Solo Leveling- Ragnarok

Chapter 188:

"They are from the Foreign Religion!!"

Hearing Lotto's cry, Suho's expression quickly cooled. He had all sorts of thoughts going through his head right now, but he had to stay as calm as possible. "How interesting."

Shook.

When Suho let go of his hand, Lotto's body collapsed to the floor as if he was crumbling. "Ugh!" Lotto hurriedly confirmed that his neck was still attached and looked at Suho with a servile expression. Suho looked down at him with a lofty gaze and thought that the demons here naturally misunderstood that 'Vulcan' already knew everything. So what to do in this situation? He only had to reduce the number of words as much as possible, and only repeat what these guys say like a parrot.

"Foreign Religion... So you made a deal with them?"

"Yes, yes! Upon cooperating with us, they will be able to increase their followers on Earth!"

"Increase followers... So, is that the only result?"

Suho's gaze scanned the messed up gambling hall. Then, the manager of this place, Lotto, replied with a slightly flustered expression.

"Not just that! The black market isn't just here! Even now, in cooperation with Foreign Religion, we have started to spread Stardust all over the world using various methods!"

"This cooperation..." Suho smiled at the corner of his mouth and provoked him. "It seems to me that you guys have become their slaves instead."

"?No!" Could this be a trigger? Lotto shouted in a fit, forgetting that he had just been begging for his life a moment ago. "We were the first to develop Stardust and we were the ones who succeeded in manufacturing the Star Pieces! Rather, they are being used by us demons!"

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, yes."

"Hmm." It was only now that a satisfied expression appeared on Suho's lips. Suho's heart was sincere as he looked at Lotto with admirable eyes. How could he not admire him?

'After all, I learned quite a lot thanks to this guy.'

[You're kinda... cool?(1)]

'Where did you learn that word?'

[On the Internet.]

Esil's voice was genuinely admiring. Isn't this enough to make us believe that Suho is not actually a human being, but a real demon aristocrat?

[Tell me honestly. Are you actually Vulcan?]

'So noisy. This is just getting serious.' Suho skipped over Esil's words and raised Lotto's body back up with Ruler's Authority. Then, Lotto realized that he had just fought against the Demon Noble, and became contemplative.

"If what you say is true," Suho commanded him solemnly. "Then guide me to them. Now."

"!!"

"I will meet the Foreign Religion missionaries myself." Lotto closed his eyes tightly as if he had expected him to say that. However, at the same time, elaborate calculations were running in his head. 'No, maybe this is for the better. Slowly they were getting out of control. From the beginning, Vulcan must have known everything and came to us.'

He finally answered. "I will guide you right away. To the temple of the Foreign Religion–"

"There is no need for that,"

!!!

Then, all the sudden, a series of people entered the gambling hall, emitting tremendous power.

"Because we are already here."

* * *

[Hunter Association]

-Yangpyeong Branch

"... Is it true?" Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, who ran after receiving a call from Suho, was shocked to learn all about what had happened at the Yangpyeong branch.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz!

Numerous bees flew around the Yangpyeong branch as if besieging them. Arsha's alter ego, a woman with an alluring smile, was touching her lower lip with her fingertips, acting all cute. She smiled and nodded at team leader Han Jae-Hyeok's words.

[Yes. It's all true. Right, everyone?]

Eeek!

When Arsha looked back, the Yangpyeong branch staff who were sitting there shivered at the same time.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz!

Bees hovered around them like piranhas. These countless bees, each of which felt ominous magic, were ready to attack them and sting all their blood vessels at any moment if the woman so much as flicked her hand.

'What, what kind of skill is this...'

'Where did this woman suddenly come from?'

Because of Arsha's skill(?) that Suho had called for while leaving for the black market, the employees of the Yangpyeong branch had been imprisoned in the Yangpyeong branch office. They had stayed like this until the Association Surveillance Division arrived to arrest them. This was due to Suho's judgment that some of them might be in contact with the black market.

[Branch manager, all of what I said is true, right?]

"Oh, that's right! All right!" Branch manager Min Dae-Seok nodded in succession with a pale face at Arsha's kind urging. Seeing this, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok opened his mouth to let out a sigh while holding his throbbing forehead.

"...Arrest them."

"Yes!" At his words, the surveillance and hunters who came with him arrested all the employees of the Yangpyeong branch. 'Just how did this all happen?' Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, who heard the whole story, was really dumbfounded.

An Association that hides the black market. 'The Association is running well, really. How long has it been since the President of the Association was away...'

In fact, it was likely that any organization with a large number of people would fester from within and cause corruption. However, the Hunter Association was only two years old. It's really unbelievable that something like this is already happening. It was almost suspected that someone had intentionally infiltrated the Association.

"No way... Who would have thought that the Stardust necklace was made for the purpose of acting as a black market pass." Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok sighed and lowered his gaze. Right away, he grabbed the Stardust necklace hanging from his neck with his hands to tear it off. The Stardust necklace, which started as a memorial for the victims of Stardust, was actually quite a driving force on the side of the Hunter Association.

Of course, it wasn't like an organized event by the Association, but literally, 'No one said anything about it at first', they started to wear one by one around their necks... However,

Stop.

Why?

"..." His hand, which was about to take off the Stardust necklace, suddenly stopped. New thoughts came to his mind at the same time.

'...Hmm. I bought it with money anyway, so why don't I just hold on to it a bit longer? I might need it to sneak into the black market later anyway.'

[Huh. Why did you hesitate? Could it be that you suddenly don't want to throw away that necklace?]

"...!" Startle. At that moment, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok raised his eyes wide and raised his head forward at the alluring voice that pierced his ears. Then, right in front of him, Arsha was looking at him with a strange smile. She whispered to him as if she had just seen through his thoughts.

[Have you ever thought about it? If it's just for the purpose of commemoration, you can just buy a necklace and leave it at home, but why does everyone bother to wear it around their necks?]

While saying that, Arsha touched the Stardust necklace that team leader Han Jae-Hyeok was wearing with her soft hands.

Crack!

As the chain of the necklace was forcibly ripped off by that touch, a momentary light of regret passed through team leader Han Jae-Hyeok's eyes.

[Did you think it's a waste to throw it away?]

"Ah!" Only then did team leader Han Jae-Hyeok come to his senses, and his eyes widened. Then, Arsha wrinkled her nose with a mischievous expression, gently shook the necklace in front of her and said.

[Be on alert. If this necklace comes to the hands of ordinary people, won't they become possessed?]

Even while talking with Arsha, team leader Han Jae-Hyeok had a blank expression. His spine was cold. Looking back at the emotions he had just momentarily felt, they were all so strange.

'...I wanted to take it back. I didn't want to lose the necklace.'

[Hmm. Don't worry too much though. From what Suho found out, the effect of the Stardust Necklace disappears quickly if you keep it away from your body.]

Arsha's alter body is the one present right now. The true body of Arsha was in the shadow of Suho, who was still imitating Vulcan in the black market. Thanks to that, Arsha was able to convey the information Suho found out to team leader Han Jae-Hyeok.

[The Stardust necklace seems to be a by-product of the process of making Star Pieces. However, no matter how weak it is, if it falls into the hands of ordinary humans, it is said that strangely, they want to keep it by their side and develop some vague faith. Itarim, a foreign deity, is literally a 'god'.]

So, people who come into direct contact with the power of the gods develop faith in the unknown god. "...Wait a moment. A foreign deity?"

At that time, there was a certain memory that suddenly popped into team leader Han Jae-Hyeok's head. "Foreign? I'm sure I've heard of it somewhere..."

[The Foreign Religion?]

At those words, a curiosity came to Arsha's eyes as well.

[Has the team leader ever heard of the Foreign Religion?]

"Foreigners? Foreign Religion?... Ah, the Foreign Religion!"

Team leader Han Jae-Hyeok opened his eyes and looked around. Where is this place? Yangpyeong branch of the Association! He looked at the branch manager Min Dae-Seok, who was arrested by the Surveillance Division.

"I-I see!" Branch manager Min Dae-Seok was the one who had been suddenly assigned here a few months ago. The reason was that the branch manager, who was originally in charge of the Yangpyeong branch, suddenly quit the Association due to personal circumstances. The former branch manager...

He was an A-rank hunter who had been directly selected by Woo Jin-Chul, the president of the Association and assigned to take charge of the Yangpyeong branch. At the same time he had also been Han Jae-Hyeok's senior whom he greatly respected.

[...Why did the former branch manager quit?]

Hearing the words of team leader Han Jae-Hyeok, Arsha tilted her head and asked. He gritted his teeth as he recalled the memory of that time.

"I have only heard rumors, but that senior suddenly joined a pseudo-religion and disappeared..."

[Hmm?]

A person who is an A-rank hunter has fallen into a pseudo-religion? If you hear it like this, it sounds really absurd, but when the subject is about the Foreign Religion, the problem becomes quite different.

"He was always such a nice person. But all of a sudden he..."

* * *

The Foreign Religion.

With cold eyes, Suho glanced at those who entered the gambling hall. People wearing priestly clothes. All of them had blue Star Pieces on their foreheads. A middle-aged man in the middle of them stepped forward and looked at Suho with an infinitely benevolent smile.

"Welcome. Are you the demon noble named Vulcan?"

"Who are you?"

"I am a priest serving the Great Foreign Religion. But in this secular world, I go by the name of 'Kim Chul'."

[Kieek?]

At that time. Beru, who had returned from exploring the surroundings, exclaimed with a bright smile.

[Iron is back!]

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1: The translation literally was [? ?... ???] "you are quite the... hit" and uh, it's slang, so the translation might be off from what it's intended.