Solo Leveling: Monarch of Light

The sun had barely begun to rise when Kim Suho arrived at Gate 42. The sky was still a deep shade of blue, with the last remnants of night fading into dawn. The city was waking up, but here—outside the looming dungeon gate—there was only quiet tension.

Hunters were already gathering. Some adjusted their gear, checking weapons and armor, while others exchanged quiet conversations. The air was thick with a mix of excitement and unease, the kind that always preceded a raid.

Suho exhaled slowly, adjusting the grip on his sword. This was it—his first official raid.

Would he be able to keep up?

Would he be strong enough?

"No time for doubt."

He spotted Kang Joon-Ho standing near the entrance, his broad arms crossed as he surveyed the assembled hunters. The man looked as relaxed as ever, but Suho could tell he was watching everything, making quick judgments about each person on his team.

Joon-Ho's sharp eyes flickered to Suho. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You actually showed up," Joon-Ho remarked.

Suho scoffed. "Didn't give me much of a choice, did you?"

Joon-Ho chuckled. "Smart answer." He gestured for Suho to step closer. "Alright, listen up. Since this is your first real raid, I'll keep it simple. Stay alert, watch your surroundings, and don't do anything stupid."

Suho nodded. "Got it."

One of the other hunters, a C-rank swordsman with a scar running down his cheek, eyed Suho with skepticism. "This the rookie?"

Joon-Ho nodded. "Yeah, he survived a double dungeon. Figured he deserved a shot."

The scarred hunter let out a whistle. "Tough luck, kid. Hope you're as good as Joon-Ho thinks you are."

Suho didn't react to the sarcasm. He simply met the man's gaze and said, "You'll see soon enough."

That earned him a chuckle from some of the other hunters. Joon-Ho grinned. "I like the confidence."

Before anyone could say more, a Hunter Association official stepped forward. "Gate 42's dungeon has been assessed as D-rank. No irregular activity detected." He paused, glancing over the group. "Standard clearance rules apply. You know the drill—stay within your designated groups, and if the situation escalates, contact the Association immediately."

Joon-Ho waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get inside."

The official sighed but stepped aside, allowing the team to approach the gate.

Suho took a deep breath. The moment he had been waiting for was finally here.

As the hunters stepped forward, the blue portal shimmered—and then they were inside.

---

I'm the Dungeon's Depths

Suho's boots hit the stone floor, and instantly, the air changed.

The inside of the dungeon was vast, its walls carved from dark, ancient rock. Luminescent crystals embedded in the walls cast an eerie glow, illuminating the cavernous interior. The temperature had dropped noticeably, and Suho could hear the distant sound of dripping water.

The atmosphere was heavy—unnatural.

Joon-Ho glanced around. "Alright, form up. Standard formation. Tanks in the front, ranged fighters in the back. Suho, you stay near me."

Suho nodded, positioning himself slightly behind Joon-Ho.

As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, Suho couldn't help but study his surroundings. The ground was uneven, cracks running through the stone. Every now and then, a faint gust of wind would whistle through the corridors—except there was no logical source for it.

The deeper they went, the more the sense of unease grew.

Then, a growl echoed through the cavern.

Suho's grip on his sword tightened.

Monsters.

A pack of Lycans emerged from the shadows, their yellow eyes glowing in the dim light. Their fur bristled, and their razor-sharp claws clicked against the stone floor as they crept forward.

"Here we go," Joon-Ho muttered.

The Lycans lunged.

The front-line hunters moved immediately, blocking the initial charge. The tanks raised their shields, bracing against the monsters' attacks, while the ranged fighters unleashed arrows and magic from behind.

Suho rushed forward, his heart pounding.

A Lycan snarled and swung its claws toward him. Suho sidestepped at the last second, bringing his sword down in a sharp arc—cutting through the beast's shoulder.

The Lycan howled in pain but wasn't dead yet.

It lunged again.

Suho reacted on instinct, ducking beneath its strike before driving his blade deep into its chest. The monster let out a final gurgling snarl before collapsing to the ground.

[You have defeated a Lycan.]

[You have gained experience points.]

Suho barely had time to process the notification before another Lycan charged at him from the side.

He rolled backward, narrowly avoiding the claws that sliced through the air where he had stood just moments before.

Joon-Ho suddenly appeared beside him, his greatsword swinging in a devastating arc—cleaving the Lycan in two.

"Keep up, rookie," Joon-Ho said with a grin.

Suho smirked. "I can handle myself."

More Lycans emerged, and the battle intensified.

The fight was chaotic, but the team held their ground. The tanks blocked and countered, the ranged fighters provided support, and the melee combatants worked in tandem to cut down the Lycans.

Suho found himself moving faster, reacting sharper, his body adjusting to the rhythm of battle. His daily training and dungeon experience were paying off.

He ducked, dodged, slashed, parried.

One Lycan tried to flank him, but he spun, his blade severing its leg before delivering a final strike to its throat.

More notifications flashed.

[You have gained experience points.]

[You have leveled up.]

The power surge was almost immediate. His movements felt lighter, quicker, sharper.

But the battle wasn't over yet.

Joon-Ho called out, "We're moving forward! Stay tight!"

The Lycans had been defeated, but that was only the beginning.

As they advanced deeper into the dungeon, the air grew heavier, darker.

Suho's instincts screamed at him.

Something was waiting for them.

Something stronger.

The deeper they ventured, the more oppressive the dungeon became. The air grew colder, the silence heavier, as if the very walls were closing in on them. The faint glow of crystals embedded in the walls flickered, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch out unnaturally. The faint scent of decay mixed with the metallic tang of blood, adding to the sense of foreboding that weighed heavily on Suho's shoulders.

Suho kept his hand tightly gripped on his sword. His muscles were sore from the earlier fight, but his resolve was stronger than ever. He had survived the Lycans and proven himself in the heat of battle, but this dungeon was far from over.

Joon-Ho, ever the stoic leader, moved with purpose. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, aware of every flicker of movement. "Stay sharp," he warned. "The further we go, the stronger the monsters get."

Suho nodded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. "I'm ready."

The deeper they went, the more Suho could feel the weight of danger lurking around every corner. The dungeon was vast—too vast. There was something unsettling about it, an unnatural stillness that made his senses tingle. Something was watching them.

The next monster didn't announce its presence with a roar or a growl. It was only when Suho's Sense stat spiked that he knew something was wrong.

Without warning, a shadow darted across the cavernous hallway, fast as lightning. Suho's instincts kicked in, his sword already drawn. He swung it in a wide arc, but the figure was gone, vanishing into the darkness beyond.

"Move!" Joon-Ho shouted, his voice low but commanding. "Formation! Now!"

The team instinctively fell into position. The tanks formed a line at the front, while the ranged hunters lined up behind them. Suho stood near Joon-Ho, sword raised, eyes scanning the shadows.

And then, from the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes emerged.

Another set of eyes.

Then another.

The group froze.

Suho's heart raced in his chest as he saw the creatures that had been stalking them. They were Ravenous Specters, known for their speed and stealth. Their ghostly, emaciated forms moved without a sound, their claws glinting in the dim light.

The moment Suho locked eyes with one of the Specters, it charged, its ethereal body flickering as it glided through the air with unnatural speed.

Suho reacted just in time, raising his sword to block. The Specter's claws scraped against his blade, sending a shock of cold up his arm.

"Don't let them touch you!" Joon-Ho barked. "Their claws drain your strength!"

Suho gritted his teeth, pushing the Specter away. He glanced at the others. The ranged hunters were launching spells and arrows, but the Specters were moving too fast, too erratically.

Joon-Ho's voice broke through the chaos. "We need to get to the center of the room! The Specters are using the shadows to hide!"

Suho nodded. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, charging directly at one of the Specters. His sword cut through the air as he slashed at the creature's incorporeal form. It phased through the strike, but Suho was already prepared for the counterattack.

He dodged left, narrowly avoiding the Specter's claws as they ripped through the air where his chest had been. His feet slid on the stone floor, but his grip on the sword never wavered.

Just as the Specter turned to face him, Suho charged again, driving his blade forward with a forceful thrust. This time, his sword collided with the Specter's body, and its form flickered before it dissipated into a wisp of dark smoke.

Suho didn't have time to celebrate his victory. A new wave of Specters appeared, their glowing red eyes piercing the darkness like unblinking lanterns. The battle had just begun.

The dungeon came alive with the sound of combat. Suho, Joon-Ho, and the rest of the team fought back-to-back, each hunter protecting their flank while the others focused on the taunting, fast-moving Specters.

Suho's movements were becoming fluid, his muscles working in harmony with the speed of the fight. He wasn't just reacting anymore—he was anticipating. His instincts were sharper, his mind quicker. He could see the moments before the Specters struck, using that fraction of a second to dodge or parry.

His sword slashed across the chest of one Specter, but the ethereal beast merely flickered, its body evaporating into the air before solidifying again behind him. A claw raked across Suho's back, leaving a trail of cold fire in its wake.

"Damn," Suho grunted, spinning to face the creature. "They're relentless."

"You have no idea," Joon-Ho said, his greatsword cleaving through another Specter. "They're unstoppable unless we drive them back into the shadows."

"Drive them back?" Suho asked, confused. "How do we do that?"

Joon-Ho glanced at him. "They're tied to the darkness here. If we shine enough light on the surroundings, we can force them into the walls, weaken them."

Suho's mind raced. Light. They had to find a way to create enough light to repel the Specters.

The ranged hunters, sensing Joon-Ho's plan, began to cast their flash magic. Brilliant bolts of light lit up the dark cavern, illuminating every shadow in sight. The Specters howled, their forms flickering and shrinking away from the brilliance.

But there were too many. Even with the blinding light, the Specters were relentless, swarming like a tide of darkness.

"Joon-Ho!" Suho shouted. "They're closing in!"

"Stay close!" Joon-Ho ordered, his eyes scanning the room. "We have to hold them back until the light reaches its peak!"

Suho grit his teeth. The Specters were coming faster now, almost demonic in their speed. His hands were trembling, but he refused to show weakness. He dashed forward, slashing at the nearest Specter. But this time, the creature didn't fade away. The impact was solid.

A surge of energy coursed through Suho's body as his strength increased. His blade cut deeper, and he heard a shriek as the Specter vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Nice," Joon-Ho muttered. "You're starting to get it."

Then, just as the tide seemed to recede, the ground shook, and a loud crackling sound filled the air. The ceiling above them began to rumble.

"What the hell is that?" one of the hunters yelled.

The answer came a moment later.

A massive Specter, the size of a small building, emerged from the shadows, its glowing red eyes locking onto the team. Its ethereal claws stretched out toward them, and a deep, bone-chilling growl filled the room.

"This isn't good," Joon-Ho said, his voice in a low growl. "Prepare for the worst. This is their leader."

Suho's heart pounded as he stood beside Joon-Ho. The massive Specter towered over them, its claw reaching out to swipe at the team.

"Hold the line!" Joon-Ho shouted.

The hunters braced, their weapons ready. This was going to be a battle unlike any they had faced before. The true test had begun.