Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 5

Su-ho stared at Beru with a perplexed expression.

“You gave such a sentimental farewell, yet you couldn’t return?”

[In truth, the journey to Earth was long and arduous. Many enemies blocked my path, and I had to tear them all apart, leaving me too exhausted to return… Ahem.]

Beru explained, looking embarrassed.

[Had you been by my side, I could have recharged my power instantly. However, being so far from you, I didn’t anticipate being unable to recharge.]

“……”

Su-ho gazed at Beru silently for a moment.

He had indeed lost all his power, shrinking drastically compared to his grand entrance at the museum.

‘He looks like a stuffed toy.’

Su-ho picked Beru up with one hand.

[Squeak?]

The tiny Beru dangled from Su-ho’s grasp, as light as a prize from a claw machine.

Beru continued talking while hanging from Su-ho’s hand.

[Whether you remember it or not, young lord, you are the sole heir of the great and omnipotent Shadow Monarch.]

“Shadow Monarch? Who’s that?”

[Sung Jinwoo. Your father, young lord.]

“My father?”

[Yes!]

Su-ho was momentarily taken aback.

“My father? You mean the father who left home?”

[He didn’t leave home; he left for space.]

“…?”

Space? Su-ho didn’t know how to react to this sudden scale change. Beru then spread his arms with a solemn expression.

[To put it simply.]

Swoosh!

[A great war is currently being waged in space.]

Shadows rippled from Beru’s hands, forming a vision of countless tiny soldiers, and even more monsters attacking them.

At the center of it all, a man radiated a uniquely powerful aura.

Of course, he was depicted as tiny too.

[Your great father, Sung Jinwoo, is leading this war.]

Beru pointed to the enemies Sung Jinwoo was fighting.

[And these creatures are the minions of Itarim, who have come to consume our world.]

“Itarim?”

[Itarim are gods from the far reaches of the outer universe.]

Beru continued with a grave expression, describing how malevolent and tenacious Itarim and their minions were.

Although much of it was just insults, the gist was that these beings were the reason for the monster invasions starting two years ago.

“So, the monsters pouring out of the gates since two years ago were because of Itarim?”

Listening to Beru’s explanation, Su-ho felt a strange emotion.

Both of his parents had been missing for years.

They had filed missing person reports long ago, but the police never found any clues.

It was as if they had vanished into thin air, leaving Su-ho half-resigned to their loss.

But now, hearing they were in space?

It was hard to believe, but then again, the talking ant in front of him was already beyond belief.

In a world with dungeons and monsters, adding space to the mix wasn’t too surprising.

Su-ho asked suddenly.

“What about my mother? Did she go to space too?”

[Squeak? No?]

Beru looked puzzled.

“What? She didn’t?”

[No, she didn’t. Where did Lady Hae-in go?]

Beru’s reaction made Su-ho’s expression harden.

“My mother went missing the same day my father did, so I assumed they were together…?”

[Squeak?! Lady Hae-in is missing? When? Where?]

Beru was alarmed, jumping up in surprise.

“I don’t know…”

Su-ho sighed quietly.

* * *

The journey from the outer universe, where the war against Itarim was taking place, to Earth was indeed perilous.

Enemies wouldn’t just sit back and watch a general leave the battlefield.

Beru had fought through countless foes to reach Earth, only to find that Lady Hae-in was missing.

Beru was deeply shocked.

[Squeak! We must find Lady Hae-in immediately!]

“How would we even know where to start?”

[The culprits must be Itarim’s minions on Earth!]

Su-ho’s mother, Cha Hae-in, was under the Shadow Monarch’s protection and should be safe from most threats.

If something had happened to her, it had to involve a power equal to the Shadow Monarch’s.

Despite Beru’s agitation, Su-ho felt oddly calm about his mother’s safety.

He had worried a lot at the time of her disappearance, but learning about his father’s identity had been a bigger shock.

“Now that I think about it, I never saw my mother panic.”

Knowing his father’s true identity, nothing seemed surprising about his mother’s calm demeanor.

[That’s because raising a child was difficult…] Beru muttered, but Su-ho didn’t hear.

The Cha Hae-in Su-ho remembered was always composed and unflappable.

Perhaps it was blind faith, but Su-ho couldn’t imagine his mother being in danger.

Nevertheless, discovering a clue about his parents’ disappearance was a huge relief.

“Beru, what do I need to do to find my mother?”

Hanging from Su-ho’s hand, Beru shouted energetically.

[You need to become stronger as quickly as possible!]

“Become stronger?”

[Yes! Your father cannot return to Earth because of the war. You are the only one who can save Lady Hae-in, but currently, you are weaker than an ant larva!]

“An ant larva…?”

Su-ho felt a bit hurt.

Beru ignored this and floated up, pointing dramatically.

[So we need to level up.]

Ding!

[A quest has arrived.]

A message appeared in front of Su-ho’s eyes.

[Quest: Trial of the Shadows]

Sung Su-ho, you are the son of the great Shadow Monarch.

However, your innate talents are currently sealed.

To harness that great power, you must prove your worth.

Enter the Shadow Dungeon and prove your worth.

“Shadow Dungeon?”

The quest window appeared before Su-ho.

He immediately thought of the ‘Key to the Shadow Dungeon’ Beru had given him in the dream.

[The Shadow Dungeon is an ‘Abode of Rest’ granted to you, young lord. It is a land of the dead where no living being can enter without the owner’s permission. Open your inventory.]

Following Beru’s advice, Su-ho focused his thoughts, and a semi-transparent window appeared.

[Inventory]

Key to the Shadow Dungeon (Unconfirmed)

‘An inventory too? This really feels like a game.’

Su-ho was amazed.

The functions from his dream’s tutorial were now fully available.

He reached out and took the key.

An information window popped up.

[Item: Key to the Shadow Dungeon]

Acquisition Difficulty: ??

Type: Key

This key allows you to enter the Shadow Dungeon.

It can be used on Sung Su-ho’s shadow.

‘It can be used on my shadow?’

Following the description, Su-ho looked down at his feet.

He knelt down and brought the key close to his shadow.

Swoosh!

The key slid into the shadow.

Beru’s eyes sparkled.

[Now, enter and claim all the power that was meant to be yours.]

“Wait.”

Su-ho pulled the key back out and quickly changed clothes.

He discarded the loose hospital gown and slippers, put on his regular clothes, and tied his shoelaces tightly.

Then, with a determined look, he stared down at his shadow.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

[Squeak! Let’s go! I’ll assist you as best as I can, although my strength is depleted!]

Su-ho wasn’t too hopeful.

He inserted the key back into the shadow.

Click.

[Do you wish to enter the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N)

“…Enter.”

Swoosh-!

As soon as he answered, Su-ho’s shadow expanded in all directions.

It began to devour everything it touched: walls, ceilings, even the entire hospital building.

[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.]

Su-ho found himself in a black-and-white world overlaid by his shadow.

‘Where is this?’

A quiet, deserted place.

A dense forest painted in monochrome awaited Su-ho.

Or rather, it was a ruined city transformed into a forest.

Tall buildings were covered in moss and vines.

Su-ho recalled a book he read as a child.

‘It was called… The World Without Us?’

The book was a documentary about Earth’s self-purification.

It suggested that without human management, cities would eventually become overgrown with vegetation and turn into forests.

Just like this place.

‘It feels like a contaminated field.’

Amid the silence, Beru, who had followed Su-ho into the dungeon, floated up and saluted.

[Welcome to the Shadow Dungeon!]

“This is the Shadow Dungeon?”

Su-ho felt a strange familiarity as he looked around.

It felt like stepping into an old horror movie.

‘…But why does it feel so comforting?’

While it was impossible for anyone to remember memories from infancy, the emotions and atmosphere from that time often lingered deep within the heart.

This black-and-white world, which might seem eerie to others, felt as warm and comforting as a mother’s embrace to Su-ho.

Then it happened.

Prickle!

‘Killing intent?!’

Su-ho’s perception stat sent a warning.

Whoosh!

An axe flew at him from behind.

[Squeak! The trial has begun! Dodge!]

Hearing Beru’s urgent cry, Su-ho twisted his body.

He kicked back instinctively.

Whack-!

“Squawk!”

The monster hit by Su-ho’s kick fell to the ground.

Above its head, a nameplate similar to Beru’s appeared.

[Goblin Scout]

“Ki-kik!”

Green-skinned and about a meter tall, it was a grotesque monster.

‘Scout?’

Seeing the name, Su-ho tensed up.

‘If it’s a scout, there might be more of them around!’

Su-ho had fought many battles in his dreams during his adolescence.

The survival instincts ingrained in him moved his body.

‘I have to kill it before it calls for others!’

Whoosh!

Before the goblin scout could get up, Su-ho leapt at it.

[Squeak! It’s dangerous to fight bare-handed! Goblins are weak, but you’re currently weaker than an ant larva!]

“I know!”

Wham!

Ignoring Beru, Su-ho struck the goblin’s hand, making it drop its axe.

[Great! Well done!]

Beru flew up and clapped vigorously.

‘So noisy.’

Grab!

[Item: Imp’s Stone Axe acquired.]

Su-ho grabbed the axe handle and swung it.

Slice!

“Squawk!”

[You have defeated a Goblin Scout.]

Su-ho beheaded the goblin in one stroke.

But he had no time to rest.

Whoosh!

He heard a chilling wind from behind.

‘There’s another one!’

An arrow whizzed through the air!

Su-ho instinctively reached out.

‘Ruler’s Authority!’

Grab!

A transparent hand extended from Su-ho’s and caught the flying arrow.

[Squeak! That power is…!]

Seeing the halted arrow, Beru was ecstatic.

[As expected of our young lord! You’ve awakened your infant powers!]

Beru recalled Su-ho’s childhood, when he used to walk through the air.