Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 85

E-rank hunters earned similar incomes regardless of the guild they joined.

This was because their primary roles were mining or scavenging teams.

Since their contracts were incentive-based, they only earned as much as they worked, regardless of the guild they were in.

Yet, E-rank hunters still preferred joining large guilds for one key reason: **safety.**

While the mining teams extracted mana stones within the dungeon,
While the scavenging teams dismantled dead monsters,
The question was how reliably their guild’s raiding team could protect them during those tasks.

For low-ranking hunters, this was of utmost importance.

Understanding this, Instructor Im initially hesitated but ultimately signed Suho’s contract.

It was an easy decision.

He had witnessed Suho commanding his shadow soldiers in battle and realized long ago that Suho was fundamentally different from other hunters.

Besides, Suho wasn’t the type to treat his allies like disposable tools, as some major guilds did.

‘With the highest pay among E-rank hunters, it’s a no-brainer.’

After signing the contract, Instructor Im extended his hand to Suho.

“Take care of me from now on, Suho.”

[How impudent, runt. Your insolent tone warrants dismemberment…!]

“Ah, p-please take care of me, Guild Master!”

Beru grabbed Im by the collar, prompting him to hastily correct himself.

Suho chuckled.

“Yes, take care of me as well, Instructor Im—or should I say, Do-Gyun hyung.”

—

“Make the arrangements,” Yoo Jinho instructed.

“Yes, sir,” his secretary replied.

Yoo Jinho began preparations to lease one of his buildings to Suho’s guild.

“It’s a building I’d originally planned to demolish and remodel. But since new construction takes time, just use it for now, even if it’s a bit shabby.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“Well….”

There was no need for Yoo Jinho to add, *”You’ll probably only use it briefly anyway.”*

If Suho had inherited even a fraction of his father’s talents, earning money was only a matter of time.

‘The building itself doesn’t matter. It’s not like they’re planning to recruit more members anyway.’

And Yoo Jinho’s assumption was accurate.

After all, Suho already had the vast expanse of the Shadow Dungeon beneath his feet.

“But Suho,” Yoo Jinho said, turning serious.

“Now that you’ve recruited three members and I’m handling the paperwork, everything seems ready… but something critical is missing.”

“What’s that?” Suho asked, adopting an equally serious tone.

“Your qualifications.”

“My… qualifications?”

The gravity of Yoo Jinho’s words made Suho’s expression harden.

Yoo Jinho, the only one aware of Jinwoo’s strength, seemed to convey with his gaze:

*Do you truly possess the qualifications to lead a legion?*

Gulp.

Suho, more focused than ever, awaited Jinho’s next words.

“It’s simple. To become a guild master, you need to have cleared at least 20 dungeons.”

“Ah… that’s all?”

Suho let out a sigh of relief and nodded.

Technically, he was still a rookie hunter, with only a few field-type dungeons under his belt.

‘Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.’

Before accepting the office building, Suho decided to address this prerequisite first.

—

“You started a guild?”

Esil looked surprised when Suho visited her in the Shadow Dungeon.

“Yeah. You’re one of my guild members now. From now on, you’ll be joining me in dungeons.”

“Me? But I’m not even human. Is that allowed?”

“That’s why I’m here. Let me take your photo—I’ll get you an ID as a foreign worker.”

“A foreign worker?”

Esil tilted her head in confusion.

“Okay, smile.”

“Huh? Wait—”

*Click.*

Suho snapped a photo of Esil with his phone.

“All done?”

“Yep, that’s it. The rest can be handled with an app.”

Using a photo-editing app, Suho adjusted Esil’s appearance to make her look more human.

‘Thankfully, Esil looks quite human for a demon—no horns or anything.’

Although her ears were slightly pointed and other subtle traits hinted at her non-human origins, such details could easily be explained as part of a hunter’s unique abilities.

‘There are hunters who transform into beasts, so this is nothing.’

Of course, particularly perceptive hunters might still realize Esil wasn’t human.

‘But that won’t matter if we avoid them.’

And it wasn’t a problem.

Suho’s guild was destined to remain a three-member operation.

“Wow! What’s happening? I’m getting prettier by the second! Is this… my true form?”

“Uh, no.”

Esil marveled at the editing app’s capabilities, almost moved to tears.

Without much effort, Suho had made good use of the app’s default features.

“Looks good. Exotic enough for a mixed-race foreign worker. This will do.”

“Aw…”

When Suho turned off his phone, Esil, who had been eagerly watching her edited photo, let out a disappointed sigh.

With a sly look, she asked, “Suho, can I have one of those?”

“You want a phone? Earn money and buy one yourself.”

“What? You’re paying me too?”

“Of course. As a guild member, you’ll earn money based on what you hunt. But you’ll also need to buy your own meat from now on.”

“Got it!”

Esil suddenly seemed highly motivated.

“But you mentioned another guild member. Who is it? Are they strong?”

“Hmm.”

Suho thought for a moment before replying.

“No, they’re incredibly weak.”

“Huh? How weak?”

“So weak they might die if you poke them. So don’t bother them, okay?”

“…That bad?”

Esil looked utterly bewildered.

—

Clearing 20 dungeons was not a particularly difficult qualification for a guild master.

Dungeons were appearing everywhere, and hunters were frantically clearing them.

Although motivated by money, they also knew leaving a dungeon unattended could lead to catastrophic events.

This made the role of a guild master critical.

If an inexperienced leader managed hunters, valuable lives could be wasted, leading to disaster.

Determined to meet the requirement, Suho, accompanied by Im Do-Gyun and Esil, dived into dungeon raids.

The only downside was that Suho’s level didn’t increase much.

‘These dungeons are too easy.’

This was unavoidable.

Their low-ranking team could only access low-tier dungeons, often those in the final stages of being cleared.

The beasts inside offered no meaningful experience points for Suho.

But for Im Do-Gyun, it was a different story.

“Help! Esil, save me!”

“…You really are weak.”

Esil pitied Im, who hid behind her whenever monsters appeared.

Meanwhile, standing boldly in front of her was an entirely different creature.

“Grrr! Grrrr!”

[The Beast Monarch, Rakan, nods proudly at Gray’s growing valor.]

[Gray Lv. 17]

Beast Fang Wolf

Unlike Suho, Gray was steadily leveling up.

Half of Gray’s earned experience, however…

*Ding.*

[Pet: Gray sacrifices 50% of its experience points to its master.]

Though the shared experience was negligible, it was a long-term benefit.

The stronger Gray became, the more experience Suho would gain during hunts.

[Haha! Our brave Gray! Continue to grow and offer more tribute to our young lord!]

[Beru uses the skill: Harsh Command.]

[Skill: Harsh Command increases Gray’s stats by 50%.]

[Skill: Harsh Command applies the Curse of Madness to Gray.]

“Grrr…!”

Under Beru’s harsh command, Gray howled.

The monsters surrounding him sneered—until he attacked.

*Crunch!*

“…!”

Despite his size, Gray was a predator who instinctively targeted weaknesses.

[The Beast Monarch, Rakan, winces at Gray’s ruthlessness.]

—

Meanwhile, Lee Youngho, a manager at Hyunmoo Guild, was in a foul mood.

Ever since being rejected by Yoo Jinho at Ajin Soft, his frustration had been simmering.

“Just wait. I’ll get my revenge.”

Hyunmoo Guild wasn’t as prominent as Baekho or Reaper Guild, but it was still a notable large-scale guild in Korea.

However, Ajin Soft, a corporate giant with significant influence, made retaliation tricky.

‘If only he were a hunter, I’d have plenty of ways to vent my anger.’

In the dungeon, hunters could settle disputes with force, even committing murder without legal repercussions due to lack of evidence.

“…What’s that guy up to these days?”

His resentment naturally shifted toward Suho.

“Find out which dungeon Suho’s going into next.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Hurry!”

*Smack!*

“Ouch! On it right away!”

The subordinate, rubbing the back of his head, muttered bitterly while accessing the HunterNet database.

‘Seriously, why do I always get blamed for his failures…?’

After a few moments of searching, he hesitated before turning to Youngho.

“Sir, it seems Suho hasn’t met the conditions to establish a guild yet. He’s been raiding dungeons to build experience.”

“Really?”

Youngho’s eyes gleamed maliciously.

“Find out which dungeon he’s entering next.”