Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 194: Mavros Flying Above the Snowman (5)

The Manager was speaking as carefully as he could.

Han-Yeol was just a foreigner to him, but he was well aware of Han-Yeol's relationship with his employer, Mujahid, and Han-Yeol was someone who belonged to a completely different class compared to him. Therefore, the Manager tried to speak as carefully and courteously as he possibly could so as not to offend Han-Yeol.

[Haha! Sorry about that. I wanted to test out my skill, so I didn't hold back. I'll make sure to clean it up next time, so you don't have to worry about it.]

[Thank you, Han-Yeol-nim. Also, I would like to apologize if I offended you.]

The Manager was slightly taken aback by Han-Yeol's response, but he quickly bowed his head and apologized.

[Not at all. It's good that you brought it to my attention.]

[Thank you, and please feel free to speak comfortably to me. It's not necessary for you to speak respectfully toward me when you're friends with Mujahid-nim.]

[Hmm... Should I?]

Han-Yeol initially found it difficult to speak comfortably to others, even if asked to, but he had slowly started getting used to it by now.

[Thank you, Han-Yeol-nim. I'll now go back to my post.]

[Sure.]

The Manager gave a bow before going to the Porters dismembering the Yeti.

[Hey, manager!] Han-Yeol called out to the Manager.

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?]

[We’re going to be hunting for five days, so just throw away any corpses you think are F Grade. We will be hunting to our heart’s content, until we can’t fit anymore in the tractors, so feel free to discard the corpses and just collect the mana stones.]

[Y-Yes, I understand.] The Manager awkwardly nodded in response to Han-Yeol’s instruction.

It was the Manager's first time going on a hunt where they were told they could hunt to their heart's content, not stopping until they couldn't carry anymore, and to dispose of low-grade corpses. It was quite a peculiar instruction, but the Manager chose not to dwell on it too much since Mujahid hadn't voiced any objections.

After all, a manager's duty was to fulfill their employer's wishes. The Manager proceeded to instruct the Porters to collect the mana stones and discard the Yeti's corpse, which had been completely destroyed by the explosion.

***

Han-Yeol’s eyes turned red as he scouted his surroundings.

[Let’s kick it up a notch this time.]

[Haha! You know I’m up for that, hyung-nim!]

“Kieeeeeek!”?Mavros cried out while looking up at the sky.

He was usually calm, but today he appeared agitated after experiencing the taste of blood. His transformation was evident in the aggressive flapping of his wings.

“What’s wrong, Mavros?”

“Kiek!”

“You want to fight more?”

“Kiek!”

It was as if he was responding "yes!" to Han-Yeol's question.

‘Wait a minute... Mavros played quite the role during the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva raid, right...? Don't tell me!’ Han-Yeol thought as he immediately brought up Mavros' status screen.

[Mavros (Mini Black Dragon)]

Level: 51

Traits: Darkness, Poison

Innate Ability: Dragon Breath, Mode Change

Stats:

STR: 309

AGI: 380

VIT: 520

Flying: 720

Flight Speed: 220

Skills: Magic (D), Dragon Buff (D), Dragon Fear (F)

[Dragon Fear (F)]

Type: Active

Description: It is a wide area debuff skill of dragons that incapacitates the enemies in its vicinity. However, the effectiveness of this skill is diminished against stronger foes. The debuff effect of this skill becomes more potent as its level increases.

‘Wow… No wonder he seemed too strong.’?

Han-Yeol was certain that Mavros was at Level 12 the last time he checked, and there was no way he could have reached Level 51. He had completely forgotten about the black dragon's level since he hadn't received any notifications whenever it leveled up.

“Kiek!”

Han-Yeol patted Mavros’ head while smiling brightly.

“Grrr!?Grrr!”

On the other hand, Mavros seemed to be hinting of his desire to fight a monster as soon as possible.

‘He acts like a dog or a cat at times… He’s really cute…’?Han-Yeol thought while patting Mavros.

He might look like a scary dragon in the eyes of others, but he was still an adorable pet in Han-Yeol’s eyes. After all, Han-Yeol was extremely biased toward Mavros since he had always wanted to raise a pet.

"This is excellent, Mavros. You're stronger, and I'm stronger now, so we can truly go all out on this hunt. Let's savor every moment and enjoy this hunt to the fullest!"

“Kiek!”

Mavros gleefully cried out in response to Han-Yeol’s words, but he was not the only one delighted by what Han-Yeol had said.

[Oh! Does that mean we’re done warming up?!]

[Yeah, Mavros seems to be itching for a fight, so I think it’s time for us to get serious.]

[YES!]

The Porters were already done working on the Yeti corpses, so Han-Yeol and Mujahid went for their next target.

Han-Yeol already scouted ten Yetis in the distance, and the team made their way toward them.

“Mavros.”

“Kiek!”

“Can you see those ten Yetis five hundred meters from us?”

“Kieeek!”?Mavros cried out and nodded.

The black dragon was undoubtedly not an ordinary monster. It possessed exceptional senses, and its nose could detect the scent of mana from a distance of at least twenty kilometers.

However, only Mavros knew about this, as the black dragon couldn't communicate through words. Even Han-Yeol, its owner, only had a vague understanding that the black dragon's senses extended far due to its strength.

"Shoot a Poison Arrow over there to lure them in. It would be fantastic if you could also inflict poison damage on them."

“Kiek!”

Chwak!

Mavros nodded before spreading his large wings.

Tak!

Then, he shot into the sky almost instantaneously.

[Hyung-nim, I know Mavros is strong, but won’t it be a bit dangerous for him to go against ten Yetis?]

[Yeah, it will be dangerous if he fights them one on ten.]

[Then why did you send him alone?]

[I asked Mavros to shoot at the Yetis from the air and lure them over here. He’s quite smart, so I’m sure he understood what I meant.]

[I see…]

Mujahid nodded, understanding Han-Yeol's plan. While the Yetis were formidable monsters, they lacked the means to attack a flying enemy, ensuring Mavros' safety as long as he maintained a safe distance from them.

Though it would be challenging for Mavros to kill the Yetis using Poison Arrow due to their thick hides, he would certainly be able to damage them and lure them in.

Shwooong!

A sudden surge of mana occurred where the Yetis were clumped up.

Baaaam!

The mana sent shockwaves when Mavros started his skirmish against the Yetis.

‘But will Mavros lose…?’?Han-Yeol could not help but wonder.

It was impossible for Mavros to defeat all ten Yetis alone, but Han-Yeol's instincts were telling him that the black dragon was capable of hunting all the enemies single-handedly.

‘Hmm… Nah, there’s no way,’?he thought with a laugh and shook his head.

He might trust his instincts and be biased toward his pet monsters, but there was one thing he always did when his instincts told him something completely illogical. While his instincts were correct ninety-nine percent of the time, that did not mean they were right one hundred percent of the time.

After all, even a shaman could not be accurate all the time, so there was no way Han-Yeol could rely solely on his instincts.

A few minutes passed.

“…”

[Hyung-nim… Why isn’t Mavros coming with the monsters…?]

.

[Give me a second…]

‘Demon Eyes!’

Wooong!

Han-Yeol’s eyes turned red as he scanned where the ten Yetis had been a while ago.

‘What?!’?

What awaited him was a shocking sight.

‘Mavros hunted all of them alone?!’

He was certain that he had seen ten monsters a while ago, but now the mana of a few of those monsters was nowhere to be seen, and the remaining mana was slowly fading away. There was only one conclusion: Mavros had hunted all ten Yetis alone.

[Mujahid…]

[Yes, hyung-nim?]

[I think I was mistaken…]

[D-Don’t tell me…?]

[Yeah, it seems that Mavros killed all ten Yetis alone…]

[Wow… It seems that Mavros is also a growth-type just like you, hyung-nim… That’s something even Furion can’t do…]

[I think so…]

‘Sorry, Mujahid… I’m actually aware that Mavros is a growth-type just like me…’?Han-Yeol thought.

However, what was important to Han-Yeol was not whether Mavros was a growth-type monster pet or not, but rather the fact that he was powerful enough to single-handedly fight against ten Yetis.

Of course, Han-Yeol himself was capable of taking on ten or even twenty Yetis alone, but he never expected Mavros to grow so strong so quickly.

‘Hahaha…’?Han-Yeol laughed inwardly in disbelief.

[Let’s go take a look, Mujahid.]

[Yes, hyung-nim.]

Han-Yeol, Mujahid, and the rest of the team proceeded toward the location where the ten Yetis were supposed to be, as they had completed their tasks in their previous area.

The place where Mavros had battled the ten Yetis might have been only five hundred meters away in a straight line. However, the terrain of the Cheolwon hunting ground was rugged and mountainous, making it challenging to traverse.

Additionally, the thick snow covering the entire area reflected the sunlight, forcing them to squint their eyes and making it difficult to keep them open for extended periods.

Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak…?

On top of that, the tractor Mujahid’s team had brought made a lot of creaking sounds.

The team finally arrived at their destination, and what awaited them was a truly surprising sight.

[Hahaha…] Mujahid laughed in disbelief.

“Kieeeeeek!”

Chwak!

Mavros appeared to have been patiently waiting for Han-Yeol and Mujahid to arrive. As they approached, he let out a triumphant cry and proudly spread his wings wide while perched on top of a tree.

The ground was tainted with poison, and the area was strewn with the corpses of the Yetis, their blood staining the surroundings. The devastation caused by Mavros resembled the destructive scenes often depicted in fictional dragon tales.

Mavros was undoubtedly showing off at that moment, and the Egyptian Porters and Hunters stood with their mouths agape, gazing in awe at the charismatic and majestic creature.

[H-How can this be…?]

[I know the monster pets are strong, but… How can a single one cause all of this…?]

[A-Amazing…]

The Hunters and Porters were not a haphazard group oblivious to the ways of the world. They were seasoned elites who had honed their skills alongside Mujahid, possessing considerable experience in this line of work.

While some had remained as Porters for what felt like an eternity without awakening, it did not diminish their status as veterans in the industry. Each of them fully comprehended the significance of Mavros' recent feat.

[The monster pets are even more remarkable than I had imagined...]

[If this had been broadcasted live, its value would have skyrocketed...]

[Well, there will be other opportunities to showcase it to the world, right?]

[Isn't that simply astonishing...?!]

[It's utterly astonishing.]

[Wow...]

The Egyptians could only express their awe at the spectacle before them, as it was undoubtedly the most extraordinary sight they had ever witnessed in their entire lives.