Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 257: A Complicated Truth (2)

When Tayarana was an S Rank Hunter, she was stronger than most S Rank Hunters, but Han-Yeol believed that she would become even stronger than most Master Rank Hunters now that she had achieved that rank.

Thud…! Creak…!

The door leading out of the underground hunting ground was of the same type as the one they had entered.

[Shh! Make sure to be quiet and proceed with caution.]

[Yes, sir.]

They were only fifty meters away from the suspected hideout of the terrorists, so they had to be careful not to make any noise.

It was then that a question suddenly popped into Han-Yeol’s head, but he couldn't make any noise right now, so he decided to ask his trusty Ego system instead.

‘Hey, Karvis.’

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?]

‘How did the terrorists settle in the place where the field's boss resides?’

This question troubled him, given that they were in the boss lair of the Faiyum hunting ground, which was infested with monsters. Yes, the terrorists had a Master Rank Hunter among them, but it still wouldn't be easy for them to establish a base here.

A boss lair typically contained a dimensional gate that continuously spawned monsters as long as the boss was alive. Even the most experienced raid party would struggle to endure such an ongoing battle of attrition against such powerful monsters.

[I cannot be certain, but I have one plausible theory.]

‘What is it?’

[The fragment of the Bastro Dimension underground.]

"Ugh…" Han-Yeol felt a migraine whenever he thought about it.

He was convinced that it wasn't a coincidence that the beast monsters from the Bastro Dimension were present on Earth.

‘Then?’

[I cannot help but think that it is related to the Bastro Dimension.]

‘Haa…’

Han-Yeol agreed with Karvis, so he wanted to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. It seemed that the first step was to determine what kind of base the terrorists had established in this place.

[Let’s go.]

[Yes, sir.]

Han-Yeol, Mujahid, and the rest of the Hunters quietly and carefully made their way.

***

Kaboom!

“Hmm…”

A greater being sat atop the city hall building with their legs crossed, appearing quite bored as they gazed into a crystal ball the size of a basketball. Within the crystal ball, an image of Tayarana was displayed, bravely battling the powerful monsters inhabiting the hunting ground.

[O, Greater Being, I thank you for granting me the opportunity to exact revenge upon that bitch, Tayarana.]

[You're already celebrating before achieving your revenge? Isn't that excessive confidence?]

[Confidence? Not at all, Great One. There is no way we would fail with the support of a greater being from a higher dimension. You are a divine blessing empowering us for our holy cause!]

[God, you say... Humans seem to believe in all sorts of tedious things.]

Shabab was a terrorist organization convinced they were waging a holy war, and they couldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of their god. However, this was one of those occasions when they couldn't object, as the cooperation of this greater being was of utmost importance for their plans.

‘I'll have to endure it for now, as I need this monster for my revenge. However, once I gain complete control of Egypt, I will unleash God's divine punishment upon you!’

The man speaking to the greater being was Sammy, Shabab's only Master Rank Hunter.

It hadn't been long since Sammy established his organization's base of operations in Faiyum. Initially, he had come here for hunting but had encountered a boss monster with high intelligence. The boss monster offered to grant Sammy's wishes in exchange for listening to its request, and Sammy readily accepted, mobilizing his organization for revenge.

While making his request, Sammy explained the situation in Egypt, including Tayarana's involvement, and the boss monster devised the plan they were currently executing in a matter of minutes.

‘It's astonishing how quickly this plan was proposed,’ Sammy thought.

He was indeed impressed by the boss monster's intelligence, but he knew he would have to eliminate it sooner or later.

‘If only it would serve God, then I would spare it... Tsk... It could be a valuable subordinate,’ Sammy mused.

He believed that every creature, whether human, animal, or monster, was equal in the eyes of God and could unite under the banner of God to rule the world in His name. However, he abandoned this idea, as he doubted that a lowly monster could comprehend the greatness of God.

Kaboom!

The crystal ball displayed Tayarana in battle, and Sammy couldn't help but feel rage welling up inside him whenever he saw her face.

‘That stubborn woman! How can she be so strong when she's just become a Master Rank Hunter?’ Sammy marveled at Tayarana’s strength despite her recent advancement.

He had hunted in this hunting ground numerous times, but he doubted he could do what she was doing right now.

Then, the boss monster addressed him, [Hey.]

[Yes, Great One?]

[Are you certain you are keeping an eye on the movements of the other Master Rank Hunters?]

[Most certainly, we have a close watch on the whereabouts of all the Master Rank Hunters.]

He thought, 'The location of that Korean Hunter is a bit obscure, but he should be in the guest palace right now,' but decided to ignore it for the moment.

It was then.

Bam!

The door swung open, and a terrorist carrying an AK series rifle rushed in.

[W-We have a problem!] the subordinate stammered, causing Sammy to grimace at the ruckus in front of the boss monster.

[What is it, and why are you causing such a fuss?]

[T-That is... The enemy appeared where we were holding the hostages captive. They not only took the hostages but also killed all of our brothers!] the subordinate reported.

[What?!] Sammy shouted, his face turning red. [I told you to be alert for any enemy attacks!]

[Y-Yes, but...]

The terrorist felt wronged, having rushed over to report the situation. However, those feelings quickly dissipated as he tensed up, fearing for his life after Sammy's outburst. He was only a B Rank Hunter and was insignificant in the presence of a Master Rank Hunter.

[But you allowed them to escape?!]

Sammy was convinced that his subordinates had been lax before the enemy's attack. They had likely let their guard down, and the hastily assembled group by the Egyptian Government had exploited that opening to rescue the hostages.

Sammy was confident in this assessment, as it wouldn't be difficult for the Egyptian Government to form a rescue team with the abundance of S Rank Hunters in Egypt.

It was then.

[Hmm… That is indeed strange...]

The greater being Sammy was currently serving appeared to have a different perspective.

[Pardon me, Great One?] Sammy inquired.

[There's only one entrance to this place, and I've been watching it closely. Not a single creature has entered since that girl arrived.]

[T-Then?!]

[Hmm… I suppose there must be another entrance to this hunting ground that even I was not aware of.]

[Damn it…!]

Sammy realized their plan was on the verge of failing, so he immediately decided to prioritize the retrieval of the hostages.

[Hey.]

[Yes, sir!]

[Go and instruct them to retrieve the hostages if they wish to avoid punishment for their negligence!]

[T-That is…]

‘Ah… Do I really have to spell it out for him?’ the terrorist grumbled inwardly, feeling frustrated with Sammy.

The situation was dire, but it seemed their leader didn't grasp the gravity of what was just said.

[What are you standing around for?!] Sammy demanded.

[T-That is… all of the guards watching over the hostages are dead…]

[What did you say?!] Sammy couldn't believe what he had just heard.

The guards assigned to protect the hostages were the organization's most elite members, each of them an S Rank Hunter. Sammy had tasked them with this duty while waiting for Tayarana's arrival to boost their morale. The hostages included many attractive women, and Sammy had promised them these women as rewards once the mission succeeded, so they had no objections to the assignment. It was an opportunity to ogle the women while deciding which ones they would choose later.

[T-They're all… dead?]

[Yes, sir…]

However, the elite squad that the organization had been so proud of had been annihilated. All fifteen of their most elite S Rank Hunters were dead. Things were not looking good for Shabab. The success of the mission no longer mattered, as they now had a significant void in their combat forces after losing an entire squad of elite personnel.

[Damn it!]

Sammy couldn't comprehend how this had happened.

‘Did that aloof prince, Mujahid, come? Is this his doing?’

Mujahid was an infamous S Rank Hunter known for his antics. Nonetheless, he was second-in-line for the throne after Tayarana, as he was the only other awakened being among the royal children of Phaophator. It would make sense for him to be here, as he could easily take on the other S Rank Hunters with his own group of Hunters.

However, Sammy's sensitive senses as a Master Rank Hunter failed to detect any signs of battle around him. While Mujahid might be capable of defeating elite Hunters, it seemed impossible for him to do so quietly.

Sammy turned around, and...

[What?!]

He was so shocked that he couldn't utter a single word.

Puuuk!

“Kuheok!”

The boss monster stabbed Sammy in the abdomen with its long claws while he had his guard down.

[Y-You dare!]

Of course, this was not enough to kill Sammy, who was a Master Rank Hunter. However, it appeared that the boss monster had no immediate intention of killing Sammy.

Woooong!

Sammy gathered his mana and attempted to free himself. He believed that using one of his explosion skills from this distance would instantly turn the situation around. Regardless of whether it was a boss monster or not, there was no way the creature would emerge unscathed after taking the full force of his skill.

However, for some reason, he couldn't move at all.

[H-How…?] Sammy exclaimed.

[Haha! You've already served your purpose. I intended to use you to sow discord in the outside world while I finished my research, but thanks to your incompetence, things won't go as planned. Oh well, you'll have to become my slave now.]

[Damn youuuuu…!]

Sammy gathered all his mana to trigger an explosion. He couldn't use any of his three explosion skills, but he had a fourth skill hidden up his sleeve for this kind of situation: Self-Destruct.

He preferred to die and take the monster with him to the grave rather than live as a slave with no control over his body.

However...

[Too bad~ It's too late for you. It was over the moment you were stabbed by my claws.]

[Wha…]

It was exactly as the boss monster had said. Sammy attempted to trigger his hidden skill, but he couldn't activate it. Then, he slowly felt his mana and mind being corrupted by some kind of dark energy, realizing that he was turning into a zombie.

[W-What…?!] The terrorist who had reported the situation to Sammy tried to hurriedly run away.

[Where do you think you're going?]

.

Whoosh! Puuuk!

[Ack!]

The terrorist fell after being stabbed by a worm thrown by the boss monster, and he began convulsing in agony as the worm burrowed into his body.

[W-Wha… Aaaah! Arghhhhh!]

However, his agony did not last long.

“Gwuoo Ooohh…!”

The terrorist rose from the ground after being corrupted and turning into a zombie.

Chaos ensued in the city hall.

[W-What?!]

Ratatatata!

[What the hell are these monsters?!]

[Shoot them down!]

Ratatatata!

The Shabab members were attacked by their fellow comrades. They could immediately tell that these were not their comrades, but rather monsters, judging by the large worms burrowing into their bodies and the black blood vessels protruding on their skin.

Internal strife erupted within the city hall as the terrorist organization became divided between the living and the dead.

[Haha! Humans sure are interesting!] The boss monster chuckled before rising to its feet.

“Gwuoo… Ooooh…!”

In front of the boss monster, Sammy, who had once been a Master Rank Hunter, now groaned unintelligibly.