Solo Leveling Rulers Novels & Stories

The stone is cold in the morning, but it doesn’t bite. The light filtering through the crack in the curtain lies in a long stripe across the carpet, stopping right beside the children’s toys. Selin is twisting the corner of her blanket — that never changes — while Kael lines up small wooden pieces left on the railing: three short, one long, then three short again. Ever since we introduced the “three silent + one soft” rule, he’s arranged them like this, as if the rhythm of the stone itself had moved into his hands.

The duct tape embedded on my lips tasted bitter. The glass windows left no option for ventilation, forming sweat droplets that glued my messed hair strands into my sweaty cheek. He leaned closer and kneeled. Without saying a word, he untied only my hands' ropes, leaving my feet glued to the chair sticks. He then grabbed the silver tape without a single stutter, which burned my lips. "Listen, we will play by my rules here," he said with an unclear voice through the mask. "What do you want?!" "Rule number one, I am the only one who can speak."

But there was no way I'd give them the chance. During the finals, my new teammates and I executed our strategy flawlessly. Everyone followed my lead, and we secured the championship. In stark contrast, Hugo's team bickered endlessly before and after the game. When I stood on the podium, clutching the championship trophy, Luna appeared once again. This time, she held an even larger bouquet of striking red roses as she approached me. "Joseph, congratulations on the win," she said, holding out the flowers. Off to the side, Hugo's face turned red with envy.