The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Some time later, Kang-hoo met with Jeon Se-hyuk’s team again.

This meeting allowed them enough time to sort and organize the spoils of war.

Everything was divided meticulously, and since everyone achieved their goals, satisfaction among them was high.

Jeon Se-hyuk first sought Kang-hoo’s consent before sending hunters to recover Go Kyung-ho’s corpse.

Additionally, he expressed his intention to buy Go Kyung-ho’s belongings from Kang-hoo—if Kang-hoo was willing to sell them.

The reason was simple.

He planned to post photos of Go Kyung-ho’s possessions, his past atrocities, and his death.

What better way to instill fear in Eclipse than this?

No one would complain about disrespecting the dead.

After all, when someone who deserved to die dies, shouldn’t it be celebrated instead of mourned? That’s how much of a “human trash” Go Kyung-ho was.

So, Kang-hoo sold everything to Jeon Se-hyuk except the items he intended to use.

After appraisal, the amount he received was 45 billion won, leaving a balance of 308 billion won in his account—a ridiculous sum.

Jeon Se-hyuk’s team completed their work: recovering Go Kyung-ho’s body, wrapping up the raid on the Pyeongtaek branch, and treating their injured members. Afterward, they regrouped with Kang-hoo to share the battle results—a final confirmation before parting ways.

“You’re amazing, Mozo-nim. I didn’t think it was possible to deal with Go Kyung-ho.”

“Same here. I mean, I trusted you to hold him off, but I never imagined you’d outright kill him.”

The hunters on the team eagerly showered Kang-hoo with praise for his achievements.

These were people who would have immediately shaken their heads if asked whether they could face Go Kyung-ho one-on-one.

They were certainly committed to avenging and attacking Eclipse, but they were also realistic in their judgment.

Even Jeon Se-hyuk had fought Go Kyung-ho once before and only managed a draw.

“You’ve worked hard. Go Kyung-ho was the most crucial piece of the puzzle, and you nailed it, Mozo-nim.”

Jeon Se-hyuk reached out for a handshake again.

While other hunters’ compliments left him unmoved, Jeon Se-hyuk’s always felt gratifying.

It might be because he knew how deeply committed Jeon Se-hyuk was to avenging Eclipse in the original story.

It felt as though they were writing a chapter of history together.

“Mozo opp…nim, you’re the best!”

Ban Se-young almost blurted out “oppa” unconsciously before catching herself and switching her words in haste.

Before the battle, Jeon Se-hyuk had reassured Ban Se-young, who was worried:

“Shin Kang-hoo isn’t a variable; he’s a constant. Trust me. He always delivers beyond expectations.”

Ban Se-young trusted Kang-hoo’s skills more than anyone else, but she still thought Go Kyung-ho might be too difficult.

It turned out she was wrong.

Ban Se-young was newly grateful that Kang-hoo wasn’t a member of Eclipse.

Had they met him as an enemy? Well…

She’d probably either be running for her life or already dead.

“Everyone, great work.”

Kang-hoo greeted them evenly.

Jeon Se-hyuk, glancing at the burning Pyeongtaek branch, grinned and said,

“Eclipse won’t trust each other anymore. Now that they know there was an insider at the Pyeongtaek branch, which was fully established only two years ago.”

“This really underscores the importance of patience. It couldn’t have been an easy task.”

“Indeed. Perhaps I owe it to having good friends? Hahaha.”

The gratitude and trust Jeon Se-hyuk felt for Lee Hyun-seok were evident in his laughter.

Kang-hoo finished this battle, but the first step had been initiated by Lee Hyun-seok.

As Jeon Se-hyuk had said, there was no guarantee that only the Pyeongtaek branch had an insider.

An organization whose trust has been shattered is prone to collapse from internal strife.

Especially in Eclipse’s case, as a den of criminals, they’d likely point their blades of suspicion at each other.

Jeon Se-hyuk continued,

“This will shrink Eclipse’s… guts. We’re revising our strategy for the time being.”

“I can guess what kind of strategy.”

Jeon Se-hyuk’s intentions were clear.

So far, they’d been striking inward from the outside, closing in on the core.

Now, it seemed likely they’d target Eclipse’s satellite organizations in the provinces instead.

They probably already had a list prepared, with Lee Hyun-seok’s assistance and Park Dong-jae’s intel.

“Mozo-nim, would you join us next time too? Ah, of course, I wouldn’t ask for free.”

“As long as it’s worth it.”

“Great. I’ll contact you again. Alright, we’re heading south!”

Jeon Se-hyuk waved dramatically and signaled the retreat.

Ban Se-young seemed reluctant to part with Kang-hoo, looking back at him several times before following Jeon Se-hyuk.

She seemed to have a lot she wanted to say but refrained because she couldn’t formally address him as “Kang-hoo.”

Instead, she sent him a message on her smartphone.

-“I did my best this time, but oppa didn’t see it! Next time, I’ll really show you properly!”

-“Ok.”

Kang-hoo’s reply was brief.

There wasn’t much else to say.

This level of response should suffice.

---

Sometime later.

Kang Dong-hyun lit a cigar as he received the report on the “incident” at the Pyeongtaek Branch.

Each puff sent pungent smoke swirling around the face of the executive who brought the report.

The executive, Im Jeong-wan, desperately held back his coughing and sneezing.

Kang Dong-hyun was in a foul mood, and crossing him now was as good as a death sentence.

Im Jeong-wan, the sixth-ranked executive in Eclipse, had just returned from abroad.

A master of dual-wielding swords, he was one of the few individuals Kang Dong-hyun respected and valued.

“Hmm…”

Contrary to Im Jeong-wan’s expectation that Kang Dong-hyun would explode in rage, he merely furrowed his brow slightly, keeping his emotions in check.

Im Jeong-wan wisely stayed silent. Speaking out of turn was not an option—it was a fear born of experience.

Sure enough, Kang Dong-hyun spoke first as Im Jeong-wan stood quietly.

“What’s the Fortuna Guild’s status?”

“It’s a war among American hunters. The scale is incomparable to our local cases. Five hundred hunters die in a single day.”

“Too bad your time abroad ended so soon. I was hoping you’d stay in the U.S. longer.”

“Not at all. I felt ashamed, only gaining experience overseas without serving you. It’s time to repay your support.”

“What do you think about this incident?”

“…”

“Speak freely. I’m not asking to nitpick your words. You’re rational, after all.”

“I’ll be honest.”

“Go ahead.”

“From the looks of it, I’d say we were hit where it hurts. Especially with Go Kyung-ho dead.”

“Yeah, we got completely outplayed.”

Khhh.

The smoke Kang Dong-hyun inhaled was alarming in its intensity.

Instead of puffing it out, he swallowed the harsh smoke entirely.

“The Pyeongtaek Branch isn’t large, so we can recover the manpower loss. The problem is its symbolism.”

“To summarize?”

“It’s bad news for our organization. The branch was significant as the first step in expanding our influence. And more importantly, there was an insider.”

“Damn it.”

At the mention of an insider, Kang Dong-hyun let out a curse.

Im Jeong-wan shifted the conversation.

“On Huntergram, Jeon Se-hyuk is stirring things up as if he personally killed Go Kyung-ho. But we both know that’s not true.”

“I checked the CCTV footage. Jeon Se-hyuk was inside the Pyeongtaek Branch at the time Go Kyung-ho died.”

“Someone from a special unit must have acted. And that special unit took down Go Kyung-ho, who’s level 400. This means there’s someone even more dangerous than Jeon Se-hyuk.”

“Who the hell could it be? Did Lee Hyun-seok step in? No, we would’ve known if he had.”

“Finding out who ‘he’ is should be our priority. Rooting out the insider or addressing the symbolic loss comes later. If he’s strong enough to kill Go Kyung-ho, you’re in danger too.”

“And you as well.”

“Agreed. That ‘guy’ is working with Jeon Se-hyuk. We need to find him quickly.”

“This is getting worse by the second.”

Unable to contain his growing anger, Kang Dong-hyun grabbed a vodka bottle packed with ice and downed it.

The mysterious figure who killed Go Kyung-ho.

He was the key to this incident.

If he could kill Go Kyung-ho without giving him a chance to escape, then he could easily take down other Eclipse executives—or even Kang Dong-hyun himself.

He was not an opponent to be underestimated.

At that moment, a voice call came through Huntergram’s secure account system.

Although the audio quality wasn’t great, Huntergram’s closed nature made it a frequently used communication tool.

The account name was a random jumble, giving no clue as to the caller’s identity. But Kang Dong-hyun had a good idea of who it was.

With a slight nod from Kang Dong-hyun, Im Jeong-wan left the room.

Once he was gone, Kang Dong-hyun answered the call.

“Yes.”

-It’s me.

“Yuji hyungnim?”

-Yeah.

“What’s the matter?”

-What do you think?

Yuji’s words were sharp and biting.

Kang Dong-hyun, aware of the situation in Japan, understood the reason for his tone.

“I can guess.”

-I’m coming to Korea. I need you to clear the way. Official entry is impossible.

“It can be arranged.”

-You don’t like that Shin Kang-hoo guy, do you? You said you wanted him dead? I’ll kill him for you.

The moment Yuji said this, Kang Dong-hyun’s face lit up with satisfaction.

This was exactly what he had been waiting to hear.

Knowing Yuji’s pride, it was clear he wouldn’t let his defeat at Kang-hoo’s hands slide.

Yuji’s loss wasn’t just physical—it had deeply wounded his pride.

Kang Dong-hyun had hoped Yuji would act soon, and now that he had recovered, he was moving swiftly for revenge.

“Come. I’ll clear the path for you.”

-What’s the upfront payment?

“Payment? Hyungnim, if you’re coming, it’s only right for me to handle it. I’ll contact you shortly.”

-I’ll kill that bastard myself. Keep tabs on his whereabouts if you can.

“Understood.”

The call ended.

Kang Dong-hyun laughed again.

“Shin Kang-hoo…”

Just saying his name made his blood boil.

How long would this bitter connection, which began at Cheongmyeong Detention Center, continue?

Because of Kang-hoo, he’d lost trusted subordinates and handed over the first raid of the Limitless Mana Dungeon.

The events of that day had even become a black mark among his subordinates, whispered about as a blemish on his reputation.

Like Jeon Se-hyuk, Kang Dong-hyun had suffered greatly because of Kang-hoo.

With Yuji stepping in, it was perfect timing.

A skilled, razor-sharp “Japanese blade” was entering the scene.

The unfolding events promised to be entertaining.