Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Ulleungdo (4)

‘How truly mischievous.’

Kang-hoo let out a sigh of relief with his head lowered after passing the first trap.

In conclusion, it was a success. The scenario inferred from Kim Sin-ryeong’s personality in the original work matched perfectly.

A seemingly uneventful starting area.

A space with neatly growing beautiful flowers, a stylish bench, and street lamps.

Therefore, it seemed like a safe starting point, which made it easy to let one’s guard down. There was a trap set there.

When Kang-hoo sent his clone inside, a spear immediately flew towards him.

The spear, imbued with magic skills, would have skewered him completely if it had hit.

There was a line from Kim Sin-ryeong in the original work that Kang-hoo always remembered.

The moment I feel the greatest thrill is when I land a blow that my opponent did not anticipate.

The meaning behind her words was that she greatly enjoyed catching her opponent off guard strategically and tactically.

A brightly lit space that was completely different from the ominous, dark entrance of the maze.

For a moment, Kang-hoo also thought that this might be a sort of waiting area.

But Kim Sin-ryeong had caught him off guard. If he had entered without thinking, his life would have ended there.

“Hmph.”

Now in sight was a path that significantly narrowed and darkened.

The entire test area was in the form of a maze.

The walls were made of a solid structure woven from wood and thorny brambles.

One might think that burning the wood and brambles would create a shortcut.

But doing so would lead to instant death.

Because numerous explosive traps were linked within the gaps of the wood and brambles.

Trying to break through the wall would result in the wall exploding, leaving no trace of the person.

Before moving forward, Kang-hoo sent a clone created by illusion magic ahead.

Even though it seemed like a path where nothing could happen, he was extra cautious.

Kim Sin-ryeong enjoyed defying common sense. She always left gaps in seemingly safe places.

Ironically, she made no special preparations in places that appeared dangerous.

By exploiting these gaps, she caused confusion in her opponent’s judgment. It was quite malicious.

As the clone entered the path.

Crash!

The ground, which had been flat moments ago, shook, and sharp spears shot up.

‘This is exceedingly cruel.’

Kang-hoo smirked bitterly.

Not only did sharp spears shoot up, but they were also laced with poison.

Even if the spears didn’t pierce him, a slight touch would have poisoned him.

The spears remained upright.

Since her ultimate move failed, it seemed safe to pass through now.

However, Kang-hoo didn’t move. This time, he sent a shadow created by his Shadow Step skill.

Then, in the next moment.

Swish!

A strong suction force emerged from the left wall of the maze, sucking in the shadow.

Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!

Three short spears hidden within the thorny brambles shot out, stabbing the air.

It was a shadow, so the spears missed, but if it had been a person, they would have been pierced through the back or chest.

Satan, demon.

These words fittingly came to mind repeatedly in the current situation.

Nothing had gone as planned from the start to now.

The seemingly safe entrance was the most dangerous area.

A space set up to appear as if it had only one trap contained another trap.

So Kang-hoo created another clone and sent it into the area with the two variables.

Then.

Crash!

Now, the walls on both sides came together, leaving no gap in the middle.

Indeed.

The final trap was a deathtrap where the walls would crush and press the body to death.

“Cruel, truly cruel.”

Kang-hoo clicked his tongue.

At this point, it felt less like customer acquisition and more like an intent to kill, making his mind foggy.

Afterward.

Kim Sin-ryeong and Moon Hyeong-seo watched Kang-hoo’s responses through a monitor, continuously amazed.

Kang-hoo thought carefully and responded to the traps Kim Sin-ryeong had meticulously designed.

“To say he’s just cautious, he boldly crosses sections that should be crossed boldly.”

Moon Hyeong-seo agreed with Kim Sin-ryeong’s reaction. He, too, had observed and felt something.

“Yes, that’s correct. He doesn’t seem to be acting out of fear.”

“That guy has so many skills he can utilize, so his ability to handle variables is far superior.”

“Indeed, it’s entirely different from the typical skill set of an assassin. Some skills don’t even match well.”

“Exactly. It’s impressive how he uses that slime whenever something feels off.”

On the screen, a slime suddenly appeared, enduring various attacks and then perishing.

Moreover, when Kang-hoo decided to deliver a decisive blow, he surrounded himself with a protective barrier.

As a result, from Kim Sin-ryeong’s perspective, who had carefully designed the game, it was incredibly frustrating.

It felt like playing rock-paper-scissors with someone who already knew what move you would make.

Moon Hyeong-seo, who had been secretly admiring Kang-hoo’s movements, subtly started the conversation.

“Isn’t he different from the hunters we’ve seen so far?”

“Yeah. He’s a smart kid who knows how to think. He doesn’t think solely from his perspective but looks at it from mine as the designer.”

“I think so too.”

“Moreover, he seems to have calculated everything and just pushes through with his diverse skill set.”

“Wow. Already…! Has he almost reached the end?”

“His shadow manipulation skill is amazing. He can check for traps with the shadow he sends ahead. If he thinks it’s safe, he changes positions.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Feeling annoyed by the continuous praise, Kim Sin-ryeong reacted with agitation.

“That bastard is crazy! What kind of assassin is that? Where did he come from?”

It was indeed a compliment.

Some time later.

The meeting with Kim Shin-ryeong took place. Since he passed her ‘test’ without any issues, it was an expected outcome.

Kang-hoo chuckled as he reflected on the traps and structures he encountered on his way here.

No matter how he thought about it, Kim Shin-ryeong was indeed eccentric.

Every space bore traces of her efforts to kill the guest who sincerely sought her out.

Of course, no one was forced to enter and die. The hunters who met their end here all entered of their own accord and died.

Kang-hoo thought there was no reason to blame Kim Shin-ryeong. The problem was the hunters who foolishly challenged and died.

Soon, the sound of slippers dragging signaled Kim Shin-ryeong’s arrival in the reception room, having prepared to meet.

At that moment, Kang-hoo couldn’t help but smile, which was rare for him. Her face was so unusual.

Kim Shin-ryeong furrowed her brows and asked at Kang-hoo’s reaction.

“Why are you laughing?”

“No matter how skilled you are, using a famous face so blatantly is a bit much, isn’t it?”

Kim Shin-ryeong’s face was not her own but that of Saint Elizabeth of Salvation.

The mask was so meticulously made that one could mistake it for Elizabeth just by looking at the face.

Of course, it couldn’t cover the wrinkles on her neck or hands, but still.

Mask-making was also one of her skills. In fact, the term “invisible mask” might be more fitting than just a mask.

“I just wanted to try having a pretty face, why?”

Kang-hoo didn’t press further in response to Kim Shin-ryeong’s bold reaction. It was right to respect preferences.

“Is this enough to pass the test?”

“Well… honestly, I’d like to say it was excellent. I have to give credit where it’s due. It was very clean.”

“The series of harsh traps were truly daunting. I don’t ever want to challenge it again.”

“Judging by your performance, I think it’d be fun if you tried challenging my villa in America sometime?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’ll pass on doing anything suicidal twice.”

“Anyway, let’s talk. What do you want to buy from me?”

“The Colorless Talisman.”

“Do you know what the Colorless Talisman is?”

“No, I don’t.”

Kang-hoo answered honestly.

There was no reason to pretend to know in front of her. It would only cause trust issues.

“It’s made by dismantling and disassembling a talisman with existing options until nothing remains.”

“Ah.”

He had guessed, but hearing it was much more intriguing.

It sounded easy, but if stability faltered even a little, the item would turn to dust in the dismantling process.

Not partial damage or loss of function, but simply becoming a handful of ashes.

Most skilled craftsmen knew nothing about dismantling items.

Moreover, there were only a handful of dismantling experts in the world.

Kim Shin-ryeong was one of them.

She was especially skilled at dismantling even the smallest and most intricate talismans.

“I’ve already priced it. 9.99 billion won. But I’ll give you a special discount.”

“How much?”

“Free.”

“Huh?”

He expected a 20% discount at most, thinking he would pay around 8 billion won.

Her proposed price was free. Zero won. Could this be true?

“Thanks to you, I learned a lot about improving my traps. Consider it a consultancy fee.”

“Since you’re being generous…”

“Shut up and take it as is before I cancel the discount. If you try to haggle, I’ll raise the price again.”

“Thank you.”

Kang-hoo swiftly canceled his thought of asking for more consultancy fees.

Kim Shin-ryeong promptly handed over the talisman she had prepared.

As its name suggested, it was a colorless talisman.

Even in the item window, it had no options except for its displayed name. It looked as if it had been erased by an eraser.

“I’ve finished all the post-processing. From what I’ve heard from K, it seems you have a lot of stories. You must have had a hard time.”

“Everyone has stories. It’s just how it is.”

“You speak well. Anyway, I liked what I saw in the test today. You did well.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“So, I have a proposal. Are you interested?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Kim Shin-ryeong’s eyes sparkled. Passing her test seemed to have made a significant impression.

As the conversation turned personal, Moon Hyeong-seo naturally left the room.

With just the two of them left, Kim Shin-ryeong spoke up.

“I have an assassin-type summon I’m working on. Could you help me with its training?”

“A summoner, are you?”

“Yes. My essence is summoning. Crafting and dismantling are secondary skills.”

It was unexpected.

She was specialized in both, which was rare. She was certainly not an ordinary ability user.

“It’s not hard to help, but I can’t do it for free.”

“The dagger you’re holding. It seems to have a weapon-feeding option? How about this? I’ll provide a weapon for feeding. Would that pique your interest?”

Kim Shin-ryeong, seeing through the dagger’s characteristics, made an unexpected, bold proposal.

This created the possibility of activating the ‘Distorted Awakening’ option of the dagger ‘Corrupted Conviction.’