Chapter 9
**CHAPTER TITLE: THE ASSASSIN HUNTER STOPS TIME (9)**
Late at night.
Seong-hil had come out to the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
“Room 201.”
He looked at the information saved in his smartphone and curled the corner of his mouth up.
“What a useless bastard. To catch a person, you should just poke the family first.”
When the light in the villa on the second floor went out, he smiled and climbed the stairs.
And…
*creak.*
With a light push on the locked door.
*creak!*
Even though he was only a D-rank hunter, prying open a door lock was nothing special for him.
Seong-hil tore the entire door lock off in one go.
*grrrr!*
He carefully worked to make as little sound as possible.
Every time he slipped into someone else’s house like this, a strange thrill ran through him.
*That’s why I can’t quit.*
Seong-hil let out a small laugh, then slowly opened the door. But at that moment—
*thud!*
“……!”
A sudden shadow covered his eyes, clamped his mouth shut, and grabbed his cheeks.
Overwhelming grip strength.
He almost felt as if his facial bones were about to crush.
But more than that…
“Ugh!”
A cool sensation touching his neck made Seong-hil shudder.
Soon the man in front of him spoke softly.
“Shh.”
A magic word.
Seong-hil stood still, not even breathing, staring at him.
The look in those eyes was like a blade digging into his heart.
“Quietly… turn your body and go down. Don’t look back. Do exactly what I say and walk away.”
He nodded.
Seong-hil swallowed hard and did exactly as he was told.
In one glance, he knew.
*He’s… much stronger than me.*
The eyes facing him.
The chill made his heart ache.
Seong-hil walked out of the villa and started toward the remote path as instructed.
Soon they entered a dark, deserted alley, and the man said:
“What’s your name?”
“Gwa, Gwa Seong-hil.”
A nobody who hadn’t even heard of before.
“Why are you here?”
Do-jin started extracting information from the guy.
Being a nobody, his mouth was loose.
He learned that he had come for the mission from U-won…
*After that guy, Sang-wung.*
Sang-wung was a guy Do-jin knew too.
A classic weak-strong-weak-strong type.
He handled a lot of petty, dirty work even inside the guild.
But since Do-jin remembered him…
*If I poke that guy… he’ll react a little.*
If he were just killing this guy now and buying a little more time, that would’ve been it.
But…
*For someone like Sang-wung.*
The bonus stats he had gained after leveling up to 50 were a huge help.
Do-jin organized his plan in his head, took out his smartphone, and dialed someone somewhere.
“Hello, older brother Cheolsu?”
“It’s late. Sorry.”
“No problem. What’s the sudden call for?”
“Do you have any empty dungeons right now?”
“Empty… dungeon?”
Seong-hyun’s voice became serious.
Hunters knew what empty dungeons meant.
“…Wait a second. Are you still in Yongin?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll contact you immediately.”
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, Do-jin waited.
After about two minutes, a call came from Seong-hyun.
“From that side, it’s only about ten minutes by car to a dungeon that’s been cleared. The extraction team has already left, and the guild has approved it.”
*…So I’m one debt closer.*
But with this, he could definitely finish one job.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll send the exact location by text. But… you don’t have to worry, right, brother?”
At those words, Do-jin gave a small smile.
“Yes, you don’t have to worry.”
“Then I’ll be waiting for your call, brother!”
The call ended.
Soon, as Do-jin looked at the text that came through, he said to Seong-hil:
“Call U-won. Tell him you found me.”
The very first piece of the Red Circle puzzle.
He was going to smash that first.
* * *
When they arrived at the dungeon, there were no soldiers guarding the surroundings.
Even after a clear was made, it was normal to guard until the gate was fully closed.
The fact that they were missing meant the Firebird Guild had already taken care of it.
“W-we should go in too?”
“If you want to die here, there’s no need to enter.”
“…I’m going in.”
Seong-hil, with a death-like face, secretly glanced at the phone in his hand.
Because he had sent the password they used among themselves while calling U-won, just as Do-jin had said.
*Uuuuuung.*
Soon Seong-hil followed Do-jin into the dungeon and swallowed hard.
Being inside a dungeon meant he couldn’t receive any protection from ordinary law.
Even though they were awakened beings living in the law society, they had their own unwritten rules.
Conflicts between awakened beings inside a dungeon weren’t considered a problem.
If Seong-hil died here and the gate disappeared, they wouldn’t even find the body.
“…”
Do-jin ignored the trembling Seong-hil beside him and looked toward the entrance.
After a while, the entrance flickered, and someone appeared.
*Sang-wung.*
Short-cropped buzz cut.
Scratches and red sunglasses drawn messily on both sides.
A thick gold chain around his neck and a thick, fluffy strange coat.
“So it’s you, the mutt who stole our money?”
Next to Sang-wung was one man.
One side of his face was swollen, blood dripping from his lips.
Though half-melted, it was easy to tell it was U-won.
“I-I’m not… not the one you’re looking for!”
A voice with holes in it.
U-won, in pain, scrunched his face and pointed at Do-jin, shouting:
Sang-wung slightly lowered his sunglasses and looked at Do-jin.
The posture and the aura he gave off.
“…Hey, U-won.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
“That guy, isn’t he the newcomer who awakened this time?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“You idiot.”
Sang-wung glared at U-won with killing eyes.
It was wrong from the start.
How could that guy be a newcomer?
*At least C-rank.*
No, maybe even higher, judging by the aura.
Sang-wung furrowed his brows.
If he had known, he would have brought equipment. But…
*It doesn’t matter. Catching a young punk like this…*
That was the only thing that changed.
Sang-wung gripped an axe in each hand, crossed at the back of his waist.
Sang-wung said:
“Do you know what my code name is?”
“…”
“You idiot? Can’t you even speak?”
Sang-wung sneered. But Do-jin said nothing, just gripped his blade.
Sang-wung clicked his tongue and furrowed his brows.
“The Butcher. I’ll show you why I’m called the Butcher.”
*kwung!*
He bent one knee and leaned his upper body forward.
The axe he lifted slightly.
With the posture of about to spring forward, an enormous aura exploded out.
“Ooooh…!”
U-won beside him let out a gasp.
As expected, a B-rank hunter.
The aura alone was different from ordinary lower-rank hunters.
Sang-wung moved first.
*bang!*
U-won slammed the floor hard and charged toward Do-jin like a bull.
The ground he rolled on sank in, and his eyes gleamed with madness.
“First, cut off one arm and one leg and start.”
“W-what?”
The instant Sang-wung’s axe swung down toward Do-jin’s left shoulder.
But at that moment.
*Time distortion.*
The world around Do-jin, within a five-meter radius, began to change.
Sang-wung furrowed his brows.
*What… is this?*
Something was off.
It felt as if an incredibly thin spiderweb covered his whole body.
Along with an alien feeling.
*Had my movements always been this… slow?*
The axe he swung down toward the guy’s shoulder felt unnaturally slow.
Sang-wung’s expression hardened.
*N-no way…!*
He had heard of it.
There was a skill related to ‘time’ among certain unique skills.
Sang-wung’s pupils shook violently.
If that was true…
*Ah, I have to tell.*
He had to report this fact to the guild immediately. But at that moment, the guy moved.
*flash!*
An enormous speed that would make one miss.
Sang-wung hurriedly turned his gaze to him, but—
*slice!*
In an instant.
*thud.*
His hand holding the axe fell to the floor.
“Kyaaaaaaaak!”
Sang-wung’s right arm had been cleanly severed just above the elbow.
By now, Do-jin, who had moved behind Sang-wung, was staring at him with icy eyes.
*thud! thud!*
Do-jin, lowering his posture, stabbed both of Sang-wung’s thighs.
It was as natural as poking a hole in hot dumplings to let out the steam—too obvious, too natural.
And…
*brrrbrr.*
*thud.*
Sang-wung’s both knees dropped to the floor.
It wasn’t just a simple stab.
In that short moment, he had severed his leg tendons.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!”
Sang-wung’s scream tore out desperately.
The pain he had never felt before surged like a tidal wave.
Do-jin slowly walked over and stopped in front of Sang-wung.
Sang-wung trembled as he looked at Do-jin.
Confusion, surprise, anger.
Various emotions filled Sang-wung’s eyes.
“You… that technique just now…!”
Sang-wung glared at Do-jin with murderous eyes.
Though a piece of trash, his insight seemed decent.
*Yeah, with that kind of skill he must have climbed this far.*
Do-jin looked down at him.
From the start, the difference between him and Sang-wung wasn’t that great.
Rather, if only stats were considered, Sang-wung was one level higher.
Probably Sang-wung’s level was around the mid-100s.
His stats were higher than Do-jin’s, and he had more skills.
Still, the result was the same.
Self-conceit.
Underestimating the opponent.
A trivial thing like that would never have been predicted to create such a result.
*If Sang-wung dies, he’ll be reported up to the Red Circle executives.*
It would make the situation busier for a while, but…
*It doesn’t matter.*
After all, everything would be smashed.
*This is…*
The first gift I’m sending you.
Kang Seungho.
*slice!*
Red blood began to spurt in front of Do-jin.
* * *
“Fire! Fire!”
“Quick, call 119! It’s fire!”
Late dawn.
Black smoke began rising in Seoul’s bustling district.
The completely burned office.
All the computers and documents inside had burned away. And…
“…Not a single rescue record?”
“That’s…”
*crack!*
“Kyaaak!”
The man whose face received the ashtray screamed, clutching his nose.
Blood flowed down the man’s nose, but the one who threw the ashtray was furious.
“How did you handle the job?! Sang-wung, where the hell is that mutt now!”
A skinny man.
His eyes were sharply slit like blades.
Baek Il-seong.
An executive of the Red Circle Guild.
A B-rank, but one step above Sang-wung in ability.
Baek Il-seong looked at the secretary in front of him.
“Make Sang-wung appear before me immediately. Right now…!”
“Yes, sir!”
The secretary bowed hastily and left the room.
Left alone, Baek Il-seong frowned at the news articles coming in live.
How should he report this…
His head was already throbbing.
* * *