Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 156: Run Toward the Firmament (5)

Vrooom!

The non-combatants boarded the trucks and quickly escaped from the battlefield.

“Please be safe, oppa,” Yoo-Bi said.

It went without saying that Yoo-Bi was included among the non-combatants. She awakened, but she was a crafting type and not a combat type. There was a chance that she could have joined combat later on, but there was no time for that right then.

[All non-combatants and engineers have been evacuated, Mariam-nim.]

[Alright.]

Mariam closed her eyes after receiving the report, and then she explosively spread her mana all over the battlefield.

[Brain Network!]

It was one of her abilities. This skill allowed her to form a network with allied Hunters, akin to a spider's web, and she was going to be able to converse with them as if they were right beside her, even if they were quite a distance away.

Furthermore, she could transmit her thoughts and vision to the Hunters with whom she had frequently synchronized before.

This was considered one of the ultimate skills a raid party could possess when fighting in a large group. In fact, there were numerous other Egyptian and international raid parties that were putting forth their best efforts, hoping to recruit her away from the Horus raid party due to this remarkable ability.

Thud!

[The boss monster is coming.]

Gulp!

The Horus raid party had prepared various strategies and made numerous preparations for the battle, yet they couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer presence of the boss monster.

Ziing!

[Keuk!]

[It’s strong…]

[The boss monster’s mana is extremely dense and aggressive…]

[It seems like it’s trying to show that it's angry.]

[Phew…]

‘Haha… It’s probably mad because of what we did a while ago…’?Han-Yeol thought.

He was certain that the boss monster's pride had been wounded, assuming it possessed pride in the first place. However, it was challenging to determine whether the boss monster was truly angry or not, as its face remained calm.

[Han-Yeol.]

[Okay.]

“Let’s go, Mavros!”

“Kieeeek!”

Han-Yeol, Tayarana, and Mavros took flight once again.

Mariam deduced from observing the skirmish that engaging the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva head-on would result in significant casualties for their group, with their Hunters being crushed into pulp by the boss monster's powerful thousand arms.

Hence, she devised a strategy that placed great emphasis on Tayarana and Han-Yeol drawing the boss monster's attention through aggro.

[Listen up. The boss monster might be weakened the moment it loses all of its arms, so make sure you focus on eliminating its arms above anything else.]

[Yes, ma’am!]

‘As expected of Mariam. She already understands the entire situation.’?Han-Yeol was once again impressed by her intellect. She had managed to discern the weakness of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.

Indeed, with an IQ of 160, it was inconceivable that someone like Mariam would fail to grasp something that Han-Yeol had already realized.

Thud!

The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva was getting closer.

[W-What?!]

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!?

The Mana Detection Devices started going haywire and numerous dots started appearing on the screens.

Rumble… Rumble… Rumble…?

[W-What’s going on?!]

[It can’t be!]

The ground trembled as the twelve zodiac monsters began charging toward them. The Horus raid party found solace in the fact that they had already taken down the rabbit and dragon zodiac creatures earlier, and not all of the monsters were approaching simultaneously.

Among the zodiac monsters, the rat and bull emerged as the closest ones in the distance, swiftly making their way toward the raid party.

“Mooo!”

“Squeak! Squeak!”

Dudududu!

[What in the world…!]

[…]

Mariam stood in stunned silence, utterly taken aback by the unfolding events. This turn of events was completely unforeseen and fell outside the realm of her calculations. While she hadn't paid much attention to the other zodiac monsters due to their lack of reaction, she never imagined that they would suddenly spring into action without any prior warning.

[Mariam!] Han-Yeol urgently shouted.

He believed that Mariam was the only one capable of coming up with a solution to their current predicament.

However, she was too stunned to come up with any strategy. She was stuck in a dilemma. ‘Do we fight the zodiac monsters first or try and eliminate the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva as soon as possible…?’

It was too much for the Horus raid party to fight against both. However, they had no choice but to divide their forces.

[I-I apologize…]

[No, it’s not your fault. More importantly, what do you think? What should we do?]

[Our best option as of now is for Tayarana-nim and you, Han-Yeol-nim, to distract the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva while Mujahid-nim leads the Horus raid party to clean up the zodiac monsters. Then, we will combine our forces to hunt that boss monster down.]

[Alright, I’ll go with Tayarana and deal a big blow to the zodiac monsters before going to the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.]

[That will be very helpful.]

[Okay. Tara!]

Han-Yeol looked at Tayarana, and she immediately understood what he wanted to say.

The zodiac monsters were closing in at a rapid pace, even faster than the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva. This provided the Horus raid party with some breathing room, allowing them to prioritize dealing with the zodiac monsters first.

[Alright, Han-Yeol.]

[I’ll use Enhance on you, so use your strongest ability on them.]

[Sure, leave it to me.]

Kwachik!

‘Enhance!’?Han-Yeol crushed a mana stone he had gotten from the gigantic lizards and used Enhance on Tayarana.

Booom!

Tayarana zipped through the air like a bullet and brandished her sword.

[Sword of Horus.]

Chwaaaaaak!

Her sword unleashed a bright golden light, and it slowly started to get bigger and bigger.

‘His skill is amazing,’?Tayarana thought as she was very impressed by the effects of Enhance.

Under normal circumstances, the Sword of Horus would only extend by up to five meters. However, at this moment, it had expanded to an extraordinary length of almost eleven meters.

Tayarana gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve, ‘I can’t let his skill go to waste!’

She gathered her focus while hovering ten kilometers above the ground.

In this environment devoid of oxygen, Tayarana found herself able to breathe due to her Horus Suit, which possessed the capability to withstand the immense pressures of space and the depths of the ocean.

Whenever she utilized this skill and found herself in the silence of the stratosphere, Tayarana discovered it to be a truly calming and relaxing experience. It provided her with the perfect setting to engage in deep contemplation and introspection.

Now, there was only one thought on her mind, ‘I want to keep fighting alongside Han-Yeol.’

Although she had spent a relatively brief period hunting in South Korea compared to Egypt, Tayarana found her life in the former to be considerably more captivating. It wasn't because Egypt lacked anything in comparison to South Korea. In fact, Egypt boasted a multitude of expansive and diverse hunting grounds. However, the mere presence of Han-Yeol was sufficient to make her thoroughly enjoy her time in the country.

‘We have to beat the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva first.’

Ziiiing!

A red light flashed from the Horus Helmet, and Tayarana descended down to the ground like lightning.

Krwaaaaaaah!

The Horus Suit emitted a vibrant red glow as a result of the intense friction, yet it exhibited no indications of breaking. Designed to endure temperatures exceeding 8,000°C, the suit remained unfazed by the immense pressure exerted upon it.

Descending at a chilling velocity, Tayarana unleashed a powerful swing with her eleven-meter sword just as she neared the ground.

[Judgment of Horus!]

Chwak!

Then, the sound of space getting ripped apart reverberated all over the area as thousands of blades came raining down from the skies.

Krwhaaaaa!

An endless barrage of blades descended onto the ground.

“Kiiiiiik!”

“Mooooo!”

The hundreds of rats and bulls on the ground cried out in agony as they were ripped to shreds by Tayarana’s ultimate ability.

After receiving Han-Yeol's Enhance, Tayarana's ultimate ability had reached a level comparable to that of a Master Rank Hunter's ultimate ability.

The relentless assault had decimated the rat zodiac monsters, reducing their numbers to a mere third of their original count. Furthermore, half of the bull zodiac monsters lay incapacitated on the battlefield.

The overwhelming display of power was truly awe-inspiring, leaving anyone who witnessed it in a state of shock and terror.

‘T-This is how powerful this skill can be…?’?Tayarana thought in disbelief.

Despite having used her ability countless times before, she had never anticipated it to possess such immense power. She was well aware that her ability alone was not formidable enough to nearly eradicate the zodiac monsters in a single employment. The extraordinary outcome exceeded her expectations and left her in awe of her newfound strength.

[Wow…]

[A-Amazing!]

[Tayarana-nim is really strong!]

The Egyptian Hunters were also shocked by the display of Tayarana’s power.

‘So this is why Hunters who can use enhancement abilities are in demand…’?Tayarana thought.

The Horus raid party, backed by active sponsorship from the Egyptian Government, had only three Hunters capable of utilizing enhancement abilities. This highlighted the particular Hunters’ exorbitant cost. However, the drawback of these Hunters was their limited combat prowess, as they lacked substantial combat abilities.

In contrast, Han-Yeol stood out as a rare gem, possessing enhanced combat skills that surpassed those of the majority of other Hunters, despite also having the ability to use enhancements. This made him a valuable and exceptional asset within the team.

‘I noticed Han-Yeol-nim has been slowly preparing to become independent these days. I should prepare a solution for that,’?Mariam thought she should call the Egyptian Government and urge them to come up with an enticing offer while watching the incredible sight unfolding in front of her.

‘But all of that will come after we bring this monster down,’?she immediately redirected her focus back to the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.

Thud!

The Thousand Armed Bodhisattva was closing in on the Horus raid party while Tayarana and Han-Yeol were busy dealing with the zodiac monsters.

[Tayarana-nim. Han-Yeol-nim.]

[Okay.]

[Roger!]

The Horus raid party was now capable of dealing with the zodiac monsters now that Tayarana had significantly reduced their numbers.

The zodiac monsters possessed tremendous power, and engaging in a simultaneous battle against two of them would spell disaster for the Horus raid party. If they were to triumph against the zodiac monsters, the raid party would be left severely weakened and injured, making them ill-prepared to confront the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva. This was precisely why the combination of Tayarana and Han-Yeol proved to be crucial, as it provided a decisive advantage for the raid party.

‘At least we managed to stop the worst-case scenario from happening,’?Mariam thought before she gave the command.

[All forces, ATTACK!]

[WAAAAAAAH!]

The Horus raid party’s morale was now at an all-time high after seeing the divine punishment Tayarana had delivered, and they valiantly charged at the monsters that were still in a groggy state.

Even Mariam, who normally used to stay in the backlines and support the raid party, actively participated in this battle.

[Mind Control!]

“Moooo!”

Mariam took control of a bull and made it run amok against its own. She continued using her telepathic abilities to disrupt the enemy forces, and the zodiac monsters were helpless against her mental attacks.

She did not deal any direct physical damage against her targets, but her ability to make them disrupt their own allies was far more beneficial than any other ability.

Puk! Kwachik!

“K-Kiek!”

Mujahid smashed his fist into a bull’s head after it was exhausted from Mariam’s mental attack.

[Your skill makes you as beautiful as ever, Mariam!]

Wink!

Mujahid winked at Mariam after eliminating the bull.

Kwachik!

Upon hearing his words, a cross-shaped vein bulged on Mariam’s forehead, but she managed to suppress her anger, considering the ongoing battle. However, it was clear that she harbored intentions of seeking retribution from him, whether sooner or later.

[Press on! We have to clean up here quickly and go assist Tayarana-nim and Han-Yeol-nim!]

[Leave it to me! I’ll beat them to a pulp!]

[Increase the intensity of your flames before saying anything else!]

[Hahaha! You noticed me?!]

Kwachik! Kwachik!

Mujahid’s carefree personality was too stressful for Mariam to deal with.

[Mujahid-nim!]

[Keke! My bad~ I’ll fight properly now~]

Pak! Boom!

Mujahid was finally going to get serious from now on.