Chapter 106 – Jang Seok-hyun

Min Do-jun returned home and checked his distance from Hwang Ui-chul using his tracking skill.

[Distance to target: 48.68km]

’48 kilometers from here means he must be at home.’

Min Do-jun’s new home was in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

The distance matched roughly to Incheon where Hwang Ui-chul lived.

‘Though I feel guilty doing this to Teacher, I’m just checking if he enters dungeons…’

No need to follow him.

Just keeping the tracking skill on and checking if distance registers is enough.

If he enters a dungeon, it will show tracking impossible.

‘Let’s monitor for a week. Then I’ll know if Teacher really isn’t active.’

* * *

A week passed.

During that time, Min Do-jun stayed only at home.

He didn’t even enter dungeons.

He gave up hunting to track Hwang Ui-chul’s movements.

‘It’s fine to rest for about a week.’

He could put aside anything when it came to matters involving Hwang Ui-chul.

As a result, he obtained the information he wanted.

‘He didn’t enter dungeons.’

When entering dungeons, it should show tracking impossible due to distance.

But no such message appeared.

He hadn’t entered dungeons all week.

That wasn’t the only information discovered.

‘Very little change in distance. Meaning he only moves around home.’

From his observations, Hwang Ui-chul’s movement radius didn’t exceed 3 kilometers.

In other words, he never left the neighborhood.

‘What’s going on that he doesn’t even go to dungeons and stays only at home?’

If Hwang Ui-chul had retired, he could understand.

But that wasn’t the case, was it?

He even firmly stated he would work for life.

‘So many suspicious points.’

According to Do Kyung-won, civil servant hunters get no vacations and can’t skip dungeon duties.

Yet Hwang Ui-chul was an exception.

Like receiving special treatment, he wasn’t going to work and stayed only at home.

‘Even lying to me about it.’

Though he thought hard, he couldn’t understand why.

He couldn’t even guess the reason.

That’s when it happened.

‘Huh?’

The distance to Hwang Ui-chul started changing.

[Distance to target: 35.90km]

…

[Distance to target: 24.32km]

…

[Distance to target: 13.18km]

This was the first time.

That Hwang Ui-chul had gone beyond 3 kilometers.

‘Given the speed, he must be in a car.’

Where could he be going?

‘And getting closer.’

When the distance narrowed to within 4 kilometers, Min Do-jun thought his home might be the destination.

But seeing it increase again, he realized his mistake.

‘Movement range reduced at 7 kilometers. He got out of the car.’

7 kilometers was closer than expected.

‘Should I follow?’

The close distance and curiosity about why he left home after a week made him consider following.

‘I don’t want to doubt Teacher, but it’s too suspicious.’

Rationalizing that he was just checking briefly, Min Do-jun prepared to go out.

* * *

‘What… he’s here?’

Min Do-jun stood at an amusement park in Seoul.

This was also Hwang Ui-chul’s destination.

‘Did he come with family?’

Min Do-jun, disguised as a man in his 40s using a ghost mask, followed the ghost wolf’s guidance.

[Woof! Woof!]

At the barking indicating arrival, Min Do-jun looked ahead.

Sure enough, Hwang Ui-chul and his family were in line for a ride.

‘So he just came for fun.’

Though natural for an amusement park, the question was why he wasn’t going to work.

And why try to hide it from Min Do-jun.

‘Anyone would think he retired.’

Hwang Ui-chul looked at Min Do-jun but quickly turned back to his family.

Not noticing the disguise showed his combat power was low as expected.

‘I’ve confirmed the destination, so this is enough. He wouldn’t tell me even if I asked directly. I should go back…’

As Min Do-jun turned away, he turned back as if seeing something he shouldn’t have.

His gaze fixed on a man.

‘Black Sea Guild…?’

Information he happened to see through weakness detection.

It showed the words “Black Sea Guild, Level 250.”

‘What’s Black Sea Guild doing here?’

Of course, there’s no law saying Black Sea Guild members can’t visit amusement parks.

But assassins wouldn’t come just to ride attractions.

Sure enough, the man kept glancing at someone.

At the end of that gaze was Hwang Ui-chul.

‘He’s monitoring Teacher.’

It wasn’t just speculation.

The man’s gaze constantly followed Hwang Ui-chul.

When Hwang Ui-chul left his sight, he moved to a better viewing spot, and when Hwang Ui-chul moved to different rides, he followed.

‘It’s certain. He’s tailing Teacher.’

Realizing this, Min Do-jun naturally looked around.

Checking if others were following Hwang Ui-chul.

He scanned widely, checking information on numerous people.

‘There’s one more, level 400.’

Two in total.

No other Black Sea Guild members could be found.

‘Why are they following Teacher?’

Hwang Ui-chul would be killed by Black Sea Guild in 1 year and 6 months.

Knowing this made the guild’s appearance even more concerning.

‘Are they after Teacher’s life?’

But it seemed too early.

There was still a year and a half left.

‘Surely the future hasn’t changed…?’

It was possible.

The future might have changed or accelerated due to his actions.

Given what he’d done so far, it was quite possible.

‘Anyway, Black Sea Guild’s involvement this early isn’t a good sign.’

Min Do-jun gritted his teeth.

His lifesaving benefactor might be in danger.

‘Though I don’t know why…’

He could find out directly from Black Sea Guild.

Min Do-jun discreetly followed one of the guild members.

* * *

Jang Seok-hyun was a D-rank Black Sea Guild member at level 250.

Though just a low-ranking member following orders to monitor, he had no complaints.

‘What guild would accept someone with F-rank traits like me.’

Though lucky to awaken and somehow reach D-rank in 2 years, that was it.

Feeling his growth limit, he tried finding a guild but was turned away for lack of talent.

Even hiding his F-rank trait couldn’t hide his slow leveling speed.

‘That’s when I met Black Sea Guild.’

Meeting Black Sea Guild was pure chance.

One day while suffering from inferiority about not finding a guild.

He got into a fight with a party member and ended up killing him, and a watching party member turned out to be from Black Sea Guild.

‘If they hadn’t recognized my killing intent then, I couldn’t have joined Black Sea Guild.’

After killing someone, Jang Seok-hyun was offered guild membership.

But there was a separate entrance test – killing an innocent person.

‘I’d already committed murder, so that much was nothing.’

Though it was the guild’s intention to prevent betrayal by making him a fellow criminal, he didn’t care.

As long as he could join the guild.

‘Though I’m in surveillance now, once my level rises and I gain experience and learn stealth, I can do assassinations like the seniors.’

He only learned it was an assassination guild after joining Black Sea Guild, but what did it matter?

Having already killed two people, he’d crossed a point of no return.

He was rather grateful to Black Sea Guild.

They accepted him when he had nowhere to go.

‘Here I’m not looked down on for low ability.’

Perhaps because everyone entered after committing murder, even low-ranking members weren’t treated lightly.

Plus, the guild paid steady money just for good surveillance.

While other places were busy taking hunters’ earnings, this guild actually paid salary.

How great was that?

‘Though I’m monitoring some unknown mister…’

He didn’t regret joining the guild.

‘Ah, bathroom.’

Monitoring since early morning left no time for bathroom breaks.

*tap tap*

He texted the other surveillance member.

[Senior. Need bathroom.]

[ok]

[Number two.]

[Ugh. Be quick.]

Jang Seok-hyun took his eyes off Hwang Ui-chul and looked for a bathroom.

*splurt*

“Ahh… relief.”

As he finished and tried to open the door…

*thud*

Something invisible blocked him from leaving.

“Huh? What… mmph!”

Someone invisible covered his mouth and pushed him back.

The bathroom stall door closed again.

*click*

As the door locked, the assailant’s form appeared.

The stealth was released.

‘W-who are you!’

He wanted to shout but couldn’t make a sound with his throat firmly gripped.

The strength was no joke.

Though he’d figured the opponent was B-rank or higher from the stealth…

‘Such incredible strength…!’

The grip strength was amazing enough to completely immobilize a fellow hunter like himself.

‘Must call for help…’

The bathroom was large with many people coming and going.

If he could cause a commotion, he might save his life.

Then the assailant showed him a phone.

There was text, seemingly pre-written.

[Don’t make sound or try using skills. Any foolish moves and you die.]

The grip tightened further, making even breathing through his nose difficult.

A thought occurred to him then.

This person could kill me with grip strength alone.

When he managed to nod, the assailant showed another message.

[But if you answer questions well, I’ll spare your life. The choice is yours.]

There was no other choice.

After nodding profusely, the assailant showed another message.

[Answer only with nods. Your reason for coming to the amusement park. Was it to follow a certain man?]

Jang Seok-hyun nodded.

[Then do you know why you’re tailing the target?]

This time Jang Seok-hyun shook his head.

[Write what you know about future plans.]

Jang Seok-hyun typed one-handed on the offered phone.

[I’m just a low-rank member so I don’t know anything. I just followed orders. Please spare me.]

He looked up with pleading eyes.

He felt he would die if he didn’t beg for his life.

The assailant who had been quietly nodding put the phone in his pocket.

That was the last of Jang Seok-hyun’s memories.

*crack*

His neck snapped and he went limp.

[You have killed Hunter Jang Seok-hyun.]

[Stolen trait ‘Low-grade Resistance’.]

[Stolen 5 equipment items.]

[Absorbed target’s corpse.]

[Health recovered.]

Only Jang Seok-hyun’s clothes and phone remained where the corpse vanished.

Min Do-jun took off his clothes and changed into Jang Seok-hyun’s.

Finally taking the phone, his face smoothly changed.

‘Shall we go?’

Min Do-jun, transformed into Jang Seok-hyun, left the bathroom.