Chapter 30: Shadow Lurkers (2)
“I didn’t expect them to be so blatant.”
—Sssht!
At that mont, Gi Soyul appeared out of thin air.
Kim Junseo’s sister, Kim Hyerin, gasped and opened her eyes wide with shock.
It was an understandable reaction since the previously cramped room with only two people suddenly had another person.
“Wh-Who are you?” She was briefly flustered, and then her eyes widened further. “D-Dark Empress! Gi Soyul?”
She recognized Gi Soyul imdiately.
“Is this for real? How is the Dark Empress here?”
“Are you alright with this?” I sighed inwardly as I asked.
I ant to ask her if it was okay for a famous person to show up in such a shabby place.
“That doesn’t matter when soone’s been kidnapped.” Gi Soyul’s eyes had already turned cold. “It’s exactly what the Shadow Lurkers would do. Since I’m sticking around you, they’ve resorted to such low-grade kidnapping.”
“I agree.” I nodded.
The Shadow Lurkers’s intentions were obvious. Even though they had business with , they couldn’t approach because I was within Gi Soyul’s territory, so they resorted to sothing like this.
“And besides.” She took out her smartphone to show sothing. “A text ssage I just received.”
[Giparang: Sis.]
[Giparang: Our reserve team was attacked in the dungeon.]
[Giparang: Judging by the disgusting dog sll, it’s Hellhound. Just when I was about to get off work.]
[Giparang: I’ll try to handle it as much as possible, so don’t worry.]
[Giparang: Just letting you know. If you have ti, it’d be a great help.]
The ssage was from the renowned archer, Giparang.
The Hellhound referred to in the ssage was ranked 92nd, Nick Jakan—a ranker known to be the master of the Shadow Lurkers.
“It’s perfectly tid. It seems like the Shadow Lurkers are targeting Parang as well.”
“…Yikes.”
Surprisingly, they’d go after the prestigious Parang guild just because of .
Is this the power of the old man?
It was a mont to reflect on the value of the opportunity I had gained.
“…”
Silence fell over the room. The tension was palpable.
Kim Hyerin seed paralyzed with fear at the thought that those who kidnapped her brother were more prominent figures than she expected, and Gi Soyul was biting her lip, looking furious.
She must be worried.
No matter how detached she was from the guild, she couldn’t deny being part of the Parang lineage. Moreover, her brother, Giparang, was her kin. It was only natural that she’d be concerned.
And yet…
I looked at her tightly closed lips.
She chose to stay here.
Because she promised to protect . She wasn’t soone who took her words lightly.
“I guess there’s no choice.” I spoke up first. “Dark Empress, you should go to Parang.”
“…?”
Gi Soyul flinched.
Judging by her expression, I guessed correctly. However…
“I can’t do that.”
As expected, she refused firmly. Her expression was resolute.
“My brother is ranked 58th. He’s not weak enough to be taken down by sothing like the Shadow Lurkers. Not to ntion, there are Parang mbers with him. You, on the other hand, are alone. If I leave, who knows what might happen to you.”
“Well, I agree with you on that.”
I looked at Kim Hyerin. Her eyes were trembling with anxiety.
“First, we need to save the kidnapped person. They’re asking for alone.”
“It’s a trap.”
“I know. It’s 100% a trap.”
But sotis, you must act even when you know it’s a trap.
With Gi Soyul protecting , I’d be relatively safe. But that could be the critical factor to the Shadow Lurkers defeating Parang.
Parang’s true strength is said to co out when Giparang and Gi Soyul join forces.
Hellhound is already heading toward Giparang.
So it wasn’t the worst-case scenario.
Honestly, I wasn’t afraid. This seed manageable compared to enduring the old man and the Sun Spear’s trials.
Of course, that didn’t an it would be easy.
It’s just how I feel.
“Fuu,” I took a deep breath. “I rember sothing you once told .” I turned to her and looked into her eyes.
“What was it?”
“Life is a journey that starts and ends with connections.”
“…”
“Kim Junseo, the team leader, is soone connected to . And such a person is in trouble because of . I can’t just sit back and watch.”
“Is it out of a sense of justice? Or a sense of duty?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I just don’t want to be a cowardly hunter.”
My dream is to be a ranker, one who could be an idol to all hunters. Would such a ranker retreat in the face of danger, run away out of fear, or avoid confrontation? Not a chance.
“I want to give back as much as I receive.”
That was my simple principle and I didn’t want to break it.
The Shadow Lurkers attacked , so I must be the one to retaliate.
“…I see.”
Gi Soyul’s expression was subtle. She seed to be in an internal conflict, her lips twitching as if unsure of what to say.
“Alright.” Eventually she nodded slowly. Her eyes were determined as if she had made a decision. “I’ll quickly handle things at Parang and then co back to join you.”
“Good choice.”
“But,” she added, “I told you I would introduce you to many connections before.”
“Pardon?”
“That might happen sooner than expected.”
—Sssht.
With those words, Gi Soyul vanished like smoke.
What did she an by that?
Her words puzzled , but there was no ti to ponder.
“Hyerin, was it?”
“Yes?”
“The place I need to go is Seonyudo, right?”
“Y-Yes! By 8 PM! There’s not much ti left! It will take at least 30 minutes to get there from here.”
Let’s get moving.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator – Dawn
Proofreader – BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! sdiscord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
“Finally, the ti has co.”
At Seonyudo, a recycling ecological park floating in the middle of the Han River, an assassin nad Ko Jaeyoung sat cross-legged on a bench with a sinister smile.
“Mmph! Mmmp!”
In front of him, the dungeon request team leader of Problem Solver, Kim Junseo, was tied up and trembling.
“I’ve waited a whole month for this.” Until the master of the Shadow Lurkers, Jakan gave his permission.
Ko Jaeyoung regretted his past actions.
“Joo Donghoon, was it?”
His past was a disgrace, where he showed unnecessary rcy and let his prey escape.
“Lucky bastard. This ti, I’ll catch you for sure.”
This ti was different. The preparations were ticulous. Not only had Jakan himself taken action but the Shadow Lurkers also hired high-ranking hunters.
Even Gi Soyul wouldn’t stand with him with two rankers attacking Parang.
Additionally, three A-rank hunters and ten B-rank hunters were stationed here at Seonyudo.
Also, to prevent escape, hunters specialized in tracking were placed within a ten kiloter radius of Joo Donghoon’s ho.
“…”
Ko Jaeyoung looked at his wristwatch with a chilling expression.
[07:55 PM]
“It’s almost ti.”
According to the tracking hunter’s report, Joo Donghoon was going to Seonyudo.
They would soon et.
“Everyone, get ready.”
Ko Jaeyoung’s voice over the radio was unusually eerie.
* * *
“Hm.” I clicked my tongue.
I had left Kim Hyerin at the association building and was now standing in front of the Seonyudo bridge.
I had used up all my remaining energy to summon five skeletons.
—Creak! Creak!
As if understanding their master’s intentions, the skeletons prepared their weapons with determined expressions.
I wanted to call the elder, too.
But the cooldown still had a long way to go. And I had no energy left.
“Sunny,” I called.
Until now, Boney 1 had been the leader, but now Sunny was the leader. The reason was simple: it was stronger and more articulate.
“My lord, did you call?”
“Yeah, can you sense the guys stationed around here?”
“Yes.”
Sunny swung his bone spear. Even in the night, it seed to flash like the sun.
“How are they?”
“They are weak. If I had my original strength, I could handle them in less than a single breath.”
“Co on.” I shrugged. “That was then. I’m asking about now.”
“Now… it might be a bit challenging, but if you command it, I will handle them.”
“Really?”
I was surprised to hear that. Claiming that those guys were so weak that Sunny could overco such an overwhelming power difference, even though Sunny was still technically D-rank.
Anyway.
It was ti to face them.
“Mmph! Mmmmp!”
In the distance, I could hear the struggling voice of Kim Junseo.
I sighed internally, he’s always been a handful.
—Step, step.
I walked toward the group without hesitation.
It felt reckless, but there was no other choice. Any delay could endanger Kim Junseo’s life.
And I had an idea.
“You’ve co?”
The man wearing a bandana, Ko Jaeyoung, smiled as he saw as if he knew I’d co. Did I look like soone burning with a sense of justice?
“Hey, hey! You actually ca? You’ve got guts, kid.”
“So this is the guy Master Jakan ntioned?”
“Judging from the skeletons, he must be a low-level necromancer.”
“But he got such an attractive opportunity that Master Jakan would personally attack Parang?”
The A-rank hunters, who seed to be his colleagues, also comnted.
Indeed.
They were still far beyond my ability. I felt like I was suffocating. Ko Jaeyoung, who had been watching, spoke up.
“Hehe, I’m sure you know why I called you here, correct?”
“Not really. It was just written on the note that you’d spare that man if I ca.”
I pretended to be innocent.
“Hmph, are you pretending not to know?” Ko Jaeyoung’s smile deepened. A ferocious aura emanated from his hidden dagger. “You’re starting to make feel bad.”
“…”
“Have you forgotten? We made a deal. You said you’d tell what your opportunity was if I let you fight those guys who attacked you. Have you changed your mind because you’re relying on Gi Soyul?”
He pressed his dagger against Kim Junseo’s throat.
“Mmph! Mmmmph!”
It sounded like, “J-Joo Donghoon! Save !”
“Alright, let make a counter-proposal.”
—Drip!
Blood trickled from Kim Junseo’s throat.
“Tell exactly what your opportunity was and hand it over. Otherwise, this guy dies,” he threatened politely.
At the sa ti, nurous hunters surrounded .
So drew their weapons directly in front of . Others displayed their intent to snipe from a distance.
I sighed internally, This is nerve-wracking.
All I had were five D-rank skeletons.
But what can I say?
My opportunity wasn’t sothing I could give away.
“Alright.”
First, let’s get out of this situation.
I nodded and with a hard gulp.
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