Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Chapter 59

As Beru appeared out of Suho’s shadow, the hunters expressed their disapproval in unison by turning away from him.

“Oh, what the heck. He’s a summoner?”

“It sure looks that way.”

“Yep, he’s a summoner.”

Suho felt like he’d been dumped before he could even ask someone out.

Unaware that he was the reason behind Suho’s turmoil, Beru flew over and patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m always here for you, Young Monarch.”

“It’s your fault, you jerk.”

Suho had acquired many combat skills besides summoning. However, Beru’s appearance had made a bad first impression, leading him to be instantly labeled a summoner. As a result, interest from the other hunters plummeted. Even though he had become a C-rank hunter, being a summoner held him back.

Suho let out a subtle sigh as he glanced at the other hunters.

Seems like a new face we haven’t seen before. A rookie summoner?His summoned creature looks incredibly weak too.A summoner is practically a freeloader. They don’t contribute much and they still get paid, a hunter thought.

Worried that he might ask to join their team, the hunters did their best to avoid eye contact with Suho. However, he wasn’t the only one having to withstand the indifference of the other hunters. Scattered around were newcomers who were still trying to prove themselves, or hunters infamous for their lack of skills in known hunter circles.

Seeing the unwanted hunters awkwardly standing around, a White Tiger Guild member turned to Miho and asked, “Vice Guild Master, what should we do with them?”

It was indeed a difficult situation. Forcibly fitting unwanted hunters into teams would naturally invite concerns and resistance from the others. Dungeon conquests were a matter of life and death, so coercing hunters who did not like each other into becoming teammates wasn’t a feasible option.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Miho said, “Let the remaining people form their own team.”

“What? That’s too risky...”

“In return, we’ll include three B-rank hunters.”

“Aha! That should work. We just need to maintain these teams until we catch the villain,” the guild member said, nodding in agreement.

The purpose of the gathering of C-rank freelancers wasn’t solely for their protection. The unpredictability of the A-rank villain’s actions posed a danger not only to hunters but also to the general public as the crimes were taking place in the middle of Seoul, a busy metropolis.

The best way to catch a crazy hunter running around town might be to stay close to its prey... Suho thought.

The C-rank hunters gathered already had a hunch that they might be used as bait and had accepted such an outcome. In their minds, being protected in a situation where an attack could happen at any moment was safer, albeit as bait.

“I wish the villain would show up against our team.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Think about it. With all this firepower, we can just escape when the villain appears. Plus, we might even get a reward if we’re the first to report his location to the Hunters Association.”

“Have you ever encountered an A-rank hunter? Do you think C-ranks like us can safely escape from one?”

“Well, there would be two B-rank hunters with us...”

“The best strategy is to avoid encounters.”

Hunters who had formed teams with people they knew were busy sharing various opinions about the situation.

Meanwhile, Suho, guided by the White Tiger Guild members, ended up in a group with the last remaining hunters.

“To think that our Young Monarch would receive such disgraceful treatment. It’s truly disheartening!” Beru said.

“I’ll say it again. This is all your fault.”

Beru had a knack for getting a rise out of Suho with words that felt genuine. Regardless, Suho decided to willingly receive the protection of the White Tiger Guild.

I was curious about other hunters, so this turned out well. Looking back, Suho had awakened just barely a month ago. But during that short time, he had gone through many significant events and had even encountered the remnants of two deceased Monarchs: the King of Beasts and the Monarch of Fangs, Rakan, and the King of Monstrous Beasts and the Monarch of the Iron Body, Tarnak. The path he was on was clearly different from ordinary hunters.

Now I want to see for myself how different I’ve become. Suho’s eyes narrowed as he carefully observed the other hunters.

***

The White Tiger Guild kindly opened dungeons they had saved for their own C-rank hunters. Even though their members would share the profits by jointly clearing the dungeons, it was still a considerable loss.

I guess the White Tiger Guild’s great reputation isn’t for nothing.Noblesse oblige, indeed. Impressed by the guild’s consideration, Suho moved to the dungeon with his temporary team members, who were even more dire than his initial fears.

“They look like rank amateurs,” Beru said harshly.

His team was comprised of a total of ten members. It included three B-rank hunters from the White Tiger Guild and seven C-rank hunters, including Suho. Among them, five were novices who had recently awakened, while the two more experienced hunters were summoners.

More summoners in the team meant there would be fewer hunters actively engaging in combat, meaning more work for the assault team.

Will this assault team be okay...? a White Tiger Guild hunter thought. They were there to protect them, but even they knew that it was likely to be an uphill task.

However, there was another issue. There were other considerations to take into account when gathering team members—attitude and personality. But how could one tell based solely on first impressions? As if it were natural law, most newly awakened hunters had terrible attitudes. The feeling of waking up one day with superhuman powers was akin to winning the lottery without a ticket. The money they’d go on to make with their newfound powers was astronomical. The promise of riches and immense power made new hunters boastful and arrogant.

While moving through the dungeon prepared by the White Tiger Guild, rookie hunter Gu Dongjae suddenly revealed his dissatisfaction with a grimace. “Why do I have to receive this kind of treatment?”

He was larger than the other hunters and was even bigger than the B-rank hunters of the White Tiger Guild. It was clear he was a strong tanker.

He had only awakened a week ago, which meant his confidence was overflowing thanks to his newfound superhuman strength. He seemed raw but his abilities would receive high praise as long as gained the experience to back them up. He had the potential to be scouted by a good guild later on with a few more dungeon raids under his belt.

The most precarious time for a hunter is when they are starting out.

Drunk on his strength, the audacious youngster feared nothing in the world. The White Tiger Guild members became aware of Dongjae’s hubris the moment they saw him.

“Listen up. Except for the White Tiger hunters, it looks like I’m the strongest one here, so I’ll take on the role of assault team leader. Is everyone okay with that?”

“What? Who do you think you are?”

The other hunters were naturally taken aback by Dongjae’s declaration.

“You only awakened a week ago. What makes you think you know enough to be the team leader?”

“We’re not so different. We’re all rookies here. Wouldn’t it be safer for everyone if the sturdiest person becomes the leader?” Dongjae asked.

“I think it would be best if one of the White Tiger hunters led us...”

“Weren’t you listening earlier? The White Tiger guys don’t want to take leadership roles.”

“You think you know everything, don’t you?”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

Dongjae stepped forward and towered over the arguing hunter, who quickly backed down. The undeniable sense of intimidation emanating from him could not be underestimated. His immense muscles that covered him like armor were definitely not crafted in a gym.

His impressive physique might be a skill in itself... Suho thought as he watched their scuffle without much interest.

“Young Monarch, I believe that the strongest should lead,” Beru said, tilting his head as he pointed at the White Tiger Guild members.

Suho shrugged in response. “But it’s not good for appearance’ sake.”

“What do you mean?”

Regardless of experience or rank, in a situation like this, it was natural for a White Tiger hunter to lead the assault team. But they had gathered the hunters to protect them during an emergency, so taking leadership positions in a team they forced people to make, while participating in dungeon raids they prepared, opened them up for criticism and accusations of foul play.

“Some people might see them as acts of a tyrannical guild. In a way, they’ve forcibly mobilized freelancers. Moreover...” Suho glanced at the White Tiger Guild members.

From the beginning, their attention had been solely focused on detecting movement. In a situation where an A-rank villain could suddenly appear, worrying about which C-rank hunter would become the leader was truly a waste of mental energy.

Bothered by the conversation between Suho and Beru, Gu Dongjae turned toward their direction with an uneasy expression. “What’s the matter? Do you want a shot at the leadership position too?”

“Oh, no. We are summoners. The role of leader doesn’t suit our position...”

The ones stepping back with a nonchalant response were not Suho but the other summoners. Funnily enough, the two summoners had more than a year of experience and were Dongjae’s seniors in the hunter world. However, precisely because of that, they were well aware of their position. There were two types of assault team leaders: The charging type who led the team from the forefront, and the balanced type who managed the team’s overall performance from behind. Healers were natural choices for the latter. Either way, summoners were ineligible to hold these types of positions.

As the summoners silently stepped back, Gu Dongjae wore a satisfied expression. Good.The momentum is entirely in my favor.

The assault team leader had special perks. They typically earned slightly more than the others, but more importantly, the leader had priority on all valuable items from the dungeon raid. Moreover, once someone gained experience as an assault team leader, the likelihood of continuing in that role throughout their hunter career increased.

What’s up with that guy though? Dongjae thought as he stared at the remaining summoner who didn’t back away like the others.

Unconcerned with the rowdy upstart’s gaze, Suho continued chatting with Beru. But soon, Dongjae’s shadow loomed over him.

“Are you interested in the leadership position too?”

“No. I’m not interested. If you want it, go ahead.”

“That’s what I thought!” Dongjae laughed heartily, his expression becoming brighter than before. He patted Suho’s back with his giant hand. “Well, you said you awakened not too long ago, right? It must be tough being a summoner. Don’t worry. Just trust me and follow behind...”

His demeanor changed in an instant. But he noticed something was off and looked down at his tingling palm. Normally, the usual reaction from the recipient of his pats was a startled jump forward. However, Suho was different. He had patted him lighter than usual, but he was surprised that Suho’s slender body had effortlessly withstood the force without budging an inch. It felt as if he had struck a sturdy pillar.

“But I’ll be fighting on my own,” Suho said.

“What?”