Leveling Up Alone

The best course of action would be to bring all the Light Faction Bastro Warriors to the inner headquarters, but they could no longer do that due to the numerous traps triggered across the city.

“Aaaack!”

[I-It’s the contaminated creatures!]

[Hurry up and kill them!]

Bam! Bam!

As if the traps were not enough, the contaminated creatures hiding in the buildings sprung out and attacked the Light Faction Bastro Warriors. The warriors thought all the contaminated creatures were gone, as the intermediate-ranking and high-ranking hyena sorcerers were all dead, but even stronger contaminated creatures had been hiding in the city.

“Kshwiiik!”

[W-What are these things?!]

“Shwiiik!”

A pair of contaminated creatures resembling Barshell and the Hydra appeared. They were so identical that it would not be strange if they were mistaken as their shadows.

In addition to the horde of contaminated creatures, the ground of the vast city, which resembled a labyrinth, suddenly became a swamp, effectively reducing the Light Faction Bastro Warriors’ mobility.

Han-Yeol instinctively knew that he could not afford to let this unknown spell coming from the inner headquarters continue to spread, so he only took the select individuals he needed and made a beeline for the inner headquarters. He brought only those who had crossed over to the Bastro Dimension from Earth, except Noras and the roe deer. He would have loved to bring Noras, but the roe deer race was in a tight spot, so Noras had to leave to help them.

“Let’s go, Tia, Tayarana.”

“Okay, let’s hurry, Master~”

[Okay, Han-Yeol.]

‘Haa…’ Han-Yeol calmed his breathing first before running straight to the inner headquarters.

He might be the most powerful person alive, but he would soon face the leader of the hyenas and a being that even the high-ranking hyena sorcerers feared: Char. All the traps and insidious mana spread around the labyrinth-like city was also Char’s doing.

‘But the thing is… Char’s mana did not reduce even a little, despite installing so many traps and filling the entire place with his mana. Damn it, how is that possible when this city is huge?’ Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.

Char might have installed the traps beforehand, but that did not mean anything, as the traps were so destructive that only a powerful being could install such traps.

Also, Char continuously supplied the insidious contamination mana filling the entire city.

***

Han-Yeol did not face any obstacles when he entered the inner headquarters located deep within the city.

‘Hmm… Is this what he was after?’ Han-Yeol wondered. He had a feeling that Char intended to isolate him from the Light Faction.

Han-Yeol shrugged.

‘Well, it’s not like I have a problem with it.’

The other Light Faction Bastro Warriors would only get in Han-Yeol’s way if he battled someone like Char. The weaker Bastro Warriors would be nothing but a nuisance to him, as they would be extremely susceptible to Char’s powerful contamination mana.

“Hmm… It’s so quiet that it’s getting on my nerves,” White Dragon said.

She was currently in her human form, a beautiful person with long, flowing white hair, instead of her dragon form. The building did not have enough room to accommodate her gigantic dragon form.

Thud… Thud…

“There’s really nothing here. They didn’t prepare anything to stop us?” Tia asked while looking around the lavishly and unsparingly decorated space.

Ironically, she seemed to enjoy looking around despite the situation outside.

“Well, I’m not sure if this peace will last long,” Han-Yeol replied.

Ziiiing!

He could sense a powerful being at the top of the building, and that individual was filled with rage, waiting for the optimal time to unleash it. Han-Yeol might have gained one hundred levels, but he still got goosebumps after indirectly coming into contact with Char’s mana.

‘This isn’t going to be an easy fight,’ he thought.

As expected, Han-Yeol and the others encountered no more obstacles as they made their way to the top.

A few minutes later, they reached the top floor of the building.

[Kwahaha! Welcome, pesky human! You have been interrupting my plans for too long, even though you have no connection to the Bastro Dimension!]

“Huh? It’s you?”

[Hmm? What do you mean by that?]

“Wow, you look good, Hapicrus.”

[How do you know my name?]

“I should’ve chased after you and killed you that time if I knew you were going to be Char.”

[I have no idea what you’re talking about. This is our first meeting, Human. Enough chatter! Standing face to face and talking to an insignificant creature like you is already humiliating as it is!]

“Kekeke! Sure, if you say so.”

Nothing much changed, but Han-Yeol suddenly became confident. He knew Hapicrus very well and had already faced him when he once subjugated the hyenas as Harkan.

Hapicrus was quite the talented sorcerer back then.

‘Tsk, I tried to kill him because of his talents, but his subordinates sacrificed themselves to save him. I would’ve taken more risks and killed him if I knew this was going to happen…’

Crying about it was useless, as it was all in the past now. However, the fact that Han-Yeol had already beaten him once gave Han-Yeol confidence that he could do it again.

There was the small difference that Hapicrus was a budding sorcerer back then and he was Char now, but there was no reason Han-Yeol could not do what he already did once back then.

Han-Yeol might be cocky, but there was a reason for his attitude. His attitude could greatly affect these kinds of big battles, and entering the fight with confidence instead of nervousness could be the deciding factor between winning and losing. Nonetheless, he was really surprised that the hyena sorcerer who ran away with his tail between his legs would become such a big shot, as this was not something Han-Yeol expected at all.

Of course, there was no way Hapicrus would understand this.

[You’re really getting on my nerves. Well, nothing else matters anymore now that you’re in my territory. Allow me to welcome you sincerely, Outsider.]

“Ha! Look at you trying to act all cool just because you’re some big shot now.”

Thud!

‘Hmm?’

Hapicrus slammed the armrest of his throne with his fist, causing Han-Yeol to instinctively react.

Shwiiiing!

Then, a black fog swirled around Hapicrus. It was not the usual thick fog that the hyena sorcerers often used but something far more sinister and dangerous.

Shwook!

‘Tsk… I knew it. There’s no way this guy is all alone,’ Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly after spotting a group of strange-looking contaminated creatures behind the fog.

Judging by the contaminated mana they were emitting, they were undoubtedly contaminated creatures, but they looked somewhat different from the ordinary contaminated creatures he had encountered until now.

‘Knights?’

The contaminated creatures looked like knights wearing black armor.

Han-Yeol was surprised to see them, as the concept of full plate armor did not exist in the Bastro Dimension. Even when he was the Dimension Lord, Harkan did not wear full plate armor and opted for leather armor crafted from a monster's hide.

The Bastrolings learned how to protect themselves with mana from an early age, so they had no reason to wear heavy armor that would only weigh them down. Also, the leather armor crafted from the hides of the monsters in the dimension was more than enough to protect them from attacks.

‘The only explanation is that those aren’t from the Bastro Dimension. Are they demons? No, I don’t think they’re demons…’

Han-Yeol inspected them with Demon Eyes, but they did not look like demons at all. He could easily recognize a demon, as he had already contracted with two demon kings.

‘Then what in the world are they?’

Click, clack!

The black knights slowly started moving.

[Let’s see if you can dance with my minions, Human.]

‘Hmm… I guess it doesn’t matter.’

Han-Yeol shrugged. He decided not to think too deeply about it, as he was bound to fight them anyway, and he could not really understand what kind of creatures they were. He would probably uncover their identities sooner or later once they clashed swords anyway.

Shiiing! Chwak!

He took out his Sword of Annihilation and Chain of Annihilation, wielding them in each hand.

‘Ah, this feeling is really the best,’ Han-Yeol thought while clenching the GOD weapons.

Kwachik!

He gripped both weapons while enjoying the high they gave him.

[Hahaha! How foolish, human! Sure, why don’t you show me what you’ve got?]

Char raised his hand, and the black knights reacted to it.

‘Hold on, it’s not only the knights over there, right?’ Han-Yeol thought after spotting a few large silhouettes within the black fog. He did not see them initially since the black knights had been at the front, but they seemed to be magicians wearing cloaks and hoods that covered their faces.

‘Magicians?’

Han-Yeol had no idea what the black knights were, but he felt that he knew what the magicians were. He recognized the magicians because he also controlled someone who looked identical to them.

‘Arch Lich-nim.’

Ziiiing!

[Kwahahaha! Good!]

A magic circle appeared on the ground that had suddenly frozen over, and the black magician, the Arch Lich, emerged from it.

“Welcome, Arch Lich-nim.”

[Yes, it has been a long time. Did you seek me to make another transaction–hmm?]

The Arch Lich suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at the black knights and magicians intently.

‘I knew it,’ Han-Yeol grinned triumphantly after his deduction was spot-on.

Men getting excited or happy over such trivial things was laughable.

[Why are they here?]

“Oh? Are you familiar with them by any chance, Arch Lich-nim?”

[Yes, they are members of the Oblivion Knights, and I see a lich too.]

“O-Oblivion Knights and even a lich?!”

[Yes, they are an independent knight order in the demon world. The demons call those undead creatures the cursed knights. They might be independent, but that doesn’t mean they are welcomed anywhere.]

“I see. I knew they looked familiar, but I finally remember where I had seen them after you mentioned it,” Stewart chimed in.

[...]

The Arch Lich was not the talkative type to begin with, but he went completely silent after Stewart joined the conversation. He was not shy or introverted–no, he just did not feel like explaining something someone already knew.

‘I guess Stewart can explain the rest then,’ Han-Yeol thought. Then, he looked at the demon and asked, “Do you know anything about them, Stewart?”

“I might have aided Lucifer for a long time, but this is my first time seeing the Oblivion Knights. A long time ago, those cursed knights were expelled from the demon world. In other words, they are Banished Knights.”

“Expelled from the demon world? Banished Knights? Cursed Knights? Why do they have so many names?” Han-Yeol asked, baffled after hearing three different titles for the black knights.

“Well, they have a lot of stories, but the main reason is that most of them sold their souls to the devil while they were alive. So, they are under a curse that turns them into who they were after they died and came to the demon world. They are beings who are not eligible for eternal rest.”

“Oh, that sounds horrible…”

“Well, I guess it is if you put it that way. Also, even the demons aren’t fond of them, so no one bothered to invite them to their factions and just banished them from the demon world. That story exists from time immemorial.”

“Hmm… That’s quite the story they have. So basically, they are undead creatures from the demon world?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Hmm. A hyena sorcerer that serves the Dragon of Destruction summoned undead creatures from the demon world… There’s something fishy about this… Don’t you think so, Stewart?”

“...”

Stewart did not respond to the question. Why? Because even he had no idea how a hyena sorcerer managed to summon those undead creatures from the demon world.

‘How?’ he wondered.

The Oblivion Knights might be undead creatures banished from the demon world, but they were technically still creatures of the demon world. But how were they summoned by a creature using powers of the Dragon of Destruction when that dragon was also regarded as an enemy of the demon world?

“I have no clue what is happening…”

“Tsk… I have no idea what’s going on, but let’s swiftly deal with them.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ironically, the Arch Lich seemed to be amused by the whole situation, as he flashed an insidious grin and let out a low laugh.

[Hoho…This is quite amusing. I did not expect to fight against creatures from the demon world here.]