The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All Chapter 20

Episode 20 Skill Stealing (4)

* * *

Several times the wine in the glass disappeared without a trace and was then refilled.

Inside the house, where there was no need to worry about the safety of the surroundings, two women were comfortably pouring wine.

Occasionally, an alarm would sound, but I didn’t pay attention because it was just a trace left by a stray cat passing by.

“Sister, it’s really hard to see you these days!”

“Nam Isa. Aren’t you busy too? But why did you come to Daejeon?”

“Well, isn’t that the case with all mercenaries? When you go around wondering where the work is, you end up going to Daejeon and Busan.”

“You’re not going to tell me that you came here because you wanted to see me until the end?”

“I always miss you, Sister! But you have to meet me, right? It’s so amazing that we even met like this.”

“If you had answered just 10% of the calls I made, we would have met a long time ago. You don’t even answer because you’re meeting a guy.”

“Is this how we’re going to go into a war of exposure? Hahaha.”

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Sangmi. I’ve been feeling a bit lonely lately.”

Yoon Sang-mi and Han Seo-yeon are deeply immersed in wine.

The two were like sisters who had known each other for a long time, and they were also best friends.

However, after becoming hunters, the direction of their growth changed because their goals were different.

Yoon Sang-mi became a wandering mercenary.

Han Seo-yeon went to the Haehwa Guild. Haehwa Guild was a satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild and was like a Daejeon branch.

“Sister.”

“huh?”

“I met a strange hunter. I had some business at Osan Station and he ended up accompanying me.”

“Hey! Why are you so easily going along with a hunter you’ve just met? Do you know where he belongs and act so sloppy?”

“Hey. Is this the first or second time I’ve done something like this? I do it because I’m confident I can protect myself.”

“Hmm······. Okay. Anyway, so?”

“My name is Jeong Seon-gyu. Of course, it’s a fake name, but I came to Daejeon Station with you. And as you know.”

“I know. The incident at Club Hades. You said you escaped from there, right?”

“Oh! That guy cleared the way for me back then. His attacks were really simple and destructive.”

“Is it a shame that Mr. Yoon ‘Sogeum’, who is second to none in terms of harsh evaluation, is giving such high praise?”

“Sister. I always praise someone if they deserve it. It’s just that there haven’t been any hunters worthy of it so far!”

“What class was it?”

“Assassin class. They can subdue any average hunter with a single blow, or immediately find an opening and attack.”

“What is the singularity?”

“Each skill has a really high level of completion. The proficiency must be incredibly high. It seemed like the level was quite high.”

“Jeong Seon-gyu······. I’ve never heard that name before. Even as a pseudonym, it’s an unfamiliar name?”

“That’s what I mean. It didn’t seem like they had been active for long. They said it was their second deal with Yerin Lee.”

“second?”

“huh!”

At this time, coincidentally, a second person who could do business with suddenly came to Han Seo-yeon’s mind.

Of course, there are more than one or two mercenaries who come to Lee Ye-rin to receive requests. Dozens come every day.

But recently, he was startled when he remembered Kang-hoo, who had personally introduced him to Lee Ye-rin.

If you did well on your first request, it would be time to request your second request.

However, I didn’t think that Kang-hu, who had just escaped from the Cheongmyeong concentration camp, would have the skills to receive praise from Yoon Sang-mi.

If I had that level of skill, I would have escaped the camp long ago.

“By the way, your ex-boyfriend. What happened to him? He suddenly contacted you?”

“That’s right, Mr. Kang-hoo.”

“What’s the deal?”

“I think I was kidnapped by the Eclipse guys and taken to the Cheongmyeong concentration camp. To the magic stone mine.”

“Then······you escaped from there?”

“Yeah. That’s all I heard. He didn’t tell me how he escaped or what happened.”

“Didn’t your ex-boyfriend say that he had just become a hunter before he lost contact with you?”

“That’s right. Since he was locked up in a concentration camp in that condition, he probably couldn’t grow properly······.”

Now that I think about it, Han Seo-yeon also had some questionable parts.

For Kang-hoo, there would be no changes in elements such as level or stats.

But how did he escape from the camp, which was staffed with such capable guards?

“Sister, you were so attached to your ex-boyfriend. Shouldn’t you have held on to him a little tighter? You had a hard time after we broke up.”

“You know. Mr. Kang-hoo, your personality. You’re the kind of person who won’t do it once or never. Even if you worry about me without telling me······.”

“You live in the past too much, you’re a troublemaker.”

“Before we broke up, Kang-hoo said the same thing to me. I guess everyone thinks the same way, right?”

“Hey, I don’t know! Let’s drink some more wine, yum!”

Although the two were talking about the same person, they had no idea that Kang-hoo was a common keyword.

In a world where pseudonyms change frequently, remembering someone by their ‘name’ is truly meaningless.

* * *

“That was a good guess.”

Kang-hoo picked up a green magic stone. Each magic stone was worth about 100 million won.

Since a blue magic stone costs around 10 million won, the price will increase significantly even if the color goes up by just one level.

The probability of obtaining a green magic stone from a boss monster is usually considered to be 10%. Assuming a level similar to that of Alicia.

It is definitely not an easy magic stone to obtain.

Although it is a superstition, there was a story that if you kill the boss monster quickly, you will get a good reward.

There is no verified data because it was also called ‘Kardera’ in the original work, but in any case, it was definitely caught quickly.

‘I think a moderate amount of tension for mana hypersensitivity actually helps me.’

Kang-hoo thought so.

Congenital hypersensitivity to mana is not only a burden.

It is also seen as playing a role in creating a mindset that allows for strategic and cool-headed judgment.

If you don’t attempt a neatly calculated attack, you may end up on the defensive due to the effects of hypersensitivity.

Of course, this is if you think positively, but if you think about it the other way around, it also means that you always feel burdened.

With Alicia’s death, there are only two things left as loot.

One was a 4th grade item ring, and the other was a skill book.

Kang-hoo checked the ring first.

【Blood Gluttony – Ring】

【Rating: 4th grade】

【All stats +15】

【When the bleeding status is applied to the target, the bleeding status becomes 50% worse.】

“This is a great match for the bleeding stab. Of course, it’s also a trait that goes well with bloodshed.”

It was probably made to match Alicia’s skills, but it ended up becoming an item for Kang-hoo.

I just finished registering to wear it.

Item grades are also grades.

It was a perfect ring with nothing missing from the composition. All stats were 15, which was an unconditional benefit.

【Stamina: 146】

I looked at the stamina stats.

The other stats still have a long way to go so there’s not much to look at, but stamina was really important.

When I first opened my eyes in the camp, my stamina was 10.

With his current level of physical strength, he is far beyond the level of an athlete. This means that his endurance has increased considerably.

Of course, this is the normal case, and the calculation changes when it comes to ‘battle’ periods where mana is intensively used.

Once the side effects of congenital mana hypersensitivity fully take effect.

From then on, you will lose 1 stamina point per second, along with severe headaches and nausea.

Compared to the past, even if mana hypersensitivity is triggered, a stronghold has been created that can endure for some time.

Moreover, the point at which the entire body becomes overloaded is when two or three skills are used in succession in the past.

Now I can easily endure four or five times.

The difference between using a skill once or twice more in battle and not using it at all is huge. It’s the line between life and death.

‘You’ve become a little more human. At least in normal times.’

Kang-hoo checked the other loot with an awkward, but still satisfied smile.

It’s a skill book.

【Skill Book – Great Decapitation】

【Special Note: For Inspection Only】

【Consumes a certain amount of stamina and mana to strike the target hard in one blow.】

To conclude, if you study like this, you will only see a 10% effect due to the class penalty.

This means that for Kang-hoo, who is an assassin class, the skill is only displayed at a slightly lower level.

However, if it were possible to remove the penalty, it could easily be used as a one-hit kill.

‘This requires some sophisticated tricks, so let’s keep it for now.’

Since there is no way to acquire the skill right away, I decided to put it on hold for a few days.

There was no reason to sell it since you could learn it without penalty using other methods.

It was just past midnight.

Kang-hu, who entered the downtown area near Gapyeong Station, stopped by a bar to cool his head, which had been heated by the battle.

This place was a relatively safe area.

There were guards in the middle of the road, and it wasn’t that far from the Gapyeong Hunter Police Station.

Fortunately, this bar, which was a modern bar, had a Solarium Burst, and Kang-hoo was able to order a drink to his liking.

‘I am now drinking the cup that I have been longing for since Hades.’

Kang-hoo nodded as he drank the Solarkium Burst he received from the blunt male bartender.

It’s a drink that has come a long way.

Could it be a compensation psychology?

“Solar Qium Burst, two more glasses.”

I ordered more.

The story about the unique taste of the Solarkyum Burst that Benny had mentioned also came to mind vividly.

It was good, after all. Everyone has different tastes, but if it tastes good to me, isn’t that enough?

Kang-hoo, who was drinking his second glass, suddenly looked down at his arm, which came into view.

I’ve definitely gained some muscle.

My stamina has also increased.

Even if I drink a little alcohol, I feel like my body is relaxed rather than feeling helpless.

I was planning to get some rest for a day or so and then go see Heo Jeong-tae.

Unless there is a major change in the setting, it is easy to guess where Heo Jeong-tae is living.

However, after dealing with the issue related to Heo Jeong-tae, I began to worry about what to do next.

Rest is something that ends with just a comma here and there, because this body must grow steadily.

Considering Jang Si-hwan monopolizing all the privileges at the top, I had to run a few steps ahead.

‘I’ll go to Ground Zero a little earlier······.’

Just as Kang-hoo’s thoughts were starting to deepen, his smartphone vibrated.

Only two people know this number.

Han Seo-yeon and Lee Ye-rin.

【Hanseoyeon】

【This is Han Seo-yeon from the Haehwa Guild! Please take good care of me!】

When I looked at the sender’s name, the three letters that had been written dryly became clearly visible.

Additionally, the greeting added by the sender’s settings was also displayed.

“······.”

Who would have thought that Han Seo-yeon would be in the satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild? It certainly wouldn’t be a pleasant thing.

Well, this is not a problem to worry about now. You may not have any conflict with her.

Kang-hoo answered the phone.

“huh.”

– I’m sorry, Oppa. Can I talk to you for a moment? This is a secure call. Don’t worry, they can’t wiretap you.

“It’s okay. What’s going on?”

– Cha So-hee came to Daejeon Station. I just came out with a friend I know to buy some more wine, and I saw Cha So-hee.

“Cha So-hee?”

It’s a name you can’t help but know.

He is the third-ranking member of Eclipse and Kang Dong-hyun’s most trusted confidant.

Also called Kang Dong-hyun’s ‘hunting dog’.

– I was just going around the hot spots where mercenaries gather, and I was investigating about my brother. And his real name.

“The point is, Cha So-hee is chasing me.”

– Yeah, that’s right. Be careful, brother.

“Thank you. I’ll hang up.”