoo appeared at the entrance, which also served as the exit, Kang Dong-hyun grinned triumphantly.
It was disappointing that Kang-hoo was the only one who benefited from entering, but ultimately, he had fallen into Dong-hyuns hands.
However, everything Dong-hyun thought he had caught vanished like a wisp of smoke.
Kang Dong-hyun, in surprise, spat out the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth and stood up from his seat.
The first thing he noticed was the hunters, whose spatial movement abilities were completely under control.
Originally, they were supposed to latch onto Kang-hoo as soon as he appeared and use a binding skill.
Why isnt the skill working?
Spatial movement has been rejected!
But the skilled hunters were unable to use their signature skills.
A few rapidly deployed skills were all blocked by Kang-hoos protective barrier and his second layer of defense.
Then.
You all have been working tirelessly.
With a middle finger salute, Kang-hoo disappeared without a trace.
It was a perfect spatial movement, neither a stealth, leap, nor a camouflage.
The flow of mana that could only be felt from Kang-hoo had completely vanished.
He had managed a perfect escape, something that could never happen unless he had vanished from the area itself.
Heh, look at this guy?
Kang Dong-hyun let out a hollow laugh.
This was a turn of events he had never anticipated.
His ability to manipulate mana had been confirmed during his dungeon entries.
But to possess a talent that allowed him to escape from the scene so completely?
It was an undeniable ability of instant movement.
This was a skill Kang Dong-hyun himself did not possess, and it was a difficult technique even for notable spatial movers.
I really ended up like a dog chasing chickens.
Kang Dong-hyun stroked his chin beard.
He had been outsmarted by Kang-hoo not once, but twice, and he had witnessed an unexpected ability.
With this I really cant give up. He makes me have to cling on, doesnt he?
His eyes quivered.
On the one hand, he felt ridiculed by Kang-hoo, as if he were only being used for good deeds.
Isnt that right?
Even the skilled Kang Dong-hyun couldnt land a scratch on Kang-hoo and ended up losing the dungeon.
All he had done in this place was to coldly assess the situation, talk big, and posture.
Leader! What should we do?
It seems like he has escaped, hasnt he?
His subordinates, still not grasping the situation, hurriedly asked questions.
Then, Kang Dong-hyun waved his hands dismissively, giving his final command filled with resignation.
Disband everyone. Its over.
It was a perfect escape.
Kang-hoo, sitting alone in an empty lot, smiled slyly as he reminisced about the recent events.
He saw it clearly, even if briefly.
The moment Kang Dong-hyun, who had placed his skilled subordinates in strategic positions, tried to capture him when the time seemed right.
Thats how a numbers game works.
The side with more cards is overwhelmingly advantageous.
Moreover, the less you can predict your opponents cards, the more likely you are to be caught off guard.
Kang Dong-hyun had not anticipated that Kang-hoo possessed the ingenious tactic of spatial movement.
As a result, he ended up gifting a well-prepared dungeon, just as it was.
Now that the dungeon had been used, he lost interest in the dungeon on the 7th floor of Club Hades underground.
Going back there wasnt going to yield any Hematites, nor could he steal any new skills.
I left the Gimcheon Liberation Area too quickly. I should have done proper shopping.
The 16.6 billion won in his account continued to bother him. Having a lot of cash isnt necessarily beneficial right now.
For a hunter, money is an important asset that can be converted into stats or abilities.
While money itself doesnt become stats, buying items with it can add to your stats.
So, it was better to keep only a reasonable amount of money and spend the rest on items.
There were still many items Kang-hoo had not equipped, and many stats he needed to raise.
I dont want to go back to Gimcheon. The more tranquil atmosphere of the Hongcheon Liberation Area doesnt sound bad.
A decent alternative came to mind.
The liberation area in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do.
It was much larger than the Gimcheon Liberation Area and sold a wider variety of items.
Being close to North Korea, there was also a considerable amount of contraband flowing in through dark channels.
Moreover, there were quite a few technicians in the Hongcheon Liberation Area who performed special procedures on hunters bodies.
As Kang-hoo arrived at the Pohang Intercity Bus Terminal and was about to check the time for the bus to Hongcheon, a phone call came in.
He thought it might be Lee Ye-rin, and his guess was correct.
Yes.
Is it okay to talk?
Its fine, thats why I answered.
As usual, the conversation began with his somewhat gruff voice.
Lee Ye-rin, now accustomed to this manner of speaking, chuckled and continued without being bothered.
A targeted request has come in.
Whats the content?
You need to cooperate with the mercenary group that submitted the request and take care of the leader of their rival mercenary group.
It doesnt sound like fireworks.
Its not a political matter. Its a request with a code of justice implementation.
Isnt justice inherently relative? Especially in todays world.
His pointed remark seemed to hit deep, and Lee Ye-rin was momentarily at a loss for words.
Its true.
In the current era, the truth is thoroughly obscured and distorted by images.
Take the Jeonghwa Guild, for example.
Lee Ye-rin is currently maintaining a friendship with Jang Si-hwan for various reasons
But as Lee Hyun-seok, the warlord of The Abyss, claimed, she was well aware that the Jeonghwa Guild was involved in many unsavory activities.
Yet the world viewed the Jeonghwa Guild as guardians of justice.
They were trusted even more than the Hunter Public Safety Bureau.
Once Jang Si-hwan labeled someone a criminal, no matter what their defense, they were deemed untouchable trash from that day forward.
I misspoke. To put it simply, its a request for a check and balance. A bit extreme, perhaps?
Whos the target?
I can only disclose that information if you accept. The request comes with a confidentiality obligation.
I accept.
Kang-hoo decided to take on the request.
Unless it involved killing a devout believer who had spent decades immersed in their religion, he had no reservations.
After all, there was no hunter who wouldnt stir up trouble when provoked, and such hunters often became the subjects of elimination requests.
Requests for the assassination of hardworking and diligent hunters at a high price were almost unheard of.
In fact, one could safely say they didnt exist. Mercenary groups would typically dismiss such requests.
Jeon Jong-du. Thats your target.
Jeon Jong-du?
Yes, hes the leader of the Osho Mercenary Group.
The name Jeon Jong-du didnt ring any bells, but Kang-hoo was familiar with the Osho Mercenary Group.
In the original story, it served as a front for a Russian criminal organization and guild.
They were guilty not only of selling a vast amount of domestic mercenary information to Russia but also of abducting hunters to trade them.
This led to a significant loss of talent within the country.
Indeed, in the original storyline, Jang Si-hwan saw this as a severe problem and took aggressive action to dismantle the group.
These events occurred later than the current timeline, but the foundation for them had already been established.
Jeon Jong-du was not the brains of the operation.
He was just the tip of the iceberg.
Considering the promising and prospective hunters who had disappeared due to the Osho Mercenary Groups abductions, eliminating Jeon Jong-du and his higher-ups was far more beneficial in the long term.
Lee Ye-rin continued,
Jeon Jong-dus level is estimated to be at least 350. Ill send the detailed information through a secure email.
Whats the reward?
10 billion for his head, 30 billion if captured alive.
He must have a lot of information to spill, given the significant difference in rewards.
Inside information is always valuable, right?
Lets clarify one thing.
Yes, go ahead.
I appreciate the high estimation, but is this really a suitable request for me? The target is level 350.
Kang-hoo chuckled.
Despite his rapid growth, Kang-hoo was still a hunter who had not surpassed level 100.
Lee Ye-rin was obviously, or rather, initially aware that Kang-hoos level was below 100.
Thats why Im proposing this to Mr. Sun-kyu. If I thought it was impossible, I wouldnt have suggested it.
Lets be honest. How much commission are you receiving?
Pfft! Its not like that. I dont take extra personal introduction fees. Unless the official brokerage fee is increased?
So its pure goodwill I see.
Id appreciate it if you could call it full support and trust. Hoho.
Kang-hoo didnt particularly doubt Lee Ye-rin.
In fact, one reason Kang-hoo was interested in this request was that it wasnt a solo mission.
Having allies you could utilize significantly reduced the chances of encountering unexpected variables or dangers.
Kang-hoo asked about the remaining piece of the puzzle he hadnt filled yet.
So, which mercenary group will we be coordinating with?
The Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group.
The Kim Su-kyung Mercenary Group?
Then,
An unexpected bigwigs name came out of Lee Ye-rins mouth.
Is he coming?
Yes, I just heard from Lee Ye-rin. He accepted. Says his name is Jung Sun-kyu.
A pseudonym, I suppose?
Are you asking because you dont know?
No, I mean, there are hunters like you, sir, who openly use their real names. I was just curious.
Not long after Kang-hoos conversation with Lee Ye-rin ended, Kim Su-kyung received a call from Lee Ye-rin.
Kang-hoo had promised to join their rendezvous point by the date Kim Su-kyung wanted.
Kang-hoo wasnt the only guest Kim Su-kyung had called, but it was still good news.
Kim Su-kyung, based around the Yangyang area, was a well-known named hunter in these parts.
On a positive note, he had been at the forefront of eradicating various criminal activities in the region.
Of course, he had ambitions for rights, but his justification was clear.
Recently, Jeon Jong-dus Osho Mercenary Group had started to become a thorn in Kim Su-kyungs side.
It was clear there were forces connected to North Korea or Russia higher up the chain, but they were indiscernible.
He planned to strike first, with disputes already being openly incited in the area.
If organizations like these started nesting in the territory, it would become harder to eradicate them later.
To think Id get to meet the person of interest who blew off Gong Tae-sus left arm.
He wore an intrigued expression.
The glasses he lifted with his index finger reflected the moonlight, creating a sharp gleam.
It was a person he had wanted to see for some time.
The protagonist of the Gong Tae-su incident wasnt just of interest to Kim Su-kyung.
Any hunter with sharp eyes and ears would have been curious.