CHAPTER 345: SEOUL (2)

Kang-hoo, who met Kim Shin-ryeong, immediately tried on the suit she had brought out.

It was much cleaner than the suit he had seen three days ago, and he liked the delicate finishing touches.

He then took off all his clothes and put on the suit. After all, wearing it in a naked state was the most comfortable for the body.

Even the area between the groin, which had been a minor concern, was thickly reinforced, so there was nothing embarrassing in appearance.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“I’ll try Carapace Transformation on it.”

“Yeah. That’s the key point.”

Kim Shin-ryeong clasped her hands together as she examined Kang-hoo’s appearance with an expression full of expectation.

This was also the first time she had released a finished product rather than a prototype.

Although she had put prototypes on mannequins many times, she had never dressed a hunter in a finished product before.

Crunch. Crack.

As Carapace Transformation was activated, the full-body suit covering Kang-hoo swelled up beautifully.

He came out to the garden in that state, sprinted at full speed, and changed positions without pause.

He also jumped with all his strength, rolled forward, backward, and sideways! He meticulously checked every possible case.

In an instant, the suit he wore was covered in dirt, but he did not care about such trivial changes at all.

“How does it feel?”

“When I wear the suit directly on my bare body, it feels excellent. But in this case, when I activate Carapace Transformation, the breastplate I wear on top might feel uncomfortable.”

“It would probably be better to wear the breastplate inside and then put the suit over it, right?”

“Since the breastplate is basically thin, I don’t think it’ll be a big problem. Let’s wear it the standard way.”

Kang-hoo immediately changed his attire.

He put on the breastplate ‘Stigma of Corruption’ and then wore the suit over it. Then, once again, Carapace Transformation.

He repeated the same experiment as before and confirmed that there was still no discomfort in this state.

Now that he was fully equipped, Kang-hoo ran toward a nearby rock and slammed into it.

Though rough, it was the most straightforward method to test durability and defense.

And as Kang-hoo assessed the impact and damage transmitted through his body, he spread three fingers with a satisfied expression.

“Linking Carapace Transformation with the suit gives three times the defense boost compared to not using it.”

“So, as long as the suit holds out, it will maintain about that much?”

“Yes. Since the suit isn’t an item, it can’t be quantified, but that’s what I felt with my body.”

“That’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Kim Shin-ryeong looked astonished.

Of course, the suit was consumable.

Its durability inevitably decreased from maximum toward zero, so repairs were always necessary.

But if it could raise defense that much, even conditionally, it could be considered the best auxiliary tool.

Especially for assassins, who were mostly engaged in close combat and always prioritized upper-body defense, it was even more so.

‘At this level, it might even endure Jang Si-hwan’s hidden skill once. Of course, both the suit and breastplate will be destroyed, though.’

He calculated its defensive capability.

Jang Si-hwan’s hidden skill was just as specialized in one strike as Kang-hoo’s Black Moon Slash/White Sun Slash.

No hunter had ever withstood it properly; all had turned into a handful of ashes.

But with this suit, he felt confident that even if he lost the breastplate, at least his life would be spared once.

“However.”

At that moment, Kang-hoo shifted the topic.

“Did you perhaps craft this suit with rare minerals?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“As I thought……”

“I worked with the Shell of Blackwood. If the Claw of Hatred is a rare mineral that adds sharpness, the Shell of Blackwood is one that adds toughness.” 𝐑АŊ𝐨ᛒЕŠ

“Just being given this for free is already too much, and now rare minerals too. I don’t know how to repay you. I really want to pay for this.”

“Forget it! I told you, just bring it to me for repairs. That’s valuable data for me.”

“Hmm.”

“If I give it to you, just say thank you and accept it. Don’t try to repay me with money all the time. Haven’t you also given me unconditional kindness before?”

“……Thank you. I’ll truly make the best use of it.”

“That’s enough. Seeing my suit breathe alive on you feels like a dead child has been revived. I’m moved and delighted.”

“I’m happy too. It fits me far better than I imagined, and the comfort is excellent.”

“I made it wholeheartedly, hoping it would fit you perfectly. I feel proud. This is why I do crafting! Hoho!”

Seeing Kim Shin-ryeong so overjoyed, Kang-hoo couldn’t help but smile as well. It felt like he had received the best gift.

Still, since he had received something, he thought:

The Shell of Blackwood was something he wanted to someday retrieve from a dungeon and return.

Of course, like the Claw of Hatred, it was not easy to obtain.

It was impossible to get it domestically, and even overseas, the places to obtain it were limited. Namely, India.

While Kang-hoo was linking Carapace Transformation to the suit repeatedly to examine it further—

Kim Shin-ryeong, who had already packed her things, pointed to a fully stuffed suitcase and said:

“I’ll be away for five days starting tomorrow. I’ve been urgently called to a crafting project. It might be hard to contact me, so keep that in mind.”

“That’s fine. I also have plans to go abroad. I’ll greet you when you return safely.”

“Good! Wow, it really suits you every time I look. Clothes truly make the man. Clothes make the man, hohoho.”

Kim Shin-ryeong clapped joyfully like a mother who had dressed her son in a fine suit.

Kang-hoo didn’t dislike her reaction, so he enjoyed her gaze and tested the suit further.

He was thoroughly satisfied.

With a supporter always ready to repair and enhance its performance, he had no worries about aftercare.

The only thing left was to use this precious gift with all his strength.

That was enough.

----------------------------------------

On the way back to Seoul.

The schedule was so tight it felt hectic, but he didn’t dislike the sense of using every moment.

Originally, Jang Si-hwan had offered to provide a private car to the place where the plaque of appreciation ceremony would be held, but Kang-hoo refused.

Partly because he wanted to travel comfortably, but mostly because he believed Jang Si-hwan’s goodwill wasn’t genuine.

He didn’t want to give him the chance to flaunt favors later, unless it was unavoidable.

‘In this situation, it’s a win-win anyway. From the start, it’s not a situation I can lay out unilaterally.’

Kang-hoo judged that today’s picture benefitted him enough and benefitted Jang Si-hwan as well.

It would be best if only one side profited, but such unilateral cases rarely happened.

Especially when the opponent had superiority in both social status and strength.

‘Even if I insisted on holding the plaque ceremony through the Hunter Public Safety Bureau, he would have maneuvered around it. It was impossible.’

Kang-hoo disliked Jang Si-hwan’s image-making. He believed it highly likely that he would try to use him.

That was why he flatly refused the Jeonghwa Guild’s offer to present a plaque separately from the Bureau.

That would have ruined Jang Si-hwan’s calculations once.

But since the ceremony itself still existed, and the Bureau and Jeonghwa Guild were one and the same—

He couldn’t prevent Jang Si-hwan from indirectly making use of the event. That would be the same as declaring war.

‘Just not getting dragged along by Jang Si-hwan’s pace is already a huge victory. And it’s not self-deception, but real.’

Kang-hoo nodded.

Jang Si-hwan’s influence and ripple effect were beyond imagination. To the citizens of Seoul, he was like a ‘god.’

No one tried to oppose or slander a god. They never even harbored irreverent thoughts.

That was why choosing to go against Jang Si-hwan was never easy.

At that moment, Jang Si-hwan, his guild, and all of Seoul would become enemies.

Amidst that, Kang-hoo held the balance and grasped the key to take only what he needed.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

When they arrived at the requested location, the security limousine driver personally opened the door.

It was about 800 meters from the special stage where the ceremony would be held.

As soon as he got out, Kang-hoo immediately activated his stealth skill, erasing all traces of his presence.

He had no desire to show off in front of people.

At the same time, he also wanted to observe them quietly.

‘There really are a lot.’

Already, quite a crowd had gathered. By rough estimate, several thousand at least.

They certainly hadn’t come to see ‘Shin Kang-hoo,’ who was neither well-known in Seoul nor a member of Jeonghwa Guild.

“Gayeong! Isn’t it really been a while? It feels like it’s been weeks since Gwanhyeong oppa did an outside activity!”

“Exactly! And since Si-hwan oppa is coming out too, how could we miss this! Hohoho!”

As expected, there were many fans of Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwanhyeong. Of all ages and genders.

Since Jang Si-hwan and Chae Gwanhyeong had completely different images, their fans were also clearly divided.

“But did you hear? The person sitting next to Si-hwan oppa today is that Shin Kang-hoo, right?”

“The main character of today’s plaque ceremony?”

“Yeah! He’s supposed to be pretty handsome too… but still, he’s no match for Si-hwan oppa or Gwanhyeong oppa, right?”

“Yeah! His skin’s pale like a vampire, his expression’s gloomy, creepy. Like a handsome serial killer, you know?”

Kang-hoo almost burst out laughing at the girl’s outrageous analogy but managed to hold it back.

Still, since she did at least attach the word “handsome,” he supposed he should be thankful.

“It’s Choi Sara!”

“Sara noona came too?”

There were also quite a few male fans on-site.

Most of them were fans of Choi Sara, the only female among Jeonghwa Guild’s top executives.

Though Kang-hoo still remembered her behaving rudely in front of Master K, that was only his memory.

As a hunter who benefited from Jeonghwa Guild’s image-making, her public image was very positive.

“Mother, you really wanted to attend this event that badly? I worry you’re overexerting yourself.”

“Didn’t Jeonghwa Guild say? There will be an interim report today on the war against crime.”

“That’s right, Mother.”

“I want to hear it directly. I want to know how the trash threatening Seoul’s safety is being crushed.”

“The Abyss—those bastards really are like cockroaches. I feel the same as you do.”

Nearby, a mother in a wheelchair and her son caring for her were conversing.

The “war against crime” they referred to, of course, meant against The Abyss.

Kang-hoo had thought there might be another event following the ceremony, and indeed, there was one prepared.

The ceremony was a sort of “opening,” and the core was the interim report on the war against The Abyss.

As he eavesdropped, Kang-hoo was once again reminded of what kind of place Seoul was.

‘Yes. This is enemy territory.’

Unless one became a loyal servant of Jang Si-hwan, the city would forever remain enemy territory.

That city was Seoul itself.

Rumble.

The sky filled with dark clouds, as if reflecting Seoul’s reality, left a bitter taste in his mouth.

How could he completely shatter their delusions and illusions?

Honestly, even Kang-hoo couldn’t easily think of an answer yet.

That was how solid the fortress Jang Si-hwan had built in Seoul was.

Seoul, the iron fortress so firmly established by that damned original story.

And Kang-hoo himself…

He was positioned as the challenger who must break down this fortress at all costs.