Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 265: Second Awakening (5)

Han-Yeol reached the conclusion that Furion's second awakening was the type that would merge with its owner, judging by the absence of the monster pet.

Monster pets acquired various abilities upon awakening, but Han-Yeol believed that merging with the owner was the most desirable one. Naturally, this ability would prove challenging to utilize unless a strong bond existed between the owner and the monster pet.

Chwak! Chwak!

‘Hmm?’

Han-Yeol noticed that Mujahid was exuding powerful mana.

‘Oh, have you finally awakened as well, Mujahid?’

In the Bastro Dimension, it was quite common for warriors to gain a level of strength after merging with their pets.

Shwoooo!

[Hyung-nim.]

[Congratulations, Mujahid.]

[Congratulations.]

[Thank you, hyung-nim, noonim.]

The three of them exchanged glances, but discerning Mujahid's expression proved impossible, as his entire face was concealed by a mask-like covering.

‘Punk… Haha…’ Han-Yeol chuckled inwardly, aware that Mujahid was likely the happiest among them all.

This was a historic moment: three Master Rank Hunters had gathered to confront a single monster. Throughout history, there had been no other instances where three Master Rank Hunters united for a single hunt; the most recorded so far involved only two Master Rank Hunters. Needless to say, today's mission was destined to shatter that old record.

Crack! Crack!

Han-Yeol cracked his neck.

[Alright, it would be embarrassing if we couldn't defeat one monster with three Master Rank Hunters here, wouldn't it?]

[Hahaha! You're right, hyung-nim!] Mujahid chimed in, appearing to return to his usual self.

However, his expression remained hidden behind the mask he wore.

[Of course, Han-Yeol,] Tayarana replied, her tone more relaxed now that she no longer had to worry about her little brother.

‘Hmm? Do I have to cover my face to fit in with them from now on?’ Han-Yeol wondered.

He felt rather plain and bland compared to the cool suits the other two were wearing.

“Kieeeek!” Mavros cried out as if to make sure he wasn't forgotten.

“I know, I know,” Han-Yeol replied, patting Mavros' head.

Seuk… Seuk…

Things had happened suddenly, but all of them were positive developments, so there were no problems at all.

Moreover, the momentum of the battle had now completely shifted in their favor. The fight was no longer a 2.1 against 1 scenario; rather, it was now a 3-on-1 situation, with Mujahid having awakened as a Master Rank Hunter, possessing tremendous physical prowess.

Tak!

Although he still couldn't fly, his enhanced physical attributes allowed him to jump extremely high and fast.

Chwak!

Mujahid leaped into the air, brandishing the claws hidden in his suit, and scratched the boss monster's abdomen with them.

“Gwuu Ooooh!”

Whoosh!

The boss monster retaliated against Mujahid, but he moved faster than Tayarana or Han-Yeol, who possessed flight abilities, easily avoiding the boss monster's large fist.

“Gwuok!”

The boss monster appeared to be enraged upon seeing another combatant join the fray.

[Bring it on, you pile of shit.]

The battle had only just begun, and the three Master Rank Hunters combined their powers to unleash a ferocious barrage against the boss monster.

***

Kwaaaaang!

It was indeed a vicious barrage of attacks.

[Wow…]

[Our boss is finally a Ra Rank Hunter!]

[Thank you, O, God of the Sun, Ra!]

[Wow!]

Mujahid's subordinates were sincerely happy for him, having reawakened as a Master Rank Hunter. Of course, he had yet to officially attain the Ra Rank Hunter status, pending the HUN exam, but that didn't matter to them.

The Hunters could discern from the mana he exuded and the power he displayed that he was unquestionably a Ra Rank Hunter. He had become a Ra Rank Hunter they couldn't even hope to challenge, even if they all ganged up on him at once.

The Hunters watched in awe as the three Master Rank Hunters relentlessly assaulted the boss monster, but there seemed to be a small problem.

[Is that thing immortal...?]

[How is it unscathed even after being attacked by three Master Rank Hunters?]

[What is that thing...?]

It was as they said. Despite the combined assaults of Tayarana, Han-Yeol, and Mujahid, the boss monster appeared to have sustained little damage.

‘What the hell is this thing? How is it still standing despite being on the receiving end of attacks from three Master Rank Hunters?’

Even Han-Yeol was perplexed by the boss monster's resilience.

It didn't make sense, even in a top-tier hunting ground. This boss monster hailed from a top-tier hunting ground, and it was a hyena from the Bastro Dimension, a second dimension, which, after all, was just a low-ranking sorcerer.

[Han-Yeol.]

[Yes, Tara?]

[It seems we chose the wrong method to fight against that thing.]

[Method?]

[Yeah.]

Tayarana had been closely observing the battle.

Although she didn't talk much, she possessed an astounding IQ of one hundred forty, just slightly below Mariam's, which was one hundred sixty. She had graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious Cairo University and was much smarter than Han-Yeol in numerous ways.

[That thing should have a weakness somewhere, and it won't take any damage unless we find that weakness,] she commented.

[Ah!] Han-Yeol gasped, understanding what she meant.

[You finally realized?]

[Yeah.]

It was evident that he would grasp her point quickly.

Han-Yeol harbored the most anger toward the monster, as it was using the same filthy mana that had made his father extremely sick. However, he was also the one who had managed to cure his father and cleanse him of that tainted mana.

‘This means…?’

Han-Yeol possessed the key to defeating the boss monster.

[Did you come up with something?]

[Yeah, I've experienced the mana that thing is using, and while I might not be able to completely neutralize it, I should be able to reduce its defense.]

[That will be more than enough.]

Han-Yeol nodded confidently.

With three Master Rank Hunters on their side, if they could somehow diminish the monster's defense and make it vulnerable to their attacks, it would essentially turn into a punching bag.

[I’ll give it a shot.]

[Alright.]

“Let’s go, Mavros!”

“Kieeeeek!”

Chwak! Chwak!

Mavros spread out his wings and flew up once again.

[Tara! Distract that thing for me!]

[Okay!]

Shwoosh!

Tayarana flew up and zoomed around the boss monster.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The boss monster flailed its arms around in an attempt to swat down the annoying fly buzzing around it.

“Gwuuu Ooooh!”

[Mujahid!]

[Yes, hyung-nim!]

[Help Tara out and keep that thing busy!]

[Leave it to me!]

Kwachik! Boom!

Mujahid kicked off the ground with a strength he could have never displayed as an Osiris Rank Hunter, attacking the boss monster's leg with his powerful claws.

“Gwuu Oooh!”

The boss monster became even more enraged, having to deal with a fly buzzing around it and a cockroach clinging to its legs.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Whoosh!

It angrily stomped and jumped, attempting to get rid of the pests bothering it.

“Haa…” Han-Yeol collected his breath and focused mana into his hands.

‘Restore!’

Woooong!

He gathered mana into his hands, and this white-colored mana emitted an aura of extreme purity, unlike normal mana. Han-Yeol always found himself calming down and feeling at peace whenever he saw this white mana of his.

Anyway, he concentrated all of the mana into his fist and...

“Mavros!”

“Kiek!”

Mavros immediately changed direction and swooped down toward the boss monster upon Han-Yeol's command.

‘Have a taste of this!’

“Gwuok?!”

‘Hmm?’

“Gwuuu Oooook!”

Tayarana and Mujahid were undoubtedly keeping the boss monster occupied, but the moment Han-Yeol neared it, it immediately shifted its attention toward him. This happened despite the fact that he was approaching from the boss monster's blind spot, as analyzed by his Demon Eyes.

“Avoid it, Mavros!”

“Kiek!” Mavros instantly responded.

Whoosh!

The boss monster's whip passed just an inch away from both Han-Yeol and Mavros. If Mavros had reacted even a split second too late, the whip would have struck them dead center.

Gulp…!

Han-Yeol nervously swallowed the hard lump that had formed in his throat. His instincts were screaming, 'I'm going to be afflicted by that same mana that my father suffered from if I get hit by that whip…' He didn't need to understand why or how it was possible; he knew that his instincts were usually quite accurate.

Tak… Tak…

Han-Yeol gently tapped Mavros on his neck twice.

“Mavros, slowly… Let’s go slowly and don’t get too worked up.”

“Kiek!”

Mavros was truly an excellent companion who followed every single order Han-Yeol gave.

"Hmm… That thing is quite the tough opponent," Tia remarked.

She couldn't join this battle because she wasn't as strong as a Master Rank Hunter, no matter how powerful of a demon she was, and she didn't possess any supporting abilities like Mavros, who could carry Han-Yeol while flying.

"Hoho~ It seems master has come up with a solution against that thing~" Tia continued.

It was quite rare for her to miss anything, as spiders were excellent strategists who excelled at observing their surroundings.

"This battle will be over soon," she confidently concluded, foreseeing their victory.

"Hoho~ You should hurry up and become stronger, master. That's the only way things will be fun in the end~ Hohoho!"

Tia's cryptic words left their meaning unclear, but it wasn't the focus at the moment.

Whoosh!

“Kieeeek!”

Han-Yeol failed to approach the boss monster once again.

"Tsk!"

Growing slowly frustrated, he decided to calm down and focus on his next attempt. He tried five more times, but each attempt ended in failure as the boss monster immediately reacted whenever he neared it.

‘It's impossible to get near it. I need to think of another way…’

It would have been a better idea if he had approached the boss monster first before using Restore, but there was no point in lamenting past actions. The boss monster had already identified him as the biggest threat, seemingly willing to let Tayarana and Mujahid attack it as long as it kept Han-Yeol at bay.

'Hyena… So this is their weakness…'

Han-Yeol finally discovered the weakness of the hyenas, a weakness he had failed to discern even as Harkan in the Bastro Dimension. He was certain he was right, judging by how the boss monster remained wary of him.

Han-Yeol, or rather Harkan, had suffered tremendous casualties whenever he clashed against the hyenas before becoming the Dimension Lord. Their only strategy against the hyenas had been to kill them as quickly as possible, at the cost of a few lives in the process.

"Grrrr…"

Now, the boss monster and Han-Yeol were locked in a stand-off. More accurately, it was Han-Yeol in a stand-off with the hyena sorcerer.

‘If I can’t get near you, then…’

Chwak!

Han-Yeol took out his chain for the first time in this battle.

‘I’ll just have to hit you from a distance.’

Woooong!

Restore was a tricky skill to handle, as it didn't respond as readily as other skills, due to its complex healing capabilities.

‘But there’s nothing in this world that can’t be done with willpower!’

Wooooong!

“Haaaaap!”

Han-Yeol squeezed every bit of mana in his body and conjured a tornado filled with the mana from Restore.

“Gwuok?!”

The boss monster sensed the imminent danger coursing through every inch of its gigantic body, instinctively knowing it would meet its demise if struck head-on by that tornado.

Thud!

It attempted to attack Han-Yeol while he was preoccupied with channeling his mana, but...

[Where do you think you’re going?]

[You’re not getting anywhere near my hyung-nim!]

Shwoooong! Bam! Bam!

However, the boss monster was prevented from taking a step toward Han-Yeol by the two other Master Rank Hunters.

“Gwuuu Ooooh!”

Sensing that the final attack was nearing completion, the boss monster disregarded the two pests and hurled its gigantic body toward Han-Yeol.

It understood that its body was exceptionally resilient, and there was nothing these awakened beings from the first dimension could do to defeat it, except for the channeled attack.