The Puppet Master's Deception
Jang Inwi was cautious, and he was no fool.
No matter how deeply he yearned for his lost right arm, he had zero intention of watching his precious clan be led to ruin by some idiot.
That was why he observed Kang Yoonsoo with sharp, unrelenting focus.
Even while carrying out a legendary request, the moment he sensed even the slightest mismatch in Kang Yoonsoo's capabilities, Jang Inwi planned to immediately strip him of command over the ruins raid.
Yet it proved to be a wasted effort.
Standing atop a tall hill, Kang Yoonsoo issued orders.
“Southeast, roughly three hundred and twenty meters. Left side of the thicket. Seventeen Ahinkuls. First squad, move in and suppress them.”
The first squad, composed of mercenaries and swordsmen, charged southeast.
Just as Kang Yoonsoo had said, a pack of Ahinkuls burst out from behind the bushes.
The creatures slashed wildly with their claws, but they stood no chance against the sudden ambush.
Kang Yoonsoo continued issuing commands without pause.
“Northwest, roughly three hundred and forty meters. Beyond the fierce waterfall. Thirty-two Ahinkuls resting on the water’s surface. A leader is mixed in, so third and sixth squads, combine forces and open fire.”
His tactics were unusual.
The standard approach to group hunting was to gather as many troops as possible and sweep through an area together.
Yet he had split the Blood Martial Clan into multiple smaller units.
Some squads carried only blades, while others were mismatched groups of high- and low-level members jumbled together.
Kang Yoonsoo directed the squads from his vantage on the high hill.
Normally, dividing a mere two hundred people this way would mean they’d fail to find any monsters at all—or worse, get overwhelmed by sheer numbers and wiped out, or simply exhaust themselves for nothing.
But as if mocking Jang Inwi’s earlier doubts about his qualifications, Kang Yoonsoo’s tactics proved terrifyingly efficient.
Whenever he gave an order, monsters were always there.
The hill was tall, and the distant terrain was hard to see clearly.
No matter how sharp one’s eyesight, it should have been impossible without memorizing every single monster habitat in the region.
Moreover, even when monsters were present, his instructions never ended at simple extermination.
“The Ahinkul leader sleeping behind the waterfall—stab it through the nostril. It’s far more effective than attacking its tough hide. Drive the spear deep and scramble its brain.”
Jang Inwi was impressed.
‘He’s truly incredible.’
At first, he had accepted the proposal out of temptation to regain his lost right arm.
But now, he was genuinely beginning to trust Kang Yoonsoo.
This man’s command ability was anything but ordinary.
Jang Inwi swallowed dryly.
‘He must be an incredibly high-level traveler. Far beyond the likes of someone like me.’
Jang Inwi’s level was 227, placing him in the upper-middle tier among travelers.
Yet compared to this man, it was clearly nothing special.
Kang Yoonsoo’s attire was too plain to suggest a high level, but appearance alone couldn’t be used to judge.
In fact, many high-level travelers preferred light clothing over heavy armor.
It allowed greater freedom of movement in battle.
Of course, that also meant they were confident they wouldn’t take a single hit.
On the other hand, Kang Yoonsoo thought:
‘Annoying.’
Originally, he would have asked the White Lion Clan back in Depheron for help and entered the Winterkill Ruins raid immediately.
The White Lion Clan stood at the absolute peak among traveler organizations.
If such a clan full of incredibly high-level travelers cooperated, clearing the Winterkill Ruins would have been simple.
Honestly, if he brought just Han Sehyun, the White Lion Clan’s leader, he was confident they could reach the heart of the ruins without issue.
But relying on high-level people made rapid growth difficult.
That was why he had joined hands with the Blood Martial Clan despite the significant risks involved.
It was also why he deliberately avoided fighting and only gave orders.
At least until they entered the ruins, he needed to hide his level from Jang Inwi.
No matter how outstanding his leadership, there was no way Jang Inwi would entrust command to someone lower-level than himself.
If he took the lead in battle now, they would quickly notice his level was lower than everyone else’s.
Kang Yoonsoo’s smokescreen had been remarkably effective.
Even the ever-cautious Jang Inwi had completely failed to realize that Kang Yoonsoo’s level was a mere 131—lower than an average clan member.
Below the hill, the corpses of Ahinkuls piled up like a mountain.
Normally, hunting this many would have taken over four days.
Yet the time spent hunting so far was barely half a day.
Durman, who had just been swinging his blade, smacked his lips as if he hadn’t gotten his fill of combat yet.
“They said you were doing a legendary request, but damn, you really are something. Monsters pop out exactly where you say, and you even explain their weak points. I can’t remember the last time hunting felt this easy.”
“I agree. This is the first time I’ve ever felt disappointed while hunting.”
“My experience is going up way faster than usual too!”
The clan members spared no praise for Kang Yoonsoo.
Jang Inwi, who had come down from the hill, awkwardly scratched his cheek with his left hand.
“At this rate, I might have to hand over the clan leader position.”
“Puhaha! Leader, you really think we’d abandon you and switch sides? You’re the only leader we’ve got.”
Durman laughed heartily and threw a thick arm around Jang Inwi’s neck.
As Kang Yoonsoo descended the hill, a clump of red flames fluttered down from the air.
Sally, hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks.
The beautiful girl wore a thoroughly sulky expression.
“Dad, Sally’s mad.”
“Why.”
Sally had been acting as a messenger until just now.
She had delivered Kang Yoonsoo’s orders from the high hill to the other squads.
Spirits could fly freely over long distances, after all.
Sally snapped at him.
“Hmph! Don’t play dumb! You said you’d make me a little sibling! You promised way, waaay before, but you still haven’t done it. Dad’s a liar!”
The promise to create a sibling for Sally.
It seemed she was still upset that he hadn’t kept it.
“After we conquer the ruins, I’ll make you a sibling.”
But Sally sniffled and tugged hard at the hem of his pants.
“Liar! Liar! Dad’s always like this! You never play with Sally! You’re always just annoyed! I hate you, Dad! Waaah!”
“Goodness gracious. Must be tough having such a stone-faced father.”
Henrik gathered up his mana threads and approached with a smirk.
Shanette also sheathed her bloodstained scythe and came down.
The last to descend was Iris.
She must have eaten a heart—blood stained the corners of her mouth.
Like the clan members, they had all taken part in hunting the Ahinkuls.
Iris smiled faintly, her lips still smeared with blood.
“Seeing you cry doesn’t make me feel good at all. Would eating a heart improve your mood?”
“Waaah! Mom!”
Sally ran sobbing toward Shanette.
She smiled and pulled the girl into a hug.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“Waaah!”
Kang Yoonsoo watched the two for a moment before turning his gaze away.
The clan members were gathering the Ahinkul corpses in one place.
With two hundred people hunting together, the number was considerable.
‘The top priority is large-scale hunting.’
Kang Yoonsoo approached the pile of bodies and stretched out his right hand.
Multi-Corpse Revival
「The number of corpses you are attempting to revive is too high. The types of undead that resurrect will be irregular.」
The beast-like Ahinkuls rose one by one as undead.
Some had become skeletons, others turned into zombies with glowing blue eyes.
The larger, more ferocious leader Ahinkuls had turned pitch black.
They had gained the trait of spreading disease.
Although undead had the weakness of being unable to make quick tactical decisions, they were still far more powerful than ordinary mercenaries.
◈ Zombie Black Bear x52
◈ White Wolf Monster — White
◈ Remaining storage capacity: 34 slots
Right after sending the revived undead into his summon storage, Jang Inwi approached him.
“Since we’ve filled the manpower shortage with undead, we’ll need to replenish supplies. We’ll probably need a considerable amount of healing potions. Can you really prepare that many potions by yourself?”
“Yeah.”
Kang Yoonsoo spoke casually.
Since Jang Inwi had clearly recognized his ability, he accepted the informal tone.
“Understood. We’ll return to Depheron first and finish the request we were working on. When shall we meet again?”
“Tomorrow at noon. Here.”
“Very well. We’ll see you here tomorrow.”
The members of the Blood Martial Clan headed back to the capital first.
Kang Yoonsoo turned and looked at Shanette, who was holding Sally in her arms.
As he stared at the two, he seemed to fall deep in thought for a moment before walking over and taking Sally’s hand.
The spirit, whose face was drenched in tears, looked up.
“Sniff…! Why?”
“I’ll play with you.”
“Whoa! Really?”
Henrik immediately turned away.
He looked up at the sky and muttered.
“Hmm. The sun isn’t rising in the west, is it?”
* * *
There was no special reason behind Kang Yoonsoo’s decision to play with Sally.
If this life was truly his last, then it was only natural.
The streets of the capital, Depheron, were bustling.
Street vendors selling all sorts of mysterious goods were everywhere, and the number of pedestrians was like the stars in the night sky.
Kang Yoonsoo personally bought a molasses stick from a street vendor and handed it to Sally.
“Whoa! It’s sweet!”
Sally beamed and licked the molasses stick.
Since she was a spirit, bright flames naturally drew attention, but with her robe pulled over her head, she didn’t stand out much.
Henrik stared at Kang Yoonsoo with an almost horrified expression.
“Did you eat something weird? What happened to that cold bastard? Did you suddenly discover fatherly love or something?”
“Why do you care?”
Shanette also looked surprised.
“Kang Yoonsoo-nim seems to have changed a lot lately.”
The words felt unfamiliar.
Kang Yoonsoo pondered how to respond, then ultimately stayed silent.
But Shanette smiled.
Whatever made her so happy, she laughed with genuine delight.
“That’s why I’m glad.”
When he looked into her eyes, for some reason Kang Yoonsoo felt the urge to look somewhere else.
So he glanced at Iris instead.
The Winterkill Ruins raid wasn’t just for the legendary request—he also intended to find the alchemist who had created her.
He needed to learn more about the White Shadow dwelling inside her.
Perhaps she had noticed his gaze.
Iris stared at him intently and licked her lips.
“I want to eat that too.”
“……”
Kang Yoonsoo simply bought four more molasses sticks and handed one to each of his companions.
Before long, they arrived in front of a large wooden building.
A signboard depicting a glass bottle filled with purple liquid swayed in the center of the building.
‘One Glass at Dusk’
It was a trading company that manufactured and distributed various potions.
They also handled dangerous substances like flammable materials and highly volatile liquids.
It was one of the few companies that had maintained a steady rise in the capital for a long time.
There had been a few unsavory rumors spread through the back alleys, but that was all.
Kang Yoonsoo stopped and spoke.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
He explained his plan.
Henrik bit his lip hard.
“Damn it, how the hell do you plan to survive pulling something like that?”
Henrik wore a troubled expression.
Nevertheless, he pulled out a jet-black dye from his pocket and handed it over.
“You sure about this?”
Kang Yoonsoo nodded and accepted the dye.
Shanette also looked worried.
“That’s too dangerous. If things go wrong, you won’t just end up in prison.”
“If you follow my instructions, we won’t get caught.”
Kang Yoonsoo spoke with absolute certainty.
Sally’s clear eyes sparkled.
“Can I play however I want?”
“As much as you like.”
“Whoa!”
Shanette, Henrik, Sally, and Iris headed behind the building.
Kang Yoonsoo moved to a secluded corner and took out his human bodycrafting tools.
‘Black Tiger Clan. I originally planned to destroy them early on, but I’ve changed my mind.’
He dipped the dye and began drawing a tattoo on the back of his right hand.
His movements were light, yet the completed black tiger tattoo was incredibly intricate.
‘In this life, I’ll use them to the bone.’
Kang Yoonsoo looked at the building of the One Glass at Dusk trading company.
To create enough potions for over a thousand troops—including undead—by himself, even with his skill, he would need to devote several months entirely to the task.
But Kang Yoonsoo had no intention of wasting that time, nor did he have the funds to buy such a large quantity of potions.
However, if this was his last life.
No matter how dangerous the path, he had to claw his way to the very top.
Kang Yoonsoo stepped inside the One Glass at Dusk trading company building.
Numerous trade merchants, alchemists, and adventurers were exchanging potions and elixirs.
He walked over to the reception desk.
He repeated to himself.
Be bold.
Just as he had hidden his level from Jang Inwi.
Just as he had concealed his physical weakness and displayed mental strength.
Deceive others for profit.
“How may I help you?”
A gentle-looking woman asked.
Kang Yoonsoo crooked his finger.
When the clerk tilted her head in confusion, he violently grabbed her hair and yanked her forward.
“Kyaa…!”
The startled woman was about to scream when Kang Yoonsoo whispered into her ear in a dry voice.
“There is a bomb planted in this building right now.”
It was time to begin the real con.