Chapter 159: Entering the Ancient Ruins
Ronin arrived at the perfect time. Looking toward the excavation site, he could
see the Aitli Royal Army units withdrawing from the main shaft.
In their place, various freelance groups were prepping their gear near the
entrance.
Every single person Ronin saw was draped in a faint shimmer of energy. No
exceptions. Everyone here was a Nen user.
A quick visual sweep confirmed a headcount of over twenty experts.
Aside from that chaotic night in Meteor City, Ronin hadn't seen this many
high-level users in one location.
"Ronin, perfect timing. The scouts just broke through into a new sub-level. The
tunnel ends in an intact structure, but it's crawling with guardians," Muherr
said, not wasting a second on pleasantries. He pulled Ronin toward a large
tactical tent.
Inside, a table was piled high with high-spec exploration gear.
"Pick what you need. It's on the company tab," Muherr said with a generous wave
of his hand.
Ronin didn't expect to be thrust into the field so suddenly, but he didn't
complain. He selected a few utility items and packed them into his rucksack.
Then, he fell in line with Muherr's veteran unit as they marched toward the
gaping mouth of the ruins.
Ronin felt a bit dazed by the speed of the deployment.
Thud.
Mashur bumped his shoulder against Ronin's, breaking his train of thought.
"What's the matter? First time in a tomb?" Mashur grinned.
Beside Mashur was a young girl with a "meatball" hairstyle (buns). She peeked
out from behind the burly man's massive frame, staring at Ronin with a mixture
of curiosity and shyness.
The moment Ronin caught her eye, she ducked back, hiding herself completely.
"A bit," Ronin admitted. "I didn't expect to go underground the second I landed.
I haven't quite done the mental prep yet."
"And I didn't expect it to be this... crowded," Ronin added, looking at the
groups ahead of them.
There were several independent cells and solo hunters waiting at the perimeter.
The moment the last soldier cleared the gate, they surged into the darkness like
a wave.
"Aitli originally only hired the Rock Mercenaries," Muherr explained from the
front of the line. "But with Kakin and the V5 breathing down their necks, the
location was leaked. To avoid a political incident, the Kingdom had to allow Pro
Hunters and approved private organizations to join the hunt."
"It's a headache, but honestly? It would take our unit five years to clear this
place alone. Letting the freelancers take the initial traps saves us resources."
It wasn't just Nen users entering the fray.
Ronin spotted several civilian teams armed with high-end rifles—the "private
organizations" Muherr had mentioned.
"Give it a month or two," Mashur noted cynically. "The crowds will thin out. In
an environment like this, ordinary humans have a mortality rate of about 90%."
"The only survivors will be those who managed to awaken Nen under the pressure,"
Muherr added with a sigh. "Greed is a powerful motivator. They know the risks,
but they'd rather die for a chance at a fortune than live in poverty."
"Maybe because being poor is scarier than being dead," Ronin said.
The comment made both Muherr and Mashur pause. They looked at Ronin for a
second, a flicker of surprise in their eyes.
Only the girl hiding behind Mashur poked her head out, nodding vigorously in
silent agreement.
Ronin read their expressions and realized that these two had likely never known
true desperation. He offered a small smile and let the subject drop.
"How big is this place exactly?" Ronin asked.
His primary goal was the Kurta connection. He wasn't planning to spend months
playing archaeologist. He still had a date with the Hunter Exam in late
December.
"Massive. We've only mapped about 5%," Muherr replied. "If you have other
business, you can leave whenever you want. This is a long-haul contract. If we
find anything specifically related to your clan, I'll signal you immediately."
Ronin thanked him.
"For now, we're heading to the newest sector," Muherr continued. "The area where
the Kurta clothes were found is in a deeper sub-level. We'll need a few days of
clearing before we can get you there."
"No rush," Ronin said. "I'm staying until the end of December anyway."
"Planning on taking the Hunter Exam?" the girl behind Mashur asked, her first
words to Ronin.
Ronin glanced at her and nodded. "Yes."
"This is Vanessa," Mashur said, dragging her out from behind him. "Her dream is
to be a Pro Hunter too."
"With her ability, that shouldn't be a problem," Ronin noted. He could see her
Ten. It was stable and refined—she was a veteran of the basics.
The moment Mashur let go of her arm, Vanessa flickered and vanished.
She reappeared instantly in Muherr's shadow. Ronin felt like he was looking at a
living "back-seat spirit."
"Her nerves are a mess, though," Muherr added. He reached back to grab her, but
his hand caught only empty air.
He felt a sharp, sudden punch to his kidneys from his own shadow.
Ronin noticed that just as Muherr's hand was about to connect, Vanessa's body
had "sunk" into the floor, shifting coordinates through the shadows.
An Emitter? Or something more complex?
Ronin watched the movement of Muherr's shadow. If his Sharingan was correct,
Vanessa was literally living inside the two-dimensional space of the shadow for
a brief moment to dodge.
The path ahead branched into three distinct tunnels.
Ronin noted the topography: all three paths sloped sharply downward.
The Mahavi Ruins were entirely subterranean. He wondered if the ancient
inhabitants had been a race of cave-dwellers or if the city had been buried by a
prehistoric cataclysm.
"The right tunnel was the first one discovered," Muherr said, leading them
toward the left. "It leads to the sector where the Kurta garments were found."
"The middle tunnel is where the main swarm of Magical Beasts emerged during the
last breach. We've fortified it, but it's still a war zone."
"The left tunnel was explored before, but it was shallow and turned up nothing.
However, the army recently broke through a false wall at the end. That's the
'New World' we're exploring today."
The expedition force split.
Most freelancers followed Muherr to the left. A smaller, more cautious group
headed right.
The middle tunnel remained dark and silent. No one was foolish enough to walk
into the nest without a direct order.
☆☆☆
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