Chapter 280: Engagement (1)

Chapter 280: Engagement (1)

First off, Kang-hoo eliminated footwork skills from consideration.

Before learning a skill, there’s usually a single chance to examine its preparatory movements or sensations during the confirmation phase.

When he reviewed footwork options in advance, the motions were too large—it didn’t align with the compactness Kang-hoo desired.

He didn’t need flashy performances. Only efficiency! That was all he cared about.

“Hm…”

It was a deeper dilemma than expected.

There were too many types of skills he could plunder from Lee.

Since there were numerous leg techniques—kicking skills—that Kang-hoo hadn’t seen used in battle, it took time to review them all.

After much deliberation, the skill Kang-hoo finally chose was none other than “Flying Heavens Kick.”

“Flying Heavens Kick is a skill that devours mana like crazy. Taking Mad Solarkium is a must, and using it twice in a row is a no-go.”

That was his overall assessment.

Flying Heavens Kick was that violet-hued kick he had seen when Lee struck upward at his chin during their fight.

It wasn’t just a basic kick—it was a skill kick.

The moment it was activated, the leg itself received a boost and tremendous propulsion was loaded all at once.

Since it temporarily pushed the body beyond its natural limits, one had to be wary of injuries.

“If you get hit clean in an unguarded state, your jaw could shatter—or your neck could snap.”

He was certain of it, having experienced it himself.

Kang-hoo immediately learned Flying Heavens Kick and mapped out an exit route from the dungeon.

He had no lingering attachment to the dungeon anymore.

He was certain that, even with ten of himself, he wouldn’t be able to take down the main boss here.

There was no Guardian option either, and he had no need to create additional variables. He just wanted to get out and rest.

Some time later.

After fully recovering, even from the aftereffects of the Mad Solarkium, Kang-hoo breathed in the air outside the dungeon.

He had thought the air inside was relatively clean, but he had been mistaken. The outside air was much crisper.

“I’ve kept the gift for Lars, at least…”

He checked the ring item he had tucked inside his coat.

A magic ring. Lars would like it.

Kang-hoo had no need for it himself, so it was the perfect item to give away as a generous gift.

Once he met Lars, he planned to give him the ring and also try selling the breastplate.

Evening was gradually approaching.

Rather than meeting Lars right away, it seemed better to wait until tomorrow. He had already arranged it that way.

So he checked Ayane’s message for the hotel address she said she’d book in advance.

On Huntergram, she had written the address of the hotel she intended to reserve once she reached the city to unpack.

“Quite a distance, huh.”

When he searched the address through the portal, he found it was a hotel in the suburbs, rather far from the city.

The view was stunning. The kind of night scenery perfect for a romantic date.

Thinking he should at least notify her that he was heading there, he called Ayane.

Tuuut… Tuuut…

But the signal just rang—she didn’t answer.

She could be in the shower or resting. He decided not to ruin the flow unnecessarily.

He figured he could just contact her again after arriving at the hotel.

Stepping out to the roadside in the city, Kang-hoo flagged down a taxi and showed the driver the hotel address.

The driver responded, “Honeymoon? Honeymoon?” and then offered a long congratulatory speech in German.

“……”

Kang-hoo spoke five languages but had no ties to German.

So with an awkward smile and a few nods, he had no choice but to head toward the hotel.

It was a moment where a translation skill felt desperately needed.

Why hadn’t he ever gotten the chance to plunder a skill like that?

He truly hoped the opportunity would come at least once.

Some time later.

After getting out near the hotel, Kang-hoo was just about to head there when he heard an unexpected sound—especially in a place like this.

It was the crack of gunfire—Tang!—from the direction of the nearby mountain. Not a hallucination.

And the gunshot sounded quite familiar to Kang-hoo’s ears.

It had that metallic ring he could only hear from Ayane’s rifle.

“……”

People coming and going in the hotel lobby reacted with confusion, but no one took direct action.

Hotels like this typically had numerous guards inside.

Depending on the situation, they could even activate a barrier to block external intrusion.

At the very least, they were safe from external threats.

Apparently, Kang-hoo wasn’t the only one who had heard the shot—a bulletproof barrier was deployed over the entire hotel exterior.

It was an expensive feature, but one that proved very useful if built into the design from the start.

Ayane had probably chosen not to enter the hotel so as not to risk innocent people being caught in the crossfire.

That choice had dramatically increased the risk to her own life, but Kang-hoo understood her intentions.

Click-clack. Clack. Click-clack.

Soon, several guards emerged into the lobby with reinforced item shields, assuming defensive formation.

These guards didn’t meddle in every conflict or dispute happening nearby.

They simply did their job of protecting the hotel, as they were paid to do. Asking them for help would be pointless.

Kang-hoo immediately sent a Fallen Beast toward the mountain.

He ordered it not to attack any entity or scream unless specifically commanded.

Unlike a Corrupted Fiend, a Fallen Beast could be controlled like a subordinate—making it far more valuable than its counterpart.

Especially now, with twilight setting in, the fading light reduced the risk of it being spotted.

【Stealth】

It immediately cloaked itself and began swiftly moving toward the mountain.

At the same time—

【Mana Tracking Ability】

Kang-hoo activated the Mana Tracking Ability to find traces of the hunters left on the ground.

He wished the name had stopped at just “Mana Tracking,” but since it was derived from a Constellation, the name had become unnecessarily long.

It had been a long time since he last used this skill. He’d grown quite attached to it.

He had first obtained it after committing his first “kill”—taking down the hunter who chased him during his escape from the Cheongmyeong Detention Center.

It was a useful skill that revealed trails of mana left behind by hunters, like footprints.

High-level hunters, or those adept at masking their presence, never left such traces.

But judging by the clear trail, these weren’t on that level—or maybe they were too pressed for time to worry about covering their tracks.

He quickly gave chase.

Before he knew it, Kang-hoo had naturally transitioned into the mountain area. The gunshot from earlier didn’t repeat.

Four trails were visible.

Seeing one separated from the other three, it was likely that three hunters were pursuing Ayane.

Given the circumstances, they were most likely enforcers sent by the Hayabusa Guild. A full-on revenge mission.

‘Well, smart move.’

Kang-hoo thought Ayane had made a good call choosing the mountain as her route.

It made hiding and repositioning easier.

Of course, for Ayane—who specialized in sniping—it was also a difficult place to take aim from.

A tricky battlefield for all. But for Kang-hoo, it was the perfect stage.

Ayane probably hadn’t counted on Kang-hoo joining her in this scenario, but a new variable had already been added.

‘No matter how much she didn’t want to bother me, not calling was just pointless pride.’

While moving rapidly under Stealth—alternating between acceleration and leaps—Kang-hoo gripped his daggers tightly in both hands.

With multiple enemies, he needed to be able to kill swiftly once he had the chance.

If the fight dragged even slightly, they’d likely retaliate.

‘I’ll take one out right at the start.’

He hadn’t yet confirmed the situation with his own eyes, but he set his top priority.

In this 1v3 setup, he’d tip the balance by subtracting one from their side and adding one to his.

Equal numbers—his first plan.

BANG!

After a period of holding back, Ayane abruptly spun her waist and fired behind her in a surprise attack.

But it missed.

Darkness had grown thicker, and her opponents weren’t fools—they moved swiftly to dodge.

The forested terrain only made things harder. Too many trees obstructed attacks.

She was making things difficult for herself, but Ayane didn’t regret her decision.

She had always lived like a chameleon in the mercenary world—freely crossing lines between enemy and ally.

But getting innocent civilians involved—especially unrelated ones—was something she absolutely couldn’t tolerate.

When she had first set her route toward the hotel, she had seen a child happily playing while holding their parents’ hands.

If that child were to be harmed—or worse, die—because of her karma?

She knew she’d carry that guilt for the rest of her life.

She could kill a hundred enemies without emotional turmoil, but even one innocent casualty would leave a deep scar.

“……?”

But when she turned around again, one of the three hunters who had been tailing her had vanished.

A surge of unease hit her, and as she scanned the uphill path, the situation became clear.

One of them had taken a wide detour, creating an encirclement around her.

“Tch.”

Ayane stopped in place.

There were two main escape routes, and both had now been blocked—she was effectively surrounded.

All four—Ayane and the three relentless pursuers—halted as if on cue.

They all knew a fight was inevitable, so a tacit ceasefire took place.

This was their last chance to exchange words before risking their lives in battle.

Among the three male hunters—

One, the leader—a mage—stepped forward with an arrogant look and said,

“Ayane. Because of your disruption in the Fukuoka Liberation Zone, our guild suffered massive losses.”

“What are you talking about? A mercenary gets paid to do the job. What, you think I got paid to sit around? You gave me money to cut off your heads—if I don’t follow through, am I even a merc?”

Ayane stood her ground without backing down.

It wasn’t baseless bravado—it was her code.

If a mercenary accepts payment, they damn well better earn it. If the job can’t be done, she’d decline it from the start.

Those two principles were her foundation.

The leader responded,

“Just the item value of the guild members you killed exceeds several billion yen. You have no honor. Betraying us when you were our ally just yesterday?”

“Honor? Real dishonor is a trash merc who can’t be professional with their own damn job. Dipshit.”

She cursed without hesitation.

It was a stark contrast to the careful words and tone she always used with Kang-hoo—this was the real her.

“Right. What’s the point of talking to scum like you? I’ll just catch you, sell all your items, sell that rare pair of glasses of yours, and hell—maybe even sell your body. That’d be perfect.”

“Yeah? Eat this.”

Ayane raised her middle finger proudly, provoking the three hunters.

Yes, it was a tough situation.

The reason these bastards could act so brazenly—not in Japan, but in Germany—was because of how Germany operated.

As long as they didn’t harm German nationals or local hunters, the country didn’t interfere in fights between foreign hunters.

They wouldn’t mediate or intervene unless both parties explicitly requested it. “Settle it yourselves” was the norm.

So even if a brutal fight broke out here, hotel security wouldn’t lift a finger.

One mage, two swordsmen.

Ayane, who was hopeless in close combat, couldn’t find a way to win—no matter how she thought about it.

“Hah…”

She lowered her rifle slightly, as if resigning herself.

No matter how she ran the numbers, there was no chance of victory.

But just then—

KIIIIAAAK—!

A sudden, shriek-like sound pierced the silence of the air overhead.

“……!”

And before Ayane’s eyes, a black, familiar figure emerged—it was a Fallen Beast.

To her, it looked like one of the old Corrupted Fiends, since they shared the same appearance.

In that instant—

‘…Kang-hoo?’

Ayane shivered with realization.

Help had come—at a moment she never expected it.

Kang-hoo was with her.