Chapter 47

"May light shine upon the challenger’s future."

—Grand Shaman Kandiaru

That was the inscription the hunters had discovered—a record never before found in Egyptian history. Naturally, the hunters were furious at this historic discovery, and more and more people began braving the dangers to visit the little town of Kamaru.

But Beru, who had been quietly listening to Esil, wore a peculiar expression.

["Kandiaru?"]

"What is it?" Suho looked at Beru.

["I recognize that name."]

Beru stroked his chin, looking thoroughly intrigued.

["Grand Shaman Kandiaru. He is the Architect who designed the leveling system."]

"The Architect? Why would someone like that scribble on a pyramid?"

["That, I do not know. More importantly, is that structure not quite ancient?"]

"It is."

["Kandiaru was a shaman of the Illusion race who dreamed of eternal life."]

Grand Shaman Kandiaru had originally pursued transcendence and eternal life. Ultimately, to achieve that goal, he had made a pact with the Rulers and designed the leveling system.

The being perfected through that system was none other than Suho’s father, Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch.

"So what’s he doing now?"

["His whereabouts have been unknown since the War of the Monarchs. Whether he truly attained eternal life or died..."]

Beru gazed meaningfully at the distant pyramid.

["Perhaps some trace of Kandiaru remains in that pyramid."]

Suho nodded. The Emergency Quest required him to eliminate the cause of the dimensional rift. For Kandiaru, who had created the leveling system, causing a dimensional rift would surely be no great challenge.

It felt as though the pieces of a puzzle were clicking into place in his head.

He turned his gaze toward the pyramid.

"Let’s head straight in."

"W-wait!"

As Suho and Esil started toward the pyramid, the guards urgently called after them.

"...?"

They turned back in puzzlement, and the guards tried to stop them, looking awkward.

"They say we need to be careful if we’re going into the pyramid now."

"Why?"

The guards continued at length. When Suho looked at Esil, she quickly translated.

"Basically, a guild recently took exclusive control of the pyramid by force."

"A guild?"

Suho looked puzzled.

* * *

The Scavenger Guild.

One of America’s major guilds, it had been founded by the S-rank hunter Thomas Andre.

Even before awakening, Thomas Andre had been the UFC’s openweight champion. Unmatched in the ring, he had held on to his championship until retiring.

Then, in his old age, he had suddenly awakened as an S-rank hunter. Now he was unmatched outside the ring as well—one of America’s strongest hunters.

With a founder like him, the Scavenger Guild’s reputation was unrivaled in America.

Scavenger stood for strength. The guildmaster’s philosophy—that those with strength claimed everything—had earned the guild considerable notoriety. But it also slew countless magic beasts, keeping the public safe.

"Still, it doesn’t sound like the whole Scavenger Guild is here. They say there aren’t many of them."

Esil, a walking translator, smoothly relayed the guards’ words.

It was only natural that the guards were worried about Suho’s party. Entering a pyramid monopolized by the Scavenger Guild amounted to challenging them.

But Suho had no other choice. He had a quest to complete.

Despite the guards’ attempts to dissuade them, Suho and Esil entered the town and walked straight toward the pyramid.

["Krrraak."]

WHOOOSH.

Arachne, who had worked hard to bring them this far, slipped naturally into Suho’s shadow. Only then were they free of the townspeople’s stares.

'Hmm. The atmosphere here... '

Suho observed his surroundings as he crossed the streets.

Hunters with auras of varying strength were going about their lives throughout the town. At a glance, it seemed like an ordinary town.

But he could easily sense that all their attention was focused on the pyramid. They looked ready to dash toward it at a moment’s notice.

And the reason they couldn’t...

"... Those guys."

Menacing-looking, burly men stood guard at the pyramid’s entrance.

* * *

Gerald, a B-rank hunter of the Scavenger Guild, led the guards stationed at the entrance. He had been in a foul mood ever since being dragged here without warning a few days earlier.

'They dragged us all the way to Egypt over some superstitious prophecy crap?'

And now they had him standing in the blazing sun, doing nothing but guarding a door.

The scorching sunlight twisted his already menacing face into an even uglier scowl.

"Who the hell are those two?"

Just then, he spotted a man and a woman strolling toward the pyramid, and his scowl deepened. He questioned the subordinate beside him.

"What’s going on? Didn’t you notify every hunter in town?"

"I did. I told them that approaching the pyramid would be considered an act of hostility against Scavenger..."

"Then where do those bastards get the balls? Do they have spare lives?"

Gerald was deliberately having this conversation with his subordinate. Most hunters had excellent hearing. This was a warning—a threat to kill them if they came any closer.

Naturally, Suho heard him too. Of course, the words were in English, so he couldn’t understand them.

Esil had no intention of bothering to translate that sort of talk.

"They’re still coming up."

Suho and Esil were ascending the pyramid’s steps, one at a time. Once they drew close, Gerald spoke.

"Hey."

At his signal, the Scavenger Guild members lunged at Suho without any warning.

"Fuck off, you bastards!"

WHOOOSH!

"Huh?"

Suho tilted his head at them. They were attacking just like that, out of nowhere?

"Well, we couldn’t talk to each other anyway. This works."

He drew his twin swords with a bright smile. Sometimes, fists were a more effective means of communication than a hundred words.

"Storm Slash."

[Using ‘Skill: Storm Slash.’]

ROOOAR!

"Graaagh?!"

A sudden sandstorm swept over them. The Scavenger Guild members, who had been leaping down the pyramid’s already steep outer face, staggered.

* * *

Meanwhile, a fierce battle of wills was unfolding inside the pyramid.

The dungeon’s encroachment had turned its interior into a labyrinth. Other hunters had been exploring it since before the Scavenger Guild arrived, and Scavenger’s approach to dealing with them was coercive.

"You have two choices. Get lost or die."

"Are you bastards completely insane? We were here first!"

The hunters facing them were red to the tops of their heads with rage.

Rio Singh, a B-rank hunter from India’s Asura Guild, had been exploring the labyrinth for a week. Now these latecomers were trying to drive his group out by force without so much as a discussion.

No hunter would meekly retreat in a situation like this.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

SHING! SHING! SHING!

True to their name, the Asura Guild was no pushover. Every member wielded twin swords, and the streams of red sword energy extending from their weapons truly evoked the asuras of myth.

The moment they fully assumed their battle stances, a horrifying killing intent engulfed the area. Even the Scavenger Guild members, who had underestimated them for their small numbers, grew grim at that display.

Rio Singh raised his twin swords and bared his teeth.

"We haven’t come all this way to leave empty-handed. You’d better not underestimate us."

Rio Singh was a promising talent in the Asura Guild. But given India’s hierarchical society, he could never rise without concrete achievements.

This mission in particular was a matter of intense interest within the guild, and he had volunteered for it to improve his status.

'If I go back empty-handed, I’ll be kicked out of the guild.'

"Wh-what’s with these guys?"

Randolph, who was leading the Scavenger Guild members, was a little taken aback by the Asura Guild’s response. Unlike the other hunters, they had no intention of backing down quietly.

But what did that matter?

"So you insist on bloodshed."

The corners of Randolph’s mouth lifted in a wicked grin.

"You can’t be held accountable for murder inside a dungeon. Kill them all!"

WHOOOSH!

In that instant, armor of aura enveloped the Scavenger Guild members from head to toe.

While the Asura Guild’s frontline consisted primarily of damage dealers, Scavenger’s was made up of tanks.

'This is a bad matchup.'

Rio Singh instinctively sensed danger.

The imposing presence of the well-organized tanks brought an enormous magic beast to mind.

It was a clash of spear and shield. But in a cramped space like this, where swinging a weapon was difficult, the shield held an overwhelming advantage.

"Beat them all down!"

"Raaaaah!"

The Scavenger Guild members charged, putting their exceptional defenses to use.

"Make more room!"

At Rio Singh’s shout, the Asura Guild members ruthlessly swung their twin swords, demolishing the walls hemming them in.

CRAAASH!

With space secured, he shouted, "Everyone, attack!"

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Spear and shield—no, sword and shield—collided.

"Go on, struggle!"

Randolph crushed his opponents with overwhelming force. Their spirited resistance had surprised him a little, but the outcome would be the same.

"Your pathetic little blades will never pierce our armor!"

In the end, overwhelming strength decided a battle’s outcome. And every guild member Randolph had brought was renowned for brute strength even within Scavenger.

KABOOM!

"Aaagh!"

That brutal strength sent the Asura Guild members flying helplessly.

"Cut through the joints in their armor!"

Rio Singh’s order proved effective. However tough the tanks were, they weren’t invincible. There were certainly gaps their armor could not protect.

But the Scavenger members knew that better than anyone. They had trained to cover one another’s gaps while pressing their opponents.

"Hahaha! Come at us all you like!"

Bellowing heartily, Randolph charged like a truck and sent Rio Singh flying.

BAM!

"Guh...!"

Rio Singh hurtled backward and slammed horribly into a wall. Blood spilled from his mouth.

'Is this how it ends...?!'

Then it happened.

CRAAASH!

The sound of a collapsing wall came from the distance. A man and a woman quietly slipped into the midst of the fierce battle.

"Huh?"

Suho, who had reached this point by breaking through the labyrinth’s walls, happened to meet Rio Singh’s eyes. He shifted his gaze, only to lock eyes with Randolph this time.

He silently nodded and turned away.

"Well. Don’t let me interrupt."