Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 32
*Prove you are worthy to be king.*
“…!”
Suddenly, Su-ho’s enhanced senses picked up a disturbance in the forest.
The forest was stirring.
Su-ho halted and glanced at *Rakhan’s Fang*, then asked, “Was that you?”
*It wasn’t me.*
“It sounded just like your voice, though.”
*Of course it did. The voice belongs to a being just like me—someone within this sanctuary.*
Su-ho tilted his head in confusion.
“A being just like you?”
*Indeed. Another Fang. Surely, you didn’t think the Beast King, Rakhan, would have only one fang, did you?*
“Well, I guess not. Normally, there’d be four, right?”
*There are two.*
“…”
*Ahem. To clarify, only two fangs were made into relics.*
Su-ho stared at the Fang in disbelief, prompting it to hurriedly explain.
*In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m actually one of Rakhan’s baby teeth.*
“Baby teeth?” Su-ho raised an eyebrow.
*Yes, baby teeth. When Rakhan grew, his fangs fell out, and the lower tribes took them to create relics. There were two fangs, so there are two relics.
*At that moment, the voice resounded in Su-ho’s mind once again.
*Prove you are worthy to be king!*
Su-ho asked again, “So what’s with this ‘prove your worth’ nonsense? What does that even mean?”
*Back then, the lower tribes crafted me in hopes that a future king would emerge from their ranks. Now that Rakhan is dead, it’s finally time to choose a new king. This is the ‘King’s Trial.’*
“Oh.”
Su-ho’s curiosity was piqued. “So if I pass this trial, does that mean I can become the Beast King?”
*That’s possible… if you’re willing to become a beast.*
“A beast?”
*Of course. This is a trial to select a king among beasts. You’d need to be prepared for that transformation.*
“I don’t think I’d like that.”
Seeing Su-ho’s grimace, *Rakhan’s Fang* chuckled.
*In other words, you’re unqualified. And by the way, that voice isn’t even addressing you. It’s just an announcement broadcast to everyone within this sanctuary.*
[Young Lord.]
At that moment, Beru returned to Su-ho after patrolling the area.
[There are other hunters roaming this field. And their appearances… well…]
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Listening to Beru, Su-ho leaped onto a tree branch and looked out in the direction of the noise.
What he saw intrigued him.
‘So, they’re fighting to become the Beast King, huh?’
[They all seem to be using beast transformation skills.]
This must be what the voice meant.
*Roar!*
*Graaah!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
All across the forest, hunters were battling, their bodies partially or fully transformed into beasts.
One had wings sprouting from their back, resembling an eagle.
Another had grown fur and bulked up like a bear.
The types of transformations were as varied as the hunters themselves.
*Prove you are worthy to be king!*
They were fighting with madness, all striving to prove their worth.
*It seems the relic here has summoned all those with the potential to become kings among beasts.*
Just then—
*Shwaaaak!*
Su-ho’s senses flared as something moved beneath his feet. He quickly leaped off the branch.
*Slash!*
To his surprise, it wasn’t a person attacking him—it was the trees.
‘Tree branches?’
Even as he descended to the ground, countless tree branches lashed at him like whips.
*Ruler’s Authority!*
Though Su-ho’s current mastery of the *Ruler’s Authority* wasn’t strong enough to lift his body, he could still use it to perform a mid-air jump, avoiding the attacks with a second leap.
*Papapap!*
He twisted and flipped in the air like a circus performer, dodging the whip-like vines until he landed safely on the ground.
That’s when the real fight began.
*Shwaaaaak! Slash!*
Plant-based monsters attacked from all sides.
Without hesitation, Su-ho gripped *Rakhan’s Fang* and *Volcan’s Horn* in both hands, slicing through the enemies.
*Prove you are worthy to be king!*
The voice continued to echo.
Su-ho was irritated.
“Why am I taking this test when I’m not even qualified?”
*It’s a matter of timing. You entered the sanctuary right as the trial began. Or maybe, the trial only started because I, a relic, entered this place with you.*
“So, it’s the relic’s fault.”
Su-ho decided to simplify things.
“Screw the trial. Let’s find the examiner and deal with them first.”
[Yes, let’s crush whoever dares to test us.]
Beru’s eyes gleamed with malice.
*The direction is this way.*
*Rakhan’s Fang* pointed towards the location of the examiner. Su-ho slashed through the plant monsters as he dashed toward the relic’s position.
* * *
The deeper Su-ho ventured into the jungle, the thicker the blue mist became.
At first, it had an ethereal, dreamlike quality. But it was the beginning of a nightmare.
*Hiiiii-*
“Ghosts incoming!”
The hunters participating in the King’s Trial quickly went on high alert.
The chilling wind sent shivers down their spines, and the eerie cries echoed around them.
Individually, the plant monsters weren’t strong.
But when the entire forest was considered as a collective danger, the threat level increased significantly.
Whether a hunter was E-rank or S-rank, they were still human, made of flesh and blood.
A sharp branch could pierce their neck or heart in an instant, snuffing out their lives before they could react.
And this forest was filled with such deadly assassins.
Now, with the arrival of ghosts, the danger was even greater.
“This is why this field isn’t popular.”
“No kidding. Too dangerous with little to gain.”
Just a year ago, this area had been a bustling city, with numerous residents and a sizable business district, teeming with life.
But then a gate opened here, and the catastrophe that followed was unprecedented.
Countless lives were lost, and those lucky enough to survive were forced to abandon their homes.
Now, the spirits of the dead still wandered this cursed land.
*Hwaaaaahhh!*
“Damn it! It’s a banshee!”
“Everyone, cover your ears!”
Banshees, ghost-type monsters, could disorient anyone who heard their wails, causing them to lose their sense of direction.
For the hunters lost in the jungle, it was the worst possible match-up.
Moreover, all the hunters here had activated their beast transformation skills, which heightened their senses, including hearing.
“Ugh!”
Some even began vomiting from the disorientation.
*Prove you are worthy to be king!*
Even in this moment, the voice spurred them on.
As they temporarily lost their sight and hearing, the voice burrowed into their minds, and the hunters began to understand the nature of this trial.
‘It’s the scent.’
There was a distinct scent calling to them from somewhere.
It was a scent they could only detect if their beast instincts were fully awakened.
“That’s it! It’s the smell!”
The hunters concentrated all their senses on their ability to smell.
But in their distraction, the tree branches snuck in to attack!
*Shwaaaaak!*
“Gah!”
Even as they ripped the vines out of their thighs, their eyes burned with a wild, fiery determination.
‘I will find it.’
‘I will become the king!’
They were driven to pass the trial, even though they had no idea what being the king would truly entail.
“…Something’s wrong here.”
Suddenly, Baek Mi-ho, who had been leading the pack, stopped in her tracks.
The hunters of the Baekho Guild following her looked at her with confusion.
“Vice Guild Master, why did you stop?”
Baek Mi-ho frowned, clearly displeased.
Even amidst the chaos, her *Beast Eyes* allowed her to see much farther than the others.
She had already noticed that there were many other hunters roaming the forest, all using beast transformation skills just like her, racing towards the same goal.
Baek Mi-ho’s instincts were the same. She had felt the growing urgency as if she were in a race against time.
And that’s what triggered her pride.
“This feels like we’re being toyed with. I don’t like it.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“As of this moment, the Baekho Guild is withdrawing from this ridiculous trial.”
“…!”
Her sudden decision stunned the members of her guild.
When they first entered the forest, they hadn’t understood her purpose.
But once the King’s Trial began, their doubts disappeared. The allure of becoming a ‘king’ had fueled their desires.
But now, Baek Mi-ho was abruptly slamming the brakes on all of it.
“Getting swept up in this vague desire is like becoming a real beast. It feels disgusting. We’re not some animals in heat, chasing pheromones.”
With a click of her tongue, she deactivated her *Beast Eyes*.
“So, we’re leaving now?”
“No.”
While she refused to mindlessly compete with the others, she did want to see who would ultimately come out on top.
“Find higher ground with a clear view of the area.”
“Understood.”
Her subordinates followed her orders without question.
Just then—
*Growl?*
Pushing through the bushes, a group of werewolves emerged in front of the Baekho Guild.
“Hm?”
The moment Baek Mi-ho saw them, her eyes narrowed.
The Baekho Guild was famous in Korea for its beast transformation skills.
Because of this, they kept records of other hunters with similar abilities, intending to recruit them someday.
So, Baek Mi-ho immediately recognized these werewolves.
“They’re remnants of the Hyena Guild.”
Some members of the Hyena Guild had managed to avoid the police, and it seemed they too had been lured to this forest by the King’s Trial.
The problem was that these werewolves had wicked natures and, having long served under Broki, likely understood the King’s Trial better than anyone.
*There can only be one king!*
*Grrrr!*
Upon seeing the Baekho Guild, the werewolves bared their fangs and emitted murderous intent.
Without hesitation, they attacked.
“Kill them!”
*Grrrr!*
The Baekho Guild was a prime candidate for the throne. If they weren’t killed now, the werewolves would lose their chance at the crown.
But their open hostility only awakened the primal instincts Baek Mi-ho had been suppressing.
“…Tsk.”
Clicking her tongue in irritation, Baek Mi-ho’s eyes glinted dangerously.
‘These pups don’t know their place.’
*Snap!*
At that moment, the hair tie holding back her mane snapped.
*Whoosh!*
Her lion-like hair flared out, turning completely white.
*Beast Transformation!*
Her true power unleashed, Baek Mi-ho’s claws shredded through the heart of the lead werewolf in an instant.
And in that moment—
*Prove you are worthy to be king!*
“Huh?”
The voice sounded as if it delighted in her violence.
*Kill! Kill more! Only the one who survives to the end will be truly strong!*
“So that’s what this is about?”
Baek Mi-ho realized the true nature of the trial.
“A battle royale.”
She didn’t like it one bit.
Forcing people into a frenzy, making them kill each other for a crown.
And thanks to the enhanced senses from the beast transformation skill, she could hear the sounds of slaughter echoing from all over the forest.
The battle royale had already begun in other parts of the jungle.
“I *really* don’t like this.”
Even as she fought the Hyena Guild members, Baek Mi-ho’s expression twisted in disgust.
But then, she noticed someone walking in the distance through her *Beast Eyes*.
A man, casually strolling with two swords in hand, seemingly unbothered by the chaos around him.
‘Why is he alone?’
Had he killed all his companions to be the sole survivor?
If so, he was the worst kind of person—someone who’d kill his own comrades for the crown.
…But then.
*Sniff-sniff.*
‘There’s no scent of blood.’
So, he hadn’t killed anyone. But why was he alone?
Even while engaged in battle with the werewolves, Baek Mi-ho kept stealing glances at him until he disappeared from view.