Solo Leveling- Ragnarok

Chapter 208:

Ali Hassan, 30 years old. He was originally from a beggar in the back alleys of Imphal.

But life comes in many wonders Inshallah! (1)

He was a beggar, but at the same time as the cataclysm, he suddenly awakened as a B-rank hunter, and his life changed 180 degrees.

He was now Ali Hassan, the master of the Imphal Guild, representing the Imphal where he had been born and raised. Of course, even now, he sometimes has nightmares about his days as a beggar, but when he opens his eyes, he is happy to return to a reality that has become as happy as a lie.

So why?

Even throughout all those horrible years as a beggar, he had a premonition that this was going to be the longest day of his life.

"Ryo Singh, please interpret."

"Oh, Namaste. Thank you for your hard work, please don't panic, this is just how we do things around here."

"..."

Ryo Singh sticks his face out from behind, as if waiting for Suho's call. Like a skilled salesman, he approached Ali Hassan and held out his business card. Hassan's eyes widened as he looked at his business card.

"Asura Guild?! Are you from the Asura Guild?" In the middle of the business card, the name "Asura Guild" that took over Imphal was inscribed proudly. This business card is the honor of the family that has firmly supported Ryo Singh over the years...

Rip.

"Haha. I don't care about that anymore, just remember my name."

"!?!" Ryo Singh committed the barbaric act of coolly tearing up his business card, which he usually offered, into tiny pieces. The reason, of course, was that he had succeeded in changing jobs. Ryo Singh, who managed to get permission from Suho on the way here, greeted them with his hands clasped together like a majestic but humble celebrity.

"Let me greet you again. My name is Ryo Singh, a former A-rank hunter of the Asura Guild and now an interpreter, plus a new employee of the current Woojin Guild. I'm going to be a vice president soon."

"...The Woojin Guild?"

"Was there such a guild?"

The hunters of the Imphal Guild whispered to one another. At least in India, it was a name none had ever heard of. Ryo Singh naturally elaborated.

"Alas, of course you don't know. Our Woojin Guild is from Korea."

"Korea?"

"Yes, as you can see, it's the strongest guild in Korea."

'Korea's Strongest?!' With the last explanation, Ryo Singh's gaze briefly stared at Liu Zhigang, who was behind him with his arms folded, which was quite a deliberate gesture. And the intention was very successful. 'Wait, no way...?' As soon as Ali Hassan's gaze turned to Liu Zhigang, who had been confused for a long time, there was a powerful alarm in his mind.

"So then, that crazy old man– No, I mean, Liu Zhigang is also a member of the Woojin Guild..."

"Hush. I don't think that's something I dare to mention because it's a secret. Do you understand what I mean? Hahaha."

"Uh-huh?!" Ryo Singh's suspicious squinting of one eye said a lot. Ali Hassan, who had guessed what the secret was, covered his mouth with both hands and shuddered. 'Wait, really? Liu Zhigang joined the guild? Is that also in a guild in another country?' Good lord. He felt like he had discovered a huge secret.

Who is that mad old man! Sword Demon Liu Zhigang! He was the pride and pride of China, and the only Six-Star hunter who enjoyed the utmost favoritism of the Chinese government. That Liu Zhigang suddenly joined a certain guild? Is that also in a guild in another country? Does the Chinese government know this? No, it can't be. There is no way China can stand idly by and watch the situation where its representative hunters are stolen from other countries. 'No, wait! That's not what matters right now!' Suddenly, Ali Hassan realized something even more shocking, and his gaze hurriedly turned to Su Ho instead of Liu Zhigang.

"So this young guy has Liu Zhigang as his subordinate, right?! Who the hell is this hunter?'

"...?" Ali Hassan's ghostly reaction only bewildered Suho. However, Liu Zhigang, who could only speak simple Arabic, looked at Ryo Singh disapprovingly from behind.

"Hey, when did I say I'd join the Woojin Guild?"

"Oh, senior! Ha ha ha! When do you say I said that? But if you'll excuse me, wouldn't it be easier to work like this?"

Liu Singh's willingness to openly use his name value made Liu Zhigang click his tongue.

"What a snake. You'd be better suited to be a politician than a hunter."

"Haha. Thanks for the compliment. That just means I'm doing a good job."

"No, quite the opposite. If you're going to use my name in vain, then you are not doing it to the full extent."

"Huh?"

Liu Zhigang, who had been quietly observing the situation, suddenly folded his arms and stepped forward. Then his momentum began to grow.

Gooooooo!!!

"!!!"

"!?!"

All the hunters in the Imphal Guild, including Hassan, looked up at Liu Zhigang, shivering, as if they were in front of a giant. Liu Zhigang, accustomed to this kind of treatment, ordered them with a very arrogant smile on his lips. "I, Liu Zhigang, will ask. Those who don't want to answer should come forward now. See if they truly dare to go against me."

!!!

The moment they heard those words, they felt a chill in his throat.

Ryo Singh had forgotten it. The true meaning of the name Liu Zhigang. He's... Not only his fighting ability, but also his unique personality is at the level of Thomas Andre. So far, no one, including the Chinese government, has dared to stop what he has set his mind to. And from his mouth fell a solemn order, almost a death sentence.

"From now on, tell me all that you have done on earth. And if you so much as utter a single lie.." But Liu Zhigang wasn't the only one here. Suddenly, Liu Zhigang paused and glanced at Suho's face next to him. Then he turned his head again, looked ahead, and smiled meaningfully. "... No, it doesn't matter if there is a lie. After all, even after you're dead, you'll eventually tell the truth."

Chills!

Liu Zhigang's 'sincere' words made the hunters' spines wet with cold sweat. They saw it, too. Liu Zhigang stared at him briefly. A long black shadow stretched beneath his feet.

Ahhhh!

Beyond them, in the depths of the abyss, the ominous black demons were watching them, tears of sorrow.

* * *

After interrogating Ali Hassan, Suho was able to uncover a lot of information about the Asura Guild. "...I thought Siddharth Bachchan would be here, but they aren't even affiliated with the foreign believers."

[It seems that they are all ignorant errand boys.]

The Shadow Infantrymen that Suho reaped were the victims of the experiments conducted here with Mutant 8. So, when he was guided by them, he found that the Imphal Guild was just an ordinary place. "The Asura Guild has been treating all the small guilds in Imphal like this."

"It's a subcontractor, but really it's just an unpaid errand boy."

"They have a noble cause for the city, and we have no choice but to do what they tell us to do."

One of the most common things the Imphal Guild did at the behest of the Asura Guild was to distribute Stardust, or Stardust Necklaces, to the citizens of the city. The reason for this is, of course, that the number of citizens is so large, and the expensive Asura Guild members can't make a margin to move directly, so they treat all the hunters in the area like pawns. But one thing. There was something strange.

"By the way." Among the members of the Imphal Guild, who were scrambling to answer all of Suho's questions, Ali Hassan spoke cautiously.

"I don't think Stardust is 100 percent effective."

"What do you mean?"

"I come from the back alleys, and the slums tend to be a bit scruffy. But somehow, a lot of the beggars who got Stardust didn't show up one day."

Suho's eyes lit up coldly at that. "... People are missing?"

"Yes, of course, if you don't see the beggars, you would usually report it to the city hall, but I was a little nervous. Are there any side effects to Stardust?" Ali Hassan, who was answering without hesitation, suddenly felt a strange gaze. For some reason, the dark demons have been staring at them from the shadows of Suho all along... It was strangely familiar. 'Maybe I'm just thinking too much?'

But Suho had a different idea. The Shadow Soldiers are of low rank and cannot speak, but he knows what their gaze means. "Did they secretly kidnap the poor and experiment on them? So the reason why you led me here..."

[I think it's because he's from the same slums, so he's the only one they can trust.]

"Does that mean that you can't trust the other guilds that have been subcontracted by the Asura Guild?" After thinking about this, Suho nodded and immediately stood up. "Alright then. Let's start here." He turned to Liu Zhigang and Ryo Singh, who were just waiting for their decision. "Before I meet Siddharth Batchan, I need to find out exactly what the Asura Guild's plans are."

"What do you mean?"

"From now on, I'm going to hit all the Hunter Guilds in Imphal."

Hehe.

At that, Liu Zhigang clenched his fists and smiled fiercely. "Well, that's enough for us to split up and move around. Can I kill them if they resist?"

"I'll leave it up to you to judge. Just leave the corpses behind if you do."

"Yes." Ryo Singh swallowed silently as the two men exchanged glances between his interpreters.

Today. Two nightmares have come to the city of Imphal.

* * *

Ahhhh!

'...It's raining.'

From shady alleyways. A small boy stepped into the humid air behind the buildings of Imphal, looking up at the sky and breathing heavily. His clothes were drenched from the damp rain, but he had no intention of escaping and no energy to do so. No, that's rather good. There was nothing like this in the position of being hunted.

'...The rain will wash away the smell of my blood.'

He'd blamed God all his life, but at least for this moment, he'd never felt so grateful. The boy forced himself to his feet. The pain from the wound was enough to bring tears to his eyes, but he gritted my teeth and held back the tears. 'God... Please...' The boy swallowed his tears and prayed more desperately than ever. 'Please help me...No, it's okay even if it's someone other than God, just please.... Save me.' The boy limped on one leg and slowly disappeared into a dark alleyway.

Splash!

Hideous reptilian paws stepped into the alleyway, stepping through puddles of rainwater. They sniffed, looked around, and muttered softly.

"There's no trace here."

"They are lucky. The smell of blood was clouded by the rain." (2)

Gurrrrrrr!

Then there was a flash of thunder, and their hooded faces were pressed deep into the air, revealing for a glimpse. Lizardmen. No, rather, it's a hybrid that looks like a human. The corners of their mouths clenched long, and their hideous tongues flickered as they closed their mouths.

"I don't think it's gone too far yet, anyway. Find him."

[I found them.]

"You found them— What?" Their heads turned back involuntarily, following the sudden sound of voice. From there ... A sinister black shadow loomed over the walls of the dark alleyway, smiling at them.

"!?!"

—---------

1: As Allah wills it. A phrase commonly used in Islam.

2: In case people are wondering. While rain may have some ability to diminish or mask odors, it may not completely eliminate the smell of blood, especially in situations where the blood is prominent.