Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 239: A New Monster (5)

Han-Yeol left the airport as quickly as possible since he saw no reason to stay in such a hectic place.

Switzerland maintained its neutral stance even after the dimensional gates appeared, and this decision led to the establishment of the International Hunters’ Association headquarters in the country.

Switzerland was known to have two capital cities. Bern was the traditional capital, but the more widely recognized capital was Zurich, famous for housing the headquarters of the International Hunters’ Association.

Creak…

[We have arrived.]

[Alright.]

The escorts hurriedly exited their vehicle and formed a line before opening the doors for them.

Han-Yeol and Tayarana finally arrived in Zollikon, Switzerland, where they would be taking their Master Rank test.

Switzerland endured immense destruction when a dimensional gate first appeared, resulting in over eighty percent of the city being devastated. Moreover, the city lost seventy percent of its population, rendering it unfit to be called a capital city.

However, the country astutely utilized this disaster to house the headquarters of the International Hunters’ Association.

How did they manage it?

They completely redesigned the city from scratch to cater exclusively to the needs of Hunters. Zurich was reborn as a city for Hunters, with every corner of the city equipped with state-of-the-art mana tech technologies.

[Wow, they really did an excellent job here.]

[I agree.]

While this was Tayarana's second visit to Zurich, so she wasn't as surprised, Han-Yeol was utterly astonished by what he saw. The city didn't conform to the typical European image one might imagine, but it was more than enough to amaze any visitor.

Clack! Clack! Clack!?

“Omo~ You’re such a bad master for putting your pets in the luggage compartment~”

‘Hiiik!’

Han-Yeol squealed after Tia suddenly grabbed him inappropriately.

Tia was quite tall, with her upper body resembling that of a human while her lower body resembled that of a spider, complete with incredibly long spider legs.

Due to this unique physique, she had to bend her spider legs whenever she wanted to hug Han-Yeol. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but she didn't hesitate to wrap her hands and some of her front legs around him from time to time.

‘Ugh… A woman is taller than me…!’

Han-Yeol was slowly becoming accustomed to her physical touch, which allowed him to notice other things.

"Hoho~ I guess you've finally gotten used to me, master~ I'm so happy!" Tia exclaimed.

"Ahem..."

"Hohoho~" Tia smiled upon witnessing Han-Yeol's fake cough, and then she discreetly glanced at Tayarana.

'Hoho~ Just as I expected~' she thought, sensing Tayarana's emotions.

Tayarana wasn't openly displaying it, but she was clearly feeling jealous at the moment.

Tia playfully winked to tease her.

'Huh?!'

It was only then that Tayarana realized she had been watching Han-Yeol and Tia in an odd manner.

“Ahem…”?Tayarana cleared her throat.

[Are you alright, Tayarana-nim?] Mariam immediately reacted upon seeing her master cough.

After all, she was responsible for Tayarana's health, so she had to be alert to any signs of illness she displayed.

[N-No, I'm alright.]

[Please let me know immediately if you feel unwell, Tayarana-nim.]

[Alright, I'm sorry for making you worry.]

[N-Not at all!] Mariam blushed and retorted.

This was the only time she allowed her emotions to show.

[Let's go.]

[Okay.]

[Yes, Tayarana-nim!]

Things were becoming quite hectic as their party was large, and it was even more chaotic due to the various languages being spoken.

***

[We will now commence the Master Rank Hunter Test.]

Fortunately, the process for taking the Master Rank test wasn't overly complicated, thanks to the presence of several Egyptians working at the headquarters. The International Hunters' Association headquarters was situated in Zurich, a city with a high foreign population due to its unique appeal to Hunters.

Egypt, once a latecomer on the international stage, had risen to become the third-strongest nation in the world. It was only natural for its citizens to be employed at the International Hunters' Association headquarters.

.

The executives of the association would oversee the test, but all the administrative work was handled by Egyptian staff members.

Click...! Click...! Click...! Click...! Click...!

The Master Rank test that Han-Yeol and Tayarana were about to take would be supervised by a brilliant Egyptian researcher named Mohammed Salah.

Dr. Mohammed, in his thirties, held a pivotal position in the International Hunters' Association, and Phaophator had sent him, one of the brightest minds in the country, with the specific goal of solidifying Egypt's influence within the association. It went without saying that he fulfilled his duties exceptionally well.

[We are ready to begin.]

[Alright, we will now commence the Master Rank Hunter Test.]

[Roger that.]

Tayarana decided to be the first to take the test.

[I will go first.]

[Alright.]

She couldn't wait any longer. She was eager to test her newfound strength and see how much more powerful she had become. Even if she didn't pass the test and attain the rank of Master Hunter, what mattered most to her was assessing her own capabilities.

Tayarana entered the testing area and positioned herself in the center.

The testing area was situated within a dome-like structure, but there was no one else there besides her. It was an empty dome.

‘What kind of test are they going to conduct in a place like this?’ Han-Yeol wondered.

He had no clue about the test's format. While he had diligently studied and gathered extensive information about Hunters, he had purposefully avoided delving into the subject of Master Rank Hunters.

The Master Rank was a designation bestowed upon only six individuals out of twenty thousand five hundred awakened Hunters in South Korea. At that point in his life, with his self-esteem hitting rock bottom, he couldn't even entertain the idea of becoming a Master Rank Hunter.

The only information he had about the Master Rank Hunter Test was that it determined if one truly deserved the title of Master Rank Hunter or not. Furthermore, there was little point in attempting to study for it, as very little was known about the test, and it was infrequently administered. It wasn't a test one could simply take at will; only those with the potential to become a Master Rank Hunter received invitations.

Tayarana had the opportunity to take the test based on documents and reports submitted by the Egyptian Hunters' Association, while Han-Yeol secured his chance after a video of him easily handling two S Rank Hunters went viral.

[Then, we will now commence the test.]

[Begin!]

Beep!

Dr. Mohammed pressed a button.

Whiiiing!

A mechanical sound filled the testing area before a bright light covered the entire area.

Zhiiiing!

‘Oh?’?

The entire scenery changed immediately after the bright light subsided, and the testing area now resembled some sort of cave.

Thud!

A large golem made its appearance from the far end of the cave, and it exuded a very threatening aura.

‘What’s that?’?Han-Yeol wondered.

Someone suddenly approached him and said, “H-Hello, you are Han-Yeol Hunter-nim, right?”

"Hi?" Han-Yeol replied, turning toward the person.

A blonde man, wearing spectacles and a white lab gown, stood beside him. Despite his blonde hair, it was evident that he was Korean.

"My name is Jung Han-Bin, and I am the Deputy Chief Researcher of the Master Rank Hunter Research Department. It is truly an honor to meet the most famous Hunter in the world right now," the researcher introduced himself and extended his hand.

"Ah, it's nice to meet you," Han-Yeol replied, shaking the researcher's hand.

However, he wasn't particularly pleased about encountering another Korean in this situation.

"Do you have any information about the Master Rank Hunter Test?" Jung Han-Bin inquired.

"No, nobody informed me about it," Han-Yeol replied.

"Ah, I apologize for that. We were supposed to brief you on the test, but our staff were simply too intimidated by Tayarana-nim and the spider woman beside you a while ago."

"Hahaha... Is that so?"

‘That’s understandable, since almost everyone is scared of monsters…’

Becoming a Hunter was a lucrative career that allowed individuals to earn substantial amounts of money. However, the reason people didn't readily embrace this profession was their fear of monsters. This fear was a good thing, as normal people were essential for society to function. Having too few Hunters would have an adverse effect, as they wouldn't be able to manage all the hunting grounds.

A country that failed to manage its hunting grounds had no future. Liechtenstein, Switzerland's neighbor, was a prime example of this. They couldn't control their hunting grounds, and the dimensional gates within them went on a rampage, unleashing hordes of monsters that overran the entire country. This incident occurred quite recently, about fifteen years ago, serving as a wake-up call for Europe to improve the benefits offered to Hunters in the hope of attracting more people to the profession. Fortunately, the EU stepped in and assisted Liechtenstein in stabilizing the situation.

"The test has the grand name of 'Master Rank Hunter Test,' but frankly speaking, it's not that special. We simply attach some machinery to your body and summon fake monsters that are around the level of an S Rank Hunter and a Master Rank Hunter."

"Well, that sounds quite straightforward," Han-Yeol remarked, appearing somewhat perplexed.

"Haha! Yes, it indeed is. However, that doesn't diminish the impressiveness of Master Rank Hunters, as these pieces of machinery cannot fully gauge your abilities," Jung Han-Bin added.

Han-Yeol nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah, he’s right.’

It was impossible to accurately measure the strength of a Master Rank Hunter.

"Ah, but did you say fake monsters?" Han-Yeol asked, recalling this detail for the first time.

"Oh, I should probably explain that first. This place is the best research center in the world, thanks to our association's investment and efforts. We're able to create a barrier and summon fake monsters within it," Jung Han-Bin explained.

"Is something like that even possible...?" Han-Yeol muttered in disbelief.

Turning something fake into something real seemed impossible, despite the technological advancements mankind had made.

"I understand what you're thinking, and it is indeed impossible with our current technology," Jung Han-Bin replied with a smile.

"Then?"

"Do you remember the Fall of Liechtenstein fifteen years ago?"

"Yes."

Han-Yeol couldn't have missed it; it was major news at the time.

"One of the Hunters who miraculously escaped from Liechtenstein possessed a rather unique ability. The ability to possess mana equal to that of a Master Rank Hunter, despite not being a combat-type Hunter. Quite interesting, wouldn't you say?"

"What?! A non-combatant with mana equal to a Master Rank Hunter?!"

"Hahaha! Exactly!"

It was truly surprising news for Han-Yeol. How could a non-combatant possess the same amount of mana as a Master Rank Hunter?

"That Hunter was a rather secretive figure even in Liechtenstein. They were fortunate enough to escape to Switzerland while working on a secret project right on our border. We were quite surprised to discover that this Hunter possessed the unique ability to turn their imagination into reality," Jung Han-Bin elaborated.

Gulp!

Han-Yeol was stunned and rendered speechless for a few minutes after hearing what the researcher had revealed.

"I-Is it okay for you to share something like that?" he asked cautiously.

"Haha! It's classified information, but all Master Rank Hunters are aware of it. I hope you'll keep it a secret too, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim."

"Haha..." Han-Yeol chuckled nervously.

He thought to himself,?'But I'm not yet a Master Rank Hunter...'

Jung Han-Bin smiled before continuing, "But turning imagination into reality is not that simple."

"Yes, I agree with you," Han-Yeol replied.

After all, the concept of turning one's imagination into reality defied the boundaries of logic.

"Also..." Jung Han-Bin began but then grimaced.

'What's wrong with him?' Han-Yeol wondered.

"That Hunter 'was' afflicted with a disease called Mana Evaporation Syndrome..."

"What?!" Han-Yeol was shocked once again.

Mana Evaporation Syndrome was a rare disease affecting less than five percent of the entire population, and only one in every one hundred thousand Hunters suffered from it. It was a deadly disease characterized by the gradual loss of mana over five years until eventual death, and there was no known cure due to limited knowledge about mana.

"T-Then...?"

"Yes, we somehow managed to use the Hunter's brain and integrate it into one of our systems. In other words, we are using her brain to project her abilities for the test."

"Hahaha... Something like that..." Han-Yeol laughed in disbelief while saying a brief prayer for the deceased Hunter.

She seemed to have had an unfortunate fate, surviving a monster invasion only to succumb to an incredibly rare disease.

"That's quite unfortunate..."

"We are profoundly grateful for that Hunter's decision to allow us to use her brain. In return, she asked us to use her abilities to ensure there will never be another country like Liechtenstein."

Suddenly, words appeared in mid-air.

[Don’t go killing me off!]

“What?!”

Han-Yeol was yet again shocked when the words appeared.

“Hahaha! My apologies, Yulia-nim.”

“Huh?” Han-Yeol muttered like a fool.

‘What’s going on right now?’?he was utterly confused by what was going on.

"Hahaha! I forgot to mention that Yulia-nim did give us her brain, but she is not dead," Jung Han-Bin chuckled before elaborating.

"What...?"

She had donated her brain to them, but she wasn't deceased? Han-Yeol struggled to comprehend what that meant.

"I-Is something like that even possible...?" Han-Yeol asked, his confusion evident.

"Yes, it is," Jung Han-Bin replied with a smile.

Then, another set of words appeared in mid-air.

[Ha! That is how great I am!]