Chapter 30

### Leveling Up Alone: Ragnarok Chapter 29

Despite a minor (?) incident,

the aftermath was handled smoothly thereafter.

The Association Hunters realized that Suho was not a demon and received guidance to the factory.

"…But where did all the demons go?"

Upon arriving at the factory, they found only traces of battle, with no sign of any demons.

As the Hunters' puzzled gazes turned to him, Suho wore an awkward expression.

"Hehe. I wonder if they all ran away?"

*Burp.*

Beside him, Berg openly burped, but no one suspected anything.

They just thought it was a summoning creature, small like a stuffed animal.

"Hmm. It seems they noticed our approach and fled?"

"We did come quite quickly. We responded immediately after receiving the report."

*Burp.*

Beside him, Berg was openly brushing his teeth, but no one suspected anything.

His belly was bulging, but they thought he was just a bit chubby.

"Still, it's fortunate we secured the scene."

In fact, this was a tremendous achievement.

They had found the factory where stardust was being manufactured for the first time.

More importantly, they uncovered the shocking fact that people's lives were being sacrificed in the manufacturing process.

"Thank you very much."

A short while later, the Association Hunters gathered all the Hunters present, including Suho and Professor Lim, outside the field to express their gratitude.

"Thanks to your information, we can prevent many future crimes. From now on, our Association and Police Hunters will thoroughly investigate the matter."

And he added one more thing.

"Also, you will receive a reward for this information."

It turned out that there was a set reward for reporting crimes.

'Good. I'll buy some meat for those who are hungry with this money.'

Suho nodded, thinking of the alien races he had left in the Shadow Dungeon.

Whether they were the last descendants of the fang-toothed clan or the only surviving demon noble, to Suho, they were just hungry refugees.

* * *

...When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Ugh."

"Team Leader, please come to your senses?"

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk sat up from the bed, feeling groggy.

White walls and the smell of disinfectant.

It was a hospital.

With a bewildered expression, Han Jae-hyuk looked at his subordinate.

"Why am I here?"

"Don't you remember? You fainted, Team Leader."

"Fainted?"

"Yes. From one punch."

"Oh."

Then a memory flashed through his mind.

'That crow mask!'

Han Jae-hyuk quickly got out of bed and shouted.

"That demon! What happened to the demon?!"

"That person wasn't a demon, right?"

"Huh? Not a demon?"

"Yes. The Hunter we were looking for was that person."

"…?"

Seeing the bewildered Han Jae-hyuk, his subordinate sighed deeply and said,

"So it was all our misunderstanding."

The subordinate then told him everything that happened while he was unconscious.

Suddenly, Han Jae-hyuk's expression hardened.

"…What? What did you say?"

"What?"

"A summoner? Who's a summoner?"

"Who else? The Hunter who was knocked out by Team Leader, of course."

"What?"

It seemed he hadn't misheard.

Han Jae-hyuk's face showed disbelief.

"Did I get knocked out by a summoner? Me, Han Jae-hyuk?"

"Yes. So, please, don't be complacent and use your skills properly before engaging in battle."

"But I did use my skills!"

"What? What skills?"

"I used my skills!"

At this point, his subordinate's expression turned bewildered.

"But why did you faint? You're a C-rank tanker."

"My point exactly!"

"Then you really got knocked out by a single punch even after using your skills? That doesn't make sense. That person was an E-rank Hunter."

"E-rank? Are you kidding me?"

Han Jae-hyuk glared at his subordinate with a menacing look.

But the subordinate shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why would I joke around when I'm getting paid well? I even checked the Hunter's credentials. The person was really an E-rank. His name was Seong Suho."

"Seong Suho?"

Hearing that name, a face flashed through Han Jae-hyuk's mind.

Coincidentally, it was the same name as the rookie E-rank Hunter he had personally measured a few days ago.

'It can't be him, right?'

"Yes. That person."

"…!"

"I'm not reading your mind. I was with you then. The E-rank hero Seong Suho from the Korean University dungeon, who we measured, is the one who knocked you out."

"R-Really? That college student? How?"

Han Jae-hyuk looked incredulous.

But his subordinate replied indifferently.

"It must have been a measurement error. Otherwise, how could an E-rank Hunter knock out a C-rank tanker who used their skills? I'd estimate at least a C-rank."

"Still, you talk as if… who could knock me out…"

"Anyway, I apologized on your behalf and told them to visit the Association for a re-measurement later. That's all the briefing for while you were unconscious."

"…"

"I'll be heading home now."

"…"

Once his authority was undermined, it was hard to regain.

Han Jae-hyuk, who had dumped all the work on his subordinates and slept soundly, muttered in frustration as he watched his subordinate leave.

"Kids these days…"

He then recalled the moment he fainted.

'E-rank was a measurement error?'

Well, that was okay.

It was a rare but occasional accident.

But one question still lingered.

'He was definitely a summoner…'

The large hyena-like summoning creature beside him confirmed it.

But how?

'How did he have such strength? Could it be some variation of a summoning skill?'

Hmm.

Han Jae-hyuk stroked his chin, recalling Seong Suho's appearance in the hospital.

A fairly good-looking, ordinary college student.

Tall and well-built.

But that was it.

He didn't look like a Hunter with such strength.

'…Well, I'll find out eventually.'

Another memory came to mind.

The day he measured Seong Suho's mana, he had politely said goodbye.

-So, Seong Suho, I look forward to your future performance.

A warm smile appeared on Han Jae-hyuk's face, just like that day.

"…I really look forward to it."

He was excited to see what kind of Hunter Seong Suho would become.

* * *

And at the Death Guild.

Vice President Lee Min-sung was fuming.

"What?! Why did the factory, which was running fine, suddenly disappear?"

"W-well… the Association received information from Hunters and…"

*Smack!*

"Ugh!"

Lee Min-sung kicked the man who was stammering excuses in front of him.

Then he stomped on the man's body, which had flown into the wall, and roared.

"So what? The Association? What do they think I am, a fool? If they took the money, they should have delivered the goods properly, no matter what!"

"Ouch! Vice President! We are also victims! The demons in the factory really disappeared without a trace overnight!"

The kicks from the A-rank Hunter were too terrifying to be mere venting.

If the man being trampled underfoot wasn't a Hunter, his heart would have stopped with the first kick.

After a while, Lee Min-sung, having vented his anger, slapped the man's face to wake him up and pulled him up by the collar.

"Ha. So what happened to the demons?"

"Cough. W-well…"

The man hurriedly spilled everything he knew.

Lee Min-sung's brows furrowed as he listened.

"The factory's location was discovered by Hunters who happened to pass by?"

"Yes. They say they fought the demons and rescued survivors."

"Do you think that's plausible?"

"W-well…"

"Damn."

Lee Min-sung's anger began to boil again as he grabbed the man's collar.

"A small guild, with a mere C-rank healer as the leader, defeated ten demons? And the rest were just D-rank and E-rank Hunters?"

"I, I…"

"What do you mean, 'I'?"

"I think it's implausible too!"

Lee Min-sung's murderous aura made the man close his eyes and shout.

Only then did Lee Min-sung release his collar.

He then smoothed out the man's collar as if nothing had happened and asked in a soft voice.

"So, what do you think? You need to give me a useful opinion if you want to live."

"…I think the Association is playing tricks."

"Hmm?"

"As you know, the Association has been chasing the source of stardust. They must have somehow found the factory's location this time."

"So?"

"But if they openly investigated stardust, which isn't illegal yet, they would face resistance from guilds like ours. So…"

"So they used some incompetent Hunters as a front and pretended to act on a tip?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

"Right. That makes sense."

Lee Min-sung nodded in agreement.

"Right. I saw those demons myself. They were far beyond the capabilities of low-rank Hunters."

"Y-Yes."

"So?"

"Um?"

"Of course, you have a plan, right?"

A terrifying aura emanated from Lee Min-sung, squeezing the man.

"O-of course! The factory isn't the only one. The Seoul Station field was convenient for delivery due to the subway lines, but there must be other factories hidden around the city."

"Everywhere? Damn, this country is really hell. Why are there so many demons?"

Lee Min-sung chuckled, seemingly satisfied.

But his eyes, fixed on the man, were not smiling.

"Let me remind you, the only reason I took you in is for the stardust, got it?"

"Of course… we are always grateful to Vice President."

"Then do your job. If I save a drowning dog, it should repay the favor."

*Grrr!*

As he answered, the man's face began to sprout fur, transforming into a werewolf.

The man was actually a remnant of the Hyena Guild, who had been pursued by the Association.

But now, with nowhere to go, he had become a loyal dog to Vice President Lee Min-sung, with whom he had been doing business.

But on the inside, it was different.

'Damn, this is bad. In a few days, the power of blood will be completely gone.'

The ability of the Hyena Guild members to transform into werewolves by drinking the blood of the fang-toothed clan lasted only ten days.

If they didn't drink blood every ten days, they would revert to ordinary humans, losing even their beast transformation skill.

If Vice President Lee Min-sung found out, he would undoubtedly cast them away without mercy.

'I need to do something before that. Find that missing wolf from Gwanak Mountain, or… find traces of another similar ruler.'

Each with their own agenda, Vice President Lee Min-sung and the werewolf were thinking of their next moves.

* * *

At that time, Suho was…

Holding the reward money, he entered a butcher shop.

"Welcome, please come in~"

The butcher, who was preparing meat, smiled and asked Suho,

"What kind of meat would you like?"

"A whole pig… can you sell it whole?"

"…?!"

"No, make that two."

"…!"