Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 86

A few days later.

“Is this even possible?”

Suho was dumbfounded.

“How can I only gain three levels after clearing ten dungeons?”

[The monsters were simply too weak, my liege.]

“Looks like I need to set up the guild quickly.”

Dungeons accessible at the guild level would likely provide better opportunities for faster leveling.

Thankfully, the daily quest regimen with Ammit, also known as “training,” allowed Suho to steadily raise his stats each day.

But a daily quest was just that—once per day.

Ammit himself had warned against overtraining in the *Body Strengthening Technique* since repeated practice without the daily quest’s “Status Recovery” reward could harm the body.

‘Why does the training get harder every day, though?’

The intense gravitational field Ammit created felt crushing, as if Suho’s body might implode at any moment.

As Suho grew stronger, the difficulty seemed to scale along with him.

But the results were undeniable.

[Body Strengthening Technique Lv.4]

Though his level had barely increased, the skill’s level had.

Suho’s *Body Strengthening Technique* had reached level 4, allowing him to envelop both hands in a black aura resembling armor.

“Fuuu.”

Ammit nodded approvingly as he observed Suho holding twin swords engulfed in the black aura.

[Impressive. You’ve managed to extend the Body Strengthening Technique into sword energy. But you are still far from the heights achieved by Taranark. That’s enough for today.]

Feigning generosity, Ammit stopped the session—though he clearly had no intention of continuing anyway.

Suho quickly scrambled out of the Shadow Dungeon.

[You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.]

“Suho!”

As soon as Suho stepped out of the dungeon, Esil greeted him eagerly.

“What’s our next dungeon?”

In her hands was the latest smartphone she had recently acquired.

While Suho had been advancing his *Body Strengthening Technique*, Esil had mastered her “phone skills.”

Now fully acclimated to human society, she could confidently buy herself a plate of pork belly using smart technology.

Suho answered her question.

“The Third Dungeon in Pyeongtaek. Why?”

“I don’t think we’ll get in,” Esil replied.

“What? Why not?”

“The Hyunmoo Guild has already set up camp there.”

Suho raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“The Hyunmoo Guild? How do you know that?”

“I follow other guilds on social media,” Esil replied, holding her phone up to Suho.

On the screen was the official account of the Hyunmoo Guild, and their latest post was geotagged to the very dungeon Suho had bid on.

“It’s true,” Suho muttered, furrowing his brow.

As Esil had said, the Hyunmoo Guild had posted photos indicating their presence at the dungeon site.

“Why are they there? And how can they even post this publicly? Aren’t bid details supposed to be confidential?”

“There are no secrets these days. Everyone posts stuff online for promotion anyway,” Esil shrugged nonchalantly, remarkably in tune with “modern society.”

“And where did you learn all this?”

It suddenly struck Suho that Esil, being a demon, had adapted to technology and social norms startlingly fast despite having only received a smartphone a few days ago.

“What’s so hard about it?” Esil replied, scrolling through her apps and showing them to Suho.

Her phone was packed with the trendiest apps of the moment.

Suho, however, didn’t recognize any of them.

“What’s this?”

“An app that predicts dungeon spawn probabilities using AI.”

“And this?”

“A secondhand market app for hunters.”

“…”

Suho silently reflected.

Perhaps Esil was more of a modern hunter than he was.

Despite his amusement, the information was useful.

Frowning, Suho stared intently at the photo Esil had shown him.

“Lee Youngho,” he muttered, recognizing a familiar face in the corner of the image.

—

*Pyeongtaek’s Third Dungeon*

This location had previously housed a military base but was turned into a field-type dungeon following a dungeon break.

Fortunately, the damage was minimal, thanks to the swift response of the stationed soldiers.

As a result, the dungeon was lower on the Hunter Association’s priority list since more urgent, catastrophic breaks demanded immediate attention.

It wasn’t a particularly lucrative or popular site for hunters either, given its remote location.

Suho had bid on it precisely because of its lack of competition, making it easier to claim and clear without hassle.

“But why would a major guild like Hyunmoo be interested in this place?”

Im Do-Gyun looked puzzled upon hearing the situation.

“Suho—I mean, Guild Master—we should hurry. With dungeons like this, whoever jumps in first can bypass the whole bidding process.”

The dungeon bidding system was relatively new.

Although the system had been formalized, local administrations like Pyeongtaek often overlooked it, hoping hunters would clear their dungeons as quickly as possible.

“Let’s head over there,” Suho said.

“I’ll drive, Guild Master,” Do-Gyun offered, quickly taking the wheel. He nervously avoided eye contact with Beru, who was glaring daggers at him from behind Suho.

Upon arriving at the Pyeongtaek dungeon, the scene was exactly as Esil had shown.

The Hyunmoo Guild had fortified their position at the site, while a city official from Pyeongtaek stood awkwardly, caught in a heated exchange with them.

“We appreciate your willingness to help, but we can’t ignore proper procedures,” the official insisted.

“Oh, come on! There’s a dangerous dungeon right here. Shouldn’t clearing it quickly be the priority?” Lee Youngho retorted.

“Even so, the area is low-risk, and another hunter has already won the bid…”

“Who? Someone more qualified than the Hyunmoo Guild?”

“Well, no, but…”

The official faltered as Lee Youngho’s imposing figure loomed over him.

Switching tactics, Youngho wrapped a burly arm around the official’s shoulder and softened his tone.

“Look, I understand your need to follow the rules. But in the end, isn’t this for Pyeongtaek’s benefit? Just sign the clearance, and you can go home early.”

“Ahem. Looks like your arm is the real danger here.”

A sharp, familiar voice interrupted.

Lee Youngho turned to see Suho standing behind him, arms crossed.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the rookie hunter with the famous uncle. What brings you here?”

The hostility in Lee Youngho’s eyes was unmistakable, and Suho immediately understood.

‘So, this is revenge for last time. How petty.’

Or perhaps not so petty, considering the financial stakes at play.

[Kiieeek! How dare you glare at my liege with those snake eyes! I will dismember you…!]

Thump.

Suho grabbed Beru by the scruff before the enraged shadow could lunge forward, pressing him back into the shadows.

[Kuik… I’ll remember this… Your face… I’ll never forget…!]

Ignoring Beru, Suho looked up at Lee Youngho, who was a head taller.

Despite his administrative role, Youngho was still an active B-rank hunter, and his deliberate display of strength was enough to make the nearby city official pale.

Do-Gyun, meanwhile, had discreetly retreated, busy reviewing the bidding documents.

“Hmm, what’s your name again?” Youngho mocked, pretending to struggle with Suho’s identity.

Suho smirked.

“This dungeon belongs to us. Why is the Hyunmoo Guild here?”

“Ah, Suho, that’s right. Took me a moment.”

“Are you doing this because of last time?”

“Last time? I have no idea what you mean. We’re just here out of goodwill because this dungeon is dangerous.”

The conversation stalled, with Youngho’s mockery hanging in the air.

Suho glanced at the dungeon.

A low-risk, field-type dungeon with no casualties, rated at D-rank. It wasn’t even worth the Hyunmoo Guild’s attention.

‘They only brought their second team.’

The hunters behind Youngho were clearly lower-tier, probably chosen to minimize opportunity costs.

But there was one noticeable trend:

‘They all look like thugs.’

Suho chuckled inwardly at the contrast between their menacing appearances and their weak magical energy.

“…You laughing at me?”

Youngho’s face twisted in anger as he misinterpreted Suho’s amusement.

The other Hyunmoo Guild hunters, sensing the tension, began exuding hostility.

“Suho,” Youngho sneered, poking Suho’s chest.

“Dungeons are dangerous. Once you step inside, anything can happen. Especially to rookie hunters like you.”

Drawing his thumb across his throat, Youngho smirked darkly.

“You might not even leave a corpse behind.”

The threat was clear, and his subordinates chuckled, chiming in with taunts.

“He’s right. Hunting is risky.”

“Perfect job for someone born with a silver spoon.”

Their jeering remarks were designed to intimidate rookies into backing down.

Yet, as Youngho turned back to Suho, his smirk froze.

“…Where did he go?”

The city official sheepishly pointed.

“He already entered the dungeon.”