Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 220: A Surprising Miracle (1)

‘Well, her working harder would bring me even more benefits,’?Han-Yeol thought with a shrug.

Yoo-Bi's inventions were not yet at the stage where they could be commercialized, but the mana battery was certainly nearing that point. Han-Yeol had already set his sights on the mana battery as the first commercial product of his group.

Currently, no mana batteries had been developed that could run on one hundred percent mana alone, but the demand for such a product, once developed, would be substantial. Han-Yeol would be sitting on a pile of cash if Yoo-Bi managed to develop the mana battery for him.

Of course, he did not rush her or anything, as he believed that she was going to make a breakthrough for him very soon. He had done his part by funding her research, so the only thing he could do now was wait.

‘Good luck, Yoo-Bi. I’m passionately rooting for you!’?Han-Yeol thought with a smile.

***

After witnessing Yoo-Bi's latest invention, the shoulder cannon, Han-Yeol could finally allow himself some rest. It marked the first time he had slept in a week, though his sleep wasn't the typical twelve, fourteen, or twenty-four hours that most people would indulge in after such a long period. Instead, it was more accurate to say that he couldn't sleep in that manner.

The mana coursing through his body granted him superhuman regeneration, allowing him to rebound from fatigue with just a few hours of slumber.

Regrettably, it wasn't his body that needed reprieve; it was his mind. His physical fatigue had already dissipated, thanks to the three hours of sleep he had managed before his encounter with the Nepalese Ambassador.

“Yawn…?That felt good.” Han-Yeol yawned while walking around the garden that Tina and the others had worked hard to restore.

Referring to it as a garden was a considerable understatement, given the substantial amount of time and money Tina had invested alongside the other mansion workers. This exquisitely crafted space could more aptly be described as a masterpiece.

Tina's mind teemed with ideas, each contributing to her vision of a splendid garden, yet the perennial obstacle of budget constraints had consistently impeded her progress. Thankfully, her affluent employer's overflowing resources ultimately breathed life into her long-held aspiration.

Paradoxically, the garden's proprietor, Han-Yeol, appeared unfazed by the distinction between a masterpiece and an ordinary garden. His sole concern revolved around the presence of fresh air, crystalline water, a comfortable hammock, and a cool, inviting shade.

“Lalala~”

“Kyu! Kyu!”

Han-Yeol was relaxing on the hammock while Mavros was busy playing ball.

The baby black dragon recently learned how to play with a ball, and it played alone with a ball every chance it got. He would kick the ball and run after it before kicking it again.

A thought suddenly came to Han-Yeol after seeing the baby black dragon playing, ‘Hmm… Should I make a friend for Mavros now? I think my Charisma stat is high enough…’

Mavros had consistently demonstrated remarkable prowess in combat, leaving Han-Yeol with little incentive to acquire another monster pet. However, Han-Yeol’s current stats allowed him to summon an additional potent monster companion.

There was truly no valid justification for refraining from hatching another monster pet, aside from Han-Yeol's momentary bout of laziness.

‘Let’s see… Where should I go to get the monster egg and fruit this time…?’?he wondered while lazily going through his tablet PC on the hammock.

A substantial amount of information regarding monster pets had become available on the internet after the auction. The same could be said for monster eggs and nutritional fruits. Guilds and Hunter's Associations from all around the world were vigorously working to obtain these monster eggs and nutritional fruits. They were meticulously scouring every hunting ground in hopes of discovering them.

The guilds and raid parties were currently driven by unbridled greed, caring solely about obtaining the monster eggs and attempting to hatch them themselves.

Naturally, every single one of these attempts to hatch a monster egg ended in failure. The endeavor of taming monsters had long been a fruitless pursuit, with no successful outcomes. In the past, there had even been a catastrophic incident in which an entire city, with a population of one hundred fifty thousand, was brought to ruin due to such experiments.

This disaster had prompted governments to enact strict enforcement measures. Anyone leaving the hunting grounds was subjected to thorough inspections to prevent the unauthorized transportation of live monsters. They were only permitted to carry out the corpses and mana stones.

‘Hmm… The easiest place I can go to right now would be…’?he thought while scrolling down a list.

While he could have delegated the task to someone else, he was determined to personally select the egg he would hatch, rather than relying on chance.

‘A monster pet is technically my comrade, so…’?Han-Yeol disliked the notion of hatching a random egg brought by someone else, especially since the monster pet would be the one guarding his back.

As he continued scrolling down in search of a suitable hunting ground, a brilliant idea suddenly popped into his head.

‘Hold on! The demon world should have monster eggs and something?like the nutritional?fruit, right?’?

The act of hatching a monster pet was truly a special moment. Essentially, he was about to become a 'parent' to the monster, making it only natural that he would want to provide the very best for his new companion.

With determination, Han-Yeol picked up his walkie-talkie.

Psshht!

“Albert?”

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?]

The old butler’s response was almost instant.

Psshht!

“Did the Shine raid party bring some gold for us?”

[Yes, they did. While their pace has slowed down in recent days, they initially worked diligently, resulting in a considerable stockpile.]

“How much gold do we have right now?”

[It was exactly 1,212 tons the day before yesterday.]

“Wow… That’s a lot…”

[Hoho! Yes, it is.]

“Alright then.”

[Please let me know if you need anything else.]

“Okay.”

Han-Yeol put down the walkie-talkie and thought, ‘Good… The Shine raid party is doing much better than I expected…’

The leader of the Shine raid party was his friend's brother, someone Han-Yeol personally knew as well. They had crossed paths frequently during their younger years, and Han-Yeol recalled him as a remarkably diligent individual even from an early age.

‘Then, there’s no reason for me to hesitate,’?Han-Yeol thought with a smirk.

“Mavros.”

“Kyu!”

Mavros swiftly flew toward Han-Yeol the moment his name was called. While he would have typically nestled on top of Han-Yeol's head, his increased size prevented him from doing so now. Instead, he perched both of his feet on Han-Yeol's shoulders and clung to the back of his neck.

Though the position might appear uncomfortable, the baby black dragon's remarkable flexibility rendered it inconsequential to him.

With a focused mind, Han-Yeol closed his eyes and visualized Delchant's sigil. Gathering his mana, he summoned forth, 'Please come out, Delchant-nim.'

As of the present, there existed no formal contract between Delchant and Han-Yeol. Consequently, summoning the demon merchant demanded a substantial amount of mana. Most Hunters would likely have succumbed to mana exhaustion by now had they attempted such a summoning.

Shwaaaa…!

Delchant’s sigil appeared on the ground and spat out smoke before the demon merchant made its appearance.

[Kikikiki! It has been a while since you called me to your world, human!]

It had indeed been a while since Han-Yeol last summoned Delchant. Perhaps due to this, the demon merchant's appearance differed noticeably from the norm.

The clown-like aspect was entirely absent, replaced by an appearance that suggested an individual who had achieved unexpected success. Draped in a thick gold necklace and adorned with sizable gold rings on each of his ten fingers, he bore a resemblance to a gangster rapper.

“My my, you have quite the fashion sense,” Han-Yeol commented.

[Kihihihi! The human world has a lot of interesting things!]

The demon merchant's appearance lacked any sense of coherence; his outfit and accessories clashed in a way that could only be described as uncool. If anything, this hodgepodge only served to accentuate his repulsiveness.

Yet, such superficial considerations were of little importance to Han-Yeol at the moment. He had summoned Delchant with a specific purpose in mind—to conduct business. That singular objective consumed his attention entirely.

"I seek monster eggs and nutritional fruits from the demon world," Han-Yeol stated firmly.

In response, the demon merchant narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze upon Han-Yeol, seemingly intrigued by the request.

[Oh~ I've got an idea about your ability, but I had no clue you could pull off something like that too! Kehehehehe!]

It was difficult to pinpoint the demon merchant's personality. In the past, Delchant used to kowtow to Han-Yeol, treating him with the motto 'customer is king'. However, that no longer seemed to be the case. The changes within the demon merchant were profound, yet it remained impossible to discern his current thoughts.

"Then this trade should proceed smoothly. Can you accommodate my request?" Han-Yeol inquired.

[Kehehehe! Of course! But, it will cost you a pretty penny~ Those items are of no use to demons and are deemed as trash. Nonetheless, I must gratify my desire for profit! Kehehehe!]

Not only had his appearance changed, but also the way he interacted with Han-Yeol and even his laughter bore signs of transformation.

“Tell me your price.”

[Kehehehehe!]

Seuk…!

Delchant produced a monster egg adorned with purple lines, presenting it in one hand, while his other hand held a fruit with a cluster of twister-shaped purple formations, resembling a grape.

[These items hold little value for a regular human! The fruit's taste is dreadful, and only a demon possesses the ability to hatch this egg!]

"I understand," Han-Yeol replied.

[However! The situation changes when your peculiar ability is taken into account! In your hands, these items become immensely valuable!]

Han-Yeol hesitated before countering, "Could you perhaps offer me a discount? The contents of the egg are uncertain, and I'd rather not overpay for something with such uncertainty."

[Kihihihihi! That’s not my problem~]

“Ugh…”

Delchant seemed intent on not giving any discount. No, it was more like he was resolved to squeeze as much as he could from Han-Yeol.

‘Geez…’?

Was Han-Yeol going to give up on the monster egg simply because he felt cheated by the demon merchant?

‘Nope. Never.’

Money was no longer a concern for him. Conversely, the monster egg and nutritional fruit held by the demon merchant were exclusive to the demon world. In essence, acquiring them was an unattainable feat as long as he remained on Earth.

Yet, Han-Yeol also recognized that the very act of summoning Delchant granted him a privilege unique to himself. The demon merchant provided him with items unavailable in the human realm, all in exchange for gold: a task that could be delegated to others with ease.

‘Life truly is unfair,’?he thought with a smirk.

Who else aside from Han-Yeol had such an unfair advantage over others?

The advantages Han-Yeol possessed were more than enough to give the other Master Rank Hunters a run for their money.

“Alright, let’s trade.”

[Kihihihi! I knew you would say that!]

“So, how much will you sell it for?”

[Hmm… How much can I fleece you for, I wonder…]

‘Hahaha…’?Han-Yeol could not help but simply laugh in disbelief at the brazenness of the demon merchant.

This was precisely why monopolies were frightening. Despite knowing they were being overcharged, individuals found themselves powerless to prevent it.

[What I want is… five hundred tons of gold!]

“…”

It certainly wasn't a sum that Han-Yeol couldn't afford. However, it seemed ludicrous when considering that the demon merchant demanded five hundred tons of gold for the monster egg and nutritional fruit. This was especially bewildering when a scroll that temporarily summoned a thousand demons only cost one hundred tons of gold.

'Tsk… I still need to purchase other items, and now forty percent of my budget is gone…' Han-Yeol clicked his tongue in frustration.

Despite his ability to replenish his funds, he couldn't shake the feeling that the gold was being squandered. Such sentiments were rooted in his instincts from his days of poverty.

‘Well, I guess I have no choice,’?Han-Yeol sighed inwardly.

[Kehehehe! Here you go, human!]

“T-Thank you…”

Tak!

Han-Yeol was able to easily, but expensively, obtain the monster egg and nutritional fruit from hell. However, that was not the end of the trade.

“I need something else.”

[Oh? What’s gotten into you this time, human? This is the first time you’re buying two things from me at once!]

“I will be doing business with you much more frequently from now on.”

[Kihihihihi! That’s excellent news! It’s a shame that you’re the only human I can deal with in this dimension… Kihihihi!]

‘As expected, he can do business in other dimensions as well…’?

It was somewhat evident in a sense, considering that the ones who had saved Earth from destruction were none other than the aliens. Moreover, the idea that humans were alone in the universe had been debunked decades ago.

[This dimension is so boring because there are no magicians! Kehehehe!]

“Are you talking about someone like the Arch Lich-nim?”

[Ah, that old fart has quite the nasty temper, but his skill is top-notch. Kihihihi!]

As expected, Delchant seemed to be aware of who the Arch Lich was.

[A merchant’s life depends on his information network, after all! Kihihihi!]

‘I guess…’

It's also possible that the Arch Lich acquired whatever ingredients he needed from the demon merchant, but that detail wasn't pertinent to Han-Yeol.

[So, what is the other thing you need, human?]

“The second item I need is a dragon saddle.”

[Hmm… A dragon saddle, eh?]

Seuk… Seuk…?

Delchant scratched his long chin and muttered for quite a while. [Kihihihi! Well, I guess you would need a dragon saddle to efficiently use that mini dragon around your neck!]

“Yes, you are correct,” Han-Yeol replied.

Meanwhile, he thought, 'It's not about efficient utilization, but about fighting together…’

Seuk… Seuk…?

“Kyu~”?Mavros let out a satisfied cry after Han-Yeol scratched his chin.

Han-Yeol held a deep affection for his baby black dragon, a sentiment so profound that he was prepared to expend thousands of tons of gold on its behalf.

[Kehehehehe! A mini dragon is indeed a precious creature, even in the demon world!]

"Is the mini dragon truly that valuable?" Han-Yeol inquired, slightly taken aback by the revelation.

After all, a mini dragon was essentially a pseudo-dragon, wasn't it?

[Kihihihi! I'm afraid I can't provide you with any additional information, considering you only requested the dragon saddle~]"

“Well, I guess you’re right…” Han-Yeol replied with a shrug.

‘Ugh… I’m quite curious though…’?he grimaced and grumbled inwardly..