Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

Suho now had a new skill.

[Skill: “Monarch’s Domain” has activated.]

This was the next level of his power over shadows—the Monarch’s Domain.

[The stats of shadow soldiers who fight in the shadow of the user are now 50% higher.]

The soldiers who stood in Suho’s shadow, which covered the land in all directions, let the energy that coursed through their bodies take control. They let out battle cries.

“Th-this power…” Jarvier was shocked. The impossible had happened. He was sensing the power of a Monarch as the domain of the Monarch of Shadows had just appeared in front of him.

“This can’t be real!” He denied what he was up against. That’s right…This has to be an illusion, he thought. It’s an advanced illusion or sorcery.It has to be… It just has to.

His reason for thinking this way was clear. He shouted, “The Monarch must first die before he passes on his power!So how…” The Monarch of Shadows could not die, however, since he controlled death itself. “So how is it that someone like you could inherit his power?You are not the Monarch of Shadows!”

Feeling intensely threatened, Jarvier unleashed a series of powerful attacks. The sandstorm struck again, and the illusions who delivered blows like physical creatures transformed into frightening beasts that lunged at Suho all at once.

Suho grinned, showing his teeth. “What’s wrong with taking after my father a little?” he said. He had been able to use Ruler’s Authority since birth, even though he’d never been a Ruler. So what was the big deal if he could use a Monarch’s power now?

It was time for him to test the effects of the new skill, Monarch’s Domain. He shouted a command to his soldiers, who were waiting for his instructions. “Forward. All of you!”

The command had been given. The minotaurs mooed as the shadow soldiers charged forward instantly like they had been eagerly waiting for this moment to arrive. This shadow army was extremely small compared to the massive one his father commanded. The soldiers even looked small compared to Jarvier’s illusions, who were bearing down from all sides—but they were more than enough.

“One shot, one kill.” Que, the shadow lancer, turned into a spear and flew about on a killing spree faster than the eye could see. He was smiling arrogantly. “The bet is on. The soldier who kills the greatest number of enemies can consider himself the boss.”

“The boss, hmm? Not something I can pass up,” Harmakan responded, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. As he was the strongest of the soldiers but was being treated like the weakest, he welcomed the opportunity.

“O spirits filled with hatred! Come to me!” he shouted. He opened his arms wide and used a new spell.

[Harmakan used the skill “Provocation of the Dead.”]

[Nearby enemies burn with hatred for Harmakan.]

All the enemies nearby began to focus their aggression on Harmakan at once.

[Harmakan used the skill “Amplify Damage.”]

[Harmakan used the skill “Thorns of Pain.”]

[Harmakan used the skill “Exploitation.”]

Harmakan reflected all their attacks right back at them.

“This… isn’t fair!” Que said through clenched teeth, speeding up even more. “You’re a sorcerer, not a tanker!”

The shadow minotaurs, in the meantime, charged through the vicious sandstorm and crushed their enemies with far more terrifying might than before.

Suho stood among the soldiers, taking in just how powerful his new skill was. So this is Monarch’s Domain. It was a buff that enhanced all shadow soldiers, and it had single-handedly made his forces at least twice as strong, if not more. He knew for sure that the more soldiers he had, the more synergy there would be between them. A shudder ran through him as he imagined increasing his army. Yes,this is precisely—

“Yes.A true army,” his father said, as if reading his thoughts. Suho turned around and found the image of Jinwoo smiling with satisfaction, watching as the shadow soldiers were unleashed. “That’s more like it, Son,” he said.

Jinwoo gestured in the air, and Suho’s status window appeared before him. That window was the result of his efforts and choices so far.

Glancing through the window, Jinwoo commented, “Yes.You did well by leveling strength first.You need to be strong yourself before you can take in powerful soldiers.” Suho was more impressive than he had expected. His strength stat was extremely high, considering his level.

In actuality, Suho’s leveling system was only partially complete, since the ultimate goal of turning the player into the vessel of the Monarch of Shadows had been lost. He’s grown this much with a partial system that doesn’t even have job change quests? Jinwoo marveled. This alone was enough to tell him just how much effort his son had dedicated to this.

But now Suho would have to head in a slightly different direction, since Monarch’s Domain changed everything. Jinwoo would not need to tell him this, however. His son’s path would only be valuable when he made the choices himself.

“I’m no longer needed here. Now to other things,” the illusory Jinwoo said. He turned in a different direction, and his body flitted out of sight.

***

It was hot, so terribly hot. His entire body was burning. But there was no doubt his wife, whom he’d killed with his own hands, had felt the same heat.

“Oh, god! No! I’m sorry… I had no choice… Dogyoon had to be saved!”

Taegyu was still crying out as he held the illusion of his wife, burning up with blue flames. In truth, he knew that none of this was real. Sometimes, however, one welcomed such deception. And who knew? Perhaps this was not a simple illusion. What if it contained his wife’s actual soul? If there was even the slightest chance of that, he would have welcomed death at this moment from the bottom of his heart.

“Ehehehe!” Jarvier burst out laughing as he watched Taegyu. “How delightful!”

But is the Monarch of Shadows my allyor my enemy? Jarvier wondered. He had no idea. The magic circle that the man had tampered with had become far more perfect than before, and the result was unfolding right before his eyes.

“Honey, I don’t want to die. I need more mana.”

Taegyu, surrounded by the hot flames, was giving up his mana without complaint. This was the mana of an S-rank hunter—the amount was massive, and unlike with other hunters, there seemed to be a limitless supply of it. This incredible amount of energy was being transferred right to Jarvier through the illusion of Taegyu’s wife. In fact, the same thing was happening with the illusions of all the other hunters currently under his spell.

“All this power, mine!” Jarvier felt an overpowering thrill course through him. He ground his teeth, watching Suho on the other side of the field crushing his illusions without mercy.

“I don’t know what you’re planning, but things are about to change!” Jarvier shouted. He finally stood up, no longer crouching. He burned the energy flowing rapidly into his mana core and activated a spell on his own body.

[Jarvier uses the skill “Mirage.”]

The skill began to make the illusionist’s body appear bigger and bigger. A malicious smile appeared on his lips. “I will give you a taste of the worst possible sort of terror,” he said. He thought of the being he had once encountered as he wandered the dimensional breach—a divine and terrifying creature. “I’m looking forward to seeinghow much of his power I can emulate!”

Jarvier’s massive body came into view, and it began to split into dozens of tentacles that reached out in every direction. This massive form soon moved through the storm and emerged in front of Suho.

[Jarvier, demonic spirit illusionist]

“A… Kraken?” Suho murmured, curious at the sight before him.

Beru appeared out of nowhere and quickly provided some context. “Careful! That’s one of the followers of Itarim! It seems he encountered one of them in his wanderings at some point!”

He’s mimicking a follower of Itarim? Suho narrowed his eyes at Jarvier, who had turned into something resembling a Kraken. The energy coming from him was too massive to merely write this off as another illusion.

“It’s at least one of the most powerful A-rank magic beasts— No, an S-rank one!” Beru cried.

“And it continues to get stronger,” Suho said, sensing the mana waves around the area and gritting his teeth. He had noticed that this was the real quest, the test of power that his father had given him.

Can I do it? This was not the first time he was dealing with an S-rank magic beast, of course, but he had always fought with other companions before—S-rank hunters, at that. This was no longer the case. I have to defeat him alone.But can it be done?

But now was not the time to be wondering. The decision had been made from the start. Suho’s body kicked into gear immediately.

“Clear the way!” As Suho charged at Jarvier, his shadow soldiers cleared the illusions out of his way. He raced up the shadowy path they had opened up for him. He felt his heart racing, beating hard as if it would explode. Bounding through the air, he closed in on Jarvier in no time at all.

“You are nothing!” the illusionist screamed, his gigantic tentacles flying downward from above.

At this distance, Suho would not be able to evade the attack. There was a massive explosion as the tentacles crushed him.

“Hahaha!” Jarvier burst out into maddened laughter.

This attack was not enough to kill Suho, however.

[Skill: “Pain Tolerance” reduces the damage taken.]

Jarvier was taken aback. Suho was still standing. The hunter grabbed one of the tentacles, and his hand began to grow bigger and bigger.

[Skill: “Giant’s Armor” has activated.]

Suho’s size was growing, and soon he swung the tentacle he had grabbed. The illusionist’s body flew through the air, crashing into the ground moments later.

“How is he so strong?!” Jarvier shouted, so aghast he forgot his pain. This showed the stat Suho had been training, something that even Jinwoo had praised—his strength.

[Strength: 140]

When it came to the strength stat, at least, Suho was at the level of the strongest S-rank hunters in the world, among the likes of Thomas Andre, the Goliath. He raised his fist, all his physical strength gathering at a single point. His burning eyes met Jarvier’s massive ones. “This is going to hurt a little.”

[Skill: “Iron Body Technique” has activated.]

A dark energy wrapped around Suho’s fist. He wasn’t done yet.

[Shape Transformation - Gauntlet]

A shadow minotaur bellowed, turning into a gauntlet that appeared on Suho’s fist.

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