Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 31

The enemies from outer universes were still unaware of Suho’s existence. However, if they eventually discovered the fact that the Monarch of Shadows had a son, Suho would become his sole vulnerability, one capable of altering the course of the war. Just taking him hostage could make Sung Jinwoo’s forces waver. As such, Suho needed to get stronger quickly.

In the end, it’s all about leveling up. Suho nodded his head and surveyed the Shadow Dungeon.

The daily quest had finished, but it still seemed like a good idea to hunt more goblins. After all, the hidden quest rewarded him for hunting more than the predetermined amount. Perhaps that was what the system wanted from the start.

“Gray.”

“Woof?” Gray reluctantly lifted his head.

“Esil.”

“Hm?”

Suho looked at Gray and Esil and smiled. “Now that you guys have finished eating, how about paying me back for the meal?”

Gray, who hadn’t been able to even take a single bite of a pig, wore a disgruntled expression, but he knew that hunting and feasting on the fruits of his labor would be more helpful for his growth.

***

[Goblin Sorcerer has been defeated.]

[Goblin Archer has been defeated.]

[Level Up!]

Suho, Esil, and Gray continued to roam the Shadow Dungeon, hunting goblins.

Sniff, sniff.

Gray was physically weak but had an excellent sense of smell, typical of a hunter. The fang wolf consistently sniffed out the smell of goblins hidden throughout the dungeon.

Swish!

On the other hand, Esil was a master of spear techniques. No matter how weakened the demon noble was, goblins were far from being a worthy challenge for her. In fact, she would sometimes plunge her hand into a goblin’s body and suck out their magical energy like a snack.

“Ew. Tastes bad.”

She eats with her hands, yet she’s still able to sense taste. Then, does she brush her fingernails instead of her teeth? Demons are so fascinating... Suho gazed at her as if she were some peculiar creature.

Esil furrowed her brow and cocked her head in silence, confused.

They continued to hunt down the dimensional refugees until they couldn’t find any more to kill.

“There’s not even a whiff of goblins around here. It seems like we’ve mostly wiped out, doesn’t it?” Esil asked.

“I don’t see any here either.” Suho stopped in his tracks and lowered his sword.

Swoosh.

Rakan’s Fang floated in the air with the power of Ruler’s Authority.

Flying over to the hilt, Beru landed on it like a sparrow. “Young Monarch, I’ve circled around, and it really seems like they’re all gone.”

“Well done, everyone.”

“What shall we do now?”

“We’ll wait here until more come.” Suho established an area on the open field with a clear view in all directions. It was essentially a base camp. “We don’t know when or where they might come pouring in again, so let’s keep scouting the area with this spot as our center. Of course, ‘we’ means all of you, not me.”

“All of us?”

Gray and Esil perked up their ears at his words.

“They’ll help as well.”

The shadow goblins also began scouting the surroundings. Their appearance resembled that of bandits raiding a village, but they were actually on the side of good, not evil.

Suho’s objective was to confirm the sighting of goblins being transported into the Shadow Dungeon with his own eyes. Considering the existence of the daily quest, it was certain that they would reappear before the day was over.

“Fine. It’s fair that we work for our meal,” Esil answered, unconsciously licking her lips. Thanks to Suho, she had a rare opportunity to feast, but the long-lasting hunger couldn’t be satisfied overnight. Goblins might not taste good, but at least they’d amount to plenty of meat. The thought made her salivate as she hoped that they would appear soon. She glanced at Gray, who had the same expression.

“Woof?”

Esil stared back in silence, feeling conflicted. It seemed like she and the wolf pup were now on the same level.

***

[Do you want to exit the Shadow Dungeon?]

Suho left the Shadow Dungeon to Esil and Gray. I’ve caught so many goblins, and all I got was a single level-up.

To become truly strong, he needed to venture into more challenging dungeons. Suho had several options at the moment. One was to threaten Rakan’s Fang to reveal the location of a new sanctuary. But just because it was an important artifact, it didn’t mean that it knew everything. The sword had promised to inform Suho if it sensed the presence of a new sanctuary, so waiting seemed like the best course of action for now.

The second option was to find the elusive Stardust Factory where he could hunt demons, but he had no immediate leads to its whereabouts.

And third... His last choice was to explore Magok. It’s probably a good idea to check there first.

Magok was a neighborhood of Gangseo District. The area was once rich in hemp, but it became better known as the epicenter of the worst dungeon break in history a year ago. People started calling the area Demon Valley or the Demonlands. Soon after, Magok was swiftly designated as one of the most dangerous field-type dungeons in South Korea, causing nearby populations to sharply decrease.

The Gwanaksan and Seoul Station Fields also both emerged just a year ago. Surely, it’s not just a coincidence...

Looking back on all that had happened so far, Suho was certain that Magok was related in some way.

“I guess I’ll have to find out.”

***

The bus door opened, and Suho stepped out. He had arrived somewhere near Magok using public transportation. The world was a different place to a year ago, but trains and buses still operated smoothly.

It made him feel like he was living inside a paradox. A perfectly ordinary, civilized city was only just a few steps away from a hellish landscape teeming with magic beasts. Even now, hunters were working diligently to reclaim and purify such areas. But at the same time, new gates were opening elsewhere.

“But this place...” As they got closer to Magok, Beru grew more serious.

The Magok Field on the horizon was a jungle covered in a blue haze and lush forest.

“It definitely feels like a dangerous place, but not for me, of course. Hehe,” Beru boasted earnestly. He then suddenly tilted his head and asked, “Young Monarch, why is there no barbed wire here?”

Most field-type dungeons, like the Gwanaksan Field or the Seoul Station Field, were enclosed by long stretches of barbed wire to prevent monsters from coming out. However, when they arrived in Magok, there were no such signs.

“There’s no point in having barbed wire here. The area is too vast, and besides, it wouldn’t serve any purpose.”

“Why not?”

“Most of the magic beasts here are plant-types, so they can’t leave anyway.”

Surprisingly, plant-type monsters couldn’t take root in lands without the blue haze, which was fortunate from the perspective of Earth’s inhabitants. Otherwise, the dungeon’s vegetation would have already overrun the planet.

“Is that so? What an interesting place.” Beru gazed curiously at the landscape in front of him. He detected the presence of life, but they weren’t the magic plants Suho had mentioned. “Young Monarch, isn’t this field occupied by another guild?”

“As far as I know, it’s not. I even looked it up on the internet.”

It turned out that the Magok Field was open for all hunters to use. Managing an area teeming with plant-type magic beasts was a cumbersome task for most guilds. Furthermore, selling their remains didn’t yield much profit. Of course, ongoing research had the potential to change their value in the future, but for now, the area failed to attract the attention of contemporary hunters.

“People say you can also see ghosts here.”

“Ghosts you say?” Beru grew even more intrigued.

Of course, the ghosts in question weren’t the kind that appeared in horror movies. They were ghost-type magic beasts. This jungle was home to more than plant-type monsters. Ghost-type monsters were elusive, making it difficult to obtain their remains no matter how hard one tried. It was perfectly natural that hunters disliked this place—there was no profit to be made.

But I’m different. Experience points are more important to me than monster corpses.

Just as Suho set foot into Magok Field...

“It’s a sanctuary!” Rakan’s Fang urgently called out from Suho’s inventory, having been silent as it was stored away.

Suho paused in surprise. He immediately took out the sword and inquired, “What? A sanctuary? Here?”

“That’s right. The aura of a sanctuary fills this area! It seems that this dense jungle and the blue mist are preventing the sanctuary’s aura from flowing out.”

Beru turned to look at Suho. “That must mean there’s an artifact somewhere nearby similar to Rakan’s Fang!”

“Or perhaps a boss monster like Broki,” Suho added.

“Either way, it’s a win, is it not?”

“You’re right. If it’s an artifact, we get an item. And if it’s a boss monster, I get experience points and a shadow soldier.”

Suho blinked his eyes and gazed at the lush jungle. A jungle run by plant-type monsters and ghosts made the Magok Field an annoying and troublesome place for many hunters. But fortunately, he had a trustworthy compass to lead him toward the sanctuary.

Suho held Rakan’s Fang forward. “Do you know its location?”

“It’s this way.” The sword moved its tip, pointing toward the center of the sanctuary.

Suho boldly leaped into the jungle with the artifact held high.

***

Suho wasn’t the only hunter exploring the Magok Field.

“Vice Guild Master, it’s been two days already.”

“How long do you plan to stay here?”

“We’re not complaining. It’s just that it would help if we knew what our exact schedule and purpose is...”

The hunters from the White Tiger Guild had been wandering aimlessly in the jungle for the past two days. The reason for their seemingly endless trek was their vice guild master, Baek Miho. But no one dared to openly voice their complaints to the fearsome second-in-command.

Especially since Baek Yoonho, the guild master of the White Tiger Guild and her father, was currently on a mission abroad—making her the de facto leader.

“Someone keeps calling for me.”

Baek Miho had been experiencing strange auditory hallucinations recently.

“Prove your worth.” The voice began suddenly. “Prove your worth.”

Initially, she had dismissed it as a temporary concern, but the voice grew louder as time passed and eventually led her all the way to Magok.

What could possibly be here? Why do I need to prove my worth? She was equally frustrated as she was confused. But it was clear there was something here since the voice inside her head stopped as soon as she set foot in the jungle.

A sudden rustle broke her concentration, and the hunters shuddered once they saw her face.

Her eyes... They could see her pupils narrow into a crescent shape. Suddenly, Baek Miho’s eyes were shining yellow. She’s using Beast’s Eyes.

The beast transformation skill had made her who she is today. Even though she had only revealed a small part of her power, the pressure was immense.

“Prove your worth.”

“It’s started again.”

The voice returned to her mind. However, the words were slightly different from before.

“Prove you are worthy of being king.”

Baek Miho removed the hairband wrapped around her wrist and tightly tied back her hair, which resembled a lion’s mane. With Beast’s Eyes, she glared fiercely toward the direction the voice echoed from.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”