Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 106: Balrog the Fire Shield (3)

Han-Yeol was trying to summon an intermediate-ranking demon named Balrog, who was a servant of the highest-ranking demon among the seventy-two demons, Baal. Balrog was a very useful shield demon that stood at the frontlines and protected the demon army of Baal. Of course, the demon army meant the lesser-ranking demons and not Baal’s officers.

Anyway, Han-Yeol felt, time and time again whenever he went hunting, that it would be great if he had someone dependable acting as a shield in front. That was when he had decided to comb through the internet in search of a suitable demon.

Wooong!

The sigil drawn with Han-Yeol’s blood glowed bright red before flames started rising out from it.

Fwaaa!

However…

“…”

Contrary to Han-Yeol’s expectations, no demon emerged from the sigil. Instead, a small ember that did not look particularly special was in its place.

‘What’s that? Don’t tell me the summoning failed…?’?Han-Yeol wondered when he had unexpectedly failed to summon the demon. He was quite perplexed and embarrassed after nothing appeared from the sigil.

Murmur… Murmur…?

“What is Han-Yeol Hunter-nim doing?”

“Is he lighting a campfire?”

“Shh!?Hunters have great hearing! He can hear you!”

It was unavoidable for the Mulan crew to start whispering among themselves anxiously after seeing Han-Yeol standing there in a daze.

This hunting party was formed with only one Hunter, which was Han-Yeol, and anything happening to him was akin to the entire hunting party being wiped out. In short, the Mulan crew members could not help but feel anxious at the death sentence approaching them.

Fortunately, Han-Yeol was not as affected as he appeared to be. While regaining his composure, he decided to let the matter go. ‘Haa… I guess it can’t be helped. I might have failed this time, but next time I’ll definitely…’

Then, just as he was about to turn around and walk away from the signal, he heard the sound of something cutting through the air.

Shwiiiiik!

Han-Yeol’s sensitive ears immediately picked up where the sound was coming from, and it was coming from…

‘Above!’?

Shiiing! Whoosh!

Shwiiiik!

Han-Yeol immediately reacted to the danger he sensed from above. He pulled out his sword while materializing his chain with the mace attached at the end, which was the form he regularly used these days. Then, he prepared to clash against whatever was coming from above.

He activated Demon Eyes to inspect the identity of the threat from above but…he ended up muttering without even realizing it. “Huh?”

Yoo-Bi and the rest of the Mulan crew members panicked at the sight of the threat from above.

“Kyaaaahk!”

“M-Monster!”

“It’s dangerous!”

“E-Everyone! Run away!”

They started screaming after seeing a monster flying down from above. It was a totally unexpected situation and Han-Yeol seemed out of it, and this caused widespread panic the moment they spotted the monster.

“Calm down, everyone!” Yoo-Bi shouted as she tried her best to calm the panicking girls.

However, there was no way that they would be able to calm down so easily. After all, panic and fear were the most instinctive and difficult emotions for humans to control, especially when they felt their lives were in danger.

However, Han-Yeol continued staring at the monster with his mouth open despite the widespread panic spreading throughout his party.

Crash!

The monster landed on the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust around him.

[Kwahahaha! Who dares to call this old veteran?!]

Shwaaaak!

The monster spread out his wings and stood in an imposing manner. His presence alone was more than enough to overwhelm everybody else.

Han-Yeol knew very well who this monster was. ‘Balrog.’

[Is it you? Are you the human who summoned me?]

‘Yes, that is correct. I have summoned you to the human world in hopes of entering into a contract with you,’?Han-Yeol replied.

[I see. However, you will need to know that I will only enter into contracts that are combat related. You better send me back right now if you’re going to ask me to do something silly. Don’t waste my time. Mark my words.]

Balrog started off by sending a stern warning to Han-Yeol.

Nothing else mattered to Balrog. In fact, his entire life revolved around combat even in the demon world, and he was always the vanguard of Baal’s demon army.

However, this was also the reason that Han-Yeol was able to summon him luckily.

‘Ah, that is a relief then. I summoned you, Balrog-nim, with combat in mind. I would like to request you to be my shield.’

[Oh! That sounds good! I like your request! I like it! Kwahaha! I shall become your shield and protect you from every attack aimed at you!]

The reason that Han-Yeol had summoned Balrog was solely because of the fact that the demon was a Tanker with powerful defensive skills. Han-Yeol did not initially search with Balrog in mind, but he knew that this was the demon he needed the moment he read about him.

Balrog was a demon that used fire. He carried a spear formed out of a fire in his right hand and carried nothing in his left hand. However, a huge rectangular shield would form from his flames once he activated his ability.

The Fire Shield Protector of the Demon Army was Balrog’s other nickname.

‘Will you be willing to enter into a contract with me?’?Han-Yeol asked.

[Yes, I think it will be fun to fight in the human world and not in the demon world for a change. I can already feel my body itching! Human! Where are your enemies?!]

Fwaaaa!

The flames surrounding Balrog did not come from his spear or his left arm, but rather, he was more like a flame demon that was conjured out of flames himself.

Ding!

[You have successfully contracted with the Flame Demon, Balrog, who thirsts for blood and battles.]

‘Alright! I did it!’?Han-Yeol rejoiced inwardly.

He was initially troubled when nothing came out from the sigil. Now, he could not help but be relieved after Balrog had emerged from it and he had successfully contracted him.

‘Oh right, what should I offer you in exchange, Balrog-nim?’?Han-Yeol asked.

[Hmm… I completely forgot about that… I have to ask for something in return, right? Kwahaha!]

‘Ah…hahaha…’?Han-Yeol let out an awkward laugh while feeling slightly worried that Balrog might be a bit ‘lacking’ somewhere.

[Alright, let’s set it as mana stones. I will continue to become your shield as long as you consistently offer me a certain amount of mana stones.]

‘Yes, I understand. I will be offering you mana stones in return.’

[Sounds good! Great!]?Balrog let out a burst of laughter as he frivolously nodded.

For him, the mana stones were just a means of maintaining the contract. What was important to him was the fact that he was going to be able to get a taste of combat in the human world. He could not be happier about being summoned to the human world and being given the chance to fight to his heart’s content as he was slowly starting to get bored of the demon world.

“What the heck? Did Han-Yeol Hunter-nim summon another demon?”

The fact that Han-Yeol had the ability to summon demons was already widely known. However, everyone witnessing him summon a demon in front of their eyes could not help but be shocked once again.

“Wow, I think I’ve seen that demon somewhere before…?”

“I think I saw him in the Lord of the Rings?or some other movie…”

“I think he appears in the game Maple Story,?right?”

“Really?”

Balrog was a very famous demon that appeared in numerous movies and games, so it was unavoidable for them to feel some sense of familiarity with him.

Also, it went without saying that the livestream chat was currently in an uproar.

[W-What the hell?!]

[What did we witness just now…?]

[Did that Hunter really summon a demon in a live stream…?]

[Wow! Amazing!]

[That’s awesome! Has there ever been a Hunter that publicly displayed the summoning process?]

[No, I can’t think of anyone.]

[Han-Yeol Hunter-nim has graced us once again!]

Most viewers had to watch edited versions of live streams by other Hunters or guilds, all of whom tended to edit out the ‘sensitive secrets’ before airing it.

Technology had made such advancements that it was now possible to edit things while live on air.

It was while everyone else was in an uproar that Balrog decided to ask the most important question.

[Tell me, human! Are we able to fight right now?!]

‘Most certainly, Balrog-nim. In fact, we are currently in the middle of a warzone.’

[Kekekeke… Kwahahaha! Excellent! I like it! Come and fight me! This Balrog will crush every single one of you!]

Balrog was as energetic as the first time he appeared.

“Listen up, everyone! Let’s get moving! Yoo-Bi, have we finished all preparations?” Han-Yeol asked.

“Yes, oppa. We are ready to go,” Yoo-Bi replied.

She had already finished collecting the mana stones and the Banshees’ remains, and had loaded them up in the truck with the help of the Mulan crew.

Everyone hopped into the bus and truck as they moved toward their next destination with the newly summoned demon in tow.

While they were on the move, Balrog suddenly transmitted, [Stop here.]

‘Yes, Balrog-nim.’

Han-Yeol immediately relayed Balrog’s order through the walkie-talkie, and the bus and truck immediately stopped at his command.

“What’s wrong, oppa? This was just an empty land when we came here last time with the Horus raid party, right?” Yoo-Bi asked.

“No, just give me a moment,” Han-Yeol replied.

Then, he asked the demon, ‘Why did we stop here, Balrog-nim?’

[I can feel it. There’s a horde of enemies hiding nearby.]

‘Pardon me…?’?

Han-Yeol could not understand what Balrog was talking about. He had already carried out plenty of research before coming on this solo hunt, scouring through the numerous records he had purchased from other raid parties. None of the records mentioned anything about any monsters lurking in this part of the hunting ground.

‘But the records say that there is nothing here, Balrog-nim?’

[Kekeke! You humans are truly foolish. Haven’t you heard that there is always more than what meets the eye?]

‘I do not think that is what is important right now…’

Han-Yeol could not understand why the demon was acting this way.

[Follow me.]

‘Haa… Yes, Balrog-nim.’

Han-Yeol hopped off the bus and walked alongside Balrog after he instructed the rest of the party to slowly follow him.

Step… Step…?

Vroom… Vroom…

They walked quite a distance, but there were no signs of any monsters around them. The only things in Han-Yeol’s surroundings were a bunch of abandoned buildings, half-destroyed buildings, burnt cars, and debris.

Whooosh… Kiiiik… Kiiik…

Also, there was the eerie sound of the wind blowing.

‘Are we still far from where we are going?’?Han-Yeol asked.

[We are almost there. In fact, it’s right over there.]

‘Here…?’?

[Seongnam City Pangyo Library]

Han-Yeol looked up and saw a big signboard. He muttered inwardly, ‘A public library?’

Han-Yeol spent quite a lot of time reading these days, so the signboard was all too familiar to him. After all, the place he frequented to read books was a public library too.

However, that was not what was important right now. Based on the map he had created from the records, this area was void of monsters; it was a pseudo-safe zone that was suitable to be used as a camp. In fact, he could not find anything suspicious even after activating Demon Eyes.

Well, the monsters in this place were a bit tricky to spot as they were very good at hiding their presence. However, this area was void of any signs of monster activity in the first place, so it was difficult to believe that there was anything here.

‘Are you certain that there are monsters here, Balrog-nim?’

[Yes. I can feel it! Can’t you smell the stench of blood and war?!]

‘Haha…’

Frankly speaking, Han-Yeol was quite perplexed right now. He could not help but wonder, ‘Maybe there’s a hidden entrance somewhere…?’

However, the reason that he had followed Balrog all the way here despite knowing that it was going to be futile was solely because of one reason… Demons didn’t lie. Still, he could not deny that he was starting to get frustrated and tired from the wild goose chase.

Just as he was getting tired, Balrog said something that instantly woke him up.

[It seems that there is a secret door beneath the ground. You mortals might not be able to feel it, but I can definitely feel it! This place is a battlefield! It’s filled with monsters!]

‘Heok! A secret area! This is a jackpot!’?Han-Yeol could not help but be shocked at the demon’s words.

The value of a secret area was immense, and a prime example of this was the pyramids.

Most African countries had suffered catastrophic damage when the dimensional gates appeared, but the sole reason that Egypt was able to bounce back and become a developed country was all due to the secret areas.

The secret areas of Egypt were all concentrated in their pyramids, which were now ranked as the top holiday destination for Hunters.

Han-Yeol’s eyes started sparkling uncontrollably.

“Oppa… What’s wrong with you…?” Yoo-Bi asked on behalf of the entire party.

“Yoo-Bi…” Han-Yeol replied.

“Yes, oppa?”

“Tell everyone to inspect their equipment and get ready. Something amazing is going to happen soon.”

“Huh? Oh, okay. I will tell them that.”

Yoo-Bi tilted her head in confusion, but she still relayed Han-Yeol’s command to the Mulan crew members.