Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 121

The beginning of the Outer War.

At the time, Sung Jinwoo led his soldiers into the far reaches of the universe to fight the enemies of the Outer Gods, launching an all-out assault.

[And on that day…]

Recalling the fierce battle of that time, Beru continued to speak calmly.

[The wyvern Kaisel, who had departed carrying Lady Cha Hae-in, never returned. Even after all these years.]

At the time, Sung Jinwoo had ordered Kaisel to safely escort Cha Hae-in back home.

But despite the command, Kaisel, who had set off, never returned to the Shadow Legion, even after an extended period.

Sung Jinwoo, however, hadn’t been overly concerned about this at the time.

The Shadow Monarch and his forces had already ventured too far from Earth in their campaign against the Outer Gods.

When the distance between dimensions grew too vast, the connection with shadow soldiers would weaken and eventually break, as was the case with Beru now.

[As you know, my liege, summoning shadow soldiers is essentially like creating a ‘gate.’ Soldiers waiting in the Shadow World are called into this dimension through dimensional gates.]

But creating these gates meant piercing the barriers between dimensions.

[When the distance between dimensions becomes too great, the gates can no longer connect directly. The soldiers must traverse countless dimensional walls and travel through the rifts themselves.]

This was evident during the now-erased timeline of the Monarchs’ War.

Even those powerful rulers had taken years to arrive on Earth from their respective dimensions.

Thus, during those years, the Monarchs who arrived early had been preparing for the war on Earth.

Likewise, the Outer War dimension was currently far, far away from Earth.

Having heard Beru’s explanation, Suho’s expression grew grim.

“Then… has my mother been…?”

[Yes, it seems Lady Cha Hae-in encountered an unforeseen accident while traveling on Kaisel. She likely became entangled in a dimensional rift and was unable to return home.]

An unforeseen accident.

It was an incident neither Cha Hae-in nor the wyvern Kaisel could have avoided.

[…At the time, the entire sky was riddled with dimensional rifts.]

Beru nodded solemnly, his expression heavy.

But contrary to their serious discussion, Sirka, who had been listening, nodded with a bright expression.

“That’s right! That’s why Kaisel always guards Cha-cha’s side! That’s why she’s called the Dragon Priestess!”

Hearing this, Suho turned to Sirka and asked bluntly,

“Then where is my mom… I mean, where is my mother now?”

The words “my mom” felt foreign as they escaped Suho’s mouth. His voice wavered slightly, catching in his throat.

—

‘Whooooosh—’

Stepping out of the cave, the blizzard infused with mana roared around them, obscuring everything in sight.

Yet, despite the harsh conditions, Ice Elf Sirka led the way with ease.

“Just follow me. I’ll guide you to where my tribe lives.”

“……”

Walking silently behind Sirka, Suho’s face was clouded with thoughts.

Meanwhile, Sirka, having heard so much about Cha Hae-in’s son, wore an ever-present, cheerful smile.

“I was born in this forest. For us Ice Elves, this kind of weather is just normal.”

To prove her point, Sirka navigated the blizzard effortlessly, her steps light and precise.

She even hopped across the thick snow with an agility that seemed playful.

In contrast, Suho’s steps often sank deep into the snow.

Noticing this, Sirka turned back and laughed.

“You really are just like Cha-cha! She used to sink into the snow just like you! Try spreading your mana thinly across the soles of your feet.”

“Spread mana over my feet?”

“Yup. Cha-cha struggled at first too, but she got the hang of it quickly. Since you’re her son, I’m sure you’ll manage too.”

But the mischievous glint in Sirka’s eyes betrayed her playful intent.

Her expression resembled that of an adult watching a child learn to walk for the first time, full of amusement.

‘The truth is, Cha-cha didn’t learn it that fast either.’

Although Sirka called it a trick, this technique wasn’t easy for anyone outside the Ice Elf race.

Cha Hae-in had trained relentlessly to master it.

It required meticulous, precise mana control embedded into every step.

“The trick is simple.”

Sirka, her lips curling into a sly grin, continued to instruct Suho.

“We Ice Elves learn to crawl on this snow before we even walk. At first, we instinctively spread mana all over our bodies to move, and then we gradually refine and reduce the distribution until—”

“Ah, like this. I get it now.”

“Huh?”

Sirka’s face froze in surprise.

Before she could finish her explanation, Suho was already standing comfortably atop the thick snow.

“What? Did I do something wrong?”

“Ahem. It’s still a bit clumsy.”

Trying to maintain her dignity, Sirka pointed at the snow beneath Suho’s feet.

“See? The snow is still slightly compressed. Ideally, you shouldn’t leave any footprints at all, like me.”

“No footprints?”

Turning to look at Sirka’s path, Suho noticed something remarkable.

‘She’s right! Only my footprints are visible!’

Walking on snow without leaving a trace—it was a fascinating skill.

“Looks like I’ve got some work to do,” Suho muttered as he noticed his shortcomings. Sirka let out a sigh of relief, crossing her arms smugly.

“That’s right. It might be a bit tough at first, but if you keep practicing—”

“Oh, so that’s how it’s done.”

“…….”

Before she could finish speaking, Suho had already managed to leave no footprints in the snow.

[Skill: Elf’s Footsteps has been acquired.]

‘A new skill?’

Suho’s eyes lit up with intrigue. For something Sirka had described as a mere trick, it seemed surprisingly advanced.

Sirka, momentarily at a loss for words, stared at Suho blankly.

“…No wonder Cha-cha couldn’t stop bragging about her son.”

“My mother?”

Suho tilted his head in confusion.

“My mother bragged about me? That doesn’t sound like her.”

Hearing stories about his mother from Sirka always felt strange to Suho.

After all, the Cha Hae-in he knew wasn’t the type to give excessive praise, let alone go around boasting about her child.

If anything…

‘She always wanted me to live a normal life.’

That “normal life” his mother always emphasized…

Looking back, Suho’s childhood was the epitome of ordinary.

While he was physically stronger than most of his peers, everything else about him was remarkably average.

That was how his childhood had been.

‘And my parents seemed oddly pleased about it.’

Perhaps seeing their content expressions made Suho even more determined to live an unassuming life.

At the time, he had accepted it as normal. But now, thinking back, it felt rather unusual.

Most parents would feel proud if their child excelled in anything compared to others.

[Well, it was… a reflection of your parents’ wish for you to enjoy a peaceful, ordinary life—]

Beru, who had suddenly chimed in, began reminiscing about Suho’s childhood.

But the moment was cut short.

“We’re here.”

Their footsteps stopped, and a breathtaking view unfolded before them.

This was the village of the Ice Elves.

But what immediately captured their attention was the massive, beautiful ice sculpture standing at the village’s entrance.

And shockingly, the figure carved into the ice was…

“My mother?”

[Lady Hae-in?!]

Both Suho and Beru’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The ice sculpture depicted none other than Cha Hae-in and the shadow wyvern Kaisel.

—

Five years earlier.

The shadow wyvern Kaisel, carrying Cha Hae-in home, was unable to safely deliver her to the ground.

A dimensional rift, expanding chaotically due to the Itarim’s invasion, had appeared in their path.

‘Kwoooosh!’

A sudden and powerful dimensional storm forced Kaisel to falter, veering sharply.

“Kyah!”

Cha Hae-in, who was still just a regular human at the time, clung tightly to Kaisel’s back, screaming as the wyvern struggled.

Though Kaisel did everything in its power to keep her from falling, once they were caught in a dimensional rift, escape was impossible.

Turning back was also not an option, as an intense battle raged in the direction they had come from.

In that moment, Kaisel recalled the command Sung Jinwoo had given him:

‘Return Cha Hae-in safely home.’

Cha Hae-in’s safety.

Having served Sung Jinwoo for so long, Kaisel knew better than anyone just how much her safety meant to his master.

Remembering this, Kaisel made a bold decision.

The wyvern dove straight into the dimensional rift.

There was no other choice.

They would either be dragged into the rift or enter it willingly.

By diving in voluntarily, at least they could choose which rift to enter.

And so, Kaisel directed them toward the most stable rift, prioritizing Cha Hae-in’s safety.

Beyond the rift, they saw it:

A fierce blizzard raging.

A stunning, frozen forest beneath it.

—

“…That’s how Cha-cha came to the forest where we live.”

Recalling that day, Sirka gazed dreamily at the ice sculpture of Cha Hae-in.

When Cha Hae-in emerged from the dimensional rift…

When she arrived in the frozen forest…

When she encountered the Ice Elves…

She awakened a power she had long forgotten.

The tremendous strength of an S-rank Hunter.

The formidable power that had made her one of the strongest in Korea.

“And she saved our tribe.”

“From who?”

“From the ice spirits of the Echoing Forest.”

The Echoing Forest.

A sacred yet deadly place where even Ice Elves never returned alive once they set foot in it.

Just then—

‘Ding!’

[A quest has arrived.]

A system message appeared before Suho.