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Touching a dead person gave an extremely unsettling feeling, but now was not the time to worry about that.

“I found it.”

Having discovered Yoon Song-ho’s inventory, Kang Jin-hyuk stuffed all the scrolls he had brought with him into it.

The inventory, filled with explosive scrolls, felt like it was declaring him the culprit behind all the explosions that had occurred in this building.

It was the so-called frame-up.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk had no qualms about framing Yoon Song-ho.

He wasn’t an innocent person; he was someone who had tried to take his life.

So, he thought that being used in this way was merely reaping what he had sown.

“Huh? What’s this?”

While stuffing in the scrolls, Kang Jin-hyuk discovered something suspicious inside the inventory.

When he pulled it out, it turned out to be a notebook with a completely black cover, locked to prevent it from being opened.

“It looks suspicious at first glance.”

Kang Jin-hyuk placed the notebook on the ground and smashed the lock with his baseball bat.

As he attempted to check its contents again, a ‘click’ sound was heard, signaling that something had activated inside the notebook.

“Oh?”

Before he could open it, the notebook suddenly burst into flames.

Startled, Kang Jin-hyuk stepped back and dropped the notebook.

The notebook, free from his hands, quickly ignited and transformed into ashes on the floor.

“Is it trying to keep secrets?”

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Kang Jin-hyuk rummaged through his inventory and pulled out numerous potions,

As there was no water on hand, he intended to use this to douse the flames.

Even though the potion was valuable, he couldn’t hesitate over information that was being hidden so desperately.

“I can save at least half of it right now.”

With a whoosh!

Pouring a considerable amount of potions extinguished the flames in an instant.

However, it generated a lot of smoke that tickled Kang Jin-hyuk’s throat.

“Cough! Cough!”

Waving his hands, Kang Jin-hyuk tried to disperse the smoke.

The notebook, soaked by the potions, now had a slightly reddish hue.

When he opened it before the pages could adhere to each other, unexpected content caught his eye.

“This is…?”

The notebook contained photos of various people along with their personal information noted beneath each photo.

Where they lived, their family relations, and even detailed accounts of frequent places and average home arrival times were meticulously recorded.

“Why write all this in such detail? Were they planning to target their next victim?”

While flipping through the notebook, Kang Jin-hyuk noticed a photo marked with an ‘X’ and stopped his hands.

Beneath the marked photo, something was written in red ink.

Although slightly smudged because of the potion, it was still legible.

“Punishment.”

As Kang Jin-hyuk pondered the meaning of the word, it suddenly struck him.

“Wait, this person! Isn’t he the one who was featured in an internet article recently?”

Kang Jin-hyuk recalled an article about a hunter who was attacked by a serial killer.

B-Class Hunter ‘Kang Jae-hyuk’ from Altron had a name that was similar enough to stick in his memory.

The notebook contained several other individuals marked with an ‘X’.

If this assassin lying here was the one who had killed the people listed in this notebook,

then it made sense why his karma score was so exceptionally high.

“I never expected that crazy murderer would be this guy.”

Kang Jin-hyuk pulled out a piece of paper from his inventory and began jotting down the names of all the individuals mentioned in the notebook.

With his smartphone broken, he planned to look them up when he got home.

* * *

“Why is he still not here?”

Having completed everything necessary, Kang Jin-hyuk became anxious waiting for Jeong Dae-yun.

He had set up a solid plan, but it was useless if he were alone.

If Jeong Dae-yun did not cooperate, he would have to abandon all plans.

“He didn’t seem like the type to stab anyone in the back, so I should be able to trust him, right?”

The karma score also reflected he could be seen as a decent person.

Just as Kang Jin-hyuk strove to shake off his anxious feelings, he sensed someone approaching at the building entrance.

With equal parts anticipation and worry, he turned to find Lucia and Jeong Dae-yun walking toward him in succession.

Waving as though pleased, Jeong Dae-yun noticed the body lying at Kang Jin-hyuk’s feet and flinched.

“Who is this person?”

“That’s the guy who was tailing me.”

“Oh, the one who stealthily followed you.”

Lucia was not surprised as she had known from the start someone was following them.

“So why did you let him follow you all this way instead of just taking care of him right away?”

“Because he was useful.”

“Useful? What use does he have? To strip the corpse?”

Kang Jin-hyuk realized Lucia was now focusing on the inventory in his hands.

“No, I didn’t steal this for that purpose.”

Kang Jin-hyuk waved his hand as if caught red-handed.

“I’m trying to pass off everything that happened here onto this guy.”

“That sounds a bit more malicious than just an excuse.”

Upon reflection, it appeared that shifting the blame onto the dead was worse than raiding a corpse.

Kang Jin-hyuk tried to justify himself to ignore that fact.

“He was the one who tried to kill me. How I use this is my prerogative.”

“Well, that’s true, but it still feels strange.”

While Lucia could understand, she felt it wasn’t something one could confidently disclose.

Having taken a life was already enough of a penalty; was it essential to frame someone else for it?

Kang Jin-hyuk answered the question that had yet to be voiced by Lucia.

“If we want to avoid a war breaking out here, this is the best way.”

“A war…? Among guilds?”

Lucia knew that guilds existed in her world.

However, the guilds she knew were not formed for their interests but were organizations meant to control adventurers roaming here and there.

Thus, it was entirely incomprehensible for her to conceive of guilds waging war against one another.

“Isn’t hunting monsters your job as hunters? Why would you fight among yourselves?”

“That’s what I’m also curious about.”

If those who had bound themselves together solely for monster hunting were to fight each other, they wouldn’t even control a hunting ground.

Hunters from large guilds were the ones who sought to hinder the growth of other hunters so they wouldn’t lose their share.

The more significant the guild, the more territorial they would be.

In the event these kinds attempted to wage a war today and sustained severe losses,

they would undoubtedly retaliate ferociously.

“In any case, we mustn’t let Titan and Tyrant fight each other.”

“That’s right. If that happens, who knows how many will suffer.”

Having witnessed the Tyrant’s tricks for their benefit first-hand, Jeong Dae-yun spoke emphatically.

“We have to stop Tyrant from rampaging at all costs.”

“Agreed. That’s why I intend to use this guy.”

“How so?”

“I told you, I’m going to blame everything that occurred here on this guy.”

“Ah, I see.”

Only then did Lucia grasp Kang Jin-hyuk’s intention.

He intended to shift all responsibility for the situation onto the now-deceased Yoon Song-ho in order to prevent Tyrant’s revenge.

It may leave them seething, yet due to the blatant illegal acts committed, they likely wouldn’t be able to press charges openly.

If everything went according to plan, they could wrap up the incident without incurring any damages.

“Wait, hold on a moment.”

Lucia suddenly thought of a hole in this plan.

“What if this individual belongs to another guild?”

“…”

“Even if he’s dead, having caused such an incident would undoubtedly lead them to investigate his identity.”

“That’s a good point.”

“Then they will find out he belongs to another guild, and the outcome will change.”

“The only thing that would change is who the war is forced against.”

After hearing Lucia’s words, Jeong Dae-yun sank into deep thought with a serious expression.

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have my reasons. Just look at his shoulder.”

Kang Jin-hyuk pointed at Yoon Song-ho’s shoulder, which was wrapped in bandages.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you remember? He was the guy you hit with an arrow in front of your home.”

“What’s that got to do with it?”

Lucia had known from the outset that the man and the one lying here were the same person.

It didn’t seem like a significant detail, initially thinking it was just a weak motivation to hunt him down.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk focused on the very point Lucia had brushed off as insignificant.

“Think about it sensibly. What kind of group would send someone that was both injured and had failed in an assassination attempt back out on the same day?”

“They probably had no one else to send.”

“Or maybe he’s acting independently,”

Kang Jin-hyuk said simultaneously as he handed the notebook over to Jeong Dae-yun.

“What’s this?”

“The assassin’s blacklist he was holding.”

“What?!”

Jeong Dae-yun looked surprised and hurriedly opened the notebook to flip through its pages.

He swiftly scanned the sheets, and with each page turned, his complexion grew paler.

“Impossible… there are people here that haven’t even been officially announced as dead.”

“Then there’s no need to continue.”

The madman who specifically targeted hunters from large guilds; that was the true identity of the assassin.

“When Tyrant conducts a check, they’ll certainly realize this man is the killer. Then, there won’t be any chance of war.”

Fundamentally, a war cannot be declared against someone already dead.

Kang Jin-hyuk felt no hesitation in placing the responsibility onto Yoon Song-ho.

“I don’t know how sound that reasoning is, but in any case, there should be no problem, right?”

“Of course, everything’s going unexpectedly well. Still, we can’t lower our guard.”

Thanks to fate interjecting permits in his favor, the plan had been well-structured.

Now, the only thing left was Jeong Dae-yun’s cooperation.

“Have all the external matters concluded?”

“Yes, I’ve executed everything as you instructed.”

“Good, that’s a relief.”

Seeing Kang Jin-hyuk letting out a breath of relief, Jeong Dae-yun voiced his worry.

“We can’t afford to let our guard down yet. We have to be gone before Tyrant’s hunters arrive.”

Lucia appeared astonished.

“What? Wasn’t that a lie?”

“Rather than pure deception, it’s easier to mix some facts with lies.”

“And how much did you mix in?”

“Fifty-fifty.”

“That’s a fair mix.”

While it was indeed true that some hunters from Tyrant were drawing near,

the claim that they were arriving imminently was a blatant falsehood.

The hunters from Tyrant had only just departed from their headquarters.

Regardless of how skilled they were, it would take at least over two hours to reach here.

That was more than enough time to wipe out every last trace of their presence and sweep the Tyrant branch clean.

If this got back to Han Young-seok, he might pass out in disbelief.

“Even if they’re quick, it’ll still take over an hour. It’s best to hurry.”

“Don’t worry too much; I’ve already prepared everything.”

“Then all that’s left is for me to step in.”

Kang Jin-hyuk locked eyes with Jeong Dae-yun.

His gaze was as serious as one would expect from someone who had made up their mind.

“There’s no absolute need for you to do it. Don’t force it if it feels too much.”

Kang Jin-hyuk felt discomfort.

What he was about to ask Jeong Dae-yun to do could bring him considerable harm.

If this plan went wrong or went astray, he couldn’t guarantee Jeong Dae-yun’s life.

He felt guilty for putting someone else in such a perilous position.

“How many would abandon the task if they heard that?”

Jeong Dae-yun smirked lightly.

Whether he’d read Kang Jin-hyuk’s worries or planned to alleviate his stress couldn’t be determined.

“Trust me. I, too, feel a desire to strike back against these individuals.”

“I’m not saying this because I don’t trust you.”

“I understand that.”

Jeong Dae-yun lifted up the notebook Kang Jin-hyuk had provided to him.

“If I say that a famous serial killer has perished along with our guild leader, they’ll likely give me some leeway.”

Having had their guild leader devoured by the killer created complaints,

and that was why Jeong Dae-yun’s approach as the most reasonable explanation had been concocted.

“Lastly, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Did you manage to take the Alraune’s Hwandan?”

Kang Jin-hyuk did not reply to Jeong Dae-yun’s query and just gave an enigmatic expression.

Even though the other party opted to remain tight-lipped, Jeong Dae-yun nodded as if he understood.

“Whoever took it is better off in the hands of someone who isn’t Tyrant’s hunters.”

Jeong Dae-yun didn’t care how much the item would worth.

Someone’s life had been used as fodder to create an item, and he felt he couldn’t sleep in peace if he brought profit from that horror.

While Kang Jin-hyuk shared a similar sentiment, having lived in obscurity for so long inclined his preferences in another direction.

‘But I can’t just throw this valuable item away.’

Whether used personally or sold, the object had the potential to completely transform his life.

Throwing it away out of distaste felt foolish.

If intended for the deceased, for the sake of the lives taken, it seemed wise to use it to dismantle Tyrant altogether.

That was the conclusion Kang Jin-hyuk arrived at.