Chapter 50

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!

Scorching heat surged through the area.

Flames, as if intent on incinerating everything, raged wildly.

This was Flame Buster, a powerful offensive magic of the fire attribute!

How many could possibly withstand this onslaught?

But the moment the massive heat enveloped Kang Yuseong, Kim Do-jin’s eyes widened in shock.

BANG!

A sudden explosion erupted!

And then…

KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!

An immense wave of heat burst forth with incredible force!

Kim Do-jin frowned deeply at the sight.

This was impossible.

What was erupting right now…

“Flame… Buster!”

Kim Do-jin muttered to himself.

PER-PER-PER-PANG!

As the two Flame Busters collided, a tremendous backdraft swept through the area.

A shower of debris rained down!

Unbearable scorching heat scourged everything, and thick dust billowed up before settling down.

Even the monster corpses nearby couldn’t withstand the heat and melted away.

“Hoo…”

Then, a man emerged from the dust, walking towards Kim Do-jin.

Though his entire body was a wreck from being caught in the explosion, a faint smile played on his lips.

“That was quite dangerous this time. A Flame Buster, no less.”

Kang Yuseong stared directly at Kim Do-jin and spoke.

“Thanks to you… I got quite a show, Kim Do-jin.”

Kim Do-jin frowned.

“Who, exactly… are you? You don’t seem like a Magic User.”

“Me?”

Kang Yuseong smiled once more.

“Well, I use a sword, I use magic… and I do this too.”

KWOOOOOH!

In that instant, an immense aura erupted from Kang Yuseong’s entire body.

A dark, eerie, yet overwhelmingly oppressive aura that dared no one to resist!

Kim Do-jin’s expression turned to one of disbelief as he watched Kang Yuseong.

And his eyes trembled greatly at the sight that unfolded behind him.

CRACK-

CRUNCH-

Kang Yuseong.

Behind him, the monsters that had died and fallen earlier were coming back to life.

Broken and twisted bones in their bodies moved erratically, snapping into place, and their tattered, charred skin gradually shriveled and began to regenerate.

An ominous dark light settled in their eyes, where the light of life had completely departed, and a terrible grudge emanated from them.

“My name is Kang Yuseong.”

At that moment, Kang Yuseong introduced himself once more.

The smile that had been on his lips was long gone.

“I’ll make a formal offer. Care to join forces with me?”

In the past, Kim Do-jin had joined Kang Yuseong after he became a Monarch.

To be precise, Kim Do-jin had joined him because Kang Yuseong possessed power strong enough to become a Monarch.

But the situation now was different from then.

In truth, Kang Yuseong was essentially gambling right now.

Because he knew Kim Do-jin’s personality.

He was like an untamable cat.

Self-willed, he wouldn’t act unless his heart was moved.

Loyalty was never something to expect from him; only one thing could move him.

How much interest could be offered to him, and how much could that interest be satisfied.

Kim Do-jin stood squarely facing him.

He had already clearly assessed the power the man before him possessed.

In terms of both magical power and combat ability, that man was clearly beneath him.

While he had certainly displayed a series of astonishing sights, objectively speaking, the man’s power didn’t measure up to his own.

The fact that even now, that man couldn’t overwhelm Kim Do-jin himself was proof.

But why, then, couldn’t he, in turn, overwhelm the man?

There was clearly a skill gap that should allow him to dominate and coerce, yet strangely, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he couldn’t defeat this man.

‘Hmm…’

Kim Do-jin’s gaze deepened.

An intriguing man.

That much was clear.

However, his heart hadn’t been moved yet.

It was certainly enough for an entertaining spectacle… but there was still something that man hadn’t shown him.

The desire to risk his life and hunt frantically alongside that man hadn’t yet ignited within him.

“I refuse.”

But a smile touched the man’s lips.

Kim Do-jin frowned once more.

“Just like you.”

It had been bothering him for a while.

That man, who kept speaking as if he knew him…

“Do you know me?”

This time too, Kang Yuseong merely offered an enigmatic smile.

“I’ll make one last offer. Will you join me?”

An arrogant tone.

Kim Do-jin bit his lip.

He glared at Kang Yuseong, then replied.

“Is there any benefit for me?”

But Kang Yuseong shook his head.

“No. Not yet.”

It was an alarmingly honest answer.

Yet, contrary to that, the smile that played on his lips was irritating.

What was this strange sense of incongruity?

To come here and ask him to join, when he had nothing to offer.

“Do you perhaps know of the Great Monster, Cabrica?”

Kim Do-jin stared directly at Kang Yuseong.

The Great Monster, Cabrica.

It was a monster rumored to be exceptionally ferocious, appearing in AA-grade dungeons, one rank higher than A-grade dungeons.

It was so powerful it was more fitting to call it a ‘raid’ than a ‘hunt,’ and it was a terrifying creature. Its rewards were also known to be excellent, making raiding it quite popular among the nation’s leading guilds.

However, the difficulty was extremely high, and not all attack units succeeded in raiding it.

Only the attack units of the Immortal Guild or Hwarang Guild boasted a 100% raid success rate; even attack units comprised of seasoned Hunters often failed to conquer Cabrica.

Just then, Kim Do-jin let out a scoff.

It was the first smile he had shown, but it was sharp, as if hiding a cold blade.

“How amusing.”

It was clear derision and sarcasm.

Then, he suddenly hardened his expression and glared coldly at Kang Yuseong.

“Did you come to me because of that? Hoping I’d help you hunt it if you sweet-talked me?”

Displeasure even seeped into his words.

But Kang Yuseong shook his head.

“No, I’m telling you to come and watch.”

Kim Do-jin furrowed his brow.

“You… you’re going to hunt that thing…?”

He suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Khahaha!”

After laughing for a long time, he abruptly stopped and looked at Kang Yuseong.

“You’re insane, aren’t you?”

Kang Yuseong catching Cabrica with his current skills?

Of course, he had many astonishing abilities and excellent combat sense, but there was a limit to overcoming a difference in level.

“I trust you’ll come. Watch closely how I take down the very creature you failed to conquer.”

Kim Do-jin’s expression stiffened noticeably.

Cabrica.

That creature had, in fact, severely wounded Kim Do-jin’s pride.

Kim Do-jin had once attempted to conquer it with another attack unit, but the result was a catastrophic failure.

In the raid on that creature, which twenty Hunters had challenged, five died, seven were severely injured, one was damaged beyond recovery, and the rest barely managed to escape with their lives.

Such was Cabrica, a monster powerful enough to live up to its name as a Great Monster.

“You lunatic…! Get out of here, now!”

Kim Do-jin spat out in a cold tone.

Kang Yuseong chuckled once, then said.

“You know where it is. And in one week, whether you come or not, I will conquer it. The choice is yours. But remember one thing.”

He continued, a faint smile on his face.

“This is the last chance I’m giving you.”

Kim Do-jin’s expression twisted, but Kang Yuseong turned his back without hesitation after finishing his words.

With a rustle,

And at the same time, the corpses he had summoned fell in droves.

‘The bait has been cast.’

Truthfully, Kim Do-jin was a very difficult opponent.

Normal methods would never lure him in.

Simply throwing a plausible bait would never move his heart.

So, Kang Yuseong had, in turn, provoked his pride.

‘Phew… Anyway, that was a bit risky this time.’

As expected, Kim Do-jin was merciless towards his enemies.

To think Kim Do-jin had even launched a Flame Buster at Kang Yuseong earlier…

It was fortunate that he had managed to steal the Flame Buster using the combined effects of Thieving Eye and True Sight; otherwise…

‘Well, I suppose I should be satisfied with this much.’

He had stolen Kim Do-jin’s ability, but the expected magic evolution hadn’t occurred.

Still, having gained the outstanding ability of Flame Buster, he supposed he should be content with that.

Would Kim Do-jin come? Or…?

But Kang Yuseong had already erased that thought from his mind.

The bait had been cast; it was up to the fish to bite.

If he bit the bait, he would capture his heart with an even bigger one, but if he didn’t bite and slipped away, there was nothing to be done.

More importantly…

‘Cabrica.’

It was about conquering that creature.

He had many things to prepare for that.

First, Kang Yuseong, having returned to Seoul, accessed the Hunter Market.

Whether or not he could melt Crydesicle was a crucial factor in this hunt.

The blood of an Iron Horn Beast and Green Life Water were essential for dissolving Crydesicle.

– Selling Iron Horn Beast blood. Make an offer!

– Have Green Life Water.

Several messages had come in.

In truth, these were items that could be obtained if one sought them, so there were people who had placed reverse bids, albeit for small quantities.

Green Life Water demanded a hefty sum of 300,000 won per liter, but Kang Yuseong paid without hesitation. One liter of Green Life Water could dissolve 30 kg of Crydesicle, so it wasn’t a losing deal. Later, when the method for dissolving Crydesicle was discovered, the price of one liter of Green Life Water would skyrocket to tens of millions of won.

The problem was the Iron Horn Beast’s blood.

Iron Horn Beast blood didn’t even require a full liter. 100 milliliters could dissolve 20 kg of Crydesicle, but extracting the Iron Horn Beast’s blood was so tricky that the price would likely be quite high.

– How much do you want?

Kang Yuseong initiated the trade shrewdly.

In negotiations like this, one should never show their hand first.

– How much do *you* want?

But the other party was also experienced.

– How much do you have?

– I’ve acquired approximately 150 milliliters.

That was sufficient. Combined with one liter of Green Life Water, it could dissolve 30 kg of Crydesicle, enough to arm dozens of Hunters.

Kang Yuseong thought for a moment, then typed.

– Ah… 150 milliliters is a very small amount.

He was feigning disappointment. That way, the opponent, unaware of the true value of the Iron Horn Beast’s blood, wouldn’t have many cards to play.

– Still, it was hard to collect…

– I thought it would be at least a liter…

– What are you using it for?

– I heard it’s quite good for stamina if you drink it. You know? That thing. For men…

– Ugh, you drink this?

– Yes, like deer blood… they say it’s really good for men. Ah, this is a secret.

The art of packaging something valuable as worthless.

Offering a plausible excuse that he was buying it for virility immediately deflated the opponent’s enthusiasm.

– Ugh… I thought it was something else…

– How about 100,000 won?

– Ugh, fine, I guess. Give me 150,000 won then. I went through quite a bit of trouble to get it.

The opponent yielded.

But agreeing too quickly wouldn’t do.

The essence of bargaining lay in pushing back until the very end.

– I’ll give you 130,000 won.

– Phew, alright. I’ll give it to you for 130,000 won.

Kang Yuseong smiled triumphantly.

With this, all the ingredients needed to dissolve Crydesicle had been acquired.

Since he had managed to get them cheaply through bargaining, it was practically a steal.

‘Good. Everything is ready.’

Cabrica.

Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed sharply, intent on catching the big fish that was Kim Do-jin through that creature.