Chapter 171: Batiyu Ruins (2)

[You have entered the dungeon, Batiyu Ruins.]

Kang Oh rubbed the mint powder he'd bought from the drugstore onto his body. Then, he smelled himself. He definitely smelled like mint now.

"I think we're about ready."

Kang Oh took a look around and walked over to the first goat pattern he'd found.

Before questioning the 'Medicine Hunters', he'd try offering the goat meat, the blood, or the organs, to see if it was the right call or not.

The Bulldogs didn't attack Kang Oh; instead, they just sniffed the air, perhaps because of the mint powder.

Kang Oh kept moving, and saw the Medicine Hunters with their mesh nets.

He glanced at them.

'There's nothing really suspicious about them.'

They looked normal and wore rather shabby clothes. The Medicine Hunters were also carrying hoes, assumedly to dig up some herbs, and they actually appeared to be digging up grass.

'But according to the drugstore owner, those don't have any value, so why are they digging them up?'

A Medicine Hunter was picking medicinal herbs that had absolutely no value? They were either Medicine Hunters that had no knowledge of medicinal herbs, or their goal wasn't to pick herbs in the first place.

Then, the Medicine Hunters turned their attention to Kang Oh, as if they'd noticed him looking at them.

'Eek!'

Kang Oh quickly turned away and kept walking as if he were innocent.

"Hoo," Kang Oh sighed once he'd gotten away.

'I probably wasn't discovered, right?'

He had to figure out whether they were related to Jaila's disciple or not.

Thus, he didn't want them to think that he found them suspicious.

'Let's find out what happens with the goat first.'

Kang Oh approached the pillar engraved with the goat pattern and then took a look around.

Once he'd made sure that no one was around, Kang Oh removed a vial of goat's blood and goat meat and organs wrapped in paper.

'Let's see what this does.'

First, he spread the blood onto the pattern. However, nothing happened. It was the same even when he pushed the goat meat and organs forward.

'Doesn't work.'

Offering a goat to the goat pattern wasn't the right answer.

'Hmm. Then...'

Kang Oh kept moving around. At some point, his eyes focused on one of the Medicine Hunters.

'Let's go with that one.'

Kang Oh hid within the ruins of a dilapidated building.

The Medicine Hunter rubbed what looked like mint powder over his body and began to move elsewhere.

Kang Oh quietly followed him.

After that, Kang Oh watched the Medicine Hunter's every move for a quarter of the day.

However, he hadn't shown him anything that would help Kang Oh figure out the goat pattern, nor did he do anything particularly suspicious.

'If that's the case, then I'll just have to get up close and personal.'

Kang Oh decided to ask the Medicine Hunter in person, and waited patiently for his opportunity.

At some point, his opportunity presented itself to him.

Kang Oh carefully scanned his surroundings.

He didn't see any players or Bulldogs. He didn't see or sense any other Medicine Hunters either.

If he wanted answers, then now was the time!

Kang Oh moved out of the thicket and approached the Medicine Hunter.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

The Medicine Hunter stared at Kang Oh warily.

"I'd like to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Do you know who Jaila is?" Kang Oh asked.

"No, not really," the Medicine Hunter replied immediately.

However, Kang Oh saw his eyes slightly shake.

"Jaila is a god that shouldn't exist in this world."

Kang Oh grinned.

Then, the Medicine Hunter's expression completely changed. It was almost as if his face was saying, 'How dare you!'.

'That's right.'

As expected, the best way to anger religious fanatics was to anger the god they worshipped!

Kang Oh kept smiling and said, "Apparently, there are religious fanatics that worship him here."

His smile disappeared instantaneously and was replaced by the red glow of his Devil Eye.

"...That's you, right?"

"How did you know?"

Now he could feel the Medicine Hunter's killing intent.

"The medicinal herbs that grow on the Batiyu Ruins have absolutely no value. But isn't it strange that there're Medicine Hunters that pick them regardless?"

"Is that so? We chose the wrong disguise. But that doesn't change the fact that you're... going to die here!"

Boom!

Black energy spewed out of the Medicine Hunter's body. At the same time, the man's head transformed into a savage dog's head, his height increased, and fur covered his body. Was he a wolf or a dog? He couldn't tell.

'I have to kill him before the other fanatics come over here.'

Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood.

Kuahk!

The exposed Evil God Worshipper swung his sharp claws with incredible speed and power.

However, Kang Oh slightly tilted his body to the side, allowing him to easily dodge the attack. Then, he swung his jet black demon sword upwards from bottom up.

Slash!

Swish!

"Ugh!"

The monster's face contorted!

Kang Oh's sword had left behind a wound, starting from the fanatic's side to his armpit.

He immediately followed it up with a diagonal slash.

Bam!

Once his blade made contact with the wound, shards of light exploded into the air.

"Tch."

Realizing that he'd lost the initiative, the Evil God Worshipper quickly back off to prepare himself for the next attack.

But Kang Oh wasn't so kind; he wouldn't let him catch his breath.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Kang Oh pulled a horned dagger from his belt and threw it at the monster!

The dagger shot out like lightning and pierced the Evil God Worshipper's thigh.

Bzzzzt!

Gladion's Dagger emitted sparks and electrified the monster. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and reappeared right in front of him.

"Huahp!"

Kang Oh's demon sword fell upon the monster, as if it'd bisect the world into two halves! The jet black blade emanated golden light.

Tempest Tiger!

The tiger-shaped aura pounced onto the Evil God Worshipper.

Boom!

The fanatic was flung into the air and smashed into a tree. Then, the tree shook and the leaves began to rustle and fall!

Whoosh!

Tempest Tiger's follow-up effect, the whirlwind, engulfed his opponent.

A short while later, the wind died down and the Evil God Worshipper reappeared.

"Ugh..." the zealot, covered in wounds from head to toe, groaned weakly.

'Let's finish this quickly.'

Before the other Evil God Worshippers got here.

Kang Oh rushed at his opponent and thrust his sword.

Stab, stab, stab!

His final strike pierced through the Evil God Worshipper's heart.

[You have defeated a Batiyu Ruin's Evil God Worshipper.]

'This is...'

Kang Oh picked up the item he'd left behind. Upon seeing it, his Hyper Intuition flared.

'I'll look into it later. Right now I have to hide.'

Tempest Tiger had emitted a tremendous golden light and was followed up by whirlwind as well.

The other Evil God Worshippers, who were disguised as Medicine Hunters, must've seen this by now.

Kang Oh completely hid himself within the nearby thicket so that not even a single one of his hairs could be seen.

A short while later...

He could see Medicine Hunters, wearing mesh bags, coming through the thicket one or two at a time. They could see the fallen animal form of their comrade.

"Mm. One of our brothers has died," one of the 'Medicine Hunters' said.

Each of them spoke amongst themselves.

"Who did this?"

"I don't know. But I think someone knows what we've been doing."

"We can't leave until we complete the ritual."

"Let's report this to Lord Trambo."

"We can't right now. Lord Trambo will be here on the day of the ritual, not a day before."

"Mm. Let's collect the body first. We can't let anyone else see this."

"Got it."

"We're not going to find who did this?"

"If we do that, there's a chance that we'll be exposed."

"He's right. We have to keep things as quiet as possible, at least until the ritual is complete."

"In exchange, we'll reinforce the barrier."

"Alright."

The Medicine Hunters carried away the body and left.

Kang Oh's eyes gleamed; he'd been watching everything that'd occurred from within the thicket.

'Seems like they're performing some sort of huge ritual. One that can't be done in a day or two. Is Trambo the disciple that I have to kill? They said he'd only appear on the day of the ceremony, right?'

He'd obtained some good information.

Moreover, Kang Oh had gotten his hands on a round bronze mirror that the Evil God Worshipper had dropped.

"Item information."

[Jaila's Bronze Mirror]

Because bronze is the metal that represents the Evil God, Jaila, the bronze mirror is a sign that one worships and serves the evil god.

However, the bronze mirror radiates an unknown red light.

The red light covered half of the mirror in the shape of a crescent moon.

Since his Hyper Intuition was trying to tell him something, this bronze mirror had to hold some sort of secret. Kang Oh could pretty much tell what it was.

'It's a key.'

The goat pattern would react to this key, or the bronze mirror. Kang Oh had spent a long time finding hidden dungeons, and it was that same intuition that was telling him that this mirror was the answer.

'I'm getting more and more clues.'

Kang Oh got out of the thicket and left the Batiyu Ruins.

He wanted to try using the bronze mirror on the goat pattern, but now wasn't the time.

Since he'd killed one of their own, it was obvious that the Evil God Worshippers would be extremely wary of everyone. Thus, he'd retreat today and try another time.

* * *

Kang Oh didn't travel to the Batiyu Ruins for some time.

Instead, he returned to Altein and read books with Eder in the Altein Central Library.

They researched topics such as the Evil God, Jaila, Batiyu, Trambo, the ritual that Jaila's followers were attempting, etc.

"Mm. Mr. Kang Oh," Eder called.

"What is it?"

"I think I know why Jaila's followers are at the Batiyu Ruins."

"Go ahead."

"I told you last time that one of Lord Batiyu's priests took part in destroying Jaila's Temple."

"Yeah, I remember."

"I think that priest sealed one of Jaila's sacred treasures in the Batiyu Shrine."

Sacred treasures contained a god's power. Thus, it was said that they had the power to perform miracles.

But according to Eder, Jaila's sacred treasure was sealed somewhere within the Batiyu Shrine.

Thus, the goal of Jaila's followers was to reclaim this sacred treasure.

"Then that ritual that they're trying to perform there is..."

"It's likely being done to undo the seal."

Kang Oh nodded his head.

'That's why the Evil God Worshippers said that they couldn't leave until the ceremony was complete.'

Everything was falling into place.

"Anything else?"

"There's nothing on Trambo. However, there's some information on the power that Jaila's disciples use."

"What is it?"

"They can transform their bodies into bronze."

"What else?"

"They wield hellfire and are capable of transforming people into beasts."

"Beasts, huh..."

That's the reason the Batiyu Ruin's Evil God Worshipper had transformed into a werewolf.

"Then Trambo must have some sort of ability associated with animals, right?"

"Most likely," Eder said unsurely.

"Hmm. Let's keep looking."

"Um..." Eder gently raised his hand.

"What is it?"

"Hehe. You said you'd give me a break if I found something."

Why else would he have read until his eyes bled? It's because he wanted to relax for a few days in peace. Of course, the longer the break, the better.

"What? A break!?"

Kang Oh's eyes seemed to alight with flame. 'I'm working here, but you want to take a break!?'.

"W-Why not!? I've gotten you some good information. And you promised that I would be able to relax if I found you some information!"

Eder clenched his fists. Even the meekest person will eventually lose their temper!

'Hmm.'

Kang Oh briefly thought over the matter.

'I don't think he'll work anymore if I ask him to...'

Take a look at his eyes! They were the eyes of someone who'd walk off and go on strike.

'Well, I guess Eder's done enough. And I was the one who promised to give him a break too.'

Eder was perfectly justified in his complaints too.

"Fine. You can rest until I take care of the disciple."

In the end, Kang Oh accepted Eder's demands.

"Thank you very much!"

With this, Eder could relax for a while.

Whereas...

- Mr. Sephiro.

- Yes?

An instant reply.

- Do you have any new information for me?

- Uh... not yet.

- Then please keep at it!

Sephiro couldn't dream of a vacation, let alone a break.