The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

The rewards didn’t end with just skills.

I obtained one more orange magic stone.

Since I had also acquired one during the previous strategy against the Assassins, I shared it equally with An Yeong-ho.

Then, I received an item reward that I had never seen before since living in this world.

It was the “Buff Book.”

The Buff Book was similar in form to a Skill Book, but once learned, it was permanently absorbed into the body.

There were no class restrictions, and it didn’t require any learning ability, making it very accessible.

Of course, it was such a rare book, even more so than a Skill Book, that it was almost impossible to find. I was lucky.

“Hyung-nim, I’m fine! I’ll keep it a secret that you got it. I really mean it. This isn’t a concession out of obligation.”

An Yeong-ho quickly stepped aside, perhaps wanting to avoid any conflict over the ownership of the Buff Book with Kang-hoo.

He completely looked away. He didn’t seem curious about what kind of book it was or what effects it had.

Thinking that his previous explanation wasn’t enough, An Yeong-ho added another reason.

“Thanks to you, I’ve realized the potential of becoming a combat healer. I consider that to be an expensive education in itself.”

“Then I’ll take it without reservation.”

“Yes, Hyung-nim. I’ll also have to think about my direction as a combat healer!”

“You can definitely do it. You’re more than capable. Keep practicing as I taught you, and one day, it will all click.”

“Yes!”

In the warm atmosphere, the distribution issue was neatly resolved.

Kang-hoo immediately absorbed the buff from the Buff Book. There was no need to delay.

[Buff – Repentance]

[Once per use, removes all harmful effects and restores health to 99%.]

‘This is useful for situations where I’m overwhelmed with debuffs. It’s pretty good.’

It was a high-value buff.

Among the buffs learned through the Buff Book, there was a characteristic of buffs with usage limits.

Even after using it once, it wouldn’t disappear but would enter a recharge standby state.

If you used a specific offering, you could recharge it for another use.

Of course, the offering wasn’t something ordinary, so it required a considerable investment of time and effort.

I gained a buff, and after acquiring 20 points of dark energy from Hatred, my dark energy stat rose to 446.

At this point, I could estimate that I could kill any hunter below level 150 with a single Black Moon Slash.

This estimate assumed the opponent had even basic defense skills.

‘The farming is done.’

There were no more places in Japan to further grow my dark energy. Expecting more would be difficult.

The fight with Hatred was also a good experience for Kang-hoo.

Until now, he had rarely fought against skilled assassin hunters.

Yuji had been the closest in that field, but their encounter had ended briefly.

Even that was an embarrassing situation where Kang-hoo had one-sidedly taken him down, so it was hardly a fight.

In any case, thanks to An Yeong-ho, Kang-hoo hadn’t needed to rely on the power of Solarkium in the final dungeon strategy.

It was a moment when he truly appreciated the value of a skilled healer.

An Yeong-ho’s charm, different from that of buffer Park Dong-jae, was also felt. That kid would continue to grow rapidly.

“Let’s go. It’s time to rest.”

“Yes, Hyung-nim! Shall we go?”

Kang-hoo and An Yeong-ho wiped off their sweat and, with satisfied expressions, headed out of the dungeon.

The strategy was complete.

As soon as they returned to Rikou Tower, An Yeong-ho met his uncle, Fumiya, and began recounting his tales of valor.

An Yeong-ho, who usually gave cold assessments of himself and his teammates, was strangely showering Kang-hoo with praise.

As expected, even his notoriously picky nephew hadn’t found any faults in Kang-hoo.

“There was no need to worry about sustaining bleeding, and Death Heal was automatically triggered at the highest stack.”

“The two most difficult conditions were handled as a matter of course. You must’ve had it easy, Yeong-ho.”

“You don’t have to tell me! Plus, he showed me how I could realize my potential as a combat healer!”

“Is that true?”

“Instead of approaching it theoretically, he guided me through it emotionally, and that surprisingly became the breakthrough.”

“Hoho. I didn’t expect that.”

Even the Rikou Guild had been trying to awaken An Yeong-ho’s abilities as a combat healer.

They weren’t fools, and they had a relatively established curriculum in place.

But despite applying various theories in training, the ability to heal during combat had remained elusive.

However, after going through a dungeon with Kang-hoo, An Yeong-ho had, albeit faintly, begun to show an aggressive healing style.

There was a vast difference between never starting and opening the floodgates.

Once the path of talent was opened, it could be developed further through repeated training, making this a meaningful event.

An Yeong-ho’s admiration for Kang-hoo continued.

Fumiya, listening to his nephew, became increasingly curious about Kang-hoo.

‘Shin Kang-hoo’s background is well-known because of the Eclipse’s execution order. He was said to be a level 10 hunter when he was in the detention center.’

The fact that he had been in the detention center for a long time meant that he didn’t have the ability to escape.

No fool would stay in such a place without trying to escape, especially when death could come at any moment.

Then, one day, he suddenly escaped from the detention center and experienced a life-altering transformation.

The time it took from escaping the detention center to his current state wasn’t years—it was just a few months.

It was impossible to understand this rapid growth without assuming some abnormality, like hiding his power.

Sure, if we conceded a hundred times, his level could be raised somehow.

An Yeong-ho was a case of being intensively trained by the guild, so it was possible to force his level up.

But skill and proficiency are different.

The skills and abilities Kang-hoo currently had couldn’t have been built up in just a few months.

Just the number and arrangement of skills An Yeong-ho mentioned made Fumiya embarrassed about his own skill window.

Looking purely at numbers, he had fewer skills than Kang-hoo. It was a matter of diversity.

‘Should I find a way to keep Shin Kang-hoo close?’

Since the strategy for the ten dungeons he had requested was over, there were no official points of contact left with Kang-hoo.

‘Ah, there was the investigation of Sapporo Station.’

Fumiya recalled the materials he had handed over to Kang-hoo a few days ago. The information Kang-hoo had requested regarding Sapporo Station.

It seemed that Kang-hoo was interested in the dungeon strategy near there.

However, without any connections in Japan, Kang-hoo wouldn’t be able to acquire a license to attack the Sapporo dungeon.

In other words, he would have no choice but to seek out Fumiya. A very certain point of connection.

‘With that, I can keep him around, and if I offer him a dungeon strategy that requires a bleed dealer…’

At least for now, the calculation was that he could keep Kang-hoo attached to the Rikou Guild.

Having formed a relationship already, Fumiya definitely wanted to leave a good impression of the Rikou Guild on Kang-hoo.

Even if it wasn’t for recruitment, they could still utilize Kang-hoo in a cooperative role, similar to an observer.

Publicly, it could create the image that Kang-hoo was an ally of the Rikou Guild.

In that case, guilds that didn’t want to clash with the Rikou Guild would avoid approaching Kang-hoo. They would want to steer clear of unnecessary conflict.

It was Fumiya’s strategic approach.

It wasn’t his style to go out of his way to overly pamper a hunter just because they left a good impression.

While being considerate, he constructed a plausible boundary to make it appear as though the hunter was aligned with the Rikou Guild.

That was his first plan.

At the same time.

Kang-hoo came out of a longer-than-usual shower, his face flushed, shaking the water out of his wet hair.

He then took out the documents that Fumiya had handed him a few days ago.

All the information about the dungeon near JR Sapporo Station, which he had requested earlier.

Everything was so meticulously organized that there were no missing pieces or insufficient explanations.

“I’m finally getting a proper look at it.”

The documents even included photos and videos, and the dungeon containing the Imbalance Point was identified.

‘A creepy dungeon next to a building that never gets sunlight all day.’

He had been relying on memories from the original work, which were only left in writing, but the materials were so detailed that he found it right away.

This was because there was such a phrase in the dungeon description.

This dungeon is rarely exposed to sunlight, hence its nickname, the Shadow Dungeon.

There was a superstition that it had a very strong yin energy, giving off an ominous vibe, which led to fewer attempts by hunters to attack it.

It was easier to pinpoint than if he had gone to check the place in person. Once again, Kang-hoo realized the strength of Rikou Guild’s intelligence network.

“There’s no way I can break through this on my own, so I guess I have no choice but to rely on Fumiya’s connections. It’s not like he’ll just give it to me for free.”

Kang-hoo thought while holding his smartphone.

Though Fumiya had a favorable attitude toward him, he was definitely not the type to give away things for free.

If he were, Rikou Guild wouldn’t have risen to its position as the top guild in the Kansai region.

Fumiya was someone who firmly believed in give-and-take.

Even in the recent strategy for the Dark Energy dungeon, it seemed like Fumiya’s gratitude and consideration for saving An Yeong-ho were one-sided.

But if you looked closely, there was meaning in circulating a dungeon that had not been properly attacked for a long time.

Moreover, by leaking some information outside, he had painted a picture that Kang-hoo was somewhat friendly with the Rikou Guild.

Kang-hoo had tolerated it because the Rikou Guild had its value, but Fumiya’s strategy was clear.

As the phone rang while he called Fumiya.

Kang-hoo suddenly remembered that he had never seen the master of Rikou Guild.

There had been few mentions of them even publicly. It was just like Eclipse.

There, too, the name of Kang Dong-hyeon, who was called the third in rank, was frequently mentioned, but there was no information about those higher up.

-Yes, this is Fumiya.

“This is Shin Kang-hoo.”

The call had connected in the meantime.

There was no need to exchange unnecessary pleasantries, so he got straight to the point.

“I’d like to attack the Shadow Dungeon near Sapporo Station. Could you help me make the connection?”

-As you know, the Sapporo area is currently dominated by the Jigoku Guild. They’re the ruling guild.

In Japan, the top guild in each region was typically called the ruling guild. It seemed to be a familiar term.

Jigoku, which means “hell” in kanji, gave off an ominous feeling just from the name.

-It would be difficult through normal means, but if you use my name, it might be possible.

He didn’t give a definite answer, instead offering a speculative response. This meant there were hidden conditions.

It was likely that fulfilling certain conditions would make it possible. Until then, it would remain in the realm of “might be possible” indefinitely.

They both knew each other’s intentions too well.

There was no need to waste energy. Since their interests and needs aligned, there was no need to beat around the bush.

Kang-hoo immediately asked back,

“What do I need to do for you?”