Shadow of the Quiet Dawn
Eye of the Demon God
—The unique authority of the Demon God Icardior. It possesses the ability to foresee the future.
—Allows the user to see one second into the future.
Dojin stared at the skill window hovering before his eyes.
Eye of the Demon God.
It was the absurd ability he had gained as a special reward upon reaching level 130.
It has no cooldown, but…
The price of using the skill was simply too steep.
Every activation came with a permanent drop in stats. Although he had recovered and boosted many of those values while climbing to level 150, the risk could not be ignored.
Especially the pain.
Even Dojin, who had grown intimately familiar with agony, found it almost unbearable. Because of that, no matter how willing he was to shoulder the burden, he could only afford to use it once.
He had tested it again just in case, but the second activation had pushed him to the very edge of consciousness. Anything beyond that left him so wrecked he could barely move. In that state, using the skill would do more harm than good.
Still…
“Another special reward at level 150. I didn’t expect that.”
He had anticipated something, but not back-to-back privileges like this. If the pattern continued, it raised an obvious question.
Will there be one at level 180 as well?
Every growth threshold granted him tremendous power. On top of that, he received twice the special rewards others did. The situation had long since surpassed anything that could be dismissed as merely “incredible.”
Dojin recalled the moment he had first crossed the threshold to level 150.
You have reached level 150.
The trait of the being who rose from the lowest place to the highest has manifested.
You have received the level 150 special reward.
All stats have increased by 30.
You have acquired the unique skill (Passive): Transcendent Awakening.
Transcendent… Awakening.
Every skill he had obtained until now followed the same pattern. That was how Dojin knew exactly what the phrase meant.
“The being who rose from the lowest place to the highest.”
He still did not know the exact identity of that existence, but he could finally make an educated guess.
The long horns that symbolized demonic power. The card had depicted horns long enough to pierce through it, yet there had been no wings—the mark of a high-class demon. According to the established hierarchy, the higher the demon’s station, the more wings they possessed. Yet if the being had never possessed wings to begin with…
“It makes sense.”
From the lowest place.
“It means the entity swallowed the Demon Realm whole and climbed to the very peak.”
To the highest place.
It could only signify ascension to the realm of the Demon God. He still could not decipher what the ??? rank truly represented, but one thing was now certain.
The being who had granted him its blessing stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Demon Realm.
Dojin calmly lowered his gaze to the newly acquired skill.
Transcendent Awakening
—When facing an enemy of higher level, all stats increase by 5 for every 10-level difference.
He was now level 150. He did not know Kang Seungho’s exact level, but even if the man had reached the mid-200s, the gap would be roughly eighty to ninety levels. That alone would grant more than 160 additional stat points—equivalent to gaining over thirty-two full levels in a single burst.
His base stats already overwhelmed ordinary level-200 hunters. With the skill’s effect doubling his power against stronger opponents, he had already surpassed Kang Seungho in pure capability.
The preparations were complete.
All that remained was to set the stage.
There was only one variable he needed to consider.
What if that bastard actually reaches level 250…?
If Kang Seungho obtained a special reward Dojin knew nothing about, the situation could change. He recalled the Kang Seungho from his previous life. Even then, the man had never reached level 250. He had not needed to.
With the highest level in Korea and monstrous combat sense to match, there had been no reason for him to endure the hellish training required. Yet recently the man had vanished from sight. Even SW Technology was having difficulty tracking him.
Is he really aiming for the level 250 reward…?
Could he manage it in such a short time?
Dojin’s eyes narrowed.
I have to assume it’s possible.
After all, he himself had achieved level 150 in just six months—an insane pace. There was no law saying Kang Seungho could not do the same.
“Huu.”
Dojin let out a small breath.
The situation had changed. He would not give the man any more time.
He immediately took out his phone and dialed the chief secretary.
The line connected after a single ring.
“Yes, Hunter Ha Dojin.”
“Chief Secretary. I’d like to request the final preparations now.”
“Have you made your decision?”
The voice on the other end was low and steady. Dojin gave a small nod, even though the man could not see it.
“Yes.”
“I will begin immediately.”
After ending the call, Dojin rose to his feet and began to move. It was time to bring everything to an end.
Thick darkness blanketed the city. The car carrying Dojin raced down the road at high speed.
“The Firebird Guild has completely ceased all activity.”
“They’ve dismantled every dungeon they controlled.”
“At this rate, it won’t be long before the guild shuts its doors for good. Heh heh heh.”
The conference room of the Red Circle guild was filled with an unusually bright atmosphere.
The decisive factor was that Firebird Guild Master Lee Hyejin had suffered a severe injury and withdrawn from active duty. On top of that, the hunters of their main raiding party had all been wiped out. Every operation the guild conducted had ground to a halt.
“The Firebird Guild is finished. Even if Lee Hyejin wakes up, there’s nothing left for them to do.”
“We’ve also located Hunter Ha Dojin. His movements were detected again a few days ago.”
“Was it connected to the Firebird Guild after all? Or just coincidence?”
“Judging by the timing of when he was spotted again, it doesn’t appear directly related, but take a look at this.”
Yeo Jin slid forward photographs of Ha Dojin meeting with Firebird Guild personnel. Jang Gwangho let out a short laugh.
“Well, it’s not like there could be zero connection.”
“How do you wish to proceed from here?”
Jang Gwangho’s eyes narrowed as he studied the images.
The reason Kang Seungho had suddenly returned to the dungeons to grind levels again was precisely because of this man. If someone as meticulous as Kang Seungho felt the need to raise his level, the target had to possess considerable skill.
Jang Junyeong—that slippery bastard—had already fallen to him.
But…
There was no comparing himself to the likes of Jang Junyeong. Moreover, after completely resolving the conflict with the Firebird Guild, the atmosphere inside Red Circle had shifted in his favor.
“As long as Hunter Jang Gwangho is with us, nothing can stand in our way.”
“Exactly. Every problem the guild has faced so far has been handled by Hunter Jang Gwangho.”
“This last operation was truly magnificent. To think you would take out that thorn in our side, Lee Hyejin, in a single strike.”
“She brought it upon herself for not knowing her place. The Firebird Guild daring to challenge us? Pathetic.”
Every executive in the room turned toward Jang Gwangho, showering him with praise. He remained silent, but the faint smile tugging at his lips made it clear he was enjoying every word.
That was why he began to think.
If I take care of this Ha Dojin…
It would not be an exaggeration to say Red Circle was currently facing the greatest crisis since its founding. Most of their core business divisions had been destroyed, and their standing within the country had been badly shaken.
Perhaps…
Jang Gwangho thought of Kang Seungho. The man was undeniably formidable. He was also the one who had created Red Circle. But even though it was Kang Seungho’s guild, it did not belong to him alone. It was supported by many pillars. Only with their backing could one truly rule.
Without realizing it, Jang Gwangho clenched the fist resting beneath the table. He had always operated from the shadows. Yet after stepping forward to handle matters publicly, he had noticed the way people looked at him begin to change.
“What is the current status of Guild Master Kang Seungho? Has there been any word of him leaving the dungeon?”
“Not yet. We cannot predict when he will emerge.”
It had already been over a month since they lost contact with him. He was most likely aiming for level 250.
It won’t be easy.
Even Jang Gwangho had ultimately given up on that goal. Across the entire world, only a handful of hunters had ever reached level 250. Most of those who succeeded had done so with the massive support of giant corporations.
No matter how strong Kang Seungho was, achieving it would not be simple.
In that case…
If he eliminated Ha Dojin and resolved all remaining issues while the man was absent, then—
Red Circle will become mine.
Jang Gwangho’s eyes flashed sharply. A new thought struck him like a hammer to the skull.
There are no more Shadows left.
He would no longer remain second. He would stand at the very top. He had more than enough ability to do so.
Jang Gwangho looked around at the executives seated in the conference room.
“Right now, Red Circle is suffering humiliations it has never experienced before.”
At his words, the executives’ expressions darkened. The guild’s reputation had plummeted to rock bottom. Simply belonging to Red Circle was enough to earn scorn and pointed fingers. Though no one said it aloud, the greatest blame lay with Guild Master Kang Seungho. He should have resolved the situation before it reached this point.
Reading their faces, Jang Gwangho grew certain. He could push forward with his plan.
“This problem must be resolved quickly, yet Guild Master Kang Seungho has simply entered a dungeon for his own growth.”
The mood in the room was shifting. The executives’ eyes changed one by one.
“I will personally step forward and eliminate the threat. I will restore the guild’s honor to its former glory.”
And then—
“Once this matter is concluded, I will hold the current master, Kang Seungho, accountable. We cannot serve a master who abandons the guild while it falls into such disgrace.”
He had declared it.
The executives looked momentarily stunned. But they quickly responded.
“You are right.”
“Exactly. For the guild to have fallen this far while the master refuses to act personally—he cannot be called a true master.”
“In the hunter world, we are now treated like trash. Someone must step up and change this situation.”
“If Hunter Jang Gwangho takes the lead, we will follow!”
“We will follow!”
Jang Gwangho maintained a solemn expression as the executives chanted his name, giving them a dignified nod.
“Very well. If the executives of Red Circle desire it… I will step forward and resolve this matter first.”
It was simple. All he had to do was kill the root of the problem—Ha Dojin. Unlike Kang Seungho, who had withdrawn from active fieldwork, Jang Gwangho had continued operating in the shadows. And in terms of pure skill—
I am not inferior to Kang Seungho.
At this perfect moment while the man was absent, he would end it quickly.
Then I will devour Red Circle.
His heart began to race with this new ambition. The position of Red Circle’s true master.
Jang Gwangho rose from his seat. It was simply another hunt, just like all the ones before.
He turned to Baek Yeo-jin, who was still seated.
“Intelligence Team Leader.”
“Yes, Hunter Jang Gwangho.”
“Compile all data on Ha Dojin’s current location and recent movements and send it to me.”
“I will prepare it immediately.”
They already had so much information on Ha Dojin that it bordered on obsession—his real-time location, movement patterns, everyone he had met. All of it was documented.
Jang Gwangho nodded.
“Then it’s time to prepare for our resurgence.”
In his mind, he had already become the master of Red Circle.
And at the same moment—
You have reached level 250.
You have received the level 250 special reward.
Kang Seungho, too, had reached his goal.