Chapter 47

Kang Yuseong closed the distance to the wizard in an instant, cutting through the air.

The sword in his hand flashed.

*Clang!*

As expected, the impact through his fingertips was substantial.

The wizard’s eyes, hidden deep within his hood, radiated an eerie chill.

Then, he subtly pulled his staff back.

At that moment, Kang Yuseong’s eyes glinted.

‘Now!’

Simultaneously, the staff the wizard held flared and shot upwards.

Kang Yuseong leaned back slightly.

He had read the wizard’s movements using Chakra, Wind Flow.

Kang Yuseong’s gaze was that of a beast with its prey in sight.

The enemy’s weakness.

‘Got him!’

*Whoosh!*

He spun in place.

*Thud!*

He evaded the staff and, almost simultaneously, spun and slashed with his sword.

It happened so fast that the wizard didn’t have time to block the attack with his staff, forcing him to deploy a shield instead.

The sword bounced off the shield’s powerful rebound, but Kang Yuseong had already anticipated that.

*Whoosh—*

Kang Yuseong slammed the pre-prepared fireball directly into the wizard.

*Boom—*

*Crack—*

The shield shattered, and the wizard was engulfed in scorching flames.

*Tap-tap—*

Seizing the opening, Kang Yuseong charged forward, slashing with his sword.

*Clang—*

But this time, several dwarves rushed in from the side, blocking his attack.

*Hiss—*

At the same time, smoke billowed from where the wizard had been.

The wizard was a fire-element Magic User.

He had controlled the flames on his body, causing them to evaporate.

However, he no longer possessed the same composure he had at the start.

*Slash!*

Kang Yuseong cut down the dwarves, his gaze fixed on the wizard.

The wizard was strong.

Kang Yuseong had no choice but to admit it.

And experienced.

Even though Kang Yuseong was confident in close combat, the wizard was, at his core, a Magic User.

Yet, his skill in blocking Kang Yuseong’s attacks and counterattacking in such a situation was exceptional.

But…

He lacked further experience.

Most swordsmen would have been defeated by now.

In truth, a Magic User engaging in close combat was already quite a surprise attack.

However, Kang Yuseong had met his challenge and even used it to set a trap.

After that, the wizard’s composure had rapidly wavered.

‘As I thought.’

But then, a strange window suddenly appeared.

[Evolution of fire-element magic is possible. Activate Thieving Eye.]

‘What?’

Kang Yuseong’s eyes widened.

Magic evolution was possible?

He quickly activated Thieving Eye.

*Flash—*

As Thieving Eye opened, the surrounding objects were bathed in a deep blue light.

And symbols appeared above the wizard’s head.

One was a fireball.

Another was a counter-skill, similar to Chakra, Vengeful Iron Sword, and the remaining two were…

‘Flame Control Art: Scorching!’

One symbol depicted two fireballs, while the other represented fiercely burning flames.

That was Flame Control Art: Scorching.

Kang Yuseong quickly scanned the description of Scorching.

[Stage 2, Special] Flame Control Art: Scorching.

[Suppresses lower-tier control arts.]

[When an ability is plundered, in special cases, an evolved skill can be acquired in a special form.]

What Kang Yuseong had plundered from Jang So-dan earlier was the fireball.

The fireball had been plundered along with the basic skill, Flame Control Art, and it seemed that Flame Control Art was an upgraded version of that basic skill.

‘Then I can’t miss this!’

He had sufficient Karma Power.

*Flash—*

[You have acquired Flame Control Art: Scorching.]

A status window appeared.

Just as Kang Yuseong, having plundered the wizard’s ability, gripped his sword anew and prepared to charge, he shuddered, a jolt running through him.

Then he smiled, a faint, wry curve of his lips.

‘This…’

He stopped his charge towards the wizard, halted in his tracks, and slowly raised his sword.

Magic evolution.

To think it would happen like this!

*Whoosh!*

Flames gathered and blazed in his left hand.

They were fiercer and deeper in color than their initial form.

But then, he brought them towards his sword.

And something astonishing happened.

*Fwoosh!*

The flames in his left hand began to transfer to the sword he held.

The longsword, which had glowed with a cold, sharp edge, now erupted with flames, becoming a blazing Flame Sword that spewed hot fire.

‘This is… evolution!’

It wasn’t just the evolution of a typical Chakra skill.

This was a truly special evolution.

It was another form of evolution where magical power was imbued into a weapon.

[You have acquired the evolved skill, Flame Transfer. You can imbue weapons with fire elemental power.]

This was the message that had appeared before Kang Yuseong’s eyes earlier.

And the next line…

[When touched by the flames, there is a 30% chance to inflict a Burn that causes Burning Pain. Burning Pain lasts for 20 seconds and deals damage equal to 5% of weapon attack power per second.]

This was why the Flame Sword was terrifying.

It meant that the stronger the weapon’s damage, the more terrifyingly effective Burning Pain would be in incinerating opponents.

This had nothing to do with fire resistance.

Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed coldly.

A new ability!

“KIRIRIK!”

Countless dwarves surged towards him, facing his blazing sword.

A twisted smile played on Kang Yuseong’s lips.

“Get lost.”

And he moved.

*Shing—*

Each time his sword cut through the air, flames erupted.

And…

“Aaaaarrgh!”

The creatures screamed like mad.

These weren’t screams of pain from a mere wound.

They were the death throes of extreme agony, caused by Burning Pain, as if every inch of their skin was being torn away.

*Whoosh!*

Kang Yuseong’s sword swept through the dwarves like a madman.

The dwarves seemed to finally realize something was terribly wrong and tried to turn and flee, but Kang Yuseong didn’t let them.

Their entire bodies were torn, and flames spread to every single cell, burning them.

And then, the wizard appeared before him.

The wizard, too, looked considerably flustered by Kang Yuseong’s sudden transformation.

He tried to keep Kang Yuseong at bay by launching fireballs, but even those fireballs were effortlessly extinguished by Kang Yuseong’s Flame Sword.

Flame Control Art: Scorching.

A fearsome skill that simply erased lower-tier fire-element magic.

Just as the wizard had extinguished Kang Yuseong’s fireball earlier, Kang Yuseong’s Flame Sword was now imbued with such power.

Kang Yuseong lunged at the wizard, striking with his sword.

*Whoosh!*

Fierce flames painted the air.

*Clang!*

*Boom!*

Again, the wizard blocked the sword with his staff, but his body reeled violently.

A massive explosion occurred, as if he had just blocked a fireball.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from amidst the flames.

Kang Yuseong extended his left hand, grabbed the wizard’s head, and kneed him.

*Crunch—*

The blow was so powerful it snapped the wizard’s jaw sideways.

*Thwack—*

Kang Yuseong roughly grabbed the wizard by the collar once more.

And slammed him into the ground.

*Slam!*

The impact was so tremendous it made the very ground tremble.

*Wham—*

In an instant, Kang Yuseong’s foot moved with unseen speed, striking the wizard’s head.

*Crack—*

A grotesque sound was heard as the wizard’s head twisted violently.

The wizard writhed in agony.

Kang Yuseong gave him no quarter.

It was a creed etched into his very bones that if an enemy showed an opening, their life must be snuffed out immediately.

*Thwack!*

His sword accurately pierced the wizard near his heart.

*Guh!*

Blood spurted out, and the wizard’s death cry erupted.

But Kang Yuseong didn’t hesitate; he twisted his sword with all his might.

He felt something burst inside, and the wizard went limp.

*Whoosh!*

The fierce flames spewing from his sword began to incinerate the wizard’s body.

“KIRARAK!”

“KIRIK!”

As the wizard died, the dwarves suddenly scattered in all directions, fleeing like mad.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The Hunters pursued them, severing their necks and crushing their heads.

In an instant, piles of dwarf corpses accumulated, and blood stained the temple floor.

They had survived once more, and their hunt was successful.

Countless dwarves lay fallen on the ground.

And the wizard, now reduced to ash.

They didn’t know what kind of place this was, but Kang Yuseong and the assault team had once again pushed past their limits.

Especially Kang Yuseong, who had grown even stronger by acquiring the special ability of the Flame Sword.

But then, something glinting caught his eye from where the wizard’s corpse had been.

He walked over and picked it up.

*Hiss—*

A lingering heat still radiated, touching Kang Yuseong’s fingertips, but Kang Yuseong paid it no mind. After all, he possessed the power to control flames, and that level of heat caused him no harm.

‘This is…’

He stared intently at the object in his hand.

It looked like a small necklace, but even amidst the scorching flames, it had only been heated, not melted or burned.

The necklace was gold-colored, coin-sized, and covered in intricate patterns.

[You have obtained Ika’s Pendant]

[Stats Unknown]

[Stats Unknown]

‘Ika’s Pendant…’

It was undoubtedly an artifact with some strange ability.

But two of its stats appeared as “Unknown.”

‘A magic item!’

Its stats couldn’t be viewed by ordinary means.

Because a special seal was placed upon it.

Items with such seals were very rare artifacts in ancient dungeons of this era.

Later, they would appear more frequently in Dragon Dungeons, Lairs, and Ancient Labyrinths, but for now…

Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed.

Since the wizard had possessed it, it was likely an artifact usable only by Magic Users among humans.

Without a doubt, it was Kang Yuseong’s.

“Phew… That was a tough fight.”

Baek Myeong-han approached, letting out a sigh.

He seemed about to speak, as if he had something to say, then clamped his mouth shut again.

Kang Yuseong already knew what he was thinking, so he simply chuckled.

“There will be a day when you understand. Let’s gather the spoils and move on.”

“Ah, but… these spears are a bit strange.”

Baek Myeong-han picked up a spear and held it out.

What the dwarves left behind after their deaths were numerous spears.

But their spearheads were crafted in a very peculiar way.

The Hunters had realized it while fighting them earlier: the material of the spearheads was quite unusual.

Even when clashing with swords made of Earth’s steel, they showed no wear or chipping.

Some spears had even collided head-on with war hammers, yet they had only bent slightly.

Kang Yuseong hadn’t paid close attention earlier because the spears were being cut down by his sword, but now, their dark, dull appearance seemed far from ordinary.

And Kang Yuseong knew what they were.

He bit his lip.

‘Crydesicle!’

It was a metal called Crydesicle.

A metal harder than Earth’s steel, and resistant to melting even in fire.

It didn’t rust, and if properly processed, its sharpness was unparalleled.

At this time, it was a very rare metal, and according to Kang Yuseong’s memories, the United States was likely conducting significant research into this metal.

It was an item of considerable value.

Kang Yuseong looked at it and fell into thought for a moment.

Then he spoke curtly.

“Leave the shafts, just take the spearheads. We’re heading back.”

“Huh?”

“We need to gather as many as possible.”

“Ah, understood.”

They had obtained the greatest harvest since entering the ancient dungeon.

Kang Yuseong’s mind began to race, calculating furiously.