Chapter 17: Awakening Test (2)

Name: Park Hajin

Gender: Male

Age: 26

Level: 8

Strength 16, Agility 15, Stamina 16, Magic Power 12

Available Stat Points: 0

Coins Held: 1,580

Occupation: None

Unique Ability: Deadly Ambush

Skills: Lv3 ‘Acceleration’, Lv2 ‘Concealment’, Lv2 ‘Light Breathing’

I had already checked Park Hajin’s status with ‘Eyes of Truth’.

Assassins were known for their strength in one-on-one confrontations.

‘Light Breathing’, in particular, was a highly coveted ability.

‘It’s a passive skill that could compensate for prolonged battles.’

Definitely useful.

That’s why I taunted him.

[Copy Condition: You can copy a ‘Unique Ability’ if the target’s affinity reaches its maximum, and you can copy ‘any skill you want’ if the hostility with the target reaches its maximum.]

To meet precisely this condition.

‘Increasing hostility isn’t such a difficult task.’

Jinhyuk’s lips curled up slightly.

On the contrary, Park Hajin’s face contorted angrily.

“Is this bastard seriously laughing in this situation?”

Sshing!

But just as his sword was about to be drawn…

Jinhyuk moved faster by half a beat.

He thrust the bottled water he was holding forward.

Splash!

The water sprayed over Park Hajin’s face.

“Cough?”

Park Hajin instinctively closed his eyes.

It was just for a second.

Yet in combat, such brief moments could be fatal.

The belated sword swing cut through empty air.

Of course, the target that should be bleeding and screaming had long since vanished.

The sensation of a hit was absent.

Something was wrong.

That thought had barely crossed his mind when…

Throb!

A sharp pain lanced through Park Hajin’s thigh.

He staggered.

“Argh!”

He tumbled to the ground.

Park Hajin clutched his thigh and rolled on the bare earth.

That precise and rapid strike targeted his weak point; he wouldn’t even be able to stand for a while, let alone fight.

“What, what happened?”

Asking questions to oneself.

Was it a misstep?

The absurd mistake.

It seemed like a struck of luck to those unaware.

Only three people amid hundreds discerned what just happened.

Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeonhwa—who had followed Jinhyuk—and Kim Gitaek from the Ssaulabi Guild.

‘To think our brother was this good, but this is crazy.’

Lee Taemin swallowed dryly.

The timing for the sneak attack.

The timing to dive into the blind spot right after, was flawless.

It may have looked fine on the outside, but it was clear Park Hajin’s leg was not normal.

Of course, he still was unaware of the severity of his injuries.

“Uh….”

A sympathetic sigh came from Yoo Yeonhwa.

Seeing Park Hajin being played with overlapped with her memories of sparring with her grandfather.

‘No, this is even worse.’

Back then, at least there was the purpose of training.

But now…

From the perspective of the victim, there was nothing to learn.

It was nothing but a one-sided beating.

＊＊＊

‘What, what is this?’

Park Hajin couldn’t comprehend the situation.

It was supposed to be that guy writhing on the ground.

But why…

Why was he feeling the cold touch of marble on his cheek?

“Damn it!”

Expletives burst from his mouth.

Such humiliation, in front of Kim Gitaek.

Even if he was caught off guard, it was an irreparable mistake.

“This bastard is going down.”

Park Hajin made an awkward attempt to stand.

But then, a crushing pressure encircled his neck.

Crack!

“Gag?”

“Your neck will break. Stay down.”

Jinhyuk looked down at Park Hajin from above.

“Cough! Get… get off my neck!”

Park Hajin thrashed about.

Though he fought to free himself, somehow the other’s leg did not waver in the slightest.

“Oh, brother!”

It was then that Park Hana’s voice rang out.

She had rushed forward upon hearing the commotion.

“Who dares to!”

Park Hana glared at the one who attacked her kin with murderous eyes.

However, upon meeting that person’s gaze, she started to tremble.

“Wha-what?”

The very person she least wanted to encounter.

The demon whom she couldn’t even dare to look at was before her eyes.

“Wow. I didn’t expect to see you so soon, intern.”

Jinhyuk smiled faintly.

“Why are you here…?”

“Why else? I came for the test. I got irritated because some guy was cutting in line and acting all high and mighty, though.”

Jinhyuk put more weight on his foot.

“Ugh!”

Park Hajin finally quieted down.

Things got a little quieter now.

‘But has the copy condition still not been met?’

By now, he thought hostility would have maxed out.

Seems like the system had more demanding criteria than he expected.

‘No choice then. I have to push even harder.’

While he was thinking, a voice intervened.

“That’s enough.”

A heavy pressure landed on Jinhyuk’s shoulder.

It was Kim Gitaek.

[`Eyes of Truth’ have been triggered!]

[Due to a significant level difference, the skill’s activation is canceled!]

He couldn’t see the status window with his eye.

Meaning…

‘He is at least level 20 or more.’

The advantage of monopolizing hunting grounds and sharing hunts.

This was why everyone was desperate to join major guilds.

Jinhyuk glanced at the hand gripping his shoulder.

Then murmured as if to himself.

“…I didn’t realize.”

“What didn’t you realize?”

“That this guy had a nanny attached to him.”

Though the comment was tinged with provocation, Kim Gitaek’s expression was unchanged.

“He’s a handful, but there’s nothing I can do. He’s got some useful quirks.”

“Useful quirks, huh…”

Jinhyuk chuckled lightly.

“Is it because he has access to the supply route for Korean ginseng in China?”

“What?”

For the first time, a noticeable change appeared on Kim Gitaek’s face.

His pupils shook.

Even the hand that held the shoulder trembled slightly.

“How do you know that?”

“You’re asking the wrong question. Not how I know, but…”

If he knew that much about it.

If he was someone who knew that much.

Could it be…

“You should be asking if the side effects of Korean ginseng can be countered.”

As Jinhyuk’s words ended…

Whirring!

[Kim Gitaek activates Lv3 ‘Dark Barrier’!]

An invisible barrier expanded.

Park Hajin, Park Hana, and everyone else around disappeared.

In a world severed from the outside, Kim Gitaek faced Jinhyuk head-on.

“Who… What exactly are you? How do you know all this?”

At first, it was intriguing.

A newbie, fresh for testing, had toyed with Park Hajin.

And his movement without waste was slightly admirable.

But as Jinhyuk’s words continued, curiosity turned into uncomfortable suspicion.

And eventually, it became strong antagonism.

It had to.

He…

He knew too much.

Too much, excessively so.

“It seems you’ve asked the wrong question again.”

Jinhyuk shrugged.

“It’s not important what I know or how I know it. The key is what can be exchanged for the information I have.”

This isn’t a hearing.

Only results matter.

Motive or process, irrelevant.

“You want to trade?

“Yes. You’re probably desperate to reduce those side effects anyway, right?”

Struck at the heart of the issue, Kim Gitaek clenched his lips.

But only briefly.

“As if you’ve prepared for this trade beforehand.”

Spontaneous… there were too many discrepancies for that.

A premeditated setup.

Only then would the scenario make sense.

Jinhyuk gave an affirmative shrug instead of a word.

“Right. I knew you would come here.”

As soon as he heard about the test from Lee Taemin, he hypothesized.

The best place for self-promotion.

Park Hana, having risen to the Hall of Fame, wouldn’t miss the chance to come at dawn.

Surely, bringing Park Hajin for connections.

But would Park Hajin, eager for his guild’s growth, come alone?

Unlikely.

He would’ve tried to involve someone from the upper echelons.

The other party wouldn’t want to miss the chance for mass media exposure.

Convergence of interests.

That’s why he was sure

Dangun or Ssaulabi.

At least one of the high-ranking officers from these two would show up.

‘I did anticipate Ssaulabi, aiming for the second spot, to have higher chances.’

And that turned out to be accurate.

“If your words are true, do you have evidence? Anyone can talk.”

Evidence?

Of course.

“Taking Korean ginseng raw leads to magical intoxication. You can mitigate symptoms by managing the dosage or using the ‘Purified Water’ from the second floor. But that’s no solution.”

“So?”

“You’ll need three items.”

Jinhyuk held up three fingers.

“Karashian juice, moonstone, mandragora root. The first two from the second and third floors of the tower are no issue, but the trouble is, no one knows where to get the last one, right?”

…it matches.

The formula obtained by the Ssaulabi Guild’s research team and explorers, and the man’s words.

They had easily secured the first two ingredients.

But the last one, mandragora root, was elusive.

They hadn’t even pinpointed its floor in the tower.

‘Given he knows the formula and ingredients… his words must be true.’

The basic condition for trade was met.

The decision was quick.

“Alright, I’ll bite. But…”

In that moment, Kim Gitaek’s sheathed sword flashed outward.

Sshing!

Speed incomparable to Park Hajin.

The sword tip stopped short before Jinhyuk’s nose.

“If you’re trying a cheap trick, be prepared.”

“A cheap trick, huh?”

“Yes. You won’t be able to talk your way out then.”

This is… quite a misunderstanding.

Jinhyuk scratched his head.

And slowly wrapped his hand around the blade.

“No need to grip, I’m not planning to run.”

Kim Gitaek chuckled lightly.

Then, suddenly.

Woosh!

[Lv2 ‘Element of Fire’ has been activated!]

[Due to the level gap, the ‘Stat Discrepancy’ is activated!]

Flames undulated, turning the blade red-hot.

The heat was unbearable to the skin.

Even the moisture in the air rapidly evaporated.

“What is…?”

Kim Gitaek quickly tried to withdraw his sword, but it was too late.

Crack!

Jinhyuk’s other hand now grasped a dagger, glowing red.

A horizontal slash.

A tiny crack formed on Kim Gitaek’s blade.

Subtle but precise.

And then…

Thud!

The split sword fell to the ground.

‘A reinforced weapon…he cut it in one strike?’

‘Impossible…!’

Kim Gitaek stared dumbfounded between the broken blade and the hilt.

Surely, this opponent is just a level-one player.

But then, what is this menacing aura?

As if levels were utterly meaningless.

His instincts screamed a dire warning.

Jinhyuk spoke.

“Don’t be confused. I make the offers. I grant the opportunities.”

His voice was colder than ever.

“I bother with this tedious game because even bargaining with you is a waste of my time.”

He needed to reach the ‘Remnant’ on the first floor.

That’s why he spent a month in the labyrinth.

However, if someone refuses to see sense, he could spare a moment.

“Remember this well.”

Right here, he draws the line.

“If you play tricks…”

The warning was clear.

“Ssaulabi Guild itself might just shatter.”

Warnings come only once.