The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Chapter 192: Joy And Hatred (1)

“Hey.”

“Wow… I suddenly thought I saw a ghost because I felt weak. I even heard hallucinations.”

“If there’s a monster in the form of a wraith, this guy will react first. It may look like this, but it’s quite useful.”

“Understood, Hyungnim. It feels like a skill that would suit a necromancer, shaman, or dark mage, but I always acknowledge what you possess.”

“Why, because I have a lot of skills?”

“Hyungnim’s skill acquisition mechanism is something I can’t understand no matter how much I think about it. Ah, I don’t mean that in a bad way.”

“I have no intention of denying it either.”

Kang-hoo laughed.

Typically, an assassin has skills suitable for an assassin. This is because the branching of basic skills occurs that way.

Even when acquiring skill books, learning skills from other classes is generally a disadvantage, making it even more so.

But thanks to the Dimension Plunderer, Kang-hoo can steal skills from mid-bosses and main bosses without penalties.

Moreover, by using tricks, he can learn skill books from other classes, leading to unrestrained branching.

That’s why hunters who face Kang-hoo find him difficult. He’s unpredictable.

Kang-hoo first sent the Fallen Spirit ahead.

Although he expected the dungeon entrance to be teeming with monsters, the surroundings were quieter than anticipated.

To prevent his body from stiffening, Kang-hoo kept loosening up, mixing in appropriate side-to-side movements.

An Yeong-ho also managed his heightened senses by repeatedly activating and deactivating his healing skill.

How long had they walked like that?

An Yeong-ho, feeling stuffy from keeping his thoughts to himself, subtly opened up.

“Hyungnim, I’ve been worried about something lately. May I speak about it?”

“Let’s hear it. If it’s a pointless worry, I might give you a piece of my mind.”

Having seen An Yeong-ho’s low self-esteem earlier, Kang-hoo preemptively warned him.

If An Yeong-ho started to devalue himself again, Kang-hoo was ready to scold him harshly.

“With everything so unsettled lately, I’m worried about my uncle. The Towshi Guild would target him first.”

“That’s undeniable.”

“Even though he’s always prepared, I still worry.”

“Have you expressed this to your uncle?”

“Not yet.”

“Keep it that way. From what I see, Fumiya-nim is more committed to safety than anyone else.”

“Do you think so?”

“He’s someone who understands the weight, responsibility, and symbolism of his position. Don’t worry.”

“Maybe I was worrying needlessly.”

“It’s okay to worry. But keep it to yourself. If you share these worries, it can twist all stable thoughts.”

“Ah…”

“Breaking perfection is simpler than you think. Just suggest it might not be perfect, and that’s it.”

“So it’s not about being perfect or not.”

“Exactly. Just raising the issue makes the other person think about it repeatedly. It’s like when you’re told not to think about an elephant, and you keep thinking about it.” ?

Kang-hoo’s calm voice helped An Yeong-ho feel more at ease.

Until just moments ago, An Yeong-ho had been worried that his uncle might be in danger while he was away.

Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. With a slightly flushed face, An Yeong-ho hurriedly changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way, Hyungnim, I’m really thankful and sorry. You’ve helped me and our guild in so many ways.”

“I didn’t do it for free.”

“Still, it’s not just me. My uncle and the guild members see you differently now.”

“You mean in a good way?”

“Of course! Many people have become interested in you, Hyungnim! The incident in the city and the matter with Yuji too!”

The series of events in Osaka had indeed significantly boosted Kang-hoo’s reputation.

The act of killing a member of the Towshi Guild had been glorified as heroic and had been prominently featured on Hunter Gram.

The blow dealt to Yuji continued to spread rumors within the Rikou Guild.

It was strange that the rumors hadn’t spread, especially since the Rikou Guild had officially expressed their gratitude.

Just then…

Kshkshkshk!

The Fallen Spirit reacted.

Like an eagle that had spotted its prey, the Fallen Spirit swooped down from the air.

At the spot where the Fallen Spirit landed, a wraith-like monster stood proudly.

Its name was Soul Hunter. The monster’s very name was unpleasant.

It looked just like a dark mage wearing a black robe, shooting spheres filled with black smoke.

These spheres separated the soul from the body. If hit, there’s a chance of being separated from your body.

The fortunate part is that the speed of the spheres is slow enough to dodge if you focus.

However, as time passes, the number of these spheres, nicknamed ‘Soul Spheres,’ increases around the area.

The key to defeating the Soul Hunter is to kill it quickly before the situation drags on.

Of course, normal attacks are completely ineffective. Only attacks using dark energy or divine power are effective.

Kang-hoo planned to use the method he established while conquering the dark energy dungeon.

It’s not perfect. The efficiency isn’t great, and the completion is low.

But since it’s crucial for future progress, he continued to attempt it, even though it’s still lacking.

This involved infusing basic attacks with dark energy. To be able to imbue his attacks with dark energy.

When using dark energy-related skills, Kang-hoo tried applying the sensation felt in his body to his basic attacks.

It wasn’t an easy task, but after repeated training, he finally made a breakthrough.

Though the efficiency might be low, he was able to improve the structure so that some dark energy could be used in basic attacks.

Thanks to that, his basic attacks, barring efficiency issues, were now all effective hits.

“Yeong-ho.”

“Yes?”

“As I said before entering the dungeon, while you’re assisting me, if you find yourself with some leeway, try healing the Soul Hunter too.”

“…Will it work?”

“Just try it first and think later. Don’t self-censor beforehand.”

“Understood, Hyungnim.”

“Don’t overcomplicate it. Think of the Soul Hunter as me. Imagine this guy is at death’s door, and use your healing skill with all your might, as if you’re trying to save it.”

“Ah…”

“You’re not lacking the talent of a battle healer. You just haven’t found the right method yet.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Yes, go ahead. Even if it doesn’t work, keep trying. After all, you have nothing to lose, right?”

“Yes, Hyungnim!”

“Alright then, let’s go.”

Kang-hoo immediately charged towards the Soul Hunter.

Timed perfectly, the Fallen Spirit also began a circling maneuver, continuously disrupting the Soul Hunter’s sight.

Although it had no attack capabilities, it was perfectly capable of being a persistent nuisance by hovering in front.

Ssshhh!

As Kang-hoo approached, the Soul Hunter shot a Soul Sphere.

The sphere’s speed was about as fast as an adult walking briskly. So, if you’re aware of it, you can easily dodge it.

However, when it reaches a 30-meter radius, it bounces back as if hitting a wall and comes back…

It’s best to memorize its return trajectory; otherwise, you might get hit by a blind sphere.

“Whew!”

Swoosh!

With a basic attack using a dagger, Kang-hoo slashed at the Soul Hunter.

Normally, this would have been a meaningless swing, slicing through nothing but empty air.

However, since he somehow infused the attack with dark energy, a red line appeared on the Soul Hunter’s body.

An effect played out as if Kang-hoo’s dagger left a wound on the Soul Hunter’s body along its path.

Of course, that alone didn’t kill the Soul Hunter.

It was more of a symbolic sign that damage was inflicted; the body wasn’t actually split.

‘The efficiency isn’t good yet. It seems to be less than 10% of what I envisioned.’

It was an effective attack, but not fatal. That was Kang-hoo’s cold assessment.

It seemed like a lot more refinement was needed. Considering he was just getting started, there was no need to rush.

Still, perhaps because Kang-hoo managed to wound it with a basic attack, the once-confident Soul Hunter momentarily hesitated.

In that brief moment,

Kang-hoo maximized the confusion by using illusion magic and Shadow Step.

?Black Moon Slash?

He activated a hidden skill.

This was a skill Kang-hoo had consistently used while conquering undead-type dungeons.

Without Black Moon Slash, it was impossible to kill wraith-type monsters, so he had used it in almost every attack.

As a result, it took considerable time to conquer dungeons since he had to use dark energy and wait for recovery.

Fssssh!

The Black Moon Slash, which started at the tip of Kang-hoo’s dagger, flew toward the Soul Hunter with a strange sound.

The sound of death approaching!

But for the Soul Hunter, who was encountering this type of attack for the first time, it was an inexplicable dirge.

At the same time,

An Yeong-ho, watching the mysterious skill projectile launched by Kang-hoo, was puzzled.

When Kang-hoo said he had conquered undead-type dungeons earlier…

An Yeong-ho assumed he had bypassed wraith-type monsters like the Soul Hunter during his conquest.

Since he hadn’t witnessed the conquest firsthand, he made a ‘common sense’ judgment.

Killing wraith-type monsters is only possible with an attack that matches their attributes.

In other words, unless Kang-hoo possessed dark energy or divine power, it would be impossible to kill the Soul Hunter.

Handling such special stats wasn’t common knowledge.

It’s difficult enough to secure the stats, let alone have the skills to use them.

Even if someone had the stats, there were many cases where they couldn’t use them due to a lack of skills.

However, Kang-hoo used a skill as if he was well-prepared.

‘Not only does Hyungnim possess dark energy, but he also has the skills to utilize it?’

Based on the circumstances, yes.

The Soul Hunter isn’t an easy opponent. It’s considered quite tricky.

Even if someone could handle dark energy, multiple confrontations would be necessary to deal meaningful damage…

Boom!

Just when he thought multiple battles would be needed, the Soul Hunter, struck by Kang-hoo’s Black Moon Slash, exploded on the spot.

Like a water balloon pierced by a needle, it instantly shattered into hundreds of pieces. Instant death.

“…”

An Yeong-ho’s fingers trembled.

Not only could Kang-hoo handle dark energy, but he also knew how to utilize dark energy skills.

That’s why he had confidently ventured into undead dungeons alone. Kang-hoo’s confidence had a solid foundation.

Since An Yeong-ho had no experience with hidden skills, he hadn’t expected Black Moon Slash to be one.

But the power was clearly imprinted in his mind.

The Soul Hunter met its end with just one strike. There wasn’t even time to practice as a battle healer.

“I didn’t control my strength well. I intended to give you some practice towards the end, but I finished it in one hit.”

At some point, Kang-hoo had returned to An Yeong-ho’s side and apologized for finishing it with a single blow.

The calm demeanor of this life-saving Hyungnim, who was also an outstanding assassin, was the finishing touch to the scene.

How far does his skill extend?

Even An Yeong-ho, who had developed a keen eye under a talented uncle, couldn’t begin to guess.

A true monster stood before him.