There was no reason to hide the item’s properties when she could judge them without even looking at the options.
Kang-hoo asked.
“How did you know?”
“I can see it with my eyes.”
Kim Shin-ryeong answered briefly. That alone was a sufficient answer.
Just as Kang-hoo could see the information of other constellations, she could also see it with her own eyes.
Kim Shin-ryeong, who had contracts with more than ten constellations, had a level of at least 500.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange that someone specialized in crafting and disassembling could see the essence of the item.
However, the question remained.
The weapon she could consume would be expensive, so why invest in him?Was it just because she liked him at first sight and was willing to give away an expensive weapon?
Or was she trying to make a big deal out of giving a low-grade item?
Seeing Kang-hoo’s gaze deepen with a different meaning, Kim Shin-ryeong sneered and said.
“Are you worried I might throw you some useless trash?”
“I think there’s not enough reason for that.”
“Here. Take a look for yourself. A suspicious guy like you needs to see it with your own eyes to be satisfied.”
Kim Shin-ryeong tossed a dagger to Kang-hoo. Kang-hoo caught it and checked the options immediately.
Unlike ordinary items, this one had a unique feature from the start.
【Tranquility - Weapon】
【Grade: 7th Grade】
【This weapon is damaged for unknown reasons, and you cannot benefit from its original options when equipped.】
【Strength +35】【Not applicable】
There was a warning.
While it had stat options, they were not activated.
Kang-hoo temporarily removed his existing dagger and equipped this one, but there was no change in stats.
This phenomenon existed even in the original work.
However, since the focus was solely on Jang Si-hwan’s growth, Jang Si-hwan’s items never ended up like this.
Yes, it was the protagonist’s privilege. The author didn’t want the protagonist to suffer even a small loss.
Anyway, there was a destroyed item before him. An item that had lost its value.
“It’s a destroyed item.”
“Yes. It’s useless for a hunter to equip it. The stats don’t change. It’s trash.”
“Oh…!”
At that moment, Kang-hoo had a flash of insight.
It’s true that equipping it was meaningless. But there was meaning in ‘feeding it.’
It only didn’t provide benefits when equipped, but the situation could be different otherwise.
It was a loophole in the setting.
“Now do you understand? I have quite a few items like this that you can’t even imagine.”
“……”
He was intrigued.
For ordinary hunters, these items had lost their value and would have been discarded or sold cheaply.
But for some reason, Kim Shin-ryeong had been collecting such items. The exact reason was unknown.
“If you cooperate with me, I could give you high-grade items for free. For zero won.”
“That’s quite tempting.”
“Right? It piques your interest, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a waste to buy them to feed, but it feels good to get them for free.”
“Do you need my cooperation now?”
“No, not now. Let’s just exchange contact information. I’ll contact you if needed.”
“I have a busy schedule, so I might not be able to clear time as you wish. I ask for your understanding.”
“Who’s saying otherwise? I’m talking about meeting after coordinating our schedules. Don’t worry. I’m not calling you to boss you around.”
It was quite an interesting issue.
He didn’t know what kind of dagger she would give him.
But if she handed over high-grade destroyed items, many stats would be added to the dagger.
As she said, it was true that it would be a waste to buy them to feed.
However, getting them for free meant Kang-hoo wouldn’t lose anything.
Of course, he had to see in what form she needed his help.
If he felt he was being taken advantage of, he was ready to break the deal.
Kang-hoo despised deals where he felt manipulated.
Thus, the brief yet intense encounter with Kim Shin-ryeong ended.
As soon as the deal was over, she vanished into her room in the basement of the villa.
Leaving only a short farewell, she disappeared without looking back.
In a different sense, she was a person with a clear character.
As soon as Kang-hoo and Moon Hyeong-seo left Kim Shin-ryeong’s villa and arrived in the city, they exchanged farewells.
Kang-hoo planned to sleep at a safe hotel he had booked on Ulleungdo, while Moon Hyeong-seo had other plans.
Due to the high number of visitors on Ulleungdo, there were night ferries available, albeit a bit risky.
Of course, to prevent accidents, larger-than-expected ferries operated, making the fare somewhat expensive.
Moon Hyeong-seo, who had been consistently polite and respectful throughout, maintained his demeanor even when parting ways.
“Today was very impressive. Even Kim Shin-ryeong was quite amazed.”
“I see. She had every reason to be.”
Kang-hoo nodded in satisfaction, knowing he had passed through the trap area without a single scratch.
“It made me think a lot. It was quite inspiring.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m glad.”
“If it’s okay with you…”
“Yes.”
“Can we have a sparring match next time? I want to refine my techniques against assassins.”
“I don’t have much experience against spearmen either. It seems like a sparring match could benefit both of us.”
“Yes, I’d like to request that.”
“Good. Next time we see Master K, let’s set it up. Do you have a place?”
“Of course. We have well-prepared sparring equipment.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
“I have received the colorless talisman, so Master will contact you directly once he’s ready.”
“Take care.”
“Yes. I will inform Master to contact you as soon as possible.”
“Thanks.”
And so, they parted ways.
There was still quite a bit of time before dawn.
However, it was too early to try to sleep, as the tension from experiencing numerous traps in the villa had yet to dissipate.
At that moment.
“Today, it’s that.”
Seeing a convenience store in his line of sight, Kang-hoo nodded.
A can of beer and butter-grilled squid. Today, for some reason, this combination seemed like it would be a perfect treat.
1 hour later.
“Japan is not yet on standby. It’s best to carefully observe the White War for now.”
Kang-hoo, enjoying a late-night snack at the hotel, reviewed the plans he had laid out.
Although he wanted to expedite the trip to Japan, it was delayed due to local circumstances.
This was not a situation that could be resolved by rushing, so he decided to wait comfortably.
The White War was in its early stages and was too overheated.
More than 90% of mercenary requests were concentrated on the bloody battlefield.
While it was an ideal environment for making a big score, the chances of dying right at the start were high.
Kang-hoo did not like the idea of charging into a chaotic battleground.
You never know when and where a blind attack might come from. Death also becomes a matter of luck.
“Going to France to meet Emilia right now seems out of the blue. It’s too low a level.”
The trip to France was also premature.
It was burdensome to suddenly increase contact with Kim Su-gyeong’s mercenary corps or the Groo Guild.
If he showed an eager approach first, it would be difficult to gain an advantageous position.
“Park Dong-jae, Jeon Se-hyuk, Ban Se-yeong. I feel closer to this line now. There are no problems with Lee Ye-rin, Yun Sang-mi, and Jung Yuri either.”
His useful connections were gradually increasing. Of course, so were his adversaries.
Originally, he was only at odds with Kang Dong-hyun’s Eclipse, but recently, another was added.
That was Russia’s Kashimar Guild.
They could retaliate at any time and in any form. However, he had no intention of backing down.
“Yes, there was Lee Hyun-seok.”
At that moment, a name that had been pushed to the back due to recent lack of contact came to mind.
It was Lee Hyun-seok.
He still kept the blood token and personal number he received from rescuing Lee Hyun-seok’s nephew, Min Su-hyun.
The pretext at that time was just to have tea.
Lee Hyun-seok wouldn’t have taken it at face value. He wasn’t that oblivious.
Given the number and composition of dungeons owned by Lee Hyun-seok’s Abyss, there was no better choice domestically.
The timing was also good.
If he delayed too much, the gratitude for saving Min Su-hyun might fade.
Now was the perfect time to rekindle and elevate that gratitude, and to show off.
Moreover, his reputation had risen recently due to the assassination order from Kang Dong-hyun, making it a natural opportunity to appeal.
“Next is the Abyss.”
He decided his next destination.
It seemed it was time for Lee Hyun-seok to repay the debt he owed him.
At that time.
Despite it being dawn, Lee Hyun-seok was busy verifying information with his eyes fixed on the monitor.
The vast amount of information collected took quite a bit of time to check.
Although he could delegate this to his intelligence team or trusted subordinates…
Lee Hyun-seok, who had to see and judge for himself, would never allow that.
Next to him was Min Su-hyun, with her long pink hair tied roughly, dozing off.
“Su-hyun. Su-hyun.”
“U, uuung…? Uncle, what is it?”
“Look at this. As expected, I was right. This bastard Kim Dae-man. He had connections with the Kashimar Guild.”
“So…?”
“What do you mean ‘so’? It’s proof that there’s a secret deal between the Jeonghwa Guild and the Kashimar Guild.”
“Haaam…”
“Right, telling you was a mistake. Go get some sleep. From tomorrow, take a good rest at home.”
“Uncle!”
The phrase ‘take a good rest at home’ carried multiple meanings.
It implied that the support and assistance from the Abyss would also take a break. It meant cutting it off.
Sensing the cold atmosphere, Min Su-hyun suddenly perked up.
“Right, you said before that the Jeonghwa Guild might have a connection with the Kashimar Guild!”
“Enough. Go in. My interest has already waned.”
“Uncleee!”
“Enough. For now… hmm?”
At that moment.
The smartphone that Lee Hyun-seok had placed at the top of his desk drawer started ringing.
It was a call from number 1 on his contact list. In other words, it was a call from Kang-hoo.
Knowing the recent issues related to Kang-hoo and Eclipse, Lee Hyun-seok was glad to receive the call.
Abyss had as bad a relationship with Eclipse as they did with the Jeonghwa Guild.
While they didn’t openly clash, they had countless conflicts.
It was an anticipated call.
Lee Hyun-seok immediately took out his smartphone and answered Kang-hoo’s call.
“This is Lee Hyun-seok. I’ve been waiting for a call from the benefactor who saved my niece, Su-hyun. It’s good to hear from you.”
Lee Hyun-seok’s words were filled with gratitude from the start.
For Kang-hoo, who made the call, it was a pleasant start to the conversation.
It seemed the talk would go well.