—Near the Ancient Temple
A one-eyed giant stomped past right before their eyes, shaking the earth, and Hook grimaced as a dull ache flared in his stomach.
Every single monster that had crossed their path lately was a disaster-class beast—the kind of nightmare you only ever heard about in rumors. If they were spotted, a party of D-rank hunters like Hook and his crew would be turned into mincemeat in an instant.
That pendant... It carried a concealment enchantment that masked everything within a set radius around the bearer. Thanks to that ridiculous item, Hook and the others had managed to reach the vicinity of the Ancient Temple without breaking a sweat.
(Hey, Raiga, let's head back after all. I've got a really bad feeling about this.)
For a while now, his instincts had been sounding a piercing alarm deep in his chest, screaming incessantly at him to get the hell out of there with everything he had.
(What are you talking about after coming all this way?! Just a little further, and we'll pull off a feat deemed impossible even for A-rank hunters!)
It was no use. Having made it right to the entrance of a temple no one had ever reached before, Raiga was completely carried away. In this state, talking him out of it would be next to impossible.
If that was the case, the only option left was to step inside, quickly find something that looked vaguely important, lavish praise on it as the discovery of the century to satisfy Raiga, and get back to the city. Honestly, this quest was far beyond what their party could handle.
At last, they arrived before the temple's massive double doors. All four of them threw their weight against them, and the heavy stone slowly ground open.
"Let's go!"
Raiga's voice was practically buzzing with excitement. Hook gave a reluctant nod and followed him inside.
The temple interior opened into a vast chamber constructed entirely of black stone.
Spherical fixtures embedded into the walls cast an eerie, pale blue luminescence across the room.
In the center lay a circle inscribed with blood-red geometric designs, surrounding a cylindrical pedestal. Embedded in the top of that pedestal was what looked like a crimson key.
"Is this... a key?"
"Hey, wait a second—"
Ignoring Hook's warning entirely, Raiga casually picked up the embedded key and began turning it over in his hands.
Good grief, this idiot. How many times had Hook told him to always proceed with caution? Once they got through this in one piece, he was going to sit down and have a serious talk with him. If Raiga kept charging headlong into danger without a shred of fear, he was going to run straight into a fatal catastrophe before long. Hook would make sure to drill that into his head. He couldn't let his comrades be put in danger like this anymore. And if Raiga still wouldn't listen, Hook would have to consider parting ways—best friend or not.
"If there's a key, there's gotta be a keyhole."
Raiga and the other two immediately set off to scour the room.
Dungeons like this were practically built on lethal traps. Under normal circumstances, an expedition required a hunter with a Treasure Hunter-type Gift to scout ahead. But Hook's party had no one with a Gift like that. Strictly speaking, exploring ruins of this magnitude was something they should never have attempted.
"You guys, keep your guard up! Don't do anything reckless!"
At this point, anything Hook said would fall on deaf ears anyway. All he could do was leave their fate to the heavens.
"Hey! Over here, isn't this it?!"
At the shrill cry of one of their companions, Raiga dashed over. His hands trembled as he slotted the key into the opening, and the far wall slowly slid aside, revealing a corridor.
"Hell yeah! This is insane!"
Watching the three of them embrace each other, trembling with sheer delight, Hook only felt his dread multiply.
Because think about it—if the puzzle was this simple, why not just leave the passage open from the start? It meant whoever built this place had never intended to hide it in the first place.
(This is bad. This is really, really bad!)
Hook's intuition was almost never wrong. Which was why—
"Let's turn back right now. I'm telling you, this place is bad news."
Hook possessed the "Star Reading" Gift—an ability that granted prophetic insight. Normally, the others would take his word without question. But right now, the prize dangling before their eyes had blinded them.
"Hook, man, what are you even saying after we made it all the way here?!"
"Yeah, we're not turning back now! Forward is the only option!"
No good. Looking into their feverish, greedy eyes, the chances of convincing them were practically zero. In fact, if Hook wasn't around to anchor them, they'd completely lose their heads.
"Fine. But the second I decide it's dangerous, we turn right around. Deal?"
"Aw, but if we turn back, our credit—"
"The moment we found this place, the credit was already ours! What, do you honestly think a hunter is supposed to handle everything from discovery to a full-scale survey all by themselves?"
Raiga gritted his teeth for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"Alright, alright. The second you call it dangerous, we head straight back. I promise."
He gave the exact concession Hook needed. In moments like this, his straightforward nature was a blessing.
"Then let's move. And I mean it—no reckless stunts."
Everyone nodded, and they made their way down the corridor.
Before they had walked very far, they hit a dead end. What lay before them was a literal mountain of treasure.
"No way... Tell me I'm not dreaming."
"I pinched myself earlier and it hurt like hell. This is real."
Gazing upon the towering mounds of gold and jewels, every face in the room lit up with unfiltered ecstasy.
Yet the violent chill gripping Hook's spine didn't fade in the slightest. If anything, it flared so fiercely it bordered on physical pain.
"In our line of work, the discoverer gets claim rights! All of this belongs to us already! So let's head back for now—we can leave the rest to a specialized recovery team!"
As Hook desperately pleaded their case,
"He's right. Pushing our luck any further is just poking a hornet's nest."
Raiga nodded, and the others reluctantly followed suit. Yes! Finally, they could leave. Feeling as though a guiding lantern had just appeared in the dead of night, Hook breathed a massive sigh of relief.
"Alright, let's go."
Just as they turned to leave the vault—at that very second—
"Taking just a little won't hurt, right?"
"Holy crap, look at this! Wonder how much we can sell this for!"
Hook whipped around to find the other three stuffing their packs with treasure.
Nfuhu... Looks like you took the bait, didn't you~? How wonderful. Now the gate will open~.
A thick, booming male voice resonated directly inside their minds.
In an instant, magic circles blazed to life across the entire room, spinning violently.
The moment that voice rattled his eardrums, every hair on Hook's body stood on end.
"Drop that shit and RUN!!"
Hook grabbed Raiga by the collar and hurled the two of them out of the chamber in a desperate scramble.
—CRUNCH!
A split second later, a colossal maw erupted from the magic circle inside the room, swallowing the three remaining companions whole and grinding them to pulp. Cut short by agonizing shrieks, Hook's comrades were devoured in a single bite.
"Ugh... ah..."
A shattered groan slipped from Raiga's lips.
Their friends were dead. The cold realization slammed into Hook's mind, sending a sharp shudder racing down his spine. Throwing an arm around the limp, catatonic Raiga, Hook hauled him up and bolted for the exit with everything he had.
That's it, run along now~! Run, and be utterly consumed by terror as you sing my praises~! Bear witness to the strong and beautiful Lord Pazuzu, who is about to turn this entire world into an absolute, bloody mess!!
From behind them, that thick, booming voice—overflowing with theatrical delight—echoed with horrifying clarity.