Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 120

-Quay! Hit the first thing you see!

The single command given to Quay, who had transformed into a shadow arrow.

To fulfill this mission, Quay tore through the blizzard, seeking out the nearest prey and adjusting his trajectory.

And then he realized—there were too many enemies.

The frozen forest.

Countless gazes watched the Hunters who were falling through the rift in the sky, scattered across this glacial dungeon.

Among them, a few spotted the black arrow, Quay, piercing through the blizzard toward them and immediately launched an attack.

‘Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!’

Quay’s eyes gleamed as he saw the countless arrows flying at him through the storm.

[Who dares to stop me?!]

Quay snarled fiercely.

He found it laughable.

He was his master’s arrow—a weapon empowered by the strength of a shadow soldier combined with the firepower of a bow.

There was no way ordinary arrows could block his path!

[I am Quay, my master’s spearman! I am a bolt of lightning that will pierce the heart of my enemies!]

‘Boom!’

Quay became a black lightning bolt, deflecting every arrow in his way as he flew forward.

And as per Suho’s command, he struck the “first enemy he saw,” the Ice Elf at the forefront.

“Ahhh…!”

[Did I kill it?!]

But Quay’s confidence didn’t translate into success.

Having used most of his momentum to pierce through the storm and deflect the arrows, Quay’s power waned at the last moment.

The strike meant to pierce the elf’s heart instead grazed her side and embedded itself in the icy ground.

Quay quickly assessed the enemy’s condition.

[Shallow strike!]

But that didn’t matter.

Suho had imbued Quay’s attack with a deadly poison.

[Debuff: Kasaka’s Venom reduces the target’s muscle strength.]
[Strength -35]

‘Stumble!’

The Ice Elf’s body weakened and collapsed under the venom’s effect, which Quay observed with satisfaction.

Now, Quay faced a choice.

Return to his master immediately, or finish off the injured enemy and return with pride.

The answer was obvious.

‘Shwoooosh!’

Quay’s form, embedded in the ground as an arrow, suddenly sprouted wings.

He reverted to his original form and melded into the raging blizzard.

He was a wasp—a natural-born assassin that silently closed in on its prey and delivered a fatal sting.

But the Ice Elf wasn’t so easily caught off guard.

Even in the blizzard that obscured vision, she spotted Quay hurtling toward her, eyes widening in alarm.

[Too late.]

Quay’s spear closed in on her heart.

“…Shadow soldier?”

‘Stop.’

At the sound of her words, Quay froze his spear mid-strike.

‘Shwoooosh—’

Retracting his spear, he swiftly grabbed her by the neck with his other hand and lifted her off the ground.

[What did you just say?!]

“Ugh…!”

The Ice Elf struggled against his grip, choking.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, Quay didn’t panic.

Suho’s purpose in entering this perilous place was twofold: to find clues about the Itarim and his mother.

Given the circumstances, this situation was favorable.

Then, the Ice Elf uttered something shocking.

“You… you also… know the Shadow Monarch…!”

[…!]

Quay’s eyes narrowed sharply.

At that moment, the blizzard carried the sound of more figures approaching from all directions.

They were likely the Ice Elf’s companions.

There was no time for conversation.

‘Thwack!’

Quay struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

He slung the limp elf over his shoulder and flew into the blizzard, vanishing into the storm.

He had only one goal: to deliver her to his master.

—

“…You’re saying she asked if I know the Shadow Monarch?”

After hearing Quay’s report, Suho examined the unconscious Ice Elf.

Fortunately, she wasn’t dead, though her complexion was pale from Quay’s attack and the effects of Kasaka’s Venom.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll have to keep her alive for now.”

Suho commanded his shadow soldiers to scout for a nearby cave where they could shelter from the blizzard.

[Master, I have found one. Please follow me.]

Quay was the first to return and guided Suho to the location.

Sure enough, it was a small cave that seemed to be an Ice Kobold’s nest.

After dealing with the kobolds that attacked upon entering, Suho made himself comfortable in the space.

‘Clink.’

[‘Item: Campfire Set’ has been purchased.]

A camping kit with dry firewood and kindling appeared before Suho. The store seemed to sell just about everything.

[Allow me to tend the fire, my liege. Please rest.]

Beru eagerly picked up a fan and began stoking the fire.

‘Crackle!’

In no time, the flames roared to life, casting a warm glow in the cave.

Suho sat by the fire, laying the unconscious Ice Elf beside him.

[‘Item: Intermediate Healing Potion’ has been purchased.]

As Suho prepared the potion, Quay spoke with a tone of concern.

[Master, are you sure this is wise? Ice Elves are hostile beasts. She may attack you as soon as she regains consciousness.]

“Yeah, that’s why I’m only healing her injuries while leaving the poison intact.”

[As expected! An excellent decision.]

A healing potion wouldn’t cure the venom. With Kasaka’s Venom still in her system, the Ice Elf would be significantly weaker even after waking up.

[The Queen of Insects and Monarch of Plagues expresses satisfaction with the venom’s utility in subduing prisoners.]

Suho forced the Ice Elf’s mouth open and poured the potion in.

“…Cough, cough!”

“Swallow it if you want to live.”

The Ice Elf, still half-conscious, drank the potion, and her wounds began to heal gradually.

When she finally regained full consciousness—

“……”

The Ice Elf opened her eyes and immediately understood her situation.

‘Thunk.’

Quay’s menacing black spear was pressed against her neck, radiating a chilling aura.

On either side of her stood two massive Shadow Minotaurs, exuding an overwhelming and terrifying presence.

[Make a wrong move, and you die.]

Quay’s threatening voice echoed, but oddly, the Ice Elf didn’t appear startled or afraid.

Instead, she looked around, almost as if relieved, scanning her surroundings as if searching for someone.

“What are you looking for?”

Startled, the Ice Elf turned to Suho, her rabbit-like eyes wide with surprise.

Then, with a peculiar expression, she stared intently at Suho’s face.

“How can you speak our language?”

Whether it was due to his innate nature or the system, Suho could communicate with beasts. But that wasn’t the important issue now.

The Ice Elf, realizing she had no time to waste, began speaking rapidly to Suho.

“Perfect! My name is Sirka, the Guardian of the Baruka Tribe!”

“……”

“And more importantly, Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo! What’s your connection to him that you’re traveling with shadow soldiers?”

Hearing his father’s name mentioned out of the blue, Suho wasn’t startled but became more cautious.

[…I don’t sense any presence of the Itarim.]

At Beru’s whispered observation, Suho nodded calmly.

Even so, he wasn’t about to divulge information about his father so readily.

‘I need to extract as much information from her as possible first.’

While Suho carefully considered his next words, Sirka, who had been watching him intently, suddenly widened her eyes as if realizing something.

“…Huh?”

“What?”

“Wait a moment. Could it be…?”

“…?”

Confused by Sirka’s reaction, Suho furrowed his brows as she continued to scrutinize his face with an increasingly astonished expression.

“Huh? Huh? You really look like…!”

“Look like who?”

Suho asked, countless thoughts racing through his mind.

‘Could she be an enemy of my father? If she saw him during the war, it’s no surprise that I’d resemble him…’

But his guess was far off the mark.

Sirka, who had been sniffing Suho’s scent as if to confirm something, suddenly pointed at his face and shouted,

“That’s it! You look just like her! You’re Cha-cha’s son!”

“…Cha-cha?”

Suho’s expression froze in confusion.

But what Sirka said next stopped Suho in his tracks.

“Yes, Cha-cha! Cha Hae-in!”

“…!”

[…!]

Both Suho and Beru’s eyes widened in shock.

Seeing their reactions, Sirka burst into laughter, clapping her hands gleefully.

“Yes! That’s right! I’ve heard so much about you from Cha-cha! Your name is Suho, right? Sung Suho!”

“You… You know my mother?”

“Know her? She’s my friend! Cha-cha is the savior of us Ice Elves!”

Even Suho, who rarely lost his composure, struggled to stay calm. Not only did this strange being suddenly claim to be his mother’s friend, but she also made an even stranger statement.

“My mother… is the savior of the Ice Elves?”

“Exactly! The Dragon Priestess, Cha-cha—Cha Hae-in—is our savior.”

“Dragon Priestess? What on earth…?”

Suho frowned as he processed the peculiar title given to his mother, who had been missing for five years.

[Hold on a moment.]

In the midst of the confusion, Beru suddenly spoke, realization dawning on him.

[My liege, I believe I know when Cha Hae-in disappeared.]

Beru vividly recalled the moment when the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo, and the shadow soldiers had fully joined the war against the Outer Gods.

[…It was on their 16th wedding anniversary.]

On that day, the two had been riding the Shadow Wyvern Kaisel, enjoying a leisurely date in the sky.

And then…

[Sung Jinwoo presented her with a special necklace crafted by the masterful bearded dwarves.]

The necklace was a stunning piece, gleaming in the sunlight—a special gift for their 16th anniversary.

While the shadow soldiers secretly cheered on their master’s romantic gesture, the couple’s lips drew closer.

[And then he said,]

-“Honey, head back first. I’ll follow shortly.”

Cha Hae-in, who had regained her forgotten memories of the Shadow Monarch’s past, understood what such words meant.

-“You’ll come back soon, right?”

Sung Jinwoo silently nodded and gave Kaisel an order: to safely escort his beloved wife, Cha Hae-in, back home.

As Kaisel soared away, taking her further from him, Jinwoo gazed after her retreating figure with longing.

Then, he turned.

And with ferocious eyes, he glared at the blue mist seeping out from the twisted, fractured dimensions of space.

[Great power often acts as a magnet, drawing forth unspeakable horrors from other realms.]

And so, the dimensional rift spilling the blue mist began to multiply rapidly.

Hundreds, thousands—possibly more.

[…That was the beginning of the Outer War.]