Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 181: Best Auction of All Time (2)

The common people welcomed the sudden influx of foreigners to the country as they boosted the local economy in various ways. However, the local Hunters were not so happy about it.

"It's annoying that those foreigners are running around in our country."

"Ha! They might be the best Hunters in their own countries, but this is our home turf!"

Four Master Rank Hunters gathered together to express their discontent with the situation. In South Korea, there were six Master Rank Hunters, evenly divided into two groups. Two of them were loyal followers of Kim Tae-San, while the other three cooperated with each other but did not consider themselves teammates.

The other three Master Rank Hunters were also members of the Hunter Assembly, but they never participated in any events or were seen near the assembly.

.

To most people, it seemed like a stalemate in terms of power balance. However, those who were well-informed knew the truth behind the matter: Kim Tae-San's faction was slightly stronger due to their cooperation, while the other three Hunters were independent.

"Don't you think we should do something about this, Chairman?" one of the Hunters asked, addressing Kim Tae-San with respect.

Kim Tae-San was the top-ranking Hunter in South Korea, hence the formal title.

"Hmm…"

"Can you say something instead of muttering like that? Don't you think we need to take action against these foreigners trying to act like big shots in our country?"

The Master Rank Hunters despised the foreigners for what they perceived as an invasion of their country, leaving marks everywhere they went like dogs.

"Haa... There's nothing we can do about it. Over three hundred Master Rank Hunters have come to Korea, and we're just four. What can we possibly do?"

"Hey, I didn't say we should take action right now. I'm just frustrated with the whole situation."

"I've told you countless times to control your temper. You never seem to listen..."

These two bickering Master Rank Hunters were childhood friends. They had awakened their abilities at different times, but their friendship remained intact.

"Hey, Chairman. Don't you think that Lee Han-Yeol kid is hogging all the limelight? I feel like we should've taken the risk and eliminated him when he was dueling the twins."

Crack…!

Kim Tae-San clenched his teeth. "I will crush that punk. I won't be so forgiving the next time an opportunity arises."

"Good luck with that," the Hunter muttered under his breath.

They had gathered to discuss the influx of foreign Hunters into South Korea, but the conversation inevitably shifted to Han-Yeol. It was unavoidable to talk about him since he had captured the interest of both awakened and ordinary people, monopolizing their attention.

Han-Yeol was a disruptive force, shaking up the long-established Hunter community in South Korea. The executives of the Hunter community, who were resistant to change that could potentially strip them of their power, would never warmly welcome him.

***

Days passed, and finally, the day of the auction arrived.

Han-Yeol took the opportunity to fully rest and recover until the day of the auction. He was aware that resting too much wasn't beneficial, but he still felt fatigued from the raid against the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.

Loitering around his spacious mansion felt like a slice of heaven, but he couldn't stay at ease indefinitely. The burning desire to go out and engage in battles lingered within him.

‘I should probably go hunt with Mujahid after the auction,’?he thought as he felt bad for neglecting Mujahid.

He had accepted Mujahid as his disciple, yet he hadn't gone on any hunts with him. Mujahid had been pleading to go hunting, but Han-Yeol had turned him down in favor of rest, adding to his sense of guilt.

Knock! Knock!?

Albert knocked on the door and informed him, “It is now time to go, Han-Yeol-nim.”

“Ah, thanks, Albert.”

Han-Yeol could have waited until the evening before leaving his mansion, considering that the auction was scheduled to take place then. However, Secretary Kim informed him that some of the VVIPs had already gathered in the main hall of the S Hotel, and others were exploring the premises. Therefore, Han-Yeol had to go and greet them as a matter of formality.

‘I guess they really want to get their hands on a monster pet,’?Han-Yeol thought with a smirk.

“Kyu!”

Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap!?

Mavros was engrossed in devouring a whole raw chicken, but as soon as he sensed Han-Yeol's imminent departure, he swiftly flew toward his head. The black dragon had grown to a point where he could fly without shifting into combat mode, although his miniature form limited his flight duration due to his small wings.

"Haha, don't worry, Mavros. I'm not going to leave you behind," Han-Yeol reassured as he affectionately patted the black dragon's head.

Since the auction focused on selling monster pets, it made perfect sense for Mavros to accompany Han-Yeol. He wasn't an ordinary pet but a combat-capable monster pet. News and rumors about Mavros actively participating in battles acted as a magnet, attracting VVIPs from around the world to this auction.

Powerful Hunters were aware that their growth potential was predetermined, prompting them to invest significantly to enhance their combat prowess, even if by a small margin. Moreover, they were already wealthy enough that money was no longer an obstacle as long as it contributed to their quest for greater power.

Hence, a monster pet capable of aiding them in combat was nothing short of a treasure in their eyes.

As the car came to a halt, Purva hopped out to open the door for Han-Yeol.

"Thanks," Han-Yeol acknowledged.

"You're welcome," Purva replied, his eyes brimming with respect for Han-Yeol after the incident at the Hunter Assembly event.

‘Haha… This guy…’?Han-Yeol found Purva’s gaze to be a bit burdensome, but he completely understood how the man felt.

“Welcome, Han-Yeol-nim.”

“Hi, Secretary Kim.”

Secretary Kim was already outside waiting for Han-Yeol.

Once Han-Yeol entered the hotel lobby, he was suddenly approached by someone.

“Lee Han-Yeol Hunter-nim?”

“Hmm?” Han-Yeol turned toward the familiar voice.

“Oh?”

“Hi~,” the person said with a wink.

Wink!

“S-Scarlett…?”

The agent assigned to a mission on Jeju Island stood before Han-Yeol. She wore a form-fitting black dress that accentuated her figure and cleavage. With a smile, she approached him.

"Hehe! You look very surprised," she remarked.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on a mission in Jeju Island," Han-Yeol inquired.

Both of them led busy lives, resulting in infrequent contact. However, they maintained communication to keep each other updated. Their relationship was primarily physical, resembling friends with benefits rather than a couple.

"Hoho! I had no plans to come here, but the higher-ups asked me to attend this auction. It seems they want me to keep an eye on your every move."

"That sounds good to me." Han-Yeol walked toward her and embraced her.

Scarlett, around ten centimeters shorter than Han-Yeol, complemented him nicely in height.

"I've been frustrated lately, so shall we spend some time together after the auction?"

"Oh~ I'm always up for a night with Han-Yeol~"

"Great!" Han-Yeol exclaimed happily.

Scarlett smiled, unable to hide her blushing cheeks.

Hunters were known to possess higher libidos than ordinary people, but the pleasure derived from their encounters was the same, despite differences in stamina and strength.

Scarlett regarded Han-Yeol as having quite the prowess in bed, and she believed he would rank highly if Hunters were ranked based on their performance in that realm. She always welcomed a night spent with a man like him.

Together, Han-Yeol and Scarlett entered the S Hotel. The hotel buzzed with a diverse crowd that would undoubtedly attract media attention. However, Han-Yeol ensured that the auction would proceed without the presence of any media outlets.

The auction attendees comprised influential figures who preferred to avoid the spotlight. Consequently, the S Hotel made every effort to restrict media personnel from entering the premises.

It was something the hotel would have never done since the media backlash could deal quite a blow to their image, but that did not matter this time as they could simply say that their customer, Han-Yeol, requested for such actions to be taken.

There was not a single reporter around the hotel’s vicinity, so nobody was able to get this exclusive scoop on Han-Yeol and Scarlett.

‘W-Wow… She’s beautiful…!’

‘He can nonchalantly wrap his arms around a beauty like her… He is indeed on a whole different level…’

However, the hotel staff observed the physical intimacy between the two of them.

Scarlett, arguably more beautiful than most Hollywood actresses, elevated Han-Yeol's appearance, making him appear even more successful. It should have been the other way around, considering Scarlett was a B Rank Hunter while Han-Yeol had achieved the status of Master Rank Hunter.

However, the hotel staff didn't focus on their respective ranks; instead, they were intrigued by the fact that an average-looking man like Han-Yeol managed to capture the attention of a beauty like Scarlett.

“Oh right…”

“Hmm?”

“You can only speak Arabic and Korean, right, Han-Yeol?”

“Yeah, but does your organization dig up those kinds of information too?”

“Of course! You better not look down on our organization’s ability to gather intelligence.”

Han-Yeol knew that Scarlett’s codename was Black Swan, but he had no idea what her organization’s name was as she had never disclosed it to him.

“Ugh…?I don't appreciate your tendency to pry into other people's secrets, but I'll overlook it for now to avoid making an enemy out of the United States. Besides, I know that telling you to stop won't actually make a difference...”

“Bingo! I’m just following orders as well, so I hope you won’t have any hard feelings over it.”

“Sure, sure~ How can I say anything against what our beloved American brothers are doing?”

"Hehe... It may not be much, but I'll be your translator for the day, so don't be too upset, okay?" she offered.

"Hmm... We have guests from all over the world today. Can you handle all of the translations?" Han-Yeol inquired.

Han-Yeol had already arranged for translators from the S Hotel. While he was confident in his ability to communicate with guests from the Middle East, he recognized the need for translators to assist with guests from other countries. However, he never expected someone to volunteer to be his translator for the day.

"I may be a B Rank Hunter, but my agent ranking is A, you know? I'm quite fluent in most major languages around the world," Scarlett proudly stated.

The organization she belonged to was not a combat-oriented group. Instead, it resembled the CIA, consisting of awakened beings rather than ordinary individuals. Their agents were deployed worldwide to carry out covert operations.

While their agents were capable of undertaking assassination missions, such assignments were extremely rare. They would only resort to such actions when absolutely necessary. If possible, they preferred to delegate assassination tasks to specialized organizations.

The United States had an "Assassins' Guild" that operated as mercenaries, offering their services to eliminate targets globally in exchange for a fee. The US government utilized them to carry out target eliminations discreetly.

"I'll appreciate it if you can assist me. It saves me from constantly changing translators every time I interact with someone from a different country," Han-Yeol replied, shrugging. He then called out, "Secretary Kim."

"Yes, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim?" Secretary Kim responded.

"Inform the S Hotel that I won't be requiring their translators anymore," Han-Yeol instructed.

"Yes, I will relay your message to them immediately," Secretary Kim replied with a bow before promptly heading off to convey the message.

“Oh, right… Hey, Scarlett.”

“Hmm?”

“You know that your government ordered ten monster pets, right?”

“Ah, of course, I know about that. That’s probably the reason why they asked me to watch you today.”

"Why are they being so difficult? Can't they just pay me and buy it directly?"

"Hoho~ They're probably just testing the waters at the moment, but you'll see that won't be the case for long. I have a feeling you'll be able to secure more than three trillion won today."

“Do you think so?”

“Without a doubt.”

Scarlett’s opinion seemed to be different from that of the United States government.