Crash—!
At that moment, the peaceful sky was instantly torn asunder. As if a giant brush had smeared black paint over a clear blue canvas. Above the half-destroyed building where Beru had made his entrance, jet-black storm clouds gathered, covering the entire sky. Upon closer inspection, those were no ordinary storm clouds.
'The Legions of Itarim.'
Gray giants with disturbingly sacred blue wings, too grotesque to be angels, yet too divine to be demons. Heavily armed with the divine power of Itarim, they had arrived like a cloud bank.
[Did I not tell you repeatedly? The outer universe is teeming with such small fry.]
As Beru said, they were beings similar to the apostles Suho had faced one by one on Earth until now. Their numbers were so vast they blotted out the sun. But even seeing that terrifyingly numerous enemy, there was one berserker whose fighting spirit only blazed hotter.
Boom—!
[Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!]
A black meteor, kicking off the ground and soaring high into the sky.
[Is that all you've got—!]
Marshal Beru, leaving a black trail behind him, charged alone towards the legions of Itarim, spewing forth an extreme rage that surpassed madness.
[The high treason of abducting the Young Master! I shall personally have all your heads!]
The guilt and rage of having exposed Suho to danger alone! The desperate time spent struggling to enter this place to somehow save him! Beru's fervent emotions, the moment he confirmed Suho was safe, erupted all at once towards all the enemies before him.
[I will chew and swallow every last one of you!]
Shweeeeeeeeeeeek—!
Beru's form plunged into the center of the gray storm clouds. Then, like a jet-black blade slicing through pure white silk, the gray formation was effortlessly torn apart.
Crack! Rrrrip—!
[Kihyaaaaaa!]
Beru rampaged madly. There was no set pattern. Only a chaotic dance, faithful to the instinct of slaughter. Where his claws passed, the angels' wings were torn. A single kick crumpled their sacred armor like paper. A nauseating gray blood rained down.
The sky was instantly filled with the death screams of Itarim's legions. A truly overwhelming massacre! No matter how numerous the enemies, to Beru, the slaughterer of the battlefield and Sung Jinwoo's closest aide, the angels covering the entire sky were merely abundant prey.
Zap! Zzzzzap!
While that fierce aerial battle raged, another skirmish was beginning on the ground.
[Behold, Sung Suho.]
Kandiaru, resurrected as the pure white serpent Nidhogg and wrapped around Suho like a scarf, smiled sinisterly, flicking his long tongue. Centered on him, dozens of magic circles spun like cogs, ceaselessly hacking the 'laws' of the world created by Itarim. At that moment…
Flicker—
The world flickered again. For a fleeting 0.1 second, the scenery of the peaceful lecture hall transformed into the Outer God's cave, covered in hideous slime. The nauseating stench of blood and decay. Along with a bizarre pulsing sound that seemed to churn the brain, even the texture of the air turned sticky. And over the brightly smiling students' faces, the form of a hideous monster overlapped and vanished. All of it returned to normal in an instant.
Flicker! Flicker!
It repeated frequently. As if the bright lights illuminating a stage were repeatedly turning on and off. It was a phenomenon occurring as Itarim's law and Kandiaru's hacking engaged in a fierce, invisible battle.
[Itarim is currently fighting two battles simultaneously.]
Kandiaru's explanation directly penetrated Suho's mind.
[One is fighting against the madness of the shadow monarch's pet bug up in the sky. And the other battle is desperately repairing the laws of this world that I, Kandiaru, am continuously breaking.]
[Kieeeeeeeeeek!]
In short, Itarim was now hastily fending off Kandiaru's hacking while simultaneously bringing out all its celestial legions to eliminate the 'bug' Beru, who had already infiltrated the system.
[Which means its power is being divided.]
Flicker! Flicker!
As Kandiaru chuckled and generated another magic circle, he discovered the name of the law upholding this world.
[Do you know? The name of this world is the 'Stage of the Lonely God'. And you are precisely that 'Lonely God'.]
Ultimately, all of this was a solo stage designed to perfectly isolate and neutralize Sung Suho. A scheme to thoroughly seal his power and make him slowly melt into Itarim's law.
[But Beru is not 'your power'. He is the strongest of your companions, and at the same time, the only force not bound by the laws of this world. What do you think, truly exquisite, is it not?]
Kandiaru chuckled, praising himself. To exploit the flaw in the law and pull Beru into this place. He was truly a 'bug' that had infiltrated the system.
[However, the problem now is you, Sung Suho.]
Kandiaru's gaze turned towards Suho.
[It seems Itarim, fed up with this situation, has finally decided to just kill you.]
Rustle—
As soon as those words ended, all the students in the classroom began to gather towards Suho. With their usual bright and radiant smiles. In their usual gentle tones.
"Suho, what's with that expression?"
They were approaching, asking about Suho's well-being.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you sick?"
"You're not sick?"
"Why aren't you sick?"
However, the sharp knives and carving chisels held in their hands, and the fragments of broken glass, gleamed ominously.
"Is it wrong to be in pain?"
"What's wrong with being in pain?"
"Is it wrong to die?"
"What's wrong with dying?"
Presently, those dozens of voices began to overlap into a murmur, creating a grotesque harmony. Then, finally.
"Kill Sung Suhooooo—!"
Chwaaaaaak!
They lunged at Suho all at once. A chilling killing intent! Their crazed blades craved only Suho's death.
[Itarim has finally given up on taking you alive. From now on, it has changed its goal to killing you and taking your power.]
Kandiaru's gaze, leisurely watching the scene, turned to Suho.
[Now, what will you do?]
Kandiaru asked.
[Sung Suho, in this world, you are still powerless. This world is still ruled by Itarim's law. What can you, an ordinary human with not a speck of mana, do in this situation?]
Listening to those words, Suho twisted his body, dodging the attacks pouring in from all sides. And after smoothly evading the blade wielded by a fanatic, he simultaneously grabbed the back of his head with his hand and slammed it straight into the floor.
Boom, kwagagagak—!
The brightly smiling fanatic's face was ground against the hard concrete floor.
"Dieeee—!"
Not missing that opening, numerous fanatics rushed in from all sides. Suho extended his hand to the side, grabbed a nearby wooden easel, and threw it.
Crash!
But did they feel no pain? The fanatics who fell back picked up the sharp fragments of the shattered wooden easel like weapons and charged again. Watching them with a calm gaze, Suho muttered softly towards Kandiaru.
"...Yes, you're right, I'm powerless right now. No mana, no skills. But."
Thud.
Suho straightened up, picking up a single pencil rolling on the floor.
"This will be enough…"
Just one pencil. An ordinary pencil used for drawing. The moment Suho twirled it in his hand and gripped it in a reverse hold…
'…!'
Suho's eyes instantly transformed. The hand that had only held pencils and brushes in this world, as if by a lie, remembered the familiar feel and weight of a dagger. He no longer had the eyes of a languid art student. The eyes of a seasoned hunter who had faced numerous live and death situations.
[Hooh.]
At that appearance, a strange light flickered in the eyes of the pure white serpent, Kandiaru. Suho's instincts, now captured the trajectory of every attack rushing towards him from all directions and all the enemies' 'vital points.'
"I will prove it."
Shwaaaaaak—!
Suho's body moved like flowing water. Brushing past the first student who rushed him, he plunged the pencil lead held in his hand into the opponent's neck.
Stab!
And pulled it out.
Pshuk!
The student, his carotid artery pierced, collapsed, spewing a stream of blood from his neck. Black blood, like fresh ink, splattered everywhere. They were not human in the first place. Monsters wearing human masks under Itarim's law.
"Oh, Itarim…!"
Even at the moment of death, an ecstatic expression remained on his face. The fall of that one fanatic was the beginning of a true slaughter.
Shwaaaaaak—
Stab! Stab! Pshuk! Stab-stab-stab-stab!
Suho continued to weave through the students, repeatedly plunging the pencil into their carotid arteries and pulling it out. A repetition of mechanical and refined movements, without a single wasted motion.
Pshuk! Pshuk! Pshuk!
Wherever he passed, the fanatics fell like autumn leaves. At that sight, Kandiaru spoke.
[Not bad for a novice. To think that is a result achieved with pure physical ability and combat experience, without mana or skills.]
Kandiaru was genuinely impressed. He spoke in a clear voice, as if for both the fighting Suho and the Itarim, who must be peeking at this whole scene from somewhere, to hear.
[Do you know? In truth, mana is of little importance. Your father, Sung Jinwoo, also started with a mere 10 mana. Whether it's 10 or 0, it's all the same, isn't it?]
As he spoke, Kandiaru's lips stretched into a long, sinister smile.
[And the architect who raised that mere E-rank Hunter Sung Jinwoo into the Shadow Monarch was none other than I, Kandiaru. Uwahahaha!]
Flash!
The moment that arrogant laughter erupted, the hideous vertically slit pupils of the pure white serpent, Kandiaru, emitted light. The new magic he had been honing while watching Suho's battle was finally complete.
[Now, Sung Suho! This is where it truly begins! This is the 'Level-Up System' designed not for your father, but solely for you!]
Ting!
[An Emergency Quest has occurred.]
"Oh?"
A very familiar and welcome system window popped up before Suho's eyes.
[Emergency Quest: Defeat the Enemies!]
[Individuals with killing intent towards the 'player' are nearby.]
[Defeat them all to ensure your safety.]
[Failure to comply will result in a corresponding penalty.]
[Number of enemies to defeat: 30,000]
[Number of enemies defeated: 48]
"30,000?"
Suho immediately understood the meaning of that number. The entire student body of this university. And immediately after the emergency quest was activated…
Hwaaak!
Flash! Flash! Flash!
As if waiting, the bodies of the students who hadn't yet attacked Suho erupted with mana of various colors all at once. From all the students in the corridors outside the classroom and all over campus.
[Kuhaha, do you see! The great god Itarim, flabbergasted at my system?]
Kandiaru burst into laughter, boasting to Suho.
[If Itarim starts twisting the laws he himself has set like that, it's very helpful for me, who is hacking!]
As if waiting, Kandiaru created even more magic circles.
Kiiiiiiiing—!
Those magic circles, making a sharp roar like an electric guitar, began to rotate furiously like cogs.
[Now, fight to your heart's content! Rise above all that death and grow! Infinitely!]
Snap—!
Just then, the pencil held in Suho's hand broke. Suho tossed it aside without hesitation and grabbed two nearby knives. They were ordinary knives for sharpening pencils, but the moment they were gripped in Suho's hands…
Flicker—
In the flashing chaos, Suho felt the daggers of his father, the claws of Beru, the trajectory of all the battles he had fought, overlapping on those blades.
"To grow from the beginning again? Being an adult is damn hard."
Suho grumbled softly and dashed forward. Gripping the two 'daggers' in a reverse hold.
"Still, this is when leveling up is fastest!"
Paak!
Seeing his retreating figure, in which the image of Sung Jinwoo from long ago overlapped, Kandiaru couldn't help but feel a strange sensation. To him at that time, the human named Sung Jinwoo was merely a puppet. That was all their relationship amounted to. But now…
[…Well, almost nothing is different. The trading partner in the deal with Ashborn has merely changed.]
A cunning serpent is always good at self-justification.
Swish! Chwa-chwak! Pshuk!
Suho's movements, holding the knives, were much sharper and faster than before. But the enemies he faced from now on were all Awakened. In contrast, Suho was still a non-Awakened, but he skillfully aimed only for their vital points.
'Even if they've awakened, the vital points are still the same.'
He avoided the tank-types with high resilience. He aimed for the dealers or healers with relatively weak defense first. For Suho, who had no mana, that was the most efficient hunting method. And as long as they stubbornly existed as humans under the law…
"There are many vital points."
Chwa-chwak!
For instance, the Achilles tendon. If they protected their necks, he cut below. If their lower body collapsed, he cut their necks. Repeating that, again and again.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!
Streams of black blood sprayed like fountains along Suho's path. Thus, after madly slaughtering the enemies…
Ting!
A mechanical voice echoed in Suho's ear.
[Level Up!]
Finally, a speck of mana sprouted within the non-Awakened Suho. All his stats increased just a little. That was the beginning.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Ting! Ting!
[Acquired Skill: 'Vital Strike Lv.1'.]
[Acquired Skill: 'Advanced Dagger Arts Lv.1'.]
Truly, a feverish leveling spree! Suho began to grow stronger at a tremendous speed. At that sight, Kandiaru burst into cheerful laughter.
[Well done! Kill, and kill again! All the 'experience points' you accumulate here will become nourishment for the dead World Tree!]
"Ah, so that was the system. Those are rewarding words."
A faint smile appeared on Suho's lips.
"Well then, shall we get started properly?"
Suho began his hunt in earnest.
Shwaaaaaak!
[Acquired Skill: 'Sprint Lv.1'.]
Thus, under the blessing created by the 'Architect' Kandiaru, Sung Suho, who had been a powerless non-Awakened with zero mana, became a perfect Irregular. Unique in this world. In the perfect prison created by the Outer God Itarim, he became a Hunter who could not and should not exist, leveling up infinitely, truly 'Solo Leveling'.