Episode 44
Kang Jin-hyeok, who had received the welcome gift, took out the remaining scrolls from his inventory and placed them on the floor one by one.
A considerable number of scrolls were consumed as they were connected in a straight line all the way to the exit to ensure a proper chain reaction.
“How many pages are you going to write today?”
If you include the one I gave to Jung Dae-yoon, I ended up using up 40 scrolls that cost 150,000 won each.
It’s heartbreaking to lose over 5 million won, but instead, Kang Jin-hyeok has obtained a valuable item that is hard to buy even with money.
Kang Jin-hyeok swallowed his regret, thinking that he was sacrificing the cow for the sake of the generation.
In the last scroll, set a separate operating time.
Kang Jin-hyeok hurriedly escaped through the exit.
When they had gotten some distance away, a small earthquake occurred along with the sound of a bomb exploding underground.
“Oh my.”
It’s so shocking that this much can leak out from a basement surrounded by thick walls.
The facilities there must have been reduced to dust along with the bodies of their creators.
“Now that we’ve dealt with Alaune, there’s no need to create a welcome party.”
To make the welcome drink, honey and pollen from Alaune flowers were absolutely necessary.
Moreover, according to Lucia, Alaune only blooms once every five years.
If he missed this opportunity, there would be no next time for Tyrant.
Because they will never have the chance to find and raise a new Alaune.
Kang Jin-hyeok ran to the place he had heard about from Jeong Dae-yoon and found Alaune curled up with her body wrapped in leaves.
Alaune, who felt the presence of others, raised her head slightly and looked in the direction of the sound.
Alaune, who had the appearance of a young woman, revealed her true form as a monster the moment she discovered Kang Jin-hyeok.
“Shaaaaah!”
Numerous vines sprouted from the head that was spread out to the left and right and rushed towards Kang Jin-hyeok’s limbs.
Even though vines capable of piercing through armor were attacking him from all sides, Kang Jin-hyeok did not lose his composure.
Kang Jin-hyeok aimed his bat at Alaune and the image that came to his mind was lightning.
Phagec!
The lightning flashed in a blue flash and instantly reduced the vines of Alaune to ashes.
“Shhh?!”
Alaune looked flustered as the weapon she was most confident in was fried by lightning.
Up until now, the only humans Alaune had encountered were those who were friendly to her or those who were offered as food.
Has there ever been another human being who approached you with such obvious hostility?
Alawne suddenly remembered Jeong Dae-yoon, who had tried to burn her.
“Shhhhhhhhh!!”
Thinking that she could just call out to other humans like she did back then, Alaune shouted with all her might.
But now, no matter how much he cried, no one came to help Alaune.
While I was wasting time on useless things, Kang Jin-hyeok was closing the distance even further.
“I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but I think it’s better to give up.”
The moment Kang Jin-hyeok entered the shooting range, he raised the bat above his head and dropped it vertically.
Alaune tried to stop the falling bat by stacking vines.
But in front of a baseball bat wrapped in a red aura, it showed durability that was worse than that of cardboard.
Finally, Alaune, whose body was more than half crushed by the vines, let out a terrible scream.
“Gyaaaaaaah!!!”
Kang Jin-hyeok’s expression naturally frowned at the shattered scream.
It was disgusting to see a flower that grew by eating people scream like a person.
Kang Jin-hyeok struck Alaune with a baseball bat while simultaneously firing lightning to stop him from screaming any longer.
There was no way that Alaune, who had grown up without ever hunting, could withstand having her whole body crushed and burned by lightning.
The pitch-black Alaune groaned softly and then sagged.
“… … .”
Kang Jin-hyeok discovered something glowing on Alaune’s body.
[You have obtained the material item.]
The item that Kang Jin-hyeok picked up was a metal object about the size of a handball.
Even when I looked at the information through emotions, all the information was displayed as ‘???’ and I couldn’t identify it.
“It looks like you need some more specialized emotional skills.”
Among the material series items, there are often cases where information cannot be confirmed with just the normal appraisal skills.
In order to find out the identity of these items, people with specialized production professions, such as blacksmiths or alchemists, were needed.
Kang Jin-hyeok thought that since it looked like a metal material, it would be better to leave it to the dwarves.
“I just need a gift for my uncle. This is great.”
After collecting the items and putting them in his inventory, Kang Jin-hyeok turned his gaze towards the empty space.
At first glance, it seems like this is the end of the situation.
Kang Jin-hyeok still hasn’t relaxed.
This was because the ability of ‘presence detection’ that the dwarf had enchanted into the baseball bat alerted Kang Jin-hyeok to the presence that was secretly hiding.
Kang Jin-hyeok aimed at the direction the eyes were looking at with the tip of the bat and let go of his grip.
“If you don’t want to be roasted like this monster, you’d better come out.”
To others, it seemed like I was just wandering around alone.
But, there was definitely someone there where Kang Jin-hyeok was looking.
“Tsk.”
Clicking his tongue lightly, Yun Song-ho revealed himself, deactivating his stealth skill and covering his face with a black mask.
A character who hid himself using stealth skills until Kang Jin-hyeok caught Alaune.
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His true identity was the assassin who attacked Kang Jin-hyeok in front of his house.
“When did you notice?”
“From the moment you followed me through the barrier.”
“Then I guess it wasn’t a coincidence that I met eyes with the archer girl back then.”
Yoon Song-ho was only now able to realize that Lucia’s inaction was intentional.
But it didn’t matter.
Anyway, now was the moment he was going to reveal his identity.
Whatever Kang Jin-hyeok’s intentions were, if he took his life now, it would all be for nothing.
“I wanted to kill you without you noticing, if possible. But I guess there’s nothing I can do about it if it turns out like this.”
Yoon Song-ho continued, saying that the process has changed only slightly, and the result will be the same.
“I’ve taken the Hwandan and eliminated Alaune, so you’re useless now.”
“You’re taking the Hwandan? I have that safely stored away.”
“It’s the same thing, if I kill you, you become mine.”
“That’s some really gangster-like logic.”
Yoon Song-ho did not take any action until Kang Jin-hyeok took his stance.
It was unexpected that the hiding was noticed, but from the assassin’s point of view, this was just a minor incident.
‘I know you’re not an ordinary C-class hunter, but… … .’
Yoon Song-ho did not forget the behavior that Kang Jin-hyeok had shown in front of his house.
Despite being a cleric with a weak combat ability, Kang Jin-hyeok’s actions were quicker and more threatening than expected.
‘After all, a flea is a flea.’
Among the hunters that Yoon Song-ho had killed so far, there was one like Kang Jin-hyeok who had outstanding skills that did not match his class.
Those guys are only a headache in the beginning.
The moment his true colors were revealed, he became no different from other guys.
Yoon Song-ho secretly prepared a male and female pair, determined to make Kang Jin-hyeok feel the difference in experience.
“I’m different from the guys you’ve fought so far.”
“Oh, yes yes. Are you stupid?”
When Kang Jin-hyeok pretended to pick his ears and dismissed it as nonsense, Yoon Song-ho became slightly angry.
“What are you relying on to make such a fuss when you’re not even with that damn archer?”
“If you’re curious, check it out yourself.”
Kang Jin-hyeok guided the assassin’s attack by snapping his fingers.
It was a cliché provocation, but it worked pretty well.
“… … If that’s your wish, then I’ll let you do it.”
Yun Song-ho’s light-hearted attitude, which had been confident in his victory until just a moment ago, changed 180 degrees.
The gaze that swept over Kang Jin-hyeok with cold eyes was like that of a snake hunting for prey.
Yun Song-ho disappeared in an instant, hiding the poisonous fangs in both hands that could be used to bite and kill his opponent.
Kang Jin-hyeok immediately realized that Yoon Song-ho’s disappearance from his sight was not due to his stealth skills.
A violent cloud of dust rose from where Yun Song-ho had been standing just a moment ago.
That was evidence that Yun Song-ho was moving at a speed that could not be followed with the eyes.
His approach of moving quickly and aiming for blind spots created the illusion of his opponents disappearing from sight.
‘It’s worth shouting about.’
If he didn’t have the ability to sense presence, Kang Jin-hyeok would have been hanged like the other hunters.
“Where!”
Kang Jin-hyeok swung his baseball bat at Yoon Song-ho, who was aiming for the flank.
As the bat, which was swinging horizontally in a crescent shape, collided with Yun Song-ho’s dagger, sparks flew in all directions.
“Ugh!”
Yun Song-ho, who was pushed back by the force, gave up on approaching and jumped back to create some distance.
“This is ridiculous… … !”
What surprised Yoon Song-ho was not only because Kang Jin-hyeok blocked his attack.
The fact that the sword was broken by a mere baseball bat was what shocked Yun Song-ho.
Up until now, there have been hunters who have blocked his attacks, but none have broken his sword or damaged it.
“What did you do with that weapon that wasn’t even properly used?”
Yun Song-ho’s dagger was an item that was directly bestowed upon the organization as a result of the trust and achievements that had been built up over time.
It is also a top-grade rare item with the ability ‘Endurance B’ enchanted.
A baseball bat made of aluminum would normally be sliced like tofu by this sword.
“What are you mumbling about? Aren’t you going to attack me?”
Kang Jin-hyeok, who did not want to waste time, made the first move when Yoon Song-ho did not rush back.
“Huh?”
Yoon Song-ho let out a dumbfounded sound without realizing it as Kang Jin-hyeok closed the distance of over 15 meters in an instant.
“This insolent brat!”
However, like a seasoned assassin, Yun Song-ho quickly regained his composure and took out a new dagger.
And again he clashed the bat with his sword.
As expected, what shot into the air with the sound of clashing iron was a piece of Yun Song-ho’s sword.
Moreover, this time the baseball bat did not just cut through the blade but also aimed for the side.
‘Then I’ll just tidy up your side!’
In a split second, Yoon Song-ho planned to give his side and aim for Kang Jin-hyeok’s nape.
I figured I could tolerate getting hit by a baseball bat, as long as it wasn’t a vital point.
But when I got hit directly, my thoughts changed in an instant.
Woodduck.
The ribs that the bat had hit were shattered into pieces before they could even fulfill their role of protecting the internal organs.
And Yoon Song-ho’s body, unable to withstand the shock, flew to the wall of the building in an instant.
There was no time to aim for the nape of the neck in that merciless strike.
Boom!
Yun Song-ho, who was pinned against the wall, was no longer breathing.
Kang Jin-hyeok approached cautiously, wondering if his opponent was using tricks like an assassin.
When I tapped him with the end of a baseball bat, Yoon Song-ho’s body fell limply to the floor.
The process of falling face first was too realistic to be considered acting.
“It ended more blandly than I expected.”
Even though he had killed more people today than he could count on two fingers, Kang Jin-hyeok didn’t feel any guilt.
Is it because I can see the karma level that I know the other person is a swindler?
It felt completely different than when I first killed someone.
“Is everything only difficult at first… … .”
I’ve never felt so uncomfortable about getting used to something.
But considering the behavior of large guilds and hunters, it was clearly a necessary experience.
I might have similar experiences in the future, so I couldn’t hesitate and hesitate forever.
“Now that the work is done, I should contact you first.”
Kang Jin-hyeok realized that it was not the time to be sentimental and took out a communication item from his inventory.
As soon as I activated the small crystal-shaped item, a signal went straight to Lucia outside.
