Solo Leveling- Ragnarok

Chapter 204:

I've devoted my whole life to martial arts.(1)'

Liu Zhigang. China's proud Six-Star Hunter. (1.5)

'I've never learned to back down.'

China doesn't follow the standard hunter rating, instead, it uses its own rating system. The more stars a hunter has, the better they are, and the Five-Star hunters were the highest of their rank.

That applied to everyone else except for one person. Liu Zhigang was the only one classified as an out-of-class hunter and was called a Six-Star hunter instead. As such, the treatment was also on a different level from the Five-Stars. However, no one could argue with his exceptional power that he more than deserved it, for he was the true savior of the People's Republic of China. He who reliably defended China in the midst of the chaotic upheaval.

'...This time as well, I will not back down.'

Unknowst, Liu Zhigang was hiding a secret that not a single person in China–who boasted a population of more than 1 billion– knew ever since the Cataclysm started.

'Do you think I, Liu Zhigang, will ever be swayed by your power?!' (2)

He had been battling the Itarim's Divinity (3) alone for more than two years in order to not become possessed.

* * *

After awakening as a Hunter, it didn't take long for Liu Zhigang to realize that the power he was given was different from others.

Awakening, a mysterious power that suddenly arose within the body. He's heard from other Hunters that awakening their magic gives them a tremendous sense of uplift. But for Liu Zhigang it was different. '...This isn't enough.'

The moment the magic came, the sensation he felt was surprisingly empty. When people are so hungry, they end up not even feeling hungry. But when someone suddenly puts a piece of bread in his mouth, his hungry stomach begins to realize the terrible hunger that he had forgotten.

'I want power, more power! Give it to me!'

And the intense hunger that Liu Zhigang felt, It would be exactly the same hunger that Thomas Andre, a National-Level hunter had felt in his previous life. Unfortunately, Liu Zhigang was a little less fortunate than Thomas Andre.

Sensing his intense hunger for power, someone had come to him to fill the void of his heart, as if they had been waiting for such a chance all along.

[Do you crave for more power?]

'!!!'

[I'll give it to you, far more than what you crave.]

Liu Zhigang couldn't help but be stunned. A mysterious voice whispered in his ear like a devil, as though he knew exactly what was going on.

'Who are you?'

[The name is not important, what is, is that your vessel is big enough to accept me.]

'!!!'

Whoa!

The voice didn't ask Liu Zhigang for permission at first as he, all the sudden, felt a new power from outer space begging to flow into Liu Zhigang's empty vessel. At the same time, the hunger in his heart began to be satisfied, as if he had never been empty in the first place.

But nothing in life comes for free.

[You must obey me.]

'!!!'

Just like that, Liu Zhigang was awakened and reborn as an Apostle of the Itarim.

'...Don't be ridiculous!'

But there was something that even Itarim's Divinity hadn't predicted. Liu Zhigang was a warrior who had walked the path of "martial arts" all his life. It was different from Thomas Andre, who had lived his whole life as a bastard by means of violence, and he had devoted his whole life to the Tao by placing the Tao at the center of his heart.

'I don't believe in God! My mind is all mine!'

[!!!]

Liu Zhigang, who had been embracing the power of his entire body, gritted his teeth and managed to endure the forced submission. But the Itarim's Divinity was not something a mere human could handle.

[Worship.]

[Praise.]

[Prove your faith...]

'Shut up! Shut up! No matter who you are! I am— I!'

Liu Zhigang instinctively resisted the desire to prostrate himself before the great power and worship it, gritting his teeth. A headache that makes you feel like your head is going to break. A stream of blood dripped down the corner of his clenched mouth. But at the same time, the emotions that surged up on Liu Zhigang's face were none other than "humiliation" and "self-righteousness."

Boom!

'...I am Liu Zhigang!'

[....]

As a result, Liu Zhigang was not contaminated by Itarim's Divinity after all. No, it was still being polluted by the moment, but Liu Zhigang managed to resist the power. With the two long swords he had trained all his life, he entered the dungeon and began to kill the magic beasts at will. In this way, he unleashed the power of the Itarim to take over his body relentlessly.

*'Taeguk'*(4)

'I shall graft one twig in another!' (5)

'And overcome the strong!(6)'

It was good to call it anything. As a way to keep his sanity, Liu Zhigang found the answer in the martial arts he had practiced all his life. Of course, one can't come to the union in which actions and beliefs align perfectly, but Liu Zhigang desperately tried to succeed in it.

WAAAHH!

As he walked, countless beasts bled to death. Liu Zhigang reversed the direction of the Itarim power flowing into him, constantly erupting out of his body. A Guild? The forces that respect and follow you? He didn't have the energy to care about that. It's been like that for two years. During that time, Liu Zhigang wandered restlessly across China like a madman, unleashing the power of Itarim against the magic beasts.

Instead of accepting the overwhelming Divinity within, he bounced it out. Even in his sleep, he couldn't let his guard down.

In his dreams, he had to fight with his inner demons, who was looking for the moment to reveal his flaws. A thorough lonely and arduous road.

In the process, he gained the sincere respect and support of a billion Chinese people and the ostentatious prestige of a Six-Star hunter, but it wasn't a good thing for him. He had only one interest. 'To not be devoured by these inner demons, who want to control my mind!'

That's how Liu Zhigang slowly became a monster who would run around aimlessly looking to kill magic beasts. In particular, rather than going to a dungeon where many interests were intertwined, a dangerously neglected Field Dungeon was the perfect battlefield for him to run rampant to his heart's content. Even if it exists in another country beyond its borders.

'Siddharth Bachchan has come to personally deal with this matter and yet he has still failed to seal the gate?'

Liu Zhigang willingly crossed the border where even India's S-rank Hunters have entered the 'Loktak Field'.

- Liu Zhigang has invaded the Indian border!

-Wait what! Why?!

Naturally, the aftermath was by no means small. The Chinese government, which was well aware of his wanderlust, had done everything it could to prevent this from happening. Before his hunts were over, they would always give him another hunting spot in the next vicinity immediately, while they took care of everything else. After all, there were countless hunting grounds in the vast Chinese mainland, and plenty of Field Dungeons where Liu Zhigang could fight frantically until all his magic was exhausted. But this time, they couldn't stop him.

- Liu Zhigang has finally crossed the border!

- Why didn't you stop him?!

- You know what it means for a Six-Star hunter in China to cross the border!

- It turns into a diplomatic issue!

Chinese public opinion was seething. Many people had seen him crossing the border without permission, and the fact quickly reached the ears of the Indian government. This time, public opinion in India was also ignited.

- China's strongest hunter invaded India?!

- Is China really going to war with India?

- There must be a Chinese conspiracy aimed at this from the beginning!

-What does it mean that there is a field with Siddharth Bachchan at the end of Liu Zhigang's path? Could it be that Liu Zhigang is tired of slaughtering magic beasts and is aiming for Siddharth Bachchan next!?!

-If China doesn't want war, then Liu Zhigang, who invaded India, should right now—!

In fact, this was a situation that no one wanted. Of course, in the Internet community, there were some thoughtless people who were talking nonsense about taking over India on this occasion, but they were in the minority. Especially for the Chinese government, which tried to stop his progress at all costs on the border, it was almost frustrating. Liu Zhigang, the stubborn old man who had walked the path of martial arts all his life, was not a man who could be persuaded at all. In the end, they had no choice but to post Liu Zhigang's remarks on the Internet, which were recorded by the staff guarding the border.

- Are your heads just worn for ornaments? Would you like me to take them off?

Chills.

At Liu Zhigang's words, the Chinese hunters who were trying to stop him from crossing the border hid their necks with thoughtful faces. The Loktak field, which Siddharth Bachchan is also struggling with, is getting bigger and bigger. And right above that is China. Apart from that, Liu Zhigang had his own cause. Before crossing the border, he fixed his sharp gaze on the camera and raised his voice.

- Tell the people clearly! I, Liu Zhigang, am not confident that I can prevent the accident that Siddharth Bachchan failed to prevent, so I will go to help him from now on. If you're not happy about that, then go take it upon yourself to catch it.

That was an obvious excuse. He just wanted to get into the field where Siddharth Bachchan was struggling and run wild to his heart's content.

'...This is my limit.' After more than two years of holding on, he was growing weary of it. He had to find stronger magic beasts as soon as possible, and unleash all his evil power to control his heart at all times. 'Or eventually, I'll be eaten.'

In the end, Liu Zhigang had run into him. Someone who would be worth putting all his energy into. A sinister evil spirit with mysterious steam blazing all over his body.

"Uh-huh! I can't believe there was such a strong magic beast around here! I'm glad I came here!" .

Greed.

[My lord!]

Greed, who had been engaged in a fight with him, shouted at the late arrival of Suho. And at that moment, Liu Zhigang and Suho's eyes, which were far away from each other, met in the air. Liu Zhigang glared at Suho and snarled fiercely.

"What do you have to do with this evil spirit?"

"..." He is in trouble. Suho's expression hardened at the sound of his murderous voice. It's Chinese.

--------------------

1: '??? ?(武)? ????.' To make it more literal, he means he has studied the way of the blade but the ?(武) or MU can also apply to all kinds of martial arts.

1.5: Yes, six, he doesnt have the seven stars unlike his past life.

2: In the original trnaslation it is '? ???? ? ?? ??(心魔) ???? ???? ? ???-!' (Do you think I will be eaten by my inner thoughts!) ??(心魔) or Simma is a literary term that comes from Wuxia or Eastern Martial Arts novels and it signifies a demon that resides deep within the mind, usually appearing tp tempt people so the don't obtain enlightentment. It's the inherent evil of human beings in other words. In the other passages I use the term inner demons instead when the word is brought up again.

3: ???? ???. the Divinity (Deity ? status?) or rather influence of Itarim that enables them to fully posses a human being, in this case it brainwashes them to complete obidience.

4: Taeguk ??(太極) is a Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality". The term and its overall concept is related to the Chinese Taiji/Tai-chi.

5: '????(移花接木)' To graft (figuratively) one twig on another: Often used metaphorically to denote the transfer of a certain technology, idea, or concept from one field to another. In this case Zhigang is grafting all of his martial art's techings in order to fully repel the Itarim. In the same way one uses meditation outside of buddhism.

6: '????(柔能制剛) The idiom of this interpretation is that the strong can subdue the strong, so I changed it to something that fits more of whats it's trying to convey instead of its literal sense.