Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 197: The Phenomenal Hunter (3)

Sukeok! Thud!

“Gwuoooh!”

The Snowman roared in agony and writhed on the ground, repeatedly attempting to get up but failing due to its severed limbs throwing off the balance of its massive body.

Han-Yeol had a compelling reason to incapacitate the monster instead of killing it—to preserve its life. The Snowman was one of the rare creatures that possessed a valuable material within its body, known as the Frozen Mana Shard.

Weapons and armor forged from this material acquired unique attributes. For instance, armor crafted with Frozen Mana Shard would gain resistance against ice-based attacks, while weapons would be imbued with the power of ice, inflicting icy damage upon enemies. Consequently, equipment made from this material was highly sought after by Hunters who relied on physical prowess.

However, there was a significant hurdle in obtaining the Frozen Mana Shard: it could only be extracted while the Snowman was alive.

‘Tsk… It's such an annoying material to get,’?Han-Yeol grumbled.

Han-Yeol was dumbfounded when he first discovered the process of obtaining the Frozen Mana shards on the internet. It was not as simple as stumbling upon a hidden material; rather, it had to be extracted specifically from a Snowman's body while it was still alive.

He couldn't help but ponder whether this method was devised by some omnipotent being with a truly sadistic taste.

After restraining the movements of the Snowman, Han-Yeol shifted his attention to Mavros, who was still engaged in battle.

"Kiiieeek!"

Mavros had no trouble fighting against both Snowmen simultaneously, and it became even easier after Han-Yeol dealt with one of them.

Feeling relieved that everything was under control on Mavros' side, Han-Yeol sighed and redirected his focus to the limbless and incapacitated Snowman on the ground. He mounted the Snowman, and the monster thrashed violently in an attempt to shake the human off.

.

"Hey, will you hold still? Restrain!" Han-Yeol grumbled in annoyance as he activated his crowd control skill.

Shwiiiik...!

Han-Yeol's chain slithered and coiled around the monster's body like a snake, constricting it like a predator preparing to feast on its prey.

“Gwuooooh!!”?the Snowman roared in anger.

The monster's instincts screamed at it to resist being bound, and it exerted every ounce of its strength in a desperate attempt to break free from the chains.

Han-Yeol noticed that the creature's arms were slowly regenerating.

‘I don’t have much time,’?Han-Yeol realized.

Shooowsh…!

Han-Yeol climbed atop the struggling Snowman and began hacking away with his sword at what he believed to be the creature's heart, based on what he had seen on the internet.

Chaak…! Chaak…! Chaak…!

“GWUOOOH!” the Snowman roared out in agony.

Han-Yeol felt like he was digging through a pile of snow, but the same couldn't be said for the Snowman. It thrashed violently in agony, torn apart and unable to escape with both of its arms missing and tightly bound by the chains.

Harvesting organs from living beings was typically considered unethical or even abhorrent. However, when the subject in question was not a human or an animal, but rather a dangerous monster that posed a threat to humanity, the situation changed. In such cases, nobody would bat an eye or criticize Han-Yeol for his current actions.

‘There will always be people who get upset. After all, there are those who follow the misguided cult known as Monsterism, believing that the Earth will be reborn under the leadership of monsters once humanity perishes. I'm certain that if those individuals witnessed what I'm doing right now, they would be outraged,’?Han-Yeol thought.

Monsterism emerged as one of the new religions following the appearance of dimensional gates. Originating from Japan, it swiftly gained millions of followers worldwide. Although labeled as the most dubious and potentially dangerous cult among those that worshiped monsters, it didn't pose a significant threat, prompting governments to take no action. After all, religious freedom was still considered a human right, and their beliefs, no matter how absurd, were categorized as a religion.

Moreover, the only "dangerous activity" the cult engaged in was posting inflammatory comments online regarding Hunters.

Chwak!

Badump! Badump!

Han-Yeol continued digging through the final layer of snow, revealing the monster's heart, which beat wildly. It appeared as a stunning jewel, intricately crafted with shades of white, blue, and sky blue.

‘Woah… Not only is this valuable as a crafting material, but it could also fetch a good price when turned into a gemstone,’?Han-Yeol thought as he admired the beauty of the Snowman’s heart.

It would be an understatement to say that the current global gemstones market was dominated by mana gemstones.

Mana stones had versatile applications: they could serve as an energy source, be used in construction, or be transformed into exquisite gemstones, depending on the processing method.

On the other hand, mana gemstones were renowned for their simple colors and patterns. Despite their unassuming appearance, they offered incredible benefits to the wearer, greatly enhancing their health and vitality by simply adorning them.

This was precisely why these gemstones were highly coveted by wealthy individuals, despite their hefty price tags. Whenever news broke of a new luxury mana gemstone accessory being available, numerous affluent individuals would flock to auction houses in a rush.

Crafting mana gemstones was an exclusive skill possessed only by a select group of production-type Hunters. Whenever they completed a new masterpiece, they would garner immense attention and admiration from around the world.

Tak… Chwak!

“Geuuk…?Ughhh…”?The Snowman gasped its last breath and died as Han-Yeol pulled out its jewel-like heart.

The Egyptian Manager, who was looking at Han-Yeol from afar, tilted his head in confusion. He muttered in confusion, [What is he doing?]

[Manager-nim is something wrong?] the Porter asked.

[No, I’m just confused about why Han-Yeol-nim is doing our job right now,] the Manager answered.

[What do you mean?] the Porters asked once again.

[We could have easily extracted the Snowman heart, or rather, the Frozen Mana Crystal, when we dismembered the corpse later... I have no idea why he is in such a hurry to do the work himself?] The Manager was confused, unable to comprehend Han-Yeol's actions.

Among foreigners, the Frozen Mana Crystal was commonly referred to as the Snowman Heart. That's why the Manager used the term Snowman Heart. Koreans, on the other hand, called it Frozen Mana Crystal because of its crystal-like beauty.

[Well, maybe he was just curious and wanted to see the heart for himself? It looks incredibly beautiful in the picture,] the Porter suggested.

[No, even if you try to explain it that way, what I don't understand is why he had to extract the heart while the Snowman was still alive?] the Manager grumbled, sounding repulsed.

[What?!] the Porter exclaimed, surprised by the Manager's words, and looked at him in utter shock.

[Why would he do such a thing?]

[How would I know?] The Manager was slightly annoyed by the ridiculous question.

[Well, I heard rumors about Han-Yeol-nim's strange personality, but I never imagined it would be this strange. To think that he would extract the heart without even killing the monster… I’m not sure if he’s going to be a good influence on Mujahid-nim...] the Manager said.

The Manager wasn't speaking ill of Han-Yeol. It was simply that extracting a living creature's heart was a highly controversial act. Some people might overlook it because the creature was a monster, but most would agree that Han-Yeol had gone too far.

[H-Hold on... I heard there was a satire article circulating on the Korean forums about the Snowman Heart... Don't tell me he fell for it...] the Porter muttered.

That satire article had spread like wildfire across the internet, becoming known as the most outrageous joke of the week.

As it turned out, the person who posted the satire article had admitted, just a few hours later, that it was all a joke. The individual revealed themselves as a mere E Rank Hunter, sharing the article as a way to vent their frustrations due to recent hunting difficulties.

The incident was ultimately dismissed as a humorous prank, and people soon forgot about it.

The Manager refused to believe that Han-Yeol would fall victim to such childish jokes.

[Haha... No way, you know very well that the truth was revealed, and that article received a lot of criticism even in Korea, where satire is a part of their culture. I mean, does it make any sense that an item needs to be extracted while the monster is alive? Not to mention, the monster in question isn't a low-tier one but a high-tier creature, and only Master Rank Hunters like Han-Yeol-nim would be capable of obtaining such an item. Besides, there are already a few Snowman Hearts circulating in the market, right? So that article was undoubtedly just nonsense.]

[Well, that is true, but it is too much of a coincidence,] the Porter commented.

[I understand that it can lead to some misunderstandings, but it's ridiculous to speculate about. Anyway, it looks like the battle is about to end. Go inform all the Porters to stop resting and prepare to get to work,] the Manager ordered.

[Yes, sir!] the Porter replied.

Having received the instructions from the Manager, the Porter turned around and headed toward the resting area where the other Porters were. He relayed the instructions for them to get up and prepare their equipment.

The well-trained Porters promptly rose to their feet and swiftly began gathering their gear.

[Hurry up!]

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol concluded his hunt, and Mavros unleashed his magic for the final time.

“Kieeeek!”

Swhoooosh… Kaboom!

“Gwuooooh!”

One of the black dragon’s main skills, Poison Breath, completely engulfed the Snowman.

“Gwuoooh…”?

The Snowman fell backward with a thud after getting holes drilled all over its body.

Thud…!

“Kieeeek!” Mavros raised his head and cried out in victory.

It was the cry of the monster fabled to be the most powerful, the dragon.

‘I hope to never meet a real dragon if a mini dragon is already this strong,’?Han-Yeol thought.

Fortunately for him, there had been no instances of dragons emerging from the dimensional gates or appearing in any commonly known hunting grounds. If a mythical dragon were sighted, it would instantly attract global attention, as the very presence of this legendary creature would be synonymous with a worldwide death sentence.

The destruction caused by this creature, existing only in legends, would undoubtedly lead to a global catastrophe. It would be an immense challenge to subdue it, no matter how many Master Rank Hunters joined forces.

Initially, the Korean government celebrated when the dimensional rifts unleashed the boss monsters. The country's credit rating skyrocketed, attracting a rush of foreign investments. However, where there is light, there are bound to be shadows.

The nation had to invest significant manpower, money, and deploy all of its Master Rank Hunters to combat the boss monsters. While the Master Rank Hunters were compensated with spoils and the remains of the defeated monsters, easing financial burdens, the fact that over thirty percent of the raid participants lost their lives inflicted considerable damage on the country's forces.

The complete annihilation of the Swastika Guild, for instance, dealt a severe blow to South Korea, especially as the country was already experiencing a decline in the number of active Hunters. Speculations arose about whether the country could recover from such devastating losses.

This serious issue had the potential to impact the economy and overall power of the nation if the government and Hunters' Association failed to find a solution.

Thud!

Meanwhile, Mujahid and Furion’s bodies were set ablaze by a ferocious fire.

Fwaaaah!

It was one of Mujahid’s signature skills, the Dokkaebi Ember.

Seuk…

Mujahid wiped the blood dripping from his mouth with the back of his hand, skillfully evading the spear swung by the Ice Troll.

In response, the Ice Troll swung its club, seemingly anticipating Mujahid's evasion.

Although Mujahid clearly saw the incoming club, he intentionally allowed himself to be struck by it. While avoiding the monster's spear was crucial to prevent a critical wound, getting hit by the club served his purpose of increasing his ember count.

"Kyaaaooooh!" The Ice Troll let out a cry of victory, believing it had won.

The other Ice Trolls followed suit, assuming the puny human would soon become their meal. Little did they realize the smile on the human's face.

[Heh, you're quite strong, I'll give you that. Igniting three embers was quite a challenge for the monster rabbits, but you managed to do it in such a short time.]

"Kyaoh?" The Ice Troll tilted its head in confusion.

Of course, it couldn't comprehend Mujahid's words. It lacked the intelligence to understand human language, let alone the language from a country thousands of miles away from its place of origin.

[I express my gratitude for igniting my embers, and before you meet your demise, there's something I want to share with you.] Mujahid's chilling smirk accompanied his words.