Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 351

In the United States, on a quiet residential street in the suburbs, a black sedan cruised slowly through the neighborhood. Trailing behind it was an SUV of the same color, following in synchronized motion. The sedan rolled to a stop at its destination, and a door opened. Security guards emerged first, their eyes like ice as they swept the area, alert for any threat.

“Safety confirmed, Mr. President.”

The words had barely been spoken when the President of the United States and Adam White, director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters, stepped out of the vehicle with stern faces. The guards exchanged silent hand signals and closed ranks protectively around the two men. The president waved them off.

“It’s fine. You can wait out here, men.”

“But sir—”

“She doesn’t care for all the commotion.”

His eyes shifted toward the small red-roofed house before him. It looked no different from the other homes nearby, yet it was a very special place behind its ordinary exterior. Even the most powerful man in the United States had to come in person to have an audience with the person who lived inside. The door opened before he could knock.

“Long time no see, Dave.”

A tall, African-American young man stood there. Recognizing him, the president blinked in surprise.

“You’ve... grown. The last time we met, you came up to my waist,” he said.

“Your mustache has grown more than I have,” replied the young man. “When did you grow up so much? You’re the president now, of all things!”

“You rascal...”

The president grinned.

The young man seemed utterly unfazed by the unannounced visit. He chattered on, welcoming the visitors as if he had been expecting them.

“Come on in. My grandmother told me important guests were coming. She had me bake cookies.”

At that, the president let out a short laugh.

Of course.

This was unsurprising, considering who it was he was here to meet—Norma Selner, the prophet and Upgrader. She was the greatest seer on the planet, and the true owner of this house. There were many names for her, and not one of them seemed misplaced.

The president hadn’t trusted her at first, of course. However, long before he became president, when he was still the director of the FBI, the most powerful intelligence agency in the country, he had witnessed her resolve problems he had given up on time and time again, using powers that defied reason. Her accuracy had silenced his doubts.

Norma had even spoken to him once, telling him that he would be president one day. It had sounded like an idle pleasantry at the time. She’d also warned him that becoming president would not necessarily be a good thing.

Something about poor timing...

That prophecy had come true. He was David Brennon, the previous head of the FBI, and he had won this year’s presidential election by a landslide. Unfortunately, that last prophecy had also come to pass. No sooner had he taken office than a string of major global events erupted, much like recent affairs. He practically lived on headache medication these days.

“Phew... it has been a while, ma’am.”

With mixed feelings, the president stepped inside and greeted Norma with a deep sigh. Norma was already seated in the reception room, a tray of simple refreshments set before her. She must have known the exact time they would arrive, as steam still rose from the freshly baked cookies. She was in a wheelchair.

“Welcome, Dave. I see a few more gray hairs than last time.”

“A lot’s happened lately...”

At those words, the president let out another heavy sigh. After a polite greeting, he sat on the sofa and first asked after her health.

“How are you feeling otherwise? I notice you’ve gotten yourself a wheelchair,” he said.

“I’m healthy, despite appearances. My strength isn’t what it used to be, but that’s just age catching up with me,” she said casually.

The president had asked for a particular reason. Behind Norma’s wheelchair sat a stack of luggage. Despite her obvious inability to get around easily, she seemed intent on traveling somewhere, and it confused him.

“Are you... taking a trip somewhere?” he asked.

It was not a good time for travel. In such a troubled period, it was dangerous for an elderly woman to set out on a long journey. In addition, if anyone like Norma was planning such a thing, the president knew he wouldn’t be able to rest easy until he had an army of security guards protecting her.

Understanding his concern, Adam White spoke up.

“If you are planning to go on a trip, we will send a few hunters along to provide security,” he offered.

Instead of answering, Norma only smiled, handing them their tea and cookies. “You both must’ve come here in a rush. Have some tea first. The cookies just came out of the oven, and they are very good.”

However, they were in no mood to relax over a cup of tea. Few things could induce a simultaneous visit from the president and the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters.

“Ms. Selner, pardon me, but the situation is urgent,” the president said.

As he spoke, the secretary beside him hastily opened a laptop. Before it was even open, Adam jumped in first.

“We noticed a weather anomaly in the Arctic not too long ago. It’s extremely unusual, and the scale is concerning,” he said.

The public knew nothing of it, but sometimes, things happened on this planet that were beyond any reasonable explanation. Each time, scientists and research experts were unable to propose any solutions. Most of those phenomena lay far beyond the bounds of modern science. Based on past experience, the best the U.S. government could do was to turn to Ms. Norma Selner for help, even if it could seem a bit unscientific to do so.

“We need your insight,” the president said.

Norma didn’t even glance at the screen being held out to her.

“I’m already aware of the situation,” she said, “but the answer you’re looking for won’t come from me.”

“What... do you mean?” the president asked, startled.

“Who should we go to?” Adam asked.

Both were thoroughly confused by this response.

“Sung Suho,” Norma replied simply.

“Sung Suho...? Who’s that?”

“A hunter from South Korea. He’s the one you want to see.”

This threw the president for a loop, and Adam’s expression turned serious. He’d never expected that name to come from Norma’s lips. It meant that the situation in the Arctic was far more serious than they’d realized. The president didn’t catch the implication and opened the laptop wider, clearly growing impatient.

“All right, Ms. Selner. I’ll remember that name. But are you really unable to give us any insight into the Arctic situation? Anything would greatly help—”

“Dave, you’re too busy for video games these days, aren’t you?” she asked.

“What? I don’t follow...” the president said, taken aback by her sudden interruption. “What... video games?”

It was such a random thing to say.

“Solo Leveling: Ragnarok.”

The moment the title left her lips, the president nodded with recognition. No matter how busy his schedule was, there was no way he wouldn’t know of that game.

“I am aware of it,” he confirmed. “I recently received a detailed analysis report on that game, so I’m familiar with the details. It enables players to become hunters, correct? But you must understand how reckless it seems for someone in my position...”

“I understand. You are the president, and it’s your job to be cautious. Jumping into something like that without knowing the risks would be irresponsible,” Norma said with a nod. “But still, you really should try it someday. Perhaps after your term is over.”

Had this come from anyone else, he would’ve dismissed it immediately. However, this was Norma Selner, and her words carried weight. The president had no choice but to address her suggestion before returning to what had brought him here in the first place.

“Ms. Selner, is there a particular reason that you are suggesting I play it myself?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s... particularly well-made,” she replied.

“That’s all?”

The president looked even more puzzled.

Seeing his expression, Norma smiled faintly. “That game... allows us to remember the past. The histories we’ve forgotten.”

“Remember...?”

“Yes. It’s all a memory now, but it wasn’t always the case,” she murmured.

The president couldn’t make sense of her words, nor of the almost nostalgic look in her eyes. Prophets tended to speak this way in general. Their words were vague and abstract, open to interpretation. However, this was a misunderstanding on his part. Norma’s prophecies had always been specific and intuitive. It was just that the people listening often didn’t grasp their meaning.

“If you play the game yourself... you will understand what I mean,” she continued with a smile. “The memories may be old and faded now, but everyone should remember. While sad, they are from an incomparably splendid, precious, and bittersweet time...”

Her voice, like a prophecy whispered only to herself, softly echoed through the quiet room. Her gaze was already far off and wistful, as though she were looking toward a completely different era.

“Looking back, those days were full of despair, painful and miserable. They are gone now, erased without a trace, but that doesn’t change the fact that they were once real. And they are all there... preserved entirely within that game.”

Bringing back those memories forcibly for the people who lived in this era would only cause confusion and shock. Humanity as a whole had experienced so much in that history of countless deaths, an age stained with despair and fear. Now, they lived in a new timeline that had overwritten the previous one.

If they were suddenly forced to remember the past in full detail... There would be chaos, Norma thought. So many things have already changed.

A new history had taken root on Earth. In that time, some people had been reunited with loved ones they’d once lost, while others had forgotten and found new people to love. If those vivid memories of despair and grief were suddenly brought back to life, who would welcome them? Some would be grateful, of course, but the confusion would far outweigh it.

Suho had handled it wisely. In order to mitigate the collision of memories, he chose to deliver the missing bits of history in as indirect a way as possible—a video game. VR games were a familiar medium for storytelling in this day and age. By playing through the game, users eased naturally into the past and accepted what they saw. The memories felt like hearing an ancient story, which softened the emotional impact. Of all the things that had been erased, the particularly clear and prominent memories were those of him—the one everyone in this era owed their gratitude to.

As a result, more and more people were beginning to remember what Sung Jinwoo had done for humanity. They walked through his life, reliving his path through their own eyes. They now knew what it had been like to take that long journey, carrying a burden that was his and his alone.

It was a natural process. In time, all of humanity would come to see what Jinwoo had understood from the start—strength was necessary for survival. As contradictory as it sounded, they would come to understand something else. He was no longer “solo”. He would not have to continue his lonely fight by himself. Now, everyone could unite in strength and purpose in the effort to protect their world.

To end his loneliness once and for all.

“It’s... a masterpiece.”

Knowing this all too well, Norma smiled warmly. Her gaze, once fixed on the past, returned at last to the present, passing over the president and landing on Adam White.

“Which is why we must go see Suho now. The devoted son of Sung Jinwoo, who created this game entirely for his father’s sake.”

With Norma’s resolute words, both Adam and the president finally understood the purpose of the travel bags neatly arranged before them. They frowned.

“Ma’am... You’re not thinking of going to Korea, are you?”

“It’s far too dangerous!”

“The skies were just overrun with swarms of monster butterflies a few days ago!”

Why did she wish to travel halfway across the planet at a time like this? Every airport in the U.S. had shut down, just in case any of the butterflies remained. If she insisted on going, it would have to be by private jet, which was even riskier. It would mean flying halfway around the world. Even so, her prediction weighed on their minds. They couldn’t dismiss her decision out of hand.

“Is there a particular reason why you need to see this Suho in person—”

A deep voice cut in from the corner. “You’re going to South Korea?”

Everyone turned in shock. A towering figure stood in the corner—someone who hadn’t been there moments ago. It was Thomas Andre. At that moment, the security guards stationed outside burst through the doors in a panic.

“Mr. President, are you all right?!”

They had stayed outside as instructed, but the moment they sensed that overwhelming presence inside, they didn’t hesitate to act. The identity of the intruder made them even more nervous.

“T-Thomas Andre?!”

“My god!”

“Don’t move! Hands where we can see them!”

Thomas was the man who had transformed into a giant larger than the Statue of Liberty itself to fight off the invasion of butterflies in New York. The whole world had witnessed his power, and the United States government had officially classified him as a National Level Hunter. That meant, however, that he could overpower the entire country if he wished, and everyone knew it. The guards understood that confronting him to prevent the worst-case scenario meant risking their lives, though it likely wouldn’t make a difference.

Thomas clicked his tongue. “Don’t make a scene.” He chuckled and ignored the guards entirely. Instead, he turned to Norma. “So, old lady, how much Korean do you speak?”

Norma burst into laughter. She’d been the one to pester Thomas into learning Korean himself, after all. She responded, in far more fluent Korean than him.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Thomas. The airports are all closed. Mind opening a door to South Korea for me?”

“Haha! So you’re asking the King of Giants and Monarch of Domination for an escort?” He roared with laughter, then nodded. “That’s not a tall order.” He lowered his gaze to his feet. “Hey, you down there. You’ve been tailing me this whole time for this moment, haven’t you?”

He was talking to his own shadow. Shockingly, the shadow underneath him slowly rose, which made the guards even more on edge. A few instinctively drew on their mana, but the president raised a hand to stop them. Any reckless move now would only invite greater danger. If Thomas truly intended harm, no one here could stop him anyway.

In the midst of the suffocating tension, Thomas issued a command to the shadow soldier. “I want to go to Suho. Open a gate to wherever he is right now.”

The shadow soldier scratched his head, then gave a nod, as if Suho’s permission had just come through. At once, the soldier’s body twisted into a circle, forming a portal of darkness. Thomas turned to Norma and Adam.

“All right, let’s go. And you. You’re coming too,” he said to Adam, who looked to the president in confusion.

When the president gave a quiet nod, Adam hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the shadow gate alongside Norma.