Chapter 49

Kim Do-jin was an odd one.

He had raided alongside Kang Yuseong for a long time, fought in wars against other factions, yet Kang Yuseong knew almost nothing about him.

And he had never once shown loyalty to Kang Yuseong.

Nor had he ever harbored any ulterior motives.

He simply remained by Kang Yuseong’s side naturally, fighting and raiding together when the time came.

His interest lay in just one thing.

That by staying with Kang Yuseong, he could fight strong opponents.

For that single reason, he had joined Kang Yuseong’s command, and in countless battles, he displayed outstanding skill.

If someone were to ask Kang Yuseong who among his current allies he could rely on, he would unhesitatingly name Kim Do-jin as one of his top five.

After all, the moniker “prodigy” wasn’t just for show.

‘Kim Do-jin.’

But drawing in a lone wolf like him wouldn’t be easy.

Yet, Kang Yuseong pressed on.

Recruiting him was part of Kang Yuseong’s plan, and the impact it would have was immense.

It was a bit earlier than expected, but it didn’t matter.

If it didn’t happen now, it wouldn’t happen later.

Kang Yuseong was flying towards Jeju Island.

Kim Do-jin was probably there by now.

Inside the dungeon that had appeared on Jeju Island.

The one named D-13 Dungeon.

D-13 Dungeon was a rather unremarkable dungeon.

This was because the monsters inside offered meager rewards even if caught, required the arduous journey to Jeju Island, and their difficulty was exceedingly high compared to the spoils they offered, teeming with powerful creatures. To accumulate Chakra Force or earn rewards, it was far better to seek out a different location entirely.

Yet, Kim Do-jin had once confessed to spending several months in that very D-13 Dungeon, quite out of character.

There was only one reason for it.

The monster he sought was there.

An A-rank dungeon monster.

The Lightning Predator, Bairak.

He was probably fighting Bairak even now.

D-13 Dungeon was located in the Hallim area of Jeju Island.

A place with beautiful beaches and a famous botanical garden.

But now, it had been transformed into a bizarre site where a gigantic dungeon entrance had completely swallowed the botanical garden.

Arriving before it, Kang Yuseong walked steadily towards the dungeon’s entrance.

And without a word, he stepped inside.

* * * * *

D-13 Dungeon.

Upon entering, the thick stench of blood permeated everywhere.

Even at the entrance, countless monsters lay dead.

As an A-rank dungeon, D-13 Dungeon periodically regenerated monsters.

However, this place was peculiar in that the regenerated monsters returned with even stronger stats. Such places were rare, and Hunters called them “Growth-type dungeons” because their difficulty increased with each clear.

Kim Do-jin must surely be here now, obsessively fighting Bairak like a madman.

‘Whew… still a strange one.’

It wasn’t difficult to tell that Kim Do-jin was here.

The monster carcasses were all charred and blackened, bearing distinct burn marks.

Kang Yuseong chuckled lightly as he continued.

This was Kim Do-jin’s unique training method.

He enjoyed fighting alone and grew rapidly.

While other Hunters hunted in groups, Kim Do-jin cleared dungeons swiftly by himself, saving time.

This was possible because he was a Magic User.

For a Chakra User, it would be impossible, as they would need time to heal injuries and their physical fatigue would be relatively higher.

That was precisely why Magic Users grew so quickly.

Among them, Kim Do-jin showed an unimaginably fast growth rate.

*Boom—*

Just then, a sudden explosion echoed from afar, accompanied by a powerful tremor.

It was then that Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed.

‘Flame Burster!’

It was the distinctive explosion of Flame Burster, one of Kim Do-jin’s three signature techniques.

*Whoosh—*

As soon as he heard the sound, he dashed towards it.

Kim Do-jin was there.

* * * * *

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

It was hot.

Kang Yuseong hadn’t experienced such intense heat in a long time.

“Kwoooaaargh!”

And amidst the flames, a monster let out a long cry and collapsed.

Seeing the creature, completely charred and mangled, Kang Yuseong clicked his tongue.

The Lightning Predator, Bairak!

A monster infamous for its foul temper among those that appeared in A-rank dungeons, had fallen.

And in front of it, a single person stood.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*

A whirlwind of flames raged around him, then slowly subsided.

*Flicker!*

And in an instant, the whirlwind vanished.

*Whoosh—*

The scorching heat that had enveloped the surroundings quickly cooled.

*Slide—*

Having defeated Bairak, he turned his head slightly.

He had noticed Kang Yuseong’s presence.

“An uninvited guest, I see.”

His tone was polite.

But Kang Yuseong merely offered a cold smile at his words.

Because while the man’s words might be polite, he held no such sentiment.

For him, polite speech was merely a natural habit, like breathing.

His eyes were proof of that.

Those cold eyes, enough to freeze one just by looking.

Despite being known as the “Conductor of Flames,” his gaze was chillingly cold, and Kang Yuseong took a step forward.

“Well, I happened to be passing by.”

Kang Yuseong casually tossed out a rather half-hearted excuse, then looked directly at Kim Do-jin.

Kim Do-jin furrowed his brow slightly.

“Then just pass by. If you stay here…”

His eyes erupted with a chilling light.

And in a cold tone, he said,

“You’ll die.”

That was Kim Do-jin, alright.

He was unconditionally cold towards anything he found uninteresting.

He excluded and rejected.

And he didn’t just say it.

He truly would kill.

The surrounding area was already gradually heating up, which was proof enough.

‘Interesting.’

But Kang Yuseong was no pushover either.

Neither Kim Do-jin, who arrogantly claimed the D-13 Dungeon as his own, nor Kang Yuseong, who calmly confronted him, were in their right minds.

“Grrr!”

Monsters, drawn by the scent of blood, swarmed in, but the two men merely stared at each other.

“Kwoooaaargh!”

The monsters roared ferociously and charged.

As expected of A-rank dungeon monsters, they were incredibly aggressive.

But at that moment.

“Get lost.”

“Vanish.”

Kim Do-jin and Kang Yuseong spoke simultaneously.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

*Clang!*

And on one side, a massive blaze erupted, while on the other, a chilling blue sword gleam flashed.

*Boom—*

In an instant, all the monsters that had approached them were annihilated.

After all, with the Lightning Predator, Bairak, dead, only the less threatening monsters remained, but they weren’t the kind to be defeated so swiftly.

Kang Yuseong offered a dry smile as he looked at Kim Do-jin.

‘As expected, this is Kim Do-jin for you.’

Kang Yuseong observed keenly.

Kim Do-jin had defeated all those monsters without using any powerful magic.

He had skillfully manipulated the trajectory of his fireballs, annihilating the monsters with just three shots. The direction of the explosion, the trajectory of the fireball, the explosive power…

Every aspect of the attack was meticulously calculated.

“You don’t seem to understand the warning. Are you deaf? Or…”

Kim Do-jin looked at Kang Yuseong and tapped his head with a finger.

“Is your brain not functioning properly?”

“My brain is working just fine, and my ears hear perfectly. You don’t need to worry about that. Shall we introduce ourselves first? I am…”

Suddenly, Kang Yuseong’s eyes flashed.

At the same time, his body swiftly retreated backward.

*Crash!*

Just then, a massive explosion erupted where he had been standing.

It was a fireball.

Kim Do-jin had launched a fireball at him without Kang Yuseong even noticing when.

Kim Do-jin looked at Kang Yuseong with a cold gaze and said,

“Let’s skip the pleasantries. This is the main event anyway.”

That prickly personality.

And formidable skill.

Truly Kim Do-jin.

Kang Yuseong forced a wry smile.

‘Well, I guess there’s no choice?’

*Clang—*

He gripped his sword.

If a fight was necessary, then he had no choice but to fight.

He had known from the start that words wouldn’t work, so there was no surprise.

“It seems we’ll have to exchange pleasantries later. Shall we begin?”

At Kang Yuseong’s words, Kim Do-jin offered a cold smile.

Along with it, a dreadful killing intent erupted.

He was genuinely going to do it.

*Swish—*

And the moment his hand moved slightly, an incredibly scorching heat engulfed Kang Yuseong.

*Whoosh!*

A fireball of incredible speed, incomparable to Jang So-dan’s!

But Kang Yuseong, already prepared, swung his sword upward.

*Boom—*

Though he deflected the fireball, Kang Yuseong felt a pain that threatened to tear his grip apart, and he was thrown back.

‘Ugh!’

He was strong, indeed.

Then again, if he weren’t this strong, Kang Yuseong wouldn’t have coveted him so much.

‘Alright, let’s get serious.’

*Hissing—*

Flames erupted from his hand.

A flicker of surprise appeared on Kim Do-jin’s face for the first time as he watched.

*Slide—*

And Kang Yuseong brought his hand to his sword.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

Now, Kim Do-jin’s expression twisted into an ugly grimace.

“You… what in the world are you…”

*Bang—*

Kang Yuseong suddenly surged forward, then brought down his flaming sword.

*Crash, crash, crash!*

Kim Do-jin hastily dodged, but the spot where he had stood was reduced to scorched earth by Kang Yuseong’s sword.

Kang Yuseong retracted his sword and said,

“I said we’d exchange pleasantries later.”

*Whoosh—*

He lunged forward once more.

Seeing Kang Yuseong surge forward at a speed almost invisible to the eye, Kim Do-jin gritted his teeth and waved his hand through the air.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish!*

Countless flame arrows materialized and were shot towards Kang Yuseong.

This time, Kang Yuseong was forced onto the defensive, swinging his sword in all directions, deflecting the arrows.

*Boom, boom, boom!*

Massive explosions erupted, rocking Kang Yuseong’s body and pushing him back.

*Whoosh!*

And without giving him a moment’s respite, a colossal fireball descended upon Kang Yuseong.

‘Damn it!’

Truly a terrifying combat sense.

“Hup!”

Kang Yuseong swung his sword directly at the fireball.

His sword, imbued with the force of Chakra, Critical Strike, cleaved through the fireball, causing a massive explosion.

*Crash, crash, crash!*

A tremendous explosion echoed, and the surrounding ground violently shook as if in a frenzy.

But the attack didn’t end there.

*Slide—*

Kim Do-jin raised a hand, then snapped his fingers.

*Snap—*

*Boom, boom, boom, boom!*

As if performing magic, countless fireballs rained down, relentlessly assailing the spot where Kang Yuseong had stood.

Flame shots.

Though weak individually, dozens of flame shots exploding simultaneously created immense power.

*Thud, thud, thud!*

As if to prove it, a thick cloud of dust rose where Kang Yuseong had been, and clods of earth rained down.

An attack of this magnitude could even take down Level 20 monsters.

But Kim Do-jin frowned.

Where the dust cloud cleared…

A man was walking out of it.

He was charred and mangled, but it was the man himself, a faint, sardonic smile playing on his lips.

“Now this is a fight worth having, wouldn’t you agree, Kim Do-jin?”

Kim Do-jin responded by raising his right hand instead of answering.

Kang Yuseong narrowed his brow.

That was…

*Slide—*

*Crash!*

An immense heat erupted from Kim Do-jin’s entire body.

And that heat shot forward, burning and destroying everything in its path.

Kang Yuseong stood before it.

*Crash, crash, crash, crash!*

Flame Burster.

That formidable attack was engulfing him.