Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 304 – Strange Adventure in the Bastro Dimension (4)

Han-Yeol utilized Cat Walk to maneuver stealthily behind the enemy, exploiting their limited visibility. However, his disappointment grew as the ambush yielded little success. He realized that his level was insufficient to employ such tactics against the monsters in this second dimension.

‘I just need to level up if I want to succeed!’

With the enemy now aware of his presence, his only option was a direct face-to-face confrontation.

Chwiiiik!

Han-Yeol drew both his sword and chain.

[S-Stop him!]

[H-He isn’t a sorcerer?!]

The soldier ants were taken aback upon witnessing the sorcerer wielding weapons in each hand. They quickly realized that they were not dealing with an ordinary sorcerer and rushed to confront Han-Yeol.

‘Head Cutter!’

Chwak!

[Kuheok!]

Han-Yeol ruthlessly severed the head of a soldier ant attempting to attack him.

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Head Cutter’ has risen from (B) to (A).]

‘Alright!’

The skill had finally reached A Rank. Han-Yeol may not have been as impressed as he once was when a skill leveled up, but he couldn't help but welcome the improvement of one of his primary offensive skills.

[It's over for you!]

As a soldier ant lunged at him, it was a step too late.

‘Flash Strike!’

Puuuk!

[Argh!]

Han-Yeol's sword precisely pierced the soldier ant's chest.

Thud…!

[M-My wound is…!]

The soldier ant dropped to its knees, its chest bearing the newly formed hole.

Soldier ants possessed remarkable vitality and abundant mana, so a mere puncture wound to the chest wouldn't prove fatal. Things might have been different if Han-Yeol had struck its heart, but that wasn't the case at the moment.

However…

Fwaaah…! Crackle! Fwaaah…! Crackle!

[Grwaaaah!]

Sparks flew from the wound, progressively eating away at the ant's flesh, causing the wound to expand.

This was a unique effect that Han-Yeol had acquired after Sword Breath reached the Master Rank.

[Cough! Kuheok…!]

Despite its stubborn vitality, the ant couldn't escape the fate of having a gaping hole in its chest, as large as a basketball.

Thud…!

The soldier ant collapsed face-first onto the ground.

Ding!

[Your level has risen.]

‘Alright!’

This marked his first true battle, yet he had already leveled up. The experience points he gained from slaying a second-dimensional monster were substantial, bolstered by several multiplier buffs.

‘I won't spare any of you!’ Han-Yeol thought, his hunger for levels blazing within him.

The soldier ants seethed at the arrogance displayed by their adversary. This reaction was typical in combat, where one side's excitement often fueled the fury of the other.

[Damn it…!]

Three soldier ants had already perished in the battle, leaving the remaining ones grinding their teeth in anger and frustration. The smoke had now fully dissipated, prompting the soldier ants to once again spread their wings and launch another assault on the intruder.

[Kill him!]

[Yes, sir!]

Buzz!

“Heh!” Han-Yeol smirked.

‘Frozen Field!’

Kwachiiiik!

[Enough of your tricks!]

"Tricks? You're going to hurt my feelings if you label this as a mere trick," Han-Yeol jestingly remarked.

He had the luxury of bantering with his enemies, but he wasn't doing it solely for amusement. This was an active skill not listed in his skills. The skill in question was none other than 'provoking' the enemy with words.

[You arrogant bastard!]

‘Hoho! I probably would've been a sadist if I had to choose between the two,’ Han-Yeol thought, feeling exhilarated as he witnessed his enemies reacting to his provocations.

“Alright, time for round two! Tornado Smash!”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

When it came to engaging multiple enemies, this was Han-Yeol's most effective skill.

[W-What?!]

[Too strong!]

[What is that?!]

Whoooosh! Whoooosh! Whoooosh!

A potent gust of wind surged through the tunnel, closing in on the ants.

[Damn it! Stop it!]

[Yes, sir!]

The soldier ants endangered their lives in an attempt to prevent Han-Yeol from completing his skill, which threw the entire situation into chaos. There was no room for honor or glory on this battlefield, as both sides were ruthlessly focused on eliminating their adversaries as quickly as possible.

Krwaaaaang!

The tunnel shook.

***

[K-Keuk…!]

Sukeok!

Han-Yeol dispatched the soldier ant captain with a single, swift stroke of his sword, and the ant expired while hurling a barrage of curses at him.

Ding!

[Your level has risen.]

"Wow! It can't get any better than this!"

Although the tunnel was quite stuffy and suffocating, Han-Yeol found the air here to be fresher than anywhere in the galaxy. The sheer number of experience points he earned in this place made the otherwise damp and stagnant air feel more invigorating than a pristine forest filled with trees.

Thud… Thud…

“Han-Yeol.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re a cheater…”

“You are a cheat, Han-Yeol-nim.”

“Ah…”

It was only at that moment that Han-Yeol realized what he had done.

"Hahaha..." he awkwardly chuckled and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

He had been so immersed in the battle that he had taken down most of the soldier ants, leaving only four for Tayarana and Mariam. However, when he glanced at them, he saw that the four soldier ants were already lying lifeless on the ground, evidently dispatched with ease by Tayarana's sword.

"I... I'll share some of mine in the next one," Han-Yeol said with an awkward smile.

Still, he wasn't confident that he could keep his promise, given the increasing complexity of the situation. ‘I'm not sure how well I can keep my word though…’

He swiftly attempted to change the topic. "L-Let's go!"

"Okay."

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim!"

Initially, the trio had fought individually, but they soon began cooperating as a team. Several reasons prompted this shift, with the primary one being the soldier ants' increasingly fierce resistance.

[Kill the intruders! Make them pay with their lives!]

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

‘Damn it! These aren’t the ants I remember!’

Bam!

Han-Yeol found himself in a precarious situation. He had raided anthills countless times in the past as Harkan, but the soldier ants he faced now were different from any he'd encountered before. Although he hadn't hunted in this particular anthill before, he didn't expect the ants to be so distinct from the others.

‘They've changed. I think they've grown stronger, and there are more varieties of them.’

He couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. ‘This is becoming quite a problem. I'm even starting to feel nervous about this.’

The sudden increase in the monsters' strength was definitely a troubling sign, especially in the Bastro Dimension. These monsters aspired to become more potent to one day drive out the dimension's inhabitants, unlike the creatures on Earth. The fact that they were growing stronger meant they would soon pose a significant threat to the dimension's residents.

‘The stronger monsters are certainly bad news for the already significantly outnumbered Light Faction. They are already a minority, and if the monsters keep growing stronger, those corrupt hyenas will have even more powerful pawns to exploit,’ Han-Yeol realized.

While this news was grim on multiple fronts, Han-Yeol chose to focus on the immediate challenges before him.

“Han-Yeol!”

“Okay!”

Whoosh! Sukeok!

‘Ex…plosion!”

Krwaaang!

[Gwaaaak!]

Tayarana seized a flying soldier ant and hurled it toward Han-Yeol. Prior to the throw, she had ensured that she tore off the soldier ant's wings, rendering it unable to escape. Additionally, her throw was remarkably accurate, causing the soldier ant to impale itself on Han-Yeol's sword, skewering it through the chest.

Han-Yeol reacted just in time, activating his skill to detonate the soldier ant, causing it to explode with a piercing scream before succumbing.

Ding!

[Your level has risen.]

Han-Yeol received another message indicating that he had leveled up.

"Alright! Bring it on!" Han-Yeol exclaimed, his excitement mounting with his newfound level.

[Keuk…!]

The remaining soldier ants, armed with scimitars, were flustered as their precious home had been plundered by the three intruders.

It was then.

Boom! Boom!

The ground shook.

[Move! I’ll deal with them myself!]

A woman's voice echoed from deep within the dark tunnel.

'Hmm?'

Soon after, a creature emerged, possessing the upper body of a female and the lower body of an ant.

'Karvis.'

[Yes, I will get to it at once, Han-Yeol-nim.]

The analysis commenced as soon as Karvis responded.

Ding!

[Combat Queen Ant]

[Type: Mid-Boss Monster]

[Mana Capacity: 331,300]

[Description: The ants determined that the soldier ants were insufficient for repelling the invaders. Therefore, they developed a new combat-oriented ant by incorporating DNA from their queen. This Mid-Boss Monster possesses the strength of a queen ant and the combat skills of a soldier ant. It is capable of executing a variety of attack patterns, and caution is advised when confronting it.]

[Image: (Picture)]

The analysis was completed.

“Ugh… It’s one problem after another…” Han-Yeol grumbled.

“Kieeeeek!”

The Combat Queen Ant could speak, and her voice resonated throughout the tunnel.

Boom!

Once more, the entire tunnel trembled.

'Haa... Why is a Mid-Boss stronger than the Magma Giant back on Earth?' Han-Yeol grumbled.

The monsters in the second dimension were indeed more formidable than the monsters on Earth, but that wasn't the immediate concern. Han-Yeol needed to stay focused on the battle at hand.

“Tara, Mariam.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?”

“Let’s get serious now.”

Both of them nodded in response.

‘Tsk… That punk, Mavros, got too absorbed in the dragon egg and refused to join…’

The reason Mavros wasn't with Han-Yeol this time, despite typically sticking by his side, was due to the dragon egg. Mavros was so captivated by it that he declined to accompany Han-Yeol for the first time.

Furthermore, Tia was preoccupied with something that Han-Yeol had no knowledge of, and he hadn't seen her for quite some time.

‘Ah... It's unfortunate that my two partners abandoned me and won't even listen to me…’ Han-Yeol lamented internally, steeling his resolve to use his remaining Charisma stat to summon a different monster pet.

Seuk...

He removed a mana stone from his pocket, a high-quality one judging by its size and luster. However, every mana stone in Han-Yeol's possession was bound to meet the same fate.

C-Crack...!

He crushed the expensive mana stone with his hand, extracting far more value from it than money could buy.

‘Enhance!’

Woooong!

A magic circle materialized beneath his feet after he employed Enhance, exponentially amplifying his mana. Following that, he utilized Enhancement Aura to enhance Tayarana and Mariam.

"This always feels so good..."

"I agree, Tayarana-nim."

Although the skill was quite costly to use, Tayarana and Mariam couldn't help but sense that something was lacking when they fought without its effects.

[Oh? That skill is…]

[Yes yes, it looks like a very useful skill.]

[A skill that enhances one’s ability in exchange for a mana stone…]

Kandir and Riru weren't buffed by the Enhancement Aura since they weren't participating in the battle, but they could still feel its effects.

‘It seems that Harkan-nim acquired all sorts of skills after becoming human,’ Kandir thought.

Both of them continued to observe the battle from a distance, with no intention of getting involved.

“Kieeeeek!”

[Kill the intruders!]

The Combat Queen Ant appeared to have completed its preparations and began to advance.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Despite its considerable size, it charged toward Han-Yeol's party with great speed.

"Mariam!"

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim!" Mariam replied before issuing orders to her soldier ants.

“Go!”

Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

The twenty soldier ants under her command charged at the Combat Queen Ant.

Mariam found it challenging to use Mind Control on the soldier ants, given their higher intellect compared to the worker ants. However, it was relatively simple for her to control the ones that Tayarana and Han-Yeol had subdued, reducing their resistance to her skill. Then, Han-Yeol healed the soldier ants under Mariam's control with Healing Bullet, restoring them to their original state.

The question arose: why didn't he use Restore to heal them instead?

‘I can faintly feel the Dragon of Destruction’s energy from them…’