The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

At that time.

Go Joo-hee and Gong Yu-seok, having failed miserably in their outside assignment, were heading to Chae Gwanhyeong’s office.

Their “outside assignment” involved identifying and surveilling Kang-hoo’s residence and living area.

They had tracked down the address recorded as Kang-hoo’s residence, but it led to nothing.

It wasn’t just a case of finding no one home—it turned out the address led to a completely abandoned ruin.

Even searching for traces under the alias “Jung Sun-kyu,” which Kang-hoo had previously used, yielded zero results.

As a result, their entire day had been wasted.

Given that it’s typical for most people to live in secure apartments or guarded mansions in large cities…

Kang-hoo’s lifestyle, which defied such patterns, stood out as peculiar.

“What do you think about reaching out to Lee Ye-rin one more time instead of going to Gwanhyeong?”

On the way to Chae Gwanhyeong’s office, Go Joo-hee suggested this with a dark expression to Gong Yu-seok.

Clearly reluctant to meet Gwanhyeong, whom she disliked.

But Gong Yu-seok shook his head.

“We’ve been seeing too much of Lee Ye-rin lately. Giving her the impression that our guild is overly dependent on her wouldn’t be good.”

The relationship between the Jeonghwa Guild and Lee Ye-rin was amicable.

However, as Gong Yu-seok noted, they didn’t want to appear overly reliant on her.

After all, Lee Ye-rin was, at her core, a mercenary leader skilled in handling clients…

And she might begin to think of Kang-hoo as a commodity to trade.

She could even try to inflate her mediation value intentionally.

“Hmm.”

“If Gwanhyeong crosses a line or insults you, I’ll step in for sure. Don’t worry.”

“Sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry for? If he’s out of line, we’ll say so. Don’t stress over it—no matter what he’s doing.”

Gong Yu-seok calmed the visibly unsettled Go Joo-hee as they reached the door to Chae Gwanhyeong’s office.

Curiously, there wasn’t a single person around, as if the staff had been ordered to vacate the premises.

Pushing the slightly ajar office door, they found countless high heels scattered haphazardly inside.

There was only one pair of men’s shoes, presumably Gwanhyeong’s. At that sight, Go Joo-hee grimaced in disgust.

Gong Yu-seok silently mouthed, “Ignore it,” to Go Joo-hee before speaking aloud.

“Captain Chae Gwanhyeong, it’s Gong Yu-seok. I’ve come to discuss an important matter.”

Captain.

A title Chae Gwanhyeong adored.

Hearing it sparked an enthusiasm in him that wasn’t there before, making him feel as though he owned the world.

Though the “real captain” was Jang Si-hwan, Gwanhyeong was particularly fond of the title.

Despite potential confusion over the title…

Thanks to Jang Si-hwan clarifying that “Chae Gwanhyeong is the only captain of the Jeonghwa Guild,” it became his exclusive moniker.

“Who the hell is it? Didn’t I tell everyone not to come in? Which idiot ignored my orders and called for me?”

Despite Gong Yu-seok’s cautious approach, they were met with an immediate barrage of colorful curses.

As Go Joo-hee bristled with anger, Gong Yu-seok reached out to stop her.

Unlike Jang Si-hwan, who could tolerate harsh words, Gwanhyeong was hypersensitive to anything that grated on him.

Gong Yu-seok didn’t want to risk dragging his beloved into unnecessary trouble.

“It’s Gong Yu-seok. My deepest apologies. I’ve come directly because I’ve hit a roadblock in a task approved by Master Jang Si-hwan.”

“Wait a minute! I can’t even talk to you without some pants on, for God’s sake. Why are you wearing that?”

“…”

From within, an incomprehensible exchange of words ensued.

“Just give me a towel, will you? Yeah, that’ll do.”

Finally, Gwanhyeong emerged, covering his lower half with a long bath towel, his face twisted with irritation.

He shot an equally scornful look at both Gong Yu-seok and Go Joo-hee, unreserved in his contempt.

That look was Gwanhyeong’s default expression.

The only time his default changed was when he was in the presence of Jang Si-hwan. At those moments, his gaze softened.

“Be grateful I wasn’t in the middle of my main event. Otherwise, I’d have punched someone first and asked questions later.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Gong Yu-seok skillfully deflected Gwanhyeong’s sharp words and bowed his head. Go Joo-hee followed suit.

Gwanhyeong gulped down a glass of whiskey he poured with jittery hands and asked:

“So, what’s the deal?”

“We need a skilled tracker—someone who can conduct reverse tracking while minimizing exposure and detection risk.”

“I’ve got plenty of those under my command. But who’s the target?”

“A hunter named Shin Kang-hoo.”

“Shin Kang-hoo? Sounds like a backwater nobody. Why should I spare my men to keep tabs on some unknown loser?”

“Well….”

Kang-hoo’s status was suddenly reduced to a nobody.

Had Kang-hoo himself been present, he would’ve laughed at the absurdity of it all. But Gwanhyeong was dead serious.

To him, Kang-hoo was nothing more than an insignificant, low-tier hunter.

“Let me show you his photo first.”

Carefully, Gong Yu-seok began laying out the context. It seemed like this would be a long conversation.

After parting ways with Ban Se-yeong, Kang-hoo was once again reflecting on the “reason” she had brought up.

He had given her a vague answer.

That he had lost someone dear and sought revenge. That he couldn’t share any more details.

But when it came to Go Kyung-ho, Kang-hoo bore no personal grudge.

Go Kyung-ho was merely a sacrificial pawn for passing the constellation’s trial.

So, it seemed reasonable to assume that even the plausible justification attached to it was merely an excuse for Kang-hoo’s actions.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

If the Dimension Plunderer presented a new constellation trial…

And if that trial required killing someone close to Kang-hoo, or an innocent, kind-hearted hunter or civilian…

Would it be right to take on the trial or to abandon it?

This wasn’t about living in a gray area; it was a problem distinct from the black-and-white domain.

Could he truly disregard all means and methods for his goal?

Or would he at least maintain the bare minimum of morality? A seemingly simple yet deeply complex question.

Hoping that constellations wouldn’t toy with trials or contract terms felt like too passive an approach.

“……”

Kang-hoo washed off the faint bloodstains lingering on his dagger, Corrupted Conviction, with the pouring rain.

It had already been stained with too much blood.

Adding a bit more blood—hot and pure—would it make him a worse person? Perhaps. No, definitely.

“Damn it.”

Cursing under his breath, Kang-hoo shook off the rainwater clinging to the blade. It wasn’t a healthy train of thought.

Perhaps it would be better to confront the constellation about such issues—a frank and open conversation.

The next evening.

The weather had turned even worse than expected, creating the perfect conditions for an ambush.

Before the main attack began…

Kang-hoo advanced ahead of Jeon Se-hyuk’s main force to clear the way.

On the road to the Pyeongtaek branch, there were a few forward outposts—crude but functional.

Kang-hoo infiltrated them stealthily and took out several hunters at once.

These hunters, without a constellation contract and at significantly lower levels, fell instantly to Decapitation.

This indicated that these hunters were below level 80—unimpressive.

【Monsters or hunters with levels less than 33% of the user's level will die instantly upon a successful strike.】

Such was the power of Decapitation.

Even a glancing blow meant death.

For the victims, it might have seemed like an unfair scenario, but to Kang-hoo, their plight wasn’t his concern.

“That Mojo person… really impressive. None of them withstand even two hits. It’s like they just drop dead once the dagger hits them.”

Jeon Se-hyuk’s team, observing from a distance, nodded in agreement.

A few sharp-witted individuals recognized the assassin as Kang-hoo but chose not to reveal it.

Meanwhile, hunters seeing Kang-hoo for the first time marveled at his swift dispatch of the outpost guards.

The essence of an ambush is speed.

When targeting such outposts, preventing anyone from sounding an alarm or sending a warning signal is critical.

This was Kang-hoo’s specialty.

Speed, precision, and execution.

Summed up in three keywords, they aptly described the situation.

After neutralizing several outposts, Kang-hoo silently disappeared from his team’s sight.

His role in the operation was done. The showdown with the Pyeongtaek branch was now up to Jeon Se-hyuk and his team.

Kang-hoo redirected himself toward the area where Go Kyung-ho was expected to appear.

His target had been singular from the beginning.

Go Kyung-ho.

By eliminating the hunter backed by the “Pure Black Hypocrite” constellation…

He could secure the fourth and fifth traits of the Pure Black Seeker constellation, further enhancing his abilities.

Fifteen Minutes Later.

“Damn it…! An insider? What kind of nonsense is this?”

Having received an urgent message from the Eclipse Pyeongtaek branch, Go Kyung-ho left his hotel and headed toward the branch.

With the roads turned to muddy chaos by the torrential rain, he abandoned his car and began running.

The roads were littered with mudslides and debris, as though a landslide had struck.

Given the circumstances, switching to on-foot travel was the only logical choice.

But the news was shocking.

There was an insider within the branch.

Before Jeon Se-hyuk’s group even began their attack, all of the branch’s gates had been flung wide open.

That wasn’t all.

The external barriers meant for defense had been completely disabled, leaving the branch defenseless.

Fortunately—or perhaps not—the insider had been killed.

Before dying, the insider confessed to being planted by The Abyss.

Considering that the Eclipse Pyeongtaek branch had operated together for over two years…

The insider must have been placed there over two years ago. How meticulously had they prepared?

Either way, things were thoroughly ruined.

With no functional defenses, the branch’s frontlines had been wiped out from the start.

Jeon Se-hyuk’s group was notorious for their battlefield expertise. Without intervention, the entire branch might fall.

Splash! Splash!

Ignoring the mud splattering all over his soaked body, Go Kyung-ho sprinted forward.

After all, once he reached the branch, his body would soon be drenched in hot blood instead.

“Jeon Se-hyuk, that bastard…”

Grinding his teeth, Go Kyung-ho pushed himself to run even faster.

At this pace, the branch would come into view in about seven minutes.

But then.

“What the hell is that…?”

Through the pouring rain, something stood blocking his path.

A man, drenched in rain, with a piercing, murderous gaze fixed precisely on Go Kyung-ho’s chest.

In that instant…

Go Kyung-ho recognized him.

“Shin Kang-hoo?”

The Eclipse’s top-priority assassination target.

The “villain” Kang Dong-hyun had desperately sought was standing right in front of him.

Perhaps… this was an opportunity to earn some glory?