Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 299 – Second Dimension Earth (4)

Both Tayarana and Mariam let out sighs of relief. Then, Mariam asked, “What on earth just happened, Tayarana-nim?”

“Who knows? I have no idea,” Tayarana replied.

Both of them were now able to converse in Korean.

“I believe Han-Yeol-nim has a secret he's keeping from us.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Han-Yeol was communicating with Riru and Kandir in some beast-like language, so they couldn't understand what they were talking about.

“Ah…”

“Hmm…”

Then, they suddenly remembered one of their Horus raid party comrades who possessed translation abilities.

“Ahem…”

The reason they were conversing in Korean, to begin with, was to avoid being reminded of the Horus raid party by speaking Arabic. Both of them couldn't help but feel depressed whenever they remembered their fallen comrades, so they made an effort to distance themselves from anything related to Egypt and the Horus raid party.

“I... I think we should go in first, Tayarana-nim.”

“Yeah, I agree. Let’s do that, Mariam.”

The whole situation came to an end, and all of them were now back in the mansion. Peace returned to the backyard, but...

Thud… Thud…

“La~ La~ Laa~”

Tina sang a tune while sweeping the ground. Managing the garden in the backyard, which she had recently redesigned, was one of the things that brought her joy, but...

"Hmm?"

She felt like she was experiencing déjà vu.

One... two... three... four... five seconds later...

“Kyaaaaaah! Han-Yeol-nim!”

A good portion of the garden was destroyed after Kandir used Berserk, and the brick wall that Tina had painstakingly laid one by one was now in ruins. Not only that, Kandir’s mana caused many of the flowers and grass to wither.

It appeared that Tina was now burdened with a heavier workload starting from today.

[Harkan.]

[Harkan-nim…]

“Hahaha…”

Han-Yeol awkwardly scratched the back of his head again, finding himself in another embarrassing situation. He had effortlessly used Harkan’s trademark skill, Hard Counter, a feat impossible for the Bastrolings.

The Dimension Lord held the authority to designate one exclusive skill for their use, and Harkan had chosen Hard Counter. This skill had propelled him to the pinnacle of the Bastro Dimension, earning him the title of Dimension Lord.

Han-Yeol's use of Hard Counter now provided irrefutable evidence that he was indeed Harkan. In light of this, Kandir had no choice but to accept Han-Yeol as Harkan, and he was compelled to pledge loyalty to him.

[Kandir.]

[Yes, Harkan-nim!]

[It's true that I was Harkan, but I'm just a weak human now. I'm much weaker than I was back then, and I'm weaker than you as well. So, please don't call me Harkan any—]

[My lord.]

Kandir met his gaze and interrupted him, a gesture he could never have imagined making when speaking to the old Harkan.

While he recognized Han-Yeol as Harkan, it was more important for him to clarify the situation. Therefore, he dared to be impudent and cut him off.

[Ah, yes?]

[It is not important whether you are an Earthling or a Bastroling. Harkan-nim is my lord, savior, and the owner of my soul. You may be weak now, but I am certain that you will swiftly grow stronger and become the beacon of hope for us Bastrolings.]

[R-Really?]

[Yes, Harkan-nim.]

Kandir continued to lock eyes with Han-Yeol.

To be honest, Han-Yeol was taken aback by Kandir's direct and sincere approach. He wondered, ‘What's gotten into him?’

[Riru.]

[Yes, Harkan?]

[Was there some sort of prophecy about me?]

The Bastro Dimension had a well-developed religious tradition, with people gathering at temples at the end of the year to hear various prophecies and fortunes. Most of these prophecies pertained to natural disasters, famine, or disease outbreaks.

Han-Yeol strongly believed that there was a concrete reason for Kandir's unwavering faith and his designation as the Bastrolings' "seed of hope." The only thing a Bastroling would blindly believe in was the prophecies.

[Yeah, there was. The year you sealed the Dragon of Destruction and disappeared, the hyenas started becoming active. We went to the temple to seek guidance, and there we received the prophecy that Harkan was going to resurrect and cleanse the Bastro Dimension of them, but...]

[But?]

Riru's expression darkened, and she appeared hesitant to voice her thoughts. Furthermore, even Kandir lowered his gaze and seemed infuriated about something, clenching his teeth.

Crack…!

[We are not sure how, but the hyenas managed to find your body after you sealed the Dragon of Destruction and disappeared.]

[What?!]

Han-Yeol was shocked by what he had just heard. The revelation that the hyenas possessed Harkan's body meant that they could reanimate him with their corruption ability and control him as they pleased.

[Those hyenas dared to defile Harkan-nim’s body and use you as the vanguard of their forces of darkness. That abomination may not be you, Harkan-nim, but it is still created from your powerful body. Many of our strongest warriors perished at the hands of that abomination, and we fought with all our might against the forces of darkness, but… We were no match for that monster created from your body, Harkan-nim…]

Crack…!

Kandir clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger.

He had lost to Harkan’s reanimated body, and it was infuriating enough to be defeated in battle. What enraged him even further was the audacity of those hyena vermin to defile the body of his lord.

[But…]

[Hmm?]

Kandir's anger suddenly dissipated as he gazed at Han-Yeol with calm eyes.

[But it is a huge relief that Harkan-nim’s soul is safe. This proves that the prophecy of Harkan-nim’s resurrection was not referring to that abomination, but the return of Harkan-nim's soul to life.]

[Hahaha… Is that how it goes?]

[Yes, Harkan-nim.]

[Yeah, Harkan!]

[Oh, but are you aware of that?]

[Hmm?]

[Pardon me?]

Han-Yeol believed that Earth might not have fully transitioned into the second dimension, but it was in the process of doing so. This was all the more reason for him to stop the hyenas. Therefore, he decided it was better to share what he knew with the others rather than keeping it to himself.

[Alright, take a seat here.]

He relayed the information to Riru and Kandir and then turned to Tayarana and Mariam.

"Both of you too, Tayarana, Mariam."

"Ah, okay."

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim."

He didn't forget about Tayarana and Mariam, whom he had unintentionally neglected for some time as he had been preoccupied with Riru and Kandir.

‘Tayarana and Mariam will awaken again once Earth transitions into the second dimension, so they will be of huge help. The Bastro Warriors are few in number, while the hyenas are growing stronger by the day. I need to establish my own faction for support.’

Tayarana had been at a disadvantage in her battle with Kandir due to the significant gap between the first and second dimensions. However, this was bound to change once Earth transitioned into the second dimension.

‘It's possible to become stronger in the second dimension through training. Well, it's not as effective as my level-up ability, but still…’

This statement held true. The mana in the first dimension was relatively rigid, while the mana in the second dimension was denser and more flexible. Consequently, one could increase their mana capacity through training, such as practicing breathing techniques or gathering mana within a special magic circle.

In other words, it was possible to grow stronger based on the effort invested.

‘Well, it won't be as efficient as my level-up ability,’ Han-Yeol thought with a smirk.

He had already experienced becoming the Dimension Lord as Harkan, thanks to his level-up ability. However, the level-up ability in Han-Yeol's original body far surpassed the one transferred to Harkan.

Additionally, he possessed more skills than Harkan, which more than compensated for his lack of physical stats.

[What is it, Harkan?]

[My lord?]

“Han-Yeol?”

“Han-Yeol-nim?”

The four of them looked at Han-Yeol.

‘Haa…’ Han-Yeol let out a sigh inwardly.

There was a lot he had to explain, and it was frustrating that he had to do it in two languages.

It was then.

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Translation’ has increased from (E) to (D).]

[The ‘Bastro Language’ has been added.]

‘Huh?’

A completely unexpected message appeared in front of his eyes.

‘I can already use it, so why did I learn this after the skill leveled up?’

It was indeed a bit strange, but he didn't dwell on it.

‘Whatever, it's still a win in the end!’

The skill 'Translation' allowed him to convey his words in a completely different language, even if he spoke in another language. The languages he could use with Translation were Arabic, Nepali, and Bastro Language.

Thanks to the skill, he could speak Korean while simultaneously conveying what he wanted to say in the Bastro Language.

‘Alright.’

“Okay, I will start now,” he said.

Han-Yeol proceeded to explain everything he had discovered, and this information was not something that even the individual with the most knowledge in the world, Yulia, was aware of. The need for information was essential to prepare for the future. Han-Yeol might be the most powerful Hunter on Earth and the most potent warrior in the Bastro Dimension, but he also possessed the most information at this current stage.

[The magic used by the Hyena Sorcerers is borrowed from the Dragon of Destruction. The seal that Harkan placed on the Dragon of Destruction in exchange for his life is about to be broken, and the Dragon of Destruction will come back to life to destroy the dimension once again. The hyenas will never be able to stop the Dragon of Destruction once that happens, as they are borrowing the dragon's power to begin with.]

This explanation was for Riru and Kandir.

[If even a single dimension gets destroyed by the Dragon of Destruction, then the other Dragon of Destructions in other dimensions will grow stronger as well. Of course, our planet, Earth, will be in grave danger since we are the closest to the Bastro Dimension.]

This was for Tayarana and Mariam.

It took two hours for Han-Yeol to finish his explanation.

[H-How can that be…!]

[Those hyena bastards…!]

Kandir gnashed his fangs so vigorously that it sounded as if they might break at any moment.

“I… I see…”

"So, if we want to protect Earth, we need to prevent the Dragon of Destruction sealed in the Bastro Dimension from resurrecting..."

“Yeah, that’s correct.”

“…”

Tayarana had some knowledge of the Bastro Dimension from what she had heard during the Master Rank Hunter Test. However, she was completely unaware of the significant secret that lay behind the scenes. She was utterly shocked and left speechless.

Then, she decided to ask, “So this information is what you discovered after being transported to the Bastro Dimension by Yulia and spending twenty years there in that dimension’s time?”

“Yes, that's correct. That's why I lost consciousness during the test.”

“…”

She finally understood how Han-Yeol was acquainted with the Bastrolings, whom she was seeing for the first time, but she had never imagined that there would be such a complicated backstory behind it.

"Haa… My head is starting to hurt from all of this, and it has been quite a while since I last had a headache…" Mariam grimaced and grumbled, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Hahaha…" Han-Yeol awkwardly laughed in response.

"Then what are we supposed to do now?" Tayarana asked.

"What else? I need to strengthen my faction and gain enough power to eliminate the hyenas."

"But they are too strong."

Han-Yeol shrugged and replied, "Have you both forgotten my ability?"

"No, we are aware that Han-Yeol-nim is a growth-type… Ah!" Mariam exclaimed.

"Hoho! You're only realizing that now, Mariam?"

"Y-Yes, Han-Yeol-nim. The Bastro Dimension is in the second dimension, which is one dimension higher than Earth, and the mana density there will undoubtedly be denser compared to Earth. In short, your growth speed will be faster if you fight over there…"

"Bingo!" Han-Yeol exclaimed with a smirk and a thumbs up.

“…”

Tayarana seemed genuinely jealous of Han-Yeol at this moment. She loved fighting more than Han-Yeol, and witnessing his increasing strength was something she couldn't help but envy.

"Both of you should join me too."

"Hmm?"

"Pardon?"

"Earth might still be in the first dimension, but you will be able to awaken once again if you cross that dimensional gate. That means not only will your abilities be enhanced, but you can become as strong as you work for it."

"R-Really?" Mariam was shocked.

"Okay! I'll go with you!" Tayarana jumped up with her hand raised.

Nobody could predict the danger awaiting them beyond the dimensional gate. A swarm of hyenas might be lying in wait on the other side after picking up the scent of the Bastrolings' hiding place. In that case, they could be in danger even before stepping foot into the Bastro Dimension.

However, Tayarana didn't hesitate.

"Tayarana-nim!" Mariam exclaimed, trying to stop her, but...

"Don't even think about stopping me, Mariam. I'm going to go no matter what," Tayarana immediately shot her down.

In the end, Mariam had no choice but to nod in agreement and reply, "I... I understand, Tayarana-nim."