Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 153: Run Toward the Firmament (2)

While Tayarana, Mariam, and Han-Yeol were busy discussing things, Mujahid looked quite relaxed. This was because he was the only one who did not pay much attention to his monster pet.

[Excuse me, hyung-nim?]

[Yes, Mujahid?]

[I am really surprised that cute little Mavros turned into such a dependable guy. Did you expect this?]

Mujahid was sincerely curious. He recognized Han-Yeol as a fellow battle fanatic and deduced that Han-Yeol nurtured the baby black dragon, despite its lack of battle capability, solely because he knew this was going to be the outcome.

‘A pet that can’t fight is just a piece of trash, after all,’?Mujahid thought.

[Hmm… I didn’t really give it much thought at the beginning. I figured that he was going to pay me back someday if I sincerely nurtured him with love and care, but I didn’t really know how that payback was going to be.]

Han-Yeol was serious about what he said. Mavros’ existence alone was more than enough to heal him.

However, Mujahid completely misunderstood Han-Yeol and interpreted it in his own way. He thought, ‘I see… Good things really do come to those who wait.’

Initially, Mujahid had no idea what he was supposed to learn from a commoner like Han-Yeol, and he couldn't understand why his father would give such a command in the first place. However, his perception of Han-Yeol had completely changed now.

‘Father, Han-Yeol is truly a person worth learning from,’?he thought.

Mujahid might appear cute and innocent on the outside, but deep inside, he was a shrewd and cunning individual who owned multiple large companies. Unbeknownst to him, the directors of his companies referred to him as the 'Cute Snake'. Despite his outward cuteness, he possessed a hidden nature that was both cunning and dangerous, much like a snake.

***

The hunt was initially interrupted due to the commotion caused by Han-Yeol and Mavros, but they continued without encountering significant issues thereafter. However, problems were bound to arise unexpectedly.

The Horus raid party returned to the base camp the following morning, preparing to mobilize once again. It was at this moment that Mariam noticed something peculiar.

[The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva moved overnight.]

Tayarana looked at Han-Yeol after hearing that. She seemed to be asking if what Mariam observed was correct, since she knew that he possessed the skill to observe mana in the distance.

Han-Yeol nodded in response after using Demon Eyes and gave credibility to Mariam’s observation. He could see that the boss monster was moving right now as well, but that was not the end of it.

[To where?] Tayarana grimaced and asked Mariam.

She still looked beautiful despite grimacing as she was the embodiment of beauty itself. However, she was clearly feeling extremely troubled. She wondered to herself, ‘Why now of all?times…?’

If things had gone according to plan, they would have reached the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva today, resulting in everything being concluded by tomorrow.

However, due to Mariam's recent revelation, they would have to fight their way through the monsters once again in order to reach the boss monster. At this point, it was uncertain how much time they would waste in pursuit of the boss monster.

[The boss monster is moving slowly so I cannot say for sure, but I can deduce from its direction that it is heading toward Seokguram Grotto.]

[Seokguram?!] Han-Yeol exclaimed after hearing what Mariam said.

[Yes, that is correct. Do you know anything about it?]

Chwak!

Instead of explaining with words, Han-Yeol spread out the map in the meeting room and then pointed at Seokguram Grotto’s location. He reiterated some information he had learned from the internet.

[The reason that Bulguksa Temple is the most valuable temple in Korea is precisely because of Seokguram Grotto. It is the most dazzling treasure left behind by a thousand-year-old kingdom, and it is designated as our twenty-fourth national treasure. The statue of Buddha inside Seokguram Grotto can be considered as a representation of Korean Buddhism.]

[The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva is also a statue of Buddha, right?]

[Yes, but that is one of the Buddhist gods. The Buddha in Seokguram Grotto is the Buddha himself.]

Whether it was truth or fiction, it didn't matter to Han-Yeol. Being a Christian by religion, he wasn't well-versed in Buddhism. What mattered to him was the presence of a monster masquerading as Buddha, making its way toward what was believed to be the authentic representation of Buddha.

[Whatever the reason may be, it is quite fortunate that we do not have to fight our way through the monsters, assuming that is the boss monster’s final destination.]

[You think so too?]

[Yes. In fact, if all goes well, we might be able to fight according to our terms.]

[I agree with you.]

Puk!

Mujahid clenched his fists together, a habit he had whenever he was getting riled up for a fight. [I don’t understand what you mean, but I won’t complain as long as you let me fight. I feel like destroying that monster!]

Mariam let out a sigh and shook her head in resignation. [You really do not care about anything except fighting…]

She could not understand how Mujahid was able to be so carefree in these kinds of situations.

On the other hand, Mujahid did not back down an inch as he found the luxury to tease Mariam. He said cheekily, [Huh? Mariam? Are you jealous of monsters now?]

Mariam felt her blood pressure rise sharply in response to his ill-timed joke. She snapped, [That will never happen.]

The people around them found it quite entertaining to watch the two bicker.

Anyway, the Horus raid party’s schedule underwent a drastic change after the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva started moving. The base camp had to be dismantled and all of their forces were to be moved to Seokguram Grotto.

While the Horus raid party was busy packing up to move their base camp to Seokguram Grotto, Kim Cha-Il suddenly approached Han-Yeol. He exclaimed, “H-Han-Yeol-nim! We have a problem!”

“A problem?” Han-Yeol muttered.

He thought, ‘Is there a problem besides the fact the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva has started moving?’

He tried to think of other possible problems, but he could not think of anything as both his father and Yoo-Bi were safe.

“Kyu!”

Also, Mavros might have grown in size, but he was able to revert to his small and cute form whenever he wanted.

“T-That is…!” Kim Cha-Il exclaimed while profusely sweating.

“???”

“The association just received a report that the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva is heading toward the Seokguram Grotto. The association is asking you to immediately mobilize toward the Seokguram Grotto and…”

Han-Yeol looked at Kim Cha-Il in disbelief while wondering, ‘Hey… Is he slow or just dumb? How did he become a manager with his caliber?’

The Horus raid party was swiftly making preparations to move, with only their combat personnel in motion this time. Their goal was to reach Seokguram Grotto at a faster pace than the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva, allowing them more time to fortify their defenses.

However, it appeared that Manager Kim Cha-Il remained oblivious to the current situation.

‘Sigh…’?Han-Yeol sighed inwardly in disbelief.

He had sensed that the man was somewhat oblivious from the moment they met, but he hadn't anticipated him to be this inept. It was truly unbelievable that someone like him held a managerial position within the Hunters' Association.

Han-Yeol could have found a sense of satisfaction by confronting the incompetent man, but he knew deep down that it wouldn't bring about any meaningful change. Besides, as the Vice Leader of the Horus raid party, Han-Yeol had his hands full with responsibilities and had no time to waste arguing with him.

“Our raid party has already found out about that. We are making preparations to immediately head to Seokguram Grotto. Now, please step aside. I am quite busy,” Han-Yeol said.

“Ah, y-yes…” Kim Cha-Il muttered in embarrassment as he stepped aside.

Then, Han-Yeol got to work by using Psychokinesis to move things around.

“…”

Kim Cha-Il felt a sense of frustration as he was treated as an inconvenience, despite rushing as soon as he received the report from the association.

Although he had a reputation for incompetence within the association, he worked diligently and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Ironically, it was his dedication and willingness to handle various undesirable or troublesome cases that led him to become a manager.

Ironically, the department he managed was often referred to as the "rubbish bin" of the association, responsible for handling all sorts of dirty or nuisance cases.

‘Sigh… What can I do? I can’t complain about how I’m treated if I want to continue supporting my family…’?he lamented.

Despite being treated as an outcast within the association, Kim Cha-Il held the position of a manager, which came with a significantly high salary. He couldn't complain about how he was treated because he earned far more than most of his friends. Additionally, everyone respected him for his managerial role at the association, and he enjoyed benefits such as his children's education being taken care of by the association.

His job required him to endure all challenges and hardships no matter the cost.

Kim Cha-Il decided to think about something else after he grumbled and cursed Han-Yeol and the Horus raid party.

‘Sigh…I've heard that becoming a Hunter these days is incredibly difficult unless you're born into privilege. Perhaps I shouldn't let my son pursue a career as a Hunter unless he joins a reputable raid party like this one. It seems that the chances of survival are significantly higher if you have influential connections in the field.’?

He had the same dilemma as most parents did.

Being a Hunter offered the potential for substantial wealth and social prestige, but there was a noticeable disparity in the mortality rates among Hunters, depending on their level of connections and support. As a result, the number of ordinary individuals aspiring to become Hunters had significantly declined in recent times.

The power of a nation was often assessed based on the quantity and caliber of its Hunters, leading many countries to actively encourage their citizens, including children, to aspire to become Hunters. However, the same sentiment did not resonate in South Korea, where the majority of parents prioritized the safety and stability of their children's lives, preferring them to pursue careers as civil servants rather than risking their lives on the frontlines as Hunters.

The prevailing issue had the potential to detrimentally impact the country's future national power, making it a significant social concern. However, the current state of affairs saw politicians primarily engaged in internal conflicts and power struggles, rather than focusing on addressing the nation's pressing matters.

‘Hmm… I heard Egypt is a very nice place to live these days… Should I curry favor with Han-Yeol Hunter-nim and migrate there…?’?Kim Cha-Il wondered.

Despite the prevailing trend shifting toward the prominence of Hunters, Korean cultural content continued to enjoy international fame. The recent collaboration between South Korea and Egypt had led to a flourishing cultural exchange, with Korean culture being warmly received by the Egyptian people.

Furthermore, a significant number of Egyptians had developed a fondness for the Korean alphabet, with news articles reporting that many Egyptians were actively learning the Korean language.

While Kim Cha-Il was lost in daydreams about his future, the Horus raid party had already completed their preparations and set off on their mission.

“Haa…”?Kim Cha-Il let out a sigh.

Then, one of his staff, Jin Su-An, approached him and asked, “Manager-nim, did the Horus raid party go to Seokguram Grotto already?”

“Ah, yes. They already knew about it before we even told them.”

“Oh, I heard they have a special drone. They must have found out about the move through that. I mean, that should be faster than looking at satellite imagery, right?”

It seemed that Jin Su-An was faster than Kim Cha-Il.

“Yeah. Anyway, the only thing we can do now is to pray that they successfully raid the boss monster.”

“I understand, manager-nim.”

Jin Su-An immediately cut the conversation after noticing that Kim Cha-Il was in a bad mood. Kim Cha-Il was not the type who usually got angry, but he saw no benefit in further irritating his superior.

However, that did not mean Jin Su-An himself was without worries. He sighed inwardly. ‘Sigh… I wonder if our department will be forever treated like trash…?’?

Regrettably, as soon as he began working, Kim Cha-Il found himself embroiled in a fight with the son of a high-ranking executive within the association. Due to this unfortunate altercation, he was subsequently transferred to the rubbish department as a consequence.

Jin Su-An had a strong desire to accumulate as many merits as possible in order to escape from the rubbish department. However, he found himself assigned to mostly mundane and dirty tasks, such as handling complaints from impolite Hunters.

He pondered whether the day would ever come when he would see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jin Su-An had no desire to spend his entire career in the rubbish department, cleaning up after others without receiving any recognition.

1. Seokguram is a historical site in Korea. More info here: