Chapter 177
Chapter 177
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: Solo Hunt
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Hmm, where should I go?”
Step, step.
I glanced around as I walked alone.
Erebos and the others were currently sparring, so I was the only one out hunting.
Wandering the Demon Realm all by myself felt kinda weird.
‘Well, this is actually better.’
Unlike the rest of the group, my goal wasn’t to hone my skills—it was pure level grinding.
Which made solo roaming like this the way to go.
No need to worry about prying eyes; I could just rack up experience nonstop.
“……You’ll do.”
Taat!
Having picked my prey, I charged straight at it.
[……A human?]
“Yeah, a human.”
My target this time was an upper demon, [Demon Minoking].
A bit bigger and smarter than a minotaur.
Of course, it was a bit of a risky gamble.
‘First time trying to take down an upper demon completely solo.’
But that also made it a perfect chance to gauge my current strength.
Might as well confirm exactly what level I’d reached.
With that in mind, I summoned Erebos’s darkness outright.
[……Unpleasant aura.]
The Minoking grimaced and swung its halberd in a wide arc.
Whoosh!
Intimidating wind pressure and blistering speed.
But what was truly shocking was something else.
‘Demonic energy.’
Vrrr!
The Minoking’s demonic energy enveloped its entire halberd.
Just like a knight’s blade wrapped in aura.
‘A true upper demon, huh.’
This was my first time facing a demon that wielded such advanced techniques.
However.
Kwang!
The darkness clashed with the Minoking’s halberd, piercing straight through the demonic energy to engulf the weapon.
What I’d used was darkness handed down directly from Erebos himself.
No matter how potent the thing’s demonic energy, it couldn’t stand up to Erebos’s darkness.
Shiiiii……!
From the haft to the blade.
The Minoking’s halberd corroded in an instant.
Realizing its weapon was ruined, the Minoking snorted in rage.
[Human…….]
Splat!
It even dropped into a low stance, kicking off with its hind legs.
Looked like it was about to charge.
And everything was going exactly according to plan.
‘I didn’t pick you for nothing.’
[Demon Minoking].
King of the demon minotaurs.
Its strengths were superior weapon skills, rock-solid durability, and raw power.
In simple terms, short range.
There was no easier matchup for a ranged dealer.
“Come on.”
[Prurr!]
Thud thud thud!
The Minoking took the bait perfectly, barreling forward with its head lowered.
As if on cue, I cast [Teleport].
Flash!
I could see the Minoking’s back as it charged ahead, oblivious to my disappearance.
Thinking about how clueless it was made the sight downright comical.
“What’re you doing?”
[……Prurr?]
It abruptly halted its charge at the voice from behind, but it was too late.
Shlick!
The [Light of Swimming] split into ten strands, binding the beast from its feet on up.
Then it detonated in one go.
Boom boom boom!
[Uwoooo!]
The Minoking let out a agonized bellow.
Too bad—I had zero intention of going easy.
Shlick!
This time, Erebos’s darkness split into ten strands and wrapped around it.
Though the feel was a bit different from [Light of Swimming].
Each strand erupted from the ground, crushing down from the Minoking’s shoulders.
And once all ten had it fully bound, a massive hole yawned open beneath its feet.
[Uoo…… human……!]
The Minoking thrashed, reaching out as if begging to be freed.
But it was steadily swallowed into the space below.
How much time passed?
Before I knew it, nothing remained in front of me.
As if it had never been there.
“……Damn, it works like a charm.”
A fusion ability combining Erebos’s darkness and my spatial magic.
Way better than expected.
Devouring a massive Minoking without a trace.
With a bit more training, I could probably swallow even bigger ones.
Maybe even Baal himself someday far off.
‘……Yeah, that’s a stretch.’
Slim chance.
No way that guy would just sit there.
It was gratitude enough that Erebos’s darkness didn’t yield to Baal’s demonic energy.
Anyway.
Fwooo!
A gray energy flowed into my body, filling me with a surge of fullness.
Even flashing green for a moment.
I’d leveled up.
“47 now.”
Fast enough, but I wasn’t satisfied.
Since I was in the Demon Realm, I needed at least 70.
Time was short.
“Next.”
Coming to terms with reality, I moved even faster.
***
Meanwhile, in front of a massive cave in the Demon Realm.
A suffocating silence hung over the area.
How much time passed?
Thompson broke the silence first.
“You’re really going in? No regrets.”
“Regrets? You’re welcome anytime, human.”
“……Hah.”
Seemed he was dead serious.
Not one-on-one, but all three at once.
Thompson was floored.
‘Even for a powerhouse……’
This wasn’t even two-on-one—it was three-on-one.
He knew full well how strong the pitch-black guy was, but this was overkill.
Or so he’d thought……
“Guhk!”
Thompson took a hit from the darkness and flew back, his transformation spell breaking.
‘What the hell just……!’
Even with full focus, he couldn’t tell what had happened.
Meaning he couldn’t even track Erebos’s attacks visually.
The funny thing was, he wasn’t the only one.
Kwang!
“Such brute force……!”
Kwang!
“Ow, my side……!”
Barundel and Kayla flew back too, crashing into the same spot as Thompson.
Erebos then lumbered over, snorting.
“Hmph, pathetic. Didn’t expect this level of incompetence.”
“What’d you say, you bastard?”
“That’s why no amount of sparring will improve you. You need to exchange blows to grow.”
“Hah, this is……!”
“Didn’t you say you hated being dead weight? Then step up.”
Thompson started to argue in fury, but only for a moment.
“Ugh…….”
He swallowed his words, groaning in pain.
Because not a single thing was wrong.
‘Yeah, this is just making us dead weight.’
Ever since teaming up with Yoo Han, Thompson had always worked on the same weak point.
The one thing that could keep him from dragging his heroic ally down.
That’s why he’d learned light magic, entered the academy, gained experience, built strength.
But at some point, despite all that effort, the gap had appeared anyway.
Now he wasn’t just holding the ankle—he might end up on a completely separate path.
“That can’t happen!”
He’d vowed countless times to contribute to his hero’s saga.
He couldn’t give up over something like this.
And Kayla and Barundel felt the same.
‘I knew he was a monster, but enough to take him on?’
In a way, Kayla had known Yoo Han the longest among his companions.
So she knew better than anyone how insane his growth was.
That’s why she’d shed bloody tears in her efforts to keep up.
But she was still falling behind.
That was worse than death.
“I’ll…… definitely get there.”
Kayla rose with a hardened expression.
Barundel glanced at Thompson and Kayla on either side and stood as if it were obvious.
‘A disciple is a disciple for life.’
Barundel was the one who’d trained Yoo Han’s body—like a master.
He hadn’t even fully completed that training yet.
And already the strength gap was this wide?
Unacceptable as a teacher.
‘It’s too soon for that.’
Barundel resolved himself firmly.
He wouldn’t yield to his disciple until the time was right.
“Hmm……? At least your durability’s solid.”
Erebos eyed the three rising again, sounding pleased.
No, he really was.
Not their skills—their attitude. Their mindset.
Seeing their resolute faces almost made him feel guilty.
‘I went a bit hard on purpose.’
He was only pretending for the Contractor’s request, but sparring was still a hassle.
So he hadn’t held back much, figuring they’d drop fast.
If they quit on their own, he’d get free time and skip the rest.
But contrary to expectations, all three were dead serious about the sparring……
It stirred a twinge of guilt.
Was he the only one not taking it seriously?
“I’m not half-assing it either.”
In the end, Erebos made up his mind.
To help them grow for real.
“Now it gets serious.”
Might be tough, though.
Gooo!
Erebos unleashed a chilling darkness.
***
Caw-!
A [Demon Realm Crow] crossed the sky, crying out.
A monster that only called after dark.
Sure enough, glancing up confirmed the light was fading.
Well, Demon Realm days never really brightened anyway.
Anyway.
“Guess it’s time to head back.”
Lost in the hunt, I hadn’t noticed the time flying.
They were probably waiting.
With that thought, I hurried along.
Curiosity and anticipation bubbled in my mind meanwhile.
‘How’d the sparring go?’
It reminded me of my first time sparring with Erebos to learn the darkness.
‘That was brutal.’
Second only to Baal, like you’d expect—a single lapse meant getting wrecked.
By the end of day one, I thought my body would shatter.
The others had probably gone through the same.
Maybe they were all passed out from exhaustion by now.
Around then, I reached our temporary base.
My jaw dropped on the spot.
“……What the hell happened here?”
Craters in the ground, pools of blood.
Traces of battle everywhere.
A chill shot up my spine.
What if something had gone wrong?
I frantically scanned the area.
Then……
“……There.”
Thankfully, I spotted Erebos and the others nearby.
Flash!
I floated a small orb of light on my fingertip and [Teleported] right to them.
Panting breaths hit me immediately.
Huff…… huff……!
Thompson, Kayla, Barundel.
The three were gasping raggedly.
Not just them, either.
“……You’re back. Contractor.”
Across from them, Erebos was breathing heavily too.
Looking utterly spent.
“You’ve been sparring this whole time……?”
I asked carefully, and Erebos sighed, shaking his head in exasperation.
“Those guys…… total maniacs. Their stamina’s even better than mine.”
“…….”
I couldn’t even imagine what kind of sparring they’d done.