Chapter 39

Leveling Up Alone: Ragnarok Chapter 38

'I hate ants.'

For decades now.

It was something 'he' always said as if it were a catchphrase.

Why did he come to hate ants?

He had been having recurring nightmares for a long time.

Once a year, or maybe every two years.

Just when he thought he had forgotten, the vivid nightmares would return.

In those dreams, he was always running in the darkness.

Being chased by countless ants.

'Oh, don't come! Don't come!'

'Kyeek! Kyeek!'

'Aaaah!'

He ran and ran, frantically.

But no matter how hard he tried, when he came to his senses, he would find himself at a dead end.

The ants had surrounded him.

And in the middle of them.

A giant ant, as big as a human, was walking towards him step by step.

And...

'Kyeek!'

Its mouth tore open, about to swallow his head whole...

Crunch!

"Aaaah!"

The middle-aged man screamed and bolted upright in bed.

His wife, who had been sleeping beside him, rubbed her eyes and looked at him worriedly.

"Dear, did you have a nightmare again?"

"Huff, huff..."

Sweat was beading on his forehead.

He gulped down the cold water from the nightstand.

"Choke."

Though he coughed from drinking too quickly, it helped bring him back to reality.

He then turned to his wife, who had woken up because of him, with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"Hmm... It's been a while this time."

"Yeah, it has. I'm fine now, so don't worry about me and go back to sleep."

Gently patting her back, his wife's eyes slowly closed again.

"Phew."

The man sat on the bed and washed his face with his hands.

'After not having them for a while...'

He sighed and repeated to himself like a mantra.

Yes, it's just a dream.

It's just a dream.

I'm still... alive.

Fortunately, the mantra worked.

His heart, which had been pounding, gradually calmed down.

'Anyway, that damn ant dream is really...'

For some reason, today felt like it would be a tough day.

He wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so he decided to get ready for work a bit early.

Silently.

He quietly got up so as not to wake his wife and left the room.

His wife was a school teacher.

Her subject was Korean history.

He knew how difficult that job was because he had briefly taught Korean history at a cram school when he was younger.

'If she tosses and turns because of me and gets the dates mixed up during class, that would be a disaster.'

With these thoughts in mind, he skillfully finished his morning routine and got dressed.

'Oh, almost forgot again.'

He put on the badge issued by the association around his neck.

[Korean Hunter Association]

Min Byung-gu

(Consulting Doctor)

The badge, with his name engraved on it, sparkled in the morning sunlight.

* * *

"I'm here for a mana retest."

Suhoo arrived at the hospital designated by the association as soon as it opened.

"Please wait here for a moment."

Suhoo listened to the nurse's explanations and sat down, waiting for his turn.

Although the association had initially tested his mana, it was normal for people to come to the hospital for their awakening tests.

For this purpose, the Hunter Association had designated hospitals in various regions where mana could be tested.

Initially, there were only hospitals in Seoul, but as more people began to awaken across the country, the number of such hospitals gradually increased.

However, there was still only one hospital in the country where a 'mana retest' could be conducted, due to the use of a single, highly precise measuring device.

"Mr. Seong Suhoo, please come in."

After a short wait, the nurse called Suhoo's name.

When he entered the retest room, a middle-aged doctor with a friendly face was sitting inside.

"Mr. Seong Suhoo?"

"Yes, hello."

As Suhoo greeted him, his eyes lingered on the doctor's badge.

[Korean Hunter Association]

Min Byung-gu

(Consulting Doctor)

'Consulting Doctor?'

Given the difficulty of the retest, it seemed to be a doctor endorsed by the association.

"As the nurse explained, stardust has recently been made illegal. Therefore, before the retest, you will undergo a few tests."

In other words, a doping test.

After a brief explanation, the test began, and Suhoo asked a question.

"By the way, sir, wasn't there no way to detect stardust doping before?"

"Originally, that was the case, but recent research has progressed as some of the ingredients of stardust were revealed. Based on this research, a smart doctor quickly developed a doping test. By the way, that doctor is me. Haha."

Min Byung-gu shrugged and pointed to himself with his thumb.

He was quite a cheerful doctor.

'Ah.'

Hearing this, Suhoo realized.

'It's thanks to me.'

The reason the doping test could be developed recently.

It was because Suhoo himself had discovered the factory and reported to the association how the demons had been making stardust all along.

'The butterfly effect has come full circle, and now I'm sitting here taking the doping test.'

It was a situation that made him chuckle.

However, Dr. Min Byung-gu, who was conducting the test, looked at Suhoo's expression curiously.

"Hmm? Mr. Suhoo, you seem different from the others."

"What? How so?"

"You're very calm."

Min Byung-gu found Suhoo intriguing.

Usually, people who came for a retest had one of two reactions.

They were overly enthusiastic, dreaming of a higher status.

Or they were overly confident, unable to distinguish reality, thinking they were much more significant.

'In the end, they're all similar types, though.'

It was a natural reaction.

If the retest was successful and the hunter's rank increased, their annual salary could change dramatically.

But Suhoo was different.

There was no anticipation or nervousness about the retest results.

'Does he not have much ambition?'

A short while later, the results of Suhoo's doping test came out.

"No stardust doping. Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let's proceed with the mana retest. Please place your hand here."

As expected, Suhoo's mana results were the same as his status screen.

[Mana: 586]

Dr. Min Byung-gu's mouth dropped open when he saw the results.

"Oh, congratulations. It seems the first test was indeed an error. With this level of mana, you qualify as a C-rank hunter."

While explaining, Min Byung-gu observed Suhoo's reaction again.

But Suhoo's reaction remained calm.

As if he had expected it.

'Interesting. Is this how young people are these days?'

Min Byung-gu tilted his head and immediately entered the test results into the computer.

"By the way, we need to add your skill information to the hunter database. Could you show me your skills?"

Skill information was crucial data.

For smooth collaboration among hunters during dungeon raids, they needed to know each other's skills thoroughly.

Min Byung-gu led Suhoo to a spacious area and asked.

"What skills do you have?"

"Um, I use swords and summon creatures."

"You're a summoner. Let's start with your summoning skill. Could you summon your creature?"

"Yes."

Suhoo nodded readily.

However, to use the Shadow Extraction skill, he needed a corpse.

It would be too much trouble to bring a goblin corpse from the Shadow Dungeon, so the only one he could easily summon was one.

"Ber, come out for a moment."

As soon as he said it,

Swoosh!

[Kyeek! Did you call, my little lord?]

A shadow the size of a fist jumped out from under Suhoo's feet.

But then, something unexpected happened.

"Aaaah!"

[Kyeek?]

Dr. Min Byung-gu suddenly saw Ber and was so startled that he fell backward.

Ber tilted his head and looked at Dr. Min Byung-gu.

Then his eyes widened.

[What? Could it be...?]

"An, an, an, ant...! Cough."

Dr. Min Byung-gu, pointing at Ber with a trembling finger, eventually fainted, his eyes rolling back.

"..."

Suhoo, caught off guard, looked at Ber with a puzzled expression.

"What did you do to the doctor?"

[No, I... Hmm.]

In response to Suhoo's question, Ber looked at Dr. Min Byung-gu again.

Indeed, it was him.

Min Byung-gu.

[He was once... eaten by me.]

"What? Who ate who?"

[I ate this human.]

Ber scratched his head awkwardly.

* * *

Before the world reset.

When Shadow Lord Seong Jin-woo was actively working as a hunter.

At that time, there was one of the few S-rank healers in the world living in Korea.

S-rank hunter Min Byung-gu.

He once participated in a large-scale demon extermination with other S-rank hunters.

Jeju Island.

The island that had been occupied by countless ant demons.

In that unprecedented battle, Min Byung-gu fought bravely against the demons.

And he made a heroic sacrifice for his comrades.

By being eaten by the king of the ants, Ber.

After the world reset.

All those memories were erased from Min Byung-gu's mind.

[...I still remember you.]

Ber's bitter voice penetrated the unconscious Min Byung-gu's mind.

Skill Feeding.

Ber's ability to absorb the power and memories of those he consumed.

At the time, Ber, who had just hatched from an egg, used this ability to eat Min Byung-gu and absorb his S-rank healer talents.

[Perhaps the reason you didn't awaken this time is because of that.]

But what Ber learned from Min Byung-gu was not just that.

Memories. Knowledge.

The heart that hated war and loved peace.

And that was...

The first 'humanity' Ber acquired after being born.

[If I were human, I would have called you father.]

Min Byung-gu was the person who had the most influence on Ber's current personality.

[Because of you, I even developed a love for historical dramas.]

Ber's chuckle.

Min Byung-gu, even in his unconscious state, shuddered at the sound of that laugh.

[...Is that so.]

Did he read his mind?

Ber muttered bitterly.

[I have become your nightmare.]

In fact, it wasn't just Min Byung-gu.

Ber was the nightmare of all the humans he had eaten.

But Min Byung-gu was particularly special.

Was it because he was the first human Ber had eaten?

Or was it because the humanity he learned from him greatly influenced his current identity?

Ber finally understood the reason.

Look.

Even though the world had reset...

Even though he no longer had the abilities of an S-rank healer.

[Your life is still precious.]

Despite wanting to quit being a hunter and become a history teacher, in this life, he chose the path of medicine.

[You are still saving lives in your own way.]

Ber smiled brightly.

The reason he felt so proud was that he realized his roots were still shining brightly.

Born into a life of slaughter and struggle, Ber found the brightness even more dazzling.

[I won't say I'm sorry now. We were at war back then. But...]

Suddenly, Ber's warm voice reached Min Byung-gu.

[I will support you in this life.]

Whoosh!

A small seed flowed from Ber and seeped into Min Byung-gu's body.

[I will take away your nightmares.]

My... father.

* * *

Meanwhile, Suhoo was surrounded by hospital staff.

"No, really, he fainted on his own."

"The police are on their way, so you'll have to explain at the station."

"Until the truth is revealed, you'll be a witness..."

"Really, it's a misunderstanding."

Suhoo felt wronged, but the nurses' sharp reactions were understandable.

Dr. Min Byung-gu was a skilled doctor and the only stardust researcher in Korea.

Although stardust was a wrong substance that used humans as ingredients, its effects were still worth researching.

If the bad parts could be removed and only the good parts retained,

Stardust could be reborn as something that could change the era.

In that sense, Min Byung-gu was a very important resource, even nationally.

But what did the hunter, who was undergoing a retest, do to make him suddenly scream and faint?

Usually, in such cases, it was because the retest results were unsatisfactory, and something had happened...

"Ugh."

Suddenly, Min Byung-gu, who had been lying on the floor, sat up.

"Dr. Min!"

"Dr. Min has woken up!"

The nurses, surprised, rushed to Min Byung-gu.

But then something amazing happened.

"..."

Whoosh.

Min Byung-gu, who had just regained consciousness, looked down at the white light emanating from his hands.

It was mana.

"Awakening?!"

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

And without thinking, all their gazes turned to Suhoo, who was standing beside them.

"No, this is also a misunderstanding."

Really, I didn't do anything.