Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 112

Suho thought to himself.

‘This is perfect timing.’

The Asura Guild, to which Ryo Singh belonged, was one of the most prominent guilds in India.

If it were the Asura Guild, they might have information that the Scavenger Guild didn’t know.

“I need information.”

“I-Information? What kind?”

“Information about a dungeon.”

Suho asked Ryo Singh directly, who was nervously watching Suho’s expression.

“Do you know anything about the Glacier Dungeon?”

“Glacier? What’s that?”

It seemed that the term was a bit difficult for Ryo Singh to understand.

He quickly turned on a translator, deciphered the meaning, and his face lit up.

“Oh, Glacier Dungeon! I know that place!”

“You know it? Really?”

Suho’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had only asked on a hunch, not expecting Ryo Singh to actually know about it!

[Kieek!]

Beru, too, was startled and grabbed Ryo Singh by the collar, shouting at him.

Even though Beru’s arms were as thin as fingers, the intensity of his demeanor was terrifying.

[Is what you said true? If you lie to save your life, I’ll tear you limb from limb!]

“Keuk! I-I really know! Asura Guild is the best! Asura Guild has a lot of info!”

Even in a moment of panic, Ryo Singh didn’t miss the chance to promote his guild.

And he wasn’t exaggerating. The Asura Guild was genuinely one of the top guilds in terms of information.

The Scavenger Guild, on the other hand, was surprisingly weak in intelligence compared to its size.

Most guilds typically traded information with one another to build their own databases, which was considered standard practice.

The Scavenger Guild was also planning to enhance its information network after this incident.

Delighted by this unexpected gain, Suho’s eyes gleamed.

“You said you were sorry earlier, right? Then could you tell me everything you know about the Glacier Dungeon? Don’t leave out a single detail.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I’ll be entering that dungeon soon with Thomas Andre.”

“W-What?!”

At those words, Ryo Singh trembled as if struck by lightning.

What had he just heard?

Suho was going into the Glacier Dungeon with Thomas Andre?

“No way! It’s extremely dangerous! If you go there, everyone will di—!”

“Even if it’s dangerous, I have to go. My mother might be there.”

Flinch.

Ryo Singh’s expression stiffened at Suho’s resolute words.

“Y-Your mother? Why would she be there?”

“Anyway, that’s the situation.”

‘Strictly speaking, it’s not my mother herself but a clue about her.’

Suho condensed his explanation to make it easier for Ryo Singh to understand, which unintentionally made it more convincing.

Ryo Singh mulled over the information with a serious expression.

The sheer amount of information coming at him at once made it hard to process.

‘Sung Suho’s mother is in the Glacier Dungeon? That place is only known to a handful of guilds.’

It seemed that his preliminary research on Suho was insufficient.

Who would have thought that Suho’s mother was also a hunter?

And at the level of entering the Glacier Dungeon?

‘No, what’s even more important is…’

The real problem was the name “Thomas Andre” that had come out of Suho’s mouth.

Why on earth would Suho be entering a dungeon with Thomas Andre?

‘…Wait. Could it be that Thomas Andre came to recruit Suho, not for revenge?!’

A sudden realization dawned on him.

Feeling dizzy, Ryo Singh quickly looked around at the devastated surroundings.

The traces left behind by Suho and Thomas Andre’s clash were still impressive even upon second glance.

And then he understood.

‘…I get it now.’

If Thomas Andre had been serious, it wouldn’t have ended with just this much damage.

‘This was a test! A job interview to assess Suho’s strength!’

An absurdly violent job interview, but it made sense, considering Thomas Andre’s personality.

Feeling as if he had been cut in line, Ryo Singh became desperate.

‘Surely they haven’t signed a contract yet? Judging from the atmosphere, it doesn’t seem like it.’

He swallowed nervously and asked Suho directly.

“Sung Suho, have you joined the Scavenger Guild?”

“No? Why would I?”

“You haven’t?!”

Ryo Singh’s face instantly brightened.

With a determined look, he pounded his chest.

“Alright! I’ll tell you about the Glacier Dungeon!”

Suho’s eyes sparkled at the reluctant response.

‘Got it!’

Information about dungeons was worth more than gold.

Especially about a dungeon like the Glacier Dungeon, which wasn’t widely known, its value was immeasurable.

For Ryo Singh, leaking such information could lead to financial losses for his guild.

But he couldn’t afford to hold back now.

‘I can’t let such talent slip away to another guild!’

After ensuring no one else was around to listen, Ryo Singh confidently began sharing his knowledge with Suho.

“It’s very cold there. Breathing, eating, sleeping, walking—everything is dangerous.”

“That’s obvious, since it’s a glacier. Anything else?”

“It’s really, really cold. So cold that it slows you down. Debuff area!”

“Debuff area?”

[My liege, it seems to be a place with a wide-ranging curse of slowness.]

Even Beru interjected, as this was a crucial piece of information.

A dungeon where a curse directly hindered combat, rather than just adverse weather conditions?

However.

‘That doesn’t concern me.’

Fortunately, Suho was immune to all curses thanks to ‘Kandiaru’s Blessing’.

But this blessing only applied to Suho, and it would undoubtedly pose a significant risk to any hunters accompanying him.

“Okay. What else?”

“Uh…”

Ryo Singh hesitated at Suho’s persistent questioning.

This next piece of information was truly important.

“This is a secret. Promise me?”

“Sure, I promise. What is it?”

“There are Ice Elves in the Glacier Dungeon. Lots of them.”

“What? Ice Elves?”

Suho’s eyes lit up at this unexpected revelation.

The Ice Elves were rare magical beasts seldom encountered in dungeons.

However, the information Ryo Singh provided differed significantly from what was known about their behavior on HunterNet.

“Aren’t Ice Elves usually in pairs, shooting arrows from a distance?”

“That’s right, but the Glacier Dungeon is different.”

Ryo Singh, determined to avoid any misunderstandings, carefully enunciated his response, even using a translator for clarity.

“There’s an Ice Elf tribe living there. At least a few hundred, based on known estimates.”

“A few hundred?”

This was classified information held by the Asura Guild.

“Yes. The Glacier Dungeon is the land of the Ice Elves.”

—

Meanwhile.

Even at that very moment, hunters who had recklessly entered the Glacier Dungeon were being relentlessly pursued.

“Huff! Huff!”

A pristine white snowy field.

Swish, swish, swish!

Arrows flew through the biting wind, sharp enough to freeze even one’s breath.

Fwoosh!

Arrows rained down from all directions, ruthlessly targeting the hunters’ lives.

Thud! Thud!

“Aagh!”

“My leg…!”

Dozens of arrows were already lodged in the backs and legs of the fleeing hunters.

Yet even in their battered state, they crawled on the ground, desperate to survive.

“Dammit! These persistent bastards…!”

“They’re trying to wear us down to death!”

Hope was long gone.

Who would have thought that hunters, once predators, would fall so miserably to become prey?

From a high vantage point, hundreds of hunters coldly observed their despairing victims below.

The Ice Elves.

With frigid, merciless eyes, they aimed their bows at the invaders who had trespassed into their land.

Hundreds of bows.

And from them, a rain of arrows descended.

“This is insane! Ice Elves are supposed to move in pairs!”

“If I’d known this place was like this, I’d never have come!”

The Ice Elves known to the public were rare and comparatively “docile” magical beasts.

They were always found in pairs, carrying crude wooden bows and arrows.

Curiously, they never attacked first, even when hunters entered their territory or cleared the dungeon.

Until the gate closed, they simply observed from a distance, hidden in the depths of the dungeon.

This earned them the nickname:

[The Watcher].

But hunters who dared to hunt them never called them by that name.

The supposedly docile Ice Elves would transform into ruthless, elusive sharpshooters the moment someone opposed them.

Despite their beautiful appearance, the Ice Elves were brutal and aggressive.

This earned them another nickname:

“White Specters” (‘Baekgwi’), meaning elusive white ghosts.

Yet even so, they were still considered a safe magical beast.

Their archery skills were remarkable, but since they moved only in pairs, their numbers weren’t threatening.

Most importantly, they were passive creatures.

But that information was now obsolete—at least in the Glacier Dungeon.

A land where hundreds of expert sharpshooters lived together.

Even if one knew this information beforehand and prepared, survival was far from guaranteed.

“No! Stay back! Don’t come closer!”

A man, his back and legs riddled with arrows, crawled desperately on the ground.

Step.

A shadow fell over his terrified, pale face.

“You’re the last one.”

The man looked up at the Ice Elf approaching him, trembling in fear.

Having lost too much blood, his vision blurred, but he managed to glimpse the figure.

White hair, pale skin, silver eyes.

And pointed ears.

By human standards, she looked like a small girl, no older than ten.

“Invader of our land. I am Sirka, protector of the Baruka tribe.”

The Ice Elf girl, wearing a fur hat, introduced herself with a cold, resolute gaze.

The man didn’t respond.

It was only natural—humans couldn’t understand the language of magical beasts.

Yet Sirka seemed unconcerned and continued speaking.

“I’ll ask you just one question. Answer correctly if you want to live.”

She took a deep breath and spoke clearly.

“Do you know the Shadow Monarch?”

“Wh-What the hell are you saying?!”

The man, dying and unable to understand the unfamiliar language, screamed in despair.

“One last question. Do you know ‘Sung Jinwoo’?”

“Screw it! Just kill me already!”

“If you don’t, then die.”

Slash.