Chapter 125 – Go Doo-sik’s Scream

The sudden scream drew everyone’s attention to Go Doo-sik.  

“What’s wrong? What happened?”  

“Ahhh! G-gahhh!”  

Even as his senior rushed over, Go Doo-sik clutched his head and writhed on the floor.  

“What the hell is going on?”  

“Should we call an ambulance?”  

Though his agony was clear, no one could do anything but watch helplessly.  

Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long.  

“Huff… huff…”  

Go Doo-sik gasped for air as he pulled himself together.  

His senior approached with a mix of concern and annoyance.  

“What was that? Did you hit your head or something?”  

“I… I don’t know. A sudden, unbearable headache…”  

If it had lasted any longer, he might have lost his mind.  

‘I never want to experience that again.’  

He had no idea what caused it. The only relief was that it had stopped—for now.  

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”  

“I-I think I’m fine now.”  

“Take a break for a bit.”  

“Okay. Let me just finish uploading this first.”  

Go Doo-sik reached for the mouse to finalize the article.  

The moment he touched it—  

“GAAAH! AAAAH!”  

The pain returned.  

—  

“Huff… huff…”  

“Do you have some kind of illness or something?”  

Go Doo-sik couldn’t even answer, too busy screaming.  

“Then what the hell is wrong with you?”  

‘I wish I knew.’  

The pain came and went in waves, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted. But he noticed one thing—the agony flared up whenever he tried to use the mouse.  

Because of that, he still hadn’t uploaded the article.  

‘It’s not like someone’s actively stopping me…’  

And there was no reason for anyone to interfere. No one stood to lose if the article went up.  

‘Well… except one person.’  

The hunter who had threatened him.  

A chilling thought crossed his mind.  

‘No way… Could he be doing this…?’  

Remotely causing pain?  

Even for a hunter, that kind of omnipotent ability shouldn’t exist.  

‘Either way, I need to upload this article…’  

But he was terrified to touch the mouse.  

What if the pain returned?  

“Hey, Senior…”  

“Yeah?”  

“Can you upload the article for me? I… I can’t even bring myself to touch the mouse.”  

“Fine. You rest.”  

As his senior took over, Go Doo-sik’s phone rang.  

‘Huh? Who’s this?’  

An unknown number. He answered cautiously.  

“Hello?”  

—I warned you. Not to publish that article.  

The cold voice on the other end made Go Doo-sik freeze.  

It was the hunter who had threatened him.  

“Y-you… It’s you, isn’t it?”  

—Yes. The pain you’re feeling? That’s me.  

Go Doo-sik’s throat went dry.  

This shouldn’t be possible.  

“You… How are you— GAAAAH!”  

Another wave of pain wracked his body. No matter how many times it happened, he couldn’t get used to it.  

“Done uploading the— Ugh, again? Seriously, go to a hospital!”  

“I-I’m fine… It’s gone now.”  

Ignoring his senior’s exasperation, Go Doo-sik picked up the phone he’d dropped.  

—Convinced now?  

“…”  

—Understand this. I can kill you anytime I want.  

Go Doo-sik trembled. He knew the pain could escalate to death.  

“What… What do you want?”  

—Take down that article. Now.  

Go Doo-sik immediately deleted the freshly uploaded piece.  

“It’s gone.”  

—I’m watching everything you do.  

“…”  

—So don’t dig into me. Don’t even think about resisting. If you do, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.  

“…”  

—Answer me.  

“Y-yes. Understood.”  

The call ended.  

Just like that, Go Doo-sik’s headache vanished—as if it had never happened.  

Or more accurately, it had been paused by the mysterious hunter.  

“Haah…”  

With his life held hostage, Go Doo-sik couldn’t focus on work for the rest of the day.  

—  

Min Do-jun pocketed his phone after hanging up.  

To avoid tracing, he’d called Go Doo-sik using Ahn Gwang-hyun’s phone.  

‘I warned him, but he still wrote that article.’  

Thankfully, he’d planted a Parasite in the reporter.  

If he hadn’t, things could’ve gotten messy.  

‘At least I stopped it before it spread.’  

The article had only been up for a minute—how many people could’ve seen it?  

‘After that blatant threat, he won’t dare try again.’  

He’d made it clear: he was always watching, and he could inflict pain—or death—at will.  

‘But I can’t trust him.’  

The reporter had ignored his warning once. He could betray him again.  

‘Anyone who gets in my way will be eliminated.’  

But now wasn’t the time.  

He’d use the reporter until he was no longer needed.  

‘I’ll have to think about how to exploit this pawn.’  

For now, he’d keep a close eye on him.  

“Boss, you called for me?”  

A Black Sea guild member approached Min Do-jun, disguised as Ahn Gwang-hyun.  

This was one of the few members without a Parasite.  

“Yeah. I have something important to discuss.”  

Casually playing the role of the boss, Min Do-jun lowered his voice.  

“Turn around.”  

“Huh? Oh, sure.”  

As the guild member turned his back, Min Do-jun summoned his Ghost Blade and stabbed without hesitation.  

Thunk.  

“Guh—!”  

The guild member’s heart was pierced. His clothes collapsed as his body disintegrated.  

[You have killed Hunter Yoon Soo-il.]  

[You have stolen the trait ‘Killing Intent Detection’.]  

[You have stolen 7 pieces of equipment.]  

[You have absorbed the target’s corpse.]  

[Your health has been restored.]  

‘No need for guild members without Parasites.’  

That’s why he didn’t hesitate to kill.  

He felt no guilt.  

This was just taking out the trash.  

[Trait – Killing Intent Detection]  

– Grade: C  

– Description: Allows you to detect killing intent directed at you within a 30-meter radius.  

‘He had this trait, yet he never saw his death coming.’  

Then again, Min Do-jun hadn’t shown any killing intent until the very last moment.  

‘Better than nothing.’  

At this point, he had so many traits that even acquiring new ones barely registered.  

The same went for killing.  

‘Was I always this desensitized to death?’  

He didn’t know if it was his nature or a change after his regression.  

And he didn’t care.  

‘If other guild members ask, I’ll just say I sent him on a secret mission.’  

After incinerating the clothes with fire magic to erase evidence, Min Do-jun checked his Parasite network.  

‘19 Black Sea guild members and 1 reporter under my control.’  

Satisfied, he smirked.  

‘Time to move.’  

With nothing left to do here, Min Do-jun left immediately.  

—  

Guild Master Kang Hyuk-soo of the Emperor Guild browsed the news on his phone when a headline caught his eye.  

“The Two Faces of the Hero Who Stopped a Dungeon Break?”  

Clicking it, he found an intriguing article.  

A hunter who solo-cleared the Swamp Crocodile Dungeon refused an interview and threatened to kill the reporter if they published anything about him…  

And apparently, this hunter was the same one who’d gone viral a year ago for stopping a dungeon break.  

‘If it’s about the dungeon break a year ago, they’re talking about Min Do-jun.’  

Common knowledge among those in the know.  

‘Hah, so he solo-cleared the Swamp Crocodile Dungeon? Impressive.’  

Kang Hyuk-soo whistled in admiration.  

He couldn’t care less about the reporter’s complaints. If anything, he sided with Min Do-jun—a real man stands his ground.  

“Oops.”  

Accidentally hitting the back button, he tried to reopen the article—  

[This article has been deleted.]  

It was gone.  

“Tch, what the hell? Where’d it go?”  

Frustrated, he tossed his phone onto the desk.  

Curious, he decided to check Min Do-jun’s ranking.  

“Level 2,008 in just a year? This guy’s climbing at a terrifying rate.”  

He clicked his tongue.  

Someone as strong as Min Do-jun belonged in only one place—the Emperor Guild.  

‘We need to recruit him ASAP.’  

He’d heard about the recent failed recruitment attempt.  

‘They say he rejected us without even hearing the offer.’  

The sales team leader had been baffled—who would refuse the Emperor Guild?  

‘Maybe it’s time I stepped in.’  

As the Guild Master and an S-rank hunter, his personal involvement might sway Min Do-jun.  

‘The strong are drawn to the strong.’  

Smirking, Kang Hyuk-soo grabbed his coat and prepared to leave.  

He already knew where to find Min Do-jun.  

“Guild Master, where to?”  

Sliding into the Rolls-Royce, he answered the driver.  

“Ilsan Hunter Management Center.”  

Thirty minutes later, the car arrived.  

‘If I wait here, Min Do-jun will show up eventually.’  

With no way to contact him directly, this was the only option.  

His massive frame drew stares as he stood outside the center.  

Not just because of his size—as the #2 ranked hunter in Korea, his face was well-known.  

Soon enough, the center’s director came rushing out.  

“Ah, hello!”  

A balding man greeted him nervously.  

Kang Hyuk-soo tilted his head.  

“Who’re you?”  

“I’m Noh Dae-woong, director of the Ilsan Hunter Management Center.”  

“Oh, the director! Nice to meet you.”  

They shook hands, the director sweating bullets—worried the S-rank hunter might crush his fingers by accident.  

Luckily, Kang Hyuk-soo had perfect control.  

“You’re Kang Hyuk-soo, the #2 ranked hunter, right?”  

“Haha, nice to be recognized. It’s been happening more lately.”  

“Of course! You recently became an S-rank, after all.”  

“Yeah, though I wish I’d been the first.”  

After some small talk, the director cautiously broached the subject.  

“If I may ask… what brings you here?”  

“Ah, well, this is a bit awkward to say outright…”  

Scratching his head, Kang Hyuk-soo replied:  

“I’m here to meet Hunter Min Do-jun. Can’t get through to him.”  

“Eh? Min Do-jun?”  

“No need to look so surprised. I’m here to recruit him, but it’s ultimately his decision.”  

“Ah, um, it’s not that…”  

The director hesitated before continuing.  

“Min Do-jun isn’t affiliated with us anymore.”  

“What?”  

Kang Hyuk-soo was stunned.  

Did Min Do-jun leave for another guild?  

“W-where did he go? If you know anything, tell me!”  

“It’s not that he joined another guild…”  

The director’s expression turned bitter.  

“He made his own guild.”