Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 41

One hour ago.

[Paju Field]

※ No entry allowed except for members of the Sasin Guild.

Thud.

“This must be the place.”

Hunter Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk of the Association arrived at the front of Paju Field with his subordinates.

As he looked up at the sky, the weather was unpleasantly good.

A vast, quiet plain spread out before them.

Once known as Paju Industrial Complex, this place had become a desolate land after the Dungeon Break.

The reason they had come here was because of Baek Mi-ho.

Last night, Baek Mi-ho, the vice-president of Baekho Guild, suddenly visited the Association with her subordinates and handed over one of the Hyena Guild members she had captured, claiming to have caught him in Magok Field.

Even without that, Han Jae-hyuk, who had been investigating the factory continuously these days, interrogated the guild member and found out significant information.

“The vice-president of Sasin Guild, Lee Min-sung, is secretly building a Star Dust Research Lab!”

However, the problem was that even the guild member didn’t know the exact location of the lab.

In that case, there was no choice but to search the dungeons of Sasin Guild on foot.

After all, to produce Star Dust, Blue Mist was necessary, and the location was undoubtedly one of the dungeons occupied by the Sasin Guild.

Thus, the Association hunters had been searching the dungeons of Sasin Guild one by one since this morning, spreading out across the metropolitan area.

“Team Leader.”

One of his subordinates, who had been on the phone with the situation room, hung up and approached Han Jae-hyuk.

“Indeed, this place seems the most suspicious. Lee Min-sung, the vice-president of Sasin Guild, voluntarily offered to manage Paju Field not long ago.”

“….”

Han Jae-hyuk, upon hearing the report from his subordinate, looked ahead with a serious expression.

Beyond the iron fence that blocked the entry of civilians.

In the distance, old container warehouses were covered in blue mist, emitting a nostalgic atmosphere.

“The location selection is impressive.”

Han Jae-hyuk clicked his tongue as if he didn’t like it.

Paju Field was conveniently close to Seoul, making it easy to kidnap people, and it was also a good place to obtain Blue Mist.

Above all, there were already enough container buildings within the field that could be used as a research facility, making it an ideal place to build a factory.

No matter how you look at it, this place was definitely suspicious.

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk immediately picked up his shield.

“We’re going in.”

“What? Just us? What about reinforcements?”

“We need evidence to request reinforcements. We can’t just call for support without proof. Send a few pictures at least before making the call.”

“Yes, understood.”

With Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk leading the way, five hunters jumped over the fence of the Paju field.

And finally, they found it.

Container buildings standing in a row in the Paju Industrial Complex.

And the numerous hunters wandering around them.

“We found it!”

The hunters exchanged glances with each other.

There was no reason for so many hunters to gather around a field dungeon where the strategy was almost complete.

“According to the investigation, Vice President Lee Min-sung has been secretly building his own power behind Guild Master Lim Tae-gyu. There might be some kind of internal power struggle going on.”

“So this is… like their base.”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk looked at the largest building among the containers and spoke to his subordinates.

“Request for reinforcements.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And we’re going in.”

“What?”

“I heard screams coming from inside just now.”

Saying that, Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk gritted his teeth with a menacing expression.

“It seems like there are civilians being held captive in there.”

Star Dust Research Institute, huh…

Lee Min-sung must have already gathered the materials for Star Dust.

***

Star Dust Research Institute.

Container Building A.

Min Byung-gu’s wife, Oh Sun-joo, was trembling in the cold prison cell.

“Why am I here…?”

Oh Sun-joo was confused and scared by the situation she found herself in.

She had been going to work as usual.

But suddenly she lost consciousness, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself locked in a strange prison cell.

She couldn’t understand what was going on in this situation.

It wasn’t just a simple kidnapping for ransom, as there were strange things about it.

First, there were too many people walking around outside the prison cell.

And all of them were confidently showing their faces.

“Showing their faces means they have no intention of letting us go from the beginning.”

The fact immediately made Oh Sun-joo even more fearful.

And there were nine more people who had been captured and brought to the prison like her.

“Sob, Mommy…”

“Even such a young child…”

Oh Sun-joo’s gaze turned towards the young boy who was trembling and crying pitifully, huddled up on the floor.

But just then, a man passing by shouted angrily at the boy.

“Hey, stop making noise! I told you to stop crying!”

Bang!

“Ouch!”

“…!”

At that moment, Oh Sun-joo was shocked and covered her mouth.

With just a shout, the boy was thrown back, as if kicked by an invisible force!

“A skill?!”

Finally, Oh Sun-joo realized with astonishment that the people who had kidnapped them were all hunters.

“Why would hunters capture civilians like us? Why?”

Pushing aside her confused thoughts, Oh Sun-joo urgently approached the boy who was cowering in the corner to check his condition.

“Sob… Sniff…”

The boy was clutching his painful stomach, writhing on the floor.

Despite being afraid of being hit again, he desperately clenched his mouth shut and tears streamed down his face.

Oh Sun-joo hugged the trembling boy with compassion.

There was nothing else she could do.

But then, it happened.

“…!”

Suddenly, Oh Sun-joo’s eyes widened in surprise.

In a distant corner, a space hidden in the shadows seemed to have an awkward refraction of light.

The refraction was so subtle that it could easily go unnoticed, but once she noticed it, it looked too unnatural.

But was her gaze noticed?

Swoosh.

Suddenly, as if a curtain was lifted, the face of a large man appeared in the empty air.

“…!”

As Oh Sun-joo’s eyes widened in surprise, the man quietly placed his index finger in front of his lips.

“Hush.”

Inhale.

At that moment, Oh Sun-joo held her breath instinctively.

She had realized their true purpose.

“Hunter. Association. Came to save you. Pretend you don’t know.”

The voice of a man speaking hesitantly and stuttering reached Oh Seon-ju’s ears.

Startled, she blinked rapidly, signaling that she understood.

Swoosh.

Then the man’s face disappeared again.

And the distorted space slowly approached the prison where the hostages were held.

“Ha, only five people doing this is really suicidal.”

A heavy sigh escaped from Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok’s lips as he and his subordinates moved stealthily using their invisibility skills.

But the situation was urgent to just wait for reinforcements.

If the civilians kept inhaling the blue mist here, it could suddenly turn into a mistborn at any moment.

They had to evacuate the civilians out of the field as quickly as possible.

“It’s okay. If the plan goes as planned.”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok’s plan was simple.

Quietly open the prison door and include all the civilians in their invisibility skill.

And at the same time, take advantage of one of his subordinates making a disturbance from afar and escape together.

“As long as we get out of the building, it’s a success. There are plenty of hiding places outside.”

And after a while.

Finally, Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok’s hand grabbed the lock.

Thunk.

His thick hand crushed the lock.

“Great! We’ve su–”

“Great?”

…!

Chills ran down their spines as they suddenly heard a sinister voice from behind.

“We’ve been caught…!”

Boom!

A massive explosion engulfed them.

At the same time, their invisibility skill was released, and Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok, who barely defended against the attacks, shouted to his subordinates.

“Plan B!”

“But there’s no Plan B, Team Leader!”

“I don’t know! Just hold on somehow!”

The unexpected battle broke out.

“There are only five of them! Kill them all!”

Numerous hunters from the research facility attacked them all at once.

Thud!

“Everyone, behind me!”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok raised a giant steel shield that could cover half of his body with both hands.

“Iron Wall Defense!”

Whooosh!

Team Leader Han Jae-hyeok created a massive barrier to desperately block the attacks pouring in from all directions.

“Just hold on a little longer! Reinforcements will arrive soon!”

The last words were deliberately spoken for those guys over there to hear.

I wish I could run away scared with this, but that didn’t happen.

On the contrary.

“Hey.”

Startled.

The same gruff voice from earlier was heard again.

“Release the skill.”

Looking over there, a man with a snake-like impression was gripping the neck of a young child who looked like a kindergartener.

“Oh, no!”

The faces of the association hunters were filled with confusion.

Team leader Han Jae-hyuk recognized his face.

“Park Jong-chul!”

C-rank hunter Park Jong-chul.

He was notorious for his cruelty even among the Death’s Messenger Guild.

“Didn’t you hear me? Release that damn shield skill right now, you brats.”

Park Jong-chul smirked cruelly and lifted the child with one hand.

The child whimpered, wriggling as if it would die any moment.

“No, please!”

“Our child…!”

The association hunters cried desperately.

But if they released the shield skill as he said, they would all be dead.

In a moment of helplessness.

Park Jong-chul decided to ease their worries himself.

“What? You still won’t release it? Even like this?”

Thwack!

“…!”

Park Jong-chul mercilessly slapped the child’s cheek with his huge palm.

Blood burst from the child’s mouth, and the child’s head turned sideways.

“That crazy bastard!”

In an instant, the eyes of the association hunters flipped with rage.

But Park Jong-chul didn’t stop his hand.

“What? Still won’t release it? Even like this? Even like this?”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Stop! We’ve already released the skill…!”

Finally, the moment when the resolute determination disappeared from Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk arrived.

Thunk.

…!

Suddenly, a sword flying from somewhere sliced through Park Jong-chul’s arm, which was holding the child, as if cutting through butter.

“Gasp!”

A scream escaped from the mouths of the others.

Splat.

Blood gushed from the severed arm like a fountain.

The pain came a beat late.

“Arrgghh!”

Park Jong-cheol, who had been smiling like a snake, let out a desperate scream.

“Argh! Who is it? Who dares to…!”

Park Jong-cheol screamed in agony and looked around like a wounded beast.

And then, it happened again.

Swoosh.

His leg was severed.

“Arghhh! My, my leg!”

With screams, Park Jong-cheol writhed on the floor like a pitiful creature.

And somehow, in front of him, there was a man wearing a crow mask, holding a child.

“Who, who are you?”

When everyone in the laboratory’s attention focused on him,

“The one who deserves to die, shall die.”

A death sentence was passed onto Park Jong-cheol.

The cruel and indifferent voice made everyone tremble.