#120
When Eunseok stood up again and looked forward, the surroundings were utterly devastated. Charred black corpses and green humanoids writhing with burst bodies resembled a scene from hell.
“Good. The shield will last for ten minutes! Let’s take down those big ones one by one within that time!” James shouted confidently, planting his shield in the ground. A translucent blue barrier formed from the shield, encircling the area.
Choi Hanseo, after briefly glancing to confirm Eunseok was inside the barrier, vanished in an instant. James and Damon also disappeared from their spots as if sinking into the ground. In the brief moment it took to blink, the three had dispersed and were engaging the green giants.
“Hah…”
Anna, seemingly exhausted from using a major skill, sat down and caught her breath. Eunseok placed his hand on Anna’s neck and continued guiding. Of course, his eyes were still intently following Choi Hanseo.
***
Eunseok briefly glanced up at the stone pyramid. The enormous stepped pyramid was covered in vine-like plants, and beneath the vines, bizarre carvings were visible on the surface, mostly depicting scenes of war or human sacrifice.
Looking down again, he saw his teammates engaging in combat with abilities bordering on the miraculous. The monsters that appeared as they neared the pyramid could hardly be called humanoid anymore. They had four faces on each side and eight arms, each hand gripping various weapons.
“Ugh!”
With a short groan, Damon flew towards Eunseok and crashed hard into the ground. Bright red blood seeped out from under his body as he raised his upper body.
“Natasha!”
Eunseok called for Natasha, the healer, as he ran to Damon.
“Stay still.”
Eunseok calmed Damon, who was about to dash back into battle, and examined his condition. There were wounds from various weapons all over. The slight furrowing of his brow with each breath suggested some broken ribs.
Natasha began healing Damon, placing her hands on his body. Eunseok used this opportunity to hold Damon’s hand and start intense guiding.
“Ha. Fighting while receiving immediate healing and guiding. This kind of service is a first for me.”
Damon joked, seemingly embarrassed about being the only one knocked down.
Once healed, Damon immediately rushed back to the front line and resumed fighting furiously against the monsters.
There were four monsters with four faces each. The three S-class hunters each engaged one, while Anna, the ranged attacker, dealt with the remaining one. However, the creature seemed to have some magical defense in addition to its bizarre appearance. The fire arrows Anna continuously shot only slightly damaged its shell.
“Natasha. Can you cover me?”
“Okay.”
Eunseok asked Natasha as he put down the bag he was carrying. He quickly assembled a sniper rifle from the bag. After swift assembly, Eunseok lay prone on the ground, eye to the scope, aiming at the head of the monster Anna was fighting.
Through the scope, he saw four faces rapidly rotating depending on the weapon used. A smiling face, crying face, angry face, and expressionless face flashed by quickly. Given that Anna’s attacks were merely keeping it at bay, it was clear that even bullets designed for monsters would only damage its hide. The only target left was its most vulnerable part – the eyes.
Eunseok quietly waited for the faces to change. The moment right after a change was the best time to shoot. He lightly rested his finger on the trigger, slowing his breathing and pulse. Then, a moment later, Eunseok fired the rifle at the monster’s eye.
Phew-!
A soft sound muffled by the silencer rang out.
“Graaah-!!”
The monster, hit in the eye, flailed its eight arms wildly in the air and screamed. Eunseok quietly waited for the next opportunity. The faces changed rapidly, and an angry face filled the scope. Its bulging, bright red eyes were staring directly at Eunseok.
The eyes full of killing intent were quite threatening, but this moment when the creature was staring directly at Eunseok was also an excellent opportunity.
Phew-! Phew-!
Eunseok skillfully burst both eyes on the angry face in succession.
“Graaaah-!”
The creature’s body staggered as it screamed in pain. Anna didn’t miss this chance and repeatedly shot fire arrows into the empty eye sockets now oozing green blood.
The coordination between Eunseok and Anna was excellent for a first attempt. Every time Eunseok burst one of the creature’s eight eyes, Anna skillfully planted fire arrows into the sockets. Finally, the monster’s four heads began to catch fire. Eunseok precisely planted a bullet in the center of its head, now weakened by the flames.
Boom-!
The creature finally collapsed.
“Nice!”
Natasha cheered cheerfully from the side.
Eunseok stood up and packed the rifle back into his bag.
Soon after, the other three monsters also fell, their heads either blown off or torn to shreds. Choi Hanseo, as was his habit, finished by flicking his finger to burst the monster’s head.
The three who returned to the waiting area were all covered in green blood, flesh, and red wounds from various weapons. However, befitting S-class hunters, they showed no signs of fatigue.
Natasha healed the three in turn. As they were all just light scratches, the healing was quick. Eunseok spread his area guiding to the maximum in preparation for the next battle.
“Is it time for the boss room?” James said, looking at the entrance at the base of the massive stepped pyramid. Unlike typical pyramids without entrances, this one had a large opening decorated with bizarre carvings, as if welcoming intruders. Given the four monsters guarding the entrance, there was no doubt that the boss was inside.
Eunseok walked over to Choi Hanseo’s side and casually took his hand to start guiding. Everyone glanced enviously, but no one complained.
“To perform such intense area guiding and contact guiding simultaneously… No wonder you’re an S-class guide,” Anna, who had already experienced Eunseok’s contact guiding, marveled.
“Hmph. Our Noah is an S-class guide too,” Damon snorted.
“You mean the Noah who’s too busy being hidden away to even accompany you into gates?” Natasha teased Damon.
“Of course he needs to be hidden! Do you know how many bastards are after our Noah?” Damon shouted angrily. It seemed that Noah, like Eunseok, had suffered quite a bit due to being an S-class guide.
“How are you feeling?” Choi Hanseo asked Eunseok, ignoring the team members’ conversation.
“I’m fine. I didn’t have to move much this time,” Eunseok replied, glancing up at the two suns still in place despite nearly twenty hours passing since they entered the gate. As long as he wasn’t engaged in intense combat or continuous running, he could easily last three or four days like this.
“Be careful when we go inside. We don’t know what might jump out,” Hanseo said.
It would have been a blow to his pride to be worried over by a colleague during a mission. But Eunseok was now quite accustomed to the world of ability users. Hanseo’s concern was justified, so Eunseok simply nodded.
“Me, Anna, Damon, Natasha, Eunseok, Choi Hanseo. How about we enter in this order?” James suggested. The idea was to protect the A-class hunter and guide by placing them between S-class hunters. Everyone nodded, seemingly fine with the arrangement. And so, the formation for entering the pyramid was decided.
After a short rest, eating energy bars and drinking water, the group entered the pyramid.
Unlike the hot and humid exterior, the temperature inside the pyramid was quite cool. The interior of the passage showed signs of long neglect but no evidence of damage or destruction. Moreover, gems emitting faint light were embedded in the ceiling at intervals, eliminating the need for additional lighting.
“That could be worth some money,” Natasha said, looking at the glowing gems in the ceiling. Eunseok, on the other hand, was observing the carvings on the passage walls.
The carvings were similar to those on the pyramid’s exterior.
Human sacrifice, offering of sacrifices, two suns, giants with four heads, and the god they worshipped…
The moment Eunseok was about to mention the identity of the boss, a cold wind blew from the far end of the passage. It was a chill that could freeze bones. Soon after, an eerie sound that seemed to shake their very souls began to rumble.
Woooooo—!
“Looks like it’s noticed us. Let’s go!” James shouted. The team, as if by agreement, started running towards the interior.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
