The Assassin Hunter Stops Time
“Kang Seungho has executed all of his executives.”
A bloodbath was raging.
Lately, not only had Red Circle’s headquarters been hit, but murders had also struck the mansions of executives who had once served Kang Gwangho.
We had rushed to hunt the culprits down, yet not the faintest trace remained.
“Since Kang Seungho returned, Red Circle seems to have truly regained its center.”
In its current form, Red Circle had begun to focus everything on nothing but Kang Seungho’s every move.
After all, the original businesses were already gone.
The remaining manpower had shifted entirely toward Kang Seungho’s footsteps.
Erasing the evidence of the recent executive murders had simply been another of those footsteps.
SW Technology’s headquarters.
Kyeong Taek, who had been keeping a close eye on Kang Seungho, felt that the situation was far from favorable.
“At this point, we can no longer predict where or how the bastard will strike.”
The man who had once followed me for years was the very one who had killed his own executives with a single blow.
How could we ever know what madness he would unleash next?
That was why a suffocating atmosphere of fear had spread throughout Red Circle.
“Even among the staff, quite a few are already talking about quitting.”
“Kang Seungho’s personality being what it is, he would never leave them alone.”
“Yes, that is exactly why they are having such a hard time deciding. Fear of retribution, they say.”
“That means the noose is already tightening around his neck.”
On the surface he appeared calm, but he must be burning with anxiety.
Wasn’t that only natural?
He had already lost a considerable portion of everything he had built.
Do Jin nodded at Kyeong Taek’s words.
“However… the people monitoring Kang Seungho are all saying the same thing.”
“…?”
“They say the atmosphere has completely changed from before. That unique aura they emit—have you ever seen it?”
“…The atmosphere has changed?”
“It… it has.”
Kyeong Taek’s expression turned uneasy.
This was a feeling that could not be precisely articulated, even for those standing at the scene.
But…
“Tell me everything. Only those on the ground have such a precise instinct.”
Do Jin already knew how accurate that on-the-ground instinct could be.
Kyeong Taek nodded.
“The very flow of energy coming off their bodies has changed. It feels as if they are seeing someone else entirely.”
“…?”
Do Jin’s brows furrowed for a split second.
Seeing someone else?
Kyeong Taek pressed on. “Shall I go investigate it myself?”
“No. More importantly, Vice President—how many watchers has Kang Seungho attached to himself now?”
“Eight, sir… but why do you ask?”
Kyeong Taek’s voice turned urgent.
Do Jin replied, “Tell them to withdraw immediately. Immediately…!”
If my prediction was correct…
‘That damned bastard. Did he really reach level 250?’
If other hunters now felt so different, that had to be the only explanation.
And if that was true…
‘The watchers are in danger.’
Thud!
With a dull crack, Kang Seungho’s fist slammed into the wall, driving the man’s head inward.
Squelch.
Watching the lifeless body collapse, Kang Seungho flicked the blood from his knuckles.
“Moving like this myself… it really has been a long time.”
Eight men. All of them handled?
They had not even grasped the situation.
He knew they carried pride in their own strength, yet they had revealed every trace of it.
“No…?”
The moment level 250 awakened, every sense had sharpened dramatically.
Things that were once invisible now stood out in perfect clarity.
“Not bad at all.”
It almost felt as though the new power had given him time to adapt.
For now, it was merely… bothersome.
“There is a certain thrill in piling up new strength one layer at a time.”
Just like the first time Red Circle was built.
Kang Seungho turned away from the corpses on the floor and began moving toward wherever his next target lay.
* * *
“Lately… the atmosphere around Red Circle has grown dangerously unstable.”
Korea Hunter Association.
Chairman Lee Gwan-su frowned at the agenda before him.
The small and large incidents unfolding in the hunter world were escalating far too quickly.
In such a short span, countless events had already occurred.
“It feels as if the incidents are steadily building toward a climax lately…”
And at the center of that storm stood Red Circle.
A hurricane’s eye, these men.
Incidents that defied belief kept erupting, yet the Association could not intervene.
The reason was simple: Red Circle’s enormous influence within Korea.
The other executives in the room disagreed.
“If this continues, Red Circle might cross a line we cannot afford to see crossed.”
“Agreed. All the special privileges, all the leniency—they have bought us this far.”
“…”
Lee Gwan-su knew that too.
How over-generous favors had forged Red Circle into its present form.
If they had simply followed orders, they would never have allowed such actions.
“…”
Gwan-su exhaled deeply.
The situation was deteriorating, yet…
“For now, let us simply watch a little longer.”
Even if their power weakened, Red Circle’s influence in Korea’s hunter world remained immense.
In fact, most of the dungeons that had been cleared at critical moments had been Red Circle’s work.
But…
“Considering the damage Red Circle has suffered lately, that former strength may be gone.”
“Precisely. Black Chain Guild might actually be the better choice to support now.”
The executives seized Red Circle’s current weakness as their excuse.
The recent total annihilation of an attacking team inside a Red Gate and the death of A-grade hunter Jang Junyeong were fatal blows.
“Supporting Black Chain Guild seems correct.”
“After the assassination attempt on hunter Park Nam-hee, Black Chain’s internal cohesion has grown stronger.”
“Exactly the moment to form a tighter alliance and push them forward.”
Red Circle had become an unmovable force.
When their strength was weakest…
“Right now, we should seize them cleanly.”
The executives’ resolve was ironclad.
But Gwan-su shook his head.
“If another such crisis arises later, I will intervene exceptionally.”
Even if Red Circle’s power collapsed, Kang Seungho still lived.
The Association chairman could not sever ties with them.
The other executives understood.
“…Understood.”
“If this is our last chance, I agree.”
“We will follow Chairman Lee’s opinion.”
Having read Gwan-su’s thoughts, everyone nodded in agreement.
Gwan-su inclined his head.
“Thank you for your understanding. If the same problem arises again… I swear I will intervene, even at the cost of bloodshed.”
That settled it.
Yet everyone nodded with solemn expressions, for they knew exactly what it truly meant.
* * *
“Surely…”
If I knew Kang Seungho…
Do Jin sorted through the chaos in his mind and continued.
‘Moving like this means he truly believes in himself.’
If the bastard had really reached level 250…
That meant…
‘This Kang Seungho is something I have never seen before. Stronger than anything I know.’
In his previous life he had never encountered this version of Kang Seungho.
Because in the old timeline Kang Seungho never reached level 250.
What special trait had he acquired upon hitting that milestone?
Considering his style, I can guess…
“Perhaps a defensive skill.”
Unlike his brutal personality, Kang Seungho had always maintained perfect balance between offense and defense.
The special gift at level 200 had been a thrusting-type skill.
‘Undoubtedly… a lightning-fast skill that unleashed a stabbing strike.’
But Do Jin immediately shook his head.
Predicting such things would serve no purpose now.
Misinformation could only worsen the situation.
It might even create a fatal crisis at the decisive moment.
For now, the only thing left to do was…
‘I have to figure out exactly how he moves.’
The situation had reversed.
And then—
Drrrring!
A phone suddenly rang.
Do Jin’s face hardened at the unknown number.
Something…
“Hello?”
―It’s me, Kang Seungho.
“…”
An unexpected call.
* * *
“We need to wrap things up quickly.”
In the empty office, Kang Seungho rose from his chair, muttering to himself.
During the long years of running forward without looking back, Red Circle had grown for many reasons.
But among them, the one thing that set them apart was…
Problem-solving.
The moment a problem appeared, they resolved it faster than anyone else.
Now the only issue left was that problems kept erupting before they could be fully contained.
Yet the clear answer had finally arrived.
And…
“I have gained the ability to handle it all.”
Kang Seungho opened his status window once more and checked his level.
Name: Kang Seungho
Level: 250
The number 250 burned sharply into view.
No one in Korea could stop him now.
Not even the Hunter Association.
Could they really intervene against the first Korean hunter to reach level 250?
“…Never.”
They could not abandon Red Circle.
Red Circle was Kang Seungho, and Kang Seungho was Red Circle.
And then…
Ding.
A message arrived.
The news he had been waiting for.
Kang Seungho called the number without hesitation.
Right to Ha Do Jin.
―Hello?
“It’s me, Kang Seungho.”
―…
Silence greeted him from the other end.
What was he thinking right now?
‘No.’
It did not matter what the bastard was thinking.
All that mattered was achieving his goal.
Kang Seungho said, “We should finish this, shouldn’t we? Just you and me.”
When facing a difficult situation, the direct path had always been the answer.
Of course, whether the opponent would accept it was another matter…
―I agree.
Kang Seungho’s lips curved into a long smile.