Chapter 30

Siyoon extracted information from the surviving assassins.

It wasn’t difficult.

Their will to fight had already been broken.

If even the bodyguards hadn’t shown any loyalty, there was no reason for the assassins to keep their mouths shut out of professional courtesy.

‘As expected, it wouldn’t end with just this.’

Through his interrogation, he confirmed the existence of their base.

A portion of their forces had set out from there to carry out this particular commission.

If left unchecked, they would inevitably attempt to ambush him again.

Therefore, Siyoon decided to wipe out the assassins first.

Jeobeok.

Thus, he arrived on the rooftop of an abandoned building.

This area was a dilapidated, abandoned ghost town.

Typically, such districts became havens for criminals.

And right here was the assassins’ base.

Siyoon surveyed the surroundings.

The sun was already beginning to set.

The fading sunset beyond the horizon reflected off the surrounding abandoned buildings.

Amidst that contrasting darkness, Siyoon spotted people.

‘There they are.’

Inside the windows, several men were moving about.

They wore the same attire as the assassins who had ambushed him.

The distance between them and Siyoon was approximately 1 kilometer.

Neither excessively far nor particularly close.

He was able to spot them from this distance thanks to the Wind of Horus.

It fundamentally expanded his field of vision and enhanced his eyesight.

It was virtually identical to supporting the ‘eyes’—a crucial asset for a sniper.

Of course, it was also only possible because he already knew the location of their base.

Cheolkeok.

Siyoon raised his sniper rifle.

The RTB-201, which he had used continuously since he first received it.

The smooth, heavy matte-black barrel absorbed even the light of the setting sun.

Feeling the cold, metallic texture, he calmly peered through the scope.

‘There are fifteen of them inside.’

A rough visual estimate confirmed there were fifteen capable fighters.

Verifying that this matched his intel, Siyoon exhaled slowly.

The moment he began sniping, they would notice.

One shot, one kill.

Eliminating them in a single stroke.

Siyoon fixed his eyes on the target.

He halted his exhalation, focusing every sensation into his finger.

Finally, the moment arrived when not a single tremor could be felt.

Kkirik…

His finger slowly pulled the trigger.

Tung.

His body jolted slightly as the rifle discharged.

The instant the bullet passed through the barrel, Siyoon infused it with wind.

The wind-imbued bullet accelerated once more, as if pushed by an unseen force.

It cleaved through the cool evening breeze and the sunset, eventually reaching the window of the abandoned building.

The subtle crimson hue transformed into the color of blood in that fleeting moment.

Kwajangchang!!

Peogeok—

The glass window shattered, scattering the vivid red sunset light.

An assassin nearby flashed into motion, throwing his body to the side.

Siyoon calmly tracked his trajectory and took aim.

Tung.

Peogeok.

The slowly spreading pool of blood entered his view through the scope.

Given the distance, none of them could react properly.

Siyoon steadied his posture.

At that moment, one of the assassins discovered Siyoon.

“…!”

The man shouted something while looking his way.

Siyoon didn’t know what he said.

And he had no need to know.

Tung.

As he pulled the trigger, the assassin swung a short dagger.

He intended to block or deflect the bullet.

Pakang!

However, despite his efforts, the bullet shattered the dagger and pierced his heart.

Instantly, a terrified man threw himself to the ground.

He had hidden his body behind a wall.

‘Though it’s futile anyway.’

Once a sniper’s position is revealed, there are numerous ways to counter it.

Simply breaking line of sight immediately makes things quite difficult.

But Siyoon’s sniping was different.

Even if they hid behind a wall, he only needed to pierce through it.

Kwadeudeudeuk.

The wind-infused bullet pierced through the thin concrete.

It was a form of sniping Enhancement utilizing the Wind of Horus.

Blood could be seen flowing from behind the wall, indicating a precise hit.

At that moment, someone tried to slip away, taking advantage of the chaos as their comrade was taken down.

Peok.

Siyoon gifted a final bullet to the disloyal man as well.

Before long, a bloody pool had gathered thickly inside the building.

They had nowhere to hide.

The rooftop Siyoon occupied offered a clear view of their base.

Furthermore, he possessed the Wind of Horus.

Whether they ran or hid, as long as they were within his field of vision, he wouldn’t miss.

Peok, peok, peogeok.

With every pull of the trigger, the concrete walls became stained.

And finally, the fifteenth bullet pierced its target.

“It’s over.”

Siyoon straightened his back.

At the very least, there were no living assassins left inside.

In a brief flash of less than 30 seconds.

The remaining assassins had all turned into cold corpses.

‘Now, let’s see who sent them.’

Even setting that aside, Siyoon had been sharpening his blade for revenge.

Killing Min Seolah hadn’t been the end of it all.

Hwik.

Siyoon vaulted over the rooftop wall and moved to the opposite building’s roof.

This route was much faster to reach his destination.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he pushed off and leaped to the other side.

The series of movements was as light as the wind.

‘Still, assassins, huh…’

While heading to their base, Siyoon fell into thought.

Under the current circumstances, his ultimate goal was Haind.

For whatever reason, they had also tried to kill him.

But because he lacked the power, he had been keeping a low profile.

Corporations were massive and powerful.

To take on a mid-sized company like Haind, Siyoon was still too weak.

However, revenge wasn’t a simple matter that could be done while gauging his opponent.

It was a matter of his life on the line.

It wasn’t something to finish half-heartedly.

That was why Siyoon had been living quietly, spurring his growth.

To acquire enough power to deal with them.

Yet he had been attacked first.

He didn’t know who sent them, but regardless, he had been struck first.

“Hmm.”

No matter how quietly he lived, this wasn’t something he could just let slide.

Since they had struck him first, he needed to find out who they were and exact his revenge.

‘First, I need to check the intel. And then…’

Tak.

Siyoon sprang off his knee, launching his body high.

After pushing off a dust-covered wall, he landed on the rooftop of the assassins’ base.

Opening the rusted, flimsy iron door revealed a dust-laden interior.

To exact revenge, he needed to know his target.

And having just eliminated the obstacles, it was time to search.

* * *

The interior was a mess.

He didn’t know if it had originally been like that or if the men had trashed it.

Past the broken furniture and scattered trash, Siyoon proceeded with his search.

“Hmm…”

Siyoon went down the stairs.

By floor count, it was the seventh floor.

When he opened another iron door, a metallic stench wafted out.

The hallway was a gruesome sight.

The corpses of assassins who had tried to hide behind walls or flee were strewn about.

The ones targeted in the head were half-burst and particularly horrific.

“…Let’s begin.”

Enduring the unpleasantness, Siyoon searched the corpses.

There were exactly fifteen bodies.

This perfectly matched the number he had killed via sniping.

Tuk.

Ultimately, this proved to be quite an effective idea.

Siyoon was able to obtain several potions from the corpses’ belongings.

They weren’t just basic life recovery potions.

Potions that awakened the five senses or instantly boosted physical strength.

Various ‘doping agents’ favored by hunters were discovered.

“That’s strange.”

It wasn’t unusual for hunters or assassins to carry doping agents.

Despite the name, they were essentially buff potions that aided in combat.

The issue lay in their types.

The doping agents found on five of the corpses were all identical.

Even among assassins, each individual had doping agents suited to them.

For example, someone lacking in strength would take a strength enhancer.

Doping agents were prepared to compensate for one’s personal shortcomings.

In that sense, it was strange for all the doping agents to be of the same type.

Moreover, the doping agents themselves looked oddly familiar.

They were clearly the same products sold on the market.

But for some reason, they felt extremely familiar.

The reason was elusive.

‘I need to search more.’

Siyoon calmly cooled his head.

Jumping to conclusions was unwise.

He had to make a rational judgment considering all situations and variables.

Especially in a matter like this.

Siyoon began looking for a place where information might be stored.

Among them, there was another room that caught his attention.

The underground storage where weapons were kept.

“This is…”

He examined the guns and ammunition placed in the corner.

There weren’t many.

But they all sparkled like brand-new products.

‘An unexpected haul.’

He figured he could grab them on his way out.

Siyoon went back up the stairs.

Or rather, he tried to go up.

“…Hmm?”

Something caught his sharp senses and field of vision.

A corner of the basement. A space obscured by shadows and boxes.

Unlike other places covered in dust, this spot was clean.

Deureureuk.

Siyoon moved the boxes aside.

Then, a safe hidden within the recessed wall was revealed.

“Hiding a safe in a place like this.”

The corners of Siyoon’s mouth lifted slightly.

This wasn’t just anyone’s safe, but one kept by assassins.

Even if it wasn’t money, there was a high chance it contained valuable information or items.

[ ‘Skill: Enhancement’ is used to enhance the ‘Locking Mechanism’. ]

Siyoon rapidly enhanced the safe’s locking mechanism.

Soon, with a small explosion, the lock shattered.

“Done.”

Siyoon tossed aside the locking mechanism, which had opened like an automatic door, and inspected the interior.

Unexpectedly, the safe was almost completely empty.

However, there were a few pieces of paper.

“Are these… documents?”

Siyoon calmly read through the contents.

The dozens of sheets of paper were all commission requests.

Moreover, they were from the companies he had been keeping a close eye on.

“Ha.”

Siyoon could recognize it at a glance.

The companies that had commissioned the assassins were all connected to a single corporation.

It was then.

Tuk.

Something caught Siyoon’s foot.

It was a small, cylindrical flask.

Siyoon carefully picked it up and smelled it.

“This is a potion too.”

It was certain.

It was the same product as the potion he had just acquired from the corpse.

At that moment, the fragments that had been floating around earlier connected.

The potions and doping agents the corpses possessed.

The new weapons stored underground and the contents of the safe.

And the potion flask dropped on the floor.

In an instant, the commission he had received in the past perfectly came to mind.

The Haind commission he had received from Min Seolah and carried out.

Back then, Siyoon had also been supplied with various potions and weapons.

This led to a conclusion.

‘No doubt about it. It’s Haind’s doing.’

Only then was Siyoon certain that it was Haind’s doing.

Then why did they commission them so sloppily using the same method?

Even just searching their base yielded so many clues to deduce it.

After pondering for a moment, the answer quickly emerged.

‘Did they think I would die right there by the assassins’ hands?’

This provided the answer.

They were convinced that Siyoon would be killed by the assassins.

It was understandable. The assassins he had faced were quite strong.

If he hadn’t lured them into a narrow alleyway, he would have had a hard time.

Though Siyoon would have won anyway.

Regardless, this was a serious matter.

It meant that Haind was targeting him.

‘I need to take action.’

With the target made clear, there was no need to hesitate.

He would have to move a bit faster than planned, but he couldn’t just sit still.

Siyoon immediately exited the building to proceed with his work.