The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Meanwhile.

Kang-hoo confirmed that Odaf could see through Mu-young techniques, veils of craftsmanship, and even stealth.

It was clear that, as a monster attuned to nature, it had somewhat heightened senses.

However, every time its senses weakened, Kang-hoo noticed its attack speed slowed, and its reactions lagged slightly.

This meant it needed more time to pinpoint its target. It wasn’t entirely immune to stealth.

Thus, while Kang-hoo observed cautiously, he activated the “Suppression” option from the Sea of Tranquility.

“Kuluk…?”

Odaf, unable to pinpoint Kang-hoo’s location, struck aimlessly with its wooden tendrils.

Rather than sensing something, it seemed to be relying purely on instinct. Naturally, it was ineffective.

Although he had just refreshed his buffs and avoided skill disruption, he couldn’t locate Kang-hoo’s position.

‘Did his stealth ability level up?’

Park Dong-jae, who had been diligently honing his senses, had been able to track Kang-hoo up until now.

But now, he couldn’t even get a hint.

He had always followed the mana flow emanating from Kang-hoo, but this time, there was no trace of it.

Just as a person’s breath can be felt when they breathe, a hunter’s mana should always leave traces.

But Kang-hoo seemed to control even that, leaving no trace.

It was as if footprints should appear, yet none were left. Naturally, there was no way to track him.

At that moment.

‘Got it.’

With no hits received for a prolonged period, Kang-hoo activated Guaranteed Evasion and began to charge.

Since he had already finished analyzing Odaf’s patterns, there was no need to delay further. The quicker the victory, the better.

Sssst!

Kang-hoo gained speed, aided by the wind blowing from behind.

Even as his speed increased significantly, Odaf couldn’t locate him.

However.

Thump!

When Kang-hoo deliberately stepped on one of Odaf’s sensitive wooden tendrils, Odaf’s eyes widened.

It swung its thickest, fastest wooden tendril directly at Kang-hoo.

That was exactly what he intended.

By drawing out its most crucial move in advance, Kang-hoo increased the value of the exchange.

Guooo!

The thick wooden tendril came flying toward Kang-hoo in an instant. Or so Odaf thought.

But there was a problem.

Whoosh!

Although the tendril seemed aimed perfectly at Kang-hoo’s torso, it veered off in the wrong direction.

Trusting in Guaranteed Evasion, Kang-hoo hadn’t even paid attention to the tendril. Instead, he had already thrown a dagger.

Flash Strike!

With a loud crack, Kang-hoo’s dagger embedded itself right above Odaf’s eye—in its equivalent of a forehead.

“Kraaaa!”

Odaf screamed.

In that moment, Kang-hoo closed the gap and leapt, plunging another dagger into the already embedded one.

This time, it was a decapitating strike.

Splat!

Blue fluid sprayed everywhere.

For Odaf, it was equivalent to blood.

Fwoosh!

Kang-hoo didn’t stop there. Taking a step back, he immediately unleashed the Fire Dragon Spear.

Thud!

The flaming spear embedded itself into Odaf’s forehead again.

Odaf’s focus faltered, its disoriented mind unable to regain control.

【Flames of Death】

Using the dark energy, Kang-hoo intensified the flames where the spear had struck.

【Blood Flower】

The overwhelming accumulated damage culminated in a critical blow, delivered by the Blood Flower.

Boom!

The explosion at Odaf’s eye obliterated its eyes, nose, and even its core brain.

What remained was nothing but twitching muscles.

As Kang-hoo activated Execution Mode, Odaf’s breath ceased instantly. It was a flawless kill.

【Your level has significantly increased to 248!】

As expected, his level rose by five at once.

Such rapid leveling hadn’t happened since his earlier days. It was an extraordinary sight.

【The Constellation ‘Sharp Observer’ takes an interest in your peculiar fate. They have determined that you experience unusual luck and serendipity.】

【The Constellation ‘Investor of Madness’ marvels at your growth rate and adjusts their prediction of your death from Level 350 to Level 550.】

【Many Constellations are showing keen interest in your continued, unabated progress.】

‘Should I be grateful to the Investor of Madness for predicting my death?’

Either way, seeing such responses from usually quiet Constellations lifted his spirits.

Receiving attention from Constellations was always beneficial—it signified recognition of his growth potential.

If a hunter was deemed insignificant, no Constellation would pay attention. At best, only troublesome ones would linger.

【The Constellation ‘Hypocrite of Midnight’ cautiously applauds you.】

‘Huh? Is it resolved?’

He thought he might have read the name wrong, but it was indeed Hypocrite of Midnight, the younger sibling of Seeker of Midnight.

After Go Kyung-ho’s death, Kang-hoo had encountered the two while claiming a Constellation.

However, since they both went silent afterward, it was unclear what unresolved issues they might have had.

Seeing a response from the Hypocrite suggested that, in some way, the matter had been settled.

【Thank you for waiting, contractor. The issue has been resolved. Congratulations on passing the trial.】

Though the congratulations came late, it still felt good to receive praise from the one who set the trial.

‘Did everything resolve well?’

Kang-hoo asked through his “thoughts.”

As long as one willed it, there was no need to speak out loud to communicate with a Constellation.

He stretched out a hand toward Park Dong-jae, who was walking over, signaling for a momentary pause.

He wanted to finish his conversation with the Constellation before organizing the battle situation.

He also needed to decide which skill to plunder from Odaf. One thing at a time.

【My younger sibling lost consciousness outside the domain of the Great Holy War for reasons unknown, and afterward, they seemed bewitched.】

‘Outside the domain of the Great Holy War…?’

【Exactly. It means they ventured beyond the safe zone for Constellations. A mistake born of misguided curiosity.】

‘I see.’

Stories about areas outside the Great Holy War didn’t exist in the original work. There weren’t even variables tied to Constellations.

But hearing this now, Kang-hoo instinctively felt it could become an important “variant.”

【They even recklessly formed a contract with a hunter and hid in a place that couldn’t be detected within the Great Holy War’s central plaza.

They requested the contractor be killed because, upon contract termination or renewal, they would be forcibly summoned to the central plaza.】

‘So, that became my trial.’

【Even if it wasn’t my sibling’s situation, you would have faced a similar trial. Don’t feel slighted.

Restoring my sibling’s lost memories will take time. That’s all I can share for now.】

‘Thank you. You didn’t have to tell me, but I appreciate it.’

【It’s only proper. By the way, since my sibling’s mental suppression has been lifted, there may now be an additional effect related to their Constellation. Check it out.】

As the Seeker of Midnight mentioned, upon reviewing the Hypocrite of Midnight Constellation’s details, Kang-hoo noticed an addition.

The existing abilities tied to Empowered Awakening remained intact.

【Enhances abilities from the Guardian Constellation of the Dark Sanctuary by 2x.】

‘Interesting.’

It seemed there had been a master-servant relationship between the Hypocrite of Midnight and the Guardian of the Dark Sanctuary.

As a result:

【Guardian of the Dark Sanctuary】

【Converts 25 Mana into 2 units of Dark Energy. However, a maximum of 2 units of Dark Energy can be generated per minute.】

The values that previously read as 1 were all doubled. For Kang-hoo, this was an unexpected boon.

Receiving delayed rewards felt like a bonus, boosting his morale.

Still, the mention of areas outside the Great Holy War’s domain lingered in his mind. What secrets might they hold?

How far has this “unconscious realm” extended its reach?

Given the “reckless foreshadowing” in the original work, Kang-hoo felt uneasy about the unpredictable subconscious.

He resolved to uncover more clues and piece together the puzzle.

Later.

Kang-hoo selected the most useful skill to plunder from Odaf.

As a tree monster that used its connected trees to attack, its battle skills weren’t directly applicable.

The skill he plundered was more non-combat in nature.

【Empathy – Plants】

【Skill Mastery: Lv. Max】

【This skill allows the user to distinguish between friendly and hostile plants by their color.

Plants identified as friendly will never attack you.】

Using the empathy skill, Kang-hoo observed the now-dead Odaf and noticed a sharp red outline around its body.

It seemed that even in death, the hostile tendencies from its life didn’t immediately disappear.

Meanwhile, the tree that had provided safety for Park Dong-jae showed a blue outline, making it easy to differentiate.

Intelligent, hunter-targeting plant monsters were more common than expected.

Though limited to plants, this empathy skill seemed likely to have frequent future uses.

Around the same time.

K and the Heavenly Assassin Elder were indulging in a drinking spree, their first in a while.

Being notorious heavy drinkers, the two had already gone through over ten bottles of soju without a change in complexion.

If someone cleared away the soju bottles, it would appear they were simply enjoying a pleasant lunch together.

The elder asked, “How are things with your wife?”

“Good. So good, in fact, I live completely under her thumb. Hahaha.”

“Good. That’s how you should live. Thank God you didn’t marry that wretched woman.”

“Elder, don’t speak so harshly. She was still a woman I once loved.”

“Love? What love? She was a witch, a witch!”

“Let’s leave Shin-ryeong’s story there. It’s all in the past anyway.”

“Fair enough. I spoke out of turn.”

“By the way, Elder, have you given any thought to the disciple I mentioned?”

K broached the subject.

Though K rarely meddled, he was determined to have Kang-hoo train under the Heavenly Assassin Elder.

The pairing of a skilled master and a talented disciple was too promising to ignore.

While the elder had been dismissive before, K’s persistence piqued his curiosity.

Given K’s cautious nature, he wouldn’t recommend just anyone. The elder’s trust in him was unwavering.

“Is this someone you’re that eager to recommend?”

“Yes. They have exceptional potential.”

“What do you know about assassins? None of the ones I’ve taken in so far have shown grit. Do you want me to be fooled again?”

“You’ll think differently once you meet them.”

“Shin Kang-hoo. I’ve looked into the one you speak so highly of. Should I give you my conclusion?”

“That would be great.”

“He’s not an assassin.”

The lively atmosphere between them froze instantly, and a chilling silence lingered for a long while.