The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

“Kim Shin-ryeong is the perfect fit.”

The only person capable of handling such materials flawlessly is Kim Shin-ryeong.

The Claws of Hatred require extremely meticulous handling. You can’t entrust this to amateur craftsmen.

When Kang-hoo emerged from the dungeon, contrary to his expectation of finding no one, Han Seung-hyeok was standing there.

Since there’s no fixed timeline for dungeon clearances, how long had he been waiting here?

It didn’t seem like he came to keep watch; he was quietly waiting outside the dungeon. Was he here to make a good impression?

“You’ve worked hard! Thank you so much for clearing out the interior of this mysterious dungeon.”

Judging by his words, it seemed he had come to express gratitude for resolving a troublesome dungeon.

If they had outsourced it to the Myeongga Guild, it would have incurred significant costs, but the issue was resolved without any problems.

“What’s this?”

“Next time, find a dungeon with more mid-level and main bosses. It shouldn’t be easier than this one.”

“Ah! Got it. I’ll also check if there are dungeons that other regional guilds find hard to handle.”

Han Seung-hyeok even promised to find suitable dungeons in the future. Such is the power of capitalism.

“If I don’t respond, leave a message. Only messages relevant to the task, though.”

“Of course!”

“Good work.”

Kang-hoo disappeared casually.

Later, rookie porters dispatched under Han Seung-hyeok’s orders headed into the dungeon, but Kang-hoo didn’t bother to pay attention to that.

Spreading the rewards around ensures people follow orders without complaints in the future.

While enjoying the fresh air and walking quietly, Kang-hoo received a call.

It was Jeon Se-hyuk.

There could only be one reason for him to call at this time. Kang-hoo immediately answered.

“This is Shin Kang-hoo.”

“Everything’s set.”

“That was faster than I expected.”

“We’ve been watching for an opportunity, and they practically set the stage for us. Go Kyung-ho has also been confirmed, as you mentioned.”

Go Kyung-ho.

A hunter Kang-hoo absolutely had to kill to pass the trial of the Constellation, Pilgrim of the Abyss.

In truth, even if it weren’t for the trial, Go Kyung-ho had countless reasons to die, being a vile villain.

Unlike Kang Dong-hyun, who had a relatively decent public image, Go Kyung-ho was the Eclipse’s enforcer, taking on all their dirty work. A position similar to Shin Tae-seok of the Jeonghwa Guild. Ŗаɴ∅฿Èȿ

Though still tired from the mysterious dungeon, Kang-hoo always carried this level of fatigue like a passive skill.

He stretched his stiff shoulders a few times before continuing.

“Where should I go?”

“Head south of Pyeongtaek. I’ll send the exact address via a secure DM on Huntergram.”

“I heard they’ve been focusing on the outskirts of Daejeon recently. Quite a shift in location.”

“It’s a strategic feint. Most of Eclipse’s forces are likely still in Daejeon.”

Go Kyung-ho hadn’t come to Pyeongtaek without reason.

The Eclipse branch in southern Pyeongtaek was larger than expected and carried historical significance as the first location where Eclipse expanded its influence beyond Daejeon.

For a mid-level executive like Go Kyung-ho to visit likely meant he was there to boost morale among the members.

Given the relentless harassment by Jeon Se-hyuk’s group, their morale must have hit rock bottom.

In such times, an executive’s visit to encourage and motivate the team was a strategically sound move.

For Kang-hoo, it was the perfect opportunity.

Jeon Se-hyuk continued.

“Will you join us?”

There was no reason to refuse.

Kang-hoo didn’t have any immediate appointments with Takashina Ayane or Kim Shin-ryeong, nor any urgent external schedules.

This opportunity arriving during a lull in activity felt fortuitous.

“I’ll head over.”

-It’d be better if you could come right away. There’s a heavy rain warning for southern Gyeonggi starting tomorrow night.

Rain.

Depending on how it’s utilized, it can either be an obstacle or the perfect tool.

When asked for his opinion, Kang-hoo leaned towards favoring rain.

For assassins, it satisfies two critical conditions: masking presence and embracing darkness.

The sound of rain drowns out footsteps, and rainclouds obscure bright sunlight. Assassins can’t help but love it.

“Send me the address.”

Kang-hoo started heading towards Suwon Station.

On the way to Suwon Station, Kang-hoo received two more calls.

The first was from K, informing him that the bile refinement process was completed early and the “shipment” had started.

Since Kang-hoo had briefly updated K on his current location before entering the mysterious dungeon, the hired courier was already en route.

He requested that the package be stored in an unmanned locker at Suwon Station.

This ensured there would be no face-to-face interaction between seller, intermediary, and buyer, reducing the risk of exposure.

And then.

Lee Ye-rin called.

Given the context, her call could only be about an overseas commission, so Kang-hoo quickly answered.

It felt like cramming a few days’ worth of tasks into one day.

-A mercenary request has come from Germany. It’s a direct dungeon-clearance request made specifically for you.

“Let’s hear it.”

-The designated hunters are you, Kang-hoo, and Ayane.

“It’s not just about maintaining the bleeding effect, is it?”

-Correct. Without Ayane, it seems even you would struggle with this commission.

Kang-hoo’s curiosity was piqued.

If a sniper was essential for a dungeon commission, it usually meant there were airborne monsters.

What kind of environment would require an assassin and a gunner to operate as a team?

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Before delving into the details, Kang-hoo wanted to see if he could make a counterproposal.

His reason for prioritizing Germany as a commission location was the Corruption Series set items.

Among the remaining items, the breastplate’s location was in Germany.

Specifically, near the Zwinger Palace in Dresden, within Dungeon Code No. 13.

The guild currently holding rights to the dungeon was Germany’s Kamp Guild.

“I’d like to negotiate an alternative reward for this commission. Is that possible?”

-Absolutely. I’m already connected to the client. We can mediate in real time.

“Dresden. Near the Zwinger Palace. I want the license to clear Dungeon Code No. 13 as the reward.”

-One moment.

Normally, hearing such a request would prompt a question like, What’s in that dungeon?

After all, it’s unusual to single out a specific overseas dungeon with no apparent ties to the requester.

And it wasn’t exactly a well-known dungeon either.

Yet Lee Ye-rin didn’t ask for reasons. She immediately engaged the client in discussion.

Fluent German echoed through the call.

Although Kang-hoo was proficient in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, and English, he was clueless about German.

For now, he had no choice but to infer meaning from her polished pronunciation.

The conversation lasted about three minutes.

Though Kang-hoo hadn’t expected a quick answer, the result came sooner than anticipated.

-They agreed. Unlike Korea, Germany actively trades and leases dungeon licenses. That’s probably why.

“Alright. I’ll accept once I confirm the commission details. What about Ayane?”

-I haven’t contacted her yet. The commission wouldn’t even be possible without her ability to maintain bleeding.

“I see. Let’s hear the details.”

-They want you to extract sap from a plant called Scharfrichter. That’s all, but it’s a tough one.

“Scharfrichter…”

Scharfrichter, also known as the Executioner Plant in Korea.

As the name suggests, it’s a plant, but also a mutant species with various attack capabilities.

It’s similar to the mutant sunflowers Kang-hoo had encountered at Ground Zero.

The problem is, to extract the sap, the bleeding effect must be stacked to the maximum, and the person causing the bleeding will be the main target of attacks.

“So they need someone who can sustain bleeding while enduring constant interference.”

-Exactly. It seems they approached you because finding such a capable contractor is too difficult.

“Can I get information about their previous failed attempts?”

-13 attempts, 13 failures. They sent some decent berserkers and assassins, but all failed. Six of them died.

“Sounds like a case of false hope.”

Kang-hoo gave a wry smile.

The clients were undoubtedly serious about the commission, but they didn’t put their lives on the line.

What this meant was that if things looked grim, they quit without hesitation.

After all, nothing is more precious than one’s life.

Sure, walking away mid-mission might sever ties with the client and tarnish their reputation with the mercenary corps.

But mercenary groups could always find new clients, and the world had no shortage of those willing to give commissions.

Even so, for six out of thirteen cases to end in death, there could only be one explanation.

The dungeon must have elements that cruelly toyed with contractors, giving them false hope.

In short, it was filled with monsters that relentlessly harassed intruders. Clearly no ordinary challenge.

“Let’s proceed. I’m very curious. Besides, they’ve agreed to adjust the reward, so I have no complaints.”

Kang-hoo accepted the commission.

The opportunity to acquire the Corruption Series Breastplate was reason enough. A gamble worth taking.

At that moment.

-The client shared some additional information. I’ll tell you in advance. It’s Germany’s Stark Guild.

“Stark?”

-Yes. Unfamiliar, isn’t it?

Not really. It was a familiar name.

Kang-hoo knew about the Stark Guild because one of its hunters had not yet joined The Thirteen Stars.

Currently, The Thirteen Stars, known collectively as Justice, had eight hunters.

Five were yet to join.

One of them was Lars Abel, the deputy guild master of the Stark Guild.

In the original work, Lars was portrayed as an ambitious figure.

Jang Si-hwan had recruited Lars into The Thirteen Stars, promising to show him a “new world.”

At the time, Jang Si-hwan’s global connections and exceptional teammates made him a figure of admiration for Lars.

Lars’s recruitment occurred two years later, after Jang Si-hwan had advanced several levels further.

“This connection was unexpected.”

Lars wasn’t a diehard member of The Thirteen Stars like Jang Si-hwan, Chae Gwanhyeong, Casey Rex, or Vincent Meyer.

Approaching someone like Lars required a different strategy than dealing with someone like Takashi.

Winning over an ambitious person like Lars could only be done by fulfilling their ambitions.

Germany had been Kang-hoo’s priority for practical reasons, but it now presented an unexpected opportunity.