### Chapter 489 – Room 207, The Gate Room – First Trial – ‘Eternal Life and Resurrection’ (7)
—
– Kim Sanghyun
A great struggle destined to be recorded in the annals of Egyptian mythology.
On one side stood the great Menes, commanding an army of golden machines, and on the other, the ancient evil god, Malkab.
Initially, I thought Menes would easily clinch victory.
That’s because the overwhelming power Malkab wielded was utterly useless against Menes’ robotic legion.
You’d think an ancient god could easily part the heavens with a word or dry up rivers, right?
Suddenly, as if responding to my thoughts, the seated Pharaoh statue extended its arm, transforming its finger into a missile that took flight.
A leopard sprinting on the ground opened its mouth to unleash a ray powerful enough to melt rocks.
In the air, black projectiles shot toward Malkab, ripping through his grotesque form.
Of course, Malkab repeatedly regenerated his destroyed skeletal body, but didn’t that consume some measure of power?
Menes was primed to overwhelm Malkab all by himself.
But just then, the malevolent god intoned a cursed incantation, signaling the real start of the battle.
An arrow that was inescapable swiftly shot forth—a dark omen that meant death.
Suddenly, black arrows, as dense and viscous as tar, ignored the robot army and soared straight toward Menes!
“Ugh! Whoa!”
“Excuse me!”
Physically, Menes was just an old man, unable to react in time, and I had to shove him aside.
“Th-thanks—”
“This isn’t the time for pleasantries!”
The golden robot army, built with what I was certain was advanced sci-fi technology, was utterly unmatched in this era.
Even an ancient evil god couldn’t find a way to destroy those robots.
But…
With most of the robots engaging Malkab at the front, Menes was not invincible!
If he were truly invincible, why would he be reclining in a sarcophagus of immortality?
“Oh no!”
One, two, three—there were so many arrows in the sky I couldn’t even count!
They all targeted Menes.
In this hellish situation—
Menes gazed at us with calm eyes.
He didn’t say a word, but everyone understood the great Pharaoh’s intent.
“If you don’t want to take on that skull god, then do your best to keep me alive.”
— Click!
As the pocket watch’s hands moved, a stunning woman with black hair and red eyes appeared.
As always, she reacted with remarkable agility.
— Boom!
With a sound like the ripping of the very air, the arrows of death that had filled the sky suddenly halted mid-flight.
It was as if an invisible wall interrupted their trajectory!
“Oh…! Is this lady also a great god? Or perhaps the daughter or wife of Horus?”
The mention of daughter or wife made Ahri and Miro jerk in unison.
Thinking of the emotional exchanges between those two and Kain made me chuckle unintentionally.
Of course, laughing wasn’t really an option here.
— Thud!
Because the skeletal soldiers began to fall from the sky.
*
“Gah! Ugh!”
Everyone’s desperate resistance began.
Yumi shot green bubbles from her fingertips, melting the skeletal warriors, while Songyi illuminated her bracelet, causing the weaker-willed corpses to kneel before her.
I swung my cold weapon without rest, and even Seungyub and Aidia, who was just a princess yesterday, joined in.
The only one somewhat removed from the intense violence was Menes.
It’d be better for me or Songyi to collapse than for Menes to die—if he went down, we would have no way to deal with Malkab!
The one shining the brightest on the battlefield was Ahri.
“Yah!”
With a sharp cry, she unleashed the dazzling light of her bizarre polyhedron.
In an instant, an opaque wall spun like a propeller, shredding the surrounding army of cadavers.
At that moment, Ahri radiated a presence that screamed “angel from the heavens.”
“… Ugh!”
As I observed from the sidelines, I realized a limit was approaching.
She couldn’t create multiple walls to maintain a “room” for long periods—not without exhausting herself, at least.
If she could, she would have prevented most of the intrusions just by making isolated spaces.
Instead, she actively moved a small number of walls, wielding them like a massive sword.
Comparing her abilities to how I heard the chief researcher used his heritage, I sensed that while her “stamina” was no match, she had the edge in “agility.”
Even the brightest genius had been a desk-warrior, while she was a prodigy trained on the hotel frontlines.
In that moment, blood splattered from Ahri’s mouth.
“Ah! Ahri!”
Had she reached her limit with the polyhedron?
The radiance from the odd shape that had protected us was now fading.
Even Menes, oblivious to the heritage, stiffened at that sight.
The outcomes of battle hinged on whether Menes’ golden legion could defeat Malkab faster than Malkab could kill Menes.
And—
Remember.
Everyone’s end is death.
As Malkab’s cursed strength pierced through Ahri’s defense, it struck Menes directly.
“Gaaah!”
From the old man’s mouth came something akin to a swarm of insects, and maggots crawled from his ears.
As Yumi frantically blocked the skeletal soldiers, she rushed over to Menes.
“Can you heal him, please!”
“I don’t know! Why are flies coming out of his mouth?!”
In an instant, skin split apart, teeth fell out, and hair melted away.
How could he be saved…?
What the heck?
What is that “organ” doing stuck to a human body?
In that instant, both Yumi and I locked eyes, realizing we had seen the same horrifying thing.
“What is this? No way, no way—”
— Slap!
Ahri’s cold hand covered Yumi’s mouth.
“This isn’t the time to be questioning! Look at the battlefield!”
“Eep!”
Following her command, Yumi screamed like a child when she gazed ahead.
I wanted to scream too.
As soon as Menes fainted, all of the robots froze!
“Damn it!”
“Seunghyun, this isn’t the time for curses. Is there no way to save him?”
In that moment, a whirlwind of thoughts crossed my mind.
What if we just let Menes die and aimed to take out Malkab with the last flash?
If both sides died, maybe there would be some kind of fisher’s advantage!
*
That thought was immediately intercepted by Ahri’s eerie intuition.
“Were you thinking of using the flash after Menes died?”
“…”
Could I take out Malkab with a flash?
Watching the missiles and lasers launch from the golden robots, it was clear physical destruction was possible.
The dilemma was that Malkab was cycling through destruction and regeneration.
The last flash had to settle it in one hit; if Malkab regenerated after the shot, we’d be done for.
Ahri didn’t voice any further opinions.
Was that her way of telling me I should handle the flash myself?
“Phew…”
I made my decision.
“I am now death, the destroyer of worlds.”
A beam of light split through the earth.
At the end of it stood the giant skull god.
*
Just as my ominous predictions had hinted, the ultimate flash did not obliterate Malkab.
However, as most of Malkab’s physical form disappeared, the curse weighing down on Menes also waned.
“You truly are remarkable.”
“…”
“I apologize. I’ve underestimated you. I never thought you could manifest the wrath of Horus!”
The final flash may have had nothing to do with “the wrath of Horus,” but I suppose there was no need to pick at that scab now.
“So Menes, is that the end of Malkab?”
“No.”
“…”
“Though he is a beastly creature, Malkab has certainly attained an immortal fate; he shall not die even should his flesh be completely burnt.”
“Then what are your minions doing now? What, are they digging?”
“They’re trapping the god in the abyss. To put it plainly, you could say they’re sealing him away.”
“…”
“He will awaken someday. Though that will be in the distant future.”
My judgment in “saving” Menes proved correct.
If I had shot the flash after he died, Malkab would have regenerated.
For my companions and me, we raided Malkab’s prison with no way to seal him away.
“…”
On the cursed ground where the god fell, the desolate plain resembled a nuclear wasteland.
Menes, observing the surroundings with a look of deep emotion, soon said calmly,
“Let’s head to the palace.”
“…”
“We’ll have plenty to discuss on the way there. And…”
“What’s that?”
“It seems my foolish descendant is still alive in the palace.”
“Oh.”
Menes’ foolish descendant.
The one who nearly brought Egypt to ruin under Malkab.
Looks like Omar is still kicking around.
*
As we returned to the palace, endless thoughts swirled around in my mind.
Earlier, Yumi and I had stumbled upon Menes’ secret.
“…”
If that’s true, it makes sense of all Menes’ questions.
Moreover, we could never coexist with him.
So when is the right time to fight?
When Menes is in such poor condition?
Could we win now?
Shouldn’t we just bow our heads and wait for the flash to recharge?
Worry, worry, worry.
A train of worry kept chasing its own tail.
Fortunately or unfortunately, these concerns weren’t mine alone.
“It’s all jumbled up in my head. You feeling the same way?”
“…”
How comfortable could I be knowing Menes was here?
His command over space, watching me topple Malkab with a flick—does that even leave me safe?
“Horus, Horus… truly a magnificent being.”
That one line made Menes’ thoughts clearer.
The great Pharaoh, in his magnificent delusions, was worried for Horus, who he saw as us \(his minions\).
Should I add a little to his worries?
“Horus is watching over all of this.”
“So you want me to stay still? To not overreach, as a mere mortal?”
“…”
“Does a mere desert king think Proclaiming himself will provoke Horus into killing me?”
A substantial hostility towards Kain came through.
Menes was far too formidable to be merely deemed a mortal.
That was likely the reason he couldn’t accept a god who could momentarily bring him to his knees.
“Perhaps I should try to soothe him.
We need to give time for the flash to recharge!
Once charged, I can bring the Pharaoh’s reign crashing down in one fell swoop.”
“Calm down. Horus has no intention of ruling Egypt. If you’re doubtful, read my sincerity.”
I meant it.
There was no way Kain desired to control ancient Egypt.
“… It’s difficult.”
Intense tension surrounded us.
Both factions were poised for intrigue, yet their forms were drooping low.
This awkward coexistence persisted until we reached the palace.
*
Finally back at the site where the calamity began—the ancient Egyptian zodiac, Memphis.
Instead of people, we were greeted by existences resembling animated slabs of meat—the terrifying end of the Pharaoh who sought eternal life.
“Grrr!”
“Ah… Omar! How could you—”
Then, something unexpected transpired.
Menes, congratulations on your victory.
“Hmm? Is that voice—”
And to Horus’s lackeys,
With your pitiful eyes, take a good look at who you’ve offered your victory to!
As the god’s final gasp echoed throughout Memphis—
— Rrriip!
The flesh of two beings—no, two “monsters” was torn apart.
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