Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 281: Tamra and Gurkha (4)

“Hmm…”

Shiing…!

Sahas was engrossed in the battle against the Volaxes, but he abruptly halted and unsheathed his Kukri before surveying his surroundings.

His mana control could have been more refined since he had recently awakened as a Hunter, but the rigorous training he had undergone as a soldier allowed him to instinctively manage his mana to some extent. After all, he wasn't dubbed a Gurkha warrior for nothing.

"Captain?" one of the Gurkhas approached him and inquired.

"Shh, be quiet."

The Gurkha simply nodded in response, understanding from his military experience that such situations should not be taken lightly.

Seuk…

Sahas signaled with his hand that there might be an enemy in the distance, causing all the Gurkhas to tense up. An enemy? In this hunting ground?

‘Is it not a monster?’

‘No.’

They communicated with each other simply through their gaze, thanks to the numerous years they had spent together.

Thud… Thud…

Sahas cautiously approached the bush where the presence had been sensed a while ago…

"What in the world? I thought there were only small fry here!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

"Hmm..."

Before Sahas could even approach the bush, a group of Hunters emerged. Their audacious actions suggested they cared little about getting caught.

Seuk...

Sahas raised his Kukri and lowered his stance, ready to spring into action at any moment.

"I think he's an S Rank Hunter, captain."

"Hmm?"

"He appears to have recently awakened, judging by his unstable mana, but he's undoubtedly an S Rank Hunter."

The Hunter referred to as the captain had slicked-back blonde hair, numerous face piercings, and emanated a thug-like aura.

The thug-like Hunter was accompanied by thirty other Hunters.

"What about the rest?"

"Those two are A Rank Hunters, while the remaining twenty-seven are all mediocre."

"Haha! So they're pushovers? It's surprising they have an S Rank Hunter with them, but what can he accomplish on his own? Our chairman will be arriving shortly anyway."

"Yes, you're correct, captain."

Kekeke!

The Hunters chuckled at those words.

Both sides had similar numbers, but they were far from being equals. The Tamra raid party comprised combat specialists. While there was only one S Rank Hunter among them, the rest were A Rank or A+ Rank.

This showcased the true strength of the Tamra raid party and the Tamra Guild. Many formidable Hunters sought to join the faction of South Korea's mightiest Hunter, explaining Tamra's ascent to dominance in the country.

Even Master Hee-Yun had to form alliances with several other raid parties to contend with the Tamra raid party.

The power wielded by South Korea's top Hunter was undeniably immense.

"I think we should give them a lesson before our chairman arrives. What do you think?"

"Is it okay to do that? The chairman instructed us to only detain them until he gets here."

"Well, he did say to tie them up, but he didn't mention anything about not engaging in combat, did he?"

Then, the thug-like Hunter called out to Sahas, "Hey!"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to have a duel with me?"

"Are you challenging me to a duel?"

"Yeah, it's fair since we're both S Rank Hunters, right?"

"Sure."

Although they held the same rank, it was clear that this wouldn't be a fair fight. The thug-like Hunter had spent ample time refining his skills and mana, whereas Sahas had only recently awakened as a Hunter.

"Captain!"

The other Gurkhas attempted to dissuade Sahas, realizing the unfavorable situation Sahas was in.

"Hold your tongues. We don't stand a chance if we engage them as a group. It's better to buy time by fighting one-on-one."

‘I’m sure Han-Yeol Hunter-nim will be here soon.’

Sahas could somewhat discern the reason behind Han-Yeol leaving them all alone in the hunting ground. He was the only one who had witnessed Han-Yeol subdue the strange man on a previous occasion.

‘So, he did this to lure these guys out. I suppose my role is to buy time until he arrives.’

Sahas had recently received basic education about Hunters. This was something he should have learned during his time as a Porter, but he had skipped that phase entirely, which left his training somewhat disjointed.

‘I just need to stall for time. I might have awakened as an S Rank Hunter, but my opponent is a seasoned S Rank Hunter.’

Fortunately, he didn't feel pressured during the duel.

"Haha! Are you seriously considering a duel with me? That stings my pride, you know," the Hunter grimaced upon seeing Sahas' response.

Initially, he had planned to toy with Sahas for a while before subduing him, but he couldn't help but be irked by the audacity of the inexperienced newcomer trying to challenge him.

Sahas further lowered his stance, preparing to take a defensive posture.

"Hahaha! You newcomers are quite amusing. Do you genuinely believe you can block my attacks by getting low to look cool?"

Boom!

It occurred in an instant. The thug-like Hunter propelled himself off the ground and sprinted forward, his hands still in his pockets, but...

“…!”

‘Keuk!’

He suddenly appeared in front of Sahas, and Sahas couldn't react to his speed.

"Hey~"

The Hunter seemed quite relaxed, even finding the time to sneer at Sahas before attacking.

'Damn it!'

Whoosh!

Sahas may have reacted slowly, but he still swung his Kukri at the Hunter.

"Whoopsie! You missed~"

'Damn it!'

Sahas felt embarrassed and angry, but he knew he had to keep his composure in times like this. Despite the glaring gap in their abilities, he maintained a poker face and held his tongue. He was a professional who could stay calm and rational even in stressful situations.

Sahas swung his Kukri at the Hunter in one fluid motion.

Whoosh!

Unfortunately, he was facing the wrong opponent this time.

“Slow!”

Whoosh! Puk!

“Kuheok!”

The Hunter effortlessly evaded the Kukri and delivered a powerful punch to Sahas's abdomen, infusing it with a significant amount of mana.

"Hmm?"

However, this time, it was the Hunter who was taken aback. He muttered, "What's going on with this guy? Why didn't he get thrown back?"

This was certainly not what he had expected. Most of the other Hunters he had faced were sent flying by his punches.

But there was a fundamental misunderstanding.

"..."

"W-What's the matter?"

"I guess you don't know how to throw a punch. That's not the right way to put force behind your blows," Sahas remarked with a smirk after narrowly managing to block the attack.

Tak!

“H-Huh?!”

Sahas promptly seized the Hunter's arm and said, "I'll give you credit for your speed, but it appears you lack proper fighting skills."

"What?!"

"Take this."

Whoosh! Pukeok!

Sahas delivered a punch directly to the Hunter's face, and a much louder sound echoed through the air than before.

“Kuheooook!” the thug let out a scream almost as loud as the sound of the punch.

Unfortunately for him, it was far from over. Sahas tightly gripped the thug's arm and warned, "You'll likely become slippery if I release you now."

“S-Stop!”

Puk! Puk! Sukeok!

“Kwaaaak!”

Sahas delivered two rapid punches, as swift as jabs yet as forceful as straight punches, and then he followed it up by slashing the thug's wrist with his Kukri. The Kukri severed the artery on the thug’s wrist, and a fountain of blood followed shortly after.

Shwaaaaa!

“N-No…!”

“Captain!”

The atmosphere underwent a complete transformation. Hope emerged for the Gurkha raid party, while the Tamra raid party found themselves in a state of bewilderment.

None of the Tamra raid party members had anticipated that their captain, the mightiest among them, would be so easily defeated, and at this moment, their captain’s earlier nonchalant demeanor didn't matter.

"Save the captain!"

The A Rank Hunters of the Tamra raid party drew their weapons, brandishing greatswords or dual swords that appeared quite intimidating.

Sahas belatedly realized his mistake, thinking, 'Ah... I made the wrong move.'

His sole vulnerability was an unwavering focus on battle, disregarding everything else, and this weakness had led him astray once more.

"Protect Captain Sahas!"

Chwak!

The situation appeared grim for the Gurkha raid party, but they were not about to back down without a fight. The two A Rank Hunters readied themselves for combat, while the ordinary Gurkhas aimed their guns at the Tamra raid party.

Whoosh...

A gentle breeze swept through the scene, and both sides were on the verge of a clash, but then...

"Enough."

An overwhelming voice reverberated from an unseen source.

Wooooong…!

“Keuk…!”

“Ack!”

Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!

Sahas gasped for air, the A Ranks quivered in fear, and the Gurkhas collapsed one by one at the authoritative voice.

].

‘W-What was that?!’ Sahas was bewildered.

Nevertheless, he didn't release his grip on the thug's arm, a testament to his professionalism.

"Oh? It's quite impressive that you could withstand my mana. I can sense that you're an S Rank Hunter, but it seems you don't have full control over your mana yet."

"Huff... Huff...! Who are you?" Sahas inquired, struggling to stay conscious.

He felt that he might pass out at any moment if he lost focus for even a second.

"Cough...! Cough...! Ugh..."

Meanwhile, the two A Rank Hunters were sprawled on the ground, coughing and wheezing, barely conscious at this point.

Thud… Thud…

As expected, the person who emerged from the trees was none other than Kim Tae-San.

"You're quite useful for a newly awakened S Rank. Why don't you consider joining my faction instead of wasting your talents with that arrogant bastard Lee Han-Yeol? What do you say?"

Surprisingly, Kim Tae-San was attempting to recruit Sahas to his faction, and needless to say, this did not sit well with the Tamra raid party members.

"C-Chairman-nim...? What do you mean by that?"

"N-No way...!"

Everyone present had passed rigorous tests and paid substantial fees to become proud members of the Tamra raid party. They still experienced panic attacks when they recalled the strenuous trials they had endured to join the raid party. The one solace they took from their suffering was that the Tamra raid party was a prestigious organization to be affiliated with, and they considered themselves fortunate to have been accepted.

But now, this newcomer was receiving a direct offer from the chairman himself, right in front of them?

‘Damn it!’

‘I clawed my way into this raid party, but he’s getting an offer just after fighting one battle?!’

‘Damn it! This is so annoying!’

However, none of them were able to voice out their thoughts as they knew that the man they call chairman, Kim Tae-San, was not a good person that would tolerate his subordinates speaking against him.

In fact, there had been cases of him beating someone up until they were barely alive and locking them up in a remote corner of Jeju Island, and this served as an example to every single subordinate under him.

“…”

Sahas gazed into Kim Tae-San's eyes and inquired, "Is that a genuine offer?"

"Of course! These days, the younger generation lacks the same spirit as you. All they care about is preserving their lives and appearing impressive to others, to the point where the true essence of a warrior's spirit has been forgotten. Tsk... I can't recall teaching them in this manner," Kim Tae-San grumbled in response.

"..."

"Now, make your choice! Will you accept my offer, or will you join those fools in their inevitable demise?"

"Will you spare my comrades if I accept your offer?" Sahas asked.

Kim Tae-San smirked and responded without hesitation, "No, I have other plans for them. Those individuals will serve as a warning and a reminder to keep that arrogant Lee Han-Yeol in check."

"Then I decline."