Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 267: Horus (1)

[W-What… How in the world?!]

The battle was still raging when Tayarana and Mujahid reached the source of Han-Yeol's mana. The culprit behind the massive boss monster resembled a hyena, walking on its hind legs, and its body was in tatters as it quivered in fear before Han-Yeol.

[I was lucky to have found your weakness, you scumbag,] Han-Yeol declared.

Wooong!

He gathered his Light Attribute in his left hand and waved it in front of the hyena.

[Kek! So that's what it was... Hahaha... You just got lucky, human... But remember this! We, the mighty hyena race, have no weakness! We will overcome whatever weakness you think you found before you know it!]

[Ah, I'm aware of that. I've fought against you guys countless times, so you don't have to tell me that.]

[What nonsense are you spouting, human? Your world is only in the first dimension, while our Bastro Dimension is already in the second dimension!]

[Haha! Who knows?]

The hyena frantically looked around, attempting to buy time through meaningless banter with Han-Yeol. All it needed was to recover enough to cast another spell, and it was certain it could defeat the humans closing in on it.

Thud…

Han-Yeol took a step forward.

[W-Wait!]

The hyena hurriedly tried to stop him from coming near.

[Hmm?]

[I will tell you a very important secret!]

[And what secret might that be?]

Han-Yeol was momentarily shaken. The intensity of the battle had caused him to forget about it, but he still had no clue how a creature from the second dimension managed to arrive on Earth, which was still in the first dimension.

Moreover, his familiarity with the Bastro Dimension, where he had lived for twenty years, heightened his curiosity about how this was even possible. If anyone had the answers, it would likely be the hyena in front of him, currently existing in the first dimension.

However, it ultimately turned out to be a trap.

Tak!

[Hahaha! Hurry up and get corrupted!]

The hyena had already depleted most of its mana creating the gigantic boss monster, but it managed to recover enough for one final spell.

‘This world will be mine if I put this human under my control!’

It believed Han-Yeol was the most potent creature in this dimension, and that belief wasn't entirely unfounded, considering he had defeated the nearly impregnable boss monster.

Unfortunately for the hyena, Han-Yeol's reflexes surpassed even those of the second dimension, thanks to Sixth Sense. While he couldn't bring the skills he had acquired during his twenty years in the Bastro Dimension to Earth, he didn't bother trying, knowing they wouldn't work.

However, there was one skill he had successfully brought back, 'Hard Counter,' the one he had used most frequently in the Bastro Dimension. He hadn't had much opportunity to use it upon returning to Earth, but the hyena's ambush provided the perfect chance.

Shwik!

Using his hand covered in Restore, he blocked the hyena's hand casting the corruption spell and swung his Thousand Armed Bodhisattva Sword with his right hand to sever its neck.

Upon witnessing the skill Han-Yeol had just employed, the hyena uttered its final words, [Y-You are… H-Hark…!]

Chwak!

Unfortunately, Han-Yeol had no interest in what it had to say, and his sword moved faster than the hyena's mouth.

Whoosh! Thud…!

The hyena's head flew six meters away from its body, rolling another thirty centimeters afterward. The headless body knelt on the ground before collapsing lifelessly.

Thud!

"Haa..." Han-Yeol regulated his breathing after employing the skill he hadn't used in quite some time.

[Hahaha! So that's how it was...]

Then, he suddenly heard the hyena's voice from somewhere.

‘Oh, right…’ Han-Yeol remembered an important detail he had been overlooking.

.

Harkan had lost to the hyenas three times before becoming the Dimension Lord, but he hadn't faced them afterward, as the hyenas had gone into hiding. These creatures were exceptionally intelligent and knew that they'd face extermination if they recklessly opposed the Dimension Lord.

The Dimension Lord held sway over most of the races in the Bastro Dimension, and the hyenas were fully aware they'd be defeated even before they could cast a single spell.

Han-Yeol was well-acquainted with the spells used by the hyenas.

‘The hyenas don't die unless you crush their heads…’

Neither the hyenas nor the Bastrolings understood how this phenomenon worked, but it was common knowledge that they wouldn't perish unless their heads were crushed. This was why some hyenas deliberately removed their heads and created alternative bodies for combat.

[Oh right, you guys don't die unless your head gets squashed, right? I completely forgot about that since I haven't fought you scums for quite a while now.]

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Han-Yeol walked toward the hyena's head rolling on the ground.

Chwak...!

He grabbed the hyena’s head by its fur and raised it in front of his eyes.

As expected, the hyena had its eyes wide open. When he glanced over at its body, he saw that no part of its body showed signs of decay. Even the point where its head had been severed from its neck didn't bleed a single drop of blood.

The hyena burst into laughter after opening its eyes and meeting Han-Yeol's gaze. [Bwahaha! It's been a while, Dimension Lord Harkan! No, should I call you the soul of the previous Dimension Lord?]

[Call me whatever you like.]

[Haha! This is really ironic and funny at the same time! Who knew that the arrogant Dimension Lord would reincarnate into this lowly first dimension of a world? Hmm... Judging by your appearance, I guess time flows differently between the Bastro Dimension and this place called Earth! You couldn't have possibly grown that big in such a short period of time.]

[You seem to know a thing or two about me, judging by how talkative you are. But it's been quite a while since I last subjugated you hyenas, hasn't it?]

[Of course!] the hyena exclaimed loudly.

[You are the sworn enemy of us hyenas! We should've corrupted you much sooner, but you were far too powerful for us... That's why! We secretly recorded all of your battles and studied your movements! Not only that, we abducted a few of your fellow canines and used them as test subjects too! Kwahaha!]

[You guys never change, do you?]

The hyena deliberately mentioned the canine race to provoke Han-Yeol, but he surprisingly remained unfazed. After all, he was well aware of the hyenas' capabilities, and nothing it said at this point would likely surprise him.

Besides, his primary motivation for trying to subdue the hyenas had been their habit of abducting other creatures and using them as test subjects.

[Anyway, we have researched you as thoroughly as possible, hoping to create a clone just like you! No other beast will be as familiar with you, Harkan, as us, hyenas!]

[Well, hearing that you guys were stalking me is a bit annoying.]

Han-Yeol finally displayed some emotion as the thought of someone stalking and researching him gave him goosebumps.

[Now! Kill me!] the hyena confidently said as it knew that its time had come.

However, Han-Yeol seemed to have other ideas.

[Nope.]

[W-What?!]

The hyena was shocked. Why was Han-Yeol refusing to kill it when they had fought each other to the death? This was unacceptable.

[You despicable Dimension Lord! Kill me right now!]

The hyena preferred to die rather than suffer shame at the hands of the enemy. However, its blood pressure shot up upon realizing that the despicable human had no intention of granting it a swift death.

[Hey, hyena.]

[What?!]

[Do you know what’s the difference between the Bastro Dimension and Earth?]

[Why should I care?!]

[Hohoho! It’s the advancement in science and technology.]

[So what?]

[Just wait and see… Hehehe… Hehe…]

[No! Just kill me now! Kill me, coward!]

The hyena continued screaming, but Han-Yeol completely ignored its ramblings.

‘Not obtaining the experience and the chance of achieving my second stage awakening is a waste, but this creature has even greater value than that,’ Han-Yeol thought.

He suppressed his greed. However, he couldn't help but lament, as the hyena was bound to yield not only a wealth of experience points but also items and mana stones.

‘Oh right, its items and mana stones should be with its body, right?’ he pondered, immediately turning toward the hyena's lifeless body.

It still lay dead on the ground, not moving a single muscle.

‘Well, it's a waste, but I guess I'll have to make do with this. I can try to achieve my second stage awakening by hunting down random monsters, right?’

In the end, Han-Yeol had to suppress the greed welling up within him.

***

That marked the end of Han-Yeol's conversation with the hyena, but Tayarana and Mujahid had witnessed the entire scene of him talking to the hyena's severed head.

[H-Hyung-nim…?!]

[Hey, Mujahid. Take this.]

Whoosh!

[H-Huh…?!]

Tak…!

Mujahid reluctantly caught the hyena's severed head as it was tossed to him by Han-Yeol.

[You despicable human! Kill me! Kill me now!]

The hyena would have forcibly entered Han-Yeol's mind and communicated directly with him using some form of telepathy, but it couldn't use its skills after only having its head left. For now, simply breathing and not dying was the best the hyena's skeletal body could manage.

The hyena didn't have many options, as it couldn't kill itself by biting its tongue; first, it wasn't powerful enough, and second, it would only endure agonizing pain without dying. The only way for a hyena to die was to have its brain crushed into a pulp, which was not possible at the moment.

[W-What is this, hyung-nim?!]

[…]

Mujahid grimaced and looked at Han-Yeol in disbelief. He wasn't the only one; even Tayarana grimaced after taking a look at the hyena's head. She had witnessed numerous things while fighting both monsters and terrorists, but this was her first time seeing a severed head floating and chatting away.

[Ah, that thing won't die unless its brain has been smashed. Also, that thing is from the second dimension, so I plan on capturing it alive and handing it over to the HUN. You have to go there and take the test anyway, right, Mujahid?]

[Yes, but... Do I really have to...?]

Mujahid had now become a Ra Rank Hunter as well, and it was soon going to be time for him to go to the HUN to become an official Master Rank Hunter. However, that didn't mean he was fine with holding the hyena's severed head.

This monster had dared to cause trouble and pain for hyung-nim and noonim, and he wanted nothing more than to stomp on its head and kill it. Unfortunately, he couldn't simply disobey Han-Yeol, and he wasn't the type to do anything that would upset him.