Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 295 – Drama, Protest, Suppression, And (6)

[Han-Yeol-nim.]

‘Hmm? Have you taken care of it, Mariam?’

[Yes, he's completely subdued. There will no longer be any more EMP attacks in this area.]

‘Good job.’

[No need to mention it.]

Han-Yeol was waiting for the moment when the Hunter using an EMP was subdued, and he had a good reason for it.

‘This protest can't end like this. I need it to burn brighter, to the point where it can topple this administration.’

The government would definitely come after Han-Yeol if things ended here, and the only way he could ensure the government wouldn't bother him was by having their weakness in his hands.

“Hey, Jae-Hyung.”

“Yes! Hunter-nim!”

Tak!

"Ah!" Jae-Hyung exclaimed as he caught something Han-Yeol threw.

"T-This is...?"

It was a smartphone.

Jae-Hyung's smartphone had been fried by the EMP a while ago, and he couldn't understand why he was given a smartphone when they weren't going to work.

"That one should work."

"P-Pardon me...?" Jae-Hyung muttered before quickly checking the smartphone he had just received.

Beep!

"Oh, it works!"

The smartphone was functioning just as Han-Yeol had said.

"People might stop protesting after witnessing what Hunters are capable of, but even more people might join the streets and rally around me if I eliminate them."

"T-That is true..."

"But if that happens, it could be perceived as if I'm starting a coup, and the image of the protesters won't be favorable."

Jae-Hyung wholeheartedly agreed with what Han-Yeol was saying.

"The EMP attacks have ceased, so I want you to show the world what is happening here."

"Yes, Han-Yeol, Hunter-nim!"

Tak!

Jae-Hyung grabbed the microphone once again.

[Everyone! The attacks on our smartphones have ceased! If your smartphones are still functioning, I implore you to help expose this administration's atrocities to the world!]

Woooong!

‘It's happening again.’ Jae-Hyung felt the same sensation he had experienced a while ago.

Despite the chaos, the people were evidently able to hear his voice, and they began pulling out their smartphones one by one. Fortunately, what Jae-Hyung had said was true.

"I-It's true!"

"My phone's working!"

"Mine too!"

"Film it! Film these damn bastards!"

"You're all dead!"

They might not be able to attack the Hunters with their smartphones, but there was another purpose for these devices. An age-old saying declared that the pen was mightier than the sword, and this held true even for the Hunters.

The Death Snake raid party members were thrown into disarray after witnessing what was happening. While they were thugs who did as they pleased, the possibility of their atrocities being broadcast to the world made them cower.

"H-How?!"

"I thought they said they would fry all of their phones?!"

"Damn it..."

"I think we're in trouble..."

"Hyung-nim? Where's hyung-nim?"

"Huh? Why isn't he on the stage?"

"What's going on?"

Unable to locate Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon, the Death Snake raid party members turned to his right-hand man.

"What should we do? Should we confiscate their phones?"

"Damn it... How can we take this many phones?"

"But they're filming us! Look!"

The Death Snake raid party members could see themselves being broadcast on a giant screen near Gwanghwamun Square. A news anchor who appeared to be in his sixties watched the live footage and could not conceal his anger.

[Breaking news! The government has deployed Hunters to quell the protesters at Gwanghwamun Square. Our sources have informed us that an EMP was used to disrupt electronic devices, and both the Hunters and riot police are using force to suppress the peaceful protesters. We were unable to provide updates as there was no video footage of the incident—until now. We have just acquired live footage of the ongoing events on the ground; please take a look.]

Then, a video of the Death Snake raid party members beating the protesters played on the screen, and it appeared to be filmed from the top of a building, judging by the angle.

The video concluded, and the news anchor returned to the screen.

[This footage has been sent not only to us, J News, but also to other media outlets. However, we've just learned that only J News has reported on this matter. It is disheartening that such events are occurring in our country as we speak.]

"Ah... we're in trouble..."

The Death Snake raid party members came to the realization that they were in dire straits.

"H-Hyung-nim!"

The Hunters called out to Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon's right-hand man.

"Why are you just standing around?! Let's hurry up and get out of here!"

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

They were about to leave when Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon's left-hand man suddenly posed a question.

"But what about hyung-nim?"

Kwachik!

A vein bulged on the right-hand man's forehead after the left-hand man raised his question.

‘This guy keeps causing trouble every time I make a decision...!’

They might be called Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon’s right and left-hand men, but the difference in their skill was not that great. The only reason the right-hand man was higher in position was simply because he was older than the other by two years and served longer under Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon.

"Hyung-nim isn't the problem right now! We'll all face certain death if we linger any longer."

"It's the same even if we flee now. With hyung-nim, we could escape to Japan; otherwise, we'll be forced to live in hiding for the rest of our lives and eventually face arrest."

Crack...!

He couldn't help but grit his teeth in anger, recognizing that the left-hand man was wiser, despite his seniority.

"Boys!"

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

"Let's locate hyung-nim first and then make our escape!"

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

The thugs were eager to leave as soon as possible, but they were bound to follow orders. Insubordination carried severe consequences within an organization, and this held true in criminal organizations as well.

“Find hyung-nim!”

“Okay!”

Puk!

“H-Hey! They’re running away!”

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

“Come back!”

The protesters screamed at the Hunters, who were trying to run away.

‘Damn it…!’

‘Those losers dare to taunt me?!’

The Hunters were infuriated, and their pride was sullied by the taunts. They were powerful enough to eliminate these "losers," but at the moment, they couldn't lay a finger on them.

‘I'll teach you insects a lesson next time!’

Their main priority at that moment was to find their hyung-nim and leave the area before the situation deteriorated further.

Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, they didn't have to go through the trouble of searching for their hyung-nim.

Chwak!

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“What?!”

Someone called out to the thugs, and they turned in that direction.

"H-How?!"

"Hyung-nim!"

They were astonished to see a man holding their boss, who had been brutally beaten.

"Ughh…"

It only took a single strike from Han-Yeol to incapacitate him. Han-Yeol had become strong enough to push a notorious Hunter like Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon to the brink of death with just one blow. While this might not have been particularly impressive for a Master Rank Hunter like Han-Yeol, it struck terror into the hearts of the Death Snake raid party members.

Nevertheless, they began to assemble in front of Han-Yeol, demanding the release of their boss.

“Let hyung-nim go!”

“Yeah!”

Seuk…

Han-Yeol scanned the thugs gathered in front of him and noticed, ‘Hmm? Five are missing…’

He had a focused look in his eyes the entire time, as sharp as an arrow. He was certain that there had been one hundred and one thugs a while ago, but now there were only ninety-six.

‘Well, not that it matters.’

He shrugged it off, as it was not his responsibility to catch all of them.

“Are you prepared to pay for the shitshow you put on today?” Han-Yeol asked.

“W-What do you mean?!”

“Bullshit!”

“Shut up!”

“Release our hyung-nim, now!”

Wooong!

“Aaack!”

Those were the thugs' final words as Han-Yeol unleashed his mana upon the Death Snake raid party members. It was an immense amount of mana that even C or B Rank Hunters would struggle to withstand.

“Kwaaak!”

“S-Stoooop!”

“Kuheok!”

The C Rank Hunters coughed up blood and collapsed, while the B Rank Hunters were completely immobilized.

Viper Dokgo Jin-Cheon's left-hand man observed the scene from a distance.

‘Fools... They didn't even realize that person was the renowned Master Rank Hunter, Lee Han-Yeol. Staying with these foolish thugs is indeed a poor choice.’

The moment he saw Han-Yeol, he promptly concealed himself among the riot police. He was, at best, a below-average A Rank Hunter, and he knew there was no way he could even dare to fight a Master Rank Hunter.

‘I suppose I'll have to quietly find a place to hide…’ he concluded that there was no future for the Death Snake raid party.

“Let’s go,” he quietly whispered to his lackeys who made it out with him.

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

They were about to quietly disappear when someone suddenly asked a question.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tak…

“Heok?!”

“Y-You are…!”

“T-Tayarana?!”

‘Crap! This is bad!’

They said that troubles tended to come in succession, and this was proving to be especially true for them. Just as they had barely managed to escape from Han-Yeol, they now found themselves face-to-face with Tayarana.

"You can't escape. Han-Yeol said that not a single one of you is allowed to get away."

“Ugh…”

“H-Hyung-nim…!”

“We… We surrender…”

Clang…! Clang…!

They dropped their weapons and raised their hands.

He might be a thug, but he wasn't stupid. ‘Struggling against a Master Rank Hunter is equivalent to suicide. I should find another way to survive later on…’

It was a given that the other thugs would surrender too, especially since their boss was surrendering.

“Please… spare us…”

Clang…!

“Tsk… So boring… Why don't you try putting up a fight before surrendering? Tayarana grumbled.

The thugs began sweating profusely.

‘That was a close one…’

‘We almost died today…’

The thugs breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that they had narrowly avoided a life-threatening situation.

“Phew…”

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol's situation was not as easily resolved as compared to Tayarana's side.

Thud!

“Krwaaaah!”

Han-Yeol’s side was full of pain and suffering.

“Argh..!”

The thugs' reluctance to give up only hastened their downfall.

“S-Spare me…!”

“Shut up!”

Bam!

Han-Yeol channeled even more mana.

“Grrwaaah!”

It was at that moment, just as Han-Yeol was about to conclude things, that dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

Krwaaaang!

The weather took a turn for the worse as lightning flashed across the sky.

"H-Huh? Was there rain in the forecast today?"

"No, not at all..."

However, the weather turned out to be the least of their concerns.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Powerful gusts of wind started blowing from all directions, eventually merging into a tornado.

Wooong...!

‘Mana?! Can this be caused by mana?!’ Han-Yeol was shocked upon realizing that this supernatural event was a result of mana.

‘What on earth is happening right now?!’

Kkrwaaaang!

Lightning flashed in the sky once more, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.