Thoughts (1)

Kang-hoo parted ways with Park Dong-jae after agreeing to meet again for a dungeon raid related to the partnership contract with the Groo Guild.

He was on his way back to Yuri Land.

While riding in a secure limousine, Kang-hoo made a call to Oh Yu-jin, the master of the Groo Guild.

– Yes, Mr. Kang-hoo.

“I’d like to inquire about the raids for two dungeons. Ah, it’s regarding the contract. I’m not making demands out of nowhere.”

– Could you give us some more details? It’d be easier for us to verify if you could be more specific!

Responding to Oh Yu-jin’s words, Kang-hoo began talking about the two dungeons.

One in South Africa, and the other in China.

They were the final two pieces of the Corruption series set. With these, the full set would be complete.

“If the raids are confirmed, I’d be willing to carry out the Groo Guild’s partnership request first.”

Kang-hoo added the remark.

That’s how important securing the chance to obtain the set items was to him.

After listening to the details from Kang-hoo, Oh Yu-jin asked for a moment to check.

About five minutes passed.

The sound of typing on a keyboard and clicking a mouse from the other end finally stopped.

Then Oh Yu-jin gave her answer.

– It’d be difficult through our primary network. But we do have connections with guilds tied to those dungeons.

“Both dungeons?”

– Yes. To put it simply, we know someone who knows someone. There’s a high chance we can negotiate.

“I’m genuinely impressed by the Groo Guild’s network. I thought South Africa would be especially difficult.”

– Hoho. We’ve been working on overseas relations for a long time. Partnerships like these are more common than you’d think.

“Come to think of it, I’ve seen more foreign hunters from abroad at Jeju Airport than local guild hunters.”

– Exactly. It’s all a product of mutual exchange. Jeju’s practically under our firm control, after all.”

Building a connection with the Groo Guild proved useful in many ways.

Without them, collecting the Corruption series items would have been impossible.

They had essentially bypassed the tedious intermediate steps and secured licenses that had seemed unreachable.

This was only possible because Kang-hoo wasn’t affiliated with any particular group.

If he had belonged to the Jeonghwa Guild, or on the flip side, to The Abyss?

His connection with the Groo Guild wouldn’t have even started.

They were that exclusive toward hunters from rival factions. Simply put, they wanted to avoid becoming pawns in conflict.

“Then I’ll put in my request. Feel free to reach out anytime about future raids too.”

– What a coincidence! We just uncovered a hidden dungeon in the southern region of Jeju Island.

“That’s good news.”

The fact that she used the word “hidden” meant it was a dungeon even the Groo Guild had never cleared before.

Sudden discoveries of new dungeons had become a global phenomenon.

Not all dungeons had been created on the Day of Judgment fifteen years ago. New ones still appeared regularly.

New dungeons, with their initial experience bonuses and rich rewards, were always highly valuable.

The suggestion to clear one showed just how much the Groo Guild trusted and valued Kang-hoo’s skill.

– Then I’ll look into it first and reach out again. It’s possible we’ll prioritize our request.

“I don’t mind.”

– Then I’ll contact you as soon as we’ve finished looking into it.

The call with Oh Yu-jin ended smoothly.

If the licenses for both dungeons were confirmed, the path toward completing the set item would be laid.

The Corruption series set effect.

What kind of powerful perks and game-breaking options would it grant? He was already excited.

There’s a reason why named hunters were obsessed with acquiring set items.

Once complete, the synergy was simply absurd.

Especially for Kang-hoo, who wielded darkness-based powers, the Corruption series was an irresistible temptation.

He had arrived about 2 kilometers from Yuri Land.

“You can drop me off here. Thanks for your service.”

“There’s still some distance to go. Are you sure?”

“I’d like to walk a bit.”

Kang-hoo politely asked the driver and got off before the destination.

It wasn’t even an imposition—if anything, the driver benefited by returning early.

The limousine fare had already been paid in full, so there was no loss on his part.

He was just a little curious why Kang-hoo would get off early despite the convenience.

“Please ride with us again.”

“Thank you.”

Kang-hoo took the driver’s business card and slipped it into his wallet.

Although formally called a limousine driver, he too was a hunter.

Non-hunters couldn’t get a license to operate a secure limousine in the first place.

That’s because if a threat, like a hunter’s attack, occurred while transporting a client, the driver needed to respond immediately.

Utilizing the mana-linked devices within and around the limousine required a hunter’s magical aptitude.

Kang-hoo stepped out of the limousine and began examining the traces of mana spread across the ground.

Thanks to his mana tracking ability, he could read the flow and density of magical energy left behind by other hunters.

And what lay before him was the kind of pattern left by a powerful hunter.

Usually, named hunters would try to suppress their presence even in peaceful times.

But this one hadn’t done so—perhaps because they felt no need to.

‘There are quite a few truck tire marks. Looks like someone from the Jeonghwa Guild was here. Probably an executive-level member too.’

He could roughly guess the situation.

That’s why he got off early.

He didn’t want outsiders seeing any deep connection between himself and Master K.

They’d find out eventually, but he didn’t want to reveal it prematurely on his own terms.

By applying the Sense Focus skill to his hearing first, Kang-hoo drastically heightened his sensitivity and precision to sound.

Then, using Invisibility and Shadowless Step in succession, he minimized his presence. For extra precaution, he also employed Silence of the Dead.

As he moved toward the area where the flow of mana was heavily concentrated, the opponent’s identity was revealed—just as he suspected.

‘It really is the Jeonghwa Guild. But someone higher-ranked showed up than I expected. Were they in that much of a rush?’

Kang-hoo was slightly surprised to find an unexpected individual on-site.

Dozens of trucks were lined up, and Jeonghwa Guild hunters were standing in formation in front of them.

At the front was a female hunter commanding the group—clearly an executive.

Her name was Choi Sa-ra.

Currently ranked 5th in the Jeonghwa Guild and the only woman within the top 10 ranks.

Kang-hoo recognized her instantly due to her unique constellation, which was mentioned in the original storyline.

This was the reason she was nicknamed the “Dark Period Hunter” in the original story. It served as her main growth engine.

Though she had other constellation traits, this wasn’t the time to examine them—things were tense.

Despite the distance, Kang-hoo could hear the conversation as if it was happening right next to him, thanks to his enhanced hearing.

“We need at least three times more supply than this. The stimulant efficiency needs urgent enhancement too.”

Choi Sa-ra complained while pointing at the trucks, which were only a third full.

With her hands on her hips and one leg cocked to the side, her stance was anything but polite.

Even though she was talking to Master K, she spoke as if etiquette had been thrown out the window.

K, seemingly used to this sort of interaction, treated her rudeness as par for the course.

“I’ll say it again. This is the max supply. And if we try enhancing efficiency further, the side effects will spike. I can’t guarantee safety.”

“Didn’t I already say I don’t care?”

“You might not. But I do. I have zero interest in selling defective goods.”

“The buyer said it’s fine. We even offered extra money and said we’d take full responsibility for any issues.”

“And I said no, didn’t I? I’m not interested in your extra pay or your liabilities, so why are you still being unreasonable?”

“Goddamn.”

Having her own words thrown back at her through K’s ‘rephrasing,’ Choi Sa-ra let out a curse in irritation.

Inside the Jeonghwa Guild, she was the epitome of propriety—but outside, she was a different person entirely.

The look she gave K was nearly contemptuous, like he was a sleazy merchant.

K didn’t react to her curse. His expression simply said, “Here we go again.”

“Go back. Even if I wanted to give more, I don’t have it. If you want better quality, find another supplier.”

Kang-hoo realized that what Choi Sa-ra was demanding were painkillers and stimulants filled with narcotics.

They were substances that should never be touched, but in terms of combat efficiency, they were optimal.

“If you don’t match the Jeonghwa Guild’s needs, your domestic sales are going to suffer. Keep that in mind.”

“If I don’t sell, how are you going to handle the Dongducheon battle? The Abyss supplies themselves, you know.”

“…You old bastard.”

“Just shut up and leave. I’m tired of indulging your tantrums. Go vent on your guild members instead.”

“…Let’s go! Everyone, get ready to return to Seoul!”

Choi Sa-ra and her crew turned back, her face plastered with a forced smile while K gleefully scratched at her nerves.

For all her barking, K clearly held the upper hand in his relationship with the Jeonghwa Guild.

His simple question about how they’d conduct the Dongducheon battle without his goods plainly showed their dependency.

Once Choi Sa-ra and the Jeonghwa Guild hunters withdrew…

K ordered his people and workers to head inside, then stood still for quite a while.

And when everyone else had left, and only K remained, several minutes passed—

K pointed directly at the tree where Kang-hoo had hidden himself, completely erasing all signs of presence.

“They’ve left, you can come out now. Bit chaotic on the way in, huh? Looks like I gave you a show, though it wasn’t intentional.”

“…”

“I know you’re there.”

K knew exactly where Kang-hoo was hiding.

Kang-hoo knew he had contracted with numerous constellations, especially those aiding in computation.

But he hadn’t expected K to see through his stealth.

Even after using the Veil of Technique, Kang-hoo was in a ‘perfect stealth’ state. No ordinary detection skill should’ve worked.

That meant K possessed something superior—an ability akin to perfect detection.

‘Another gap to fill.’

In that moment, Kang-hoo realized a new weakness in his abilities, just like when he had met Celestial Assassin.

A classic spear-versus-shield dilemma.

His unbreakable shield—perfect stealth—had just been pierced by K’s perfect detection.

Now he needed something beyond that, a concept capable of evading even this higher-tier perception.

K possessed abilities far beyond what Kang-hoo had initially expected.

But then—why?

Why was he hiding his power?