Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 2
This content is taken from ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ก.๐ฌ๐ธ๐ถ
Chapter 2
โAhh!โ
It was the worst possible scenario. Screams echoed from all corners of the room, and the emergency evacuation order blared out without respite.
In an instant, the mist burn multiplied, continuing to create new victims.
โAt this rate, it will be us next!โ Dogyoon screamed.
A mist burn was not a monster he could handle at his level. Moreover, of all things, mist burns happened to be a trigger point for his most painful trauma.
โHuh? Dogyoon! Where are you going?โ Suho was shocked by what he saw. The only hunter in the hall was running away.
Dogyoon narrowly evaded the mist burnโs attacks and escaped the exhibition hall alone.
Should I follow him? Suho pondered for a moment, then decided to head out in the opposite direction to Dogyoon. He rushed to a corner of the exhibition hall and grabbed a fire extinguisher. fr(e)ewebn(o)vel
Iโm not sure if this will work, but... He couldnโt bring himself to leave the others behind. Holding the fire extinguisher, Suho ran toward the cluster of mist burns.
Hiss! White powder sprayed over the mist burns and covered them.
โGrrraaaaaah!โ
The extinguisher had no magical properties, so the attack dealt an insignificant amount of damage. However, it managed to temporarily suppress their firepower.
Thatโs some breathing room, for now.
Having proved the effectiveness of the fire extinguisher, he continued to spray it on other mist burns.
โGrrraaaaaah!โ
โAaargh!โ
The time he bought for himself allowed Suho to examine his surroundings. He spotted a fallen friend, Kim Daehyun, and offered his support.
โAre you okay?โ
โUgh...โ Tears and mucus covered his face.
โHey, snap out of it!โ
Suho shook his body, but Daehyunโs eyes remained vacant.
Slap! He slapped his friendโs face to bring him back to his senses.
โSu... Suho?โ Daehyunโs eyes gradually regained focus.
Suhoโs eyes looked downward. Did he twist his ankle?
โLetโs get out of here for now.โ Suho quickly picked up his friend.
Thanks to the fire extinguisher, the movement of the mist burns was temporarily weakened. If there ever was a time to escape, it was now.
โWhat happened to the teaching assistant?โ Daehyun asked with a trembling voice.
Almost every painting major knew that Im Dogyoon was a hunter. But surprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen despite the enormous danger his students were in.
โI saw him requesting help from the Hunters Association earlier.โ Suho didnโt think it was necessary to mention what happened afterward. Heโs already scared enough as it is.
Upon hearing Suhoโs words, his friend let out a relieved sigh as he was carried out on his back.
***
They exited the exhibition hall, but the mayhem was far from over. On the contrary, the real chaos awaited them outside.
โKrrraaaah!โ
There are more of them. Suho bit his lip. It seemed like the entire art gallery building was swarmed by mist burns. A magic beast that multiplies rapidly... What a piece of work. Thinking that he would be safe once outside, he felt like he had been lied to.
โAhhhh!โ
โS-save me...!โ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ธ๐๐๐ต.๐๐ธ๐
โWhen are the hunters coming?โ
People huddled together, trembling in fear. The art gallery building had a straightforward design with a simple layout of stairs and elevators. However, mist burns were lurking in every corner of the building.
If we continue like this, peopleโs lives will be at stake. Suho quickly assessed the situationโall exits were blocked, and the magic beasts were multiplying rapidly. As the situation continued to nosedive, he worried about the irrational choices the terrified survivors would make. Jumping out of the window would surely result in death, and blindly rushing out of the building could complicate the situation if they turned into a magic beast.
Maybe, it would help if they could just find a way to protect themselves for the time being. Suho raised the fire extinguisher he had brought with him and shouted, โEveryone! Listen up!โ
Some of the frightened people looked at Suho.
โI have a way to deal with the monsters!โ
They all waited for his next words. The hopeful message made more people turn toward his direction. Those who turned around noticed the fire extinguisher in Suhoโs hand.
โI see!โ
โThatโs right! A fire extinguisher might work!โ
โWe can kill the monsters!โ
Life and hope returned to their lost eyes, but Suho felt slightly sheepish.
Ah, weโre not actually capable of killing the monsters... But it should be fine, right?
The important thing was that the people had regained hope.
People scattered in all directions, determined to find fire extinguishers.
โI found one!โ
โI found one too!โ
.The people who found fire extinguishers cheered loudly, while those who couldnโt turned as pale as ghosts. It was unlikely that multiple fire extinguishers were placed on a single floor in the first place, but the amount they had was enough.
Suho shouted, โNot every one of you needs one! Those with fire extinguishers, follow me!โ
Those holding fire extinguishers looked nervous and scared, as it became clear to them that they would be the ones to fight. Suho stepped forward and aimed the fire extinguisher at a mist burn. He knew that it was time for action, not words.
โGrrraaaaaah!โ
The firepower of the mist burn noticeably weakened, and those who witnessed the scene brightened up.
โItโs working!โ
โGood! Let me try!โ
Hiss! With their newfound confidence, they began shooting the fire extinguishers at the monsters.
โGreat! Letโs keep pushing forward like this!โ
Suho continued to lead the way, charging forward and pushing back the mist burns. Meanwhile, people cautiously followed his lead and descended the stairsโbut more trouble loomed.
โAaargh!โ
More mist burns were still closing in from behind.
โNo!โ
โTheyโre also coming from the back!โ
The people, who had barely regained their composure, fell back into panic. Overwhelmed by fear, the survivors rushed down the stairs. Suho gritted his teeth. Weโre almost there.
It felt like the entire staircase would collapse and everyone would fall if they continued.
He placed Daehyun down from his back and asked, โAll right, can you go on your own from here?โ
โWhy? What are you going to do?โ His friend looked at him with a confused expression.
Suho, looking more determined than before, shouted at the people holding fire extinguishers, โIโll take care of the rear, so those at the front, continue to clear the way!โ
โOkay, understood!โ
Suho turned around and went back up the stairs. I donโt know what Iโm doing. He was a non-awakened person clumsily imitating a hunter, but he knew that there was no other choice. His body moved first.
Hiss!
โGrrraaaaaah!โ
With his fire extinguisher, Suho attacked the mist burn that jumped at him from behind.
โHuh?โ
โGrr?โ
The stream of white powder, once forcefully spurting outward, had complexly stopped. Suho made awkward eye contact with the retreating mist burn
โI see...โ Suho chuckled in disappointment. โIโm screwed.โ
โAaargh!โ The mist burn surged toward Suho, and the blue smoke began to engulf him. Just as another mist burn was on the verge of forming... something strange happened.
Shwaaaack!
The mist burn suddenly came to a halt. It was face-to-face with the profound abyss that had been dormant within Suho.
***
Mist burns were feeble beings, born from the remnants of magic, that moved solely on instinct. However, their strength increased depending on the amount of fuel they had, and they also possessed the power to multiply endlessly. All in all, they were tricky beasts to overcome.
To make matters worse, a mist burnโs favorite source of fuel was living beings. Humans with their abundant vitality were like dry firewood, excellent fuel for burning. In that sense, Suho was the perfect prey for the mist burn.
Shwaaaack!
But the moment Suhoโs body was engulfed, the dark abyss that was hidden inside him, swallowed the mist burn whole.
โKrah?โ The bewildered mist burn looked around in confusion. No matter where it looked, the endless abyss stretched out in every direction. However, it could feel that something was watching it from the deepest depths of the abyssโthe mist burn growled ferociously as it released its blue mist.
โKrah! Krah! Krah?โ But no matter how much it barked, the only thing that returned was an empty echo.
It was only then the mist burn realized that it wasnโt a thing, but rather, the entire vast abyss itself that surrounded it was gazing down upon it. It was as if the entire abyss was salivating at the sight of a delicious meal.
โKyaaack?!โ
In a shocking turn of events, the abyss opened its mouth wide, seemingly ready to swallow the mist burn as it desperately attempted to flee.
Gulp.
***
Poof.
โHuh?โ Suho had a puzzled look on his face. The mist burn that had engulfed him suddenly dispersed into thin air. The human body it had used as a vessel turned into ashes, and collapsed on the spot. Before he could make sense of what had happened, another surprise was sprung on him.
[The mist burn has been defeated.]
[Secret Quest: You have met the completion requirements of โThe Courage of the Helpless.โ]
โWhat is this?โ Suhoโs eyes widened as a message suddenly appeared before him.
[Level up!]
Flash! The dazzling light surrounded Suhoโs entire body.
***
Daehyun managed to escape from the art gallery building just in time. Thud. He lost any strength he had left in his limping legs as soon as he got outside. He fell to the ground in front of the art gallery buildingโcompletely drained of energyโbut his eyes somehow instinctively moved to find Suho.
โSu, Suho, where is he? Have you seen Suho?โ
โWhoโs that? Oh, you mean that guy from earlier?โ
People remembered the student who had fought bravely, leading the way with a fire extinguisher.
However, Suho was nowhere to be seen.
After some hesitation, someone spoke out. โHe said something about taking care of the rear, and went back up earlier.โ
โW-wait, you donโt think...โ
โHe hasnโt come out yet?โ
The crowd murmured.
Someone muttered with a mix of hope in their voice, โBut heโs a hunter, so he should be fine, right?โ
โBut Suho isnโt a hunter!โ Daehyun shouted urgently.
The crowd looked even more shocked by the revelation.
โWhat? Heโs not a hunter?โ
โIf heโs not a hunter, how could he...โ
Their gaze simultaneously turned toward the art galleryโSuho had still not escaped.
That was when the hunters made their timely arrival in response to the call.
โItโs here!โ Dogyoon, one of the first to flee, had brought the hunters with him. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that people had safely escaped the art museum. Phew, thank goodness. It looks like everyone managed to escape somehow.
As an E-rank hunter, he was convinced that heโd chosen the best course of action, but when he saw the people outside the gallery, he felt guilty for his cowardice.
โHow did everyone manage to get out?โ
Dogyoon and the hunters looked at the people with puzzled expressions. They couldnโt believe that so many had survived a mist burn breakout in such a confined space. It was a relief of course, but they were still curious about how it was possible.
โMore important than that, thereโs someone still inside!โ Daehyun shouted urgently, โSuho is still...!โ
โSuho? Youโre saying heโs still in there?โ Dogyoon immediately turned his focus onto the art gallery building.
โIf it wasnโt for him, we all would have died!โ The raw emotion behind Daehyunโs words deepened the sorrow in peopleโs faces.
The hunters were curious about their reactions, which prompted one of them to ask, โIs this Suho a hunter? Whatโs his rank?โ
โHeโs a civilian.โ
โCome again? How could a civilian...โ
The hunters were about to ask for more details whenโ
Crash! An ominous roar came from the art gallery, and everyoneโs heads turned toward the source. A sinister force of magic was surging toward the top of the building.
โDamn it, has the erosion already begun?โ