Chapter 29

Kang Yuseong led the Hunters without delay.

The dungeon teemed with monsters, but the Hunters, who had initially struggled so much, had now grown to a point where they could face them with a certain degree of composure.

Moreover, Kang Yuseong’s command, exercised at precisely the right moments, doubled their strength.

As he led them, Kang Yuseong continually checked his Karma Power.

‘As expected… a B-rank dungeon is different.’

The Karma Power that accumulated in very small increments in E-rank dungeons was now building up at a considerable speed in this B-rank dungeon.

Even at the dungeon’s entrance, his Karma Power had already increased by a staggering 140 points.

While giving appropriate commands, he himself drew his sword and cut down every monster in his path.

“Kyaaak!”

His sword, further enhanced by Chakra Pills, was exceptionally sharp, sweeping away the B-rank dungeon monsters in an instant.

The pleasure of watching his Karma Power accumulate at a terrifying rate, alongside his Chakra Points, was immense.

Furthermore, the Hunters fought with great skill, ensuring clean battles without any wasted effort.

Inside the dungeon, the Porters were busy collecting spoils.

They sweated profusely, following the Hunters, dissecting monster by-products to pack them and searching for useful materials in the surroundings.

Had they followed another attack unit, they would likely have been waiting idly far away, watching the hunt with boredom.

But this attack unit was different.

With these Hunters, the Porters’ lives were never in danger.

So, the Porters, forgetting they were on a battlefield, were completely engrossed in collecting loot.

They had even developed their own system.

“Hey, over here, over here!”

As soon as a monster fell, two Porters with dissection knives would rush forward.

They would dismantle the monster at a frantic pace, and then the waiting Porters would efficiently collect only what was needed before moving on.

Then, another monster would appear nearby, ready for dissection.

The Porters ran until their mouths tasted sweet with exhaustion, gasping for breath, but their expressions were brighter than ever.

They were finally tasting the thrill of truly being alive.

Kang Yuseong watched them and smiled quietly.

This situation might seem ordinary, but it held significant implications.

As Porters grow, they become Sherpas, and among them, the most skilled Sherpa Masters become essential for raiding Dragon-rank monsters in the future.

Hunters weren’t the only ones who could wield Chakra Force—a realization that would come much later.

While Hunters used Chakra Force for offense or healing, Sherpa Masters evolved and used Chakra Force in their own unique ways.

In particular, the rare cultivation technique possessed by Sherpa Masters, Hawk Eye, was exceptionally effective for terrain reconnaissance.

That was why Kang Yuseong was intentionally motivating the Porters now.

They needed to grow.

Only then could they gain an advantage in future hunting competitions against powerful nations.

This was one of Kang Yuseong’s plans.

To not only develop Hunters but also to nurture Porters into Sherpa Masters.

Even without explicitly teaching them the methods, if he simply laid the groundwork properly, the Porters would grow and evolve on their own.

‘Good!’

Kang Yuseong smiled and turned his head back to face forward.

“Kyaaak!”

A monster charged toward him.

*Slice!*

But it was instantly cut in half by Kang Yuseong’s sword and fell.

“All units, charge!”

Kang Yuseong’s voice echoed through the comms.

The Hunters grinned.

“Hyaah!”

“Urgh!”

They gripped their weapons and charged forward.

*Splatter!*

Monster blood flew unhindered.

* * * * *

*Thud!*

A monster fell.

It was the last remaining monster in D-24 Dungeon.

“Clear time…”

Kang Yuseong checked the time.

“Three hours and forty minutes. That was quite fast.”

The original estimated time was five hours.

They had cut it down by an hour and twenty minutes.

The Hunters must have put in an incredible amount of effort during that time.

Training themselves, enhancing their Chakra Force…

Kang Yuseong smiled with satisfaction.

Those with such passion had a very high potential for growth.

“Alright, today’s spoils will be divided by drawing lots… And to prepare for the next battle, please rest well today and tomorrow.”

“Understood, Captain!”

The Hunters cheered.

“Whew, you really… you’re something else.”

Just then, Yoon Seong-tak approached, shaking his head as he looked at Kang Yuseong.

Sweat poured down his forehead as if it were raining.

Even he, a seasoned veteran, was exhausted from running back and forth so much.

Yoon Seong-tak continued, a hearty smile on his face.

“Well, thanks to you, I’m feeling alive. It’s been ages since I’ve run around like this. It’s certainly fun to be with you.”

“Haha, is that so?”

“I’ll be counting on you in the future! Though I’m a bit older, I can still run as well as any young person!”

“I know that better than anyone! If anything, I should be the one asking for your help, senior.”

“Heh heh, it’s good to hear you say that. Oh, these are today’s gains.”

Yoon Seong-tak put down the backpack he was carrying on his back and opened its mouth wide.

There was a considerable amount of loot inside.

From Kang Yuseong’s perspective, he could see materials that Yoon Seong-tak had diligently collected himself.

They weren’t particularly valuable, but they were decent side income for Porters.

Normally, Porters wouldn’t reveal such collected materials to Hunters.

It was customary for Hunters to turn a blind eye, knowing full well.

But Yoon Seong-tak had revealed them.

Kang Yuseong grinned at this.

“You’ve collected a lot. You must have struggled carrying it all.”

“Nonsense! How could I possibly idle when you’re leading the charge and fighting so hard? And thanks to you, I’ve rediscovered how much my heart can pound. Thank you.”

“I’m the one who should thank you for your hard work. And please take those materials, senior. They’re a reward for your efforts today. And a bribe, if you will, for your continued support.”

“Hah, this man! Are you trying to make me a thief? Why should I take all of this?”

Yoon Seong-tak shook his head.

Kang Yuseong gave a light smile and looked at him.

“Then, let’s consider it a contract fee, senior. How about being my main Porter?”

Yoon Seong-tak furrowed his brow.

“Hmm…!”

“If you follow me, there will likely be many days harder than today. So, eat plenty of good food and take some medicine. That way, you can stay with me for a long, long time.”

Yoon Seong-tak scratched his head.

“No, but still…”

“Then I’ll take that as a yes. Since you’ve become my main Porter, I’ll also provide special allowances from now on. Just keep working hard.”

“Ah… you… hmm!”

Yoon Seong-tak wore an awkward expression.

Then, after a moment, he nodded.

“Well, I’d be grateful for that… Alright, fine! It’s not like I’m getting it for free; I’ll work even harder than today! Thank you, Captain Kang!”

Kang Yuseong smiled and nodded.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Yoon Seong-tak grinned.

Though his appearance was rugged, his broad smile suited him well as he replied.

“Thanks for trusting me!”

The two thus formed a contract.

‘He’s a good man. Too valuable to lose…’

In truth, Kang Yuseong wasn’t simply being kind to Yoon Seong-tak.

He had been observing him ever since their first meeting and had concluded that he was a person worth forging a connection with.

If he was going to make him his own, something unconventional was best.

He had a good character, and a strong aptitude to become a Sherpa.

His age was a concern, but as a Sherpa Master, he could overcome it.

Because he could use Chakra Force.

Kang Yuseong intended to nurture him until that point.

* * * * *

After the hunt, Kang Yuseong returned home and checked his Karma Power.

‘Hmm!’

His Karma Power had increased by a whopping 900 points.

Adding the remaining Karma Power from before, he now had 1,050 points.

‘Reducing Thieving Eye’s cooldown was 500 points…’

Kang Yuseong brought up Thieving Eye’s settings window again.

[Thieving Eye (偸眼) ability can be used.]

A day had already passed, allowing Thieving Eye to be activated.

But Kang Yuseong selected Thieving Eye’s detailed settings.

There, he found the option to reduce Thieving Eye’s cooldown.

[Do you wish to reduce Thieving Eye’s cooldown? Stage 1, from 24 hours to 20 hours. Required Karma Power: 500 points.]

Kang Yuseong nodded.

The core of Thieving Eye was how quickly he could steal abilities.

If the cooldown remained as long as it was now, it would be difficult to expect significant effects.

Therefore, the priority had to be reducing the cooldown.

*Flash!*

As Kang Yuseong agreed, his status window reappeared before his eyes.

[Thieving Eye’s cooldown has been reset. Cooldown: 20 hours. Stage 2, from 20 hours to 16 hours. Required Karma Power: 1000 points.]

Kang Yuseong gave a wry smile.

The next reduction required 1,000 points.

He shifted his gaze to another section.

There were a few other functions displayed.

‘What’s this?’

Looking closely, he saw some strange emblems, with brief descriptions written in small words below them.

There were three emblems in total, each a different color.

‘The first is green… Dance of Mimicry.’

Dance of Mimicry, huh…

Kang Yuseong tilted his head slightly.

While he was at it, he examined the second emblem.

‘The second is blue… Shadow of Plunder, Bleed.’

Even more incomprehensible.

Kang Yuseong moved his gaze to the third.

The third was red, and it depicted a large hand with prominent veins, tightly gripping a heart.

‘Plunderer’s Grasp, Unfair Deal.’

Kang Yuseong furrowed his brows.

He couldn’t understand what they meant yet.

However, aside from the green emblem, the other two were covered in a dark tone, making it seem as if they were abilities Kang Yuseong had not yet acquired.

‘I’ll figure these out later. It’s unlikely I’ll find an answer right now anyway.’

Kang Yuseong pondered for a moment before coming to that conclusion.

It was a problem he couldn’t solve at the moment.

*Flash!*

He immediately exited Thieving Eye’s settings.

The current problem was how to accumulate Karma Power quickly.

Even if he entered a dungeon now to accumulate it, it would take a long time.

From what Kang Yuseong knew, the previous Plunderer hadn’t taken that long.

He had shown remarkably rapid growth not long after acquiring the Plunderer’s Legacy.

Considering he was known to be proficient in almost all offensive skills, he must have known a way to accumulate Karma Power quickly.

‘There’s a secret.’

Kang Yuseong’s eyes sharpened.

The Plunderer had done it.

There was no way he couldn’t.

The secret surrounding Karma Power.

He had to unravel it.