Chapter 216 – Assassination Request

Min Do-jun retrieved Ahn Kwang-hyun’s phone from the drawer. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was Kim Jae-won, the second-in-command of the Black Sea Guild.

‘What’s this about? I ordered them to lay low, so there shouldn’t be any calls for a while.’

Before answering, Min Do-jun equipped the Tarnhelm and transformed into Ahn Kwang-hyun, the former master of the Black Sea Guild. His face, voice, and physique all changed perfectly to match.

‘If I’m going to impersonate him, I might as well do it right.’

Until now, when impersonating Ahn Kwang-hyun, Min Do-jun had only altered his face while using his own voice. The Black Sea Guild members might have found the voice odd, but seeing the familiar face likely dispelled any suspicions.

‘But now, I can mimic him completely.’

Having finished his transformation, Min Do-jun answered the call.

“What is it?”

-…

There was a moment of silence on the other end, likely due to surprise at hearing the familiar voice of Ahn Kwang-hyun.

-B-Boss…

“What is it, I asked.”

It was unmistakably the voice Kim Jae-won remembered as his boss’s. A relieved sigh could be heard through the phone.

“Don’t make me ask a third time.”

-S-Sorry. It’s about an assassination request that came in.

“An assassination request?”

Min Do-jun spoke in a voice laced with irritation.

“Didn’t I clearly order you to lay low and not take any assassination requests?”

-Y-Yes, you did, but… to be honest, we’re short on operating funds. And there’s some discontent among the guild members…

“Discontent?”

-Yes. Some joined the guild for money, but most are here because this life suits them. Telling them to do nothing for a while has caused some dissatisfaction…

‘Trash will always be trash, huh?’

Min Do-jun shook his head at the guild members’ attitude, showing discontent despite being given a chance to reform.

“So, you took on an assassination request on your own, ignoring my orders? Are you defying me?”

-N-No, of course not. It’s just that the amount they offered was too tempting to pass up…

“How much?”

-10 billion won.

It was a staggering sum, but Min Do-jun remained unfazed. After all, it was an amount he could earn from a single S-rank dungeon run.

‘To me, it’s pocket change, but to them, it’s definitely tempting.’

Considering the Black Sea Guild’s level, which topped out at around 1,500, it was an offer they couldn’t easily refuse.

“So, you were swayed by 10 billion and accepted the request without my permission?”

-N-No way. I haven’t accepted it yet; I’ve only heard the proposal. I told them I’d discuss it with the boss and get back to them.

‘10 billion to kill someone…’

There was no need to discuss it, but Min Do-jun couldn’t help but be curious about who was worth such a price.

“Who are they asking to be assassinated?”

-Well… do you know a Hunter named Min Do-jun?

Hearing his own name, Min Do-jun’s eyes widened in shock.

“I know him. He became S-rank a few weeks ago, right?”

-Yes. They want him assassinated.

Someone was willing to pay 10 billion won to have him killed?

“Who’s the client?”

-I don’t know. We only had a brief call, and I just got their contact details…

‘Who the hell is it?’

Someone willing to pay such a fortune to kill him. Min Do-jun was dumbfounded.

‘They must know I’m an S-rank Hunter.’

To request an assassination knowing full well he was S-rank was absurd.

‘I’m very curious who it is.’

At the same time, he felt a spark of intrigue.

“So, you called to discuss this with me?”

-Yes. I had no intention of proceeding on my own. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

“And? What kind of answer are you expecting from me? Do you want me to agree to assassinate Min Do-jun, an S-rank Hunter who’s currently on the rise?”

Assassinating a Hunter, especially an S-rank one, wasn’t easy compared to a civilian.

Even if Ahn Kwang-hyun were still alive, as an A-rank at best, he wouldn’t have succeeded. Even mobilizing the entire Black Sea Guild wouldn’t make a difference. No matter how much of a surprise attack they launched, unless they were S-rank themselves, they’d struggle to even scratch him.

Kim Jae-won, as the second-in-command, wasn’t ignorant of this fact.

-I know. I’m aware of how difficult and dangerous it is to assassinate an S-rank Hunter. There’s no guarantee of success, and even if we succeeded, the damage to our guild would be significant.

“You know that well, yet you didn’t reject the request outright. You must have some kind of plan.”

-Yes. I have a way for our guild to make easy money without taking any damage.

“What is it?”

-We take the money and run.

“Run?”

-We take the advance payment and disappear. If we get 20% upfront, that’s 2 billion won for free. This way, we can make money without risking an S-rank Hunter assassination.

“Clever.”

It was a sly tactic, fitting for the Black Sea Guild.

“Fine. Let’s do it your way.”

-Really?

“But first, arrange a meeting with the client. Set it up for tomorrow at the villa.”

-Understood, sir.

The next day, Min Do-jun headed to the Black Sea Guild’s villa. The appointment with the client had been arranged.

‘According to Kim Jae-won, they were desperate to meet me.’

Apparently, they had wanted to meet immediately, but Kim Jae-won had delayed it to the next day as agreed.

‘They’re that eager to have me killed?’

The thought of someone so desperate to see him dead made the journey to the villa far from boring.

“We’ve arrived.”

Stepping out of the van, Min Do-jun climbed the mountain path to the villa.

“You’ve come, sir?” Kim Jae-won, who had been waiting, bowed at a 90-degree angle.

“Where’s the client?”

“They should be arriving soon.”

“I’ll be inside. Let them in when they get here.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Min Do-jun entered the villa, Kim Jae-won straightened up and looked at the spot where he had gone in.

‘The boss’s voice is back to normal.’

Not just the face, but the voice and physique were exactly as he remembered his boss.

‘Was the recent change in voice due to poor condition?’

With everything matching perfectly now, there was no room for suspicion that this wasn’t the real Ahn Kwang-hyun.

As they waited for the guest, footsteps approached.

Thud, thud-

A man walked up to the villa. Kim Jae-won, guarding the entrance, recognized him instantly.

‘It’s the client.’

No one else would come to such a remote mountain spot at the exact appointed time.

‘Definitely not a hiker.’

Moreover, the man was dressed in a suit, not hiking gear.

‘And not a Hunter either.’

With an unkempt face full of stubble and a protruding belly, he looked like a typical middle-aged man.

Kim Jae-won gave an order to a subordinate nearby.

“Inform the boss that the client has arrived.”

“Yes, senior.”

While the subordinate went to notify Min Do-jun, Kim Jae-won greeted the client.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m here regarding the Min Do-jun assassination contract.”

Revealing his purpose without hesitation, Kim Jae-won smiled faintly.

“Confirmed. Please follow me. The boss is waiting.”

Kim Jae-won led the client into the villa.

Knock, knock-

“Boss, the client has arrived.”

“Come in.”

Finally, Min Do-jun, seated in the second-floor office, came face-to-face with the client.

‘This person is…?’

He couldn’t help but be surprised the moment he saw him.

‘Lee Han-seok, the Blue Dragon Guild Master?’

It was unmistakable, even with the unkempt beard that differed from his usual appearance.

‘So, Lee Han-seok is the one who requested my assassination.’

Lee Han-seok was the Blue Dragon Guild Master and the uncle of Lee Se-yoon, one of Min Do-jun’s revenge targets. Min Do-jun had met him once before during a party run with the Blue Dragon Guild, so they weren’t strangers.

Hiding his surprise, Min Do-jun extended a hand first.

“Nice to meet you. I’m the master of the Black Sea Guild.”

“I-I’m Lee Han-seok.”

The two shook hands.

“For protocol reasons, I can’t reveal my name. I hope you understand.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Please, have a seat here.”

After seating Lee Han-seok on the sofa, Min Do-jun ordered a subordinate to bring tea.

“You made a request to our guild, correct? To assassinate an S-rank Hunter.”

“Yes.”

“The target is Min Do-jun, the Hunter famous for stopping the Hongdae Break. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Judging by the resolute look in his eyes as he answered, it was clear he was determined to have Min Do-jun killed.

‘How would you feel if you knew the Min Do-jun you want dead is right in front of you?’

With his voice perfectly disguised through the transformation, there was no chance of his identity being revealed.

‘But why does he want me dead?’

To confirm, Min Do-jun couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s your reason for wanting to assassinate Min Do-jun? To the point of offering 10 billion won?”

“Do I have to state the reason? I heard you take jobs without asking questions as long as the money is paid…”

“That applies to ordinary people. Assassinating a Hunter, especially an S-rank one, is on a different level.”

“…”

“By the way, who told you that? And how did you even hear about our guild? We’ve been inactive for a while.”

“An acquaintance recommended you. They said there’s a guild specializing in assassinations that handles things cleanly…”

“Clean is relative. If the target is an S-rank Hunter, we might have to take significant risks.”

“Th-then, are you saying the assassination could fail?”

“Of course. Did you think assassinating an S-rank Hunter would be easy?”

“…”

“But it’s not impossible. To ensure success, we need every bit of helpful information. For instance, your reason for wanting him dead.”

“I don’t think stating the reason will help with the assassination…”

“That’s for me to judge after hearing it.”

“…”

As Lee Han-seok hesitated, Min Do-jun pressed harder.

“If you don’t want to say it, that’s fine. But in that case, we can’t take the job. You’ll have to look elsewhere. We’re not desperate to take risks just for money.”

Though Min Do-jun suggested looking elsewhere, Lee Han-seok had nowhere else to turn. The Black Sea Guild was the only assassination guild in the country.

Perhaps aware of this, Lee Han-seok didn’t budge even at the dismissal. He only let out a deep sigh before speaking.

“I’ll tell you. The reason I want Min Do-jun dead.”