The Hunting Dog (2)

After returning to his accommodation, Kang-hoo pondered over the message he should send to Lee Hyun-seok.

Lee Hyun-seok was relying too much on his loyal retainer, Moon Yu-seok, which was problematic.

Moon Yu-seok was in charge of most of the internal projects conducted by the warlord group ‘The Abyss’.

Being too close and trusting too much, Lee Hyun-seok had failed to notice any suspicious signs.

Moreover, Moon Yu-seok had become bold enough to leak internal information to the outside.

‘The problem is whether he’ll believe an anonymous email from someone he’s never seen.’

Kang-hoo drafted the email content.

It highlighted a few points related to the internal projects linked to Moon Yu-seok’s betrayal.

If investigated thoroughly, it would be clear that Moon Yu-seok had contacts within the Jeonghwa Guild.

Part of him wanted to personally collect and deliver on-site evidence.

For instance, he considered secretly filming Moon Yu-seok meeting a hunter from the Jeonghwa Guild.

However, with the timing of Moon Yu-seok’s betrayal drawing near, if things got complicated, Lee Hyun-seok could be killed before that.

‘Right. Sending it through a secure email should give it some credibility. It shows I know internal information.’

Kang-hoo thought of Lee Hyun-seok’s secure email address, not his public one.

Adding ‘qhdks’ for security at the end of his public email address in English keyboard typing would do.

He remembered this part instantly as it was a setup in the original story.

Such memory was really helpful at times like this. Being his own writing, it was even more vividly remembered.

If Lee Hyun-seok took the email content seriously, issues would arise for Moon Yu-seok soon.

Either he would die or disappear without a trace.

But if there was no response within a week, Kang-hoo would have to prepare to investigate personally.

The Abyss could be a useful organization for Kang-hoo in the long run, at least as a chariot or a cannon in chess terms.

Therefore, he didn’t want to simply watch Lee Hyun-seok die meaninglessly. He was determined to change this future.

Some time later.

“Whew, done.”

Kang-hoo pressed the send button on his email and flung his smartphone outside the bathroom.

With a rare moment of leisure, he planned to relax in a half-bath and organize his thoughts about Cha So-hee.

In the original story, he had invested a lot of effort in the character of Cha So-hee.

Since Kang Dong-hyun was portrayed as a pivotal figure, it was only natural for his devoted retainer, Cha So-hee, to be highlighted as well.

‘But I didn’t make her perfect.’

Cha So-hee had a clear weakness. She always masked it with her strengths, but it was still there.

“Huuh…”

He submerged himself into the hot water.

Kang-hoo sank into his world, a place of silence, and visualized the upcoming battle.

He was ready to attack, not necessarily Kang Dong-hyun himself, but at the very least his hunting dog.

4 A.M.

Prepared to depart, Kang-hoo was already at Gwangju-Songjeong Station.

He had reserved a seat on the first train to Seoul.

The departure time was set for 6 A.M.

He had checked four bus terminals just to be safe, but Eclipse’s hunters were already positioned there.

It was as though they were boldly declaring that he shouldn’t even consider that route, as they occupied the terminal waiting area.

Just entering the entrance seemed as though it would trigger chaos.

Taking the train had become his only option.

The area around Gwangju-Songjeong Station was akin to a giant furnace; the regular roads were impassable.

There, barricades and hiding spots had been arranged, with four factions entangled in combat.

To drive onto the road without caution could lead to an untimely and catastrophic death.

Given the state of the roads, the KTX was the only transportation means unaffected and safe to use.

‘If they haven’t gotten here yet, I’ll board the first train at 6. If not, well, that’s another story.’

Click.

Kang-hoo took a sip from the can of coffee he had brought with him.

The coffee he had bought from the market contained stimulating ingredients, and just one sip was enough to sharpen his mind.

It revitalized his body, which had become languid from the half-bath.

Gulp. Gulp.

The sound of his drinking echoed clearly in the surrounding silence.

It felt as though he was in the middle of an uninhabited area.

Kang-hoo fully savored the solitude.

Just then—

Whirr.

The escalator, which had been motionless until now, began to move.

An escalator that didn’t start unless someone stepped on it.

There likely weren’t many people coming to the station at this hour.

Kang-hoo stood up.

He gripped Blood Tear in a reverse grip and stared ahead.

Simultaneously, he took out a Mad Solarkium, ready to consume it at any moment.

He went over the contents of the talisman necessary to maintain his awakened state.

He had been using the awakened state continually, but it was always prudent to double-check.

‘The perfect talisman for inducing mana hypersensitivity. It’s dangerous without Mad Solarkium.’

The talisman continuously drained mana, so it was vital to be free from all pain.

Once the mana supply issue was resolved, the Evil God’s Talisman allowed for rapid firing of skills.

This was due to the dramatic reduction in casting time.

Being able to chain together continuous combos in battle was crucial for Kang-hoo.

Especially against an opponent like Cha So-hee.

Eventually, the passenger who had taken the escalator appeared.

‘Cha So-hee.’

As expected.

She always maintained her black C-curl bob hair, steadfast at least in her hairstyle.

Click, click, click.

Her footsteps drew closer.

The distance was still considerable, yet the sound of her footsteps was as clear as if she were right beside him.

“You rat. Finally found you.”

“You spent quite a lot on labor costs just to catch one rat, didn’t you?”

“Shut up.”

When Kang-hoo hit the nail on the head, Cha So-hee frowned and responded sharply.

He wasn’t wrong.

Considering the number of informants mobilized to gather information on Kang-hoo, it easily exceeded hundreds.

Cha So-hee had always wondered whether it was worth going to such lengths.

But as it was the command of Kang Dong-hyun, her respected superior and benefactor, she had no choice but to comply.

Kang Dong-hyun was that interested in Kang-hoo.

He wanted to make him ‘his’.

“You found me well.”

“I set the stage for you to come here. It seems you didn’t mind, since you showed up knowing that.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“That you’re here waiting to follow me willingly. Isn’t that it?”

As they talked, Cha So-hee gradually moved closer to Kang-hoo.

“No. I was waiting to cut off the pesky hunting dog that’s been following me around.”

“Pfft. You, cut me? Kill me? Do you think that’s possible?”

“Cut the clichés. In novels and movies, guys who talk like that tend to have a short lifespan.”

“Really? In the novels I read, show-offs like you are the first to die.”

“I know what you’re going to say. Let me answer in advance: No.”

“I was worried about that.”

“……?”

“I wanted to kill you from the beginning! I was hoping for anything but a ‘Yes’, and you’re digging your own grave?”

This development was expected, so it was nothing new.

A battle with Cha So-hee was inevitable.

Kang-hoo decided to use one of the two red jewels he possessed.

Against her, a magic hunter, defense was crucial.

In essence, while Protective Level 1 has a one-hour cooldown after use,

Level 2 can be reactivated immediately by using 25% of mana, ignoring the cooldown.

It could effectively block a series of deadly attacks from the adversary.

‘I’m really feeling the tension this time.’

A life-or-death battle loomed.

Cha So-hee was on high alert.

Objectively, at level 250, she outclassed Kang-hoo, who was only at level 51.

He finished reviewing Cha So-hee’s constellation information.

‘I’ll be heading straight to the afterlife if I get hit by fire. And these constellations are all quite enticing, aren’t they?’

Kang-hoo’s eyes gleamed.

The Great Sage of Kangdong and the Master of Manipulation seemed particularly valuable to him as well.

The fact that Cha So-hee was contracted with these constellations was almost unbearable.

Crunch!

He bit into a Mad Solarkium without hesitation.

With her, stealth would be pointless, and with two constellations boosting fire attributes, fire posed a real threat.

She was already skilled with fire, and these constellations had maximized that strength.

“Seems like you’re also into drugs. Think your body can handle it?”

Cha So-hee, unfamiliar with Mad Solarkium, mocked Kang-hoo’s actions with a sarcastic gesture toward his mouth.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll outlive you. Come at me. Let’s wrap this up quickly, so I can catch my train or head to hell.”

Kang-hoo crouched, ready to engage.

Ready for battle.

Kang-hoo, usually confident of victory, considered Cha So-hee an exception.

The constellations she contracted with demanded respect.

Complacency was not an option.

“One last time, I’m offering patiently. Just follow me, and nothing bad will happen.”

“Eat this.”

Kang-hoo smirked and unabashedly flipped her the middle finger.

The negotiations broke down swiftly.

At that moment, Cha So-hee’s eyes, which had always been black, instantly turned red.

The battle commenced.

Whoosh!

‘Wow, she’s crazy!’

Despite being at least 20 meters away, a column of fire erupted beneath Kang-hoo’s feet.

Had he not immediately used his rapid evasion skill, he would have suffered severe burns from the intense flames.

The flames appeared instantly without any pre-laid fire seeds!

It was proof that she was a specialist in fire attributes and didn’t rely on external conditions.

But that wasn’t the only issue.

After swiftly evading backward, Kang-hoo looked ahead to maintain a clear line of sight.

“Crazy.”

Whoosh!

From the column of fire, three giant fire dragons emerged, soaring toward him.

Front and sides.

An attack that left no room for escape.

Cha So-hee wasn’t done yet.

The three fire dragons, having reached their peak in the air, each opened their mouths wide.

Rumble!

They unleashed giant flames toward Kang-hoo, fire breaths as large as his body.

“Damn.”

The sky, which should have been dark before dawn, was now completely ablaze with red.

The battle was clearly not going to be easy.