Chapter 74

Solo Leveling: Ragnarok Chapter 73

'High Priestess? Again?'

Suhwo was puzzled.

The situation was completely different from when he faced Rakkan, the King of Beasts, yet a similar outcome had occurred.

Of course, it was because of Gray, but Rakkan had been friendly to him from the start.

That was why he willingly appointed himself as the High Priestess for Gray.

But this time, it was 'theft'?

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, bursts into laughter at Queressa's stunned expression.]

[Rakkan, you—!]

Queressa burst out in anger at Rakkan.

[How dare you disrupt my ritual when you are already dead!]

Suhwo finally realized.

At first, he thought Rakkan's intention was to bestow the title 'Bane of Insects.'

'But that wasn't it.'

Now he saw that Rakkan's true intention was to forcibly steal the role of 'High Priestess of Insects' from Queressa.

Suhwo looked around at the countless insect remains scattered everywhere.

These were also part of Queressa's soul.

'A ritual...'

Sometimes, when fighting someone, you might say, 'Today is your day of sacrifice!'

But looking at it now...

'Is this like performing a ritual with my own hands?'

Outside, Queen Arsha and Im Seong-cheol were sacrificing many humans to perform Queressa's ritual.

But Suhwo had, in this place, used Queressa's own insects as the offerings for the ritual.

'Does this make sense?'

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, explains that Queressa's insects were originally the spirits of those who were devoured by Queressa.]

'Spirits?'

So, in the end, Suhwo had repaid the grudges of the insects that Queressa had killed.

'Ah, that's why the High Priestess of Insects. Not Queressa's High Priestess.'

Queressa was both one and many.

By performing the ritual for the insects, Suhwo had inadvertently become the High Priestess of Insects.

[...You win.]

In the end, Queressa's declaration of defeat slipped out.

Although the quest timer had not yet ended, Queressa looked as if she had aged hundreds of years in an instant, with a weary expression.

[Ha. You despicable creature, more insect-like than any insect. I wonder whose son you are...]

The giant body of Queressa began to shrink as the insects dispersed from her.

Then, she transformed into the female form she had when she fought Seong Jin-woo and descended in front of Suhwo.

Ding.

[Remaining time: 1 hour 29 minutes 34 seconds]

[You have completed the 'Emergency Quest: Queressa's Solitude (Gudok)'.]

[Level up!]

The quest was completed even though the 4 hours had not yet ended.

Queressa's will to force the quest had been completely broken.

Queressa glared at Suhwo with venomous eyes.

[Do you know this? You have killed me twice.]

'One more question.'

Suhwo interrupted Queressa and asked directly.

'Is the massacre happening outside your doing?'

[Ha. How absurd.]

Queressa laughed.

[I died a long time ago. All I can do is wander in the world of the unconscious. What could I have orchestrated?]

'Queen Arsha. And Im Seong-cheol.'

[Who are they?]

'No one knows?'

Suhwo had a strange expression.

Queressa looked indifferent, as if she didn't care.

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, explains that a dead ruler cannot influence the real world without a High Priestess.]

Rakkan was right.

A dead ruler could do nothing.

Rakkan, too, was usually unconscious in the world of the unconscious, only waking up to watch the outside world when Suhwo took actions related to him.

Through the 'Dream' channel.

And the same applied to Queressa.

'How ridiculous.'

Suhwo's gaze towards Queressa changed slightly.

Outside, Arsha and Im Seong-cheol were sacrificing many lives to inherit Queressa's power, yet Queressa herself knew nothing about it.

[I get the general situation.]

Queressa snorted.

Then, she gathered the insects on the floor to form a chair, sat cross-legged on it.

[There have always been insects who sought my power. Even after I became the ruler, the struggle for power never ended.]

Queressa, now back to her proud queen form, recalled her intense past.

[I survived the fierce struggle and reigned as the sole ruler, but I was also a prey that could be devoured by anyone at any time.]

A world of eating and being eaten.

That was the world of insects.

[In other words, any insect that eats me can become the ruler.]

'So the ones outside are performing the ritual to inherit you...?'

[They want to tear apart and devour my spirits, even if only for a moment.]

A smirk appeared on Queressa's face, but it was tinged with weariness.

[They don't serve me; they are just trying to devour me, just like what you did to me just now.]

Suhwo, feeling a bit embarrassed, finally spoke after some thought.

'It didn't taste very good.'

[Hey, you—!]

Queressa, suddenly angry, clenched her fists on the armrests of her chair.

But then she leaned back with a self-deprecating smile.

[Well, if I have to be eaten by someone, it's only natural that it's the one who killed me. If your father had been an insect, he would have inherited my power long ago.]

The reason he couldn't was because Seong Jin-woo was a human, not an insect.

The same applied to his son, Suhwo.

[No matter how many of my insects you eat here, you can never become the ruler of insects. You don't have the qualifications.]

'So, in the end, the High Priestess?'

[Hmph. I never intended to give it to you. What's so special about you? But... since you stole the role of High Priestess, I would appreciate it if you could find a worthy successor to inherit my power.]

'What's so special about you?'

[By human standards, isn't this pretty?]

Queressa, in her female form, showed off her appearance in response to Suhwo's retort.

'Enough with the jokes. So, what can the High Priestess of Insects do? For reference, the High Priestess of Beasts can possess the successor's body.']

[Whaaat?]

Suhwo lifted the small and cute Gray with one hand, and Queressa clicked her tongue.

[Rakkan is pitiful. To have such an unworthy successor.]

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, is choked up...]

Suhwo casually brushed off Rakkan's message and looked at Gray.

[Gray Lv.14]

Fang Wolf

Thanks to his efforts in hunting insects today, Gray's level had doubled in just one day.

'Envious.'

[Whaaat?]

Suhwo's level was now 29.

The higher the level, the more experience points needed for the next level, which was natural.

Considering this, leveling up in such a short time was quite impressive.

Especially since time in the real world was stopped, it was as if he had suddenly become much stronger in less than a second.

Queressa, while looking down on Gray, was also envious.

[Still, I envy Rakkan. To find a successor among his kin. I have no suitable successor, so possession is impossible.]

'So, the High Priestess of Insects is a dead end.'

[But there are other possibilities.]

As soon as Queressa finished speaking, a message window appeared in front of Suhwo.

Ding.

[You have received the quest completion reward.]

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward: 'Blessing: Blessing of Plague'

[Blessing: Blessing of Plague]

The blessing of the King of Insects, the Ruler of Plague.

The Ruler of Plague, Queressa, has chosen you as the High Priestess (Shaman).

The High Priestess can imbue their body with potent toxins.

-Effect 'Toxin Mastery': You can freely handle ingested toxins.

'Oh?'

Suhwo's eyes lit up.

Indeed, a blessing befitting the Ruler of Plague.

Thanks to Kandiaru's blessing, he had been immune to all toxins, but now he could not only be immune but also freely handle them.

[Hehe. Feel free to celebrate. From now on, you will be a walking plague.]

Queressa, with her arms crossed, proudly announced to Suhwo.

[What do you think? This is much more useful than possessing a weakling like that.]

* * *

Meanwhile, as Im Tae-gyu and Baek Mi-ho entered the beehive...

Woo-oo-oo!

The clouds in the sky turned into a swarm of bees and descended.

"Ugh. This type is troublesome to deal with."

Baek Mi-ho looked bewildered.

Against such a large number of small monsters, all she could do was endure with her bare hands.

Amplifying her defense by drawing on her mana.

But Im Tae-gyu was even more bewildered.

No matter how skilled an S-rank Hunter he was, he was an archer.

Most of his skills were related to his bow.

The new skills he had learned by buying runes were all about increasing agility and accuracy.

But the problem was that Im Tae-gyu was currently poisoned by royal jelly, making it difficult for him to defend himself with mana like Baek Mi-ho.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to rely on you."

"Why did you follow me in the first place?"

"..."

Im Tae-gyu, embarrassed by Baek Mi-ho's scolding, hid behind her.

But then, a foreboding feeling washed over him.

"Wait. Those bees, don't tell me—!"

"What?"

Pew-pew-pew!

"!"

At that moment, the leading bees began to explode.

As the golden mist from the explosions covered the area, Im Tae-gyu urgently shouted.

"Hold your breath! This mist might be the same type of poison I was inflicted with!"

"!"

Baek Mi-ho quickly held her breath and covered her nose and mouth.

If she were poisoned by this mist, she might not be able to use her mana like Im Tae-gyu.

'Wait. What about Hunter Seong Suhwo?'

Baek Mi-ho suddenly remembered Suhwo and turned around.

She was worried about Suhwo, a C-rank Hunter, in this critical situation where even she, an A-rank, and Im Tae-gyu, an S-rank, were struggling.

But.

'...What?'

Baek Mi-ho was shocked.

When she turned around, Suhwo was not only not holding his breath but was instead taking a deep breath.

"Whoo!"

"What—!"

Baek Mi-ho, trying to stop Suhwo, almost inhaled the poison mist and had to hold her breath again.

At that moment, a system message appeared in front of Suhwo, who was smirking.

[You have ingested 'Toxin: Im Seong-cheol's Royal Jelly.']

[You can now handle 'Toxin: Im Seong-cheol's Royal Jelly.']