Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 299

Even five years ago, Jinchul had already noticed the changes coming over the world.

“He hasn’t come in today either?”

“No, sir.”

Inside the Violent Crimes Unit of the Central Police Station, Detective Sung Jinwoo’s desk had been empty for several days, yet not a single one of his colleagues seemed the least bit worried. This was typical for Jinwoo. More often than not, his movements were completely unpredictable, and it was not uncommon for him to disappear from his desk entirely.

Despite this, no punishment or reprimand ever came his way. He was, in essence, untouchable.

It was extremely rare for someone in public service to be granted such leeway, but in Jinwoo’s case, it was only natural. It wasn’t due to any connections or that Jinchul, the police chief, was looking out for him—his results were simply too good. If a detective was bringing in criminals by the dozens, who in their right mind would try to get rid of him?

In fact, whenever Jinwoo vanished for long stretches like this, he would always return dragging criminals behind him like a trail of sausage links. They were usually cases that had been abandoned by other departments or even police forces from other regions, and there was always a celebratory dinner for the entire VCU afterward.

As a result, Jinwoo’s colleagues had come to expect nothing less from him. They didn’t worry about his occasional absences. The time they could spend fretting over the living legend of the Central Police Station’s VCU would be better used in dealing with the criminals he brought in.

Jinwoo would have been perfect if only he didn’t leave all the paperwork to his subordinates after apprehending criminals. Of course, he shared credit with those who helped him. Sometimes he handed over the credit entirely, which made him a very unpredictable figure indeed. It was no wonder there were rumors that he worked as a detective purely as a hobby.

But this time, there was one person worried about Jinwoo’s absence: Jinchul. He was looking at the empty desk with a dark expression.

He’s taking longer than usual.

Jinchul knew that whenever Jinwoo stayed away for days and returned with criminals in tow, it was just a facade. The criminals were merely cover for his real mission. Each time he was gone, Jinwoo was off fighting some threat to humanity without anyone else knowing. Not wanting to return empty-handed, he brought back a few criminals who had been in hiding.

In recent years, Jinwoo’s absences had become more and more frequent. They were never particularly long, but this time, Jinchul had the inexplicable feeling that he would be gone a while.

Looking out the office window, Jinchul glanced up at the sky and sighed. “I’ll write him off as being on leave.”

“What? But Detective Sung didn’t request leave...”

“I’ll authorize it myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

There was nothing to stop Jinchul’s decision, since he was the police chief.

The subordinate left the office, and Jinchul sat alone, sighing deeply once more. He thought about how Jinwoo was no doubt battling some unimaginable force that threatened humanity even now. He didn’t doubt for a second that the man would return just as he always did, with a smile on his face that suggested everything was perfectly fine.

He always has. Still, it’s strange... This time, something feels different.

He felt an odd sense of unease, even though he knew full well what Jinwoo was capable of.

Unfortunately, such ominous premonitions were seldom wrong. Days became months, and months became one year, then two. Jinwoo did not return.

Looks like I will have to get ready.

Jinchul’s eyes hardened as he gazed at Jinwoo’s empty, dust-covered desk. Still, he was not in the least concerned about his safety. To him, Jinwoo might as well have been a god or something even stronger. It was impossible for him to imagine the man in any real danger. However, Jinchul did begin to think about how challenging Jinwoo’s enemies must be to keep him away for so long.

More time passed. Then two years before the present, Jinchul’s gut feeling was proven right. The Great Cataclysm arrived.

When Jinchul heard the news that the first gate had been discovered in Seoul, he leaped into action. The moment the Great Cataclysm struck and Earth was connected to the otherworld, the globe’s leaders were thrown into panic and confusion. But Jinchul never wavered—for him, this was nothing new.

First of all, I’ll have to awaken.

He had already been through this once, so the process was simple. Mana, the otherworldly energy that leaked out into the air through the gates, was the key. Jinchul reached out—and seized it. In that instant, he awakened as an A-rank hunter, just as before.

My mana capacity is the same as then too. I wonder if that’s my limit?

He gauged the amount of mana inside him and immediately took stock of the situation. He had never entertained the foolish hope that he might awaken as an S-rank this time around. He was too pragmatic for that. Rather than dwelling on what-ifs, he focused on the one thing that mattered—how best to utilize the situation.

So this means people will awaken the same way they did before, in accordance with their capacity for mana. This is a good thing. It reduces the variables at play.

He knew exactly what he was able to do and what he needed to do.

“First, I must establish the association.”

Without hesitation, he put his plan into motion.

Previously, Go Gunhee awakened as an S-rank, and he was the one who founded the association. But he has sadly already passed from old age.

That left only one person in the current era who could take Gunhee’s place—Jinchul himself. Before, he had even headed the association after Gunhee’s passing. Having held the position of chairman before, he knew exactly what needed to be done.

There was just one problem: He was not Gunhee. Go Gunhee was the head of a major corporation, and he had used his massive resources and power to build the association. Jinchul didn’t have that kind of wealth or influence. He was just a police chief. He was nothing compared to those with real power.

But I have my memories to draw upon.

He was living his second life, so to speak, thanks to Jinwoo. And compared to his past self, he was now older, wiser, and far more experienced.

Depending on how I use my memories, they’re no different from knowledge of the future.

Though Jinchul was a fundamentally righteous person, he was by no means softhearted. That was precisely why Gunhee had assigned him to the association’s Surveillance Division before. Given the division’s role, Jinchul had access to sensitive, classified information.

The future may have changed, but the past remains the same. The corruption of the wealthy and powerful, their crimes from decades ago... Those haven’t gone anywhere.

Jinchul remembered all the information he had handled back then. But decades had passed, and the incidents had either been forgotten or buried. As a police chief, he could do nothing about it.

But as a hunter... It’s a different story.

This was the era of the Great Cataclysm, a time of rampant lawlessness. This made it difficult to ensure every crime was properly punished, but it also meant that justice could now be served outside the law.

The first thing Jinchul did was to use his position as police chief to access data on corrupt politicians. He linked them to incidents buried decades ago and compiled the information into a neatly organized file. Then he walked straight into the public prosecutor’s office as well as the offices of Korea’s most powerful figures and slapped the files onto their desks.

“Minister, may I have a moment?”

“Wh-who the hell are you? What do you think you’re doing, entering—”

“Oh. I put the guards outside to sleep temporarily. Even if you scream, no one will hear you for a while.”

Jinchul’s abrupt visits naturally caught them off guard.

In most cases, securing a meeting with a wealthy or powerful individual was nearly impossible. They were selective about who they met and rarely spent their time on matters that didn’t benefit themselves. In particular, none of them wanted any involvement with the police. No matter how high Jinchul’s rank might be as a police chief, meeting with influential figures required prior contact, scheduling visits through their secretaries, and following proper etiquette.

But that was before the Cataclysm. Now raw strength far outweighed political or financial power.

In the early days, before hunters were numerous, the bodyguards employed by such figures were nothing more than civilians, unable to use even the smallest amount of mana. The term “villain” hadn’t even gained widespread use yet. Jinchul’s actions were not so different from those of the villains he would later apprehend.

Jinchul smiled knowingly at each politician he barged in on. He pushed his black sunglasses up, then he slid the neatly organized file across the desk, which pulled a leash tight around their necks.

“Wouldn’t it be quite troublesome if this kind of information were to leak to the press, Minister?”

“Wh-what are you... Do you not fear the consequences of committing such lawless acts as a police chief?! And what makes you think this old information is of any use? It’s past the statute of limitations!”

“Yes, you’re right, of course. But here’s the thing...”

Jinchul’s smile vanished as a memory flashed in his mind.

In the past timeline, when he had become chairman after Gunhee, he had been called before the nation’s president and forced to accept that Jinwoo would be used as a promotional tool to boost national prestige. At first, Jinwoo had been named a “publicity ambassador,” but after that, President Kim Myungchul had slowly started to wield him for his own political gain.

“Haha! Mr. Woo, I knew you would see reason, unlike a certain someone. Yes, I would like you to be the one to do the work, if you don’t mind. This isn’t only for me, you know?”

“A certain someone”—it hadn’t been difficult to figure out who the president was referring to.

Back then, Jinchul had clenched his teeth in silence before finally speaking.

“The previous chairman was a gentleman.”

“Yes, of course, but he was far too rigid in his ways.”

“You’ll find I am quite different from him.”

“Haha! Of course! It is high time the Hunters Association changed. You can’t stay shackled by outdated conventions forever, can you?”

Listening to the president’s words, Jinchul had felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He was angered by the fact that he was forced into such unsavory affairs the moment he became chairman.

It goes to show just how little he thought of me. It was because I’m not Gunhee.

The previous chairman had acted as the association’s shield, and with him gone, the political world had turned its sights directly on Jinchul. They wanted him to serve their interests.

Jinchul found himself torn, both angry and relieved at the same time. However, Gunhee had always told him that the Hunters Association’s true role was to create an environment where hunters could focus on their duties.

He said it was not only for hunters but for civilians as well.

Recalling those words, Jinchul stood in front of the desk of the Minister of National Defense, drawing slowly on his mana. The walls and floor shook.

“W-wait, what are you...?”

The entire building shuddered as if it might collapse at any moment.

The minister’s face contorted in terror. The man he had dismissed as nothing more than a mere police chief was now exuding the energy of a great predator.

“Minister,” Jinchul said calmly, observing the pallor creeping onto the man’s face. He then repeated the same words he had once spoken to President Kim. “How long do you think it will take me to kill everyone in this building, including your security team?”

“Look here!”

The minister rose, his voice tinged with anger, but froze at the malice radiating from Jinchul.

Jinchul never overestimated his own strength. He was merely an A-rank hunter. Against the Monarchs or the Rulers, he was insignificant—barely an insect. But among ordinary humans, even an A-rank was a walking catastrophe. How could a simple human, powerless against even a tiger or a bear, hope to defeat an A-rank hunter?

“Maybe it would take a few hours?” Jinchul mused. “No, not even a few minutes.”

His gaze remained fixed on the minister, who was now drenched in cold sweat.

“And how many people do you think it would take to stop me? If you brought every member of Seoul’s police force, every soldier in the city, and then managed to withstand my attacks until my mana ran dry, perhaps you could succeed.”

The complete serenity with which he said these terrible things only scared the minister more.

“Y-you... Why would you...”

The man wanted to say something—anything—but his lips refused to move under the crushing weight of Jinchul’s hostile energy.

“In that time, I would start by killing you, Minister,” Jinchul said. “Then I would hunt down each of your family members one by one. Ah, of course, I would only kill the ones who were involved in past crimes as recorded in these documents.”

The minister’s eyes widened.

Jinchul continued, “And according to your logic, I will only have to run until the statute of limitations on my crimes expires.”

“Wh-what... What do you want from me?”

The minister finally yielded to Jinchul’s threats. At that moment, the hostile energy vanished entirely as if the suffocating air had been nothing more than an illusion. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Nudging up his sunglasses, Jinchul grinned at the minister. “Hmm, let’s see. First of all, I’m going to need a little help in founding the association... And one more thing.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out an unusual stone.

“I’m looking to collect these. Would you be willing to help?”

“Wh-what is that?”

Jinchul grinned. “It doesn’t have a name yet, but let’s call it a rune stone.”

With the “approval” of many politicians, Jinchul swiftly established the Hunters Association.

As promised, he spared the lives of those who had committed corruption in the past—with a catch. Once everything was settled, every single one of them was locked away in Jisan Prison, the facility he had personally built.