Chapter 72: The Trap of Runes

The assassin cracked faster than expected.

– Aaargh! Stop, stop! I’ll talk, just stop!

– Stop? Still not getting it, huh?

Crackle!

– Stop! Please, I beg you! I’ll talk!

– Alright, alright. In the land of courtesy, you can’t talk like that. Got it?

– Yes, yes! I understand, just please stop…

Assassins aren’t like movie clichés, swallowing poison to stay silent.

Just ability-awakened thugs with bad attitudes.

Trained in secrecy? Hardly.

Torture resistance? None.

No poison pills, no courage to bite their tongues.

They break quickly.

– Guild Master! Ready!

– Thanks, Team 9 Leader.

– With your gear, my Rank 5 ability feels like SSS-grade. This is the least I can do!

I switched with Jeon Ji-min.

The assassin’s mouth opened.

– I’ll tell you everything! Just let me go!

– Hold on, Guild Master. Needs a bit more education.

– Wait, no! I’ll talk…

Crackle!

– Aaargh!

– Still not getting who’s in charge?

– I understand! I understand!

– One more slip, and it’s five seconds longer.

– Yes! I understand!

After the second “etiquette lesson,” the real interrogation began.

– Name?

– Ahn Jun-young.

– Affiliation?

– Well…

Zap!

– The Black Guild! It’s officially registered, looks legit, but it’s a front for the Black Assassins!

The assassin hesitated until Jeon Ji-min sparked electricity, then spilled everything.

No surprise—an assassin guild wouldn’t openly register.

A fake guild to hide their identity.

The next question was critical.

– Who’s the client?

The one who ordered Vulcanus’ death.

– …Fire Goblin.

– Fire Goblin? The former Rank 2 blacksmith?

– Yes. I only got the order, not the reason, but it’s obvious, right?

Fire Goblin.

Once a brand rivaling Kang Ho-deok with Nam Bora.

Now, his staff quit, his brand collapsed, and he hammers alone.

I thought he was doing fine.

I thought we were done.

To think he’d pull this.

– I’m sorry. I should’ve anticipated and dealt with him.

– No, Nam Bora, it’s not your fault.

I reassured her.

No way this was her fault.

Fire Goblin’s name gave me a headache, but questions remained.

– The Black Guild? Details.

– Yes! Founded by ‘Black Hand.’ Takes assassination requests through secret routes…

The assassin spilled everything—member count, founding date, skill levels.

I wondered if it was a lie.

– Doesn’t sound like a lie!

– I agree. Matches what I’ve heard about assassin groups.

Nam Bora and Jeon Ji-min dismissed deceit.

Jeon Ji-min seemed to check something by sending current through the assassin’s heart.

True or not, the assassin’s terrified expression suggested truth.

– What now?

Nam Bora asked as I pondered.

I was unsure.

I suggested the obvious.

– Report them?

– Might catch a few, but the head? Impossible. Disband them, and a new ghost guild pops up.

– Right.

They’re an assassin group.

Surviving this long means they’re organized.

They’d slip through laws and the Hunter Association like eels.

Even raiding their base wouldn’t catch many.

The assassin said they rarely gathered.

I asked another question.

– Who knows you’re here?

– No one.

Zap!

– Really, no one! Fire Goblin hired me directly! I didn’t tell the guild to avoid fees!

– So, no one knows you’re here and caught?

– Yes.

Zap!

– Please, I swear!

– Planning to use him as bait? Don’t trust him.

– Don’t worry. I don’t trust him.

Bait?

No way I’d trust this guy.

I opened the system, checked the forge page, and grinned.

[Commissioned by The Black Guild: stealth item production.]

– I only trust my items.

– Well, well. The high-and-mighty blacksmith took our commission.

The Black Guild’s leader.

No, the Black Assassins’ boss.

Black Hand.

He smirked at the system window.

[Commission accepted by Vulcanus Forge.]

Vulcanus Forge.

Surpassing Fire Goblin’s, now Rank 2.

Known for slightly lower-grade finished products due to the blacksmith’s level, but accessories and level-appropriate gear outshine any other forge.

Yet so exclusive, they only took ranker commissions.

But they accepted his.

Not just for him—for the entire guild.

– Rank 2 or not, money talks.

The commission fee was steep.

More than most major guilds’.

For Black Hand, a underworld heavyweight, it was a stretch.

The order covered gear for all members—a massive number.

He requested extra care for his.

Maybe it’d rival rankers’ Vulcanus gear?

If so, he could climb the ranks.

Or kill rankers and take their spots.

– That’d be cool.

A camera-flashing assassin ruling the underworld.

Like a movie hero.

He indulged in the fantasy, awaiting Vulcanus’ gear.

Soon—

– Truly Vulcanus.

The gear arrived fast.

Black Hand checked the item.

[Black Assassin’s Hood]

Type: Hood

Grade: SSS

Restriction: The Black Guild Leader

Description: Exclusively for The Black Guild. Wearer melts into shadows.

Abilities:

1. Shadow – Dissolves into shadows, erasing presence in darkness.
2. Dark Vision – Perfect sight in darkness.
3. Dark Sense – Heightened senses in darker environments.
4. Phase – Once per hour, move through walls or terrain in darkness.
5. ???

SSS-grade.

Vulcanus, surpassing Kang Ho-deok, wasn’t hype.

An SSS-grade item in a day.

The commission fee was worth it.

The abilities were slightly underwhelming for SSS-grade.

But—

– Phase?

Phase was key.

Easier assassinations and escapes.

A hood, not a weapon or armor, with such effects.

Truly Vulcanus.

Why was the fifth ability locked?

Reading the message, he understood.

– A growth-type SSS-grade item? Unbelievable.

The ability unlocks as the wearer grows.

What could it be?

Once unlocked, the hood’s true SSS-grade power would shine.

A minor letdown, but still worth the cost.

– The others are decent.

Only his was SSS-grade.

Regular members got SS-grade hoods.

Perfect.

The Black Assassins’ leader couldn’t wear the same gear as underlings.

Swish.

He moved.

New gear demanded testing.

Distributing the rest to members, he accepted a tough commission.

Assassinate the Rank 9 hunter.

A tricky job, but his eyes gleamed.

With this hood, anything was possible.

Rustle—

Melting into shadows felt euphoric.

The hood’s performance was stellar.

Abilities that seemed underwhelming on paper shone in action.

He reached the target’s residence instantly.

– Some security.

A massive mansion.

CCTV, guards, dogs, advanced sensors.

Rank 9’s wealth demanded tight security.

Without guild or association protection, money ensured safety.

– Doesn’t work on me.

Black Hand slipped past.

Guards didn’t see him.

Dogs didn’t smell him.

CCTV, thermal sensors, lasers—none caught him.

A once-tricky job was effortless with the hood’s stealth and senses.

Soon, he stood before the target.

Unaware, sleeping peacefully.

Rank 9.

As Black Hand raised his dagger, envisioning a bright future—

Crash!

– What?

The mansion’s window shattered.

Black Hand stepped back, alarmed.

A woman burst through, weapon drawn.

– Sword Maiden!

Han Yura, the Sword Maiden.

Hunter Association’s symbol, Korea’s