NOVEL WEB
Chapter 34
The artifact was genuinely perplexed. An uninvited guest had audaciously barged into the honorable test ground for the new king.
Phantom Trees were monstrosities that fed on the spirits of the departed who had met their end in this land. There were originally three of them protecting the sanctuary, but now only one remained. Much to the artifact’s dismay, the last remaining tree was being ruthlessly destroyed by the intruder.
“Stop it! Please, stop! Oh, the power of the sanctuary...! The Trial of the King..!”
Ignoring its outburst, Suho continued to hack away at the third Phantom Tree with ferocity as if he had gone insane. Meanwhile, the shadow jackals, now multiplied to six, stood guard by his side with an air of composure and vigilance.
Once I crush this one, it’s another level up!
Unfortunately, the destruction of the second Phantom Tree didn’t trigger a level-up. As his level increased, it seemed he required more experience points to level up. However, the experience told Suho that it was sure to work this time, and he swung his sword even faster.
However, unlike the excited Suho, the other artifact continued to invade his mind to make him stop. “Please! That’s the last Phantom Tree! I nurtured that tree with so much care!”
“I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you.”
“I know you can hear me! Don’t interfere with the Trial of the King, you unqualified intruder!”
The other artifact’s words struck a chord with Suho, and he promptly stopped. “Unqualified, you say?” He tilted his head back and revealed a mischievous smile. “We both know that you’re not actually going to choose a king. So, why all of this fuss?”
His question was answered with silence, which Suho expected with some certainty being the owner of one of Rakan’s Fangs.
“You intend to take over the body of the last surviving human, right?”
Rakan’s Fang, when hosted by a lesser being, would take possession of their physical form. However, this time, the added criterion was “royal caliber.” No matter how hard humans tried, they’d never be worthy of becoming the next Monarch of Fangs in the minds of the former’s descendants.
Crash!
At that moment, Suho’s sword finally destroyed the last Phantom Tree.
[The Phantom Tree has been destroyed.]
[All ghosts will vanish.]
[Level Up!]
All the ghosts in Magok Field disappeared along with the last tree. The relentless wails that had been echoing non-stop vanished, casting a heavy silence over the jungle.
Finally, at the end of the suffocating stillness, the relic asked, “You know quite a lot about me, don’t you? What is your true identity?”
The question was directed at Suho, but being audible to all, the underlying intent sent shivers down the spines of every hunter inside the Magok Field.
Suddenly, the forest began to tremble, and the earth beneath shook as if it was about to crumble.
“What’s happening?”
“What in the world is going on right now?!”
An unsettling earthquake began beneath their feet, and the remaining hunters in the forest paled rapidly.
On the other hand, Suho chuckled and asked Rakan’s Fang, “Seems like this artifact is stronger than you, right?”
“No chance. It seems that it has found a useful vessel,” the sword’s voice echoed sarcastically. “But I’ve done better. I discovered a creature with a true claim to the throne.”
Gray was the last true heir of the Fang Clan, and although he had become Suho’s pet inside the Shadow Dungeon, it wasn’t a significant concern for the sword. Rakan’s Fang was confident that being by Suho’s side would help Gray grow into a stronger ruler.
“Do you know what purpose artifacts serve?”
“What is it?”
“We make our chosen successors compete with one another to prove they are worthy of becoming king.” The sword moved to point toward the location of the other artifact. “Go. Prove that our claim is more worthy.”
Suho turned his gaze to the shadow jackals. “Jackals! Take me there!”
Following his command, a shadow jackal approached Suho and let him climb onto its back, and then began to sprint through the dense forest with dazzling speed.
***
As they approached the epicenter of the earthquake, the jungle grew denser. All sorts of plant-type magic beasts filled the surroundings. No hunter had likely ventured so far. Regardless of the lack of financial incentives, it was extremely perilous.
“These plants here are thirsty for blood. It seems like they’ve developed a taste for humans.”
Beru spoke the truth. The reason why Magok turned into a jungle infested with dangerous magic plants was the unfortunate location where the gate had emerged—Seoul’s biggest botanical garden. The gate to another world emerged at the heart of the botanical garden, and the blue mist that flowed out permeated the diverse flora within the garden, forcing a series of bizarre evolutions. As a result, the city turned into a hellish collection of life-threatening vegetation.
The damage might have been less had the gate appeared on a mountain like Gwanaksan. The species of plants on an ordinary mountain were far less diverse compared to a botanical garden.
It also didn’t help that the botanic garden was in the heart of the city. The monstrous plants contaminated with mana devoured countless humans in the city and underwent more grotesque mutations. The jungle was the culmination of every misfortune the city had encountered.
—Magok Botanical Garden
A giant tree was now growing where the botanical garden once was. It writhed and moved as if it were alive.
Suho narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the giant tree. He was able to realize its true nature in no time. “This... It’s not a tree, is it?”
He was right. What appeared to be a single tree was a conglomeration of thousands of plants from the botanical garden, twisting and entangling with one another to cover the building in the shape of a colossal tree.
“A nest for the king.” Rakan’s Fang carried an excited tone. “The other fang has managed to grow such a large sanctuary. I guess I have to give it some credit for this one.”
Suddenly, the tightly sealed doors of the run-down building, covered in dense ivy, swung wide open.
“It wants us to come in.”
“Young Monarch, it might be a trap.”
Suho’s lips curled up slightly in response to Beru’s concern. “If it’s a trap, we’ll break through.”
Swish!
With two swords in his hands, he stepped into the entrance.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
The corrupted botanical garden engulfed Suho, and then the ivy wrapped itself around the door, sealing it once more.
***
The inside of the ruined building was quiet and dark without a hint of light. Suho maximized his sensory perception to adapt to the darkness. He retrieved the crow mask from his inventory and wore it to gain better visibility. Spider webs came into focus.
“Huh. Look at this,” Suho muttered as he surveyed his surroundings. Everything around him was covered in white spider webs. “So, this was the trap?”
He then heard some rustling. The noise grew louder as spider-type monsters of all sizes crawled on the webs, eyeing the intruder.
[Tomb Spider]
[Tomb Spider]
Tomb Spiders. What a fitting name.
It seemed that the spiders had already welcomed some guests prior to his arrival—transformed hunters who had followed the garden’s scent and entered here while Suho was busy taking care of the Phantom Trees. They were entangled in spider webs and hung from the ceiling. Some had their mouths covered, but the others who didn’t screamed desperately.
“Sa, save...!”
“Please save us...!”
“They are sacrifices. Tributes for the king.”
Rakan’s Fang’s words gently rang inside Suho’s head as he stared into the deep abyss far away. There, a spider the size of a house was crouched in the shadows. The arachnid had dozens of eyes, a gruesome mouth, and a pair of massive pincers.
[Giant Tomb Spider]
It was truly an enormous and imposing spider.
“I can sense the aura of the artifact inside that creature.”
Rakan’s Fang’s words made Suho’s eyes narrow. “Then, I guess we need to cut its belly open and retrieve it.” He sprang towards the creature fearlessly with tremendous force.
As he launched himself into the air, Tomb Spiders poured down from the walls and ceiling toward him.
“Take care of the little ones!”
Roar!
The shadow jackals leaped and attacked the Tomb Spiders, tearing them apart with their strong claws and powerful fangs.
[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]
[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]
[Tomb Spider has been defeated.]
Numerous messages popped up simultaneously. Suho chose to ignore them all and focused solely on what lay ahead.
There’s only one goal! The giant spider spewed white silk toward Suho. I’ll tear through it! His two swords began to twist simultaneously.
[Skill: “Storm Slash” has activated.]
The spider’s web was mercilessly torn apart by the dual blades. The enormous spider revealed itself beyond the torn silk as its pincers descended from above. Suho would have been crushed by its pincers had he not moved. The giant spider withdrew its pincers from the stone floor and rose once more.
Suho’s gaze sharpened. It’s coming again! He twisted his body to evade and dodged it once more.
Enraged, the spider began to strike recklessly with its pincers. The relentless assault continued, shattering the entire floor unpredictably.
Suho felt as if he was battling with heavy construction machinery. Despite this, he identified an opening. There it is... I can feel it.
His sense stats had increased thanks to his items, which allowed his danger-detection skills to shine brightly. Suho deftly evaded the giant spider’s ceaseless attacks, inching closer with each dodge. Once he got close enough, he struck the pillar-like leg of the creature with Rakan’s Fang.
The impact sent the creature reeling, and Suho pivoted to the other side, slashing with Vulcan’s Horn once more. Having temporarily gained the upper hand, his dual swords unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes.
[Skill: The level of “Dual Sword Mastery” has increased!]
Amid the relentless barrage of powerful strikes, the creature let out a roar. A voice echoed out from the creature’s body. “It won’t be that easy! No matter how much you struggle, in the end, you’ll be my prey!”
It won’t be that easy... Suho understood why. The exoskeleton is quite tough. But who cares? A strong defense simply means that I’ll have to crush it even harder. I’m your prey? Don’t make me laugh. A wide smile formed across his face. You’re my prey. The thought of killing this creature and commanding it as a shadow soldier thrilled him.
[Skill: “Storm Slash” has activated.]