Chapter 123: Hidden Skill (2) |
Kang-hoo met Jin Hyo-young at the agreed-upon point.
Her map, as densely filled with notes as Kang-hoo’s, seemed to hold significant strategic value.
Jin Hyo-young, having received the map from Kang-hoo, smiled and said,
“You’re really thorough. There was no need to go to this extent, but the Jeonghwa Guild will appreciate it.”
“It’s a rare opportunity, isn’t it? If given the chance, one must work hard. Who knows, they might come looking for us later?”
“Was everything okay?”
“It was quiet. Though, I did get startled a few times when smoke suddenly billowed from the ground.”
“It’s time for us to go our separate ways. Cross-checking is the most tedious part, isn’t it?”
“Information isn’t free.”
Jin Hyo-young took out a thermos filled with chamomile tea and paper cups from her backpack.
Although Kang-hoo had brought bottled water in his backpack, a warm cup of tea seemed like a good idea.
Of course, her kindness – albeit minor – seemed suspicious, but a cup of tea wouldn’t pose a problem.
And in case of any suspicion of poisoning, there was always the Breath of the Counterfeit God, so he felt he could let his guard down a bit.
“I’ll gladly accept. Let’s sit here. I’ll roughly clean the top.”
Kang-hoo pointed to a flat rock lying between them.
It was a bit dusty, but he casually wiped it down with his sleeve.
Since he wore these clothes intending to get dirty in the dungeon, getting them dirty wasn’t a concern.
“You have good manners.”
“It’s just for the tea. I wouldn’t have bothered if we weren’t drinking tea.”
“Ha-ha. You’re also witty.”
Is this considered wit?
Kang-hoo felt that Jin Hyo-young was showing more interest and reactions towards him than necessary.
Even now, as she poured a cup of tea and fanned herself, she casually rolled up her sleeves.
Tying her hair into a ponytail, making her neckline clearly visible, she bit a rubber band in the process.
The faint scent wafting from her exposed neckline added an extra touch.
It could be seen as over-immersion, an overreaction.
It’s possible to read too much into trivial actions.
However, Kang-hoo was troubled by the fact that Jin Hyo-young had lied to him from their first meeting.
If they were only going to see each other once, why bother lying?
They weren’t going to work closely together, and a lie about one’s level certainly seemed suspicious.
“There’s no harm in keeping my distance. After all, Jin Hyo-young isn’t someone I need,”
he thought simply.
There was no need to be curious about what Jin Hyo-young was up to.
If she had any business with him, she would continue trying to contact him, to close the distance.
But if his concerns were overblown, everything would just be an incident, and their connection would end.
Observing what she would do next seemed best. His thoughts and judgments would align accordingly.
During the tea,
Kang-hoo and Jin Hyo-young watched a war at the far end of the horizon.
Despite the distance, the giants’ forms were clearly visible.
Every time they moved, though it was an illusion, it felt as if the ground here was shaking.
Jin Hyo-young silently watched the battle alongside Kang-hoo, staring at him intently.
Kang-hoo felt her gaze but pretended not to notice.
Seeing her bite her lip repeatedly, he paid even less attention.
Then, Jin Hyo-young broke the silence.
“Over there.”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to grab a drink outside after we’re done exploring? I’m good with either food and alcohol or light cocktails.”
“Cocktails sound good.”
“I have a favorite bar in Seoul that I frequent. I’m also friends with the owner. What do you think?”
“Let’s do that.”
Kang-hoo nodded.
Since the continuous ‘temptation’ didn’t work, it seemed like she changed her approach to be more direct.
He believed that it no longer mattered who showed interest first between a man and a woman; that era had passed.
Yet, he had never shown any particular kindness or interest towards Jin Hyo-young.
There had to be a clear reason for her proactive behavior. It was instinct, intuition, and certainty.
Thus, he planned to play along. If her interest was genuine, then enjoying a drink together would suffice.
Or…
“It’s about finding the one hidden behind.”
For the purpose of cross-verifying each other’s information.
Kang-hoo and Jin Hyo-young returned to their respective paths and parted ways.
Now was the moment to meticulously check if the information each had gathered matched reality.
Just then,
A red flare, symbolizing a distress signal, shot up into the sky.
Although there wasn’t a dedicated rescue team inside the dungeon, this was the agreed-upon signal for dangerous situations.
Of course, responding wasn’t mandatory, so ignoring the signal and not going to the rescue wouldn’t be an issue.
“Hmm.”
Kang-hoo’s steps veered toward where the flare had been launched.
Launching a flare in this direction indicated an encounter with a difficult monster.
It wouldn’t be a giant.
If there were giants, Kang-hoo would have seen them, and ordinary hunters would have fled long before.
‘The Black Guide?’
He considered another possibility.
The Black Guide.
A conglomerate of ghosts, a monster Kang-hoo had previously encountered at Ground Zero.
At that time, Kang-hoo lacked the power or ability to defeat the Black Guide.
Power aside,
Defeating the Black Guide required a force antithetical to it, or one that was perfectly synchronized.
In other words, one needed to utilize divine power or the same dark energy.
Now, not only did he possess the dark energy stat, but he also had the skills to utilize it.
Kang-hoo headed straight to the scene.
Having a way to confront it, ignoring the Black Guide as a monster was too tempting.
Especially since it could, albeit at random chances, permanently increase the dark energy stat.
With the importance of the growth of the seventh stat, dark energy, it became necessary to diligently hunt it.
Especially since dark energy cannot be increased with bonus points, seizing every opportunity to raise it was the prudent choice.
Now was precisely that opportunity.
“Let’s get out of here quickly! If we mess up with the Black Guide, it’s a silent death, unseen by mouse or bird.”
“If you’re going to die, do it alone. Why set off a flare? We almost got involved.”
“Right. Let’s run!”
When Kang-hoo arrived at the scene, the hunters were all running hard in the opposite direction.
They glanced at Kang-hoo but seemed too rushed to escape to say anything.
Perhaps the words exchanged among themselves were deemed sufficient information.
For now.
The location of the Black Guide was immediately evident. It was beneath a cliff where the sunlight hardly reached.
The hunter who seemed to have shot the flare was already dead.
Given the state of the body, it seemed to have fallen prey to the minions of the Black Guide.
The Black Guide never travels alone. There’s always a monster in the underground to synchronize with.
“……”
He waited for a while.
Having come this far, he had no interest in performing good deeds for others, preferring to let bystanders escape.
How much time had passed?
Finally, after two hunters lurking from a distance disappeared, no other hunters showed interest in this area.
Everyone seemed to have given up on confronting the Black Guide, having ‘absolutely’ no means to deal with it.
Step by step.
He deliberately made noise as he walked towards the direction of the Black Guide.
Noticing this, the Black Guide turned its head from the darkness created by the cliff.
The Black Guide, a mass of numerous ghosts, had no fixed form.
The one he had encountered at Ground Zero before had taken the typical form of a demon.
But this one resembled an elderly woman, full of wrinkles.
Was it a strategy to weaken the opponent’s heart? Or was that all it knew how to mimic?
Either way, the Black Guide approached Kang-hoo with futile attempts that had no effect on him.
‘Anyway, I can’t attack this guy with other skills. If I can’t finish it in one hit, I’ll retreat without hesitation.’
His calculations were already complete.
Divine power, dark energy.
Since it could only be eliminated in these two ways.
He planned to attack with Heuk Wol Cham, and if that didn’t cut off its breath, he would immediately retreat.
Thanks to the Pure Black Constructor, the dark energy he had exhausted for a skill demonstration earlier was fully restored to 100%.
He positioned himself and waited.
【Heuk Wol Cham】
He started charging simultaneously.
It didn’t matter how he prepared the skill, but this time, he stuck to the basic motions.
Hiding the blade of the dagger slightly towards his side, he earnestly concentrated the dark energy.
Keheehee…
The Black Guide closed the distance with an unpleasant sound, making Kang-hoo uncomfortable.
If engulfed by it, even Kang-hoo would have no answer. Thus, he needed to attack before being enveloped.
However, acting too quickly might alert it to dodge, so he waited with as much patience as possible.
Thud.
Though subtle, he felt movements underground, likely the minions of the Black Guide.
He wasn’t sure which monster it was, but it was likely one that could freely move through tunnels underground.
“……”
Holding his breath.
He waited, and waited some more.
The Heuk Wol Cham, with 100% dark energy invested, was already complete. All he had to do was release it.
Kkekkekke.
Seeing that Kang-hoo wasn’t evading, the Black Guide let out an even more bizarre laugh.
It was convinced.
That this human was too scared to even think about escaping, just like the person who had died before.
Despite his ability to escape, he trembled with fear and met his end standing.
If…
If the Black Guide were to die from the attack using Heuk Wol Cham, Kang-hoo was determined to visit Ground Zero again.
Since the Black Guide was difficult to catch, the rewards were quite generous.
The explosive gain in experience was a given.
In terms of magic stones or items, it could also yield unexpectedly high earnings.
Jang Si-hwan had significantly increased his level by exclusively hunting monsters of this kind after becoming able to harness dark energy.
Two-tenths of the process that elevated Jang Si-hwan to the unprecedented high level of 800 occurred here.
Kuooo!
The body of the Black Guide, now only five steps away, expanded immensely.
Like an eagle coiling its body before greedily spreading its black wings to fiercely pounce on its prey.
The Black Guide, intending to swallow Kang-hoo whole, maximized its size.
Devil’s Embrace.
The moment one is embraced, all memories and time stop. Trapped in eternal darkness, in death.
Whoosh!
Just as the disgusting breath of the Black Guide wrapping around Kang-hoo was about to touch his face!
Krrring!
Out of the deep darkness.
A crimson crescent blade drew a sharp curve, striking at the heart of the Black Guide in an instant.
The next moment.
Boom!
The body of the Black Guide, unable to scream, exploded into pieces and scattered.
Pssss!
The numerous ghosts pouring out aimlessly in all directions after losing their master were a bonus.
Being untouchable and unreachable, most hunters considered them entities that could never be killed.
Thus, they were like a tantalizingly unreachable delicacy, always out of reach.
To Kang-hoo, however, these beings became a valuable source of experience.
He was vividly experiencing the benefits of a hidden skill.
【For being an unchallenged monster for an excessively long time, additional experience is obtained.】
【Your level has significantly increased to 103.】
A two-step increase in level!
The effectiveness was undeniable.