Leveling Up Alone

‘Am I really the only one in the entire dimension who can actually level up?’

From what Han-Yeol had heard, there were a lot of dimensions in this vast universe. Unlike Earth, which was a second dimension, there were supposedly much superior dimensions out there. The fact that he was the only one to withstand demonization did seem rather strange.

‘I’m a hundred percent my father’s son, and human!’

In the building where his father lived, there was a large photo of Han-Yeol taken just after his birth prominently displayed in the living room. So he was undenialably human, but that didn’t matter right now.

“W-What am I supposed to do then?”

[I don’t know.]

“What?” Lucifer and Astaroth replied in unison as if they had planned it.

Han-Yeol was puzzled by their response.

“You don’t know, but how could you say something like that?”

They both coughed, slightly embarrassed, and turned their heads away from him.

[To be honest, we don’t know how to do it either. We’ve seen quite a few beings from the middle realms undergo demonization, but not once has anyone ever overcome it like you did. Plus, isn’t it strange for us, who are demons by nature, to know how demonization works? The fact that a non-demon can become a demon still remains a mystery.]

“I-I see.”

That definitely made sense. Han-Yeol realized for the first time that there was a complicated situation behind it.

Krrrr!

[Uh oh, the Dragon of Destruction is almost done resurrecting. Human, if you don’t master your demonization soon, it will be impossible to kill the Dragon of Destruction. It has become much stronger by absorbing the power of the Bastro Dimension during its seal period. Tsk, you should’ve killed it from the start, not just sealed it.]

Finding it unfair, Han-Yeol burst in anger at Lucifer’s remark.

During his time as Harkan, Han-Yeol had led an elite team of warriors in an attempt to completely annihilate the Dragon of Destruction, not just seal it. In the end, however, he failed and could only seal it by sacrificing his life.

[Tsk, tsk. It’s no use talking about the past, so hurry up and master demonization. Otherwise, you won’t be able to seal the Dragon of Destruction, and you’ll end up dead.]

[That’s right, Han-Yeol. I don’t like Lucifer, but he’s got a point.]

[Hey hey, we used to be pretty close, but don’t you think you’re being a bit cold hearted to treat me like this just because you’ve got a new boyfriend?]

[Huh? We were never close. It was just a deal!]

[Wow, that’s a bit harsh. Haha.]

Lucifer smirked, but Han-Yeol not sure if he was joking or not.

Nonetheless, Han-Yeol was in a hurry.

[Han-Yeol, we’ll stop Kubera, so make sure you defeat the Dragon of Destruction. This barrier won’t last long. Even the best barriers are noticeable to the gods after a certain amount of time.]

“I understand.”

Han-Yeol was grateful that they were going to stop Kubera.

‘Thank god I made a contract with two Great Demons.’

If Han-Yeol had refused to make a contract with the Great Demons out of mistrust and fear just because they were demons, he would’ve likely been killed trying to face Kubera and the Dragon of Destruction alone.

‘To master demonization…’

Han-Yeol closed his eyes and calmed his mind as best as he could. He thought of Tia.

Thump, thump.

‘Agh!’

As soon as he thought of Tia, his heart rate sped up, and he felt a burning pain all over his body.

He could feel his rage materializing.

He knew that if he thought of Tia again, he would lose control of himself, but then he suddenly thought of Tayarana.

‘Tara…’

He genuinely liked her, but he had never even properly flirted with her. Their relationship had always felt more like that of slightly close comrades.

‘I feel bad.’

Then another thought followed.

‘Ah, that’s right. Those were the good old days.’

Tia, Tayarana, and Han-Yeol. The atmosphere between the three of them wasn’t particularly cheerful or bright, but Han-Yeol cherished the playful banter they shared. Even though they had come to save Bastro Dimension, their conversations often made him feel like he was on a picnic.

Thump, thump!

‘Huh?’

As Han-Yeol envisioned the joyful moments he had spent with Tia and Tayarana, the anger that was burning up and about to consume him began to stabilize.

‘It’s not decreasing, but stabilizing?’

The anger that had tormented his body didn’t completely dissipate. Instead, it slowly and gently emanated from him.

‘Ah, there was a movie that said that if you mix the right amount of anger and happiness, you can wield a power that’s stronger and more efficient than when fueled solely by anger. It seems that concept from the movie applies in real life as well.’

Han-Yeol, surprised by this unexpected truth, focused intently on the thread of understanding he had just grasped from a movie.

He believed the coexistence of anger and happiness were the only way to control his demonization.

‘Hoo, hoo, hoo!’

Not everything was solved just because he had found a clue.

Mixing the right amount of anger and happiness was easier said than done. Human emotions weren't something that came and went willingly. However, desperate humans could perform miracles.

Zing!

‘Huh?’

Han-Yeol sensed that the materialized rage that only sought to destroy his body now willingly submitting to his will.

Swish!

He spread his wings wide.

As he glanced to the left and right, he realized that these were not the wings of light he usually used, but genuine wings that shimmered with a rich, black hue.

This was definitely a stark contrast to the bat wings he had seen earlier.

“This is…”

He looked down at his hands. Long, sharp claws had sprouted, reminiscent of the demon’s hand he had glimpsed while trapped in the depths of his consciousness.

“This means that…?”

Without needing to see it directly, Han-Yeol could tell that the mana coursing through his body was of an entirely different quality and quantity than anything he had possessed before.

“Haaa.”

Even the breath he exhaled was infused with immense mana.

“Haha, so this is what it feels like.”

He had never experienced such incredible power while confined in his consciousness.

Ding!

[You have earned skill, Demonization (F).]

Ding!

[Skill: Demonization (F) has been automatically upgraded due to the influence of the dark attribute (100%). Demonization (F) -> Demonization (M).]

‘Oh nice!’

The creation of a skill meant that he had complete control of demonization now—the specs themselves didn't really matter anymore.

He didn’t need to look at it to know the skill as he could tell just by the overwhelming feeling of enhancement throughout his body.

Han-Yeol clenched his fists tightly.

‘Now I can really defeat the Dragon of Destruction!’

Krrr!

A beast-like sound to escaped from Han-Yeol’s mouth due to the influence of demonization. However, due to his experience as Harkan, he paid little attention to it.

*

Meanwhile, White Dragon, who had collapsed on the ground due to injury and was quietly recovering, widened her eyes in shock.

Ever since she met him, Han-Yeol had surprised White Dragon countless times, even though she had loads of knowledge as a dragon belonging to the dragon race. The fact that a middle realm being was capable of shocking a dimensional guardian was truly…

“N-No way!”

She was well aware of demonization, so when Han-Yeol turned into a demon and beat Char and his contaminants, she felt a mix of sadness despite his apparent strength. Although he seemed powerful at first, she knew that the skill was also a curse that could lead to his demise.

Yet, the surprises didn’t end here.

Kubera, the damned god she had been looking for, suddenly appeared. He was the very source of the calamity known as the Dragon of Destruction. To make matters worse, two Great Demons had appeared at the same time.

However, most shocking thing of all was the last thing she witnessed. Han-Yeol, whom she currently served as a master for her own amusement, managed to control demonization.

No matter how hard she searched through the knowledge passed down from her dragon lineage, she found no record of any race that could control demonization. There were even stories of divine beings becoming true demons and falling into the demon world once they underwent demonization. One of those divine beings was Lucifer.

White Dragon was lucky she didn’t get a heart attack after seeing Han-Yeol overcome such a curse.

‘W-What the hell…’

Mavros shouted at the top of his lungs to cheer Han-Yeol on.

“Khu!”

Mavros was nursing White Dragon by her side, and he was merely happy that his master’s aura was becoming stronger.

Mavros had sustained a few injuries during the fight against the Obilivion Knights and Arch Lichs with White Dragon. His injuries were too severe to be healed with Healing Shot, so Restore had to be used. However, Han-Yeol was too busy to pay attention to this.

[Hmmm.]

He had even forgotten about the Arch Lich, so there was nothing more to say about him.

[He sure is a remarkable human.]

“Tsk, I don’t like that I’m on the same page with you, Arch Lich, but I agree with you.”

White Dragon and Arch Lich, representing light and darkness, naturally had a strained relationship. But because they were both connected to the same human, they didn’t openly antagonize each other. However, they were by no means friendly.

[Cough!]

[T-Tayarana-nim, are you alright?]

Tayarana was also wounded. She had been knocked out for a moment and just regained consciousness.

[U-Ughh, Mariam?]

[Yes, that’s me. I’m right here.]

[Ah, right, Han-Yeol, what happened to Han-Yeol?]

Tayarana had finally regained consciousness, but the first thing she asked about was Han-Yeol. Mariam felt a bit bitter, but she understood Tayarana’s feelings.

[Han-Yeol-nim is fine. He’s become stronger as usual and he’s about to face off the Dragon of Destruction.]

[Ah, what a relief.]

Tayarana still felt pain from her broken back, but Mariam’s reassurance that Han-Yeol was okay calmed her down a bit.

‘If the President finds out about this, he’ll probably try to kill Han-Yeol-nim…’

President Phaophator was definitely the kind of person who would go to great lengths for his daughter.