Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 371

His body was colossal, wings glowing like molten lava, and eyes blazing with the flames of destruction. Within that body resided the first being ever to wield destruction, the once-strongest Monarch, Antares. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Long ago, when the primordial darkness had split into eight pieces, he had been the very first created by the Absolute Being. For that reason, he was darkness in its purest, most potent form—and the destructive will within him was unmatched. He was disaster incarnate, born into being by the will of a god, his power on such a level that even if all other Monarchs joined forces, they could not exceed his might. Even the radiant armies of the Rulers were nothing but moths flying into the flame of his destruction.

A single roar from him made dimensions scream. A mere breath of his reduced the brilliant stars above to dust. In fact, he was the only enemy who had stood toe-to-toe for decades with Suho’s father, Sung Jinwoo, the Monarch of Shadows, battling over the fate of all dimensions.

The sky rumbled. Antares had just reclaimed a fragment of his former power, as Ragna matured into a full-grown dragon in an instant. Inside his body churned an overwhelming mana, threatening to burst at any moment.

“So this is how it is...” came the heavy voice of Antares from Ragna’s lips.

The power he had regained was paltry compared to his original strength. Though his soul and body had grown to rival his former self, he no longer possessed the primordial darkness that had once been his foundation. Even so, it was enough.

The flames that Antares created still contained the power of destruction, and surprisingly, the unique power of destruction he possessed was almost identical in nature to Devour World that had formed ahead of him. The only difference lay in its structure. Both were manifestations of the same will—the will of two different Itarims to destroy this world.

Suho turned to him. “Lend me your strength, Antares.”

“I have no reason to refuse,” Antares replied without hesitation, and his eyes surged with fire.

At the same moment, a voice echoed within him.

“Antares.”

It was a memory of a conversation that he’d once had with Jinwoo’s apparition.

“I know my son isn’t strong enough yet to wield your power. He’s not a dragon, after all. So let me make you an offer.”

“An offer?”

The apparition had dared to appear before the dead Antares and speak to him, stepping in front of Suho. The suggestion was bold. Antares had frowned at the absurdity of it, but Jinwoo must have been certain of himself. After all, he knew Antares better than anyone else. He had known that his offer would be accepted.

“That’s right. You must be bored, now that you’re dead. Wouldn’t you be interested in having a proper fight again?”

How could Antares say no to that? Antares was the embodiment of destruction with a madness for battle, who only felt alive in blood-soaked combat. That was the essence he had lived by his entire life.

“Come back to life, Antares.”

Antares grinned, then let out a thunderous laugh at the memory. He sounded wholly satisfied.

“All right, I admit it! Saying yes to your damned proposal was likely the best decision I have ever made!”

His flames howled, and Antares gathered all his energy to fight. Even now, the law of the Itarim, Devour World, was steadily approaching, the Teeth of Nothingness chewing through everything in their path, erasing the world entirely.

As he watched that scene unfold, Antares couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from rising. Devouring the entire world, of all things! The idea was absurd, and it only made things more exciting. A shiver ran down his spine. Madness born from battles long past resurfaced, engulfing his body and soul. He unfurled his wings.

“Yes! We will see which one of us is stronger!”

Antares launched into the sky, Suho riding atop his head. Heat bubbled from his maw. The vast mana that had returned to him after so long exploded outward as he concentrated all of it into a single breath.

[Antares activated the skill: “Breath of Destruction!”]

Then he exhaled.

What spilled forth from Antares’ jaws was no ordinary fire. It was the will of pure destruction, obliterating not just form but meaning itself.

“Hahaha! Watch carefully, you gods! This is the power of destruction created by one of your own kind, who met a tragic end!”

Antares laughed maniacally, joy radiating from every word. The Itarim laughed in return.

“What’s this now?”

Had they ever encountered such an enemy before? Interesting things kept happening, twist upon twist upon twist. Their perfect world was falling apart, and the dull monotony in their minds was replaced by a newfound sensation. They had never felt anything quite like it before. They raised a hand toward the rampaging flames, and the breath collided head-on with the fangs devouring the world.

In that moment, an enormous shockwave exploded, nearly akin to a big bang. An absolute wave of destruction swept across the entire dimension, so absolute that no sound remained—a silent scream that tore the dimension apart. Even the ripples were enough to disintegrate the countless ashen angels in the sky like flecks of dust.

However, Devour World did not vanish. It only paused. The teeth of the void persisted, gnawing relentlessly at the world. As long as the Itarim, the creators, were alive, their laws would stand. Antares continued to laugh, however, as if enjoying himself even more. He spread his wings wide and sped across the ruined dimension at dazzling speed.

“Yes! That’s more like it! You are gods. I would be disappointed if you fell too easily!”

Antares was born to destroy. The arrival of a powerful opponent who could match his strength was the greatest joy imaginable to him, especially when that enemy held divine status!

Space was alight with brilliant starlight, a sprawling battlefield where light and shadow mingled in chaos. Planets of various sizes exploded, and lightning and thunder infused with divine power tore through the very fabric of space. Antares flew through it all, releasing his Breath of Destruction once again toward the Itarim.

Then, once again, Devour World blocked his path, chewing through the flames he had expelled and leaving behind only emptiness in their wake. Antares’ destruction and that of the Itarim clashed without end, tearing holes of nothingness throughout the battlefield.

“Successor, can you guess?” Antares snickered, speaking to Suho as he fought. “When the Rulers betrayed the Absolute Being and killed him, what do you think went through my mind as I waged war against them?”

The Rulers had been created to protect the world, and the Monarchs to destroy it. The war between the two forces was a destined outcome, a law written into creation itself. Then, one day, the Rulers suddenly killed their own creator, and the war that was meant to last forever changed in an instant. What had the Monarchs warring against the Rulers felt then? What had Antares, who led them from the front, desiring pure destruction and laughing like a madman as he did even now, thought as it happened?

Antares broke into a grin at the memory, Suho still riding atop his head. He glared at the distant gods, still clearly visible, and smacked his lips.

“I should have killed him first.”

Suho’s eyes widened.

It made sense, in a way. Antares was the embodiment of destruction. From the moment of his creation, he had longed to kill the one who had made him more than anyone else. He had wanted to witness the end of all things. Throughout every moment of that war, he alone had laughed, reveling in death and ruin. That was who he was—Antares, the Monarch of Destruction.

“At that moment... I envied the Rulers like you would not believe! How amazing it must have been to fight the gods!”

He had felt an overwhelming jealousy, and the obsession had been plain in his eyes. As Antares envisioned that moment and muttered to himself, there was a chilling madness in his voice. Then, suddenly, he went still.

“And finally...” Those wild eyes locked onto the Itarim, hidden behind the skill Devour World. He laughed. “Finally, I will know. After all this time, the opportunity has come to fight gods myself!”

A low rumble sounded as another, even more ferocious surge of destructive flame boiled up within his mouth. This time, he himself would kill these gods!

His Breath of Destruction clashed with the devouring fangs once more. The teeth gnawed at the breath, while the breath melted them in return. Destruction consumed destruction, and the world rushed ever faster toward its end. The further it went, the more violently Antares’ madness blazed, but he did not let his emotions control him.

The war between the Rulers and Monarchs had spanned unfathomable eons. If Antares had been a Monarch who moved only on impulse, the battle would not have endured so long or raged so fiercely. On the battlefield, madness had its place—but so did a cold and calculating mind. Even now, behind his crazed eyes, he was carefully tracking the tide of battle and making decisions.

Soon, he came to a conclusion. Outwardly, it seemed the two sides were evenly matched, but in truth, they were not. He ground his teeth at the Itarim, who had yet to move even as the world collapsed around them. They did nothing, merely observing from far in the distance, as if watching a movie. Antares fought on, then called out to Suho.

“We will not beat them like this! In my current state, without the Primordial Darkness, I cannot reach them! If it were anyone else, I would never yield this battle, even if it meant dying right here and now. However...” The King of Dragons reached out with his will. “But with you, it is all right. Suho, my successor! I entrust this one to you!”

Suho felt his heart beat.

“The primordial darkness that once belonged to me is now within you!”

At that moment, the Heart of the King of Dragons inside Suho began to pound.