Chapter 64

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok Chapter 63

"…What did you say?"

Im Tae-gyu, the guild master of the Death God Guild, doubted his own ears.

"Our members have gone missing?"

"Yes, they are still disappearing as we speak."

"Are you sure they're really missing, not just passed out from drinking?"

"Yes, it seems they have been kidnapped."

"Are you kidding me? Can a Hunter really be kidnapped?"

It was unbelievable.

The possibility that all the guild members who had suddenly lost contact over the past few days might have been kidnapped.

But Secretary Oh's expression was serious.

"At first, I didn't believe it either, but we just received some CCTV footage from the planning department. You should take a look…"

"…"

Im Tae-gyu took the USB from Secretary Oh and plugged it into the computer, his expression growing sterner.

If it was just a video file, it could have been sent via email or messenger, but the fact that it was delivered on a USB indicated a concern for security.

And there was only one such situation in the guild recently.

It was none other than Vice President Lee Min-sung, who had gone rogue and disappeared.

'No way…'

Right now, because of that guy, the Death God Guild's reputation in the country had plummeted to rock bottom.

No matter how much they tried to explain that they didn't know anything, people wouldn't easily believe them.

The Hunter Association was also continuously pressuring them, suspecting that there might be co-conspirators within the guild.

"Damn it."

After watching the video handed to him by Secretary Oh, Im Tae-gyu's expression twisted in fear.

In the video, one of the Death God Guild members was standing on the street, looking around.

Suddenly, someone quickly snatched him away.

Click.

When Secretary Oh pressed the spacebar to pause the screen, the face of the entity that had snatched the guild member became faintly visible.

The quality was poor, but Im Tae-gyu, who had known Lee Min-sung for a long time, couldn't fail to recognize the face.

A lump of complex emotions welled up in his chest.

"Lee Min-sung… that bastard, really!"

Bang!

He slammed his fist down, splitting the desk in two.

Startled, Secretary Oh hurriedly stepped back.

Although he had been assisting Im Tae-gyu for a considerable time, this was the first time he had seen him like this.

Im Tae-gyu was genuinely furious.

"Min-sung…"

Im Tae-gyu leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep sigh.

The fluorescent lights on the ceiling flickered uneasily.

"Why did you end up like this…"

Regardless of their positions as president and vice president, or their roles in the guild and as Hunters, Lee Min-sung was his long-time friend.

No, a proud friend.

He had always shone brightly since he was young.

Once, he was even proud to be his friend.

Before the Great Cataclysm.

When he asked Im Tae-gyu to be his driver.

The reason he readily accepted the offer.

Wasn't it because it was fun to hang out with him?

- Tae-gyu, why don't you drive my car?

- What? Suddenly?

- We meet and hang out every day anyway. If you drive, we can keep hanging out even when I'm working.

- That's true. Do you pay a salary?

- I'll pay you more than a manager. Since I always buy the drinks, you can save that money to buy a house.

The reason Lee Min-sung made Im Tae-gyu a driver instead of a manager was that managers had too much work and no time to play.

After that, it was really fun.

Following Lee Min-sung, who was an actor, to film sets and eventually marrying an actress he introduced him to.

Back then, Lee Min-sung and he were truly inseparable friends.

But when did it all start to go wrong?

How did it come to this…?

No.

'I knew all along.'

He had just pretended not to know.

Im Tae-gyu vividly remembered that moment.

After the world changed due to the Great Cataclysm.

After he suddenly awakened as an S-Rank Hunter.

'The day I bought my first round of drinks.'

The first large sum of money he earned as a Hunter.

The moment that enormous amount of money was deposited into his account, the first thing Im Tae-gyu did was to buy drinks for his friend, who had always bought drinks and meals for him.

- Hey, I'll pay for the drinks today.

- …What?

- I'm sorry for always mooching off you. From now on, I'll buy.

- …

The awkward expression on Lee Min-sung's face at that moment.

He still didn't understand what that emotion was.

But it was from that day on.

Lee Min-sung started to change.

Especially when he awakened as an A-Rank Hunter, one rank below Im Tae-gyu.

He changed completely, as if all the years of friendship had never existed, suddenly expressing a tremendous sense of inferiority.

'Why, even though he has so much…'

People's hearts are truly incomprehensible.

Im Tae-gyu had never once considered his awakening as an S-Rank Hunter to be a stroke of luck.

Luck and misfortune are two sides of the same coin.

On that day of immense fortune.

He was lucky enough to have a talent for mana and awakened as an S-Rank, but his wife was enveloped by the blue mist and turned into a Mist Beast.

And… she attacked his only son.

On the day of his awakening.

That day of extreme good fortune.

Im Tae-gyu had to use that power to kill his beloved wife, or rather, the "thing" that was once his wife.

On that day, when he lost everything.

The only friend who remained by his side was…

Lee Min-sung.

"Ha, how did it come to this…"

Im Tae-gyu pressed his temples with his thumbs, gritting his teeth.

He stared intently at Lee Min-sung's face on the monitor, next to the broken desk.

The demonic expression on his face, even in the blurry image, had none of the light it once had.

"So."

The merciless tone in Im Tae-gyu's voice made Secretary Oh shudder.

"What do you think is the reason Lee Min-sung is kidnapping our guild members?"

"Um, maybe revenge? After the incident, we were the first to cut ties with Vice President Lee Min-sung…"

"No. If revenge was the goal, he would have just killed them, not kidnapped them."

In fact, Lee Min-sung had been attacking Hunters not affiliated with the Death God Guild, and they all died on the spot.

Come to think of it, in the CCTV footage, insect-like wings were attached to Lee Min-sung's back.

According to experts, those wings were most similar to those of a bee…

"Bees…"

Im Tae-gyu thought about bees with a cold mind.

Bees live in groups.

"…Could the purpose of the kidnappings be to increase his numbers? To turn them into bees like himself?"

"Really? I've never heard of such a skill."

Secretary Oh shook his head, saying it was impossible.

"Who knows. That greedy bastard might have bought a rune stone with a unique skill for a fortune."

"…"

Thump.

After a moment of thought, Im Tae-gyu suddenly stood up.

"Tell the planning team to find a dungeon where bees can live, starting now."

"A dungeon?"

"Yes. In this small country, the only place a villain can hide is in a dungeon."

"Yes, I'll pass it on… Wait, where are you going suddenly?"

"Armory."

Secretary Oh was taken aback by Im Tae-gyu's actions as he walked out of the office.

An overwhelming aura of determination was emanating from Im Tae-gyu as he headed to the armory.

An S-Rank Hunter, consumed by anger, was on the move.

* * *

At that moment.

Suhwo was holding the neck of the last remaining Lancer.

"Keck! Keck!"

The Lancer, dangling from Suhwo's hand, had a face full of fear.

"I have one question."

Suhwo looked directly into the creature's eyes and asked.

"Where is your master?"

"Krik…!"

The Lancer, struggling in Suhwo's hand, panted and bared its fangs.

"If you meet him… you won't survive…"

"I'll decide that. Where is he?"

"Krik! I won't tell you…!"

"Suit yourself."

Crack!

"…!"

Suhwo mercilessly snapped its neck.

[Defeated the Corrupted Lancer.]

[Level up!]

Thud.

Suhwo looked at the Lancer's corpse on the ground.

"I'll ask your shadow."

Suhwo watched the black smoke rising from the corpses of the fallen Lancers.

[Extraction target available.]

[Extraction target available.]

[Extraction target available.]

...

Suhwo released five Shadow Mummies and reached out to the shadows of the Lancers.

"Rise."

Kiiiaaa!

At that moment, the Lancers' agonized screams echoed around.

Soon, the shadows began to boil.

Crack! Crack!

Insect legs started to crawl out of the shadows.

And they pulled their bodies up from the depths of hell.

Ding!

[Shadow extraction successful.]

[Shadow extraction successful.]

[Shadow extraction successful.]

...

"Good. New members."

Suhwo looked at the new Shadow Lancers standing before him with a satisfied expression.

[Shadow Lancer Lv.1]

Common Rank

[Shadow Lancer Lv.1]

Common Rank

"I'll ask you."

Chchchch!

At Suhwo's words, the five Shadow Lancers knelt in a respectful posture.

"Where is your former master?"

Chchchch!

In response to the question, the Lancers pointed their lances at the ground.

"Below?"

[Krik!]

"Is he hiding underground?"

A smile slowly formed on Suhwo's lips.

At that moment.

Squish!

New Lancers were swarming above Suhwo's head, numbering in the dozens.

[Corrupted Lancer] [Corrupted Lancer]

[Corrupted Lancer] [Corrupted Lancer]

...

[Kree! Young Lord, these five were just scouts!]

Ber, who was making a fuss, had a smile that was growing wider.

"The more, the better."

Suhwo also smiled faintly and looked up at the creatures.

"Krik?!"

On the other hand, the newly arrived Lancers were taken aback.

Below them, identical Lancers, but with black steam rising from their bodies, were standing guard around Suhwo.

And on top of their heads, the small ant Ber stood…

[Welcome, my new subordinates.]

Chuckling with an evil laugh.