Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 126
At the same time…
‘Whoooosh!’
[W-what is this?!]
Beru’s antennae twitched nervously as he turned toward Suho in alarm.
[Young Lord! The forest is trembling violently!]
An enormous magical storm erupted from deep within the forest, sending shockwaves that dwarfed the previous blizzards. The force was so intense that Suho’s Shadow Soldiers were flung backward.
Suho quickly recalled all his Shadow Soldiers into his shadow except for Mino and Tau, then shouted.
“Mino! Tau!”
[Moooorgh!]
At Suho’s command, Mino and Tau grabbed Suho and Sirka with one arm each and slammed their massive fists into the ground.
‘Boom!’
Their powerful arms anchored themselves deep into the snow-covered earth like ancient roots, shielding Suho and Sirka from the raging magical storm. Suho squinted into the blizzard, his sharp gaze trying to pierce the chaos.
“What’s happening all of a sudden?”
[It seems a tremendous clash of power has occurred far ahead!]
Beru clung to Suho’s head, his eyes fixed on the same direction.
“The spirits are panicking!”
As Sirka noted, the storm appeared unrelated to the Echo Forest spirits.
The real problem was that this storm wasn’t a one-time event—it was ongoing. Coupled with the relentless blizzard, it made advancing almost impossible.
But Suho wasn’t about to stop.
“Maybe my mother is beyond this storm.”
[I believe so as well.]
“Then we’re going through it.”
[Moooooorgh!]
[Waaaaaaargh!]
Mino and Tau roared in determination, channeling every ounce of their strength. With Suho and Sirka secured in their arms, they crouched low and began crawling forward, inch by inch.
Though their progress was slow, the magical storm seemed to have interrupted the spirits’ attacks, making their advance oddly smoother.
As they pressed on, Sirka suddenly sniffed the air.
“Suho, there’s a strange smell nearby.”
“What kind of smell?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been this deep into the forest before. But… it smells warm somehow.”
“A warm smell? What kind of description is that?”
Warmth in this freezing environment? Suho was skeptical at first but quickly reconsidered.
The Ice Elves weren’t human—they could perceive things humans couldn’t.
This thought triggered a memory in Suho’s mind.
[Quest: Spring of Echo Forest]
Somewhere in Echo Forest lies a mysterious spring.
Find the spring and claim your reward.
‘…I ignored it because finding my mother was the priority.’
Since receiving the quest, Suho hadn’t given it much thought. His sole focus in the Glacier Dungeon was finding clues about his mother. Spending time on a quest with no clear timeline seemed pointless.
‘And in this cold, wouldn’t a spring be frozen solid anyway? How am I supposed to find something buried under snow?’
But then a possibility occurred to him.
‘What if the spring doesn’t freeze in this cold?’
A warm smell.
In this frigid environment, anything radiating warmth had to be extraordinary.
‘A hot spring.’
If it was a thermal spring formed by underground heat, it would remain unfrozen even in this freezing environment.
“Where’s the smell coming from?”
“Let me focus… The scent is mixed with the magical storm, so I can’t be certain, but…”
Sirka furrowed her brow and sniffed again.
“I can’t gauge the distance, but it’s definitely in the direction we’re heading.”
“Good. If it’s on the way, we’ll run into it eventually.”
Satisfied, Suho nodded and pressed forward.
Moments later, the hot spring came into view.
In the middle of the frozen wilderness, steam rose gently from the water, creating a breathtakingly serene and mysterious scene.
Oddly, as they approached the spring, the raging magical storm seemed to weaken.
“So there really is a hot spring,” Suho remarked flatly.
But he wasn’t impressed. His only priority was finding his mother, and he had no interest in sightseeing.
‘The quest reward is probably insignificant if the difficulty is this low.’
He recalled how underwhelming the reward had been for the Kasaka quest due to its simplicity.
However, Sirka’s reaction to the spring was entirely different. Her face was pale with shock.
“My goodness! This is…!”
Recognizing the energy emanating from the spring, Sirka was visibly shaken.
“I can sense the presence of Shilad! Could this be… Shilad’s…”
“Shilad? Who’s that?”
Swallowing nervously, Sirka looked Suho in the eye with a grave expression.
“…Shilad, the King of Yetis and Monarch of Frost.”
“…!”
[Kyaaaak?]
“This place… This must have been where our king resided before his death.”
Suho and Beru exchanged stunned glances.
It wasn’t surprising in hindsight. Echo Forest was the sacred ground of the Ice Elves. It made sense that a place connected to the Monarch of Frost would be here.
—
Ding!
[You have obtained: Item – Spring Water of Echo Forest.]
[Quest completed.]
As Suho purchased an empty potion bottle from the shop and filled it with the spring water, the quest was instantly completed.
Though the recent quests seemed far too easy, Suho realized something. This quest hadn’t been as simple as it appeared. Reaching this point required surviving the dangers of Echo Forest, the spirits, and the storm.
It wasn’t the difficulty—it was the journey.
Wandering aimlessly in this harsh environment to find an unknown spring…
That was exactly why Suho had ignored the quest at first.
[Quest reward has arrived.]
[Would you like to check the reward?] (Y/N)
Before checking the reward, Suho decided to examine the [Item: Spring Water of Echo Forest] first.
[Item: Spring Water of Echo Forest]
– Acquisition Difficulty: ??
– Type: Consumable
– A mysterious spring water from Echo Forest.
– Drinking or applying it neutralizes toxins.
“So, it’s essentially a detox potion.”
The so-called “mysterious spring water” turned out to have a toxin-neutralizing effect.
While interesting, it wasn’t particularly useful for Suho, who already had Plague’s Blessing, which provided immunity to poisons.
However, that opinion changed the moment Suho checked the quest reward.
[The following reward is available:]
Reward: Rune Stone – Creation of the Elixir of Life
“Huh? A skill to create the Elixir of Life?”
The skill name alone was extraordinary.
Beru, who immediately recognized its significance, spoke with astonishment.
[Young Lord! The Elixir of Life is…]
Sometimes, rather than listening to an explanation, it’s faster to check the item directly.
Ignoring Beru for now, Suho shattered the rune stone and acquired the skill.
Ding!
[You have acquired the skill: Creation of the Elixir of Life.]
A new [Crafting Skill] tab appeared at the bottom of Suho’s skill window.
[Crafting Skill]
– Consumable: Elixir of Life (1/3)
Curious, Suho focused on the [Elixir of Life], and its details appeared.
[Item: Elixir of Life]
– Acquisition Difficulty: S
– Type: Consumable
– A miraculous potion infused with powerful magic that cures all diseases.
– Full effects are achieved only when consumed entirely.
“Cures all diseases?!”
[Indeed, Young Lord. The Elixir of Life is a legendary potion, far beyond mere healing potions.]
Beru nodded solemnly, agreeing with Suho’s now wide-eyed expression.
Suho’s initial dismissal of the quest had been replaced by serious contemplation.
And rightly so.
When healers first emerged after the Cataclysm, they had garnered immense attention from the world.
A skill that could heal others—such a miraculous ability far exceeded the capabilities of modern medicine.
But even the best healers had limits.
Exceptional healers could mend fatal injuries, but only a rare few had such prowess. Even S-rank healers couldn’t cure every ailment.
“But this potion… it cures all diseases? It’s practically the elixir of immortality! Well, maybe not immortality.”
[Immortality is overrated. After all, one could simply become a Shadow Soldier upon death…]
“Anyway, I need to gather as much of this as possible. But what are the other ingredients?”
Suho checked the materials required for the Elixir of Life.
[Elixir of Life]
– Ingredients:
– Purified Blood of the Demon King (0/1)
– Fragment of the World Tree (0/1)
– Spring Water of Echo Forest (1/1)
“The Purified Blood of the Demon King? The Fragment of the World Tree?”
The absurd names of the materials left Suho incredulous.
It turned out that the Spring Water of Echo Forest was the easiest material to obtain.
The World Tree’s location was unknown, and the Demon King’s blood required the death of a demonic monarch.
“I thought the Demon King was already dead. How am I supposed to get this blood?”
[I have an idea.]
Beru’s eyes gleamed with a sinister expression.
[We could crown Esil as the Demon King and extract the blood from her.]
“Huh. That could work.”
Suho nodded, agreeing with the twisted suggestion.
Esil was the only remaining demon noble and the most likely candidate to become a new Demon King.
Though it was uncertain if Esil had the potential to ascend, she was undoubtedly the best option available.
Now only one material remained.
“If I can find the World Tree, I’ll be able to create the Elixir of Life.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Soldiers were diligently collecting the Spring Water of Echo Forest into empty potion bottles as per Suho’s orders.
Lingering in the forest for too long was not an option—they needed to hurry.
While Suho focused on preparations, Sirka wandered around the hot spring, marveling at the aura of the Monarch of Frost.
Then, suddenly…
“…”
Sirka’s eyes became unfocused, her gaze turning blank.
Her expression mirrored the Ice Elves who had been possessed by the spirits of Echo Forest. Slowly, as if in a trance, Sirka began walking toward the spring.
By the time Suho noticed, it was already too late.
“What are you doing? You’ll just get colder if you—”
‘Splash.’
Sirka stepped into the steaming spring.
‘Whoooosh!’
In an instant, a radiant light burst from her body, illuminating the entire area.