The Genius Assassin Who Does It All Himself - Chapter 213



Only Noblemtl

Episode 213: Preparation for Entry (1)

“I have a prior engagement with Master K, so can I contact you after I finish all the work?”

– Oh, the engagement? Don’t worry. I have something to do, too. I have a production request from Japan.

“In Japan?”

– Don’t ask even if you’re curious. I won’t tell you.

Since she is active in many fields, it would not be strange if she received requests from Japan.

I wondered who had commissioned it, but it didn’t seem like I would be able to find out even if I asked.

“Then I will contact you as soon as this matter is finished. Are you still in the country?”

– Yeah, that’s right.

“All right.”

The call with Kim Shin-ryung has ended.

As soon as I returned to Korea, I felt like all the piling up work was coming at me all at once.

They say it’s better to be busy than to play, but it’s true that the schedule is hectic.

As time goes by, there are more people looking for you and more people to look for. This is what networking is all about.

Kang-hu, who lived the life of the original author, was an introvert who rarely left his studio.

At best, all I do is go out to meet with people from the management agency I’m contracted with.

With the coronavirus spreading worldwide, there was even less reason to go out.

Although such isolation is still present in Shin Kang-hoo’s life, he is making a conscious effort to change it.

It’s true that you have to struggle to do everything on your own, but you can’t do everything in the world on your own.

And if there were any useful means available, it would be right to actively use them.

To do that, proper communication and conversation are essential. It would be right to bring out extroversion that was not there and pretend to have it.

* * *

‘Yuri Land’, the name that makes me feel strangely unfamiliar every time I see it.

When Kang-hoo arrived at Master K’s hideout and got out of the safety limousine, K personally greeted him.

Usually, either Moon Hyung-seo or Hwang Bo-hye would appear, but it seemed like both of them were absent.

When Kang-hoo tilted his head slightly, K also seemed to have read his thoughts and burst into laughter as he said.

“I don’t know who is the master and who is the assistant. Since neither of them are here, I came out.”

“What happened?”

“Hyungseo is still training to level up in North Korea… … Bohye followed him.”

“Is that an acceptable relationship?”

“I promised you. I would give you at least three months of vacation every year to use for yourself.”

“I think we need to consider whether welfare is at this level of putting the cart before the horse.”

“We’re both hunters. I’m a hunter too. If we neglect our growth, we’ll be eliminated. Come on, let’s walk together.”

K held out his hand.

Perhaps because Kang-hoo was as young as Jeong-yu-ri, he would have extended his hand affectionately, as if he were looking at a grandson.

But Kang-hoo stared blankly at K’s hand for a moment, as if time had stopped.

It’s awkward. I’ve never held someone’s hand tightly while walking.

As the original author and as Shin Kang-hoo, warmth was always something that was far from him.

Of course, Kang-hoo was not so bad as to ignore K’s warm heart and kindness.

Kwak.

I took K’s hand.

You can feel the rough texture of calluses along the grain of your palm. It is a brick-like texture that is on a completely different level from the calluses of Kang-hoo.

Everything about life is embedded in that touch. The passion for life that inevitably had to have dirt on one’s hands.

K said.

“You have beautiful hands?”

“The part where he holds the dagger is covered in calluses, but the other parts are soft.”

“I guess there hasn’t been much bloodshed yet. Think positively. Rough hands don’t come back.”

K’s face, as he spoke ruminatingly, looking somewhere in the sky, seemed to contain his own memories.

There must be a reason why he brought it up. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be strange to say that he’s been through a lot.

He continued speaking.

“First, I need to talk about talismans. There’s a hitch. It’s not easy to get a colorless talisman. The spirits say they’re running low on supplies.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to feel pressured. If I thought it would be resolved in a short period of time, I wouldn’t have even started this.”

Kang-hoo shook his head.

Congenital Mana Hypersensitivity is a deep-rooted disease that has a long history for Kang-hoo as a hunter.

We’ve lived together for so long, but I never thought it would magically disappear overnight.

Now I’m quite used to the pain and have become adept at tightrope walking, crossing boundaries.

Moreover, the very existence of congenital mana hypersensitivity clearly placed a strain on Kang-hoo.

Pressure on time.

If you look at it negatively, you might end up lamenting endlessly about why you were given this penalty.

On the positive side, you can avoid wasting time in any battle.

You will find yourself researching and finding ways to somehow maximize the efficiency of your time and skills.

That is, it could not be loosened.

Carelessness? It was an emotion that Kang-hoo could not have. Because time was not on Kang-hoo’s side in battle.

“I’m trying my best, so I think I’d appreciate it if you could wait.”

“I am so grateful that you are thinking about this with me. I really am.”

Kang-hoo bowed his head.

K was genuinely concerned about his mana hypersensitivity. I could feel it.

It is not easy to think of other people’s business as your own and feel sorry for them. People are selfish.

So I was even grateful that K felt sorry.

“By the way, I saw the news about Japan. You messed with a crazy guy. Are you okay?”

“Who are you talking about?”

There must be one or two crazy people.

Since there are more than one or two guys who have blood on Kang-hoo’s hands, he asks who they are.

There’s Cha So-hyeok, there’s Toushi Guild members, and there’s Yuuji and Kenji too.

Thinking back, I’ve actually dealt with a lot of guys. Thanks to that, I’ve gained a lot of benefits.

“I’m talking about Yuji Ishihara. He’s a wanted criminal who is treated as a top-tier criminal by the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean police departments.”

“I wanted to give people the awareness that if they can stab someone else’s body, they can also be stabbed in their own body.”

“Haha. He’s famous for his quick-hit, quick-run battles, but you landed a proper hit? I’m surprised.”

“I think I was able to land a hit because the situation was well-planned. I don’t know about a head-on confrontation.”

“You were seriously injured, huh? I heard you’re the first person to inflict such a serious injury on Yuuji recently.”

“If he were still breathing right now, he wouldn’t have received normal treatment. He was caught off guard.”

Kang-hoo was certain that Yuuji was still alive, because the constellation robbery had not occurred.

If Yuji had passed away, even late, all of the constellation contracts would have passed on to Kang-hoo.

But that wasn’t the case.

That means the treatment would have been done differently.

A wanted criminal wouldn’t have been able to show his face and go to the hospital or receive treatment from a healer like Ahn Young-ho.

There is only one conclusion left.

A hunter who deals with black magic. He would have received help from someone who has set foot on the gray border or black realm.

then.

When I face Yuuji again later, I come up with my own strategy.

A method to exploit the ‘weakness’ that a hunter who exposes his body to a warlock inevitably has.

It was in Kang-hoo’s mind.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. It won’t be easy, but I have outlined how to deal with it.”

“As expected, you have a plan. Tsk tsk.”

K smiled and patted Kang-hoo on the shoulder. It was a foolish gesture of encouragement and belief that he would do well on his own.

* * *

After a while.

In K’s personal study, Kang-hoo could see a huge map.

It was a detailed map printed north of the current Yuri Land.

The map was drawn in 3D format rather than satellite imagery, and the reason was simple.

Because when you take a picture of North Korea from a satellite, it all comes out blurry. It’s impossible to identify.

Even when flying a drone, it often crashes due to unknown interference and distortion.

As a result, even in the modernized 21st century, we are faced with maps that are half-hand drawn.

K pointed to the place where an X was marked on the map first. I can guess what it means.

“This is a place where the Mad Solarkium has already been harvested. Going back there would be a waste of effort.”

“All nearby locations are marked with an X.”

“That’s right. I marked it so I wouldn’t go to the same place again. And the next expected location is here.”

“It’s definitely North Korea.”

“That’s right. It’s above the ground zero center line, so it’s actually North Korea. This is the safest route.”

K’s finger, guiding us along the safe route, continued to draw quite a few curves.

Whether you look at the map or just move your fingers, it doesn’t seem like an easy route to take.

K added a request.

“Be careful. There’s a monster called the Queen of the Crows on the North Korean side. Have you heard of it?”

“Yes, there is.”

“Then it will be easier to talk. It’s not just the Brood Queen that’s scary. The crossbreeds she controls are scary too.”

“I intend to avoid combat as much as possible.”

Although I told K that, I actually intended to find the swarm queen somehow.

This is because you need to take the Queen’s heart and release the seal on the random skill book.

The sacrifice you make may end up as a worthless skill book.

But there are also cases where it is the opposite. Since you can’t know without opening it, Kang-hoo planned to make a bold move.

“If it feels a little awkward, it’s okay to wait. Just tell Hyungseo or Bohye to come.”

“No. I can’t afford that.”

Kang-hoo shook his head.

I’ve always wanted to go to North Korea.

A place where only the original plot was full of exciting teasers! How are the countless unconsciousnesses implemented in North Korea?

“Take the map. It’s a copy anyway, so don’t worry.”

“thank you.”

“By the way, there’s one more thing you should keep in mind… … .”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“There are many unauthorized facilities in North Korea. They just happen because there is no entity to recognize and permit them in the first place.”

“I heard that quite a few criminals have also flowed in. Of course, we can’t be sure of their survival.”

“Yeah. The problem is that there are more unauthorized facilities of the Kashmar Guild than you might think.”

“Is this a transit point?”

“That’s right. There used to be a route that the hunter hostages kidnapped and trafficked by the Osho Mercenaries would take.”

“Even if the Osho Mercenaries are gone, human trafficking itself has not been eradicated… … .”

“That’s right. It’s still being used as a route. There may be a facility like that closer than you think.”

“Are you saying that there may be a clash?”

“Yeah. If you don’t factor it in, you’ll be in trouble later.”

Kang-hoo bit his lip slightly at K’s words.

He had no intention of picking on the Kashmar Guild first. North Korea was not Kang-hoo’s home ground either.

The problem is them.

Hunters of the Kashmar Guild view anyone who is not a member of the same guild as a potential ‘commodity’.

What if you encounter them in North Korea, where there is no public security or anything, and no one around to look at you?

It was obvious how those guys would view Kang-hoo. Human trafficking, slavery.