Chapter 57
CHAPTER: The Assassin Hunter Stops Time
LT__strong>Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.
Kang Seungho’s fingers drummed on the table, but his expression gradually hardened into something far from ordinary.
‘This feeling… isn’t good.’
It had been far too long since the scheduled appointment had been fulfilled. The message he had expected from Junyeong at this exact hour, delivered by text as always, had not arrived.
‘Junyeong’s personality meant he could simply be busy, yet there was something different about this. Too different.’
“Jang Junyeong executive, any word from him yet?”“No, I’m still trying to reach him, but he’s not picking up.”“…Understood.”“The secretary’s voice trembled ever so slightly.”
In recent days Seungho’s responses had grown so razor-sharp that the entire support team now moved with barely contained tension.
Seungho frowned deeper. “At this point it’s almost embarrassing.”
“In truth I’ve been using the bug-catching knife to hunt chickens. One target, and he’s even been buried in the shadows. It’s no wonder he’s sulking, but I’ve let him behave this way until now, so I suppose I’m still in his good graces.”
But even so, this level of unrestrained defiance could not be tolerated.
He knew the guild’s situation was already precarious. “When he returns, he’ll get a proper lecture.”
But right then.
Beep.
The call came from the support team.
Seungho tapped the button on the desk phone. “What is it?”“M-Master!”The voice was markedly agitated compared to before.
And soon the words reached Seungho’s face, freezing it into ice.
-CHAOS TEAM INTERVENTION SUCCESSFULLY REPULSED How could this be… Zzzang! Junyeong’s sword flew sideways with a violent clang, leaving his chest wide open. The emotion that grew stronger the more they fought. ‘…The gap is insurmountable.’ Chwaak! “Kuaak!” A blade sliced across his left arm, spraying blood into the air once more. This time it had driven deep. The left arm, already painted red, refused to obey. Had the tendons or ligaments been severed by the earlier strike? His mind turned white, then filled with nothing but terror. “Dark Absorption.” Uuuuuung. A black current swirled around Dojin’s blade, vibrating faintly. “What?”“The eyes of Junyeong’s gaze shook violently.” It was because the energy embedded in the opponent’s sword was far stronger than he had expected. ‘I have to run…!’ If he took the frontal impact, it was over. Junyeong kicked the ground desperately, trying to retreat. But… Ziiiing. ‘Again…!’ The sensation of the entire body being wrapped in spiderwebs, the world slowing to a crawl. Inside that strange space, only the opponent moved with impossible speed, closing the distance. “Explosion.” Kwaaaang! “Kuaaaaaaaaak!” A violent blast sent Junyeong flying backward. The searing agony coursing through his whole body. Junyeong rolled on the floor, screaming.“Kuuu… kkkkkuuuk…” His sheer will to rise and keep moving was terrifying, even if his level alone explained part of it. His entire body was drenched in blood, the left cheek and neck scarred by severe burns. Yet the man still refused to surrender, pointing his sword at Dojin.“Ha… ha… ha…” Each breath reeked of blood. Something was definitely wrong inside his body. His vision blurred, consciousness fading. The legs supporting his body trembled wildly, and why was the sword so heavy? Just holding it felt impossible. But… ‘I cannot die like this.’ All the things he had achieved up to now… To die without them all being fulfilled? That was impossible. “Dieeeeeee!” His final struggle. Junyeong charged forward, howling in desperation, his blade aimed straight for Dojin’s heart. “Uaaaaaaaa!” A strike aimed solely at the heart. But at that exact instant. Pa-bat! Dojin had vanished from before his eyes. Swoosh! Chwaak! Puaak! Swoosh! In the blink of an eye. The moment Junyeong’s sword flashed, unbearable pain exploded across his body. And then… Chwaak! His vision went black. Thud. “Kuaaah! Aaaaaak!” His limbs jerked uncontrollably. The pain was unbearable. Junyeong’s scream tore from his throat. The sword in his hand clattered to the floor, and he could not even rise. But the most horrifying sight was… “My eyes! My eyes!” Dojin’s blade had sliced straight across them, destroying Junyeong’s eyeballs completely. Inside the darkness… “Tell Kang Seungho… I will come for him soon.” A gift for Seungho. Dojin watched Junyeong’s body writhe and scream in agony. Facing Red Circle head-on was no longer avoidable. ‘But…’ Even Kang Seungho would not move rashly right now. Formally declaring war would require careful timing—public opinion, the eyes of the powerful, all of it. ‘Still, I can’t drag this out forever…’ Time to launch the next operation immediately. Dojin straightened his posture, having spoken earlier while lowered. Gyeongtaek soon approached, gazing at the fallen Junyeong with a look of pure horror. His brows furrowed deeply. “You endured well. I’m told you hate killing.” “I apologize for the constant inconvenience.”“It wasn’t me who did it.”“I’ll pass your thanks on.”“Yes, and what’s next?”“I’ve become curious.”“Where exactly is this man heading?”“An executive of the Red Circle guild… to reduce that hunter to such a state.”“Ignoring the consequences, just thinking about Junyeong’s power is absurd.”“In the end he was one of the top hunters in Korea, ranked in the top ten.”“Yet he collapsed before Dojin without lifting a finger.”“Not that he survived. Dojin saved him.”“It’s truly…‘Creepy-level skill.’”“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it.”“Gyeongtaek was an A-class hunter, but he had no chance against Dojin.”“From now on I’ll begin cleaning up this scene.”“* * *” “Uncle!” “Dojin!” Dojin arrived at the apartment where Sooa and Fatima lived. Since returning to Korea, he had noticed the surveillance and had stayed away until now. Fatima met his gaze with a pout. “Dojin, why haven’t you come for so long?”“Sooa said she missed you a lot.”“Why?”“I want to eat this.”“Sooa held out her phone. A dish featured on YouTube, one Dojin had never seen before.”“What is this?”“Marorose Tteokbokki with Dangona and Byeottwigim!” Fatima pronounced the unfamiliar Korean with each syllable drawn out carefully. Dojin frowned. “Marorose… what?”“My memory isn’t terrible, but I have no idea what that means. Did such food exist?”“But looking at the two of them, Dojin finally relaxed. This is fine.” He looked at Sooa. “I’ll probably go find my father soon.”“…Eh?”“The mood suddenly turned heavy.”“Marorose Tteokbokki with Dangona and Byeottwigim” was swallowed instantly by Fatima’s mouth. Dojin spoke. “I may not be able to meet him right away, but I’ll go look for him anyway.”“…Is it dangerous?”“From the expression on Dojin’s face, Fatima inferred.”“It’s just finding my father. It seemed he had already steeled himself.”“Dojin nodded. “He’s not an easy person.” The Shadow’s trainer. In a way…‘The same as the teacher who taught me every technique.’ Until now he had felt complicated emotions toward those involved with Red Circle, unlike any before. How would he accept him? As an enemy… or as the savior who found his lost daughter? “…Hah.” Dojin exhaled softly and gently stroked Sooa’s hair. “Everything will turn out fine. So here, wait while I eat the Marorose… Fatima, what did you say?”“Marorose Tteokbokki with Dangona and Byeottwigim.” Fatima spoke the unfamiliar words with perfect pronunciation. Dojin nodded. “Here, eat Marorose Tteokbokki with Dangona… Byeottwigim while I wait.”“Byeottwigim!” “Yes, Byeottwigim.” Dojin turned away at once. He had to prepare to meet him. His retreating figure outside the door looked more complex than ever. * * * Beep… beep… beep… In the ICU, Junyeong lay bandaged from head to toe, breathing through a tube inserted in his mouth. Watching from outside, Seungho. A doctor approached his side. “How is the condition?”“…Not good.”“The specific details.”“In short, both arms and legs have torn tendons. We performed surgery to reconnect them, but recovery will take time. More importantly…” The doctor hesitated. Seungho looked at him with icy eyes. The gaze alone could drop a heart to the floor. The doctor swallowed. “The eyes… the eyes are the issue. Roughly half the pupils were sliced away, the cornea and sclera severely damaged. Especially the optic nerve, which was completely severed…” “So? Can he see? Or can’t he?”“…Recovery is impossible at the current stage.”“Clench.” Seungho’s fist tightened. The doctor rushed on. “Still, the eyeball wasn’t completely removed, so cosmetic reconstruction is possible to some degree.”“But the doctor’s words reached no further.” Jang Junyeong. One of the sharp blades in Seungho’s possession. Had broken completely. Puuk! His jaw muscles flexed beside both cheeks as he bit down hard. But at that moment… “Master!” A figure ran up calling his name from behind. Bai Hyejin of the information department. She had come to report information related to Ha Dojin. Seungho looked at the doctor, who hurriedly left at his signal. “What happened?”“How did they?” Hyejin answered with a grim face. “It looks like SW Technology… interfered.”“Again… SW…” Seungho’s expression twisted. But it wasn’t over. Ddiririririri! The phone in his pocket suddenly rang. The sender’s name made Seungho’s face freeze. “The situation where everything goes wrong in succession is the norm, right?”“Junyeong is already in this state, and now these people too…” His anger boiled over the top of his head. But first he had to deal with this problem, so Seungho told Hyejin. “Ha Dojin. Don’t do anything else—track his location in real time.”“Yes, understood!” With murderous eyes, Hyejin felt her body freeze for a moment. After the man left, Hyejin also rushed off somewhere.