Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 264: Second Awakening (4)

Han-Yeol's sole mana replenishment skill was Walking, which required him to walk. However, this was not possible at the moment as he was flying while mounted on Mavros.

“Gwuuuu Ooooh!”

The boss monster attempted to swat down Han-Yeol and Tayarana as they circled around it, but it could sense that they were depleting their mana faster than it was. It might not be capable of speech or appear to be going on a rampage, but it wasn't foolish enough to overlook the fact that it would become increasingly victorious the longer the battle persisted.

‘Damn it… It’s so massive yet so swift…’ Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.

“Haaaaap!”

Baaaam!

Mujahid exerted all his strength in each attack against the boss monster, resorting to using his bare fists after his Psy Blades broke early in the battle. He was determined to be of assistance in this fight and, for the first time since meeting Han-Yeol, he activated the fifth ember.

[Don’t.]

Tayarana halted in midair and fixed her gaze on Mujahid.

“Hmm?” Han-Yeol sensed that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

Noticing his confusion, she provided an explanation.

[Mujahid can ignite a total of five embers, but his body can't withstand the power of all five for an extended period. He might manage it for a while, but he can't sustain it without causing internal damage to his body. That's why he shouldn't do it...]

[What?!]

Han-Yeol was taken aback by her revelation.

[You fool!]

Han-Yeol had been experiencing unease for some time, and he finally identified the cause.

“Let’s go, Mavros!” Han-Yeol shouted as he made his way toward Mujahid.

[Tara! Please distract that monster for a bit!]

[Okay, Han-Yeol.]

Chwak!

Tayarana unfurled her wings and took to the air to once more divert the boss monster's attention.

Boom! Boom!

She unleashed a flurry of mana bullets in a chaotic pattern, aiming to capture the creature's focus while skillfully evading its menacing whip.

‘Hurry up, Han-Yeol…’

Despite being a Master Rank Hunter, facing the boss monster one-on-one was proving to be a formidable challenge for her. It was evident that she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

[Mujahid!] Han-Yeol bellowed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout the entire area.

Amidst his rampage, Mujahid heard Han-Yeol's voice, which helped him regain his composure.

[H-Hyung-nim…] he stammered, realizing the chaos he had caused.

[What on earth were you thinking?!]

[T-That is...]

Mujahid was utterly speechless, recognizing that he had pushed himself beyond his limits despite knowing he shouldn't have, and this was the consequence.

“Haa…”

“…”

Mujahid flinched when Han-Yeol let out a sigh, but what Han-Yeol said next caught him by surprise.

[How long can you endure it if I cast Enhance on you?]

[Huh…?]

He had anticipated a scolding or perhaps even a reprimand from Han-Yeol for using such a reckless skill without regard for his well-being. Thus, he was taken aback when Han-Yeol offered to support him while he used his skill.

[I understand how you feel, so go ahead and fight to your heart’s content. However, always remember to prioritize your safety and well-being.]

Mujahid's face instantly lit up at those words, and he enthusiastically responded, [Yes, hyung-nim!]

[Anyway, how long can you endure it if I used a top-tier mana stone to cast Enhance on you?]

[Oh! With that, I can last seven minutes.]

[Alright.]

Seuk…

Han-Yeol produced a top-tier mana stone he had acquired within this hunting ground. Surprisingly, he hadn't defeated any top-tier monsters during his time here, yet he possessed this valuable mana stone.

How did he come by it?

The origin of this mana stone traced back to none other than Tayarana, who had battled her way from the entrance, vanquishing countless monsters. She had been compelled to confront the swarm of creatures at the entrance since the terrorists explicitly prohibited her from flying within the hunting ground.

It was during her relentless struggle against these monsters that she had an inexplicable feeling that Han-Yeol was going to reach the terrorists ahead of her. She couldn't provide a logical explanation; it was simply her instincts guiding her. Nonetheless, this intuition drove her to collect a few mana stones along the way, just in case Han-Yeol would require them to use Enhance.

That's how Han-Yeol found himself in possession of twelve top-tier mana stones, and he was now preparing to use one to cast Enhance on Mujahid.

[Seven minutes… You could potentially use it for an extended period by toggling it on and off, right?]

[Yes, hyung-nim.]

[Very well, go ahead and use your seven minutes, but I won't speak to you again if you exceed that time.]

[Thank you, hyung-nim!]

[Sure, sure.]

Han-Yeol tapped Mujahid’s shoulder twice before using his Enhance skill.

Wooooong!

Next, a potent vortex of mana began to swirl, with Mujahid at its core. This mana emanated from the embers that shielded Mujahid from harm.

[Let’s go, Mujahid!]

[Yes, hyung-nim! Furion!]

“Kyaoh!”

Furion kicked off the ground.

“Let’s go, Mavros!”

“Kieeeeek!”

At the same time, Mavros spread his wings and joined Tayarana, who was fighting against the boss monster all alone.

‘Mana Explosion!’

Swhooong… Kaboom!

“Gwuu Oooh!”

The boss monster contorted its features upon spotting Han-Yeol, though its gaze remained fixed on him, as if he were nothing more than an irritating nuisance. It was primarily irked that Han-Yeol had entered the fray earlier than it had initially anticipated.

Aware that Han-Yeol was not an immediate threat in the battle, it sought to deal with the bothersome female presence buzzing around it before addressing the human riding on the dragon. Unfortunately, the female presence proved faster than it had anticipated, and the boss monster completely missed its chance to swat her.

[Tara!]

[Okay, Han-Yeol.]

Tayarana finally breathed a sigh of relief as Han-Yeol re-entered the battle, no longer needing to fend off the monster's whip all by herself.

[Let’s go!]

[Alright!]

Boom!

The next round against the boss monster began, and it was now Mujahid's turn to take on a more proactive role. Activating all five embers had always subjected him to severe penalties, but he could now endure it with the assistance of Han-Yeol's ability, even though its effectiveness was still somewhat limited.

[Goblin Fire!]

Fwaaaaa!

A blue flame set ablaze the boss monster’s leg.

“Gwuu Ooooh!”

Bam! Bam! Bam!

“Ack!”

The boss monster found itself unable to easily lash out at Mujahid, given that Han-Yeol and Tayarana were effectively diverting its attention.

Nevertheless, the boss monster remained cunning, scheming to employ its feet to crush Mujahid, whom it viewed as nothing more than a nuisance.

Thud…!

Kwachik!

Mujahid was forcibly thrown from Furion's back when his pet bore the brunt of the boss monster's stomp attack. To worsen the situation, Furion's leg was crushed in the process, rendering it incapable of providing any more assistance to Mujahid in combat.

[Furion!] Mujahid shouted, his worry mounting as he feared for the well-being of his pet monster.

“Kyaong! Kyaong!”

[Ah… That was close…]

Regrettably, Furion appeared to be compelled to exit the battle due to its leg being entirely shattered. Fortunately, it managed to evade death by instinctively twisting its body and avoiding the boss monster's foot.

“You son of a bitch!”

Chwak! Chwak!

“Gwuuu Ooooh!”

Han-Yeol raised his sword and launched a relentless assault on the boss monster. Initially, he had fought from a secure distance, utilizing his shoulder cannons while riding on Mavros. However, he was compelled to switch to melee combat after Mujahid narrowly escaped being crushed to death and Furion suffered severe injuries.

“Let’s go, Mavros!”

“Kieeeeek!”

Han-Yeol and Mavros valiantly dove toward the boss monster, fighting it in close combat.

Whoosh! Chwak! Bam!

He swung his sword with all of his might once he got as close as possible to the boss monster. ‘Ex… Plosion!’

Kwaaaaang!

He employed his most potent melee attack skill, Explosion, without restraint, and it appeared to have an impact, causing the boss monster to writhe in agony.

Thanks to this, Mujahid managed to drag Furion to a secure distance away from the boss monster.

[Furion!]

“Hiiing… Hiiiing…” Furion cried in Mujahid’s arms after having its foot completely shattered.

Slurp! Slurp!

Nevertheless, Furion appeared to be more concerned about Mujahid, as it licked his cheek even amidst its painful cries. It seemed to convey that it was alright and inquired about its master's well-being.

[Furion...]

Truth be told, Mujahid hadn't formed a deep emotional attachment to Furion. The monster pet served as a combat assistant, and that was the extent of their relationship.

However, witnessing Furion in its current state tugged at Mujahid's heartstrings, and the pain in his heart gradually transformed into a burning rage aimed squarely at the culprit responsible for crushing his monster pet's leg.

Mujahid might have come across as aloof most of the time, but he was, in reality, a composed and rational individual who approached matters from an objective standpoint. He wasn't one to act impulsively on his emotions and rarely revealed his true feelings to others.

Nonetheless, the time had come to reveal his genuine emotions, and the prevailing sentiment was one of anger, surging like a relentless tsunami.

[You fucking bastaaard!]

Woooong!

Mujahid's heart began to harness his anger, using it as fuel to further enhance his power.

[Hmm?] Tayarana detected a potent surge of mana emanating from the ground.

‘Hmm?’

Han-Yeol seemed to have noticed it too.

“Gwuoh?”

Finally, the boss monster recognized that yet another formidable adversary was about to enter the battle. Its fist, previously aimed at Han-Yeol, abruptly halted mid-air, and it simply stood there, observing the human who was unleashing a ferocious surge of mana.

[Hyung-nim! Please heal Furion’s leg!]

[Okay! Healing Bullet!]

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Han-Yeol fired Healing Bullets from his shoulder cannons. He could employ this skill as long as he possessed a weapon capable of projecting his mana.

Shwiiiik!

The bullets streaked in a direct path toward Furion, embedding themselves into the injured leg. Mujahid observed as his monster pet's leg began to heal.

[Are you alright, Furion?]

“Kyaong!”

‘Hmm? Don’t tell me they’re going to sync together?’ Han-Yeol thought.

He had acquired a substantial amount of knowledge about monster pets during his life as Harkan, and he had come to understand that monster pets underwent awakenings similar to humans.

A prime illustration of this was Mavros. However, what he didn't know was that monster pets could manifest various types of abilities. Beast-type monsters, for instance, could acquire the capacity to alter their size, either growing larger or smaller to engage in combat, akin to Mavros. Conversely, some monster pets formed a deep connection with their masters, enabling them to awaken new strengths through synchronization.

‘Mujahid…’

Han-Yeol held the belief that Mujahid and Furion had reached that level, a level akin to that of a Bastro Warrior.

Woooong!

[W-What…?]

Mujahid observed the transformations taking place in both their bodies and was somewhat startled by the power emanating from them. Suddenly, it seemed as though he and Furion had become one, enabling him to share his monster pet's emotions and senses.

[Furion?]

“Kyaong!”

Both of them had become unified, and not in an unusual or peculiar manner.

Han-Yeol had encountered numerous ways in which monster pets could synchronize with their masters, and this particular instance was far from being an odd one.

Shwaaaaa…!

Smoke began to billow from both Mujahid and Furion.

Shwaaa!

The smoke thickened, eventually obscuring them from view entirely.

Thud…! Thud…!

A few moments later, Mujahid emerged from the dissipating smoke.

"Oh?!" Han-Yeol was astounded by Mujahid's transformation.

He had finally undergone his second awakening after successfully synchronizing with Furion. Not only that, it appeared that Furion had also experienced a reawakening.

‘Wow… I never imagined he was going to reawaken faster than me…’ Han-Yeol grumbled while watching both Mujahid and Furion.

Furion appeared to be the type that fully realized its potential upon reaching its second awakening. It hadn't gained anything particularly remarkable after its first awakening, except for increased speed. However, there was undoubtedly something distinct about it after this recent reawakening.

As a thought crossed Han-Yeol's mind, he conducted a thorough examination of Mujahid. 'Huh? He looks like a Bastroling right now…?'

And he was correct.

Mujahid was presently clad in a suit that resembled a fierce beast. The material of his suit didn't appear to be the rigid metal found in Tayarana's suit, but rather some form of flexible leather that allowed him greater freedom of movement.

Then, black and gold spots began to emerge all over his body, gradually transforming him into something resembling a leopard.

‘D-Don’t tell me?!’ Han-Yeol had a growing suspicion that he finally understood what was happening.