Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 58

Suho was caught off guard.

‘Baek Miho… could she be the one I encountered in Magok?’

After returning from the Magok Field, Suho had searched HunterNet for information about Baek Miho.

**Baek Miho.**

An A-rank Hunter and the Vice Guild Master of the Baekho Guild, she was quite a famous figure in Korea.

Her fame wasn’t just because she was the Vice Guild Master of the Baekho Guild, one of Korea’s most renowned guilds. It was also largely due to her background.

Her father was none other than Baekho Guild’s Guild Master, Baek Yunho.

Baek Yunho, a name that needed no introduction.

The Guild Master of Baekho Guild and an S-rank Hunter, known for possessing the high-level skill **Beastification**, which he further developed into the even rarer skill **Demonic Beastification**. He was one of Korea’s most iconic figures.

Baek Yunho, possessing such a rare and powerful skill, had few peers worldwide when it came to close combat.

His skill, **Eyes of the Beast**, was particularly valuable, allowing him to accurately gauge an opponent’s strength or identify promising subordinates.

Had he stopped there, he would have remained a well-known but typical S-rank Hunter.

However, what set Baek Yunho apart and earned him widespread respect among S-rank Hunters was his decision to leave the **Reaper Guild**, where he had originally belonged, and establish a new guild based on his own principles.

Upon founding the Baekho Guild, Baek Yunho took a completely different path from the Reaper Guild, which had been solely focused on accumulating wealth and power. Instead, he gathered all Hunters who possessed the **Beastification** skill and led them on a mission to conquer even the most profitless dungeons, establishing himself as a true **Beast Hunter**.

‘A Hunter should live as a Hunter and hunt beasts!’

Baek Yunho’s bold approach earned him both respect and fame among many Hunters.

And his daughter, Baek Miho, had inherited her father’s talents and charisma, becoming the proud heir of the Baekho Guild.

She wasn’t simply a **gold spoon** living in her father’s shadow; she proved her own abilities and earned the recognition of the guild members on her own merit.

‘…And now someone like that is looking for me?’

Suho felt uneasy.

He had encountered Baek Miho briefly when he obtained **Rakan’s Fang** in the Magok Field, and their eyes had met.

‘You can pick up more information through scent than I thought.’

Suho had learned, after repeatedly channeling the power of the **Beast King**, that using the **Beastification** skill dramatically heightened his senses.

It was possible that Baek Miho had also caught his scent and noticed something unusual about him at that time.

After all, his clothes had been covered in **Arachne’s blood**.

‘Not to mention that weird nickname, “Beast King Crow.”’

Feeling a bit nervous, Suho swallowed dryly as he continued the conversation with the Baekho Guild’s staff member on the phone.

“Why is Baek Miho looking for me?”

—

**Baekho Guild.**

Suho entered the Baekho Guild’s headquarters.

‘So, this is why…’

It wasn’t just Suho; there were numerous C-rank Hunters gathered at the Baekho Guild as well.

Most of them, like Suho, were freelancers, unaffiliated with any guild.

The reason the Baekho Guild had suddenly gathered all these Hunters was none other than the A-rank villain, **Lee Minseong**.

“I heard that the Vice President of the Reaper Guild is now hunting down other Hunters?”

“Yeah, that guy’s completely lost it.”

“Man, if he turned into a villain, he should have just fled the country. Why attack us for no reason?!”

Suho quietly observed his surroundings as he listened to the conversations of the nearby Hunters.

Despite everything, it had only been two days since Suho had become a C-rank Hunter, so he didn’t recognize any faces among the crowd.

**[An A-rank Hunter turned into a Hunter-killer? What a waste of life.]**

Especially when that Hunter had been the Vice President of a major guild like the Reaper Guild.

“What could be the reason behind it?”

Now labeled as an A-rank villain, Lee Minseong would likely be imprisoned for life if captured. However, due to the severity of his crimes, he was now classified as a target for immediate elimination upon sight, rather than simple detention.

Naturally, it was hard to understand why he would abandon escape and commit such outrageous acts.

At that moment, **Beru**’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the news about Lee Minseong on Suho’s phone.

There was something odd about the footage of Lee Minseong captured by the CCTV during one of the attacks.

**[Wings?]**

There seemed to be something like wings attached to Lee Minseong’s back as he moved rapidly.

Suho noticed Beru’s reaction and looked at him.

“Why? Is he one of your friends?”

**[Kieek! How could you insult me by comparing me to such a lowly creature!]**

“He has wings like yours, though.”

**[Those are not ant wings.]**

“Then what are they?”

**[Hmm. A bee’s wings, perhaps?]**

Beru continued scrutinizing the blurry CCTV footage of Lee Minseong.

**[It’s not entirely clear, but he seems to resemble a venomous flying insect.]**

“If he’s a bee, then he’s practically your cousin. Ants and bees are the same, aren’t they?”

**[Kieeeek!]**

At that moment, the noisy chatter of the Hunters died down.

‘Hmm?’

Suho looked up and saw **Baek Miho**, the Vice Guild Master of the Baekho Guild, stepping onto the podium.

“Thank you for responding to this sudden invitation. I’m Baek Miho.”

Without any lengthy introductions, Baek Miho went straight to the point.

That was how urgent the current situation was.

“As you’ve probably seen in the news, an A-rank villain is hunting Hunters.”

The gathered Hunters exchanged uneasy glances at her words.

“Specifically, those who are not affiliated with any guild are suffering the most.”

The reason for this was obvious.

Guild-affiliated Hunters usually moved in groups.

At least ten or even twenty people at a time.

No matter how powerful Lee Minseong was as an A-rank Hunter, it would be difficult for him to recklessly attack a large group of Hunters.

In contrast, freelance Hunters like those gathered here, especially C-rank Hunters, often worked in small groups, making them easy targets.

‘Most B-rank Hunters and above are already part of a guild since they get offers from everywhere. On the other hand, D-rank and E-rank Hunters usually work as miners or porters in large groups.’

C-rank freelance Hunters, like those gathered here, occupied an awkward position.

“So, are you saying the Baekho Guild is willing to take us in because you’re worried about us?”

“Whoa, seriously?”

The Hunters whispered excitedly, filled with a mix of hope and surprise.

Meanwhile, Suho frowned slightly.

‘That would be a problem.’

If he joined a guild, people would likely start noticing the unusual way he leveled up and grew stronger over time.

And more importantly…

**[Young Lord, I oppose this idea.]**

Suddenly, Beru pushed his face in front of Suho.

**[It would be disgraceful for the son of the great King to lower himself and join someone else’s ranks. I would rather die than see such a humiliation—]**

“Shut up.”

**[Mmmph!]**

Suho promptly clamped Beru’s mouth shut and shoved him back into his shadow.

The murmurs of the C-rank Hunters quieted again as Baek Miho continued speaking.

“I apologize if I’ve raised your expectations. As you know, our guild only recruits Hunters with the **Beastification** skill.”

“Then why did you call us here?”

Someone muttered, but with her sharp hearing, Baek Miho picked up on it.

She smiled wryly before continuing.

“As it stands, you are all currently in danger. So, until Lee Minseong is captured, we plan to protect you.”

‘What?’

Suho raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The reaction from the others was similar.

“Whoa, they’re going to protect us?”

“Does that mean they’ll hunt with us?”

“Damn, Baekho Guild really is something else.”

This wasn’t a reaction one would see with just any guild.

If this were a guild like the Reaper Guild, for example, the response wouldn’t have been as positive.

But the Baekho Guild had earned the trust of many Hunters through its actions over the years.

Moreover, if Hunters with the **Beastification** skill were with them, they would be able to use their heightened senses to detect Lee Minseong if he got close.

“By the way… will you also join us in the dungeons? How will the earnings be split?”

Someone cautiously raised their hand and asked.

The Baekho Guild member standing next to Baek Miho shot the Hunter a disapproving look.

Flinch.

The C-rank Hunter flinched and quickly lowered his head under that glare.

However, Baek Miho smiled again, stopping her guild member from intervening, and responded to the Hunter’s question.

“Of course, the profits will be split according to the market rate. We won’t be charging any protection fees or anything like that.”

Ooooh!

The C-rank Hunters cheered again in admiration.

“Wow, this is amazing! It’s like they’re giving us a free ride, isn’t it?”

“Hey, we’re still C-ranks. It’s not like we’re going to just tag along behind them like a bunch of newbies.”

“Still, having a consistent party for a while is a huge help. As freelancers, the hardest part is always putting together a good team.”

“Exactly. If you end up working with the wrong people, you can end up wasting your time or even losing everything.”

“But does the Baekho Guild have enough people to keep track of everyone here? How are they going to manage that?”

Hearing that last remark, Baek Miho answered immediately.

“That’s correct. So, for the time being, we’d like you to form parties here. Each party will be assigned two B-rank or higher Hunters from our guild.”

Oooh.

That was truly amazing.

Having two B-rank Hunters in a party would be a massive boost in strength.

No matter how dangerous Lee Minseong was as an A-rank villain, a C-rank party with two B-rank Hunters could put up a decent fight against him.

They couldn’t guarantee a victory, but at the very least, they’d be able to retaliate or escape.

‘At least we’ll be able to survive.’

‘We’re supposed to gather our own party here?’

As soon as Baek Miho finished speaking, the Hunters immediately began eyeing each other, sizing up potential party members.

“Hey, Kim! It’s been a while, should we team up again?”

“Sounds good. I know I can count on you!”

Most of the freelancers present were experienced enough to know how important a solid party was.

And even among C-rank Hunters, there was a significant difference in strength depending on individual skills.

Some had excellent skills.

Others had bad attitudes.

Some had abilities that just didn’t mesh well with others…

In no time, the Hunters began grouping together in small clusters, forming their own teams.

“Uhh…”

Meanwhile, Suho found himself standing alone, left behind as the other Hunters quickly formed parties around him.

Though Suho had easily handled the fierce attacks of Ammit and the Venomous Fanged Sand Centipede, in this case, there was nothing he could do.

“Who is that guy? I’ve never seen him before. Does anyone know him?”

“Yeah, is he a rookie?”

Suho, who had never felt intimidated by any enemy, couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable under the stares directed at him.

**[Young Lord… this may be the most difficult challenge you’ve faced yet.]**