Chapter 28

After wrapping up a hunt for Lantern Anglerfish.

Siyoon exited the dungeon.

“Today’s hunting income should be quite hefty.”

He had caught over ten Lantern Anglerfish this time alone.

Given how difficult they were to hunt, the monetary conversion would easily exceed hundreds of millions of won.

However, he wasn’t going to sell all of them today.

‘No need to do something stupid and attract attention again.’

Since the incident, Siyoon had secured multiple sales channels.

He never sold large quantities of the same byproducts at the same place.

He carefully regulated the timing and volume of his sales.

All of this was to minimize leaving any traces of himself.

Tak.

Siyoon moved to a secluded area.

His destination was a studio apartment.

Though not as central as the heart of Seoul, it was located in a relatively safe zone.

Boasting no less than three rooms, it was far better than his previous residence.

His grueling efforts over the past few months hadn’t been in vain.

Naturally, the studio apartment had cost him a small fortune.

However, money wasn’t a major issue; he had acquired quite a bit after killing Min Seolah.

Despite being an agency figure, she had a tidy bounty on her head.

‘The bounty was quite rewarding, after all.’

Incidentally, he had used that money to secure the studio apartment.

But there was something far more valuable he had obtained.

Seureuk.

Entering the studio apartment, Siyoon systematically organized his equipment.

Among them, one piece of equipment stood out with an undeniable presence.

It was the gloves he wore.

+

【 Wind of Horus 】

◇Imbued with a deep wind attribute.

― Allows free manipulation of the surrounding wind.

▶Increases movement speed.

▶Increases attack speed.

▶Enhances vision and eyesight.

▶Increases attack power when equipped with ranged weapons.

▶Grants bonus damage proportional to the distance from the target.

+

Wind of Horus.

It was equipment he had salvaged amidst the chaos of hunters looting Min Seolah’s mansion after her death.

Looking solely at the wind attribute, it was similar to his sneakers.

His sneakers were also imbued with wind-attribute mana, utilizing Krakto’s Gemstone.

However, Wind of Horus was a far superior item.

Siyoon had realized this deeply while using it over the past few months.

‘This equipment suits me incredibly well.’

Wind of Horus was practically tailor-made for Siyoon.

First, the ability to manipulate wind gave him an inherent advantage.

Siyoon’s combat style revolved around close combat and shooting.

Especially since he had to handle everything solo.

Because of this, he often initiated battles with sniping.

It was the safest way to land the first effective hit from a distance.

This was where Wind of Horus exhibited immense synergy.

‘Wind of Horus was practically designed with ranged sniping in mind.’

Damage increased the further away the target was.

Moreover, equipping a ranged weapon granted an additional attack power boost.

Basic aiming wasn’t an issue either.

The RTB-201, enhanced to +5, provided aiming correction.

But if one were to ask if it was bad for close combat, the answer was no.

The increase in movement and attack speed.

This synergized perfectly with Siyoon’s combat skills.

In close combat, judgment and speed were crucial.

The gloves effectively assisted with the latter—speed.

‘And being able to manipulate wind is a huge advantage.’

He could wrap bullets in wind.

By utilizing wind in his attacks, he could increase both speed and power.

This was a tremendous merit.

It was essentially like having one more skill than everyone else.

This made a stark difference once in combat.

‘Hunting has definitely become easier than before.’

In practice, it allowed for a much wider variety of combat tactics.

Wind was incredibly useful not only for attacks but also for mobility.

For these reasons, Wind of Horus was an exceptionally reliable piece of equipment.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Siyoon had brought one more piece of equipment.

+

【 Patience of Nature 】

◇Contains the pure power of nature.

― Significantly increases injury recovery speed.

▶Reduces pain.

▶Increases total stamina.

▶Stamina recovery speed increases the more exhausted the wearer becomes.

+

That was Patience of Nature.

It was an ordinary-looking bracelet, but its performance was genuine.

For Siyoon, who had to operate alone, stamina was crucial.

Patience of Nature fulfilled this need perfectly.

Simply put, it allowed him to run for thirty minutes while others ran for ten.

In effect, it bought him time.

Moreover, the special effect of increased injury recovery speed was equally beneficial.

It stacked with the recovery effects of potions.

Because of this, he could continue fighting without much trouble even when injured.

It was an almost cheat-like piece of equipment, just like Wind of Horus.

Ttak.

Siyoon carefully placed the gloves on the table.

However, he didn’t take off the earrings and simple necklace he was wearing.

Breath of the Hermit and Earring of the Hermit, obtained directly after killing an assassin.

They were items that suppressed his presence and directly affected stealth.

Once properly enhanced to +5, temporary invisibility was also possible.

They were a bit uncomfortable as accessories, but he couldn’t leave them behind.

There were still many people outside targeting Siyoon.

As long as he didn’t know what might happen, they were equipment he always had to wear.

“I should maintain my gear and get some rest.”

Siyoon let out a sigh.

Rest was essential if he wanted to go hunting again tomorrow.

He also needed to inspect his equipment, after all.

He began maintaining his weapons to wrap up a long day.

* * *

The next day dawned.

It must have rained a little during the night, as there were puddles here and there.

Siyoon headed toward the dungeon, breathing in the cool air.

Dungeon hunting had been Siyoon’s routine for the past few months.

His primary goal was to become stronger.

To do that, he needed to fight as much as possible.

There were senses and instincts that could only be honed through real combat.

‘I caught Lantern Anglerfish yesterday, so I should hunt something else today’

Facing different magic beasts each time was part of his training.

The more diverse experience he accumulated, the broader his range of responses would become.

‘I need to get stronger as quickly as possible’

He had lived quite quietly for the past few months.

But he never knew when those targeting him might thrust a knife at him.

He had to get stronger, if only to finish his remaining revenge.

Siyoon widened his stride, quickly crossing the street.

It was then.

…Seuseuk.

Pitch-black shadows appeared from behind Siyoon.

Melted into the darkness, they silently watched him.

Seeing that Siyoon hadn’t noticed, a man flicked his finger.

At the same time, the men stealthily yet swiftly fell in behind him.

* * *

They melted into the darkness and tailed Siyoon.

They maintained a certain distance, suppressing their presence to avoid being detected.

They had no personal grudge against the person they were tailing.

They were simply carrying out a commission.

It wasn’t a difficult task to begin with.

The target wasn’t a big shot, just a normal hunter.

For such a hunter to notice their concealment was absurd.

At that moment, the target turned his body.

He had suddenly headed into a dark back alley.

Deok.

He sent a signal with his eyes to follow.

They couldn’t lose him here.

They followed Siyoon into the back alley.

The problems began after that.

At first, things were fine.

But just when they thought they had gone quite deep, Siyoon suddenly disappeared.

“…?”

The man’s steps stopped for a moment.

His brain had momentarily frozen from witnessing an unbelievable situation.

The target had vanished right before his eyes.

As if he had evaporated, not even a trace of presence could be felt.

“Huh?”

“Boss, just now…”

The subordinates noticed this as well and panicked.

They hastily checked the paths they could use to escape.

But this alley was a single path.

Moreover, the far end visible ahead was blocked.

“This is ridiculous…”

How on earth did he do that?

He couldn’t understand it.

It was possible for a body to disappear.

He might have used an item related to that.

But presence was different.

Presence was the very way to express that a life was alive.

Because of that, it wasn’t easy to completely erase it even with items.

The man frowned and surveyed his surroundings.

He felt as if he had encountered a ghost.

It was then.

“What are you guys?”

A voice echoed from behind.

His head snapped around at the low yet powerful voice.

“How…”

There stood Siyoon, the target of their commission whom they had been chasing just moments ago.