Chapter 269: The Clown (2)
【After acquiring the first magic stat, you can postpone the allocation of the remaining 99 stat gains.】
【Once the total of 100 stat acquisitions is completed, you will gain complete immunity to one of the following conditions: paralysis, sleep, or poisoning.】
‘Thanks to the Breath of the Reverse God Necklace, I’m already half-immune to poisoning. Anyway, if I steadily accumulate 100 stats, I won’t have to worry about one of them ever again.’
Kang-hoo planned to stack his stats as quickly as possible to activate full immunity.
Of course, to activate it, he needed to receive the first reward, which would increase his magic stat to 31.
That would bring him closer to the minimum requirement of 50 magic needed to activate Era of Savagery.
Since he still had some leeway, he was determined to claim that reward.
Originally, Kang-hoo had no ability to induce sleep, so even with the Nightmare constellation, he had no opportunity to accumulate stats.
However, thanks to obtaining the Poison Blood skill last time, he now had a great opportunity to activate the Nightmare constellation.
Ayane, watching Kang-hoo continually stain himself with blood, narrowed her eyes and asked,“…Are you a pervert?”
“It’s a skill.”
“There’s a skill for self-harm?”
“Yeah. My blood is the material.”
“You’re not turning into a vampire or anything, right? I don’t know about other things, but I definitely don’t have a blood-sucking fetish.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Poison attacks? Black magic?”
“Let’s just say it’s somewhere in between.”
Kang-hoo nonchalantly cut his finger, smearing the blood onto his dagger.
Seeing this, Ayane slightly furrowed her right brow and tilted her head.
She wondered if this kind of skill really suited an assassin.
Kang-hoo was, at his core, an assassin.
The fact that he had a skill that used blood meant he was somewhat deviating from the traditional mold of an assassin.
【That guy… something about him is off.】
At that moment—
Ayane’s main constellation, Executioner of Madness, spoke to her as it observed Kang-hoo.
Since Ayane often spent time alone, she frequently conversed with her main constellation.
Executioner of Madness also enjoyed these conversations with her.
Despite its ominous-sounding name, it was quite talkative and genuinely cared for Ayane.
‘What’s strange about him?’
【When I first met you, I only sensed dark energy in him. But now, I can also sense holy power.
That’s unusual for a hunter under contract. Can oil and water really mix like this?】
‘Is that really true?’
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【I felt it through your senses. You wouldn’t notice because you’re too dull, but I can perceive the subtle differences.】
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‘If he has the ability to coexist with both dark energy and holy power, wouldn’t that be an incredible feat in itself?’
【Exactly. But what’s even more remarkable is that there’s no internal conflict—meaning even his constellations aren’t clashing with each other.】
‘Does that mean the constellations completely trust and believe in Kang-hoo’s abilities?’
【That, and it also suggests that a high-level constellation is helping suppress the potential conflicts between dark energy and holy power.】
Ayane’s eyes gleamed.
From the beginning, she had known that Kang-hoo was a hunter with abilities beyond the norm.
That’s why she was drawn to him, both as a fellow hunter and as a woman. If he had been ordinary, she wouldn’t have even spared him a glance.
But the information from Executioner of Madness exceeded even her expectations.
What kind of constellation was backing him, making such an impossible coexistence a reality?
“I see it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
At that moment, Kang-hoo and Ayane simultaneously sensed the appearance of a monster.
Its official name—Clown No. 7.
It was one of the monsters that made up this dungeon, resembling a perfect imitation of a clown.
No. 7 was the lowest-ranked, while No. 1 was the highest.
The one that had just appeared was a No. 7, the most basic and weakest type.
“Kang-hoo, should I step in?”
“Step in for what? Hold your position. I’ll gather them up as much as I can, so you line up a one-hit ‘one-turn kill’ strike.”
“Then I won’t move from here?”
“Confirmed.”
Paah!
【Acceleration】
【Leap】
Kang-hoo vanished from Ayane’s sight in an instant.
It was his signature movement pattern, yet every time she saw it, it amazed her.
No matter how she looked at it, all of his skills seemed to be at maximum proficiency.
Ayane assumed that Kang-hoo’s skill mastery levels were never low.
The only reason she kept it as an assumption instead of a certainty was because, logically, it should be impossible to max out all skills.
Since she had no way of knowing about the Dimension Plunderer, her reasoning was completely rational.
【Shadow Step】
Before anyone realized it, Kang-hoo had already reached Clown No. 7’s vicinity, spreading his shadows across the area.
Ssst! Thunk!
Ssssst! Thud!
Kang-hoo swiftly shifted his position between the shadows, stabbing the throats of the No. 7s that barely managed to track his movements.
Within moments, five No. 7s clutched their necks, staggering before collapsing forward.
Only one No. 7, which had been outside of his shadow’s reach, met a different fate.
【Abduction】
“Ugh!”
It was the inevitable end—dragged in by the Abduction skill.
Of course, the moment the target was pulled in by Abduction, Kang-hoo’s razor-sharp dagger was already waiting.
Thunk!
It pierced cleanly through the heart, instantly taking the life of Clown No. 7. That made six kills.
“……”
Kang-hoo slightly retreated, provoking the remaining five No. 7s.
As he pulled back, tilting his dagger—now drenched in their comrade’s blood—back and forth, the No. 7s cautiously advanced, maintaining a safe distance.
They had just witnessed their comrades die without a chance to fight back, so they were being careful in their own way.
However…
What they failed to realize was that, in trying to keep their distance, they had unknowingly lined up in a straight formation.
And then—
Bang!
Ayane’s rifle muzzle flashed.
Pop! Pop-pop-pop! Pop! Pop!
“Mmm.”
Kang-hoo let out a sound close to admiration.
In a single sniping shot, Ayane had popped all five No. 7s’ heads like balloons.
Their heads were blown clean off, making it unnecessary to check if they had survived.
Kang-hoo turned toward Ayane in the rear and gave her a thumbs-up. That was firepower worthy of respect.
The main characteristic of Clown No. 7 was that it constantly inflicted a slow effect on any opponent it touched.
However, no monster even got the chance to approach Kang-hoo or Ayane.
They blitzed through the No. 7 zone before experiencing or even noticing the slow effect.
Any nearby No. 7s were killed by Kang-hoo, and if they formed a sloppy formation, Ayane wiped them out.
No. 7s, unable to withstand even a single sniper shot from Ayane, were nothing more than easy targets.
Section 6: Clown No. 6.
At last, they arrived at the No. 6 zone.
Clown No. 6 was a monster that moved in an almost drunken, swaying manner but was surprisingly adept at both offense and defense.
It was a martial arts-type monster that swiftly switched between attacking and defending while delivering powerful counterattacks.
“Hik! Eik!”
“……”
At the start of the battle, the No. 6 in front of Kang-hoo took quick steps back and forth while making distracting noises.
Its movements were quite fast—but not to an untraceable level.
Since Kang-hoo naturally had extremely keen dynamic vision, he grasped its movements instantly.
Then—
“Hik-uut!”
Swish!
The No. 6 tried to backstep away, but Kang-hoo suddenly surged forward.
He crouched low, using Acceleration and Leap in combination, closing the distance in an instant.
The No. 6 attempted to withdraw further, but Kang-hoo had already calculated its retreat and increased his speed accordingly.
And then—
Thunk!
“Guh-agh!”
Kang-hoo’s dagger plunged straight into the No. 6’s abdomen, ripping through its peritoneum and spraying blood in all directions.
Despite the fatal wound, the No. 6 clenched its fists tightly and tried to launch a desperate counterattack.
Swoosh! Thunk!
However, Kang-hoo easily sidestepped, dodging the attack, and stabbed it again.
A brief exchange of attacks followed, but ultimately, it was a one-sided massacre.
Every time No. 6 tried to evade, it got stabbed. Every time it attempted a counterattack, it got stabbed again.
Its rapid attack-switching tactics looked flashy but lacked real effectiveness.
Meanwhile, another No. 6, which had joined the fight late, kept its distance while laughing eerily, attempting to provoke Kang-hoo.
【Qi Blast】
Crack!
A sudden Qi Blast shot out from Kang-hoo’s fingertips and struck the monster’s face—instantly killing it.
Its head snapped backward like a broken puppet, leaving no chance for survival.
“Pffft!”
Ayane burst into laughter.
Two No. 6s had tried to take on Kang-hoo, but neither had even grazed him before being completely dominated and killed.
One thought it could dodge but was shredded by repeated dagger stabs.
The other tried to taunt from afar but was taken out in a single Qi Blast.
If not for the blood and death, the whole scene could have been mistaken for a comedy skit.
But soon, Ayane’s laughter subsided, replaced by a growing realization of the terrifying potential of Kang-hoo’s abilities.
One of Kang-hoo’s most frightening aspects was that his supporting skills completely covered the inherent weaknesses of an assassin.
For example, assassins typically lack ranged combat options.
However, skills like Qi Blast nullified this shortcoming, instead turning it into a tool for creating unexpected advantages.
‘If I didn’t have aerial sniping and near-instant-kill firepower, this dungeon wouldn’t have needed me in the first place.’
Ayane assessed the situation coldly.
Right now, Kang-hoo lacked aerial attack abilities and long-range finishing moves—that’s why he needed her.
But if he did have those capabilities?
Then he would’ve completed this mission alone.
The thought sent shivers down her spine.
Kang-hoo had far more filled-in abilities than gaps to cover.
‘I don’t want to be an irrelevant partner.’
Ayane bit her lip.
Just as she admired Kang-hoo’s skills, she wanted him to acknowledge her abilities as well.
She didn’t want to just envy his talents—she wanted her worth to be recognized.
From that moment, Ayane resolved to actively engage in coordinated attacks with Kang-hoo.
There was no reason to hold back her combat repertoire, nor did she want to be reduced to his sidekick.
Since Bleed Maintenance—a key dungeon strategy—was something Kang-hoo already had locked down,
She simply needed to amplify the bleed effect with overwhelming firepower. That was her role.
Right at that moment—
A monster lunged at Kang-hoo.
It was one of the leader-tier Clowns.
Not a boss, per se, but it had significantly higher endurance and vitality.
【Full Power Shot】
Ayane instantly locked onto it.
She concentrated her mana to the limit, to the point of inducing a splitting headache.
And then—
Bang!
She pulled the trigger.
A sharp crackling sound echoed as a lightning-infused bullet streaked forward.
It left a glowing white line in the air, tracing a visible arc as it flew.
And then—
Thwack! Boom!
The bullet pierced the monster’s chest and obliterated its torso.
An unmistakable explosive kill.
At that moment—
Kang-hoo turned, gave her a nod, and looked at her.
And Ayane’s heart skipped a beat.
How should she put it?
Even though her level was lower, Kang-hoo was someone she had always admired and envied.
Someone whose standards for others were just as high as those he set for himself.
And yet, here he was, acknowledging her skills.
That feeling…
It felt incredible.