Solo Leveling: Ragnarok Chapter 36

[The King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch, blesses you.]

 

[‘Blessings: Rakan’s Blessings’ has been applied.]

 

The blessings of the King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch.

 

The Beast Monarch Rakan has chosen you to be the King’s Shaman.

 

As a shaman, you can imbue your body with the spirit of a beast.

 

– Effect ‘Divinity: You can embody ‘Pet: Gray’ in your body.

 

 

‘Shaman? Divinity?’

 

Rakan chuckled happily at Sooho, who looked at the information window in confusion.

 

[Hehehe, yes. You are now the shaman of our clan. Since I am already dead, you have become the only shaman serving Gray, the only royal member.]

 

‘Serve Gray?’

 

Sooho became puzzled.

 

Gray was his pet. It was strange to think of himself as a shaman who served his pet as a king.

 

‘Like a cat servant? It weirdly makes sense…’

 

Sooho nodded in understanding. Anyway, gaining a new ability was something to be welcomed.

 

And in the end, Rakan’s purpose was to dream of Sooho more often. Sooho had to be with Gray more often for that to happen, even if just a little. However, the problem was that Gray was too weak and useless at the moment.

 

But what if he used the shaman’s ‘Divinity’ ability?

 

[If you use that ability, you can borrow the power of a beast for a short time. As Gray grows, the borrowed power will become stronger and stronger.]

 

‘So you’re going to ask me to take care of Gray form now on?’

 

[Well, something like that.]

 

Sooho and Rakan chuckled at each other simultaneously. Sooho found it amazing that he could be so cool, considering he claimed to have died in his father’s hand.

 

[What’s done is done. It’s only natural for a weak animal to be eaten by a stronger one.]

 

Rakan laughed at the memory.

 

[Your father was terribly strong. I struggled in fear and was eventually eaten. That’s all.]

 

Survival of the fittest.

 

The King of Beasts, who had ruled at the top of the food chain, had even accepted his own death without resistance.

 

[Oh well, my allotted time must have already ended.]

 

Looking up at the sky, Rakan sighed regretfully.

 

The world, which had been pure white, was gradually stained with dark shadows. A dreadful emptiness was coming. 

 

As the space in which he could exist grew narrower, Rakan’s body also grew smaller to match. Finally, Rakan returned to his form as the huge man he had shown Sooho at the beginning and handed something to him.

 

[Take this and leave. This is my death and my rest. You must return and live your life.]

 

In Sooho’s hand was Rakan’s Fang.

 

‘But why only one?’

 

[I combined them. They were too insignificant to be called a king’s relic since they were teeth that were pulled out when I was young. But now that they are combined, they might be useful.]

 

Sssaaa. At that moment, the black shadow completely engulfed the world.

 

The corner of Rakan’s mouth revealed through the gap in the shadow gave a final farewell with a smirk.

 

[See you again, shaman.]

 

The time that had stopped started moving again.

 

***

 

“… Ah.”

 

The scenery changed instantly, although Sooho still stood on top of Arachne’s corpse.

 

What had just happened felt like a dream. But the evidence that the meeting with the Beast Monarch was not a dream remained in Sooho’s hand.

 

The two Rakan’s Fangs that he had been holding in his hands had become one and had transformed into a more powerful and sharp form. Above all, their stats had changed significantly compared to before.

 

 

[Item: Rakan’s Fang]

 

Acquisition Difficulty: ??

 

Type: Sword

 

Attack +60

 

A sword made from the fangs of Rakan, the King of Beasts.

 

Rakan’s spirit resides in it. If someone of a lower level wields it, their body may be taken away.

 

– Effect ‘Contempt for the Weak’: Causes the designated target to fall into a state of fear for 1 minute. (All stats -50%)

 

– Effect ‘Deadly Strike’: Has a 20% chance to deal more than three times damage.

 

‘He said he merged the two into one,and it looks like the stats have been inflated.’

 

The attack power that was +30 before had changed to +60, and the Deadly Strike effect had also gone up from 15% to 20% and from 2 times to 3 times.

 

[Little King?]

 

Beru, who had just arrived, tilted his head as he looked at him.

 

[Your energy suddenly changed a little.]

 

– You, did you come to meet the king’s spirit? I can feel the shaman’s power from you.

 

Rakan’s Fang, held in Sooho’s hand, spoke.

 

“Yes.”

 

[Kieek! You met the Beast Monarch!? H-how?]

 

Sooho’s answer shocked Beru. Meeting the spirit of the deceased king was absolutely impossible. Even the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo, who had surpassed death, couldn’t do it.

 

Sooho looked at Rakan’s Fang and said, “You were originally the fang I had, weren’t you?”

 

– That’s right. I ate the relic that was here.

 

Maybe it’s because he became a priest. He could tell who it was just by hearing its voice.

 

‘I should start heading back soon.’

 

Sooho looked around. The Hunters who had been controlled and bound by spider webs all seemed unharmed, but they were all staring at Sooho with vacant expressions.

 

‘That’s the king.’

 

‘That Hunter gained the king’s power.’

 

They all witnessed Sooho defeating Arachne. They even saw him pulling out the relic from her body, but none of them dared to approach Sooho because of the overwhelming pressure of the situation.

 

And Sooho, who had achieved his goal, didn’t pay any attention to them.

 

Turning his head, he saw the Shadow Jackals sitting upright, having devoured all the small spiders. And at the feet of those creatures, numerous mana stones extracted from the dead spiders were piled up neatly. It seems like Beru had ordered them so.

 

Praise me, praise me, praise me.

 

Praise me, praise me, praise me.

 

The hounds that brought their prey eagerly hoped for something with their twinkling eyes.

 

“Y-yes. Well done.”

 

[Heheheheh!]

 

At Sooho’s half-hearted praise, the Shadow Jackals stuck out their tongues and smiled widely like sunflowers.

 

They were truly cunning creatures. They had been ready to sink their teeth into Sooho’s neck at the first opportunity.

 

“Well then, let’s go.”

 

[Yes.]

 

Sooho left the botanical garden without hesitation.

 

As soon as his figure disappeared from their sight, the Hunters, who had been tense and unable to breathe, let out a collective sigh of relief.

 

“Haaah…”

 

“We… We’re alive.”

 

There was a reason why the Hunters had been on edge the entire time.

 

Even though spider webs had controlled them, they had all been people who had attacked Sooho. And it was at the most critical moment.

 

They would have been too exhausted to do anything if he had tried to retaliate. But Sooho had just defeated the giant spider Arachne and calmly disappeared.

 

Someone spoke up. “That man has really gained the power of the king, hasn’t he?”

 

“That’s probably right.”

 

“Ugh, I’m really envious. How amazing must his skill be?”

 

“Is that really the problem? Let’s just be grateful that he saved us.”

 

The Hunters, who finally realized they were alive, breathed another sigh of relief. Then, they suddenly became curious.

 

“By the way, who was that Hunter?”

 

“Yeah. He was wearing a strange mask, so we couldn’t see his face.”

 

“It was also really dark. He seemed to be leading a few animals, so maybe he was a Summoner?”

 

“Nonsense. What kind of Summoner fights so roughly? Didn’t you see him kill that spider with his bare fists? Maybe he just tamed a few hunting dogs.”

 

All the Hunters gathered here were beast transformation skill holders. Some were good at befriending animals, so they didn’t pay much attention to the Shadow Jackals. Moreover, the fact that it was too dark here made it difficult to see the details of the jackals.

 

“Then why did he hide his identity?”

 

“Yeah. Is he a criminal or something?”

 

Of course, the person in question, Sooho, hadn’t intended to hide his identity. The disguise was just an item he used in the dark inside the botanical garden, and he even took it off immediately after leaving.

 

However, as a result, the Hunters became even more curious about Sooho’s identity.

 

Then, someone suddenly said, “Huh?” Looking around, they noticed something strange. “Where did all the spiders go!?”

 

The huge spider corpses that were lying around in the darkness had suddenly disappeared; even the small spider corpses were gone.

 

“Did those things dissolve when they died?”

 

The Hunters, who had considered taking the corpses of the magic beasts they had killed, sighed deeply in disappointment.

 

Today was a complete waste of time and effort.

 

[Kiekhehe.]

 

Somewhere, Beru was laughing.

 

***

 

At that moment, outside the botanical garden,

 

“What, what’s going on!?”

 

“The scent suddenly disappeared?”

 

The Hunters who were wandering the jungle to become king wrinkled their noses with puzzled expressions. The smell that stimulated their instincts and guided them on the king’s path disappeared instantly.

 

“Oh.”

 

At the same time, they realized.

 

‘The king has been decided!’

 

Someone else had taken the lead. As they realized this, an extreme sense of disappointment and jealousy grew in their hearts.

 

“Ugh…”

 

The Hunters slumped in despair.

 

The Hunters of the White Tiger Guild asked Baek Miho, who was watching their reactions from a high place, “Vice Master, what will you do now? Will you go back?”

 

“I want to see with my own eyes who became the king before we go back.”

 

“But how can we find out who it is in this vast area…?”

 

“We can find out with our sense of smell. Our instincts can detect the scent of strong beasts.”

 

Sniff.

 

Just then, something was caught by Baek Miho’s extraordinary sense of smell.

 

When she turned to check, she saw the man she had seen before returning the way he came. However, unlike before, his body emitted a strong smell of blood.

 

Sniff.

 

‘… It’s not the smell of human blood. The color is different.’

 

Baek Miho’s sense of smell could distinguish between the scent of monsters and human blood. The smell emanating from the man was that of monster blood.

 

‘Hmm?’

 

Baek Miho suddenly noticed something strange and tilted her head.

 

‘But are there any magic beasts in this forest?’

 

Had he fought magic beasts that spilled blood in a forest with only plants and ghosts?

 

‘How many are there if we go deeper? Or could it be that he’s the king…?’

 

At that moment, Sooho felt a gaze and turned to look in their direction. And his eyes met Baek Miho, who had been looking at him from afar.

 

Their gaze intertwined for a moment in the air.

 

‘… No, it’s different.’

 

With her supernatural eyesight, Baek Miho stopped her rising speculation. 

 

This was, after all, a place to choose the ‘King of Beasts’. But the man did not smell like a beast.

 

Baek Miho eventually looked away from Sooho. “Let’s wait a little longer…”

 

“Yes, Vice Master.”

 

After that, the White Tiger Guild continued to guard the area for quite some time.

 

Even while taking a shower and ordering chicken after getting home by bus, Sooho kept thinking.

 

‘… Why did that woman keep looking at me?’

 

As he tore at a chicken leg, he suddenly recalled the face of Baek Miho, who had made eye contact with him earlier.

 

‘Seems like I’ve seen her somewhere before. Was she a famous Hunter?’

 

He turned on the internet, hoping to find out by searching, but then he immediately exclaimed in surprise.

 

“What the…?”

 

The internet was filled with hot news articles about the Magok Field, and the problem was that the protagonist of all these issues was none other than Sooho himself.

 

 

– (Hot News) Beast King Crow!

 

– Hunter of Unknown Identity Who Gained the King’s Power, Crow!

 

– Why Did Crow Wear a Mask?

 

– (Advertisement) This Year’s Hottest Item, Crow Mask

 

– (Related Search Terms) Powerful Aura

 

 

“B-Beast King Crow? Powerful Aura?” He was labeled with all sorts of embarrassing nicknames. “No, this isn’t some kind of middle school syndrome…” Sooho covered his face in shame.

 

A message appeared as if waiting for him.

 

 

[The King of Beasts, the Beast Monarch, says it is a perfect name for the shaman and laughs aloud.]