Pyramid
The video cut off, but the tent remained quiet for a moment.
The last screen showed only a massive shadow rising beyond the dust.
Do Ha-gyeong spoke first.
“Who came out?”
“Emergency treatment is ongoing. Consciousness has not returned yet.”
“Condition?”
“Life-threatening injuries do not appear to be present.”
Do Ha-gyeong looked back at the screen.
In the end, no new information could be obtained.
The Yeomhwa Guild member next to her unfolded a map on the table.
It was a map with the terrain secured inside the gate simply transferred.
The path from the entrance crossing the desert to the pyramid.
The interior of the pyramid only drew the early part confirmed in the preliminary reconnaissance.
One place had a red line drawn on it.
“The collapsed place in the video appears to be here.”
Do Ha-gyeong's finger stopped on the red line.
“That big guy?”
“Not confirmed in the preliminary reconnaissance.”
“Reinforcements?”
“Even if it's fast, it's twenty minutes.”
Do Ha-gyeong let out a short breath.
“I can't wait.”
There were still 29 people left inside.
We didn't even know how many were injured.
Do Ha-gyeong turned to Riel.
“Once inside, find people first.”
Riel nodded.
“Got it.”
“Avoid combat as much as possible.”
“Got that too.”
After hearing the answer, Do Ha-gyeong looked at Sihyuk.
“You stay here.”
“Me?”
“You said you'd only look at the scene.”
“Yeah.”
Sihyuk nodded without much complaint.
He hadn't come along with the intention of joining the rescue anyway.
He had toured the A-rank gate site and watched the video shot from inside.
That alone was enough to consider the original purpose of following somewhat achieved.
Serca said from the side.
“If the lord stays, I will stay too.”
“Do as you like.”
Do Ha-gyeong didn't care and started giving instructions to the site personnel.
“Bring folding stretchers. Divide the evacuation teams as soon as people are found.”
Several people moved quickly.
“If communication doesn't pick up, don't force it to maintain and return to the entrance at set times. If it collapses again inside, secure the path first.”
“Yes.”
When Riel touched the thin bracelet on her wrist, the empty space briefly distorted.
Long bows and quivers appeared in turn from inside, and Serca's gaze turned to that direction.
“Space storage?”
“Yeah.”
Riel pulled the string once as if it was nothing, slung the bow on her back, and picked up the quiver.
It was a familiar movement as if it was equipment she usually used.
It was almost the end of preparation.
Someone came running quickly from outside the tent.
“Deputy Guild Leader.”
It was a guild member who had gone to check on the injured earlier.
Do Ha-gyeong turned immediately.
“Speak.”
“The injured person has just regained consciousness.”
“How are the remaining personnel inside?”
“When I last saw them, more than half were inside the central corridor. There were also multiple injured.”
“The one in the video?”
The guild member took a breath.
“The last thing I saw was right in front of the central corridor. The exploration team was retreating when the rear passage collapsed due to the entity's attack.”
The guild member pointed to a thin line on one side of the map.
“He himself escaped through the narrow bypass next to him at the moment of collapse.”
Do Ha-gyeong looked back at the map.
The narrow bypass used by the hunter who came out.
One injured person could have come out that way.
But whether all 29, including the injured, could be moved through that path was unknown.
More importantly, there were injured people.
“Damn it.”
Do Ha-gyeong muttered softly.
For a while, her finger, looking at the map, went back and forth between the central corridor and the bypass.
Her gaze shifted to Riel and then back to the map.
And a moment later.
Do Ha-gyeong looked at Sihyuk.
Sihyuk asked first.
“Why.”
“I originally didn't plan to bring you.”
“So?”
“The situation has changed.”
Sihyuk also looked at the map.
Do Ha-gyeong tapped the central corridor with her finger.
“The last place I saw that guy was here.”
“So?”
“If I have to face that thing in front, I can't see both the side where people come out and at the same time.”
Do Ha-gyeong looked straight at Sihyuk.
There was no playfulness in her voice.
“Come in with us.”
This time the reason was clear.
Sihyuk asked.
“You want me to catch that?”
“No. I'll take care of that guy.”
Do Ha-gyeong removed her hand from the map.
“While I deal with that guy, watch the rear of the kids. If anything dangerous pops out, stop it.”
“To that extent?”
“Yeah.”
Since she had directly confirmed her strength in the training ground, it wasn't strange that Do Ha-gyeong asked her this favor.
Sihyuk nodded without much thought.
“Alright.”
Do Ha-gyeong's face relaxed a little.
“Thank you.”
Serca, watching from the side, immediately opened her mouth.
“I will go too.”
This time Do Ha-gyeong's expression became subtle.
“Serca...”
“If the lord goes in.”
“I know that.”
Do Ha-gyeong's gaze went down to the sword hanging at Serca's waist.
The only temporary judgment from the association was A-rank equivalent.
Except for the handshake earlier, Do Ha-gyeong had never seen Serca's fight directly.
Riel noticed the gaze.
“You can bring her.”
“Will it be okay?”
“At least it won't get in the way.”
Serca slowly looked at Riel.
“That doesn't sit well with me.”
“It's a compliment.”
“...”
Do Ha-gyeong looked back and forth between the two and said to Serca.
“Okay. With one condition.”
“Speak.”
“Follow my instructions inside.”
Serca's eyes narrowed a bit.
“I have no reason to receive your commands.”
“Then I can't bring you.”
Their gazes clashed.
Sihyuk said shortly from between them.
“Serca.”
The red eyes immediately turned to him.
“The structure is to be done in that way on that side.”
“But—”
“Got it.”
Serca's mouth closed.
A moment later, her head lowered slightly.
“...Understood.”
Do Ha-gyeong finally turned her body.
“We enter in five minutes.”
Preparation didn't take long.
The rescue personnel only brought necessary equipment.
Folding stretchers, recovery medicine, lights, and tools to secure the passage were quickly distributed.
Do Ha-gyeong first picked up the map on the table and headed to the gate, and the others followed.
Closer up, the cracks flickering in deep red looked even more massive.
Nothing was visible beyond the surface.
Sihyuk stood still in front of it for a moment.
The gate itself he had seen directly before.
But entering it was the first time.
Do Ha-gyeong passed through the gate first.
Her figure disappeared in an instant.
The rescue personnel followed in turn.
Riel also disappeared beyond the gate.
Sihyuk took one step forward.
The sensation of passing the surface was not long.
Hot wind hit his face.
Sand was pushed under his feet.
Sihyuk opened his eyes.
It was a desert.
A vast sand field stretched out without end.
The sky without a single cloud poured strong sunlight directly.
“...Hot.”
Sihyuk covered his eyes with his hand.
Then Serca came out from the gate.
Sand was scattering over her black armor.
She circled around once and looked up at the sky.
“The climate is completely different from outside.”
“Each gate is different.”
Do Ha-gyeong answered shortly and walked forward.
“There are places similar to outside, and places completely different.”
Sihyuk's gaze went far.
At first, only sand was visible.
When he narrowed his eyes a bit more, a huge structure appeared above the horizon.
It was a pyramid.
A building stacked with ochre stones rose tall in the middle of the desert.
Even from far away, the size was hard to imagine.
A pitch-black entrance was pierced in the front of the pyramid.
A wide stone path connected straight to there.
On both sides of the path, huge stone statues lined up.
Human bodies.
Heads of beasts.
Some had heads broken, some buried up to the waist in sand.
Sihyuk swept through the statues one by one.
There was no movement.
Do Ha-gyeong pointed at the pyramid.
“The exploration team went in that way.”
Riel came forward.
“I'll check the traces first.”
She stretched her hand.
A moment later, the wind passing over the sand slowly gathered in one place.
A few faint lights appeared from inside.
Riel whispered something low, and the elementals scattered in all directions.
Serca looked at them.
“Elementals?”
“Yeah.”
“They exist here too.”
Riel looked at the scattered elementals instead of answering.
A moment later, she pointed to the pyramid.
“Found it.”
“What?”
“Traces of the exploration team. It leads towards the pyramid.”
Do Ha-gyeong immediately moved.
“Let's go.”
As we got closer to the pyramid, the traces of people became clearer.
Deep footprints of dozens of people on the sand.
Most were heading towards the pyramid.
Over it, one set of scattered footprints in the opposite direction overlapped.
Here and there, dark red blood droplets had fallen.
Sihyuk recalled the hunter who had come out from outside the gate earlier.
Do Ha-gyeong's steps quickened.
The entrance to the pyramid was much larger than it looked from afar.
It was enough space for several people to enter side by side.
A huge stone door had fallen sideways, and beyond it, a dark passage opened its mouth.
Riel stopped in front of it.
“I'll check first.”
Two emerald lights flew over her shoulders and disappeared into the darkness.
A moment later.
“Nothing right in front.”
Do Ha-gyeong clenched her fist once.
“Let's go in.”
When I stepped into the pyramid, the air changed.
The hot heat disappeared.
Instead, the cool cold air of an underground room that had been closed for a long time touched the skin.
The lights turned on by the rescue personnel stretched forward.
The passage was wide.
The ceiling and walls were made by stacking huge stones without gaps, and pictures were densely carved on both side walls.
In the murals, countless people were kneeling on the floor.
In front of them stood a man wearing a large coffin.
A bit further inside the wall, the same man was being supported by soldiers.
It was drawn much larger than others.
Serca slowed her steps a bit.
“A king?”
Sihyuk also looked at the mural once.
“It seems so.”
“She had herself carved quite large.”
“Yeah. She drew it pretty well.”
Riel, who had been walking in front with a leisurely attitude, sighed shortly and turned around.
“When are you talking about that now?”
Do Ha-gyeong turned back.
“Quiet.”
Sihyuk didn't say more.
A bit further in, traces of the exploration team began to appear one by one.
On one side of the stone wall, traces of blades had been left, and on the floor, a few broken arrowheads were rolling around.
A wall blackened by fire was also seen in one place.
But it wasn't a sign of a fierce battle.
The exploration team seemed to have passed through here without any major problems.
Corpses stuck to the passage walls were placed here and there.
Some leaning against the wall, some lying in the open stone coffin.
No traces of the exploration team's attack were visible in any of them.
It seemed they didn't need to be touched.
Squeak.
A small sound was heard.
Do Ha-gyeong raised her hand.
The following personnel all stopped walking at once.
It was the sound of something dry being dragged over the stone.
Squeak.
This time it was a bit closer.
Red flames bloomed over Do Ha-gyeong's two fists.
The hunters in front raised their shields.
Riel also raised her bow and put her hand on the string.
At that moment, her head turned sideways.
“Wait.”
Do Ha-gyeong asked.
“Why?”
“One of the elementals I sent ahead suddenly can't feel it.”
Sihyuk looked at the darkness.
A faint presence was felt.
But it was different from what living things feel.
At that time, the corpse leaning against the passage wall moved.
A yellowed, shriveled body.
The whole body wrapped in old cloth from head to toe.
One finger moved, and soon the palm touched the floor.
Creak.
The head turned.
Red light lit up inside the empty eye sockets.
Creak.
This time, the sound came from the opposite side too.
The one lying on the floor.
The one leaning against the wall.
Even the one lying in the open stone coffin.
One by one, they raised their bodies.
Squeak. Squeak.
The same sound continued from deep in the passage.
In the darkness, red eyes rose one by one.
Soon, they multiplied beyond count.
Do Ha-gyeong took a step forward.
Flames spread from both fists to the elbows.
“Everyone in combat readiness.”
The shriveled mouths opened simultaneously.
The cracked breathing filled the passage.
Do Ha-gyeong lowered her posture.
“They're coming.”