Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 266: Second Awakening (6)

“Haaaap!”

Bam!

A loud sound thundered the moment Mujahid’s fist struck the boss monster, but it wasn't just a powerful attack; the boss monster realized that its body was suddenly unresponsive after being punched.

“Gwuoh?”

It attempted to take a step forward, but its body simply wouldn't obey.

"Haha! Where do you think you're going?"

Tia suddenly appeared out of nowhere and secured the boss monster's legs to the ground with her spider webs.

Initially, she had no intention of getting involved in the battle, but she decided to help after observing that Han-Yeol seemed to have a strategy to deal with it.

The spider web she used to bind the boss monster's legs wasn't the poisonous web she typically employed, but rather the highly durable web utilized by certain spider species.

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

"Hoho~ It looks like a cute larva from this angle~"

"Gwuoook!"

The boss monster appeared determined to free itself by tearing apart the spider web.

[I won’t let you!]

[…]

Shwooong… Kwaaang!

There was no way the two Master Rank Hunters were going to sit idly by and watch the boss monster free itself.

Han-Yeol was slightly taken aback after witnessing Tia bind the boss monster, but he saw this as an excellent opportunity. It was clear to him that defeating the boss with sheer strength alone was impossible, which is why he decided to channel Restore.

However, the boss monster seemed to have caught on to his plan and ignored everything else, focusing solely on him. Fortunately, Tia intervened at just the right moment, restricting the boss monster's movement.

"Hoho~ This is why humans are considered weak creatures that need assistance to survive~"

The Arachnids had a very intricate way of thinking, and the same could be said for Tia.

“Gwuuu Oooook!”

Creak…!

The boss monster tried to take another step forward to cut the spider web.

“Hoho~ Where are you going?”

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

“Haaap!”

Kwaaang!

Tia shot out more spider webs, while Mujahid and Tayarana unleashed their attacks.

Shwak! Shwak!

"Oh~ You look so good when you flinch and squirm like that~"

The boss monster failed for the second time to cut the spider webs restricting its movements. However, the additional spider webs shot out by Tia made it even more challenging for it to move.

"Gwuok!" the boss monster let out a frustrated roar, seemingly devising a way to break free from the spider webs.

'Hmm?'

Tia's sharp senses detected this sudden change in the boss monster's behavior. Her senses were so keen that she noticed almost everything happening around her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before it broke free from her webs.

'Hurry up, master...'

She had already done her part, leaving it to Han-Yeol to come up with a plan to defeat the boss monster.

***

Woooong!

A powerful yet beautiful mana began to emanate from Han-Yeol, and the white luster it emitted imbued it with a holy aura.

'If Restore is the creature's weakness, then I just have to weaponize it...'

Han-Yeol wasn't merely focused on defeating the boss monster; he was contemplating what lay ahead.

'We will frequently clash with the hyenas once Earth becomes a second dimension. I'll have a significant advantage against them if I know their weaknesses beforehand.'

Wooooong!

'Keuk!'

Regrettably, it wasn't easy for him to control his healing ability, something he had never attempted before. Taming the healing skill proved quite challenging, and the fact that the mechanics of white mana differed from those of blue mana only compounded the difficulty.

'I won't give up just because it's difficult!'

Han-Yeol was no longer the same twenty-nine-year-old Lee Han-Yeol. While only a few seconds might have passed in real time, he had lived for two decades in the Bastro Dimension, even reaching the pinnacle as its Dimension Lord.

'Stay down and listen to my command!'

With all his strength, Han-Yeol attempted to control Restore.

Wooooong!

Then, the mana that had been spreading around him suddenly dissipated like a mirage.

"Greuk... Greuk...!"

The boss monster sneered, sensing that the threatening mana had vanished, thinking that the human had failed to control it.

Han-Yeol might have felt extremely annoyed seeing that arrogant, smug smirk on the grotesque monster's face, but he couldn't care less about what the monster was doing at the moment, completely distracted by the flood of messages cascading in front of his eyes.

Ding!

[You have acquired a new power: Light Mana.]

[A creature possessing Light Mana in the first dimension is akin to a god.]

[Obtaining Light Mana is usually only possible once your dimension has entered the second stage.]

[The Balancer of Dimensions salutes you for your extraordinary achievement.]

[Your name will be immortalized in the annals of dimensional history.]

‘W-What the hell just happened...?’ Han-Yeol was utterly bewildered by the flurry of messages.

He had been attempting to control Restore's mana to defeat the boss monster and gain the power to exploit the hyena race's weakness later on. However, he never could have imagined in his wildest dreams what he would achieve in the process.

Ironically, this was not the end of his surprises.

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Restore’ has risen.][ref]Rank was not mentioned so I had to leave it at this.]

[A new skill has been created: Light Attribute (F)]

[A new skill has been created: Light Exorcist Sword (F)]

‘Huh?’ Han-Yeol had anticipated gaining new skills, but he never expected to acquire precisely the skills he needed for his current situation.

It felt as though someone was watching over him, providing him with precisely the skills required.

‘Wow... This is too good to be a coincidence…’

[I concur, Han-Yeol-nim.]

‘Hey, Karvis.’

[I believe the time to conclude this battle has arrived.]

‘I agree.’

Shwiiik…

It was precisely as Karvis had stated. It was now time to bring this battle to an end since Han-Yeol had already acquired the skill he desired.

"Great job, Tia."

"Hoho~ Just hurry up and finish this, master. We've been battling for thirty hours already, and I'd like to go home and freshen up."

“Hahaha! Alright, alright.”

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

Tia withdrew as she was no longer required after successfully restraining the boss monster's movement. She understood this better than anyone else and thus burrowed into the ground, reappearing beside the Egyptian Hunters.

"Hiiik!"

Naturally, the Hunters shrieked in horror when Tia suddenly appeared beside them. They initially mistook her for a monster and were on their guard, but they soon realized that she was one of Han-Yeol's monster pets.

“Tsk, tsk… How can they call themselves Hunters?” Tia clicked her tongue and grumbled.

She found most humans to be quite lacking, with the exception of her master.

“Let’s go, Mavros,” Han-Yeol said.

“Kiek!”

Han-Yeol and Mavros flew toward the boss monster once again.

“Gwuoh! Gwuoh!”

The boss monster was convinced that Han-Yeol had failed in whatever he was attempting, so it decided to confront him directly.

'What the hell is that?' Han-Yeol thought in disbelief.

He looked down and noticed that the boss monster's feet were still entangled in the spider webs. He found it absurd that it would choose to face him head-on while its feet remained bound, shattering his perception of the hyena race being the most intelligent among the Bastrolings.

Nevertheless, he wasn't complaining, as the boss monster's arrogance would actually make things easier for him. It didn't matter what the boss monster did as long as he could defeat it more easily.

Han-Yeol had acquired the best weapon to vanquish the boss monster and didn't hesitate to use it immediately.

‘Light Exorcist Sword!’

Woooong!

A powerful surge of white mana emanated from Han-Yeol's heart.

"Gwuok?!"

The boss monster finally grasped that the human had indeed succeeded in acquiring light attribute mana and desperately attempted to increase the distance between them.

“Gwuuu Oooh!”

Kwachik!

“Gwuok?”

Unfortunately, its feet wouldn't budge an inch, and it was only then that it remembered that some peculiar spider had bound its feet with spider webs a while ago.

[It’s too late!]

[…]

Kwaaaang!

Tayarana and Mujahid unleashed their attacks on the boss monster to further immobilize it. They had no idea what Han-Yeol was attempting to do, but they assumed that he had an effective plan in mind, so they simply proceeded to immobilize it.

“Haaap!”

“Gwuook!”

Kwachik!

[Fatal Slash.]

Sukeok!

“Gwuuu Ooook!”

Tayarana and Mujahid's attacks failed to inflict any damage on the boss monster, but they managed to halt its movements, providing Han-Yeol with the opportunity he required to complete his skill.

'Descend.'

Whiiing! Whiiing! Whiiing! Whiiing!

Five swords made of light descended from the heavens.

Kwachik! Kwachik! Kwachik! Kwachik!

"Gwuuu Oook!"

The swords pierced through the boss monster's four limbs.

Tsshhhhh!

“Gwuuuok!”

The boss monster roared in agony as the sound and odor of something burning filled the air.

[What’s this smell…? Ugh…!]

[Let’s get out of here, Mujahid.]

[Okay, noonim.]

Whoosh!

Mujahid and Tayarana promptly retreated after realizing that the stench emanating from the boss monster's burning body was hazardous.

‘Good job,’ Han-Yeol thought, recognizing that the stench originated from the vile, corrupted mana composing the boss monster's body.

“Mavros.”

“Kieeeeek!”

Chwak! Chwak!

Mavros flew toward the last remaining sword of light at Han-Yeol's command. Then, Han-Yeol gripped the sword.

Shwaaak!

The initially average-looking sword of light transformed into a proper sword upon his touch. It featured a blue hilt and an edge sharper than most swords on Earth, with inscriptions that Han-Yeol couldn't decipher.

'It's probably some sort of spell sealing it,' he decided to think that way and ignored it for the time being.

Wooong! Wooong! Wooong! Wooong!

The sword continued to emit the same light mana Han-Yeol had used to summon it.

Seuk...

Han-Yeol raised the sword and channeled his mana once more.

Tak...!

He gently nudged Mavros on his side, and the black dragon immediately flew toward the boss monster upon receiving the signal.

“Gwuoooook!”

The boss monster waved its unsealed hand, grabbing its whip and swinging it at Han-Yeol.

Chwaaaak!

However, the whip followed an awkward trajectory, and there was no chance it would hit Han-Yeol while he had Sixth Sense activated.

Han-Yeol and Mavros continued to fly toward the boss monster without hesitation.

"Kieeeeek!"

"Haaaaap!"

"GWUOOOK!"

Their cries reverberated through the hunting ground as a bright light erupted the moment they made contact.

“Euk!”

“…!”

Tayarana and Mujahid were compelled to avert their eyes due to the blinding light explosion.

It didn't take long for the light to dissipate, and once they regained their vision, Tayarana and Mujahid promptly rushed toward where the boss monster had been.

[Han-Yeol!]

[Hyung-nim! Are you alright?!]

Sniff!

[What’s this smell?]

[…!]

The repugnant smell still lingered where Han-Yeol had stood moments ago. It was so foul that both Tayarana and Mujahid found it hard to endure. However, their priority was finding Han-Yeol, so they did their best to ignore it while searching the vicinity.

Fortunately, they could sense Han-Yeol's mana not too far away.

[Hyung-nim!]

[Han-Yeol.]

Both of them quickly located Han-Yeol and rushed to his side, and what they saw left their jaws hanging in disbelief.