The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

From the moment the battle between Kang-hoo and Cha So-hyuk began, Ayane lowered her gun and watched their fight.

There was a signal from Kang-hoo not to add firepower, and she didn’t intend to anyway.

She held her breath and observed.

Compared to the battles she had seen in the Fukuoka Liberation Area that disgusted the eyes of other hunters, the current scene was almost a masterpiece.

Kang-hoo’s movements, in particular, were so impressive that Ayane couldn’t help but admire them several times.

However,

‘An assassin below level 200 keeping a thorough distance from a swordsman over level 300…’

Ayane realized that Kang-hoo’s level was below 200 due to his inability to immediately use stealth.

The level 200 basic skill for assassins, ‘Stealth,’ allows for instant concealment.

But Kang-hoo’s stealth always activated with lateral movement or by hiding behind a curtain of technique.

That made it even more impressive.

It meant that his lateral movement skill had reached maximum proficiency.

And it also suggested there was a skill indirectly supporting his stealth.

From her observations of Cha So-hyuk’s movements, Ayane judged that his level was well over 300.

Considering the level difference and special awakening skills, he should have finished Kang-hoo off long ago.

The number that represents a level isn’t there for no reason. It proves the difference in skills and abilities.

Yet Kang-hoo was overcoming that gap with skill and ability.

“From a swordsman’s perspective, isn’t this enough to drive you crazy? Even watching is infuriating…”

Ayane clicked her tongue as she saw Kang-hoo maintaining an extreme distance. It was truly frustrating.

Cha So-hyuk was desperately trying to land a valid attack on Kang-hoo, but he had never succeeded.

It was a situation bound to make one angry.

Even after casting his self-enhancing buffs and unleashing a wild flurry of attacks, Kang-hoo still wouldn’t close the distance.

In baseball terms, it felt like a pitcher continuously throwing pickoff attempts without ever delivering to the plate.

Since there was no direct confrontation, frustration was inevitable.

“If he were a smart swordsman, he would adopt a slow-paced approach too, but he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Unlike Kang-hoo, who remained expressionless throughout the fight,

Cha So-hyuk, as Ayane saw him, was hot-tempered to the core. His eyes were half-rolled back even now.

He had completely fallen into Kang-hoo’s strategy.

At that moment—

Bang!

Cha So-hyuk, screaming curses, lunged at Kang-hoo with a powerful strike aimed at him.

But the attack was instantly blocked by a protective barrier, and Kang-hoo quickly widened the distance using Shadow Step.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Cha So-hyuk furiously slammed his sword into the ground in frustration.

His failed attack, despite finally making contact, had been negated by defense, driving him to the edge.

Moreover, his stamina had been heavily drained, and he momentarily paused to regulate his disrupted breathing.

That was when it happened.

Kang-hoo, who seemed to have retreated, swapped places with another shadow and rushed at Cha So-hyuk.

It was a counterattack so swift that there wasn’t even half a second to catch his breath.

“You bastard…!”

Though Cha So-hyuk wasn’t a fool, he immediately gripped his sword and generated a gust of wind with all his strength.

It was a response that utilized his full power to repel Kang-hoo.

Whoosh.

But Kang-hoo easily retreated again, using the shadow as if he had no intention of fighting in the first place.

“Wow… this must be really frustrating, huh?”

Ayane admired the scene.

As expected, her sharp eye from the time Kang-hoo fought fiercely with Jeung Seon-lak wasn’t wrong.

He was the real deal.

A truly outstanding assassin.

Among all the assassins she had encountered up until she reached level 400, Kang-hoo was undeniably at the top.

No, comparing him to the other ‘trash’ assassins she had met felt like an insult.

Strong, overflowing with skill, but always calm and never arrogant—an assassin who knew how to control his emotions.

Ayane, arms folded, watched Kang-hoo with a smile as if she were a proud mother.

She thought, “What an incredibly well-grown assassin.” Watching him was a pleasure to her eyes.

Meanwhile—

‘Doesn’t this guy ever get tired? What a maniac.’

Kang-hoo maintained his ever-composed poker face, though many thoughts were running through his head.

The first task of drawing Cha So-hyuk into his pace had undoubtedly been a success.

Cha So-hyuk was showing more and more openings, and his patience was wearing thin, causing him to act even more recklessly.

In the process, he was making unnecessary movements, further depleting his own stamina.

The remaining duration of the Mad Solarkium was roughly 10 minutes.

Due to his extreme evasion strategy, once its effect wore off, Kang-hoo felt like he might collapse.

Cha So-hyuk was exhausted too, but so was Kang-hoo. He had merely delayed it with the Mad Solarkium.

Distortion Blade. And Black Moon Slash.

These two skills were being saved as much as possible to be used in a finishing combo later.

‘No need to rush. Even if nothing happens for five minutes, a battle can end in a second.’

He steadied his emotions.

The one more anxious than himself was Cha So-hyuk, so Kang-hoo needed to maintain a calm appearance.

The more one shows their anxiety, the more likely they are to lose.

Kang-hoo planned to endure patiently until a clear opening appeared.

Six more minutes passed.

There were two incidents.

Cha So-hyuk eventually sustained two wounds on his left arm from Kang-hoo’s Decapitating Strike.

Though they weren’t deep wounds,

it wasn’t at full strength either, and it wasn’t to the extent that he couldn’t grip his sword properly.

On the other hand, Kang-hoo suffered wounds on his left leg and left arm, though they didn’t hinder his movement much.

After all, he was ambidextrous, and since his main hand was the right, it didn’t affect his combat ability.

‘This Bloodlust skill is really annoying. Why does it last as long as Mad Solarkium?’

Cha So-hyuk’s self-buff skill, Bloodlust, exceeded Kang-hoo’s expectations.

Thanks to this skill, Cha So-hyuk, who should have been exhausted, was able to keep pushing through like a stubborn beast.

Throughout the battle, Kang-hoo never had a moment of ease.

Dodge, strike, retreat.

This must be what a battle between skilled fighters looks like.

At a higher level, this would become a normal fight.

It was nothing like fighting the much weaker Choi Jin-ho and Choi Jin-su brothers earlier.

So while it excited him, his body was screaming that it was on the verge of collapse.

In fact, overcoming the level difference of more than 150 was an incredible feat.

‘He’s losing his composure. Cha So-hyuk more than me. He’s becoming more aggressive but less defensive. Three minutes left…’

Now, Cha So-hyuk had reached the state Kang-hoo had been waiting for.

It was like a boxer whose guard drops at the end of a match. That’s exactly what Cha So-hyuk looked like now.

Of course, it wasn’t easy for Kang-hoo either to maintain his stance with his dagger raised.

“Stop running, you bastard, and fight me!”

Cha So-hyuk finally cursed in fury and charged again.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with murderous intent, as if they were about to burst.

‘It’s time.’

At last, the opening Kang-hoo had been patiently waiting for appeared.

He used all his skills—illusion magic, clone techniques, and Shadow Step—to distract Cha So-hyuk’s attention.

In the meantime,

He had laid down a skill he had prepared in secret behind him: the Distortion Blade.

It was an invisible line of death mana stretching not far away, impossible to detect with the naked eye.

If Cha So-hyuk hadn’t been so distracted by the illusions and shadows, he might have noticed the slight ripple in space.

But with his composure lost, Cha So-hyuk slashed through the illusions and shadows, laughing wildly.

“Haha! I’ll disperse them all with a single swing!”

After clearing away the illusions and shadows, Cha So-hyuk charged directly at Kang-hoo.

This time, due to using several skills in a row, Kang-hoo couldn’t create distance.

Even the shadows he could have used were dispersed by Cha So-hyuk. It was a learned response.

Clang! Clang!

Twice.

Their weapons clashed—Cha So-hyuk’s greatsword against Kang-hoo’s dagger. The narrow blade of the dagger made the pressure much greater.

‘Again.’

Kang-hoo once more deployed Shadow Step, sending one shadow behind him.

The remaining four were sent to Cha So-hyuk to obscure his vision.

But Cha So-hyuk ignored them completely and focused only on Kang-hoo.

With the Distortion Blade behind him, Kang-hoo’s movements were restricted.

Kang-hoo decided to strategically let his body take a hit.

Slash!

He purposefully made it look like he exposed his front just enough.

Half of it was an act.

But the timing was slightly off, so his body leaned forward more than expected, and the hit went in deeper than intended.

Splat!

Blood splattered from Kang-hoo’s abdomen.

The wound didn’t reach the peritoneum, just a long cut across the surface.

Thus, it made the situation look even more convincing.

Seeing the blood, Cha So-hyuk’s expression changed.

“Die, you bastard!”

Excited at the thought that he had finally landed a hit on Kang-hoo, Cha So-hyuk leaped with determination.

He was intent on putting all his strength into smashing Kang-hoo down once and for all.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Kang-hoo shifted his body into the shadow he had placed behind him. It was the same maneuver he had used before, with no noticeable difference.

Cha So-hyuk should have stopped here.

He should have, but…

Thud thud thud!

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he sprinted forward like a bull charging at a red cloth.

And then—

Swoosh…

He was caught in the Distortion Blade.

The line that coiled tightly around his chest brought an immediate sense of discomfort.

“W-What is this…?”

From the moment his body touched it, the Distortion Blade revealed itself, glowing an ivory hue as it became visible.

When in contact with the human body, the mana reacted, giving it color. That was precisely the situation now.

Kang-hoo activated the distortion immediately.

“Aaagh! Aaargh!”

The line wrapped around Cha So-hyuk’s chest acted like a sharp saw, sending blood spraying and tearing through muscle.

The constant distortion made it seem as if his flesh was being sliced by the twisting space.

“W-What the hell!”

Panicking, Cha So-hyuk struggled desperately, trying to tear the line off.

He couldn’t maintain his composure with the fear that his body might be sliced in half if this continued.

Blood sprayed from his hands as he grabbed the line, but that didn’t matter. Removing it took priority.

At that moment—

【Black Moon Slash】

Kang-hoo was already prepared for the next move.

If he used Decapitating Strike or Flash Dagger here and the situation spiraled out of control, it would only get more complicated.

A decisive strike seemed most fitting. To sever the ill-fated connection between him and Cha So-hyuk’s sister.

“Hoo.”

He took a breath.

Channeling as much dark energy as possible, he maximized the power of Black Moon Slash.

And then—

“I’ll kill you!”

Cha So-hyuk, having finally torn off the bloody line with his two blood-soaked hands, screamed in rage and lunged again.

Swish!

At the same time, Black Moon Slash left Kang-hoo’s sword.

The cursed sword of the black moon, carrying the song of death.

The fatal strike was aimed directly at the center of Cha So-hyuk’s chest.

Then—

Swoosh…

Cha So-hyuk felt it.

The destructive energy that could not be blocked by a sword split his weapon in half and sliced through his chest.

His gaze, which should have been focused solely on Kang-hoo, was now involuntarily directed toward the sky.

That’s right.

His body was no longer where it should have been; it was flying through the air.