Chapter 17
Name: Park Hajin
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Level: 8
Strength: 16 Agility: 15 Stamina: 16 Magic Power: 12
Available Stat Points: 0
Coins: 1,580
Job: None
Unique Ability: Deadly Ambush
Skills: Lv3 Acceleration, Lv2 Stealth, Lv2 Shallow Breathing
Having already used ‘Eye of Truth’ to check Park Hajin’s status, Jinhyuk had a good understanding of his abilities. The assassination category, especially prized for one-on-one confrontations, and notably, ‘Shallow Breathing’ was an ability Jinhyuk found particularly enviable.
‘It’s a passive skill that could compensate for long battles.’
Definitely useful.
That’s why he provoked him.
[Copying Condition: You can copy a ‘Unique Ability’ by maximizing friendliness with the target, and you can copy ‘any desired skill’ by maximizing hostility with the target.]
All this, just to meet the condition.
‘Increasing hostility isn’t that hard.’
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth turned upwards, whereas Park Hajin’s face contorted angrily.
“This bastard… laughing in a situation like this?”
But just as the sword was about to be drawn, Jinhyuk moved faster.
He thrust forward the water bottle he was holding.
The water sprayed out, covering Park Hajin’s face.
“Cough?”
Park Hajin involuntarily closed his eyes, for less than a second, but in combat, that brief moment was fatal.
The belatedly drawn sword sliced through the air, but its intended target had long vanished.
The hit did not connect.
Something was off.
As that thought crossed his mind.
Sharp pain shot through Park Hajin’s thigh, making him stagger and fall.
“AAARGH!”
He clutched his thigh, rolling on the ground. It was a swift and precise strike aimed at a critical point.
He wouldn’t be able to stand, let alone fight, for a while.
“What… what just happened?”
“He attacked by himself and then fell over?”
“Did he trip on his step?”
An incredulous mistake.
Unexpected luck.
To the uninformed onlooker, that’s what it appeared to be.
Only three people in the crowd of hundreds had accurately perceived the movement: Taemin and Yeonyeonhwa, who had followed Jinhyuk, and Kim Gitaek from the Fight Daddy guild.
‘I knew brother was beyond us, but this is insane?’
Taemin swallowed nervously.
The timing of the surprise attack, the moment seized to strike at a blind spot, was perfect.
Although he seemed unharmed, Park Hajin’s leg was clearly not normal.
Of course, he himself likely had no idea how severe his injury was.
“Ugh…”
A sympathetic sigh escaped Yeonyeonhwa’s lips, seeing him toyed with like this reminded her of her past spars with her grandfather.
‘No, it’s even worse.’
Back then, there was at least the goal of training.
But now…
There was nothing for the victim to learn from this.
Just being overwhelmingly suppressed.
‘What, what’s going on?’
Park Hajin couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation.
Surely, the one who should be rolling on the ground was that guy.
So why…
Why was he the one feeling the cold marble against his cheek?
“Damn it!”
Swearing erupted from him, embarrassing himself in front of Kim Gitaek who was watching.
A careless oversight, an irrevocable mistake.
“This bastard really wants to die.”
Park Hajin tried to rise, shakily, but then a heavy pressure pinned him down.
Crunch!
“Choke?”
“Your neck’s going to break. Just stay down.”
Jinhyuk looked down at him from above.
“Chk! Choke! Leg… let go of my leg!”
Park Hajin struggled, trying to throw off Jinhyuk, but for some reason, he couldn’t budge Jinhyuk’s leg.
“Oh, brother!”
That’s when Park Hana’s voice was heard. She had rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
“Who the hell are you!”
Park Hana glared at the one who attacked her brother, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
But as soon as their gazes met…
Her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Wh-what?”
The last person she wanted to encounter, a demon in human form, stood before her.
“Wow. Didn’t expect to see you so soon, intern.”
Jinhyuk smiled lightly.
“Why… why are you here?”
“Why else? Came to take the test. Though my mood’s been spoiled by someone cutting in line and making a fuss.”
Jinhyuk put more weight on his foot.
“AAARGH!”
Park Hajin’s struggle ceased as he became more subdued under Jinhyuk’s pressure.
Finally, things quieted down.
‘But have I fulfilled the copying conditions yet?’
He had thought that maxing out hostility would be enough.
It seemed the system’s requirements were more stringent than he anticipated.
‘No choice but to push harder.’
As he pondered his next move,
“Enough of this.”
A heavy pressure landed on Jinhyuk’s shoulder.
It was Kim Gitaek.
[‘Eye of Truth’ is activated!] [The skill is cancelled due to a significant level difference between you and the target!]
He couldn’t see the status window.
Which meant…
‘He must be at least level 20.’
The privilege of monopolizing hunting grounds and receiving dedicated support – that’s why everyone wanted to join a major guild.
Jinhyuk glanced at the hand gripping his shoulder, then muttered as if to himself,
“…didn’t know that.”
“What didn’t you know?”
“That this guy came with a nanny.”
The provocation was thick, but Kim Gitaek’s expression remained unchanged.
“He’s a handful, but what can you do? He’s useful in his own way.”
“Useful, you say…”
Jinhyuk smirked.
“Because he has a route to supply ‘Korean ginseng’ to China?”
“What?”
Kim Gitaek’s demeanor shifted noticeably at that remark.
His pupils dilated, and the hand on Jinhyuk’s shoulder trembled slightly.
“How do you know about that?”
“Your question is a bit off. Instead of asking how I know, you should be asking if I can solve the side effects of Korean ginseng.”
As Jinhyuk finished his statement,
[Kim Gitaek activates Lv3 ‘Dark Barrier’!]
A transparent barrier unfolded, erasing Park Hajin, Park Hana, and everyone else from view.
Within this secluded space, Kim Gitaek faced Jinhyuk directly.
“Who are you? How do you know all this?”
Initially, Kim Gitaek was intrigued.
A newbie managing to toy with Park Hajin was interesting, and his efficient movements even earned a bit of admiration.
But as Jinhyuk continued, that curiosity turned into an uncomfortable suspicion, and finally, hostility.
It was inevitable.
Jinhyuk knew too much.
Far too much.
“You’re asking the wrong questions again.”
Jinhyuk shrugged.
“It’s not about what I know. It’s about what you’re willing to trade for the information I have.”
This wasn’t an inquiry session.
Only results mattered, not motives or methods.
“You want to trade?”
“Yes. You guys are desperate to mitigate those side effects, right?”
Kim Gitaek clenched his lips, clearly hit a nerve, but only momentarily.
“You sound like you had this planned all along.”
Impromptu… seemed too convenient.
The setup appeared premeditated.
Jinhyuk merely shrugged again.
“Right. I knew you would come here.”
Upon hearing from Taemin about the test, he hypothesized.
The best stage for showcasing oneself.
It was unlikely that Park Hana, whose stock had risen after entering the Hall of Fame, would miss such an opportunity.
Naturally, she’d come at dawn.
And Park Hajin, eager for the guild’s growth, would tag along.
But would Park Hajin come alone, seeking connections?
Unlikely.
He’d want someone from the higher echelons involved, and they wouldn’t want to miss a major publicity chance either.
A convergence of interests.
That’s why he was sure.
Either Dangun or Fight Daddy.
At least one senior member from either guild would show up.
‘I bet on Fight Daddy, given they’re aiming for the top spot.’
And that bet paid off.
“…Assuming your story is true, do you have proof? Anyone can talk big.”
Proof?
Of course.
“If you consume Korean ginseng raw, it causes mana poisoning. Sure, you can mitigate symptoms with controlled dosages or ‘Purified Water’ from the second floor, but it’s not a real solution.”
“So?”
“You need three items.”
Jinhyuk held up three fingers.
“Karasian sap. Moonlight stone. Mandrake root. The first two you can get from the second and third floors of the Tower, but the last, the mandrake root’s location, that’s the issue, isn’t it?”
…It matched.
The composition and ingredients Kim Gitaek’s team had deduced were identical to Jinhyuk’s description.
They had easily acquired two of the three components.
But the mandrake root remained elusive, its location in the Tower unknown.
‘If he knows both the composition and the ingredients… his information is legitimate.’
The bare minimum for a trade was met.
Kim Gitaek’s decision was swift.
“Fine. I’ll bite. But.”
In that instant, Kim Gitaek’s sword was drawn with blinding speed, far surpassing anything Park Hajin could have managed. The tip of the sword halted just shy of Jinhyuk’s nose, a clear threat.
“If you’re playing me, be ready.”
“Playing you? Be ready for what?”
“Yes. If this turns out to be a farce, smooth talking won’t save you.”
This… was a misunderstanding, perhaps?
Jinhyuk scratched his head, then, with deliberate slowness, grabbed the sword blade with his hand.
“No need to grip so tight; I wasn’t planning on running.”
Kim Gitaek gave a half-smile at that moment.
Just then,
Whoosh!
[Lv2 ‘Element of Fire’ activates!] [Due to the ‘Stat Gap’ being activated by the level difference, the effect is enhanced!]
Flames surged, heating the blade to a red glow, the air around them drying rapidly as moisture evaporated.
“…What?”
Kim Gitaek tried to withdraw his sword, but it was too late.
Crack!
Suddenly, Jinhyuk’s other hand held a dagger, glowing with a crimson hue, having made a swift, horizontal slice.
The sword blade now sported a fine line, too delicate to call a crack, yet unmistakably a mark of precision.
And then,
Clang!
The split sword blade fell to the ground.
‘He cut through an enhanced weapon? In one strike?’
Impossible…
Kim Gitaek looked dumbfounded between the halved blade and its hilt.
Surely, the opponent was merely a player of a modest level.
Yet what was this overwhelming presence, as if levels mattered not?
His instincts screamed danger at unprecedented levels.
Jinhyuk spoke up,
“Don’t be mistaken. I’m the one making the offer. And I’m the one giving you a chance.”
His voice was colder than ever,
“I don’t bother with nuisances like this unless I deem it utterly wasteful to engage in any form of tug-of-war with you.”
He had to head to the ‘relic’ on the first floor.
After spending a month in the labyrinth for this exact purpose.
But if someone fails to recognize their place, he’s willing to spare a moment.
“Take this to heart.”
Here and now.
“If you try anything foolish…”
He drew a line.
“The whole Fight Daddy guild might just come crumbling down.”
A single warning was all they’d get.