Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Versatile (1)

The strategy schedule has been confirmed.

It’s set for 6 PM.

From noon onwards, everyone proceeded with the final preparations for the briefing.

Kang-hoo, having already finished his preparations and come downstairs, didn’t have anything particular to take care of.

The same was true for Captain Ma Jinho, who had long since prepared for departure.

Thanks to that, the two of them could enjoy tea time. It was an impromptu gathering that wasn’t part of the plan.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Bleed Stab user. Assassins are rare to begin with.”

Throughout the conversation, Ma Jinho couldn’t focus on one place, perhaps because of the flies buzzing around nearby.

No matter how big you are, it’s hard not to be afraid of bugs. Kang-hoo could understand.

“We’ve trained a lot in this area. After all, it’s a profession where you live by bleeding.”

“Until now, I’ve mostly dealt with Berserkers. As you know, when the proficiency of the Level 1 basic skill reaches its maximum, Bleed activation becomes easier.”

“That makes sense.”

“But it’s harder to find Berserkers… Going to higher-level dungeons is quite challenging.”

“Once you reach around Level 400 in the dungeons, you have to maintain Bleed, right?”

“Yes. From then on, if there’s no Bleed, it’s a dungeon where you can’t survive.”

It was as the original setting dictated.

Because of this, Assassins and Berserkers, who could become relatively niche, attract attention as they go higher.

It’s not just for show that places like the Jeonghwa Guild invest heavily in Assassin and Berserker classes.

It’s because they are extremely useful in high-level dungeons. No, without them, the strategy wouldn’t work.

“I’ve come prepared to work hard for a living. I’ll cover the damage dealing.”

“Just maintaining Bleed is enough. After all, that’s the contract condition.”

Ma Jinho nodded.

Apart from Kang-hoo, there was no need to worry about firepower with the 9-man extreme DPS team.

Of course, if Kang-hoo could also contribute some damage, it would be the cherry on top.

At that moment, Ma Jinho resumed the conversation he had momentarily paused.

“If the synergy in this dungeon strategy proves to be satisfactory, could we possibly request your strategy for the next one as well?”

This was a welcome suggestion for Kang-hoo.

In reality, Kang-hoo should have been the one to initiate requests in other areas first, but the opportunity had presented itself.

If the other party expresses regret first, it opens the door to confidently make demands using that as leverage.

From Ma Jinho’s perspective, having secured a valuable Bleed dealer, he wouldn’t want to let the opportunity slip away.

His eagerness inadvertently created a favorable opportunity.

“We’ll need to check the schedule, but it should be feasible. However, there’s one condition for negotiation.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“There’s a dungeon I’m interested in exploring. It’s owned by the Gru Guild.”

He seized the opportunity naturally.

The goal wasn’t to conquer the dungeon but to visit the Imbalance Point within.

He had experienced it once before, and in Korea, this dungeon on Jeju Island was the last such point.

One of the remaining three points is in Japan, with the locations of the other two still unknown, even in the original narrative.

“Not a strategy, but an exploration?”

“Yes. I’ve heard there’s a really beautiful spot inside. It’s said to be a dungeon where outsiders are normally not allowed.”

“I see. If it’s just for exploration, there shouldn’t be any issues… We’ll look at it with an open mind.”

“Thank you.”

The negotiation concluded smoothly.

The Imbalance Point is a morale booster in itself. It also serves as evidence of the world’s imbalances, symbolizing the disparities.

As the level can easily rise to at least 2 or 30, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

Kang-hoo shifted the conversation.

“Jeju Island is peaceful, isn’t it?”

“Jeju is indeed peaceful because it maintains perfect neutrality. There are no exceptions. Everyone who comes here is treated equally.”

“I was surprised by the substantial security from the airport onward.”

“There are many bastards who know about Jeju’s peacefulness and try to hide within it.”

Ma Jinho’s gaze, revealing his unmasked hostility, was tinged with a sense of justice.

In fact, he had quite a record of personally arresting external criminal hunters who had infiltrated the island.

It’s technically an arrest, but he often left the criminals nearly incapacitated, which made them fearful.

“How are the civilians doing?”

“Very well. Perhaps because our guild master and vice guild master are sisters, they are very attentive. As you know, there are a lot of female hunters and civilians living here too.”

“It must be a great happiness to be able to walk the streets at night without worry.”

“Yes. It’s no coincidence that it ranks as the second-best city to live in after Seoul every year.”

Ma Jinho smiled.

Something in his glance seemed to carry a lot of thought, as if he had his own story.

No one is without a story, but the topic Kang-hoo brought up seemed to have stirred some deep emotions in him.

Perhaps it related to a cherished person or acquaintance he lost to issues with public safety.

“Ah, just to caution you, if you find it difficult to maintain Bleed, don’t overdo it.”

“Then I wouldn’t be earning my keep.”

“That’s a discussion for later. Everyone’s life is precious. Even if we’ve just met, I wouldn’t want to lose you right before my eyes.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kang-hoo nodded.

He liked the feeling that, even though he was a mercenary paid with a fee, he wasn’t being used as a mere tool.

Excluding Ma Jinho’s rough appearance, he seemed to have a warm heart inside.

This might be why he manages many things smoothly as the third-ranking member of a large guild.

6 PM.

After a detailed briefing and a question-and-answer session, the dungeon strategy began.

Although it was a high-level dungeon, its actual size wasn’t large, so they only packed a small amount of combat rations.

Preferring to keep light, Kang-hoo almost didn’t eat before entering the dungeon.

Maybe half a sandwich at most? He usually preferred to start on an empty stomach.

Immediately upon entering, Kang-hoo asked for understanding to test something and faced a monster one-on-one.

“I can increase the cumulative damage, but it’s really hard alone.”

The conclusion came quickly.

He was able to suppress recovery based on skillfully maintaining Bleed, but their health was no joke.

He could take them down one by one if he tried, but it seemed like the efficiency would plummet.

Kang-hoo was disappointed, but…

In fact, the thoughts of other hunters and Majin-ho, who were watching the one-on-one, were a bit different.

Initially, an assassin hunter just over level 100 facing a monster one-on-one was thought to be impossible.

Kang-hoo considered his insufficient damage and the long play time negatively.

However, those watching from the sidelines rated his audacity to target a monster that was four times his level without much trouble highly.

Given enough time, it seemed he could even handle a solo play, which was surprising.

The warm-up was over.

Kang-hoo actively moved after understanding the physiology of the monsters a bit differently from the dungeons he had tackled so far.

The first strategic point was simple in structure, as shared in the briefing earlier.

A gatekeeper monster, heavily layered with enormous health and toughness, was guarding a drawbridge-like bridge.

Like London’s Tower Bridge, the bridge could be raised and lowered.

Naturally, the drawbridge guarded by the gatekeeper monster was raised to its maximum height.

To connect both sides, either the monster had to be subdued or the operating mechanism had to be driven by another method.

A wide distortion zone that suppressed spatial movement spread out, and the gap between the dropped sections of the bridge was too long to leap over.

In other words, no matter how much they racked their brains, without connecting the drawbridge, there was no solution.

The conclusion from the pre-briefing was to resolutely press down on the gatekeeper monster, even if it took some time.

Up until now, it was a straightforward approach, and there weren’t really any other options.

However, once he arrived at the scene, Kang-hoo’s thoughts changed slightly.

After all, the gatekeeper monster is just that, a gatekeeper, so the rewards it offers are hardly satisfying.

Therefore, there’s no need to go out of our way to defeat it. It would only complicate managing our stamina unnecessarily.

“Hold on. Give me about three minutes. I think I can find an easy way to get across the bridge.”

“Really?”

“Prepare to run as soon as the bridge is connected.”

“We’re always prepared, but what are you thinking…?”

“Since it’s out on patrol at the farthest point, let’s just try to time it right.”

Swoosh!

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kang-hoo disappeared from the view of Ma Jinho and his group.

When they managed to locate Kang-hoo again, he had already arrived far ahead.

The gatekeeper monster, Pisces.

This creature, with a carp-like head and a bipedal humanoid form, was clutching a trident.

The tips of the trident were coated with a dark red liquid, which likely was either a paralyzing or blinding poison.

‘If I blatantly attract attention, even a fish-head would clearly understand the purpose.’

While there were many options to deceive Pisces’s eyes, Kang-hoo didn’t rush.

Sometimes, overestimating the opponent’s intelligence can help in strategizing.

Everyone watching Kang-hoo’s movements held their breath.

What could he be thinking when no tactics other than a frontal attack had worked in this place so far?

【Illusion Technique】

Kang-hoo first created several illusions to test the waters.

Like before, he made one of the illusions appear more convincingly as the real thing.

The actual body had a dagger tucked inside his sleeve, while the fake illusion brazenly wielded it.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

Not sure if a fish-head could buzz, but… Pisces thrust the trident menacingly.

The trident quickly closed the distance and easily crushed one of the illusions.

As the illusion dispersed, it created a smokescreen, and Kang-hoo used the opportunity to deploy his Shadow Step.

Pisces turned around, thinking Kang-hoo was trying to deceive him and move to the mechanism.

However, Kang-hoo was directly attacking Pisces from the front, seemingly without a second thought.

He maintained a certain distance, effectively cornering Pisces.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

Pisces boldly lunged forward with his trident aimed directly at Kang-hoo.

But Kang-hoo, anticipating the predictable move, dodged the trident with a Rising Leap.

Instead, he used the top of Pisces’s trident as a step, leaping once more over the creature.

“Buzzz!”

Pisces quickly swung his trident upwards, targeting the air.

Kang-hoo had broken his prediction once, but he didn’t seem flustered.

Pisces had much confidence in his physical abilities. It wasn’t unfounded confidence.

Then.

Swish!

Kang-hoo’s position switched with another shadow.

The signature ability of Shadow Step to switch positions.

Thanks to this, Pisces’s strike only cut through an irrelevant shadow.

He kept getting irritated, but he thought that ultimately, he just needed to clear out any visible foes.

The illusions were also cleared out, and the recent skirmish had made one shadow disappear anyway.

But just then.

Creaking.

Rumbling…

Suddenly, a loud noise came from an unexpected direction, and soon the drawbridge began to lower and connect.

“Buzz…?”

Pisces’s eyes widened. How could the bridge he hadn’t touched be moving?

Soon he would find the answer.

The one who had operated the mechanism was none other than Kang-hoo. From a distance, Kang-hoo shouted at Pisces.

“That’s a decoy, you fool.”