Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 30

“Grrrr…”

Grey, the Fang Wolf, crouched low, eyeing her prey.

[Grey Lv.4]

Fang Wolf

Her level had increased a bit, but she was still only the size of a palm.

However, true to her lineage as a descendant of the mighty Fang Clan, she had grown strong enough to easily hunt down a goblin or two.

Thanks to this, Grey had been strutting around with her tail held high lately.

Of course, taking on three goblins at once was still too much for her, so if three goblins attacked simultaneously, she would quickly tuck her tail and retreat into a small burrow she had dug beforehand.

The pursuing goblins would eventually give up, finding the burrow too small to enter.

By cleverly outwitting the large but dim-witted goblins, Grey had been adapting to her life in the Shadow Dungeon when a great crisis suddenly struck her.

An unexpected guest had appeared in the Shadow Dungeon!

“Grrr…”

With utmost caution, Grey was stealthily trailing the intruder.

The creature looked quite strong, but it also seemed completely drained of energy, probably due to hunger.

I can do it.

That particular observation ignited a sense of challenge in Grey.

I can do it.

Hunting prey stronger than herself would be an immensely honorable feat.

*Gulp.*

Holding her breath, Grey waited with tense anticipation for the right moment when her prey would show an opening.

And finally!

It moved!

“You think I can’t see you?”

“Grr?”

Esil’s hand reached out and grabbed Grey by the scruff, lifting her from her crouched position.

“Grr! Griing!”

Caught! Grey frantically kicked her short legs in surprise.

But no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t escape Esil’s grasp. Realizing this, Grey snarled defiantly, her eyes filled with rebelliousness.

“Grrr!”

“Ah, really. If you weren’t Su-ho’s pet, I’d just eat you up right now.”

Esil smacked her lips, disappointed.

‘Who would have thought a descendant of the Fang Monarch would be left behind in this place?’

She wasn’t even big enough to make a mouthful, but the flesh and blood of the Fang Clan were themselves a rare elixir.

“Grrrr!”

*Lick, lick!*

“Oh, are you trying to get a taste?”

Grey twisted her snout around, diligently licking Esil’s hand that was holding her scruff while glaring at her with a defiant expression.

“Good grief. What a funny little mutt.”

Esil couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, I suppose you know instinctively. You’d gain power by eating me.”

‘We’re essentially in the same boat.’

She was currently the only surviving demon noble in the demon realm.

In other words, she might one day become the Demon Monarch.

Just as the demons had sought Esil’s blood, the pureblood flowing through her veins was imbued with precious power.

‘…And it’s the same for you.’

This cocky little pup was the only surviving member of the Fang Clan and might one day become the Fang Monarch.

Esil felt a strange sense of connection.

‘Two purebloods from clans wiped out by war, both gathered here. What exactly is Su-ho’s purpose in taking us in?’

*Lick, lick, lick, lick!*

“Ugh, can you stop drooling on me already?”

Just then—

[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.]

*Swoosh!*

Su-ho and Beru entered the Shadow Dungeon.

In their hands, they were holding fresh whole pigs.

Two of them, in fact!

“Oh!”

“Grr?”

Both Esil and Grey’s heads turned simultaneously.

*Growl…*

A loud noise rumbled from Esil and Beru’s stomachs.

Su-ho chuckled at the sound and held out the whole pigs.

“Well, they say demons love meat, right?”

“Yeah! As long as it’s not just vegetables!”

Esil quickly tossed Grey aside and snatched a whole pig from Su-ho.

Grey, who had been thrown away, immediately darted back and bared her teeth greedily in front of Esil.

And then—

*Thud!*

“Grr! Grrr!”

Suddenly, Grey flipped over onto her back and started wriggling around, belly exposed.

But Esil was resolute.

“No way. Go back. This is my meal.”

*Pant, pant, pant!*

“Wagging your tail now won’t work!”

“Grrr!”

A young wolf and a demon noble wrestling over a whole pig.

Watching this scene, Su-ho couldn’t help but wear a slightly exasperated expression.

‘Why does it feel like more and more carnivores are gathering around me these days?’

*Chomp, chomp, chomp!*

[This is delicious!]

“….”

They had brought two whole pigs.

Beru, meanwhile, had already attached himself to the remaining one and was devouring it enthusiastically.

Even the brave Grey didn’t dare approach Beru’s food.

“Well then, let’s eat!”

Esil thrust her hand deep into the pig’s body.

Then—

*Suck…*

The large pig began to shrivel around Esil’s hand.

‘Oh.’

Su-ho watched this with fascination, while Beru casually explained beside him.

[She’s sucking the mana from the pig’s body. Each demon has a different way of eating, but demon nobles generally prefer a clean method.]

“Ugh, stop explaining everything like that. Are you an explanation bug or what?”

[I am indeed a bug.]

Beru nodded as if it were obvious.

Then, he returned to his pig and opened his mouth wide.

*Munch, munch, chomp, chomp.*

Unlike Esil, Beru seemed to prefer a messier eating style.

Su-ho chuckled and quietly looked away.

“Well then, I guess I’ll…”

*Sniff, sniff.*

*Grrr, grrr.*

At some point, wild goblins, drawn by the smell of meat, began gathering around.

Su-ho extended his hand.

“Quack?!”

One of the goblins at the front suddenly floated into the air, kicking its legs.

The Ruler’s Authority.

A faint smile crossed Su-ho’s lips.

“Should I do my daily quest?”

[Daily Quest: Clean the Shadow Dungeon]

100 Goblins: Incomplete (0/100)

10 Goblin Lieutenants: Incomplete (0/10)

1 Goblin Captain: Incomplete (0/1)

* * *

[Completion rewards have arrived.]

[Would you like to check the rewards?] (Y/N)

Su-ho felt the increase in his stats more than ever.

‘Now, hunting a hundred goblins isn’t even enough for a morning workout.’

*Clap, clap.*

Su-ho casually dusted off his hands among the goblin corpses.

Stuck in the ground beside him were Rakhan’s Fang and Volkan’s Horn, his two swords.

‘Looks like there’s no hidden quest this time.’

He had killed a few more goblins, but it seemed like the hidden rewards were a one-time thing.

Still, the usual daily quest rewards were pretty good.

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward 1: Status Recovery

Reward 2: Stat Points +3

Reward 3: Random Box x1

First, Su-ho decided to leave the first reward, “Status Recovery,” unclaimed.

‘I’ll save this for when I really need it.’

He could recover HP with potions, but their recovery was slow and limited.

On the other hand, the “Status Recovery” reward would instantly heal him.

Perfect for an emergency.

‘And let’s invest all the stat points into Strength.’

No matter what, increasing strength was the best way to become stronger. Higher Strength stats meant increased power and speed.

‘And the Random Box.’

This time, since it wasn’t a hidden reward, a normal Random Box appeared in Su-ho’s hand.

When he opened the box, a small ring rolled out.

[You have obtained ‘Item: Ashen Ring.’]

“A ring?”

As Su-ho picked up the dull-colored ring, an item description appeared.

[Item: Ashen Ring]

Acquisition Difficulty: D

Type: Accessory

Sense +5

“It increases Sense stat by 5 points?”

Su-ho’s eyes widened.

It was a surprisingly good item for its appearance.

The Sense stat enhanced all five senses, improving danger detection capabilities.

In other words, it heightened the ability to detect unexpected ambushes.

Su-ho quickly slipped the ring onto his finger.

The ring felt a bit loose, but it wasn’t an issue.

[You have equipped ‘Item: Ashen Ring.’]

The Ashen Ring on his finger slowly disappeared, and the stat was immediately applied.

[Sense: 29(+5)]

‘Even the normal Random Box has good stuff. It feels like winning a prize.’

While Su-ho was completing his daily quest—

*Burp.*

The meal was already over.

Esil, who had been watching Su-ho hunt the goblins from behind, wore a puzzled expression.

She hadn’t helped with his hunt out of respect, but the presence of goblins wandering around this place seemed odd.

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

“How did dimensional refugees end up here?”

“Dimensional refugees?”

“I’m talking about those guys. After the Monarchs’ war ended, the surviving remnants got caught in dimensional cracks and scattered everywhere. We call those who ended up in various places dimensional refugees.”

It was, in a way, a natural outcome.

With the Monarchs, who were the focal points, all gone, the beasts under their command scattered.

“But I doubt this is just a coincidence.”

[What do you mean by ‘not a coincidence’?]

Beru also showed interest in Esil’s words.

“Well, it’s just… Breaking through the dimensional walls is very difficult and cumbersome.”

[I know that well. If it were easy, I would have returned to the Monarch long ago.]

Beru nodded.

In the past, only a Monarch of the Illusory World could open a gate to cross dimensions.

And even that wasn’t easy.

“Even for someone like Beru, would mere remnants of war be able to break through the dimensional walls so easily?”

[Oh?]

A glint appeared in Beru’s eyes.

Su-ho nodded, catching on to what Esil was implying.

“Could it be because of the Blue Mist?”

“That’s right. One day, Blue Mist started leaking from the Outer Universe, tangling up the dimensional walls on our side. The distortion got so severe that even weak goblins like those ended up in the world ruled by the Shadow Monarch.”

Esil shrugged as if to say it was an absurd situation.

—I agree with that sentiment.

Rakhan’s Fang, held in Su-ho’s hand, suddenly joined the conversation.

—There’s no way those remnants would willingly enter the world ruled by the victor of the war unless they were insane. It seems the dimensional cracks have twisted severely.

‘Oh.’

During the conversation, Su-ho suddenly realized something important.

“Beru, let me ask you something.”

[Yes.]

“You said my father’s forces and the Outer Gods’ apostles are evenly matched, right?”

[Yes. They’re so evenly matched that even the Monarch himself didn’t dare come to Earth and sent me instead.]

“That means, conversely, the Outer Gods can’t come to Earth either, right?”

[Huh?]

Beru’s eyes widened in surprise.

[Uh?]

And then widened again.

“Right?”

[Yes, My Liege! That’s certainly the case!]

Beru nodded furiously.

Su-ho nodded as well and murmured.

“So they’re using dimensional refugees. Since they can’t come here themselves, they’ve gathered dimensional refugees and connected them to Earth.”

A strategy of using someone else’s hands to solve a problem.

And it wasn’t a bad situation for the dimensional refugees, either.

From their perspective, Earth was an easy target.

A place where they could kill, steal, and conquer at will.

‘And one more thing.’

Su-ho finally understood the purpose of his daily quest.

[Daily Quest: Clean the Shadow Dungeon]

“I need to clean up the goblins quickly and find and seal the dimensional crack they came through.”

[Yes. If we leave the dimensional refugees unchecked, eventually the Outer Gods will discover this place. Or more precisely…]

“They’ll discover my existence.”

[…]

Su-ho was fully aware of his situation.

“I’m my father’s only weakness.”

He had one more reason to grow stronger.