Chapter 19

*Thud—*

A colossal monster collapsed to the ground.

*Shing—*

Standing before it was a man.

A man holding a longsword stained with blood.

He plunged the longsword into the ground.

A faint smile played on his lips.

He spoke into his radio, softly, yet each word clear and distinct.

“—D-39 Dungeon, clear.”

At his words, the corners of the Hunters’ mouths behind him twitched.

Something unbelievable had just happened.

“Hmph…”

Their bodies trembled.

This was a B-rank dungeon.

They had achieved something they normally couldn’t have even imagined.

“Hehehe, hahaha! Hahahahaha!”

They laughed.

All the frustration and inferiority complex that had weighed on their hearts burst forth, as if completely liberated.

Following Kang Yuseong for all this time, they had never felt such exhilaration, such a mad rush of excitement, as they did today.

They had fought countless battles, and even in those, they had felt a heart-pounding catharsis, but it couldn’t compare to the joy of overcoming a wall they had deemed impossible.

Kang Yuseong looked at them.

They were covered in monster fluids and blood, laughing.

Truth be told, clearing a B-rank dungeon hadn’t been easy.

However, they had pushed their abilities to the absolute limit, fighting like devils.

Some had pounded monsters with iron hammers until their hands were torn, and when their swords broke, they picked up nearby stones and slammed them down.

Many had sustained scrapes during the process, but there were no serious injuries, and certainly no fatalities.

This was because Kang Yuseong had perfectly controlled the situation.

Knowing the monsters’ attack patterns, habits, and weaknesses, his timely commands yielded dazzling results.

It was only because the Hunters weren’t yet trained to respond perfectly and instantly to his orders that many had gotten hurt.

People in this era wouldn’t fully understand it.

How one great commander could lead a war.

That’s why Kang Yuseong had been so certain.

That even these Hunters could conquer a B-rank dungeon.

The days he had spent with them weren’t to wait for them to grow.

It was to train them to synchronize with Kang Yuseong’s commands.

And the results of that training appeared today, here.

“Captain, you’re the best!”

“Heh, we conquered a B-rank dungeon! We did it!”

An attack unit, not belonging to a famous guild, nor comprised of outstanding Hunters, but just a mediocre group from the outskirts, had accomplished something that would shock the world if it knew.

A deep light of trust now filled their eyes as they looked at Kang Yuseong.

It was the profound trust that only those who had risked their lives together in battle could feel.

“This is your strength.”

As they cheered, Kang Yuseong spoke softly.

The Hunters clenched their fists at his words.

“Do you feel ready to take the test now?”

At Kang Yuseong’s question, the Hunters grinned.

“Is that even a question? Take us anywhere! We’ll smash everything!”

“That’s right! With the Captain, we’ll go anywhere!”

Thirteen people.

It was too small a number to orchestrate anything significant, but Kang Yuseong didn’t think so.

Because what these thirteen people were about to do would completely turn the world upside down.

It meant that just because the eye of a typhoon was small, it was a mistake to think its power was weak.

The eye of a typhoon is calm, yet it destroys and shatters everything.

The Hunters had already been drawn into the eye of the typhoon that was Kang Yuseong.

And soon, they would begin to rage with fierce momentum.

* * * * *

By unanimous decision of all the Hunters, it was decided to take the permit issuance test.

Kang Yuseong left the dungeon and immediately went with his party to the National Dungeon Management Bureau.

The process for issuing permits was extremely strict, making it impossible to apply unless one was present in person.

Upon arriving at the reception desk, there were countless Hunters waiting for the Ancient Dungeon Permit Issuance Test.

Some bore the marks of famous guilds, and many Hunters who clearly looked formidable were present.

At this time, rumors were just beginning to spread about the discovery of excellent weapons, armor, and magical artifacts in ancient dungeons, which was why people were flocking there.

“Are you here to register?”

The staff member at the reception desk asked, looking at Kang Yuseong.

“Yes. Kang Yuseong, Hunter, and thirteen others.”

“Please take a seat; we will call you when it’s your turn.”

“Alright.”

Kang Yuseong registered and returned to his party.

The place where they were waiting was a slightly secluded waiting area, where few people passed by.

“Wow, the people here are no joke!”

“I know! Did you see that guy’s sword earlier? That thing’s worth over a hundred million!”

“Huh… I’d be happy just to touch it.”

The Hunters were talking excitedly about what they had seen on their way to the waiting room.

Since they were people who only frequented C-rank dungeons, they hadn’t had many opportunities to see high-level Hunters.

So, it was natural for them to feel as if ordinary people had seen celebrities.

Kang Yuseong chuckled as he watched them.

But then.

“Huh, look who it is? Baek Myeong-han!”

Someone suddenly appeared and called out Baek Myeong-han’s name.

It was a massive Hunter, armored in solid iron. Behind him stood three other Hunters with shaved heads and equally huge physiques.

Each exuded an intimidating aura, clearly indicating they were highly skilled.

Baek Myeong-han’s expression turned sour when he saw him.

He slowly rose from his seat and bowed his head.

“Hello.”

“Huh, look at this bastard. Not bowing deeper, are you?”

The man looked at Baek Myeong-han with an exasperated expression.

Baek Myeong-han bit his lip, still bowing.

Of all places, to meet these guys here…

“You son of a bitch, are you deaf?! Damn it, want me to give you a little ‘touch-up’?”

When Baek Myeong-han didn’t move, the man stepped forward aggressively.

“I apologize.”

Baek Myeong-han bowed his head even lower.

The man patted his shoulder and said,

“You, bastard, get it straight. Huh? If you don’t want another beating like last time. But wait a minute, why is this bastard here? You, by any chance, came to get a permit?”

Baek Myeong-han bit his lip again.

The man scoffed, an incredulous expression on his face.

“With your skill? This guy, he’s got some nerve. Oh, are these your comrades?”

The man looked around at the Hunters sitting down and sneered.

“What’s this? Heh, you’ve gathered a bunch of trash from God knows where…”

But mid-sentence, he suddenly frowned.

Someone had stood up and was helping Baek Myeong-han, who was still bowing, to his feet.

“Myeong-han. Don’t bow to just anyone.”

It was Kang Yuseong.

Baek Myeong-han, who was pulled up by his hand, looked startled.

“Ah, no… Captain!”

Baek Myeong-han was genuinely surprised.

No matter how amazing Kang Yuseong was, the man behind him was…

At that moment, Kang Yuseong smiled and said,

“Dogs are meant to bark, so don’t mind them.”

At his words, the man’s expression twisted.

“You bastard, do you want to die?”

The man lunged at Kang Yuseong.

Given the location, he didn’t draw a weapon, but even bare-handed, he was very intimidating.

But the next moment, something astonishing happened.

The instant the man reached out to Kang Yuseong, Kang Yuseong’s body moved like a shadow, smoothly deflecting the hand.

This was the power of Chakra, Swordsman’s Mindset.

It exhibited considerable ability even in bare-handed combat for a simple reason.

It enhanced the physical abilities of a swordsman wielding a ‘sword’.

This included numerous abilities such as agility, strength, and dynamic vision.

That’s why, in the distant future, investing in basic Chakra became the standard.

No matter how powerful a skill was, it was useless if you couldn’t land it.

And Kang Yuseong had already activated his Chakra skills, perfectly anticipating a fight with another human.

“This son of a bitch!”

As Kang Yuseong evaded, the man, clearly enraged, swung his fist again.

But Kang Yuseong dodged that too.

Then, he lightly kicked the floor and sprang forward as if propelled.

*Bang—*

In an instant, he kicked upwards into the air.

His target was nowhere else.

The back of the man’s right knee!

That spot, of all places, was not protected by armor. It was because it was a joint.

*Crack!*

“Cough!”

The man’s massive body instantly collapsed to one side.

Kang Yuseong then lifted his leg and slammed it down onto the back of the man’s neck.

Kang Yuseong’s kick landed perfectly on the back of the man’s head, who had removed his helmet upon entering the reception area.

*Crash!*

*Crunch!*

The power of Chakra, Butcher’s Disassembly spread, shaking all his muscles.

The man’s eyes rolled back, he foamed at the mouth, and then collapsed.

“Gurgle!”

Just two hits.

In those two hits, the colossal man was taken down.

At this unexpected situation, Baek Myeong-han and the other Hunters stood up, mouths agape, and even the men behind the armored man could only stand dumbfounded.

Who would have known things would turn out like this?

“Is there anything else you need?”

Kang Yuseong asked the men behind him.

Their faces distorted, they helped the fallen man up and quickly left.

“Ah… This, are you alright?”

Baek Myeong-han approached him, asking with a worried expression.

Kang Yuseong chuckled.

“I was the one who hit him.”

“Ah, that’s true, but…”

“Huh, our Captain is no joke. That big guy went down in just two hits! And he was even wearing armor.”

Jwa Myeong-hoon stared at Kang Yuseong, his eyes wide.

Han Do-seong was genuinely surprised this time.

‘How is that possible?’

He himself was second to none in terms of ferocity and malice.

He loved to fight, and once he started, he had a tenacious spirit that never backed down. But this was on a different level.

If the man who collapsed earlier had been him…

The thought sent shivers down his spine.

Because he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Kang Yuseong’s movements shown earlier.

With keen observation, he realized that Kang Yuseong had perfectly identified and shattered the man’s few weaknesses.

In such a short time, he had never seen such a perfect fight.

He realized his hand was trembling without him knowing and pressed it down with his other hand.

The more he learned, the more astonishing this man was.

“Fortunately, no one else saw, so there won’t be any issues with the test, but are you sure you’re alright? Those guys… they’re from the Black Fang Guild.”

At those words, Kang Yuseong sharply turned to Baek Myeong-han.

‘Black Fang…’

He knew them.

And he knew them all too well.

Because one of the predecessors of Han Taesung’s Thunderstorm Guild was precisely the Black Fang Guild.

They were scum who gathered together, committed all sorts of outrageous acts, and didn’t hesitate to murder or kidnap. If China had the Black Society or Triads, Korea had these guys.

The gangsterization of Hunters.

The guild at the forefront of that movement.

Kang Yuseong’s lips slowly twisted.

“That’s… fortunate. I was actually… looking forward to seeing them.”

Would he meet the same old enemies again?

The old grudge.

Han Taesung’s resentment towards Kang Yuseong also stemmed from this very incident.

Kang Yuseong, possessing immense power, had completely eradicated the guilds that had become organized and gangster-like, and Han Taesung had been among them.

They say bad karma comes full circle, but to encounter the same old grudge even after returning to the past.

‘This time, I won’t just take it, Han Taesung.’

Flames ignited in his eyes.