Chapter 48

Crydesicle.

The weapons that could be forged from it were limited.

If Crydesicle were used for blunt weapons, its value would plummet.

While as hard as steel, fashioning a blunt weapon from it would be akin to making a door out of gold. It would be a wasteful endeavor.

Instead of one blunt weapon, it could yield multiple swords, sabers, or spears.

Crydesicle’s greatest utility was also in bladed weapons.

Even a small amount could produce immense effects.

However, the importance of Crydesicle and its complete refining method had not yet been discovered at this time.

The US Department of Defense was likely investing significant funds into research, but the refining method would only be discovered approximately two years from now.

Moreover, its discovery would be entirely by chance, meaning that at this point, refining it was impossible. Crydesicle simply couldn’t be melted down.

It was as hard as steel, its cutting power surpassed that of steel swords, and its durability was so exceptional that it wouldn’t chip even after hundreds of impacts.

Furthermore, one of its greatest advantages was its weight.

Weapons crafted from Crydesicle were incredibly light.

Their lightness didn’t imply weakness. On the contrary, weapons made of Crydesicle were far more effective at cutting down foes than steel swords of greater weight.

Crydesicle was a material used exclusively until the discovery of another metal called Acradium.

‘The blood of an Iron Horn Beast. And Green Life Water.’

Crydesicle wouldn’t melt even under extreme heat.

That’s why, even when people acquired weapons made of Crydesicle from dungeons, they couldn’t process them, rendering them a troublesome burden at this time.

To melt it, a dissolving solution made from a precise mixture of Iron Horn Beast blood and Green Life Water was required.

Once its rigid molecular structure was broken down with this solution, it would melt under ultra-high temperatures.

The Iron Horn Beast was a Level 20 monster, and Green Life Water was found in A-grade dungeons.

Neither was easy to obtain, but they weren’t exceedingly rare either.

With this, the attack unit could be re-equipped.

Even if Hunters who used blunt weapons couldn’t be helped, those who wielded bladed weapons would see their combat power increase tremendously.

That, in turn, signified a qualitative improvement for the attack unit.

The Second Shock was imminent.

It was approximately three months away.

Of course, overcoming that hurdle wouldn’t be difficult, but the problem lay in what followed.

If the Mega Shock had shattered and destabilized the infrastructure of every nation, causing widespread chaos, the Second Shock would serve as the catalyst, directly igniting the vile desires latent within humanity.

As the Second Shock passed, people would form even more entrenched factions, leading to power struggles.

To make matters worse, shortages of food and supplies would emerge, and from then on, people would fully reveal their most repulsive sides.

The Second Shock would provide the opportunity for those desires, which had been involuntarily suppressed under the control of the colossal entity known as the state, to erupt freely.

Infrastructure would be destroyed, military facilities laid waste, and the amenities of civilization that people had enjoyed would crumble. The internet would fail, and phones would cease to work.

It meant that a time requiring truly primitive survival strategies was approaching.

That’s why Kang Yuseong had intended to earn as much money as possible while he still could.

Discovering Crydesicle at such a juncture was highly encouraging.

From now on, sheer power would decide and dominate everything.

Returning home from the ancient dungeon, Kang Yuseong searched the Hunter Market.

He then posted an open bid for Iron Horn Beast blood and Green Life Water.

It was a reverse auction, where sellers would see the bid and set their own prices.

‘For now, let’s wait.’

With the items listed, all that remained was to wait.

He then checked his bank balance.

Stamina Potion-I had sold like hotcakes, accumulating billions in his account.

Now, he could purchase the Super Nova.

It was the latest model, capable of dramatically boosting the efficiency of Chakra pills.

With his Plunder ability acquired, and Chakra points being critically scarce, the Super Nova and Chakra Cubes held immense significance for Kang Yuseong.

Furthermore, to achieve ‘Skill Evolution’ in the future, he would need even more Karma Power, as well as Chakra points.

Seizing the opportunity, Kang Yuseong immediately proceeded with the Super Nova sales contract.

The DHM Corp buyer from Germany looked surprised by Kang Yuseong’s attitude, paying 1.5 billion in cash without any conditions.

“I will take full responsibility and ensure the installation is completed as quickly as possible.”

Shipping the Super Nova from Germany and having it arrive here would take approximately one month.

But the buyer promised to expedite even that timeframe as much as possible.

And he would have to.

Because DHM Corp itself would be caught in the Second Shock, pushed almost to the brink of ruin.

“Please hurry,”

Kang Yuseong said, and the buyer nodded.

They, too, were getting ready.

Ring-ring-ring—

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

It was Bae Guk-hyeon, the factory manager.

“Hello?”

When Kang Yuseong answered, Bae Guk-hyeon spoke in a frantic voice.

—Boss, we have a big problem!

“What is it?”

Kang Yuseong answered the call calmly, a stark contrast to the manager’s urgent tone.

He could sense Bae Guk-hyeon’s frustration through the receiver.

—Replicas of Stamina Potion-I…! They’re being mass-distributed on the market! Check the news!

‘Replicas!’

At that, Kang Yuseong furrowed his brow slightly.

It was precisely the right time for replicas to emerge.

Kang Yuseong nodded.

“Understood.”

—What… what should we do?

Bae Guk-hyeon was probably making a tearful face.

But Kang Yuseong grinned and replied,

“Keep producing. I’ll contact you again.”

—Ugh… Understood.

Perhaps expecting a more decisive solution, Bae Guk-hyeon’s voice was gloomy.

But what could he do?

The boss had told him to.

Click—

Kang Yuseong hung up and opened the internet news.

The screen was dominated by large headlines announcing the widespread distribution of Stamina Potion replicas. Considering that Stamina Potion-I was the product that had recently delivered the most refreshing shock to Hunters, this reaction was only natural.

But Kang Yuseong was unconcerned.

After all, hadn’t he disclosed the manufacturing method when applying for the patent precisely for this reason?

This was nothing short of Kang Yuseong’s benevolence.

From now on, any Hunter would be able to manufacture and consume Stamina Potion-I.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

It was the same with games.

If one enjoyed the free version, it was only natural to pay to enjoy the full game.

Stamina Potion-S.

That was what Kang Yuseong was truly aiming for.

‘Spread even wider.’

A smile played on Kang Yuseong’s lips, as he knew the fatal flaw of Stamina Potion-I.

Now, people would promote the Stamina Potion themselves.

There was no need for him to advertise it, nor to extol its virtues.

Now that replicas were out, the rush to imitate and manufacture Stamina Potion-I would spread nationwide.

No, not just domestically.

In fact, patent law, which required disclosing the recipe, could be seen as a double-edged sword.

However, before the Mega Shock, patent rights were protected within the framework of the law, but now it was different.

The state simply didn’t have the capacity to concern itself with such matters.

Thus, not only domestically but also abroad, this incredible wonder drug would be frantically replicated and manufactured. It would likely spread into a global pandemic in an instant.

Replicas would be made, bought at low prices, people would acquire ingredients themselves to manufacture it, and just as the Stamina Potion became a staple item that everyone kept on hand—that’s when the bomb would drop.

This was Kang Yuseong’s design.

‘Stamina Potion-S. Get ready for it.’

Stamina Potion-S, codenamed ‘Second’.

That was what Kang Yuseong had truly been aiming for.

‘Anyway.’

Now, people could stew in their own juices.

That aside, Kang Yuseong was contemplating something else.

Skill Evolution.

An event in the ancient dungeon that had deeply piqued his interest.

‘Evolution, huh…’

It was a truly novel phenomenon, one that even he, as a Monarch, had never experienced.

No one had ever heard of a Chakra skill evolving.

Tap-tap—

He tapped his fingertips on the desk, lost in thought.

‘Evolution only began with plundered skills.’

Flame Transfer, evolved from Fireball.

Kang Yuseong furrowed his brow.

Even he didn’t know why such a thing occurred.

But what was certain was that the Plunder ability had entered a new phase.

‘I need an opponent with a skill superior to my own… and if I plunder it, the conditions for evolution will be met…’

Lesser skills were unnecessary.

Only skills superior to those he already possessed were required.

That would fulfill the basic conditions for evolution.

‘The evolved skill is completely unpredictable. If I think about it, this means I might end up wasting Karma Power for nothing.’

However, one fact that needed to be examined was whether all evolved skills would truly be efficient and outstanding.

Flame Transfer, evolved from Fireball, was a highly efficient and destructive skill for Kang Yuseong, a swordsman. But there was no guarantee that other skills would be the same.

If that happened, it would only lead to a waste of Karma Power.

‘There must be a rule.’

It would be beneficial to have an ability that could predict which skill would evolve.

Then he could choose which skills to plunder.

‘Thieving Eye… Mind’s Eye… there might be something more.’

Come to think of it, there might be other abilities besides Thieving Eye or Mind’s Eye.

If Mind’s Eye evolved from Thieving Eye, and there was yet another ability beyond Mind’s Eye…

‘Ultimately… hunting is the answer.’

Or fighting Hunters stronger than himself.

For Skill Evolution, it meant he had to take risks.

‘Well, I wouldn’t refuse, anyway.’

Fighting.

It was one of the things Kang Yuseong genuinely enjoyed.

Meeting an opponent stronger than himself and pouring everything he had into the fight.

That intensity and thrill were more addictive than any drug in the world.

He stood up.

Hunting monsters was good, but…

‘By now, that guy…’

A smile formed on Kang Yuseong’s lips.

In the past, a genius Hunter who had been under his command when he was a Monarch.

People called him the Conductor of Flames.

His delicate attack style and powerful combat approach, relentlessly pursuing an opponent until death, made him seem like an absolute commander on the battlefield.

A Magic User hailed as a genius.

Kim Do-jin.

Kang Yuseong was thinking of him.