Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 189: After the Auction (5)

[Haa…!]

The Arch Lich breathed in and out, releasing a chilling frost breath from its bone-formed jaws.

“Welcome to the human world, great Arch Lich-nim.”

Clack…!

The Arch Lich replied, [Here… Is it a human’s world…?]

“Yes, that is correct, Arch Lich-nim.”

[It appears vastly different from my previous dwelling... I suppose time has elapsed significantly... or maybe this human world is distinct from the one I once inhabited...]

The Arch Lich, once a regular magician, had ascended to become an intermediate demon, imbued with an extraordinary life force. Consequently, it retained fragmented memories of its human existence and the world it once knew, albeit somewhat blurred.

Nonetheless, upon being summoned, it found itself in a world remarkably distinct from its recollections.

"I surmise, Arch Lich-nim, that this world is entirely dissimilar to the one you recall."

[I see… Well, it doesn’t matter. Human, I suppose that you summoned me because you want to enter into a contract with me…?]

“Yes, I wish to hunt monsters together with you, Arch Lich-nim.”

[Alright… I want fresh monster corpses and mana stones in return…]

“That sounds good to me.”

[The contract… is enforced…!]

Ding!

[You have successfully contracted the intermediate demon, Arch Lich, that freezes everything in its vicinity.]

[You have obtained the attribute ‘Ice’.]

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

[You have gained 30 MAG stat as a reward for successfully entering into a contract.]

‘Oh!’?Han-Yeol exclaimed inwardly.

Having successfully entered into a contract with the Arch Lich and acquiring thirty MAG stats from it, he felt content. However, what surprised him the most was obtaining the new skill, 'Ice Attribute.'

While he already possessed the useful Fire Attribute, the ability to gain new skills intrigued him, prompting him to collect as many attributes as possible. It was worth noting that he could employ lightning energy through Hammer Shock, but that only represented the skill's capability rather than his own ability to wield the lightning attribute.

‘Fire and ice… I think I’ll be able to inflict tremendous damage if I find a way to use them together…’?Han-Yeol was already thinking of a way to use the two attributes together.

After all, combining different elements together had the potential to be extremely powerful when done right.

“I will call you again when I need you for the hunt, Arch Lich-nim.”

[I look forward to it…]

Shwaaaa…!

After being engulfed by a blizzard, the Arch Lich vanished, leaving behind frozen and withered vegetation that showed no signs of revival in the demon's absence.

‘Looks like I won't be calling upon that demon anytime soon,’ Han-Yeol shrugged, recalling his plan to venture to the Cheolwon hunting ground with Mujahid.

While the hunting ground's climate would greatly benefit the Arch Lich, the presence of ice attribute monsters rendered the ice demon less useful in that particular environment.

Han-Yeol contemplated summoning the ice demon for assistance, but he understood that summoning a demon came at a cost.

He was already expending a significant number of mana stones to sustain the two Void Devils, who protected his father. Balrog, being a shield demon, didn't demand as many mana stones, given its focus on combat. However, the Arch Lich, being a magician-class ice demon, would undoubtedly require a substantial amount of mana stones in exchange for its services.

For this reason, Han-Yeol hesitated to summon the ice demon in an inefficient environment like the current one.

‘Hmm… Should I try out my new skill this time?’?Han-Yeol was suddenly reminded of the good old times.

Initially unaware of how his game-like ability functioned, he persistently explored and experimented, exhaustively attempting various methods to acquire skills. As a result, many of the skills he presently employed were ones he had crafted during that period of experimentation.

‘Let’s test it out now,’?he thought.

He figured that he still had time before Mujahid came back, so he decided to make full use of the time while waiting.

Seuk…

Han-Yeol raised his right palm toward the sky and channeled his mana into it.

Woooong!

Then, a condensed ball of mana swiftly accumulated at the palm of his hand. The mana felt notably distinct from when he previously channeled the fire attribute, reflecting his current possession of mana comparable to that of a Master Rank Hunter.

‘Alright… I just need to infuse the ice attribute into this mana…’?he carefully activated his skill and infused it into the ball of mana.

Crack…! Crack…! Crack…!?

The mana transformed into a piercing icicle, instantly reducing the temperature of its surroundings to absolute zero.

As a result of transitioning away from coal and fossil fuels as the primary energy sources, the Earth's environment healed, eliminating the threat of climate change. Consequently, South Korea returned to experiencing four distinct seasons throughout the year.

However, despite it still being autumn, the mansion's backyard plunged into a wintry chill.

‘Phew... I need to exercise caution when testing my skills,’?he realized, acknowledging his transformation from an F Rank Hunter and the amplified power of his abilities compared to before.

‘Now, how can I combine the ice attribute with fire?’

He began by reviewing his Fire Attribute skill, along with the other skills he employed in conjunction with it, such as Mana Explosion, Sword Breath, Explosion, and Fire Ball.

‘Two melee skills, one mid-range, and one ranged... Hm, it's quite a dilemma. I can't easily determine how to integrate the ice attribute with them.’

"Ugh..." he groaned in frustration, scratching his head.

‘No, let's reconsider. The reason Fire Attribute is formidable lies in its intense, scorching flames. That means the true strength of the Ice Attribute lies in its extreme coldness... Therefore, the ideal skill to complement the Ice Attribute would be…’

Then, he suddenly saw a tree in the backyard, an expensive tree that had been imported all the way from North Korea.

‘The?workers are going to hate me for this, but I don’t have any other target to test it out…’?he decided to use the expensive tree as his training dummy.

Then, he realized that he probably had to build a training facility for him to test out his skills. He thought, ‘I should probably build a facility beside Yoo-Bi’s underground facility or something…’

That quandary could be addressed later, as he currently required a target. And that target happened to be the precious tree situated in the backyard.

Han-Yeol intensified his mana output even more.

Woooong! C-Crack…!

He touched the tree with his mana-infused hand, causing the once splendid tree to instantaneously turn white and freeze solid.

.

‘Amazing!’?Han-Yeol was thoroughly impressed by his new skill.

If this skill allowed him to freeze enemies by mere touch, he envisioned numerous applications for it.

‘This will be incredibly advantageous,’ he mused, contemplating the combination of fire with his sword and ice with his chain. He imagined dual-wielding, wielding fire in his right hand and ice in his left.

Using the lightning attribute with his chain posed no issue. In fact, it proved advantageous to pair the ice attribute with the chain, as the lightning attribute was presently limited to Hammer Shock.

Considerations of combining both skills with his chain quickly dissipated, as ice and electricity were not compatible. In other words, even if he discovered a way to employ the two skills together, there would be no discernible benefit.

‘First, I should transform this technique into a skill,’ he resolved, dedicating approximately ten minutes to touching and freezing everything within reach.

The backyard provided an abundance of objects, serving as ample "targets" for his touch. In the end, he transformed the entire backyard into a frozen garden, surely causing frustration for the workers who labored to maintain it.

‘I should probably give them a hefty bonus this month…’?he muttered inwardly while feeling extremely guilty.

Still, he continued going around and touching everything for ten more minutes until…

Ding!

[Your repeated actions have resulted in a skill being created.]

[A new skill has been created: ‘Freeze Hand’.]

‘Oh! Finally!’?Han-Yeol rejoiced after seeing the message he had been waiting for.

[Freeze Hand (F)]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Reduce the temperature of anything the user’s hands touch after activating this skill. The target will slowly return to normal if the user takes their hands off before the target has been completely frozen, but the target will suffer decreased movement speed while they are frozen. The rate of freezing will be much slower if the target is a living thing, and this skill’s effect will become stronger when its level increases.]

‘Awesome! This is the skill I was looking for!’?Han-Yeol clenched his fist victoriously.

The newfound skill possessed the potential to function as both an offensive and supportive ability, while also excelling in crowd control.

Han-Yeol felt immense joy at acquiring such a versatile skill, yet his satisfaction remained fleeting. His ambitions drove him to persistently create new skills, particularly after attaining an elemental attribute skill following an extended period.

With one hundred levels gained and an array of new skills at his disposal, he no longer perceived himself as lacking in prowess, solidifying his status as a Master Rank Hunter.

‘Yes! Let’s just keep this up!’?he exclaimed inwardly as his eyes burned passionately.

He used his imagination and knowledge to come up with different ways to create new skills.

‘Ah… This is harder than I thought it would be…’?

The ice attribute constituted one of the primary elemental attributes, yet it proved far more challenging to wield compared to its depictions in animations. Creating ice out of thin air, as often seen in animated portrayals, was a task far from easy in reality. Additionally, crafting ice shields or ice sabers held no particular appeal or goal for Han-Yeol.

"Hmm... Oh well, whatever... I should gain a better understanding by experimenting with it, right?"

Ultimately, Han-Yeol decided to unleash his imagination and explore the full extent of the ice attribute's capabilities. He raised his left hand, summoning his primary weapon, the chain.

"I should infuse the ice attribute into my chain and maximize its cooling effect..."

Crack… Crack…!

The pitch-black chain slowly started to turn white after he infused his mana into it.

[Ice attribute energy has been detected.]

The Ego system Karvis responded to Han-Yeol’s mana.

‘Oh, hi, Karvis.’

[Hello, Han-Yeol-nim. It has been a long time.]

‘Yeah, it’s really been a while since we last talked. Ah, you’re now the chain itself, so what do you think? I’m trying to combine the ice attribute energy with the chain, do you think it will work?’

[It sounds like a good idea. The chain was a bit bland whenever you used it, but the ice attribute is definitely going to kick things up a notch.]

‘Hmm… Give me an example why?’

[For example... By freezing your target, you can unleash double crowd control effects instead of merely restraining them. Additionally, with the ice attribute, you can inflict greater damage instead of simply striking your target with the weapon attached to the end of the chain. I firmly believe that, when used correctly, the chain has the potential to surpass your sword in strength, especially when Sword Breath is activated.]

'Oh!'

[Moreover, the chain itself is a unique item with me integrated into it, making it inherently more versatile and efficient than your sword.]

‘Perfect! I have no other words for it!’

Han-Yeol's primary weapon had always been the chain, as opposed to the sword. However, in recent times, he had relied more on the sword, as the chain proved effective only against weaker monsters. Nevertheless, if he could achieve what Karvis had suggested, this dynamic was bound to shift.

Moreover, the chain served as an incredibly flexible weapon, allowing him to wield it in conjunction with his sword. Undoubtedly, this would significantly amplify his combat prowess, multiplying it several times over.

‘This is really awesome!’

[I think so too, Han-Yeol-nim.]

‘Hehehe…!’

Motivated by Karvis' advice, Han-Yeol persevered in his pursuit of creating new skills, particularly those involving the ice attribute in combination with his chain.

‘Ah... Why is it so challenging, though?’

However, he soon realized that things were not as straightforward as he had anticipated. The unique nature of the chain made it less receptive to external mana. In fact, it seemed as though the chain actively resisted the mana Han-Yeol attempted to infuse into it.