Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 226: Invitation From Egypt (2)

Jason Kim offered a slight bow before departing from the podium.

"E-Excuse me!"

"O-One question!"

"Mr. Jason Kim!"

Reporters hurried toward the podium, eager to intercept Jason Kim, but the Gurkhas swiftly formed an insurmountable human barrier, thwarting the reporters' attempts.

Under the vigilant protection of the Gurkhas, Jason Kim managed to effortlessly exit the press conference.

***

While Jason Kim attended to the reporters, Han-Yeol took a leisurely stroll through the Cheolwon hunting ground.

Kwachik!

"Hmm... So this is where the dimensional gate was..."

"Yes, I believe so, hyung-nim."

Han-Yeol's eyes continued to radiate a red glow as he maintained his Demon Eyes, prepared for any potential surprises lurking around.

'I can't afford to lower my guard just because the dimensional gate disappeared. Who's to say a larger gate won't suddenly take its place...' he pondered.

While he might have been less cautious if the dimensional gate vanished prior to the emergence of dimensional holes and rifts, he recognized the necessity of heightened vigilance now that unpredictable events were unfolding. In a world where phenomena once relegated to fantasy novels were becoming reality, he understood that a momentary lapse in attention could result in swift and deadly consequences.

Han-Yeol firmly believed that no defeat in battle or war could be attributed to mere coincidence; rather, every loss stemmed directly from a lapse in vigilance.

'Certainty demands the utmost caution...'

The observatory atop the mountain's summit appeared on the brink of crumbling, seemingly on the verge of collapse at even the slightest touch.

"Purva."

"Yes, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim!"

"Summon the Gurkhas to secure the perimeter. If the observatory collapses, Mujahid and I will likely be unharmed, but the same cannot be assumed for your group."

"Understood! On it!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Gurkhas promptly mobilized, swiftly establishing a protective perimeter around the area.

Thud… Thud…?

“Phew…?This place still gives off a strange vibe, hyung-nim,” Mujahid said.

"Yeah, I concur. I believe it's partly because we've already encountered the unsettling aura emanating from this place," Han-Yeol responded.

After scouring the vicinity for approximately thirty minutes, their efforts yielded no anomalies. The sole revelation they unearthed was confirmation of the dimensional gate's disappearance.

"Let's head back," Han-Yeol proposed.

"Alright, hyung-nim!" Mujahid acknowledged.

Though they hadn't anticipated a groundbreaking discovery, a tinge of disappointment crept in as they concluded their search empty-handed.

‘Well, there’s always next time,’?Han-Yeol thought as he walked away.

What was he looking forward to next time?

He had no idea.

***

Once more, Han-Yeol sent shockwaves rippling through the entire nation, and Jason Kim's press conference only added to the nation's astonishment.

News articles relating to the Cheolwon hunting ground proliferated like mushrooms after rainfall, with the revelation that the land's ownership had transferred a mere five hours prior to the events leaving the nation further astounded.

[I believe Han-Yeol Hunter is favored by the gods.]

[How did he secure ownership of the land just five hours before the dimensional gate's disappearance was unveiled?]

[Wait, is it plausible that he was already aware of it?]

[That seems highly probable. He might have observed or sensed something while battling the boss monster.]

[Yet, that doesn't alter the fact that the TK Group initially listed it for sale.]

[Indeed, it's implausible for Han-Yeol Hunter to forcibly seize something from the TK Group, no matter how famous he's become. They likely sold it of their own accord.]

[It'd be a different story if the government were involved...]

[Yes, had that ousted president remained in power, it might have been seized forcefully. But I doubt a Hunter wields the same authority as the president.]

[Then he's struck gold.]

[The entire world has its eyes on our nation now!]

[Ah! Such elation!]

Even those generally uninterested in Hunter-related news found themselves drawn to the current events. The surge of dimensional holes and rifts appearing in populated regions had captured nearly everyone's curiosity, rendering the dimensional gate's disappearance a topic of widespread intrigue.

Han-Yeol, indeed, once again sent shockwaves across the globe, yet he remained indifferent to whether the world marveled at him or not.

***

"Hmm..." Han-Yeol mumbled as he perused a letter delivered to his residence.

While electronic mail had become the norm in this era, certain letters held significance or symbolic value and continued to be dispatched through traditional means. One such example was the lavishly adorned invitation letter for the Hunter Alliance event.

On this occasion, Han-Yeol had received two letters. The first was from the International Hunters' Association (HUN), urging him to undertake the Master Rank test. The second was an invitation letter from Egypt.

"Huh? Is that from noonim?" Mujahid inquired.

"Yes, it is. She expresses her intention to participate in the Master Rank test this time as well, and she's proposing that we spend a few months in Egypt while we're at it," Han-Yeol explained.

"Wow! You should definitely accept it, hyung-nim, sir!"

"Why are you suddenly speaking like a soldier?"

"Hahaha! My Korean not very good. Me no speak Korean."

"You only say that when you're in a tight spot..."

"Hahaha…" Mujahid awkwardly scratched the back of his head, conceding that Han-Yeol's observation held truth. He then added, "Hyung-nim~"

"Why the distasteful tone...?"

"You've never been abroad, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

In truth, Han-Yeol had been presented with an opportunity earlier in his life. The high school he attended might not have been the most prestigious, but its governing foundation was affluent, resulting in grandiose school events. Among these was the school trip, a pinnacle of such events.

During Han-Yeol's academic year, the school excursion was slated for Okinawa. The foundation bore the majority of the expenses, with each student required to contribute five hundred thousand won for the five-day trip. Unfortunately, Han-Yeol found himself grappling with financial strain during that period, unable to afford the trip.

While he could have sought assistance or borrowed funds from others to partake in the excursion, he staunchly refused to compromise his pride by doing so. He opted to abstain from the trip, albeit attributing his decision to a 'rebellion' against the school. Deep down, he yearned to participate.

Following that incident, a lack of both funds and time precluded him from embarking on an overseas journey.

"Well, why not seize this opportunity for your inaugural overseas adventure? Father does hold you in high regard, and with noonim and me around, you'd receive an exclusive royal tour of Egypt!"

"Oh? That does sound quite enticing."

Han-Yeol, despite his penchant for indolence and aversion to inconvenience, couldn't help but be intrigued by the prospect of a 'royal tour.' Furthermore, the allure of avoiding the typical travel hassles and enjoying a private jet excursion was too appealing to ignore.

“Alright, I made up my mind.”

“Then…!”

“Pack up.”

“Hahaha! Roger that!”

Han-Yeol belonged to the category of individuals who required an extended period to arrive at a decision, yet once his mind was made up, he acted with swiftness and determination.

Indeed, his response was so prompt that he promptly instructed Mujahid to initiate packing.

"When do you propose we depart?" queried Mujahid.

"Is there any valid reason to postpone it? Let's depart four days from now."

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

And thus, Han-Yeol resolved to embark on his maiden overseas voyage.

***

Later that evening, Han-Yeol found himself in the solitude of his mansion. Well, to be accurate, he wasn't entirely alone, as Mavros was in his presence, although presently sound asleep. The pup had expended his energy chasing after a ball and was now in a state of restful slumber.

Preferring not to disturb Mavros, Han-Yeol descended to his living room before activating his skill.

‘Dimensional Storage.’

Wooong!

Upon employing his skill, a door materialized before him. However, its appearance was somewhat lackluster, bearing a certain gaudiness reflective of Han-Yeol's skill level, which had yet to attain significant advancement.

Clack… Creak…!

He slowly opened the tacky door and went inside.

‘Well, there’s nothing much in it for now…’?Han-Yeol thought while looking around the spacious room.

The only things in his dimension storage were some important documents, emergency money, and the items he had bought from the demon merchant.

“Let’s see…”

He did not have the time to check the items before, but he finally had the time now.

‘Item Appraisal!’

Ding!

[The rank of ‘Item Appraisal’ has risen from (C) to (B).]

‘Oh! Sweet!’?Han-Yeol was elated to see his skill level up, but he decided to leave that for later and focused on the item description.

[Mystery Demon Egg]

[Type: Egg]

[Special Trait: An egg filled with dark mana.]

[Description: Demons propagate through various methods, one of which involves the laying of eggs. The intricate process by which demons generate these eggs remains shrouded in mystery, as they do not partake in reproductive intercourse. It is established, however, that demons emerge from these eggs, leaving the remainder of the mechanism enigmatic.]

‘Oh?’?Han-Yeol suddenly thought that he could gain another demon without using his Invoke stat if he managed to hatch the egg.

Technically speaking, his current action did not involve summoning a demon; instead, he was facilitating the emergence of a demon from the egg and compelling it to serve him as its master.

Having attended to the demon egg, it was now time for him to inspect the nutritional fruit.

‘Item Appraisal.’

[Demon Fruit]

[Type: Nutritional Fruit]

[Special Trait: A fruit filled with complex dark mana.]

[Description: The taste of this fruit is so unpleasant that even demons refrain from consuming it. The origins and nature of this fruit remain undisclosed, as trees are absent in the demon realm. Nevertheless, the fruit is a frequent sight in the demon world, albeit largely disregarded or trodden upon by most demons due to its unpalatable flavor.]

‘Hmm… There’s no specific information at all…’

Han-Yeol possessed a general understanding of the intended purposes of these items, yet he couldn't help but express his dissatisfaction with the dearth of accompanying details. Nevertheless, his lack of comprehensive information did not preclude him from employing the items.

Taking hold of the Demon Egg and Demon Fruit, Han-Yeol replicated the procedure he had utilized to fertilize monster eggs. Notably, he discerned that the Demon Egg demanded a considerably greater expenditure of mana in contrast to a standard monster egg. However, this elevated mana requirement remained well within the limits of his mana capacity.

‘I can hatch it in a week, I guess.’

Han-Yeol harbored lofty anticipations for this particular egg, given its distinction as a Demon Egg hailing from the demon realm, rather than a conventional monster egg.

‘Hohoho! If I continue on this path, I might amass my personal legions of demons and a vast array of monsters. With such forces, establishing my own empire could become a tangible goal without the need to deplete my coffers!’

Naturally, contemporary circumstances rendered the notion of territorial conquest obsolete. In the present era, Han-Yeol could acquire land through purchase, establish enterprises, assemble his own faction, and assert dominion over an existing nation.

Seuk… Seuk… Seuk… Seuk…?

.

Han-Yeol affectionately tapped the fertilized Demon Egg before carefully extracting it from his dimensional storage. Though logically, retaining the egg within the dimensional storage might seem more secure, a pressing concern lay in the fact that time elapsed tenfold slower within that realm.

While he hadn't subjected this hypothesis to empirical validation, he surmised that nurturing the egg in his dimensional storage would necessitate seventy days to achieve hatching. However, he found little rationale in prolonging the process to such an extent when the same outcome could be attained in merely seven days.

His inclination toward impatience factored significantly into this decision...

***

Four days elapsed, and Han-Yeol commenced his itinerary by visiting the Yoo-Bi laboratory prior to embarking for the airport.

"You're going on a solo vacation?" she pouted, an air of reproach permeating her words.

Chuckling awkwardly, Han-Yeol scratched the back of his head. "Haha... Sorry."

He experienced a pang of guilt, recognizing that he had inadvertently excluded her from his plans in his enthusiasm.

"I'm just teasing you, oppa," she responded, her tone light. "Enjoy yourself."

"Are you certain you don't want to join me?"

"Hehe~ I'd rather remain here, engaged in my research, than embark on a vacation."

"Tsk tsk... If you say so."

Ultimately, after retrieving the completed shoulder cannon, Han-Yeol progressed to the airport. To his surprise, Jason Kim awaited his arrival at the terminal.

Evidently, Jason Kim had played a pivotal role in facilitating this vacation, despite Han-Yeol unceremoniously delegating his responsibilities. In the past, such a situation would undoubtedly have incited Jason Kim's wrath. However, his recent promotion seemed to have cultivated a more measured demeanor.

"Wishing you a safe journey, Han-Yeol-nim."

"Huh? You're not upset?"

"Why would I be?"

"Hmm... You've become quite audacious. Remember how your brow used to furrow every time I requested something from you?"

"T-That's...!"

Jason Kim couldn't bring himself to convey his true sentiments - his irritation at being inundated with tasks as a mere secretary. The prospect of being perceived as ungrateful precluded him from voicing his exasperation.

"In any case, please travel safely and entrust matters here to me. I'll ensure that everything remains in order during your absence, Han-Yeol-nim," Jason Kim asserted, punctuating his statement with a bow.

"Keke! You're aware that you're the only one I truly rely on, right?" Han-Yeol retorted, accompanied by a playful grin.

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