Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 178: I Hate Anyone that Uses a Bow (4)

Jung Soo-Hyun's eyes shot wide open after feeling the heavy blow.

Most Hunters, excluding those of Master Rank and a few S Rank, barely managed to avoid his sword, but no one could outright block it. However, Han-Yeol had effortlessly blocked his sword.

"W-What?!" Jung Soo-Hyun exclaimed.

"Is that all you've got?" Han-Yeol asked with a smirk.

Jung Soo-Hyun might have launched a preemptive attack to catch Han-Yeol by surprise, but it was nearly impossible to surprise him thanks to his cheat-like skill—Sixth Sense.

"Hyung!"

Pshwooong!

Jung Woo-Hyun promptly shot an arrow upon witnessing Jung Soo-Hyun's blocked attack, his seriousness evident as he had already recognized that Han-Yeol was not an easy opponent.

Whoosh! Bam! Kwachik!

“Ack!”?

Jung Woo-Hyun was confident that his arrow would hit its target. Han-Yeol had been using his sword to block the arrows until now, but currently, his sword was occupied defending against Jung Soo-Hyun's sword. However, complacency resulting from repetitive behavior was bound to have consequences.

Jung Woo-Hyun had never faced Han-Yeol's chain before, so he drastically miscalculated the potential outcome. Han-Yeol blocked the arrow with his hammer and unleashed Hammer Shock, causing an explosion right next to Jung Soo-Hyun.

“Cough!”?Jung Soo-Hyun immediately jumped back to safety and coughed up blood.

“Hyung, are you alright?” Jung Woo-Hyun asked.

Seuk…

Jung Soo-Hyun wiped the blood off his mouth and asked, "I'm alright, but what was that damn skill just now?"

"Fuck! Who the hell is that guy?!" Jung Woo-Hyun cursed out of frustration.

Han-Yeol held a sword and a chain in both hands, emitting an aura that made him appear unapproachable.

"I guess we have no choice, Woo-Hyun."

"Why, hyung?"

"We have to use it."

"But we only use that for boss monsters."

"Yes, but we have no other option, right?"

"I guess... Alright, I want to tear that bastard apart, so I don't mind using that 'skill.' We have to kill him anyway, so we might as well do it properly."

‘Hmm? What did they say just now? They will kill me?’?Han-Yeol heard them.

He was certain that the brothers had said they had to "kill" him, and this fight had now become personal to him.

Han-Yeol had a guess who was the mastermind behind all of this, ‘It must be Kim Tae-San’s doing.’

Kim Tae-San was the top Hunter of South Korea, but there were a lot of rumors flying around that his personality was trash.

Han-Yeol already had his suspicions the moment Kim Tae-San welcomed him with a bright smile and open arms. ‘He looks quite normal on the surface, but he is capable of plotting something like this?’

Kim Tae-San, despite being over fifty years old, bore no resemblance to an old man. In his early thirties, he was already remarkably handsome, and he managed to maintain his youthful appearance after awakening, which earned him popularity among ordinary people.

However, those within the Hunters' industry were well aware of the true nature of Kim Tae-San behind his charming facade.

‘This is quite the pickle I’m in… What should I do about this…?’?Han-Yeol found himself in a dilemma. He pondered for quite a while, going back and forth, only to arrive at the same conclusion repeatedly.

‘If they were to kill me, they would likely claim it was an accident. However, if I were to kill either of them, they would relentlessly pursue me. Therefore... my only choice is to incapacitate them completely without causing any fatalities!’?Han-Yeol gritted his teeth and slowly started to emit killing intent.

Initially, he viewed this duel as an opportunity to test his skills against another Hunter. However, that mindset had changed, and he was now determined to utterly crush his opponents.

“Let’s go! Woo-Hyun!”

“Okay!”

Paaaak!

‘Hmm?’?Han-Yeol observed that the brothers had altered their movement pattern this time. They sprinted in opposite directions, simultaneously firing an arrow and hurling three shurikens at him.

Pswhoong! Whiish! Whiish! Whiish!

‘What are you? A ninja?’?Han-Yeol grumbled in disbelief before lightly swinging his sword to block the attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!?

Although it may have appeared effortless, executing such a maneuver was only achievable for someone capable of wielding their sword at nearly the speed of sound.

Chwak!

Then, the brothers positioned themselves on opposite ends of a straight line, with Han-Yeol in the center. Jung Woo-Hyun took the initiative to launch an attack, extracting an arrow from his quiver and commencing the gathering of his mana.

"Ultimate Attack! Wolf's Arrow!" he exclaimed, releasing the arrow imbued with mana, propelling it forward.

Pshwoooong! Awooooo!

The arrow soared through the air, transforming into a wolf that emitted a resounding howl as it surged toward Han-Yeol. Undoubtedly, it was a formidable attack capable of obliterating its target upon contact. However, it was evident that Jung Woo-Hyun had depleted all of his mana with this assault.

Thud…!

“Ugh…”?Jung Woo-Hyun fell to his knees and collapsed, thinking, ‘Damn it… Why can I only use this skill once a day…?’

The ultimate skill came with the drawback of requiring him to rest for an entire day after its use. The crowd watched with anticipation, but those positioned directly in the wolf's path swiftly moved to avoid becoming collateral damage. After all, they had no desire to risk their lives for the sake of a better view of the match.

"Wow! Did that arrow truly transform into a wolf?"

"It's been ages since I last witnessed that skill!"

"They mentioned it's a technique exclusively reserved for boss raids, but it appears they're truly determined to win this time."

"You clueless fool! Can't you see? Those brothers are desperate because they're no match for Han-Yeol Hunter!"

"But that's not all."

Jung Soo-Hyun swiftly infused his sword with mana immediately after the arrow transformed into a wolf. In an explosive display, his sword emitted a powerful burst as he exclaimed, "Eat this! Wolf's Sword!"

Krwaaaang!

A wolf emerged from Jung Soo-Hyun’s sword and made a beeline for Han-Yeol.

Tak!

Most individuals would likely worry that the brothers might unintentionally harm each other with their wolf attacks. However, their shared senses ensured that their wolves would not inflict harm upon one another.

This implied that their triumph was all but assured if Jung Soo-Hyun's wolf successfully pinned down Han-Yeol while Jung Woo-Hyun's wolf charged toward him.

Yet, the brothers had made a critical mistake this time. They had chosen the wrong opponent.

Shwoosh!

“What?!”

Puk!

“Kuheok!”

Han-Yeol threw his chain and struck Jung Soo-Hyun on his stomach with the hammer.

C-Crack…!

“Argghhh!”

Then, the sound of Jung Soo-Hyun’s ribs cracking reverberated across the hall.

“Hyung!” Jung Woo-Hyun shouted.

Ironically, the response he received was Han-Yeol's face suddenly right in front of his own.

“Heok!”

Whoosh! Sukeok!

Han-Yeol swung his sword without an ounce of hesitation.

“Gasp!”

The crowd gasped in horror, fearing that Jung Woo-Hyun would be cleaved in two. If that were to happen, Han-Yeol would secure victory in the match. However, the rules of the event explicitly forbade killing one's opponent, which meant that Han-Yeol would ultimately lose, facing additional consequences.

However...

Thud!

What Han-Yeol severed was not Jung Woo-Hyun's body, but rather his bow.

"N-Nooo!" Jung Woo-Hyun cried out in agony upon witnessing his bow split in half.

The bow could be considered his most treasured possession, as finding a high-quality bow was an incredibly challenging task.

Nevertheless, Han-Yeol had no intention of heeding the cries. Without hesitation, he swung his chain and struck Jung Woo-Hyun's face with the hammer.

Pukeok!

“AAAACK!”

It was a regular attack, devoid of any mana infusion. While it might have been potent enough to kill an average person, it fell far short of being able to slay an awakened individual protected by their mana.

However, this did not imply that they would be spared from the excruciating pain caused by Han-Yeol's remarkably high STR. Hunters were still human, thus susceptible to experiencing agony. In truth, this was likely one of those instances where dying would have been preferable to surviving...

“I’m just getting started,” Han-Yeol said with an evil grin.

Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!?

“Ack! Ack! Ack! AAAAACK!”

Han-Yeol swiftly corralled the brothers together in one location and proceeded to pummel them relentlessly, akin to a drum. Any attempt at retaliation from either of them would be met with an immediate response in the form of 'Hammer Shock'.

“Hiiik!”

“Hammer Shock!”

Kwachik! Kwachiiiik!

“AAAACK!”

Han-Yeol meticulously avoided targeting any critical areas of their bodies, focusing instead on their shoulders or legs to prevent inflicting fatal injuries. It was undeniably a gruesome spectacle to witness.

However, what truly constituted cruelty was...

“Healing Bullet.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!?

He employed his healing skill, capable of not only mending external wounds but also mending broken bones. After healing them, he would promptly resume his assault on the brothers with his hammer.

If either of them failed to learn their lesson and attempted to retaliate, he would unleash Hammer Shock once more. And then, as if nothing had occurred, he would restore their injuries with his healing ability.

This relentless cycle persisted until the brothers were mentally shattered.

"P-Please... spare us...!"

"Please... spare us... No, just kill us already!"

Both of them were S Rank Hunters, possessing considerable social standing. However, they were completely broken by Han-Yeol's intense and outright malevolent actions.

The scene of the brothers desperately pleading, their faces stained with tears and mucus, was being watched live by millions of people. It was truly a pitiable sight, where these once proud Hunters abandoned all traces of their pride merely to ensure their survival.

“T-That’s…”

“W-What the hell is going on…?”

“…?”

“Hoho… It seems the newcomer easily subdued two S Rank Hunters.”

“He did it in the blink of an eye…”

“Wow…”

The crowd were stunned at the turn of events, but the VIPs were even more shocked.

“…”

“C-Chairman-nim…!”

Kim Tae-San ground his teeth in anger. While not evident to everyone, his long-time associates understood the extent of his fury. If Kim Tae-San no longer cared about public perception, the entire hall would likely have been reduced to rubble.

However, South Korea remained a democratic country, regardless of the significance placed on Hunters. The nation was obligated to prioritize the well-being of its people, as failure to do so would render them a laughingstock in the international community.

The power of democracy lay in the fact that even the most influential individuals could be held accountable by the masses. This was precisely why most people with power and influence preferred to operate from behind the scenes, concealed from public view.

Another factor preventing Kim Tae-San from acting as he pleased was that he was not the sole Master Rank Hunter in South Korea. There were five other Hunters of equal influence to the Hallasan Monster, and each possessed an unwavering pride.

While Kim Tae-San could handle a one-on-one confrontation with any of them, he knew that he would undoubtedly be defeated if he faced two simultaneously.

Moreover, each of these Master Rank Hunters commanded their formidable guilds, meaning that a single misstep born from anger could swiftly escalate into a full-blown war.

Lastly, there was a solitary Master Rank Hunter who would undoubtedly oppose him at any cost, and that was none other than Master Hee-Yun.

‘That bitch is already getting on my nerves, but this bastard popped out of nowhere and dared to ruin my plans?!’?Kim Tae-San gnashed his teeth in anger.

Master Hee-Yun held the second position in the ranking of Korean Hunters and served as the leader of the Knight Guild. She posed as the most formidable opposition Kim Tae-San encountered whenever he sought to take action.

Already burdened by the severe limitations imposed on his freedom by the Hunters' Association and Master Hee-Yun, Kim Tae-San found himself further stressed by the sudden emergence of Lee Han-Yeol, this infuriating brat who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

While others might not deem it significant enough for the Hallasan Monster to stress over, Kim Tae-San was a proud man accustomed to getting his way. Consequently, any setbacks to his plans added to his mounting frustration.

Certainly, if there was anything generating more heat than Kim Tae-San's anger at present, it would be the fervent discussions taking place in the Level Up TV chat room.

[Wow! I don’t know what to say anymore… I’m speechless!]

[Wasn’t he a C Rank Hunter when he first started this channel…?]

[Then why is he suddenly a Master Rank Hunter within less than a year…?]

[He’s not yet a Master Rank Hunter, but he’s already toying with two S Rank Hunters… I don’t think he will have any problems passing the test…]

[Then, does that mean that South Korea is going to have its seventh Master Rank Hunter…?]

[The three-on-three balance is finally going to be shattered!]

[Wow! I hope this serves as a wake-up call to those damn Hunters!]

[Our Hunters are the worst!]

[They’re still better than some other countries…]