Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 34

“성물” was genuinely taken aback.

An uninvited guest had come to the noble king’s testing grounds and was causing a scene.

A ghost tree.

A grotesque creature that had grown by absorbing the souls of those who had died on this land.

There were three ghost trees that guarded the sanctuary.

But now, only one was left.

And that remaining one was being brutally destroyed by the uninvited guest.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang!

“Stop it! Please stop! Ah, the power of the sanctuary…! The king’s trial…!”

The guardian let the complaints of the “성물” flow in one ear and out the other, and fiercely attacked the third ghost tree.

[Creak!]

And suddenly, the shadow jackals, which had multiplied to six, stood guard by his side like guard dogs with a proud and upright posture.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang!

“If I destroy this one, I’ll level up again!”

Unfortunately, when he destroyed the second ghost tree, he didn’t level up. It was because he needed even more experience points as his level increased.

But from experience, he was certain this time.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang!

The guardian’s axe swung even faster.

But unlike the furious guardian, the “성물” continued to agonize over “Another one of Lacan’s fangs” in his mind.

“It can’t be done. It’s the last ghost tree! How hard did I work to grow that tree!”

“I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you.”

“I’m telling you I can hear you! I can hear you…!”

Bang bang bang bang bang bang!

“Do not disturb the king’s trial with such an unworthy subject!”

Thud.

At those words, the guardian’s sword suddenly stopped.

“…Qualification.”

The guardian lifted his head and showed a faint smile.

And then he fell down towards the “성물,” who was watching from somewhere.

“Why are you doing this when you weren’t even going to pick the real king anyway?”

The only thing that returned was silence.

Suho had already been sure for some time, since he was already in possession of one of Rakan’s fangs.

“After all, you’re planning to take the body of the last surviving human, right?”

If a low-grade human possesses Rakan’s fang, it steals their physical body. But this time, the criteria were the ‘king’s grade’.

No matter how hard the humans on Earth try, there is no way they can satisfy the qualifications to become a lord of the fangs.

Kurrung!

Just then, Suho’s sword destroyed the last ghost tree.

[Destroyed the ghost tree.]

[All the ghosts disappear.]

[Level up!]

With that, all the ghosts in the Magok field disappeared without a trace.

As the ghosts that had been screaming non-stop disappeared, a heavy silence settled over the forest.

And at the end of that suffocating silence, the relic finally spoke.

“…You knew me well. What’s your identity?”

The question was directed at Suho.

But the powerful oppression in the voice made all the hunters in the Magok field tense up.

Kurrururur!

The forest was howling.

The ground shook as if it were about to collapse.

“What is happening right now?”

The hunters in the forest paled rapidly as the ground beneath their feet began to shake unnaturally.

Meanwhile, Suho asked the Rakan’s fang he held in his hand with a smirk.

“Is the relic here stronger than you?”

-There’s no way. You must have found a good host.

Rakan’s fang grumbled.

-But I found a better one. I found someone with the qualifications to be the real king.

Gray in the Shadow Dungeon was the only descendant of the Rakan’s fang clan.

Although he became Suho’s pet, it wasn’t a big problem. Rather, Suho was convinced that Gray would grow into a stronger lord by his side.

-Do you know the reason for the existence of the relic?

“What is it?”

It’s about competing between the chosen heirs to prove their qualification for the throne.
Suddenly, Lacan’s fang moved, pointing the sword towards the direction where the relic was.
“Go there. Prove that this one is more qualified,” he said without answering.
Suh-ho turned his gaze to the shadow jackals instead of responding.
“Jackals!”
“Growl!”
“Carry me!”
The shadow jackal, who came forward at that command, carried Suh-ho on his back.
And he began to run through the densely wooded forest at a dazzling speed.

As they approached the epicenter of the earthquake, the forest became denser and filled with various plant-like beasts.
No hunter would have ever made it this far, regardless of the lack of funds. It was too dangerous.
“The plants here are full of life. They have tasted human blood before,” said Ver, and it was true.
The Magok Catastrophe. It was the fundamental reason why this land had turned into such a fierce jungle.
It was simply because the location of the Gate that appeared here was not very good.
In Magok, there was the largest and most extensive botanical garden in Seoul.
And at the moment the Gate from another world opened in the middle of the garden, the blue mist that flowed out from it penetrated the various grasses in the garden, creating a bizarre evolution.
… This place turned into hell.
If this place had been an ordinary mountain like Mt. Gwanak, it might have been different. The types of plants that grew on the mountain would not have been as diverse as those in the botanical garden.
If this place had not been in the city, it might have been different.

“The contaminated monster plants are eating many humans in the city and they won’t evolve in a more grotesque way. All the unfortunate results led to this place.

[Magok Botanical Garden]

In the place where the original botanical garden was located, there was a strange, wriggling tree growing as if it were alive. Suho narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the tree, and eventually realized what it was.

“This… it’s not a tree, is it?”

It was not a tree. Thousands of species of plants that grew in the botanical garden were tangled and clustered together, wrapping around the botanical garden and forming the appearance of a tree.

“This is a nest for the king,” said Rakkan in an excited voice. “I have grown another holy site this big. I have to admit that it’s the only thing I can recognize.”

At that moment, the tightly closed door of the botanical garden, covered in countless vines, suddenly opened wide in front of Suho.

“It’s telling us to come in?”

“Milady, it could be a trap,” said Baeur, worriedly.

“If it’s a trap, we’ll break through,” said Suho, spreading two swords in his hands and stepping into the entrance.

[Entering the dungeon]

The botanical garden, corroded by the dungeon, swallowed Suho.

Then the vines wrapped around the door and sealed it again.

The botanical garden was quiet and dark. Pitch black, without a single point of light. Suho maximized his senses to adapt to the darkness. And to secure more visibility, he put on the ‘Crow Mask’ item from his inventory. Then he saw things.

Spider webs.

“Ha, look at this.”

Suho looked around with a wry smile.

All around him was covered in white spiderwebs.

“Was this a trap?”

Sassak, Sassak.

Large and small spider minions crawling on top of the spiderwebs were staring at the intruder.

[Tomb Spider]

[Tomb Spider]

……

“‘Tomb spider.’ What a fitting name.”

There were guests who had entered this place before Suho, who was already dealing with the ghost trees.

The beast hunters who had stepped into this place first sniffed out the “smell.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

They were all hanging from the ceiling, entangled in spiderwebs.

When Suho entered, those whose mouths were not blocked screamed desperately.

“S-Save us…!”

“Please, just us…!”

-They are sacrifices. Sacrifices for the king.

Listening to Rakan’s fangs, Suho looked into the deep darkness far away.

There, a giant spider crouched.

Its body was as big as a mountain.

Dozens of eyes.

A gruesome mouth.

A pair of giant pincers.

[Tomb Spider Arachne]

It was truly an intimidating spider.

“I feel the energy of the relic inside that thing’s body.”

At Rakan’s fangs, Suho narrowed his eyes.

“Then, we have to cut open its belly and take it out.”

Snap!

Suho rushed towards the enemy with tremendous force, without waiting any longer.

Crack! Squelch!

At that moment, Tomb Spiders poured out from the walls and ceiling towards Suho.

“Take care of the small fries!”

[Kyarruk!]

At Suho’s command, the Shadow Jackals leaped up and attacked the Tomb Spiders.

They tore them apart with their strong claws and bit them to death with their sharp teeth.

[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]

[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]

[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]

….

Multiple messages popped up simultaneously.

Ignoring all of them, Suho focused solely on his target and ran towards it.

His goal was only one thing!

“Chwiaaak!”

Arachne sprayed white spider webs at Suho.

“I’ll rip it apart!”

Two swords swept down.

[Using ‘Skill: Storm Slash.’]

Kuwaang!

The slashing of the swords tore through the spider webs mercilessly. And then, behind the webs, a huge spider appeared.

“Kkieeeeak!”

A giant pincer from the monster above came crashing down.

Clang!

If he hadn’t instinctively twisted his body, the pincer would have crushed him.

The pincer made of rock shattered the ground as it went back up.

Suho’s gaze sharpened.

“He’s coming again!”

Swish-clang!

He twisted his body again to avoid the attack.

Clang!

He avoided it again.

“Keeek!”

Enraged, Arachne began wildly attacking with its pincers, smashing everything on the ground without any pattern.

It felt like fighting against a construction excavator.

But he saw it.

No, he felt it.

Thanks to using his items and increasing his sensory stats, Suho’s crisis detection ability shone.

Suho gradually closed the distance between them, evading Arachne’s relentless attacks one by one.

And then he attacked.

Thunk!

He struck the monster’s leg, like a utility pole, with Rakkan’s fangs.

“Grrrr!”

The monster staggered back from the impact, and Suho swung Volkan’s horn again.

Clang!

From then on, Suho’s dual swords began attacking crazily.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

[The level of ‘Skill: Dual Swordsmanship’ has increased!]

The monster cried out in pain from the unrelenting and powerful attacks.

“Kkieeek!”

“That’s impossible! No matter how much you struggle, in the end, you’ll be my prey!”

At the same time, a voice came from inside the creature’s body.

“Impossible?”

He understood.

“The skin is quite tough.”

But it didn’t matter.

If the defense was strong enough, he would keep attacking until the defense broke.

“You think I’m your prey?”

It was a laughable idea.

As Suho revealed his thoughts and laughed brightly.

“You’re my prey.”

He was excited from the thought of killing this creature and earning the title of a Shadow Soldier.

[Using skill: Storm Slash.]

“Kkieeeeeek!”