Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 325

Arsha’s evolution was not merely a surge in strength. She had undergone a literal evolution of species, and with it, she’d gained the ability to pass through the dimensional rift at will. It was a truly astonishing feat.

Ordinarily, only Monarchs or beings of similar stature could move freely through the rift—with the exception of magic-specialized races like the demonic spirits. Yet now, Arsha had become a queen who could command tens of thousands of Void Insects to slip through rifts like wind through cracks.

That didn’t make her stronger in battle, of course. Even if her Void Insects swarmed Nidhogg in full force, they wouldn’t inflict real damage. But tireless attacks from the nearly infinite number of insects were enough to wear down even a monster like Nidhogg.

At her command, the countless Void Insects ascended the trunk of the World Tree. They resembled a swirling galaxy, a swarm of star-like points flowing through the yawning reaches of the universe. Even the ice elves stopped short at the beautiful sight and looked up.

Nidhogg blinked in confusion, its many jaws gaping. The insects were far too small to target individually. A wave of ominous energy burst from Nidhogg’s maw, blasting through the swarm in a single devastating pulse of glittering light.

Hundreds of Void Insects vanished instantly. But that was all. The remainder broke apart into smaller swarms, weaving around the beast without hesitation, then regrouped and continued their ascent toward the branches above.

“Stop them if you can. I have more where those came from.”

From behind the chaos, Arsha gave a coy, alluring smile. She flicked a finger toward a cluster of high branches, directing the Void Insects onward.

“That place looks perfect for a hive,” she said.

Thanks to the ice elves, she had figured out that Nidhogg’s physiology was not so different from that of a basic snake. It was a cold-blooded creature, unable to regulate its own body temperature. The location she chose for the hive was thick with frost, a place Nidhogg would instinctively avoid.

As Arsha made her choice, the Void Insects rushed in and began to secrete a viscous substance from their mouths—wax. Wax was ordinarily the main ingredient of beehives, produced by the bees after ingesting honey. The hives usually consisted of hexagonal cells which could hold honey and pollen, and when the wax came into contact with air, it hardened.

But the wax the Void Insects were producing was something a little more special. It was a compound born from the pollen of Elvenwoods across the world, mixed with the World Tree’s own pollen and the sap the insects had extracted. The moment it touched the deathly air in the Sea of the Afterlife, something was set in motion.

[“Pet: Arsha” is building “??”]

The process unfolded rapidly, and not even the system itself seemed able to define what was happening. With such a vast number of bees at work, progress was astonishingly swift.

The mysterious hive swelled.

[“Pet: Arsha” has leveled up.]

[“Pet: Arsha” has leveled up.]

[“Pet: Arsha” has leveled up.]

[...]

Arsha’s level, which had only been at one, was rising at breakneck speed. She took flight, soaring toward the growing hive.

But Nidhogg would not simply let her pass unchallenged. One of its maws opened wide, releasing a poisonous breath attack, but Suho blocked it just in time.

[Skill: “Breath of Destruction” has activated.]

Suho’s breath met Nidhogg’s midair, a blazing explosion erupting at the point of collision. Suho’s eyes flashed.

“Don’t worry about her. Play with me instead.”

Nidhogg snarled and launched at Suho in a fury. Unfortunately, Suho was only occupying one of its heads. The remaining heads that were far away from Suho swerved from various directions to aim at Arsha.

“We’ve got you covered!” Sirka shouted.

Another volley of ice arrows blanketed the battlefield, slowing Nidhogg’s movements. The results were immediate—so effective, in fact, that even the system acknowledged it.

[Debuff: “Extreme Cold” slows Nidhogg’s movement speed.]

[Debuff: “Extreme Cold” slows Nidhogg’s attack speed.]

The moment Nidhogg slowed, the counterattacks began.

Esil, the Monarch of Gluttony, led her demons in relentless combat, while the shadow dwarves unleashed volley after volley from their mana cannons. Lastly, there was Gray, his growl a low, savage rumble. From the moment Suho had appeared, Gray had stopped holding back. A hound was always at its boldest with its master behind him.

Gray raced along the length of Nidhogg’s immense body, ripping and tearing at its scales. His fangs scraped against the hardened hide, sending sparks scattering.

[Rakan bares his fangs, laughing loudly!]

Gray had grown much larger than the average human since entering the Sea of the Afterlife. Though he was still dwarfed by the size of the colossal serpent, a born hunter never flinched at the size of its prey. The bigger the beast, the greater the glory in taking it down.

[Rakan shouts to go for the neck!]

Gray’s claws gripped tightly between Nidhogg’s thrashing scales. Using that purchase, he lunged forward and as the monarch of Fangs had commanded, sank his teeth into Nidhogg’s nape. It would do little more than tickle Nidhogg, but his teeth pierced flesh nonetheless.

[Gray used the skill: “Fatal Strike.”]

[Gray used the skill: “Paralysis.”]

[Gray used the skill: “Bleeding.”]

Nidhogg, who had been trying to shake Gray off like an insect, suddenly jolted. Suho grinned.

“What do you think, Rakan? It was a good idea to let him keep the teeth, right?” he muttered from the other side.

He had armed Gray with Rakan’s Fang and Kasaka’s Venom Fang, and they were proving more than useful. Of course, the effects didn’t activate every single time, but under Gray’s relentless attacks, they were bound to trigger at least once.

Despite its many heads, the snake still had only one body. Gray’s attacks had clearly hit their mark—every one of Nidhogg’s gaping maws let out a cry of pain. The behemoth stilled momentarily, and then one of the heads let out a chilling scream. It was the head Ammut had entered. A fist, shrouded in crackling dark energy, exploded outward through one of its eyes.

“Ammut!” Suho called out.

“Stay back, Shaman!” Ammut bellowed, instantly recognizing Suho’s voice. “This one is mine!”

The fist receded back into the head, and what followed were the sounds of violent, brutal conflict. Nidhogg’s head began to swell, bulging grotesquely as if on the verge of bursting. It was unclear what exactly was happening inside, but Ammut seemed out of breath. However, the thrill of madness was unmistakable in his voice.

“I’ve always wondered, Tarnak, what power this primordial darkness you held contains!”

Ammut was going all out. He needed no help from Suho. And within that boundless abyss, the entity battling him now bore the form of Tarnak. The primordial darkness, which had turned Tarnak into the Monarch of Iron Body and the King of Monstrous Humanoids, had taken this form in order to fight him. It was exactly what Ammut had wanted, and he was elated.

“I always envied you, you know! Growth is a privilege given only to the weak!”

For eons, Ammut had trained the weak, half voluntarily, half not. Some had transcended their limits and evolved into something more, while others, the unworthy, had died. Ammut, regardless, had always been the most brutal and perfect instructor. But even the perfect teacher had failed to notice a crucial point.

“You know something, Tarnak?”

Ammut guffawed as he swung his fist at Tarnak’s likeness.

“I didn’t know until I started teaching, but it’s the teacher, not the students, who learns the most!”

He hadn’t imagined such a thing was possible at first. The lessons he had repeated over and over had ended up teaching him more than they had ever taught his students. And learning—was growth. Ammut, the mightiest of all monstrous humanoids, who had long believed growth was beyond him and that his kind knew no evolution but aging, had achieved it nonetheless.

“I am stronger than I was!”

Ammut roared with laughter as he seized Tarnak and tore him apart.

The primordial darkness split in two, and the head that had swallowed him exploded in a violent burst. Ammut absorbed the primordial darkness.

[The primordial darkness has been transferred to a new Monarch.]

Darkness swirled around his body. His eyes flew open as he let out a wild snicker.

“Hahaha! Did you see that? You’re already dead, but I wanted you to witness this!”

He was delivering one final lesson to the Monarch of Iron Body, his fallen student from the war.

“I can grow, just like you!”

He spoke to Tarnak, his weakling pupil.

“And that means... You could have become even stronger than you were.”

His expression twisted with bitterness, even as he claimed the primordial darkness for himself. He held regret inside him for his pupil, who had died before him.

“Tarnak, you... you died because you were weak. You should have trained harder.”

There was a flash of light.

[The King of Monstrous Humanoids and the Monarch of Tribulation has been born.]

Ammut had become a new Monarch.

He spun through the air and drove his foot into one of Nidhogg’s heads, the one that had been lunging for Arsha. Using the recoil, he launched himself skyward toward another head—this one entangled with Gray. Ammut reached it in a blur, grabbed the monstrous jaws, and ripped them apart with a savage wrench. The flesh tore with a sickening sound, and the great serpent howled in agony. Ammut caught Gray in midair and, without hesitation, hurled him into the gaping mouth he’d just torn open.

“So, toothed creature, it’s time you got this done. No more stalling. Fail me, and I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

Gray gave a bewildered growl.

“In fact,” Ammut continued with a wicked grin, “I almost hope you do fail. That way I can train you until you’re begging for death.”

Ammut slammed the jaws shut over Gray with a knowing smirk. Gray was dragged into the darkness within, helpless to resist.

[Rakan is gaping at the sight.]

“Huh...?” Suho murmured, wearing an expression not unlike Rakan’s.

All around the frostbitten World Tree, those who had been locked in desperate combat stood still—frozen in collective shock.