The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

-This should be enough; let’s stop.

“Pardon?”

-We aren’t fighting on equal footing right now. I’ve seen enough of your skills.

Takashi declared in a detached voice that they should stop.

From Kang-hoo’s perspective, things were just heating up, but Takashi seemed to think otherwise.

The meaning was clear enough.

Even without a conclusive result, the judgment was complete.

No matter how conservatively estimated, Takashi’s level was at least above 550. It couldn’t be lower.

At the beginning, Kang-hoo had used soul waves to launch an aggressive attack, creating a dangerous situation.

That must have completed his calculations. It doesn’t always need to end conclusively to form a judgment.

-But did you know?

“What do you mean?”

-When you use shadow-related skills, you have a habit. If you don’t fix it, it’ll be tough for you.

“As expected…”

A habit.

He was talking about a habit.

Kang-hoo had repeatedly been detected during his use of the Shadow Step skill.

He had suspected as much.

It seemed there was a habit he was unaware of that was revealing his position.

Kang-hoo cautiously asked.

“Can you tell me?”

-Let me emphasize that expecting to get something for nothing isn’t a good idea.

Takashi’s response was immediate.

Although Kang-hoo didn’t expect much, it was a response typical of Takashi.

He really hated words like unearned income or freeloading. He despised such people.

Kang-hoo hadn’t asked expecting an answer. He was just probing.

Being a perfectionist, it kept bothering him. What exactly was giving him away?

‘If I’m unlucky, I might end up losing this.’

Kang-hoo bit his lip lightly.

He had intended to make Takashi think about him, but it seemed they were equally matched in this regard.

By intentionally creating unresolved issues, Takashi ensured that Kang-hoo couldn’t take him lightly.

Of course, it was true that Kang-hoo had made a significant impression on Takashi as well.

Takashi had ended the practice battle without any reaction because he acknowledged Kang-hoo’s skill.

If there had been any doubts or dissatisfactory points, the test would have been much longer.

-I still don’t understand why you want to get close to me. But a light contact should be fine.

Takashi casually said as he handed a crumpled piece of paper from his clone’s body.

It seemed like trash, but it had Takashi’s Huntergram secure account name written on it.

It appeared he had a separate account for personal direct messages aside from his public one.

Takashi continued.

-DM me. Let’s not use intermediaries. It’s tiresome if too many eyes are watching.

“Good idea.”

Kang-hoo nodded as he accepted the paper.

He didn’t mind Rikou Guild’s attention, but there was no need to involve the guild in personal meetings.

-Get going. It’s time for training.

“It was short but enjoyable.”

-I hope you find some answers to your habit next time we meet. It won’t be easy though.

“If it’s okay then, please teach me a move. I’ll try to crush you with all my strength.”

-Don’t talk about impossible goals recklessly. It’s important to live realistically.

“Hmph.”

Ignoring Takashi’s potentially provocative words, Kang-hoo left the abandoned factory.

Takashi’s words could be tiresome if taken literally.

He just needed to judge whether Takashi was speaking to him or not. If he was, it meant he was interested. If not, then he wasn’t.

Thus, Takashi’s continued talking was a perfect score by Kang-hoo’s standards.

Their acquaintance was solidified.

The next meeting wouldn’t be difficult if he didn’t irritate him unnecessarily.

Thus, among the members of The Thirteen Stars, he had created the first ripple in one man’s heart.

For Kang-hoo, it was the most crucial first step. The cracks were just beginning.

---

“Uncle, why is Kang-hoo interested in Takashi? There are many other well-reputed names.”

“I doubt he wanted to meet him without reason. But you’re right, Takashi’s reputation isn’t great.”

“He isn’t even affiliated with a guild. He owns many private dungeons though…”

At that time, An Yeong-ho was talking with his uncle, Suzuki Fumiya, while waiting for Kang-hoo.

The topic, as always, was Kang-hoo.

No matter how he thought about it, Yeong-ho couldn’t understand why Kang-hoo was so eager to meet Takashi.

Even Fumiya, who was usually good at reading minds, couldn’t guess Kang-hoo’s intentions this time.

Of course, Takashi didn’t have a great public image, but he wasn’t a hunter without skills.

His clone abilities sometimes surpassed the limits of the human body.

The very existence of clones often produced results that defied human biomechanics.

For his opponents, it meant many disruptions in calculations. In other words, there were many variables.

“Enough. Don’t think about it anymore. Just serve Kang-hoo with utmost respect.”

“Got it, Uncle.”

Fumiya cut off the conversation topic. It was something a third party couldn’t understand anyway.

After all, Takashi was just an observer for Rikou Guild, not an actual member.

Takashi and Kang-hoo’s Relationship.

While one could be curious about the relationship between Takashi and Kang-hoo, there was no need to develop it further.

“The Jeonghwa Guild in Korea is structured around its executives, so the influx of promising newcomers is slow. There are many gaps.”

“Uncle, do you think we could recruit Kang-hoo into the Rikou Guild?”

“Absolutely. Moreover, we have many members recruited from overseas, which is highly regarded for our expansion.”

“I will use all my capabilities to support Kang-hoo hyung in every way.”

“Just make sure not to lose your dignity.”

“I will remember that!”

Meanwhile, Kang-hoo, who had come out of the abandoned factory, joined the two.

Without any questions, Fumiya and An Yeong-ho led Kang-hoo directly to the limousine.

It would certainly be impolite to ask about the secret meeting with Takashi.

Kang-hoo appreciated their consideration and comfortably got into the limousine.

On the way to Rikou Tower, the main base of Rikou Guild.

Kang-hoo was lost in thought in his independent seat.

The more he tried to postpone it, the more persistently the thoughts came up.

‘Shadow Step is a huge part of my attack repertoire. But it was read.’

For the first time since transmigrating to this world, he deeply contemplated his own imperfection.

Innate assassin talent.

A constellation with the best abilities.

He had grown perfectly and impressively within that harmony until now.

But a small crack appeared in what he thought was his flawless image.

It was the habit Takashi mentioned this time.

Since their first meeting was a ‘mock battle’, today’s incident passed off as a happening.

If he had met Takashi on the battlefield? Today would have been the day to smell incense behind the screen.

He felt a mix of regret and expectation.

Regret for his imperfection.

Expectation because he had parts to fill and grow.

He kept thinking about Takashi in various ways. It would be great if Takashi thought the same, but who knows.

The meeting with Takashi was a significant turning point for both him and Kang-hoo.

---

After arriving at Rikou Tower, Kang-hoo, guided by Fumiya, completed the final check of the dungeon strategy.

All the dungeons were of the undead monster type as Kang-hoo requested, and the level was just right.

Kang-hoo declined the team Rikou Guild offered to support him. He preferred solo play as much as possible.

However, since he was an outsider and Rikou Guild was in full-scale war with Toushi Guild.

He requested all resources allocated to him be concentrated on dungeon security.

No matter how good the dungeon strategy is, being ambushed would be fatal.

He decided to accompany An Yeong-ho to a dungeon that required a healer.

He wanted to assess An Yeong-ho’s skills, and Fumiya had also requested it. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

Kang-hoo planned to start the dungeon strategy alone from the next day.

He was eager to see how much dark period farming was possible.

If he could gather about 15 dark periods per dungeon, it would be a profitable venture.

After that,

Fumiya, who had moved Yeong-ho out since he had no right to involve himself in core business within the guild,

requested a separate tea time with Kang-hoo. It was a signal that he had something to discuss privately.

Though he had some guesses, Kang-hoo was willing to have a conversation with Fumiya regardless of the answer.

Rikou Guild held a firm grip on the Kansai region and would continue to solidify that position.

Of course, they hadn’t seized the hegemony of all Japan.

But just being the number one guild in the resource-rich Kansai region, their charm and future value were immense.

Chrrr.

A fragrant tea was poured into the cup.

In the warmer atmosphere, the conversation flowed. The initial awkwardness of the first meeting had mostly dissipated.

Fumiya started the conversation.

“You’ve made a significant step in Japan. Yeong-ho has talked about that day numerous times.”

“I just helped because I thought it was the right thing to do. Yeong-ho thought a lot about it too.”

“You are a benefactor to my nephew. Furthermore, you are a benefactor to my sister and me.”

“It’s a new experience for me as well. The fact that this connection brought me to Japan is very moving.”

It was sincere.

It was a moment that made him realize the butterfly effect of connections.

If there was no connection with An Yeong-ho, even if he came to Japan, his steps would have been completely different.

He might have been involved in rough mercenary requests and driven into some harsh situations.

Japan, like Korea, had many areas lacking in public safety.

Especially in Kyushu, where numerous guilds were fiercely competing, to the extent it was called the New Sengoku Period.

It could be described as a giant hell. The battles were so intense that the demand for mercenaries was high.

But instead of making connections in such a field, he had come as a valuable guest of a stabilized guild.

Therefore, he couldn’t help but feel the powerful influence of connections.

The same thought applied to Jung Yuri and Park Dong-jae. Many things changed because of them.

At that moment,

Fumiya, who drank a considerably larger amount of tea than before, glanced at Kang-hoo.

It was a look suggesting he wanted to say something important. When Kang-hoo gazed back at him, Fumiya got to the point.

“Would you consider having an affiliated guild for limited overseas activities?”