Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 12

“Ugh…!”

The Wraith stared in disbelief at its body.

Two axes were lodged deep in its chest.

“So, this is the frailty of a human body…”

*Thud.*

Kim Yong-jun’s body, which had been possessed by the Wraith, collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back.

[Enemies to be defeated: 0]

[Enemies defeated: 1]

The quest was over.

[You have completed the ‘Emergency Quest: Defeat the Enemy’.]

[Level up!]

*Whoosh!*

In an instant, Su-ho’s exhaustion vanished, his stamina fully restored to optimal condition.

But he didn’t let his guard down.

Though Kim Yong-jun was dead, the real threat had been the sword that controlled him.

‘Ruler’s Authority!’

*Slash!*

One of Su-ho’s stone axes sliced through the air, severing the arm that held the sword.

[Well done! The sword is the real threat!]

Beru, anticipating the moment, swooped in and grabbed the sword from Kim Yong-jun’s severed hand.

As soon as Beru touched the sword, a menacing voice thundered in his mind.

– Who dares to covet the Fang Monarch’s sword!

[My lord, may I consume this sword?]

– W-wait! Can’t we resolve this with a discussion?

The sword’s voice suddenly softened, sensing the true intent in Beru’s expression as he eyed it hungrily.

Meanwhile, Su-ho was too occupied to answer Beru.

*Growl!*

Even though the Wraith had been defeated, the wolves, now leaderless, were charging at Su-ho from all sides.

However, with his recent level-up, Su-ho’s stamina and mana were fully replenished, and all of his stats had increased by one, making his movements even sharper than before.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

[You have defeated a Steel Fang Lycan.]

[You have defeated a Steel Fang Lycan.]

As he cut down the wolves that attacked him, Su-ho called out to Beru.

“This weapon’s too short! Can I use that sword?”

– Who dares to touch the Fang Monar…

[Of course, my lord! There’s no way such a lowly wraith could ever corrupt your mind!]

“Alright!”

Su-ho quickly took the sword from Beru.

[You have obtained the item: *Fang of Rakhan*.]

The moment he grasped the sword, the Wraith within it roared with fury.

– Who dares to covet the Fang Monarch’s sword! I will consume your flesh!

*Whoosh!*

A red aura erupted from the sword, surging toward Su-ho.

But then, Su-ho’s shadow rose up and engulfed the sword.

– W-what is this energy!

The Wraith’s voice grew fainter, filled with disbelief.

– This… Could it be… The Shadow Monarch’s power…!

The Wraith couldn’t believe it.

It was the mighty sword of the Fang Monarch, not just any ordinary weapon but a part of the Fang Monarch himself, forged from one of his own fangs.

It was inconceivable that there could be a human it couldn’t dominate.

Especially one that seemed as weak as this!

[Hmph. Even though my lord may seem weak, there’s no way he would be overpowered by such a lowly creature. He’s the son of the great Shadow Monarch, after all!]

– W-what! How dare you call me lowly! I demand that you retract…

“Ah, shut up.”

Ignoring the Wraith’s screams, Su-ho swung the sword at the wolves.

*Slash! Slash! Slash!*

The wolves were sliced apart effortlessly by the sword’s powerful strikes.

The weapon was leagues above the pickaxes and stone axes that had been shattered by the wolves’ steel fangs.

“At least the weapon’s good.”

– Of course it is! Do you know whose sword I am?

Even in this situation, the Wraith’s pride remained unshaken.

Despite being surrounded, Su-ho now had a bit more breathing room, so he quickly checked his rewards.

‘Please, let it be something useful! Even stat boosts would be great!’

[The completion reward has arrived.]

[Would you like to check your rewards?] (Y/N)

‘Check!’

[The following reward is prepared for you:]

Reward: Rune Stone: *Storm Slash*

‘A skill!’

This was the best possible outcome.

Su-ho immediately checked the reward.

[Rune Stone: *Storm Slash*]

Breaking the rune stone will absorb the skill.

*Crack!*

[You have learned the skill: *Storm Slash*.]

As the rune stone shattered, the power of the storm infused Su-ho’s body.

*Whoosh!*

“This is…?”

Su-ho instinctively knew how to use the skill, its mechanics clear in his mind.

With the situation so dire, Su-ho activated the skill immediately.

“Haaaah!”

[You have activated the skill: *Storm Slash*.]

*Kwooooosh!*

A fierce wind whipped up around Su-ho’s sword, unleashing a blade-like tempest that swept through the wolves in front of him.

*Whimper! Whimper!*

[You have defeated a Steel Fang Lycan.]

[You have defeated a Steel Fang Lycan.]

[You have defeated a Steel Fang Lycan.]

…

Messages flooded his vision as the wolves fell.

“Wow.”

Su-ho was impressed.

With just one strike, over ten wolves had been taken down at once.

The sheer destructive power of the skill caused the surviving wolves to scatter in fear, fleeing in every direction.

Su-ho had no intention of pursuing them.

After using the skill once, his mana reserves were nearly depleted.

[Skill: *Storm Slash* Lv.1]

Active Skill.

Mana Cost: 50.

Imbues your sword with the power of a storm, allowing you to attack multiple enemies simultaneously.

The mana cost was a hefty 50, but the effect was incredible.

Su-ho stared at the skill window in awe, almost entranced by it.

Beru, however, was less than impressed.

[Are you seriously impressed by such a trivial skill? The power of the shadows is thousands, no, tens of thousands of times greater!]

– What nonsense! It’s not the skill, but my greatness as a sword that made this possible!

The sword’s Wraith was no less proud than Beru.

“Both of you, be quiet. This is a historic moment where I finally got an attack skill.”

[Nooo!]

– But I’m more…

Ignoring their bickering, Su-ho turned back toward the miners who had been hiding in the distance.

“Are you all okay?”

“Y-you… rookie, you…”

The miners were stunned by the swordsmanship they had just witnessed.

A sword technique that conjured a storm?

“If you had such a skill, why didn’t you use it earlier…?”

‘Oh.’

Su-ho felt awkward, realizing how it might look to them.

It was hard to explain that he had just acquired the skill during the battle—they wouldn’t believe him.

“I was saving it because it drains all my mana in one go. I wanted to save it for a critical moment.”

“Well, I’ll be…”

The miners were even more impressed.

Su-ho had only awakened as a Hunter a few days ago. This was his first time in a dungeon. Yet, he had hidden his true power until the decisive moment?

That was the behavior of a seasoned Hunter, one who had tackled countless gates.

‘Incredible. Does that mean everything he’s done so far was calculated?’

‘Even his evasive maneuvers…?’

“You… just how much were you planning ahead?”

“Uh, what?”

“Haha, never mind. No need to explain.”

“We were just curious, that’s all.”

“Anyway, thanks for saving us. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have lived to see another day.”

The miners finally began to feel the relief of survival, letting out deep sighs of relief.

* * *

The news of the incident at the Korea University dungeon spread that evening.

“What? The entire strike team was wiped out?”

“In just a D-rank dungeon?”

“Wasn’t the leader of that group a C-rank Hunter?”

“What on earth happened in there?”

Journalists flocked to Korea University to uncover the truth behind the incident.

But the miners who had survived had already left long before.

“Haha, let me fill you in.”

Of course, Instructor Im was still at work in his office.

Thanks to his running skill, he had managed to escape the chaotic situation unscathed.

‘This is my chance to repay Su-ho.’

Instructor Im eagerly shared everything he knew with the reporters, especially highlighting Su-ho’s heroics.

However, whether the journalists would believe him or not was another matter.

“An E-rank Hunter, you say?”

“A summoner? Does that even make sense?”

“A C-rank Hunter died in this incident, so how could such a low-ranked Hunter…?”

“Hey! Does it matter if he’s an E-rank or a summoner? Are you dismissing him just because he’s a minor class?”

Irritated by the journalists’ skeptical reactions, Instructor Im snapped.

“I’ll be posting every single one of your comments on the E-rank Hunter community!”

“Whoa, calm down.”

“No need to get angry.”

The journalists began to sweat, trying to appease him.

The E-rank Hunter community was notoriously difficult to deal with for reporters.

The sheer number of E-rank Hunters, combined with their presence in every guild, made the community a hotbed of minor but crucial information. Offending them could cause a lot of trouble for any journalist.

“Ahem. So, you’re saying this Hunter, Sung Su-ho, was the key player?”

“He distracted the berserk Hunter with his summons and then cut off his arm?”

Summing it up, the story sounded like a typical summoner’s battle strategy.

Of course, Su-ho’s exceptional close combat skills stood out, but the journalists chalked it up to Instructor Im’s bias towards his student.

“Well, in any case, we’ve got our article.”

That evening, an article was published online.

It reported that an E-rank Hunter had shown remarkable ingenuity in resolving the crisis, but the public’s reaction was lukewarm.

– A summoner? And an E-rank at that?

– Total minor league.

– Is this some kind of summoner promotion?

– Are the reporters really that desperate for stories?

– So that E-rank Hunter is a summoner, huh? Didn’t he save some students there a few days ago?

– Must’ve been using his summoning skills back then too. Summoning skills are a lot of work for little payoff.

– I’m telling you, this is summoner propaganda~

Despite the lukewarm reception, a few guilds took notice of Su-ho.

“An E-rank with potential?”

“Even if we discount some of the journalists’ exaggeration, it sounds like he’s promising for an E-rank.”

“Isn’t it about time we recruited some new porters?”

“Actually, our collection team has been asking for more members.”

“Perfect timing. E-rank Hunters are in high demand these days, and there aren’t many reliable freelancers left.”

“We should hire a few E-rank Hunters as full-time employees.”

“Full-time? Am I being old-fashioned? E-rank Hunters seem better suited for contract or day labor. But these young folks today, I tell you.”

“Ahem. Anyway, let’s send a scouting offer to this Sung Su-ho.”

“Let’s do that. He’ll probably be thrilled if we call. Lucky guy.”

Thus, the Black Tortoise Guild, one of the largest in Korea, sent a full-time job offer to Sung Su-ho.

‘What an incredible opportunity for a rookie who just awakened. Other E-rank Hunters will be green with envy.’

* * *

A few days later.

“…What?”

Lee Young-ho, the manager of the Black Tortoise Guild’s Second Management Division, couldn’t believe his ears.

“He declined? He turned down Black Tortoise Guild?”

“Yes…”

“How is that possible? A mere E-rank rookie turning down an offer from Black Tortoise? Could it be? Did White Tiger Guild make a move first?”

“That’s a possibility.”

“Grr. Yeah, if it’s White Tiger Guild, they might have. But offering an E-rank better terms than us is a bit much, isn’t it? Are they swimming in money?”

Manager Lee Young-ho could only curse White Tiger Guild, despite not knowing if they were truly involved.