Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 219: A Short Rest (5)

Yoo-Bi’s invention was truly shocking as it stood to elevate the world's technological standard to a new level once completed. In fact, it might be even more astounding than the monster pets Han-Yeol had hatched. The monster pets were limited to the ones Han-Yeol sold them to, but this technology was different.

“No way! This is still incomplete, and it didn't turn out the way I intended it to be. I wanted to create a minigun mounted on your shoulders, but it proved quite challenging to mount mini-guns on a person’s shoulders due to their high rate of fire. Hehe!” Yoo-Bi exclaimed, releasing an awkward laugh.

Then, she continued, “So, I developed the shoulder cannon as an alternative. It doesn’t require any ammo, and I've designed sensors that will channel mana from its rechargeable battery for use as ammunition. Oh, the battery can also absorb your mana and recharge itself! And also!"

Tak!

Yoo-Bi handed him a pair of goggles, which seemed to be the remote controller for the shoulder cannon. Han-Yeol accepted the goggles and inquired, “So, I just need to wear these?”

"Yes," she confirmed. "I initially aimed to enable control using your mana, but I'm still working on refining that aspect. So, for now, you'll need to use the remote controller."

"I understand," Han-Yeol replied.

Although Han-Yeol wasn't the most academically inclined person and couldn't fully grasp Yoo-Bi's technical explanations, he tried his best to feign comprehension.

"I'm determined to find a way to facilitate the flow of mana, but it seems challenging given that my expertise lies in mechanical technology... It's quite perplexing for me to even decide how to proceed with this," Yoo-Bi continued.

Seuk… Seuk…

Han-Yeol patted her head and cheered her up. “Haha! You don’t have to rush things.”

“Still…”

Yoo-Bi's frustration initially arose upon her awakening. Engineering had never held her interest, and she had never envisioned herself venturing into it. Yet, circumstances compelled her to dive into the subject, regardless of her inclinations.

Over time, an unexpected fondness for mechanical engineering grew within her. She became compelled to disassemble mechanical objects, dissect their workings, and reimagine them in her own way.

However, mastering mechanical engineering wasn't a simple feat of observation. Yoo-Bi invested extensive time and effort into its study, often locking herself in her laboratory for days and nights.

‘Hmm… I should probably ask them to build proper accommodation down here for Yoo-Bi,’?Han-Yeol thought.

“Oppa?”

"Ah, yeah. It’s still incomplete, but I can try using it, right?"

"Of course! Did you really think I'd give you something that doesn't work?"

"Haha! I guess you're right."

Yoo-Bi wouldn't have contacted Han-Yeol in the first place if the invention wasn't functional; she understood how busy he was.

"Shall we go test it?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me!"

The underground facility was still under construction. Yoo-Bi was currently alone, but they were bound to start hiring more researchers and mechanics once their operations expanded.

Han-Yeol believed that waiting for expansion might be too late, so he opted to engage Mujahid’s company to initiate the expansion ahead of time.

Although a testing room was currently being built, it remained far from completion, prompting them to decide on above-ground testing for the new invention.

Ding!

They got off the elevator and went out of the building.

“Ugh…?My eyes…!” Yoo-Bi squinted and covered her eyes.

“Tsk tsk…?Just how long has it been since you last saw sunlight?”

"I think it's been about a month...?"

"Aren't you worried about your mother?"

"Not really, she's been quite busy with her trips these days."

"You mentioned that your mother goes to church, correct?"

"Yes, she's been really involved in it lately, to the point where she's not even noticing my absence!"

She appeared somewhat upset about her mother seemingly 'abandoning' her, but she understood that her mother had been struggling to make ends meet for a while, leaving her with little personal time.

Nonetheless, it wasn't entirely negative, as there was no one around to nag her for not coming home. Yoo-Bi was an independent individual and found her mother's nagging to be quite bothersome.

"It's good that she has her own life now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

They headed toward an unused storage unit.

Creak…!

“Ugh…?Look at how dusty it is…”

Whoosh! Whoosh!?

“Cough!”

Han-Yeol waved his hand around to disperse the dust that had risen as soon as they opened the door. The buildings above ground remained untouched, with the main focus being on completing the basement as quickly as possible.

The storage unit contained a few items left behind by the previous owner. The valuable equipment had already been sold, leaving only the useless items behind.

"I'm suddenly hesitant to use the cannon..."

"Why?"

"Just imagining the dust that's going to come from it is giving me a headache..."

It was ironic to see how one of the up-and-coming Hunters was afraid of dust, but Han-Yeol quickly snapped out of it after being smacked by Yoo-Bi.

Tak!

“Stop complaining and fire!” she exclaimed while pointing at a pile of scrap metal.

“Sigh…?Alright…” Han-Yeol let out a sigh and took a step forward.

He really hated dust, but there was nothing he could do as they had to test out the new invention.

“Do you see that button on the side of the goggles, oppa?” Yoo-Bi asked while pointing at the side of the goggles.

Han-Yeol reached for the button and touched it. “Yeah, it’s right here.”

“Push it.”

“Okay.”

Beep!

He pressed the button as instructed, and something resembling a computer screen appeared in front of his eyes. It bore a resemblance to the screen of a superhero from a sci-fi movie who soared through the skies in an iron suit.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!?

The goggles began beeping once the loading was complete, and this time, an aiming cursor emerged. It enabled him to aim wherever his gaze was directed.

Whiiiing!

The cannons mounted on his shoulders began to move, aligning with the cursor's position.

"Oh, so this is how it moves…" Yoo-Bi muttered, seemingly amazed.

While the shoulder cannon was her invention, Yoo-Bi hadn't had the opportunity to thoroughly test it yet. She diligently recorded her observations in her notes, recognizing the value of every bit of information.

"Wow, this is quite impressive," Han-Yeol exclaimed, thoroughly impressed by the technology within the unassuming goggles.

The world had made significant strides in technological advancement, yet progress in weapon technology had stagnated. This was because there was little incentive to develop new weaponry when the Hunters themselves were already formidable weapons.

Now, it was Yoo-Bi's time to spearhead the resurgence of weapons development, although Han-Yeol intended to keep her involvement a secret for the time being.

"Now, you just need to infuse your mana into the cannon while envisioning a recharge. Don't rush, take your time to get accustomed to it," Yoo-Bi explained.

However, before she could finish her sentence, Han-Yeol infused his mana into the cannons, and...

Woooong… Kaboom!

The cannon emitted a cry as it glowed bright blue, subsequently firing a potent ball of mana.

"Yahoo!" Han-Yeol exclaimed upon witnessing the cannon's shot.

Meanwhile, Yoo-Bi remained occupied, jotting down notes on her memo.

‘Hmm… There’s a lot of noise coming from the mana battery…’?

Until now, she had primarily focused on theoretical work for the shoulder cannon, leaving numerous parts in need of improvement. Her ability lacked utility in combat, resulting in inadequate mana control for her to personally test the shoulder cannon.

“Again! Again!” Han-Yeol excitedly shouted like a little kid.

Wooooong! Boom!

The pile of scrap metal disintegrated after just two shots from the shoulder cannon.

‘It’s certainly lacking in firepower…’?Han-Yeol thought while trying his best not to show it.

The shoulder cannon was undeniably an intriguing weapon, but it fell short of meeting the standards for a Master Rank Hunter like him to utilize.

Woooong! Boom!

“This is really fun!”

While it might be deficient in firepower, it certainly didn't lack in enjoyment.

Fshwooo…

Han-Yeol went trigger-happy, firing the shoulder cannons in all directions, causing the entire storage unit to be filled with dust and smoke.

‘I think this will be a fine weapon if some improvements are made,’?he thought.

Han-Yeol's combat style might appear flawless to others, but anyone with fighting expertise would undoubtedly recognize certain flaws within it—perhaps even deeming it disorderly.

A prime illustration of this was his utilization of a rifle. Operating a rifle demanded both hands, yet both of his hands were already occupied with his sword and chain. This compelled him to engage in combat with the rifle affixed to his back, a considerable hindrance in battle. Furthermore, he was required to stow his sword and chain each time he employed his rifle.

‘But it’s a different story if this shoulder cannon gets completed!’?

The shoulder cannon was a hands-free weapon, meaning Han-Yeol didn't need to employ his hands to control it.

“Hmm… It really has a lot of limitations…” Yoo-Bi muttered.

“Do you think so?”

"Yes, your trigger-happy antics actually helped me gather a substantial amount of data."

“Really?”

"Yes! Hoho! Just thinking about it is making me feel hot!"

"W-What? W-Where are you feeling hot...?"

“Pervert!”

Chwak!

A handprint appeared on Han-Yeol’s face.

“Hahaha…”

Of course, it was not painful at all, so he simply laughed out of embarrassment.

“Then, Yoo-Bi…”

“Yes, oppa?”

“How long do you think you will need to improve the shoulder cannon?”

“Hmm…” Yoo-Bi pondered for a moment.

She began to form a rough draft in her mind and tried to establish a timeline.

Han-Yeol was genuinely impressed by her seriousness, considering she had initially been unfamiliar with anything mechanical. Yet, she had managed to progress this far solely through her hard work.

If mana bestowed an excellent physique and skills upon Han-Yeol, it appeared that Yoo-Bi was gifted with intellect. Her stats would likely focus on INT if it were possible to view her status screen.

Unfortunately, only Han-Yeol possessed the ability to access a status screen and level up, leaving her INT stat a mystery.

“Hmm… I suppose you want me to finish it as soon as possible, right?”

“Yeah, I intend to use it for my upcoming Master Rank test.”

“Oh! Then I absolutely have to complete it quickly! Give me four days!”

“Four days…?”

“Yes!”

Han-Yeol deemed this timeline reasonable, considering his upcoming busy schedule.

“Then, I’ll see you again in four days.”

“Okay! See you later!”

“Alright, I’ll get going now. Work hard, Yoo-Bi~”

“I will~ Bye bye~” Yoo-Bi replied with a smile.

‘Hehe… Her smile is really refreshing whenever I see it. I’m glad nobody else can see it except for me,’?Han-Yeol thought while passing through the security points located around the factory.

He inquired with the person in charge of the factory's security and learned that Yoo-Bi seldom left the facility. Occasionally, she would visit her mother, but for the most part, her time was consumed by relentless research.

Han-Yeol began to feel a creeping concern that she might be on the path to becoming an obsessed mad scientist, consumed by her research...