Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 100

At the farthest reaches of the universe.

A black hole connected to the outer realms was opening in the infinite darkness.

[A new gate has appeared!]

[Prepare the entire army for an assault!]

*Whoooooo—!*

At the command of the Rulers, the celestial soldiers spread their radiant wings.

The luminous energy they emitted clashed with the oppressive aura of the Outer Gods spilling from the black hole.

And at the center of this fierce battlefield—

“…Is it just me, or did someone call for me?”

A man cloaked in a veil of shadow furrowed his brow and turned his head.

[Could it be Beru?]

Bellion, the commander of the Shadow Army, approached and responded to his king.

At the mention of Beru, Sung Jinwoo’s frown deepened.

“Now that you mention it, that guy Beru….”

He had ordered him to return quickly, yet there was still no sign of him.

Had he even done the task he was assigned?

[My lord, if, by any chance, something has happened to Beru, it could affect the Young Lord as well—]

“That’s not likely.”

Sung Jinwoo firmly shook his head at Bellion’s concern.

“I would have noticed immediately.”

If something were to happen to a shadow soldier, Jinwoo would know at once.

As of now, there were no signs of anything wrong with Beru.

He might have taken some damage battling the remnants of the Itarim while en route to Earth, but Beru wasn’t someone who would be in danger of annihilation from such foes.

Besides, Beru had a unique ability that no other shadow soldier possessed—*Devour*.

As an insect-type beast, Beru had exceptional survivability, capable of replenishing his strength independently even without his king’s direct intervention.

[With respect, my lord…]

Commander Igris appeared beside Jinwoo, his tone cautious.

Igris and Beru often clashed, but precisely because of their frequent squabbles, Igris knew Beru well.

[As foolish as that bug is, he should have completed his task by now. The real issue might be…]

[That he’s decided to settle on Earth.]

Bellion and Igris exchanged exasperated sighs at the thought of Beru.

Beru was notorious within the Shadow Army for his overzealous protectiveness and devotion.

Now that Suho’s sealed memories were restored, he would undoubtedly recognize Beru.

This was what Beru had been waiting for, and the chances were high that he would choose to remain on Earth.

Claiming no one but him could guard the Young Lord, his excessive loyalty might lead him to act on his own.

It wasn’t just loyalty; it was also part of Beru’s instinct as an ant-type creature.

‘…Well, that might not be such a bad thing.’

Jinwoo chuckled softly, his gaze shifting from Earth back to the battlefield before him.

The relentless stalemate had dragged on for years.

‘This won’t end easily.’

Looking back, battling the Dragon Monarch had been far simpler.

That was merely a clash of strength against strength.

But the war against the Itarim was entirely different.

The Itarim reveled in creation and destruction.

Their emissaries came in grotesque forms with unpredictable strategies, making the conflict a battle of wits rather than brute force.

Victory depended on quick thinking and adaptability.

‘So… I’ll trust them.’

Jinwoo’s eyes gleamed with determination.

With Suho’s seal broken and Beru elevated to a rank beyond his previous limits, the two of them together could safeguard Earth.

The Itarim couldn’t afford to send their strongest forces away from the main front to Earth—it would tip the balance of power here.

That meant Earth would only attract minor threats among the Itarim’s emissaries.

But…

There was one concern.

‘The balance has already been broken.’

And it was Jinwoo who had broken it.

The moment he sent Beru to Earth, it gave the Itarim an opportunity to deploy an emissary of similar strength.

‘The question is when they’ll notice.’

Once the Itarim realized this, they would undoubtedly send someone as strong as Beru to Earth.

While Beru could likely handle such an opponent, any deviation in his condition could spell trouble.

Yet leaving Earth unprotected wasn’t an option either.

If Jinwoo had done nothing, Earth’s destruction would have only been a matter of time.

‘…So, Suho.’

Jinwoo thought of his son, fighting alone on Earth.

“You must do it.”

“Become stronger. My son.”

—

“Arise.”

Suho’s commanding voice resonated.

Beru was reminded of the awe-inspiring authority of his great king, Sung Jinwoo.

The Shadow Army, with its unyielding warriors, defied even death.

…but Suho’s army?

His “soldiers”?

There was only one.

Quay.

The temporary shadow mercenaries had already returned to nothingness.

[Master calls for me!]

At Suho’s command, Quay rose boldly from the shadows.

Seeing this, Beru urgently shouted:

[No, Young Lord! If you summon a shadow soldier now—!]

Beru’s voice was frantic.

The opponent was an emissary of the Itarim.

If Suho used shadow abilities, his true identity might be exposed.

[Your identity will be revealed to the enemy—!]

Before Beru could finish—

“Rise, Quay.”

*Grip!*

Suho grabbed Quay as he emerged from the shadow, pulling him upward.

In that moment—

[If that is my master’s command!]

Quay’s body stretched upward with Suho’s motion.

*Shhh—!*

His form shifted and elongated.

A spear.

*Swish!*

Quay transformed into a black, flickering spear in Suho’s hand.

[I am Quay, the Spear Knight! At my master’s command, I shall pierce the heart of my enemies!]

The massive stinger-like shape that Quay had taken was now firmly in Suho’s grasp.

*Ding!*

[‘Skill: Shadow Extraction’ level has increased.]

A skill window automatically unfolded before Suho.

[Shadow Extraction Lv.2—Form Transformation]
– Shadow Authority.
– Mana Cost: None.
– Allows the user to freely transform the form of a shadow soldier.

[What?!]

Beru was genuinely stunned.

[Impossible! Transforming shadow soldiers into weapons? Not even the King has ever shown such an ability!]

“Really?”

At Beru’s shocked reaction, Suho examined the spear that Quay had become, his eyes sparkling.

“I was just imitating Esil.”

[You… imitated me?!]

Esil’s panicked voice echoed from within Vulcan’s Horn.

The ability to embody one’s spiritual form—*Spiritualization*.

Esil had often transformed her horns into weapons or merged herself into Vulcan’s Horn using spiritualization.

After observing this ability many times, Suho had instinctively realized something.

While spiritualization seemed extraordinary, shadow soldiers were inherently spiritual entities.

Even Beru could alter his size and form at will when he set his mind to it.

‘So naturally, I thought I could do it too.’

And he had been right.

[Unbelievable…!]

Beru was overwhelmed with awe.

Talent.

Ah, so this is what talent looks like.

Brilliant. Remarkable.

[As expected, our Young Lord is a prodigy! I knew it ever since he awakened the Ruler’s Authority before even taking his first steps…!]

While the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo, had long reached a level where he could freely command all shadows, Suho was still a beginner, akin to a larva.

Yet this “larva” had independently unlocked the next stage of shadow power without anyone teaching him.

“Well, well, Vulcan’s heir, I wondered why you only had one horn. It turns out you were hiding such an impressive one.”

The Blood-Maddened Tyrant continued to misunderstand Suho’s abilities.

He assumed that the spear, which had emerged suddenly from Suho’s hand, was the weaponized form of a demon’s horn.

“So, are you planning to resist me with that spear? Do you have any idea how many demons I’ve devoured? Don’t waste your time resisting—just surrender your body to me—”

*Whoosh!*

“…!”

Before the Tyrant could finish, the shadow spear shot forward like a bolt of lightning, forcing him to dodge at the last second.

“You dare?!”

He turned back with a furious glare, only to see—

*Whish!*

The spear curved in mid-air like it had wings, slamming into his shoulder.

“Gah?!”

Startled, the Tyrant hastily yanked the spear from his body.

“This trivial trick!”

*Fwoosh!*

Flames erupted from his body in a fit of rage.

At that moment—

“An opening.”

Suho sprang into action.

*Swish!*

[‘Title: Demon Slayer’ buff has been activated.]
– All stats increase by 40% when battling demon-type monsters.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

Suho’s dual swords tore through the air, augmented by the divine wind of Rakan’s blade.

[‘Skill: Storm Slash’ has been activated.]

The Blood-Maddened Tyrant grinned wickedly as he unleashed his own power.

“Haha! Struggle all you like! Let’s see how tough the body of a demon noble truly is!”

*Boom! Boom! BOOM!*

Flames clashed with Suho’s storm in a series of explosive collisions.

Yet Suho’s relentless assault tore through even the explosions, driving the Tyrant back.

“Ugh. Impressive. Even for a young demon noble, you are formidable.”

The Tyrant was momentarily taken aback.

Suho’s seemingly meager aura belied the overwhelming force behind his attacks.

Of course, this made sense.

The flames he wielded were fueled by the blood and flesh of the countless demons he had consumed.

But Suho’s *Demon Slayer* title was the perfect counter to such demonic powers, amplifying his attacks significantly.

“…But that’s all you’ve got.”

The Tyrant’s eyes gleamed with malice as an immense power surged from his entire body.

“Your blood is already cursed with madness!”

He extended his hand toward Suho, releasing his authority.

“Run wild! Curse of the Blood!”

*BOOM!*

“…!”

A sinister mist of cursed energy enveloped Suho’s surroundings.

The Tyrant burst into laughter, his voice booming.

“Haha! Did you know? Every demon’s first meal in this place is laced with Blood Madness Venom!”

This venom allowed the Tyrant to incite madness in his prey whenever he wished.

But then—

*Rumble…*

Amid the cursed mist that filled the area—

*Whoosh!*

“…!”

Suho emerged unscathed, slicing through the mist with his dual blades and driving them into the Tyrant’s body.