Chapter 408 – Part 2 – Frank Larson

“Go into the house right now and kidnap the family. Now that Hunter Choi Seong-min isn’t there is the opportunity.”

“I will obey your command. Keke.”

Woo Seong-jae, who ended the call, raised his head.

His gaze was looking at the spot where Choi Seong-min had left.

‘I did say what Hunter Choi Seong-min ordered, but I wonder if it’s really okay…’

Before leaving the White House, Choi Seong-min had given Woo Seong-jae instructions.

To call Frank and tell him to attack his house.

So the previous call was purely Choi Seong-min’s directive.

It wasn’t Woo Seong-jae’s idea.

‘Rather than stopping Frank, he’s actually encouraging him to kidnap the family… Did he give such an order because there’s no family at home?’

Even if the house was empty, Frank wouldn’t just stay still.

He would track down the family somehow.

That guy had a persistent side where once he bit onto something, he wouldn’t let go.

‘What is he planning to do if the family really gets kidnapped…’

He couldn’t understand what intention Choi Seong-min had in encouraging Frank.

Having Insight didn’t mean he could know everything.

‘Even for Hunter Choi Seong-min, it would take 12 hours to get home… I don’t know what he’s thinking.’

Although Woo Seong-jae had seen hundreds of traits from Choi Seong-min, that didn’t mean he had checked them all one by one.

That’s why Woo Seong-jae couldn’t know.

That Choi Seong-min had a trait that could return home in one second.

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Frank, who had been lurking for over 6 hours, finally moved.

It was because of Woo Seong-jae’s hint.

‘Hehe, so Choi Seong-min is in Westland right now?’

From Westland to here was at least a 12-hour distance.

No matter how much Choi Seong-min had 10 million combat power, it would be impossible for him to stop himself.

‘Moreover, Lord Woo Seong-jae clearly ordered me to kidnap them…’

There was no reason not to move.

Tap tap tap!

Frank grabbed the gas pipes on the apartment’s exterior wall and climbed up like a spider.

Choi Seong-min’s house was on the 5th floor.

Since he knew which unit it was and had figured out the structure, there was no chance of confusing the houses.

Frank, hanging from the pipe like a spider, pushed the window.

Click-

It opened easily.

‘The window is open.’

He was lucky.

If necessary, he had planned to break the window and intrude, but thanks to this he could enter quietly.

Thud-

Frank, who succeeded in entering the house, looked around.

‘First, there’s no one in this room.’

He went to the living room, muffling his footsteps.

He didn’t feel any presence.

Only moonlight was illuminating the living room.

‘Should I check the other rooms too?’

He peeked through the slightly open room door, but there was no one there either.

The only place where the mother and daughter could be was the master bedroom.

‘They must both be sleeping in the master bedroom.’

When he headed to the master bedroom, it was as expected.

Two people were lying on the bed.

Their faces weren’t visible because they were covered with blankets.

‘Hehe, fortunately they were home?’

Frank was relieved.

The truth was he had been anxious because he hadn’t seen them coming and going from the house during his surveillance.

He had been worried about what to do if both of them weren’t home, but fortunately they were there.

‘Now, how should I cook these bitches?’

Anyway, it would take 12 hours for Choi Seong-min to arrive home.

There was plenty of time to torment them before kidnapping them.

‘Should I first get a taste of them one by one? Hehe.’

He had already equipped his hunter gear.

Holding a dagger, he suddenly pulled away the blanket.

Then he couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘…Pillows?’

What was covered by the blanket were none other than pillows.

Someone had arranged pillows to look like people sleeping.

‘It’s a trap…!’

The moment he realized this fact, Frank looked back.

Some man was standing blocking the door.

It was a face he had memorized well before coming to Eastland.

‘Hunter Choi Seong-min…!’

Frank pointed his dagger and tensed up.

The opponent who looked ordinary at first glance was a monster with 10 million combat power.

‘The moment I let my guard down, my head will fly off.’

Unlike Frank, Choi Seong-min didn’t take any stance.

But he couldn’t let his guard down.

If the system wasn’t broken, it meant the opponent’s skills were on the same level as Woo Seong-jae.

“Contrary to appearance, you’re quick at assessing situations. Seeing how you don’t relax your guard against me.”

Even at Choi Seong-min’s praise, Frank didn’t blink an eye.

“Hunter Choi Seong-min… How are you here…”

“Is it strange for me to be in my own house?”

“I was definitely contacted that you were in Westland…”

“I flew here in a rush after hearing that a thief cat was lurking in front of my house.”

“……”

Hearing those words, Frank belatedly realized.

‘That bastard Woo Seong-jae sold me out. He was already in cahoots with Choi Seong-min…!’

Frank thought the two had joined hands.

That they had conspired together to trap him.

‘The story about Choi Seong-min being in Westland was all a lie. To lure me into a trap…!’

Frank thought Choi Seong-min had been lurking inside the house in advance, setting up a trap.

The reality was that he had been in Westland and teleported instantly using Homing Instinct.

‘To think I’d be betrayed by Woo Seong-jae. I’ve been loyal all this time, doing all sorts of dirty work for him…!’

Grind-

Frank’s teeth ground together, but there was no immediate target for that anger.

Well, there was one, but the opponent was a monster with about three times his combat power.

Rather than anger, this was a time to be cool and calm.

He couldn’t take his eyes off him for even a moment.

A moment’s carelessness could determine life and death.

Choi Seong-min was somewhat impressed by that calm appearance.

“Unexpected. Considering your usual personality, I thought you’d charge in without thinking.”

“You speak as if you know me well.”

“I do. Frank Larson. The third strongest trash among the Great Heroes. Assassin type, with a rough and crude combat style. An anger management disorder patient who lives however he wants, trash among trash.”

“……”

“But such a guy is now controlling his anger well? I guess anger management works well in front of someone stronger than you?”

“……”

Even at the mocking words, Frank’s expression remained unchanged.

‘I can’t get excited. He’s trying to provoke me.’

He wasn’t getting excited anyway.

No matter what he said, the opponent was stronger than him.

Now wasn’t the time to assert pride.

‘I can tell just from the feeling. His strength is real.’

He could tell without fighting.

Choi Seong-min’s eyes, atmosphere, relaxed behavior, etc.

Everything told him he was a genuine strong person.

‘I can’t fight. The moment I fight, it’s certain defeat.’

Apart from everything else, how could he beat an opponent with three times his combat power?

‘I’d like to beg to be spared if I could.’

But his remaining pride wouldn’t allow that.

‘I need to do something to break through this situation.’

He had to continue the conversation to ease the atmosphere.

With that thought, Frank spoke.

With the most polite tone and expression possible.

“It seems you heard everything about me from Lord Woo Seong-jae.”

“Why is your way of speaking so uncharacteristic? Don’t waste your effort. I won’t spare you anyway.”

“……”

Frank’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Damn, he really intends to kill me.’

Well, it would be strange to spare someone who broke into a house to kidnap family members.

‘I need to find a way. A way…!’

In a brief moment, Frank racked his brain as much as possible.

Then, as they say you can survive even in a tiger’s den if you keep your wits about you, a plausible method came to mind.

“Hunter Choi Seong-min. Woo Seong-jae is not a trustworthy person. Rather than cooperating with such a person, how about using me as your right hand? Since I’ve worked under Woo Seong-jae, I could help eliminate him…”

“Fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyeballs.”

“…?”

“Nose, tongue, ears, throat, in that order I’ll cut them off. There’s no negotiation, so know that.”

“……”

Frank’s expression hardened.

‘This isn’t a joke… He really intends to kill me.’

Realizing this fact, Frank raised his dagger.

The atmosphere changed rapidly.

Killing intent flowed from his eyes.

Frank didn’t pathetically beg for his life.

Because he realized the opponent had no intention of sparing him.

“Right, that’s how you should come out.”

Seeing the thief cat showing its claws, Choi Seong-min smiled.

It’s more fun to kill an opponent who resists than one who easily surrenders.

Whether his pride was hurt by that gaze, Frank ground his teeth.

“Don’t underestimate me. I may look like this, but I’m rank 4. I’ve been through all sorts of trials and tribulations. I won’t be taken down as easily as you think…”

Suddenly Frank couldn’t continue speaking.

Something whooshed and two fingers from his left hand fell off.

Choi Seong-min’s dagger, thrown in an instant, had cut through the air.

“Kuk…”

Frank, who had let his guard down, came to his senses and raised his dagger.

Fortunately, the hand holding the dagger was intact.

At least until just now.

Thud thud thud-

“Ku, kuk!”

Four fingers from his right hand fell to the floor.

Choi Seong-min, who had approached using stealth, had cut them off while holding a dagger.

‘To target the sword hilt and cut the fingers…’

It was accuracy worthy of admiration, but there was no time for that.

Dash!

Frank, who had distanced himself using the Sprint skill, switched the dagger to his left hand.

Though he was missing two fingers, he could somehow hold it.

‘I’m not used to it, but I have no choice but to fight with my left hand.’

It was a disadvantageous situation, but it was too early to give up hope.

‘At least I made him use his stealth, so there’s hope.’

If he opened his eyes wide and looked carefully, he should be able to dodge attacks.

But Frank soon realized his thinking was wrong.

Because Choi Seong-min ostentatiously used stealth and disappeared.

‘Stealth has… no cooldown?’

The moment he was dazed, pain surged from his fingers.

Choi Seong-min, who had approached in the meantime, had cut off his fingers.

Thud thud thud-

There were no remaining fingers on either his left or right hand.

Naturally, he couldn’t hold a weapon either.

“Fingers are done.”

“…!”

“Now toes.”

By the time he realized, it was already too late.

Choi Seong-min’s dagger precisely cut only the toes.

“Kuaaaak!”

Because of stealth, he couldn’t even see how he was moving.

It was the same when his arms and legs were cut off.

He was completely out of his mind from the pain.

Slice-

“Uaaaaaaak!”

His eyeball was cut.

He couldn’t see.

His nose was cut.

He couldn’t smell.

He screamed in pain, but it was a mistake.

“Stick out your tongue. That’s right.”

His tongue was cut and his ears were cut.

In the blood-soaked situation, all that remained for Frank was his life.

“Ueoeoeo…”

“Now there’s one left?”

Frank couldn’t hear or see.

He could only wait for death in abyssal pain.

Slice-

Frank’s throat was cut and his upper body fell backward.

Since he had no arms to support himself, he fell easily.

Splash-

Perhaps because he was wearing a legendary helmet, Frank didn’t die immediately.

He just slowly died while feeling pain.

‘Die slowly in pain.’

Even though Choi Seong-min could kill Frank immediately, he waited.

To let him feel more pain.

So Frank slowly died in his own blood.

[You have killed Hunter Frank Larson.]

[You have stolen the trait ‘Slaughterer’.]

[You have stolen 12 pieces of equipment.]

[You have stolen 17 Magic Stones.]

[You have stolen 1 consumable item.]

[Synchronization rate 42.0%]

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