Chapter 166: Chapter 167: Pride Of The Fighter (1)

At that moment.

“What is this?”

Vincent stopped when he saw the hidden skill notification.

He had been tracking down one of the assassins who had just participated in the Hell of Judgment strategy.

He had followed him to a fairly close distance, but upon seeing the skill notification, he stopped without hesitation.

Even as he watched the hunter get away in a taxi, he let him go without any particular feeling.

Bloodsucking Madness.

No matter how he thought about it, it was clear that a hunter specializing in bloodsucking had obtained it.

Globally, there were less than a hundred hunters who used bloodsucking as their main ability.

To have obtained a hidden skill, it had to be a primary focus for them.

Even among those, only a handful would be highly skilled enough.

“I can definitely figure out who it is.”

A smile spread across Vincent’s face.

A hidden skill owner appeared that was much easier to narrow down than those with skills like White Slash/Black Moon Slash.

Ideally, he wanted to continue his current investigation.

But there was no guarantee.

There were more people on the assassin list than he expected, and finding each one individually was too difficult.

If it were a dungeon without mercenaries, he could just catch them within the Jeonghwa Guild.

But since that wasn’t the case, he had to investigate all external personnel, which was becoming exhausting.

“I don’t know who it is, but consider yourself lucky. Be grateful that I’m more interested in bloodsucking.”

Vincent lit a cigarette and blew away his lingering regrets with the drifting smoke.

Given his abilities, bloodsucking seemed to have better synergy.

Additionally, the owner of this hidden bloodsucking skill was easy to identify, so if he didn’t hurry, competitors would increase.

That was unacceptable. He needed to go quickly, kill the owner, and steal the hidden skill.

In other words, the owner of the assassin hidden skill currently in Korea could be found later.

If Vincent himself couldn’t find them, Jang Si-hwan or Chae Gwanhyeong wouldn’t find them easily either.

Vincent immediately called Elizabeth. As soon as the call connected, he left an abrupt message.

“El. Let’s go to Romania.”

Kang-hoo was heading to Busan to meet Jung Yuri.

It wasn’t a planned appointment; he had just been contacted.

It was Jung Yuri’s call, saying she was in Busan to visit her grandmother.

She still hadn’t told him who her grandmother was, but she mentioned she’d be in Busan for a few days.

Furthermore, she had VIP market VVIP status, inviting him to browse together—a tempting offer he couldn’t refuse.

For Kang-hoo, who was looking for good item deals, it was an offer he couldn’t turn down.

As soon as he sat down on the KTX heading to Busan, he received a call from Park Dong-jae.

For security, he entered a blocking booth before answering.

“Hey, Dong-jae.”

-Hyung. We got official confirmation from the Myeongga Guild. They want us to join in on the Mystery Dungeon strategy.

“What are the other terms?”

-Not much. They even promised to officially give you ‘Observer’ status.

“That means they’ll provide all basic support.”

-Exactly. It means you just need to show up!

“When’s the date?”

-Soon? There’s a dungeon waiting for a reset right now, but as you know, it doesn’t reset at a set time.

“Let me know as soon as you’re ready. I can cover it within 6 hours.”

-Got it, hyung! I’ll contact you as soon as it’s ready!

“Good job.”

-No need for thanks. I’m working hard selling your name, so don’t worry!

“……”

The tone of the last remark felt a bit off, but he hung up feeling good anyway.

Technically, he could pursue dungeon strategies through Lee Hyun-seok as well.

But Kang-hoo preferred to seize harder-to-reach opportunities first.

He could always go to Lee Hyun-seok’s dungeons, but not the Mystery Dungeon.

Opportunities must be seized when they arise. And once seized, they mustn’t be let go.

Using the spare time, Kang-hoo briefly called Jeon Se-hyuk and prepared for his meeting with Jung Yuri.

How should I put it?

It’s not like it was a meaningful date, but meeting her made his heart flutter for some reason.

Maybe it was because she was a bright person, completely opposite of himself.

Being with her made him feel like he was being enveloped in white light.

“Oppa, over here!”

“You got here first.”

“Of course! The person who invites should wait, not the one coming.”

Arriving at Busan Station, Kang-hoo met Jung Yuri waiting at the exit.

Even before getting close, he could smell a pleasant fragrance from her. Her choice of perfume was quite good.

‘Improved. Already two.’

Kang-hoo admired the two new constellations’ information that appeared on Jung Yuri.

Both Park Dong-jae and Jung Yuri were growing rapidly, benefiting significantly from the changed future.

Of course, they themselves wouldn’t know the future had changed.

But for Kang-hoo, who could see everything, it was nothing short of amazing and surprising.

“Want to get some air first, or should we go to the market first?”

“Let’s get some fresh air. My head was hurting a bit anyway.”

Kang-hoo rubbed his slightly aching forehead.

He hadn’t felt anything earlier, but now he felt a delayed aftereffect.

It was likely because he had exerted all his strength while fighting Kim Shin-ryeong’s summoned creatures.

Moreover, he hadn’t touched Solarkium or Gaksin Pill, so the fatigue had accumulated in his body.

“Then, shall we go to a good restaurant first? I know a great place for pork soup!”

“Sounds good.”

“Let’s go, oppa! Today, everything’s on me!”

Jung Yuri cheerfully grabbed his hand and started walking.

Kang-hoo silently looked down at their hands.

It felt less like the trembling handholding of lovers and more like the excited grip of a happy child.

She might not think much of it, but Kang-hoo kept giving and then taking away meaning from it himself.

Just because he didn’t want to date anyone didn’t mean he was immune to feelings of attraction.

It was probably that—just the fluttering feelings one has towards the opposite sex. The kind any man would feel.

Anyway, he started the city tour of Busan following Jung Yuri.

Even though the Hae-young Guild was heavily criticized, Busan’s security was good thanks to their firm grip on power.

It was a short but enjoyable time.

The warmth he felt among the bustling crowd in the downtown area had its own special meaning.

Considering his past actions, where he rarely interacted with ordinary people, it felt even more special.

After finishing their half-day date, they were on their way to the market.

Since it was within walking distance, they walked along the tree-lined road, chatting.

“It’s really been a while since I rested.”

“Have you only been going to dungeons?”

“Yeah, that’s right! I’ve been running non-stop. You too, right?”

“I’ve always been pretty busy. By the way, solo play or team play?”

“That’s a secret! But I hate mindlessly increasing numbers, so I usually optimize it!”

Listening to her, he thought she was quite similar to himself.

And that was indeed the most efficient way, especially if you wanted to maximize growth speed.

“By the way, have you had many transactions here? Becoming a VVIP must have very stringent conditions.”

Becoming a VVIP at the market is similar to how it works at a department store.

The basic premise is that you need to spend a lot.

But Jung Yuri had only recently returned to reality. Did she get a lot of support from Master K?

However, her answer took an entirely unexpected direction.

“Are you curious?”

“Of course.”

“My maternal grandmother owns the market.”

“……”

That explained everything.

The mystery surrounding her family was unveiled.

Kang Bok-hwa. She was Jung Yuri’s grandmother. She was also Master K’s wife.

Her grandfather was a major player controlling the Ground Zero area, and her grandmother controlled the commercial circles in the Gyeongsang region.

Both sides had enormous influence, and Jung Yuri was their granddaughter.

“I also came here to buy some items! Pick something good too, oppa. My grandmother has a great eye for these things.”

“This is really unexpected.”

“I’m only telling you because it’s you. Normally, I wouldn’t say anything. But I know you can keep a secret.”

“Thanks for trusting me.”

“I’m grateful, so I trust you. Haha.”

The market entrance was crowded with visiting hunters.

Kang Bok-hwa’s VIP market required several steps to enter, but thanks to Jung Yuri, they went through without any hassle.

They entered through a special route leading to the VVIP lounge, not the public one.

Although they met security guards several times, they passed without any issues.

They even went straight to a secret room within the VVIP lounge.

This was a route only allowed for those who had Kang Bok-hwa’s permission.

At the entrance of the secret room, two men and women greeted Jung Yuri politely.

But they shot sharp looks at Kang-hoo behind her. It was an understandable reaction.

Their presence reminded him of Moon Hyeong-seo and Hwangbo Hye guarding Master K.

That’s right. Someone of Kang Bok-hwa’s stature would naturally attract a lot of attention and threats.

Kang-hoo spoke first.

“Please let me know if any procedures are needed. I don’t want to be suspected unnecessarily.”

Given their role, it was natural to be hostile towards unverified outsiders.

The man on the left shook his head at Kang-hoo’s words.

“No, go ahead. It seems everything is within our control.”

Seeing his confident response and checking his constellation information, Kang-hoo saw a valid reason for it.

One of the constellations had the ability to turn back time.

Although it only granted one chance, it was reason enough for his confidence.

The man seemed willing to use his one chance for Kang Bok-hwa, demonstrating his loyalty.

Thanks to this, they could enter the secret room without laying down any weapons.

And Kang-hoo finally met the VIP market’s chief manager he had been curious about.

“Grandmother……!”

“Oh my, Yuri. Why has your face tanned so much? Anyone would think you’re a different person!”

“Have I gotten much darker?”

“You look healthier, but I’m worried you’ll turn into a completely different person next time.”

“I’ll go back to my original skin tone eventually! You know my skin is very fair!”

“I know! But if it accumulates too much, it can permanently change your skin tone and texture, so check carefully.”

“Yes, grandmother!”

Jung Yuri’s appearance as she hugged Kang Bok-hwa was the epitome of a granddaughter’s love for her grandmother.

Kang Bok-hwa’s response was equally loving. Her deep affection was unmistakable.

Just then.

After finishing her hug with her granddaughter, Kang Bok-hwa naturally looked at Kang-hoo and spoke with a smile.

“Have you been to our market before? I remember you.”

“……?”

How long had she been watching? Another unexpected revelation emerged.