Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 221: A Surprising Miracle (2)

Han-Yeol knew that the demon merchant was not the kind of person who would teach him something just because he asked.

Seuk…

Delchant produced something from his pocket that resembled a saddle.

‘Wow… Is he Doraemon or something? Just how much stuff can he fit into that pocket?’?Han-Yeol wondered.

He couldn't help but be amazed by Delchant’s ability to store so many things in that small pocket. In fact, the demon merchant’s pocket was leagues above his recently acquired dimensional storage skill.

However, that didn't mean he was jealous of the demon merchant’s ability. Though his current dimensional storage might be lacking, he was confident that with enough leveling up in the future, it would surpass the demon merchant’s pocket.

Believing in his own abilities, especially given how far they had brought him, Han-Yeol inspected the saddle in Delchant’s hand and found himself unable to suppress his surprise.

‘Wow… T-That looks really amazing…’?

The saddle had transformed into a dragon armor, unmistakably an item from the demon world, boasting a dark purple hue that bordered on black. Surprisingly, the material used imbued the dragon armor with a captivating shine, instantly conveying its high-quality nature to anyone who cast a single glance upon it.

‘I… I want to check it out…’?Han-Yeol thought as he gulped.

He already possessed the skill to appraise items, allowing him to discern an item's nature as long as he could hold it. Regrettably, acquiring the item remained out of his reach while it remained in the demon merchant’s grasp.

Gulp…!

Han-Yeol nervously swallowed a hard lump in his throat, bracing himself as he was well aware that the demon merchant would demand an exorbitant amount of gold in exchange for it.

Delchant was the sole determiner of his wares' prices, which could fluctuate wildly depending on his mood that day. This, once again, underscored the privilege of holding a monopoly, a situation that led countries to strive to prevent large corporations from monopolizing certain products or services. However, it wasn't as if the government ever properly fulfilled its duty...

"I am curious about the price you intend to set for that dragon armor," Han-Yeol nonchalantly remarked.

[Kihihihi! I can feel it! I can feel your greed well up from within you the moment you laid your eyes on this!]

“Ugh…”

Maintaining a poker face was crucial in negotiating deals of this sort, yet Delchant had already seen through Han-Yeol.

[Kihihihi! Well, not that it matters, since you won’t find anywhere selling armor for your mini dragon! Hmm… I’ll require one thousand two hundred tons of gold, premium included. What do you think?]

“Ugh…?As expected…”

Han-Yeol had anticipated a high cost, but he hadn't foreseen depleting his entire gold reserve and still owing more after just two deals. This was a quantity that the Shine raid party would struggle to replenish unless they embarked on an extended hunting expedition.

‘I guess I should use my connections from now on…’?he thought.

He did not plan to refuse the offer just because it was expensive.

"Alright, I can provide full payment for the dragon armor, but I'll need a month to pay for the monster egg and nutritional fruit."

[Kehehehe! Fine by me!]

“Then, we have a deal?”

[Kehehehe! Yes! We have a deal!]

Han-Yeol guided Delchant to the gold storage on his mansion grounds.

“Salute!”

The three Gurkha mercenaries stationed at the storage area saluted and greeted him.

"Ah, thank you for your hard work. I need to access the storage, so please proceed to open it," Han-Yeol said.

"Yes, sir!"

The mercenaries promptly sprung into action, pressing the button to activate the doors.

Creak…!

The thick doors, designed to withstand even a ballistic missile, began to open slowly. Han-Yeol and Delchant stepped into the dimly lit storage area.

Tak!

The light came on and illuminated the entire storage.

‘Oh? Everything is stored in gold bars?’?Han-Yeol was impressed as he looked around.

This marked Han-Yeol's inaugural visit to the storage since its commissioning. He remained uncertain whether it was Albert's or Si-Hyun’s initiative, but he observed that all the gold had been stored in the form of gold bars.

‘Wow… These yellow things look really beautiful…’?Han-Yeol could not help but be mesmerized by the shining metals.

By the time Han-Yeol had matured enough to begin comprehending the concept of money's value, the value of gold had already plummeted. Nonetheless, now he grasped why the world had been consumed by gold fever prior to the advent of mana stones. This insight amplified the allure of the gold bars arrayed before him.

[Oh? You used to settle debts with those tarnished chunks of gold, yet this time you've presented them meticulously as gold bars?]

“Yes, previously I gathered them whenever I needed to make payments, but I've been accumulating them more methodically as of late.”

[Kehehehe! Good! Excellent! So, these comprise the entire one thousand-two hundred tons?]

“It's precisely 1,212 tons.”

[Who cares! Kehehehe!]

“Ugh…”?Han-Yeol let out a disgusted groan as the demon merchant attempted to take the twelve gold bars for free.

Delchant then opened his pocket, effortlessly vacuuming in all the gold from the storage. It was no longer a surprise that every bit of it fit snugly within the pocket.

‘That’s really amazing…’?Han-Yeol thought after seeing all of the gold fit in the pocket.

Delchant set down the dragon armor, the monster egg, and the nutritional fruit on the ground. At last, these items were within Han-Yeol's reach.

The demon merchant employed an unusual ability, summoning the image of the product into his hand while the actual item remained in the demon world. Only after he handed it over would it materialize into the tangible product itself.

[Kehehehe! I guess that’s the end of our business?]

“Yes, you are correct.”

[Then, I hope to see you again, human! Kehehehe!]

Shwaaaaak!

Delchant left the items behind and vanished into the demon world.

‘Phew… He’s really quite the handful to deal with…’?Han-Yeol let out a sigh of relief after the demon merchant left.

Delchant's presence was undeniably one that left Han-Yeol feeling drained whenever he surfaced, yet he couldn't ignore the fact that his merchandise had proven immensely beneficial to him in various ways. Furthermore, since he wasn't bound by any contract with the demon merchant, summoning him wouldn't impact his Invoke ability in the slightest.

‘Maybe it’s a good idea to reject the association’s proposal, after all,’?Han-Yeol thought.

The Hunters’ Association was well aware of his ability to summon the demon merchant and obtain items from the demon world. They had previously approached him with a proposition to serve as their intermediary for acquiring items from that realm.

Nevertheless, Han-Yeol staunchly rejected their offer.

‘Why would I agree when there's no gain for me? Are they out of their minds?’ Han-Yeol grumbled to himself.

The Hunters’ Association had elaborated on various grand promises within their proposal, but they had neglected to suggest anything that could be advantageous to Han-Yeol.

‘I mean, even middlemen trading daily goods get a cut of the pie… What on earth are those association people thinking? Did they truly believe I'd accept such a foolish proposal?’ Han-Yeol found no reason to assist the association without compensation.

This very rationale underpinned his rejection of the association's request for renegotiation.

‘I won't be at a loss even if I steer clear of them.’

With substantial wealth already in his possession, Han-Yeol sought to avoid complicating matters by entangling himself with the ineffectual and inept Hunters’ Association.

His current motto prioritized undertaking tasks with the least possible stress, and he held a firm conviction that collaboration with the association would inevitably lead to intense frustration and exasperation.

Han-Yeol decided to set aside the matter with the association and walked toward the items on the ground.

“Hmm… Let’s see…” he muttered while inspecting the dragon armor.

The dragon armor didn't possess the flamboyance commonly seen in video games. Those saddles were originally crafted by individuals who had never laid eyes on an actual dragon, thus their designs were inevitably unrealistic.

Dragons depicted with elaborate saddles and full-body armor akin to warhorses were products of creative imagination. The notion of encasing a dragon's entire physique in armor remained impractical due to their intricate and robust bodily structure, far more complex than that of a horse.

Nevertheless, the dragon armor left behind by Delchant appeared to be an impeccable fit for Mavros. Not only that, it seemed exceptionally durable, enabling its rider to maintain a secure seat even during high-speed flight.

[Mini Dragon Stirrup and Saddle]

[Rating: Rare (Normal < Magic < Rare < Unique < ???)]

[Type: Dragon Armor Set]

[Description: A saddle set crafted from the metal of the demon world, Amantarium, and provides 11% resistance against darkness, poison, and curses.]

[Mana Amplification: +3%]

[Special Effects: +5% speed of the mini dragon, Resistance to wind increases while flying.]

The dragon armor even included a helmet, effectively shielding the mini dragon's most vulnerable aspect.

[Mini Dragon Dark Helmet]

[Rating: Rare]

[Type: Dragon Armor Set]

[Description: A helmet crafted from the metal of the demon world, Amantarium, and the heart of the demonic beast, Keshers.]

[Mana Amplification: +3%]

[Special Effects: Inherit Kershers’ ability of 360° view, +11% resistance to attacks on the head, +15% resistance to mental attacks.]

It also featured a specialized piece of armor designed to safeguard yet another vulnerability of a dragon - its chest, which housed the creature's heart.

[Amantarium Breath Armor]

[Rating: Rare]

[Type: Dragon Armor Set]

[Description: A saddle set crafted from the metal of the demon world, Amantarium, and provides 7% resistance against darkness, poison, and curses.]

[Mana Amplification: +2%]

[Special Effects: +2% resistance to all attributes, +5% resistance to critical damage]

Last but not least, it also included tail armor that would enable Mavros to both defend and launch attacks with his tail.

[Mini Dragon Tail Armor]

[Rating: Rare]

[Type: Dragon Armor Set]

[Description: A helmet crafted from the metal of the demon world, Amantarium, and the bones of a thorn demon. Increases poison resistance by 3%]

[Special Effects: +3% defense increase.]

This was the item for which Han-Yeol had paid one thousand two hundred tons of gold. The rating might have been somewhat underwhelming, but this minor drawback ceased to be an issue when one considered the absence of any humans currently capable of crafting an armor set tailored for a dragon.

The dragon armor set could indeed be deemed excellent, given that it transcended both normal and magic ratings.

Han-Yeol felt genuinely content with his acquisition.

“Mavros!”

“Kyu?”

“Transform into battle mode.”

“Kyu!”

Mavros wasn't so devoted to Han-Yeol that he would unquestionably sacrifice himself if instructed to do so.

“Kieeeeek!”

Mavros turned from a cute little baby dragon into a fierce mini dragon.

Chwak!

He extended his wings, displaying his grandeur, a sight reminiscent of a fighter jet priming for takeoff.

‘Ah, no matter how many times I see him, he's still incredibly impressive…’ Han-Yeol mused.

Some might argue that he was showing favoritism, but there was no harm in that, for Mavros was undeniably endearing and captivating in his perspective.

“I'll be putting these on you, so please remain still, alright?” Han-Yeol said.

“Kreuk!”?Mavros nodded in response.

He might not be able to speak, but he understood everything that Han-Yeol said.

“Let’s see… How am I supposed to put this on…?” Han-Yeol muttered before he decided to start with the stirrup and saddle.

“Hum~ Hum~ Hum~”?he hummed a tune while putting the stirrup and saddle on Mavros.

He had a basic understanding of how to fit these onto Mavros, having observed a few videos on the proper way to saddle horses.

With that knowledge in mind, he meticulously positioned the helmet onto Mavros’ head.

“Kieek…”?

This marked the very first occasion Mavros had ever worn anything since his birth, inevitably causing a sense of unease.

Seuk… Seuk…?

Han-Yeol worked to soothe Mavros before gently fastening the helmet strap around his head.

“Alright… You're doing great, Mavros… Take it easy…” Han-Yeol dedicated a substantial amount of time to calming the dragon's nerves.

To Han-Yeol, it was paramount to uphold a sense of respect and partnership with Mavros. He recognized Mavros as more than a possession; he was a cherished companion capable of experiencing emotions and signaling discomfort.

Ultimately, a dragon remained a dragon, regardless of the circumstances. While Mavros might appear exceptionally docile, this was primarily in response to Han-Yeol, who essentially served as his parent.

However, it was essential to bear in mind that a dragon was a formidable entity, capable of causing devastation and eliminating any obstacles in its path.

As a result, Han-Yeol deemed it vital to assuage Mavros' agitation whenever it arose.

“Puff!”

As Han-Yeol managed to secure the helmet onto Mavros' head, the dragon emitted a gentle huff of air through his nostrils.

Once the helmet was in place, the process became notably smoother. Although Mavros might have initially found the helmet discomforting, given its contact with his face and head, he seemed unaffected by the presence of the Breath Armor and the Tail Armor.

“Alright! You look really cool, Mavros!”

“Kieeeek!”

Initially, Mavros experienced a sense of unease once Han-Yeol adorned him with the unfamiliar gear. However, his perspective swiftly shifted as Han-Yeol unexpectedly showered him with accolades.

Chwak!

“Kieeeeeek!”

In fact, Mavros was feeling pumped up as he spread out his wings and showed off his new look.

Han-Yeol gave him a thumbs-up in response and said, “You’re the best, Mavros!”

“Kieeeeek!”

Mavros appeared to still feel a hint of unease, yet an underlying positive disposition was evident. The black dragon seemed to relish the praise and admiration bestowed upon him by Han-Yeol.

“Haha! Mavros!” Han-Yeol chuckled heartily as he affectionately patted the black dragon's neck.

In this moment of shared affection between Han-Yeol and Mavros, an unforeseen event unfolded...

Psshhht!

[Han-Yeol Hunter-nim! Han-Yeol Hunter-nim! We have a big problem!]