Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 311 – Light Faction Survivors (6)

Kandir made sure to emphasize the one mistake that the felines had committed during their war against the canines, led by Harkan. This error resulted in the felines being one-sidedly massacred. The canines, under Harkan's command, prepared a trap and continued to lure the felines.

Initially, the felines managed to evade all the traps set by the canines. However, the repetitive nature of these attempts eventually led the felines to become complacent. This complacency proved fatal as they fell into a trap, resulting in the death of all the Feline Warriors present that day. This marked a critical turning point in the war, with the canines dominating every battle thereafter.

That event became the pivotal mistake in Taichin’s life, serving as a sore spot for her. Kandir's actions only served to rub salt on that wound.

[I've pondered it repeatedly, and you are undeniably smarter than me—much smarter. However, you should acknowledge that your overly cautious nature sometimes puts your subordinates at risk.]

[Hoho! I am dedicated to improving for the sake of my fallen comrades, but it has become quite taxing, especially given the recent losses.]

[Hmph!]

Kandir refrained from further comments, recognizing that this was not the time to engage in a confrontation with her.

A few minutes later, the Jaguar Warriors returned from scouting the enemy.

Shwak!

[My lord!]

[Have you taken a look?]

[Yes, the creature from another dimension was entirely accurate. There are ten Hyena Sorcerers and approximately two thousand corrupted soldiers heading our way.]

[Hmm… Their numbers exceed my expectations.]

[Furthermore, it appears that an intermediate-ranking sorcerer is among them.]

[Haa… One problem after another. An intermediate-ranking sorcerer with a group of cleaners?]

[Yes, that's correct.]

Taichin grimaced upon receiving the report. She found it hard to believe that such a potent sorcerer was deployed alongside scouts, typically tasked with eliminating small groups of survivors. She wasn't confident in their ability to win even if they managed to ambush them.

[Haa… This sounds dire.]

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol busily surveyed the colorless Bastro Dimension, reminiscing, 'This place was so beautiful back when I was Harkan…'

The Bastro Dimension proved inconvenient in many ways, developing only in specific areas as needed, leaving most of its nature untouched.

‘These hyenas are all dead…’ Han-Yeol steeled his resolve.

His concern wasn't solely for the Bastro Dimension's demise; whatever transpired here would affect Earth, and he couldn't help but be deeply troubled. Not that he cared much for humanity, but he harbored a protective instinct for his father and friends.

‘I still have a lot of things I want to do with my friends…’

Despite amassing enough wealth to rival the uber-wealthy and transcending to become a Hunter of Master Rank, Han-Yeol now sought a peaceful life with his father and friends. Amassing more wealth held little appeal; he had no desire to engage in shady dealings for additional riches.

While contemplating these thoughts, he noticed the enemy's movement.

Ziiiing…!

“Kandir.”

[Yes, Harkan-nim?]

“I think they’re almost here.”

[Yes, I can sense them too. I will never forget the filthy stench those rotten creatures emit.]

“Yeah, me too.”

Kwak!

Han-Yeol clenched his fist. Though he had momentarily forgotten, the hideous mana or bacteria, whatever it was that nearly killed his father, bore a striking resemblance to the mana used by the hyenas. While not exactly the same, Han-Yeol perceived them as one and the same.

‘My anger will only be placated if I render those hyenas extinct.’

Contemplating the suffering his father endured due to the illness fueled his simmering rage, and revenge was now a definite resolution.

[Hide your mana.]

[Yes, lord!]

Shwak…!

The Bastrolings learned how to control their mana from an early age, enabling them to conceal both their mana and presence. This was effective unless their opponent possessed the ability to bounce their detection mana onto objects. This distinction marked the primary difference between Bastrolings and humans. Humans only mastered body control upon becoming Porters and gained freedom after awakening as Hunters.

In contrast, Bastrolings honed their mana and instincts under the guidance of their seniors from an early age. This training was inevitable, given their lives filled with combat against monsters and enemies. Bastro Warriors possessed capabilities beyond human reach.

‘I can do that too, having learned it during my time as Harkan,’ Han-Yeol mused, preparing to hide his presence.

However, when he turned around, he noticed Tayarana and Mariam.

‘Ah! Tayarana and Mariam!’

He had completely forgotten they were accompanying him, unable to conceal their presence since they had never learned how to do so.

But…

Wooong…

‘Huh? Eh?’

Both of them effortlessly erased their presence. Han-Yeol was flabbergasted, witnessing them perform something he had believed they were incapable of.

‘Yikes… I’m glad I didn’t say anything…’

Fortunately, he avoided the embarrassment of being lectured by the two beauties for underestimating them. While there weren't many things that scared Han-Yeol, the nagging of Tayarana and Mariam was among the few that did.

Their preparations were now complete.

Seuk…

[…]

[…]

“…”

All they had to do was wait for the hyenas.

[They are coming,] Kandir whispered in a very low voice, yet all the Feline Warriors heard it.

Kandir didn't need to speak, as everyone present could detect the foul stench emitted by the hyenas and their corrupted soldiers, essentially announcing their presence.

Gulp…!

The Feline Warriors, waiting in ambush, nervously gulped. While it was logical for the side launching an ambush to have the advantage, applying logic to the hyenas, their formidable enemies, was not straightforward.

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

‘They’re coming,’ Han-Yeol thought as he glimpsed the dark mana approaching from a distance.

An army of corrupted soldiers, driven by Hyena Tamers, marched, with Hyena Sorcerers on a large cart pulled by corrupted soldiers at the center of the army.

‘Those filthy bastards!’

‘I will rip them to shreds!’

The Feline Warriors gnashed their fangs, ready to attack, devoid of any hint of nervousness. They had lost countless friends, families, and comrades to the Hyena Sorcerers. The nearly two thousand corrupted soldiers marching toward them were mostly composed of felines, emphasizing their profound loss.

‘Zenia… Raikun… Just wait for me… I’ll free you from that filthy curse.’

The corrupted soldiers existed in a state neither dead nor alive. While a Bastro Warrior would enter the Holy Land of Warriors after death, their current status prevented entry into that sacred place.

***

[Ah… This is boring…]

[Yes, we have already confirmed there were no survivors in this area, but why did the lord command us to sweep this place again and again?]

The nine Hyena Sorcerers wagged their tails, seeking favor from the intermediate-ranking Hyena Sorcerer.

‘Keke! These fools!’

The intermediate-ranking sorcerer had no complaints as long as these subordinates were willing to do the hard work to gain his favor. He found this mission bothersome, given its repetitive nature. Despite undertaking it multiple times, nothing noteworthy had occurred.

The complacent intermediate-ranking sorcerer, Haschio, left his strongest corrupted soldier, the Goliath, back at the base. Controlling Goliath demanded significant concentration, making it troublesome for him to bring it along for an easy mission like this.

‘You can rub your paws all you want, but you'll remain low-ranking sorcerers. I don’t mind taking in those lucky enough to awaken into intermediate rank, but that's unlikely for these fools.’

Eager to finish the bothersome mission and return to base, Haschio ordered the sorcerers to whip the corrupted soldiers even more.

[March faster!]

[Y-Yes, Sorcerer-nim!]

The captain of the Hyena Tamers stood by Haschio, blowing his whistle to convey the command to march faster.

Beeeeeep!

He increased the army’s marching speed with a blast of his whistle.

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

“Gwu Oooh…”

“Uwoooo…”

“Gwuu Oooh…!”

[March faster, you maggots!]

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

The Hyena Tamers mercilessly whipped the corrupted soldiers, who responded only with moans and drooling, following the command. They weren't capable of understanding the commands; instead, their reactions were simply responses to the whipping, signaling them to march faster.

[Hmm?] The Captain Hyena Tamer narrowed its eyes upon spotting a ravine up ahead.

[Haschio-nim.]

[What?]

[There is a large ravine up ahead. Should we enter while maintaining a defensive formation?]

Ravines were the favored battlefield of the Light Faction, providing an advantage to neutralize the hyenas' numerical superiority. Seventy percent of the Bastro Dimension consisted of mountainous terrain, resulting in numerous small and large ravines. In response to significant losses in the early stages of the war, the hyenas developed a defensive formation specifically for ravines, ultimately turning the tides in their favor and securing victory.

However, the war was essentially over, and the Light Faction was now a thing of the past.

[Ha! What’s there to worry about when there’s nothing there anyway? It’s boring, so hurry up!]

[Yes, Haschio-nim.]

Beeeeep!

The Captain Hyena Tamer blew his whistle once, urging the corrupted soldiers to move faster.

Chwak! Chwak! Chwak! Chwak!

[Move faster, you filthy maggots! Faster!]

“Gwuoo Oooh!”

“Wooo…”

“Uwoooo…”

“Mooo…!”

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

There was no semblance of formation as the corrupted soldiers began flooding into the ravine. Thanks to this lack of organization, the hyena army swiftly entered the ravine and sped through it.

[Kekeke! This is our land, so those Light Faction scums won’t dare to be anywhere near this place!]

[You are absolutely right, Haschio-nim! Hahaha! These tamers are nothing but a bunch of cowards, always worrying about unnecessary things! That's why they're tamers and not sorcerers!]

[Kekeke!]

Kwachik!

‘These damn sorcerers…! Just wait and see, I will have my revenge one day…!’ the Captain Hyena Tamer gritted his fangs and clenched his fist after hearing the sorcerers sneer at him.

It was at that moment, as the army caught sight of the exit of the ravine, that the Captain Hyena Tamer noticed something strange.

‘Hmm? What’s this ominous feeling I’m having…?’

He suddenly started feeling nervous as his instincts began to ring alarm bells. He prided himself on having quite sharp instincts, and they were usually spot-on.

‘This means that my life is in danger… Don’t tell me?! Are these sorcerers going to kill me?!’

Despite his usually sharp instincts, his brain struggled to keep up, and in the end, he directed his suspicions in completely the wrong direction.

Shwoong!

[Hmm?]

Haschio sensed mana emanating from somewhere, and it was a foreign mana.

‘This isn’t the mana used by those Light Faction scums.’

As a veteran who had fought since the early stages of the war, he had engaged in countless battles against Bastro Warriors. Thus, he could discern that the incoming mana was quite unfamiliar in this dimension.

[Kuheok!]

A Hyena Sorcerer collapsed.

[W-What?!]

Shwooong!

[Kuheok!]

Another Hyena Sorcerer collapsed.

Shwooong!

The third Hyena Sorcerer couldn't even gasp as it was struck in the throat and died.

[A-Ambush! It’s an ambu… Ackkk!]

Boom!

The Hyena Sorcerer, about to alert the entire army, couldn't finish his words as his body exploded into pieces.

[Let’s show these filthy hyenas what we, brave warriors, are capable of!]

[Waaaaaaah!]

Around two hundred Feline Warriors emerged from both sides of the ravines and ambushed the hyena army.

[W-What?!]

[H-Hurry and control the corrupted soldier… Kuheok! Noooo!]

Boom!

The fifth Hyena Sorcerer died even before both sides could clash against each other.