Chapter 366 – Part 2 – Katsuramoto Kogo

Before stabbing with the dagger, he could have used VIP Assassination.

But it wasn’t necessary.

Even without the 20% additional damage, he could kill in one strike.

‘I’ll save VIP Assassination just in case.’

If push came to shove, he could target the customers to utilize invincibility.

‘But will that opportunity even come?’

Choi Seong-min was confident.

That the guy would die in one hit.

‘Throat Slash!’

He used the skill aimed at the nape of the neck.

He didn’t forget to increase damage with stealth either.

The dagger was just one step away from touching the nape.

This was unavoidable.

The dagger would pierce into the neck and kill him in one strike.

He believed this without a doubt.

Until Kogo’s body turned golden.

Ting-!

The dagger, the dagger that had clearly touched the nape, was blocked by golden skin and bounced off.

It was a bewildering moment for Choi Seong-min, who had been certain of death.

‘This is…?’

Looking closely, he could see a golden necklace on Kogo’s nape.

‘He was wearing an item?’

It seemed he was wearing at least a necklace even if not other equipment.

And it was an S-rank necklace that blocked death blows!

“What the…?”

Kogo, who had been waiting for coffee, turned around with surprised eyes.

The necklace that blocked death blows had activated.

Moreover, he could see Oh Gwang-taek holding a dagger.

At this point, unless he was an idiot, he couldn’t not understand the situation.

“You bastard, how dare you betray me?”

Genuine killing intent burst from Kogo’s eyes.

Not just his eyes.

His entire body emanated an aura of death as he glared at Oh Gwang-taek.

But that was only momentary.

Kogo had no choice but to widen his eyes in surprise.

Oh Gwang-taek’s appearance was squirming and disappearing.

His face, build, and everything he had believed to be Oh Gwang-taek was crumbling away.

What appeared behind it was none other than a black mask.

Someone of unknown identity.

“You, what are you?”

Kogo’s pupils shook.

In his confusion, he even forgot to equip his gear.

‘This is my chance. Slash…!’

Choi Seong-min’s dagger, enhanced with stealth, shot out at invisible speed.

Kogo belatedly tried to equip his gear with an “Oh no!”

Swoosh!

“Urgh!”

The dagger was digging into his neck when it was repelled by an invisible force.

Choi Seong-min was surprised once again.

It seemed he had barely managed to equip gear and block it, but how?

Only after seeing the helmet covering Kogo’s head could he understand the situation.

‘That’s a legendary helmet!’

The legendary helmet, one of the legendary set items.

Kogo possessed it.

‘The legendary helmet has an option that reduces death blow damage by 90%.’

The first attack was like that, but the second strike just now was also a killing blow precisely aimed at the neck.

Without equipment, he would have died.

The legendary helmet saved his life.

‘To escape death twice. Lucky bastard.’

Kogo, knowing this fact, quickly retreated and took a defensive stance.

There was no more carelessness.

‘Still, it’s not like there were no results.’

Choi Seong-min smiled behind his mask.

Though 90% of the damage was blocked, the remaining 10% wounded him.

“Urgh…”

Kogo grimaced at the pain felt in his neck.

It wasn’t a deep wound, but there was bleeding.

If he moved around, the wound might open further and the bleeding could worsen.

Thanks to items, he barely saved his life, but even 10% damage wounded his neck.

‘Even though damage was definitely reduced, to still inflict a wound…’

Before battle, Kogo analyzed his opponent while staying on guard.

‘Based on using Throat Slash and Slash skills, he’s an assassin type using daggers. Plus, he has damage that can’t be ignored.’

He wore a black mask, so his identity was unknown.

The reason for suddenly attacking him was also unknown.

But one thing was certain.

‘This guy is not Oh Gwang-taek.’

He was someone who had transformed into Oh Gwang-taek.

His face and build had become different from moments before.

‘I was deceived.’

Kogo, who had been on guard, raised his sword.

He had been mocked and nearly killed in a surprise attack.

He absolutely couldn’t let him live.

‘It’s been a while since a worthy opponent appeared.’

It was good timing since there had only been trivial opponents lately.

Shing-

Kogo crossed his twin swords and measured the distance.

‘Let’s see if you can handle my skill.’

Though he wasn’t sure if it could be blocked.

Dash-!

Kogo moved first.

The distance closed, and the twin swords drew sharp lines.

‘Killing Frenzy!’

Swish swish swish swish swish swish-!

The two twin swords crossed back and forth.

Artistic sword strikes without collision, without even an inch of deviation, solely annihilated and slaughtered the target before his eyes.

Before this attack, Kogo was confident.

That his opponent would become finely chopped meat.

He believed it without doubt.

Because that’s how it had always been with everyone.

‘It’s over…’

However, Kogo couldn’t finish his words.

Clang-!

Because his opponent had thrust a dagger, aiming for an opening.

‘Th-this is impossible.’

Kogo saw it.

His opponent’s figure, avoiding and deflecting all his numerous sword strikes while penetrating the gaps.

‘Moving and dodging faster than my skill? Just how high is his agility?’

Clang-!

The dagger continuously threatened his life.

He blocked it by a hair’s breadth, but Kogo could tell.

It was impossible to block that speed anymore.

Blocking just now was only due to luck.

‘How is it that his attack speed is getting faster and faster too?’

He had intended to make his surprise attacker feel the difference in power, but it became the opposite.

Clang- Clang- Swoosh-!

Clang- Swoosh- Swoosh-!

He tried his best to block with swords in both hands, but he couldn’t keep up with his opponent’s speed.

Rather, it was Kogo who realized the gap between himself and his opponent.

‘Spinning Frenzy!’

Clang clang clang-!

He tried using a skill when within range, but it was all blocked.

‘Fast. No, it feels like I’ve become dull…’

Anyway, an unfavorable situation.

That wasn’t the only disadvantage.

Clang-!

Perhaps because the location was cramped, his sword was blocked by a pillar.

‘Damn it! The position is bad…’

There was no time to complain.

His opponent, not missing the momentary mistake, aimed for his neck.

Swoosh-!

“Urgh!”

He barely managed to avoid it and save his life.

But along with the initial wound, the amount of blood spurting from his neck doubled.

“Huff, huff…”

Moreover, how long had they been fighting that he was already out of breath?

It was probably due to his injury, but what was certain was that he couldn’t last much longer like this.

When a brief gap appeared, Kogo immediately attempted conversation.

“Who are you?”

It was to buy time.

Indeed, the store staff and customers were looking with surprised eyes at the suddenly erupted situation.

If attention was focused, it would be awkward to continue making a commotion.

‘I don’t know where this guy appeared from. What’s certain is that fighting him is a loss.’

The outcome was already decided.

His opponent’s agility was at an absurdly impossible level, plus the bleeding from earlier had become serious.

He had escaped death twice.

Without items, he would have been dead long ago.

‘If it were one-on-one, I would have been confident…’

He had no confidence in beating the opponent before his eyes.

He was embarrassed for mistaking him for a worthy adversary.

‘Where did such a monster appear from? Who the hell is he?’

To overwhelm him to this degree, he must have at least 2 million combat power.

‘If it’s such an opponent, there’s no way I wouldn’t know…’

Among the Great Heroes, there is one assassin with over 2 million combat power who uses daggers.

‘But his build is different from that guy…’

He didn’t know who it was, but for now, he had to endure.

Only by buying time like this could he extend his life.

‘If done well, I might be able to survive…’

Because they had made a mess of the cafe, the staff and customers’ attention was drawn.

Perhaps one of the customers might report to the association and reinforcements could come.

‘So if I endure, I win.’

That’s when it happened.

The customers watching the commotion tried to quietly slip out of the store.

Then.

“Everyone don’t move and stay put!”

The black mask shouted.

His voice even carried an intimidating presence.

Whether the threat worked, the customers returned to their places, trembling.

And they sat down quietly without thinking of moving.

They were scared stiff.

‘Even so, to be so obedient to a mere verbal threat…’

Kogo didn’t know.

That the black mask had activated a trait called Intimidation.

With his high combat power, he had no way of knowing.

“Huh!”

Suddenly, like falling into a manhole, the black mask’s figure sank downward.

‘Shadow Step!’

Kogo immediately turned around and swung his sword.

Clang- Clang- Stab-!

“Ugh!”

His shoulder was pierced.

He tried to fend off the attack in his own way, but couldn’t keep up with the dagger’s speed.

‘As expected, it’s fast. I can’t win.’

In the midst of despair, he suddenly felt something strange.

‘But why does he use stealth every time we fight?’

His opponent used stealth every time he attacked.

Every single time without fail.

‘Does stealth make damage stronger? No, more than that, how does he keep using stealth continuously? Is there no cooldown?’

To other people’s eyes, it would look like flickering on and off like a light, but not to Kogo.

His combat power was high enough to detect stealth.

‘Wait, his combat power is lower than mine?’

He thought it would exceed 2 million, but it was lower than his own.

‘His recorded combat power seems lower than mine.’

But his actual combat power was beyond that.

‘Anyway, I can’t die like this.’

Even with blood flowing from his shoulder, Kogo attempted conversation.

He was that desperate.

“Who are you? Why are you so desperate to kill me?”

Instead of an answer, a dagger came charging.

Kogo’s gaze turned to the customers.

‘Damn. Useless things.’

Seeing people still trembling in fear, it seemed difficult to expect external support.

‘Then there’s no point in buying time.’

Even if he wanted to escape outside, the distance to the exit and windows was too far.

His opponent didn’t give him that opportunity either.

Either way, there was no method to extend his life.

Ping- His head spun.

Bleeding from his neck caused dizziness.

Stab- Stab-!

“Cough!”

His movements also slowed.

As a result, he couldn’t block things he could have blocked before.

Had the time to die come?

‘No, I can’t die so futilely like this. I have to at least cut off his arm before I go!’

The light returned to dying Kogo’s eyes.

With desperate resolve, he crossed his swords and swung them.

‘Swift!’

Using the buff-type skill increased his attack speed.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh-!

Clang clang clang clang clang clang-!

His opponent didn’t retreat.

Rather, he met all his attacks head-on.

Even though his attack speed should have increased by 50%.

‘Haha… This is absurd.’

The twin swords sliced empty air in confusion.

Before he knew it, his opponent had used Shadow Step to position behind him.

No matter what he did, he couldn’t handle it.

His opponent was one step ahead in every aspect.

As if he could see through his thoughts.

‘I acknowledge it. I lost.’

The duration of Swift ended.

Kogo quietly closed his eyes.

He accepted defeat with a humble mindset.

Stab-!

His neck was pierced.

Slice-!

Choi Seong-min’s dagger severed Kogo’s head.

Thud.

[You have killed Hunter Katsuramoto Kogo.]

[You have stolen the trait ‘Dual Wielding’.]

[You have stolen 12 pieces of equipment.]

[You have stolen 4 Magic Stones.]

[Synchronization rate 17.3%]

[You have replicated the appearance of the killed target.]