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Chapter 21: The Eye Of Truth, An Yeong-ho (1)
Chapter 21: The Eye Of Truth, An Yeong-ho (1)
Chapter 21: The Eye Of Truth, An Yeong-ho (1)
Are you sure youve never seen it?
No. And even if I had, why would I tell you? Im not obligated to, am I?
It wouldnt hurt to cooperate with Eclipse. Wasnt the eye on the back of your head warning enough?
Got eyes but no one to pull the trigger. Whats the matter? Afraid of a fight with our mercenary group?
Afraid? If Kang Dong-hyun himself showed up, youd be dealt with swiftly, wouldnt you?
Then tell him to show up. Always sitting in a chair like a bedroom fighter, all talk and no action.
So, you havent seen it? If it turns out you have, it wont be ignored.
Get lost. Just go.
Cha So-hee had been investigating Kang-hoo while wandering around the Daeyeon Station area in search of mercenary hangouts.
Her investigation led her to Lee Ye-rin, who was at a desk accepting applications for her mercenary group.
Lee Ye-rins mercenary group, Cheong-an (Blue Eye), and Eclipse had been at odds for a long time.
Both were rooted in the Daeyeon area and had already clashed over territorial rights.
Eclipse hadnt wiped out Cheong-an earlier because Lee Ye-rin had solidly built up her network of contacts.
This was especially true since Lee Ye-rin allied with the criminal organization Heuksaja, which, like Cheong-an, was antagonistic towards Eclipse.
It was like an alliance formed for mutual checks and balances, reminiscent of the Wei, Shu, and Wu of the Three Kingdoms era.
In any case, it was a delicate balance of power, so no one dared to act rashly.
Working hard, day and night, I see.
I told you to get lost.
Hmph.
Cha So-hee irritated Lee Ye-rin to the end, then gracefully left the scene.
Crazy woman.
Lee Ye-rin cursed loudly enough for Cha So-hee to hear, then turned her head away. She thought to herself,
If Eclipse is sending out hounds to sniff around for Mr. Kang-hoo, they must be very interested in him.
It seemed their aim was to capture Kang-hoo alive, not to kill him.
If they wanted him dead, they wouldnt be asking around. They would track him quietly and then eliminate him.
Not doing so meant Kang Dong-hyun, the person who sent the hounds, was keenly observing Kang-hoo.
I thought from the start he had unusual skills
Lee Ye-rins interest in Kang-hoo was growing, so she understood the concern, but she didnt like that Eclipse shared this sentiment.
I might just stir up some trouble. Hmph.
Interfering with Cha So-hees search for Kang-hoo was easy.
Simply attach some eyes to her back. By tracking her movements, they could diminish her chances of meeting Kang-hoo.
And of course, they would inform Kang-hoo of her whereabouts.
Although Lee Ye-rin didnt have a deep connection with Kang-hoo, she didnt want him to get involved with Eclipse either.
She decided to take a bit more care of Kang-hoo, her clienta hunter who only took requests from the mercenary group.
In the long term, she also harbored the ambition of recruiting Kang-hoo not just as a client but as a member of her mercenary group.
Chang-hyeon.
Yes, boss.
Call Gyo-seon. Its about time we gave him some work.
Understood.
Lee Ye-rin called her eye.
Kang-hoo erased thoughts of Cha So-hee with another round of Solarkium Burst.
If he werent living like a dead mouse, this kind of situation was almost inevitable.
Out of curiosity, he checked the hunter community and the official website operated by Eclipse.
There was no public bounty at their level, which meant they werent aiming to kill him.
This was something to ponder when he met Cha So-heea matter of probing intentions.
One more drink.
This is the last one, customer. Were running low on Solarkium supply
Its okay. This will be the last one.
While waiting for the next drink, Kang-hoo got lost in thought.
After dealing with Heo Jeong-tae, he was planning his next move.
He could take a new request from Lee Ye-rin, but he wondered if there were other options.
The first thing that came to mind was Ground Zero.
Starting from the DMZ, once known as the demilitarized zone, it stretched into the former territories of North Korea.
An area empty of humans but teeming with monsters, which hunters referred to as Ground Zero.
From Sariwon in the west to Wonsan in the east, the entire expanse was Ground Zero.
You could enter without special permission. Of course, you were responsible for your own safety.
Its great for leveling up, and more importantly, its the place to find Mad Solarkium.
Mad Solarkium.
A more concentrated form of Solarkium.
It offered a stronger calming effect, granting about 30 minutes of freedom from mana hypersensitivity upon consumption.
Of course, a significant backlash ensued, but it proved to be a substantial aid in battle.
Mad Solarkium was difficult to come by, rarely found, and not available on the market.
To acquire it, you had to search Ground Zero by foot.
After all, this is a space I created.
In the original story, Ground Zero was the place where Shin Kang-hoo lured two of The Thirteen Stars and defeated them.
As the original creator, he recalled the useful locations since he had mapped out the terrain.
He wasnt acquainted with every detail, but he felt confident in locating a few field bosses and Mad Solarkium.
Heres your Solarkium Burst.
A reticent male bartender with glasses passed Kang-hoo his latest Solarkium Burst.
Five cocktail glasses stacked beside him were a testament to Kang-hoos consistent preference.
Just then,
the sole door to the modern bar on the third floor rattled, and a man walked in.
He looked around as soon as he entered, spotted Kang-hoo beginning to sip his drink, and exclaimed,
Bro! Did I keep you waiting too long? The guys uncle promised havent shown up yet!
He gestured with his hand and his tone seemed light-hearted.
However, his eyes betrayed a serious tremor.
Kang-hoo observed him without much reaction and casually glanced over his shoulder.
Two men in outfits that were meant to be inconspicuous yet were anything but were peeking inside from the doorway.
Their gazes alternated between the man and Kang-hoo, quickly averting when they met Kang-hoos eyes.
The man, oblivious still, took a seat across from Kang-hoo and resumed talking.
His eyes had steadied, but his hands on the table trembled slightly.
Bro, youve been well, right?
The tails are gone for now.
Ah
The man flinched as Kang-hoo calmly mentioned that their two followers had vanished.
I understand the situation, but I hate to involve innocent people.
Im really sorry. I didnt think it through.
The man looked downcast at Kang-hoos cold remark and rose from his seat.
Then, Kang-hoo noted the constellation information above the man and tilted his head slightly.
[Eye of Truth, An Yeong-ho]
[A neutral constellation. Forces others to speak the truth, but the user must also always speak the truth.]
Eye of Truth, An Yeong-ho.
The name surfaced in his thoughts.
He was a character destined to oppose the Jeonghwa Guild alongside Shin Kang-hoo in the original story.
A character who loathed the Jeonghwa Guild until his last breath.
His end was marked by a violent death, taking Shin Tae-seok, third in command of the Jeonghwa Guild, with him in mutual destruction. His hatred ran that deep.
An Yeong-hos entrance into the tale was set to occur three years hence.
Furthermore, the main setting was Japan, not Korea.
The explanation was straightforward: his uncle held the position of vice-master in the Rikou Guild, one of Japans foremost guilds.
He had no reason to jeopardize his safety in Korea with such a powerful support network in Japan.
So why was he in Korea now?
Did his disdain for the Jeonghwa Guild stem from some mishap during his time in Korea?
It was a detail not found in the original, but it aligned with his tragic fate and the past that had been reshaped.
It was merely conjecture, but the two followers might belong to the Jeonghwa Guild.
An Yeong-ho was a figure of significance.
With the Rikou Guild of Japan firmly backing him, he had a lot of potential value.
At that point, he would have been incredibly weak.
Especially as a healer, he would have been even worse at combat.
Thats probably why he couldnt confront or shake off the followers and ended up here.
The cold wind lingered and passed by the empty spot left by the pitifully departing An Yeong-ho.
Thump!
Kang-hoo downed the remaining Solarkium Burst in one gulp and stood up.
He caught An Yeong-hos shoulder just as he was about halfway down the stairs.
Wait a moment.
Yes?
Summarize the situation. Briefly.
I left the Jeonghwa Guild, and since then Ive been followed. But I dont know who they are.
It was as he suspected.
If things had followed the original course, An Yeong-ho would have been kidnapped by the Jeonghwa Guild there.
After that, his life would have become completely entangled, and his hatred for them would have grown.
Stay here.
Kang-hoo stopped An Yeong-ho and successfully hid in the shadows with a lateral movement.
Looking down through the window from one floor below, he saw an out-of-place scene.
The two followers he had seen earlier were smoking near the entrance.
No one else was around, and right next to the followers was an unidentified black van.
This is too sloppy.
They wouldnt have just blocked the entrance.
Technically, there were exits both below and above the building.
It seemed they had blatantly blocked the entrance, practically directing him to the rooftop.
As usual, theyre more systematic when it comes to wrongdoing. This must be Chae Gwanhyeongs influence.
The plan was set to rescue An Yeong-ho.
Not out of half-hearted sympathy or pity, but because of An Yeong-hos great potential value.
Moreover, if he became the savior who saved the life of An Yeong-ho, who takes everything seriously and is emotional?
He would try to repay the favor in any way possible.
That was just his nature.
In the original story, although he was a villain from the Jeonghwa Guilds perspective, he was like an angel to the Rikou Guild.
Wait. Ill clear the way to the rooftop.
Excuse me?
Ill deal with those above. Just come up after me.
Thank you. Really
Lets save the thanks until everything is sorted out. Just wait on the 4th floor stairs. The rooftop is next after the 5th floor.
Okay, I understand.
Pop.
Kang-hoo quickly vanished again into stealth mode with a lateral move as soon as he finished speaking.
An Yeong-ho looked around in surprise, but couldnt sense Kang-hoos presence.
Meanwhile.
Kang-hoo leaped from the open window, climbing up one floor at a time using a leap technique.
Although he had to support his entire weight with his arms, his increased strength and stamina made it possible.
Moreover, there were no hunters nearby, and since he wasnt using attack skills, his stealth remained intact.
As Kang-hoo moved from the 3rd to the 4th, then to the 5th floor and the railing.
Neither the two followers on the first floor nor the two hunters already positioned on the rooftop noticed his presence.
The next moment.
Kang-hoo leaped from the railing and headed towards the two hunters guarding the entrance to the rooftop.