Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 340 – Seven Jewels and One Sword (2)

The skill Tia had created for him turned out to be the Summon Lava Golem skill. This relieved Han-Yeol of one worry, as the Lava Golem could harness the immense heat it generated to vaporize the slimes. This method was sustainable, considering Han-Yeol had plenty of mana in reserve.

‘Summon Lava Golem!’ Han-Yeol promptly activated the skill without hesitation.

Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!

The ground melted, transforming into magma from which a golem made of lava, resembling the goddess Athena, emerged.

Thud!

The Lava Golem, altered slightly by Tia to bear a villainous resemblance to the goddess, stood before Han-Yeol.

“Lava Golem! Attack those slimes!” he commanded.

The Lava Golem nodded and moved toward the slimes. What happened next, however, was rather shocking.

Thud!

“Huh?”

The Lava Golem hurled the spear and shield, expertly crafted by Tia, before launching an unexpected attack.

Pshwaaaa!

It spewed magma at the slimes.

Pshhh…!

[Kieeeek!]

The slimes struck by the Lava Golem's magma vomit shrieked as their bodies melted away, their cores exposed and dissolved until they perished.

‘Wow…’

Though slightly grotesque, Han-Yeol couldn't help but be impressed; it proved highly effective against the slimes.

‘I’m not complaining as long as it’s potent.’

The sight's grotesqueness didn't matter. After all, if he sought beauty, Tayarana or Tia could provide it, and for cuteness, there was always Mavros.

“Alright! Round two!” Han-Yeol exclaimed, leaping into the midst of the slimes.

Chwak! Chwak!

His Ice Blade swung, freezing the slimes.

Not limited to its primary target, the Ice Blade's power extended, freezing the surrounding area. It equaled the Magma Longsword in strength, far from a mere sub-weapon.

Pshwaa! Chiiik!

The Ice Blade in his left hand froze enemies while the Magma Longsword in his right hand vaporized them. The combination of ice and fire painted him as the God of War on the battlefield, mercilessly decimating the slimes.

Ding!

[Your level has risen.]

‘Alright!’

It was normal for him to level up after killing so many slimes, thanks to the double EXP buff. The issue lay in the seemingly endless stream of slimes emerging from the dungeon's depths.

Han-Yeol couldn't help but feel repulsed by the ceaseless wave of slimes. While a swarm of rushing cockroaches might disgust or even horrify a person, the fact that these hideous slimes were out for his life made them even more repugnant.

It wasn't fear that gripped him, but rather their repulsive appearance and nauseating stench that instinctively pushed him to devise a plan against them.

‘Annoying… So annoying… I guess I have no choice but to wipe them out at once.’

He would have obliterated them with Mana Explosion had his shoulder cannons not been destroyed in the previous creature encounter. Consequently, Han-Yeol had only one option left.

Chwak!

He thrust his right hand toward the incoming wave of slimes.

‘Volcano!’

It was the F Rank skill he recently acquired, demanding a significant mana cost in exchange for unleashing a devastating area attack.

Mana began gathering in his right hand, unleashing a torrent of magma that swept away the slimes, akin to a volcanic eruption clearing everything in its path.

‘Wow? This skill’s meant to deform the terrain due to its sluggishness, but why aren’t these slimes avoiding it?’ Han-Yeol was puzzled by the unexpected turn of events.

He had used this skill against Master Rank Hunters almost like an ambush, yet they managed to defend or dodge it.

The skill wasn't particularly impressive; it unleashed a flood of lava meant to melt everything, but its sluggish flow hindered its effectiveness. What good was an offensive skill if the lava moved so slowly that anyone could evade it?

However, it puzzled him how the slimes, typically evasive, chose not to avoid the slowly flowing lava.

‘Is it because it's a liquid?’

[Kieeeeek!]

More than a hundred slimes had already seen their cores melted, meeting their demise in the lava.

“Wow~ That’s quite amazing, master~” Tia exclaimed in amazement, with Camelot resting beside her after an extended stint on the frontlines.

[It’s intriguing how the skill, though not overly impressive, appears to exploit the weakness of those slimes.]

“It’s almost as if someone anticipated my encounter with the slimes…” Han-Yeol mused.

[Huh?]

“Ah, it's nothing,” Han-Yeol dismissed with a shrug, realizing he had spoken without thinking.

But suddenly, a thought struck him. ‘Hmm… Could it actually make sense…?’

He couldn't help but suspect that some divine being deliberately created this game-like ability, granting powers to guide him in a specific direction. But...

Heh.

‘No way, that's impossible.’

Finding his own theory absurd, he chuckled at the notion.

‘If that were true, I'd probably receive quests like in s. But my ability, game-like as it is, has never offered me a single quest.’

That was the decisive reason why he dismissed his initial theory. If a divine being had bestowed this ability upon him, it would likely guide him. Yet, so far, Han-Yeol had enjoyed complete freedom in his choices.

Thus, Han-Yeol concluded that his game-like ability was one of the rarest awakenings a person could possess.

[Kieee…]

Some of the slimes managed to survive his 'Volcano' skill, given its limited area due to its F Rank status.

[You slimes are…]

Bam!

The Ox Warrior, despite claiming to be an assassin and towering in size, finally regained all his stamina. Without delay, he leaped into the midst of the surviving slimes after Han-Yeol's Volcano skill had reduced their numbers.

[…Easy!]

Chwaaak! Ziing!

Previously, he swung his weapon indiscriminately due to the overwhelming number of slimes. This time, however, he had the opportunity to utilize his skills after Han-Yeol's intervention.

[Vacuum Slash!]

Ziiing… Pshwoooo!

His skill, Vacuum Slash, transformed his entire chain into a sharp blade, cutting through everything in its path effortlessly, akin to a hot knife slicing through butter. As he swung the chain around him, it carved through the slimes.

Unfortunately, the attack only obliterated the cores of less than thirty percent of the slimes it touched, leaving the remaining seventy percent to regenerate with their cores intact.

Heh.

Fortunately, Camelot wasn't one to repeat past mistakes.

[Tornado Strike!]

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

He seized his chain with both hands, striking the ground recklessly, heedless of what his blows landed on. His frenzied assaults not only obliterated the regenerating slimes but also shattered their cores.

Psshhh…

Smoke began rising from the ground, a result of hundreds of strikes within mere seconds.

[Phew…]

Finally, Camelot released a sigh upon confirming the demise of all the slimes.

While the skill itself didn't demand much mana, it exerted considerable strain on his body. The reason for his inability to sustain this skill wasn't due to mana limitations but rather the physical toll it exacted.

‘Tsk… I always regret using this…’ Camelot shook his head in disappointment.

Tak!

Something clasped onto his shoulder.

Flinch!

Camelot swiftly pivoted, ready to strike at the creature, only to recall.

‘Ah, right, I'm with this human…’

Accustomed to solitude, his reflexes responded to the touch instinctively. Yet, just before he acted, he recollected that he was with the human named Han-Yeol.

“Good job,” Han-Yeol said.

[Haha! This is nothing to me!] Camelot replied with his usual burst of boisterous laughter.

Han-Yeol walked across the battlefield, now transformed into a graveyard for the slimes.

‘Hmm… Aside from the mana stones, there’s nothing else useful.’

Scattered about were only a few puddles of sticky liquid and the slimes' mana stones.

‘Tsk…’

While collecting the mana stones alone would yield considerable value, Han-Yeol felt disgruntled. Most monsters typically provided both mana stones and various remains. He usually gathered both the stones and any valuable body parts, but today's lack of loot made his dimensional inventory seem surprisingly spacious.

With a click of his tongue, Han-Yeol turned to leave, but...

Tak… Tak… Tak… Tak…

Tia approached, scooping up some of the puddle with her smooth white hands.

Slurp!

She licked the liquid off her hands, then swallowed it down.

Gulp!

Despite having just consumed the filthy murky slime liquid, she appeared remarkably sensual and alluring.

‘W-What?!’ Han-Yeol was dumbfounded by her actions.

Meanwhile, Tia seemed unfazed, behaving as if her recent actions were perfectly normal. She instinctively slurped the liquid, finding it oddly appealing. Her instincts were proven right as the liquid indeed tasted as good as it smelled.

“Hmm… Come here for a second, Mavros.”

“Kyu?”

Mavros remained in his non-combat form, restricted by the narrow cave, unable to contribute much. When Tia called him, he flapped his wings and flew over to her.

She extended her hands filled with the slimy liquid. “Try it.”

“Kyu?”

Sniff! Sniff!

Mavros questioned before sniffing the liquid and cautiously tasting it with his tongue.

“Kyu?” He tilted his head after getting a sample of the liquid.

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol couldn't help but feel appalled by their actions. ‘Why would they drink that?!’

Witnessing them consume the slime remnants left him baffled. While he understood that they consumed other monsters, he usually dismissed it as a part of the natural order, similar to how carnivores eat other animals.

“Kyu!” Mavros cried out, his pupils dilating fully.

‘Does it actually taste good…?’ Han-Yeol wondered.

He knew Mavros was a picky eater, likely to spit out anything distasteful. However, he struggled to accept that the slime residue could actually be palatable.

Unfortunately, his pets seemed to disagree.

“It’s good, right?” Tia inquired.

“Kyu!” Mavros vigorously nodded, his eyes sparkling with delight.

Then, he turned to Han-Yeol, fixing him with a meaningful gaze.

‘Huh?’

Han-Yeol couldn't comprehend why Mavros suddenly regarded him with those pleading eyes.