Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 29

Though there was a minor (or not so minor) incident…

After that, the post-battle cleanup proceeded smoothly.

The Association hunters quickly realized that Su-ho wasn’t a demon, and they followed his lead to the factory.

“…But where are all the demons?”

When they arrived at the factory, they only found traces of battle—there wasn’t a single demon in sight.

With the hunters’ puzzled gazes fixed on him, Su-ho wore an awkward expression.

“Haha. I guess they must have all fled by now?”

[Burp.]

Beru let out a loud burp nearby, but no one seemed to suspect anything.

They just assumed the summon was the size of a stuffed toy.

“Hmm. They must have sensed we were coming and fled.”

“Well, we did get here pretty quickly. We responded immediately after receiving the report.”

[Burp.]

Beru picked his teeth openly beside them, but no one seemed suspicious.

His stomach bulged, but they just assumed he had a naturally big belly.

“At least we secured the scene. That’s a relief.”

Actually, this alone was a huge success.

They had found the factory where Star Dust was being made for the first time.

Most importantly, they had uncovered the shocking fact that human lives were being sacrificed in the production process.

“Thank you very much.”

A little later, outside the field, the Association hunters gathered everyone present, including Su-ho and Instructor Im, and expressed their gratitude.

“Thanks to your report, we can prevent many future crimes. From here on, the Hunter Association and police hunters will do their utmost to investigate.”

And they added one more thing.

“There will also be a reward for your efforts.”

Apparently, there was a small reward for those who reported crimes.

‘Nice. I’ll use this money to buy some meat for the hungry ones.’

Su-ho nodded, thinking of the alien species he had left in the Shadow Dungeon.

Whether they were the last descendants of the Fang Clan or the sole surviving demon noble, to Su-ho, they were just hungry refugees.

* * *

…When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Ugh…”

“Team Leader, are you feeling okay?”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk sat up from the bed, his body stiff.

White walls and the smell of disinfectant.

It was a hospital.

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk looked at his subordinate with a bewildered expression.

“Why am I here?”

“Don’t you remember? You fainted, Team Leader.”

“Fainted?”

“Yes, from a single punch.”

“Oh.”

Only then did a memory flash through his mind.

‘That crow mask!’

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk urgently got up and shouted.

“What about the demon! What happened to the demon?!”

“That person wasn’t a demon.”

“What? Not a demon?”

“No. The hunter we were looking for was that person.”

“…?”

Seeing Han Jae-hyuk’s confused expression, his subordinate sighed deeply.

“So, it was all a misunderstanding on our part.”

The subordinate explained everything that had happened while he was unconscious.

Suddenly, Han Jae-hyuk’s expression hardened.

“…What? What did you just say?”

“What?”

“You said a Summoner? Who is a Summoner?”

“Who else? The hunter who knocked you out with one punch.”

“What?”

Apparently, he hadn’t misheard.

An incredulous look appeared on Han Jae-hyuk’s face.

“You’re telling me I got knocked out by a Summoner? Me, Han Jae-hyuk?”

“Yes. So, please don’t underestimate anyone in the future and use your skills right away.”

“I-I did use them!”

“What? What did you use?”

“I told you, I used my skill!”

At this point, his subordinate also looked bewildered.

“Then why did you faint? You’re a C-rank Tanker, Team Leader.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“So, you’re telling me that even after using your skills, you got knocked out in one punch? Does that make any sense? That person was an E-rank Hunter.”

“E-rank? Are you kidding me?”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk glared at his subordinate with a stern expression.

But the subordinate just shrugged casually.

“Why would I joke about this after a good meal? I even checked his Hunter license, and he really was E-rank. His name was… Sung Su-ho?”

“Sung Su-ho?”

Hearing the name, a face flashed in Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk’s mind.

Coincidentally, not long ago, he had conducted a magic power measurement for a rookie E-rank Hunter named Sung Su-ho.

‘It can’t be…’

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“…!”

“I’m not a mind reader, you know. I was with you that time. The E-rank hero from the Korean University Dungeon, Sung Su-ho, is the one who knocked you out, Team Leader.”

“R-Really? That college student? How?”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk looked incredulous.

But his subordinate replied nonchalantly.

“It must have been a measurement error. Otherwise, how could someone who knocked you out, even after using your skill, be just an E-rank Hunter? I’d say he’s at least C-rank.”

“Geez, you always have to… And who got knocked out?”

“Anyway, I apologized on your behalf and told him to visit the Association again for a re-measurement. Alright, briefing on what happened while you were unconscious is over.”

“….”

“Well, I’ll be off then.”

“….”

The damaged pride wouldn’t easily return.

As his subordinate left immediately after finishing his work, Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk mumbled in frustration, watching his back.

“Kids these days…”

Suddenly, he recalled the moment he had fainted.

‘E-rank due to a measurement error?’

Well, that’s plausible.

It’s rare, but such accidents do happen.

However, there was still one lingering doubt.

‘He was definitely a Summoner…’

Judging by the giant summoned creature that looked like a hyena beside him, he was undoubtedly a Summoner.

But how?

‘How did he have such monstrous strength? Could that strength be some form of summoning skill variant?’

Hmm.

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk stroked his chin and recalled Sung Su-ho’s appearance at the hospital.

A fairly ordinary-looking college student.

Tall, with a reasonably muscular physique.

But that was it.

Judging by his appearance alone, he didn’t seem like a Hunter with monstrous strength.

‘…Well, I’ll find out someday.’

He suddenly remembered something from the day he measured Sung Su-ho’s magic power and bid him farewell with a customary phrase.

“Well then, Mr. Sung Su-ho, I look forward to seeing your future achievements.”

Just like that, a warm smile appeared on Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk’s lips.

“…I’m really looking forward to this.”

He was eager to see what kind of Hunter he would become.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Grim Reaper Guild.

Vice Guild Master Lee Min-seong was furious.

“What?! Why did the factory that was running smoothly suddenly disappear?!”

“Well, you see… the Hunter Association got involved due to a tip-off…”

*Thud!*

“Argh!”

Lee Min-seong kicked the man in front of him, who was trembling and making excuses.

Then, he stomped on the man’s body that flew into the wall and yelled furiously.

“So what? The Association? Do those bastards think they can take me for a fool? If they took our money, they should have delivered the goods properly, no matter what!”

“Ah! Vice Guild Master! We’re victims here too! I swear, the demons in the factory vanished without a trace overnight!”

The kicks from the enraged A-rank Hunter were far too brutal to be mere venting.

If the man being stomped wasn’t a Hunter, his heart would have stopped after the first blow.

After venting his anger for some time, Lee Min-seong slapped the man awake when he eventually fainted, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him up.

“Haah. So what happened to the demons?”

“Cough. W-Well…”

The man hastily spilled everything he knew.

After hearing all the information, Lee Min-seong’s brows furrowed.

“They found the factory’s location by chance?”

“Yes. I heard they fought the demons and rescued the survivors.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“Well…”

“Damn it.”

As Lee Min-seong’s anger began to boil again, he lifted the man by his collar.

“A team of C-rank Healer-led attackers took down ten demons? And not even a major guild, just one with a C-rank leader, the rest all D-rank and E-rank scavengers?”

“I-I also think it doesn’t make sense…”

“Doesn’t make sense, my ass.”

Lee Min-seong released his grip on the man’s collar.

Then, as if he hadn’t just been angry, he calmly straightened the man’s clothes and asked in a soft voice.

“So what do you think? You better give me a more useful opinion this time, if you want to live.”

“…I suspect the Association pulled some tricks.”

“Huh?”

“As you know, Vice Guild Master, the Association has been tracking the source of Star Dust. Somehow, they must have figured out the factory’s location.”

“And then?”

“But openly investigating Star Dust, which isn’t even illegal yet, would provoke backlash from guilds like ours that deal with it. So…”

“So, they sent in a bunch of nobodies as decoys, made it look like they were responding to a tip-off?”

“Yes! Exactly that!”

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

Lee Min-seong nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I’ve seen those demons myself. There’s no way low-level Hunters could handle them.”

“Y-Yes, exactly.”

“So?”

“Yes?”

“Obviously, you have a plan?”

A terrifying aura emanated from Lee Min-seong again, tightening around the man.

“O-Of course! The factory wasn’t the only one. Seoul Station Field was convenient because of the subway lines for delivery, but I’m sure there are other places where demons are hiding and running Star Dust factories.”

“Here and there? Damn Hell Joseon, why are there so many demons here?”

Lee Min-seong laughed in satisfaction.

However, his eyes remained cold as he looked at the man.

“Let me remind you again, the only reason I took you in was for Star Dust, understand?”

“Yes, of course… We’re always grateful to you, Vice Guild Master.”

“Then do your job. When you save a drowning dog, it should repay the favor, right?”

“Grrr!”

With those words, fur began sprouting from the man’s face as he transformed into a werewolf.

The man was none other than one of the remnants of the Hyena Guild, who had been on the run from the Association.

But now, with nowhere else to go, he had become Vice Guild Master Lee Min-seong’s loyal dog.

At least on the surface, though inwardly it was a different story.

‘Damn, this is bad. In a few days, the power of the blood will completely disappear.’

The ability of the Hyena Guild members to transform into werewolves after consuming the blood of the Fang Clan had a duration of only ten days.

If they didn’t consume the blood periodically every ten days, not only would the beast transformation skill disappear, but they would revert to being ordinary people.

If Vice Guild Master Lee Min-seong found this out, he would surely cast them aside without hesitation.

‘Before that happens, I need to figure something out. Either find that missing wolf from Gwanaksan or find traces of another Monarch like him.’

Each had their own agendas.

Lee Min-seong and the werewolf looked at each other, each plotting their next moves.

* * *

Meanwhile, Su-ho…

With the reward money in hand, he entered a butcher shop.

“Welcome~!”

The butcher, who was busy cutting meat, greeted Su-ho with a friendly smile.

“What kind of meat are you looking for?”

“Do you sell whole pigs… like, the entire pig?”

“…?!”

“No, actually, make that two pigs.”

“…!”