Leveling Up Alone

Crush!

A wine glass made out of gold crumpled.

[What did you just say?]

[T-That’s…]

[I asked you what you just said!]

Kwang!

[Khaaa!]

Shaaa!

With a burst of energy, Char, the hyena lord, used his vicious, contaminated mana to instantly reduce the innocent lower-rank sorcerer reporting to him into dust.

[Is there anyone here who can explain what I just heard in detail?] Char asked.

[...]

None of the higher-ranked sorcerers lined up around him dared to speak up. Their position in the hyena race was of the highest order. Many of the Dark Faction’s Bastrolings had sworn allegiance to them and they were basically treated like the royal class. However, even such high-ranking sorcerers were nothing against the Char, the lord of the hyenas.

They had already seen one lower-rank sorcerer turn to dust for reporting this matter, so what higher-rank sorcerer would dare to speak out?

Krrrr.

Char’s threatening rumbling continued.

Anyone could tell how furious he was with the look in his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity to the higher rank sorcerers, half an hour to be exact, Char finally calmed down and leaned back against his massive chair.

Tap, tap.

[So the vanishing circle has been destroyed…]

The vanishing circle was a magic circle that had been planted by the hyena race long before the war. It was going to be used not just to kill the Light Faction during the Bastro Dimension war, but also to take over what was left of the unexplored territory. It was also the key to resurrecting the dragon of destruction.

[Such vanishing circle has been destroyed.]

Gulp.

The higher rank sorcerers lowered their heads. They hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong, but the problem was that Char’s anger didn’t care about that at all.

[And it was that damn human who destroyed the vanishing circle?]

[T-That’s right, Char.]

[Wasn’t he supposed to be on Earth?]

[T-That’s right.]

[But then why is there a report saying that he destroyed my vanishing circle? Were there two humans we were monitoring?]

[N-No, Char.]

Tremble.

The higher rank sorcerer in charge of surveilling Han-Yeol was incredibly scared.

‘Damn it, he’d been locked up in his mansion for days not too long ago!’

In truth, it hadn’t been that difficult to keep an eye on him until now since Han-Yeol had deliberately allowed them to spy on him. However, once Han-Yeol stopped allowing them, the hyenas were unable to track him properly. Nevertheless, the hyenas let their guard down, thinking that this would only last a few days, and that they could wait it out and see what would happen. The price for letting their guard down had to be paid.

[Hey you.]

[Y-Yes, Char!]

[I’ll give you three days from now.]

[Y-Yes!]

[Bring me that man’s head and reinstall the vanishing circle.]

[G-Got it!]

‘That’s crazy!’

‘How could he give such an order?’

‘Setting up the vanishing circle is going to be barely possible in just three days, but he also wants that human captured. Tsk, tsk, that sorcerer is done for.’

‘I guess the special treatment I’ve been receiving for handling information ends today.’

The other higher rank sorcerers shook their heads.

The higher rank sorcerer who was trembling in fear from Char’s charisma was specialized in surveillance and control. Thanks to his abilities, he’d recently become a high rank sorcerer and had quickly risen through the ranks to become the head of the intelligence team and was being favored by Char. However, this one mistake was about to cost him everything.

Grrr!

‘Damn it! I can’t go down like this!’

The head of the intelligence team, Haverus, gritted his teeth inwardly. He didn’t want to be removed from his position like this, and he wasn’t about to let it happen.

‘If I set up the vanishing circle right now and target that human, I’ll be able to do it in three days. I have to get moving right away!’

[Char, I will carry out your order right away. Forgive me for leaving first!]

[Hmm, I’ll allow it.]

Char’s anger eased slightly when he saw that Haverus was eager to carry out his orders.

‘Well, I guess reinstalling the vanishing circle isn’t too hard.’

Reinstalling the vanishing circle was a very laborious and costly process. However, the vanishing circle was hard to install in the past because the hyena race was poor and oppressed at the time. But now, the hyenas were the owners of this dimension, and they were wealthy enough to reinstall the vanishing circle without a problem.

[Thank you!]

Haverus bowed to Char and immediately left the conference room.

‘You human bastard! I’ll never forgive you.’

Grit!

His anger was immediately directed at Han-Yeol.

‘Phew, that was a close call.’

‘Char should be less angry now.’

‘I’m glad that wasn’t me.’

The higher rank sorcerers couldn't wait to get back to their respective territories to violate and play with the female Bastrolings of the Light Faction.

There were plenty of females among the hyenas and other races of the Dark Faction.

‘But the females of the Light Faction are more beautiful toys to play with.’

The Light Faction females were far more beautiful compared to theirs.

Officially, Char forbade the personal enslavement of Bastrolings of the Light Faction. If they were to be enslaved, they were to be turned into contaminants instead. Even such formal prohibitions couldn’t completely control the greed-driven higher ranked sorcerers.

‘Hehehe.’

Someone watched over the whole situation between the hyenas.

Squeak.

Only a few rats lived in a small, dark space in the ceiling of the conference room. The rats remained still for the duration of the meeting, but quickly scurried off somewhere right after the meeting was over.

***

- Phaetal region, Lareterus independent army’s camp—

[Hmm, is that so?]

[Squeak, that’s right.]

In the commander’s tent, Riru’s expression grew serious as she read the report from the rat Bastro Warrior. It wasn’t a bad feeling by any means.

‘You’re finally here, Harkan.’

Soon, her expression saddened slightly.

[Good work, Mikey.]

[Squeak. No worries. Us rats will do anything for the independence of the Bastro Dimension.]

[Thank you. Continue eavesdropping, please.]

[Leave it to us.]

The rat Bastro Warriors left the commander’s tent.

‘I never knew there was such a thing called the vanishing circle. And Harkan-nim destroyed it.]

Riru was once again reminded of Harkan’s greatness.

‘That’s right, this is what Harkan was like. When everyone said that it was impossible and that we should give up, he was the only one who pushed through and succeeded.’

She knew that Han-Yeol was Harkan’s reincarnation the moment she saw him. However, the small episodes on Earth were not enough to make her realize that Harkan had been resurrected. It wasn’t Harkan, but them who were still fighting in the Bastro Dimension.

However, in less than three days since Han-Yeol crossed over to the Bastro Dimension, he successfully destroyed the massive device known as the vanishing circle, creating a weakness in the hyena race. It was a tremendous accomplishment, making all the victories of Lareterus, the independent army of the Light Faction led by Riru, seemingly less significant.

‘Ha, Harkan, you’re still a great warrior despite reincarnating into a different race.’

Riru had matured. Her lighthearted personality had faded after she fought various battles leading her independent army and she had become a confident woman warrior and commander.

Complex thoughts filled her mind. She felt happy, sad, and bittersweet.

‘I always wanted to walk side by side with you, but you were always a few steps ahead of me. I thought I could beat you now, but I was wrong.’

She and Han-Yeol were childhood friends, comrades, and rivals.

‘As expected of you Harkan, my… friend.’

As soon as Riru spat out the word friend, she felt her heart ache, but she shrugged it off.

‘I’ll leave it in your hands, our hero.’

Rustle.

Kandir came into the tent.

[Riru.]

[Ah, Kandir, you’re just in time, There’s something we need to do.]

[Something we need to do?]

[Yeah.]

After clearing her mind, Riru returned to her usual stoic, brilliant commander-like self. Her eyes glowed with passion.

[It’s a very important operation.]

[Ooh, nice.]

[Yeah, it’s a good thing.]

‘Huh?’

Kandir had a strange feeling that she was in a good mood today, but no matter how much he looked, she was the usual Riru he knew.

‘Hmm, am I tired?’

The frequent night operations lately had taken a toll, but he didn’t think he was tired until he felt that Riru was acting strange.

[Ask me to do anything, and I’ll do everything it takes as long as I can get rid of those nasty hyenas.]

[Yup, you're as reliable as ever, Kandir.]

[Anything for my master and for you, Riru.]

[Thanks, Kandir.]

Riru then told Kandir important news, and he was very surprised to hear about Han-Yeol.

[Wow, Master really destroyed such a terrible magic circle in such a short time?]

[Yeah, he did.]

[Woah…]

Like Riru, Kandir was shocked and couldn’t believe it.

Although Han-Yeol possessed the soul of his master, he had reincarnated as a weak human. Kandir’s loyalty for him hadn’t changed, but the fact that he had gotten weaker was a cruel reality. But despite Kandir’s worries, his master had accomplished a major service in war.

Kandir shook his head.

[Master’s body was nothing but a shell.]

[Yeah, I suppose you could say that.]

Riru’s eyes widened as she realized something new from Kandir’s comment.

‘A hero is a hero no matter what…’

For the first time in a long time, Riru and Kandir started strategizing joyously. The two were always enthusiastic, but today they felt especially optimistic and hopeful.

***

As soon as Haverus issued his command, the races of the Dark Faction within his sphere of influence worked as hard as they could to rebuild the magic circle.

The materials needed to rebuild the magic circle were extremely rare and they needed large quantities of them. Normal forces would’ve had to work a lifetime to gather these materials, but the hyena race was the strongest race in the Bastro Dimension.

Clank, clank.

Thump, thump!

“Pruuu!”

A huge mammoth pulled a cart carrying a huge amount of materials. It was an enormous cart with a huge amount of materials in it, so it was difficult to move in the Bastro Dimension where no artificial power sources like trains or cargo trucks existed.

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