Chapter 57
Combat...?
Huh, something like that...
Ah... Could it be from me running into walls all over the place?
I glanced at my phone and used it like a mirror...
Wow, what happened to my face?
Bruises covered my already-not-handsome face.
“Ah, yes.”
“I sincerely apologize. This was unquestionably a mistake on the part of our authorities.”
“I imagine so.”
“I don't know if this will make up for what happened, but... we've decided to transfer all rights to the items recovered from the assassin you captured to you, Hunter Kim.”
“Were any of them any good?”
The shoes were pretty good, though.
“We don't know yet.”
“What?”
“The assassin isn't willingly taking the items out of their inventory... so our security bureau will be taking ‘measures.’”
Once a Hunter puts an item in their inventory, there is no way for anyone else to get it out.
The only way is for the owner to voluntarily take it out and hand it over.
If he was talking about measures in this situation...
“Torture?”
When I asked without thinking, he merely smiled faintly.
Yikes, scary.
Well, even the U.S. was merciless with terrorists, and Saudi Arabia still had premodern punishments like flogging and beheading. What would you expect?
“And it's not confirmed yet... That's why we're investigating with help from the intelligence agencies of several countries, but... I think it's probably him.”
After hesitating briefly, Abdul spoke.
“It appears to be Al-Murtada, an elite assassin of the Hashashin, wanted in 54 countries and responsible for assassinations and terrorist attacks in 28.”
... I seemed to have caught a much bigger fish than I'd thought.
**
This incident caused a huge uproar in Saudi Arabia.
You might say, “But aren't the Hashashin Muslims, too?” but they're Persian—in other words, Iranian.
That meant they were Shia.
Saudi Arabia was a quintessential Sunni country.
Though they followed the same religion, those two sects rejected each other almost as much as they did infidels.
How else could you explain a Sunni terrorist group saying, ‘Tax Christians, but just kill the Shia.’
The Shia were no different.
They were just a smaller sect and lacked the power to make their voices heard.
A Shia terrorist had infiltrated Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's second-largest city after Riyadh, as well as the holy city of Mecca.
There had been a real chance that a Saudi royal or other prominent figure could have been assassinated.
─On top of that, the World Hunter Association is going to issue a statement. Two, actually.
I was a little surprised by Zephyros's words.
“Because of me?”
─Yeah. Under the World Hunter Rights Charter, all Hunters have the right not to be persecuted or discriminated against for clearing Gates. The same charter also says they mustn't use their abilities for terrorism, assassination, or harming others.
“...Both provisions got completely ignored, didn't they?”
─Yep, so one statement is aimed at the Hashashin, and the other at the Saudi government.
“The Saudi government, too?”
I felt kind of bad for them.
Was there any way to stop someone of that caliber from openly coming in to assassinate someone?
─It's political pressure.
“...Even here, it's politics?”
─Politics is how the world works, no matter where you are.
Zephyros said with a snicker.
─Saudi Arabia isn't a WDDO member.
“Huh? Really?”
There were countries that hadn't joined?
Wasn't it supposed to include most of the world?
─What are the main points of the WDDO?
“Lifting restrictions on Gate clearing... Ah?”
─Right. If they joined, they couldn't enact policies like forbidding infidels from clearing Gates, so they never joined in the first place. That's why the Saudi economy has fallen so much.
The superpowers of the world had even imposed massive economic reprisals to get every country in the world to join the WDDO.
They'd stubbornly endured all that and refused to join... Should I say religion's power was incredible, or that they were foolish?
“So that's why they invited me.”
─Yeah. After agonizing over the religious issue and completely opening up access, they settled on a compromise like you.
“But now that things have turned out like this, the Saudi government must be in a difficult position.”
─You bet. President Kang Min-guk is especially furious. He immediately summoned the Saudi ambassador and chewed him out for three hours.
“The Korean ambassador to Saudi Arabia came by too. He asked if I was okay.”
The ambassador hadn't looked too well himself, but at least I wasn't injured anywhere.
─You're still planning to proceed with the Gate, right?
“Of course.”
After all that trouble, I'd be pissed if I didn't clear it.
─Good. We'll coordinate with the Dungeon Management Bureau and Foreign Ministry to squeeze Saudi Arabia for everything we can. Just come back in one piece.
“I feel reassured.”
I finished the call with Zephyros and stood up.
I'd let things simmer long enough...
It was about time to start the raid.
**
The Saudi government's original plan had probably been to keep public attention under control and quickly clear Mecca's uncleared Gate, but the world's eyes were already fixed on it.
Some people prayed in front of Mecca, hoping for a clear... Did you buy stocks?
Some cursed me as an infidel.
Others were simply looking forward to it out of curiosity.
I don't think I'd ever entered a Gate under this much attention before.
And so, the Mecca Mysterious Gate, which had been full of twists and turns...
[You are entering Stage 29 Gate, ‘Temple of the Fanatics.’]
It had a rather strange name for a holy site like Mecca.
Inside were the temple's guardian knights and the priests who supported them.
Surprisingly, they weren't normal people.
The guardian knights moved with nothing but their armor clanking, while the priests were hazy and indistinct, like spirits.
“Let's sweep them up first.”
I merely twitched a finger, and Unit 1's mist instantly engulfed and disintegrated all the guardian knights.
With a single click, the knights were swept away.
[Your level has increased.]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 30.]
[You have received a ‘Material Item Selection Ticket (S)’ as a reward.]
Ah, I shouldn't level up too much.
Still, I'd finally reached Level 30.
I'd kept the level gains to a minimum, and only now reached Level 30.
In any case, as expected... no clear notification.
That was the reason this Gate had been classified as impossible to clear.
Even after killing all the guardian knights, no clear notification appeared.
Besides, the spirit-like priests took no damage from any type of attack.
I probably had to figure out how to kill those things.
I came in knowing that already, but what a goddamn awful gimmick.
Don't tell me this will be my first failed raid.
Just then.
─How dare you...! A being against the natural order has set foot in this sacred temple!
Huh? They can talk, too?
The spirit-like priests.
A voice came from the one wearing a crown, who looked like their leader.
And then...
─Being against the natural order! Begone!
A massive wave of divine power surged toward me.
It should've been lethal to my undead bacteria...
It should have been.
Do you take me for an idiot?
Would a necromancer just walk into a temple? It's obviously a hard counter.
[A holy wave is engulfing your subordinates!]
[A miracle of unknown origin nullifies the holy wave!]
[Subordinates destroyed: 0]
What? A holy attribute?
My army, you see...
They didn't just take a dip in Nectar. They absorbed it, too.
And their name changed, as well.
From their original name, Perpetuus Exomorulus.
(1) Gluttony (Gluttony)
─Population: approximately 1.2 trillion
─Description: Bacteria that harbor a miracle of unknown origin within their bodies, having far transcended the limits of their species. They are regarded as the embodiment of appetite itself.
Now they're called ‘Gluttony.’
When I first let these guys fall into the Nectar, I panicked.
I only meant to coat them on the outside, like yeast, but they ate it all up uncontrollably.
I nearly cried over how much of it had gone to waste.
And then... they evolved like that.
They don't multiply by dividing in that state, but there's no need for them to.
Now they're impossible to destroy with ordinary force.
Honestly, I can't even tell how strong they are.
─How can a being against the natural order...! N-No way...! This can't be! It can't! How could God dwell within a being like that?!
The spirit priest was carrying on all by themself.
“Yeah, it just happened.”
Yeah, I was surprised, too.
─O great Alois! Please grant me your power to face that evil being!
I guess that's their god's name.
But...
─W-What do you mean? Aah! Have you abandoned us, Alois?!
Guess the god wasn't responding?
At the same time.
The bright white light of the priests began turning black in an instant.
Is this what they call going dark or whatever?
The guardian knights I'd disassembled also began to be remade and rise again.
This time, they were a muted ink-black with a faint sheen.
What am I supposed to do now?
Just wipe them out?
But then...
The knights parted, and the head priest approached me, knelt, and offered me the crown they had been wearing.
─Even Alois has abandoned us. You are the only one who can take us in. Please accept us and use us as your sword and shield.
“...Take you in?”
─You, who wield the unnatural, can take us in.
... Well, the thing is...
“S-Sorry, but ordinary undead aren't my specialty. I can't do that.”
In fact, the message was telling me as much.
[50 Fallen Alois Guardian Knights and 20 Fallen Alois Priests wish to become your subordinates!]
[Due to your class restrictions, you cannot accept this offer.]
This is driving me crazy.
“I can't.”
─...In the end, we are destined to be accepted nowhere.
“Hmm.”
What a waste.
Could I maybe do something like this?
“Imperial Decree. Targets: all Fallen Alois Guardian Knights and Fallen Alois Priests. Temporarily store them in a recalled state. They may be transferred to another person capable of forming a subordinate contract in the future.”
[An Imperial Decree is issued to 50 Fallen Alois Guardian Knights and 20 Fallen Alois Priests.]
[Imperial Decree: Temporarily store them in subspace in a recalled state. Transfer the subordinates to another person.]
[Decree duration: Permanent (Control 250% applied; duration extended with the targets' consent)]
...It works.
Anyone want to buy some useful undead?
The necromancer industry is probably about to go nuts.
As the fallen priests and guardian knights, temporarily stored by the Imperial Decree, disappeared, a crown plopped into my hand.
Ah, could this be an item, too...
[Alois Pope's Circlet]
[Grade]: Relic-grade headgear
[Description]: A circlet symbolizing the authority of the Pope of the Alois Order. It was made with a deep understanding of souls.
[Effect]: If you take damage that would otherwise kill you, it nullifies that damage and temporarily turns you into a spirit. (Duration: 10 seconds) Attacks capable of hitting spirits cannot be evaded. Moving mana while in spirit form immediately ends the state.
...How did an item that scratches exactly where I itch show up like this?
Finally...
[You have cleared the Stage 29 Gate, ‘Temple of the Fanatics,’ for the first time.]
[As a first-clear reward, your maximum mana has increased.]
[You have completed a hidden mission, and the Gate has changed into Stage 29 Gate, ‘Temple of the Fallen.’]
[You have cleared the Stage 29 Gate, ‘Temple of the Fallen,’ for the first time.]
[As a first-clear reward, your maximum mana has increased.]
...This is the first time I've gotten the first-clear reward twice.
Anyway, if it cleared, then everything worked out.
Today, too, with plenty of side income, my body began to be enveloped in a mass of light and expelled.