Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 160: A Miracle Occurs (4)

Tayarana's words reverberated throughout the entire Horus raid party, leaving them utterly stunned. While she had already possessed considerable strength, her claim of feeling even stronger now suggested that something extraordinary had taken place—an occurrence that could only be described as a miracle.

[T-That means…?]

[T-Tayarana-nim is finally a Ra Rank Hunter?!]

[A-Amazing!]

[Tayarana-nim!]

Mariam immediately ran up to Tayarana after realizing that there was not going to be any explosion. She asked with a worried gaze, [A-Are you alright, Tayarana-nim?]

Tayarana smiled in response.

Despite Mariam being comparatively weaker, the unwavering dedication she displayed in protecting Tayarana amused her. It was evident to Tayarana that Mariam's actions stemmed from a deep affection and love for her, which she found endearing and adorable.

What Mariam was unaware of, however, was that Tayarana regarded her as a sister. While Mariam felt a strong impulse to protect Tayarana, Tayarana reciprocated the sentiment and acted as a shield for Mariam as well. Their bond was one of mutual guardianship and care.

[Yeah, it’s perfect. No, I actually feel much better. I can feel an even more powerful mana flowing inside me right now.]

Tayarana gazed at her own hands, alternating between clenching and relaxing them. Then, she cast a meaningful glance in Mariam's direction. Sensing the urgency in Tayarana's expression, Mariam promptly drew closer, realizing that Tayarana had something important to convey.

[I actually learned two new skills.]

[What?! H-How?!]

Mariam blurted out an exclamation, but quickly recognized her error and fell silent. The words she had just heard were difficult for her to comprehend, so she mustered the courage to ask for clarification.

[How is it possible that you suddenly acquired two additional skills? There have never been any reports of such an event occurring before!]

Mariam had access to most reports submitted by academia to the royal court, and she made sure to read each one whenever she had the time. However, this was the first time she had encountered information about a Hunter learning more than three skills after awakening.

‘Han-Yeol-nim was only able to acquire additional abilities due to his flexible awakening, so he is more of an anomaly... But there have never been any reports of an ordinary Hunter suddenly gaining new skills after growing stronger,’ Mariam pondered. She couldn't fathom an explanation for what was happening to Tayarana.

Driven by a sense of urgency, Mariam decided that they had to travel to Egypt as soon as possible. She believed that Egypt held the key to unraveling the mystery surrounding Tayarana's unprecedented development.

[I have no idea myself, but I have a hunch…]

[What is it?]

A small hint was going to be extremely helpful to them, so Mariam listened intently no matter how unbelievable the hunch was.

[Han-Yeol.]

[!!!]

Mariam was once again taken aback when Tayarana mentioned Han-Yeol's name. With her intellect far surpassing that of most people, she immediately grasped the implications of Tayarana's words and began formulating numerous hypotheses in her mind.

[That means… No… That should not be possible…]

Mariam deemed the hypotheses in her mind to be seemingly impossible, no matter how much she pondered their validation. Yet, it was not just skepticism that held her back; she also harbored a deep-seated fear of the potential repercussions from academia if she were to acknowledge these hypotheses.

While Han-Yeol appeared more intriguing than awe-inspiring, he possessed the potential to usher in a new chapter in the history of Hunters if Mariam's hypotheses proved to be correct.

[Tayarana-nim.]

Mariam looked at her with a serious expression. Tayarana knew what Mariam was going to say so she simply nodded and replied, [Yeah, let’s go pay a visit to Egypt once everything is wrapped up.]

[I understand, Tayarana-nim.]

The Horus raid party's boss raid reached its conclusion with the triumphant defeat of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva, and Tayarana ascended to the prestigious rank of Master Rank Hunter.

***

Thankfully, Han-Yeol regained consciousness after thirty minutes. His fainting episode was primarily attributed to the rapid depletion of his mana pool, resulting from the excessive use of mana. As his body gradually replenished its mana reserves, he regained consciousness.

[Are you awake?]

[Mujahid…]

The person taking care of Han-Yeol during his recovery was none other than Mujahid. Although Mariam would have been expected to attend to him, she was occupied in a discussion with Tayarana. As a result, Mujahid stepped in to fill the role in her absence.

[Waking up and immediately seeing a guy's face is the worst feeling ever...]

[You’re being too mean, hyung-nim…]

[Hahaha! I’m just joking.]

[Sure…]

Mujahid, despite being a prince, had a tarnished image. He didn't exhibit the expected demeanor of royalty. In fact, he was carefree, easy-going, and overly hyperactive, qualities that were not typically associated with someone of his noble status.

Nevertheless, Han-Yeol did not look down on him. He recognized Mujahid as a shrewd individual who knew how to enjoy his wealth. On a whim, Mujahid would have his meals flown in from Europe, and he treated the most luxurious hotel in South Korea as if it were a mere motel. While carefree in nature, he possessed the ability to assert his wealth and authority over others.

Mujahid extended his hand toward Han-Yeol. [It's time to get up, hyung-nim. The Vice Leader of the Horus raid party can't be lying on the ground during this historic moment we've achieved with this miraculous victory.]

[Well, I guess you’re right.]

Tak!

With Mujahid's support, Han-Yeol managed to regain his footing. Though he still felt a slight dizziness, it wasn't severe enough to prevent him from walking.

As Han-Yeol raised his gaze, he noticed a line of trucks bearing the insignia of the Horus raid party. It appeared that they had arrived upon hearing news of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva's defeat.

‘It’s really over…’?Han-Yeol thought with a smile after realizing the impossible battle against the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva had ended with their victory.

***

There was nothing left for Han-Yeol to do now that the battle was over. The Horus raid party established their base camp near the location where the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva was defeated, and the Egyptian Government promptly dispatched a group of specialists and Porters to support them.

The appearance of these boss monsters garnered significant international attention, particularly due to their exclusive occurrence in South Korea. Initially, the South Korean Government and Hunters' Association were filled with excitement, envisioning the potential benefits that could be derived from these bosses. However, their optimism soon turned to panic when they realized the formidable nature of the boss monsters.

Furthermore, the failure of the Swastika Guild added to the chaos within the association, prompting them to desperately seek assistance from a foreign raid party. However, their confusion deepened when they received news of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva's defeat by the Horus raid party, a group that did not include any Master Rank Hunters.

When Manager Kim Cha-Il reported that the Horus raid party was exerting their utmost efforts in raiding the boss monster, the association's higher-ups mocked them. After all, even the top raid party in Korea, led by the renowned Hallasan Monster Kim Tae-San, was still engaged in battling the Volcano Tortoise on Jeju Island.

Needless to say, the Hunters' Association was currently in a state of emergency.

“What?! They refuse to hand over the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva’s remains to us? Is that true?!”

This became the primary source of the issue. Initially, the Hunters' Association was in a state of disarray, but they saw an opportunity to conduct research on the boss monster since it had already been defeated by the Horus raid party. However, their plans took an unexpected turn when the Horus raid party declined to surrender the remains of the boss monster.

Instead, the Horus raid party decided to dispatch their own research team from Egypt to analyze the boss monster. This decision surprised and puzzled the Hunters' Association, as they had anticipated taking control of the research themselves.

“Y-Yes… That woman named Mariam personally contacted us…”

Bam!

“Damn it…! How dare they covet what belongs to us! Do they have any idea how much that monster corpse is worth?!” The association’s executive chewed his cigar in half and slammed his fist into the table. “Hey! Do we have any legal basis to snatch it away from them? I know they defeated it, but they’re foreigners! This is South Korea! This is our country!”

“T-That is… International laws dictate that the monster corpses and mana stones belong to the foreign raid party as long as they legally hunted the monster. We could forcefully take it away from them, but I think our diplomatic relationship with Egypt is going to take a hit. Our government has already invested more than thirty billion dollars in Egypt, and all of that money could disappear if we do something rash right now.”

"This will also severely damage our country's reputation. No, it will be tarnished beyond repair. We might even have to consider recalling all our Hunters stationed in Africa, given Egypt's significant influence in the region.”

In the present era, even with the independence of nations, it was impossible to ignore international laws and treaties. While regional alliances had dissipated after the appearance of Dimensional Gates, countries still maintained amicable relationships through their respective Hunters' Associations. The absence of regional alliances allowed countries the freedom to negotiate directly with one another.

However, Africa stood as an exception due to its ongoing struggles with poverty. Egypt, as the primary provider of aid to African countries, held significant influence over the entire region. In fact, Africa was the only continent that had strengthened its regional alliance while others disbanded theirs. There was a saying in Africa that any country seeking to make deals with an African nation had to first go through Egypt.

Africa boasted abundant hunting grounds that its own countries were unable to subdue, offering immense opportunities for developed nations to benefit from. South Korea was among the countries that greatly reaped the benefits of hunting in Africa.

Given the limited land area of South Korea compared to its population, the country consistently faced issues of overcrowding in hunting grounds. To tackle this challenge, the government devised a solution: dispatching their Hunters on expeditions to other countries in need, simultaneously addressing the problem of overcrowding in their homeland.

"Ugh... Our economy is already in dire straits these days... It will be a nightmare if the supply of mana stones from Africa comes to a halt.”

"That is indeed a valid concern.”

“Sigh…”

Creak!

The executive pulled down his necktie and leaned on his chair.

"What do you think? Are there any possibilities of negotiations?"

"Yes, I believe it will be difficult. I instructed Manager Kim to attempt negotiations again, but they dismissed us and demanded that we retrieve the remains of the other six boss monsters if we wanted one."

"That bitch... I never liked her from the start."

The retired association executive had been a B Rank Hunter during his active years and had grown arrogant after securing his position within the association.

In his personal life, he had divorced his wife for aging too quickly and had set out to find a younger replacement. Taking advantage of his ex-Hunter status and executive position, he manipulated and toyed with numerous women who sought to be in his favor.

However, when he first encountered Mariam, a B Rank Hunter with a different charm than Korean women, she responded to his advances with a string of curses that left him deeply humiliated. But now, seeing her thriving with the Horus raid party, he couldn't bear to watch.

After all, he was accustomed to always getting what he wanted.

“So, are you just going to stand and watch as a foreign raid party steals the first boss from right under our noses? Are you really that incompetent?!”

He knew very well that there were going to be severe diplomatic repercussions if he forcefully stole the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva from the Horus raid party, but he could not simply sit by and watch them take it away.

“N-No… I will be instructing Manager Kim to keep negotiating with them. I will definitely buy the corpse from them no matter how much it costs.”

“That’s the answer I want to hear. Now get out.”

“Yes, director-nim.” The manager bowed and left the office.

The executive angrily chewed what remained of his cigar while thinking, ‘Just you wait, Horus raid party… I’m going to definitely pay you back for this shame!’

He was not mad and was petty for being rejected by Mariam. Absolutely not.

***

“Ah… I’m bored…” Han-Yeol grumbled after waking up early in the morning in Mount Toham.

The hunt may have concluded, but the responsibilities of the Horus raid party were far from over. The corpse of the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva held immense value, and it was crucial for them to safeguard it until the arrival of the research team and Porters from Egypt.

Whiiiiiing!

[Hurry up boys!]

[We have a lot to dismember today!]

[How do we dismember this…?]

[Beats me…]

The Porters of the Horus raid party were up early in the morning, diligently dismembering the corpses of the two zodiac monsters summoned by the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva during the fight—the rat and the bull. They quickly assembled a makeshift processing facility on the field to expedite their work.

[But where did Mujahid-nim go?]

[I heard that he went hunting the remaining zodiac monsters with a detachment force.]

[Wow... He's truly remarkable. He's back in battle again after fighting so much yesterday?]

[I know right…]

Han-Yeol inadvertently overheard the conversation among the Porters, as the surroundings of Mount Toham were still relatively calm. He wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but the conversation happened to catch his attention.

‘That brat…’?Han-Yeol knew why Mujahid set out to hunt today. ‘I’m sure he feels pressured after hearing that Tayarana might have awakened as a Master Rank Hunter.’?

He knew very well that Mujahid held great pride in his power and rank.

While Mujahid knew he couldn't defeat Tayarana in a one-on-one battle due to their different combat styles, he was determined not to lose to her in terms of strength. However, her sudden advancement to a Master Rank Hunter widened the gap between them, which likely left Mujahid conflicted.

‘Well, hunting for another day won't make him instantly stronger, but I hope it brings him some peace…’?

.

Han-Yeol strongly believed that releasing stress immediately was the best approach in life. After all, holding onto stress and letting it explode later at an inconvenient time would affect those around you.