Solo Leveling- Ragnarok

Chapter 191:

[...Huh?]

For the first time, the face of the god who had been wearing a wicked smile, shifted.

Hwang Dong-Soo: He was a high priest brainwashed by the Foreign Religion and a human with S-rank power. Contaminating the souls of those with S-rank powers was a very tricky and difficult task. To do so, they would first slowly build up friendships which he would not be wary of. Afterwards, when no suspicion stood between them, they entrusted him with the distribution of Stardust necklaces and Star Pieces, gradually becoming stained with the Itarim's divinity. After such a long time and effort, he was finally able to succeed in making him the high priest.

High Priest Hwang Dong-Soo, who possesses S-rank power, was born from such hard work.

...But why? Why did the high priest who he had worked so hard to make come out dragged out like that!

[How?!]

FWOOM!

The statue of the Itarim stood up from his chair in a fury incomparable to the one he had when Kim Chul died. However, the answer to the god statue's question came not from the old man who dragged Hwang Dong-Soo, but from Suho's mouth.

"...Ah, grandpa?"

"Hmm?" Sung Il-Hwan, who had been indifferent to Suho's voice, brightened when he looked at Suho. "No, who is–? Why is my grandson here?"

* * *

Sung Il-Hwan. The father of the Shadow Monarch Sung Jin-Woo, whose reason he recalled the memories of his previous life was because of a 'dream'.

- Is that a dream again?

At first, the dream was simply dismissed as a scene from a movie. It was just a fragmentary scene, and the content was also just as childish upon seeing himself fighting monsters. Even so, by the time he woke up in bed in the morning and drank his coffee, most of the memories he had seen in that dream had already disappeared. Rubbed out from his mind just as easily as an eraser does. Well, that tends to happen in dreams.

However, no matter how much one rubs out the lead with an eraser, if one kept erasing it a lot of times, at least a trace would remain on the paper.

-... Is it that dream again?

At some point, Sung Il-Hwan began to wake up in the morning and even into the afternoon, with the scenes he saw in his dream unable to disappear from his mind.

Either way, he didn't care. It was just a dream after all.

But, there was just one thing that bothered him.

-Why is Jin-Woo...

In Sung Il-Hwan's dreams, his son, Sung Jin-Woo, always appeared at the end of that dream. Always looking at him with a resentful gaze. Always those words were coming out of his mouth and towards him.

-...I missed you, always.

And Sung Il-Hwan touched the face of his son who had come close to him. Tears dripped from his son's eyes as they wet the back of his hand. Those tears are so warm... Even though I know it's a dream, why does it hurt so much?

Even though this father has done nothing for you, you...

-You've grown well.

At those words, Sung Jin-Woo asked, revealing a terrifyingly heavy anger.

-Is it the Rulers? Are they the ones controlling you and throwing you away, father?

Rulers. I don't know who they are, Sung Il-Hwan shook his head.

-They simply gave me a chance to choose. I chose to protect you, and that choice was not wrong in the slightest.

As he answered, his hand, which had been caressing his son's face, turned to ash and began to scatter.

- I wanted to talk more with you. I wanted to be with my son a little longer.

In the end, he made him erase his father twice from his son's heart. Tears flowed from the eyes of Sung Il-Hwan, who tried to hold it in until the end.

- I'm sorry... that I couldn't be a good father.

He ended with that as the rain started falling.

Sung Il-Hwan's body turned to ashes. Even in the midst of flowing ash, Sung Il-Hwan could be seen. The look on his son's face as he approaches to hug this ugly father's crumbling body. The fierce anger in those eyes.

- AAAAAAAAHH!

Then the mana in the air vibrated. The sky, the air, and the ground wept.

- Can you hear me, Monarchs! You will definitely pay for what you have done today!

The roar of the angry Shadow Monarch shook the heavens and the earth.

'...Shadow Monarch?' That day Sung Il-Hwan got up from the bed, put his hand on his forehead and sighed.

'Oh, oh my...' Just like that, Sung Il-Hwan recalled the memories of his previous life that he forcibly erased in order to enjoy a normal life with his son. As always, everything has a meaning. Some time after Sung Il-Hwan recalled his previous life, Sung Jin-Woo went missing. Just like last time when he disappeared to wage a lonely war, but now the cataclysm occurred afterwards.

-Has the Earth changed back then?

Looking at the gate and the dungeon break that started again, Sung Il-Hwan could not hide his bitterness. But unfortunately, there was nothing the old man could do.

No, in fact, there are things you can do if you put your mind to it. Because he, who had grown old like this, had the same magical power as before. However, Sung Il-Hwan, who was already an old man, had no intention of making the same choice as before. Because the voice of his son, who always looked at him with resentment in his dreams, was strongly engraved in his head.

-Are you going to leave without a word again, Father?

'No way. I can't make the same mistake.' Sung Il-Hwan chose. A long time ago, as soon as he awakened his magical power, he became a hunter and jumped into the dungeon without hesitation. For the noble mission to save the world by devoting oneself to the wealth and glory that follows.

'But this time I'm protecting my family.' In this life, Sung Il-Hwan still stayed by his wife's side even though he had awakened his magical power. It is the young people's job to protect the world. Therefore he chose to spend the rest of his life with his beloved wife, growing old in five years.

Of course, he used fishing as an excuse from time to time to properly clean the simple dungeons near his house before returning. But one day, what he discovered was a black market that had popped up near his house. Sung Il-Hwan thought to come out after doing a sneaky investigation with a light heart at first.

Unfortunately the moment he set foot in it, that moment he found the statue of the Itarim inside...

[Your soul, I must have it.]

'!!!'

A bizarre voice penetrated Sung Il-Hwan's mind.

* * *

SWHOOOM

WOOOOSH!!

Sung Il-Hwan approached Suho, narrowly avoiding the blue rays emitted from the eyes of the statue of the Itarim.

"Grandpa! What are you doing here!"

"Oh look who's talking, I should be saying that to you! What are you doing here?"

"Because of you grandpa!"

Just then, Suho looked at Sung Il-Hwan up close, his eyes widened. Sung Il-Hwan had numerous Star Pieces all over his body unlike Kim Chul and other foreign believers that only had one stuck to their foreheads.

"Grandpa, what the hell is this..."

"Ah, this? I was caught by chance, so I almost suffered some modification."

"Inventory!" Suho immediately opened his inventory and took out the 'Item: Echo Forest Spring Water'. Then, avoiding the giant feet of the statue of Itarim descending from above to trample them, he passed the potion to Sung Il-Hwan's mouth.

"Eat this first!"

Sung Il-Hwan drank the detoxifying potion. However, even in such an urgent situation, it felt quite pleasant to have a conversation with his grandson after a long time.

"This doesn't seem very tasty. Is it really good for you?"

'This isn't the time to joke!'

Suho hit the zealots attacking from the side, and together with Sung Il-Hwan, escaped from the statue's attack range.

An angry voice erupted from the mouth of the statue towards Sung Il-Hwan.

[You worthless mortal! High priest, rise up!]

Aaaaaaa!

As he said that, blue energy surged from Hwang Dong-Soo's body on the floor and floated into the air. Hwang Dong-Soo, like Sung Il-Hwan, also had dozens of Star Pieces embedded all over his body.

[How on earth did you get away from the power of the Outer God Jewel!]

"It was only a trivial matter." Sung Il-Hwan laughed at the words of the god. "I guess you guys don't quite understand what worthless really means." Then he touched the dozens of Star Pieces embedded in his body and said. "You're going to brainwash me with these insignificant stones?"

FWOOM!

The statue's attack shattered the ground he stood on.

"Wuaaaaa!" Hwang Dong-Soo, losing his temper, flew in and attacked them. The blue energy he emitted exploded and one side of the chapel collapsed. Sung Il-Hwan lightly got out of there and spread his arms. Surprisingly, dozens of Star Pieces embedded in his body wrapped around him, radiating blue energy, a glamor similar to that of brass.

Fwom!

The blue aura turned into a darker shade as Sung Il-Hwan's hands grabbed the transforming mana around him. He swung it as if he were holding two daggers.

Slice slice slice slice!

Blue swords hacked through the air and attacked the statue and Hwang Dong-Soo.

[How dare you–! An unbeliever who has no reverence for God is trying to use divine power!]

The statue of the Itarim became even more angry and emitted blue rays from its eyes. At that moment...

"Grandfather!" Suho hit the statue's leg with all his might.

Crack!

[!!!]

The balance of the divine statue collapsed and the direction of the blue ray was twisted in the opposite direction of Sung Il-Hwan,

"Oh my, when did my grandson grow up like this?" grinned with an expression of great admiration at seeing his grandson after a long time. "You really are just like your father, no one will be able to deny that after this!"

"Grandpa." Suho broke Sung Il-Hwan's joke and faced him forward with serious eyes. "Could you follow my instructions?" At those words, the corner of Sung Il-Hwan's mouth went up.

"Alright." At that moment, Sung Il-Hwan turned his head toward the statue, and his eyes changed as sharply as Suho's. Suho ran towards the statue with all his might.

The blue ray of the god statue barely passed over Suho's head.

"Haaaaaaaa!"

Suho raised his fist. But what he attacked was not the statue of God, rather the floor of the chapel where the statue stood.

CRACK!

[!!!]

In an instant, the divine statue's balance was shaken.

"Now!" As if he had waited for those words, Sung Il-Hwan's figure appeared in front of the statue.

――!

A blue light exploded.

T-ring!

['Blessing of Itarim: Rules of Cartenon Temple' are canceled.]