Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 082
Chapter Title: 27. Human Hunter (1)
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1.
The Prince's Tomb!
The moment it was revealed, countless adventurers began flooding into the Ariant Kingdom.
Even renowned adventurers gathered in droves.
“It's the Head Hunter!”
“Over there, those are adventurers from Elnas!”
Adventurers from every region were a given.
“Magatia's alchemists are here too!”
“The Resistance from Edelstein showed up.”
Even alchemists who weren't adventurers, and the Resistance wanted in Edelstein, had come.
It was quite an extraordinary event.
Magatia's alchemists were famous for never leaving Magatia.
The Resistance, true to their name as rebels, were fugitives with bounties on their heads from the Black Wings who ruled Edelstein.
Fugitives.
For such fugitives to appear in plain view went against all common sense.
But no one questioned their presence.
“The Prince's Tomb? Yeah, that justifies it!”
It carried such immense weight that it could turn even non-adventurers into adventurers.
Instead, people wondered about something else.
“But what about the rewards?”
“Rewards?”
“Abdullah the 8th wouldn't offer nothing for this huge event, right?”
What trophy would Abdullah the 8th put up for this grand festival?
“Probably some amazing items?”
“Could be gold.”
“Maybe even a city?”
All sorts of speculations flew around.
Adventurers, however, thought differently.
The adventurers gathering in Ariant had one question on their minds.
“How exactly are they going to select who goes in?”
Who would they choose?
No matter how great the prizes, it meant nothing if you couldn't even participate.
“Rumor has it only around 250 adventurers can enter the Prince's Tomb?”
At most, the number selected couldn't exceed 300.
So everyone figured.
“They won't pick based on skill. No way to do it, and even if there was, it'd take forever.”
“Titles are what matter.”
Adventurers would be selected based on their achievements—their titles.
Naturally, attention turned to them.
“Who's the top adventurer here right now?”
“Do I need to say it? The Great Warrior of the Desert, Karsa!”
The first name mentioned was Karsa, the desert warrior hailed as the best adventurer below 4th Circle in the Nihal Desert.
It was only natural.
Desert Warrior—that nickname had been bestowed personally by none other than Abdullah the 8th.
“Great Warrior or not, for something like this, the Red Scorpion Squad's the best, right?”
Next up was the Red Scorpion Squad, the group that conquered the most Mystic Gates in the Nihal Desert.
“You can't leave out Elnas adventurers. The White Wolf of Elnas is coming too, they say?”
“The airship from Victoria Island has mages from Ellinia, archers from Henesys, and warriors from Perion forming a dream team?”
That name was among those mentioned too.
“What about the El Pam party?”
El Pam's party.
“They conquered Jack Lich's Tomb?”
The story of Jack Lich's Tomb was fairly well-known even among Ariant Kingdom adventurers.
It was only natural that El Pam's party, who cleared it, would be known too.
Of course, not in a good way.
“Scammer El Pam?”
Scammer.
That was El Pam party's nickname.
Nothing strange about it.
Adventurer achievements generally weren't all that trustworthy to begin with.
Victoria Island adventurers were especially looked down on by those from Ariant Kingdom.
It wasn't about pride or anything.
The whole world dismissed Victoria Island as a low-level backwater.
Fame earned there was naturally suspect.
“Scammers?”
“Yeah, right? They say just five of them took down a boss even the Head Hunters gave up on—a boss no one's ever seen? Makes no sense.”
“And that's not all. Look at their other titles. No way those are real.”
“Exactly. Everyone got duped. And they're with the Gapor Merchant Group? No roots, just money-grubbers from a filthy place.”
El Pam party's feats were so incredible they were hard to believe on their own.
They were bound to be labeled scammers.
“Damn it, a nickname like Scammer Party.”
Of course, the parties involved had every reason to be furious.
“We saved their lives, and this is how they repay us.”
Jack Lich's Tomb in particular—if not for El Pam's party, they all would've died.
Yet instead of gratitude, they spread these ridiculous rumors?
“That Head Hunter bastard—if I see him.”
“Yeah, just wait till we meet. I'll put a hole in his head.”
“To tarnish the honor of the Cygnus Knights—unforgivable.”
For adventurers who risked their lives for achievements, it was infuriating.
“We can't just let this slide.”
Even Ralph vented his frustration.
“Ralph, what's gotten into you? You're all about the money.”
“If we're called scammers, we can't make proper money, can we? This is unacceptable!”
“...Yeah, figures.”
The reason was money as always, but the whole El Pam party was unhappy.
“Boss, what do we do?”
“Nothing bad about it.”
“Huh?”
But El Pam was the exception.
“No, I mean, they're calling us scammers?”
“Better than being treated as competitors.”
“Competitors?”
“Dibo, if someone said you were competing with our party, what would you do?”
“Well... I'd team up with other parties and take them out first.”
In his view, being dismissed as scammers was far more advantageous.
So El Pam paid no real mind to the scammer label.
“No, Boss, even so.”
But it wasn't something they could just shrug off.
“This isn't right. If they treat us like scammers, we might not even get in.”
No matter how much Prince Kashan pushed, no way Abdullah the 8th would let a known scammer join his event.
“Doesn't matter.”
El Pam wasn't too worried.
‘The area around the Prince's Tomb is currently under Sand Shadow Group's control.’
The main reason Ariant Kingdom had left the Prince's Tomb alone was that it fell under the influence of the Sand Shadow Group—a rebel force opposing the kingdom, specifically Queen Areida.
Every time Ariant tried to assault it, they interfered with full force.
Mystic Gates were especially vulnerable to such terrorist acts.
‘So they have no choice but to draw in other adventurers like this.’
That was why Abdullah the 8th was recruiting adventurers on such a grand scale.
‘The Sand Shadow Group's cause is stopping Queen Areida's evils. If they attack innocent adventurers here, they lose that cause.’
The moment the Sand Shadow Group attacked pure adventurers, they'd go from righteous rebels fighting for Ariant's people to mere terrorists.
Of course, that didn't mean the Sand Shadow Group would just sit back and watch.
So El Pam was certain.
“It won't be the usual way. So reputation doesn't matter.”
They'd use something other than the standard select-then-conquer approach.
And the moment arrived.
The day the Ariant Kingdom capital brimmed with adventurers.
“It's Abdullah the 8th!”
Abdullah the 8th appeared at the Ariant royal palace.
His face buried in a cloud-like mass of thick white beard, topped with a massive purple turban.
“Kinda low-key?”
He didn't look like the extravagant king the rumors described.
El Pam saw it differently.
“Purple turban. How much do you think that red gem on it costs?”
“Huh?”
He knew.
“Expensive. Maybe around 100 million mesos? It's just a gem, though.”
“It's an Onyx from the Onyx Dragon. Only two left in the world—Captain Kailin offered to trade the Nautilus for it.”
“Huh?”
The gem's true value.
“Hey, Gold Eyes? You serious?”
“Yeah, dead serious.”
Dibo was stunned.
Miner, meanwhile, was shocked by something else.
She had already heard the story from her master, Captain Kailin.
And in that story, Captain Kailin had said.
‘Two?’
That Abdullah the 8th's was the last Onyx Dragon Onyx in the world.
But there were two?
An unavoidable question.
Sadly, no chance to ask.
Flutter flutter!
“Something's coming down from the sky!”
A balloon floated in the sky, raining down countless papers like snow.
“The day the sky turned black, the place a star passed by, among them, where the reddest flower bloomed.”
People naturally picked them up, and everyone could see.
“The Prince's Tomb is there.”
What it meant.
‘It's a free-for-all.’
No selection.
No fame.
‘First to find it claims it.’
Whoever deciphered the clue and reached the Prince's Tomb first would take it all!
It was a massive shake-up.
Even low-fame adventurers could become the event's star with skill and luck.
‘Won't be easy.’
On the flip side, this Mystic Gate conquest would have unprecedented competition.
Every adventurer in Ariant would dive in.
So everyone weighed their options.
Was this adventure worth it?
The answer was set.
‘Just look at the reward.’
Abdullah the 8th's prize!
Adventurers made their guesses.
‘Probably unique items.’
‘Not just one—quite a few.’
‘What kind?’
Most expected items.
Unique-grade or higher couldn't be bought with money.
“Whoever brings my son's remains.”
To those adventurers, Abdullah the 8th revealed.
“I shall give this.”
That instant.
Rumble rumble rumble!
No sooner had Abdullah the 8th finished than a massive roar echoed, and a group of workers dragged elephants into the Ariant palace.
“M-My god.”
“Is that... gold?”
Elephants made of gold.
Overwhelming wealth!
No adventurer weighed options anymore before Abdullah the 8th's reward.
Every adventurer did the same.
Woooaaah!
Everyone went wild.
“Woooaaah!”
El Pam's party was among them.
“Crazy! They're giving that away? Sell one leg and you're set for life!”
“Impressive. That much gold.”
Dibo, and even Kiri who never cared about money.
“Crazy, insane. Whoa, totally nuts!”
Miner, obsessed with treasure, was predictably ecstatic.
And everyone thought.
Especially Ralph—he'd go nuts.
“Hmm.”
But Ralph, staring at the golden elephant, showed no frenzy—calmer than ever.
“Hey, Ralph.”
Dibo asked, surprised.
“You sick or something?”
Impossible not to worry.
“What're you talking about?”
“Dude, a golden elephant as the prize, and you're just standing there?”
“Calculating. Calculating.”
“Calculating?”
“Basing the gold amount on the elephant's volume. Factoring in regional gold prices, transport costs, and risk fees.”
Hearing that, no one worried anymore.
With worry gone, Dibo beamed brighter than ever at El Pam.
“Boss! Jackpot! Total jackpot! One of those and we're set for life, no money worries ever!”
El Pam replied.
“Not easy.”
With a stern expression.
But Dibo didn't flinch—instead, he nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course not. Way too many eyes on that golden elephant—they'll all rush to find the Prince's Tomb! Finding it first is the problem.”
To that Dibo, El Pam said.
“That won't be a problem.”
“Huh?”
“I know where the Prince's Tomb is.”
Everyone, Dibo included, stared at El Pam in shock.
“H-How?”
“Decoded the cipher.”
Dibo freaked at the curt reply.
That instant.
Everyone's faces went pale.
‘Wait.’
Realization hit.
‘Decoding a cipher is easy? Then what does Boss mean by "not easy"?’
What "not easy" meant for El Pam.
To his comrades, El Pam gladly explained.
“The moment you enter the Prince's Tomb, everyone's an enemy. No exceptions.”