The Genius Assassin Who Takes it All

Chapter 210: One Standing Out Among The Crowd (5)

Later, it became a struggle for Kang-hoo just to kill the berserkers he had kept under the bleeding status.

Eto, Miyuki, and An Yeong-ho continued to eliminate the berserkers affected by the bleeding.

However, there were more that Kang-hoo had caused to bleed, maintaining the status while stripping away their resistance.

At some point, Kang-hoo changed his approach to handle and kill about half of them himself.

Miyuki was aware of how exceptional Kang-hoo’s ability to maintain bleeding was, having heard about it.

The news she received from the Groo Guild and An Yeong-ho’s firsthand experiences confirmed it.

But until one sees it with their own eyes, doubts naturally linger.

Miyuki’s honest thought was, “How impressive could it really be?”

Kang-hoo’s skill far surpassed what could be described as “impressive.”

Now, she understood why An Yeong-ho constantly said he didn’t want to lose Kang-hoo.

His skill was top-tier.

It wasn’t just because he had skills that were favorable for maintaining bleeding.

Kang-hoo used every second to its extreme. In the shortest possible time, he applied bleeding to as many berserkers as possible.

Moreover, none of the berserkers with bleeding recovered or regained resistance.

He meticulously renewed the status.

Since Kang-hoo began wreaking havoc on the front lines, Miyuki hadn’t seen a single berserker without bleeding.

Every berserker within range had their resistance stripped and was reduced to soft, tender meat.

“Captain, this area has become so easy. The last time I was here, it was hell...”

“Right? I feel like I’ve barely done anything.”

Unlike Kang-hoo, who was here for the first time, Miyuki had been assigned to this dungeon before and had plenty to compare it with.

They had previously come with assassins, berserkers, or classes that had bleeding skills.

But maintaining the bleeding didn’t last long, and they couldn’t hit multiple monsters at once, so the pace was slow.

Ultimately, it was a one-at-a-time battle. Even with four people, they could only take down one at a time.

But now, each person was handling one, and in an instant, they dealt with four berserkers.

Not only that, but Kang-hoo occasionally detonated the lightly stabbed berserkers with his Blood Flower skill, killing them.

The mere snap of his fingers delivered a deadly judgment, and the more Miyuki watched this skill, the stranger it seemed.

In Kang-hoo’s assassin form, Miyuki saw the traits of a black mage, a berserker, and a sorcerer all at once.

It was no wonder why Cha So-hyuk and the three hunters from the Toushi Guild were annihilated.

All of their expectations had been shattered.

There’s no way they could have imagined Kang-hoo would possess this level of ability. It must have been beyond their wildest dreams.

As they easily passed through the berserker section, the pace of the strategy significantly accelerated.

Each crucial section featured a variation or superior version of the berserkers.

But with Kang-hoo’s bleeding induction and maintenance, they easily broke through.

As a result, Kang-hoo’s level shot up to 229. Every monster they encountered was a bounty of experience.

As the three companions constantly praised him, Kang-hoo became more aware of his value.

His abilities as an assassin, which seemed so natural to him, were incredibly valuable and rare to others.

Moreover, the current hunter world was globally suffering from a shortage of skilled assassins.

This phenomenon was a great boon for Kang-hoo, given the lack of competent assassins.

Even in international mercenary work, there would likely be many seeking his skills.

Perhaps he could even choose his assignments to suit his taste or demand a higher pay than usual.

“I’ve grown a lot since coming to Japan. It feels like a refreshing turning point.”

This was Kang-hoo’s overall evaluation of his hectic schedule in Japan.

Meanwhile, the tasks waiting for him back home had piled up.

He had to visit The Abyss dungeon he had discussed with Lee Hyun-seok and further strengthen his bond with him.

Additionally, he needed to visit North Korea regarding the Mad Solarkium and the random skill book.

It was also time to check in on Lee Ye-rin regarding some overseas commissions.

Moreover, he needed to establish connections with Master K and Kang Bok-hwa through Jung Yuri, not to mention Kim Shin-ryeong.

These were all powerful and valuable connections, and none could be overlooked.

Especially Lee Hyun-seok, who was a key figure for Kang-hoo, considering his stance against the Jeonghwa Guild.

Maintaining his stealth while using Shadowless, Kang-hoo continued his approach towards Rüge.

Perhaps annoyed by how well Eto blocked its energy blasts, Rüge glared in his direction, focusing intensely.

Quietly.

Kang-hoo laid down the Line of Distortion.

Rüge wasn’t looking in Kang-hoo’s direction yet and didn’t seem to realize an invisible line had been placed.

Kang-hoo visualized several movements in his mind. He was calculating how to move based on Rüge’s reactions.

He could see several useful futures.

Whether Rüge would play along would only become clear in the fight, but drawing the picture was enough.

【Summon Fallen Fiend】

The first move was this.

It had no attack power, but it was perfect for distracting and drawing attention with strange noises.

Screeeeeech!

The fallen fiend soared high into the sky and flew towards Rüge like a wild horse freed from its reins.

Then, Kang-hoo used his Clone Technique to send a doppelganger towards Rüge.

“......”

As the fallen fiend darted about wildly in front of Rüge, the muscles around Rüge’s eyes twitched.

However, Rüge showed no reaction. It casually punched the approaching doppelganger away.

As the doppelganger crumbled pathetically, Rüge snorted, as if expecting it, and glared at Kang-hoo.

Rüge’s main focus remained straight ahead. There were many enemies, and Eto’s provocations were relentless.

So even when another of Kang-hoo’s clones approached, Rüge didn’t pay it any mind.

After all, the doppelganger’s killing power was far less than the real body, and its movements were sluggish in comparison.

Rüge instead concentrated on channeling even more energy into an even stronger blast aimed at Eto.

At that moment.

Flash!

Kang-hoo’s clone closed the distance between them in a burst of speed and stabbed Rüge in the back with a dagger.

But.

“......?”

It wasn’t a clone; it was the real Kang-hoo.

The dagger that pierced through Rüge’s back was infused with the energy of Grand Decapitation.

Crunch!

At the same time, Kang-hoo cast the Ice Affinity on his dagger, instantly freezing the wound deep inside.

This paralyzed Rüge’s senses in the surrounding area, including its back.

The muscles and cells froze solid.

“Kaaaargh!”

Boom!

With a scream, Rüge’s fist veered off course, and it fired its energy blast into an empty space.

In the process, the recoil impacted its shoulder, causing another wave of pain to surge through its back.

Realizing it had been toyed with by Kang-hoo, Rüge’s insides boiled with rage.

It was so ashamed of its earlier indifference, thinking it had only been a clone, that its face burned with embarrassment.

The price of arrogance and hubris was immense pain, and it was no wonder Rüge was seething with fury.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Kang-hoo steadily began stacking bleeding stats.

The groundwork had only just begun.

Rüge had always relied on easy recovery through splitting and camouflaging, fighting with a “just slice me open” attitude.

But now, Kang-hoo was about to show it just how exhausting and extreme an assassin’s persistent mind games could be.

As Rüge turned its body to prepare an energy blast aimed at Kang-hoo.

【Master of Manipulation】

Kang-hoo copied the energy blast skill using the Master of Manipulation. With that, he had one more hidden card up his sleeve.