Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 277: Cold Love (5)

Thud… Thud… Thud… Thud…

“Huh?”

"Why is it so quiet?"

"Where did all the monsters go?"

Normally, the Dolhareubangs would come in droves as soon as the party stepped foot into the hunting ground, but this time, there were none in sight.

"What’s going on…?"

"Hey, Dolhareubang!"

One of the raid party members even called out to the monsters, but received no response.

"Seriously, what is this?"

The party combed through the mountain in search of the monsters but did not spot a single one during their search.

Han-Yeol hadn’t bothered collecting the remains of the Dolhareubangs, but the Tamra raid party still failed to come across any of their remains. The reason being that all monster corpses and remains naturally break down into mana after a certain period of time within the hunting grounds.

"…"

"Damn it!"

The Tamra raid party ascended to Baeknokdam but found not a single ant in sight.

"S-Someone has already swept this hunting ground clean!"

"N-No way!"

"Who would dare?!"

The Tamra raid party members were baffled by what had happened. They were so shocked that they didn't know what to do, resulting in a day's delay before the matter was reported to Kim Tae-San, who was in Seoul.

***

Bam!

"You call this a report?!"

"I-I apologize, sir!"

At the Hunter Assembly's headquarters in Seoul, the assembly executives were gathered around Kim Tae-San, drinking expensive whiskey. However, Kim Tae-San slammed his fist on the table and stood up upon hearing the report about the Mount Halla hunting ground.

Kim Tae-San's face looked as menacing as the devil himself at that moment. He demanded, "Go find out what happened right now."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

He wasn't enraged because of the money not coming in from the Mount Halla raid this week. He already had more than enough money to last numerous lifetimes, and he could mobilize all the forces under his command to sweep the top-tier hunting grounds in the country, making an absurd amount of money in a single day.

This matter extended beyond the concerns of the Tamra raid party; it struck at the heart of the guild and Kim Tae-San's personal pride. The prevailing consensus was that Kim Tae-San was the undisputed proprietor of Jeju Island, and the island had forever been under his dominion, regardless of the local government's attempts to challenge his authority. In fact, even the island's residents favored Kim Tae-San's governance over that of the government.

Given this context, the Mount Halla hunting ground had remained restricted to all but the Tamra raid party. Although the hunting ground's level of difficulty might be considered somewhat modest for a top-tier location, the mana stones yielded by the creatures dwelling within were undeniably of top-tier quality.

It was from the Mount Halla hunting ground that Kim Tae-San had amassed the bulk of his wealth, and anyone familiar with his moniker, 'Hallasan Monster,' could readily appreciate the profound significance this hunting ground held for him.

But someone had dared to sneak into the hunting ground and steal all of the monsters? That was no different than issuing a direct challenge to Kim Tae-San himself.

Bam…!

Kim Tae-San slammed his fist on the table once again as he trembled in anger.

Gulp…!

The executives nervously gulped and held their breath, hoping to avoid becoming entangled in his anger.

‘Lee Han-Yeol, you bastard…!’

Kim Tae-San refrained from ordering his subordinate to investigate the matter because he was unaware of the perpetrator's identity and only held suspicions. Instead, he needed concrete evidence to justify seeking revenge.

‘He's the only one who can avoid my scrutiny and single-handedly sweep a top-tier hunting ground...!’

Kim Tae-San used his influence to monitor all the other Master Rank Hunters and would have received information from his informants if any of them had made a recent move. Consequently, he was able to narrow down the list of suspects to just one person: Lee Han-Yeol.

Regrettably, despite knowing the identity of the likeliest culprit, there was little Kim Tae-San could do. If the offender had been an ordinary Hunter, he could have easily wielded his influence to bring about their downfall. He could have even taken on Master Hee-Yun by sacrificing a portion of his power and resources. While she might have been under the protection of the S Group, they wouldn't want to clash with South Korea's mightiest Hunter, Kim Tae-San.

However, against this emerging Master Rank Hunter, Lee Han-Yeol, Kim Tae-San was powerless. Han-Yeol had no significant connections with the government or the Hunters' Association, leaving no way to apply pressure through those channels. Thus, the only recourse against this audacious newcomer was to gather enough evidence and corner him with threats.

"Keuk...!"

Kim Tae-San had no option but to once again quell the burning anger within him with liquor.

***

[You're back, Han-Yeol? How was the trip?]

[Yes, Tara. How have you been?]

[Good.]

Tayarana was the first to greet Han-Yeol upon his return to the mansion. Normally, the servants would have welcomed him back, but this time, his trip had been kept a secret even from the mansion's staff. The only ones who knew about his secret journey were Tayarana, Mujahid, and Purva.

[How did it go?]

[It went very well.]

'It was actually a jackpot.'

It truly was a jackpot, as he had managed to obtain the Void Executor.

[Hey, Tara.]

[Yes?]

Tayarana looked at Han-Yeol with sparkling eyes when he called her name.

[What about father?]

[Ah, your father asked me to bring you to the main building once you're back.]

[Oh, really?]

[Yeah.]

Tayarana simply replied with a single word and a nod, but that was more than enough to make Han-Yeol's heart race with anticipation.

Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump!

Han-Yeol's heart would race like this every time he looked at Tayarana.

‘Should I just confess...?’ He couldn't help but contemplate confessing his feelings to her, especially when he gazed into her large, pure eyes.

‘Just go for it?! Haa... No, I can't do that... I need to control myself.’

In the end, Han-Yeol had no choice but to suppress his desire. Earth was in the process of entering the second dimension, and he had no idea what might happen. Moreover, Tayarana was still mourning the loss of the Horus raid party members, and Egypt was embroiled in complicated political issues.

All in all, it wasn't the right time for Han-Yeol to solely focus on his personal feelings.

‘I should wait until everything aligns and then confess with a proper grand proposal,’ he resolved.

He made up his mind to one day proudly confess to Tayarana and marry her.

‘Tayarana is the only one worthy of becoming my life partner!’

[…?]

Han-Yeol was lost in his daydreams about the future in broad daylight, only snapping out of it when he noticed Tayarana tilting her head in confusion while gazing at him.

Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his head without offering any explanation, and together they proceeded to the main building where his father awaited them.

***

Han-Yeol's day in South Korea was quite pleasant and peaceful. He had reached a level of strength that allowed him to easily hunt in a top-tier hunting ground all alone, significantly simplifying his life.

However, this didn't mean he spent his days idly. It was now time for him to establish his own faction.

"Ah. Ah. Mic test. Mic test. One two... Mic test."

Han-Yeol's mansion was bustling with outsiders after a long hiatus, and all of them were representatives from the media outlets he had invited.

"Hey! Bring the mic!"

"H-Here!"

"Hurry up before he changes his mind!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The media outlets lucky enough to be invited by Han-Yeol were aware of the unique opportunity, but their reporters were feeling extremely nervous as they waited.

Nonetheless, the reporters present were seasoned professionals who had thoroughly prepared for the interview while awaiting Han-Yeol's appearance. This was indeed a significant event, marking the first indoor interview hosted by Han-Yeol in his mansion. Even the directors of each media outlet were closely monitoring this press conference, adding to the pressure felt by the reporters.

‘Aaack…! I’m dying…!’

‘What’s with this suspense…?’

‘This is the first time my hands are trembling on the job…!’

The reporters were almost overwhelmed by the pressure, but they meticulously double-checked every detail, fully aware of the interview's significance for both their companies and their personal careers. This was arguably the biggest breakthrough any salaried worker could hope for.

As they were engrossed in this last-minute verification process, the doors finally swung open, and a familiar figure entered.

Click…!

It was Purva.

“…”

The entire room fell silent the moment Purva stepped inside.

"Han-Yeol Hunter-nim will be entering now," he announced.

Thud...

As soon as Purva finished speaking, Han-Yeol entered the room and greeted, “Hello, everyone.”

Gulp!

“H-Hello, sir!”

Chwak!

“H-Huh?”

All the reporters present in the room immediately stood up and bowed deeply to greet Han-Yeol. None of them understood why they were offering such a formal greeting, but their bodies moved on instinct alone.

Han-Yeol felt slightly flustered by the overly exaggerated greetings, but he simply dismissed it, attributing it to the reporters possibly feeling pressured by his mana or some other force. After all, he knew it would be exhausting to scrutinize every detail happening around him.

"Now, shall we start the interview?"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

With a swift motion, the reporters arranged themselves according to the predetermined order.

Han-Yeol settled into a comfortable sofa, marking the official commencement of the interview.

"Firstly, I would like to express our company's gratitude for inviting us to this interview, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim," the first reporter in line stated.

"Hahaha! Not at all, I should be the one thanking all of you for coming here. Besides, I called you today because I wanted to share something," Han-Yeol replied.

The interview began on a light note, and Han-Yeol's charismatic yet gentle demeanor helped ease the nerves of the anxious reporters.

"So, all of us here today are wondering about the same thing. You haven't disclosed any information before this interview, so could you kindly enlighten us about the reason behind today's invitation?" inquired the first reporter.

"I don't have any major announcement to make, despite summoning all of you busy individuals here today. I could have made this announcement with my personal broadcasting team, the Mulan team, but I felt that it would be more appropriate to share it with all of you since it concerns an official matter," Han-Yeol explained.

Gulp!

All the reporters simultaneously gulped at his words, and it was evident that a hard lump was stuck in their throats today.

Their reaction was a testament to how prestigious Han-Yeol's name had become. After all, he wasn't dubbed the "walking headline machine" for nothing.

"I have diligently carried out my duty as a Hunter by hunting monsters until now, but I am considering starting my own business this time."

"T-That means...?"

"Yes, I am officially announcing the birth of my own group, the HY Group."

"W-What?!"

"F-Finally!"

"The time has finally come!"

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

The reporters immediately sprang into action upon hearing the significant news. They had been expecting Han-Yeol to make an announcement like this sooner or later, but they were fully aware that this was no trivial matter.

Every media outlet worldwide was likely to start discussing the HY Group from now on, generating massive interest among the general public. This, in turn, would translate into substantial revenue for these outlets.

Furthermore, the government was likely to welcome this announcement, as the birth of a new group typically meant the creation of jobs. Thus, they were bound to embrace Han-Yeol's decision with open arms.

While the reporters in line to conduct interviews immediately started typing on their laptops, the reporter in front of Han-Yeol remained focused on his duty.

"If I may ask, in which industries will the HY Group be operating? The only ones we are currently aware of are the monster pet and broadcasting..."

"Ahem..." Han-Yeol nodded and cleared his throat.

Then, he continued, "Allow me to explain."

***

Han-Yeol once again sparked intense internet and news coverage upon his return to South Korea. This time, the hot topic was the HY Group, which he had established entirely with his own funds.

The paid-up capital of the group amounted to thirty trillion won, an enormous sum for a single individual to invest. Nevertheless, this amount was not particularly significant for Han-Yeol, considering that his total wealth had far exceeded what could be deemed "normal."