Leveling Up Alone

[Argh!]

Thud!

The intermediate hyena sorcerers fell forward and vomited black blood.

“Hmm, as expected from a sword that can kill the Dragon of Destruction. I didn’t crush the hyenas’ heads but they still died.”

Normally, he would have to decapitate them and crush their brains to kill them, but the intermediate sorcerers never rose again after collapsing and vomiting blood.

Karvis had been silent up until now, but she voiced her thoughts.

[I think the reason the Sword of Annihilation can kill the Dragon of Destruction is that it has the ability to destroy the contamination attribute.]

“Ah, really?”

Han-Yeol looked down at the Sword of Annihilation in his hand.

As if the sword was reacting to its owner’s gaze, it reacted.

‘What an strange thing. Unlike other novels, it’s not an ego and it hasn’t gone through the process of picking its master, but its abilities are incredible. It’s kind of like an obedient princess.’

It sure was weird, but it wasn’t a bad kind of weird.

[Han-Yeol-nim, you’re not done yet.]

“Ah, right.”

Han-Yeol nodded at Karvis and aimed his Shoulder Cannons upward.

‘Special Flare!’

Pop, pop, pop!

Han-Yeol fired his combination skill, Special Flare, and filled the room with a bright light.

“Ghaaaa!”

“Kuaaa!”

Shaa!

The contaminants had never experienced pain before, but the contaminants let out agonizing screams in response to the purifying light, which was antithetical to them. Those affected by the light were split into two.

The contaminants made from corpses melted into nothing, while those made of living creatures turned back into the Bastroling or monster they were before as their contaminant attribute washed away.

The Bastrolings, dumbfounded by the suddenness of the situation, fell into chaos at the survivors’ unexpected appearance.

[T-They’re survivors!]

[Everyone, grab the survivors now!]

Yuri’s urgent shout brought the normal Bastrolings, who lacked combat skills but were otherwise useful, to their feet. One by one, the survivors were rescued.

Crack!

“What the heck, Master? I was just starting to have fun, but you're ending it like this?”

Tia had just twisted the neck of an elite contaminant and frowned as it died before she could kill it. Just as she was getting excited, Han-Yeol had killed all of the sorcerers and shot out a purifying light, instantly killing all the elite contaminants.

“Ahaha, sorry. Still, Tia, don't get too upset with this. There will come a time when you’ll really have to fight.”

“Hmph, these guys are too weak for me to warm up. I’m just trying to get ready before the real fight, but Master, you ruined it.”

“Haha, I said I’m sorry?”

“Hmph!”

“Now that the mood is ruined, should I play the harp like a guitar to liven things up?”

Han-Yeol tried to be funny by making a joke, but it only made Tia's expression worse.

“What are you talking about, Master?”

“Sorry…”

When his joke didn't work at all, Han-Yeol's shoulders dropped like a scolded puppy.

Tia acted as if she was sulking, although she actually wasn’t, and of course Han-Yeol knew this.

Shhh, ting!

After finally hunting all the jackals, Tayarana descended next to Han-Yeol's side, not a drop of blood on her. He always thought this, but the way Tayarana landed was really cool.

“Good work Tara.”

Chuck!

[Thanks, Han-Yeol.]

“Ahahaha, no worries.”

“Hmph, Human, you're the only one having fun.”

[That’s because I’m more skilled than you.]

“What did you say?”

Tia and Tayarana, were already at odds to say the least, but they did not shy away from sharing their criticism of each other even though the battle had just ended.

‘Haaa, this is so tiring.’

Han Yeol found it more mentally draining to be in the middle of the fight between Tayarana and Tia than it was to fight intermediate sorcerers. This fight was beyond his control.

“Hey, you two, stop it... Huh?”

As Han-Yeol was about to stop the two, he felt a group of beings with familiar and unfamiliar mana rushing toward them.

“Oh, it's them?”

As Han-Yeol reacted pleasantly, Tia and Tayarana frowned at the same time, as if they had never fought in the beginning.

“Hmm, Master, you can sense that?”

[Really?]

“Yeah, can’t you guys feel it?” Han-Yeol asked in disbelief.

Tia overtly, and Tayarana covertly, frowned.

They were about to say something to Han-Yeol, but had to stop themselves.

‘Haa, let’s be patient. Just when I think I've caught up to my master, he runs off into the distance. If an ordinary(?) person like me tried to follow him, my legs would fall off.’

‘Han-Yeol, you're so strong.’

Although they were very close to Han-Yeol (Tayarana - fiancé(?), Tia - master), they hated losing, and so they also thought of him as a rival. Due to their relationship, they were very sensitive about strength and power. Despite their efforts to catch up to Han-Yeol, they never could and often felt weak and inadequate.

Meanwhile, Han-Yeol felt that the group was getting closer.

Step, step!

[What is that?]

[There is no siege?]

[L-Look over there!]

[Huh?]

Mumble, mumble!

The Bastrolings who came prepared to die at the Tree of Beginnings were surprised to find the area filled with corpses of their enemies. The ordinary Bastrolings were shaken, but the reaction of the three who had already smelled and sensed Han-Yeol’s aura reacted differently.

Tadadak!

[Han-Yeol!]

[Harkan-nim!]

[...]

It was Riru, Kandir, and Barshell, Harkan’s trio.

“Hey, Riru. Long time no see.”

Riru ran at the front of the pack. She rushed toward Han-Yeol, and as if this were a life-and-death encounter, she quickly rushed over and jumped into Han-Yeol’s arms.

Whoosh!

Riru's tail, which was purple at the tip and turned into pink closer to her butt, wagged slowly.

From the moment she sensed Han-Yeol in the distance, she couldn't hide her happiness.

Pat, pat.

Han-Yeol patted Riru's back as she fell into his arms like a baby despite being bigger than him. He was just as happy to see her too.

[Hey, Han-Yeol. How are you?]

“I’m the same as always.”

This was true. Both as Harkan and as Han-Yeol, despite his high status, his life was so full of fighting that he rarely had a moment to rest.

‘I’ll get to rest someday, no, I will. I have to. A life without rest is misery.’

Han-Yeol suddenly had this fear. Everything he did was to make a living and have a good life, but if he died fighting without ever having the chance to rest, it would be truly unfortunate. He was a warrior who loved to fight and got a thrill out of facing stronger opponents, but at the end of the day, he was still just human. A life of constant fighting was never what he truly wanted.

*

The Light Faction’s morale was through the roof, as the hyena forces besieging the Tree of Beginnings were completely cleared.

For the first time in a very long time, the majority of Light Faction Bastro Warriors were able to gather in one place.

Not all of the Light Faction Bastrolings were present, as there were still many others scattered across the continent. However, Lareterus, the independent army with Riru at its core, had grown considerably in number. After all, Lareterus was an army that had been formed by gathering survivors of various Light Faction Bastrolings.

She would also take most of the credit if they won this war, as she had secured the Tree of Beginnings region. It would be essential for rebuilding everything after the war was over.

[Han-Yeol.]

“Yeah, Riru.”

[What are you going to do now?]

“What am I going to do? I’m of course going to go into their headquarters, wipe out the rest of them, and see the end of this long, long war, duh.”

[Yeah, that’s right, we should. Han-Yeol, you’ll help us, right?]

“Eh, what do you mean?”

[But...Han-Yeol is not Harkan.]

“Huh?”

[Even though he has Harkan soul, he's a human.]

“That’s right.”

[So is it really necessary for Han-Yeol to risk his life for us?]

Riru believed that even if he had the soul of Harkan, he was still just a citizen of another dimension. For him, battling against the Dragon of Destruction was a dangerous endeavor that required him to put his life on the line. There was no reason for a third party to be involved in such a dangerous task.

“Riru.”

[Yeah, Han-Yeol.]

Pat.

Han-Yeol placed his hand on Riru’s head as he often did when he was Harkan. It was supposed to be a great scene, but the difference in size between the two made Han-Yeol look small. It wasn’t attractive for Han-Yeol to comfort Riru, but that wasn’t important.

The two’s true feelings were more important right now.

“Yes, you’re right, I’m human now, and Earth is more important to me than the Bastro Dimension, but the Bastro Dimension is just as important to me as Earth. Riru, Kandir, Barshell are my dearest friends and subordinates. My life? I can risk it. Risking my life for something I hold dear is not something to be feared, but honored. So, Riru, trust me. Have I ever let you down?”

Shaking her head, tears formed in Riru's eyes.

[Umm, no, never.]

Considering that she was a Bastro Warrior who rarely cried, it was obvious how emotional Riru felt.

Clap.

Han Yeol grabbed Riru's face with both hands, lowered it to his eye level, and pressed his forehead against hers. This was something he had done a lot as Harkan, but it was a bit uncomfortable in human form. Nonetheless, Han-Yeol knew how much relief this position gave her, so he did it anyway.

Han-Yeol and Riru's faces gently rubbed against each other.

‘Hmm…’

‘...’

Tia and Tayarana’s gazes were strangely intertwined as they frowned deeply while watching Han-Yeol and Riru's affectionate behavior.

They nodded in unison. They were different races, so it was ambiguous to call them rivals. However, at this moment, the two Earthlings who felt threatened by the affection between Han-Yeol and Riru formed a tacit alliance.

They felt that in this situation, if they remained as rivals, this random stranger might take Han-Yeol away from them.

‘Seriously…’

Mariam saw the whole thing from the side and sighed heavily.