Chapter 31
“I’ll tell you everything.”
When I spoke with a solemn expression—
“Yeah, that’s more like it.”
Goh Jaeyoung withdrew the dagger he’d been holding to Kim Junsu’s neck for a moment.
Then he licked the blood off the blade.
It was a grotesque sight.
Wasn’t this the kind of thing you’d only see in some Japanese comic?
“Heh, if you want to keep your life, that is.”
Wow.
Was this his style all along?
It’s not like his mental age was stuck in middle school or anything.
Still, for now, I had to play along with his ego.
Even though I’d grown rapidly lately, realistically—
Against three A-ranks and ten B-ranks, there was absolutely no way to win.
“Of course. Just one of the hunters here could easily take me down. I’m simply grateful you’re giving me a chance to live.”
“Hmph, you talk as well as last time.”
Goh Jaeyoung snorted, but he didn’t seem displeased.
I continued speaking.
“My fortuitous encounter is simple.”
“Go on, let’s hear it.”
“I have a master who trains me.”
“Master? You mean that old man Kang Jaeho mentioned? The one even Ki Soyul had trouble dealing with?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I nodded.
“To be exact, he’s strong enough to utterly crush the Shadow Empress dozens of times over.”
“Heh. I knew, but still… hearing it again is surprising. To think such a person exists.”
Goh Jaeyoung sighed.
As a fellow assassin,
He still couldn’t believe someone on a completely different level than Ki Soyul had been beaten down.
The nearby Shadow Severance hunters began murmuring.
“A master strong enough to overwhelm rank 380? That’s definitely a big deal.”
“Right. If what he says is true, anyway.”
“Come on, would Jakan move for nothing?”
“But where is this master? Is he only visible to that guy? Then he’s useless.”
Of course.
Someone voiced their doubts.
“Ah, about that,” I said.
“My master is a ghost, so you can’t see him right now. But I can make him visible through a special method. And that’s not all. I can even share him with you. All of you.”
I wetted my lips.
Do you know how to tell a good lie?
Mix 10% lie into 90% truth.
Most people get hooked on the 90% truth and overlook the 10% lie.
Just like now.
“Is that true?”
“You can show your master to us? Even have him teach us?”
As the hunters murmured, I grinned.
“Of course. That’s why the Shadow Empress stayed by my side.”
“…!”
Goh Jaeyoung’s eyes widened.
“So that wench had an ulterior motive.”
“I always wondered why she stuck to you like a treasure chest hidden beside a brat!”
“You’ve been getting private lessons, huh?”
Some still doubted, others nodded as if they finally understood.
“But the training might be rough. My master’s eccentric and runs a Spartan-style regimen. Honestly, I don’t think you could handle it.”
I shivered.
This wasn’t acting—it was real.
Even now, my muscles ached from the massage I’d received that morning.
“So,” Goh Jaeyoung spoke,
“can you pass it on right now?”
And—
His eyes clearly held one emotion: greed.
‘Of course.’
That’s exactly what I wanted.
He’d been obsessed with my “fortuitous encounter” from before.
After hearing about it, he’d wanted to obtain it.
‘But right now, he can’t make a move openly.’
Because the leader of the Shadow Severance, Jakan, had joined in personally!
The spoils would obviously go first to his superior, Jakan!
‘Which is why…’
I lied that I could pass my encounter to everyone.
So he’d be tempted to claim it before Jakan.
Why lie like this, you ask?
“Of course. I can pass it on right now. But preparing the chant will take about 30 minutes.”
Because I could stall for time.
The truth was this—
After Ki Soyul left—
Bzzz!
Along with a vibration, several texts arrived.
[Ki Soyul: Donghoon.]
[Ki Soyul: Don’t recklessly fight alone.]
[Ki Soyul: Those acquaintances I mentioned before. It’s a bit early, but if I ask, they’ll definitely come.]
[Ki Soyul: Just 30 minutes. Hold out for about 30 minutes.]
Exactly.
I was stalling—
Waiting for Ki Soyul’s acquaintances to arrive.
‘Even if they don’t come, it’s fine.’
Coming here was my choice.
Even if I lose, I won’t avoid it.
‘Sunny is here too.’
He said it himself.
If I just gave the order, he’d do his best to take care of it.
He may be my subordinate now, but he was once an absolute being who slaughtered all humans.
He wouldn’t be easy prey for them.
“Then, shall we start with you, assassin?”
The die was cast.
A ball of greed, neither true nor false.
Whether to catch it or not—
The choice was his.
—
Time passed.
“Hmm.”
Goh Jaeyoung’s facial muscles twitched.
‘He’s muttering something, but it feels strange.’
The guy who said he’d pass on his encounter—
Had been chanting for over 30 minutes.
He’d asked for a little more time since it wasn’t working, but—
Something felt off.
The other hunters were also frowning in boredom.
‘Come to think of it, last time was the same.’
The situation was different, but the structure was identical.
He’d stalled cleverly, and in the end, Ki Soyul’s arrival had forced him to flee.
What guarantee was there it wouldn’t happen again?
‘And that relaxed expression…’
This Joo Donghoon—
He was definitely no ordinary man.
An E-rank hunter—
How could he stand before a group of high-ranked hunters without flinching?
‘He must have something up his sleeve.’
Realizing this, Goh Jaeyoung’s face twisted.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Joo Donghoon looked up mid-chant as if wondering what now.
It was an infuriating gesture.
“When will this end? My patience has limits.”
“Sorry, but please wait just a bit longer. And if you keep interrupting, I might lose focus and have to start over.”
“…”
“Or maybe…”
He pushed it further.
“Are you scared? Well, if you are, we can just stop.”
Crack!
A vein bulged on Goh Jaeyoung’s forehead.
‘Is this guy insane?’
He seemed to know the value of his “encounter” and was acting like this—
In that case, there was no choice.
Swish!
Goh Jaeyoung spun the dagger in his grip elegantly.
Then he brought it back to Kim Junsu’s neck.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
As expected, that got a reaction from him.
Goh Jaeyoung replied coldly.
“You said 30 minutes. You broke your promise first, so I can at least take this one’s life.”
At the same time, he glanced at the other hunters.
It was a gesture asking if they agreed.
“Heh, that’s right.”
“Yeah, as long as that guy’s alive, we’re fine, right?”
“I agree. Kill him. We’ve been too nice as it is.”
The Shadow Severance hunters grinned wickedly in agreement.
“Don’t blame me.”
Goh Jaeyoung tightened his grip.
“You brought this on yourself.”
And just as he was about to slash—
Thud!
A sudden sharp pain shot through his hand.
‘What the—? Where did that come from?’
Clutching his throbbing hand, he stumbled back—
Clang!
A long spear nearly lodged itself in his face.
‘Huh?’
What was this?
The speed and precision were deadly enough that a single mistake could have caused serious injury, despite the low power.
“….”
Grinding his teeth, Goh Jaeyoung abandoned Kim Junsu and retreated fully.
The one who caught Kim Junsu—
Was a skeleton wielding a flimsy bone spear.
Goh Jaeyoung couldn’t believe his eyes.
“A mere skeleton, attacking like this?”
Its spear technique was astonishing.
As if the Spear King, ranked 10th in the world from China, had descended in person.
Its presence was overwhelming.
And—
“Hah.”
Joo Donghoon’s once-relaxed expression changed completely.
“I thought I could stall longer. Too bad.”
His voice was nothing like before.
Rage boiled up in Goh Jaeyoung.
He realized he’d been played.
“That little brat… acting out of his league!”
He spat the words like venom.
“You think one flashy skeleton can turn this situation around?”
Ridiculous.
He’d been startled, sure, but that was all.
He was an A-rank.
No matter how well a 4-year-old boxes, they can’t take on a grown adult.
The difference in power between the skeleton and himself was fundamental.
“Kill the hostage and capture him! Make him pay for deceiving us!”
He shouted to the hunters.
“Go!”
“Kill him!”
“No, capture him alive!”
The hunters rushed at Joo Donghoon.
To be precise, they unleashed a barrage of skills at the five skeletons forming up around him.
Each strike was B-rank or higher, unstoppable.
“….”
But Joo Donghoon’s eyes stayed cold.
“Sunny.”
“Yes, my liege.”
“It’ll be a tough fight, but I’m counting on you.”
Swish!
Sunny’s spear danced brilliantly.
A flash of sunlight split the dark night.
Skill—
‘Solar Consecutive Strikes!’
A hot wind surged.
The hunters faltered for a moment under Sunny’s attack.
‘What the—?’
‘That’s a chilling technique.’
‘I’d better dodge for now.’
One by one, each stepped back from the ominous feeling—
And with that careless thought, all of them ended up retreating.
All because of one E-rank’s skill.
They’d made fools of themselves, the entire group of high-ranked hunters backing off.
Furious, Goh Jaeyoung shouted,
“You idiots! Can’t you see it’s just flashy and nothing else?!”
Even if they were a criminal group like the Shadow Severance—
How could they all be so selfish?
Watching their pathetic display, Goh Jaeyoung finally stepped in himself.
‘I’ll take him down.’
Rustle—
He silently melded into the shadows.
At night, an assassin’s stats shone even brighter.
‘I will be a ranked assassin.’
No matter what—
He would uncover why Ki Soyul was with that man.
Buzz—
He erased the killing intent from his dagger.
The art of assassination was killing without the target even knowing.
‘First, I’ll take that spear skeleton’s head.’
Rustle!
His dagger was just about to slide into Sunny’s neck—
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
No, it felt like Seonyudo itself was quaking.
“Uh?”
The chilling sensation made him instinctively stop.
At the same time, he crouched lower.
“Ugh!”
“What the—?”
“What is this energy…?”
The other hunters attacking Joo Donghoon also froze.
An overwhelming force—
A mysterious aura dominated the space.
All eyes turned toward its source.
“….”
And there—
Stood a man with bulging upper-body muscles.
Judging by his sudden appearance, he’d fallen from the sky.
Like a meteor.
“Ah, am I too late?”
His tone was relaxed.
Sweat trickled down Goh Jaeyoung’s forehead.
It was inevitable.
Because there wasn’t a soul alive who didn’t know this man.
“Why is Jang Daewoong here…?”
The Berserker, Jang Daewoong.
A ranker and the 20th in the world rankings.
The appearance of the most famous madman on earth.