Chapter 410 – Part 2 – Choi Seong-min’s Purpose

Gulp-

Woo Seong-jae swallowed his saliva.

The sound of swallowing saliva seemed unusually loud.

‘Killing all the Great Heroes is… Hunter Choi Seong-min’s purpose?’

“Right. My purpose is to kill all 8 Heroes. Naturally, that includes you too.”

“……”

Choi Seong-min answered even his inner thoughts.

It was because of Song Chi-hyeon’s mind reading trait.

The moment he realized this fact, Woo Seong-jae instinctively emptied his mind.

He decided not to think at all.

“Ah, so you’re going to come out like that?”

Of course, there was no way his intentions wouldn’t be seen through by Choi Seong-min.

“Go ahead and try. But it won’t be easy. You’re not the type who can empty your mind. That’s why you kept your distance from Song Chi-hyeon even though you were from the same Eastland.”

“…How do you know that?”

“I did some research. Investigating assassination targets is basic among basics, isn’t it?”

“……”

Woo Seong-jae was at a loss for words.

His mouth wouldn’t open when assassination was mentioned so openly in front of him.

He habitually tried to think, then became conscious of Choi Seong-min and emptied his mind again.

Woo Seong-jae was just in a blank state.

“You don’t need to struggle to empty your thoughts. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just accepted it?”

“Death… you mean?”

“Why? Don’t you want to die?”

‘That’s a question he asked before…’

“I know. But I’m asking for confirmation. Don’t you want to die?”

“Where in the world would there be someone who wants to die…?”

“There would be many. People who want to die because life is hell but can’t die. Only you who created that trashy class system don’t know.”

“……”

“So, say it clearly. Do you want to live?”

At Choi Seong-min’s question, Woo Seong-jae fell to his knees on the floor.

Thud-

And he placed his forehead on the ground.

“I want to live. Lord Choi Seong-min. Please have mercy…”

It was a rather pitiful sight for an absolute ruler with 10 million combat power.

Looking down at Woo Seong-jae’s exposed back of the head, Choi Seong-min smiled.

“Do you really want to live?”

“Yes. Please accept me as your subordinate. I will pledge loyalty. I will do anything you order, so please spare my life…”

“Hmm…”

Choi Seong-min pretended to ponder while stroking his chin.

If he wanted to, he could swing his dagger right here and kill him immediately.

But he wouldn’t do that.

‘There’s still value in using that guy.’

He hadn’t killed Peter Fields yet, and he needed more hunters to build up his synchronization rate.

“If I spare you, what will you do for me?”

“I’ll do anything. Money if it’s money, items if it’s items, just say the word and I’ll give you everything.”

“Don’t just talk, show me with actions. That’s how I’ll decide whether to spare you or not.”

“Ah… please wait a moment.”

Woo Seong-jae moved his fingers toward empty space.

He was looking through his inventory to see what he could give.

Eventually, something was grasped in Woo Seong-jae’s hand.

It was a square form emitting blue light.

“It’s a Magic Core. Since you’re wearing legendary items, I picked this out. If you combine it, you should be able to become much stronger.”

“Ho.”

Choi Seong-min reached out and took the Magic Core.

Then he stared at Woo Seong-jae for a moment.

“What are you looking at? Trying to peek at my inventory?”

“No, no.”

Woo Seong-jae, who was answering, was inwardly surprised.

Because he knew exactly about his trait.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know that you can check items by looking at someone’s inventory?”

“Ah, you knew.”

“Since you know, turn around. Don’t think about peeking at items on top of traits.”

When Woo Seong-jae turned around with an embarrassed face, Choi Seong-min immediately opened his inventory and put in the Magic Core.

“Done. Turn around.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Don’t you have one more? As you can see, I have two legendary items.”

Woo Seong-jae was momentarily at a loss for words at that shamelessness.

“The spare I have is only one…”

Even one Magic Core was worth hundreds of billions, yet he was demanding another one.

Woo Seong-jae, who was slightly flustered, exclaimed “Ah!”

“There’s one more Magic Core in the Pentagon. It belongs to the Westland Great Heroes… should I, should I get it for you?”

“No, forget it. I’ll take care of that myself.”

How was he going to take care of it?

‘Is he planning to raid it…?’

Such thoughts occurred to Woo Seong-jae, but he immediately became aware that Choi Seong-min was in front of him and erased his thoughts.

“Why do you keep thinking and then stopping? Just don’t be conscious of it and think normally.”

“Ah… it’s not as easy as it sounds. I instinctively hide it without realizing it…”

“Open your heart. Your heart.”

Choi Seong-min smiled wickedly, but Woo Seong-jae couldn’t just smile.

How could he think comfortably and smile comfortably when his life was mortgaged?

“By the way, you handled the task I gave you before well.”

“You mean calling Frank.”

“Right. Thanks to that, I could easily lure him into the house.”

“He was a stupid guy. To dare think of touching Hunter Choi Seong-min’s family…”

“Flattery? No, you’re sincere.”

“……”

With his thoughts being read, it was quite burdensome for Woo Seong-jae to have a conversation.

“You don’t need to feel burdened. If you’re sincerely loyal to me, what’s there to fear whether your thoughts are read or not?”

“You, you speak correctly.”

“Depending on how you act toward me, I can also change my mind. If there’s a need to keep you alive, I’ll keep you alive like now.”

“If you spare me like this, I will serve you with loyalty for life!”

Woo Seong-jae buried his head on the floor once more.

Choi Seong-min was laughing as if enjoying watching that sight.

“I’ll give you a mission.”

“Just give the word.”

“Among hunters worldwide, select only the criminals and gather them in one place.”

“…Criminals?”

“It doesn’t matter if they’re from Eastland or Westland. If they’re hunters who committed crimes, gather them all in one place without exception. It would be easy to gather them if you look for those who turned 20 and awakened in juvenile detention centers or regular prisons.”

“Ah… understood. I will obey your command.”

Woo Seong-jae didn’t ask for reasons.

Because he knew why he was being told to gather criminal hunters.

‘He’s going to kill them all to obtain traits.’

He could easily guess just from hating trash and having the Hunter Slayer trait.

“When should I gather them by?”

“The sooner the better. It doesn’t matter how many, so gather as many as possible and then contact me. You know my number, right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll decide your life or death based on how well you complete this mission, so do your best.”

“Ah, understood. I will definitely show satisfactory results.”

“Right. And don’t even think about running away.”

“How could there be any question about that?”

Woo Seong-jae answered immediately as if he hadn’t thought such a thing at all.

Having confirmed Choi Seong-min’s traits, he couldn’t even dare to think of running away.

“Then go now. Don’t think about interfering with whatever I do and just focus on gathering criminal hunters.”

“Understood. Grateful for Hunter’s grace, I will now withdraw.”

Woo Seong-jae bowed his head and tried to leave the house while stepping backward.

“Wait, stop.”

“Yes?”

“You came in through the window but you’re trying to leave through the front door? Go out through the window again, man.”

“Ah… I’m, I’m sorry.”

Woo Seong-jae had to go out through the window just like when he broke in.

It was truly an unseemly exit.

* * *

Woo Seong-jae, who came down the apartment building via the pipes, looked back.

Although he was kicked out, his pride wasn’t hurt.

In front of an absolute being, what needed to be protected wasn’t pride but his own life.

‘I’m alive. At least I’m alive, so that’s good.’

When Woo Seong-jae encountered Choi Seong-min inside the house, he thought his heart would fall out.

When he saw Choi Seong-min’s traits and learned that he had killed Great Heroes, he thought his mind would go blank.

It was even more so when Song Chi-hyeon’s trait openly read his thoughts.

‘Mind control isn’t as easy as I thought…’

He didn’t know what state of mind he was in until just a moment ago.

Just the thought of having to survive.

He only remembered desperately trying not to go against Choi Seong-min’s mood.

‘It wasn’t just killing Frank for revenge. He had planned to kill him from the beginning.’

Song Chi-hyeon, Kogo, Kwak Min-cheol, Melissa, Christopher, Frank.

He confirmed that six Great Heroes had died at Choi Seong-min’s hands.

‘Except for Song Chi-hyeon and Kogo, the rest have no change in rankings.’

That meant all the rest except those two were killed within this month.

‘Was he planning to kill me and Peter too? Is meeting Peter also for that reason?’

He must have been thinking of assassinating Peter too.

Though Peter had invited Choi Seong-min first.

‘Damn… I shouldn’t have met Hunter Choi Seong-min at the White House in the first place.’

Regret suddenly flooded him, but his Insight trait told him.

Even if he hadn’t gone to find him, Choi Seong-min would have come looking eventually.

‘To assassinate me…’

Even though an assassin was targeting him, Woo Seong-jae couldn’t find any particular method.

The Insight trait was of no help at times like this either.

There was no way to survive in front of absolute power.

“Sigh…”

A situation worthy of sighing.

Is this how criminals feel when they receive death sentences?

‘What should I do? Do I have to be dragged around by Hunter Choi Seong-min like this?’

Though he had bowed his head pledging loyalty, Woo Seong-jae knew.

That Choi Seong-min would never spare his life.

‘He’ll mercilessly kill me after the mission is over.’

Being discarded when there’s no more utility value is a natural progression.

Even if he were in Choi Seong-min’s position, he would do the same.

‘I need to find my own alternative.’

If he didn’t seek a way to survive separately, he would eventually be discarded after being used.

‘But first I need to perform Hunter Choi Seong-min’s mission.’

Woo Seong-jae left the apartment with a headache.

* * *

‘He’s moving away.’

Choi Seong-min sensed that Woo Seong-jae was leaving far away.

It was thanks to placing an Assassin’s Mark on him.

‘I don’t know where he’s going, but the journey won’t be boring. He’ll have a lot to think about.’

Because he had to restrain himself from thinking in front of him.

‘He’s probably thinking until his head hurts right about now. Because he needs to find a way to escape from me.’

Choi Seong-min didn’t think Woo Seong-jae would be loyal as he said.

He was certain that he would betray him someday.

Not because he read his thoughts.

Because he didn’t trust that guy.

‘A guy who has reigned as an absolute ruler all his life wouldn’t come under me. Moreover, he probably already figured out through Insight that I won’t spare him.’

Knowing Woo Seong-jae’s personality, it was easy to predict how he would act.

‘What move will that guy try to make? He’ll probably try to target my weakness.’

Choi Seong-min, worried about his family, soon left the apartment.

He should change the return location to a safe house while at it.

‘But first, let me do some combining.’

He placed the Magic Core he got for free in the combination window.

[Legendary Armor] + [Magic Core]

When he pressed the combine button, a message appeared.

[Attempting combination.]

[Using the Magic Core to awaken the power of the Legendary Armor.]

[Analyzing user’s traits to convert to suitable power.]

[User has too many traits, so analysis will take time.]

‘Well, it would take some time. There are nearly 300 miscellaneous traits gathered together.’

Choi Seong-min quietly waited for the message to appear.

After waiting about 5 minutes like that?

The expected message appeared.

[Analysis complete. Found options suitable for the user.]

[Combination successful!]

[Awakened the true power of the Legendary Armor.]

[The Legendary Armor’s name has been changed to ‘Assassin’s Shadow Armor’.]