Chapter 57: The Ritual

There were two possibilities for monsters being present on this island.

First, Ruah had unknowingly entered a Gate.

‘No, that’s impossible.’ Ruah thought.

She knew the sensation of entering a Gate from experience. Being thrown into complete darkness, disoriented and unsure of up or down. But this time, she was clearly connected to the outside world.

Second, a Gate had overflowed.

‘That’s it, isn’t it?’

At some point, a Gate, the type that spawned Lizardmen, must have appeared on the island. And after three days without being cleared, the monsters had spilled out.

This hadn’t happened in the original story. Something was definitely wrong.

“S-Shouldn’t we tell the guild?”

Juju whispered, her face pale.

“I heard Lizardmen are at least C-rank…!”

She was right. Lizardmen were typically encountered by intermediate players who had progressed beyond the newbie stage.

They often appeared in large numbers and coordinated their attacks, easily wiping out parties that lacked proper synergy.

“Yes, we should be careful, but… not the guild.”

“Huh?”

Ruah watched the Lizardmen walking away, carrying Hwayeon and Emma.

“They were using cell phones.”

“…….”

Juju’s face hardened. The implication was clear.

“It means they have collaborators. The only ones capable of that are the guild…”

“Y-You mean Hunter Kim Jiyeon deliberately brought the monsters here?”

“Calm down. We can’t jump to conclusions yet.”

She didn’t know why the ‘Nick’s Brothers’ Guild would be working with Lizardmen.

But she couldn’t just ignore this and walk away. Emma and Hwayeon had been captured because Ruah suggested they split up.

‘I only wanted to separate from them for a short while, not put their lives in danger.’ Ruah thought.

And the hidden skill. Circumstantially, it was clear the Lizardmen had taken it. They had mentioned securing a “core” during their phone conversation.

“We have no choice but to follow them.”

“…Understood.”

Juju clenched her fists, her expression serious.

“Hunter Kim Jiyeon wouldn’t collude with monsters. I have to see what’s going on with my own eyes.”

They began their pursuit, maintaining a safe distance as they followed the Lizardmen’s trail.

‘They’ve created a path between the rocks.’ Ruah thought.

Her theory about the Lizardmen taking the skill gained more credence.

The path leading to the hidden location was clear evidence they knew about the secret spot.

‘There was no mention of this in the game….’

Ruah had thoroughly analyzed the Inyong Island episode, and the appearance of Lizardmen was completely new. The original story was a simple Battle Royale with a reward at the end. She couldn’t understand how things had gotten to this point.

“Teacher, they’re going inside.”

“…Yes.”

The path led to a cave. Lizardmen footprints were clearly visible at the entrance.

Unlike the previous hidden cave, this one was larger, and a wave of heat emanated from within.

—Tap, tap.

Despite trying to be quiet, their footsteps echoed loudly.

“Ugh… it’s hot. What could be inside?”

“Lava, probably, since it’s a volcano.”

“Eek…”

The temperature rose as they went deeper.

Ruah wanted to wipe the sweat from her brow, but her arm was still bound.

“Can’t you untie this now?”

“But the camp isn’t over yet. It’s possible we’re mistaken about the Lizardmen being connected to the guild…”

“…….”

Juju’s voice trailed off. She still seemed to want to believe in Hunter Kim Jiyeon and the ‘Nick’s Brothers’ Guild’s innocence.

“Okay. I guess I can endure it a little longer.”

Ruah didn’t want to shatter Juju’s faith prematurely. They wouldn’t know for sure until they saw it with their own eyes.

—Thump, thump.

Ruah and Juju stopped and looked at each other, sensing something.

A rhythmic vibration resonated through the ground beneath their feet.

“……?”

They quickened their pace. The path widened, and a vast cavern opened before them.

“……!”

“Teacher, this is…”

Ruah and Juju hid behind large Lizardmen statues flanking the path and peered into the cavern.

Lava bubbled along the edges, and numerous Lizardmen stood in formation. They rhythmically struck the ground with their spears.

—Thump, thump.

This was the source of the vibrations they had felt.

“Enter!”

The Lizardmen they had seen earlier marched slowly into the cavern through a path created in the middle of the formation. They carried a glowing orb on a cushion, as if presenting it to royalty.

‘That’s the skill orb!’ Ruah thought.

“Teacher, over there…!”

Juju whispered, nudging Ruah’s shoulder.

Following Juju’s gaze, Ruah saw numerous people lying on the ground.

It was the unconscious participants and instructors.

Emma and Hwayeon were among them, and a blue energy flowed from their bodies towards a single point.

“Wh-What’s happening to them?”

“That’s… mana.”

The mana extracted from the unconscious individuals flowed along the paths towards the central altar, where the Lizardmen were focused.

The mana gradually filled a massive, incomprehensible magic circle drawn beneath the altar.

“Our wish… after countless years, is finally coming true!”

—Thump, thump.

A Lizardman standing before the altar raised his staff and shouted. Adorned with bone ornaments and a headdress, he was clearly the Lizardmen’s leader, the Shaman.

“Come, Heart of our Ancestor… Your flesh may have decayed, but your spirit shall descend here…!”

—Thump, thump, thump!

The skill orb, the Heart of the Ancestor, was brought closer and closer to the altar.

Ruah’s gaze fixed on the massive bones resting on the altar.

‘No way.’

Larger than a whale, a streamlined skull, a long tail that could easily wrap around the entire cavern, clawed wings reduced to skeletal frames.

—Ding!

————————————————

<[Diagnosis (Lv.3)] activated.>

<A rare object that is typically difficult to find has been diagnosed!>

<[Diagnosis (Lv.3)] has leveled up to [Diagnosis (Lv.4)]!>

<[Diagnosis (Lv.4)] has leveled up to [Diagnosis (Lv.5)]!>

<[Diagnosis (Lv.5)] activated.>

<Target Name: Bone Dragon (S-Rank)>

<Target Current Status: Unconscious, Preparing for Revival>

“Juju.”

“Yes, teacher?”

Ruah gulped and said,

“I think we’re.”

Kim Jiyeon, along with her guild members, stood some distance away, observing the ritual. She had been continuously vaping Inyong Weed, but instead of feeling good, she only felt increasingly uneasy.

It was likely due to the Lizardmen ritual unfolding before her eyes.

The irrationality of a Hunter, whose life was dedicated to defeating monsters and saving people, assisting in the revival of a dangerous monster. Now, with her mind clear thanks to the Inyong Weed, the guilt weighed heavily on her.

‘It’s all because of this weed.’ Kim Jiyeon thought.

As she replaced the vape cartridge, she cursed the Inyong Weed.

The first button was wrongly buttoned ten years ago, when she, lost and wandering the island, encountered the Lizardmen tribe, who had overflowed onto the deserted island.

“Haa…”

Through the acrid smoke, she saw Nick raving before the altar.

—Our ancestor will save our tribe.

That’s what Nick said before the ritual began.

—Our tribe will ride him and escape this prison of an island!

In other words, they planned to escape Inyong Island by air.

If an S-rank Bone Dragon was unleashed on the mainland, it would be a disaster. Countless people would die, and countless Hunters would be sacrificed. Eventually, Rankers would be dispatched to subdue it, but by then, the damage to Korea, no, to humanity, would be immense.

‘… but I have no other choice.’ Kim Jiyeon thought.

Only the Lizardmen knew how to cultivate Inyong Weed. Kim Jiyeon had tried countless times, but she always failed.

Quitting? That was even harder than cultivating it. The longest she had lasted was three days. The agony had driven her right back to using it.

—The Hunter who saved me is the coolest adult I know!

—I have faith that you will always be a wonderful person.

“…Tch.”

Kim Jiyeon frowned and spat on the ground. Juju’s words from before the camp started stung her where it hurt.

She wasn’t someone to be admired. On the contrary, she was a villain who should serve as a cautionary tale.

‘But if I could have one selfish wish….’ Kim Jiyeon thought.

She hoped Juju wouldn’t find out. She hoped the child she saved ten years ago would remain ignorant of her堕落.

Fortunately, Juju wasn’t among the captured participants, so perhaps her wish would be granted—

—Thump, thump.

—Hiss!

—Whoosh!

“Catch them!”

“Humans!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion among the Lizardmen participating in the ritual.

‘Humans…?’

—Boom!

With an explosion, several Lizardmen were sent flying. Kim Jiyeon gasped as she turned towards the source of the explosion.

“Haa, haa.”

Juju, charging through the cavern like a small tank, stopped right in front of her.

“Hunter-nim.”

Juju, her gauntlets equipped, was crying.

“Please… tell me it isn’t true.”

“……!”

—Crack!

Kim Jiyeon’s grip loosened, and her vape pen fell to the ground, shattering.

“Seize her! Don’t kill her!”

“Tie her up! A mana vessel!”

Rough Lizardmen hands knocked Juju to the ground. She was pinned and bound.

Meeting Juju’s gaze, Kim Jiyeon felt an overwhelming sense of shame and averted her eyes.

“Ah….”

Juju’s face crumpled as she was dragged away.