Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 319

As Suho had ordered, Arsha had spread her worker bees across the entire globe. Despite being so busy, her true body continued to stroll leisurely through Suho’s Shadow Dungeon. She even hummed to herself as she walked.

Though Arsha was essentially imprisoned there, she didn’t find the arrangement uncomfortable in the slightest. After all, queen bees were not meant to fly around busily like the workers. She preferred to stay in the cozy Shadow Dungeon, where no one could intrude without Suho’s permission, rather than head out into the unknown with whatever dangers it might hold. Inside, the only being she needed to concern herself with was Suho. That alone made her feel utterly safe.

And so, oblivious to the serious activity brewing outside, she wandered peacefully through the Shadow Dungeon.

“Hmm?”

She glanced up at the enormous pyramid towering over her. It was the Iron Body technique training facility where Ammut was to be found. Arsha considered herself fairly close with Ammut these days. There was no telling what the gruff crocodile might think, but Arsha believed she was justified in considering them fast friends.

They were essentially companions who served the same liege. She could see no reason not to get along. They might be of different races, but the way she saw it, they had a lot in common.

Take the pyramid, for instance. Ammut, the all-powerful, monstrous humanoid, was also basically locked up in what could be considered a massive hive of his own. In some ways, Ammut seemed like a queen bee too, commanding those bandaged mummies as if they were his worker bees. Of course, Ammut would likely take offense at such a comparison, so Arsha kept the thought to herself. She possessed some tact, at least.

At the same time, however, she entertained quite a dangerous thought.

I think Ammut would look quite impressive when he’s angry.

She couldn’t explain why, but picturing that towering figure in a fury made her heart race.

Perhaps it is because we are in a similar situation.

Grinning to herself, Arsha looked up at the pyramid that served as Ammut’s cage. Her gaze drifted even higher, toward the dark pillar of energy constantly rising from the pyramid’s peak. It was a shadowy torrent that pierced the shadow world, surging endlessly.

Ammut had once told her that the mysterious pillar had appeared when the apparition of the Monarch of Shadows manifested before him. Since that day, the pyramid had grown in size—along with Ammut himself.

“I wonder what that pillar really is...?”

These days, Arsha’s curiosity had become fixated on that object. Still, no matter how curious she was, she had no intention of going near it. It had been created by the Monarch of Shadows, and her instincts screamed at her to keep her distance. She had no interest in finding out what might happen if she got too close.

She liked the Shadow Dungeon precisely because it felt safer than the outside world, and she wasn’t about to throw that away out of curiosity. She was busy as it was, doing her best to please Suho. As if that wasn’t enough, a dangerous dragon egg had recently hatched here.

Ragna let out a cheerful chirp.

“Ack!”

Speak of the devil!

The red-scaled reptile waddled over to her, opening his maw wide. A long tongue whipped out and wrapped itself around her body, pulling her into his mouth and swallowing her whole.

“Oh, please! Cut it out already!”

She’d been eaten again. Luckily, her real body had retreated in time, and she reappeared a fair distance away. She shuddered as Ragna stared at her innocently, smacking his lips. Suddenly, Ragna’s round, shining eyes turned serious. Then the reptile grinned knowingly.

“Curious about that pillar?”

A chill crept down her spine. The tiny, adorable form of Ragna had just become possessed by Antares, the King of Dragons. Even more terrified, Arsha took a shaky step backward.

“Ah. Do not be afraid. Ragna won’t grow any stronger from eating a few insects like you,” Antares said, tutting at Arsha’s less than dignified behavior.

Then he gave another knowing smile and pointed at the pillar that Arsha had been staring at, repeating his question.

“Answer me. Do you want to know about that pillar?”

“No...”

“Lying isn’t good for you. It makes me want to end you.”

“I-I do!”

“Good. That’s more like it.”

As soon as she saw the gleam of madness in Antares’ eyes, Arsha couldn’t help but answer truthfully. She had no other choice.

Since the dawn of time, dragons had always been the natural enemies of insects. There was no need to look as far as Antares, the Monarch of Destruction and the King of Dragons. Dragons were a race that fed on insects like they were snacks from the moment they were born. Though insects didn’t even satisfy their hunger, dragons consumed them as easily and thoughtlessly as breathing. They were an abominable species to her kind. In some ways, Arsha feared Antares even more than she did Suho.

“Do you find it strange that you are scared of that pillar, but you still find your gaze drawn to it?”

“Yes... I admit it.” Arsha spoke the truth, sensing that Antares already knew what she felt.

Antares’ grin grew broader.

“If you’re so curious, why not go see it for yourself?”

“I’m too scared...”

“Fear is a natural feeling. That pillar, after all, is a trick he left behind.”

Antares clicked his tongue, clearly irritated just by thinking about Sung Jinwoo. But what truly vexed him were the many layers of magic hidden within that pillar.

“Tsk. A Monarch of Shadows should not stoop to the tricks of sorcerers from the arcane world. This is why I lost the war...”

Antares was clearly unable to bring himself to like the man.

The shadow power was completely balance-breaking with its control over the dead. Ashborn, the first Monarch of Shadows, had used it to collect the enemies he killed and slowly grow his undying army. That alone had empowered him enough to fight many Monarchs by himself.

The second Monarch of Shadows, who had received that power, was different. Perhaps the idea was only possible because he was a human, a naturally weak race. He hadn’t merely wielded his abilities to form an army. Instead, he had studied the skills of his soldiers and transformed himself into an army of one.

“He was already strong enough. He didn’t have to learn such cheap tricks. Humans truly are impossible to understand.”

“Cheap tricks...?” Arsha asked cautiously.

“Do you not see them? The spells of the arcane world packed into that pillar?”

“I can see them, yes, but I can’t understand what they’re for...” Arsha replied with the utmost care, trying not to provoke Antares’ temper.

Once again, she raised her eyes to the black pillar rising from the pyramid. With knowledge came clearer vision. What once appeared to be an undifferentiated column of shadowy energy stretching skyward was in truth filled with layer upon layer of interconnected magic circles. That was what unsettled her most.

“There are so many of them, and they are all connected to each other... I cannot even begin to imagine what function they serve,” Arsha said.

“Tsk! Then you are a fool. It’s absurd to think that someone like you aims to become Querehsha’s successor.”

“Would you not, perhaps, offer me your insight? I know how little I understand. I am more than willing to listen.”

Even though Antares was mocking her openly, Arsha did not protest. To bow before the strong was only natural. There was no shame in pleading with those mightier than oneself, at least in her book.

“Hmm.”

Antares seemed to soften, apparently liking her attitude. He stroked his chin and turned back to the black pillar that Jinwoo had created before his departure.

“The demonic spirits of the arcane world have always mocked the souls of others, roaming from dimension to dimension to indulge in their trickery.”

The demonic spirits were sorcerers who gathered various kinds of souls through dimensional breaches, indulging in twisted experiments and dark research. Their king and Monarch, Yogumunt, had been especially useful in the many chases involving the Monarch of Shadows.

Yogumunt had at times been able to evade the detection of the Monarch of Shadows, even sometimes claiming the strategic high ground. That alone was enough to prove just how powerful his sorcery had been. However, the Monarch of Shadows could also traverse dimensions. He could use the power of shadows to travel through gates at will.

“And so in the end, we lost. The demonic spirits who once served Yogumunt became part of his army. That pillar is the result.”

Those sorcerers, reduced to shadow demonic spirits, had offered Jinwoo their most potent spells, many of which could be activated with only a handful of magic. The fusion of all those spells had given rise to the dark pillar.

“So why does it contain so many spells?” Arsha asked politely.

“Heh. Isn’t it obvious? He always fights with the goal of protecting everyone. That’s his greatest flaw.”

War, by its nature, was waged to annihilate one’s enemies and achieve victory. Jinwoo, however, had always focused on shielding others more than on killing, and therefore always stood alone.

“He is no king.”

A king was meant to rule. No one who sacrificed themselves for the sake of others could be called a king, at least as far as Antares was concerned.

“That’s why I find it all the more difficult to acknowledge him. That pillar... is the ultimate safeguard he left behind to protect everyone.”

Antares ground his teeth as he glared at the dark monolith that pierced the sky.

“If you truly seek to become Querehsha’s successor, then follow that pillar upward. I warn you, you’ll have to risk your life to do it. If you succeed, you will get what you are after. But if you don’t...”

Arsha gulped nervously. Antares’ overwhelming gaze bore into her, daring her to rise to the challenge.

“Will you stake your very soul against the path of that darkness?”

For Arsha, who had always operated within the safety of her hidden true body, those words struck fear into her bones.

Then someone else’s voice cut through the tension.

“Well, I think I’ll attempt it first, if you don’t mind.”

“Hmm?”

Antares turned, puzzled by the low voice. Someone was seated casually along the edge of the pyramid wall, listening in. It was Ammut.

Ammut lifted his gaze toward the dark pillar.

“I’ve been wondering about that myself.”

The moment the words left his mouth and before Arsha could even make up her mind, Ammut shot up and leaped toward the top of the pyramid. His soul, like the pyramid itself, had been enhanced ever since the apparition of Jinwoo had made its appearance. Even so, he had never fully understood what the pillar was and had simply observed it from afar. That is, until a particular memory returned to him—Jinwoo’s parting words.

“Ammut, I’ve synced your soul, which is trapped here, with your real soul counterpart in the Sea of the Afterlife, just the way mine is.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you can become a shadow soldier at any time, should you wish.”

Ammut grinned.

“I’ve started to feel like leaving this place too,” he murmured.

At the pinnacle of the pyramid, right at the pointed peak, the vertical black pillar rose, piercing through the dimensional walls and extending straight into the distant cosmos. He remembered the conversation he’d had with Jinwoo as that chilling structure was being made.

“What are you doing?”

“A safety measure, if you will. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry about it.”

“I shall see for myself... if it really has nothing to do with me.”

He would determine for himself whether Jinwoo’s words were sincere—or merely a cryptic provocation.

Without a second thought, Ammut reached out to the column of black energy. In an instant, a flash of light engulfed him.

“W-wait for me!” Arsha shouted, quickly soaring into the air.

She, too, vanished in a burst of light.

Antares, watching from below with amused indifference, grinned to himself. Then, with a chirp, the haze returned to the eyes of the reptile. Ragna began to cry. He was hungry.