Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 171: Hunter Assembly And (2)

Han-Yeol checked himself out in the mirror when Purva suddenly approached him.

"It is time now, Han-Yeol-nim."

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Han-Yeol replied, then turned toward Alberto and said, "Thank you very much, Alberto."

He had already fully paid for his suit, so the only thing left for him to do was to express gratitude to the designer and take his suit.

"Haha! Not at all! It is an honor for me to design clothes for someone as famous as you!" Alberto replied.

"I feel honored that someone feels honored after working with me. I guess I've lived a good life. Hahaha!" Han-Yeol chuckled.

“Kyu!”?Mavros cried out and jumped onto Han-Yeol’s head.

‘Mavros,’?Alberto immediately recognized the black dragon that had been quietly sleeping in the corner while Han-Yeol was getting his suit done.

Despite being a designer, he had a keen interest in Hunter-related affairs and possessed extensive knowledge about them. In fact, he was an avid fan of fiction and fantasy, regularly keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of Hunters.

Alberto could foresee that the first sighting of the monster pet was going to shock the entire European Hunter community. ‘As Hunters climb the ranks, their thirst for power tends to intensify. This is evident in their obsession with increasing their mana capacity and upgrading their gear, as they are unable to expand the number of skills they possess. Obtaining monster pets undoubtedly enhances a Hunter's power, and any high-ranking Hunter who neglects to acquire one is hardly deserving of their high rank.’

Alberto, along with many others, had witnessed Mavros' battle form in the newspaper. Unbeknownst to them, it was actually a clever strategy devised by Han-Yeol to drive up the prices of monster pets.

The tactic proved to be incredibly effective as soon as the article was published. Initially, the world viewed monster pets as mere test subjects or trophies. However, witnessing Mavros fighting alongside Han-Yeol completely altered people's perception, particularly among Hunters.

The monster pets were now regarded as reliable comrades in battle, leading every Hunter worldwide to fervently desire acquiring one. However, Han-Yeol had no intention of mass-selling these monster pets to the general public.

"Then, have a nice day," Han-Yeol said, shaking Alberto's hand before departing from the shop.

Alberto placed his right hand on his chest and bowed toward Han-Yeol like a butler from the medieval ages. He thought, ‘I will be rooting for you.’

Han-Yeol could not help but smile as he left the department store.

“I see… So that’s how it is…” he muttered.

"Did you say something, Han-Yeol-nim?" Purva immediately inquired, thinking that Han-Yeol had issued a command. However, due to his limited proficiency in the Korean language, he failed to hear it clearly.

"No, it's nothing. Let's hurry," Han-Yeol replied.

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim."

Fully suited up, Han-Yeol hopped into the car, and it drove him to the location specified on the invitation: Ganghwa Island. He couldn't comprehend why the event was being held in Ganghwa Island of all places. While he understood that it was meant to be a secretive gathering with only a select few individuals invited, they could have easily chosen a suitable location in Seoul for such an event.

‘Well, I’m sure the organizers have their plans,’?he decided to shrug it off.

Slurp!

Sipping on his coffee, Han-Yeol scrolled through the internet news on his tablet PC. Although he could have chosen to read a book during the ride, he acknowledged the limited time available and opted for browsing the news instead. Furthermore, he made it a habit to stay informed about global current affairs, regardless of how busy he was.

Suddenly, a headline on the Hunter-related page caught his attention.

[The Hunter Assembly is going to host an open event for the first time in fifteen years instead of their usual secret event.]

‘Huh?’?

After reading the headline, Han-Yeol was left bewildered. He rubbed his eyes and briefly doubted what he had just seen, but the headline of the article remained unchanged. He thought, ‘They kept it as a secret event for fifteen years but suddenly made it an open one when I’m going for the first time?’

It was plausible that the timing of this sudden change was merely a coincidence. Maybe the decision to switch things up had been in the works for the past year, and they had chosen to announce it now. Alternatively, it could be a deliberate move after fifteen years to bring about a change.

However, Han-Yeol's instincts strongly suggested that this unexpected shift was directly related to him. The timing seemed too perfect to be coincidental. Moreover, the statement released by the Hunter Assembly appeared to be filled with superficial excuses, lacking any substantial reasoning behind the decision. Though their words were elaborate and vibrant, there was a notable absence of a genuine explanation for the alteration.

‘The public’s right to know? What a load of horseshit these bastards are?spouting,’?Han-Yeol grumbled.

Despite being a Hunter himself, Han-Yeol harbored a deep distrust toward his fellow Hunters. His experiences as a Porter had subjected him to countless betrayals, leaving him with an inherent aversion to placing trust in others within the Hunter community.

The Korean Hunter industry, in its entirety, seemed to perpetuate a vicious cycle: Porters being betrayed by Hunters, these betrayed Porters awakening as Hunters themselves, and subsequently replicating the same patterns they had endured as Porters. This never-ending cycle had given rise to a toxic culture among Hunters in South Korea.

Due to his desire to distance himself from this toxic culture, Han-Yeol made a deliberate choice to keep his interactions with Korean Hunters to a minimum, instead preferring to collaborate with Egyptian Hunters.

‘I am certain that there is some hidden agenda behind all of this. It simply doesn't add up. Moreover, the fact that they extended an invitation to me while both Tayarana and Mariam were out of the country seems highly suspicious...’?he thought as he switched his tablet PC off.

It was not the time for him to leisurely read the news while there was a conspiracy brewing around him.

Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…?

Lost in contemplation, he tapped on the armrest and a sudden realization struck him. Without wasting a moment, he swiftly retrieved his smartphone and dialed a number.

Ring… Ring… Ring… Ring…?

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?]

“Hello, Su-In. Are you busy right now?”

The person he dialed happened to be in charge of the Level Up TV broadcasting team. Level Up TV was currently the leading channel on Golem Mania TV, dominating the charts in all categories: Top Subscribers, Top Views, and Top Ratings. Their clips and videos on various streaming platforms were incredibly popular, boasting a staggering sixteen million subscribers and a total of eight hundred million views.

Level Up TV had firmly established itself as one of the major broadcasting channels in the industry, generating a jaw-dropping monthly revenue of twenty billion won. The channel's growth was exponential, prompting them to hire bilingual foreigners proficient in Korean and their native language for translating subtitles, aiming to expand their reach to twenty-four other countries.

Despite being swamped with work due to the channel's rapid expansion, Su-In couldn't possibly claim to be too busy when the channel owner called. The entire content of the channel revolved around Han-Yeol, so she had to be prepared to drop everything and go to great lengths if he summoned her.

Moreover, the recent increase in manpower allowed them to work in two shifts, making it all the more feasible for Su-In to promptly respond to Han-Yeol's call.

[No, I am not busy at all. Do you need something from our team, Han-Yeol-nim?]

“Hmm… I was wondering if you have seen the news. I am talking about the news that the Hunter Assembly is hosting an open event for the first time in fifteen years.”

[Ah, yes. I saw it earlier. But why did they make such a sudden move? Their statement talks about believing in the public's right to information and advocating for better integration between Hunters and the general population. However, it all seems like a convoluted fa?ade to me. Frankly, when have Hunters ever shown genuine concern for ordinary people like us?]

“Hahahahaha!” Han-Yeol could not help but burst out in laughter at Su-In’s criticism.

Coincidentally, Su-In expressed the very same thoughts that had been running through Han-Yeol's mind moments ago, although there was no way for her to know that. However, as she realized that she had unintentionally cursed Hunters while speaking to Han-Yeol, who was a Hunter himself, she became flustered.

[Ah… T-That is… What I meant to say was… Of course, you are an exception, Han-Yeol-nim. Haha… Hahaha…]

“Keke! No worries, it's all good. The reason I laughed was not because of that. I actually chuckled because I had the exact same thoughts as you before I made the call.”

[You are truly wise, employer-nim!]

“Keke!”

‘This woman is really amazing,’?Han-Yeol found her to be quite a unique individual when he first encountered her.

However, his current call wasn't intended for casual conversation.

"Anyway, the reason I called is specifically about the Hunter Assembly event. I've been invited to the event, and it would be a shame not to have cameras capturing my debut, don't you think? I've read the comments, and many people expressed their disappointment over the lack of footage from the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva raid."

[Indeed, our viewers do comprehend the challenges of obtaining footage from such a raid, but their disappointment at missing out is understandable. Huh? Just a moment... Are you saying that you were invited to that event, Han-Yeol-nim?]

“Yes, and that’s why I want you to bring your crew to P Resort in Ganghwa Island as soon as possible.”

[It sounds like we will get some interesting content today. We will make our way there immediately.]

“Alright, I’ll see you there then.”

Beep!

Han-Yeol ended the call, and his eyes were flashing with a hint of coldness to them.

‘I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m not the Lee Han-Yeol you guys used to know. I’m no longer the same Porter?who?will just sit around and get stabbed in the back,’?he growled inwardly.

Calling his filming crew couldn't be deemed as an effective countermeasure, as Hunters were not the type to be intimidated by cameras. Han-Yeol's intention in contacting the filming crew was simply to ensure an engaging event for his viewers.

However, how he planned to handle the Hunters would be entirely his own decision.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!?

‘Hmm?’?

Han-Yeol’s smartphone started ringing. He checked the screen and saw that an unfamiliar number was calling him.

‘Who’s this?’?he wondered.

Being a person who didn't casually share his contact information, Han-Yeol found it rather peculiar to receive a call from an unfamiliar number. While he had previously provided his number to the Hunters' Association and for official purposes before his rise to wealth, that was his old number. In order to safeguard his privacy, he had changed his number immediately after purchasing the mansion.

Han-Yeol had delegated all official matters to Secretary Kim, and any necessary work was efficiently handled through Albert. His current number was known only to his close friends and family, with all their contact details saved in his smartphone.

Seuk…

It was a bit strange but Han-Yeol did not see any reason to be scared and not answer the call.

“Hello?”

[Mr. Lee?]

The caller conversed in English, but their pronounced accent hinted at their non-native English-speaking background.

“Who’s this?”

[This is a warning. Don’t be friendly with Egypt from now on.]

The man initially spoke in English but swiftly switched to Arabic. However, that was not of utmost importance at the moment.

Han-Yeol, despite being threatened for the first time in a while, found the threat more amusing than intimidating.

"Who the hell are you?" he retorted.

[That's none of your business. Consider this your final warning. Cease any involvement with the Egyptians and withdraw from the Horus raid party. Failure to comply will result in you experiencing the depths of earthly hell.]

“That’s funny.”

[What did you say?]

"Do you want to wager on who will experience hell on earth first?"

[How foolish of you. You cannot prevail against "us" alone. We permeate every corner and bring forth total annihilation. Our targets shall be eradicated without a trace, leaving only utter devastation in our wake. Soon enough, you will come to comprehend the folly and arrogance of your words.]

The threat posed a despicable and cowardly method, suggesting harm to Han-Yeol's family and loved ones. It was an abhorrent tactic, aiming to instill fear and force a compromise. In the past, Han-Yeol might have been frightened for his family's safety and considered a compromise. However, he had grown stronger and was no longer intimidated by anyone.

'Oh, I guess I'll be scared if it were a Master Rank Hunter making this threat...'?he thought with a smile after realizing that he had indeed grown much stronger than before.

'I suppose sweet honey is bound to attract all sorts of pests,'?he thought with a shrug.

"Alright. Let's see if you can carry out your threats or if I can find you first and feed your soul to one of my demons."

[…you are far too ignorant and arrogant. We will make you regret this day for the rest of your life.]

Beep!

The call ended.