The Assassin Hunter Stops Time
“Where did you go?”
“To the SW Technology headquarters.”
“Why?”
Su-a shook her head at Fatima’s question. “I don’t know. Ijun-ssi just said he had somewhere to go for a bit.”
“……Did you eat something delicious on your own and come back?”
Fatima moved closer to Su-a’s face and pretended to sniff the air with a wrinkled nose.
Su-a pushed her away. “What are you doing?”
“Um…… I guess you didn’t eat anything after all.”
“I just went there, stood around for a while, and came back. I have no idea why Ijun-ssi told me to go.”
Su-a shrugged as if she didn’t understand. But then—
Ding!
The intercom screen lit up with Do-jin’s face. Su-a and Fatima hurried to the door to welcome him. “Do-jin!”
“Hello, old man.”
Do-jin called Su-a into the room for a moment. His expression was a little serious. Her own face stiffened in response. “……Why?”
“When I was at SW Technology earlier, your father came to visit.”
“……!”
Su-a’s eyes widened. Shock made her mouth fall open without a sound. Do-jin continued calmly. “I can’t speak about your father in detail. Only you know what his true feelings are.”
“……”
“But as I searched for him, one thing became certain.”
“What is it?”
“For over ten years, your father has been searching for you desperately. Even if his own life hit rock bottom, he still looked for you. No one can deny that fact.”
Do-jin spoke with absolute certainty. Su-a pressed her lips together tightly. She had considered the possibility of meeting her father when she came here. She had already heard Do-jin mention him in Libya. But this sudden reality was far different from what she had imagined. “……”
The sudden revelation twisted Su-a’s mind into knots. Emotions crashed over her like fierce waves tangled in a storm. Do-jin watched her quietly. In this moment, no words or comfort would help her. And how much time passed? Su-a finally lifted her head and looked at Do-jin. “Can I meet my dad?”
“If that’s what you want.”
Su-a stayed silent. But soon she made a decision. “I want to meet him.”
Do-jin nodded. That card—Kang Seungho’s strongest and most coveted asset—would finally be his. ‘The time has come.’
Do-jin contacted Taesan. * * *
“Have you thought of any alternatives?”
“There’s one obstacle right now.”
Pouring, pouring, pouring. Kang Seungho poured liquor into the old man’s glass and answered. Moon Byeong-gi. He was the one holding real power at the center of South Korea’s current government. No matter how much the hunters claimed to dominate the world, the power of the government remained untouched. That was why the relationship between powerful hunter guilds and those who held public authority could never be severed. Seungho looked at Byeong-gi and said, “One. Don’t worry. I’ve found the problem, so fixing it is enough.”
“If you say so, then there’s no problem.”
Byeong-gi raised his glass to his lips. The deep aroma filled his mouth and slid down his throat. But Seungho was not finished. “However, there is one thing I would like from you, Senator.”
“Hoo, a man who can kill dozens in a single strike asking a mere human like me for help?”
“You can do what I can’t, so of course. Just as always, I would appreciate a little assistance.”
“Tell me.”
“The man is being supported behind the scenes by SW Technology.”
Seungho recounted the recent incident between Jun-yeong and Do-jin. Byeong-gi’s expression hardened. “Hmm…… SW Technology. So the chairman Gu Jin-mo is involved, is he?”
It was not an easy task for him either. But…… “One time should be enough, right?”
“Yes, no worries.”
At Seungho’s reply, Byeong-gi raised his glass. “I’ll handle it myself. Just let me know the timeline.”
“Thank you as always.”
Seungho took the liquor and downed it in one gulp. For the past few months, everything had been going downhill. But now it was over. After the dinner with Senator Moon Byeong-gi, Seungho’s mood felt lighter than it had in ages. Tomorrow he would head straight to the Shadow unit. And…… “This time…… I’ll have to use Yang Taesan.”
Since he had to keep using him for as long as possible, he hadn’t let Taesan fight in the open. But ‘there’s no better blade than him.’ His level was low, yet when they clashed, the man was capable of matching Seungho directly. Frontal or in the shadows, it didn’t matter. Earlier he had tried to catch Park Nam-hee and lost five Shadows. It hurt, but it gave him a clear picture of his forces. ‘Even if I move every Shadow I have, I’ll end this for good.’ If they moved, no one in the world could survive—not even himself. That certainty grew stronger. Tomorrow. “That annoying thorn will disappear.” * * *
“I’ll follow.”
“……”
It was unexpected. No, he hadn’t expected it at all. He had thought that bringing Su-a would allow for a friendlier conversation. “Are you being sincere?”
“There’s no reason not to be. The only reason I’m here is that child.”
Taesan spoke without the slightest hesitation. He had raised the Shadows under Seungho and killed many others. But above all else—He had never done it because he wanted to. Over ten years wasted. Even with iron-like willpower, his heart had withered. A parent who couldn’t find their lost child was broken; normal thinking became impossible. That was why he had clung to Seungho and followed his orders. He believed it was the only way to find Su-a. Yet the child he had searched for so desperately stood before him. Completely safe. More beautiful than he imagined. Healthier than his wildest dream. If he had a knife to the throat right now, he wouldn’t hesitate. As long as that child could live happily. A man like that could never betray Seungho. No, not betrayal. They had only been cooperating for mutual benefit. When that relationship ended, there was no reason to continue. But there was one problem. “Are you worried about the Shadows?”
“If I say no, it’s a lie.”
Taesan answered honestly. They were only orders. Raising the Shadows was only work. But that didn’t mean human feelings had disappeared. Cruelly, mercilessly. He had raised them that way, yet a sliver of affection remained. Do-jin had understood that side of Taesan. When he said five Shadows had died, Taesan’s face had been calm, but Do-jin had seen the grief in his eyes. And because he was such a man, ‘This is something I’ve suffered for too.’ That was why he wanted to stand beside him. In Do-jin’s memories, he was the most devilish person in this hellish place. ‘But also the most beloved.’ Taesan was that kind of man. Do-jin said, “I will protect the Shadows personally. Leave it to you, Instructor.”
“There will be a storm.”
“Would you have done this if you couldn’t handle it?”
Taesan’s eyes narrowed at Do-jin’s words. This guy…… Just how far did his plan go? “……That.”
Destroying Kang Seungho and Red Circle. The words echoed in his mind. But he didn’t say them aloud. He didn’t need to know. ‘If that’s true……’ Taesan pressed the thought into his heart and made his decision. Do-jin glanced toward the ruined building and asked, “How many?”
“Thirty-two.”
“A bus will be needed.”
Do-jin immediately contacted Gyeongtaek. A bus waited nearby. He had arranged it in advance, just in case. “Yes, depart.”
After hanging up, a large bus soon entered the ruined area. Taesan said to Do-jin, “You planned this?”
“Well, you can’t know everything about people.”
Do-jin laughed lightly. Taesan looked at him with slight surprise. “You even smile like that.”
He was a stranger, yet he resembled him. A collected momentum. A cold heart like ice and no outward emotion. But that smile…… Do-jin was surprised too. Had his past influenced him? Because he was standing in front of his master? Something felt strangely unguarded. ‘Not yet.’ Do-jin steadied himself. The plan was not finished. Of course, even if ninety percent of it was complete, it was fine. What remained was ‘Kang Seungho alone.’ And the Red Circle guild he led. If he shattered it completely…… ‘Would this fight end?’ He didn’t know the ending, but he knew more time was needed. Soon Gyeongtaek stepped off the bus. “Everyone, get in.”
“Do you have a bus driver’s license?”
“A helicopter would be no problem.”
A capable man. Of course, he would be closest to Chairman Gu Jin-mo. Beep! Taesan put his finger to his lips and whistled sharply. With him, Shadows emerged from the ruined building. Strange. As people walked toward him, no one could sense their presence. They had awakened as assassin hunters and trained their bodies to the extreme. “Let’s go. Here.”
In this hellish place, he could not say he wouldn’t stain his hands with blood. But it would not be torture that destroyed the soul like before. The blade was already sharp enough. Maintaining it perfectly and turning it completely his own was the most important task. “We depart.”
The bus carrying the Shadows finally left. And the next evening. “……”
Kang Seungho arrived at the ruined building and stopped, feeling an odd unease. What was it? He had always felt this way, but why did it feel too empty? ‘……Did I raise them to this level?’ Even his own senses couldn’t detect anyone inside. “Impressive.”
He had visited recently. How had it changed so quickly? He admired Yang Taesan’s ability anew. The Shadows had risen this high. “I should look into that Su-a girl a little more.”
At this level, he would have to pretend to be progressing. Creak. But when Seungho stepped inside the ruined building, “Ugh, uuuugh…… Aaaaaaaaah!”
In an empty space, Seungho finally let out the scream he couldn’t hold back.