Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 15

What the guard was protecting was naturally the gate.

[It seems they were mining magic stones in the dungeon.]

“Exactly.”

As Berth said, there were several mining carts outside the gate filled with magic stones. Seeing the carts full of magic stones, it seemed like the miners had just finished their work and gone home.

Normally, I wouldn’t leave that many magic stones lying around, but it was possible because it was a field-type dungeon.

“There won’t be any thieves stealing some magic stones in the mountains where monsters roam around.”

But as luck would have it, the thief was here.

Chomp, chomp.

“Oh, this is a great place for magic stones.”

Berth flew over to the cart and started picking up and eating the magic stones.

At first, he seemed hesitant, but now he seemed to be enjoying eating the magic stones.

“These have a surprisingly chewy texture.”

Berth looked around while munching on the magic stones.

Then, he confirmed that there was no one around and called out to the guard.

“Looks like everyone’s gone home. Do you see any ants?”

“Count your blessings. You’re the ant.”

“Huh? My lord, do you happen to have a slightly longer sword handle? How else did I get a mouthful of ants?”

“Hmph. If you eat me, it will be difficult for you to enter the fortress and find the relics.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop complaining, Berth.”

“Churp. I understand.”

Berth finished eating the remaining magic stone crumbs with a nonchalant attitude.

In fact, eating one of Rakan’s fangs would have charged him up much more than eating a truckload of these magic stones.

But since he finally had a weapon that could be used against the guard, he couldn’t ask for something else and had to settle for eating a truckload of magic stones.

Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.

-….

Rakan’s fang trembled in its sheath.

Berth continued chewing on the magic stones while looking at himself with a foolish look in his eyes.

At this moment, the guard’s hand holding him was the most reliable thing he had.

“Now, go through the gate. There should be a fortress on the other side.”

“Wait a minute.”

At that moment, Suho suddenly turned in a different direction and hid behind the guard post. Then, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the gate.

“Someone’s there.”

Just then, someone walked out from inside the gate. But it wasn’t just one or two people.

“Have the miners not gone home yet?”

That couldn’t be right. If they stayed until it got this dark, it would be too dangerous to leave the field-type dungeon.

Furthermore, mining wasn’t the kind of work that had to be finished in a rush in one day, and there was no reason to work this late.

So, in the end, they must be attacking hunters, which was even stranger.

“All the monsters are outside the gate. Why would an attack team have anything to do inside the gate?”

At that moment, Berga jumped up onto Suho’s shoulder and whispered in a small voice.

“My Lord, something’s strange. They smell like beasts.”

“Beasts?”

Just then…

“… Growl.”

The faces of the hunters who had just come out of the gate were revealed in the moonlight.

But that appearance…

“Werewolves?!”

Dirty fur covering their faces.

Sharp fangs in their mouths.

Surprisingly, the hunters were werewolves wearing human clothes.

“Is it a beastification skill?”

The first thing Suho thought of was the skill.

There were various types of skills, and occasionally there were hunters who could transform into non-human forms like that.

But the probability of hunters with the same skill gathering in one place like this was extremely low.

“If it were the White Tiger Guild, it might be different.”

But even if it were the White Tiger Guild, they wouldn’t have been able to gather only the same type of beasts like this.

-They must have drunk the blood of our tribe.

“Blood?”

Suho looked at Lakan’s fangs at those words.

-The blood of the Fang tribe contains great power. Even a mere human can gain a powerful force that exceeds their own kind just by drinking a few drops of that blood.

“If you touch them, your flesh will be taken away as if it were stolen?”

“No, it’s the opposite. They didn’t have their flesh stolen, they took the power of the tribe.”

“Okay. I don’t know which idiot from the clan made them drink blood, but they must have lost some strength as a result.

Suho’s expression was strange.

You can acquire the werewolf skill by drinking blood.

I’ve never heard of such a strange way of obtaining skills besides the rune stone.

But since the Great War was only two years ago, strange situations were likely to arise at any time.

“But I really don’t understand.”

Lacan’s fangs murmured in an unpleasant voice.

“Who the hell wasted their own power to make those mutts… What the hell is happening inside them?”

Just as Lacan’s fangs expressed their puzzlement.

Something really strange happened.

The werewolves went into the warehouse they had made near the gate and came out dragging people wrapped tightly in blue tape.

“What?!”

Suho’s eyes widened.

“Ugh…!”

The people sealed up to their mouths with blue tape trembled in fear.

The werewolves’ mouths were ripped wide open.

“Krukruk. We were bored waiting during the day, you know?”

“Should we make it easier for them to breathe since it’s the last time?”

“But be quiet? We hate noisy things.”

Caw.

The blue tape was torn off the people’s mouths.

At that moment, as if waiting, a desperate cry erupted from their mouths.

“P-Please save us!”

“Ugh…! Please send us home!”

“Ugh, it’s noisy. Should we just eat them now?”

Thud.

At the werewolves’ words, everyone’s mouths shut simultaneously.

“Hic.”

I clenched my teeth because I was afraid to even make a sound, but I couldn’t stop my teeth from grinding together.

“Okay. Isn’t it great that it’s quiet?”

“We hate noise because our senses become sensitive.”

“So, everyone? If you act noisy like now, we might be surprised and bite your necks. Krukruk.”

Click.

The last word wasn’t even like a joke, so people’s faces turned white as a sheet.

One of the werewolves said with a sense of satisfaction.

“Okay. You seem to have a lot to say after being captured for a few days, so I’ll listen to your last words. But you have to speak clearly, okay?”

A middle-aged office worker who was in the middle of the conversation urgently opened his mouth.

“Uh, excuse me! If you need money, I’ll do whatever I can…”

“Tsk.”

“Oh no! Just listen to me for a moment! We need to talk about what you want before we can do anything…”

The werewolf looked at his subordinate with an expression of annoyance.

“Hey. Just kill him.”

“Really?”

“Even though it’s a hassle, let’s take one of them with us.”

“Hehehe.”

Looking at the approaching werewolf, the office worker shouted in surprise.

“No, wait! This is a crime… Huh?!”

“Ow, really.”

The werewolf’s face was full of irritation as he grabbed the office worker’s neck with one hand.

“I hate noisy people.”

Then he skillfully drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed the office worker’s neck.

Squish!

“…?”

However.

Something was strange.

Thunk-

It was the werewolf whose neck was severed.

Suddenly, an axe that had flown from somewhere had separated the werewolf’s neck from his body.

“Hehehe…”

The office worker, who had narrowly escaped death, looked at the werewolf’s head that had fallen in front of him and urinated his pants.

“Hehehe?!”

The werewolves, who were startled by the sudden situation, pulled out their weapons with their hair standing on end.

“Who are you?”

“Who dares to…!”

That’s when it happened.

Assassins who had hidden themselves in the darkness approached and cut their legs with sharp claws.

Screams!

“Ack!”

[Shadow Leopard Lv.1]

Normal rank

“La, Razan?!”

The eyes of the werewolves who confirmed the identity of their enemies widened.

Black shadow Razan was one of the most dangerous beasts in this forest.

However, because of his dislike for brightness, there were some who didn’t dare to go near the gate where torches were lit.

“Why is Razan here?”

“No, he’s different from an ordinary Razan…!”

There was no time to open their mouths casually.

[Kyaoo!]

The shadow leopards rushed towards them like thunder.

“Damn it! Let’s kill them first!”

“Don’t panic! It’s only five beasts!”

Chung Chung Chung!

Although they were taken aback by the sudden attack, they were veteran hunters who had spent a year here.

It wasn’t easy to sacrifice their lives for only five beasts.

However, there was something they didn’t know.

The owner who controlled those five beasts from behind was wishing for their death right now.

Flutter.

The ax that had cut off the first werewolf’s neck and fallen to the ground suddenly came to mind.

And.

Swish!

Crunch!

“…Kuk.”

Another werewolf’s head was separated from his body.

The eyes of the werewolves opened wide.

“This is crazy!”

“What kind of ax is that!”

The stone ax that had killed two of their comrades was flying like a boomerang, aiming for their necks!

“Skill! It must be a skill!”

“Where is he hiding? Who’s sneaking up behind us…!”

But the owner of that ax had no intention of continuing to hide.

“What’s the situation…?”

The cold moonlight reflected in the eyes of the guardian, whose face was covered with a hood and a black mask.

“Let’s save the civilians first and then think about it.”

[Truly hunter-like words.]

Hoo-wa-ak!

An incredible force burst out of Razan’s fangs.

!

[Using skill: Disdain for the Weak.]

“……!”

At that moment, the werewolves’ bodies temporarily stiffened.

[Effect: Fear is activated.]

[All targets’ stats decrease by 50% for 1 minute.]

“Krehhng!”

Some of the werewolves roared and shook off their fear.

[Effect: Fear is lifted.]

But that momentary opening was enough.

[Kyaoo!]

Chop!

The shadow leopards sliced through their Achilles tendons.

Squeak-clang!

The dominator’s power slammed an axe into their hearts.

And then.

“You pathetic mongrels.”

The sword of protection beheaded the werewolves.

“Kruk……!”

Werewolves who still had life in them revealed themselves, glaring at the protector.

“There’s only one of him!”

“Die! Krrrrrr!”

Their beastly, low lives were aimed at the protector.

At that moment.

Ting.

[An emergency quest has been activated.]

A quest window appeared in front of the protector.

[Emergency Quest: Defeat the enemies!]

There are those with flesh around you, ‘players.’ Eliminate them all to secure safety.

Number of enemies to defeat: 10

Number of enemies defeated: 5

A quest that had already eaten up half of the starting time had begun.

“This is a great gain.”

Wajak, wajak, wajak.

Even amidst all this, Verga was happily laughing while chewing on a magic stone in a corner.

Ah, I cannot keep my mouth shut. Why is the magical energy concentration of the maestones here so high? Could it be because this is a holy land?

Unfortunately, there was no one to answer his question because everyone was busy. But then…

…!

Berth’s gaze, who was laughing alone, suddenly shone and he turned towards the gate.

This smell…

Someone with a scent similar to that of the Fang Lord was walking out of the gate.