Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 316 – Clash! (5)

Two hours passed before they could separate the survivors from the deceased. The deceased were piled in one spot.

Taichin stood before the pile, clasping her hands together to offer a prayer. ‘I would dearly like to cremate you and give you a proper farewell, but here, there are only sands and stones. We lack even a drop of oil to honor you with fire… Yet, you may rest peacefully now, as Han-Yeol, the human, has purified you. You shall no longer become a corrupted soldier; may you rest in peace.’

After saying her prayer, Taichin turned around, unable to shake the feeling of missing the Legendary Warrior who had led them to countless victories against the hyenas, Harkan. He might have been considered an enemy of the felines, but he was unparalleled in defending the dimension from threats.

‘If he were here, those hyenas wouldn't dare cause such chaos. Also…’

Bitter as it might be, it was already in the past. However, she had witnessed a new hope for the Bastro Dimension with her own eyes.

‘It's a bit strange that a creature from another dimension is our hope, but after what happened today, all of us can place our trust in him…’

It wasn't just her; all the Bastro Warriors had witnessed the same sight she had seen.

[We've finished cleaning up, Harkan-nim.]

"Alright, let's move quickly."

[Yes, Harkan-nim.]

They resumed their march, leaving behind the ravine where they had achieved their glorious victory against the hyenas.

But…

Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump!

Something began pulsating within the remains of the giant monster.

[Ughhh… Aaaaah…]

From within the bones of the giant monster emerged the intermediate-ranking Hyena Sorcerer, Haschio.

Even for the Hyena Sorcerer who appeared on Earth, being pierced through the heart didn't mean death. The only way to kill a Hyena Sorcerer was to completely crush their heads. However, it didn't mean they wouldn't feel pain.

[Ack! Cough! Cough!]

Haschio was in excruciating pain, yet he maintained a smile.

[Gwaaak…! Cough! Cough!]

Despite his incessant coughing, his smile persisted.

[I'm going back to report this to our lord. Then, it's over for you, bastards!]

This was a critical situation for the hyenas. They had believed themselves invulnerable in this dimension, free from any weaknesses. Yet, a suddenly emerged adversary proved lethal against them, one that needed to be eliminated.

Fortunately, Haschio had overheard their conversation while hidden beneath the remains of the giant monster, learning where the survivors planned to hide. Now, all he needed to do was report this information to his lord and lead an army to eradicate the survivors.

As Haschio slowly crawled out from the remains, poised to make his move, something unexpected happened…

Seuk…

[...!]

After assessing that everyone had vanished, he crawled out from the giant monster's remains. Surviving the battle didn't mean emerging unharmed; having his heart pierced had depleted ninety-nine percent of his strength, leaving him only enough to reach the nearest Hyena Base.

However, a sword was suddenly before his face.

‘N-No way! I was sure nobody was here!’

Haschio despaired upon seeing the sword. Despite his severe weakness, he should have noticed someone's presence, especially when they came so close. Slowly, he looked up at the sword's owner.

[Y-You are…!]

This individual was the cause of their defeat. Haschio had won numerous battles, but this creature he encountered for the first time had led to his complete loss.

"I knew you lot wouldn't die unless your brains were crushed."

[H-How…?!]

"Ha! Do you have any idea how many Hyena Sorcerers I've killed? Of course, I'd know that."

[W-What…?]

Confusion turned swiftly to despair for Haschio. He couldn't win against this peculiar creature in his current state, let alone when he couldn't win at full strength.

[Just kill me…] With a bowed head, Haschio resigned himself to his fate.

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol was smiling.

Heh.

"Ah, I would love to do that, but…"

[...?]

"Unfortunately, I can't do that just yet."

[What do you mean?]

Haschio suddenly felt nervous.

Seuk…

Han-Yeol waved his hand, conjuring a magic circle on the ground. A bone-chilling wave of mana surged from the circle, freezing the ground.

Then, from the magic circle emerged a skeleton adorned in a blue robe, a golden crown, an array of expensive-looking rings, and holding a skull wand.

[Excellent…!]

The skeleton was no longer the plain one that Han-Yeol first summoned. The Arch Lich had acquired various rare ingredients from the demon world through Han-Yeol, becoming exceedingly wealthy by trading them with the demons. Interestingly, the Arch Lich had found a way to grow stronger on its own.

"The moment to honor my promise has arrived, Arch Lich-nim."

[Yes, I've longed to acquire this creature…!]

"This Hyena Sorcerer will be yours once you deliver the promised item to me."

[As you wish…]

Whoosh! Tak! Tak!

The Arch Lich hurled two items at Han-Yeol—an emitting ring and bracelet, both radiating a powerful cold aura.

Han-Yeol hadn't analyzed them yet, but even by touch and sensing their mana, he could discern they weren't ordinary items.

"The deal is complete! You may take this thing with you now, Arch Lich-nim."

[Kwahahaha!]

The Arch Lich's sinister laughter echoed as he glided toward the Hyena Sorcerer.

[N-Nooo! Hey! Just kill me! I said kill me!]

Haschio attempted to flee as the Arch Lich closed in. He strained every ounce of strength to escape, but...

Whoosh! Tak!

The Arch Lich waved his skull wand, and two blue tentacles shot out from the ground, wrapping themselves around the Hyena Sorcerer.

[Noooo! Kill me! Please! Just kill me now!] Haschio screamed and pleaded desperately, but he was dragged to the demon world by the Arch Lich.

Having finished all his business, Han-Yeol scanned his surroundings.

‘See you next time, Bastro Dimension…’ Han-Yeol thought as he departed the ravine.

Tak!

He returned to the convoy of refugees.

[Hmm? Did you leave something behind, Han-Yeol-nim?]

"Yeah, something like that."

[...?]

‘What does he mean by something like that?’ Kandir wondered but decided not to pry when Han-Yeol seemed unwilling to explain.

"Let's hurry, Kandir."

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim.]

Kandir and Riru led the way to the cave where they sought refuge.

Creak… Creak… Thud… Thud…

The Bastrolings, once a civilized race, had regressed in their tools due to the prolonged war against the hyenas. The cart they pulled was roughly made, creaking with every revolution of its wheels. With most Bastroling craftsmen lost in the war, few remained skilled enough to create proper carts.

[So, this is where you canines have been hiding…]

The felines believed they'd concealed their hideout well from the hyenas, but the canines seemed equally adept at hiding.

From a distance, the side of the mountain where the cave lay appeared as a flat cliff, yet within a small crevice, thickly overgrown bushes obscured the cave entrance—a perfect spot for hiding.

[It's not something we're proud of…]

Kandir refrained from boasting about their well-hidden hideout; it felt like salt rubbed on his open wounds.

[Oh, my, please ignore what I said just now. Hoho!] Taichin laughed, covering her mouth in response.

Hmph!

Kandir blew air out of his nostrils, further embarrassed by Taichin, before striding ahead to lead the group deeper into the cave.

The interior of the cave was a labyrinth, confounding any first-time visitors. Even the Canine Warriors, highly adept at navigation, had to invest significant time in memorizing the cave's complex structure.

Thud… Thud…

Silently, everyone followed Kandir, reaching the cave's deepest recesses. This part was easily overlooked—a small crevice tucked away inconspicuously.

Nestled in this deepest section was the dimensional gate created from Harkan's artifact.

‘Wow… I left them my artifact just in case, but I never imagined they would use it to open a dimensional gate to Earth…’ Han-Yeol marveled in disbelief.

He had considered the possibility of connecting the Bastro Dimension to Earth with his artifact but hadn't pursued it due to the sacrifice of sorcerers required. However, he had left it for them as a contingency, should tragedy befall the dimension and the Bastrolings needed a refuge.

‘I never thought the day it would be needed would come…’

Though Harkan was gone, the Canine Warriors he had nurtured possessed enough strength to dominate the entire Bastro Dimension. He had believed it highly unlikely for them to use his artifact, offering it more as a gesture to appear impressive since he had no need for it.

Shaking his head, Han-Yeol dismissed his nonsensical thoughts.

Woooong…

The dimensional gate emitted a blue luster.

‘Hmm… No human has crossed here yet…’ he thought, inspecting the ground.

He had spread some powder on the ground when he arrived, just in case, but there were no footprints whatsoever.

“Let’s go, Kandir.”

[Yes, Han-Yeol-nim.]

Initially, there were only four of them when they crossed over to the Bastro Dimension. Their numbers grew to five hundred after meeting the felines and swelled to one thousand after the battle.

“Oh, right, Mariam.”

“Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?”

Mariam reverted to her expressionless, cold look now that they were returning to Earth. The excitement that had made her expressive while exploring the Bastro Dimension seemed to have faded at the thought of going home.

‘Hmm… It seems I was overthinking it,’ Han-Yeol thought, observing her face.

“Do you think it will be possible to hide all of us here?” he asked.

Upon crossing the dimensional gate, they would be met by an army of soldiers and low-ranking Hunters. The sudden appearance of one thousand beast-like ‘monsters’ from the gate was sure to create chaos in the city. Earth was still far from accepting the existence of the Bastro Dimension.

‘The connection will occur soon, and it’s highly likely that the hyenas will attack when it happens…’

Han-Yeol worried about the hyenas invading his home world, yet he knew there was time.

‘Ah, come to think of it… Was that First Hunter geezer's preparation actually correct…?’

The hyenas were dangerous creatures, enslaving those who obeyed them and corrupting those who dared defy them. It was evident that the arrogant humans would never bow down to such beasts, setting the stage for a war between the two dimensions.

In hindsight, Han-Yeol realized that the First Hunter’s plan to prepare for war seemed like the right choice after all.

‘Well, regardless, I would’ve still refused to cooperate with him,’ Han-Yeol shrugged in thought.