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Chapter 32
“Prove you are worthy of being king.”
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. Suho’s sensory stats detected a disturbance in the jungle. The area seemed to be in turmoil.
Suho stopped in his tracks and looked at Rakan’s Fang. “Did you say something just now?”
“It wasn’t me.”
“The voice I heard was exactly like yours.”
“It’s only natural. It’s a message from the artifact of this sanctuary. We are the same kind.”
Suho tilted his head. “The same kind?”
“Correct. It’s another fang. You didn’t think Rakan, the Monarch of Fangs, the King of Beasts, only had one fang did you?”
“Oh, I see. Usually, there are four.”
“Actually, there are only two...”
Suho blinked unabashedly, staring at Rakan’s Fang.
“Ahem. Two fangs were made into significant artifacts.”
Suho gave him another piercing look, and the sword explained, “I’m not sure if I mentioned it but I’m Rakan’s milk teeth.”
Milk teeth, a common name for deciduous teeth, were the first set of teeth that fell out while one was still growing.
“The lower tribes created me from one of the teeth that fell out as Rakan grew. They received two fangs back then, and that’s why there are two artifacts.”
Once again, the other voice pierced through into his mind. “Prove you are worthy of being king!”
Suho abruptly asked, “What does this voice want? Why is it asking to prove that I’m worthy of becoming king?”
“When the lower tribes created me, they hoped that the future ruler would be born from one of them. Now that Rakan is gone, it’s finally time to choose a new king. The so-called ‘Trial of the King’ has begun.”
“Oh.” Intrigued, Suho asked, “So, does that mean that if I pass this trial, I could also become the Monarch of Fangs?”
“Of course, it’s possible. But only if you want to become a beast.”
“A beast?”
“Naturally. We’re choosing the King of Beasts, so shouldn’t the candidates be prepared to become one?”
“I’m not too fond of that idea.”
Seeing Suho’s disgusted expression, Rakan’s Fang scoffed and continued, “That means you were ineligible from the start. Besides, the message isn’t directed at you. It’s a general call for those inside this sanctuary.”
“Young Monarch.” Beru, who had been scouting, returned to Suho. “There are other hunters here wandering the jungle. However, they...”
Before the ant could finish, a series of thuds came from a distance, and Suho leaped high onto a tree branch. From a high vantage point, he looked down toward the source of the commotion. An interesting scene was unfolding, and a gleam of curiosity sparkled in his eyes. Choosing the new King of the Beasts, huh...
“They’re all using the beast transformation skill,” Beru reported.
Throughout the jungle, hunters had transformed their bodies partially or entirely into beast-like forms and were engaged in numerous battles. Some had wings on their backs like eagles, while others had turned into huge creatures with bear-like fur. The variety was truly remarkable.
“Prove you are worthy of being king!”
They were battling throughout the entire jungle, drenched in madness to prove their eligibility.
“It seems like the artifact here called forth every beast with the potential of becoming a king.”
Crack!
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. Suho, sensing a presence beneath his feet, twisted his body and leaped off the tree branch.
Swish!
Surprisingly, the attack came from the trees themselves. Are they branches? Even during his descent, numerous trees whipped him with vine-like branches.
Ruler’s Authority! The skill wasn’t powerful enough to lift Suho’s body, but it allowed him to momentarily perform a double jump, treading the air to leap once more. He twirled in the air like a circus performer, avoiding the whip-like tendrils and landing safely on the ground.
The battle intensified as the plant-type magic beasts began to attack Suho from all directions. He immediately wielded Rakan’s Fang and Vulcan’s Horn.
“Prove you are worthy of being king!” the persistent voice continued amid the chaos.
Suho couldn’t help but feel he was being forced into something. “I thought I wasn’t worthy enough to take this trial to begin with?”
“It’s a matter of timing. You happened to enter the sanctuary as the Trial of the King began... Or perhaps the trial began because I, one of two significant artifacts, entered this place.”
“So, the other artifact is causing us all this trouble.” Suho decided to think simply. “Let’s ditch the test and find out where this unwanted proctor is.”
“We’ll find it then break it. Who dares to test us?” Beru’s eyes narrowed ominously.
“It’s that way.”
The direction Rakan’s Fang had been pointing at for a while was precisely where the other artifact was located. Suho rushed toward the location, slashing through plant-type magic beasts on the way.
***
The deeper they ventured into the jungle, the denser the blue mist became. The atmosphere felt almost dreamlike, but it soon turned into a scene from a nightmare.
“The ghosts are coming.”
Hunters undergoing the Trial of the King quickly became alert and vigilant. Eerie sounds of wind came from all directions and sent shivers down their spines. A single plant-type magic beast was not strong enough to pose a threat. However, the level of danger changed drastically when surrounded by an entire jungle full of them.
Regardless of their rank, hunters were ultimately humans composed of flesh and blood. A sharp branch could suddenly dart from anywhere and pierce through their throats or hearts, taking their lives in the blink of an eye. The jungle was filled with such terrifying assassins, and to make matters worse, ghosts were now added to the mix.
“There’s a reason why this field isn’t popular.”
“I agree. It’s just too dangerous, and there’s nothing to gain from it.”
This jungle was a bustling city just a year ago. Magok was not only home to many residents, but also boasted a substantial business district that drew in people from other cities. But one day, a gate suddenly opened, leading to a catastrophe. Many people lost their lives, and those who were lucky enough to escape with their lives were left without their livelihoods. The ghosts of the perished have haunted this land ever since.
Screech!
“This is bad! It’s a Banshee!”
“Everyone, cover your ears!”
A Banshee was a ghost-type magic beast, and their wailing severely impaired their targets’ sense of direction. Their screeches were the worst possible form of attack for the hunters navigating through the jungle as their hearing had been heightened due to their beast transformation skills. Some even began to vomit from the sound.
“Prove you are worthy of being king!” the mysterious voice continued to taunt them.
Temporarily deprived of their vision and hearing, the hunters realized the true nature of the test as the voice echoed in their minds.
Got it!
They realized that a faint scent was pulling them somewhere. The trail smelled of pure magical energy, a scent only detectable if one’s primal instincts were heightened.
“That’s it! The voice was testing us with this scent!”
The hunters focused on their sense of smell, but the trees exploited their momentary vulnerability.
“Ouch!”
Even as the hunters tore at the vines that stabbed into their thighs, their eyes burned with primal determination.
I must find it. I will find it and become the king!
None of them knew what kind of king they were fighting to become, but they continued to fight mindlessly as if they had been possessed.
“Something seems odd.” Baek Miho, who had been tracking the scent more diligently while fighting the ghosts, suddenly halted.
The other members of the White Tiger Guild following behind her looked puzzled.
“Vice Guild Master, why did you suddenly stop?”
Miho looked discontented. Despite the unfolding chaos, her “Beast’s Eyes” were fixed on a distant point. She was well aware that they weren’t only hunters in the jungle. The other hunters had transformed into their respective beast forms and were competing with one another to reach the same location. Miho’s primal instincts were no different.
But a growing anxiousness suddenly stopped her in her tracks and made her doubt the need to be there. Her pride was triggered by the mindless race she was in.
“I’m starting to feel like a plaything for someone. I don’t like it.”
“A plaything? I’m not sure what you mean.”
“The White Tiger Guild is immediately withdrawing from this unknown trial.”
Her team was taken aback by the sudden declaration of withdrawal. They had entered the jungle in complete mystery yesterday, unable to fathom the reason behind Miho’s decision to enter. However, their doubts disappeared after the Trial of the King began. Regardless of what awaited them at the end, the promise of becoming king had ignited their ambitions. But now, their vice guild master was suddenly putting an end to their desires, an act at odds with their collective psychological urge.
“It feels like I’ve become a real beast, running toward an unknown goal fueled by nothing but primal urges. It’s repulsive. It’s not like we’re dogs in heat.” Baek Miho smacked her lips, deactivating Beast’s Eyes.
“So, are we going back now?”
“No.” She no longer wanted her team to wander the jungle like headless chickens with the other clueless hunters, but she was still curious about who would ultimately emerge as the victor. “We’re moving to higher ground with a clear line of sight.”
“Yes, understood.”
Without a word of protest, her guild members followed her decision. But then, a peculiar sound cut through the air. Cutting through the bustling undergrowth, a group of werewolves suddenly appeared.
“Hm?” Miho’s gaze changed as she immediately recognized the group.
The White Tiger Guild was the most famous beast transformation guild in South Korea. Consequently, they kept a separate list of hunters from other guilds who possessed the same skill with the goal of potentially recruiting them in the future. She was fully aware of their identities.
“Last remaining twerps of the Hyena Guild.”
It seemed like the group had evaded police arrest. They, too, were drawn here by the desire to prove themselves worthy of being king. However, the problem for her was their inherently wicked nature, and having served Broki for a long time, the criminals understood the Trial of the King better than anyone else.
“There can be only one king!”
The werewolves quickly shook off the coincidence and let out a ferocious battle cry, immediately launching a relentless attack.
“Kill them!”
Roar!
The White Tiger Guild was the most qualified candidate in the jungle, and if they didn’t kill the werewolves, their claim to the throne could be usurped. Their blatant aggression brought out Miho’s true inner beast, something she had barely managed to contain this whole time. She clicked her tongue with an annoyed expression. A bunch of ignorant pups. Her hair tie snapped, and her bleach-white hair burst out like a lion’s mane.
Beast Transformation! Baek Miho revealed her true power, her half-beast form, and clawed tore through the heart of the leader of the pack.
“Prove you are worthy of being king!”
“Huh?”
The voice seemed to take pleasure in her carnage as it echoed in her head.
“Kill them, and kill them again! Only the strong survive until the end!”
“Is this what it wants?” Baek Miho realized what the voice genuinely wanted. “It’s a fight to the death.”
The realization repulsed her. She detested the voice even more as it was forcing people into killing each other. Her heightened hearing picked out the screams of deluded hunters killing one another senselessly—the entire jungle was in a fight to the death.
“I don’t like this one bit.” Baek Miho gritted her teeth as she fought off the Hyena Guild.
Suddenly, she noticed a person wielding two words walking in the distance. His calm demeanor and leisurely pace seemed out of place. Why is he alone? Did he kill all his companions? He’s the worst of the lot if that’s the case! Miho couldn’t forgive anyone who would kill their comrades blinded by their greed for power.
But something else was odd with the mysterious figure. I can’t smell any blood. Maybe he hasn’t killed anyone... Then why is he by himself?
Baek Miho kept stealing glances at him in between the fighting until she could no longer see him.