Leveling Up Alone

Han-Yeol would have preferred to summon a combat-type demon that can assist him in combat, but he already had two shadow demons on top of Kazikar, who was technically just training him on how to fight, so he did not really feel that he was lacking when it came to combat.

However, he was certain that a merchant that sold anything and everything would definitely be a big help. Even if the merchant did not possess the secret that would allow him to absorb the jewels from the demon world, he could simply purchase other stuff from him instead.

‘Let's see… the sigil is…’ Han-Yeol thought as he scrolled through the webpage.

Dellchant’s sigil had a large tree in the middle and the branches did not have leaves. Instead, the branches were lined with what appeared to be gold bars.

‘Don't tell me it’s going to ask for gold…?’ Han-Yeol thought.

Well, it did not really matter to him since his bank account contained a huge sum of money and his account balance was soon going to hit a billion won. There were also plenty of ways to buy gold with money.

‘Then the location of my next hunting ground is decided… I guess I will have to do my best again tomorrow,’ Han-Yeol thought as he steeled his resolve. Then, he washed up and went to bed shortly after.

The next day, Han-Yeol woke up early in the morning and accessed the Hunters’ Association’s website. He clicked on the website’s Hire a Porter menu, and wrote a post with the title ‘Looking for a porter who is willing to go hunting at 9 o’clock today.’

He also paid the additional fee to put up an urgent banner on his post. By paying an additional fee, his post would be highlighted with a different color from the other posts. This would help all the Porters on the bulletin boards to see it quickly.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Four notifications came just within thirty seconds of his notice getting posted.

Han-Yeol checked the four applicants and immediately closed the post, since he thought that he had found the right people for the job. Recalling an old saying, he thought, ‘Life is all about timing.’

He carefully examined the responses that had the two Porters' profiles attached. He then sent a message to each of the two porters, writing, ‘Let’s meet in front of the Hunter’s Association at 9 o’clock’ after thoroughly examining their profiles.

The current time was 05:44 pm.

Han-Yeol made his way to the Hunter Mall, which was open for twenty-four hours a day, after taking a quick shower. He was looking for a new weapon to replace his M4A2, which had been destroyed during the fight against the killers.

‘It’s a shame that there are master craftsmen for swords and other similar types of weapons, but there are no master craftsmen for firearms and explosives,’ Han-Yeol thought.

It was a given that these craftsmen were all awakened individuals. They had the ability to produce weapons, armor, and other miscellaneous goods, but none of them awakened with the ability to produce any type of firearm weapons.

‘It would be much more convenient for me if such an awakened person appeared,’ Han-Yeol thought.

The firearms created these days were made by awakened beings called Enchanters. These people enchanted the materials used to manufacture firearms, and their enchantment helped the firearm nullify the barriers that all monsters innately possessed.

There were no Enchanters who personally manufactured the firearms and infused their mana into it just like how the other awakened craftsmen did.

‘I don’t mind going all out and investing in my equipment this time,’ Han-Yeol thought.

Han-Yeol’s skills were much more diverse compared to other Hunters, and he possessed ten skills when an average Hunter possessed three. He had some skills that went well with firearms, but he was not able to utilize his skills’ full potential due to the fact that the firearms available in the market were not good enough.

‘It’s disappointing no matter how much I think about it,’ Han-Yeol thought.

Han-Yeol arrived at the Hunter Mall’s entrance and left his car with the valet parking attendant before he went inside.

The Hunter Mall itself was open twenty-four hours a day. However, the shops located within the mall had their own schedules and opened based on their schedule, irrespective of the mall’s timing. The shops that had good business employed more people in shifts to operate for the entire day while the shops that were not as financially capable did not. The mall’s shop owners were free to decide their own timing based on how their business was doing.

Han-Yeol saw that the store where he had bought his M4A2 rifle last time was closed today.

Nowadays, it was possible to find out the location of the shop you were looking for, whether they were open for business or not, and even who was working at the store as of present in the lobby on the first floor. This service was an expensive state-of-the-art technology only provided at the Hunter Mall and it was not seen in general department stores.

Han-Yeol decided to go to the largest gun store in the mall, since the store he used to go to was already closed.

“Welcome to the Big Gun Shop,” the store clerk greeted Han-Yeol.

The store clerk was a very beautiful woman, as expected of a popular shop. She was a tall, slender, and big-breasted natural beauty that had no traces of having done plastic surgery anywhere.

‘Just how many beauties are there in our country?’ Han-Yeol wondered. He noticed that every store he went to had a beautiful working staff, and he found it to be a nice yet mysterious thing.

“Are you looking for a specific model?” the store clerk asked.

“Oh yes, do you have the HSK-447P model?” Han-Yeol replied.

Han-Yeol had just bought whatever the shop owner had recommended the last time he had gone to buy his M4A2 rifle, since he did not know anything about guns at that time. However, he had meticulously collected information online and had come prepared with the exact model that best suited him.

“Hmm… Can I suggest that you consider this model?” the shop clerk asked.

Han-Yeol had no idea what kind of training the store clerk had received, but the beauty was suggesting an entirely different model even though she had clearly heard what he was looking for.

“This is…?” Han-Yeol muttered.

“This is the G-N7 model by the subsidiary of S Group, S Defense, which is manufactured by one of the best weapons manufacturers in our country. It uses 7.76mm mana-infused bullets and can also launch a grenade through the grenade launcher attached to it. In addition, it also has a laser sight that can automatically assist your aim. On top of that, it has an anti-recoil function as well as excellent waterproofing,” the store clerk explained.

Han-Yeol frowned when he saw the gun that the store clerk had brought out and given as a suggestion. He asked, “Isn’t this the model that was on the news not long ago because of the explosion caused by the electronic system battery?”

It was a model that caused a lot of controversy in the news, and Han-Yeol was well aware of its problems.

They had done a massive marketing campaign to promote the model and had even exported it to the United States, which was considered as the hometown of all firearms for Hunters. There had also been quite a lot of fuss about South Korea’s defense industry finally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the world thanks to this gun.

However, those dreams and hopes were dashed when all of it had to be recalled due to battery malfunction, and South Korea’s defense industry was back to square one once again.

***

“That is correct. The older model was recalled due to battery problems, but this newer model is completely free from the battery problems as it has been fully resolved. Also, its safety is 100% guaranteed by the S Defense company so you may be rest assured and use it with confidence,” the store clerk said reassuringly.

‘She’s been thoroughly trained to sell mainly domestic firearms,’ Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.

What he wanted was the newly launched HSK-447P produced by H Defense company, a German-based defense company that was also a powerhouse for manufacturing products for Hunter use.

The gun might not be made with advanced technology compared to the G-N7 model recommended by the store clerk, but it was a reliable and sturdy gun with far fewer chances of it breaking down. In addition, it was also a model assembled by an A Rank Enchanter, so Han-Yeol could not help but trust it more than the domestic firearm suggested by the clerk. Lastly, it was impossible for South Korea to manufacture this type of weapon since they did not have an A Rank Enchanter yet.

“No, thank you, I'd like the HSK-447P model,” Han-Yeol said.

The store clerk was slightly taken aback by Han-Yeol’s response, but she instantly recommended the G-N7 model once again. She reasoned that the HSK-447P model was expensive due to high import taxes and the lack of functions compared to the G-N7 model for its price, but the clerk had no choice but to bring out the HSK-447P model with tearful eyes when she saw that Han-Yeol was slowly starting to get annoyed.

‘Drop the pitiful act. I can’t take a loss just so that you can benefit from it, right?’ Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.

The store clerk was seemingly going to get quite an incentive if she sold the domestic firearms instead of the imported ones, since it did not make sense for anyone to stubbornly suggest to their customer, again and again, to buy the domestic firearm just because they were told to by their company.

It was a different story if the store owner was nearby watching the store clerk, but Han-Yeol did not see anyone else aside from the beautiful clerk at the store.

Han-Yeol wouldn’t simply throw money and get done in just because the seller was a beautiful woman. He was a Hunter that valued his money more than anything else.

The store clerk finally started to take out the firearm that Han-Yeol requested, and then she asked if he needed anything else.

“Please give me ten thousand bullets as well,” Han-Yeol said.

“T-Ten thousand…?” the store clerk muttered in surprise.

“Oh, and give me three of those rifles instead of one,” Han-Yeol added.

“Ah, I understand,” the store clerk replied.

She was not able to sell the firearm that she had intended to, but she did not suffer any losses in the end since the rifle that Han-Yeol bought was quite an expensive one and he purchased an additional ten thousand bullets on top of it as well.

Han-Yeol, with the mall employees’ assistance, loaded the guns and ammunition he had purchased in his van, and then he went to a nearby café and killed time until it was time for him to make his way to the Hunters’ Association for his appointment.

There were two trucks already parked at the meeting spot when Han-Yeol arrived, and the two Porters were on the bench waiting for him. One of the Porters tapped the other sitting next to him when he saw Han-Yeol approaching, and the pair quickly got up from their seats and stood up straight.

“Do you two happen to be Joo-Hyung and Young-Jin, the two Porters that I hired for today?” Han-Yeol asked.

“Y-Yes, hello, Hunter-nim! My name is Shin Joo-Hyung!” Joo-Hyung said.

“Hello, my name is Choi Young-Jin!” Young-Jin said.

They both greeted Han-Yeol with a bow that was almost like a ninety-degree right angle, and anyone who passed by would think that they were new recruits joining the army or something. However, their actions were a given, since they were technically beneath Han-Yeol, who was a Hunter.

“Yes, it is nice to meet the both of you. My name is Lee Han-Yeol, and I am the Hunter you will be working with today,” Han-Yeol introduced himself. He shook the two Porters’ hands after their brief introduction.

One of the Porters named Joo-Hyung raised his hand and said, “I-I have a question, Hunter-nim.”

“Yes, feel free to ask me anything,” Han-Yeol replied.

“Are we really going to the Gold Mine with just the three of us?” Joo-Hyung asked.

The two of them applied for the job even though they knew that it was a solo hunt, since the pay was really good and that the Hunter was probably confident enough to hunt solo. However, they could not help but be concerned since the Gold Mine that they knew of was not a place that one could underestimate. In fact, Gold Mine was considered to be one of the most complicated places to hunt in the country.

A Hunter could escape from dangerous situations if they had escape skills like camouflage or such. However, it was not the same for the Porters, who would surely die if they were to be in a dangerous situation since a normal human cannot outrun the speed of a monster.

This was why it was only natural for Joo-Hyung and Young-Jin to feel anxious about this hunt. Han-Yeol fully understood their worries, because he too had worked as a Porter for four years.

“Please don’t worry about it. I will take responsibility and protect you guys. Should I sign a guarantee or something if you can’t trust me?” Han-Yeol said.

“We would very much appreciate it if you could do that…” Joo-Hyung said.

It was uncommon for a Porter to ask for a guarantee from a raid party that they frequently worked with, since a guarantee was basically a promissory note that the Hunter agreed to provide compensation in the event of the Porter’s death, and this could sour the mood of the Hunter since it could be taken as that the Porter had no faith in their skills.

However, it was quite common for a Porter to ask for a guarantee from a Hunter who they were working with for the first time, since it forced the Hunter to offer more protection for them during the hunt.

“Don't worry, I will protect you guys,” Han-Yeol said confidently as he gladly filled out the guarantee and gave it to the porters.

“T-Thank you,” the Porters said.

“Don’t mention it,” Han-Yeol replied.

They made their way to the southern part of Gangwon-do, where Gold Mine was located, after they finished their introduction and signed the guarantee.

Gold Mine was a dungeon-like hunting ground located around two kilometers away from the point where Mount Sobaek and Mount Taebaek met in Gangwon-do. This was an unusual case of a dimensional gate appearing underground.

The monsters that appeared inside the mines were called golems, and they were unusual creatures that contained gold inside their bodies. The normal golems were made out of soil and stone, and more powerful golems made out of all sorts of metal appeared the deeper one ventured into Gold Mine.

Gold Mine was a hunting ground inhabited by all sorts of golems, so it was suitable for E Rank Hunters all the way up to C Rank Hunters. The golems became more powerful the deeper down the mine, and they possessed more gold the deeper they were found.

Vrooom…!

Han-Yeol and his party drove fast on the three-lane road.

The road conditions in Gangwon-do were not that good in the past, but the road conditions started to get better compared to other provinces when the Hunters’ Association started to actively support its development. This was mainly due to the fact that Gangwon-do had the largest number of dimensional gates and hunting grounds in South Korea, therefore the province received a lot of financial support from the Hunters’ Association.

Thirty years ago, Gangwon-do’s local economy was completely destroyed after the dimensional gate appeared, but some considered it as a blessing in disguise since the province was able to become one of the wealthiest areas in the country thanks to the support from the Hunters’ Association.

Psshh…!

The walkie-talkie that Han-Yeol shared with his party rang.

[We are ten minutes out before arriving at the Gold Mine.]

Joo-Hyung, who was a year older than Young-Jin, was chosen to be the leader between them. He was also the one who just gave Han-Yeol a report.

Psshh…!

“Roger that,” Han-Yeol replied.

Soon after, Han-Yeol and his party arrived at the Gold Mines’ entrance.

Whoosh…

“Hmm, this place is empty as usual,” Han-Yeol said.

The only people at the Gold Mine’s entrance were just a bunch of soldiers aside from Han-Yeol and his party, and even the merchants who were usually found loitering around the entrance to sell goods to Hunters could not be found anywhere in sight.