The Capybara General and the Pyramid of Secrets
"That guy is a fake! A capybara in a military uniform."
A familiar nickname. Only then did I recall a memory I’d long since forgotten. Wait, isn't that the skin I bought for him? A special skin that cost a whopping 59,900 won. He approached me and offered a sharp, crisp salute.
The Grand Marshal of Steel expresses his delight at seeing you.
"Good to see you."
I’d worried he might not like the skin, but he seemed pleased, letting out a puff of air through his nose. At that moment, a voice boomed out.
"Invaders who defile the desert..."
"Only death awaits the invaders."
[The Ruler of Black Sands appears.]
The atmosphere vibrated as a presence manifested in the center of the desert. The surrounding sand turned pitch black, and a monster with an aura so ominous that even touching it felt like a death sentence appeared before us. It looked similar to the Anubis I’d seen yesterday—was it a brother?
"If you have any last words, speak them now."
A kind monster that gives you time to leave a will. ...Yeah, right. Not a chance.
"Marshal."
The Grand Marshal of Steel exerts his power.
The air began to shatter like glass, and a new presence emerged from within. Countless military aircraft appeared, and as the rear hatches opened, capybara soldiers jumped out!
The Grand Marshal of Steel asks: "When you close your eyes, what do you see?"
Ugh, I’ve heard this one before. A senior told me this back when I was a private in the army, saying that was exactly how much of my military service I had left. That bastard—I wonder how he’s doing now. I hope he’s doing terribly.
The Grand Marshal of Steel says you will see nothing.
The Grand Marshal of Steel says that is the future of our motherland without you.
...Huh? At that moment, a roar echoed from the sky.
"CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!" "CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!" "CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The capybaras were falling from the sky to the ground, shouting "Capybara!" Did they always make that sound? The capybaras landed on the ground, drew their weapons, and charged at the Ruler of Black Sands.
The Grand Marshal of Steel says war is terrible.
The monster was being pushed back by the swarm of capybaras, who overcame the fear of death to charge forward. The monster roared, "Don't get cocky!" and slammed two massive staves into the ground. The earth shook, and capybaras were dragged into the sand.
"CAPYBARA!!!!!"
But they sacrificed their own bodies to serve as stepping stones for their comrades. Thanks to the countless capybaras charging over them to honor that sacrifice, the monster was buried beneath them with a single, shrill scream.
The Grand Marshal of Steel says there is no soldier who fears death.
"CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!" "CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!" "CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!"
As the victorious capybaras howled, a message appeared.
"Yes."
Registered in the Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame reward issued.
Congratulations! You have acquired the special ability: 'Valor'!
[Valor]
Grade: Undetermined
Effect: You act fearlessly and decisively in any crisis. Brave warrior! Charge! Charge!
"CAPYBARA!!!!!!!!"
I stared blankly at the capybaras reveling in their victory, and when I turned my head, I locked eyes with the giant capybara.
The Grand Marshal of Steel expresses his gratitude, saying he is using this body you gave him very well.
With those words, the capybara was enveloped in a brilliant white light.
"That's a relief."
That skin was expensive, after all.
* * *
"Ugh, my joints."
Is it because I'm getting older? I stretched my stiff shoulders and called up my 'Status Window' for the first time in a while.
"Status Window."
Name: Lee Suhyun
Affiliation: Republic of Korea
Age: 30
Level: 64LV
Unique Abilities: Loved by Transcendents (Transcendent), Fate's Link (Transcendent), Fate Manipulation, Dimensional Interference, Law Negation, Transcendent Resonance.
Special Abilities: Tower Entry, Inventory, EXP Acceleration (Transcendent), Danger Detection, Language Adaptation, Magic Resistance, Time Perception Change, Transcendent Communion, Monster Encyclopedia, Mental Barrier, Inventory Expansion, Crisis Escape, Divine Sense, Duration Extension, Physical Resistance, Transcendent, Mana Purification, Elemental Affinity, Agitation, Valor.
Wow, is there any other Awakened with such a flashy set of stats? I can say with certainty: there isn't.
I couldn't hide my joy as the corners of my mouth curled up just looking at it, when a message popped up.
The Guardian of All Things says you look happy.
The Twelve Star Captain says it's obvious without even looking.
The Saintess of the Sun God Cult whispers that she wants to see 'that' today.
The Guardian of All Things agrees.
The Twelve Star Captain agrees.
They said 'that'. For us, 'that' naturally meant chicken. Yes, they were asking to watch a chicken mukbang.
"...Then, shall we eat to celebrate clearing the 32nd floor?"
The Transcendents cheered. It’s just that Transcendents keep popping up on every floor since the 31st; normally, they are incredibly hard to meet. ...I feel like I meet them too often.
I ordered the chicken on my phone, and about 30 minutes later, I saw the message that it had arrived. The moment I opened the front door—
"Eek!"
Startled by the scream, I clutched my pounding chest and looked toward the sound. A woman with black hair and dark red eyes had opened her door at the exact same time as me.
"I'm sorry... I thought no one was here, so I was surprised that someone was."
"Oh, no, it's fine..."
I was pretty surprised too. But, how should I put this? Her face looked familiar.
We locked eyes, and at the same time, we pointed at each other.
"Aren't you Awakened Kim Haneul!?"
"You're Awakened Lee Suhyun, right!?"
The undisputed number two in South Korea, who had cleared up to the 49th floor. And me, who was soaring through the ranks, rewriting the Hall of Fame up to the 31st... no, the 32nd floor. We recognized each other and exchanged greetings again with awkward smiles.
"I'm Lee Suhyun."
"I'm Kim Haneul."
We both looked like we had a lot to say, but we couldn't. ...Because the chicken was getting cold. I grabbed the chicken left at my door, she grabbed hers, and with a final awkward smile, we said our goodbyes and went back inside.
"...I hope I didn't look too weird."
The Guardian of All Things watches you with a satisfied smile.
The Twelve Star Captain watches you with a satisfied smile.
The Saintess of the Sun God Cult watches you with an expressionless face.
* * *
The next morning.
Because of last night's chicken mukbang, I had a simple breakfast and finished getting ready.
"Shall we go do today's homework? Enter."
Republic of Korea: Moving to the Black Tower.
My vision shifted in an instant, and the massive tower appeared before my eyes. As I approached and opened the door, a message appeared.
Would you like to challenge the 33rd floor? Yes / No
"Yes!"
Scenario quests will proceed from the 31st to the 40th floor.
Please be careful, as the monsters appearing on each floor are different.
33rd Floor Mission: Protect the Pyramid!
📍 Time Limit: 1 hour.
📍 Success Condition: Protect the pyramid and defeat the monsters.
📍 Failure Condition: Failure to defeat or death.
📍 Restricted Equipment: None.
📍 Restricted Protocol: None.
I was moved to the middle of a desert in an instant, and a massive pyramid appeared before me. It was even larger than the one on the 32nd floor. I thought it was just my imagination, but it wasn't. The size was indeed getting bigger.
Is it because it's harder to protect as the area gets wider? Or is there something else sleeping inside?
"Help me."
Fate Timeline - Thousand Memories activated.
Transcendent: 'The One Who Hides the Truth' appears.
A presence appeared with a brilliant white light. A woman in a military uniform with blonde hair emerged. Her body looked like a ball-jointed doll, and she smiled as she looked at me.
The One Who Hides the Truth expresses her delight at seeing you.
...Did I play a game with a character like that? Usually, I’d know right away, but I couldn't remember. What is this?
At that moment, a thick, rustic dialect struck my ears.
"Don't be fooled!"
With a single scream, a hand popped out of thin air and grabbed her wrist!?
"You might be able to fool others, but you can't fool me!"
With those words, beings popped out from thin air. Dolls of all different shapes spilled out—what are those things now!?
"Master! That thing is a fake!"
...Excuse me?