Chapter 5

The Spined Snake’s Poison Mushroom.

It had a purplish stem and cap, and was so highly toxic that eating it meant instant death.

Kang Yuseong gathered as many Spined Snake’s Poison Mushrooms as he could while the Hunters finished cleaning up after their battle with the Narka.

Even if not now, there would be a day when he could process them and put them to use.

According to Kang Yuseong’s plan, he anticipated that day to be roughly three weeks from now.

At that time, a new dungeon would be discovered, teeming with monsters that possessed incredibly potent poisons.

Many Hunters had died from poisoning while attempting to conquer that dungeon in its early stages.

‘I can’t just let them die.’

Kang Yuseong hadn’t returned to the past just to waste time.

He would become a Monarch once again.

A Monarch with unprecedented and absolute power.

A Monarch who would never again be swayed by great nations due to a lack of strength, but rather one who would command them.

In preparation for that time, he intended to prevent Hunters from dying needlessly.

And by doing so, he would also earn money, killing two birds with one stone.

He planned to register the antidote’s recipe for an international patent, ensuring that only South Korea could claim its rights.

In the past, the great nations had looked down on South Korea, but now they would have to pay enormous royalties to produce the antidote there.

‘Or they can just die.’

The antidote was essential for future raids.

Until now, human-made antidotes had been somewhat effective, but from here on, it would be a completely different story.

For now, in preparation for that time, Kang Yuseong collected the Spined Snake’s Poison Mushrooms.

Then, he noticed a peculiar scent wafting through the air.

‘Oh? This is!’

It was a familiar smell.

Kang Yuseong’s expression brightened.

‘It’s the Alcra Flower!’

It was the fragrance of a small flower called Alcra, which could dissolve Chakra Cubes.

The flowers bloomed beautifully, and their scent was pleasant, leading Hunters and Porters in dungeons to believe they brought good fortune.

However, once the Alcra Flower became known as a solvent for Chakra Cubes, it completely vanished from sight.

‘Not that it matters right now.’

Kang Yuseong picked a few Alcra Flowers.

Not much was needed to dissolve Chakra Cubes.

This amount was enough to dissolve hundreds of Chakra Cubes.

He had gained quite a lot from entering the D-12 Dungeon.

Even Kang Yuseong himself was surprised.

The hunting continued after that.

However, mostly Level 2 monsters appeared, and there were no significant dangers, so the dungeon raid ended earlier than scheduled.

It was a small-scale dungeon, conquered in just half a day.

“Phew, that’s finally over.”

On the way back, Yoon Seong-tak wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled faintly.

Then he patted Kang Yuseong’s shoulder and said,

“You did well for your first time, didn’t you? You seem quite resourceful.”

How diligent had Kang Yuseong been?

Everything that others carelessly passed by was an irreplaceable treasure to Kang Yuseong, so he was busy collecting them.

Kang Yuseong gave an awkward laugh.

“If I’m going to work, I might as well earn a lot of money, right?”

“Haha, that’s right. Good to see such youthful vigor. You worked hard today!”

“Yes, you too, sir.”

Kang Yuseong bowed his head to Yoon Seong-tak.

“Ah, once work is done, how about we go for a refreshing beer?”

Kang Yuseong shook his head at Yoon Seong-tak’s suggestion.

“No, thank you. I have something to do.”

“You shouldn’t work too much, man. You need to know how to rest!”

Even as Yoon Seong-tak said that, he didn’t press further.

Kang Yuseong was able to leave the dungeon late in the evening.

The delay was due to dividing the monster by-products and collected items.

The Porters who emerged from the dungeon had their confirmation slips stamped in a corner.

Submitting these would get them paid at the employment agency.

They got into the same van they had taken to the dungeon and were dropped off at the same spot.

“Sir, thank you for your hard work!”

When Kang Yuseong bowed his head and greeted him, Yoon Seong-tak showed a hint of regret.

“This guy, you should at least relax a bit before you go. Ah, just wait a moment.”

Then he looked at the other Porters beside him and said,

“Hey everyone, remember what I mentioned earlier? Hand that over.”

“Oh, you mean the dungeon stones? Here you go.”

“Well, I gathered them because you asked, but what are you going to use them for…?”

Yoon Seong-tak, with a kind expression, pointed at Kang Yuseong.

“That young man seemed to really enjoy himself today. Well, as a senior, there’s not much else I can do… so I thought I’d give them to him as a souvenir.”

“These worthless things… that young man is quite amusing.”

“Still, I used to pick them up out of curiosity when I first started too.”

His colleagues handed over the Chakra Cubes they had each collected to Yoon Seong-tak.

When gathered, the quantity was quite substantial.

Yoon Seong-tak took them and offered them to Kang Yuseong.

“Take these. It’s not much, but if you come back tomorrow, I’ll give you more of what I’ve collected.”

Kang Yuseong was surprised by the unexpected gift.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly… Thank you so much.”

“I’m giving them to you because I like seeing a young man work so hard. Don’t get too greedy, and continue to work carefully. Greed is a very dangerous thing inside that dungeon.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kang Yuseong, holding the heavy Chakra Cubes, expressed his sincere gratitude.

He had thought the other Porters were just looking at the ground earlier, but it seemed they too had been searching for Chakra Cubes.

He was grateful that they had thought of him, even though they had their own things to collect.

“Then, I’ll head in now. I don’t think I’ll be able to come out tomorrow, as I have something to do.”

“Oh, really? Well, come by anytime. I always catch my ride here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Be careful on your way! Get a massage and rest. For people like us, our bodies are our most valuable asset, alright?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Seong-tak continued to worry about Kang Yuseong until the very end.

Kang Yuseong smiled, nodded, and turned away.

‘Hmm…’

He was truly a wasted talent.

If only he were a little younger and his physical abilities were up to par, he could have been trained as a Hunter…

‘It’s not impossible, but…’

Kang Yuseong clicked his tongue.

For now, he didn’t have the luxury to worry about others.

After parting ways with Yoon Seong-tak, he immediately went to the employment agency.

He needed money.

He approached the counter and handed over his stamped confirmation slip.

The man at the counter glanced at it and then presented a crisp stack of banknotes.

“Thirty for life and hazard pay combined. After deducting your prior purchases, that’s two hundred and twenty. If you have anything for consignment sale, register it. I’ll give you a cheap commission.”

He was offering to consign and sell the materials the Porters had collected on their behalf.

Kang Yuseong chuckled and shook his head.

“I’m just a rookie… I don’t have anything.”

Kang Yuseong took the money and opened the door to the employment agency, stepping out.

Two hundred thousand won.

It was a small sum, perhaps, but to Kang Yuseong right now, it was more precious than anything.

Without delay, he headed toward a motel.

He didn’t need a place to sleep.

Chakra Cubes.

He needed a discreet place to dissolve them.

* * * * *

Fortunately, there were many motels in the vicinity.

Kang Yuseong searched for a motel located in a secluded area among them.

“It’s fifty thousand won per night. Long-term stays get a discount.”

The woman at the counter said in a businesslike tone.

Kang Yuseong handed over fifty thousand won.

“Just for one night.”

“Room 502.”

Kang Yuseong took the key and immediately went up to the fifth floor.

The stale smell of cigarettes greeted him, but he didn’t mind.

Rather, that cigarette smell would help mask what he was about to do.

Kang Yuseong put down his backpack.

Inside the backpack were a blanket, a portable tent, and a burner and pot set.

These were essential survival items.

From them, Kang Yuseong took out the burner and pot.

He lit the burner, filled the pot with water, and placed it on top. Then he laid out the collected items on the table.

The Spined Snake’s Poison Mushroom, the main ingredient for the special antidote.

Black Clover, the ingredient for the Special Regeneration Potion.

The Red Helmet Flower, the ingredient for the ‘Enhancer’ that strengthens Chakra Force.

In addition to these, many other ingredients were placed on the table.

Kang Yuseong grinned.

He had acquired capital.

Now, it was about how he would turn that money into more.

‘First… should I open my Chakra?’

He had actually expected to open his Chakra a few days later.

Acquiring the necessary Chakra Cubes hadn’t been an easy task.

But thanks to Yoon Seong-tak’s help, he had gathered enough Chakra Cubes to open his Chakra.

At that moment, the water in the pot on the burner began to boil.

Kang Yuseong dropped one Alcra Flower directly into the water.

A large quantity wasn’t needed to dissolve Chakra Cubes.

The unique components within the Alcra Flower dissolved the crystallization of the Chakra Cubes, making the Chakra within them soluble and easily absorbable by the human body. A small amount was enough to achieve a significant effect.

Before this simple method was discovered, several years had passed…

But Kang Yuseong had accelerated that gap of several years.

And if he also managed to acquire the Plunderer’s Legacy he was aiming for…!

*Plop!*

As the Alcra flower petals dissolved, Kang Yuseong immediately added the Chakra Cubes.

Over fifty Chakra Cubes sank into the water. About thirty remained.

*Whoosh!*

As the Chakra Cubes submerged in the water infused with dissolved Alcra flower petals, white steam rose, and the crystallization of the Chakra Cubes began to break down.

The inherent Chakra Force, which had been tightly sealed within, was revealing itself.

Normally, this Chakra Force would have scattered into the atmosphere, but due to the special components of the Alcra flower petals, it dissolved into the water and vanished.

After about an hour, the Chakra Force was completely dissolved and invisible.

Kang Yuseong smiled as he looked at the steaming water.

This was the Chakra solution.

Drinking it would allow the Chakra to be absorbed into his body.

The same Chakra Force obtained from defeating monsters would now be imprinted into Kang Yuseong’s body.

This was the beginning.

To open the path of Chakra Force in his body and awaken True Sight.

From that point, the life of a Hunter would begin.

The fierce and frenzied life that Kang Yuseong had built in the past would start once again.

After cooling the water to an appropriate temperature, he gripped the pot with both hands and drank it all.

*Whoosh!*

A chilling sensation enveloped his entire body.

The opening of Chakra Force began with feeling this Chakra and accepting it.

‘Chakra Opening, Stage 1.’

He closed his eyes.

When the physical eyes closed, True Sight, which perceived all truth, would open.

[Chakra Force opening begins.]

And he held his breath, sinking deeper, into the profound depths of his consciousness.

[Chakra Force opening is in progress.]

When his consciousness reached the bottom of an endless, deep abyss, the primordial power slumbering within broke its seal and emerged.

*Whoosh!*

A strange light began to glow around his entire body.

*Flash!*

At that moment, Kang Yuseong’s eyes snapped open.

A smile played on his lips.

[Chakra Force opening complete.]

The opening of Chakra Force.

He had once again become a Hunter.

All his plans were now beginning anew.