Chapter 20: Skill Plunder (4)


    The wine in the ss disappeared without a trace, only to be refilled several times.


    In the safety of a house, where there was no need to worry about their surroundings, two womenfortably enjoyed their wine.


    From time to time, a beeping rm sounded, but they ignored it as just a trace left by a passing stray cat.


    Unnie, its really hard to see you these days!


    Its the same for others. Arent you busy too? But why did youe to Daejeon?


    Well, you know how it is with mercenaries? Just wandering around looking for work, ending up in ces like Daejeon, Busan, and so on.


    Youre not going to say you came all this way just to see me?


    Of course, I always want to see you, Unnie! But you have to agree to meet, right? Its a wonder were even meeting like this.


    If you had answered just 10% of my calls, we would have met sooner. Were you with a man or something?


    Are we going down this path of mutual revtions? Hahaha.


    Anyway, its good to see you, Sang-mi. Ive been feeling a bit lonelytely.


    Yun Sang-mi and Han Seo-yeon were deeply immersed in their wine.


    They had been friends and Unnies for a long time but had grown apart since bing hunters.


    Yun Sang-mi had be a wandering mercenary.


    Han Seo-yeon had joined the Haeohwa Guild, a satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild, serving as the Daejeon branch.


    Unnie.


    Yeah?


    I met an interesting hunter. I was at Osan Station for some business and ended up traveling with him.


    Hey! You shouldnt travel so easily with a hunter you just met. Do you even know which group hes from?


    Hey, hey. I do this all the time. I can take care of myself.


    Hmmm Alright, so?


    His name is Jung Sun-kyu. Probably an alias, but we ended up going to Daejeon Station together. And you know


    Yeah, the incident at Club Hades. You said you escaped from there, right?


    Right! That person cleared the way for me. His attacks were concise and destructive.


    For Yun Salt to praise someone like that


    Unnie, I always give credit where its due. There just havent been many hunters worthy of it.


    What was his ss?


    Assassin. He could take down or find weaknesses in most hunters with a single strike.


    Anything unique?


    His skills were highly refined. He must have a high level of expertise. It seemed like he had a high level, too.


    Jung Sun-kyu Ive never heard that name before. Even as an alias, its unfamiliar.


    Exactly. He didnt seem to have been active for long. It was his second deal with Lee Ye-rin.


    Second?


    Yes!


    At this moment, Han Seo-yeons mind suddenly recalled someone who might coincidentally be making their second deal at this time.


    Of course, numerous mercenaries came to Lee Ye-rin for requests, dozens a day.


    But she remembered introducing Kang-hoo to Lee Ye-rin recently.


    If Kang-hoo had sessfullypleted his first request, it would be about time for his second.


    However, she didnt think Kang-hoo, who had just escaped from Cheongmyeong Detention Center, would receive such high praise from Yun Sang-mi.


    If he had that level of skill, he would have escaped the detention center long ago.


    By the way, Unnie, what happened with your ex-boyfriend? You said he suddenly contacted you?


    Yes, Kang-hoo.


    What happened?


    It seems he was kidnapped by Eclipse and taken to Cheongmyeong Detention Center, to a mana stone mine.


    So, he escaped from there?


    Yes. Thats all I heard. He didnt tell me how he escaped or what happened.


    Didnt your ex-boyfriend be a hunter just before you lost contact?


    Thats right. Being trapped in the detention center, he probably couldnt develop much


    Han Seo-yeon also found this puzzling now that she thought about it.


    For Kang-hoo, there shouldnt have been any change in levels or stats.


    How did he manage to escape from a detention center that was supposedly guarded by skilled wardens?


    Unnie, you had a lot of lingering feelings for your ex-boyfriend. Why didnt you hold on to him tighter? You struggled after the breakup.


    You know Kang-hoos personality. Once he decides its over, its over. He might worry about me secretly, but


    Youre living too much in the past, Unnie.


    Before we broke up, Kang-hoo said the same thing to me. I guess people think alike, right?


    Ah, I dont know! Lets just drink more wine, cheers!


    Although they were talking about amon acquaintance, they had no idea that Kang-hoo was the shared connection.


    In a world where aliases change frequently, remembering someone by their name is almost meaningless.


    <hr>


    Lucky me.


    Kang-hoo picked up a green mana stone. Each was worth about 100 million won.


    Blue mana stones were worth about 10 million won, so the price jumped significantly with just one grade higher.


    It was generally believed that there was a 10% chance of obtaining a green mana stone from boss monsters, assuming a boss of Alishas level.


    Definitely not an easy stone toe by.


    Although it was a superstition, there was a saying that if you defeated a boss monster quickly, you got better rewards.


    There was no verified data since it was just hearsay in the original story, but he had indeed defeated it quickly.


    Seems like my mana hypersensitivity is actually helping me.


    Thats what Kang-hoo thought.


    His innate mana hypersensitivity wasnt just a burden.


    It also enabled him to make strategic and calm decisions.


    If he hadnt attempted a calcted attack, he would have been at a disadvantage due to his hypersensitivity.


    Of course, this is a positive viewpoint. The flip side is that he was always under pressure.


    The loot left by Alishas death included two items.


    One was a grade-4 ring, and the other was a skill book.


    Kang-hoo first checked the ring.


    [Bloodthirsty Feast - Ring]


    [Grade: 4]


    [All stats +15]


    [When the target is in a bleeding state, this ring worsens the bleeding by 50%.]


    Found the perfect match for my Bleeding Stab. Fits well with the Blood Flowers traits too.


    The ring, seemingly crafted toplement Alishas skills, turned out to be ideal for Kang-hoo.


    He registered it for immediate use.


    The ring was wless in every aspect, including its gradea +15 to all stats is an undeniable advantage.


    [Health: 146]


    He nced at his health stat.


    While other stats had a long road ahead, health was paramount.


    When he first awoke in the detention center, his health had been at 10.


    Now, his health stat greatly exceeded that of an athlete, significantly boosting his endurance.


    Of course, this only applied under normal circumstances. In battle, with intensive mana use, the dynamics shifted.


    Once the side effects of innate mana hypersensitivity set in, he began to suffer intense headaches and nausea, losing 1 health point per second.


    Compared to before, even when mana hypersensitivity struck, he now had the fortitude to withstand it for some time.


    Previously, system overload urred after using two or three skills in quick session.


    Now, he could manage four or five skills in a row.


    Inbat, the ability to use even one or two additional skills can make a tremendous difference, often determining survival.


    It seems hes be a bit more human. At least under normal circumstances.


    With a slightly awkward but content smile, Kang-hoo reviewed the rest of the loot. Among them was a skill book.


    [Skill Book  Great Decapitation]


    [Special Note: Swordsman Exclusive]


    [Utilizes a certain amount of health and mana to execute a powerful strike in one blow.]


    In in terms, if he learned it as it was, due to the ss penalty, he would only reap 10% of its effectiveness.


    For Kang-hoo, an assassin ss, the skill would manifest as only a moderately powerful strike.


    However, if he could negate the penalty, it might serve as a lethal one-hit kill.


    Ill need a clever workaround for this one, so Ill keep it for now.


    Since there was no immediate way to learn the skill, he decided to hold off for a few days.


    There was no need to sell it hastily since there might be other ways to learn it without the penalty.


    Just past midnight, Kang-hoo entered a bustling area near Gapyeong Station and stopped by a bar to cool off after the fight.


    The ce was rtively safe.


    Guards stood in the middle of the path, and it wasnt far from the Gapyeong Hunter Public Safety Bureau.


    Fortunately, the modern bar served Srkium Burst, and Kang-hoo could order a drink to his liking.


    Ive been wanting a drink since Hades.


    Kang-hoo nodded as he took the Srkium Burst handed to him by the stoic male bartender.


    It was a long-awaited drink.


    Was it a reward for himself?


    Srkium Burst, two more.


    He ordered more.


    He remembered what Beni had said about the unique taste of Srkium Burst, but it didnt matter.


    Taste varies from person to person. As long as it tastes good to me, thats enough.


    While drinking the second ss, Kang-hoo nced at his forearm.


    His muscles had definitely grown.


    His stamina had increased, too.


    Even with alcohol in his system, his body didnt feel helplessly ck; it just rxed appropriately.


    He nned to rest for a day before going to find Heo Jeong-tae.


    Unless there were significant changes in the setting, he could figure out where Heo Jeong-tae lived.


    However, he was more concerned about what to do after dealing with matters rted to Heo Jeong-tae.


    Rests were just brief pauses; his body needed continuous growth.


    Thinking of Jang Si-hwan, who held all the top privileges, he knew he needed to run a few more steps ahead.


    Maybe I should visit Ground Zero a bit earlier


    Just as Kang-hoos thoughts deepened, his smartphone vibrated.


    Only two people knew this number.


    Han Seo-yeon and Lee Ye-rin.


    [Han Seo-yeon]


    [I am Han Seo-yeon from the Haeohwa Guild! Please take care of me!]


    The senders name appeared inly in three characters, along with the greeting added by the senders settings.


    Knowing Han Seo-yeon was in a satellite guild of the Jeonghwa Guild wasnt pleasant.


    Well, thats not a problem for now. There might not even be a sh with her.


    Kang-hoo answered the call.


    Yeah.


    Oppa, sorry, is it okay to talk for a bit? Its a secure call. No wiretapping, so dont worry.


    Its fine. Whats up?


    Cha So-hee was at Daejeon Station. I just went out to buy some more wine with a friend and saw her.


    Cha So-hee?


    That was a name he couldnt forget.


    The third-ranking member of Eclipse and Kang Dong-hyuns most trusted subordinate.


    Also known as Kang Dong-hyuns hunting dog.


    Shes been investigating you, Oppa, roaming around hotspots where mercenaries gather. Shes asking about your real name too.


    So, the gist is Cha So-hee is after me.


    Yeah, thats right. Be careful, Oppa.


    Thanks. Ill hang up now.