Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Siddharth Bachchan hovered high in the sky, unable to hide his confusion.

“N-no! This can’t be possible!”

Never in his life had he been so thoroughly shaken. The army of dragonkin he had painstakingly created—his loyal soldiers—were bowing before a young hunter with his own set of folded wings. These warriors, who had surpassed the limitations of the human race, were trembling like scared mice before a mere human!

The humiliated expressions on the dragonkin’s faces suggested their minds were not yet Suho’s, at least. A part of their rationality still yearned to obey Siddharth’s command and tear the young hunter apart. It would not have been difficult to do—their target was well within reach. However, their instincts, rooted in the dragon blood flowing through their veins, overpowered their free will. They were forced to kneel before the might of the King of Dragons.

But all was not well for Suho, either. The unbearable flames threatening to melt his very soul caused him excruciating pain, enough to make him collapse at any moment. His HP plummeted rapidly.

So that’s why I was required to reach level ninety-nine, he thought grimly. There was a reason Antares had required such a high minimum level. If his maximum HP had been any lower, he would’ve burned away before even getting to use this new power. The dark flames born from the Heart of the King of Dragons were hungry, ready to devour everything, including his own body.

Suho quickly drank a healing potion, but the most it accomplished was to slightly slow the speed at which his HP declined. As long as he couldn’t suppress the flames, it was merely a matter of time before they consumed him.

“Do you see it now?” Antares asked, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It is a terribly foolish thing for a mere human who is no dragon to attempt to become the King of Dragons.”

Suho had known the risks, and he had chosen this path anyway. He had willingly risked everything to face the tribulation.

[The powerful flames from the Heart of the King of Dragons are consuming your frail body.

Unless you level up before your HP reaches 0, you will be reduced to ashes.

(Remaining HP: 49,891/96,140)]

The reward for taking on the trial was amazing—Suho’s mana reserves had multiplied several times over. However, the risk was just as lethal.

Oddly enough, Suho’s mind felt clearer. Potions were only a temporary solution, buying him a bit of time, but leveling up again would instantly cure all his status ailments.

The solution was straightforward. He liked that.

Through the flames, Suho’s eyes gleamed. “If I want to live, I’ll have to level up.” Just like always.

The higher his level grew, the more experience points were required. The change was exponential. It meant he would have to hunt opponents far stronger than before—for instance, Siddharth Bachchan.

Even through the pain, Suho gritted his teeth and forced a smirk. “Fine. I’m more than happy to prove myself.”

Tossing away the empty potion bottle, he gripped the Vulcan’s Horns tightly in both hands. Then engulfed in black flames, he propelled himself powerfully off the ground toward Siddharth.

“Let’s see if I’m worthy of the King of Dragons’ heart!”

The sheer force of his leap caused the ground beneath him to collapse. A hellish inferno spiraled upward like the tail of an ascending dragon, following in his wake.

Siddharth’s expression twisted into a vicious grin. He swung his scaled arm like a hooked blade, sending streaks of blue energy slicing through the air to strike at Suho.

The sky seemed to crack apart. On one side was a man who had traded his soul to the Outer Gods to become a dragon, and on the other, one who risked his life to undergo the Trial of the King of Dragons. These two forces, seemingly similar yet completely opposed, collided with such power that an overwhelming shockwave swept across the landscape.

“Eeek!”

“H-help!”

Suho’s comrades, caught in the maelstrom, screamed as they were thrown like leaves in the wind. Not even the dragonkin, who had been forced to the ground, could withstand the aftershocks as they were scattered in all directions. The effects of Dragon’s Fear had vanished long ago, but the chaos had only worsened.

High above, Suho and Siddharth continued to battle, their clash shredding the air as if the sky itself might collapse.

Suho used Ruler’s Authority to move through the air, firing countless bolts of destructive energy at Siddharth. Meanwhile, Siddharth carved through the air with his wings, unleashing slashing strikes that tore at Suho’s flesh.

Neither of them had any interest in defensive maneuvers. Trusting in their formidable and inborn defensive strength, they focused solely on attacking. Dodging served only one purpose: to exploit any openings in the opponent’s onslaught and land a critical blow.

“M-my god! Suho has gotten even stronger!” Rio exclaimed, marveling as he struggled against the stormy gusts of wind. Though he had always known Suho was a hunter capable of growth, this level of power was beyond anyone’s comprehension. The evidence was clear, since even Liu looked unsettled. “He is so amazing—”

“You idiot! It isn’t that simple!” Liu snapped, cutting Rio off.

One could only see as much as they knew. Having walked the path of a martial artist long before awakening as a hunter, Liu Zhigang recognized exactly what state Suho was in as he called forth all of his power.

“Suho is drawing from his life force!” he shouted at Rio.

“Wh-what? His life force?”

Liu ground his teeth in frustration. “Yes! He is burning up his own lifespan to protect us!”

Rio’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Suho.

While Liu’s assessment wasn’t entirely accurate, he wasn’t far off. Unfortunately, Siddharth had also noticed. “Hahaha! You fool! You’re shortening your lifespan just to fight me!”

The guild master cackled at the sight of Suho battling fiercely, engulfed by the dark flames. Though startled at first by the unexpected strength the young hunter displayed, he found himself amused. This berserker, draining his own life force, would self-destruct soon enough. Time would handle this opponent for him.

“You’ve sought more power than you can handle!”

The power Suho wielded was undeniably that of Antares. But unlike the dragonkin soldiers who had been subdued by the King of Dragons’ authority, Siddharth’s reaction was entirely different. A twisted, obsessive greed radiated from him.

“That power is far too much for someone like you! I’ll kill you and take it for myself!”

Siddharth was confident. His army of dragonkin soldiers still surrounded the area, largely unscathed. The authority of the King of Dragons had confused them for a moment, but the source of their strength wasn’t limited to a few drops of dragon blood. There was a far greater source of power—the Star Fragments, containing the power of the Outer Gods.

“O gods! Answer my prayer!” Siddharth shouted, deflecting Suho’s attack as he raised his voice to the heavens. The fragment embedded in his forehead began to glow with a brilliant blue light. “Your faithful servant humbly seeks your noble, beautiful power!”

In response to his fervent prayer, the fragments embedded throughout his body lit up, streaming vibrant blue energy in all directions like cascading fireworks.

The beams of light forced the dragonkin soldiers trembling under Antares’ authority to rise as though they were puppets on strings. With wings spread wide, they soared into the sky, their own Star Fragments blazing.

“Young Monarch, be careful! A great army is on its way!” Beru poked his head out from Suho’s shadow, sensing the disturbance. However, he was not simply warning the hunter about the overwhelming number of dragonkin soldiers. His narrowed eyes locked onto Siddharth. “The apostle of the Outer Gods has finally revealed himself!”

At that moment, the blue rays of light surrounding Siddharth began to converge, forming a concentrated mass in his palm.

“O Outer Gods! Grant me your strength! More! More! More!”

Siddharth’s fervent prayer condensed the power into a dense and terrifying force. After wanting it for so long, the immense energy bestowed by the great gods of the Outer Universes was finally in his grasp.

“Astra.”

The name alone gave the energy form, materializing as a devastating weapon in the guild master’s hands.

“Young Monarch! Careful! That is… truly the power of the Outer Gods!” Recognizing the familiar force, Beru emerged once again from Suho’s shadow. “This follower seems far better prepared than any we’ve seen before—”

Before the shadow ant could finish, the colossal axe Astra cleaved through the air, descending toward Suho’s head in a devastating arc.

With a deafening boom, the atmosphere itself split apart, its force shattering the ground far below. It was destruction on the scale of a natural disaster. Roads and buildings crumbled, and the dragonkin soldiers who were in the way were obliterated in the cataclysmic aftermath.

“M-my god.” Though far removed from the strike, Rio muttered blankly, overwhelmed by the unimaginable display of power. “Astra… The legendary weapon which summons the power of the gods.”

In ancient Sanskrit, “Astra” meant “weapon.” In Indian mythology, the word referred to weapons or spells wielded through divine power. The power that Siddharth had just released was nothing short of godlike.

“Heh. I didn’t expect you to avoid it,” Siddharth sneered, his wicked grin widening as he noted Suho’s survival. It didn’t matter. Instead of disappointment, he was elated. This impudent young man who had brushed off his earlier attacks had finally felt enough fear to dodge an attack.

Raising the divine weapon Astra again, the guild master bared his teeth. “Let’s see you dodge again, like the terrified little rat you are!”

The dragonkin warriors ascended behind him, their wings beating in unison, creating a truly intimidating display.

He had no idea, however, how terrible a mistake he had just made.

“Gray?”

At Suho’s call, the wolf approached and gave a deep, resonant roar.

Suho grinned. “Get inside.”

[The spirit body of “Pet: Gray” has been bound to the shaman.]

In an instant, Suho’s hair turned pure white, swirling with the chaotic flames of the King of Dragons.

[Rakan bares his fangs in a ferocious snarl.]

“We’ve got plenty of mana. It’s about time we went all in.” Suho’s gaze dropped to the scattered corpses of the dragonkin who Astra had annihilated. “All of you! Arise!” An armyto combat an army.

The countless shadows, their bodies altered and their souls tainted by the power of the Outer Gods, cried out, their wails shaking the heavens and the earth.

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