Solo Leveling : Fire

Chapter 38

The tension in the air was palpable as Sung Ilhwan and the monstrous ant locked eyes, the battlefield growing eerily silent despite the chaos that had ensued moments before. The Japanese hunters, wounded and fatigued, could only watch in stunned disbelief. Ilhwan, speaking in broken Japanese, commanded them, "You guys stay back. This monster, if we compare it to human rankings, is at the level of a national hunter—maybe even stronger."

Goto Ryuji, the strongest hunter in Japan, felt a chill run down his spine. If this was the level of a national hunter, then his ambition of reaching such a rank was nothing but a foolish dream. He clenched his remaining fist, staring at the monster that had cost him an arm. The pain was unbearable, but the fear creeping into his heart was far worse.

Then, something even more shocking happened. The ant moved its mandibles and spoke, its voice guttural, as if human speech was foreign to it. "You... human... king?"

A monster was speaking. No, not just speaking—it was trying to communicate. Every hunter present felt their breath hitch at the sheer impossibility of it. Monsters were supposed to be mindless killing machines, incapable of reasoning or speech. Yet this one was different.

"I... king... Are you?" the ant continued, pointing one of its clawed fingers at Sung Ilhwan.

Ilhwan narrowed his eyes. "How can a monster speak in human language?" he muttered under his breath. Then, his mind raced. "Is this one of the Monarchs' doing? But if so, why aren't they here themselves?" There was something off about this situation, and he had a sinking feeling that the worst had yet to come.

Then, a smirk spread across Ilhwan's face. If this creature was intelligent enough to question his identity, then perhaps it could be manipulated. He straightened up, looking down at the ant with a domineering expression. "I am the human king."

The ant tensed at his words, its entire body shuddering. Then, with a deafening roar, it lunged at Ilhwan, its killing intent surging.

Ilhwan turned toward the Japanese hunters. "Stay back. Don't try to help me," he ordered.

Before they could respond, he vanished. A second later, he reappeared in front of the ant, gripping its head with an iron grip. With a tremendous leap, he hurled the beast through the air, sending it crashing into the ruins of a crumbling building.

Ilhwan didn't give it a chance to recover. He leaped after it, landing with perfect precision just as the dust settled. But before he could strike, the ant's claw came slashing toward him with deadly accuracy. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, then retaliated in an instant. His blade gleamed as it sliced through the ant's arm, severing it cleanly from its body.

However, something was wrong.

The ant didn't even flinch.

Before Ilhwan's eyes, the severed limb twitched—and then regenerated at an alarming rate. But that wasn't the worst part.

The ant's stance changed.

It crouched lower, its muscles coiling in a manner eerily similar to Ilhwan's own fighting style. Then, in a horrifying display, it mimicked his stance perfectly.

Ilhwan's brows furrowed. "Is it... copying me?"

The monster dashed forward, its speed exponentially greater than before. Ilhwan barely managed to dodge as the ant's claw shot past him. But then, before he could react, the beast disappeared from his sight. He only had a fraction of a second to register the movement before a clawed hand grabbed his face.

BAM!

Ilhwan was slammed into the ground, the impact sending debris flying in every direction. The ant did not let up—it unleashed a barrage of rapid, precise attacks, its claws striking with precision. Ilhwan barely managed to deflect each blow, his instincts pushed to their absolute limit. With every exchange, the ant was growing faster, stronger, and more refined in its attacks.

"This thing is evolving in real-time?!" Ilhwan thought, gritting his teeth. "At this rate... it's going to surpass me!"

Summoning all his strength, he countered with a devastating knee to the monster's abdomen, sending it flying backward. He took a deep breath, gripping his sword tightly. If he didn't end this now, he might not get another chance.

Gathering his mana, his sword began to glow with an intense, radiant energy. The ground beneath him cracked as he focused all his power into the blade. The ant, seemingly sensing the threat, roared and charged at him once more.

"It's over," Ilhwan whispered.

The moment the ant entered his range, he moved. His sword sliced through the air with a speed that even the eye couldn't follow.

SHING!

Time seemed to freeze.

Then, the ant's head slid cleanly off its shoulders, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Its body stood motionless for a few seconds before collapsing beside it, its massive frame twitching one final time before growing still.

Silence followed.

The Japanese hunters, who had been holding their breath, finally exhaled. Their bodies slumped with exhaustion and relief. Goto, despite his injury, couldn't help but tremble. This man—Sung Ilhwan—was a monster in his own right.

Ilhwan wiped the sweat from his forehead, sheathing his sword. "That was... too close," he muttered. His body ached, but the battle was over.

Or so he thought.

As he turned to check on the Japanese hunters, a sinister presence suddenly filled the air.

His instincts screamed at him. He spun around, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the fallen ant's body twitching once more. Its severed head, lying meters away, began to crack. Then, from within the cracks, a sickly black mist oozed out.

Ilhwan's heart pounded. "No way... it's still alive?!"

Before anyone could react, the mist surged into the sky, twisting and forming into something else—something worse.

The battle wasn't over yet.

Chapter End.