Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 58
KWAAANG-.
Beyond the crumpled iron door, the sight of nobles screaming while hiding inside the bunker came into view.
"Th-this is impossible!"
Who could have expected to see someone break down an iron door with their bare hands?
Ha-yeon blew away the steam rising from her fist and smiled.
"Easy."
Seo-jin passed through the entrance Ha-yeon had opened and entered the bunker interior.
One of the nobles, flustered by the unexpected intrusion, burst out shouting.
"St-stop! Do you think you'll be safe after causing such trouble!"
Seo-jin swept the inside of the bunker with a cold gaze as if mocking those words.
"Safe? I don't know. But one thing is certain. If you bastards disappear, at least this city will be safe."
Then Seo-jin scattered Black Chain to restrain the nobles.
CHWAREUREUL-.
Ominous magical chains wrapped around the ankles and arms of the nobles who were trying to escape.
"Let go! Let this go!"
"KYAAK!"
They screamed and resisted, but were subdued in an instant.
Seo-jin approached the restrained nobles and began throwing punches without a moment's hesitation.
THUD-.
THUD-.
THUD-.
His fists spared no one, regardless of age or gender - the pig-like man with flabby flesh who was panting heavily, the woman adorned with flashy jewelry, the crafty gentleman with sinister eyes.
"Phew."
After punching for a while, Seo-jin swept back his hair and let out a sigh.
'Now I feel a bit better.'
On the way to the greenhouse, he had heard various stories through Ha-yeon.
Those who killed Ella's father, the former supreme leader, and those who assassinated her supporters one by one - it was all these people.
Seo-jin and Tito's family had almost fallen victim to the same methods, but thanks to Baduki, they were able to prevent it beforehand.
Ha-yeon looked at the nobles who had become bloody pulps and asked Seo-jin.
"Has the situation perhaps become complicated?"
"No, it's become clearer instead."
Now he could comfortably subjugate the boss without worrying about those bastards.
There would be no getting caught up in their schemes while exploring the mine.
Everything was going according to plan... no, perhaps even more smoothly than planned.
'As expected, fists are the best.'
Just as Alexander cut through the Gordian knot with his sword instead of untying it, if the situation allows, solving things with force is the best policy.
As long as you don't think about the consequences.
But that relief didn't last long.
When you cause trouble without thinking about the consequences, there are always repercussions.
The price for cutting instead of untying the knot had come.
SHAAAA-.
Suddenly, the air inside the bunker froze.
Different from Primgard's bitter cold, this was a chilling murderous intent that crawled up the spine.
At the same time, the fishy smell of blood stung the nose.
"!"
Seo-jin's gaze, who detected that smell more sensitively than anyone, turned toward the dark corner.
Then the shadows rippled and a figure slowly emerged from within.
A perfectly tailored suit with a robe covering it.
Strange-shaped daggers, a pistol holster, and ammunition clips hung from the belt around his waist.
Though he certainly looked human on the outside, that thing was not human.
Rather, a sharply honed blade was a more fitting definition for him.
Seo-jin narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
"A corporate dog has arrived."
The giant corporations outside The Tower operate highly trained professional killers in preparation for conflicts between other climbers or natives.
Unlike climbers who must respond to all kinds of variables, these individuals have all their capabilities focused solely on efficient slaughter.
So depending on the situation, they're much more dangerous opponents than boss mobs.
Things that specialized in all kinds of dirty work outside The Tower gained even greater power inside The Tower, so they have very poor compatibility with climbers who lack experience in such matters.
'However.'
This executioner before his eyes is somehow different.
The gloomy aura felt separately from his powerful magical power. The deeply ingrained smell of blood was enough to sting the nose.
It was murderous intent so intense that even Seo-jin, who had experienced all kinds of battlefields, frowned.
At this point in time, there's only one climber who harbors such intense murderous intent.
'I once heard rumors about him.'
Rumors that killing machines with levels higher than even the frontline strategy team exist in The Tower. And the identity of those killing machines is.
Hanseong's executioner. Commonly called 'Hunting Dog'.
"......"
Seo-jin instinctively sensed danger and took a combat stance while feeling tension.
Meanwhile, Ha-yeon swallowed her saliva as she looked at the figure rippling in the darkness.
That shadow was looking directly at Ha-yeon.
A chilling gaze that seemed to see through beyond the mask.
Ha-yeon grasped the opponent's identity as soon as she saw that gaze.
'Did he recognize me?'
Hanseong's Hunting Dog.
Just because she's the owner's daughter doesn't mean she knows all the fixers who handle the corporation's dirty work.
But that chilling gaze was definitely something she had felt before.
That shadow who used to accompany grandfather in the past.
Among the executioners who handled the dirty affairs of the Hanseong family, a man who particularly stood out.
Grandfather definitely called him 'Director'.
It was before The Tower even appeared, but she remembered hiding behind her brother because those eyes were too frightening.
Meanwhile, the Hunting Dog who had been staring at Ha-yeon turned his head to Seo-jin and asked.
"Are you the ringleader?"
Though it was a mechanical voice as if using a voice modulator, the rough and thick tone underlying it couldn't be hidden.
Seo-jin answered with a forced smile.
"What if I am?"
In an instant.
SWOOSH-.
The Hunting Dog's figure disappeared from Seo-jin's sight.
And the next moment, the Hunting Dog had burrowed right up to Seo-jin's nose and was stabbing a sharp knife into Seo-jin's chest.
"......!"
Speed that far exceeded Seo-jin's expectations.
SWISH-.
Ha-yeon, who had high physical stats, reflexively pushed Seo-jin away, but couldn't completely avoid the attack.
The torn end of Seo-jin's robe sleeve fell to the floor.
When his attack missed, the Hunting Dog paused for a moment and sniffed.
SNIFF-.
Then he sneered and opened his mouth.
"Ah, so it was the young lady."
The Hunting Dog caught her identity just by catching Ha-yeon's lingering scent.
An assassin who had trained his whole life solely for assassination.
Even with a mask on, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the blood relative of his master.
The Hunting Dog politely bowed his head to Ha-yeon, but there was no emotion in his voice.
"How unexpected to meet you in such a humble place. Are you perhaps playing hero here?"
"......Shut up."
"No matter how much you are the young lady, you mustn't interfere with the family's affairs. Please step aside for a moment."
His words were polite, but they clearly contained a warning.
After warning Ha-yeon once, the Hunting Dog added a word.
"We are always waiting for you to return, young lady."
Ha-yeon bit her lips tightly and commanded with a faint hope.
"......Please return now."
However, he slowly shook his head.
"No, I only listen to that person's words. Witnesses must be eliminated. That man mustn't remember this conversation."
The Hunting Dog's declaration that he would kill Seo-jin without fail.
Even during this time, the knife in his hand was moving dazzlingly like dancing.
WHIRRRR-.
Like a cat toying with a mouse, the Hunting Dog maintained a relaxed posture while slowly circling around Seo-jin.
Seo-jin watched this scene and gritted his teeth.
'This is not good.'
If they fought in a spacious place, he wouldn't lose even to a Hunting Dog specialized in killing.
It would be good for commanding the undead, and he could dodge attacks here and there while whittling down the enemy's health and mana with magic.
But this place is inside a cramped underground bunker.
It's a place where movement is extremely limited, making it difficult to face an opponent skilled in close combat.
Moreover, he can't expect help from Baduki, who would be of great help in close combat right now.
He had used up a lot of strength earlier when escaping from the mine shaft.
'Can't be helped.'
He had no choice but to fight with maximum effort using the power he currently had.
Seo-jin clenched his fists and operated the Primordial Unity Technique.
WHAM-.
Seo-jin enhanced his physical abilities with the power of Primordial Unity Technique.
At the same time, the knife came rushing once more, and Seo-jin used the mobility of Mixed Origin Black Flash Steps he had developed earlier to avoid the Hunting Dog's attack.
SWISH-.
When Seo-jin used footwork to dodge his attack, the Hunting Dog spoke as if pleased.
"I thought you were just a bookworm who only uses magic, but it seems you know how to fight like a man too."
"......"
Unlike the opponent who maintained composure throughout, Seo-jin was in quite a tense situation.
He had consumed quite a bit of mana getting here and didn't have the strength to face the Hunting Dog.
Nevertheless, Seo-jin continued the battle without showing any sign of it.
CHWAREUREUL-.
Using freely moving Black Chain to block the opponent's mobility and utilizing the mysteries of Primordial Unity Technique to pressure the opponent.
WHAM WHAM-.
The Hunting Dog leisurely dodged the sharply flying Black Chain from all directions while trying to analyze Seo-jin's strange martial arts.
'Indeed, he's worthy of accompanying the young lady.'
Judgment to aim for the enemy's openings and cast magic without a moment's hesitation.
Even martial arts that pressured with mysterious body movements as if supporting excellent magic.
Who in this Tower could operate magic and martial arts simultaneously like that man?
Even if such a person existed, they wouldn't be able to perfectly combine magic and martial arts like that man.
But the Hunting Dog was a killing machine who had lived his entire life in darkness.
He was a formidable opponent for the exhausted Seo-jin from the long battle.
CRACK-.
"Kuk."
Through the continuing battle, Seo-jin gradually felt he was reaching his limit.
The Hunting Dog's attacks were lethal and difficult to predict, making them hard to avoid in the narrow bunker.
'If this continues, it's dangerous... I have no choice but to use area magic.'
The magic stones and food supplies stored in the bunker would be greatly damaged, but it couldn't be helped.
Just as Seo-jin was gritting his teeth and trying to greatly draw up Reverse Heaven's Mana.
STEP-.
Ha-yeon, as if having made up her mind, blocked between Seo-jin and the Hunting Dog.
She spread both arms decisively as if trying to prevent further fighting.
The Hunting Dog immediately withdrew his knife and stepped back upon seeing this. Then he tilted his head as if puzzled.
"Young lady, are you serious?"
"Yes, I won't tolerate any more fighting. This person... I will protect him."
Though brief, it was a statement filled with strong will.
Ha-yeon forced a smile and provocatively gestured with her hand toward the Hunting Dog.
"If you're confident, try cutting me down too."
The Hunting Dog quietly stared at Ha-yeon's face, then stepped back as if he had no choice.
Then he warned in a low voice.
"That person will learn of this matter."
"I don't care. Let them hear if they want to hear."
The Hunting Dog didn't continue speaking.
Instead, he looked over Seo-jin with meaningful eyes and said quietly.
"I'll be watching to see if he's a man worth that much."
With those words as his last, he disappeared into the darkness without a sound, just as he had first appeared.
Inside the bunker where the tense atmosphere had disappeared like a lie.
After all situations had ended, Seo-jin looked at Ha-yeon who was blocking in front of him.
Ha-yeon scratched her head and let out a laugh.
"Ahaha, it's a bit confusing, isn't it? Who I am, what this situation is about."
"......"
There aren't many people who can make Hanseong family's notorious Hunting Dog retreat with just a few words.
Though Seo-jin knew about her better than anyone, in a situation like this, he couldn't help but ask.
"Right, who are you?"