Chapter 127: Let's Start with This Place First.
He'd managed to sneak in somehow... but damn, the security elsewhere is tight. Booby traps, alarm magic—the works. Overkill for just snagging one hunter and one civilian, isn't it? Guess the intel I have hits 'em where it hurts.
Hyeon Jeong-geon made full use of his prized stealth trait to scout a route out of the Prison Village. Unfortunately, communications were dead here too.
Pocketing his smartphone with zero bars, he kept searching for a way out of Sinuiju entirely.
Heaven rewarded his persistence. He finally found a path tunneling underground.
Jang Jung-shin's crew guarded it, but the underground network was so vast and labyrinthine that even they didn't know every passage.
"Might just squeeze through if I'm lucky."
As Hyeon Jeong-geon trudged through the pitch-black tunnel, he pondered his next moves.
Even if he linked up with Iron Will, there'd be plenty to handle.
How to extract Kang Moo-hyuk? What stance to take on Sinuiju afterward? Negotiate if intervening, or fight?
'Best to keep the blood minimal. Time to dust off the old trade? Assassination's not my jam, though. Ends too quick. If it weren't for Kang Moo-hyuk's life on the line, this gig might even be fun.'
Just as regret and temptation muddled his thoughts, a sensation wiped his mind blank, crashing over him like a wave.
"Shit!"
It was a close call. A slender rapier stabbed right where he'd stood moments ago.
'When the hell?!'
An ambush so stealthy he hadn't sensed a thing.
'Assassin.'
Hyeon Jeong-geon clocked the foe as a fellow hunter in his line of work.
He melted deeper into the shadows, stifling his presence. Maximizing his stealth skill trait to slip their notice.
'Holy crap. Not the issue—who's there? I know someone's around, but... nothing? Zero read?'
Even a deliberate scan yielded no life signs. Hyeon Jeong-geon reeled.
Back in his Titan days as an assassin, he'd quietly offed countless guild threats.
Most were villains; some hunters had clean records on paper, but they were all shady types who'd met his blade.
He was a pro assassin, highly rated in silent kills.
'Haven't faced one like this in ages... nah, first time. Plenty of strong hunters, but none surpassing me in stealth and assassination.'
Then Titan's vice master Ma Tae-soo's private hit squad got busted by guild master Lee Cheol-jung.
Kang Moo-hyuk had sniffed it out and set it up. Furious at losing his thrilling hobby, Hyeon Jeong-geon targeted him as his final Titan mark.
Instead, he infiltrated the strategy team as a career staffer. Biding time for the kill, mulling painful methods as daily entertainment—next thing he knew, he was deputy team leader.
'Wandered off-topic. Focus. One slip, and today could be my funeral.'
He reined in his fleeting lapse, but that split-second distraction proved fatal.
A sticky pressure crushed down. Instinct hurled him aside.
BOOM!
"Fuck! What kinda assassin's this damn loud?!"
"Not an assassin."
"Huh?!"
"Pro spy."
Shock at losing his back was brief. Dozens of darts flew from Hyeon Jeong-geon's hand.
"Eek! This guy's no pushover?"
The foe flailed noisily like a newbie, but bizarrely, not one dart hit. They thunked into floor and walls, as if targeting shadows.
The enemy bellowed.
"You're the one slinging dangerous shit!"
"You see that crater and say that to me?"
"Wasn't me."
"What?"
"Your uncle did it."
A voice from behind. Second time in his life his back was taken undefended—both today, no less.
"Ah, hell. This ain't fun anymore."
Shrrrrk!
Tenfold Chains
Invisible chains—ten strands—bound Hyeon Jeong-geon in an instant.
"Man, missing my custom gear today. Shoulda swiped it from Titan."
"What? You from Titan?"
"You know Titan?"
"Oh ho, puzzle pieces clicking. No wonder it felt off. Iron Will wouldn't just ghost."
"One-sided convo. Mind filling me in? Why Titan outta nowhere?"
"Heh, no use playing dumb now. Pro spy like me reads eyes. Ma Tae-soo's dog, huh? Here for payback after you botched the last gig on Boss Kang."
"Got enemies under Ma Tae-soo, sure... but you're off-base."
"Look at this punk, dodging to the end. Hey, what'd you do to Boss Kang?"
"Boss Kang? Wait, Kang Moo-hyuk?"
"See, Eul-ji? Killer actor. Words won't cut it."
"How we handling?"
"Beat his ass."
"My specialty."
"Wait, hold up—you're misunderstanding something..."
"Smack till he squeals!"
"Hey, hear me ou—Urk! Gah! You little—Ngh! I ain't lettin' you—Hngh!"
"Whoa, this guy's tough! Taking hits that floored Baekho's Park Beom-il. What now, Mr. Jo?"
"My motto: No one beats a beating."
"Aye, keep pounding."
After an eternity of screams echoing off the walls, Hyeon Jeong-geon went limp. Whatever they hit with pierced full-mana defenses—pure agony.
"You fuckin'... Boss Kang... workin' with these savages...? Ugh."
"Huh? Mr. Jo, sounds like he knows Boss Kang."
"Stop. Enough already. Kid's got no off-switch. Same as when he jumped me before."
"Gotta signal clear."
"Hey! Hey, he's not breathing. Drop him. Breathe, damn it! Breathe!"
Mr. Jo laid Hyeon Jeong-geon flat, starting chest compressions.
Suddenly, breath returned—Hyeon Jeong-geon bucked his legs, coiling thighs around Mr. Jo's neck, rolling to claim his back. A dagger from his sleeve kissed her throat.
"You tricked me, bitch?!"
"Told ya, listen! Gonna snap your neck."
"Whoa, chills. How's he fake dead that good?"
"Stay back. Can't vouch for her life."
"Eh, don't care. We ain't buddies."
"Eul-ji, you little—!"
Watching the prank—or acting?—or real?—duo, Hyeon Jeong-geon chuckled wryly.
"Boss Kang... hogging all the fun ones, huh? Pisses me off."
"You're no picnic yourself."
Mr. Jo clicked her tongue, hostage yet mouthy.
Footsteps—dozens—from the opposite tunnel.
"Over there!"
"Explosion that way!"
"Uncle, voice too loud. Busted."
"Your fault!"
"Let's bail and chat. Outta here first."
Hyeon Jeong-geon flinched. The voice of his "hostage" Mr. Jo echoed from several paces away. Nothing in his arms—just air and a dagger pose.
"When...? Some tricks."
"Told ya. Pro spy. Can't hack basics, I'm done."
"What're you two doing? Out first!"
"Ha?"
Hyeon Jeong-geon grinned, tailing them with glee.
Under Kang Moo-hyuk's threat, Hwang Dong-soo meekly took the chair beside him.
'Mom as hostage? Trap? Damn, she's a civilian. No clue what's spinning here.'
Hwang Dong-soo glared at the quietly watching Kang Moo-hyuk.
"Swear it. Anything happens to Mom, I'll rip you limb from limb."
"Now we can talk. Don't worry—your mom's fine."
"Why believe you?"
"Haven't done squat."
"What?"
"Nothing. No hostage. Don't even know your place."
Hwang Dong-soo gawked, processing for five seconds.
"But earlier you said..."
"I'm not killing your mom."
"Not you? Then who?"
"Disease. Heard she's real bad. Non-external illnesses don't yield to potions. Sinuiju's got no proper meds. Big hospital's advanced mana therapy might, though."
"Think I don't know? You barge in blind? We can't afford luxuries here. Prison Village folk."
"Right. Sinuiju cash can't buy it."
"Mocking me? Absurd."
"I can treat your mom, Hwang Dong-soo."
"Wha... what'd you say...?"
"You know who I am."
"Yeah, Kang Moo-hyuk..."
"Not the name."
"Dunno... not up on world affairs..."
"Iron Will Guild leader. Owned by Taeseong Group—Korea’s fifth-largest corp. They’ve got top-tier medical foundation. I can get her treated there."
Hwang Dong-soo deflated, slumping back, staring at the ceiling blankly.
Kang Moo-hyuk continued.
"Heard plenty about this place today. Way different from texts. Hard to ignore. So I brainstormed fixes. Then you show up, Hwang Dong-soo hunter. Starting with you."
"S-start what?"
Voice quavering. Hwang Dong-soo avoided his eyes—felt wrong to meet them.
Kang Moo-hyuk said,
"Let's take this place first."
"Name!"
"No Song-rin."
"Age!"
"36."
"Occupation!"
"Oi, can't you tell? Hunter. 'Hunter' in your lingo. You know, so quit the annoying repeats."
"Affiliation!"
"Fuck. This ain't Hunter Investigation Office. Giving me PTSD. Tsk! Cut the crap while I'm nice. Don't cross lines. Who the hell you think you are?!"
"Us? Village patrol. You're super suspicious!"
"Argh, can't even smack 'em. Look, all I did was make some kids cry. Treating me like a criminal over that?"
"Snuck in via the sealed tunnel, got nabbed. Smuggler's route, idiot. Drugs come through. Why release someone from there?"
"Damn, bad luck. Played nice to avoid fuss, and this humiliation. Hate junkies most. Treatin' me like trash. Wanna flatten 'em and bolt?"
Creeeak!
"Enough."
A man entered. The interrogator bolted up at attention.
"Captain!"
"Bigwig finally shows? Little later, I'd have trashed the joint. Even my patience has limits lately."
"You punk! Rude in front of captain!"
"Drop it. Step out. Gotta talk to him."
"Yessir."
No backtalk, instant obedience. No Song-rin pegged the newcomer as a heavy hitter.
'Similar rank to me? Hmm, hides aura well.'
The man extended a hand to No Song-rin.
"Third-class top-grade hunter like me, eh? Sorry for the rudeness. Name's Ryeon Jeong-mun."