Chapter 25

Alone Leveling: Ragnarok Chapter 24

Guard instantly drew two swords from his inventory and blocked the monster’s attack. In that split second, the crow-masked figure and Guard’s eyes met in mid-air.

‘What an incredible power.’

‘Not bad, huh?’

Guard’s current strength stat is 39. He had allocated his ability points mainly to strength, so he was most confident in this stat compared to the others.

However, the power of the crow-masked figure’s single massive arm was no less impressive.

Snap!

They both seemed to have made a silent agreement, as they simultaneously stepped back.

And then, they lunged at each other with even greater speed.

Flash!

Boom!

Guard’s dual swords swung with tremendous force, and the crow-masked figure’s bulky arm smashed the attacks, causing the walls and floor to explode.

All of this happened in just two seconds.

“Gah!”

Thanks to Guard, the raid leader narrowly escaped the crisis and immediately retreated.

‘What’s going on? How could that summoner...’

Although momentarily distracted by Guard’s incredible combat power, he did not forget his duty.

The most important ability of a raid leader is the keen eye to assess the level of the monster, which is essentially the ability to detect danger.

“D-rank monster! Everyone, attack!”

He quickly gauged the crow-masked figure’s mana level and shouted to everyone.

“D-rank?”

The hunters, who had been momentarily stunned, immediately regained their composure and prepared for the attack.

“No problem!”

“Kill it!”

Boom!

The hunters’ skills were concentrated on the crow-masked figure, who was fighting Guard.

However, the crow-masked figure easily dodged all the attacks and leaped backward.

“D-rank?”

He clung to the tunnel wall like a spider and sneered.

“Who are you to make such a ridiculous assessment in front of me?”

He then reached into his robe with his other hand, not the bulky one.

Swish.

A small potion appeared from his robe.

“What is that?!”

The first person to recognize the potion was Assistant Lim.

A luminous blue liquid that sparkled like starlight.

“Stardust! Stardust! Stop him from drinking it!”

At Assistant Lim’s urgent cry, the hunters’ eyes widened.

“Stardust?”

“Could it be that mana amplifier?”

There was a rumor that had been quietly spreading among the hunters for some time.

-There’s a mana amplifier called stardust.

According to the rumor, stardust was a drug that, when consumed, would maintain an increased mana level for about a week with no side effects.

Of course, it was extremely expensive, but the price was not a problem.

By using the amplified mana to enter higher-level dungeons and hunt, one could earn more money than the cost of the stardust.

As a result, stardust was always in short supply, and even if one wanted to buy it, it was impossible to find.

“Correct.”

The crow-masked figure grinned and bit the potion bottle with his mouth, which was visible under the mask.

“Stop him!”

Gulp.

By the time the hunters rushed to him, it was already too late.

Squish!

His body, already bulky on one side, began to swell rapidly, as if to balance itself.

“Gah!”

He roared savagely and kicked off the wall, leaping out.

Boom!

His massive arms swept through the hunters’ bodies in an instant.

“Aah!”

The hunters were flung in all directions like bowling pins.

“No way.”

The raid leader’s pupils dilated at the sight.

The judgment that the crow-masked figure was D-rank was a mistake.

“C-rank... to become a monster!”

It was completely unexpected.

Who would have thought that stardust could amplify mana to such an extent!

“Everyone, run! We can’t handle this monster!”

[Oh, you’ll only know if you try.]

“...!”

Berg, who had approached the raid leader, grinned.

[Our young master has just activated his power.]

“...!”

There was no need to ask who Berg was referring to.

Guard was already hunting the monster with the shadow soldiers.

“Shadow Goblin skill activation!”

[Keke, keke!]

The seven shadow soldiers currently led by Guard consisted of five Goblin Sergeants and two Shadow Centurions.

Each of them, having been leaders of regular goblins, possessed their own skills.

[Kirakula!]

[Shadow Goblin uses ‘Skill: Ice Arrow’.]

Swoosh!

A cold ice arrow flew and froze the crow-masked figure’s leg.

Squish!

At that moment, the monster’s mobility, which had been pressuring Guard with its immense strength and size, momentarily halted.

[Kirakula!]

Swish!

A sinister red aura descended upon the monster’s body.

[Shadow Goblin uses ‘Skill: Blood Curse’.]

[Physical damage to the target increases by 15% for 1 minute.]

“...!”

The crow-masked figure’s eyes widened as he suddenly became affected by the curse that reduced his mobility and increased damage.

[Kekeke!]

The shadow goblins, which had been cut in half, regrew and clung to the monster’s massive body, stabbing it relentlessly with their butchering knives.

“Gah! This... this is...!”

For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on the monster’s face.

The weapons held by the seven goblins were mere kitchen knives and saws, barely capable of disassembling a monster.

Even with the 15% damage increase from the curse, it was not enough to deal significant damage.

However, when combined with the infinite regrowth of the goblins, the synergy was far from negligible.

[Kehe, kehe!]

Stab, stab, stab, stab!

[Keke, keker!]

Stab, stab, stab, stab! Slash, slash, slash!

[Kehehehe!]

“Damn leeches!”

The crow-masked figure, now covered in black blood, roared in anger and continued to tear and throw the goblins clinging to his body.

The goblins, however, became even more tenacious, regenerating their bodies and clinging to the monster.

“What... what is this...”

The hunters, witnessing this brutally gruesome battle, were speechless.

“How can a summoner...”

The summoner’s skills they were familiar with were not like this.

At best, they would use tiny explosive bugs or summon sleep butterflies to put a few monsters to sleep.

Of course, there were some hunters who occasionally used useful summons, but none of them could handle such infinitely regenerating, demonic creatures that toyed with their opponents.

However, Guard’s mana was not infinite.

‘Regenerating shadow soldiers consumes mana. I need to buy time.’

Swish!

Guard’s Rakan’s Fang and Volcan’s Horn repeatedly slashed the monster’s massive body.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

The faster the speed became.

[Effect ‘Critical Wound’: 15% chance to deal more than double the critical damage.]

Rakan’s Fang’s skill shone.

“Gah! You...!”

The crow-masked figure, enraged, glared at Guard, the cause of all this.

And then, he lunged!

“...!”

Ignoring the small goblins’ attacks, he grabbed Guard’s sword with his massive hand.

“Ha. Finally got you. You little rat.”

Blood gushed from his hand, but he didn’t care.

With a wicked smile, he punched Guard’s side with his other fist.

Smash!

The sound of a drum being torn apart.

However.

[‘Skill: Toughness’ reduces damage.]

Guard only glared at him provocatively.

“Do more.”

[Skill: Toughness Lv.2]

Passive skill.

No mana required.

You have an indomitable toughness.

Physical defense increases by 40%.

“This brat!”

Boom!

The monster lifted Guard with his sword and slammed him to the ground.

“Cough!”

The impact caused Guard to spit blood and drop his sword.

“No, no!”

“Guard!”

His ears were ringing.

He could faintly hear Assistant Lim’s voice from a distant place.

“Tsk. A weak summoner, daring to...”

He could also hear the crow-masked figure’s voice, mocking him.

“I’ll use this sword now.”

He seemed to like Guard’s sword, which had reduced him to a bloody mess.

However, Guard liked it too.

-Who are you?

“Huh?”

At that moment, the corner of Guard’s mouth, lying on the ground, curled up in a grin.

-Who dares to covet the sword of the Fang Lord!

“...!”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a red vein swelled on the arm of the crow-masked figure holding ‘Rakan’s Fang’.

“What... what is this...!”

He tried to throw Rakan’s Fang away in panic, but the corruption had already begun.

Like glue, Rakan’s Fang stuck to his hand and began to consume his body.

-Do you, a lowly being, dare to possess me? Offer your soul and body to me and die!

“This crazy sword!”

The crow-masked figure summoned his power to stop the corruption.

A sinister aura, suppressed deep within him, pushed back Rakan’s Fang’s aura.

-Hmm? What’s this? There was a previous owner?

Rakan’s Fang laughed as if amused.

-You, a being already possessed by a demon.

“Gah!”

The crow-masked figure roared like a beast and managed to shake Rakan’s Fang off his hand.

But then.

Thud.

Guard, who had approached unnoticed, pierced his heart with Volcan’s Horn.

“Cough...?”

He gasped for breath with wide eyes.

“Checkmate.”

Guard then sliced through the monster’s body with Volcan’s Horn.

Swoosh!

Black blood rained down.

Thud.

The crow-masked figure’s face, which had fallen to the ground, revealed a face that was grotesquely deformed, almost inhuman.

“Cough!”

He spat out his last breath, baring his teeth at Guard.

“Just because you killed me... don’t get too cocky.”

“What?”

“Whether quickly or slowly, you’re all dead anyway.”

He left this curse-like final words.

“...Like the Radir family was destroyed.”

His eyes lost their light.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

[Volcan’s Horn consumes the demon’s soul.]

Volcan’s Horn absorbed the evil aura from the monster’s body.

[Consumed demon soul: 1]

[Effect ‘Destructive Desire’: Increases physical damage by [31%].]

“Demon?”

Guard’s eyes sparkled.

Indeed, the cursed random box that gave him Volcan’s Horn was for this very reason.

[Level up!]

Flash!

At that moment, Guard’s entire body was enveloped in a soft blue light, and all his wounds were completely healed.

Guard reflected on the monster’s last words.

“...But the Radir family? What does that mean?”

[The Radir family was destroyed?]

Berg, who had approached Guard, tilted his head in confusion.

“Do you know about it?”

[Of course. The Radir family is a demon noble family. Although they were one of the weakest, ranking 20th among demons, they...]

Berg glared intently at the lower demon’s corpse with narrowed eyes.

[...became the top-ranked family after the top 19 families were wiped out by our lord long ago.]