NOVEL WEB This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by
Chapter 55
[Skill: Smash - Level 1]
[Active Skill
Required Mana: 300
Applying “Ruler’s Authority” to one’s body enhances attack power.]
→
[Skill: Iron Body Technique Training - Level 1]
[Active Skill
Required Mana: 600
Enhance your body with the power of “Ruler’s Authority.”
The attack and defense of reinforced areas are amplified.]
The skill had evolved.
With his arm shrouded in a dark aura, Suho rotated it in various directions, his eyes gleaming.
Smash was originally a skill that only amplified attack power, but now it also enhanced overall strength, albeit at the cost of double the previous required mana.
Moreover, it’s only at level 1 now. Will the level keep increasing if I repeat this training every day? Its range might also expand as it increases... As Suho entertained that thought, he turned his gaze to Ammut.
He was reminded of the beast’s overwhelming presence during the spirit transfer that had dominated the entire space.
“Yes, that’s correct.” Ammut caught the meaning behind Suho’s gaze and grinned slyly. “Once you master the Iron Body Technique, you’ll eventually become as strong as I am. You won’t need to rely on other skills either. All you’ll need is pure brute strength. Well then, go ahead and try hitting me with your newfound power!”
As Ammut spread his arms wide, Suho wore a puzzled expression. “Hit you? You really want me to hit you?”
“That’s right! Exchanging blows with full force is how Crocors greet each other! Now, show me your strength!”
The greeting was a bit crude, but judging by the robust crocodile skin that covered Ammut’s entire body, it seemed like Suho could exert his full strength without the need to hold back.
“Well then, I won’t hold back. ” Suho firmly raised his arm, and with all his strength, punched Ammut’s core.
An overwhelming force unleashed a tremendous shockwave. However, Ammut merely took a single step back.
“Hehe. What a tasty punch.” Ammut chuckled, spewing black blood from his mouth. “If this is your level right now, I’m looking forward to teaching you more in the future. You pass!”
“I pass?”
“Indeed. I’m officially taking you on as my apprentice. Now, I can stop accepting other challengers.”
The creature slid its foot on the floor, and the ground vibrated as a massive magic circle began to expand in all directions.
“Young Monarch!”
As the entire pyramid began being enveloped by a giant magic circle, Beru and Esil urgently flew over to protect Suho.
“It’s a magic circle!”
“The dimensional wall in this area is warping!” Having already crossed over dimensions once, Esil was well aware of what was happening.
“Don’t get worked up. I have no intention of harming you.” Ammut smiled, savoring their reactions, before sharing an old memory, “Long ago, Kandiaru came to me and said he would help me research the Iron Body Technique to my heart’s content. He also promised to provide an endless stream of challengers for me to train.” Ammut’s mouth stretched wide, showing his gleaming sharp teeth. “He was a sly sorcerer. The promise of challengers was a ruse from the beginning.”
The beast had come to realize that this entire system, even his research toward the Iron Body Technique, had been sorely prepared for the little human before it.
From the center of the shaking pyramid and magic circle, Ammut chuckled while staring directly at Suho. “I knew it from the moment I saw you. You’re the direct descendant of the Monarch of Shadows! Kandiaru is one wicked sorcerer. In a cruel twist of fate, I must now teach the son of the man who killed Tarnak, my first apprentice. Well, so be it.”
Ammut saw beyond Suho’s outward appearance and into the radiant light of his magnificent soul within. The sly conjurer probably knew I wouldn’t be able to resist such a promising apprentice. Wherever you are, you’ve won! I will willingly fall for your deceit. The beast had finally realized Kandiaru’s cunning scheme, but there was nothing it could do but go along with it.
Ammut was intrigued by the possibilities. The Iron Body Technique had transformed an insignificant goblin into a vessel for the King of Monstrous Beasts. If a human with such a magnificent soul were to learn this ultimate power, how far could they transcend their limits? The thought alone is exhilarating!
Chuckling, the beast quietly chanted the spell that Kandiaru had passed down. “The challenger’s future will be shone with a brilliant light!”
At that moment, the space vibrated, and a system message appeared in front of Suho.
[“Death Devouring Crocodile Ammut” wishes to be recruited as a Non-Player Character(NPC).]
[Would you like to accept?] (Y/N)
A question rose inside Suho’s mind. An NPC?
Those familiar with gaming would instantly recognize it. Suho was always referred to as “the player” by the System. On the other hand, NPCs were not players but characters who helped facilitate the smooth progress of the game and were often found residing in specific areas.
“Young Monarch...?” Beru blinked in confusion, having failed to grasp the current situation.
Beru is just a fighter, not the system’s architect. This is the system my father passed down. Recalling his father’s usual temperament, Suho once again glanced at the message.
[Would you like to accept?] (Y/N)
It felt like his father was asking him what he’d like to do. The question was a suggestion and not an imposition. Suho could feel his father’s concerns from the question. It was as if his father knew the hardships he’d suffer from learning from the humanoid crocodile. The choice was up to him. Mother always used to say that I resemble Father. What would have he done?
The answer was obvious.
“Ammut.” Suho willingly accepted the proposal. “I look forward to working with you from now on.”
The beast’s fierce eyes narrowed like a crescent moon. “Indeed, my apprentice.”
Boom!
Just as the words left Ammut’s mouth, a massive earthquake shook the desert.
***
“Wh-what’s happening?!”
The Asura Guild members still inside the labyrinth looked at Rio Singh in surprise.
“Rio! Something ominous is happening!”
“It feels like the pyramid is about to collapse!”
“Those Scavenger scum must have crushed so many walls!” Rio Singh gritted his teeth. He had to make a decision. “We need to escape right now! This pyramid can’t be our tomb!”
“What about the prophecy?”
“The prophecy... My guess is that ‘life born from death’ refers to the mummies.”
“Ah, that makes sense!” One of the guild members urgently nodded their head.
Rio’s theory had gaps in logic, but they all agreed that escaping as quickly as possible from this perilous pyramid was the top priority. Despite the unanimous consensus, a big concern still hung over their heads.
“Rio, is it really okay to leave like this? If we return empty-handed, who knows what kind of punishment we’ll face?”
“It will be better than dying. Besides, we aren’t going back with nothing.” Rio Singh said with a smile as he helped an injured hunter. “Today, we met an enemy, but we’ve also made a new friend. As soon as I return to the guild, I will raise a formal complaint to the Scavenger Guild about today’s events. That will transpire into a political struggle between guilds, and it will no longer be our concern.”
Cases like this were the exact reason why guilds hired expensive legal representatives. Given that every hunter in this town had witnessed the atrocities of the Scavenger Guild, they would all lean toward supporting the Asura Guild, and ignoring public opinion would be difficult even for the Scavenger Guild.
“If we had died here, it might have been a different story. But the moment we manage to get out of here, we have every right to hold the Scavenger Guild accountable for their actions under international hunter laws. The guild master won’t come down so hard on us.”
Rio Singh was also thinking about the connection he had forged with Suho.
“And do you think I handed over that precious item to that South Korean hunter for no reason?” Sung Suho... Given his extraordinary skill, he must be a member of a highly renowned guild in South Korea.
Considering that Egypt was a twenty-hour plane ride away from South Korea, Rio figured he had to be an impressive hunter to have come so far, so he guessed that Suho would also find himself in a tough spot if he were to return empty-handed.
“I gave him the ring with that in mind.”
The Asura Guild members, a beat late in grasping the meaning of Rio Singh’s words, widened their eyes.
Rio chuckled and nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Every favor comes with a price. Now, he has incurred a debt of gratitude to the Asura Guild. Furthermore, he has become a comrade who shares a common enemy, the Scavenger Guild.” There was a word that neatly defined such a connection. “We’ve indeed become friends.” The hunter smiled widely as his eyes gleamed intensely.
At that moment, a certain fact suddenly occurred to the guild members.
“Ah! Come to think of it, the guild master has been showing interest in South Korea for a while now!”
“That’s right. I factored that in as well. Now, if our guild goes to South Korea, we’ll be able to get his assistance. Especially now that we’ve become friends.”
No one knew why the Asura Guild’s guild master was showing interest in a small country in the Far East. Especially since entering another country without any justification under international hunter law was a challenging task for all guilds. It was for good reason as hunter guilds were powerful paramilitary entities in their own right. Given that South Korea and India had no apparent ties, it was convenient that Rio had established a connection.
“Good heavens. Rio, just how big of a picture are you painting here?” a hunter asked.
“Come on, this isn’t such a big deal.” Rio Singh casually shrugged as if it were nothing, and continued helping the injured. “Now, let’s abandon any lingering regrets and quickly escape.”
Rumble!
Just as they barely got out alive, the hunters saw the situation was becoming even more dire.
“Good heavens...”
Their faces turned pale as they looked back. A horrific scene was unfolding right before their eyes.
“This is insane!”
“The pyramid...”
“It’s sinking!”
A massive area of quicksand had appeared. The red sands of the desert swirled like a vortex and engulfed everything nearby. At its center, the pyramid of Kandiaru was sinking deep underground.
“Run! You’ll be buried alive if you don’t!”
They started running with all their might, and when they finally reached the nearby village of Kamura...
“Huh?”
There was nothing left behind them. Swallowed by the red sands, the colossal pyramid had disappeared without a trace. The catastrophic natural disaster left all the hunters in Kamura gripped by fear.
Will he be okay? He must have got out safely, right? Surely... No, he would have, Rio thought.
The pyramid hadn’t sunk so quickly, considering he had escaped with injured hunters. Rio was certain that someone of Suho’s physical prowess would have escaped unharmed. However, there was no sign of his new friend anywhere.
It seems like there’s a reason to go to South Korea after all... Rio knew that Suho would eventually return to his homeland if he had safely escaped, and a trip to South Korea would be necessary to confirm Suho’s well-being.
Rio Singh nodded sternly and turned to his guild members. “We’re going home.”