Asura Guild Arc

This entry stands eighteenth among the Solo Leveling Ragnarok arcs, slotting in after the Black Market Arc and ahead of the Second Retesting Arc. It begins as Rio Singh travels back to India carrying a delivery for his guild master. His task is a delivery for Siddharth Bachchan, whom the Itarim have flagged as a mark: a sample of the fabled Spring Water drawn from the Forest of Echoes. Nearly all the action stays within India, taking in the city of Imphal, the Loktak Lake Field, and the Asura Guild's own headquarters.

Once he lands, Rio discovers that Siddharth has already departed to clear a dungeon said to harbor Dragonians. As he hunts for his master, Rio is jumped by a powerful Naga he stands no chance against. In that dire instant Kira, a shadow soldier Suho had tucked away inside Rio's own shadow, rises up to guard him, and Suho arrives on his heels through Shadow Exchange to back him. Suho proceeds to wipe out the Nagas, then puts down a worn-out Liu Zhigang after the man's apostle deserts him, which jolts Liu's old-life memories back. The arc's heaviest duel sets Suho against Siddharth Bachchan and closes with Siddharth dead. Among the figures running through the arc are Sung Jinwoo, Jackson, Ali Hassan, Yuri Orloff, Antares, Thomas Andre, Laura, Woo Jinchul, and Choi Jong-In.

Suho is transformed by the arc's end. A Naga yields him the shadow soldier Gordon, and by clearing level 99 he satisfies the Dragon King's Trial - 1 quest. Its rewards name him a Candidate for the role of Dragon King and hand over the Dragon King's Heart. That Heart's scorching flames threaten to reduce his frail frame to ash, so the second trial demands that he gain levels fast, before his HP drains away to nothing. He breaks past level 100, his Storm Slash skill becomes Storm of Black Flames, and the slain Siddharth is reborn as a shadow soldier called Sita. Suho finishes the arc as the planet's first National Level Hunter. Around him the Asura Guild's members don Stardust Necklaces and lose their expressions, while the guild starts giving away Star Piece necklaces throughout India, claiming the charms keep ordinary people from becoming Mist Burn when they inhale the blue mist.