Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 298

In the heart of a lush jungle, there was a massive greenhouse deep within the darkness. A figure who was quietly curled up inside slowly opened his eyes.

“So he is dead...”

He could sense it instinctively. The anti-detection magic that had concealed his own hiding place had suddenly vanished. Still, it didn’t matter.

“I’ve already bought enough time.”

The figure spread his folded wings wide. They unfurled like a butterfly’s, their immense span reaching to the greenhouse ceiling.

He looked ahead. Hanging within the greenhouse were thousands of cocoons. The branches from which they hung belonged to none other than an Elvenwood, one he had acquired through his dealings with the Apostle of Paradise. Now that the apostle was dead, the branches were useless.

This means I no longer have a reason to hide.

With a powerful beat of his wings, he sent luminous powder scattering in all directions. The dust was absorbed into the thousands of cocoons.

Moments later, the greenhouse ceiling shattered. The silent greenhouse, which had remained hidden until now, revealed its presence to the world.

***

At the same hour, deep in a valley encircled by snowy fields, a vast laboratory stood within a long, dark cavern.

“That fool finally got himself killed.”

Thousands of test tubes hummed in the lab, each glowing with a crimson hue. At the center of it all, the owner and sole inhabitant of the lab clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“I always knew that idiot would end up like this sooner or later. But still...”

It didn’t matter to him in the least whether the Apostle of Paradise died or not. What truly irked him with something else—what the apostle had accomplished before his death.

“That sneaky bastard. Just when did he expand his territory this much?”

The figure’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the countless monitors before him. The screens displayed news channels from all over the world. No matter the country, every station was broadcasting the aftermath of the Apostle of Paradise’s actions.

From the perspective of an Earth invader, the sheer number of Elvenwoods scattered across the globe was an impressive feat. The lab’s owner found this even more displeasing.

“I didn’t realize I’d fallen so far behind. And behind him, of all people!”

His pride had taken a serious hit.

“Did he have an accomplice...?”

Considering the Apostle of Paradise’s unimpressive abilities, it was possible he was working with someone.

Still, there was nothing to be done. The apostle was already dead, and there was no way to confirm any of that now. There was no point in investigating further, and there was only one thing he needed to focus on.

The countless gardens the apostle had left behind, now masterless, contained an abundance of nutrients. He needed to recover them as quickly as possible.

“How irritating.”

The figure moistened his lips, salivating. Though his brows furrowed in irritation, his lips, curled into a smirk, betrayed him.

It deeply hurt his pride to discover that someone he had never considered a real threat had left behind such valuable assets. At the same time, it was clear that claiming these resources would make him far stronger.

He had no time to lose. Others would be thinking the same thing. If he had become aware of this, they surely had as well.

“I need to grab as much as I can before they get their hands on it.”

With a hungry gleam in his eyes, he rose to his feet.

***

A vast, surging tide of darkness swept over the mountains. Wherever it passed, Elvenwoods fell one by one, swallowed whole by the moving shadow. It was like a swarm of black ants devouring everything in its path.

The dark tide’s real identity, however, was Suho’s shadow army.

“Young Monarch! I see the association’s flag ahead!” Beru shouted from above.

In the distance, the flag of the Korean Hunter Association billowed in the wind.

Suho came to a brief halt, watching the association’s encampment. He could sense Woo Jinchul standing in the heart of it, looking back at him.

So we’re finally meeting...

“Let’s go,” Suho declared.

Immediately, Beru’s expression sharpened, and the dignity of a commander settled over his small form.

“Advance!” he shouted.

At his command, the shadow army moved in unison. The black tide flowed down the mountains. Its overwhelming presence filled the land.

“Finally,” Jinchul murmured. He was lost in thought as he watched the approaching shadow army, reminded of a distant memory.

It was like this back then too.

He recalled the day the world had nearly been destroyed, the day he had believed all hope was lost.

A certain man had been present that day, leading a shadow army of thousands just like this one. Powerful enemies were forced to their knees at his feet. Even beings from other dimensions were nothing more than prey before his shadows.

Looking back, that moment had been both the most terrifying and the most hopeful time of Jinchul’s life. A single man had performed a miracle during the war with the Monarchs, a war that had seemed unwinnable.

“Mr. Woo?”

Suho had arrived.

Jinchul struggled to shake off his thoughts even as Suho stood right before him. It wasn’t surprising, as the young hunter resembled that man from Jinchul’s past so closely. The way he walked, the intensity of his gaze, and even the way he commanded the shadow army bore the unmistakable signature of his father.

Suho bowed politely and said, “It’s great to finally meet you.”

“I almost feel as though this isn’t our first meeting,” Jinchul replied, his voice filled with nostalgia. “And...”

His eyes shifted to Beru, who stood beside Suho. He bowed with deep respect.

“Commander Beru. It’s good to see you again.”

The shadow ant grunted proudly.

“Beru...?”

Suho looked at him in confusion. The tiny ant had suddenly swelled in size and was now towering over him, black vapor swirling off his form. Beru—one of Jinwoo’s closest servants who had taken the form of an ant—now loomed over Jinchul, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

Jinchul gulped nervously, his mind flashing back to the unforgettable disaster on Jeju Island. The horrible magic beast who had massacred the skilled hunters called to the scene was now right in front of him.

Sadly, Jinwoo isn’t here on Earth. But Beru alone could probably keep the Earth safe...

“Beru!” Suho called.

“Eh?”

“I thought you needed to conserve your mana.”

“Understood.”

The shadow ant suddenly deflated, shrinking down to a miniature version of himself.

Jinchul’s eyes went wide. He was no fool—in fact, if anything, he was a little too perceptive. He had gleaned much from that brief exchange alone.

“Don’t tell me... his power isn’t...?”

“Your eyes. They are disrespectful,” Beru said sternly.

A brief silence followed. At that moment, one of Earth’s greatest hopes had vanished—at least in Jinchul’s mind.

Plan B, then. The only real hope left is Sung Suho himself.

The chairman quickly pushed Beru from his thoughts and introduced his companion to Suho.

“This is Choi Jongin. He’s a hunter, like you.”

Brief greetings were exchanged, and Jinchul immediately returned to the topic he had discussed with Suho over the radio.

“Could you restore Jongin’s memories first? Only then will we be able to continue this conversation.”

“All right,” Suho responded, retrieving the Key to the Shadow Dungeon.

Jongin looked at Jinchul, perplexed. “Do I have memory loss, sir?”

From his perspective, the situation made no sense. Nevertheless, he stepped toward Suho with a slight shrug. The key touched his forehead, and almost instantly, his expression began to shift to one of shock. Memories flooded back in a cascade.

Gates. Hunters. The confusion caused by the appearance of the first-ever hunter.

Jongin recalled the moment he had originally founded the Hunters Guild, fighting to survive amid competition with larger guilds. Over time, the Hunters Guild had become the top guild in the country. He remembered battles in S-grade dungeons, fights to the death against mysterious beings inside gates, and the countless moments spent with his companions. All of it came rushing back at once.

Wh-what is all this?!

Jongin looked as if he had been struck. The flood of strange yet familiar memories played out like a film, a vast panorama unfolding in his mind. He had lived two lives and awakened twice. Both lives were his own, and in a single moment, they fused together.

He sighed. By the time he caught his breath, his gaze had changed. His eyes now held a depth that wasn’t there before.

No further explanation was necessary. All the questions he’d had so far had been answered on the spot. He now understood that not even his meeting with Jinchul before his awakening had been a coincidence.

With renewed clarity, he turned to Jinchul. “Mr. Woo... Did you already have all these memories?”

Jinchul silently nodded.

“Since when did—”

“Long before I ever approached you.”

“Ah. So that’s why...”

At last, Jongin understood everything. With that understanding came another heavy sigh.

“It must’ve been such a heavy burden to bear all by yourself.”

“But I am no longer alone,” Jinchul replied.

Jongin’s face hardened, his fists clenching. He knew now what had to be done next. “This world doesn’t need a Hunters Guild. The association has taken its place,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter who builds what. The goal remains the same.”

The Hunters Guild, headed by Jongin himself, had been the greatest guild in South Korea in their past life—but this time, things would be different. The world needed a power to protect it, not a for-profit organization.

As someone who now understood every decision Jinchul had made from the very beginning, Jongin realized something: The chairman had long been preparing every measure that humankind could possibly take, and he was even doing so now.

“On that note,” Jinchul said, turning to Suho, “let me tell you about what we’ve done so far.”