Chapter 198
61 Magical Beasts and Burrowers 197 – Magical Beasts and Burrowers #3
At high noon, the sun was owning the sky.
“Creatures like me race under the name of the World Tree and mark our time in the order we arrive. Of course, for us, it’s just a difference in sequence; there’s no high or low.”
— Guess that’s true.
I squinted at the sun soaring above Cairo’s central tower. The time to meet Jack was approaching.
‘Where’s he popping up from?’
I scanned the faces of the beasts and humans passing by. But no sign of a camel-headed beast anywhere.
‘That rascal, was he lying?’
Just as I was serving my inner doubts a three-course meal, a familiar voice chimed in.
— You showed up early! I was worried you wouldn’t make it!
There, through the crowd, Jack waved his hand, making his way toward me.
— But you’re a bit late yourself! I thought you might have pulled a fast one on us!
— No way! Besides, what’s with that severely tattered fur… Hm, I see. Anyway, I took a little time finding my companions.
— Companions?
I glanced at the two characters beside Jack. One was a short stone dwarf boy, reaching only to Jack’s waist, and the other sported sandy hair with perky cat ears…
— Nice to see you again, meow!
That distinct voice belonged to none other than Sandy, the sand cat.
— Sand cats are incredibly perceptive and natural trap experts. We finalized our plan to team up yesterday.
— Right, meow. I didn’t want to be indebted like Nebah, so I just hitched a ride, meow.
“Hmph, so this white beast is our vanguard? Or is it the hidden lady over there?”
At the stone dwarf’s comment, I lowered my head a bit to look at the boy’s face.
— Who’s this little lad? Are you sure it’s safe to take a kid to a place full of dangers?
“Did you just call me a kid?”
The dwarf frowned deeply at that, prompting Jack to jump in, trying to smooth things over.
— This buddy here is the renowned emotionist and blacksmith, Totuga. He might look as smooth as a baby, but trust me, he’s over thirty. He hates being told he looks young, so tread carefully.
— Ah, got it.
“You’re our vanguard? You seem tough.”
Totuga, with his quirky way of speaking, took a good, long look at me from head to toe. Then, with a grunt of approval, he exclaimed,
“From the horns on your head to those claws… A few tufts of fur are missing here and there, but you’ve got thick skin. Quite the fine materials. That sacred artifact of yours might not be too far off…”
As a blacksmith and emotionist, Totuga seemed to have an eye for detail. Jack looked up at the sun, thinking it must be time to get moving.
— Let’s head out! If we leave now, we could reach the Second Pyramid by sunset.
Just as we were about to start, Totuga opened his mouth again.
“Before that, I want to test your skills. You look good on the outside, but there are plenty of muscle-bound loudmouths out there. If you’re a paper tiger, we’re all done for!”
— Well, that’s true.
Jack nodded and looked back at me.
I squinted my eyes slightly.
— You want me to prove my skills?
— Kinda sounds like that. After all, fighting and exerting strength for a vanguard role is critical for a team of burrowers. I don’t doubt your skills, but I’d like to see a show of it. How about it? Are you up for it?
At Jack’s question, I raised my fur and stretched lazily.
— I don’t mind. So how do I prove it?
If only there were a punching machine or arm wrestling game to show off my strength, but I highly doubted such conveniences existed in this desert city.
“You don’t have to worry much about how to prove it. Just head over to the Shovel Guy.”
— Oh, right, Shovel Guy should do.
Jack nodded in agreement with Totuga’s response.
*
Our group headed toward Cairo’s bustling marketplace, particularly at the center, known for its artifact sales and unyielding crowds.
There were countless items and traders, so much so that it felt like there wasn’t a place to stand. Among them, the most crowded spot was declared to be the Shovel Guy’s shop.
‘Can you even call this a shop?’
Upon arriving, I found myself stunned by the bizarre trading methods.
— You weakling! Come on, next! Retrieval team! Grab that loser’s goods!
A dwarf with a swollen face was being dragged away by a crowd. A guy — no, a male, soaked in his own bl**d, shouted at the surrounding onlookers.
— Cowards! Whoever wants a piece of me, step up! I’ll give five times the bet to anyone who can take me down!
His shirtless torso was covered in wild black fur, like a beast’s.
His figure was humanoid, but with sturdy muscles, an elongated snout, and thick fur, it was clear he was a beastman infused with magical prowess.
“I’ll take the challenge!”
From among the onlooking crowd, a stout dwarf stepped forward, wielding a heavy hammer. Though he was about half the size of everyone around him, he had the aura of a hefty rock.
Upon the challenge, the beastman, the Shovel Guy, spread his arms wide, adopting a relaxed, comedic stance.
— Sure, I don’t discriminate against challengers. So, what are you wagering?
“I’ll bet my hammer. It’s a unique piece made from dragon bone and shell. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind hammer worth at least five gold coins!”
— Ho, sounds good. I’ll need to check if that’s legit, though.
As the Shovel Guy clapped his hands, some little stone dwarfs appeared and began examining the hammer.
“The craftsmanship is solid, the handle likely made from bone and sandy granite. We should look closer, but it’s worth at least five gold coins. Maybe even more.”
— So that’s what you say. If you beat me, I’ll give you thirty gold coins. But if I win, that hammer’s mine. And you’re going home empty-handed!
“Sounds fair, I’m Baltuga, son of Memnon. Here’s to a fair fight.”
As the dwarf Baltuga revealed his name, the surrounding crowd buzzed with excitement.
— Baltuga?! The one who conquered the sand dune ruins?
“Didn’t he break the shells of Salt Scorpions with just one hammer strike?”
— I’ve seen it too. I was part of a big digging team once. Saw it from afar, it was impressive.
“Looks like this Shovel Guy might finally lose. Is his unbeaten record about to break?”
With the crowd chattering, I realized that this braided brown-bearded dwarf challenger was quite strong.
‘At the very least, he seems to be a Gold Grade hunter.’
“Strong, indeed.”
Azidahaka, who was watching quietly from a distance, also expressed his admiration.
“That Shovel Guy is part of the black wolf divine beast. Though his magical power is disrupted due to forced divinity, he’s strong enough to be a contender for the Forest Lord in the East’s ancient magical realm. He might be a true divine beast now. So unfortunate.”
It seemed Azidahaka had taken a keen interest in the Shovel Guy.
The Shovel Guy flexed his fingers, cracking his knuckles.
— Alright, bearded one. I’m not anyone’s child; I’m just the Shovel Guy. However, I can’t agree to a fair fight if you’re using weapons while I use my bare hands. That’s unfair, don’t you think?
“Ha, you want to fight me bare-handed?”
— Sure, you can fight while wearing your bone armor. I’ll take my chances barehanded. But don’t underestimate me. When I wield a weapon, the crowd tends to get scared.
The wolf-human Shovel Guy’s taunt made Baltuga’s mustache quiver with fury.
“Your arrogance, worm with fur, is enough to anger Lord Ojimann! How dare you look down on me!”
— What do you mean, you’re just an easy target soon to get pummeled.
“You scoundrel!”
With a thunderous cry, Baltuga lunged at the Shovel Guy. The massive hammer swung, producing ominous sounds of whooshing air.
— That’s it!
“Baltuga, smash that Shovel Guy’s nose flat!”
“You’re not losing to that beast, right? Show your strength, dwarf!”
— Hey, don’t just cheer, put your bets down! Who’s backing the Shovel Guy, and who’s cheering for that Baltuga character?
The Shovel Guy used his animal senses to dodge Baltuga’s hammer just in time, drawing more cheers from the crowd. The excitement made the atmosphere electric as coins of various shapes flew through the air.
Baltuga was turning as red as a drunkard in anger, clearly enraged at the whole debacle.
“This is a disgrace! Behold the blessing of Lord Ojimann and feel my CONCENTRATION!”
Boom, boom.
The massive hammer he raised sent vibrations echoing across the arena, catching the attention of Azidahaka, who watched from beyond the crowd.
“Looks like the weapon is storing magical power. Handling a tool made from dragon remains, that’s quite impressive for a stone dwarf.”
— Hm.
I nodded in agreement. Baltuga raised his hammer high, visibly angry, and shouted,
“Let’s see if you can dodge this too!”
— Ugh! Run, run! That’s super dangerous! I’ve seen it before!
“What’s going on? What’s that?”
As the crowd panicked, Baltuga struck the ground with all his might.
CRASH!
The sound resembled a grenade exploding, tearing the atmosphere wide open. The ground shook violently, cracking apart like shards of glass all around.
‘Now that’s a killer move!’
I maintained my balance amidst the shaking ground and nodded approvingly. A technique that packed heavy blows with all that gathered strength? Isn’t that just the male fantasy?
— Ugh!
Even the Shovel Guy, who was being cavalier, seemed to have lost his footing from the tremors, and clumsily fell flat on his backside.
“Game over, arrogant fool! I’m making a cloak out of your skin!”
Not wasting a moment, Baltuga pounced on the opportunity to attack. Just as everyone thought the fight was coming to a close…
— What a nice weapon, I want it.
The Shovel Guy sprang up, vaulting toward Baltuga instead. At a lightning-fast speed, he thrust his palm, sharpened like a spearhead, into Baltuga’s chest.
Stab.
Baltuga’s bone armor cracked apart, while sharp winds swirled around, creating deep pits in the ground akin to having been dug up with a shovel.
‘Aha, so that’s why he’s called the Shovel Guy.’
— W-what just happened?
“I don’t know. I couldn’t see it. Did it really dig that deep?”
— So we really can’t beat this Shovel Guy after all.
Baltuga, gasping on the ground, looked defeated, while the Shovel Guy raised his arms triumphantly to the sky.
— Next!
But the crowd remained captivated by the unprecedented fight, each person eyeing one another cautiously.
With Baltuga, once deemed a top contender, defeated, none dared to step up against the Shovel Guy.
— Today, everyone’s a coward. Is this how business wraps up? Man, this hammer is heavier than I thought.
The Shovel Guy quipped lightly as he propped the dragon-bone hammer on his shoulder.
— You want me to fight that guy?
I turned to Jack and Totuga, who were silently observing the scene beside me. Totuga raised an eyebrow slightly.
“You don’t have to fight if you’re scared. I’m just seeing how long you can last. You need to withstand at least ten seconds like that Baltuga fellow to prove your strength.”
— That’s easy.
I twisted my neck and shoulders to loosen up a bit. Then, confidently, I walked through the crowd and stood tall in front of the so-called Shovel Guy.
— Let’s fight, wolf-man.
— Ho, a white-furred beast. You’re unlike anything I’ve seen in this city.
— So, you’re not going to pull any stunts and refuse to fight me, right?
— Of course not. I, the Shovel Guy, reject no challengers. I won’t even back down from a fight with the city’s ruler, Jupiter.
— Good.
I smiled widely, satisfied. The commotion of the crowd echoed in my perked ears.
— Who is that beast…?
— Completely covered in white fur, is it a beast from the northern magical realm?
“The northern magical beasts usually don’t come this small. Plus, they look cute and tiny. I wonder if that guy can defeat the Shovel Guy who beat Baltuga.”
The crowd seemed skeptical of my sudden appearance. I had endured such gazes countless times, so indifference washed over me.
But the Shovel Guy looked down at me with curious eyes and inquired.
— So, what’s your wager? I’ll return whatever you bet fivefold.
— Let’s see… what could I wager…
While I was about to pull out one of the spines on my back, the Shovel Guy pointed toward where my companions stood, his hand open palm-up.
— Over there, that beast covered in a long robe. Your companion, right? The scent of a good female is wafting from her. Bet her on the line. Even with her covered, my keen nose can’t be fooled.
‘Betting Azidahaka, huh?’
I felt a wave of laughter bubbling up from my stomach as if I had just heard the funniest joke ever.
— That one isn’t just any object, but sure. Can you handle that? If I put a price on her, she might be quite expensive.
— I’ll bet my shop! That’s everything I own! I’m betting all of it!
With a grin revealing his fangs, the Shovel Guy made that bold statement, and both the humans and beasts looked at each other, wide-eyed in disbelief.
“Betting your shop?”
— What in the world is this bet…
‘His eyes and nose seem to be quite good. Betting everything he has means he must be pretty confident in his skills.’
I feigned a nod. Then I raised my right front paw and gestured cockily at him.
— Alright, don’t make excuses afterward. And I’ll use only my right front paw for this fight.
— What?
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