The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All Chapter 125

Episode 125 Hidden Skill (4)

What Park Dong-jae took out was a magic stone.

While Kang-hoo’s expression didn’t change much, Jeon Se-hyeok hit Park Dong-jae on the back of the head.

“Hey! This is just a magic stone. Why are you making such a fuss about it and wrapping it in a bundle?”

“It must have some meaning.”

Contrary to Jeon Se-hyeok’s thoughts, Kang-hu did not think lightly of Park Dong-jae’s magic stone.

Park Dong-jae has a polite personality, but he is not the type to joke around rudely.

Then Park Dong-jae happily accepted Kang-hoo’s words.

“That’s right! This guy is the first magic stone I got from the dungeon. Since I started carrying this guy around, things have been going really well for me.”

“Is it like a talisman?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve survived the risk of death five times, and I’ve even gotten two of the buff skill books that I really needed. Isn’t that a lucky charm?”

“It seems like you weren’t carrying this magic stone when you were kidnapped by the Kashmar Guild.”

“That’s correct… … .”

Kang-hoo chuckled.

I thought it was a time when I shouldn’t laugh, but I laughed. It seems like he’s really serious about it, like a talisman.

That could be the case.

Jinxes don’t just happen for no reason. The reason why things like routines happen is similar.

Whatever the reason, it certainly seemed like a precious magic stone to Park Dong-jae.

so.

Paradoxically, I didn’t want to receive it.

“Okay. I’ll just accept your heart.”

“Huh? Is it because this is such a poor thank you? This is for starters.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“I plan to continue to express my gratitude to Seon-gyu as I earn more money. Don’t be disappointed.”

“No, it’s not a matter of the amount. It’s a burden to receive it. That’s why I said it was okay.”

“ah…….”

“If you really want to repay me, why don’t we do some volunteer work next time we go to the dungeon together? How about that?”

I made a counteroffer.

If you can get a buffer like Park Dong-jae for free, there’s nothing better than that.

Of course, if that happens, I plan on taking you to a fairly tight dungeon. That way, I can get my fill.

“Of course! No, you can get a lifetime free pass too! Seriously!”

“For life.”

“I mean this with all my heart. There is a saying that if you want to be the most blessed person, you must be the most grateful person.”

“Calvin Coolidge.”

“Oh! How did you know?”

“That’s a quote I like quite a bit.”

“Gratitude is the most beautiful expression of courtesy!”

“Jacques Maritain.”

“Wow! You have quite a bit of knowledge of famous quotes.”

“I answered two questions.”

“Anyway, Dongjae, that bastard… … I’m sorry, Seon-gyu. This guy really likes this kind of conversation.”

“No. I’m glad I can use my niche knowledge.”

Kang-hoo shook his head.

Park Dong-jae’s character seemed solid. He is actually a character who likes reading very much.

The reason why Park Dong-jae was able to grow into the best buffer is because he read numerous papers by hunters.

What I could not directly experiment with or challenge, I used as research material along with indirect experience through papers.

“Anyway, please call me. No matter what happens, I will put Seon-gyu’s request first.”

“Then I’ll use this chance wisely. Take the magic stone back with you. Bring it with you when you go to the dungeon with me.”

“Ah! I see. Hahaha!”

It was nice to see Park Dong-jae full of positive energy.

Perhaps because he is that kind of character, he gets along well with colleagues like Jeon Se-hyeok, who has a serious side, or Ban Se-young, who is unpredictable.

Kang-hoo’s personality is on the opposite end of the spectrum from his own, but that makes it even more fun.

* * *

The drinking party was getting more and more heated.

The good thing about Seoul, aside from the high cost of living, is that you can drink alcohol anywhere, anytime.

Even if you stumble and walk down a dark road, nothing will happen.

I got quite a bit of information from talking to both of them.

First of all, I found out that Park Dong-jae hates Eclipse just as much as Jeon Se-hyeok.

Two friends who have been friends for ten years were kidnapped by Eclipse, and their fate is unknown. It seems they are still searching.

So, Park Dong-jae said that after a long design process, he created an insider inside Eclipse.

It was also thanks to an insider that Jeon Se-hyeok was able to find out that Cha So-hee was killed by Kang-hoo.

Park Dong-jae called the entire insider line he had created the ‘black network’.

And he said that the sphere of influence of the Black Network includes all guilds and warlords within the country.

The information network was much wider than Kang-hoo had thought.

In this regard, it was quite detailed and careful, contrary to what it appeared on the outside.

Park Dong-jae knows the information of all the insiders connected to the black network.

They also said that the insiders did not know each other. They said that they had never given even the slightest clue.

‘I’ll have to grab him by the collar tightly.’

The expected value of Park Dong-jae, who was already valuable simply for being a skilled buffer, has skyrocketed.

Of course, Park Dong-jae didn’t know how great he was, but Kang-hoo could clearly see it.

The Black Network seemed like it could be of great help.

He said that the reason Park Dong-jae has no money in his hands right now is because a huge amount of money is needed to maintain the network.

It can’t be helped.

If we prioritize the safety of insiders, we will need more operating expenses.

The number of glasses tilted against each other gradually increased, but strangely, no one got drunk.

In the middle of the conversation, Jeon Se-hyeok leaves to make a call that requires security.

Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae were left alone. Park Dong-jae filled Kang-hoo’s glass with alcohol and changed the subject.

“I heard from Seyoung and Sehyuk. They said you broke the highest record in the Maze Dungeon by an overwhelming margin.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Besides, I heard that you almost crushed them with a one-man show in internal attacks.”

“It ended quickly.”

“Sehyuk and Seyoung, surprisingly, are people who are picky about praising outsiders. To be exact, they are extremely cold.”

“okay.”

“But when the two of them talk about Seon-gyu, they only have praise for him. No, they say there’s nothing to criticize.”

“It was our first time clearing a maze dungeon, but the three of us worked well together so it was easier than expected.”

“That’s why. If your breathing doesn’t match, no matter how many times you go together, it will get tangled again and again.”

“It was pretty fun.”

“I heard that Seon-gyu and I got better grades than I did… … .”

“wound?”

“No. I just wanted to have a proper fight with someone like that in a dungeon and have a go at clearing it!”

Those were typical words from Park Dong-jae.

I love challenges and adventures.

That was the cause of my trouble, I went to Ground Zero and was kidnapped.

Park Dong-jae would probably also enjoy dungeons that are trials that test his limits rather than ordinary strategies.

“This is the dungeon that Sehyuk handed over to me. I’m going to go conquer it soon, so let’s work together then.”

“Okay. As I said before, it’s free! Would you like to shake hands?”

“suddenly?”

“Let’s hold hands first and see if they fit well! We’ll try to fit our feet later.”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“… … Wasn’t it fun?”

In one way or another, the character was definitely Park Dong-jae.

* * *

The drinking party with the two people was settled by dawn, and Kang-hoo slept soundly until that evening.

Not only was I not busy with my schedule after that, I didn’t have anything to worry about, but I also wanted to get some rest since it was my first time drinking too much in a long time.

While I was sleeping, I received a light morning greeting from Jin Hyo-young, but since I was sleeping, I automatically ignored it.

Since Kang-hoo was in no hurry, he thought he would take this opportunity to test his patience.

As evening turned into night.

Kang-hu, who had made an appointment to meet Lee Ye-rin, went straight down to Daejeon Station to meet her.

It was to check on Yoon Sang-mi’s condition and also to talk with Lee Ye-rin about the future direction of the request.

As soon as he got off at Daejeon Station, Kang-hu called Yoon Sang-mi.

She answered the phone earlier than expected.

– Yes, brother.

“I wanted to ask how you’re feeling.”

– Me? Okay. But I’m going into the strategy right now. Let’s talk later. Okay!

“… … .”

The call ended without me being able to respond.

Kang-hoo was always the first to hang up the phone, but today it felt like the positions had been reversed.

Anyway, I felt relieved because I felt like I was in good enough condition to go on a dungeon raid.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Yoon Sang-mi, who had a hard time dealing with the problem because it was entangled with my work.

at that time.

“What are you doing standing blankly in front of the station? I called you from behind, but you didn’t even answer.”

Someone tapped Kang-hoo on the shoulder from behind. It was Lee Ye-rin.

We had originally planned to meet outside of Daejeon Station, but it seemed like she was coming out of the station too.

“Oh, the call just ended.”

Kang-hoo’s eyes were bright as he answered. This was because Lee Ye-rin’s constellations had increased by two in the meantime.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if rapid growth were to begin.’

Thinking about Lee Ye-rin’s position in the future, the gradually steepening growth curve was not strange.

It would probably be around this time.

It was at this point that they started aggressively merging and acquiring small mercenary groups and buying up their dungeons.

Although Lee Ye-rin’s mercenary group ‘Cheong-an’ is not large in scale, her connections are wider than you can imagine.

So, there was no problem in raising funds for the acquisition as the money had been earned steadily over the years, that is, there was sufficient capital.

“Should we move for a moment? Today’s topic is a bit heavy. We also need to maintain security.”

“Where should we go?”

“Let’s go to our mercenary unit building. It’s safe because the security facilities are sufficient.”

“Yeah.”

It was her first time visiting the mercenary building.

Until now, you can usually see it near the permanent information booth of the Cheongan Mercenary Corps in front of Daejeon Station.

Or maybe we used to meet in other areas besides Daejeon Station. Today, the request was a bit deeper than that.

* * *

Cheongan Building is located about 1km west of Daejeon Station.

The interrupted conversation was resumed only after entering a perfectly soundproofed room inside the Cheongan Building.

The first to speak was Lee Ye-rin.

“The mercenary market is in trouble these days. As demand for mercenaries skyrockets, the shortage of supply is getting worse.”

“This is good news for me as a client.”

“That’s true. Not only the commission price, but also the success and life bonuses have skyrocketed.”

“There must be a reason for the surge in demand, right?”

Kang-hoo asked, even though he already knew, just to confirm.

The reason is obvious.

It is because of the war between pharmaceutical companies, the ‘White War’. The current situation is truly the calm before the storm.

“The pharmaceutical companies are expanding their business. You know? Right now, the prices of narcotic stimulants are the highest in the world.”

“Yes, I know. You’re trying to set fire to foreign countries and create connections in the supply chain.”

“I think the pharmaceutical companies are making up their minds. If they don’t split the pie like they do now, they’ll have a monopoly.”

“You can sweep up money.”

“That’s right. Foreign capital is also coming in, riding this wave.”

“Each pharmaceutical company has its own backing. Aren’t there also Chinese and Russian companies?”

“Of course. The number of foreign hunters entering the country from both countries this month has increased by 450% compared to the previous month.”

“This is crazy.”

The signs certainly weren’t good.

Let alone the war between pharmaceutical companies, if this were to happen, it would be an international war among mercenaries as well.

There were clear signs that the country was about to become very noisy.

It would be better if it was just noisy, and the smell of blood would be vibrating.

The curtain on the White War was already slowly rising.