Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 54

The **Kangche-sul** training was nothing short of hell.

[Eleven! Twelve!]

“Grrk!”

*Crack, crack.*

By the 20th push-up, his muscles were torn.

[Twenty-five! Twenty-six!]

“Ugh…!”

*Snap! Crack!*

By the 30th, his tendons snapped.

[Thirty-eight! Thirty-nine…]

*Crack!*

At the 40th, his arms broke.

“Argh…!”

[Pathetic! Is this all your willpower amounts to? Show me your resolve!]

But Ammit had no intention of showing any mercy. Instead, he laughed heartily at Suho’s weak body.

It was extreme Spartan training.

So many of his past disciples had fallen and been unable to endure his training.

But this pyramid was a special **Kangche-sul** training ground designed specifically for Ammit by the high shaman Kandiaru.

[Even with broken bones, the training continues!]

*Whoosh!*

As soon as Ammit finished speaking, white bandages flew in from all directions, wrapping around Suho’s limbs.

*Crack, crack!*

The broken bones were forcibly set, bringing immense pain.

[Now you can continue training, can’t you? Sixty more to go!]

The bandages seemed to be the same type that wrapped around the mummies in this pyramid.

Surprisingly, these magical bandages allowed Suho to move his broken limbs. However, since it wasn’t true healing, the pain remained. In fact, moving the broken arm only increased the agony.

“Ugh!”

Sweat and blood poured from Suho’s body as he gritted his teeth, and Ammit grinned sinisterly at the sight.

[Why? Are you regretting your decision now? It’s too late. True power always comes with pain! There are only two paths for you—enjoy the pain or die from it.]

But Suho saw a third option.

‘So, this is how it’s going to be?’

Suho forced a smile and opened the shop window.

*Clink.*

[You have purchased ‘Item: Low-grade Healing Potion.’]

*Float.*

Using telekinesis, Suho grabbed the potion and gulped it down.

*Gulp, gulp.*

As the potion spread through his battered body, the broken bones began to mend, and the torn muscles started to regenerate.

[Oh?]

Ammit’s eyes widened in surprise.

Suho, now feeling better, looked Ammit in the eye and asked, “So, how many more are left?”

[…]

Ammit was reminded of all the disciples he had driven to death while trying to create another like Tarnarok.

They had all perished, crying out in pain.

But this one was different.

Perhaps this time…?

Ammit bared his teeth and laughed darkly.

[Haha! You’ve got an interesting ability! This means I can push you even harder!]

“Wait, hold on!”

That wasn’t what Suho meant!

*Rumble…!*

“Gah!”

The pressure on Suho’s body increased even further.

[We’ve got a long way to go! Let’s continue training!]

Suho broke his arms several more times, repeatedly healing them with potions before he finally finished the push-ups.

But then came the hellish sit-ups.

[One! Two! Two! Two! Ah, get your form right!]

Wait a second.

Was sit-ups always this dangerous?

At first, his abdominal muscles screamed in agony, and eventually, his back snapped.

“Ugh…!”

The pain was unbearable, leaving Suho speechless.

*Whoosh!*

Once again, the bandages quickly wrapped around Suho’s broken spine.

As mentioned earlier, while the bandages allowed movement, they did not alleviate the pain.

Suho endured the excruciating pain, relying on his superhuman willpower, and opened the shop window again.

*Clink.*

[You have purchased ‘Item: Low-grade Healing Potion.’]

The healing potion forced his spine back into place, and he resumed the exercise.

[Haha! Excellent!]

Ammit seemed extremely pleased with Suho, who could keep going despite being “broken” and then “fixed.”

After breaking his back two more times, Suho finally completed the 100 sit-ups, his entire body now wrapped in bandages.

‘Ah.’

Suddenly, realization hit Suho.

“W-Wait. Are all the mummies here like this?!”

[Haha! That’s right! All the mummies in this pyramid are your unfortunate predecessors!]

“No way…”

This gym really shows no mercy.

[If you don’t want to become a mummy, you’d better survive to the end! Next up is squats! One! Two!]

Next came the hellish squats, which mercilessly tore apart his thigh muscles.

*Crack!*

Combined with the increased gravity field, both of Suho’s legs eventually snapped at the same time.

Once again, the bandages flew in and wrapped around his legs.

“Shop…”

*Clink.*

[You have purchased ‘Item: Low-grade Healing Potion…’]

By this point, Suho was practically sipping healing potions like an IV drip while continuing his exercises.

Finally.

*Ding!*

[The skill ‘Endurance’ has leveled up!]

[Physical Defense +40% → +60%]

“…”

Was this really happening?

His **Endurance** skill had leveled up just from doing bodyweight exercises.

Of course, just because the skill leveled up didn’t mean the workout became easier. It was still just as grueling.

However, the increased **Endurance** did reduce the pain when he was injured.

Considering this hellish training was a daily quest, the long-term benefits were enormous.

But still, why did tears well up in his eyes…?

[Good! Now it’s time to run! Sprint at full speed!]

“…”

The 10-kilometer run wasn’t easy either. Under the immense gravity, even standing was a struggle.

As soon as Suho’s legs gave out while running, his ankles twisted.

At that moment, the crushing gravity twisted his ankle ligaments.

*Crack, crack.*

The sound of ligaments snapping one by one was bone-chilling.

And right on cue, the bandages flew in and wrapped around his ankles.

‘These damned bandages…!’

By now, Suho resembled a full-fledged mummy, yet his eyes burned with determination.

If he had to run anyway, wouldn’t it be better to run faster?

That way, this hellish exercise would end sooner!

“Gray, spirit infusion!”

[Spirit of Pet: Gray infuses into the Priest’s body.]

*Whoosh!*

Suho’s hair turned silver, and wild energy surged through his body.

[Using Skill: Wind of the Plains.]

[Movement speed temporarily increased by 30%.]

[Attack speed temporarily increased by 30%.]

As Suho’s speed increased, Ammit burst into laughter.

[Good! Very good! This disciple has many tricks up his sleeve! Yes! Use every method you have and keep running!]

“This…this isn’t training! It’s torture!”

Watching from afar, Esil couldn’t close her mouth in shock.

But Beru’s reaction was different.

[Hmm. This brings back memories.]

Beru’s expression turned nostalgic.

[Come to think of it, my lord once did training like this. Of course, it was a bit different.]

“Did Sung Jinwoo also go through training like this? Oh, now that you mention it…”

Suddenly, memories came back to Esil.

Back when she used to guide Sung Jinwoo, she remembered.

At times, Sung Jinwoo did light exercises.

“…Wait a second.”

Esil’s expression stiffened.

No, back then it was really light, wasn’t it?

It was just push-ups, right?

It was just sit-ups, right?

“…?”

[…]

At that moment, Esil and Beru’s eyes met in the air.

And without saying a word, both silently nodded to each other.

‘Sung Jinwoo had it easy.’

‘Our lord…’

They both silently agreed to keep this a secret from Suho for the sake of his mental well-being.

Nod.

And so, an unspoken agreement was made between the two.

* * *

*Ding!*

[You have completed the ‘Daily Quest: Kangche-sul Training.’]

– 100 Push-ups: Completed (100/100)
– 100 Sit-ups: Completed (100/100)
– 100 Squats: Completed (100/100)
– 10km Run: Completed (10/10)

※ While carrying Ammit.

“It’s…finally over…!”

Suho, wrapped in bandages, collapsed onto the floor, lying flat.

Ammit, who had been watching, murmured quietly.

[Oh, it actually worked.]

“What did you say?”

[No, ahem. Of course it worked. It’s just that no one other than the **Monarch of Body Strengthening** has ever succeeded before. I mean, seriously!]

“…”

Suho shot Ammit a sharp glare, but the crocodile-like entity sheepishly avoided his gaze.

*Ding!*

Just then, a message appeared, drawing Suho’s attention away from Ammit.

[Your reward has arrived.]

[Would you like to claim your reward?] (Y/N)

The rewards were listed as follows:

Reward 1: Recovery
Reward 2: +3 Stat Points
Reward 3: 1 Random Box

The rewards were the same as the ones Suho received for killing 100 goblins.

But why did he feel so bitter?

“Accept all.”

*Whoosh!*

First, with Reward 1, Suho’s body, which had been on the verge of collapse, was fully restored.

As his strength returned, Suho sprang back to his feet, feeling lighter, while Ammit watched with a gleam of interest in his eyes.

[Hoho. You’re quite the sturdy one. Very good.]

Suho used all of his stat points on his strength stat.

If he wanted to survive these daily quests, he would need as much strength as possible.

Finally, he opened the random box.

*Ding!*

[You have acquired ‘Item: Mummy Bandages.’]

“You’ve got to be kidding me…! Is this a joke?”

Suho couldn’t help but swear under his breath.

However, having experienced them firsthand, he knew these bandages were no joke.

—

[Item: Mummy Bandages]

– Difficulty to Acquire: C-rank
– Type: Consumable
– Description: Sorcerous bandages created by the high shaman Kandiaru. Allows the user to move even when in a near-death state.

*Can be sold to the shop.*

—

“…”

Without a word, Suho immediately sold the bandages to the shop.

*Clink.*

[‘Item: Mummy Bandages’ has been added to the shop’s purchase list.]

[You can now buy ‘Item: Mummy Bandages’ from the shop.]

While the bandages didn’t actually heal wounds, their effectiveness when paired with healing potions was undeniable.

Plus, since they wrapped themselves automatically, they were quite convenient.

But why did he feel so irritated?

After shaking off his thoughts, Ammit reverted to his original giant crocodile form and approached Suho.

“Haha. Well done. That’s enough for today’s training. Now, try using that skill again.”

“What? **Heavy Strike**?”

“Yes, that crude form of **Kangche-sul**.”

“…?”

Suho tilted his head in confusion but infused **Ruler’s Authority** into his fist.

[Using Skill: Heavy Strike.]

At that moment.

*Whoosh!*

The black gauntlet covering Suho’s fist extended all the way up to his shoulder.

*Ding!*

[Skill: **Heavy Strike** has been upgraded to Skill: **Kangche-sul**.]