Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 487: Modern version of the Three Kingdoms (1)

Currently, the HUN and the hyena race were informally engaged in a great deal of joint research. This was a win-win strategy, with the hyena sorcerers gaining advanced skills and technologies as an inhabitant of the second dimension, while the hyenas learned science.

There was only one reason the HUN, one of the most powerful human organizations closed to other races, was concluding such joint research with the hyena sorcerers. It was to regain control of the international balance that Han-Yeol had taken away.

From some point on, the nature of international affairs and standards started to revolve around Han-Yeol. Because of this, the HUN was a dream organization for Hunters and the most powerful institution, except for the US, which was the single most powerful country.

Bang!

The HUN officer slammed the door and continued to curse.

[Damn it, damn it. You saw that, right? It seems like there’s a relationship between Hunter Han-Yeol and the hyena race that we don’t know about. How can this be? Hunter Han-Yeol is already the strongest person out there, but why?]

[Ugh, I know.]

[Ha…]

[It’s not just about the spirit. The organization’s binding power over its own Hunters is slowly weakening. Small and medium-sized guilds and weaker Hunters have always lined up to get something out of us, and that hasn’t changed. But the problem is that the prestigious guilds and top-ranked Hunters are starting to show their displeasure with us, and they’re starting to break orders, even if it’s the little ones.]

As the chubby, black man, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, started to talk as if everything was okay, a blond, square-jawed man with silver, semi-rimmed glasses became really angry and slammed his hands down on the conference room desk.

Bam!

[How stupid!]

[W-What’s wrong?]

The HUN officers in the conference room were all of the same rank, but that was only the official rank they presented to the outside world. Since the HUN was an international organization, there was an invisible rank based on the power of their country.

The blond, white man was an officer from Germany, one of the more powerful nations in the HUN, and the black man was an officer from South Africa, a country that was second to Egypt within Africa but was not as powerful in the HUN.

[It’ll start out as a mild disobedience of orders, but as time goes on, the Hunters who take us lightly will gradually escalate. Is that when we’ll deal with them?]

[A-Alright. I-I’m sorry.]

The blond man’s murderous glare visibly flustered the black man, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

The gathered HUN officers were, of course, Hunters. Usually, Hunters in such organizations were not very skilled, but the HUN officers were different. They were all Master-Rank Hunters. The only thing that was a little unusual was that they had all become Master-Rank Hunters from S-Rank Hunters when Earth evolved into the second dimension. So they were all at different levels.

The black man was of lower rank among them, so he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the ferocity of the blond, white man.

[Listen carefully, everyone. There’s only one reason we’ve joined forces with that stinky hyena race, and that is to work on research with them to regain the status of the HUN that we lost to Hunter Han-Yeol.]

At this point, everyone was in agreement, and normally, the not-unanimous HUN conference room was united by a single sentiment.

Bam!

A hand harshly slammed the conference room desk.

‘Lee Han-Yeol!’

One blond white man in particular was grinding his teeth, his eyes filled with a murderous aura. He felt more anger than jealousy toward Han-Yeol.

***

“Achoo!”

“Han-Yeol-nim, did you catch a cold? But you’re a Hunter.”

“What are you talking about? I just sneezed because my nose was itchy. If I had a cold, I would’ve coughed and not sneezed!”

“Ah, sure. Let’s pretend you're right.”

“What do you mean, pretend? It’s the truth and a fact!”

“Sure, sure.”

“Ughhh!”

Han-Yeol had come to China with an important purpose. He planned to free the Bastrolings, the Light Faction, from the Hyenas, the Dark Faction, by turning their attention away from the Bastro Dimension and toward Earth instead. But before he could even start his plan, he was interrupted by an unexpected ambush: pride, the most futile kind of stubbornness.

However, this wasn’t Han-Yeol’s pride, but the pride of the global joint forces of China and the HUN. In other words, they were being incredibly stubborn.

“What’s wrong with China, seriously?”

“I know, right?”

“I’ve come all this way to help, and they dare issue a standby order when they should’ve thanked me and kneeled at my feet in gratitude?”

“Yeah, yeah, China isn’t very nice.”

Han-Yeol was even more frustrated when Stewart responded half-heartedly, even though he was already annoyed. Han-Yeol didn’t like Stewart’s attitude.

“Hey, Mr. Demon, can’t you give me a more genuine response when I talk to you?”

Stewart finally furrowed his brows at Han-Yeol’s sarcasm.

“That’s the 121st time you’ve cursed about them. I can deal with it if you only mention it once or twice, but how do you think I feel hearing the same thing 121 times over and over again? At this point, I’m even proud of myself for responding!”

“Ah, haha, has it been that many times already?”

Stewart felt like he was really going to collapse from high blood pressure at Han-Yeol’s silly behavior.

Suddenly, Stewart questioned himself.

‘Wait a minute. Why am I talking to Han-Yeol-nim like this? Normally, I wouldn't have even responded to him, let alone had this kind of conversation.’

If anyone said that he had changed, he wouldn't be able to disagree completely.

‘But it’s not like I talk to other beings like this either.’

He was still the cold-blooded, great lord of the demon world, a magic addict with little interest in anything other than magic and history. He never allowed himself to talk to anyone for more than three minutes, other than Han-Yeol. But for some reason, when he was with Han-Yeol, he accepted whatever he said and ended up talking to him.

‘Just why?’

This attitude was completely out of character for Stewart, the cold-blooded lord of the demon world, a man with no pity or emotion. At the same time, it also didn’t make sense to rationalize his behavior by saying that Lucifer ordered him to do so. Lucifer had ordered Stewart to keep an eye on Han-Yeol and observe him, not to engage in this kind of casual conversation.

So, Stewart didn’t need to engage in these kinds of silly, useless conversations.

‘...Just why.’

Stewart, a wizard, also called a thinker, noticed himself acting this way and this incomprehensible phenomenon and started to fall into a train of thought.

“So…”

Han-Yeol was about to continue, but when he saw Stewart in this state, he stopped.

‘I don’t know what’s up, but I’m sure it’s important.’

There was no way Han-Yeol, who had gotten stronger by leveling up, could possibly understand the realm of enlightenment. However, as a reader of fantasy and martial arts novels, he knew intellectually what Stewart was going through and how he should behave in such a situation.

‘Tsk, this better be over soon.’

Han-Yeol quietly left the room and summoned ten Lava Golems.

Bubble, bubble, shaa!

The Lava Golems were happy to be summoned to the surface for the first time in a while.

“Lava Golems, from now on, not a single ant is to enter this room without my permission. Do you understand?”

Bubble, bubble!

The Lava Golems were both nervous at the assigned task and excited to be back on the surface, but they also regretted it after hearing Han-Yeol’s next words.

“But if I see even a single ant enter without my permission, I will throw you all into the Arctic Ocean. Do you understand?”

Tremble!

This time, the Lava Golems replied by trembling and not bubbling. They were so happy to be on the surface after a long time that they had forgotten the fact that their master was a very violent and cruel man.

“So, do well.”

Han-Yeol warned them till the end, then left to attend to his other business.

[...]

[...]

After Han-Yeol left, the ten Lava Golems assigned to guard Stewart’s room looked at each other and strengthened their will to protect the room. Although they couldn't speak, they were able to communicate without words.

Chuck, chuck, chuck!

They stood guard, trying their best not to let even a single ant pass through.

Pow, khee!

Bubble, bubble!

The situation was so extreme that three young, newly selected worker ants heading to a sweet-smelling place to try their best to make a life for themselves were instantly trampled to death, and their bodies were incinerated in lava.

Bubble, bubble.

The Lava Golems stomped on those poor ants and burned them to death. The Lava Golems didn't understand the idiomatic phrase, ‘don’t let a single ant through.’ Instead, they took it literally and carried out their duties.

***

First, the plan to go on a rampage in China had been messed up because of the Chinese government’s stubbornness.

‘How can they try and protect their pride in such a situation?’

[Maybe it’s because of the peacekeeping force sent from the HUN?]

‘Tsk, that could be it.’

It had already been proven that it was absolutely impossible for China to deal with Emperor Qin and the Demon King army alone. But with the full support of the HUN peacekeeping force, which had recently seen a marked increase in strength, who knew what could happen now?

This was a sabotage operation by a strategic alliance between the HUN and China, wary of Han-Yeol’s unrestrained growth.

‘If Hunter Han-Yeol succeeds, his influence will grow even bigger, and China and the HUN will become even smaller.’

For this reason, the HUN officers and senior Chinese officers agreed to initially oppose Han-Yeol’s participation in war.