The Time Of The Beast (3)

Without drawing Gong Tae-su’s notice, Kang-hoo slipped through the shadows, biding his time until the moment was ripe.

He observed Gong Tae-su’s methodical approach: skill casting, execution, a bit of follow-up, and then preparation for the next skill.

It was evident Gong Tae-su augmented his subordinates’ assaults with a consistent routine, delivering support from afar.

The Archer Constellation’s presence likely enabled the efficacy of his skills, even at a considerable range.

Whoosh!

“Argh!”

A spear-like gust shot forth, impaling a mercenary’s chest with instantaneous precision.

The plausibility of such firepower at a range exceeding 200 meters was questionable, but for Gong Tae-su, it posed no challenge.

‘The optimal moment to strike is during his casting.’

Kang-hoo chose his timing carefully.

Even the most adept hunters are not exempt from the bounds of time.

‘Awakening’ could significantly diminish the time required for skill casting.

Yet, Gong Tae-su’s skill deployment suggested he lacked any ‘awakening’-related items.

“Kekeke.”

Gong Tae-su chuckled as he surveyed the fray.

The amusement was palpable.

Events unfolded as he anticipated, with mercenaries falling to ruin in droves.

Nine screams out of ten that echoed from the dungeon belonged to mercenaries; their plight was dire.

‘2 seconds. That’s how long I can engage him one-on-one.’

Kang-hoo concluded his calculations.

Accounting for the guards and their potential reaction, he could engineer a brief duel with Gong Tae-su lasting approximately 2 seconds.

He held his breath tighter.

He made sure Gong Tae-su’s pattern of attack remained uninterrupted, reducing any chance of unpredictability.

Absent of nearby foes, Gong Tae-su relied on a predictable attack sequence.

Timing his move to perfection, Kang-hoo seized the moment immediately following Gong Tae-su’s skill release.

And then.

Wham!

He burst from the concealing darkness, casting a kidnapping skill at Gong Tae-su as he did so.

“Ugh!”

It was a success.

Gong Tae-su, who belatedly recognized Kang-hoo appearing from an unexpected direction, was immediately pulled by Abduction.

He had no chance to resist.

Focused on providing skill support at the front, he hadn’t anticipated the ambush.

“Whoa!”

The moment the leader was dragged away, his subordinates turned their attention, realizing what had happened.

Now was the time.

The brief interval before they approached was the only moment Kang-hoo could maintain a one-on-one.

Bang!

Kang-hoo used an illusion technique to scatter five illusions resembling himself around for distraction.

It was a tactic to buy time.

Thanks to the Skilled Empathizer Constellation, his constantly maintained night vision ability illuminated the darkness.

Now, nothing visually hindered Kang-hoo. In fact, it was almost too clear.

“F*ck!”

The dragged Gong Tae-su cursed and immediately tried to use a short-distance movement skill.

A typical evasion method for a magic-based hunter and a good means to escape the scene.

In a way, it was impressive that he had the mental fortitude to attempt escape as soon as he was dragged.

“You, I read you.”

Kang-hoo had anticipated Gong Tae-su’s evasion attempt early on.

He hadn’t expected the abduction to be a complete success. Gong Tae-su was no fool.

He had predicted that Gong Tae-su would attempt to move backward, setting himself up for a counterattack, and he was right.

Gong Tae-su, with his tactics read by Kang-hoo, faced only one possible outcome: a counterattack.

Swish!

Stab! Stab! Stab!

Kang-hoo swiftly closed the distance with a leap and thrust his dagger into Gong Tae-su’s left armpit and shoulder.

Gong Tae-su was wearing a decent breastplate, but unfortunately, the shoulder and armpit were areas it couldn’t protect.

“Arghh!”

Gong Tae-su screamed.

He couldn’t believe it.

What kind of person had been keenly targeting his weak spots for so long?

The spot where Kang-hoo appeared was nowhere within the range Gong Tae-su had predicted for an enemy.

Had he sensed even a trace of mana or caught a glimpse, he would have cut it off long ago!

Gong Tae-su had never detected Kang-hoo, who had perfectly concealed his presence.

It was a fatal mistake.

“This bastard…!”

Flare!

Filled with murderous intent, fierce flames rose above Gong Tae-su’s right hand.

‘Too close.’

Exposed to such insane flames, even Kang-hoo wouldn’t be able to withstand them.

At the very least, it would cause burns, and if exposed for too long, bones and flesh would melt away in no time.

Kang-hoo leaped backward, retreating.

After all, the one-sided attack had ended.

It was because of Blood Flower.

Boom boom boom!

“Aargh!”

As soon as he used the Blood Flower skill, an explosion occurred in Gong Tae-su’s left shoulder.

Having intentionally inflicted a deep wound from the start, Gong Tae-su’s bones and muscles couldn’t withstand the strain.

“Arghh…”

Gong Tae-su groaned, reaching his right hand to his left shoulder.

The arm that should have been there was already gone.

Snap!

At that moment, Kang-hoo seized Gong Tae-su’s left arm and quickly left the scene.

The guards were just arriving, and some were even shooting arrows toward Kang-hoo.

Nevertheless, his objective was sufficiently achieved.

Clang! Clang!

Kang-hoo blocked the path with a protective barrier, anticipating the direction of the enemy’s attack.

Zip. Zip. Zip!

He swiftly left the scene at full speed.

He finished everything cleanly just before the onset of mana hypersensitivity.

Upon rechecking, Gong Tae-su’s left arm, confirmed by the tattoo and the phrase etched messily on it, matching Gong Tae-su’s favorite phrase, was indeed his.

‘He had done all sorts of luxurious modifications.’

Even a magistone was embedded in his forearm.

A common body modification among magic-based hunters.

He carried something akin to a portable ‘mana battery’.

There were numerous side effects, necessitating treatment by a specialist, yet the craftsmanship appeared meticulously refined.

Now, however, the procedure was rendered pointless. The arm, devoid of its owner, was merely flesh.

Encased among the rigid five fingers were three visible rings.

Without closer inspection, it was clear they pertained to mana.

Since Kang-hoo had no use for them, he intended to discard them upon encountering Lee Ye-rin.

Upon assessing the rings’ quality, he found one of the 4th grade, and two of the 5th, potentially yielding at least 1.4 billion won.

“Aaaah!”

“Ah! Save me! Please, save me!”

Echoes from afar.

The dungeon area resonated with the agonized cries of mercenaries.

Regardless of Gong Tae-su’s severed left arm at the hands of Kang-hoo, their prospects were grim.

In fact, the possibility of their situation deteriorating was substantial.

The Butcher of Ulsan, having lost his vital left arm, would undoubtedly be consumed by fury.

“A sip of canned coffee would hit the spot.”

Longing for a milk-flavored canned coffee, Kang-hoo casually departed from the scene.

The mercenaries had exerted themselves in futility, while Kang-hoo collected the spoils.

Oblivious to this, they continued to shout for Gong Tae-su, frantically seeking him.

Their calls only exacerbated Gong Tae-su’s wrath.

Elsewhere.

“Who is it? Who the hell is it…! Argh!”

“Captain! Retreat for now! We’ll fetch a hunter with healing powers immediately!”

“My arm’s gone, what use are they?”

“We must stem the bleeding! You’re on the verge of collapsing!”

“Identify them! If there are photos, I want to see them!”

Gong Tae-su roared in a frenzy.

He had never felt such a profound injury before.

Always on a triumphant path, defeat and failure were strangers to him.

The emblem of undefeated clashes had parted with his crucial left arm.

It was questionable whether he could still effectively function as a mage hunter.

It wasn’t just a blow to his pride; it felt like he had been trampled, crushed, and thrown into a trash can.

Even in pain, he couldn’t understand how he had lost the battle with Kang-hoo.

What kind of skill could cause an explosion by using the wounds on the shoulder and armpit as a medium?

By craftsmanship, it should have been an assassin-type hunter, but the nature of the skill also bore characteristics of the magical realm.

“I, Gong Tae-su…!”

A cry filled with rage erupted.

Having lost his arm as a trophy, he couldn’t erase this humiliation.

There was only one way.

To find the one who had done this and end it, somehow.

That was the only perfect revenge.

Three hours later.

“I got this… like this?”

“I’d thought of taking a leisurely trip to Ulsan, but then I saw Gong Tae-su. So I cut it nicely and brought it.”

“Wait a minute. This isn’t a dream, right? It’s really the arm that Seon-gyu cut off, right? This is real?”

“If it seems like a dream, pinch yourself.”

“No, no! I’m awake! This is real, it’s real!”

Lee Ye-rin’s mouth fell open when she met Kang-hoo at dawn and verified Gong Tae-su’s ‘left arm’.

It matched the information they had previously obtained about the arm.

The tattoo with the famous Latin quote and the magistone, specially crafted for surgery, were unmistakable.

She hadn’t hoped for Kang-hoo’s failure when she gave the request, but neither had she expected his success.

The title of ‘Butcher of Ulsan’ hadn’t been given for nothing. He was strong and strategic.

It was unfathomable how, through what process, Gong Tae-su had helplessly lost his left arm to Kang-hoo.

Moreover, according to the information obtained from the scene in Ulsan, most of the mercenaries were either dead or captured.

The dead mercenaries were the lucky ones, while those captured alive were in the worst situation.

They were not only outlets for Gong Tae-su’s rage but also had a high likelihood of being sold into human trafficking.

In other words.

Observing the situation on the ground, it seemed as though the mercenaries had been carelessly sacrificed in a game orchestrated by Gong Tae-su.

Kang-hoo had effortlessly severed Gong Tae-su’s left arm and returned with it in tow.

Amidst the hellish scene, Kang-hoo appeared unaffected.

“Let’s settle up. I’d like to receive the value for the left arm, and it would be great if you could buy these items immediately.”

“Wait a moment, Mr. Seon-gyu. Don’t worry about the settlement; it will be handled swiftly. But could we discuss something else for a moment?”

“We can settle up while talking. Why do you want to start with a conversation?”

“Alright. Let’s begin by appraising these three rings as we talk. You’re looking to sell all three, correct?”

“Yes.”

Following Kang-hoo’s confirmation, Lee Ye-rin started to examine each ring while broaching the ‘other matter’ she had mentioned.

“Have you considered leaving behind your role as a requester and joining our Cheong-an? I’m confident we can offer you substantial support.”

“That arena is too confined for my interests.”

“I suspected as much. I had hoped for a different answer, but it still stings to hear it so bluntly.”

“I mean no offense.”

Kang-hoo didn’t harbor any dislike for Lee Ye-rin; he simply found their organization insignificant.

For Kang-hoo, who aimed to challenge the Jeonghwa Guild, an entity far grander than Cheong-an was essential.

“Mr. Seon-gyu, I earnestly hope you will continue to collaborate with our mercenary group. To be honest…”

“To be honest?”

“I think I might find myself enamored with your capabilities, Mr. Seon-gyu. I’ve dealt with thousands of requesters, but I’ve never encountered a ‘madman’ quite like you.”

“Madman, huh. I can’t say that’s inaccurate. Quite fitting, in fact.”

Kang-hoo, who seldom smiled, let a chuckle escape at Lee Ye-rin’s unexpected choice of words.

Indeed, he was a madman.

A man living solely for the present, disregarding the future. Precisely that.