Solo Leveling: Ragnarok - Chapter 146

Chapter 146

……Ptwsh!
Psh!
“Cough?!”
“Kuh!”
Crimson lines emerged on the necks of the surrounding villains.
Splurt!
And red streams of blood splashed out from the line.
“……it’s a concealment skill!”
“Accck! He’s alive again!”
Slash Slash Slash!
Under the rain of blood, the invisible dagger of the assassin started to mercilessly cut through the villains.
“B-But the corpse is way over there……?”
The villains that managed to become prideful after killing Gang Taesik stared in aghast at the corpse that still remained on the ground.
However,
Even in that brief moment.
“Guh!”
Someone’s throat got slit.
“Aargh!”
While someone else’s leg got cut off.
“S-Spare me!”
A bloodthirsty assassin that laughed while silently chasing after the villains that were running away.
Skill, concealment.
The skill that Gang Taesik possessed when he was living got maintained to be used after his death, and as a shadow soldier.
“O-Over there!”
At that moment.
Fwoosh!
The magic user villain that previously murdered Gang Taesik grit his teeth to create another giant fire magic.
“You bunch of useless fools! You let a single assassin cause this much ruckus?!”
He created a giant fire above both of his hands with a confident look.
“A single hit should be enough to kill him!”
That was not an exaggeration nor bluff.
Although the assassin type hunters possessed powerful and sharp attacks, their defense was weak.
Even more so if they refused to wear protective gear due to it slowing them down.
So they were regarded with mixed feelings due to needing a sturdy tanker for them to fully flourish.
But what about magic based hunters?
Unlike the assassin type hunters, they didn’t have to use their body so they could protect themselves with sturdy defensive equipment.
And no matter how many monsters emerged.
Even if facing an invisible enemy, they just had to use an area attack!
“Shitheads! You better dodge!”
Fwoosh!
“Aaack!”
“D-Dodge it”
A warning from the back sent the villains into a frenzy.
Even in that moment, the invisible assassin was continuing to kill, but a fireball flew towards the final victim to explode.
Booom-!
[……!]
At that moment, Gang Taesik also got swept up with the explosion.
And what he felt as his entire body melted in that sweltering heat was…….
[……Sigh.]
Worship and exultation towards Suho, who turned him into a shadow soldier.
And at the same time.
[So this is a shadow.]
He understood the true value of the power bestowed upon him.
Life and Death.
The one that presides over the life and death of the enemy within the boundary between light and shadow.
That was an assassin.
[Really now. What a befitting power for an assassin.]
He recalled the gaze of the man that sentenced his very first death a long time ago.
He recalled that movement embracing such deep shadows.
He replicated that man’s movements while re-adjusting his grip on his daggers.
At that moment.
Swoosh!
A new power flowed into his dissolving body.
The black vapor that formed his body condensed again.
His body sprung forward like a vengeful spirit.
To step on the foot of the villain that presented his second death.
Crack!
“Acck!”
The magic villain attempted to retreat backwards from the pain erupting at the ends of his feet.
[Too slow.]
Slash Slash Slash Slash!
“……!”
But the restrained body was mercilessly slashed.
Swiftly.
Faster than before.
More more! So it can’t be seen!
Countless lines got drawn on his body.
A terrible groan wheezed out of him.
A beautiful yet cruel spray of blood.
Below that revealed the silhouette of the assassin. Bloodied from the victim.
His eyes and mouth…….
Was full of glee.
[Struggle all you want. I am invincible today.]
B rank assassin hunter Gang Taesik.
The moment he became a shadow soldier.
The moment that his only weakness disappeared, he became the strongest grim reaper.
‘……he’s like Qwei.’
Suho compared him with the shadow lancer Qwei as he observed the fighting.
A ranked villain Lee Minsung.
He got remodeled due to the queen bee to have all of his skills dissolved. But instead became a spear using soldier, focused on piercing strength and speed.
Becoming an agility focused dealer at the price of giving up their defense.
But the B rank assassin hunter Gang Taesik became a shadow soldier in a different manner from Qwei.
The speed might be slower than Qwei, he still had his concealment skill.
Qwei that attacked with speed that can’t be followed by typical eyes versus Gang Taesik that was truly invisible.
Both of them were of the same ‘knight rank’ soldier, but their level of power was entirely different.
However,
Knights are those who fight for their king.
Determining their superiority was meaningless.
Since they’d all be used appropriately depending on who the enemy was.
Suho’s ability to use the soldiers appropriately was more important.
But one thing.
One positive thing that Gang Taesik possessed that other shadow soldiers lacked.
[He can be used without worrying that his abilities will be revealed to the enemies.]
“Right.”
Suho nodded while smiling at Beru’s comment.
“Truly …… A desirable ability.”
At that moment.
A change occurred.
――――――――!
“……!”
With a loud noise that couldn’t be described using words, a heavy air descended on Yamiri village.
At the same time, an insane event occurred.
Rumble-!
The space of the town itself started to warp and distort.
The roads and the buildings erupted to merge together and enormous walls started to be formed throughout the area.
“W-What the?”
“Uwaaah!”
Seeing how even the villains were panicking, it was not a part of their plans.
Tap!
Right then, Gang Taesik, who was assassinating the villains, abruptly appeared before Suho to speak.
[Master! I must inform you! A certain old man attempted to corrupt my soul at the moment of my death!]
“Old man?”
[Yes! His face couldn’t be seen, but I recall seeing the sigils that restrained me all throughout the town!]
[Why would you say that now?! ]
Gang Taesik couldn’t reply to Beru’s scolding.
He couldn’t say that he forgot because of the ecstasy of murder.
[Young master! This is definitely a spell used by the demonic spectres!]
Beru’s experienced countless spells of demonic spectres during the monarch wars.
But the issue was that those spells had too many varieties so every spell used was a new one.
[The demonic spectre race takes pleasure in torturing and experimenting on their prisoners! Which is why they are so well versed in all kinds of magic and sorcery!]
The obsessive curiosity and observation of the demonic spectres were already rather infamous throughout the dimensions.
And amongst them the most popular one was definitely ‘Kandiaru’.
The reason why he managed to construct the level up system in the first place was through countless experiments and sacrifices of many.
And one of them was the ‘Ammut’s Pyramid’ that researched SBM
Based on all the clues.
Suho could theorize the intent of the ‘Old man’ that attempted to corrupt the soul of Gang Taesik.
“Don’t tell me that this town is a research place for a demonic spectre? Just like the pyramid of Ammut?”
Suho ran between the ground and buildings that continued to fold and tilt and observed the escaping villains.
And spotted the electronic anklets that still remained on their limbs.
“Maybe…… the one that helped the villains escape the Jisan prison was a demonic spectre.”
Ammut’s Pyramid is a place where countless challengers entered to receive the so called training of SBM forcibly and eventually end up dead after the torture.
That intense research created the ‘Item : Mummy‘s Bandage’.
And even after the item was created, countless more continued to die from the training to become a mummy.
Then what about here?
[I agree! There’s a chance that the demonic spectre let the villains escape to use them in their experiments……!]
Before Beru’s sentence finished.
A surprising occurrence took place.
Rumble……!
Suho and Beru raised their heads to the sudden appearance of a huge shadow looming over them.
And from the ominous sky, a giant hand emerged to descend towards them.
Gang Taesik shouted in recognized panic.
[That’s the hand! The hand of the old man that attempted to take me!]
The bony hands of the old man that tried to steal Gang Taesik’s soul made it’s appearance.
And that hand aimed for Gang Taesik’s soul again.
[Haha. How could I ever give up on such a tasty looking evil soul?]
Gang Taesik trembled at the ringing voice of the old man coming from beyond the skies.
The nature of the demonic spectre that toyed with souls were directly aiming for him.
Of course, since Gang Taesik became a shadow soldier, it was unknown what would become of him after being caught.
But the moment the enemy revealed themselves.
Suho immediately acted.
“Gray!”
“Whine……!”
Tap Tap Tap!
Gray scaled the walls at Suho’s call.
Its’ teeth were bloodied, seemingly having been attacking the villains since the convenience store.
Beru understood Suho’s intention and promptly activated a skill.
[Wolfie! It’s time to show what you’ve got!]
[Beru uses ‘Skill : Extreme Command’.]
[‘Skill : Extreme Command’ is boosting Gray’s stats by 50%.]
[Due to a side effect of ‘Skill : Extreme Command’, Gray is under the curse of insanity.]
At that moment.
Gray’s eyes changed.
“Grrr……!”
But that was not the end of it.
The soul from the relic of the Fang Monarch, ‘Rakan’s Fang’ dwelled in Gray.
To have the small wolf to walk the true path of Rakan’s heir.
Swoosh!
As Gray ran towards Suho, its body got enveloped in a silver light to grow.
At the same time, Gray’s small cute body turned sharp and large like a tiger.
And in its mouth, the energy of ‘Rakan’s Fang’ and ‘Kasaka’s Poison Fang’ seeped out.
“Roooooar!”
The animalistic roar of Gray shook the world.
Suho took out a potion to replenish his mana that got drained while using the Piercing Blizzard.
Tap!
He jumped from the tilted ground to get on the back of Gray.
“Gray, run straight ahead!”
“Grawwr!”
The thick paws of Gray impacted with the tilted surface to strongly jump up the walls.
The target was that large hand from the sky!
[‘Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation’ is used.]
“Illusion or sorcery.”
Suho attacked the giant fist enveloped by dark energy.
“A true man speaks with his fists.”
Booom-!
A violent explosion erupted from the center of that attack and shattered the giant hand of the old man.
[This power is……!]
The old man shouted in bewilderment.
[Monarch of Iron Body?!]