Solo Leveling : Ragnarok - Chapter 93

*Roaaaaar!*

A deafening cheer erupted in the massive, oval-shaped colosseum.

The majority of the audience consisted of enslaved demons from the labor camps.

It seemed this execution trial served as entertainment to relieve the stress of the enslaved demons enduring harsh labor.

Ironically, Suho found the concept amusing.

Using sensational spectacles to create an outlet for the public’s frustrations.

It was a tactic humans had often employed throughout history.

[This wasn’t how it used to be…]

Esil’s voice sounded restrained, as if trying to suppress anger.

[The colosseum was originally reserved for demon nobles. It was a venue where families showcased gladiators to measure their strength—a sort of hierarchy contest.]

But now, with the nobles gone, it had become someone’s twisted pastime to imitate nobility.

“The Tyrant… What’s his real name? Everyone seems to just call him Tyrant or Tyrant King.”

[To dare imitate a noble and even proclaim oneself a king! Such audacity would have been unthinkable in the past…]

“Esil, you’re such a traditionalist.”

[What?!]

Suho chuckled at her flustered response and scanned the audience.

“At any rate, I don’t see the Tyrant among this crowd.”

[Didn’t Nuki mention that the Tyrant only occasionally shows up at the colosseum? Since this is your first match, he probably doesn’t see the point in watching yet.]

“Fair enough.”

At that moment, the demon serving as the event announcer shouted to the crowd.

“Now! Everyone, pay attention! The opponent to execute our One-Horn is—!”

*Boom!*

A gate on the opposite side opened.

“The merciless slaughterer, One-Armed Bloodburn Beast!”

*Roaaaaar!*

With a thunderous cheer, a hulking, muscular demon entered the arena.

[*One-Armed Bloodburn Beast*]

As his name implied, one of his arms was severed, but the remaining arm was grotesquely massive, radiating an intimidating aura.

Laughter erupted from the audience.

“Ha ha! They’re sending out One-Armed right off the bat!”

“This will end way too quickly!”

“One-Horn versus One-Armed, huh? This should be entertaining!”

Suho realized what the guards had meant earlier by “concept” and let out a small laugh.

“They’ve got a sense of showmanship.”

This was a carefully planned spectacle.

The juxtaposition of Suho’s single horn and the demon’s single arm created undeniable entertainment value.

But given their size and appearance, it was obvious the match wasn’t fair.

This wasn’t an execution trial for nothing.

“Looks like they’re underestimating me quite a bit.”

[Don’t let your guard down. That guy is thoroughly saturated with Bloodburn Venom.]

As Esil pointed out, ominous energy radiated from the Bloodburn Beast’s entire body.

Judging by the audience’s reaction, he was a seasoned and famous fighter in the colosseum.

“Grrr. So it’s you this time? You look tender and tasty.”

The Bloodburn Beast licked his lips, his eyes gleaming ominously as he looked at Suho’s small frame.

Suho muttered to himself.

“I think I know how he’s still alive after consuming so much Bloodburn Venom.”

[He probably drained the blood of other demons to compensate for his own burning blood. And in doing so, he’s powered up even further.]

Esil’s observation was accurate.

But she overlooked one thing.

Bloodburn Venom inflicted unbearable pain.

The Bloodburn Beast, having endured such agony for so long, had evolved into a berserker who no longer felt pain.

*Roaaaaar!*

“Grr ha ha. Do you hear that? They’re all waiting for the screams that’ll pour from your mouth.”

The Bloodburn Beast grinned viciously, glancing at the roaring crowd.

“But don’t worry. They don’t want you to die quickly. They want the show to last as long as possible. And I…”

*Lick.*

His snake-like tongue flicked out as he slowly approached Suho, his massive muscles radiating an overwhelming presence.

“I’m such a kind demon that I can’t disappoint their expectations. So be grateful. I’ll make sure to kill you as slowly as possible…”

Then—

*Swoosh.*

Suddenly, the Bloodburn Beast’s vision flipped, and Suho disappeared from sight.

“…?”

Confused, he tried to turn his head to look for Suho.

But he couldn’t.

‘What…’

Something was wrong.

He couldn’t speak.

And then—

What was that ahead of him?

Why was there a massive, headless demon standing with its back turned?

That unfamiliar yet familiar body…

‘Could it be… my…’

In that instant, the Bloodburn Beast realized.

His own severed head was in Suho’s hand.

That was his last memory.

[You have defeated the One-Armed Bloodburn Beast.]
[The Horn of Vulcan has consumed the demon’s soul.]

*Thud!*

The massive body of the Bloodburn Beast collapsed to the ground.

The colosseum, once filled with cheers and mockery, fell into a heavy silence.

“…”

Even the announcer was too stunned to speak in the suffocating atmosphere.

Standing tall, Suho held the severed head, his expression indifferent.

He turned to the announcer and spoke.

“Is there no next opponent?”

[*Title Effect: Demon Slayer activated…*]

The announcer shivered under Suho’s gaze, feeling as if he had just encountered a natural predator.

—

*Roaaaaaar!*

A beat late, a deafening cheer erupted, shaking the colosseum to its core.

“One-Horn! One-Horn!”

“Hey! Did anyone actually see him move?”

“I saw it!”

“Liar! If I couldn’t see it, how could someone like you—”

“Wow! Did you hear that? He wants to fight the next opponent right away?”

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen such a fearless demon!”

“Right! One-Armed was due to die anyway!”

The audience’s reactions were a mix of awe and disbelief, cascading like waves through the colosseum.

However, no one was more stunned than the demon guards who had sent Suho out without much expectation.

“This… this can’t be real.”

“One-Armed has devoured more than ten demons over the years!”

“How did a One-Horn pull that off?”

“Maybe his body reacts to Bloodburn Venom by boosting his speed?”

“That’s not the issue right now! The match ended way too fast!”

The demon guards didn’t care who lived or died in these execution trials.

As long as the spectacle was sensational enough to captivate the audience, it didn’t matter.

But the problem this time was the duration.

The guards’ goal was to make the execution as drawn-out and brutal as possible, showcasing the gladiators’ agony to entertain the enslaved demons.

This not only relieved the slaves’ stress but also aimed to attract the Tyrant King himself to the colosseum, lured by the malevolent energy the audience emitted.

“This was way too quick!”

“The Tyrant King didn’t even have a chance to take notice!”

“It feels like we wasted more time gathering the slaves here than the match itself.”

“We should’ve told the One-Horn to drag the fight out beforehand.”

The guards turned their uneasy gazes to the head guard, who was watching Suho from a distance with a grim expression.

“W-What should we do, sir?”

“The One-Horn is asking for the next opponent. If we end things here, the atmosphere…”

“Hmm…”

The head guard continued to glare at Suho, who was basking in the cheers at the center of the colosseum.

Losing One-Armed, a carefully cultivated Bloodburn Beast, so easily was a bitter pill to swallow.

But then, a sly grin crept across his face.

“Actually, this might be a good thing. It’s been a while since someone interesting showed up. Let’s see how far this one can go.”

“Wait, sir! Do you mean…?”

“Yes. Give the One-Horn what he wants. Before the audience’s energy wanes, send in the next one.”

Although One-Armed had gained some fame among the slaves recently, he was just a passing novelty.

“It’s time for a fresh face to stir things up. Heh heh.”

At the head guard’s command, the demon guards rushed back to the prison.

Meanwhile, the announcer, finally regaining his composure, shouted to the audience.

“What a phenomenal display! Let’s give a thunderous cheer to the One-Horn who has vanquished One-Armed! And today, as a special treat, we’ll proceed immediately with the next execution trial!”

*Roaaaaaar!*

At that moment, the guards dragged another demon out of the prison.

“Heh. So One-Armed is dead? What a shame—I was going to eat him.”

The new demon licked his lips, genuinely disappointed.

His nonchalant attitude showed that he had little regard for the guards or anyone else present.

“Oh, look at that! He hasn’t eaten One-Armed yet! Hey, if I kill that little guy, can I eat One-Armed too?”

“Do as you please. Just don’t get careless. Make sure to drag it out as much as possible.”

“Of course. That goes without saying.”

*Boom!*

The gate on the opposite side of the arena opened, revealing Suho’s next opponent.

[*Intermediate Bloodburn Beast*]

“A mid-tier, huh? So the last one was low-tier?”

[Now’s not the time to be analyzing ranks! Bloodburn Venom users vary in strength based on how much blood they’ve consumed!]

Esil’s voice was tense as she warned Suho.

“Variation in power, huh…”

Suho’s eyes glimmered as he mulled over her words.

“Well, the same goes for me.”

—

[*Item: Horn of Vulcan*]
Acquisition Difficulty: ??
Type: Sword
Attack Power: +40

A sword forged from the horn of the greedy demon Vulcan. It contains Vulcan’s authority, inflicting greater damage.

– *Effect: Desire for Destruction*
Increases physical damage by [83%].

– *Effect: Demon Predator*
Vulcan’s authority grows stronger with every demon soul consumed.

[Souls Consumed: 53]

—

The testing was already complete.

Even while “equipped” on his head, the Horn of Vulcan’s full effects were active.

“And that last one had 11 souls. Quite the bonus.”

[Those must be the souls of the demons he consumed. He would’ve devoured every drop of blood and every fragment of their bones.]

“Perfect.”

This place was proving far more efficient than the labor camp.

Suho’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at the Intermediate Bloodburn Beast standing before him.

Without hesitation, he struck again.

“Ugh…”

*Thud!*

[You have defeated the Intermediate Bloodburn Beast.]
[The Horn of Vulcan has consumed the demon’s soul.]

—

The cheers stopped once more, plunging the colosseum into silence.

This time, the quiet lasted even longer.

The demons stared at Suho with wide-eyed shock.

“Next,” Suho said casually.

Two executions had ended in less than a minute.

This was an unprecedented event in the history of the colosseum.

But the audience’s reactions were the least of Suho’s concerns.

He turned his gaze to the demon guards—and beyond them, to the head guard sitting at the back.

“Or you could come down here yourself,” Suho said, his voice calm yet dripping with provocation.

The head guard’s ghostly eyes flickered with rage at the challenge.