Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Abyss (2)

At Kang-hoo’s request, the meeting location was changed.

The two left the penthouse, which was spacious but ultimately enclosed, and walked along a well-landscaped trail.

Kang-hoo cautiously continued the conversation outside, feeling the fresh air, after postponing it inside.

“It’s hard to feel affection for an organization where hypocrisy swallows the truth.”

“That’s a good answer.”

“I don’t believe in absolute good or absolute evil in this world. I think being honest about being evil is better.”

“For example?”

“Like the Malum Guild in Italy. They openly call themselves villains.”

“They even named it that way. Malum is a Latin word symbolizing evil, right?”

“Yes, I believe so. It’s better than pretending to be righteous like the Kashimar Guild or the Jeonghwa Guild.”

There was no special emotion mixed in Kang-hoo’s plain answer. It was a long-held thought.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It certainly wasn’t said to please Lee Hyun-seok. He had no need to flatter him.

However, he thought his future direction aligned with Lee Hyun-seok’s goals.

Lee Hyun-seok’s Abyss was a single organization capable of competing with the Jeonghwa Guild domestically.

The Jeonghwa Guild attacked the Abyss using various social media and media outlets for a reason.

It was because they felt threatened.

While organizations like Bastard or Pyeongjeong, which operated in Osan, could be framed and destroyed easily, this didn’t work for the Abyss.

Moreover, it was too large to be restrained by other guilds or organizations teaming up against it.

Even organizations that were cooperative with the Jeonghwa Guild often backed off when proposed to confront the Abyss.

Just as the Jeonghwa Guild had many satellite guilds, the Abyss also had quite a few satellite organizations.

The ‘Taehwagang’ organization in Ulsan was a representative example.

After Gong Tae-su was injured, they united the surrounding forces and crushed Gong Tae-su’s ‘Red Blood’.

Currently, the ruling power in Ulsan was no longer Red Blood. It was Taehwagang. It had become part of the Abyss’s sphere of influence.

Kang-hoo wanted to use the Abyss’s organizational power and cohesion as a weapon.

If they continued to hinder the Jeonghwa Guild, it would be easier to keep the Thirteen Stars in check.

For that, a deep involvement with the Abyss, rather than strict neutrality, was needed.

Kang-hoo intended to get closer to Lee Hyun-seok with just the right stance. Of course, he couldn’t entrust everything to him.

“I heard a lot about you from Se-hyuk. About rescuing Park Dong-jae and attacking the dungeon.”

“Did he talk about me?”

“Recently, his main interest has been you, Kang-hoo. He’s always been interested in skilled hunters.”

“That’s a pleasant thing to hear.”

“In fact, Se-hyuk even suggested personally recruiting you into the Abyss.”

“That.”

“I know. I think it’s a waste for you to be just a mercenary, but I can’t be greedy.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Because even a single act of greed can draw more attention and put you in danger.”

Lee Hyun-seok was cautious.

Kang-hoo appreciated Lee Hyun-seok’s consideration. It showed a desire to protect good talent.

Lee Hyun-seok added,

“I sense that you’re not an ordinary person, Kang-hoo. You may not believe it, but I have a good eye for people.”

“I always think Lee Hyun-seok is a special person too.”

Kang-hoo was sincere.

If there was one regret about Lee Hyun-seok, it was that he was too lonely.

If he had one more powerful force to support him, things would be very different now.

The Jeonghwa Guild might have been driven out of the capital area, and the Abyss could have become the ruler of Seoul.

“And I don’t want a talent like you to join the Jeonghwa Guild. It’s too dangerous.”

“I have no intention of belonging to any group. That won’t change.”

Lee Hyun-seok nodded with a smile, as if he expected Kang-hoo’s firm answer.

“Although I haven’t secured evidence, I believe Jang Si-hwan has a hidden and dirty network.”

“A network?”

“A sort of shadow organization composed of well-known figures like Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwan-hyeong.”

“…….”

However, the added words had a significant impact on Kang-hoo.

Lee Hyun-seok seemed to recognize the existence of the Thirteen Stars.

Unless one knew the full details of the original work and its members, no one could know this at this point. Yet, Lee Hyun-seok was sensing it.

‘Lee Hyun-seok is more than capable of being a game-changer.’

Kang-hoo was convinced.

Lee Hyun-seok knew and wanted to know more than Kang-hoo thought.

His deep-rooted resentment against the Jeonghwa Guild was much colder and sharper than Kang-hoo’s.

In the original work, Lee Hyun-seok’s death at this point led to the collapse of the Abyss and the reshuffling of the domestic landscape.

With Kang-hoo’s help, betrayer Moon Yu-seok was eliminated, dramatically altering Lee Hyun-seok’s future.

Kang-hoo thought it had a high potential to be a true turning point. Naturally, in a very advantageous direction for Kang-hoo.

“Anyway, my skills are not great, but if you need an assassin, let me know. I can be a blood shuttle.”

“Haha. Got it. But I want to save that contact for your sake.”

“At your convenience.”

“For dungeon-related matters, I’ll give you Su-hyun’s number. Contact him, and it’ll be handled with top priority, so there won’t be any issues with dungeon attacks.”

“Can I also get dungeon-related materials from Min Su-hyun?”

“Yes. I’ve instructed him to prepare thoroughly, so he will do it right. He has a lot of gratitude for you, Kang-hoo.”

“Understood.”

Like this.

Kang-hoo stepped firmly into the influence of the powerful entity, Abyss, and Lee Hyun-seok.

From now on, he would need to engage in smart maneuvering.

If he acted openly under the shadow of Abyss, he would become an easy target for the Jeonghwa Guild.

But if he distanced himself from Abyss, his ability to use them effectively in the future would be diminished.

Since it was entirely up to his judgment to navigate and manage the situation, Kang-hoo unconsciously swallowed dryly. He needed a delicate and precise management strategy.

At that time.

After finishing the first raid on the Hell of Judgment, Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwan-hyeong came out of the dungeon for a brief rest.

The two were meeting other members of Justice who had gathered earlier.

After exchanging greetings and casual conversation about each other’s well-being, Vincent naturally brought up the topic of hidden skills.

Vincent, his body tensed with excitement, kept pressing Jang Si-hwan.

“Jang Si-hwan. There is definitely an assassin who gained a hidden skill during the Hell of Judgment raid.”

“Does it bother you that much?”

“I told you. Hidden skills should be wielded by those worthy of them. Not just anyone should handle them.”

“If you need a punching bag, let me know. There are quite a few hunter criminals sentenced to death by the Public Safety Bureau.”

“Such guys don’t taste good, don’t taste good.”

By “taste,” Vincent meant the “killing” taste. Everyone understood Vincent’s meaning.

Jang Si-hwan, recalling team management, answered.

“The first team is managed by me, so it’s out of the question. And up to the seventh team, there are no assassin classes.”

“This guy probably acted alone. That’s why no one knows.”

“Alone… Well, there is one assassin I can think of.”

Jang Si-hwan’s eyes glowed red.

Chae Gwan-hyeong was glaring at Vincent with an expression that suggested he found this unnecessary.

However, Jang Si-hwan and Vincent, who got along surprisingly well, were discussing this issue seriously.

After a brief thought.

“Shin…”

Jang Si-hwan, who remembered the name clearly, started to utter the surname of the assassin suspected of acquiring the hidden skill.

If the assassin was of that caliber, it was reasonable to suspect they had secretly acquired the hidden skill.

After parting ways with Lee Hyun-seok.

Kang-hoo headed to Gyeongju Station, where his own reset dungeon was located.

Though it was quite a challenging dungeon to tackle alone.

Since it was entirely his dungeon, he could stay without worrying about others.

Moreover, thanks to Jeon Se-hyuk’s consideration, a manager was always present to keep an eye on the dungeon, providing additional peace of mind.

Of course, the manager didn’t only manage Kang-hoo’s dungeon.

However, since each dungeon had multiple CCTV installations and frequent checks, there was an advantage in being able to prepare for emergencies.

If an uninvited guest entered the dungeon, at least a warning flare could be fired.

“It’s definitely tough alone.”

Due to the high level of the dungeon, the monsters’ movements were generally swift and smart.

When he had Park Dong-jae’s buffs, it felt like running lightly on flat ground.

Now alone, it felt like running up a steep slope. The relative pressure was palpable.

“No wonder buffs are called a drug. Hunters who experience the high of buffs can’t easily quit.”

He laughed bitterly.

Just as Park Dong-jae was amazed by Kang-hoo’s skills and yearned for team play with him.

Kang-hoo, too, missed the team play with Park Dong-jae’s buffs.

He almost wanted to acquire a buff skill book to learn and use it cunningly at all times.

But buff skill books were among the rarest and hardest to find among hunter skill books.

Even the most trivial buffs never appeared on the market.

If two or three were traded in a year on the official market, it was considered a lot.

On closer inspection, even those trades were often just recorded transactions among acquaintances.

Kang-hoo’s visit to this dungeon was not for the raid but for training.

Unlike Jeon Se-hyuk, who could set up a luxurious training ground with money, Kang-hoo still had many items he wanted to buy with his funds.

So, he decided to use the dungeon as his private training ground. It was better since he could also have actual combat practice.

Kang-hoo focused all day on refining his main skills.

Initially, he put the most effort into his clone technique.

As it was a clone with learning abilities, its movements became more varied with training.

Even when there were gaps where he couldn’t directly control the clone, it showed good movements, as if it were an AI steadily growing through learning. It was fun to nurture.

He also trained extensively with the abduction skill.

Previously, he mostly used the abduction skill to drag targets in for attacks.

But now, as the level and power of opponents increased, the risk of the abduction skill became very high.

If he made a mistake and brought the wrong target, it could provide a critical attack opportunity for the opponent.

So, he planned to use the abduction skill to pull in surrounding structures to block and obstruct the view.

The skill’s meaning was not just limited to dragging monsters or hunters. Its application was free.

However, there was a skill that kept catching his eye, related to the two extra hematite stones he had.

He came up with an option that could change the slightly disappointing skill options he had felt recently.

It was a skill he had used effectively for a long time but had clear shortcomings in terms of firepower.