Cairo Showdown
Cairo International Airport in Egypt.
Even though they had traveled a long way, Yoon Sang-hyuk’s group carried no luggage at all. They had brought luggage, of course, but everything was stored inside Yoon Sang-hyuk’s subspace.
As they stepped out of the departure hall, a familiar face came into view. Seeing the people waiting for him, Yoon Sang-hyuk raised a hand and waved.
Ahmed Hassan approached with an awkward expression. There were plenty of reporters stationed nearby, but perhaps sensing the atmosphere was anything but normal, none of them made a move to take photos.
“You came all the way out here to meet me?”
“If I knew you were coming, of course I’d come out.”
“Really? If you just came to see my face, you can head back now. It’s not like we’re close enough to sit down and laugh over tea.”
“There’s been a misunderstanding.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk, who had started walking, turned back.
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes. A misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding about what?”
“That is...”
Yoon Sang-hyuk stepped closer to Ahmed Hassan.
“What exactly was I supposed to have misunderstood?”
“Ahem. It would be better to move somewhere else first.”
“Why? Is there some reason you need to avoid other people’s eyes?”
Ahmed Hassan ground his teeth and turned away first. Once they left the airport, several luxury sedans were waiting. He got into one that a man who looked like a member of the Tower of the Dead Guild opened for him.
The cars drove straight from the airport to Ahmed Hassan’s house. It was as large and beautiful as a palace from a storybook.
A broad garden stretched out before the main gate, with a fountain sending up a refreshing spray. The house on the far side of the garden seemed to have been built entirely from white marble.
“You’ve made a lot of money in the time you’ve been back. Were you from a rich family to begin with?”
“I came from a slum.”
“Oh, really? Then you must’ve gotten that rich this fast?”
“It’s money I earned fairly.”
“Fine, let’s say that’s true.”
When they entered the house, the servants all bowed in unison.
In the reception room, Yoon Sang-hyuk sat facing Ahmed Hassan.
“We’ve changed locations, so now tell me. What exactly am I misunderstanding?”
“The overflow that happened in Korea has nothing to do with me.”
“There’s a proverb in Korea. It goes, ‘A thief’s own foot aches.’ Do you know what that means?”
“It’s not me.”
With a light sigh, Yoon Sang-hyuk took a document envelope from his subspace and tossed it to Ahmed Hassan. After checking the photos inside, Ahmed Hassan spoke in disbelief.
“You’re claiming this blurry photo identifies me? There are plenty of foreign workers in Namdong Industrial Complex.”
“You know Korea pretty well. Most foreigners only know Seoul or maybe Jeju Island when they talk about Korea.”
Ahmed Hassan’s eyes twitched for a moment, so faintly that no one would have noticed without watching closely.
“You know about facial recognition software?”
“I do.”
“Want me to run it through? If we improve the CCTV quality and run the program, it might work.”
“It wasn’t me.”
Ahmed Hassan denied it to the end. Yoon Sang-hyuk nodded as if that was fine and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. In that instant, his entire atmosphere changed.
Ahmed Hassan flinched.
“Honestly, whether the person in that photo is you or not isn’t very important.”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean? I’m already certain you’re the culprit.”
“Isn’t that unreasonable?”
“So what? I’ve already decided you’re the culprit. Even if you’re not, I don’t care. In my mind, you’re already guilty. You understand what I’m saying?”
As Ahmed Hassan tightened his grip, the armrest of the chair he was sitting in turned to powder.
“What? Angry? Offended?”
“......”
“Holding it in just makes you sick. Go on, do whatever you want.”
“Grr... I’m telling you it wasn’t me. Why are you doing this?”
“Good grief. You’ve got a nasty habit of making me repeat things until my mouth hurts. Want me to say it again?”
“I’m the culprit?”
“Ahmed Hassan. Since you’ve come back to reality, the things that happened in that other world must feel like a dream, don’t they?”
Ahmed Hassan swallowed dryly.
“That’s the kind of bastard I am. I do whatever I feel like. Didn’t you know?”
Without even turning his head, Yoon Sang-hyuk spoke.
“Ho-sung.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Park Ho-sung, standing behind him, lowered his head and answered.
“From this moment on, kill anyone who tries to leave this house.”
“Yes, understood.”
Ahmed Hassan bristled.
“What the hell are you doing in my house?”
“Shut up and listen carefully.”
A murderous aura, sharp enough to slice flesh, spilled from Yoon Sang-hyuk in waves.
“I don’t know what promise that Michael bastard made to you, and I don’t care. But one thing I do know is this: because of that promise, you, the Tower of the Dead, and ultimately the people of Egypt are going to be crying blood.”
“M-Masked Lord.”
“Keep listening.”
Bang!
Yoon Sang-hyuk stamped a foot lightly, and the house shook as if it might collapse. The Tower of the Dead guild members surrounding them drew their weapons.
Park Ho-sung slowly turned toward them.
As Ahmed Hassan raised a hand, the guild members put their weapons away.
“Because of your disgusting little political scheme, countless innocent people died. And you still insist you had nothing to do with it? Do you really need Egypt soaked in blood before you’ll repent?”
A thin line of blood ran from Ahmed Hassan’s mouth as he endured Yoon Sang-hyuk’s killing intent head-on. To hold himself together against the fear, he had bitten his lip so hard it had split.
“How dare you keep lying even after I came here in person? Ahmed Hassan! You really have lost your mind if you think you want to die this badly.”
“Khuek-”
At last, Ahmed Hassan vomited blood and collapsed forward. The Tower of the Dead guild members began to draw their weapons again, but Yoon Sang-hyuk snapped coldly,
“Park Ho-sung. Anyone who moves from this point on dies, no exceptions.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Yang Su-chan. Summon your undead. If even one person gets out of this house, understand that you’ll die by my hand.”
“Got it.”
* * *
A pitch-black night with no moon in the sky.
In a room kept dark because no lights were on, Yoon Sang-hyuk sat with Ahmed Hassan kneeling before him. Reclining against the sofa, Yoon Sang-hyuk listened as Ahmed Hassan spoke.
“That’s everything I’ve said so far. The one who set this up was Michael Buren.”
“So you’re innocent?”
“That’s not what I mean. But...”
“The one who arranged it was Michael, sure. But the deaths of the Korean citizens are your responsibility.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? Apologize to the dead. To the families left behind.”
“I’ll make a public apology and compensate the victims.”
Crack.
Ahmed Hassan rolled across the floor, coughing blood. Yoon Sang-hyuk had kicked his jaw aside.
“You kill people and pay them off with money? That’s a wonderfully simple solution. How much should I pay you if I kill you? Hm? Name the price. I’m probably richer than you.”
“I really was wrong.”
Ahmed Hassan scrambled back to his knees.
“You made such a stupid choice without knowing it would come to this? Do you even have a brain?”
“Michael did tempt me, and... to be honest, I had complaints about you too...”
“Why take your complaints about me out on innocent people?”
Ahmed Hassan had nothing to say. He shut his mouth tight.
“You’ll have to reveal the whole truth publicly.”
“I will.”
“I’m not telling you to do it right this second. I’ll contact you in due time, so then you’ll do it.”
Ahmed Hassan nodded.
“It wouldn’t be hard to kill you. It’d be as easy as breathing.”
“I know.”
“The reason I’m sparing you is because Egypt can’t survive if you don’t.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t want to hear words that don’t mean anything to you.”
“In two days, an overflow will occur at the Resting Place of the Nameless King.”
Ahmed Hassan jerked his head up.
“I thought you forgave me.”
“Paying for your crime is a separate matter. The overflow will happen. Do your best to stop it.”
“The Resting Place of the Nameless King hasn’t even gotten past the middle floors yet. If an overflow happens, everyone nearby will die.”
“That has nothing to do with me. Did you force the overflow without caring whether the people around you would die?”
“Can’t you think about this one more time?”
As Yoon Sang-hyuk rose from his seat, he replied briefly,
“No.”
* * *
Two days later.
The place that had once been the Pyramid of King Khafre, and was now the Resting Place of the Nameless King.
Where the Sphinx should have stood, a great many people had gathered. The Master of the Tower of the Dead, Necro Master Ahmed Hassan, his guild members, and Yoon Sang-hyuk with his own party.
Ahmed Hassan looked at Yoon Sang-hyuk with a strange expression.
“Is what you said true?”
“If you don’t want to believe it, then don’t.”
“No. No, that’s fine. Let’s sign the contract.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk took the contract out of his inventory.
“Check the contents.”
Ahmed Hassan reviewed the terms.
Roughly, the contract said this:
Ahmed Hassan and Yang Su-chan would engage in a duel.
If Ahmed Hassan won, Yoon Sang-hyuk and his party would return to Korea immediately, and no responsibility would be pursued regarding the overflow in Namdong Industrial Complex.
Conversely, if Yang Su-chan won, the Tower of the Dead Guild would become a subordinate guild of the Masked Castle.
Originally, if Yang Su-chan won, an overflow would have been triggered at the Resting Place of the Nameless King, but after Ahmed Hassan’s earnest plea, the contract terms had been changed.
“The guild members all agreed too, right?”
“Of course. And I have no intention of losing that match, so you should start packing for your trip back to Korea.”
“You only know how long and short are when you compare them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is your world.”
Ahmed Hassan smiled meaningfully.
He had already guessed that Yang Su-chan was receiving support from Yoon Sang-hyuk. But he had not spent his time back in reality doing nothing, either.
He still hadn’t cleared the Tomb of the Nameless King, but he had kept pushing through its early sections and gathered a considerable amount of top-grade undead bones.
As long as he had undead bones, he had nothing to fear.
Even in Eternal World, Yang Su-chan had never been a match for him, so he was confident he would win this duel as well.
“If you’re ready, let’s start right away. Su-chan, you ready?”
“I’ve been waiting so long I’m about to choke to death here.”
The two men moved far away from the gathered crowd. This was not a duel fought alone. Both of them were necromancers, which meant the battle would be decided through the undead they summoned. Naturally, they needed a wide open space.
Once they were in position, the two stared at each other.
Yoon Sang-hyuk spoke to Park Ho-sung, who was standing just behind him.
“Watch closely. It should be pretty interesting.”
“Understood.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk raised his voice.
“Begin!”
---