Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 142
‘Why? Is there a problem? You’re the Beast Monarch, aren’t you? Snakes are beasts too.’
[…Hmm. Fine.]
At Suho’s words, Rakan let out a brief groan before eventually nodding.
[For now, even that worthless snake venom might be useful to him.]
With a dissatisfied expression, Rakan stared at the empty space in front of Suho.
Flash!
Suddenly, two swords floated in front of Suho.
[Item: Rakan’s Fang]
– Acquisition Difficulty: ??
– Type: Sword
– Attack Power: +60
– Description: A sword crafted from the fangs of Rakan, the Beast Monarch.
Rakan’s lingering spirit resides within it, and those of lower caliber who wield it may have their bodies taken over.
– Effect: “Contempt for the Weak” – Instills fear in the designated target for 1 minute. (All stats -50%)
– Effect: “Fatal Wound” – 20% chance to deal damage exceeding three times the normal amount.
[Item: Kasaka’s Venom Fang]
– Acquisition Difficulty: C
– Type: Dagger
– Attack Power: +25
– Description: A dagger crafted from Kasaka’s fang.
Retains traces of Kasaka’s venom, granting paralysis and bleeding effects upon attack.
Can be stored in the inventory or sold at a shop.
– Effect: “Paralysis” – The attacked target has a chance of being unable to move.
– Effect: “Bleeding” – The attacked target loses 1% HP per second for a set duration.
Since Suho had acquired two of Vulcan’s Horn, these weapons had been left sitting in his inventory.
Even after reviewing their item details again, it seemed unlikely he would ever take them out in the future.
Suho smiled in satisfaction.
‘I was thinking of selling them at the shop, but I ended up recycling them like this.’
[Recycling? My relics were meant to be used for this purpose in the first place.]
‘Oh, really?’
Rakan’s words triggered a memory in Suho’s mind.
Back in the Beast Sanctuary, when he first touched Rakan’s Fang, the sword had constantly echoed a single message.
—Prove yourself worthy of becoming king!
In truth, Rakan’s Fang was, more precisely, Rakan’s milk teeth.
As Rakan grew, his fangs naturally fell out, and the lower tribes took them and enshrined them as sacred relics.
Their purpose was clear—to find Rakan’s successor.
It was a contingency plan, prepared in case Rakan perished in the war against the Sovereigns.
This was why those of insufficient caliber who touched Rakan’s Fang would have their bodies taken over.
[And the reason my spirit resides in my relic is to serve as a guide, ensuring that my successor grows even stronger.]
‘Stronger, huh? What, do you stick around and nag them or something?’
[Something like that. You understand well.]
‘Well, I already have someone like that by my side.’
Suho naturally thought of Beru.
Though Beru didn’t directly assist in battles, he constantly pushed Suho to recognize his weaknesses and improve.
His words were never meant to mock or belittle him.
Rather, Beru knew.
He understood the true strength of a Monarch.
He knew what real power meant.
Similarly, the spirit dwelling within Rakan’s Fang would likely serve a similar role for Gray.
Having finished his explanation, Rakan smirked and looked at Suho.
[In any case, I’m always grateful to you. Gray has grown enough to accept my relic thanks to you alone.]
Then, he reached out with both hands and grasped the two floating swords.
Flash!
The moment he touched them, the two swords dissolved into silver dust and scattered.
Before Suho’s eyes, countless system messages appeared.
Ding! Ding!
[Gray has equipped Item: Rakan’s Fang.]
[Gray has equipped Item: Kasaka’s Venom Fang.]
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Gray has learned Skill: Contempt for the Weak.]
[Gray has learned Skill: Fatal Wound.]
[Gray has learned Skill: Paralysis.]
[Gray has learned Skill: Bleeding.]
‘Wow. Now this is amazing.’
Suho couldn’t help but be impressed.
The weapon effects had directly converted into Gray’s skills.
Just by using these properly, Gray could now play a major role in battle.
‘This is the perfect form of recycling!’
[Hmph. I told you, it’s not recycling. Anyway, it’s time for you to return to your world.]
Rakan sighed, still wearing a slightly displeased expression, and sent Suho back to reality.
[Take good care of Gray from now on.]
Swoosh!
“…Kuuung?”
As Suho regained consciousness in the real world, he saw Gray, the small wolf, staring up at him with wide, surprised eyes.
The sudden surge of new power in his body had startled him.
‘At least he still looks the same. No, wait—his fangs seem a bit sharper?’
But appearances weren’t important.
[Gray Lv.50]
Fanged Wolf
Gray’s level had increased.
By 15 whole levels!
Of course, this kind of growth wasn’t simply because he had absorbed the weapons’ power.
‘It must be because Rakan’s spirit has fused with him.’
A true inheritance of strength.
Just like how Sirka had inherited the Frozen Tree Spear from the Monarch of Frost, this situation felt quite similar.
“…So, do you have a way to hide this wolf’s mana or not?”
At that moment, Kang Taesik, who had been watching, asked again.
Suho grinned and turned to Gray.
“Gray, can you do it?”
“Kuuung.”
At his words, Gray perked his ears and lowered his body to the ground.
Rakan’s spirit inside him was guiding him on how to suppress his energy.
And then—
“…Unbelievable. It actually worked?”
Kang Taesik’s eyes widened in shock.
The overwhelming mana presence they had felt from Gray had vanished without a trace.
It was as if he had never possessed such power in the first place.
Awe filled Kang Taesik’s voice.
“For something that looks so small, this is quite the impressive summon. This will make things a lot easier.”
As he said, with this ability, they now held an absolute advantage against the villains they were about to face.
The enemy had no way of identifying them, yet they now had the means to track their foes.
“Then let’s move.”
“Yeah. Lead the way.”
“Kuuuong!”
With Gray taking the lead, Suho and Kang Taesik finally set foot in Yamiri Village.
Gray perked his ears and sniffed the air confidently as he tracked the villains’ scent.
Yet, to any observer, he looked just like a small dog enjoying a casual walk—completely unassuming.
His small size and unthreatening appearance made it seem perfectly natural, even though he wasn’t wearing a leash.
“…The village is too quiet.”
Kang Taesik’s sharp eyes scanned the eerie surroundings.
The entire area felt like a desolate ruin.
He muttered to Suho in a hushed voice.
“Listen as we walk. This area has always been surrounded by military bases.”
That was, of course, due to Pocheon’s proximity to North Korea.
“Of course, now that all of North Korea has turned into a monster field, there’s no need to guard against their army anymore.”
“I heard that since last year, the troops here have been reassigned to defend against the northern monsters.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You’ve done your research. But right now, in this place…”
“I don’t see any soldiers.”
Being in a garrisoned zone, it was normal to see a few soldiers on leave wandering around.
Yet Yamiri Village was unnaturally silent—not a single soldier in sight.
“It’s because of the Association.”
Kang Taesik explained.
“When Woo Jin-Cheol, the Association President, went on a mission to aid the north, the government sent all the military forces in this area along with him.”
“Even the non-Awakened soldiers?”
“Yeah. Even Hunters are still human. They need to eat during battle, keep watch when camping… You never know when or where the beasts might strike.”
In short, the soldiers were assigned to handle all miscellaneous tasks, so the Association Hunters could focus solely on fighting the monsters.
“Because of that, this village’s economy collapsed last year. It used to be filled with restaurants and shops catering to soldiers.”
Most of the businesses in sight were now temporarily closed.
But it wasn’t completely empty.
“The convenience store is still open.”
Coincidentally, Gray was already headed toward it.
Ding-dong!
As they stepped inside, a bright voice greeted them.
“Welcome!”
“Kururung!”
Flash!
Before anyone could react, Suho and Kang Taesik lunged at the store clerk.
“W-What the hell?! Why are you attacking me?!”
The part-timer, suddenly having both arms twisted behind his back, flailed in panic.
Kang Taesik smirked and rolled up the man’s pant leg.
There it was—a tracking anklet.
“Your acting sucks. Since when do part-timers greet customers so enthusiastically these days?”
“…!”
The clerk’s once-friendly smile twisted into a demonic sneer.
“Shit! Everyone, get out here!”
The moment he shouted, three villains burst out from the store’s storage room and unleashed flames toward Suho and Kang Taesik.
Fwoosh!
Without hesitation, Kang Taesik slit the captured villain’s throat with his dagger.
“…!”
He then grabbed the headless corpse and used it as a shield against the flames.
Boom!
“Kill them!”
“They’re bounty hunters!”
“It’s just two of them!”
Crash! Boom!
Fireballs exploded all around, shattering shelves and breaking fluorescent lights.
The raging flames quickly spread.
But despite their words, the villains were already trying to flee amidst the chaos.
“Don’t let them escape!”
Kang Taesik shouted and charged toward them, slashing wildly with dual daggers.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
“Sh-Shield!”
One villain hastily deployed a transparent barrier to block the incoming attacks.
But—
“Kururung!”
He never noticed.
Amidst the confusion, a small wolf had crept behind him.
Without a sound, Gray lunged forward and sank his fangs into the man’s Achilles tendon.
“Arghhh!”
[Effect: Fatal Wound has been activated.]
[Effect: Bleeding has been activated.]
[Target loses 1% HP per second.]
The man screamed and kicked at Gray in panic.
“You little rat!”
But Gray effortlessly dodged, then sank his fangs into another villain’s thigh.
“Ugh?!”
[Effect: Paralysis has been activated.]
Thud!
The second villain suddenly collapsed, his legs going limp.
“Your summon is pretty damn useful.”
Kang Taesik whistled in admiration as he sidestepped the shield and finished off the paralyzed target first.
Slash!
“…!”
Another head flew.
Slice!
And then another.
“They’re weak. Too weak.”
Kang Taesik wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand, his lips curling into a cruel smile.
“What kind of idiot tries to become a villain at D-rank?”
He then turned toward Suho, who had yet to make a move.
“Why are you just standing there? Is this your first time seeing someone die?”
“O-Oh, no… Please, don’t…!”
One villain, crouched behind a transparent shield, trembled in terror.
His ankle, bitten by Gray, continued bleeding uncontrollably.
“What? You actually feel bad for him?”
Kang Taesik smirked, casually approaching Suho.
Behind him, flames roared, engulfing the remains of the store.
But to an Awakened, this level of fire was no threat.
“You won’t last as a bounty hunter with that soft heart…”
Just then—
Ssssssshh.
The bodies of the decapitated villains suddenly rose to their feet—
—And lunged at Kang Taesik from behind.