Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 113

The next day.

As soon as dawn broke, Suho headed to Euljiro.

Thanks to Ryo Singh, he now knew the enemies he would be facing. It was time to prepare accordingly.

‘Hundreds of archers…’

Suho didn’t take the information as absolute fact.

It was possible there were even more Ice Elves lurking in the shadows, far exceeding the known numbers.

Moreover, someone had just offered to bankroll his preparations.

“Our guild master has lots of money. I’ll buy equipment for you, Suho.”

That someone was Ryo Singh.

Tasked with recruiting Suho, he had been issued a corporate card by the Asura Guild for operational expenses.

Eager to win Suho over and also erase his debt to Thomas Andre, Ryo Singh was ready to max out the card if needed.

However, Beru wasn’t amused. Grabbing Ryo Singh by the collar, he growled menacingly.

[Don’t get cocky. Paying this much won’t absolve your sin of putting my liege in danger…]

“Ugh, too hard to understand. Speak simple, simple!”

[…Fine. I’ll take it.]

Beru snatched the corporate card and promptly handed it to Suho.

—

Clang! Clang!

Screech!

The cacophony of sounds greeted them as they arrived in Euljiro.

Once, there was a joke that floated around:

“In Euljiro, you can buy anything except people.”

A one-stop shop where nearly everything could be found.

Euljiro had long been known as a hub for specialized equipment, housing a multitude of custom workshops.

It gained even greater fame after the Great Cataclysm.

As they emerged from a narrow alley, an incredible sight unfolded before them.

[Blacksmiths of Euljiro]

It was Euljiro, reborn and adapted to the age of cataclysms.

[Hunter Survival Kits Wholesale]
[Specialized Shield Crafting]
[Sword and Axe Sharpening Services]
[Plate Armor Workshops]
[Blunt Weapon Casting and Customization]

Signs advertising various hunter gear and services filled the area, and dazzling hunter supplies were displayed everywhere.

Any hunter would have their eyes glued to the scene.

‘Ah, so this is Korea’s hunter mall!’

Ryo Singh was no exception.

While India had similar facilities, every new weapon store brought the promise of fresh gear.

Moreover, the sheer concentration of shops in one location, as in Korea, was novel to him.

“Suho! This place is awesome! Item shop! Blacksmith!”

For hunters, regardless of nationality or rank, equipment was an obsession.

Unlike Suho, most hunters couldn’t level up. Their magical power was fixed, leaving them with few ways to grow stronger.

Their efforts often focused on physical training through grueling regimens like sports and combat drills or honing their skills through countless battles.

However, there was one surefire way to bypass all that hardship: equipment upgrades.

A stronger weapon.

More durable armor.

A slight improvement in gear could directly boost their combat ability.

It was no wonder hunters were infatuated with their equipment.

—

“Tsk. You’re finally here.”

Standing in front of one of Euljiro’s blacksmith shops was a middle-aged man who had arrived earlier and was waiting for Suho.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, he gave Suho a disapproving look.

“…You’re the first to summon me just to recommend decent items.”

Suho sighed in exasperation.

“Come on, Uncle. When did I summon you? I just asked for a recommendation, and you insisted on coming along.”

“Weapons must be touched and chosen in person. What if I just texted you, and you got scammed somewhere? Would you badmouth me later for having poor taste?”

“No way, I wouldn’t do that.”

“…!”

Ryo Singh, listening nearby, suddenly recognized the man and froze in shock.

‘No way! That’s S-Rank Hunter Im Taegyu! He knows Sung Suho?’

Ryo Singh had thoroughly reviewed data on Korean hunters before his trip. A figure like Im Taegyu was, of course, on his radar.

‘I should’ve realized Suho wouldn’t only attract competition from Scavenger. Korea’s major guilds would be after him, too.’

Feeling uneasy, Ryo Singh tried to gauge Suho’s intentions.

“S-Suho, are you joining the Reaper Guild?”

“No.”

“You’re not?”

Ryo Singh’s face brightened instantly.

But relief was premature.

“Who’s this? A new friend?”

“Yes, he’s a hunter from the Asura Guild.”

“Ah, an Indian hunter.”

At that moment, the casual gaze of Im Taegyu met Ryo Singh’s, and the latter quickly realized something.

Im Taegyu’s expression toward Suho carried an air of lingering interest.

‘This won’t do. I need to contact the guild master and request a higher limit on the corporate card.’

If he faltered here, he might lose Suho to another guild right in front of him.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Suho and Im Taegyu only deepened Ryo Singh’s anxiety.

“Anyway, thank you for coming in person. I know you must be busy.”

“It’s funny hearing that from someone who ignored my messages all this time.”

“Ah, I’m really sorry about that. I’ve been getting too many recruitment texts lately, so I stopped checking them.”

“Whatever. I hear you’re building experience to start your own guild?”

“How did you know?”

“…Word gets around. It’s a small world.”

Im Taegyu muttered, subtly steering the conversation elsewhere with a conflicted expression.

The Reaper Guild was already struggling after the scandal involving Vice President Lee Minseong.

The sudden nosedive in their public image was one issue, but the financial strain was even more severe.

Im Taegyu had emptied his personal funds to provide death benefits to the families of the hunters who perished in the incident, leaving the guild nearly broke.

Though he had done everything he could, it wasn’t easy to restore a tarnished reputation.

‘…That’s why I was so determined to recruit this kid.’

With so many hunters lost, they desperately needed someone like Suho—a skilled individual who could fill the gap.

But convincing someone set on starting their own guild was a lost cause.

‘And besides…’

Im Taegyu glanced at Suho’s face with a complex expression before speaking.

“So, what are you planning to buy today?”

“A bow. You’re the best bow expert in the country, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“A bow?!”

Ryo Singh, overhearing their conversation, was visibly alarmed.

‘This is madness! He plans to counter hundreds of Ice Elf archers with a bow?’

It was a grave strategic error!

Ryo Singh had assumed Suho came to buy heavy armor and shields, so he hastily tried to dissuade him.

“Suho! Ice Elves are too many! Full plate mail! Tower shield! Highly recommended!”

“Ice Elves, you say?”

Im Taegyu’s eyebrows twitched at Ryo Singh’s words.

He quickly turned serious and fixed his gaze on Suho.

“Wait a second. Don’t tell me you’re planning to enter the Glacier Dungeon.”

“Oh? You know about the Glacier Dungeon?”

“Do you think I’m someone who wouldn’t know something like that? Of course, I know!”

Im Taegyu sighed deeply and ground his teeth.

Even in its current state, the Reaper Guild had once been recognized as the top guild in Korea.

Naturally, they were privy to such critical information.

“Wait, does that mean Thomas Andre came here yesterday because of the Glacier Dungeon?”

That one small piece of information allowed Im Taegyu to piece together much of the situation.

Lately, rumors had been circulating about the Scavenger Guild targeting the Glacier Dungeon.

With a peculiar expression, Im Taegyu stared at Suho.

“You… you’re acquainted with Thomas Andre?”

“Not really. I just met him yesterday.”

“What the… Anyway, whatever you do, don’t join Scavenger. They’re a bunch of brutes.”

“I’m not joining them. I’m only going to the dungeon with them this one time.”

“Good. But why are you buying a bow for the Glacier Dungeon? Against hundreds of archers, wouldn’t you need sturdy armor and a large shield?”

“Yes! Armor! Shield! Tower shield! Buy those instead!”

Even Ryo Singh joined in, trying to change Suho’s mind.

But Suho’s decision was already made.

His defense was already sufficient.

He didn’t need a shield; he had other ways to block arrows.

And more importantly…

‘Obviously, offense is the best defense.’

Rather than standing still to block attacks, Suho preferred to strike first.

However, unaware of Suho’s reasoning, both Im Taegyu and Ryo Singh followed him into the archery shop, nagging him the whole way.

“Okay, forget the shield for a moment. But why a bow? You’re a swordsman. And Scavenger Guild already has specialized archers.”

“Right! Suho always uses dual swords. Like Asura!”

“Listen, kid. A bow isn’t as easy to handle as you think. Got it?”

As Korea’s most renowned archer, Im Taegyu couldn’t tolerate someone like Suho underestimating bows.

“These days, thanks to games, people think archers are all flashy and easy to play. But archery requires an incredible amount of strength. The stronger the bow, the larger and heavier it is. Drawing the bowstring takes…”

“…Oh?”

Im Taegyu’s endless lecture abruptly stopped.

Suho had picked up the largest and heaviest bow in the shop.

[Strength: 115]

Thwip—

Suho casually drew back the bowstring, which was made from the sinews of a magical beast.

“…?”

“…?”

“Uncle, could you check if this bow is any good? Why are you staring at me like that?”

When Suho looked at him, Im Taegyu awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Y-Your strength is impressive. But your magical capacity is C-rank, right? Wait, are you sure it’s C-rank?”

Recalling Suho’s previous battles, Im Taegyu stared at him skeptically.

“Have you retested since then? Even if it’s B-rank, do you even have any archer skills?”

“Nope.”

“What? You don’t? Without archer skills, your magic will be drained after firing just a few arrows!”

Realizing how inexperienced Suho still was, Im Taegyu smacked his forehead.

Without archer-specific skills, focusing magic into arrows would be highly inefficient, consuming three to ten times more mana than normal archers.

Suho shrugged nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a way…”

At that moment, Suho’s expression suddenly hardened.

─!!!!

A massive wave of energy surged through the area.

“…!”

“…!”

Every hunter in the shop froze simultaneously, turning to face the source of the disturbance.

From afar, an overwhelming energy was emanating.

“Dungeon break!”

“It’s nearby!”

Before anyone could react, hunters throughout Euljiro dropped what they were holding and sprinted toward the source of the dungeon break.

Amidst the chaos, Im Taegyu glanced at Suho with a peculiar expression.

‘Was it my imagination?’

When everyone had turned their heads to sense the energy wave, one person had reacted first.

‘…It felt like this kid noticed it before even I did.’