Chapter 113

Whoosh!

Blazing flames surged towards Kang Yuseong.

But then, something astonishing happened.

Whoosh!

The flames Kim Do-jin unleashed, as if alive, sharply veered their course towards Gil Hyeok-jun.

Kim Do-jin’s expression stiffened in surprise, while Gil Hyeok-jun, visibly startled, blocked the flames with his greatsword.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

An immense heat mercilessly pushed Gil Hyeok-jun back, and Kim Do-jin hastily reined in the flames.

That had not been his intention.

Yet, midway, the flames had moved on their own accord and engulfed Gil Hyeok-jun.

Kim Do-jin’s gaze, cold as ice, fixed on one spot.

Kang Yuseong stood there.

A faint smile played on his lips, and a flame, flickering from his right hand held slightly before his chest, vanished with a soft puff.

A cold light exploded in Kim Do-jin’s eyes.

“I’d momentarily forgotten.”

With that, he slowly raised both hands.

Unlike before, not red flames, but green fire, blazed from his hands.

“That the Captain, too, can control flames.”

Kim Do-jin knew that the situation just now was Kang Yuseong’s doing.

The moment the flames he unleashed were about to engulf Kang Yuseong, Kang Yuseong’s body moved like a shadow, and he instantly seized control of Kim Do-jin’s flames, redirecting them towards Gil Hyeok-jun.

Flame Control!

Kim Do-jin didn’t understand how it happened, but Kang Yuseong clearly had the ability to control flames.

A chill momentarily swept across Kim Do-jin’s face.

“But from now on, it won’t be easy.”

Kang Yuseong saw the flames blazing in Kim Do-jin’s hands and slightly furrowed his brow.

Green flames.

That was…!

‘No way, has he already mastered Agni’s Second Flame?!’

Agni’s Second Flame.

That was precisely the green flame now rising from Kim Do-jin’s hands.

Agni’s First Flame referred to basic flame control, while this green flame was the Flame Control Art, a technique on a completely different level.

Simply put, it meant a technique of a different dimension.

From now on, the techniques Kim Do-jin would display would be more powerful, more spectacular, and much more difficult to contend with.

Because Agni’s Flames grew insanely stronger with each ascending stage.

‘He’d hidden such power until now. Kim Do-jin!’

What was truly frightening was that Kim Do-jin hadn’t revealed his full strength even while facing King Arachne.

He was known to be a terrifying genius, but seeing it confirmed before his eyes once more sent a shiver down even Kang Yuseong’s spine.

A genius among geniuses.

The Arsonist of the Battlefield.

No words could fully describe that man.

Neither in the present nor in the future.

That was an unchangeable truth.

For Kim Do-jin was a man of that caliber.

But Kang Yuseong suddenly wore a wry smile.

The stronger his opponent, the fiercer his competitive spirit burned.

Moreover, the current Kang Yuseong possessed a special power that no one else had.

‘I’ll gladly accept that power, Kim Do-jin!’

Thieving Eye.

That technique, the bane of all ability users, was activated.

‘Hmm!’

However, Kang Yuseong, who had activated Thieving Eye, hardened his expression.

Kim Do-jin’s status, observed through Thieving Eye, was astonishing.

The Flame Control Art, evolved from basic flame control, had already reached Stage 2, and all its patterns were being influenced by the Stage 2 Flame Control Art.

Not only techniques like Mega Explosion, but even ordinary Flame Orbs had become terrifyingly powerful.

‘That terrifying bastard…!’

However, at Kang Yuseong’s current Thieving Eye level, there were still techniques he couldn’t steal.

To that extent, the current Kim Do-jin was frighteningly strong.

In a short time, Kang Yuseong chose one of them.

Kang Yuseong knew all too well that the most important thing was ‘fundamentals.’

Even a visually spectacular technique would inevitably have its destructive power halved if it lacked the fundamental skills to support it.

Whoosh!

[You have acquired Flame Control Art Stage 2.]

[The destructive power of all flame-type offensive magic has increased.]

[The control over all flame-type offensive magic has increased.]

[Defense against all flame-type offensive magic has increased.]

Therefore, what he chose was the pattern for Kim Do-jin’s Flame Control Art Stage 2.

Thanks to this, a huge amount of Karma Power was consumed, but Kang Yuseong didn’t mind.

The Flame Control Art was a precious technique, worth more than tens of thousands of gold, not to be exchanged.

But then, another window appeared before Kang Yuseong’s eyes.

[With the acquisition of Flame Control Art Stage 2, an existing technique has evolved.]

[Flame Orb has evolved into Scorching Bomb.]

[Attack power has increased by 3 times compared to Flame Orb.]

[When using Scorching Bomb, multi-stage bombardment is now possible.]

[Chakra Force consumption increases by 1.5 times compared to Flame Orb.]

‘Evolution!’

Scorching Bomb, which hadn’t been visible in Kim Do-jin’s technique patterns, was now added.

While the existing Flame Orb possessed terrifying destructive power, the even more potent Scorching Bomb had emerged as a result of this evolution.

Whoosh—

Instantly, Thieving Eye vanished.

Before Kang Yuseong’s eyes, Kim Do-jin, emitting green flames, and Gil Hyeok-jun, holding his greatsword upright with steam still rising from it, were visible.

Seeing them, Kang Yuseong bared his white teeth in a grin, then slowly raised his left hand.

And the next moment, Kim Do-jin’s eyes widened dramatically.

Whoosh!

Green flames blazed from Kang Yuseong’s left hand!

That was…!

‘Im…Impossible!’

The shock the green flame delivered to him was immense, enough to profoundly agitate him, a man who rarely showed much change in expression.

“What? Surprised, Kim Do-jin?”

Kang Yuseong smirked at him.

Flame Control Art.

In other words, Agni’s Second Flame was more powerful than imaginable.

With this power, a battle of an entirely different magnitude, incomparable to any previous fight, could be waged.

“Well then, shall we resume?”

“This is too much, both of you.”

At that moment, Gil Hyeok-jun frowned and muttered.

Clang—

As the two looked at him, Gil Hyeok-jun thrust the greatsword he was holding into the ground with a clang, then drew out the twin axes from his waist.

“If both of you are going to get serious… shouldn’t I do the same?”

Kang Yuseong narrowed his brows slightly as he looked at him.

In truth, Gil Hyeok-jun’s weapon wasn’t the greatsword.

It was those two twin axes.

Those were the ultimate weapons that had earned Gil Hyeok-jun the moniker ‘Ghost of the Battlefield.’

Whoosh—

As Gil Hyeok-jun drew his twin axes, a strange current of air began to swirl around him.

The current started from his feet, fiercely swirling and surging upwards.

Kang Yuseong gave a bitter smile, watching him.

‘The real fight has begun.’

In fact, he had rarely drawn his twin axes until now.

Thus, no one truly knew the full extent of his power.

Except for one person: Kang Yuseong.

Gil Hyeok-jun, wielding a greatsword, projected the image of a powerful Hunter, one occasionally seen in various guilds, but after he drew his twin axes, the story changed.

He had returned, not as a Hunter, but as a Slaughterer.

True to his fearsome past reputation that defined him.

Kim Do-jin, too, was frowning slightly, as if he had just realized anew how powerful the transformed Gil Hyeok-jun was.

“This doesn’t feel like a situation for holding back, does it? Are you two ready for this?”

At Kang Yuseong’s words, both men let out a small laugh.

Then Gil Hyeok-jun spoke first, in a low voice.

“If we’re going to play, I prefer to play with a bang, you see.”

In response, Kim Do-jin adjusted his fedora slightly and nodded.

“Me as well. We didn’t gather here for a friendly chat, after all.”

Kang Yuseong gave a slight nod, looking at the two of them.

“Alright… then, let’s get serious.”

The flame in his hand transferred to his sword.

Whoosh!

On the blade, not crimson flames, but an ethereal green fire, began to burn fiercely.

The meaning of those flames was clear.

It meant greater strength, greater resilience, and greater speed.

And in that instant, a smile appeared on Kang Yuseong’s lips.

Boom—

Simultaneously, he kicked off the ground.

Whoosh—

Clang!

Instantly, Kang Yuseong surged towards Gil Hyeok-jun.

But astonishingly, in that blink of an eye, the sword Kang Yuseong brought down was blocked by Gil Hyeok-jun’s twin axes.

Even more surprising was the chilling smile that simultaneously appeared on both men’s faces.

Both Kang Yuseong, who had struck with his sword, and Gil Hyeok-jun, who had blocked it, presented a terrifying spectacle.

Whoosh!

In that fleeting moment, one of Gil Hyeok-jun’s axes fiercely cleaved through the air.

To the Hunters watching from behind, it seemed as if Gil Hyeok-jun had blocked Kang Yuseong’s sword and immediately counterattacked.

Clash!

Kang Yuseong blocked the axe with his sword.

Rough sparks flew, and just as Kang Yuseong’s body seemed to be pushed back, he kicked off the air and retreated.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Simultaneously, a fierce explosion erupted where he had just been.

Kim Do-jin had launched two Flame Orbs at Kang Yuseong, no one knew when.

Maintaining his retreating momentum, Kang Yuseong spun around, kicking off the ground.

Boom—

In that instant, something burst forth from him at an invisible speed, like an explosion.

Whoosh—

It flew straight towards Kim Do-jin, who instantly generated a Flame Orb to collide with it.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In that moment, the ground violently shook with a fierce explosion that seemed to turn the surroundings upside down.

“Ugh!”

“Ah!”

A powerful, terrifyingly fast shockwave swept through the area, strong enough to make the distant Hunters stumble and fall.

It was a sight impossible to believe was merely a Flame Orb exploding.

The ground before Kim Do-jin was torn up as if mercilessly churned by an excavator, and Kim Do-jin stared at the spot with icy eyes.

Kim Do-jin’s coat was torn in countless places, and green flames had caught on and were burning in some spots.

Flick— Flick—

Kim Do-jin casually flicked away the flames with his hand.

Then, he slightly tilted his head and spoke.

“This… is frightening, Captain. Such power.”

In truth, when something flew at him, he hadn’t thought much of it.

Because he had clearly seen what it was.

A small sphere, burning with a deep green flame.

When that sphere, much smaller than a Flame Orb, about the size of a baseball, flew at him, Kim Do-jin had thought a Flame Orb would be enough to block it.

But the result was completely different.

Kim Do-jin’s Flame Orb exploded powerlessly upon impact with the sphere, and Kim Do-jin barely managed to block the explosion by deploying a flame barrier.

Yet, despite that, his coat was torn, and flames had caught onto his body—such a disastrous situation…

“But what… what do you call this?”

Kang Yuseong smirked.

“Scorching Bomb.”

And then, he continued.

“That is its name.”