Limitless Evolution: I'm The New Dragon God?-Chapter 53: Solo Leveling

Ryuzen was automatically transferred out of the dungeon.

The world changed back to the snow-covered ridge outside the Arctic Den, and the biting cold welcomed him again. Currently it was about noon. Still his breath came out exhaling cigarette smoke as he glanced around.

The once-bustling dungeon entrance was now nearly empty. Only four young hunters remained, two men and two women, scattered around the clearing. One was sharpening a blade while another chewed on dried jerky. The rest sat near a rock, chatting softly or tending to minor wounds.

There were still no sign of any officials. No supervisors, no Association guards, not even a clerk with a clipboard. The supposed need for a hunter license felt pointless out here.

Ryu frowned slightly.

"Why even bother requiring a license if no one’s watching?" he muttered under his breath.

Maybe it was their negligence. Maybe the Hunter Association didn’t care what happened to newbies outside the city. Or perhaps they were just understaffed. Whatever the reason, it was clear that no one would stop an unlicensed Hunter from entering.

The other hunters looked at him with mild curiosity. His snow-dusted white hair, golden eyes, and calm demeanor stood out. But none of them approached, and he didn’t invite them either. frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

Ryu liked it that way.

He was already thinking about diving back in. He needed stronger skill books, tougher enemies, and better drops. But just as he stepped forward—

Grrroooowl...

His stomach rumbled, loud and demanding.

"Right... food first," he sighed.

Even a dragon needed to eat.

Next, Ryu sat down on a cold slab of rock near the entrance of the dungeon. Frost clung to its surface, but he didn’t flinch. The chill was nothing compared to the icy depths of the dungeon he’d just cleared.

With a sigh, he reached into his inventory pouch and pulled out a small cloth bag. Inside were the emergency rations he had bought earlier that morning. They were several dried energy cookies, flat and tasteless.

That was all he could afford after buying the map and his single-use supplies. His coin pouch was now completely empty.

No meat. No real food. And there weren’t any edible beasts nearby either. The only things roaming these frozen ridges were hollowfied monsters or icy creatures too tainted to be safe for consumption.

He took a bite. The cookie crumbled like sand and tasted like chalk soaked in stale mana.

"Ugh..."

Still, he chewed and swallowed. This wasn’t about enjoyment, just survival.

The handful of cookies wouldn’t fill him up, not even close. But if he ignored the hunger for now, he could push through one more dive.

’If I’m lucky, I’ll get something valuable. A rare drop, a good core, or a skill scroll I can sell,’ he thought inwardly. ’That should be enough to buy actual food. Or... at least a warm soup.’

If not, he still had the backup plan.

He could go hunt more hollowfied creatures. The mission from Hunter Hall paid 20 silver per confirmed kill. If the dungeon didn’t offer treasure, then blood would.

Ryu leaned back, letting the cold wind wash over him.

Ryu sat quietly, finishing the last crumb of the bland energy cookie while his thoughts drifted far beyond the icy peaks around him.

Going back to Earth—that was the ultimate goal. No matter what he gained here, no matter how powerful he became, Earth was still his home. His journey through this world was a means to that end.

But before that, there was someone he needed to meet again.

Runa.

Whether it was out of a desire to repay her kindness, or because he simply wanted to see her, even he wasn’t sure. She had been the first to show him warmth in this strange world, a guiding light when he was just a confused creature.

He imagined it now. Her face when she saw him again, standing upright in human form, clad in sleek hunter gear and radiating power.

Would she be shocked? Would she stare at him in disbelief, jaw dropped?

Or maybe, she’d recognize him. In his voice. His eyes. The strange air he carried that only she had once noticed.

His lips curled into a grin at the thought.

’She’ll totally fall out of her butt,’ he mused, chuckling softly to himself.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a few of the other nearby hunters eyeing him warily. Their whispers floated in the cold air.

"Why’s that guy grinning like that all by himself?"

"Looks like he cracked. The dungeon must’ve scrambled his brains."

"Creepy."

Ryu blinked, realizing he’d been smiling like an idiot in the middle of an icy plain while chewing on crumbs. He quickly cleared his throat and straightened his expression, putting on his usual indifferent mask.

’Focus, Ryu. First money. Then Runa. Then Earth.’

He stood up, cracked his neck, and turned once more to the dungeon gate.

"Alright. Let’s go again."

Under the curious gazes of the gathered hunters, Ryu stepped confidently into the swirling light of the dungeon gate once more. His steps were steady, his expression unreadable.

"Ohh, someone’s really in a hurry to die," a lanky young man scoffed, arms crossed, the corner of his lip curling in mock amusement.

"Let him be," another shrugged, flipping a dagger in his hand. "He’ll come back crawling like the rest. Solo mode grinds the spirit more than it does the level."

"Seriously, though," the first one continued, "how do these solo freaks even manage? No one to watch their back. No one to talk to. Just endless battles and silence. That’s torture."

"Pfft... You’re right about that, brother. I have tried Solo mode once, and it’s super shitty. But now, look at us," a stocky youth said proudly, patting the shoulder of the man beside him. "We’ve got friends, comrades, laughter, loot. That guy’s walking into frostbite and heartbreak."

"Haha! Yeah, let him lose a few levels in pain and tears. Then he’ll understand," another laughed, adjusting his belt of potions.

The young women among them didn’t speak, but the quiet looks they exchanged expressed their agreements.

Because they knew exactly how brutal solo diving could be. Each of them had tried it once—and each had come out exhausted, defeated, and more than willing to stick to team dives.

Still, their eyes followed Ryu’s back as it disappeared into the gate. Not everyone walks alone with such confidence after all.

Some found it foolish.

Others... found it intriguing.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m