Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Suho had just hatched Ragna and was in the midst of a conversation with the King of Dragons—if it could be called a conversation—when a massive shockwave rippled through the United States.

—Thomas Andre murdered Christopher Reed?!

—Oh my god!

—Well, for those who wondered who was stronger, there’s your answer.

—That doesn’t mean we wanted an outcome like this!

Two S-rank hunters, among the nation’s mightiest, had clashed to the death for an unknown reason, and one had been mercilessly killed.

This wasn’t just another homicide. The loss of an S-rank hunter was a staggering blow to the nation. What made the situation even more dire was that the perpetrator was another S-rank hunter.

—Thomas Andre needs to be held responsible and executed!

—Look, buddy.We’ve already lost one S-rank hunter, and now you want to kill another?Do you want our country to go up in flames?

—Thomas might have submitted to an arrest right now, but he could still wipe out half the population if he wanted.

—But didn’t he surrender because he admitted what he did was wrong?

—Arrest?That’s a stretch.Did you see those pictures of him hitting up a burger joint after being “arrested?”

Americans passionately debated over how to handle Thomas Andre, but everyone seemed to agree on one thing: regardless of his crime, punishing the man would leave the country in ruins, both economically and physically.

Also, there was another pressing question on everyone’s mind.

—So where is the Bureau keeping Thomas right now?

—Area 51, obviously.

—Yeah, that’s the only place that makes sense.

Area 51 was a first-class military site operated by the United States Ministry of Defense in a desert in Nevada. Initially constructed for developing and testing cutting-edge weaponry, its existence had long been shrouded in secrecy.

The American government had ignored all questions about the place so far, but when 355 pages of a secret CIA document were leaked, they were forced to admit that Area 51 was real. However, what captivated the public were the rumors—aliens being secretly detained and experimented on, UFO wreckage being recovered for joint research with extraterrestrial beings, and so on. The endless speculation cast a sinister shadow over the base’s true purpose.

With the rise of the hunter era, Area 51 had come under the Bureau’s jurisdiction, serving a multitude of uses. Hence, it was highly plausible that it was the only facility capable of detaining Thomas Andre. But the truth was far different.

“Another.”

“Yes, sir. How much ice this time, Thomas?”

The bartender glanced cautiously at the S-rank hunter as he placed a large chunk of ice into the crystal-clear wine glass.

“Hey, Adam! How about a drink?” Thomas shouted.

“Thank you… but technically, I am still working.”

Adam White, director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters, had just returned to the mansion. He gave a dry smile to the intoxicated Thomas, who was waving at him with a smirk. ȒΑΝÒꞖËš

In reality, this absurdly luxurious mansion was the “prison” that the Federal Bureau of Hunters had provided to Thomas. It resembled a five-star hotel far more than a jail. And here, the supposed “inmate” was lounging at the pool, wearing shorts and a floral T-shirt instead of a prison uniform.

Knowing Adam’s stance, Thomas grinned at him. “So, what’s the word on my sentence? I’m guessing it’s the death penalty, then?”

“Enough joking around. We need to discuss business.”

Adam sighed and signaled for his staff to bring over the investigation documents. Thomas raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming at the sight of the enormous stack of information. “Wow, that’s quite a bit,” he remarked.

“Indeed. It’s all as you said, Thomas.”

Adam had immediately launched an investigation into the Church of the Outer Gods upon hearing Thomas’ true reason for killing Christopher Reed. While the world speculated that Thomas, notorious for his short temper, had killed Christopher in a fit of rage, Adam had been relieved to discover there were layers to the truth.

“The Church of the Outer Gods has far more members active across the United States than I anticipated,” Adam said. It was considered a shadowy cult with no known origin. “Compared to other cults, their goals seem almost mundane. Mostly just evangelizing and selling Stardust.”

“That’s by design. What they wanted from the start was to avoid attracting attention. Did you retrieve the Stardust and Star Fragments?”

“Yes. We confiscated everything we found, though there weren’t grounds to arrest anyone. For now, we’ve just paid for what we could recover and are monitoring any suspicious individuals.”

“Heh. You’re thorough, I’ll give you that.”

Thomas raised his glass in a mock toast before downing it, causing the aides by Adam’s side to feel rather indignant. Adam White was the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters, not this man’s minion.

But there was no helping it. Thomas Andre had the qualifications and power to back up such behavior. Even Adam didn’t seem to feel offended by his rudeness. In fact, he felt more desperate than ever for Thomas’ cooperation, especially now that he had uncovered a mysterious group operating in the shadows.

“You weren’t kidding. Mana inhibitors don’t work on you,” Adam said.

“Oh. Right, as it turns out,” Thomas responded, shrugging casually.

The inhibitors, designed to restrain villains, were clamped around his wrists and ankles. Developed by the South Korean Hunters Association, they were an incredible invention that was now used worldwide. Though Thomas had agreed to wear them during his arrest, mana still flowed through him effortlessly.

“I told you, didn’t I? I can absorb mana from the Outer Universes. These inhibitors can’t suppress mana from out there. They won’t work on anyone enhanced with Stardust or associated with the Church of the Outer Gods, either.”

“And the person who told you this… was Sung Suho from South Korea?”

“Heh. That’s right. The kid has a bright future.”

“The way you talk about him, you’d think he was your actual son.”

“He might as well be. He’s my best friend’s son, actually.”

Thomas smiled fondly at the thought of Suho, while Adam shook his head, a hollow feeling sinking in his chest. He had never felt so powerless in his role as director of the Bureau.

“I find it very unpleasant to have to say this, but the situation is quite unsettling. What exactly is happening to Earth right now?” Adam asked.

“As I said—it’s a war in space.”

“Ugh…” It sounded too far-fetched, but Adam couldn’t afford not to believe it. He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

Thomas, unfazed, continued drinking, which only added to Adam’s unease. “By the way, have you asked for cooperation from the association in Korea?” he asked.

“Yes. The association chairman is said to be in North Korea at the moment, so we’ve sent someone there.”

“Good. It has to be the chairman himself. My Suho said not to trust anyone else.”

Suho, again?

Thomas continued, “Oh, and do you have any high-quality mana stones left over in the Bureau’s warehouses? If so, I’d like to send them to Suho. He’s been needing quite a few recently.”

“They are… expensive.”

“I’ll pay for them.”

“The auction price is— Never mind. All right.”

“Now, now. How about a smile? This is all for the sake of the Earth, you know? Do you think America will be fine if the planet gets destroyed? If you don’t have many of the stones I want, you can just rake together whatever mid-grade mana stones you have.”

How is he any differentfrom a thug at this point? Adam wondered.

First, he had demanded a burger, but now that they’d indulged him, this criminal was taking more and more. The Bureau staff couldn’t hide their discomfort, and the more shameless Thomas became, the more curious they grew.

Who was this Sung Suho from Korea whom Thomas himself seemed to dote on so heavily? I need to meet him in person.There is a chance that Thomas is being misled by this individual, and if that is the case, we will have a disaster on our hands. Adam resolved to schedule a visit to South Korea soon.

“Oh, by the way, tell Suho…”

In his head, Adam groaned. Please, Thomas!Can you stop?

***

Meanwhile, after the missing Sung Ilhwan returned home safely, the worried Kyunghye and Jinah finally managed to calm down.

Of course, that didn’t mean all the problems were solved. Sung Jinwoo and Cha Haein, their other precious family members, were still missing, and this incident only intensified their concerns.

In truth, there was a straightforward solution. Without hesitation, Suho used the Key to the Shadow Dungeon on both his aunt and grandmother.

“Whoa!”

“These memories…”

Suddenly, Park Kyunghye and Sung Jinah’s past-life memories were fully restored, leaving them momentarily stunned. Eventually, they were able to accept the truth, and Suho told them where Jinwoo and Haein had gone. While it didn’t erase all their concerns, having more information at least meant they didn’t have to suffer from vague, frustrating fears anymore.

“Young Monarch, are you sure this is wise?” Beru asked, eyeing Suho with concern. “If you restore people’s memories left and right, the world could be thrown into chaos.”

Of course, when Sung Jinwoo handed Suho the Shadow Dungeon Key, he hadn’t provided any specific instructions on how to use it. He did advise that it would be beneficial to restore the memories of Yoo Jinho, who could offer Suho the most practical assistance, but everything else was entirely up to Suho’s judgment.

It was true that returning everybody’s memories meant some would use that knowledge to do bad things, and others would, of course, fall prey to the Itarim. But Suho cut off Beru’s worries with calm confidence. “What does it matter if I’m a little indiscriminate?”

“Eh?”

“I can’t leave my family to worry about my father, not even knowing if he is alive or dead, can I? Besides…” Suho fixed Beru with an unyielding gaze, his eyes blazing. “To begin with, I hate the fact that the whole world has forgotten about my father. If I could, I’d make everyone remember him again. But for now, I’m holding back.”

Beru was taken aback, sensing the intensity in Suho’s words.

The young hunter was right. The people of this world had long since forgotten the fact that Sung Jinwoo had once saved Earth. Even if they couldn’t show gratitude for such a noble and precious sacrifice, Suho at least wished they would remember him.

Suho thought back to the clash with Antares as he spoke. I always wondered, even as a child,how those burns on my father’s hands formed. He had seen Antares’ Breath of Destruction, and he had come to a vague realization of how great his father had been to wage a solo war against such a dangerous and terrible foe and win in the end.

“So I…” Suho’s voice trailed off as his decision became clear. “From now on, whenever I get the chance, I’ll make as many people as possible remember my father.” It was a sudden, undeniable revelation. “Maybe this is the only gift I can give him before I finally see him again.”

Beru was ready to weep. Yes, a gift… Since Suho’s first encounter with a follower of Itarim, the hunter had resolved to find a way to honor his father. That determination had been growing steadily ever since. As the shadow ant—the companion who had stood by Jinwoo’s side for so long—witnessed Suho’s unwavering sincerity, he could not hold back his tears.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!