Chapter 52

That evening, Kang Yuseong gathered the Hunters.

“How has your Chakra Cultivation been lately?”

The Hunters nodded.

“Thanks to you, Captain, we’ve accumulated quite a few Chakra points. Cultivating feels much more rewarding these days.”

Kang Yuseong smiled.

Hunting in the ancient dungeon had been significantly helpful for acquiring Chakra points.

Even Kang Yuseong had gained a considerable amount, so it was likely the same for them.

“You all got to feel that thrill again, didn’t you?”

The Hunters laughed and nodded.

“Of course! Definitely! But now that I think about it… I honestly thought I was going to die of fright. I don’t even remember how we fought.”

Recalling their experiences in the ancient dungeon, the Hunters chuckled as they looked at each other.

They could laugh about it now, but at the time, the battle had been so fierce they were prepared to die.

The smile on Kang Yuseong’s lips deepened.

“I’ll tell you about our next hunting schedule.”

At his words, the Hunters straightened their postures.

“Our next hunting ground is the D-102 Dungeon.”

Kang Yuseong continued, looking at the Hunters.

“It’s an A-rank dungeon.”

At that, the Hunters stirred.

“Huh…?”

“An A-rank, you say!”

They looked at Kang Yuseong with expressions of great surprise.

“It seems we’ve reached the stage where we can challenge an A-rank dungeon. If you only stick to dungeons that match your current skill, your growth will only slow down.”

Kang Yuseong was right.

That’s where the Hunters’ adage came from: clearing an A-rank dungeon once is better than clearing a B-rank dungeon five times.

Hunters only grow when they thoroughly experience their limits and go through the process of overcoming them.

It’s fine if a dungeon hunt fails.

The desperate struggle to survive, the frantic swinging of blades—that very process is the essential element that forges Hunters into stronger individuals.

Safety-oriented hunting can never lead to rapid development.

In truth, if Kang Yuseong hadn’t been there, they wouldn’t even be able to properly clear a B-rank dungeon, let alone an A-rank one. But with Kang Yuseong present, things were different.

His combat leadership possessed the power to make it possible.

“When is the scheduled date for the D-102 Dungeon raid?”

However, setting aside the Hunters’ agitation, Baek Myeong-han quietly spoke.

Baek Myeong-han was the one who had led the Hunters before Kang Yuseong.

He was already treating the A-rank dungeon raid as a foregone conclusion, asking Kang Yuseong.

He neither wavered nor argued.

Such an action could only come from complete trust in Kang Yuseong.

And by asking that question, he instantly quelled the other Hunters’ unrest.

“Tomorrow, at noon.”

At Kang Yuseong’s answer, Baek Myeong-han nodded.

“We will prepare.”

A brief reply.

Yet, that single phrase contained everything.

Kang Yuseong also nodded and said,

“Go finish your preparations for the hunt today and get some good rest. Tomorrow will be a tough fight.”

A week later, they would have to raid an AA-rank dungeon.

This was not only to recruit Kim Do-jin but also, more importantly, because he needed to make the Hunters stronger. The day of the Second Shock was approaching rapidly.

When that time came, countless dungeon entrances would open, and monsters would pour out.

At that point, classifications like B-rank or A-rank would become meaningless.

Everywhere would be a battlefield, and no one would know which monsters they would have to face.

To survive, they had to be strong, and Kang Yuseong knew this, which was why he intended to make them powerful.

And it wasn’t just for that reason.

The Second Shock was tantamount to a disaster for Hunters, but it was also a golden opportunity.

The spoils pouring from monsters that burst out of dungeons provided Hunters with a chance to grow even stronger. The Chakra points they could acquire would also increase significantly.

Thus, it was both a disaster and an opportunity.

Kang Yuseong was preparing for that time.

“Understood, Captain!”

The Hunters now followed Kang Yuseong’s words without complaint.

Once they left, Kang Yuseong returned to his room and turned on the internet.

What he was currently interested in was the movements of China, Japan, and North Korea, as well as the trends of prominent domestic guilds.

It was slowly becoming time for the power struggle to truly begin.

China and North Korea had taken a proper hit from Kang Yuseong and hadn’t shown much movement since, but they were probably sharpening their blades even more fiercely in secret.

From now on, there was no telling how things would unfold.

This was because Kang Yuseong had already changed events that should have occurred in the present.

Even Kang Yuseong didn’t know how those changes would manifest.

All he could do now was monitor international affairs with his unique senses.

He particularly focused on China’s movements.

Even if he had altered history, China’s fundamental nature wouldn’t drastically change.

While the specifics had been twisted by Kang Yuseong’s intervention, their ambitions would remain the same.

‘Black Wind.’

What he was focusing on was the movement of military units, like the Black Wind 1st and Black Wind 2nd Divisions. After the Mega Shock struck the world and Hunters emerged, China established a military organization called the Black Wind Unit, which was a joint force of conventional military and Hunters.

They skillfully integrated Hunters with conventional military forces to conduct military operations and carry out missions, and the deployment of these units revealed the intentions of the Chinese leadership.

Kang Yuseong knew this very well.

It was part of an infiltration strategy where conventional weapons were unleashed to neutralize enemy forces, and then Hunters would infiltrate to drive in the wedge.

Of course, at this point in time, these operations were being conducted in extreme secrecy, so no other nation suspected such implications from the Black Wind Unit’s movements.

But one person.

Kang Yuseong, at least, was already closely monitoring their movements.

Once the Second Shock began, the Black Wind Unit would become fiercely active, and they would rise as a supreme power.

After that, a time would come when no countermeasures would be effective.

The Black Wind Unit, which would become a monster, devouring weakened neighboring countries and expanding its size during the Second Shock, was now slowly growing, its fangs hidden within a cage wrapped in thick cloth.

‘They’ve moved!’

It was only a very small change.

A very minor relocation of the Black Wind 3rd Division, shifting slightly south from Beijing.

Shanghai was along that route.

Kang Yuseong didn’t miss it.

The Black Wind 3rd Division was a unit possessing the strongest breakthrough capability.

A special unit comprised of armored forces and Hunters who had unlocked Chakra Cultivation commensurate with their rank.

And they were also one of the infiltration units targeting South Korea.

It was the Black Wind 3rd Division that had stormed into South Korea, which was in great chaos from the Second Shock, inflicting immense damage.

Thinking of the horrific devastation the Black Wind 3rd Division would unleash upon this land at that time, their current movements made Kang Yuseong’s hair stand on end.

He gritted his teeth.

‘They haven’t given up yet. These bastards.’

The plan to launch a counterattack through Chinatown, disguised as the Black Society, had been shattered by Kang Yuseong, but they hadn’t abandoned that plan.

Instead, they were planning a Black Wind 3rd Division assault much faster than in the past, and were already moving the unit.

Was this the result of the retaliation Kang Yuseong had carried out?

‘No, it’s not certain yet.’

It was still just a slight change; speculation was forbidden.

And even if it were true, there was still time to devise countermeasures.

China’s steadily growing military power was something that the European Union and the United States were also quite wary of. From the beginning, when Kang Yuseong had regressed, he had intended to draw in other major powers as part of a plan to keep China in check.

‘The Black Cross Guild…’

Kang Yuseong gazed at the monitor with calm, subdued eyes, tapping his fingertips on the desk.

The Black Cross Guild was one of the guilds vying for the top spot among the prominent guilds within the European Union.

Composed of noble lineages from various countries, they were extremely proud and even took on the characteristics of a secret society, making the guild’s membership requirements very stringent.

However, given their widespread reputation as the de facto rulers of the European Union, their military power was formidable.

They would be a powerful card to divert China’s attention.

The question was how to draw them out.

But a countermeasure for that was already in place.

‘When the time comes, I’ll move them.’

Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed.

From now on, the world would move according to the board he had set.

That was the ability of one who knew countless things from the past.

He would plunder and seize, exploit and oppress.

Just as South Korea had suffered in the past.

‘Move. I’ll utterly crush you.’

The Black Wind 3rd Division.

Those bastards would slowly try to move south, oblivious to the meaning of their actions.

Unaware that it would be the prelude to a grand scheme.

* * * *

The next day, Kang Yuseong arrived in front of the D-102 Dungeon with the Hunters.

Yoon Seong-tak, who had come along as a Porter, stood before it and shook his head.

An A-rank dungeon.

A place he had never even imagined.

“Whew, who would’ve thought I’d end up coming all the way here.”

Kang Yuseong smiled faintly.

“Well, if you’re scared, you can go back.”

Yoon Seong-tak frowned.

“Hey, who said I was scared? I’m just a little nervous, that’s all. I’m fine!”

Yoon Seong-tak thumped his chest as he spoke.

But Kang Yuseong noticed his legs trembling slightly and chuckled.

It was natural to tremble.

This wasn’t just a B-rank dungeon; it was a formidable A-rank dungeon.

However, the raid party hadn’t just stumbled upon this place out of the blue.

Unbeknownst to themselves, they had already gradually confronted their limits and overcome them, leading them to this point.

From C-rank to B-rank, and then beyond the B+-rank ancient dungeon, all the way here.

The Hunters calmly settled their pounding hearts.

To think a day would come when they could hunt in an A-rank dungeon!

Just as Kang Yuseong stood before them, about to speak.

“What’s this?”

Someone stood beside them, scanning the raid party.

It was a group of raiders, armed with expensive-looking armor and weapons at a glance.

A small emblem was carved on their chests: a red eagle with its wings spread wide.

‘The Phoenix Guild.’

They were the Phoenix Guild, one of the nation’s prominent guilds.

Their guild ranking was roughly within the top ten.

Considering there were thousands of guilds, this was a remarkably high rank.

“Damn it, I’ve seen it all now, even these pathetic scrubs trying to come to an A-rank dungeon.”

“Tsk, you’ll die if you do that, sirs! Looks like you just came to sightsee, but if you want to live long, you’d better stick to C-rank dungeons!”

The Phoenix Guild Hunters hurled insults their way.

“What did you just say, you bastard?”

Unable to tolerate it, Jwa Myeong-hoon scowled fiercely and stepped forward.

“Stop.”

But Han Do-seong restrained him from the side.

However, seeing this, the Phoenix Guild Hunters burst into mocking laughter.

“Heh heh, look, there’s a guy whose guts are overflowing. What, you gonna hit me? Come on, then! Let’s see you try! Hahaha!”

“You bastard…”

Just as Jwa Myeong-hoon, fuming, reached for the hilt of his greatsword.

He flinched in surprise, his eyes wide.

Kang Yuseong.

He had gone and stood in front of the Phoenix Guild Hunter.

“Captain…”

“What is this?”

The Phoenix Guild Hunters glared at him.

Kang Yuseong grinned at them.

And then he casually uttered,

“In advance.”

A cold smile appeared on his lips.

“I’ll offer my condolences.”

“What…?”

Kang Yuseong looked directly at them and continued,

“It seems the ones who won’t come out of there aren’t us… but you.”

One of the Phoenix Guild Hunters, his face beet-red, lunged forward.

A few Hunters from their side also stepped forward, but Kang Yuseong held out a hand to stop them. Then, he spoke in a low voice.

“If you’re confident, come on in. We’ll see you inside.”

“You bastard!”

Kang Yuseong gave them a smile and then turned away.

“Raid party, entering.”

At his utterly unhesitating demeanor, the Phoenix Guild Hunters left behind gnashed their teeth.

“Damn it, what kind of bastard is that…!”

However, they looked at each other and deliberated.

“That bastard, he knows something, doesn’t he?”

“What would he know? Just a country bumpkin. Let’s go. What’s so special about an A-rank dungeon? We clear B-rank dungeons with our eyes closed.”

“Hey, if the Captain finds out…”

“If guys like them can go in, why can’t we?”

“Yeah, damn it! What’s the worst that can happen, we die?!”

The Phoenix Guild Hunters gritted their teeth and walked towards the entrance of the D-102 Dungeon.

And after a moment of hesitation, they, too, entered the dungeon.