Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 157: A Miracle Occurs (1)

The aerial battle proved to be much more challenging compared to the ground battle, despite the significant advantage Tayarana had provided in the latter.

The two S Rank Hunters, Tayarana and Han-Yeol, were currently locked in a fierce and intense aerial combat.

Baaam!

“Keuk!”

The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva waved its four main arms and threw its golden palms at Han-Yeol.

‘Damn it… I gained eight levels at once, but I still can’t do anything against this bastard!’?Han-Yeol cursed inwardly.

Indeed, by casting Enhance on Tayarana, Han-Yeol had earned experience points that resulted in an increase of eight levels for him. However, he chose to allocate all of his stat points into the Invoke skill, which did not directly contribute to his overall strength.

Realistically, even if he had allocated all forty stat points into VIT (Vitality), it was unlikely that he would be able to withstand a single blow from the immensely powerful Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.

“Kieeeeeek!”?Mavros cried out as he showed off his excellent flight skills to avoid the flying golden palms.

Then…

[Poison Arrow]

Kwaaaaaaaah!

Mavros not only avoided the attacks, but he also counter-attacked with his own spells to make sure the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva’s aggro would not be directed toward Tayarana.

‘He’s really clever,’?Han-Yeol thought with a smile.

“Kireuk!”

However, a golden palm suddenly popped out of nowhere and was about to strike Mavros from his blind spot.

“N-No!” Han-Yeol cried out.

He immediately used his defensive skills. ‘Force Shield! Reflect!’

The golden palm crashed into the shield he had created.

Thud!

‘Keuk!”

Although the shield was designed to reflect the damage back to the attacker, the overwhelming power of the attack imposed an immense burden on Han-Yeol's body.

Gritting his teeth, he persevered through the excruciating pain. As he absorbed the force of the golden palm, he sensed his mana being drained, but he channeled it into unleashing his own counterattack—a blue palm twice the size—toward the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.

BAAAM! Kwachik!

‘It stopped?’?Han-Yeol noticed something strange after the blue palm crashed into the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva’s chest and left an imprint on it.

The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva slowly stopped moving for the first time after the battle started.

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Reflect’ has risen from (C) to (B).]

Furthermore, as a bonus, Han-Yeol's skill received a rank increase. Despite having acquired this skill quite some time ago, he hadn't had many opportunities to level it up due to infrequent usage.

‘I just need to continue exploiting its own strength against it!’?Han-Yeol flashed a confident smile, but it did not take that long for the harsh reality to dawn upon him. ‘But… I believe I’ll only be able to use it a few more times…’

The skill's mana consumption escalated in proportion to the strength of his opponent, and this was a factor Han-Yeol had no control over. With the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva being an incredibly formidable creature, his mana was swiftly depleted after reflecting just a single attack. Han-Yeol was well aware that, regardless of the size of his mana pool, he would not be able to employ this skill numerous times.

Consequently, he needed to closely monitor his mana reserves, as he would have to rely on other skills in addition to Reflect throughout the battle.

Bam! Bam! Bam!?

[Bwahahaha! Bring it on!]

Meanwhile, Mujahid found immense joy in pummeling the monsters on the ground, thoroughly enjoying the battle.

His unique ability, which allowed him to restore five percent of the damage he dealt or received, granted him the ability to fight tirelessly. This restorative capability enabled him to sustain his assault without succumbing to fatigue. He was truly fitting to be called a Berserker.

Han-Yeol couldn't help but feel envious of Mujahid's ability, recognizing the significant advantages it provided. While Han-Yeol did possess the ability to recover mana while walking, it proved insufficient in his current situation, as he was unable to activate it since he wasn't moving. Consequently, he had to be cautious with his mana consumption, as he couldn't rely on his usual method of mana recovery at the moment.

Thud!

For the first time, the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva directed its attention toward Han-Yeol. Until then, the boss monster had been primarily focused on Tayarana. However, the impact of a single damage inflicted by Han-Yeol's 'Reflect' skill compelled the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva to shift its gaze toward him, acknowledging his presence as a formidable threat.

“Keke!” Han-Yeol smirked at the boss monster and exclaimed, “Bring it on! Let’s see if you can keep up with Mavros!”

“Let’s go, Mavros!”

“Kieeeeek!”

Shwoosh! Boom!

Mavros sped through the air, leaving behind a shockwave. The black dragon flew so fast that it was impossible to keep up with him with the naked eye.

***

The Horus raid party displayed unwavering bravery as they engaged in a fierce battle against the formidable Thousand Armed Bodhisattva and its minions.

Meanwhile, a group of spectators had gathered at a mountain peak within the safe zone, approximately one kilometer away from the Seokguram Grotto. Equipped with various specialized binoculars and cameras, they eagerly captured the thrilling spectacle of the boss monster raid.

“H-How is this possible?!”

“T-They are fighting on equal footing against the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva!”

“What sorcery is this?!”

The group of spectators constituted the Observer Unit dispatched by the Hunters' Association, equipped with an array of cutting-edge equipment designed specifically for observation and reconnaissance purposes.

Getting close to the territory of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva was deemed too hazardous due to the inherent dangers and the disruptive interference caused by the creature's mana waves on electronic devices. However, fortune favored them as the boss monster ventured out of its territory independently, heading toward the Seokguram Grotto.

This fortuitous turn of events granted the Observer Unit the unique opportunity to capture the entirety of the raid on film.

At first, the members of the Observer Unit were nonchalant and lighthearted regarding the progress of the raid. They even engaged in friendly wagers, speculating on how long it would take for the Horus raid party to retreat in defeat.

However, their casual demeanor was swiftly shattered as they witnessed the Horus raid party fiercely battling the boss monster on equal footing. The sheer combat prowess displayed by the Horus raid party left the observers dumbfounded and astounded. The level of power and resilience exhibited in the fight was simply beyond their wildest imagination.

***

‘They're incredibly organized. It feels as though I'm witnessing a military operation. Have we been mistaken in our approach to cultivating raid parties and Hunters all these years...?’

The Hunters' Association adopted a more hands-off approach, akin to that of a game moderator, granting Hunters considerable freedom with minimal rules, allowing them to operate independently. In contrast, Egypt implemented a strict and tightly regulated management system, ensuring that their Hunters adhered to all prescribed rules.

The outcome of these differing approaches was evident in the awe-inspiring performance being displayed by the Horus raid party at present.

‘I didn’t really expect much from them, but…’?

The exact nature of the treasure that the boss monster would yield remained unknown to all. Initially, the Hunters' Association anticipated that the Horus raid party would merely contain and stall the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva until a Korean raid party with a Master Rank Hunter became available to claim the spoils. After all, they were reluctant to relinquish a potential windfall to another country, even if it was an ally.

Given the absence of a Master Rank Hunter within the Horus raid party, the Association's expectations for their performance against the boss monster were modest. However, to their astonishment, the Horus raid party was currently demonstrating a level of proficiency and organization comparable to Korean raid parties comprising Master Rank Hunters, if not surpassing them.

Manager Kim Cha-Il scratched his head in frustration. ‘Ah… Should I report this or not…?’

Based on his observations of the Horus raid party, he concluded that South Korea needed to reconsider their approach of granting excessive freedom to the Hunters and instead implement stricter rules and regulations if they aimed to become a dominant force in the future.

The recent decline in the number of Porters highlighted a growing issue, prompting the government and the association to contemplate enhancing support for Porters.

‘I’m pretty sure they won’t listen to anything I say… Tsk tsk…’?Kim Cha-Il knew very well that the Hunters’ Association was not going to listen to an outcast like him.

Still, he was a graduate of S University, so he was not stupid at all. He felt that he was quite sharp and observant, but nobody in the association bothered to listen to his opinions.

‘Phew… I guess the association’s going to be taking another step back…’

The association's calculations indicated that the likelihood of the Horus raid party achieving success in this boss raid was less than 0.1%. Consequently, they saw no need to issue any specific orders to Kim Cha-Il before sending him, instructing him instead to remain silent and refrain from taking any action when he inquired about providing regular reports.

However, Kim Cha-Il held a different perspective, believing that while it might take some time, the Horus raid party would ultimately manage to raid the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva. His confidence in his own keen intuition bolstered this belief.

***

[Bwahahaha! Bring it on, you bastards!]

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!?

Han-Yeol summoned Balrog and the Void Devils, deploying them to assist in the ongoing fight against the zodiac monsters on the ground. While his initial plan was to rely on Mariam and Mujahid to handle the situation, he realized that reinforcing them with additional firepower could expedite the defeat of the monsters.

On the ground, the Horus raid party's ground forces continued to engage in fierce combat against the relentless zodiac monsters, determined to overcome them.

Whoooosh… Shwiiik!

Mavros flew at high speeds and avoided the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva’s arms.

‘Keke! I bet you’re getting annoyed now!’?Han-Yeol thought with a smirk.

The dynamics of the battle had shifted, catching the attention of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva. Initially, it had identified Tayarana as the primary threat and Han-Yeol as a secondary concern. However, the situation had changed dramatically.

The boss monster displayed a considerable level of intelligence, adjusting its tactics accordingly. It now directed the multitude of hands on its back towards Mavros, recognizing him as a formidable opponent. Simultaneously, it targeted Tayarana with its golden palms, having learned to be cautious of engaging Han-Yeol directly after suffering the repercussions of ‘Reflect’.

‘We’re definitely buying a lot of time right now,’?Han-Yeol thought, glancing down while Mavros was avoiding the arms.

Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!?

[Bwahahaha! Bring it on!]

The Horus raid party led by Mujahid and Mariam were swiftly dealing with the zodiac monsters. Almost seventy percent of the monsters had been defeated, so they were going to be able to join the fight against the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva very soon.

Just as they were getting used to the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva’s pattern…

Woooong…!

The boss monster suddenly stopped moving.

‘Huh? What’s going on?’?Han-Yeol wondered.

Then, to everyone's surprise, the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva deviated from its usual targets and launched a fierce attack against the Horus raid party engaged in battle with the zodiac monsters on the ground.

[Tara!]

[!!!]

Tayarana, realizing the dire situation, swung her sword with all her might at the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva. However, despite the significant reduction in its arms, the boss monster still had a formidable number of appendages at its disposal. It possessed countless ways to attack the ground forces, even if Han-Yeol and Tayarana joined forces to try and stop it.

The Horus raid party found themselves in a precarious position. Engaged with the zodiac monsters, they had limited mobility and were unable to evade the oncoming onslaught of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva's arms. They faced the grim possibility of being wiped out by the boss monster while being overwhelmed by the zodiac monsters. Their options were limited, and they had nowhere to run.

[Han-Yeol! Do something!]

[Damn it!]

Tayarana was a Hunter specializing in speed, so she was not going to be useful in these kinds of situations.

“Mavros! Let’s go block that bastard! Fly to the front!”

“Kireuk!”

Han-Yeol made an incredibly risky decision, but Mavros did not hesitate for even a moment as he swiftly flew toward the front lines.

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol found himself in a face-to-face confrontation with the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva, and it was in that very moment that he noticed the boss monster's lips curled up into a chilling smile.

‘Don’t tell me?! Now way!’?Han-Yeol exclaimed inwardly in horror.

The boss monster unleashed its onslaught of hundreds of swinging arms, directed not only toward the zodiac monsters but also aimed at decimating the Horus raid party. It appeared that the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva was determined to obliterate the human forces, disregarding the fate of the zodiac monsters in the process.

Han-Yeol took out a big mana stone that he had gotten from a gigantic lizard and crushed it without any hesitation.

‘Enhance!’?

Woooooong!

Thick, dense mana surrounded Han-Yeol's body, infusing him with newfound strength. Without wasting a moment, he swung his chain with the hammer attached at the end, determined to counter the onslaught of arms. The only solution that came to his mind was to unleash an area of effect skill that could obliterate the incoming limbs.

"Go! Tornado Smash!" Han-Yeol shouted, exerting all his might as he launched the chain.

Although the skill was still at F Rank, he relied on the power of Enhance to amplify its effectiveness. True to his expectations, the skill unleashed a devastating force as it soared through the air.

Kwaaaaang!

The chain destroyed the hundreds of arms flying toward him and the Horus raid party.

Ding! Ding! Ding!?

[The rank of the skill ‘Tornado Smash’ has risen.]