Chapter 52

[Kiyaaaaaaa!]

The shadow centipede bared its ferocious teeth at Randolph, who dared to kill his master.

Krrrk!

The huge monster charged and hit Randolph.

"Ack!"

He bounced off and crashed into the wall.

It has happened countless times already.

However, Randolph was still clinging on to the fact that Suho was just a summoning hunter.

"How could you summon something like this! If I could just kill you, everything would be…!"

Blag!

He didn't even get to finish his words.

* * *

Although he had killed Randolph, Suho had a rather serious expression.

"Where did an A-Class hunter get such an injury?"

Randolph was a very tough human being and he showed great power even in that state.

The problem was that the being who made him that way was just out there.

"What the hell is in there?"

Esil also had a serious expression.

"Something is wrong. If he had been alone, he would have escaped right away."

Suho's senses stats were also sending strong warnings as he got closer to the depths of the labyrinth.

He himself also felt something strange.

'I don't know why, but somehow it feels like it's waiting for me.'

The same goes for the mummies that were just artificial beasts.

… As well as the prophecy.

Most of all, he was very curious about what the great spellcaster Kandiaru, who was said to have designed the level-up system, was doing in this pyramid.

The answers to all those questions will be right in there.

Eventually, Suho arrived at the huge door.

Looking up at the door, his eyes lit up.

"Let's go in."

"Wait. Preparation time!"

Esil called him urgently.

Then she pointed to Vulcan's Horn in his hand.

"Can I go in right away?"

"Do you want to go in now?"

"Well, I guess?"

Everything is hard the first time, easy the second time.

Frightened, Esil quickly transformed into a spirit and possessed Suho's sword.

[Vulcan's Horn devours the demon's soul.]

"He seems to be eating too much today, he might get anorexia."

Suho, who roused his mind by talking nonsense for a while, finally opened the door.

Squeak!

A vision of a giant crocodile man came into his field of vision.

[Death-Eating Crocodile Ammut]

"Krrrk!"

'Ammut? I think it's a name from Egyptian mythology.'

Suho remembered.

Originally, Ammut was a monster similar to Cerberus in Greek mythology.

Its appearance was often described as a crocodile head, a lion mane on the neck, a lion upper body, and a hippo lower body. But, that monster was just a muscular crocodile human.

The moment Ammut spotted Suho, he immediately rushed at him.

"Krrrk!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His gigantic steps shook the entire pyramid.

"Everyone, attack!"

The shadow soldiers, led by the shadow centipede, began attacking Ammut.

[Krrrk!]

[Kiyaaaaa!]

The shadow centipede coiled around his massive body while the shadow spider wrapped his arms and legs in webs, blocking its movement.

Meanwhile, the sight of the shadow mummies attacking him all at once was truly a masterpiece.

The problem was that he was too strong.

"Krrrk!"

Blag!

Ammut's strong forearms grabbed the shadow centipede's neck and smashed it to the ground.

Then, with a most cruel smile, he slammed his fists into the torso of the shadow centipede lying on the floor.

Bam!

Truly an overwhelming power!

-Suho!

"Okay. We'll attack, too."

When Esil shouted, Suho also rushed towards him.

[Use 'Skill: Giant's Armor'.]

Swook!

"Krrrk?"

Ammut's eyes flashed as Suho's size suddenly doubled in front of him.

His transformation did not end there.

"Blessing!"

[The spiritual body of 'Pet: Gray' is strengthened in the body of the pontifex.]

Swoosh!

Suho's hair was bleached silver, and a divine wind blew through his whole body.

[Use 'Skill: Grassland Wind'.]

[Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.]

[Attack speed temporarily increases by 30%.]

Swoosh!

At an incredibly fast speed, Suho poured all his strength into Ammut.

[Use 'Skill: Blade Storm'.]

Swish!

"Krrrk!"

Ammut laughed and threw his fist at the storm of blades that swung at him.

It was a simple punch, but its power was enough to tear the wind and threaten even Suho beyond.

[Young Master! It's dangerous!]

Suho managed to dodge the attack by turning in the air with the Ruler's Power.

He turned his back and fiercely swung his twin swords at Ammut.

Slash!

"Krrrk!"

Ammut grabbed the head of the shadow centipede and swung it at Suho like a whip.

Swoosh!

[Kiyaaaaa…!]

With that incredible whip, the huge centipede's body shattered the marble floor and the walls.

The shadow centipede screamed in pain.

Suho narrowly avoided the ridiculous attack and continued to swing his sword aiming at Ammut.

Right at that moment, Suho's eyes flashed.

"Shadow centipede! Come back!"

[Kiyaaaaa!]

The body of the shadow centipede that was being swung from Ammut's hand turned into black smoke and scattered in the air.

"Krrrk?!"

Ammut, who suddenly became empty-handed, showed a puzzled expression for the first time.

"Arise!"

The shadow centipede came out of Suho's shadow in an intact form wrapped around Ammut's thick nape and bit it.

[Kiyaaaa!]

"Krrrrk!"

It was a clash of giant monsters.

But as seen earlier, the gap between the two was already clear.

-All the shadow centipede can do is to buy time!

Hearing Esil, Suho quickly analyzed the situation.

'His skin is so thick and strong. It's not a kind of defense that the blade can penetrate.'

To fight such an opponent, a blunt weapon was a lot better than a blade.

In other words, overwhelming power.

Suho quickly checked his mana.

'I have to attack with a strong one.'

It would be nice if that one shot worked, but if it failed, he had to get out of that place as soon as possible and adjust his power again.

"Bang."

Swoosh!

[Use 'Skill: Strike'.]

Ruler's Power enveloped Suho's fist, and an armament that looked like a huge gauntlet appeared.

"Ha!"

Without hesitation, Suho thrust his fist down at Ammut, who was scrambling with the shadow centipede.

Smash!

"Krrrk?!"

Blood gushed out of Ammut's mouth as the attack was from Suho's entire concentrated power.

This was the first time he has dealt significant damage!

"… Krrrk."

A faint light returned to Ammut's eyes, which had been stained red.

Surprisingly, his mouth opened and words that Suho couldn't understand came out.

"… A rigid body technique?"

"Huh?"

"Ha ha ha! It has been so long! I've never been hit by a fist like this!"

Suho couldn't help but be embarrassed to see Ammut suddenly burst out laughing.

"W-What?"

[Eh? Young Master, that guy…]

-Was you talking about that person?

Suho had no choice but to stop the attack for a moment, which baffled everyone who was engaged in an all-out war.

At that moment…

Swish.

[You purchased 'Item: Lesser Mana Potion'.]

'I'll quickly replenish mana first.'

Suho keeps an eye on the situation while drinking potions.

Ammut really didn't show any more will to attack Suho.

Just like a child who found an interesting toy, he just stared at Suho's fist that hit him with twinkling eyes.

"Hey."

Ammut calls Suho without hesitation.

"Try that one more time."

"W-What? The 'Strike'?"

"Strike? Do you call it by that name?"

Ammut was giggling even as he coughed up blood from his mouth.

'I don't see the need to decline when he's the one asking me to hit him.'

Suho glanced at his own mana power first.

In the past, he would have run out of mana after a single blow, but thanks to the 'Ring of Horus' given to him by Rio Xing, he still had enough.

[Use 'Skill: Strike'.]

Fwoosh!

Suho's fist turned black again.

He raised his fist.

"Wait. I want to watch it for a while."

Ammut's vertically split reptile eyes spun round and round, closely watching Suho's fist.

He then bursted into laughter again.

"Hahaha! What? You can only do Spiritual Body Manifestation with your fist? Is that even enough to give half-punch?"

"… What are you talking about?"

And what 'Spiritual Body Manifestation'?

Suho eventually lost the will to fight.

Which hunter in the world would be treated like that by a boss mob he met in the dungeon.

A message has arrived from the distant world of rest.

[The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, giggles as he observes the situation.]

"Are you laughing at me now?"

[The King of Beasts, Fang Monarch, would like to inform you that he is the mentor who raised the Iron Body Monarch.]

"Mentor who raised who?"

[Ehhh?! What do you mean "what"?! The one who raised the Iron Body Monarch!]

Unlike Suho, who was puzzled, Beru was shocked and made a fuss.

"Seriously? So, they were people who knew Tarnak after all? I knew it."

Hearing their conversation, Ammut smirked and grabbed the shadow centipede that kept biting his neck with both hands and threw it on the floor.

[Kiyaaaah!]

The shadow centipede regenerated itself and attacked Ammut, but Suho took the shadow centipede and asked.

"Tarnak?"

"King of Monstrous Humanoids, Tarnak. Iron Body Monarch."

Ammut chuckled as he spat out the black blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I am the mentor who taught him Spiritual Body Manifestation."

-I've heard of that before.

Swook!

Esil escaped from Vulcan's Horn and continued.

"The reason why the King of Monstrous Humanoids came to be called the Iron Body Monarch is because he uses a unique technique called Spiritual Body Manifestation."

"Kehehe. That's right, I am the one who passed it on. Tsk. But, what now? I heard he died?"

Ammut sat down with his butt on the floor.

At the same time, his eyes remained only in Suho's enveloped fist as if possessed.

Grin.

"Yeah, that's fine."

Ammut said he had a good idea, looking at Suho.

"Hey, you. I see some potential. Tarnak must be dead anyway, so why don't you learn instead?"

"…?"

"I'm talking about the Spiritual Body Manifestation."

"All of a sudden?"

Right then, a message appeared in front of Suho.

['Daily Quest: Spiritual Body Manifestation Training' has arrived.]