Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 225: Invitation From Egypt (1)

The only thing that mattered to Jason Kim right now was to correct the wrong that was happening in this place; he did not care at all about what Kim Sung-Cheol was thinking.

“We will be taking action against what happened here today, and we would like to request you to leave this property immediately,” Jason Kim said.

“Do you really have to escalate things…? I think I made a mistake this time, so I will be grateful if we can pretend this never happened. Also, it will not be good for you to be at odds with the Ministry of Defense too,” Kim Sung-Cheol responded, suppressing his temper and appearing docile.

Of course, him suppressing his temper had nothing to do with Jason Kim. In fact, Jason actually thought that it was quite baffling that the officer did not get on his knees and start begging for leniency.

“Did you threaten Lee Han-Yeol Hunter-nim, just now?!” Jason Kim shouted.

Kim Sung-Cheol was doing quite well at the start, but what he had said later on could be considered a direct insult to Han-Yeol.

“…”

“How dare a mere Lt. Colonel threaten Lee Han-Yeol, Hunter-nim, who is soon to be a Master Rank Hunter!”

“…!”

Kim Sung-Cheol began trembling with anger, feeling the weight of the humiliation he was enduring. While he had experienced numerous moments of disgrace while climbing the military hierarchy, this marked the first time he had been subjected to such a severe level of humiliation by someone he had just met. Within military circles, it was uncommon for an officer to face such degradation in their initial encounter.

Moreover, when Jason Kim mentioned the possibility of submitting a formal complaint to the Ministry of Defense, Kim Sung-Cheol's panic heightened. He was acutely aware that the likelihood of his demotion and subsequent punishment for this incident exceeded ninety-nine percent. Lacking connections, support, or the means to bribe his way out, he faced the grim prospect of being relegated to the position of a provincial military base's battalion commander. This predicament seemed to guarantee that he would remain there until his retirement, forever denying the prospect of promotion.

“Ha! I can’t believe this guy. Look here, I’m going to do everything in my power to get you fired, so you better prepare yourself,” Jason Kim continued his attack.

Kim Sung-Cheol was enraged by those words and felt the rage he had been suppressing well up from inside him.

Snap!

Then, something snapped inside his head, unleashing the foul-mouthed ill-temper he had been hiding all this while.

“Hey, you son of a bitch!” Kim Sung-Cheol screamed and gripped the K-5 handgun holster on his waist.

The K-5 was a handgun used by the Korean military, and it had been around fifty years since they first started using it. The military had never bothered to upgrade their gear as there were no longer any conflicts between countries.

Kim Sung-Cheol wanted to draw his gun and shoot Jason Kim dead, but he forced himself to stop. He had to maintain control, even if it meant risking his job as a military officer.

The arrogant young man was not alone; he was surrounded by Gurkha Mercenaries, as well as an S Rank Hunter and a Master Rank Hunter.

Anyone who dared to mess with this group was certainly not going to have a bright and rosy future ahead of them.

Seuk…

In the end, Kim Sung-Cheol did not even get the chance to use his gun as…

Pukeok!

“Kwaaaaah!”

Han-Yeol approached and struck him in the abdomen, sending excruciating pain surging all the way up to his brain.

Kim Sung-Cheol's mind cleared of all other thoughts, focusing solely on one thing: survival.

Thud...!

He collapsed to the ground as his legs lost all strength. The intense agony radiating from his abdomen rendered him incapable of uttering a single word.

Tak...!

Han-Yeol stepped on Kim Sung-Cheol's face.

"Hey, you piece of shit. Did you truly believe I wouldn't discover that your presence here was driven by your own selfish greed? This situation could have been avoided if you had simply left when instructed. But no, you chose to draw your gun."

Han-Yeol held a deep disdain for individuals like Kim Sung-Cheol, and he yearned to end his life right then and there. Unfortunately, he was bound by a fundamental pillar of modern society known as 'law.'

‘Laws can be quite annoying in these kinds of situations… Tsk…’?he clicked his tongue out of frustration.

Laws were established to safeguard the vulnerable from the powerful, yet in this instance, they served as a convenient instrument to ensure that those in power would not face severe consequences.

Han-Yeol was well aware that if Jason Kim had arrived here alone, he might have faced a gunshot, potentially resulting in the gravest of outcomes.

“Phew…”?he decided to suppress his anger for now.

Of course, it didn't prove to be as effortless as he desired, for he yearned to do nothing more than shatter the bastard's head at that very moment.

However, another reason fueled Han-Yeol's current fury.

Ding!

[The rank of Telepathy II has risen from (D) to (C).]

He could perceive Kim Sung-Cheol's putrid thoughts after Telepathy II leveled up, revealing his core corruption. Han-Yeol was convinced that a decayed tree had to be felled, and in this case, Kim Sung-Cheol needed to be relieved of his duties, regardless of his personal circumstances.

Unfortunately, in a country governed by the rule of law, cutting down a decayed tree without proper authorization was impossible, even if that tree was corrupting the entire forest.

"Killing a piece of trash like you would only sour my mood and soil my hands. Hey, you all over there!" Han-Yeol shouted.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The soldiers flinched, responding as if addressing a general.

"Pick up this trash and get the hell out of my land."

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, lifting their incapacitated commander and hurrying out of the hunting ground.

"Purva."

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim!"

"Request reinforcements from the mansion and ensure the area remains secure."

"Yes, sir!" Purva replied, swiftly taking out his smartphone.

This marked his first experience owning a smartphone, having spent his entire life as a soldier. Initially struggling to use it, he gradually became accustomed to the device over time.

Continuing, Han-Yeol said, "Mujahid."

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

"I believe we need to begin improving and managing this place more effectively and safely."

"I concur."

Surprisingly, Han-Yeol was currently treating Mujahid as a subordinate. Strangely, Mujahid actually appreciated being treated this way, as it indicated Han-Yeol's trust and confidence in him.

In fact, Mujahid desired for Han-Yeol to treat him even more informally and sometimes sternly. A trace of masochistic tendency could be discerned in the prince's demeanor...

A research study once investigated a direct correlation between a Hunter's personality and their awakened abilities, yet this research faced condemnation from academia and was ultimately dismissed as nonsensical.

"I'd like to engage Goblin Construction to build robust, insurmountable walls and establish a ranch."

"Haha! Leave it to me! I'll make sure they do an exceptional job, hyung-nim!"

"Tsk... You're talking big, but it's obvious Yoo-Kyung will be doing all the work."

"Hahaha... Was it that obvious?"

Recently, Han-Yeol began conversing casually with Shin Yoo-Kyung. Finding it peculiar that he spoke informally with Mujahid while maintaining formality with his aide, Han-Yeol decided to adopt a more casual tone with him.

Tak…

Han-Yeol placed his hand on Mujahid’s shoulder and said, “Anyway, I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Yes, hyung-nim!” Mujahid replied and hit his chest twice.

Thud! Thud!?

Then, he took out his smartphone to call his one and only trusted assistant, Shin Yoo-Kyung.

***

The episode involving the trespassing soldiers reached its conclusion, and Han-Yeol assumed control over the Cheolwon hunting ground by deploying his Gurkhas.

The magnitude of manpower needed to safeguard the entire Cheolwon hunting ground was immense, compelling him to seek the assistance of eight hundred additional Gurkhas from Nepal. This marked an unprecedented aggregation in recent times and likely stood as the sole instance where such a considerable number of Gurkhas had assembled since the emergence of dimensional gates.

Enlisting such a substantial Gurkha force would undoubtedly come at a substantial cost, yet Han-Yeol displayed no hesitation or concern.

Murmur… Murmur…?

In an empty lot near the vicinity of the Cheolwon hunting ground:

"Hey, isn't this truly incredible?"

.

"Yeah, it's almost unbelievable how everything happening these days revolves around Han-Yeol Hunter."

"And all the events tied to him are positive. There's not a single negative one."

"If there's anyone favored by the gods, it's definitely him."

"Absolutely, I couldn't agree more."

Word had spread that the Cheolwon hunting ground was now under Han-Yeol's ownership, thanks to the two reporters. Even the Hunters' Association had been informed of this change, which was why they hadn't responded to Lt. Colonel Kim Sung-Cheol's waiting.

While Lt. Colonel Kim had helped the association on numerous occasions, their relationship wasn't strong enough to risk antagonizing Han-Yeol, a soon-to-be official Master Rank Hunter.

Some might criticize the association for appearing fearful of an individual, given their substantial size, but a Master Rank Hunter was no longer a mere "individual."

Indeed, if a conflict erupted between the six Master Rank Hunters and the fifty thousand regular Hunters in Korea, it was estimated that the fifty thousand would be wiped out within a mere three days. Although there were debates regarding the exact timeline, all researchers agreed that the six Master Rank Hunters would undoubtedly dominate.

The reporters had gathered in this empty lot following Han-Yeol's announcement of a briefing scheduled for six in the evening. Every reporter in South Korea, including those from foreign news outlets, rushed to Cheolwon upon hearing this news, fearful of missing out on a monumental story.

Murmur… Murmur… Murmur… Murmur…?

The clock finally struck six.

Thud… Thud… Thud… Thud…?

Jason Kim walked onto the podium.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!?

A group of Gurkhas rushed out and encircled the entire area.

“W-What’s going on?!”

“Who’s that? Where’s Han-Yeol Hunter?!”

“What…?”

The sudden turn of events left the reporters bewildered, yet their reporter instincts kicked in, driving them to capture the unfolding scene through photographs and detailed notes.

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!?

Jason Kim walked up to the microphone on the podium and adjusted it to his height.

[Ah… ah… Hello, my name is Jason Kim, and I report directly to Han-Yeol Hunter-nim.]

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!?

"I-I understand now!"

"Well, even those inept politicians have aides, so it's only logical that someone like Han-Yeol Hunter would have one too."

"True, successful individuals don't usually handle every press conference themselves."

"Oh! This seems like a potential scoop!"

"He's quite attractive."

"Do you think we can craft a story out of this...?"

The reporters had already shared Jason Kim's photograph with various contacts in the hopes of gathering information about him. While this could be viewed as an invasion of privacy, the reporters, driven by their pursuit of an exclusive story, showed little concern for personal boundaries.

[I will start the briefing regarding the disappearance of the dimensional gate.]

Ahem… Ahem…

Jason Kim cleared his throat before continuing.

[Furthermore, I want to emphasize that this press conference is being held to reject any efforts by the Hunters' Association, Hunter Alliance, the government, or any other organizations to conduct additional investigations into this location.]

‘I see…’

'Well, it does seem rather unusual for them to convene a press conference regarding their discoveries, especially considering they aren't researchers themselves...'

[First and foremost, the cause behind the disappearance of the dimensional gate remains indeterminate. However, we have formulated a few theories regarding its occurrence. Approximately two days ago, my superior, Lee Han-Yeol Hunter-nim, along with Prince Mujahid of Egypt, entered the Cheolwon hunting ground.]

"Oh!"

"So, it was accurate!"

This had already been previously reported by the KBC Broadcasting Station, and Jason Kim's recent statement only served to validate the information.

[The hunt transpired in a typical manner, with the only deviation being that they pushed their limits during the hunt. Additionally, they achieved a successful takedown of the boss monster.]

Murmur! Murmur!?

"Hey, doesn't that violate common norms and etiquette?"

"I believe he's really pushing the boundaries this time..."

"Quiet down, rookies!"

"Yes, sir..."

Jason Kim remained quiet, refraining from speaking as the reporters grew noisy. Eventually, the senior reporters promptly hushed their junior colleagues.

Only once the clamor had subsided did Jason Kim continue.

[Moreover, they eliminated every last monster within the hunting ground, leaving none remaining.]

‘Huh?’

‘How is that even possible?’

A hunting ground typically spanned a vast expanse, with monsters in a constant cycle of regeneration. As such, the task of exterminating every single one of them was undoubtedly a formidable accomplishment. Had it not been for Asus summoning the monsters to their specific location, even Han-Yeol and Mujahid would have found it insurmountable to eradicate the entire population within the hunting ground.

[Subsequently, the dimensional gate collapsed precisely twenty-four hours later, resulting in the vanishing of the hunting ground.]

"I-Incredible!"

"T-This is an entirely paradigm!"

"Could humanity be on the brink of newfound hope?!"

Extensive data analysis indicated that Hunters favored dimensional gates for their production of mana stones, often labeling these gates as 'mana stone factories'. However, for the general populace, these gates were perceived as potential time bombs capable of unleashing destruction upon humanity at any moment, earning them the title of 'monster factories' instead.

While ordinary individuals acknowledged the significance of dimensional gates, nothing surpassed the importance of their own survival in their eyes. But what if the supply of mana stones ceased along with the dimensional gates? They could readily adapt their current technologies to operate on fossil fuels instead of relying on mana stones.

[We hereby declare that the Cheolwon hunting ground's dimensional gate situation is entirely under control. However, we will enforce a state of emergency in this location until the enigma is thoroughly unraveled.]

Murmur… Murmur… Murmur…?

[That is the end of the briefing for the Cheolwon hunting ground incident. Thank you very much.]