Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 341 – Seven Jewels and One Sword (3)

Tia smiled and translated, “Hoho~ Mavros is asking you to pack some of these for him. He says he likes how it’s quite sweet and smooth, just the way he likes it.”

“Hey… Mavros didn’t say all that, right? He probably just asked me to pack some, and you added everything else…” Han-Yeol grumbled in response.

“Hoho~ Who knows?” Tia denied it, but her eyes were saying otherwise, making it blatantly obvious she was teasing him.

“Ugh…” Han-Yeol groaned.

However, since it was Mavros making the request, it seemed only proper for him to grant it.

“Hoho~ As expected, master is weak to Mavros~”

“You’re too smart for your own good…”

Tia was undeniably Han-Yeol’s pet, yet her intellect and cheekiness made her feel like an old friend of his. In fact, Han-Yeol found himself talking to Tia often these days.

When Han-Yeol needed to blow off steam, having a good chat with someone was his preference, and Tia, with her funny and cheeky personality, was the perfect partner for him. He couldn't help but feel drawn to her as she prioritized him over anything else, a trait that suited his jealous personality quite well.

Both Mavros and Tia were no longer just monster pets to him; Han-Yeol saw them as friends, or even family, now.

‘Dimensional Storage!’

Ziiing!

Han-Yeol raised his right hand and summoned a door with an exquisite design. The skill had already attained an A Rank, poised to reach its third stage if he managed to elevate it by another rank.

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Dimensional Storage II’ has increased from (A) to (M).]

‘Oh?!’

There's such a saying that 'speak of the devil,' and it seemed the skill ranked up as soon as Han-Yeol thought about it.

‘This means…!’

Ding!

[The skill ‘Dimensional Storage II’ has reached the Master Rank.]

[The skill has started to evolve.]

[‘Dimensional Storage II’ has evolved to ‘Dimensional Storage III’.]

‘Alright!’ Han-Yeol rejoiced upon finally witnessing the long-awaited skill ranking up.

Initially, the skill's advancement owed much to the Arch Lich’s assistance, proving immensely beneficial. Without this initial boost, utilizing the dimensional storage would have been terribly uncomfortable due to its small size in its initial stage.

Into this dimensional storage, Han-Yeol stowed away a considerable amount: money, treasures, crucial items, food, and water. This space was deemed safer than any other storage available.

However, the downside emerged swiftly; cramming so much into his dimensional storage left it cramped and disorganized, unable to accommodate everything he needed.

Yet, this downside was about to be somewhat alleviated now that the skill had ranked up.

Seuuk…!

‘Phew…’

The dimensional storage's door no longer resembled that of a mere box container; it transformed into the semblance of a warehouse door.

Click… Clack!

Han-Yeol opened the door and stepped into his newly upgraded dimensional storage.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed upon entering.

The interior now boasted a modern appearance, and the storage area had expanded exponentially. No longer a small, cramped space reminiscent of his military days, it had become a proper warehouse that most companies would use to store their products.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

Tia followed right behind him into the dimensional storage.

“Wow~ It’s completely transformed~” she marveled.

She was thoroughly impressed by the transformation from the cramped, humid space to this orderly, expansive warehouse.

“I think we could live here instead of that cave.”

“You know that’s not possible, right?”

The dimensional storage was unsuitable for sustaining life; once Han-Yeol canceled the skill, it would be cut off and sent to a separate isolated dimension, unequipped to support life during that period.

Nonetheless, Han-Yeol began inspecting his newly expanded dimensional storage. He was impressed by how the expanded space allowed for his various items, once haphazardly piled, to be neatly arranged in one corner, leaving room for more.

While engrossed in checking his dimensional storage, Tia called out to him, “Master~ Over here.”

“Hmm?”

Tia’s eyes didn’t match the precision of Han-Yeol’s Demon Eyes, but being a spider, her vision remained quite sharp.

Han-Yeol walked over to her.

On the other hand, Mavros didn't bother looking around the newly expanded dimensional storage because…

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

“Kyu!”

He was busy feasting on the puddles left behind by the slimes.

Shiing! Shiing! Shiing!

Meanwhile, Camelot sat beside Mavros, grinding the edges of his axes that had been blunted in the battle against the slimes.

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

Han-Yeol and Tia headed to one corner of the dimensional storage but…

Whiiing!

The noise wasn't overly loud, but Han-Yeol's ears caught the sound of a motor.

‘Why would a motor be here…?’ he wondered.

As he moved closer to the source of the sound, he sensed the air growing cooler.

Despite not being affected by extreme temperatures, having awakened as a Hunter made Han-Yeol extremely sensitive to changes in temperature. After all, a Hunter could still suffer from burning or freezing if they didn't perceive temperature changes accurately, so this sensitivity was crucial.

Both of them arrived at the location where the sound of the motor emanated.

“Omo?”

“What?!”

Both of them were shocked.

“A cold store?”

“Hoho~ It seems we can keep our food fresh for a long time~”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right…”

The dimensional storage was just a plain storage, and that's why Han-Yeol only kept items that were not sensitive to temperature, like military rations manufactured and sold to civilians. Time might flow ten times slower in the dimensional storage, but that didn't guarantee the foodstuff wouldn't spoil.

However, he could keep fresh food for as long as the space allowed if it was refrigerated. By combining the slowed time in the dimensional storage with the new refrigeration, he could extend the shelf life of the food longer than any cold store on Earth.

‘It’s already quite spacious now, but it’s only going to become more spacious from now on. I guess handling the Bastrolings won’t be that difficult from now on,’ he thought.

The cold store was indeed very spacious and would serve as an excellent supply depot for storing war rations for the Bastrolings later on. Han-Yeol had been concerned about how to resolve the supply issue once the war started, but he was fortunate to have found a solution so early on.

‘Alright, all that’s left is for me to become stronger.’

Tak!

Han-Yeol slammed his fists together.

“Hoho~ Is it time to hunt, master?” Tia asked with a smile.

“Yes, and we are going to sweep this whole place up.”

“Hoho~ You’re truly a charming master~”

“Haha!”

Han-Yeol was burning with enthusiasm, but Tia immediately poured cold water on it.

“But master~ You have to collect the liquid left behind by the slimes first~”

“Ah…”

“Hoho~” Tia laughed after seeing Han-Yeol’s reaction.

Han-Yeol began his work by retrieving a barrel of wine kept in the corner of the dimensional storage, reserved just in case. Some might mistake it for cheap wine due to its barrel packaging instead of a bottle, but this was an exceptionally expensive premium wine.

However, he casually tipped the barrel over, letting the expensive wine spill onto the ground without batting an eye.

Glug! Glug! Glug! Glug!

Sommeliers who risked their lives for a mere drop of such wine would likely suffer a stroke at the sight, but this held no concern for him.

‘Why bother with wine when Tia and Mavros will enjoy that slime residue more?’ he thought with a shrug.

Besides, he didn’t particularly enjoy drinking wine; he leaned more toward being a beer person.

He emptied fifteen barrels of wine and gathered his mana before spreading them all over the place.

Wooooong!

‘Hap! Psychokinesis!’

He employed the skill that allowed him to accomplish tasks without physical exertion.

Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!

His psychokinesis collected the slime residue...

‘Ah, calling it residue sounds disgusting for something Mavros and Tia will drink. Hmm... I should think of a different name for this liquid...’ he pondered.

After a while, a great name dawned on him.

‘Ah!’

“Hmm? What’s wrong, master?” Tia inquired, noticing his pause with the slime residue suspended in the air.

“My bad, I was trying to come up with a new name for this liquid. Referring to it as remains or residue makes it sound as if you guys are some sort of undead creatures…”

“Huh? But technically, both of us are monsters, master.”

“S-Still! It doesn’t sound nice!”

“Hmm… Oh well, if that’s how you feel, master.”

“Ahem… So, I did some thinking and decided to call this liquid Slime Jam from now on!”

“Oh? That’s quite a fitting name. It’s quite sweet and would be perfect to spread on solid food.”

“Right!”

“Hoho~ Excellent idea, master~”

“Hahaha! My creativity scares me sometimes!” Han-Yeol exclaimed, proudly laughing.

He was delighted that Tia liked the name he devised for the slime residue.

All fifteen wooden barrels were filled with the Slime Jam and stored in one corner of the dimensional storage. Han-Yeol contemplated whether to place it in the cold store, but he reasoned that it wasn’t going to spoil, so he positioned it near the entrance instead.

“Alright, it’s time to hunt for real now!”

“Hoho~ As you wish, master.”

“Kyu!”

[Yeah!]

Han-Yeol was happy to see his comrades reflect his enthusiasm.

***

They ventured deeper into the slime dungeon, but Han-Yeol could not help having a strange feeling the deeper they entered.

Fwaaah!

‘Hmm… It’s getting more difficult…’

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Magma Longsword’ has risen.]

[The rank of ‘Ice Blade’ has risen.]

It was fantastic news that the skills he had recently acquired had already leveled up, but he didn't have the luxury to revel in it.

[Damn it! These little monsters!]

Chwaaak!

Camelot exerted all his efforts to handle the slimes that ambushed the party from the crevices on the wall or ceiling, but their sheer numbers made it incredibly challenging for him to manage them all.

‘I anticipated this would be easy considering their weakness, but their numbers are multiplying exponentially as we venture deeper! This is madness!’

The ants he faced with Tayarana and Mariam last time had relied on their numerical advantage to defeat the invaders, but the slimes were on a completely different level. Their numbers rivaled the human wave tactics used during the Korean War in the past, where history recorded more soldiers than bullets.

Han-Yeol found himself encountering the same overwhelming tactic, except his foes were not human soldiers but slimes of various shapes, sizes, and colors.

[This is starting to look dangerous, boss!] Camelot shouted, sensing the imminent danger of being overrun.

Though this dungeon might have seemed easy from the outside, its difficulty level turned out to be insane.

‘Damn it… I guess I have no choice…’ Han-Yeol bit his lip in frustration.

He aimed to monopolize the experience points from this dungeon as much as possible, but the dungeon's difficulty proved beyond his ability to handle alone.

Wooong!

Gathering his mana, he invoked Summon Demon.

‘Oh, mighty demons. Heed my call! Ah, except for you, Void Executor-nim.’

The Void Executor stood tall, around eight to nine meters in height. While Han-Yeol floated at about seven meters tall, he couldn't navigate the dungeon's terrain as he hovered one to two meters above the ground.

The Lava Golem or Balrog would likely be the limit for this place.

“Huuff!”

The first to appear was Asus, followed by the Arch Lich, and then Balrog.

[Good…!]

[Bwahaha! I’m ready to risk my life for a good fight!]

Han-Yeol’s trusted pillars, the demons, finally made their appearance in the Bastro Dimension.

‘It’s a shame Void Executor-nim can’t join us…’ he clicked his tongue.

Although it was regrettable that his most powerful demon couldn't participate in the battle, its absence didn’t diminish the impressive strength of his current force.