Chapter 24: Who Are You? (2)

Clang.

The last Muscle Knight had fallen.

Suho recalled the harsh result of the experiment.

When Balryong caught a monster, Suho gained experience points.

When Suho caught one, Balryong’s magic power increased.

“Could it really be a summoned beast?”

There were rare Hunters who commanded summoned beasts, and this was similar to their cases.

“Summoned beast, huh! If you use that expression with me one more time!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t. Anyway, we both benefit when we catch monsters, right? So from now on, cooperate in battle.”

Only when I want to.

Suho finished his sentence with a caveat.

“If you pay a fair price, I’ll consider it.”

“If you behave well, I won’t hesitate to pay properly.”

“Really?”

“You’ve eaten ten chickens already, and now you’re bringing this up?”

“Alright, I admit it. You do have a certain sense of loyalty.”

“Maybe it’s because I faithfully paid the promised chicken for the Balryong Killer case.”

Balryong’s attitude had softened.

Taking advantage of the moment, Suho jabbed the point home.

“You better do well on your own. There are tastier things in this world than chicken.”

“What! Is that true?”

Instead of continuing the conversation, Suho opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped out.

A dark, gloomy joint lay ahead.

“No one’s here.”

Just as expected.

No Hunter under level 20 could be faster than Suho.

He was certain of that.

‘Maybe I should rest a bit until someone arrives.’

All three paths had to be cleared for the next corridor to open.

There was nothing he could do for now.

“I’ll go invisible again.”

“Fine.”

Thanks to the “bait” he threw earlier, Balryong moved on its own like a whale.

Suho smirked and sat down in a suitable spot.

Screech.

After resting for a while, the sound of a door opening reached him.

“Someone finished and is coming out. Who could it be?”

Suho stood up.

But there was a sound coming from behind the door.

“Which guy will come out first? I wonder if that runt is bigger than Chae Seongil?”

What does that mean?

‘He’s acting like he’s not Chae Seongil himself.’

Something unusual was happening.

Trusting his instincts, Suho quietly approached the door.

Soon, Chae Seongil appeared from behind it.

He looked at Suho and asked in shock.

“…How are you already out here?”

His expression was as if he had seen something unbelievable.

Suho’s suspicion deepened.

“I beat up some monsters and came out. Isn’t that obvious? But I’m curious about something…”

Suho threw out a question to probe.

“Who are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not Chae Seongil.”

That name—

Chae Seongil.

No, the Murderer Hong Sucheol flinched.

‘Did I get exposed?’

How did that happen?

Did he just hear what was said?

Wrapped in deep thought, Hong Sucheol soon realized there was no need to panic.

‘So what if I got exposed? Do I need to be flustered? I’m going to kill everyone anyway. I’m much stronger.’

That thought ran through his head.

‘No matter how weak this body is, a brat like that isn’t even worth mentioning.’

Wait.

Better to be thorough anyway, right?

‘Fine, then let’s just copy that guy’s body perfectly.’

With the same body and equipment, there would be no way to lose.

So first, copy, then start.

Hong Sucheol reached that conclusion.

“Heh heh heh, it’s true I’m not Chae Seongil. Young guy, you’re naive. But so what?”

Hong Sucheol laughed bitterly.

At the same time, his body began to change.

It was also the moment Balryong’s voice reached Suho’s ears.

“This is a technique to perfectly replicate the opponent’s body. It even copies equipment.”

Whoa.

Suho stared at Hong Sucheol in surprise.

Hong Sucheol’s skill was complete in no time.

His face was now identical to Suho’s, and even his hand held the Pot lid and Flame Thorn Magic Sword.

“The skill level is low. That’s why the armor you’re wearing couldn’t be replicated.”

Suho listened to Balryong’s explanation and drew his Flame Thorn Magic Sword.

‘I don’t know who this guy is.’

With a thousand experience points, it was difficult for Suho to guess the identity of this guy.

But one thing was certain.

‘Once someone’s identity is revealed, they won’t let it go easily.’

A Murderer.

Suho could easily predict his behavior.

Swish.

Suho drew his sword, ready for battle.

Hong Sucheol’s mouth opened at that moment.

“Hahaha—this is amazing! I just found a treasure on the street!”

Hong Sucheol was genuinely surprised.

He copied the body just to be safe, but the opponent’s body was much better than expected.

‘His senses are insanely sharp! Did he gain some sort of sixth sense?’

Maybe I should reconsider turning into Jung Hyunsu.

That thought alone showed how impressive this body was.

“Thanks for this gift. I won’t let you suffer.”

Hong Sucheol sneered as he drew his sword.

Suho moved his left hand to the back of his neck.

Chrrrr.

The Red Gray Guardian’s helmet wrapped around Suho’s head.

Hong Sucheol’s eyes widened.

“Oh? Interesting armor.”

As he spoke, Hong Sucheol’s hand moved toward Suho’s neck.

But his expression suddenly stiffened.

“Wh-what… how is this possible?”

Hong Sucheol was shocked.

The opponent’s armor, which was supposed to be copied, was not replicated.

“Something wrong?”

Suho asked coldly.

“T-This is impossible… Why wasn’t the armor copied? Could it be that?”

Thud!

Suho kicked off the floor and charged.

The opponent had already revealed murderous intent.

No need to wait for the enemy to relax.

The Flame Thorn Magic Sword pierced Hong Sucheol’s chest.

“You brat!”

Hong Sucheol shouted as he lifted the pot lid and the sword.

He was as angry as he was surprised.

A Murderer who massacred hundreds.

And yet, Suho, not even level 20, dared to charge so boldly.

That stirred Hong Sucheol’s pride.

“I’ll make sure you pay dearly!”

His murderous intent pierced the sky.

At that moment, Suho’s sword clashed head-on with Hong Sucheol’s shield.

Aaaagh!

A powerful explosion echoed through the joint.

Hong Sucheol’s shocked voice burst out.

“Damn! Why is there such a power difference?”

Hong Sucheol was blown back several meters, unable to withstand the impact.

Suho charged again at the stunned Hong Sucheol.

‘No use dragging this out.’

The enemy was a more experienced and seasoned killer.

Suho had to finish him before he recovered.

Clang!

Once more, the swords clashed in midair.

“Not easy.”

Suho clicked his tongue inwardly.

The opponent’s sword moved at a perfect angle, diffusing Suho’s strike.

Moreover, Hong Sucheol’s sword slashed horizontally.

There was no way to dodge in place.

Suho had no choice but to retreat.

His momentum disappeared into thin air.

“You brat, I’ll kill you and take your armor too. Heh heh heh.”

Hong Sucheol sneered after blocking the attack.

He was slowly realizing Suho’s armor wasn’t ordinary.

“Try it, then.”

Suho calmly challenged him.

Clang, the sound of teeth grinding as Hong Sucheol charged.

Flash! Flash! Clash!

Sword and shield.

Identical weapons clashed ceaselessly.

Sharp senses searched for openings to cut throats.

Neither side was injured.

But there was a clear disadvantage.

“I’m losing.”

Suho felt the opponent’s swordsmanship was superior.

Without the superior stats granted by the Red Gray Guardian armor, he might have already fallen.

“Heh heh heh.”

Hong Sucheol swung his sword wildly along with the sound of metal.

Suho poured all his concentration into blocking and dodging.

Then, suddenly, Suho stopped.

His back was pressed against the joint’s wall.

“No more room to retreat, huh? Heh heh heh, I’ll kill you now.”

Hong Sucheol taunted like he was holding a guaranteed prey.

“Bring it on.”

Suho replied with cold, steady eyes.

To Hong Sucheol, it looked like empty bravado from someone who didn’t know they were about to die.

“If you want me to, I will.”

Hong Sucheol charged.

His sword traced a perfect path, curving around Suho’s shield.

The target was Suho’s heart.

Suho’s eyes gleamed then.

“Strength Explosion!”

The Red Gray Guardian’s built-in [Strength Explosion] activated.

His strength instantly doubled.

His entire body was filled with the energy of a volcano erupting.

Hong Sucheol’s sword reached Suho’s chest about then.

Suho swung his sword with all his might.

‘I’m blocking his blade!’

He didn’t aim for the neck immediately.

To make use of his strength advantage, he had to strike anywhere.

Aaaagh!

Sword clashed with sword with a thunderous roar.

Hong Sucheol’s body was pushed back.

The strong impact left his feet dangling in midair.

‘I have to end this!’

Skill duration: 10 seconds.

He would finish it within that time.

Suho stomped the floor.

Crack!

He shattered the ground and advanced.

Hong Sucheol struggled to regain his stance.

Then, something grabbed his leg.

“What the hell—”

“Kkwuk….”

A bizarre sound, tinged with cruelty, followed.

Hong Sucheol lost his balance.

There was no longer a choice to dodge.

Only defense remained.

Flare!

Suho activated Flame Strike.

He struck down with all his power.

Kraaaaang!

An overwhelming power gap.

Hong Sucheol’s shield was crushed into fragments.

“Damn it!”

Swearing, Hong Sucheol faced another downward strike from Suho’s sword.

‘Break!’

The strike filled with power descended above Hong Sucheol’s head.

Kraaaaang!

Again, Hong Sucheol blocked Suho’s finishing blow.

But—

“Ugh—my leg! Damn!”

Half crouched, Hong Sucheol’s leg was broken from the impact.

‘Let’s finish this!’

Suho raised his sword.

Every muscle in his body contracted, focusing power into one point.

Just as it felt all the power in every cell was gathered—

Slash!

Whaaaaang!

Shield, sword, even his body—

Everything about Hong Sucheol was instantly cut down.

“Mon… monster… no… way… regret…”

Gurgle.

Suho swung his sword once more, cutting off the last breath escaping Hong Sucheol’s lips.

Snap.

As the breath ceased, Hong Sucheol’s corpse began to change.

“As the skill deactivates, he’s reverting to his original form.”

The Pot lid and the Flame Thorn Magic Sword, identical to Suho’s, vanished as well.

Suho stared at the form for a while before speaking.

“What the hell is this guy?”

***

“Ah! Hyung!”

Jung Hyunsu shouted in surprise.

That was natural, since the first stage they cleared and the form Jung Hyunsu had seen was…

“Hyunsu, you’re here?”

“Hyung! Wh-what is this corpse?”

Suho was crouched, inspecting the Welsh-type body.

“Something strange happened, so I was checking it out.”

“Strange?”

“Yeah, this is Chae Seongil.”

Suho pointed to the severed head lying beside the corpse.

Jung Hyunsu was shocked by the face on the head.

“Wait! That’s Hunter Chae Seongil?”

“It’s different, right? He suddenly attacked me, but after killing him, he changed like this.”

Suho explained everything that happened from the moment they entered the joint.

After finishing, Jung Hyunsu, who had been stunned, opened his mouth.

“This guy… could it be a doppelganger?”

“A doppelganger? A monster?”

Suho asked, recalling something he read in a novel.

“No, it’s a Murderer. It’s a notorious nickname for one of the worst kinds. They copy someone’s body, kill the original, and impersonate them… Ah!”

Jung Hyunsu stopped mid-sentence.

He seemed to have realized something.

Suho thought along the same lines.

“You probably didn’t even know this existed. This guy must have been trying to copy you.”

“Yeah, that seems right. Now that I think about it, someone in the party kept disappearing one by one? That bastard.”

Jung Hyunsu clenched his teeth in anger.

“Just think positively since we caught him. It’s better than being a victim. After fighting, I realized he’s no ordinary guy.”

“Yes, Hyung. Thank you. Without you, I would’ve been in serious danger.”

“Sure.”

“I feel sorry that you got involved because of me.”

After finishing, Jung Hyunsu bowed his head.

“It’s okay. It worked out well.”

Suho patted Jung Hyunsu’s shoulder.

But doubt crossed Jung Hyunsu’s face.

“By the way, how did you catch him? He’s supposed to be a great fighter.”

“Somehow, I managed.”

“Well, you’re basically a cheat character when it comes to fighting.”

Jung Hyunsu accepted that and asked about what’s next.

“So, what now? Keep going?”

“We have to continue the dungeon. The next stage is open. But…”

“But?”

“Hyung, you want to make some money. The Association put a bounty on this guy.”

“Bounty? How much?”

“I heard it’s 300 million. There were other benefits too, I think.”

As Jung Hyunsu recalled the details,

Suho suddenly murmured a name that came to mind.

“He wasn’t a doppelganger. He was a Golden Goblin.”