Chapter 287: Apple (1)
As he read the email, Yu Do-hoon trembled uncontrollably, unable to contain his curiosity about this person’s identity.
It was as if they had entered his mind and read all his thoughts.
The so-called top three of the Seoul Hunter Public Safety Bureau.
Chief Commissioner Kang Hyo-tae, Deputy Commissioner Bong Seong-pil, and Seoul Division Director Ahn Gyeok-ho.
Yu Do-hoon clearly despised them. He believed that in order to restore the Bureau to its original purpose, those three had to be removed first.
A Bureau that sides with no single power, that simply stands as a steadfast companion and guardian of the people.
That was the kind of Bureau Yu Do-hoon longed for.
It was why he secretly grew stronger by raiding dungeons unreported to the Bureau, like today.
It was all in preparation for overturning this rotten and corrupted Bureau.
To do that, not only did he have to replace its members, but also eliminate the forces that made it this way.Namely, the executives of the Jeonghwa Guild, including Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwan-hyeong.
To Yu Do-hoon, they were the root of all corruption.
They used the Bureau as they pleased and even exploited its network for various criminal activities.
The recent rumors on Huntergram about hunter trafficking weren’t just rumors. They were undeniable truths.
But the Bureau, by creating a special task force, was covering up the Jeonghwa Guild’s atrocities…
Which is why these truths were being suppressed as mere rumors. They should have been exposed long ago.
— Stop trying to stir up a storm in a teacup from inside the Bureau.
Just once, set aside all your prejudices and look outside. Ask yourself, who can deal the most critical blow to the Bureau right now?
‘The Abyss? Don’t tell me they’re suggesting I join forces with The Abyss—the hotbed of criminals…?’
The tone of the email clearly pointed toward The Abyss.
The Bureau’s greatest threat was the Jeonghwa Guild, and The Abyss was making their lives hell.
At first, Yu Do-hoon reflexively equated The Abyss with a nest of criminals.
That was a result of deeply ingrained, indoctrinated information.
Could this be a case of being labeled a villain and thus becoming one?
From what Yu Do-hoon had investigated in the past, some of the charges against The Abyss had definitely been fabricated.
‘The Abyss, huh…’
Yu Do-hoon’s gaze deepened.
A storm in a teacup can’t break the cup.
But if a storm forms outside as well, the inner and outer winds could collide and shatter it.
To overturn the Bureau, he would have to quietly join hands with the very force it feared most…
Was this truly the right choice—or the worst one that might destroy the Bureau entirely?
Yu Do-hoon couldn’t come to a decision. This wasn’t something to be decided on impulse.
After unpacking all their belongings and checking their assigned rooms within the villa,
Kang-hoo and the Celestial Assassin drank a cool glass of water in the living room before heading to the spacious training yard.
There was no faucet or place to drink in the yard, so they hydrated in advance.
When Kang-hoo arrived in the living room, the Celestial Assassin was popping several pills into his mouth from a medicine pouch.
There were more than expected, so Kang-hoo cautiously asked,
“Are you feeling unwell, sir?”
Seeing Kang-hoo’s worried expression, the Celestial Assassin scoffed and said,
“What’s with the pitiful look? These are just pills for arthritis, you brat. Just wait until you’re my age. You might look fine on the outside, but you’ll be rotting inside!”
“Ah…”
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. After training, you won’t have the time to worry about others anyway. Heh heh heh.”
The laugh at the end sounded downright wicked.
It carried the clear anticipation of a master about to torment his disciple.
As they stepped out of the living room, opened the main gate, and walked toward the tall steel pillar at the center of the training yard,
Kang-hoo and the Celestial Assassin continued their conversation.
“Kang-hoo. Be honest—how much of your ability can you really show? Tell me what you think.”
“I’d say around 95%.”
The missing 5% was because of his hidden skill, Black Moon Slash/White Sun Slash.
He’d already shown the Wall of Purity enough times for it to no longer matter.
But with Black Moon Slash/White Sun Slash, no one had survived witnessing it until now.
There were a few cases where allies had seen it, but it was still a skill he didn’t want to reveal intentionally.
“That’s a higher percentage than I expected.”
“You think so?”
“Honestly, even if you had said 50%, I would’ve pushed you to reveal more of your power anyway.”
“You were testing me, weren’t you?”
“Exactly. I was just testing your trust in your master. Ha ha.”
Apparently, it was the Celestial Assassin’s own bizarre form of trust check.
In any case, since the answer was close to what he wanted, a smile formed on the Celestial Assassin’s lips.
He patted Kang-hoo on the shoulder, then took something from inside his robe.
It was a red apple.
Its color was vibrant.
Even someone like Kang-hoo, who wasn’t particularly interested in food, found himself briefly tempted.
“Listen closely. I’m going to eat this apple now. If I finish it, you lose.”
“So, my task is to stop you from eating it?”
“That’s right. For the next five minutes, stop me from finishing this apple by any means necessary. Use that 95% of your ability you just mentioned.”
“What happens if I lose?”
“You’ll go see Haemi over there and do extra studying for an hour. I’ll tell you your next assignment once you head over.”
“Hmm.”
As soon as Kang-hoo turned toward the voice saying “Over there,” he spotted Ju Haemi standing between the trees surrounding the training yard.
She was so quiet and still that if you weren’t paying close attention, you wouldn’t have noticed her.
Whether intentional or not, her tracksuit was the same color as the trees, making it even harder to spot her.
“Let’s begin!”
Crunch!
The Celestial Assassin took a big bite out of the apple, signaling the start of training.
It was such a huge bite that nearly half the apple disappeared in an instant.
【Abduction】
Kang-hoo’s first move was Abduction.
He didn’t intend to abduct the Celestial Assassin himself—his real target was the apple in his hand.
But the Celestial Assassin sensed the “invisible grasp” that had to touch the target for Abduction to activate.
Clang!
Using his unique qigam—a form of energy perception—he fiercely struck down the grasp.
“…?”
Kang-hoo’s pupils dilated in shock.
He had seen others evade or resist the activation of Abduction before,
but this was the first time he had seen someone repel the skill entirely.
The invisible grasp was like a transparent, elongated hand that forcibly pulled its target.
Even the caster, Kang-hoo, needed intense focus to track its movements—but the Celestial Assassin recognized it immediately.
“That skill’s too obvious, brat! The moment I feel the abnormal mana suction, I can see right through it. How long are you planning to get by with easy tricks?”
Crunch!
Having wasted a turn, Kang-hoo could only watch as the Celestial Assassin took another bite of the apple.
With a time limit imposed, he felt rushed from the start.
It was hard to stay calm when so much of the apple disappeared into his mouth at once.
At this rate, the training would be over after just two or three more bites.
【Summon Corrupted Beast】
Determined to somehow disrupt the Celestial Assassin’s free movement, Kang-hoo summoned a Corrupted Beast.
The creature had offensive capabilities, making it perfect for interference.
Screeee!
As the Corrupted Beast suddenly emerged behind Kang-hoo, cloaked in dark energy, the Celestial Assassin grinned.
“Oh? So you’ve got some tricks too?”
Using the beast as a shield, Kang-hoo quickly closed the distance toward the Celestial Assassin.
But just then—
【Shadow Flurry】
The Celestial Assassin made three swift slashes through the air with the dagger in his hand.
The skill name: Shadow Flurry.
From 12 to 6 o’clock, 5 to 11, and 1 to 7—three clean, directional strikes.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary move—no special effects, no gusts of wind.
Fsshhhh…!
But the charging Corrupted Beast vanished instantly with just one use of Shadow Flurry.
Even Kang-hoo would need to land at least two solid Grand Decapitations to kill the beast.
Yet the Celestial Assassin effortlessly erased it with minimal movement.
【Wall of Purity】
Because of that, Kang-hoo—who had been right behind the beast—had to raise the Wall of Purity.
If the Corrupted Beast was torn apart like paper, he’d be in danger if caught in the attack.
Clang! Clang! Cl-cl-cl-clang!
“Grrgh, damn it.”
To make matters worse, Shadow Flurry didn’t just end with the beast—it continued forward and struck the Wall of Purity.
Kang-hoo had assumed the projectiles would disperse or lose force after impact—but instead, they pressed down with increasing weight.
It felt like trying to block a massive wall crashing down on him from the front. His body slid backward.
“You think you’re the only one who can wield darkness? You’ve gotten soft. Completely soft!”
Crunch!
Another bite echoed through the air. At this point, the crunching sound itself was starting to irritate him.
‘Was I trying to hold him back too passively? Come to think of it, what kind of assassin tries long-range interference?’
Kang-hoo reflected on himself.
It had all seemed too easy—so he decided to change tactics slightly this time.
【Shadow Step】
Kang-hoo’s signature move, and the best for creating unpredictability—Shadow Step.
It allowed him to scatter up to five shadows at once, which would overwhelm most opponents.
However—
Fsshhh…!
Before the shadows could even scatter fully, the Celestial Assassin unleashed another Shadow Flurry and wiped them out.
Shadows were highly vulnerable to external force, and Shadow Flurry affected a much wider area than it appeared to.
“Are you going to keep disappointing me?”
Crunch!
Less than 20% of the apple remained now.
But Kang-hoo couldn’t shake the feeling that the Celestial Assassin was deliberately eating slowly.
If so… that made it even more humiliating.
Sure, it might sound odd to speak of “humiliation” between master and disciple—but this was the first time he had felt this way.
Powerlessness.
He was giving it everything he had to surpass his master, but his opponent stood firm like an immovable mountain.
It was like throwing an egg at a rock. And he was the egg—cracking helplessly.
Then, at long last—
Kang-hoo remembered, belatedly, the very first words the Celestial Assassin had said to him…
Back when he had agreed to take Kang-hoo in as a disciple.