Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 345 – Instigated Confusion (1)

"I'll go up first."

"Be careful, Master."

"Kyu!"

Han-Yeol ascended the steps cautiously while Mavros and Tia cheered him on. He ensured that his Demon Eyes were activated, anticipating potential traps or lurking dangers.

Seuk... Seuk...

He even went the extra mile by tapping each step ahead before proceeding, wary of any physical traps devoid of mana that his Demon Eyes might miss. His scouting ability proved useful, albeit limited to things infused with mana.

Fortunately, it appeared there were no traps lying in wait for him.

"Hmm?" Han-Yeol noticed an obelisk behind the altar, with a treasure chest at its foot.

'Oh! I was disappointed the King Slime didn't drop anything valuable, but is this the reward?'

Han-Yeol's heart raced with anticipation. The treasures hidden in such rooms were expected to be exceptionally valuable. He cautiously opened the treasure chest, wary of any potential traps.

Clack...!

There was a red ruby in it.

‘Huh? Is that it? Just a big ruby?’

Ziiing!

‘Ack!’

A blinding red light shot out from the ruby just as he was about to feel disappointed. He instinctively knew he had to close his eyes to avoid potential damage, but the light dissipated before he could react.

‘W-What was that?’ He sensed it wasn't an ordinary light and resolved to inspect the ruby more closely this time.

‘Analyze!’

Wooong!

He channeled his mana into his eyes and thoroughly examined the red ruby.

Two minutes later...

Ding!

[Jewel of Holy Light – Ruby (Fire)]

Rating: Myth

Type: Catalyst

Description: This ruby symbolizes one of the seven elements (fire, water, earth, wind, light, darkness, lightning). It harnesses potent flames capable of burning anything it touches, concurrently granting its owner resistance against fire. Collecting all seven jewels will unveil the location of a special treasure.

*+5% Attack power to all fire attribute skills

*+10% Resistance against fire

‘Hmm... This looks like a very unique jewel...’

There were a few intriguing notes, but he had to leave it at that.

‘Tsk... I can’t afford to go treasure hunting.’

If he had already cleared the entire Bastro Dimension of hyenas, it would be a different story. However, with the dimension on the brink of being overrun by them, he couldn’t leisurely search for treasure. Han-Yeol wasn’t about to act so irresponsibly unless he was insane.

‘But how can something like this be rated Myth?’

Increasing his attribute attack power and resistance was good, but it seemed lackluster to label it as a Myth item.

‘Ah, is it because the treasure it will reveal once all seven are gathered is that amazing?’

He posed the question, answered it, and reached his own conclusion, nodding in satisfaction. The rating made sense if the treasure he'd obtain after collecting all seven jewels was incredibly valuable.

‘Tsk... I want the treasure, but I don’t have time for that right now...’

Han-Yeol needed to clear all the dungeons in the area within ten days and level up before returning to Earth. He had to become as strong as possible and prepare for the true opening of the dimensional gate to the Bastro Dimension alongside the Bastro Warriors.

He didn’t intend to make his move before the dimensional gate opened. The humans crossing over to the Bastro Dimension would divide the hyenas' attention, and Han-Yeol planned to strike at that moment.

‘But I have to quietly grow stronger until then.’

He needed to reach at least Level 400 to effectively combat the hyenas.

‘I wouldn’t have won so easily if that Hyena Sorcerer hadn’t dropped his guard...’

He didn’t let his victory over the intermediate-ranking Hyena Sorcerer inflate his ego. That opponent hadn't used all their powers and had no information about Han-Yeol.

From his experience as Harkan, Han-Yeol knew intermediate-ranking Hyena Sorcerers were much more potent, and the high-ranking ones were unbeatable in his current state. He had to grow stronger to defeat them.

Right now, his sole focus was on becoming stronger; nothing else mattered to him.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

“Hoho~ Is there a problem, master?”

Tia and Mavros climbed the stairs as well.

“No, nothing.”

“Hmm?”

Tia abruptly ceased talking and muttered while inspecting the obelisk.

‘What’s she doing?’ Han-Yeol wondered, observing her.

Then, he realized he had completely ignored the obelisk in his engrossment with the ruby.

‘Oh? There’s something engraved on it?’ Drawing closer, he discovered numerous texts inscribed in the Bastro Language. ‘These are no ordinary Bastro Language...’

The Bastro Dimension harbored diverse languages, akin to Earth's myriad tongues. However, unlike Earth's linguistic variations based on race or territory, the Bastro languages were contingent on the speaker's occupation's special nature.

The language etched on the obelisk was known as the ‘God Language,’ exclusively used by seers who received prophecies from the gods. Fortunately, as the Dimension Lord, Han-Yeol had learned to decipher this special language from the seers and elders during various religious rites. Nevertheless, it remained a complex language, and his fluency was not absolute.

“...The Dragon of Destruction is a creature that brings forth calamity... No other way to defeat it... It could be sealed but... That’s why we prayed for thirty years to obtain a treasure that... But the treasure’s owner didn’t get the chance to use it and... We sealed the numerous keys to the treasure across the land... That treasure ‘Sword of God’... Find it to grant real death to the Dragon of Destruction... Answer is right under the wooden...!”

Han-Yeol's eyes widened as he deciphered the inscriptions on the obelisk. ‘N-No way!’

Shockingly, the special treasure revealed itself to be the ‘Sword of God’ according to the obelisk's inscriptions.

Han-Yeol wasn't confident he could triumph against the Dragon of Destruction sealed in this dimension. While he could grind tirelessly to raise his level, the escalating power of the hyenas posed a significant problem.

This implied the unsealing of the Dragon of Destruction long before he could approach Level 800. However, a ray of hope emerged.

‘Sword of God! It’s the Sword of God!’

Han-Yeol was now confident he could defeat the Dragon of Destruction without relying on sealing it again. As long as he acquired the legendary Sword of God before the hyenas managed to unseal it, victory seemed within reach.

‘I have to obtain this sword no matter what!’

With the possibility of acquiring the sword, he no longer felt the urgency to rush to reach Level 800.

‘I guess I have a new goal now.’

Han-Yeol needed to grow stronger while searching for the jewels that would guide him to the Sword of God.

‘Let’s see... It said to look down there...’

Seuk...

He lifted the treasure chest and discovered a neatly-folded parchment hidden underneath it.

“Omo? Is that a map, master?”

“Kyu?”

Thud... Thud...

“Huff!”

Camelot meticulously searched every nook and cranny before determining there was no hidden danger nearby. He then ascended the stairs to the altar, emitting a snort from his nostrils.

If Camelot had been a mere companion he encountered on his journey, Han-Yeol might have hastily concealed the map. However, there was no need for that as Camelot was bound to Han-Yeol by his skill.

His skills had become his creed. Despite being a twenty-something individual dismissed as a societal loser, he had risen to become the most powerful person on Earth solely because of his skills. If he couldn't trust his skills, where else could he place his trust?

Seuk...

Han-Yeol unfolded the map and inspected it.

***

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, the map wasn't the ordinary type Han-Yeol had expected. It was still too early to discern its exact nature, but it was unmistakably far from ordinary. Pictures would appear and fade, replaced by words, and then switch back and forth, a phenomenon Han-Yeol had never witnessed before.

Attempting to analyze the map with his skills only returned question marks in response.

[???]

“Is there a prerequisite to it? Tsk...” He clicked his tongue in frustration.

He had anticipated the map revealing the precise locations of the jewels, simplifying his search. However, it appeared that he needed to fulfill some condition before utilizing the map.

Despite repeated attempts, his skills yielded the same question marks when used on the map.

[???]

Ultimately, he had no choice but to securely stow the map and the ‘Jewel of Holy Light (Fire)’ in his pocket for the time being.

While he could place it in his dimensional storage, he needed to keep the jewel on his person to benefit from its bonus effects. Moreover, he was uncertain whether the jewel or the map would react to the other jewels. There was a risk of missing potential interactions if he stashed it in his dimensional storage.

“Let’s get out of here.”

He no longer had any business in the Slime Dungeon.

***

After successfully raiding the Slime Dungeon on his first day, Han-Yeol dedicated the remaining nine days to raiding four more dungeons. Considering each dungeon's distinct challenges, this accomplishment was truly remarkable.

His strategy involved summoning both the Void Executor and Blue Balrog in the subsequent dungeons. Thankfully, the passages in these dungeons were sufficiently wide to accommodate the summoning of these larger demons.

“Ah...”

Thud!

Han-Yeol collapsed to the ground without concern, utterly drained. His mana was depleted, and his entire body was caked in dirt, blood, and grime, rendering it irrelevant where he lay.

Exhausted from conquering a dungeon inhabited by reptilian creatures resembling dinosaurs, Han-Yeol faced a boss unlike any other—a Three-Headed Tyrannosaurus.

‘That thing was Rex!’

The Tyrannosaurus Rex, a tyrant of the Jurassic Age, reigned as the era's mightiest carnivore. The fact that such a creature existed as a monster with three heads attested to its formidable power.

While the King Slime relied on peculiar skills and numerous slimes in battle, the Three-Headed Tyrannosaurus Rex depended solely on its physical prowess and the ability to nullify most elemental attacks.

Han-Yeol would have surely perished if he hadn't defeated the boss monster before depleting his mana. The intense battle pushed him to the brink several times, even with the assistance of his two high-ranking demons.

Ultimately, Han-Yeol emerged victorious, but the fight was far from easy.

“Kyu!”

Slurp!”

Mavros flew over to Han-Yeol and affectionately licked his cheek—a gesture signifying his approval and praise for Han-Yeol's accomplishments that day.

1. It simply said analyze and not Analytic Eyes or Item Appraisal.

2. An equivalent English idiom might be "figuring out the whole picture before the paint dries."