Chapter 2

Hunters each possessed their own unique characteristics.

These were the superpowers that emerged when the Mega Shock enveloped Earth, and now, all of them were collectively known as ‘Chakra Force’.

However, depending on how this Chakra Force was utilized, it was further categorized into three distinct types.

First, there were Chakra Users, who harnessed Chakra Force in its pure, unadulterated form.

Next, Magic Users, who applied specific laws to distort and employ Chakra Force.

And finally, Psychic Users, who fully embraced Chakra Force and then manifested it as psychic energy.

Kang Yuseong was a Chakra User, and his Chakra Aptitude was unparalleled.

Chakra Aptitude.

It was also referred to simply as ‘Aptitude’.

Aptitude levels ranged from 1 to 15, with higher numbers indicating greater aptitude.

This system applied to all three types of users.

Among them, Kang Yuseong possessed a Chakra Aptitude of Level 15.

It was a level that essentially declared he had the ultimate potential for Chakra acquisition.

This meant that even if two individuals acquired the same offensive Chakra, there would be a world of difference between Kang Yuseong’s utilization and that of an ordinary Hunter.

The same would hold true now that he had returned to the past.

Peak Chakra Aptitude.

While this was the ideal situation for a fresh start, there was another pressing issue.

‘Chakra Cultivation…’

Chakra couldn’t simply be increased at will.

Due to the Mega Shock, a strange energy had permeated Earth’s atmosphere—this was Chakra, often referred to as the fundamental energy of the universe.

In other words, a small amount of Chakra Force could be acquired just by breathing.

The problem lay in the process of refining it and projecting it externally.

People called this process Chakra Cultivation.

The method of cultivation determined whether one became a Chakra User, a Magic User, or a Psychic User.

Chakra could be gained through hunting.

The more one hunted, the more Chakra points accumulated.

However, Kang Yuseong had only just returned, so his Chakra points were woefully low.

Even if he knew the methods to unlock or cultivate Chakra, the sheer quantity of Chakra needed to support him was critically lacking.

Just then, an idea flashed through Kang Yuseong’s mind.

‘Chakra Cubes! Right, at this point in time, Chakra Cubes would be discarded!’

He recalled Chakra Cubes.

These were crystallized Chakra from the natural world, hardened into solid forms.

But at this time, they were categorized as useless fragments and simply discarded.

This was because the processing method was unknown.

Kang Yuseong clenched his fist, fueled by the thought.

‘Chakra Cubes are practically free right now.’

Chakra Cubes came in transparent forms, as well as various colors.

Absurdly, it was precisely because of these colors that Chakra Cubes had differing prices.

Pink Chakra Cubes, popular among women, were classified as accessories and commanded high prices, while colorless, dull, or ochre-colored ones—colors people generally disliked—were ignored.

Over time, when people discovered the true efficacy of the Chakra Cubes they wore as adornments, they were utterly astonished.

From then on, the price of Chakra Cubes skyrocketed.

They were the ultimate treasure, allowing one to accumulate Chakra without even hunting.

Major corporations scoured the market, snatching up all Chakra Cubes, making it incredibly difficult for ordinary people to even glimpse one afterward.

But for Kang Yuseong, who possessed this foresight, it was a golden opportunity.

Ironically, the cruder and murkier a Chakra Cube appeared, the higher the amount of Chakra it contained.

Those countless fragments, discarded as the most unsightly, would bring Kang Yuseong immense opportunity.

To secure Chakra Cubes, he first needed money.

Even if they were discarded, obtaining them still required payment.

However, Kang Yuseong didn’t have a single penny now.

He tried searching for his old home from the past, just in case, but a complete stranger lived there, and his bank account was empty.

It was as if he had ceased to exist three years ago.

Thus, with nowhere to sleep, he was left to rest in an underpass.

Moreover, without Chakra Force, he couldn’t become a Hunter.

He had been incredibly fortunate to return to the past, but the real challenge began now.

He fell deep into thought.

The best way to overcome his current predicament…

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.

‘Right, there were Porters!’

He had remembered the Porters.

Porters: a profession where one carried Hunters’ burdens and received a daily wage.

It was a job anyone with strength could do.

A wry laugh escaped him at the thought of himself, once the pinnacle of Korean Hunters, becoming a Porter for a daily wage, but this was no time to be picky.

Porters, being ordinary civilians, faced considerable danger when encountering monsters, but this wasn’t a significant issue for Kang Yuseong.

Survival in dungeons was his specialty, after all.

If he could just get into a dungeon, the benefits would be even greater.

He could pick up Chakra Cubes, and also gather valuable herbs or minerals found within the dungeon.

Porters weren’t restricted from such activities.

Earn money, buy Chakra Cubes.

Then, process them to unlock Chakra Force, and quickly transition into a Hunter.

And he had to surpass the top-tier Hunters of the current era.

If he didn’t grow stronger faster than them, a great danger awaited.

He had to prevent that.

And within his knowledge existed a method to make it possible.

Therefore, Kang Yuseong intended to focus all his efforts on acquiring it.

The Plunderer’s Legacy!

D-98-A.

Dungeon 98.

The name of the dungeon where the Plunderer’s Legacy was discovered.

The ‘A’ appended to it stood for ‘Ancient’.

It was a special dungeon.

While regular dungeons had no entry restrictions, Ancient Dungeons did.

So many Hunters died entering them that the state implemented special management for dungeons classified as Ancient Dungeons.

No Hunter could enter and hunt without a pass issued by the National Dungeon Management Bureau. These passes weren’t perpetually valid; they required renewal at regular intervals, making the process quite stringent.

In other words, to enter an Ancient Dungeon, one had to pass a rigorous test to obtain a pass, and the cutoff was so high that it was currently impossible for Kang Yuseong. Even with high aptitude, it would take at least a year of Chakra Cultivation to qualify for a pass.

But Kang Yuseong merely smiled wryly.

Once a goal is set, a way to achieve it will surely emerge.

And so, he sought out an employment agency.

Knock, knock—

He opened the door, marked ‘Daehan Employment Agency,’ and stepped inside, where numerous people sat, waiting their turn.

This was yet another change the Mega Shock had brought to Earth.

They were likely not laborers for construction sites, but rather those hoping to become Porters for dungeons.

Kang Yuseong strode purposefully towards the reception desk where an employee with a gruff demeanor sat.

“I’m here to find work.”

The employee looked up at him and spoke expressionlessly.

“Porter?”

“Yes. Are there any Porter positions available?”

The employee handed him a paper and a pen, then curtly stated.

“Fill out your personal details. Be sure to list family members. If you die, we need to deliver the body.”

A chill ran down his spine at the employee’s words.

Dungeons were that kind of place.

That was likely why the faces of the men sitting around were so grim.

A place where one had to gamble with their life.

But Kang Yuseong merely smiled.

For him, dungeons were an all too familiar environment.

Kang Yuseong, having filled out his personal details, handed over the document.

The employee glanced at it and said.

“Take a seat and wait your turn.”

Kang Yuseong walked over and sat beside the row of men waiting their turn.

While the other men frowned, their tension palpable, Kang Yuseong showed no such signs.

His relaxed demeanor drew sidelong glances from the other men.

“Mr. Kang Yuseong!”

Finally, his turn came, and when his name was called, Kang Yuseong rose and walked to the reception desk.

As Kang Yuseong approached the desk again, the employee glanced at him, wrote something down, and handed it over.

“Be at the intersection ahead tomorrow at five AM. You’ll be assigned to Hunters from the Red Fox Guild. The daily wage is three hundred thousand won. Once the hunt is over, bring your confirmation slip to collect your pay.”

‘The Red Fox Guild…’

For a first start, it wasn’t bad.

He knew them to be a guild that, while not widely famous, consistently delivered results.

Moreover, though it was the amount after the employment agency’s commission, three hundred thousand won a day was quite respectable in this era.

Though that sum included hazard pay and life insurance.

‘Now…it’s time to start again!’

As Kang Yuseong exited the employment agency, clutching the slip of paper, his eyes gleamed.

A life lived anew.

He absolutely couldn’t live it carelessly.

He would live every single second to the fullest.

‘Even if it’s just to get revenge on you bastards, I will!’

A Monarch.

Thus, he once again dreamt of becoming a Monarch.