Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Bloody Knight
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Bloody Knight.
A class that grows stronger by absorbing human blood.
A staggering Unique-grade hidden class.
In my first run, I didn't awaken it until much later. I was mostly up against monsters back then, not villains.
Starting from the second run, he changed course. Focusing on villains instead of monsters.
Thanks to that, from the second run onward, Do-hyun had rocketed to the ranks of the world's elite with ease.
The fact that it grows from human blood instead of monster blood is a massive advantage.
The reason was simple.
"P-Please... s-spare..."
Thwack!
Do-hyun glanced around at the bodies strewn across the floor.
Dozens of them lay dead in the abandoned factory in Siheung Industrial Complex, their blood pooling beneath them.
Villains.
No, trash-tier gangsters not even worth the label.
Humans are way easier and less hassle to hunt than monsters.
Monster hunting was a pain, no matter the risk or difficulty.
Still in Phase Zero.
Gates and monsters? Everyone saw them as nothing but money-makers.
Unless it was a truly dangerous gate or monster, the "manageable" ones sparked cutthroat competition to clear them.
Villains, on the other hand? No such rivalry.
Everyone just shoved the job off on someone else or swept it under the rug.
One month from now. I'll uproot every last villain sprout in Korea before I go.
If Do-hyun just up and left for America like this?
Korea would face the same horrific future as in his first run. Like most countries, villains would overrun the place, and countless people would suffer.
He'd decided on America, but he held no grudges against Korea.
As a bonus, wiping out the villains would make Korea's future a whole lot smoother.
When Do-hyun first terrorized the Chinatown Triad, hardly anyone paid attention.
Just infighting between rival organizations.
But two weeks later?
Everyone in Korea knew the name Do-hyun—or rather, "Dark Knight." Blood spilled nearly every day; staying hidden was impossible.
Public opinion, though? Not bad at all.
Not all of them, though? He took out Kim Su-byeong too.
Post-Cataclysm, villains were a bigger headache than monsters.
Ironically, monsters were manageable.
They made money.
Catching villains? No profit in it.
The Awakener Police Department and a handful of justice-driven "heroes" tried, but they couldn't clean up the flood of villains.
The blatant, in-your-face psychos were at least somewhat okay.
The real pains were the smart ones.
The ones who played clean on the surface while scheming in the shadows.
Those types usually had deep pockets greasing palms, so the state turned a blind eye.
Those Black Dragon Guild guys Dark Knight handled were infamous for illegal PvP, but got off scot-free due to "insufficient evidence." Word is they had a four-term ruling party congressman backing them.
The masses hailed "Dark Knight" as a vigilante hero.
But that was just the public.
The government's stance was worlds apart.
To the government, Do-hyun was just the latest nightmare villain.
Especially with all the politicians tied directly or indirectly to his victims—or future targets.
Korea's investigative apparatus mobilized entirely to catch him.
Can't push it any further.
Do-hyun pondered this while scarfing down pork rice bowl at a kimbap joint, eyes on the TV bounty broadcast for him.
This kind of "villain cleanup" was routine every regression. He'd done it countless times; no sweat.
Just never this aggressively in such a short span.
Past runs, I paced it perfectly. Shaped public opinion to my max advantage.
Back then, his goal was seizing Korea's power structure.
Villain hunting was his tool for fame and influence.
This life? Straight to America anyway. No need to play those games.
Just get stronger off bad guys' blood.
Now I've hit top A-rank territory? Loose standards might even call it S-rank.
B-to-S in a mere two weeks!
Insane growth.
And that wasn't all.
A new hidden class!
A full-blown Legend-grade—one that supercharged growth when slaying evildoers.
First time awakening a second hidden class this early. Normally, even at best, Phase Zero made it impossible.
Society still functioned; killing a thousand was no small feat.
But ditching Korea anyway? No loose ends to worry about.
Before I leave Korea, third job change. Gotta prep enough to bring America to its knees.
Ten lifetimes of experience or not, underestimate America at your peril.
Every top-tier superhuman flocked there.
Becoming America's strongest? Easy.
But Do-hyun's goal wasn't playground #1.
Forcing America to kneel.
A whole different league.
Like I did to Korea in past runs. Become the overwhelming absolute in America. Third job change is key.
Ten Thousand Man Kill.
Plus, take down a globally notorious evildoer.
Those were the third job conditions.
Thousand Man Kill was absurd enough. Ten thousand? And a world-class villain?
One candidate fits perfectly. Not in our country, though.
Do-hyun scrolled news on his phone.
Mostly Dark Knight stories, but other headlines popped too.
The place to hit third job requirements?
North Korea.
North Korea becomes a massive thorn in Korea's side over time.
Post-Cataclysm, the Kim regime collapsed.
An S-rank in the North Korean military staged a coup, crowning a new dictator.
Not just there—most Third World spots in Africa and South America went the same way.
And toppling the Kims didn't improve things.
Made them worse.
The whole country's been offered up to the Outer Gods.
Common story for Third World nations.
New dictators, insecure after ousting the old, fell easy for Outer God cult temptations.
Other countries ignored the chaos in backwaters.
Big mistake later.
I knew, but never cleaned up North Korea early.
Feared the backlash.
Couldn't do it quietly. Do-hyun's hand would always show.
Only after building untouchable position could he act.
No backlash worries now. Nice.
He crossed the GOP into North Korean territory.
Post-regime collapse, their military was a mess.
Even if intact, his S-rank stealth skills would've slipped him in unnoticed.
Deep past the border, he ran into North Korean troops.
"Who goes there?!"
Already corrupted by Outer Gods.
Crack!
Neck snapped. Do-hyun stripped the uniform and donned it.
Timing varied, but infiltrating North Korea was regression routine. Second nature.
Found the outpost next. Spotted a few guards and an officer.
Crack!
Perfect fit.
This time, he took the lieutenant's uniform. Activated a staple Shadow Knight skill.
Face Shifting.
Temporarily reshapes facial bones to impersonate another.
Hopped in a Soviet-era Victory-51 military truck, heading for a higher command post.
"Lieutenant comrade? What's the matter?"
"Urgent report for the Commander comrade. About the Southern scum."
"What kind of matter?"
"Must tell the Commander comrade personally. Might even fulfill Dear Leader's great task."
"Really?"
"Details for the Commander comrade direct."
The commander was colonel-level.
In the North Korean military, "Dear Leader" was magic.
Opened doors to brass instantly.
Not all sunshine, though.
Click—
Entered the commander's room. Muzzles trained from both sides.
Do-hyun nearly laughed.
Commander varied by entry time and route, but the script stayed similar.
He played along.
"C-Comrade? What's this? I've found a clue to Dear Leader's directive!"
"Report first. False intel means instant execution."
Opposite, actually.
If Do-hyun brought real info the current dictator craved? Dead on the spot.
To steal the credit.
"F-Found a sacrifice matching Dear Leader's conditions."
"Where? Speak now."
"Right here. Your neck."
"...What?"
Tap, tap.
Do-hyun's hands flashed, slapping away the rifles aimed at his forehead.
Before soldiers reacted, his evolved S-rank physique kicked in.
Guns hadn't fired; necks on both sides cracked.
"Y-You bastard?"
Commander fumbled for his pistol—too slow.
Crack.
Do-hyun dispatched him easily, sat in the chair, and grabbed the old Soviet HF long-range transceiver.
Originally for Pyongyang-frontline comms in emergencies.
Famously tuned the frequency manually.
To a U.S. military secure channel.
"Can you hear? This is North Korea's frontline command. Got urgent intel."