I Alone Level-Up

"What? The camera?"

"Yeah."

The cameraman looked reluctantly at Jinwoo—the S-rank hunter"s expression was dead serious.

"Why the camera, all of a sudden…?"

Jinwoo didn"t answer the cameraman"s question.

"..."

It was a tough decision for the cameraman to make.

On one hand, Hunter Sung Jinwoo is his savior.

In fact, Jinwoo was responsible for the lives of everyone there—why should he refuse a request from this man?

"But… to turn off the camera…"

It wouldn"t be an exaggeration to say that the whole nation was watching the broadcast. For a former broadcaster like the cameraman, of course it was hard to cut the live feed of this historic event.

But as he hesitated, weighing his options, Jinwoo interjected:

"If you don"t turn it off… I"ll break it."

Jinwoo"s ice-cold tone sent a s.h.i.+ver down the cameraman"s spine.

If Hunter Sung Jinwoo decided to destroy the camera, would all the hunters there combined be able to stop him?

It didn"t matter why the S-rank hunter wanted the camera off—the cameraman didn"t have a choice.

"U-understood."

The cameraman took the camera from his head and turned it off.

Once Jinwoo confirmed that the camera"s power light had switched off, he took Cha Hae-in"s unconscious body from Baek Yoon-ho"s arms.

"I didn"t want to scare the cameraman, but..."

That was the cost of trying to save Cha Hae-in.

While holding her, Jinwoo surveyed the room, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"What is he doing?"

Every hunter focused his attention on Jinwoo.

Soon, Jinwoo opened his eyes.

After finding what he was looking for, Jinwoo suddenly started to make his way through the mountains of ant corpses.

He walked quickly, but paced himself for the sake of Cha Hae-in.

No one took their eyes off of Jinwoo.

Soon, he stopped and delicately laid Cha Hae-in down. He started to clear away the ant corpses around him and Cha Hae-in.

"Ugh!"

The cameraman, the first to see a grotesque figure underneath the carca.s.ses, let out a disgusted groan.

"Huk…"

The other hunters swallowed their groans.

The figure was the corpse of Min Byung-ku—a cold, gruesome corpse, its head brutally torn from its base.

Now the others realized why Jinwoo asked the cameraman to turn off the camera—who would want to see this?

"Tch…"

Baek Yoon-ho—who was closer to Min Byung-ku than anyone else—closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away.

But then...

"Hold on..."

A thought occurred to the hunter.

"How did Hunter Sung Jinwoo find Byung-ku, amidst all these dead ants?"

He quickly thought through the possibilities: unless Jinwoo had used a special skill, there was only one way he could have found Byung-ku"s body.

Humans and magic beasts possess emanate different magic wavelengths—had Jinwoo identified the body of Min Byung-ku through his wavelength?

If that was the case, Jinwoo had a truly amazing sense ability—so amazing, in fact, that Baek Yoon-ho himself couldn"t match that feat, even with his "Beast Eyes."

When Baek Yoon-ho considered this possibility, he turned his head back toward Jinwoo. The sight of his dead friend broke his heart—but he wanted to witness whatever was going to happen with his eyes open.

"Hunter Sung Jinwoo... what are you up to?"

Baek Yoon-ho"s tense antic.i.p.ation while watching Jinwoo, Cha Hae-in, and the body of Min Byung-ku caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

Jinwoo confirmed the state of Min Byung-ku.

Black smoke was rising from the body. "Shadow Extraction" was possible, just as expected.

*ring~*

[Shadow extraction is possible.]

The system"s familiar electronic tone and message served as a friendly reminder of his ability.

Of course, when Jinwoo heard that Byung-ku had fallen, he knew that he could have reanimated the S-rank healer as a powerful shadow soldier.

He just didn"t want to.

But now, he would have to turn an innocent man into an undead soldier. Even if that man was an S-rank hunter in life, Jinwoo still mentally recoiled at the thought.

It was not something a mere man should do.

But.

Jin-woo looked down at Cha Hae-in"s face, which was turning more and more pale.

"...this is for the best."

What would you do if you could bring your wounded to the best healer in Korea in a critical situation?

Would you even have to think about it?

Jinwoo was sure that if he and Min Byung-ku swapped places, Byung-ku would make the same decision a hundred times out of a hundred.

Jinwoo issued a command to the shadow with a determined expression.

"Arise."

However, the results were different from what he expected.

ring~!

[Shadow extraction failed.]

Jinwoo"s expression betrayed confusion and unease.

Was his "Shadow Extraction" level too low, compared to the skill of his target?

Or did he lack the resolve to use the skill successfully?

Jinwoo pondered this possibility. Then, with renewed vigor and willpower, he bid the shadow with a forceful voice:

"Arise."

Then, his surroundings began to change.

*SHOOOOOO...*

A deep, ominous noise—almost like a low shout—echoed through the cave, and a chilling wind sent s.h.i.+vers down the hunters" spines.

"Oh my G.o.d!"

"That is..!"

A solitary black hand rose out of the shadow of Min Byung-ku.

The black hand reached out and grabbed the dirt floor tightly, almost as if it wanted to escape the shadow.

*grasp*

The hand then proceeded to pull itself out of the shadow.

"What…?"

Baek Yoon-ho, who had gathered the mental fort.i.tude to watch the entire sequence play out, felt close to collapsing.

He wasn"t sure if anyone else saw what was happening.

Min Byung-ku"s magic power, which had successfully rid itself of the shadow, was slowly a.s.suming the form of human.

It then slowly took on the appearance of soldier in black armor.

Soon, Jinwoo"s summon stood before them, fully-formed.

"..."

The hunters couldn"t utter a single word, as they gazed upon the ent.i.ty that Jinwoo had invoked.

They sensed an overwhelming magic power emanating from the summon—a power comparable to an S-rank hunter.

"No! Can it be...?"

Choi Jong-in, eyes wide open, was the first to notice something alarming about Jinwoo"s creation—and the discovery made him shudder.

As everyone watched with bated breath, Jinwoo gazed upon his newly-created shadow soldier with a calm expression.

And the shadow soldier, meeting Jinwoo"s gaze, nodded its head.

As soon as the shadow reanimated as a soldier, it became connected with Jinwoo. It could immediately perceive the commands and desires of its master.

As such, Jinwoo didn"t have to give any instructions.

The shadow of Min Byung-ku bent its body low, and started to cast healing magic on Cha Hae-in.

*Woo-woong~*

A warm light covered the shadow soldier"s hands, and Cha Hae-in"s face immediately started to regain color.

It was the highest level of healing magic.

"I knew it."

Cha Hae-in"s rapid healing process confirmed Choi Jong-in"s suspicions—and he trembled at the reality of the situation.

The black soldier couldn"t be anyone but Min Byung-ku.

Now, two hunters had fully grasped the situation: Choi Jong-in, and a bewildered Ma Dong-wook. Ever since Min Byung-ku"s hand had risen up from the shadow, Ma Dong-wook face had worn a stupefied expression.

"You"re… you"re no ordinary summoner, are you, Master Sung."

Jinwoo didn"t deny Ma Dong-wook"s timid accusation.

And he didn"t need to—each person present was an exceptional hunter, and each one represented a large guild.

Even if Jinwoo didn"t reply, they could figure out what was happening.

"I... Hunter Sung Jinwoo is able to control the dead?"

Choi Jong-in asked with an uneasy expression.

Jinwoo nodded his head.

Since he had come this far, there was no good reason to hide his power—and he didn"t want to make something up on the spot.

"It"s not like they"re going to be fooled that easily."

It felt nice to finally reveal his true abilities.

His abilities might frighten other people, but that was the power that had gotten Jinwoo this far.

He was proud of his strength as a shadow monarch.

The hunters, in the face of Jinwoo"s unflinching gaze, faltered at the thought of his strength.

"He can manipulate the magic power of the dead to create a summon?"

"An ability that only grows stronger as the battle grows fiercer… what a terrifying ability."

"It really makes no sense."

In that cave, Jinwoo"s ability came to life for the hunters… in two different ways.

But Baek Yoon-ho knew one more secret that the others didn"t.

"Not only can he use the dead as puppets now… he"s able to grow even stronger…?"

That terrifying power could become even more deadly as time pa.s.sed. Yoon-ho couldn"t fathom the limits of Jinwoo"s potential, and trembled with fear when he tried.

Meanwhile, the cameraman came to a realization.

"Oh, so that"s why you asked me to turn off my camera…"

Jinwoo"s power was enough to frighten even these superhuman hunters.

Anyone could see why he wouldn"t want to put his power on display in front of the entire nation.

Then.

Min Byung-ku"s shadow rose, the healing spell having run its course—the color had already returned to Cha Hae-in"s face.

"Phew-"

After confirming her condition, Jinwoo breathed a deep sigh of relief.

She wasn"t conscious yet, but her breathing and the pulse had returned to normal. And her wound had closed up completely.

Jinwoo placed his hand on the shoulder of shadow Min Byung-ku, to say "good work."

"..."

By the warm gaze that the shadow gave him, Jinwoo could tell what kind of man Min Byung-ku was in life.

Jin pulled his hand from the shadow"s shoulder.

And.

"Extraction Cancel."

Jinwoo gave the shadow soldier a faint smile, and returned it to the void.

No matter how much he thought about it, Jinwoo refused to use a n.o.ble man who had sacrificed his life fighting magic creatures as a foot soldier.

That wouldn"t be proper treatment of a warrior.

"...Let"s go."

With a slight tinge of regret, Jinwoo hoisted the warm body of Cha Hae-in from the ground.

Having lost their two leaders—the Ant Queen and King—the rest of the ants had already scattered around the island to avoid the shadow soldiers.

As a result, the ant cave—formerly buzzing with magic creatures—was empty.

After walking a few steps, Jin-woo stopped to look back at the exhausted hunters.

"Let"s go."

Thanks to the potions, the hunters had no physical injuries—but their mental stamina had all but disappeared. Jinwoo"s command roused them from their stupor.

It was finally over.

Their faces expressed a full spectrum of emotions.

The rescue helicopter met the beleaguered hunters just as they exited the cave.

"The hunter-nims are coming out!"

"Great!"

When the helicopter landed on the ground, the hunters boarded their ride home one by one.

Jinwoo and Baek Yoon-ho were the last to board the plane.

When Jinwoo was about to board, he instead gently handed Cha Hae-in to Baek Yoon-ho.

"Hunter Sung Jinwoo?"

"I still have some work to do here."

Hearing those words, Baek Yoon-ho chuckled.

There were still live ants on Jeju island.

If any other man had decided to stay behind, Baek Yoon-ho would have called them crazy… but the man in front of him was not just "any other man."

Monsters to monsters.

Baek Yoon-ho felt like he couldn"t be surprised by anything that Jinwoo was about to do.

"Er."

Just before he boarded, Baek Yoon-ho finally asked the question that was eating at him.

"I don"t know much about your ability, but what about that summon? Is it going to continue to fight for you?"

Jinwoo shook his head.

"I canceled the summon—it"s not possible to call him anymore."

Baek Yoon-ho nodded his head and gave a smile of satisfaction.

"I"m grateful to hear that."

"Really?"

"Min Byung-ku didn"t want to fight anymore, so he"s probably thanking Hunter Sung Jinwoo."

With that, six brave warriors and a photographer left Jeju Island.

Their fight was over.

But for Jinwoo, his adventure on the island was only beginning.

"One more level until I reach 100."

The remaining magic creatures should be enough. And to sweeten the deal, there were a lot of ant shadows to extract.

Where should he start?

"First, let"s clean up the ants that ran away…"

Jinwoo smiled and called out to Kaisel.

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The j.a.panese Hunter a.s.sociation.

a.s.sociation President Matsumoto turned off the TV with an irate expression.

One Korean hunter had handled the monster who casually overpowered ten of j.a.pan"s top-cla.s.s hunters.

"Why, why ..."

Matsumoto grabbed the sides of his head, his fingers trembling in rage.

What an absurdity!

Thanks to that situation, the power of the j.a.panese hunter force has been reduced to less than half—and now his position as president was in jeopardy.

If Korea had failed too, at least he could have covered the failure up and maintained his image.

But South Korea wiped out thousands of ants, eliminated the Queen, and escaped safely.

Sung Jinwoo.

One hunter destroyed everything.

"Sung Jinwoo... Sung Jinwoo..."

He suddenly recalled the conversation he had had with Goto while the hunter was in Korea.

"In Korea… there"s an incredible hunter in Korea." "Stronger than you?" "Perhaps. It"s possible." "...""I think it"s necessary to adjust our plans a bit."

If only then...

If only he had listened seriously to what Goto said.

Goto knew more about the power differences between hunters than anyone else.

For the first time, Goto had evaluated a hunter as "incredible"... and it was a Korean.

"How could I have been so arrogant…"

If he had thoroughly researched Sung Jinwoo, he could have worked with Korea to solve the crisis without any issue.

Even if j.a.pan had taken no action, with a hunter like Sung Jinwoo, Korea might have been able to handle Jeju Island by itself.

By ignoring Goto, President Matsumoto had doomed himself to failure.

"a.s.sociation president?"

The employee, seeing the sullen face of President Matsumoto, called out anxiously.

However, Matsumoto didn"t even raise his face to respond—instead, he dismissively waved the employee away.

The staff member bowed and walked away.

Matsumoto"s wrinkled his face, deep in thought.

"There"s only one way for me to survive."

In order to revitalize the j.a.panese Hunter a.s.sociation, he only needed one man on his side.

"Sung Jinwoo ..."

President Matsumoto needed to bring the Korean hunter to his side somehow.

Now that Goto had lost his life, that was the only way to revive the a.s.sociation.

It wouldn"t be easy, because all the eyes of Korea were on Hunter Sung Jinwoo... but South Korea had already lost one of its own S-rank hunters once before.

"How can we bring Hunter Sung Jinwoo to us?"

Matsumoto"s brain, which was momentarily scrambled because of his dire situation, began to scheme.

-----

Eastern USA.

riiiiiing. riiiiiing. riiiiiing.

After what seemed like an endless series of rings, a groggy David Branon finally picked up the receiver.

"What moron is calling this late?"

David Branon was the head of the Hunter Bureau, the most powerful authority in the United States.

If this was a prank call, David would have thrown the caller in jail without a second thought.

*click*

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Chief, you need to look at this."

"Deputy director...?"

David, who had was on the verge of falling asleep again, partially sat up to rouse himself.

"What"s going on?"

"There is a video you have to see."

"A video...?"

He checked his cell phone—there was a messaged video file accompanied by seven missed calls.

He had set his phone to silent, so he had missed all those calls.

"Ok, I"ll watch it and call you back."

"That won"t be necessary."

"...what does that mean?"

"I"m in front of your house now."

"...what?"

David shot up from his bed and checked his desk clock.

It was 4:12 in the morning.

He practically threw the receiver down, and ran to the window. The deputy director was really there, outside of his parked car.

The deputy director met David"s eyes, and greeted him with a nod.

David stared at the man outside his house in disbelief, and turned around, utterly bewildered.

"What"s going on?"

His gut told him that something abnormal had just occurred. He gripped his cell phone tightly, waiting for the video to load.

Discord Link: by SeijiSoldier

Edited by Null

Proofread by SeijiSoldier, Chichu and Ham Dam Jam

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