Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 19

The internet was abuzz for a while.

—Exclusive! The Hidden Truth of the Hyena Guild!

—The Werewolves of Gwanaksan!

—Survivors Almost Became Monster Food!

Survivors from the Gwanaksan field dungeon had exposed everything they experienced, much to the shock of the public.

—Crazy... How did that happen?!

—They captured and fed fellow humans to monsters?

—Is that something a human being should do?

—Hunters were living as the monster’s slaves...?

—Let’s just call this what it is: a betrayal of humanity.

People online reacted more strongly than ever to the fact that humans were hunting fellow humans as prey for magic beasts. Alongside this, other guilds that had even the slightest connections with the Hyena Guild faced criticism as well.

—Wasn’t the Fiend Guild backing up Hyena?

—That’s right! Trying to deny it now won’t fool anyone in the industry.

—Where do you think that massive capital came from? Hyena was sucking the blood out of low-ranking hunters as tribute.

—They say that Hyena’s members were originally just neighborhood thugs?

—Some major guilds were definitely providing funding from behind the scenes.

—Might as well investigate the Fiend guild while we’re at it.

Bang!

“Are we just going to stand by while all this nonsense makes the rounds?” Lim Taegyu, the guild master of the Fiend Guild, slammed his fist down with rage. The force smashed the marble desk in two, but no one in the meeting room dared to react.

“I-I apologize. We’re doing our best to respond, but as you can see, the outrage is too strong...”

“Planning Director.”

The Planning Director choked as his superior’s cold voice continued.

“Do you think I hired you to make such excuses? Have I gathered you all here just to counter online comments?”

“My apologies...”

Idiots. Leaning back in his chair, Lim Taegyu let out a long sigh. “Let me just ask one thing, what happened to our image? We had a good reputation until last year, didn’t we?”

The executives exchanged awkward glances, avoiding eye contact. The Fiend Guild was undeniably the number-one guild in South Korea last year and rode a wave of success. The popularity was down to their guildmaster. He was middle-aged but an S-rank hunter, a rarity in the country. The guild had boasted another S-rank hunter in their ranks until...

“Well, since Vice Guild Master Baek Yoonho decided to go independent last year...”

“Shh!” The Planning Director urgently silenced his subordinate. This clueless fool! Why bring up something that everyone already knows?

S-rank hunter Baek Yoonho left the Fiend Guild last year and established the White Tiger Guild. His departure essentially divided the guild in half. However, that wasn’t the real issue. Everyone in the room knew the fundamental reason, but they dared not to speak.

By speaking the truth, I’d be risking my neck!

Taegyu, frustrated by Yoonho’s departure, quickly brought in an A-rank hunter and announced him as the new vice guild master. The hunter was a known acquaintance of Taegyu even before his awakening. It was obvious to many that the position had been obtained purely through connections. Naturally, the executives of the Fiend Guild strongly opposed his decision. The prevailing opinion was that an A-rank hunter could never replace an S-rank hunter’s vacancy. To make matters worse, the A-rank hunter he brought, Lee Minsung, was a complete novice who had never entered a proper dungeon.

Taegyu hadn’t backed him for his combat prowess. The man was simply wealthy. He was a businessman with deep pockets even before awakening as a hunter. In fact, he was once one of Asia’s most famous movie stars, one might say he was a superstar in his youth. Regardless of dungeons or hunters, Minsung’s life had been a continuous journey of wealth and extravagance since birth. Taegyu’s objective was simple—massive capital injection.

If we’ve become weak, why shouldn’t we splurge on expensive weapons to boost it? In essence, he was more of a powerful sponsor than a second-in-command, and the plan had been somewhat successful. Since Minsung became vice guild master, guild members acquired increasingly expensive and glamorous equipment. But ironically...

Our guild’s image has been deteriorating ever since. The Planning Director had to suppress what they all wanted to say.

Just then, the meeting room door opened, and the troublesome vice guild master walked in.

“Hey, sorry for being late! Traffic is a nightmare in this city.” Minsung, who had arrived an hour late for the meeting, made excuses with a carefree attitude. Known for his handsome looks during his acting career, his face was adorned with a charming smile.

Taegyu shot a cold gaze at Minsung’s direction. “Vice Guild Master Lee Minsung.”

“Oh, what’s this? Boss, did you break this table? You’re a strong guy.”

“Explain yourself.”

“Hey, Secretary Kim! Get a better table in here by the end of the day, got it?”

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” In the end, Taegyu couldn’t hold back his anger and burst out shouting, making the smile on Minsung’s face disappear.

“Now...” The second-in-command turned his head and stared at Taegyu with a cold look. “Yelling at me like that is rude, don’t you think?”

Ignoring the comment, Taegyu’s fiery glare stayed on Minsung as he asked, “Minsung, why were you late for the meeting?”

“I told you. Traffic was terrible.”

“It wasn’t because you were busy dealing with the Hyena Guild, was it?”

Minsung’s forehead twitched for a moment, but soon after, he chuckled and cracked a joke, “What are you talking about? What hyenas? The ones from the zoo?”

“Don’t play games with me, Minsung.”

The former movie star’s demeanor turned darker. “Your tone with me has been insufferable ever since I got here.” His clear smirk indicated that the guildmaster’s anger meant nothing to him. “When did our little Taegyu grow up to be so strong? Do you remember being my chauffeur?”

Taegyu’s eyes looked like they could kill. However, Minsung paid them no mind as he confidently approached him. He casually flicked the edge of Taegyu’s sleeves and scanned him from head to toe with an amused look.

“Geez. It really is hard predicting how life will turn out, huh? Do you think you are some hotshot because you lucked out and awakened as an S-rank? You’ve become so arrogant these last two years. Shouting in front of your former boss, no less?”

“Minsung...”

“Oh, right. Come to think of it, I’m not your former boss, am I? Mr.Lim, you still have about two years left on your chauffeur contract, don’t you?”

“Don’t test my patience.”

“Why? Are you going to kill me? Oh, how terrifying. It dares to bite the hand that once fed. I gave generously to this declining guild, yet they hardly thank me for it.”

Look could indeed kill, everyone in the conference room would have already died. Please, fight outside... Being in the middle of an epic power struggle, the board members couldn’t even catch a breath.

Fortunately, Taegyu wasn’t the type to lose his anger to the point of paralyzing his rationality. “Let’s stop this.”

“Stop what? Were you trying to do something?” Minsung mocked.

“We already know about the commission deal you had with the Hyena Guild. The association will soon be investigating that as well.”

“The association?” The words wiped off Sungmin’s brazen smile.

Taegyu let out a deep sigh. “That’s right. Now would be a good time to tell me what you’ve been up to behind the scenes. We need to know so the guild can tidy up your mess.”

“My mess...” Minsung stroked his chin, lost in thought. He didn’t want to disclose any specific details. They can’t know. Eventually, he gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, there was nothing. Just some small errands and a bit of money here and there.”

“Is that really all?”

“That’s right. More importantly, it’s under my control. There’s no need to worry about the association.”

“I truly hope your words hold true.”

“Or else what? Hunter laws are so lax that my lawyers could prove me innocent with their eyes closed.”

“The law...”

Taegyu pondered those words. It was only natural that Hunter laws were quite lax. The Great Cataclysm had only occurred two years ago. Even now, the people at the association worked diligently to pass hunter-related legislation, but there were still glaring loopholes, allowing the likes of the Hyena Guild members to roam freely.

“Are we done? If you have nothing more to say, I’ll leave.” Minsung turned away and headed toward the door without waiting for a response.

Taegyu issued a final warning as he left. “It’s best not to overestimate yourself. Even if the law is flawed, the Chairman of the Hunters Association is never to be underestimated.”

The conference room door slammed shut. Taegyu shook his head as he settled back into his chair. Finally, the employees had some room to breathe.

Minsung strolled leisurely outside but his face contorted like a demon. Who does that ignorant fool think he is? He didn’t show it, but cold sweat had covered his entire body due to the aura the guildmaster had exuded. But his wounded pride hurt more than any fear. After begging me to be the vice guild master, he treats me like a mere lackey? How dare you, Lim Taegyu?

But now wasn’t the time to show his anger, he felt like he didn’t have the right. After all, Taegyu was an S-rank hunter, while he was an A-rank. The excruciating anger he felt needed to be released on the actual menace that caused this disaster. The Hyena Guild? No! The one who annihilated the Hyena Guild!

With his face still demon-like, Minsung made a call. “Yeah, it’s me. Have you figured out who it was?”

“Well, sir... We’ve interrogated all the survivors,” the voice said, sounding uneasy. “None of the survivors recognize his face.”

“What? They don’t recognize him? Why not?”

“That hunter kept his face concealed the entire time, wearing a mask and hood. The only distinctive feature we could gather is that he used a pair of swords, but even those were eventually identified as the same type used by the werewolves.”

“Find out more, I don’t care how. Identify who that bastard is and bring him to me.”

“Yes, understood...”

In the end, unable to contain his anger, Minsung threw his phone at the ground.

***

Meanwhile, Suho was enjoying a peaceful time in the Shadow Dungeon. Of course, it was only peaceful for him. Gray, the young wolf from the Fang Clan, was going through hell.

“Grr!”

“Well done, buddy. Our little growler finally hunted a goblin all by himself. Granted, the opponent was a child goblin, but still.”

In response to Beru’s praise, the palm-sized wolf cub let out a proud, almost fierce howl. He looked incredibly brave as he stood over the small goblin’s lifeless body, his tiny paw pressing down on it.

“Now, eat up! A true hunter consumes every part of their prey!”

“Grr!”

“Hey now! Open your mouth wide and chew!”

Roar! Munch munch.

Though Gray seemed exhausted, he couldn’t defy the stern orders of Beru, his instructor. The pup followed his orders and bit into the goblin he’d hunted with his jaw wide open.

Ding!

[Pet: “Gray” has leveled up!]

A message appeared in front of Suho. “Oh, pets can level up, huh?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Eating, sleeping, and playing leads to growth.”

“Yeah, it’s true. I thought I was the only one leveling up. Pets can too, huh?”

However, another message arrived shortly thereafter.

[Pet: “Gray” offers 50% of its experience points as a tribute to the owner.]

“What?”

“Huh?!”

The message left all of them perplexed as they exchanged glances. They turned their gaze to Gray, who was lying flat on the floor.

“Young Monarch... How could you take candy from a baby like that?”

“No, I wasn’t trying to...” A sudden sense of guilt washed over Suho.