Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 2

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This content is taken from ๐™›๐™ง๐“ฎ๐“ฎ๐™ฌ๐“ฎ๐’ƒ๐’๐“ธ๐’—๐“ฎ๐™ก.๐“ฌ๐“ธ๐“ถ

Chapter 2

โ€œAhh!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.

โ€œAt 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.

โ€œHuh? 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 burnโ€™s 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

Iโ€™m not sure if this will work, but... He couldnโ€™t 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.

โ€œGrrraaaaaah!โ€

The extinguisher had no magical properties, so the attack dealt an insignificant amount of damage. However, it managed to temporarily suppress their firepower.

Thatโ€™s some breathing room, for now.

Having proved the effectiveness of the fire extinguisher, he continued to spray it on other mist burns.

โ€œGrrraaaaaah!โ€

โ€œAaargh!โ€

The time he bought for himself allowed Suho to examine his surroundings. He spotted a fallen friend, Kim Daehyun, and offered his support.

โ€œAre you okay?โ€

โ€œUgh...โ€ Tears and mucus covered his face.

โ€œHey, snap out of it!โ€

Suho shook his body, but Daehyunโ€™s eyes remained vacant.

Slap! He slapped his friendโ€™s face to bring him back to his senses.

โ€œSu... Suho?โ€ Daehyunโ€™s eyes gradually regained focus.

Suhoโ€™s eyes looked downward. Did he twist his ankle?

โ€œLetโ€™s 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.

โ€œWhat 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.

โ€œI saw him requesting help from the Hunters Association earlier.โ€ Suho didnโ€™t think it was necessary to mention what happened afterward. Heโ€™s already scared enough as it is.

Upon hearing Suhoโ€™s 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.

โ€œKrrraaaah!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.

โ€œAhhhh!โ€

โ€œS-save me...!โ€ ๐™›๐™ง๐™š๐™š๐™ฌ๐™š๐’ƒ๐’๐“ธ๐’—๐™š๐“ต.๐™˜๐“ธ๐’Ž

โ€œWhen 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, peopleโ€™s lives will be at stake. Suho quickly assessed the situationโ€”all 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, โ€œEveryone! Listen up!โ€

Some of the frightened people looked at Suho.

โ€œI 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 Suhoโ€™s hand.

โ€œI see!โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s right! A fire extinguisher might work!โ€

โ€œWe can kill the monsters!โ€

Life and hope returned to their lost eyes, but Suho felt slightly sheepish.

Ah, weโ€™re 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.

โ€œI found one!โ€

โ€œI found one too!โ€

.The people who found fire extinguishers cheered loudly, while those who couldnโ€™t 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, โ€œNot 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.

โ€œGrrraaaaaah!โ€

The firepower of the mist burn noticeably weakened, and those who witnessed the scene brightened up.

โ€œItโ€™s working!โ€

โ€œGood! Let me try!โ€

Hiss! With their newfound confidence, they began shooting the fire extinguishers at the monsters.

โ€œGreat! Letโ€™s 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 stairsโ€”but more trouble loomed.

โ€œAaargh!โ€

More mist burns were still closing in from behind.

โ€œNo!โ€

โ€œTheyโ€™re 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. Weโ€™re 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, โ€œAll right, can you go on your own from here?โ€

โ€œWhy? 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, โ€œIโ€™ll take care of the rear, so those at the front, continue to clear the way!โ€

โ€œOkay, understood!โ€

Suho turned around and went back up the stairs. I donโ€™t know what Iโ€™m 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!

โ€œGrrraaaaaah!โ€

With his fire extinguisher, Suho attacked the mist burn that jumped at him from behind.

โ€œHuh?โ€

โ€œGrr?โ€

The stream of white powder, once forcefully spurting outward, had complexly stopped. Suho made awkward eye contact with the retreating mist burn

โ€œI see...โ€ Suho chuckled in disappointment. โ€œIโ€™m screwed.โ€

โ€œAaargh!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 burnโ€™s 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 Suhoโ€™s body was engulfed, the dark abyss that was hidden inside him, swallowed the mist burn whole.

โ€œKrah?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 abyssโ€”the mist burn growled ferociously as it released its blue mist.

โ€œKrah! 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 wasnโ€™t 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.

โ€œKyaaack?!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.

โ€œHuh?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 โ€œThe Courage of the Helpless.โ€]

โ€œWhat is this?โ€ Suhoโ€™s eyes widened as a message suddenly appeared before him.

[Level up!]

Flash! The dazzling light surrounded Suhoโ€™s 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 buildingโ€”completely drained of energyโ€”but his eyes somehow instinctively moved to find Suho.

โ€œSu, Suho, where is he? Have you seen Suho?โ€

โ€œWhoโ€™s 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. โ€œHe said something about taking care of the rear, and went back up earlier.โ€

โ€œW-wait, you donโ€™t think...โ€

โ€œHe hasnโ€™t come out yet?โ€

The crowd murmured.

Someone muttered with a mix of hope in their voice, โ€œBut heโ€™s a hunter, so he should be fine, right?โ€

โ€œBut Suho isnโ€™t a hunter!โ€ Daehyun shouted urgently.

The crowd looked even more shocked by the revelation.

โ€œWhat? Heโ€™s not a hunter?โ€

โ€œIf heโ€™s not a hunter, how could he...โ€

Their gaze simultaneously turned toward the art galleryโ€”Suho had still not escaped.

That was when the hunters made their timely arrival in response to the call.

โ€œItโ€™s 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 heโ€™d chosen the best course of action, but when he saw the people outside the gallery, he felt guilty for his cowardice.

โ€œHow did everyone manage to get out?โ€

Dogyoon and the hunters looked at the people with puzzled expressions. They couldnโ€™t 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.

โ€œMore important than that, thereโ€™s someone still inside!โ€ Daehyun shouted urgently, โ€œSuho is still...!โ€

โ€œSuho? Youโ€™re saying heโ€™s still in there?โ€ Dogyoon immediately turned his focus onto the art gallery building.

โ€œIf it wasnโ€™t for him, we all would have died!โ€ The raw emotion behind Daehyunโ€™s words deepened the sorrow in peopleโ€™s faces.

The hunters were curious about their reactions, which prompted one of them to ask, โ€œIs this Suho a hunter? Whatโ€™s his rank?โ€

โ€œHeโ€™s a civilian.โ€

โ€œCome 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 everyoneโ€™s heads turned toward the source. A sinister force of magic was surging toward the top of the building.

โ€œDamn it, has the erosion already begun?โ€

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