Solo Leveling, Vol. 1, page 22
It was Taesik Kang from the Surveillance Team, and he was kneeling, covered in blood.
He called out to them. “Be careful! Those bastards might still be here somewhere!”
After spitting out the words with his last remaining strength, Taesik sank down as if he was in a great deal of pain.
“Uuuugh.”
Joohee couldn’t just stand by and watch. “I’ll heal you!”
She figured that, even if there were enemies nearby, she was a B-rank healer. She was pretty quick at tending to others. She thought it’d be better to treat Taesik before the enemies struck again.
“Please hang on.” Joohee stopped in front of him and stretched out her arms. Dim lights began emanating from her hands.
That was when Taesik sprang up and reached for her neck, his hand charged with magic.
Swwwp.
Someone grabbed his wrist right before his hand could touch Joohee’s neck.
Tmp.
“Ah……!” Startled, Joohee jerked back and landed on the ground.
Whump.
Taesik had a look of surprise on his face.
Who blocked my attack at this distance?
It wasn’t difficult for a high-rank hunter to get rid of his lower-rank comrades. His only issue was the B-rank female hunter who was the same level as he was. Luckily, she was a noncombat hunter. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself if he hit her with a surprise attack.
But……his strike had been blocked. His effort to act the part of a responsible hunter had been in vain.
Taesik’s eyes scanned up the arm holding on to his wrist. His eyes stopped at Jinwoo’s face.
There was malice in those eyes.
Taesik scowled. “How dare you, you low-rank trash!”
Shwip!
Taesik’s other fist flew for Jinwoo’s face. But Jinwoo easily avoided it by turning his head.
What?!
Taesik put in all his strength and wrenched his wrist out of Jinwoo’s grasp.
“Huh?”
This surprised Jinwoo. As expected of the strength of a high-rank hunter.
With both hands now free, Taesik attempted to pummel Jinwoo, but he moved as fast as Taesik did, blocking all his attacks.
Pa-pa-pak!
The two of them continued their assault on each other. They were very evenly matched.
Chiyul took the opportunity to get Joohee away from them.
“M-Mr. Song…” Joohee was speechless from shock.
But Chiyul was even more shocked than she was.
How is this possible……?
It was a fight at an unbelievable speed, too fast for the naked eye to follow. It might’ve been expected from the B-rank hunter, but Jinwoo was no longer the person Chiyul once knew. He was going head-to-head with a B ranker.
I’m C rank, but I can hardly follow their moves!
His hunch had been right. Jinwoo wasn’t that same E ranker who’d been weak but had good hunches.
After exchanging hundreds of blows in a short amount of time, the two fighters separated to catch their breath.
Jinwoo glared at Taesik. “The blood on your clothes……that’s not yours, is it?”
Taesik shook out his wrists as he replied, “That’s right. This is the blood of those bastards. But forget that; I had no idea I’d encounter a hunter like you in a place like this.”
He was truly amazed by Jinwoo. He hadn’t heard of a high-rank hunter working with the bottom-tier trash in the association.
This isn’t good.
Taesik had thought today would be the perfect time to enact his plan. He hadn’t anticipated such an unexpected complication.
His curiosity got the best of him.
“Who are you? What’s your rank?”
Jinwoo summoned Kasaka’s Venom Fang and gripped it tightly as he replied.
“Jinwoo Sung. E rank.”
9
B-RANK TAESIK KANG
Taesik felt like he’d been hit over the head.
He’d never been bested in speed before by other B rankers, but this bastard, whose moves were as fast as his, dared to introduce himself as an E-rank hunter.
How dare he make fun of me!
He ground his teeth.
No, wait a minute……
Something about that bothered him.
There’s no reason for a high-rank hunter to be here.
This was obviously work for the bottom-tier hunters in the association. Their main job was to take care of gates the guilds or strike squads passed on because there wasn’t much money to be made. Their incomes were lousy compared to other hunters, and it was hard to gain recognition from their colleagues.
He probably was an E ranker like he’d said. The only thing was, his skills were way above that of an E rank.
And there’s no way a false ranker would work for the association.
Taesik could come to only one conclusion.
……A second awakening.
He remembered that upper management had been fussing about some hunter who might’ve had a second awakening near here not too long ago.
They definitely said the hunter was with the association……
He wished he remembered the name. If his reawakening was recent, it was possible he was postponing his reapplication and helping out the association in the meantime.
Who knew he’d end up facing this man today? Taesik had carefully checked the list of hunters attending today’s raid, but he’d missed Jinwoo.
How unlucky can I get?
He had only one thought on his mind.
I better add an additional fee after all this……
He licked his lips as he thought back to when this had all started.
A few days earlier, in a café near the Hunter’s Association Headquarters, Taesik got straight to business as soon as he sat down.
“Why did you want to meet with me?”
The middle-aged man opposite him looked gaunt.
Didn’t he say he was the president of some company?
Taesik had never met this older man before, but the guy had kept calling and begging to meet with him, so Taesik had decided to spare a little of his time.
The man mumbled as if he was talking to himself.
“I’ve heard that what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon.”
Taesik could barely make out what he was saying. “What are you talking about?”
“These are all my savings.” The man handed Taesik his bank statement without preamble.
Taesik looked back and forth at the man and the document, then checked the balance. It indicated there was 2,000,000,000 won in the account.
“Why’re you giving me this……?”
The man avoided his eyes when Taesik regarded him suspiciously.
“The bastard who violated my daughter is among the prisoners you are in charge of. My daughter hung herself, and my wife is still in the hospital from the shock.”
The older fellow continued while fighting back tears. “That son of a bitch will be free in a few years without any further consequences…… How can I sleep at night knowing that?”
When the man looked up again, his face was full of sorrow and anger.
“I believe you already understand what I’m requesting of you at this point.” The man bowed his head again. “I beg you, sir!”
The two sat in silence.
Taesik was in deep thought as he leaned back against his chair. After a long pause, he finally opened his mouth.
“Do you know why I decided to become part of the association’s Surveillance Team?”
“Sorry?” The man looked up.
Taesik continued his explanation. “A B-rank hunter is classified as a high-rank hunter, so I sometimes get scouted by a large guild. But do you know why I keep working for the Surveillance Team for a smaller income?”
“I…… I don’t know.”
Taesik grinned.
“I enjoy fighting humans much more than magic beasts.”
For that reason, the Surveillance Team was the perfect place for Taesik. He was legally allowed to beat up hunters. And sometimes when that happened, there’d be instances where he accidentally killed them.
Accidentally……
He repressed his smile. “Stamping out bugs is the easy part. But in dungeons, there are also other hunters along with those bugs. Now, I see them as insects as well, but do others see them that way?”
The man looked disappointed, because Taesik sounded like he was about to reject him. He felt like his world was crashing down around him.
But Taesik spoke again with a smirk on his face, as if he was laughing at his would-be benefactor.
“This money plus an extra one billion to get rid of the other hunters. Can you do that?”
He’d need more than 3,000,000,000 won to face off against a reawakened hunter—now that his life was at risk.
The self-proclaimed E-rank hunter was watching him with keen eyes. He looked like he would attack instantly if he saw a single opening.
Taesik swallowed hard.
He’s a challenging opponent.
Still, he was confident he could win. Even before he’d awakened as a hunter, Taesik rarely lost in a head-to-head battle. He could win, but it wouldn’t be an easy fight. He needed to alter his plan a bit.
Just then, the E-rank hunter posed a question. “Why……did you kill those prisoners?”
“Those bastards raped a girl, and her father asked me to. I didn’t kill any humans… Those bastards were animals who had to be put down. I merely disposed of some wild dogs that hurt people.”
The E-rank hunter was listening to him. It might be possible to talk him down. Taesik decided to try to persuade Jinwoo.
“Regardless of how things have turned out, I don’t want to kill you guys. Can you just forget what happened today? Promise me that, and I won’t lay a finger on you.”
Of course, Taesik had no intention of leaving any survivors. When he thought about it, he could get injured if he fought Jinwoo head-on, so he considered getting rid of them one by one later when he had the chance.
However, the E-rank hunter snorted. “You should’ve said all that before you attacked us! Now you want us to pretend like nothing’s happened after your attacks failed?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Taesik also snickered at the absurdity of the situation.
So this is how it goes down in the end, huh?
Then he’d have to give it all he had. Taesik’s eyes turned feral. His sharp gaze scanned his opponent from top to bottom. His forehead twitched.
Where did he get that dagger?
The E-rank hunter had acquired a dagger at some point.
Well…… I guess it doesn’t matter?
It wasn’t important where he’d gotten the weapon but rather what kind of weapon it was.
Taesik finished his quick analysis. With his speed and choice of a dagger, this guy was a damage dealer who preferred to get as close to his opponents as he could. His specialty was probably assassination.
Coincidentally, that was exactly what Taesik was. But the other had reawakened only recently. He could easily overwhelm him with his experience. The rookie probably couldn’t even use his skill properly.
“I’ll teach you a thing or two.” Taesik laughed at the E-rank hunter while producing a knife from his waist. “Can you do this?”
Taesik vanished with the Stealth skill.
The E-rank hunter looked around, clearly taken aback. His panic was obvious.
Of course he’d be like that.
The Stealth skill didn’t just make someone invisible. The body, any sound, and even scent: It all disappeared at once! That was the beauty of Stealth.
Among assassin-class hunters, only a select few could use this skill. No matter the hunter’s rank, one had to be lucky enough to receive Stealth when they were first awakened.
Time to end this now!
In a flash, Taesik was at the E-rank hunter’s back. The man was completely exposed.
It’s over.
He’d thought this was going to be a tougher fight, but it was too easy. Had his opponent been prepared for the Stealth skill, it wouldn’t have ended this quickly. The difference in their experience was key in determining who won or lost here.
Die!
Taesik thrust his knife toward the E-rank hunter’s ribs. But then!
Klank!
Two weapons collided and sent sparks flying.
The Stealth skill expired, and Taesik’s eyes went wide.
“What? How?”
The E-rank hunter had blocked his knife perfectly. The surprised Taesik looked up at the E ranker’s expression. His face was blank, but his mouth opened.
“Finally, it’s here.”
“Wh-what……?”
Taesik was suddenly frightened by the cryptic words and actions of the E-rank hunter in front of him.
Ping!
[URGENT QUEST: DEFEAT THE ENEMIES!]
There are people present who want to kill the Player. Defeat them all and ensure your safety. If you do not complete this quest, you will receive an appropriate penalty.
Number of enemies to defeat: 1
Number of enemies defeated: 0
Jinwoo was relieved after checking the quest contents.
It wasn’t for nothing.
He’d thought he might trigger an urgent quest if he let Taesik attack him first like Dongsuk’s squad had, so he’d put this theory to the test and gotten the result he’d expected.
The message had come up as soon as Taesik resolved to kill Jinwoo. He’d lured Taesik in by displaying weakness and acting like he was panicking.
Of course, I didn’t know he was going to use the Stealth skill, though……
Truthfully, Jinwoo had been caught off guard when Taesik disappeared before his very eyes, as Stealth was rare. Nevertheless, he was able to detect Taesik’s movements when he’d calmed down and focused.
That was the power of a high perception stat. Jinwoo had initially invested points into perception in order to classify enemies as beatable or unbeatable, but it had proven useful in this application as well.
I was lucky.
Because of this, Taesik looked like he’d just seen a ghost.
“No! How?”
Once Jinwoo got rid of him, he’d be able to reap the rewards of the urgent quest.
Since I have to fight him anyway, gotta milk it for all it’s worth.
It was his turn to make a move now. It was time to attack.
The two weapons were crossed in a stalemate. They were both equal in strength.
Jinwoo’s eyes flashed.
Why don’t we try something different?
Jinwoo quickly moved to step on Taesik’s foot.
Crunch!
“Argh!” Taesik had been focused solely on his dagger, so the sudden sharp pain in his foot startled him, and he instinctively retreated.
Jinwoo saw his chance.
Dash!
[Skill: Dash has been activated.]
[Your speed has increased by 30 percent. When in use, your mana will decrease by 1 every minute.]
Jinwoo immediately charged at Taesik. Taesik watched in disbelief.
He’s become even faster?
He was unable to process how Jinwoo was even quicker than before. In a flash, Jinwoo was close enough to stab his thigh with Kasaka’s Venom Fang.
“Ahhhh!”
Since Taesik was focused on guarding his upper body, Jinwoo went for an opening.
[Debuff: Paralysis has been activated.]
[The debuff has been canceled out by the opponent’s high resistance level.]
[Debuff: Drain has been activated.]
[The opponent’s HP will decrease by 1 percent every second.]
Yes!
Kasaka’s Venom Fang’s debuff worked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t paralysis, but it would still be much easier to defeat Taesik now.
But Taesik was a high-rank hunter! His resistance shouldn’t be underestimated.
He leaped at Jinwoo, dagger in hand.
Fwik, fwik.
Jinwoo aimed for Taesik’s vulnerable spots while narrowly avoiding his dagger. Despite his injured thigh, the more experienced Taesik calmly blocked Jinwoo’s attacks.
Klink, klang!
Both Jinwoo and Taesik were drenched in sweat.
Our speed is equal!
Our speed is the same!
Both hunters were impressed by the other’s agility as they continued to battle. They exchanged killer blows that could decide the match with a single strike.
Shhhk, shhhk, shhhiiik, shhhk, shhhk, shhhk, shhhk, shhhk!
The fight was so intense that those watching felt like they were the ones being attacked.
I need to tip the balance here.
Jinwoo focused energy on his eyes.
[Skill: Murderous Intent has been activated.]
Taesik trembled when he met Jinwoo’s eyes.
What the…?
[Debuff: Panic has been activated.]
[All of the opponent’s abilities will decrease by 50 percent for 1 minute.]
Got him!
Jinwoo was confident he had won.
Taesik’s pupils dilated.
What’s happening to my body?
As soon as he locked eyes with Jinwoo, his movements started feeling heavy, as if he were moving underwater. The speed he was so proud of started decreasing.
Shhhiiik! Shhhk!
Taesik took more damage.
N-no way!
Taesik’s mind was a jumbled mess.
This was definitely the effect of a debuff, but he’d never heard of an assassin-class hunter who could use debuff magic.
Is he not an assassin?
No, but then how to explain his speed?
But his thoughts were abruptly cut short. The confusion turned to panic. Jinwoo was charging straight for him.
Taesik aimed for Jinwoo’s eyes.
Shhhk!
Jinwoo pulled back his head quickly, but Taesik’s knife scratched his cheek. Still, Jinwoo had come to terms with taking damage. He’d calculated the risk of charging in to unleash a final, fatal blow.
Taesik grimaced.
