Chapter 45

Alone Leveling: Ragnarok Chapter 44

Suhwo stretched out his hand toward the area near Gwak Doo-young’s heart where light was seeping out.

Ding!

['Rune Stone: Giant’s Armor' has been discovered. Would you like to obtain it?]

‘A rune stone?’

It seemed that the skill Gwak Doo-young used had turned into a rune stone and appeared.

This was the first time such a case had occurred.

Today, he had killed several villains, but this had only happened with Gwak Doo-young.

‘Confirm.’

[Rune Stone: Giant’s Armor]

Breaking the rune stone will absorb the skill.

‘Giant’s Armor, huh.’

It was the skill that had enlarged Gwak Doo-young’s body just a moment ago.

Considering the value of the rune stone, selling it would likely fetch at least several billion.

‘But it’s a pity to sell it.’

Money can be earned later.

Right now, getting stronger was more important.

Besides, he had been an E-rank Hunter until now, so his earnings were not great. But today, he had just received a reissued C-rank Hunter license.

Considering the significant difference in pay between E-rank and C-rank, selling the rune stone for money would be a foolish choice.

“Hey… Mr. Crow?”

At that moment, a voice called out to Suhwo from behind.

The Association Hunters, who had somehow escaped the prison, were approaching hesitantly.

“Are you, are you alright?”

The expressions on their faces as they looked at Suhwo were mixed with fear.

After all, Suhwo had single-handedly wiped out over 50 members of the Death Guild and, in the end, even killed Gwak Doo-young, a B-rank Tanker, with sheer strength.

Having witnessed such a brutal battle up close, it was impossible not to be worried.

Even though Suhwo had helped them, there was no guarantee that he was on their side.

Huh.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of being hostile. Arrest those people.”

“Ah.”

“Ahem.”

The Association Hunters turned their gaze away, looking embarrassed.

Suhwo first put the rune stone in his pocket and then canceled his Enhanced State.

In the Enhanced State, his mana decreases by 1 every second.

That’s why he had taken out and consumed mana potions during the fight.

[‘Enhanced’ is canceled.]

Whoosh!

The divine wind swirling around Suhwo’s body calmed down, and his silver-tinted hair turned black again.

And then, pop.

“Grr!”

[‘Pet: Gray’’s spirit body detaches from the priest’s body.]

A puppy, no, a wolf pup, the size of a palm, fell out of Suhwo’s body.

The Association Hunters shuddered and murmured at the sight.

To suddenly spit out a wolf from his body!

“Y-You, as expected…”

“Beast King…”

“King of Beasts…”

Huh?

Gray, who had just landed on the ground, looked bewildered.

People were looking up at him (?).

Huh?

Suddenly, something seemed to click in his mind.

Gray suddenly raised his nose and began howling.

“Grrr Oooong-!”

With an endlessly proud and brave gaze.

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, looks proudly at his brave descendant.]

“…?”

-Huh. Now he’s starting to act like it.

“…?”

Even the fang of Rakkan, which he was holding, seemed to look at Gray with satisfaction, making Suhwo chuckle.

* * *

The support troops called by the Association Hunters finally arrived after everything was over.

“Come out quickly, you guys!”

The Death Guild members who had surrendered and dropped their weapons were led away, all limping.

“Why are they all limping?”

Meanwhile, Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk quickly rescued the hostages trapped in the prison and rushed them to the hospital. He didn’t want to risk them suddenly turning into Mist Beasts if they stayed in the field.

Then, he and his subordinates began a thorough search and seizure of all evidence from the Stardust Research Institute.

“Don’t miss a thing, take everything! I’ll use this to take down Im Myung-sung today!”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk clenched his teeth, thinking of the mastermind behind it all, Vice President Im Myung-sung.

Meanwhile, Suhwo was also busy.

The weapons of the Death Guild members scattered on the ground.

If he collected all these spoils and sold them to the shop, it would be quite profitable.

‘I need to earn money for potions.’

However, unexpectedly, Gray played a significant role here.

“Grr!”

Noticing Suhwo’s intention, Gray, with his short legs, ran toward the weapons.

He opened his small mouth and bit down on a weapon.

Ding!

A message appeared in front of Suhwo.

[‘Item: Flame Longsword’ has been discovered. Would you like to obtain it?]

“Huh?”

Suhwo’s eyes widened.

Thanks to the pet system, it seemed he could obtain items remotely when Gray touched them.

“Obtain.”

[‘Item: Flame Longsword’ has been obtained.]

The item immediately appeared in his inventory, and Suhwo smiled.

‘This will make things easier in the future.’

He had finally found a role for the puppy.

Item shuttle.

Suhwo patted Gray’s head and said,

“Gray, good job. Go and keep bringing them.”

“Grrr Oooong~?!”

Gray, who had never received sincere praise from Suhwo before, was at a loss.

For some reason, his mouth kept opening and closing.

And then, finally.

Thud!

“Huh?”

“Grrr…”

Overexcited, Gray bit the hand that was petting his head.

Meanwhile, his tail wagged wildly.

“Let go, damn it…”

Dangling.

Suhwo was speechless, looking at Gray hanging from his hand.

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, nods at the brave appearance of his descendant.]

-Huh. Even as a puppy, he’s still a lion’s cub.

Enough, you guys.

“Anyway, go and bring them.”

Suhwo forcibly sent Gray forward.

Gray, with his tail held high, proudly roamed around, biting the spoils.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[‘Item: Sharp Eye Bowgun’ has been discovered. Would you like to obtain it?]

[‘Item: Black Battle Axe’ has been discovered. Would you like to obtain it?]

[‘Item: Carbon Gauntlet’ has been discovered. Would you like to obtain it?]

…

“Obtain. Obtain. Obtain…”

Suhwo stood still, selling the items that were being pulled in from a distance to the shop window.

Crack.

Crack.

[750 gold obtained.]

[1300 gold obtained.]

[900 gold obtained.]

…

Not bad, actually?

‘Good. With this, I won’t have to worry about potion costs for a while.’

The days of struggling with gold to buy potions were finally over.

Suhwo, with his newly increased gold, was browsing the shop window, thinking of buying some new items, when he remembered something he had forgotten.

‘I almost forgot this.’

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward: +5 Stat Points

Suhwo invested all the stat points into Strength without hesitation.

Strength was indeed the best.

As he had experienced this time, overwhelming strength and speed would significantly impact his leveling speed.

Other stats could be increased through items.

Just as Suhwo was busy (?), Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk approached him.

“Mr. Crow, may I have a moment to talk?”

“…”

Very polite attitude and awkward honorifics.

Suhwo looked at him awkwardly and replied,

“Yes, let’s talk.”

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Shadow Dungeon where Gray had disappeared.

“…Huh?”

Eshil, who had been left alone, suddenly stiffened.

‘Could it be?’

Eshil narrowed her eyes and glared at something.

Suddenly, a strange sensation was detected from somewhere.

Whoosh!

Eshil immediately kicked off the ground and moved toward the source.

This black and white world was extremely quiet and still.

After clearing out all the goblins hiding everywhere, the eerie silence had become even more intense.

But something was changing in this silent world.

Thud.

Eshil’s steps finally stopped, and she looked ahead.

Squish! Squish!

A dimensional rift, overflowing with ominous energy.

“Gate…!”

Realizing the cause of the change, Eshil quickly raised her head and shouted to Suhwo in the outside world.

“Sung Suhwo! Come back quickly! This isn’t the time to be out there!”

Strangely, her voice traveled through Suhwo’s shadow and reached his ears.

-Sung Suhwo! There’s a hole in your world!

“…!”

Suhwo, who was just having a conversation with Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk, shuddered at the voice.

“Mr. Crow?”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk looked at him curiously.

Suhwo looked at him with a stern expression.

“I have an urgent matter to attend to. Let’s talk later.”

“Huh? Suddenly? What urgent matter…?”

There was no time to explain.

Suhwo immediately turned and ran out of the research institute.

“Wait! At least give us your contact information…!”

Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk called out to Suhwo, flustered, but had no reason to forcibly detain him.

He wasn’t a criminal or a villain, but rather a hero who had helped them.

“Maybe I can give you a reward….”

A small murmur directed at Suhwo, who was already out of sight.

But at those last words.

Suddenly!

[Reward? I can’t just let that slide.]

“Huh?!”

Berga suddenly appeared, grabbed Team Leader Han Jae-hyuk by the collar, and shouted,

[What are you doing? Hand over the reward immediately.]

* * *

[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.]

Whoosh!

Suhwo’s figure appeared in front of Eshil.

Immediately, Eshil showed him what she had discovered.

“What is this…?”

Suhwo’s expression hardened as he looked at the gate that had appeared before him.

Rumble!

Red sand was pouring endlessly from the torn dimensional rift, as if it were trying to swallow the entire world!

Ding!

[An urgent quest has arrived.]

A timely quest.

[Emergency Quest: Dimensional Rift]

A dimensional rift has been detected.

Travel through the connected gate and eliminate the cause of the dimensional rift.

“Damn. You want me to go in there?”

Suhwo looked at the sand waterfall pouring through the gate’s gap, his face showing disbelief.

“What? You want me to go in there?”

Eshil, surprised by his words, looked at him.

“Are you thinking of swimming in that sand? The moment you enter, it could become your grave!”

But after a moment’s thought, Suhwo nodded.

‘If a quest has appeared, there must be a way to solve it, right?’

Since he had to complete the quest, there was no avoiding it.

“Rise.”

Rumble.

At Suhwo’s call, the giant shadow, the tomb spider Arachne, descended beside him.

“Can you dig the ground?”

[Grroar!]

In response to Suhwo’s question, Arachne raised her massive pincers and roared loudly.

Impressed by her formidable appearance, Suhwo smiled.

‘Maybe it’s worth a try.’

Having made his decision, Suhwo turned to Eshil.

Startled!

Eshil instinctively took a step back, shaking her head at Suhwo’s bright smile.

“No, I’ll wait here….”

“Don’t you want to eat meat?”

“Ugh.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“…Grr.”

Eshil, the only demon noble and the eldest daughter of the great Ladir, learned what gaslighting was today.

“Fine! Let’s go, go!”

In the end, she resigned herself, closing her eyes tightly.

Suhwo turned back with a grin.

Rumble!

Toward the gate where the sand waterfall was pouring.

“Let’s go in, then.”