Chapter 190: Chapter 190: The Drawn Gaze (1)

A video of Kang-hoo rescuing a grandmother and her granddaughter from members of the Toushi Guild became popular on Huntergram.

People who were drawn in by the algorithm admired Kang-hoo’s bravery and his warm act of saving the elderly woman.

Some were also pleased that a Korean hunter had gone to Japan and managed to bring some honor to their country.

Huntergram, a must-have app among hunters, was so accessible that almost everyone had seen the video.

This included Han Seo-yeon, who was watching the video of Kang-hoo with a proud smile on her face.

‘Oppa, it looks like you’re doing well. You’ve grown so much as a hunter too. You’ve really become amazing. It’s almost unbelievable.’

The memory of reuniting with the once-missing Kang-hoo was still vivid in her mind.

Back then, he had looked like someone on the brink of death. His skin was paler than it was now, and he was much thinner.

Moreover, as a hunter, he was just beginning to make his mark, and his level was far below Han Seo-yeon’s.

But now, he had grown so much that it made the past seem insignificant. No, “rapid growth” would be a more fitting expression.

Compared to herself, it felt like he had surpassed her growth a long time ago.

Just by watching Kang-hoo’s movements in the video, she could tell. He would likely be unmatched now.

At that moment.

The leader of Team 59, to which Han Seo-yeon belonged, walked in. As the team number suggests, it wasn’t a top-tier team.

In Jeonghwa Guild, teams up to Team 15 were considered elite, so their level was far below that.

The team leader spoke.

“Today’s training is postponed. Instructors Gong Yo-seok and Go Joo-hee are absent due to an urgent matter.”

“What happened?” Han Seo-yeon asked.

It wasn’t so much an interrogation as it was anticipation; she had been eagerly looking forward to training with the two.

The two of them were renowned hunters in the Jeonghwa Guild, often referred to as the “wannabe couple.”

Not only were they skilled, but they were also specialized in teaching others.

“The Master has summoned them.”

“The Master?”

“Yes. You understand, right?”

“Yes, I understand perfectly.”

Han Seo-yeon nodded.

When the guild’s master calls for you, there is nothing more important. Absolute obedience is a given.

With the unexpected free time, Han Seo-yeon considered sending a text to Kang-hoo for the first time in a while and picked up her smartphone.

But.

‘No, I’m not ready yet.’

She quickly shook her head.

Recently, Han Seo-yeon had cut off contact with everyone to focus solely on training and growth.

This included Kang-hoo and Lee Ye-rin as well.

She was training with clenched teeth, determined to show her changed self, so she couldn’t afford to weaken now.

Today… just seeing Kang-hoo’s impressive appearance after a long time was enough for her.

He was someone running hard toward a better future. She didn’t want to be a small hindrance.

“Wow, this hunter is really amazing. Didn’t he take down Eclipse before? And now he’s even going after Toushi Guild?”

“What was his name again? Shin Kang-hoo?”

“Yeah. He’s also really good-looking. Check him out. Does he have a girlfriend? If he does, I’m so jealous.”

The other members of the team also started watching the video on Huntergram and marveled at the video related to Kang-hoo.

Perhaps because it was praise for someone she knew, Han Seo-yeon felt proud even though they weren’t talking about her.

Indeed, Kang-hoo was someone fully deserving of such praise.

Before meeting with Gong Yo-seok and Go Joo-hee.

Jang Si-hwan, who had been staring at his monitor, moved several videos to the “on hold” folder.

Among them was a video investigation of the person who had cut off Gong Tae-su’s left arm.

Although they had tracked it for a while, they gave up due to a lack of solid evidence.

The main reason was the absence of footage from the scene when Gong Tae-su’s arm was cut off.

Moreover, Gong Tae-su considered the incident a black mark on his record and had kept his mouth shut, which halted further investigation.

On top of that, Gong Tae-su’s Red Blood Organization had been driven out of Ulsan, so their whereabouts were unknown.

It would have been nice if they had found a lead when they were searching hard at the beginning.

Since they were still going in circles, Jang Si-hwan naturally lost interest, and the related videos soon disappeared from his sight.

Although it was labeled the “on hold” folder, it was practically the trash bin. There were plenty of other videos to review.

Soon, following the secretary’s guidance, Gong Yo-seok and Go Joo-hee entered Jang Si-hwan’s office.

Jang Si-hwan’s office, neatly arranged in a black-and-white concept, was simple and uncluttered.

Because of that, the two had no reason to look anywhere else but at Jang Si-hwan.

Jang Si-hwan spoke.

“I know you’re busy, so I appreciate you coming here. It must be hectic lately, with such a tight training schedule.”

He greeted them with a polite bow.

Jang Si-hwan’s manner, as he respectfully guided them to their seats, was impeccable.

Despite being in the highest position as the Master, Jang Si-hwan was always courteous, which made the two particularly fond of him.

Jang Si-hwan never crossed the line.

He had never engaged in the typical power trips. In fact, it was Chae Gwanhyeong who often did that. What a scumbag.

Go Joo-hee spoke.

“It’s nothing. The training instructions were what we requested. We’re enjoying our work every day.”

Gong Yo-seok added.

“Thanks to your consideration, we’re managing our work-life balance well, so there’s no need to worry. But you called us earlier than expected.”

“External recruitments have been rare lately, haven’t they? Except for the internal promotions from the satellite guilds.”

The two nodded at Jang Si-hwan’s question.

Although a large number of hunters had been sent from satellite guilds like the Haeohwa Guild to the Jeonghwa Guild…

As Jang Si-hwan said, it had been quite some time since they had recruited someone completely new from outside.

Jang Si-hwan continued speaking.

“None of the candidates recommended by other sources have impressed me. Do you have any hunters you’d like to recommend?”

“Baek Seon-tae, an assassin…”

“Ah, the one who was with the Jajang warlord in Yeosu? His weaknesses are too apparent.”

Jang Si-hwan immediately provided feedback before Gong Yo-seok could even finish speaking about the first candidate.

It wasn’t just talk when they said he kept up with the information on people; it was clear he was well-informed.

“Jo Yoon-jun, a swordsman hunter…”

“I’ve seen him, but he’s overrated. He’s the one who requested to transfer from the Haeyeong Guild, right? Just let Haeyeong keep him and deal with the consequences.”

The second recommendation was also dismissed outright.

They even considered recommending Han Seo-yeon, but since she was already a guild member, Jang Si-hwan wasn’t interested.

He questioned whether it was necessary to pay attention to someone who would naturally grow according to the guild’s established process.

The discussions about the three hunters, who seemed quite promising, were quickly dismissed without further consideration.

So, the two decided to bring up a hunter they had been discussing frequently with each other recently.

The person in question probably had no idea they were being mentioned, but Gong Yo-seok and Go Joo-hee had talked about them quite a lot.

That person was none other than.

“What about Shin Kang-hoo, the assassin hunter? He made a name for himself in the Eclipse-related incident and has recently gained fame due to the Osaka issue.”

It was Kang-hoo.

Gong Yo-seok, concerned that Jang Si-hwan might not be familiar with the hunter, brought up a photo of Kang-hoo on his smartphone.

In truth, Jang Si-hwan had been quite busy lately, making him somewhat disconnected from the Eclipse incident and domestic news.

But when he saw the photo, he realized it was someone he had met before.

He had seen him at the observation deck and even had a one-on-one encounter with him at the Gold Goblin’s Mine.

Furthermore, Kang-hoo had participated in the recent large-scale raid on the Hell of Judgment.

Unbeknownst to him, they had crossed paths quite frequently.

“Is there any additional information on him?”

Jang Si-hwan’s eyes sparkled with interest, a stark contrast to his earlier lack of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Kang-hoo was receiving a gratitude-filled conversation from Fumiya, who had hurried back from the battlefield.

All the members of the Rikou Guild who were present testified that Yuji had been unexpectedly struck by Kang-hoo.

Moreover, some of the city’s CCTV footage had captured Kang-hoo’s fight with Kenji.

Although the video was brief, it was more than enough to prove his actions at the time.

This was already the third time Fumiya was indebted to Kang-hoo.

Throughout the conversation, Fumiya couldn’t hide his embarrassment. His pride had undoubtedly taken a hit.

“The guild will provide you with a substantial reward. Would financial compensation be acceptable?”

“No, I’m not interested in money. However, I would like you to help me find some information that might be difficult to investigate.”

“Are you requesting an official investigation? Or something more covert?”

“The latter.”

Kang-hoo declined the monetary reward for a different reason.

After observing the Rikou Guild, he realized they possessed far more information than he had initially thought.

He discovered this during various conversations he had with An Yeong-ho via messages. They were remarkably well-informed on external matters.

The reason was likely simple.

They probably operated their own information network, and its scale was likely beyond imagination.

There was also a possibility that, like Park Dong-jae, they had insiders within multiple guilds or organizations. Or perhaps they had successfully bribed them.

So, Kang-hoo intended to use Fumiya to acquire information that would be awkward for him to obtain on his own.

The monetary reward he passed up would be equivalent to the price of that information.

“What information are you seeking?”

“I want a list and detailed information on all the dungeons near JR Sapporo Station. If possible, I’d also like to know the procedures for raiding them.”

“If you don’t mind me asking…”

“Go ahead.”

“Could you tell me why you’re interested in Sapporo? I mean no offense.”

“Would you be satisfied if I said it’s just a good feeling?”

Of course, it wasn’t a satisfying answer.

It was vague, after all.

But it wasn’t something he could openly say—like, “There’s an Imbalance Point there, so I need to check it out.”

So, although it might have seemed like a casual response, he chose to give a misleading reason.

“Understood. I’ll gather all the necessary data. Will that suffice as your reward?”

“As long as nothing is omitted.”

Kang-hoo nodded.

This was a golden opportunity to climb several levels at once, and if he could get it all done with just this reward, it would be a complete win.

Fumiya, unaware of the deeper implications, was unknowingly playing into Kang-hoo’s favor.

“Understood. I’ll use my top hunters to investigate. I’ll have it done within two days.”

As expected.

It seemed there was indeed a secret information network within the guild.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to promise such a timeline. There was also a high possibility that they had informants ready to contact at any moment.

Thus, the groundwork for locating the Imbalance Point in Japan was laid.

Now, the only thing left was to clear the remaining five dungeons for dark age farming.

Once that was done, the primary objective of Kang-hoo’s visit to Japan, his dark age growth, would be accomplished.

Since that day,

five days had passed.

Of the five remaining dungeons, four had been cleared.

Now, only the last dungeon, which he would tackle with An Yeong-ho, remained.