Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 60

Goo Dongjae’s expression turned vicious as he glared at Suho.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I’ll fight separately, at a distance.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll just get in my way.”

Suho left the second part of his thought unsaid.

‘You’ll reduce my experience points.’

If he fought alongside others, the experience points would be divided. And considering the number of rookies in the raid, Suho’s summons would cause disarray, hindering the party’s formation.

Perhaps Suho had been too brief in his explanation.

“What the hell? Who do you think you are saying we’ll get in your way?”

Thwack!

In an instant, Goo Dongjae grabbed Suho by the collar, his large hand tightening around it.

He tried to lift him off the ground, but—

Thunk!

‘What?’

Suho didn’t budge.

“What the hell? Ngh…!”

Goo Dongjae grunted, straining to lift Suho with all his strength, but it was futile.

No matter how hard he tried, Suho’s seemingly light body remained stuck to the ground, as if glued there.

“Hey, you’re going to stretch my clothes.”

Suho lightly gripped Goo Dongjae’s wrist and twisted it.

Crack!

“Argh…!”

Goo Dongjae let out a pained scream as Suho effortlessly bent his wrist.

“Oh, sorry. I’ve been having trouble controlling my strength lately.”

Suho was genuinely apologetic as he let go of Goo Dongjae’s wrist.

As soon as Suho released him, Goo Dongjae’s wrist dangled limply, like a broken toy.

“Ahhh! My wrist…!”

Both Goo Dongjae and the surrounding Hunters were equally shocked.

Even Suho himself was taken aback.

“What? Did it break? You look sturdy, but you’re surprisingly fragile.”

“You… you…!”

Goo Dongjae glared at Suho with eyes full of rage, veins bulging.

‘Looks like it hurts.’

Suho quickly pulled out an item from his inventory.

**[Using Item: Mummy’s Bandage.]**

Whirl!

“Huh? What is this?”

A white bandage shot out from Suho’s hand, wrapping itself around Goo Dongjae’s limp wrist like a snake, fixing it in place like a cast.

Crack!

“Nghhh!”

It was painful, but the bone was set properly.

“There, you should be good now. Someone please heal him.”

At Suho’s request, one of the three Baekho Guild members—who was a healer—approached and grabbed Goo Dongjae’s wrist.

“Aaagh!”

“Hold still. I’m healing you.”

Fwoosh.

‘Talk about giving pain and relief.’

The healer chuckled as he began healing Goo Dongjae.

In truth, the healer had been slightly annoyed with Goo Dongjae’s attitude, and he was glad to see the altercation end.

Fights like this before entering a dungeon were common among Hunters, especially freelancers.

Hunters were, after all, warriors who risked their lives hunting monsters for money, often with superhuman strength added into the mix. It was no wonder things got a little rough.

With a healer around, a broken wrist was considered a minor injury.

‘But what’s with this bandage? It’s perfectly aligned his broken bone.’

The healer inspected the bandage around Goo Dongjae’s wrist, his eyes widening in surprise.

Sometimes, unique items with special abilities were found in dungeons, but he’d never seen a bandage that automatically wrapped itself around an injury like this.

‘This is probably a one-time-use item, right?’

And yet, Suho had used it on someone who had just picked a fight with him.

Naturally, setting the bone first with a bandage made the healing faster and conserved mana.

‘Is this rookie managing the party’s mana resources? He might be leadership material after all.’

Noticing the healer’s thoughts, the Baekho Guild members exchanged glances.

‘Looks like we have an interesting one here.’

‘Who said this party was a bunch of misfits? This might turn out to be fun.’

Meanwhile, Goo Dongjae, still receiving treatment, was sweating profusely.

‘What the hell is this? Isn’t he a Summoner? Summoners aren’t supposed to be this strong!’

It didn’t make sense.

C-rank Summoners might have other skills, sure, but their mana was usually limited.

Summoners were often underestimated because most of their mana was consumed by their summons.

And yet, Suho had been maintaining that small black creature, **Beru**, at his side the entire time.

‘Wait a second. Could that black thing be some sort of strength-enhancing summon? Yeah, that must be it!’

Goo Dongjae looked at Beru with a newfound conviction.

Suddenly—

**[Kieek? What are you staring at, you pathetic insect husk? Want me to rip your eyes out?]**

Beru zipped up right in front of Goo Dongjae’s face, baring his fangs menacingly.

The intensity in Beru’s eyes made Goo Dongjae shrink back and avert his gaze.

—

**[Times Square Field]**

※No entry except for Baekho Guild members.

Before long, Suho’s raid team arrived in front of a large, imposing building.

Once a landmark of Yeongdeungpo, the **Times Square** building had now been completely overtaken by the blue mist, turning it into a field dungeon.

‘Another field-type dungeon, huh.’

Given the dense clustering of large buildings in Seoul, many dungeons had undergone breaks inside these structures, transforming them into field dungeons.

While field-type dungeons were considered somewhat safer than unexplored ones beyond gates, they were still dangerous.

‘This is a C-rank field dungeon.’

Gwoooong…

The moment they stepped into the field, the massive interior of Times Square came into full view.

It was an open atrium design, with hallways wrapped around each floor like rings surrounding a central void.

The sight was reminiscent of a pantheon temple.

However, every wall and ceiling was covered in writhing thorny vines, moving as if they were alive.

“Th-this is a dungeon, alright.”

Goo Dongjae, who had previously been eager to take the lead, now looked pale, his lips trembling.

The rookie Hunters’ faces were also filled with tension and determination.

Suho chuckled softly, then patted Goo Dongjae’s back.

“Come on, what are you doing? The leader should lead the way.”

“Ugh!”

Goo Dongjae was pushed forward, finding himself at the head of the group.

Suho casually passed by him.

“As I said earlier, I’ll be moving on my own.”

“Hunter Sung Suho.”

One of the Baekho Guild members called out to Suho.

“I won’t stop you from acting separately, but try not to stray too far. If the villain shows up, it might be difficult for us to protect you.”

It was impossible to expect coordinated teamwork from a group of freelance Hunters hastily gathered together.

The Baekho Guild members weren’t here to micromanage, but they still had a duty to offer guidance as more experienced Hunters.

“If a villain appears, we may not be able to reach you in time.”

“Understood.”

Suho responded obediently, but for a completely different reason.

‘If I go too far, it’ll be harder to get back if the villain shows up here.’

Just as Suho was about to move farther away from the group—

“…Oh, great.”

He abruptly stopped, his expression hardening.

“We’re already surrounded.”

Screeech…!

Barely a minute had passed since they stepped into the field, and already, the alien invaders that had claimed this place were closing in on them from all sides.

**[Thorn Vine Scarecrow Woodbine]**

**[Thorn Vine Scarecrow Woodbine]**

…

The enemies were grotesque wooden figures, tangled with thorny vines.

Screeech!

The creatures’ movements were both swift and unnervingly erratic, their thorny limbs swinging toward the Hunters like whips.

‘The hunt begins.’

Suho’s eyes gleamed as he dashed forward.

The other Hunters, snapping out of their daze, rushed to engage the monsters.

“Everyone, be careful! Their thorns are laced with paralysis poison! Even the slightest graze will numb your senses!”

A Baekho Guild member shouted from the back.

‘Poison, huh?’

So what?

Suho wasn’t afraid of poison. He had a reward from clearing the Pyramid quest.

**[Blessing: Grand Shaman Kandiaru’s Blessing]**

Grand Shaman Kandiaru has gifted you a special incantation. As long as Kandiaru’s Blessing is with you, you will lead a healthy and robust life.

“May light be upon the path of the challenger.”

– **Permanent Effect: Long Life and Immunity**: You are immune to all diseases, poisons, and abnormal status effects. Your healing rate will also drastically increase during sleep.

Immunity to all poisons.

To Suho, poison was no longer a concern.

However, the thrashing thorny vines were a threat on their own, and the sheer number of monsters surrounding them overwhelmed the other Hunters.

“S-Summon!”

The experienced Summoners, who had retreated to the rear, immediately called forth their creatures.

**Flame Beetles.**

Small, burning fireflies took to the air, launching explosions at the bodies of the **Woodbines**.

Fwoosh—Boom!

Boom! Boom!

The fiery beetles latched onto the Woodbines’ vines, igniting them in flames.

“Wow! Flame Beetles!”

“This is the perfect counter!”

“No wonder there are so many Summoners in our team!”

The Hunters, who had previously scoffed at the Summoners, now cheered as the flames consumed the Woodbines.

It was no coincidence that the Baekho Guild had assigned experienced Summoners to this raid.

However…

Crack! Crack!

The Woodbines simply tore off their burning vines and charged forward, undeterred by missing limbs or heads.

Screech!

“These things are relentless!”

“Do you have more Flame Beetles?!”

“Come on, keep summoning! Summon more!”

Goo Dongjae, who was swinging his massive sword at the Woodbines, barked orders at the Summoners.

But Summoners couldn’t endlessly produce creatures.

“We need a moment before we can summon again…!”

“What? Damn it, this is why I hate Summoners!”

Frustrated, Goo Dongjae lashed out.

At that moment—

Thunk.

Suho, who had quietly ventured ahead, stopped in his tracks.

He now stood in the middle of the Woodbines, right in the heart of the battle.

“Hunter Sung Suho! How did you get all the way there? It’s too dangerous, come back…!”

A Baekho Guild healer shouted in alarm, only just noticing Suho’s position.

**[This spot will do.]**

“Right?”

Suho exchanged a glance with Beru and nodded.

He had distanced himself from the others just enough. Now, it was time to hunt without distractions.

Screech! Screech!

Dozens of Woodbines rushed at Suho, eager to tear him apart.

Smirking, Suho stomped on his shadow.

“Arise.”

In that instant—

Kiheeee!

Black bandaged mummies began rising from the ground.

Shrouded in thick, black smoke, the **Shadow Mummies** unleashed hideous roars, turning to face the enemies threatening their master.

**[Kiheeee!]**

“What the hell is that…?”

“Mummies?”

All the Hunters, who had been struggling to keep up with the battle, stared in awe at the sight.

In the midst of their astonished gazes, Suho commanded the Shadow Mummies.

Like a pharaoh from ancient legends.

“Slaughter them all.”

And become my new shadows.