Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 67: A Thorough Deal (3)

“The dimensional hole raid is almost over, but this place is as empty as usual,” one of the Porters commented.

Those who had no clue would be exhilarated and scream jackpot at the fact that they struck gold, but Gold Mine was not a very popular hunting ground among the Hunters.

There was a nationwide gold rush when Gold Mine had first become a hunting ground, but the price of gold soon crashed after numerous hunting grounds like this one had appeared all over the world. Gold was no longer the precious commodity it had once been, and its value had dropped so much that it was now treated as a commonly traded metal.

In addition, the rich had stopped collecting gold to preserve their wealth as all of them shifted to collecting mana stones instead. This further dealt a blow to gold’s title as the most valuable metal in the world.

That was why this hunting ground, which gave nothing but mana stones, gold, dirt, rocks, and scrap metals, was so unpopular with Hunters these days. Not to mention, the monsters that spawned here were golems, which were quite a difficult bunch of monsters to fight against.

The only Hunters who ever set foot in this place were the ones sent by the Hunters’ Association to clean up the hunting ground once in a while and prevent too many monsters from overcrowding it.

“How long has it been since we’ve seen a normal Hunter in this area?” a soldier said.

“Tsk… I’m not sure if they are stupid or just ignorant,” another soldier said as he clicked his tongue.

The soldiers guarding the entrance to Gold Mine clicked their tongues and looked at Han-Yeol’s party.

This hunting ground was so useless and bad that even the soldiers at the checkpoint seemed to look down on Han-Yeol for coming to this place.

“But Sergeant Kim, we are not in a position to look down on Hunters… Right, sir?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Tsk… Yeah… You’re right,” the soldier named Sergeant Kim replied.

The most useless concern anyone could have for someone in the world was not for celebrities, rich people, or sports stars. The main concern was about Hunters since even an E or F Rank Hunter could earn hundreds of millions of won just because of the fact that they were Hunters.

“We will now equip our equipment,” one of the Porters said.

“Yes, please go ahead,” Han-Yeol replied.

The two Porters with Han-Yeol equipped their equipment as soon as they entered Gold Mine.

‘Hmm… I guess these guys are just average Porters at an intermediate level,’?Han-Yeol thought.

The Porters’ equipment was not on the same level as the equipment belonging to Ah-Ri and Sung-Beom, both of whom Han-Yeol previously used to hunt with. Still, they were using better equipment than the ones that Han-Yeol had received from the association when he had been working as a Porter.

“Then I should get ready too,” Han-Yeol said. He went to a secluded area away from the two Porters, who were busy equipping their equipment, and took out a paper that he had already printed in advance that had Dellchant’s sigil.

Han-Yeol placed the sigil on the ground and dripped his blood on it. Then, he muttered the chant that he had previously used to summon the other demons, “Lord Satan… Dellchant… to manifest… This I respectfully… Lord Satan, may you deem me worthy, Father!”

Fwaaa….!

A cloud of dark smoke rose up from the sigil after the chant was done. It carried the distinct mana of a demon and it spread out on top of the sigil.

[Kihihihihi!]

A sinister laughter filled the entire area, and the surrounding area’s atmosphere suddenly turned eerie. It was as if a ghost had shown up.

Boom!

A light explosion occurred on top of the sigil before a demon jumped out of it.

[Kihihihi! To think that I will get to come to the human world once again! How long has it been since I have been here?]

The demon that popped out had a white painted face that resembled a clown. It had a long yet slender face, skinny body, pointy ears, and a long purple take. It was carrying a large object that resembled a backpack on its back, and was wearing a large circular object on its body.

“It is nice to meet you, Dellchant. My name is Han-Yeol, and I am the human summoner that summoned you to the human world,” Han-Yeol greeted and introduced himself to the demon.

[Kihihihi! It’s lovely to meet you! It will be even lovelier if you were a customer too!] Dellchant exclaimed.

‘Ugh… His voice is too loud…’?Han-Yeol grimaced and thought.

Han-Yeol was currently communicating with Dellchant through telepathy, but the demon’s voice was so loud that he could feel his head ringing whenever the demon spoke.

[I buy and sell anything in the demon world! Human! Tell me, what do you need from me? Kihihihi!] Dellchant exclaimed. His laughter was exactly the stereotypical laugh that humans would expect of demons.

Gulp…

Han-Yeol could not help but nervously gulp at the sight of the demon excitedly laughing upon being summoned.

***

[Now human! Tell me what you need! I will procure whatever it is that you want! Kihihi! However, you will have to be prepared to shell out quite a lot if you wish to get your hands on the stuff the celestial beings use, since they are quite expensive. Kihihihi!] Dellchant said while laughing eerily.

The demon was trying to disorient and prevent Han-Yeol from thinking by being loud, but Han-Yeol knew exactly what he wanted from the demon.

“I want to know the secret of how a human can absorb a Demon’s Eye,” Han-Yeol said.

[Huh? Why do you want that of all things? That’s useless if you don’t have a Demon’s Eye, you know? Oh, don’t tell me…] Dellchant said in surprise before trailing off at the end.

“No… I just need the secret for some personal reasons… Can you get it for me?” Han-Yeol asked.

[Kihihihi! I smell something fishy, but business is business so… Alright! You are in luck since I have that secret with me right now!] Dellchant exclaimed.

‘That’s a relief.’?

Han-Yeol let out a sigh of relief before he said, “I will make a trade with you, then.”

[Hmm… It’s quite boring for a first trade. There’s no impact at all! It’s too bland! I can’t believe you asked for something so basic and worthless for our first business transaction… Well, I’ll give you a pass since it is our first deal after all. Kihihi! The fee will be 100kg of gold. I’m willing to let you pay later as well, but when can you give me the payment?] Dellchant asked as a light flashed in his eyes.

“I will give it to you within the day,” Han-Yeol confidently replied.

[Kihihihi! Sounds good to me! It’s even better for me the sooner I can receive the payment. However, I will be taking your soul if you fail to pay me within the day. Mark my words!] Dellchant said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

“I am well aware of that,” Han-Yeol replied.

[Kihihihi!] Dellchant let out an eerie laugh before he extended his hand.

Ding!

[A new skill has been created: Mana Absorption.]

‘Mana Absorption…?’?Han-Yeol thought before he decided to check the new skill’s description.

[Mana Absorption (F)]

Type: Active

Description: A skill that allows the user to absorb all types of mana. However, the user will suffer a penalty if they absorb mana that is incompatible with their body.

‘Ugh… These descriptions are always so vague and unhelpful…’?Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.

[How is it? Do you like it?] Dellchant asked with a smirk.

“Yes, I love it,” Han-Yeol replied politely.

[Kihihi! Then do you have anything else to say?] Dellchant asked with a sheepish smile.

“No, I do not,” Han-Yeol replied.

[Then, call me once you have the gold ready!] Dellchant joyfully exclaimed.

“Yes, I will,” Han-Yeol replied.

[Kihihi! Kihihihihi!] Dellchant let out his eerie laughter before disappearing.

Han-Yeol waited until Dellchant completely disappeared before he took out the Demon’s Eyes from his backpack. The jewels that had a dark red glow to them exuded the same sinister aura that he had felt upon first receiving them.

When Han-Yeol grasped the two red jewels in his hand and was about to absorb them, Karvis suddenly said, [Please wait a minute, Han-Yeol-nim.]

‘Huh? Karvis?’?Han-Yeol muttered in surprise.

Usually, Karvis stayed silent until Han-Yeol spoke to her first.

Han-Yeol stopped for a second and did not use Mana Absorption the moment Karvis surprised him.

[Please wait a moment,] Karvis said.

‘Why? What’s wrong?’?Han-Yeol asked.

[You were about to absorb that jewel with Mana Absorption, were you not?] Karvis asked.

‘That’s right, why?’?Han-Yeol replied.

He tried to rack his brains to see if he could figure out what was wrong, but he momentarily could not really think of anything that was off. That was why he found Karvis’ sudden interruption to be even stranger.

[I might just be a bit too paranoid, but may I suggest that you first increase the level of Mana Absorption before using it to absorb that jewel right now?] Karvis suggested.

‘Hmm… Wait a minute…’?Han-Yeol pondered for a moment before he realized that there was some truth to Karvis' suggestion.

[The mention of a penalty is bugging me. That jewel called the Demon’s Eye is not an object from the human world, and neither is it something that a human should possess. Don’t you think that the penalty clause will definitely apply to the Demon’s Eye since it states that the user will suffer a penalty for absorbing mana that is incompatible with their body? It is logical to try and reduce the risk as much as possible if there are no given measurements to gauge the risk in the first place,] Karvis explained.

‘That sounds right. Ah! Karvis, thanks for helping me out after a long time,’?Han-Yeol said.

[Please do not mention it,] Karvis replied.

She was still as cold and as direct as ever. However, she was an ego that existed solely for the benefit of Han-Yeol.

‘Then… Would I be able to absorb mana stones…?’?Han-Yeol asked.

[I think that’s a possibility. I am not certain what kind of effect it will have, but I suggest that you give it a try. I do not think that it is a bad idea, after all,] Karvis replied.

‘Alright,’?Han-Yeol said.

He placed the Demon’s Eyes inside his backpack once again. He had prevented any unforeseen dangers thanks to Karvis since he almost absorbed the Demon’s Eyes without giving it much thought.

‘There’s no reason for me to take a risk when nobody knows what’s going to happen,’?Han-Yeol thought. He did not like the idea of taking risks and gambling with his life when he could just take a roundabout way that was safer and had more certainty.

This was the reason why Han-Yeol did not purchase a single lottery ticket nor did he go to Gangwon Land even though he had grown up dirt poor, and he did not spend even ten won on sports betting when most of his peers had been doing it for fun. He was not the type to gamble in hopes of turning his life around.

“Han-Yeol Hunter-nim?” one of the Porters called out from a distance.

Han-Yeol went back to where the Porters were.

“Hunter-nim?” the Porter asked with a confused look.

“Ah, I had to attend to nature’s call,” Han-Yeol replied.

“Ah I see… Then, are we going to enter the Gold Mine now?” the Porter asked.

“Yes, of course. There’s no reason for us to waste time loitering around out here,” Han-Yeol replied.

“Yes, I understand, Hunter-nim,” the Porter replied.

The two Porters inspected their guns for the last time before starting the hunt. It was then that Han-Yeol suddenly thought of something. He motioned for the two to come over to his van while asking, “Ah right, can you two come over here for a moment?”

“Y-Yes?” the two Porters muttered in confusion.

Joo-Hyung and Young-Jin went over to where Han-Yeol had called them over with a baffled look. Then, when Han-Yeol passed the HSK-447P and three cartridges that he had bought earlier to them, they muttered in surprise, “T-This is…?”

“This is a new rifle manufactured by H Company from Germany. I am lending these guns to you two for self-defense since I am hunting alone. I am not giving these to you, but you may use them for free as long as you are hunting with me,” Han-Yeol said.

Any man would feel greedy to get their hands on the latest equipment.

The two Porters’ eyes sparkled the moment they saw the new shiny black rifle that was extended toward them. They naturally knew quite a lot about guns since they were men after all, and they were well aware that the guns manufactured by the H Company from Germany, which was also a very large conglomerate, did not fall behind in terms of quality when compared to the A Company or R Company from the United States.

The two Porters were excited and honored just by the fact that they could hold the new model rifle that such a famous company had just released.

“T-Thank you very much, Hunter-nim,” Joo-Hyung said.

“Don’t mention it. Please use it to your heart’s content,” Han-Yeol replied.

“Yes! Please do not be worried at all! I will do my best to assist you, Hunter-nim!” Young-Jin enthusiastically exclaimed.

“Haha! I will be in your care then,” Han-Yeol replied after letting out a hearty laugh.

Han-Yeol and his party finished their preparation, and then they drove his van along with two trucks into the mine.

Gold Mine was called a mine, but its entrance was large enough for twenty trucks to simultaneously enter side by side. Its ceiling was also more than ten meters high.

“We are entering!” Joo-Hyung said.

“Alright,” Han-Yeol replied.

They entered Gold Mine, which did not have a dark interior. The mine was not dark because the Hunters’ Association had installed electricity and lighting in it, but the mine also had a natural blue glow to its walls that further illuminated its interior.

Rumble… Rumble…

However, its floor was rough and not leveled so the truck shook quite often while driving through it. It could not be helped since the mine floor was a natural ground not paved for vehicles.

Psshhht!

[Hunter-nim, there is a mana reaction coming from three hundred meters in front of us,] Joo-Hyung, who was driving the truck at the forefront, said through the walkie-talkie.

The golems were difficult to find since they seldom reacted and mostly spent their time hibernating within the ground.

Psssht!

“Roger that,” Han-Yeol replied.

He used his skill, ‘Mana Eyes.’?He concentrated his mana into his eyes upon activating the skill and observed the flow of mana in their surroundings.

‘So it’s hiding over there,’?Han-Yeol thought as he spotted a lump of mana.

The mana detection device only gave a rough location of where the mana was coming from, but Han-Yeol did not have to rely on the device. He could roughly guess where the golem was at since he had his trusty Mana Eyes skill. The mana detection device was simply an alarm to him.

Bam! Bam!

Han-Yeol tapped the roof of the truck twice. It was the signal they had agreed on to stop the vehicles. Then, Han-Yeol got off the truck first, followed by Joo-Hyung and Young-Jin.

“It is thirty meters in front of us,” Joo-Hyung said.

“Everyone, prepare to fire,” Han-Yeol said.

“P-Prepare to fire,” the two Porters stuttered as they acknowledged the command.

They were slightly taken aback by Han-Yeol’s command the moment he asked them to prepare to fire, since they did not even identify where the monster was. However, they had no choice but to obey the command and switch their gun’s safety to burst fire since they had to listen to a Hunter.

“Fire at the spot that I fire at,” Han-Yeol said.

“Yes, Hunter-nim!” the two Porters replied.

“Fire,” Han-Yeol said.

He activated his skill at the same time, ‘Power Strike.’

Ratatatatatata!

Han-Yeol made the first move as he fired his HSK-447P rifle at a specific location, and then the two Porters followed suit as they fired at the exact same spot that he was firing at.

The bullets armed with Mana Enchant on top of Power Strike flew toward the target that Han-Yeol had spotted with Mana Eyes, and then they accurately hit just what he wanted.

Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat!

The bullets were seemingly hitting nothing but rocks, so the Porters could not believe their eyes when they saw that the bullets had accurately hit a golem in its head. They wondered, ‘H-How the hell did he know that there was a golem hiding there…? And he also hit it with such accuracy…?’

The display of accuracy that Han-Yeol had shown was so unbelievable that the two Porters could not help but wonder the exact same thing at the exact same time.

1. Gangwon Land is a famous casino in Korea.