Solo Leveling: Ragnarok - Chapter 141

Chapter 141

“……So what you’re saying is that Hwang Dongsuk has been faking it this entire time? He pretended to be on good terms with his brother?”
“Exactly.”
Gang Taesik smirked and nodded.
Hwang Dongsuk and Hwang Dongsu have been committing crimes together for over 20 years to enter and leave the prison to earn their famed title of ‘Brother con artists’.
Their strong bond was a well known story.
So who would even guess that their relationship suddenly turned for the worst?
And even if they did find it out, nothing would’ve changed.
Since blood related siblings grow up with frequent fights.
No matter how often they fight, they could act as if nothing happened the day after.
But to Hwang Dongsuk who got locked up in jail alone, it became impossible.
In order for them to get back on better terms, they had to communicate for that to happen.
“But Hwang Dongsuk had no way of contacting Hwang Dongsu, who went into hiding from the association.”
But even without a method of contact, it didn’t matter.
Since that also meant that no one else had a way to confirm the fact that their relationship went awry.
“Which is why Hwang Dongsuk could lie to everyone claiming that his brother will take care of things outside of the prison.”
“That sounds about right.”
“And it worked so well that even A ranked villains chose to obey Hwang Dongsuk.”
Suho managed to get why Hwang Dongsuk ended up being the top dog of the prison.
After all, Suho himself personally saw the power of S ranked hunters, Thomas Andre and his mother.
Someone of similar caliber becoming a villain meant that they were a walking catastrophe.
In the villains’ perspectives, the moment that they disobeyed Hwang Dongsuk, that the unfathomable catastrophe could potentially come after them would’ve caused for a terror beyond imagination.
“Furthermore, Hwang Dongsuk got lucky in the sense that the reason why Hwang Dongsu became famous as the S ranked villain was due to Choi Jongin.”
Those who walk the path of hunters must register with the hunter’s association after getting their mana measured.
But most villains forwent such processes.
And even Hwang Dongsu never officially got his mana measured.
But he was officially declared an S ranked villain due to a certain circumstance.
“Chairman Woo Jinchul sent Choi Jongin to catch him, but he lost him in plain sight. So it’s game over at that point.”
From that day on, Hwang Dongsu became the untouchable villain that even a S ranked hunter couldn’t catch.
He did cover up his tracks after that day, but the more silent he remained, the more fear he invoked.
Since no one knew what he was planning.
Suho asked his burning questions while listening to Gang Taesik’s explanations.
“You said that your name is Gang Taesik? How do you know all these insider informations?”
“Ahh, that?”
Gang Taesik shrugged lightly
“That’s because I used to be a cell mate with Hwang Dongsuk. Before he awakened, he personally talked trash about his brother to me.”
“……you used to be a villain?”
“Not at all. I awakened when I was in prison. I volunteered to become a hunter of the association. Did that answer your question?”
Suho nodded.
The hunter association had always been lacking personnel after its establishment.
After all, who would want to become a civil officer when they could earn so much more by going into dungeons?
So the association had many cases of recruiting talents who proved that they’d turn things for the better, or those who stopped coming crimes after awakening.
One of them turned out to be Gang Taesik.
“Now, how about it? Did you like my intel? Although, I don’t plan on stopping you even if you choose to decline my offer after sucking my dry of information.”
Gan Taesik was unexpectedly nonchalant.
But he was that much more calculating.
“Ah, of course.”
Gan Taesik met Suho’s eyes with a scheming grin.
“That might not be the end of my intel, so judge wisely.”
“Let’s move together.”
His smile deepened at Suho’s answer.
“Good, I like your straightforward answer. Alright, we’re on the same team now!”

»»————-　★　————-««
Suho and Gang Taesik left Jisan Prison together.
And started to track the villains with Gray on the forefront.
“Growl!”
Naturally, Gray had better senses than well trained police dogs.
Since Gray could smell the differences in mana as well.
“I chose well to team up with you.”
Gang Taesik smiled in satisfaction while following Gray run towards the target.
“You said that your name is Sung Suho, right? Do you wanna continue to work with me after this?”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Now now, don’t cut me off like that. Summoners aren’t that popular in the dungeons in the first place…….”
Flinch.
Suho and Gang Taesik reacted at the same time.
Gray was heading towards a small city.
“……So they hid inside a city instead of a forest. Now this makes things more difficult.”
Gang Taesik’s eyes glinted sharply.

»»————-　★　————-««
Yami-ri, Yeongbuk-myeon in the City of Pocheon,
To tell the truth, rather than a city, it was closer to a small village.
In the past, this place was full of thieves because it was surrounded by a thick forest of pine trees, thus said to be the best stage for thieves once the night came. Many assumed that that’s how the city got its name*.
*(TL’s notes: Yamiri is written with the following hanjas 夜味里 which roughly translates to night taste village, or flavors of night town. It’s an actual place in South Korea, but the lore of the town’s name seems to be different from the novel, involving lots of play on words.)
That’s how dense the forest and mountains were that surrounded this city.
The Pocheon region itself was already full of mountains.
And typically, forests are the best place to hide so the natural course of thoughts led to the villains taking lodging in the mountains…….
“They hid in the towns? Just like this? So openly?”
“They’re planning to take the citizens as hostages.”
“This really makes things too difficult.”
Suho and Gang Taesik had to stop right before the city despite the nonstop run with Gray on the front.
From here on, every move they made had to be calculated.
Things would get messy if the villains found out that bounty hunters were in the city.
“Suho, make sure you control your mana…… oh.”
Gang Taesik’s eyes glinted.
No trace of mana could be found from Suho’s body all of a sudden.
‘A summoner can control their mana to this degree?’
He was truly astonished.
Typical summoners had trouble controlling their mana within.
Especially when they had their summons out.
“Don’t tell me that you’re not a summoner but a…… tsk. Forget it.”
Gang Taesik, chose to close his mouth, interrupting his question.
Then turned to get his mana under control and hid the dagger inside his pockets.
Suho didn’t have a weapon to hide.
Since he’s been traveling with all his weapons inside his inventory.
“Hey, do you know the reason why I chose you? Out of all of those bounty hunters?”
“Didn’t you say that it’s because I’m a summoner?”
“That is one of the biggest reasons, but the truth is that you had the basics down the best out of all of them.”
“The basics?”
“Right. In order to catch the villains, the most important thing is to hide the fact that we’re bounty hunters.”
Most bounty hunters gathered at Jisan prison were armed with metal armors.
So that everyone could clearly see that they were hunters.
It was an obvious choice to protect themselves from the villain’s attacks. But the villains were not stupid. All they had to do was to go into hiding when they saw the armor.
But Suho was different.
Just like the professional bounty hunter, Gang Taesik, Suho looked like a typical civilian at a glance.
However, this was not enough.
Since mana could be felt even from the young wolf Gray.
Heading inside the town with them in the front, it was like announcing that summoners were coming in to catch the villains.
But without Gray, tracking the villains would become impossible.
When Gang Taesik pointed out that fact, Suho looked towards Gray.
‘Appearance wise, it’s a pass.’
Despite Gray being a wolf, it was still small due to its age. Putting a harness on it would make it seem like a normal house pet on a walk.
“Gray, can’t you hide your mana?”
“whine?”
Suho gave up at Gray’s questioning look.
But to use descent on the body would alter his appearance into a not normal look.
At that moment.
[King of Beasts, Fang Monarch requests for a conversation.]
[Will you accept?](Y/N)
‘Rakan?’
It was now Suho’s turn to be confused at Rakans sudden request for conversation as if he waited for this moment.
‘A sudden request…. I guess I’ll accept for now.’
The moment Suho pressed yes.
[Passive Skill ‘(Unknown)’ is activated.]
Swoosh!
Suho saw white.

»»————-　★　————-««
A perfect void world.
At the end of that empty horizon, Suho stood alone.
He remained calm to direct his gaze to his front.
And beyond that gaze.
A physique over 2 meters stood to look at Suho at the end of the horizon.
A man clothed with leathers of beasts, full of wild charisma.
The king of beasts, the fang monarch, it was Rakan.
[It’s been a while. Thanks for accepting the request.]
‘So, why did you call me here?’
[No need to fret. This is the realm of consciousness. The time outside will remain halted.]
Suho already knew that since he’s experienced this a few times.
[I wish to make an offer to you.]
‘An offer?’
[Correct. Lately, it seems that all you’ve been using my heir for is for descent.]
‘Ah, you’re not wrong about that.’
Suho nodded.
But the reason was simple.
Gray was just too weak.
Suho tried his best to level him up at every chance he got, but he was still weak.
‘But he is definitely useful to be used as a tracking dog…’
Suho’s thoughts got read by Rakan due to their location being the realm of consciousness.
Rakan clicked his tongue in displeasure.
[Wouldn’t it be too unsightly for the next king of beasts to exist only for the sole purpose of scent tracking?]
But what can be done? It was the truth.
[Thus, this one will make a proposal to you. There’s a method to make Gray stronger.]
Suho’s eyes shined.
‘There is?’
[Indeed. Bestow my relic to Gray.]
‘Rakan’s Fang?’
Suho’s eyes changed.
The relic of Rakan, ‘Item : Rakan’s Fang’ remained in my inventory after getting Vulcan’s Horn.
‘Gray can use that fang like dentures?’
[Den…… Anyways, yes he can. I never mentioned it until now since you’ve been using it as a weapon. But if that power were to be inherited, Gray would receive all the stats from it.]
‘Cool.’
Suho nodded in agreement.
And then a sudden thought came to him.
‘Wait, then can Gray use other fangs too?’
[……What?]
Suho shrewdly smiled at Rakan’s confusion.
‘I seem to have a fang, actually, a poison tooth that’s been collecting dust in my inventory.’
[W-Wait.]
Rakan made a bewildered face.