Solo Leveling: Ragnarok

I have dedicated my entire life to martial arts.

Liu Zhigang was the proud six-star hunter of China.

I have never learned to retreat.

China did not follow the international rating system for hunters, instead adopting their own. The more stars before the rating, the stronger the hunter. Five stars was the maximum rating—at least for most individuals. There was a single exception to the rule: Liu Zhigang. He stood outside this system, granted the title of a six-star hunter.

Naturally, he received special treatment, though no one could object. His unmatched abilities made him a true savior of the People’s Republic of China as he staunchly defended the nation during the Great Cataclysm.

So I will notback down this time, either.

Yet Liu had a secret that no one in China, with its population of over a billion even despite the Great Cataclysm, knew about.

I will not surrender to my inner demons!

For more than two years, he had battled the sinister force of the Itarim that surfaced the moment he awakened. He was fighting with all his will to maintain control over his mind.

After his awakening as a hunter, it didn’t take long for Liu to realize that the power he was granted was unlike that of others.

Mana, a mysterious force, had suddenly formed inside him. He’d heard that other hunters felt an intense euphoria upon their awakening, but for Liu, it was different. When he first felt the mana within him, the sensation was surprisingly only a cold emptiness.

This is not enough.

When a person became severely starved, they eventually stopped feeling even hunger. But if bread was shoved into such a person’s mouth, their empty stomach would suddenly recall the desperate hunger it had forgotten.

Power!I want more power!

That intense craving Liu felt was precisely the same sensation that Thomas Andre, a National Level Hunter in his past life, had experienced.

Unfortunately, Liu wasn’t as lucky as Thomas. Sensing his craving for strength, someone had waited for the right moment to take advantage of the hollowness in his heart.

“Do you wantpower?You may have it.You may have a strength greater than you can imagine.”

Liu was overcome with shock. This mysterious, demonic voice in his ear seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.

Who are you?

“What does it matter?What matters is that your vessel is big enough for me.”

What?

The voice had never been asking for permission.

Suddenly, new power from the Outer Universes began to flow into the empty vessel that had been Liu Zhigang. As if by magic, the craving inside of him began to diminish—but no power was without its price.

“Now you must obey me.”

What?!

Thus, Liu was born anew as a follower of Itarim as soon as he was awakened.

Don’t be absurd!

However, there was one thing even the Itarim had failed to predict. Liu had walked the path of martial arts his entire life. His inner strength was rooted in a righteousness that set him apart from someone like Thomas Andre, whose life had revolved around brute force and the language of violence.

I do not trust in gods!My mind is my own!

Liu, who had been accepting the overflowing power inside of him, gritted his teeth and fought back against the forced submission. Yet the Itarim’s strength was beyond mortal resistance.

“Worship me.”

“Praise me.”

“Your faith shall be—”

Shut up!I told you to shut up!I don’t care who you are!I am… I am…

Liu forced himself to repress the instinctive urge to bow down and worship that great power. His head ached like it would burst, and blood trickled from his lip as he bit down. The emotions that appeared on his face were those of anger and fierce pride.

He gritted his teeth once again.

I am… Liu Zhigang!

In the end, Liu did not succumb to the Itarim. Though the corruption still tainted him, he resolved to fight it.

Clutching his lifelong weapons, a pair of long swords, he entered dungeons and began slaughtering every beast he encountered. In this way, he was able to constantly expel the invasive power of the Itarim from his body.

Yin and yang.The flower grafted onto a tree!Softness over strength!

The phrasing or terminology used to describe what he was after did not matter. As a way of maintaining his sanity, Liu sought answers in the martial arts he had devoted his life to. Although it was impossible for nearly anyone to truly reach a unity of knowledge and action, Liu, through sheer determination, succeeded.

Countless beasts perished, spewing blood along his path. Liu reversed the flow of the Itarim’s power, endlessly forcing it outside his body.

Thoughts of his guild or admirers did not distract him. For two years, he wandered the vast land of China like a madman, slaying magical beasts at every turn. In this way, he kept the Itarim’s overwhelming power at bay, even fighting in his sleep when the demons crept in through the cracks of his dreams. It was a terribly lonely path, that of the devoted warrior.

Though he gained the admiration and respect of China and the title of six-star hunter, Liu paid little attention. There was only one thing on his mind.

I will not yield to my demons!

Thus, Liu became an eccentric warrior who roamed in search of magical beasts. Field-type dungeons, particularly those neglected and dangerously left open, made perfect battlegrounds for him, as they allowed him to fight freely. He didn’t care if they spread beyond borders to other countries.

Siddharth Bachchan was sent in, but the field still hasn’t been cleared?

Liu eagerly crossed the border, entering the Loktak field, a place that even an Indian S-rank hunter hadn’t managed to clear out.

“Liu Zhigang has single-handedly invaded India’s borders!”

“But why would he do that?”

The impact was immense. The Chinese government, well aware of Liu’s wandering nature, had done its utmost to prevent such incidents until now. They made sure to locate his next hunting ground before he could even finish his last, providing full support every step of the way. China’s vast land had plenty of fields where Liu could fight until his mana was exhausted.

This time, however, the government couldn’t stop him.

“Liu finally crossed the border!”

“Why did no one stop him?”

“Everyone knows what it means for a six-star hunter to leave China!”

“This will become a diplomatic issue!”

The Chinese press protested loudly. Many had witnessed him cross the border, and word soon reached the Indian government. This ignited a firestorm in the Indian media as well.

“China’s greatest hunter has invaded India?”

“This might be China’s ploy to start a war!”

“Liu must have been planning this all along.”

“Is it a coincidence that Liu is headed toward the same field where Siddharth Bachchan is fighting?”

“Maybe he’s tired of fighting magic beasts and wants to kill Siddharth now!”

“If China wants to avoid war, they must pull him back immediately!”

No one had wanted this situation. Though a few internet trolls called it an opportunity for conquest, they were a minority.

The Chinese government, having tried to block him at the border, were at their wits’ end. Stubborn as ever, the man who had dedicated his life to the path of martial arts was impossible to persuade. In the end, they had no choice but to release the footage of the words Liu had uttered at the border online.

“You have brains, do you not? Are they mere decorations?Would you like me to lift them from your skulls for you?”

The Chinese hunters who had tried to stop him had paled, backing away with their hands to their heads.

“The Loktak field, which even Siddharth Bachchan is struggling to clear, is expanding.China is situated right above it.”

Indeed, Liu did have some measure of justification for what he was doing. Just before crossing, he looked straight into the camera, his gaze sharp.

“Mark my words! Let everyone hear me!I, Liu Zhigang, am going to help Siddharth Bachchan. I have no confidence that he can contain the disaster if things go awry.If anyone has a problem with it, they can come and handle the beasts themselves.”

It was an obvious excuse, of course. All Liu wanted was to enter a challenging field that gave even Siddharth trouble and fight to his heart’s content.

I am at my limit.

Two years of resistance had worn him down. He needed to find even stronger beasts soon, to unleash every ounce of the sinister power constantly threatening his mind.

Otherwise, I will truly be devoured.

Finally, Liu found an adversary worthy of his strength—a dark spirit emanating tendrils of sinister mist.

“Hahaha! To think there was such a powerful beast! I’m glad I came!”

He was fighting none other than Greed.

“Young Monarch!” shouted Greed as Suho appeared on the scene. “He’s out of his mind! He’s definitely a follower of Itarim!”

At that moment, Liu Zhigang and Suho, standing far apart, locked eyes across the distance. Liu snarled as he glared at the young hunter, “You! What’s your connection to this creature?”

This isn’t good. Suho’s face hardened at the savage tone. He couldn’t understand Chinese.

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