Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 101

Something was wrong.

The Blood-Maddened Tyrant couldn’t help but feel shaken.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

Suho tore through the cursed mist, relentlessly slashing at the Tyrant’s body.

“W-What is this!”

Staggering, the Tyrant screamed in disbelief.

It was close—so close that his neck might have been severed instead of his shoulder.

But what truly unsettled him wasn’t just the close call.

“Why doesn’t the Blood Madness Venom work?!”

The curse of madness.

Blood Madness Venom could amplify strength at the cost of pain when used lightly, but when unleashed directly by the Tyrant, it was a death sentence—a fiery execution.

The victim’s blood would boil rapidly, leaving their body charred like coal.

Escape was impossible, as the curse relied on the blood flowing through the veins.

Yet somehow—

“How are you completely unaffected?!”

Not only was Suho unaffected, but he was moving with unstoppable energy.

Deflecting Suho’s attacks, the Tyrant growled in fury.

“Of course, a true demon noble is on a different level!”

Far away, someone narrowed their eyes in disdain.

[The Monarch of Plagues, Nemesis of Insects, observes the Blood-Maddened Tyrant with contempt.]

“Let’s see how long you last this time!”

With a roar, the Tyrant unleashed an even more potent blood curse on Suho.

*Whoooosh!*

A storm of blood swirled around Suho, engulfing him.

[The Monarch of Plagues evaluates the quality of the curse.]

[2 out of 10.]

[The Monarch of Plagues spits in disgust, claiming it ruined his appetite.]

*Fwoosh!*

Once again, Suho emerged unscathed, cutting through the bloodstorm and launching another fierce assault with his dual blades.

[Young Lord! Aim for the head!]

‘I know!’

The Tyrant had intercepted Suho’s earlier attack with his shoulder.

The body he wore as armor—the demon warden’s corpse—absorbed the blow.

That left the flaming face protruding from the armor as the weak point.

“Quay, rise!”

*Whoosh!*

At Suho’s command, Quay’s spear shot through the air like a bolt of lightning, targeting the Tyrant’s head.

“Damn!”

The Tyrant frantically deflected the incoming attacks, turning to scream at his subordinates.

“What are you doing?! Guards, attack this pest—!”

*Gasp!*

His words faltered as he turned to see his guards.

“Aaagh!”

“They’re burning! Help—!”

The scene was unbelievable: the demon guards were aflame, screaming as they perished.

“Why are *they* infected with Blood Madness Venom?!”

“Oh, that?” Suho smirked. “I shared it with them.”

“…!”

The Tyrant’s eyes bulged in shock.

As Suho passed by the guards earlier, he had infected them with the venom.

While Suho hadn’t planned for this specific outcome, it turned out to be the perfect conclusion.

Seizing the Tyrant’s moment of confusion, Suho prepared his next move.

‘Beru, one question.’

[Yes, my lord!]

‘They haven’t figured out what Quay really is, right?’

[Correct! They haven’t suspected he’s a shadow soldier!]

The Shadow Monarch’s authority was a force of eternal darkness, a power designed to destroy all it touched.

Its mere presence could instill overwhelming fear, as Suho had often seen as a child.

His shadow powers, sealed to protect him, had now begun to awaken under his control.

‘Perfect.’

Having assessed the situation, Suho looked around and gave his command.

“Arise!”

At that moment—

*Roooar!*

From the void came a haunting chorus of monstrous cries.

The source?

The fallen Minotaurs.

Their corpses began to tremble as shadows rippled over them.

[Shadow Extraction successful.]

[Shadow Extraction successful.]

[Shadow Extraction successful.]

…

Before the soldiers could fully manifest in their original forms, Suho issued another command.

“Transform!”

*Whoooosh!*

At his word, the shadows of the Minotaurs gathered and reshaped themselves.

[Shadow Minotaur Lv.1]
– Transformation: Gauntlet

[Shadow Minotaur Lv.1]
– Transformation: Gauntlet

[Shadow Minotaur Lv.1]
– Transformation: Gauntlet

The Minotaur shadows fused into massive gauntlets.

If Quay had become a spear, these were Suho’s fists.

*Boom!*

With horrific cries, the gauntlet-like forms of the Minotaurs launched like cannonballs, slamming into the Tyrant.

*Crash!*

“Gah!”

The Tyrant was hurled backward like a truck had hit him, slamming into the Colosseum wall.

*Rumble!*

The wall collapsed on top of him, and he desperately clawed through the rubble to rise.

But—

[Roar!]

The black mist of the gauntlets surged forward, relentlessly pummeling his body.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

The onslaught was so rapid and vicious that the warden’s corpse, which served as his armor, began to collapse.

“Aaagh! What is this…!”

Amid his despair, Suho’s calm, commanding voice answered.

“*Bloodstone.*”

[What?!]

[Huh?!]

Esil and Beru’s shocked voices echoed, but Suho ignored them.

[That lie won’t—!]

The Tyrant growled.

“Bloodstone… the power of a demon noble?”

[It… worked?!]

Esil was dumbfounded.

Since Bloodstones were unique to demon nobles, the Tyrant had no choice but to accept Suho’s explanation.

[Hah! Our Young Lord is brilliant! With this method, he can summon shadow soldiers without revealing their true nature to the Itarim’s emissaries!]

Beru was awestruck.

Even Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch, had never used shadow soldiers in transformed states like this.

Shadow soldiers typically retained their original forms for utility in combat—they could wield weapons and fight more effectively that way. There was no need for drastic transformation.

However, as beings of pure spiritual essence, shadow soldiers could adapt their forms freely under Suho’s growing authority.

[Ah, how remarkable and admirable! If the King could see this, how proud he would be…!]

Beru’s joy overflowed as he watched Suho land a decisive series of blows on the exposed Blood-Maddened Tyrant.

[‘Skill: Storm Slash’ activated.]

*Boom!*

*Slash, slash, slash!*

“Aaagh!”

The combined assault from Suho’s blade storms, Quay’s spear, and the Minotaur shadows relentlessly battered the Tyrant.

[…But to be frank,]

Even in his overflowing pride, Beru’s keen eyes accurately assessed the situation.

[The attack is still lacking in power, my lord.]

Despite wearing the guise of a demon, their opponent was an emissary of the Itarim.

This level of force wasn’t nearly enough.

“You insolent little pest!”

*Crack!*

Fueled by fury, the Tyrant rose amidst the onslaught.

His battered armor—constructed from the demon warden’s corpse—was falling apart, but the core power within him remained intact.

*Fwoosh!*

“…!”

The flames emanating from the Tyrant turned blindingly intense, shifting to a menacing blue, reminiscent of Mistborne.

[This is dangerous!]

Sensing the threat, Beru shouted urgently.

[The enemy is deploying *Stellar Fire*! Escape immediately!]

*Stellar Fire?*

Not knowing what it was, Suho still reacted instinctively and leapt back.

*Fwoosh!*

The blue flames surged forward, chasing him like living serpents. Suho crossed his dual swords to block the inferno.

*Boom!*

The sheer heat disintegrated nearby shadow soldiers, leaving nothing but ash.

Then—

*Crack!*

A sharp sound echoed near Suho’s neck.

[‘Item: Fire Spirit Pendant’ resists the flames.]
[‘Item: Fire Spirit Pendant’ has been destroyed.]

*Fssshh.*

The low-grade item Suho had worn since his time in Egypt valiantly absorbed the brunt of the flames, crumbling to ashes in the process.

Barely avoiding disaster, Suho felt a chill run down his spine.

‘That was close.’

Though he blocked the attack, it was clear that his innate defenses—enhanced by his *Tenacity* skill—wouldn’t have been enough without the pendant.

From the outside, however, Suho appeared perfectly unharmed, as if he had shrugged off the deadly assault.

“How… how are you still standing after a direct hit from Stellar Fire?”

The Tyrant was more shocked than ever before.

But he wouldn’t let it happen twice.

Suho had no time to summon a replacement for the destroyed pendant, and the Tyrant let out a furious roar.

“That’s impossible! It must have been sheer luck! A lowly demon could never withstand Stellar Fire!”

*Fwoosh!*

Even more powerful blue flames erupted from his body.

[Young Lord! This is dangerous—!]

Before Beru could finish, Suho had already leapt back.

He smirked.

“As if I’d fight alone against something like that.”

Let’s assess the situation.

He lacked the raw power and defense to go head-to-head with the Tyrant.

But fortunately, this place was filled with demons who could act as both cannon fodder and fuel to bolster his strength.

Suho turned his gaze away from the rampaging Tyrant and looked up at the Colosseum stands.

There, countless demons who had been watching in horror now trembled in disbelief.

“What… what’s going on?”

“How is this happening?”

“He’s overwhelming the Tyrant King…”

“Is he truly a demon noble?”

“Vulcan’s heir, no less…”

The murmurs were filled with a mixture of anxiety and burgeoning hope.

Suho’s voice boomed across the Colosseum like thunder, silencing the crowd.

“Are you just going to keep watching?!”

…!

The demons froze, their murmurs cut off.

[‘Buff: Roar of the Battlefield’ activated.]

The reward Suho had received from his urgent quest against the Black Tortoise Guild was finally being put to use.

Suho’s commanding voice carried on.

“What does it mean to be a demon?”

“…”

His words struck deep.

The demons, long enslaved by the Tyrant’s oppressive rule, felt their eyes flicker with unease.

“If you truly are demons—if you still believe yourselves to be demons—”

As Suho’s words echoed, the demons swallowed nervously, their tension rising.

Suho raised Vulcan’s Horn and pointed it at the flaming Tyrant.

“Then feast! Feast on the blood and flesh of the dying demon right before you!”

“…!”

*Ripple!*

The crowd erupted in chaos.

The Blood-Maddened Tyrant’s face twisted in shock.

The atmosphere among his enslaved demons—once firmly under his control—was shifting.

Suho smiled triumphantly, releasing his oppressive aura to its fullest.

“Feast and grow stronger. Be demons, through and through.”

With that final declaration—

*Rooooar!*

A deafening cacophony of howls filled the Colosseum.

[‘Roar of the Battlefield’ stirs the suppressed rage of the demons.]
[‘Roar of the Battlefield’ ignites the buried fury of the demons.]
[‘Roar of the Battlefield’ fans the flames of rebellion in the demons.]

…

Within the demons, a fiery hunger surged.

The fear of the Tyrant King that had dominated them for so long was replaced by an insatiable desire for power.

The terrifying strength of the Tyrant King—if only they could claim it for themselves!

“I can become the Tyrant King!”

“I’ll devour that corpse!”

“No, it’s mine!”

“I’ll take it!”

*Waaah!*

Pandemonium erupted.

All at once, the demons surged toward the Tyrant, consumed by madness.

They were fuel for the fire.

[Demons…]

Esil whispered quietly, awe-struck.