Solo Leveling: Ragnarok - Chapter 141

“Does that mean that Hwang Dongsuk was bluffing the entire time he was in the prison by pretending to be close to his brother?”

“That’s right. You’re a quick one,” Taeshik said with a nod and a grin.

The brothers had committed crimes together for over twenty years, going in and out of prison. They were quite famous as the Con Brothers, and it was also known that they were quite close. Who would have guessed that they would suddenly have a falling out? Even if someone had learned the truth, little would have changed. It was common for siblings to get into fights. No matter how much they quarreled, what was keeping them from reconciling as if nothing had happened?

But reconciliation had been impossible for Dongsuk, who’d already been locked up on his own. No matter how much he might have wanted to return to good terms with his brother, he needed to be able to contact him first.

“Dongsuk had no way to reach Dongsoo, who had hidden away from the association,” Taeshik said. But that was not a problem, since it meant nobody else would find out about the current status of the brothers’ relationship. “That was why Dongsuk was able to go around claiming that anybody who messed with him would have to face Dongsoo’s revenge somewhere outside the prison, and he could say that with no fear of being found out.”

“That strategy must have been effective,” Suho commented.

“Oh, yes. Extremely so. Even A-rank villains bowed their heads when Hwang Dongsuk came around.”

Suho thought it made sense that Dongsuk had become the de facto king of the prison. He had already seen what his mother and Thomas Andre, both S-rank hunters, were capable of. If someone with similar powers had become a villain, they were basically a walking natural disaster. The villains in the prison would have been terrified that such a disaster would visit them for revenge the moment they crossed Dongsuk.

“And Dongsuk was lucky, to boot. It was thanks to Choi Jongin that Hwang Dongsoo became known as an S-rank villain at all.”

Those who were officially active as hunters were measured for their mana and then registered with the Hunters Association. Most villains, however, did not go through this process. Dongsoo was also a villain, and therefore, his mana had never been measured. Despite this fact, he had been declared an S-rank villain because of a simple rationalization—“Woo Jinchul sent no less than Choi Jongin to catch him, and he escaped anyway. What more needs to be said?”

From then on, Hwang Dongsoo was regarded as the strongest villain out there, someone not even Choi Jongin, the greatest S-rank hunter of the association, could take down. Though Dongsoo disappeared after that, this only made him even more terrifying. Who knew where he was hiding, or what he was plotting?

Suho, who’d been listening to Taeshik all this time, finally asked the question that had been on his mind all along. “You said your name was Kang Taeshik, right? How do you know all these things?”

“Oh, that.” The bounty hunter shrugged dismissively. “I used to be in prison with Hwang Dongsuk. Dongsuk told me himself. Actually, he was denouncing his brother. It was before Dongsoo actually awakened.”

“You were a villain?”

“No. I awakened in prison, you see, and I immediately applied to become an association hunter. Does that answer your question?”

Suho nodded. The Hunters Association had suffered from a manpower shortage ever since it was founded. That much wasn’t surprising—in this world, people could make large amounts of money by entering a dungeon, so who would want to become a public-sector employee? As a last resort, the association often turned to recruiting villains who showed potential for redemption or talented individuals who hadn’t turned to severe crime after awakening. Taeshik had been one of the latter.

“So, what do you say? Did you like my information? Even if you take that intel and say you don’t want anything to do with me, I won’t stop you.” Taeshik was unexpectedly indifferent—but also crafty. “Of course…” he said, locking eyes with Suho and giving him a suggestive smile, “that might not be all the information I have. So choose wisely.”

“We can work together,” Suho said, and the grin on Taeshik’s face grew broader.

“You make quick decisions for a youngster! I like that. That makes us a team, then, eh?”

***

Suho left Jisan Prison with Taeshik, and with Gray in the lead, they began to track the villains immediately. Naturally, Gray was far more sensitive to smells than trained police dogs, since he could even pick up the smell of mana.

“Good thing we decided to work together,” Taeshik said, smiling to himself and nodding as he followed the wolf, who was rushing forward confidently. “Hey, you said your name was Sung Suho, right? Any thoughts about joining me after this task is over?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t be so standoffish and consider it carefully. Summoners are not in demand in dungeons anyway—”

A change came over both hunters as they turned forward. Gray was headed toward a group of buildings.

“Hiding in a city instead of a forest, are they? What a hassle.” Taeshik’s eyes gleamed sharply.

***

The village of Yami in Yeongbuk-myeon, Pocheon, was more of a very small town than a city. A long time ago, the place had been overrun with thieves at night because of the thick pine forests that surrounded it. Some claimed Yami got its name for that reason, since “Yami” literally meant “A village of nighttime shenanigans.”

The location was surrounded by mountains and thick forests. The Pocheon region itself was known for its many mountains. Mountains made for great hiding places, so naturally they assumed that the villains were staying concealed there.

“So they actually hid themselves in an occupied village? How brave,” Taeshik remarked.

“They mean to hold the citizens hostage,” Suho said.

“This is going to be challenging.”

Suho and Taeshik, who had been running behind Gray without a break, were forced to come to a standstill. From this point on, they would have to be extra careful. The moment the villains hiding in the village realized that bounty hunters had arrived, things could easily get out of hand.

“Suho, you may need to rein in your mana— Hmm.” Taeshik’s eyes gleamed as he watched the young hunter. He had realized that there was no trace of mana at all coming from Suho’s body.

How is this summoner able to control his mana so perfectly? Taeshik was genuinely shocked. Summoners had a difficult time keeping their mana from leaking, especially when they had already brought a summon forth, like Suho had with Gray.

“Don’t tell me you’re not actually a summoner… Oh, never mind.” However, Taeshik soon thought better of asking. He also hid his mana so that no one could detect it, and tucked his dagger into his chest pocket. Suho did not have any weapons of his own to hide, since they were stored in his inventory to begin with.

“Suho, do you know why I picked you out of all the bounty hunters?” Taeshik asked.

“You said it was because I’m a summoner.”

“That’s the biggest reason, but you’re also the best prepared when it comes to the basics.”

“The basics?”

“Yes. To catch villains, we can’t give away the fact that we are bounty hunters. That’s crucial.”

Most of the bounty hunters at Jisan Prison wore armor, making it obvious that they were hunters. It was a natural choice if one sought to protect themselves from attacks, but villains were no idiots. If they noticed hunters from afar, they could simply hide away. Suho, however, wasn’t like the rest. Just like Kang Taeshik, who specialized in hunting villains, he looked like an unarmed civilian.

This was not enough, however. Gray, the young wolf, was emanating mana. If they walked into the village with Gray as he was, they would make it obvious to the villains that there was a summoner among them. But without the wolf, there was no way for them to track the villains by smell.

Taeshik pointed this out, and Suho turned to look at Gray. I think his looks pass, though. Even if he was a wolf, he was still young and slight. A leash was all they needed to make him look like a dog out on a walk. “Gray, can you hide your mana somehow?” he asked.

Gray cocked his head with a puzzled woof, and Suho gave up on the idea. The moment he used Divine Possession, he would no longer look the part of a civilian.

A message suddenly appeared.

[The King of Beasts, the Monarch of Fangs, requests a conversation with you.]

[Would you like to accept?] (Y/N)

Rakan? The Monarch asked to speak like he had been waiting for an opening, and this time it was Suho who was confused. What is this about all of a sudden?Well… I’ll agree for now.

The moment Suho pressed “yes,” something activated.

[Passive Skill “(Unknown)” has been activated.]

There was a flash of white light that blinded him.

***

Suho was back in the emptiness, alone near the edge of a blank horizon.

He stared forward, clear-headed. Beyond his vision, at the very edge of that horizon, was a giant being over two meters tall, staring down at him. The being wore clothing made of something like animal skins and exuded a wild and untamed aura. It was Rakan, the King of Beasts and the Monarch of Fangs.

“It’s been a while. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”

“Why did you want to see me?” Suho asked.

“There’s no hurry here. We are meeting in the realm of the mind, and while we meet, no time will pass out there.”

Suho already knew this, having experienced it a few times already.

“I would like to make a suggestion,” Rakan continued.

“A suggestion?”

“Yes. I noticed you’ve mainly been using my successor for Divine Possession, and nothing else.”

That’s true… Suho nodded. The reason was simple—Gray was still too weak. Suho had tried leveling him up, but didn’t grow more powerful. Still, he could be pretty useful for tracking purposes, which is how I’ve been using him lately.

Suho’s thoughts were conveyed directly to Rakan, given the nature of the space they were in. The Monarch tutted unhappily. “I hardly think it’s appropriate for the next King of Beasts to exist solely for sniffing around,” he said. But such was the reality. “That’s why I want to make a suggestion. I have a way to make Gray stronger.”

Suho’s eyes shone. “You do?”

“Yes. Give Gray my artifact.”

Rakan’s Fang? A realization seemed to come over Suho. Rakan’s artifact had been sitting in his inventory ever since he’d acquired Vulcan’s Horn. So Gray can wear the fang like dentures, or something?

“What! Did you just call it dent— Never mind. Yes, he can. I didn’t tell you because you were using the artifact as a weapon, but if you let Gray inherit its power, he will receive all its abilities.”

“I can do that,” Suho thought, nodding immediately. Then something occurred to him. “Wait, can he wear other fangs, too?”

“What…?” Rakan asked, puzzled.

Suho smiled mischievously. “I have a fang—a poisonous one—lying around in my inventory, you see.”

“W-wait…” the Monarch said, taken aback.