Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 869: Dune Conqueror [1]

The cheers were loud.

’Haaa! Haaa!’

So loud they nearly drowned out every other small sound around. And beyond the noise, a scorching heat lingered in the air, hovering over everything and leaving it all warm.

Dark red stained the ground as a figure stood before it, his hand raised in the air as the cheers swelled louder around him.

A loud drumming rose beneath the cheers, making it hard to make out what they were trying to say.

But if one strained their ears enough, they’d hear it...

T...?

Tha...?

Whom they were cheering for.

’Tharvek! Tharvek! Tharvek!’

*

Swooosh—!

In all my time outside the Gates of the city, the storm never ceased. The heat lingered constantly, making prolonged exposure increasingly difficult. Though the clothes offered some protection, one simply couldn’t rely on them to endure the relentless heat.

Added to the numerous monsters that crawled the space, and this place was no different from hell.

’...It’s no wonder things are so strict and harsh in the city.’

There was hardly any food or water. Resources were scarce, and so was the space inside the city.

"You’re finally back."

A deep voice greeted me at the entrance of the Gate.

He was Murok, another one of the guards that I had worked with over the past several months. His features were hidden beneath his suit, but through the narrow gap in his eyes, I could see a long scar tracing down his face.

"The commander has asked for you."

"The... commander?"

Having gotten used to this place, I could now more or less speak the language, albeit not fluently.

"Yes. He has asked for you."

"I... see."

I nodded.

I could more or less see where this was going.

Without lingering any further, I stepped forward. The gigantic gates rumbled as they slowly opened, their heavy mechanisms grinding against the stone. A wave of heat and dust shifted with their movement, brushing past me as the path cleared.

I walked through without hesitation, crossing the threshold as the city finally welcomed me inside.

’Honestly, it feels weird to see and speak again.’

I touched my face as I moved forward. For the past several months, I had been navigating the world in complete darkness and silence. At some point, I had even severed my sense of taste, smell, and touch.

The only way I was able to communicate was through Owl-Mighty, who helped me interact with the other guards and the commander when needed. Thankfully, it wasn’t often since my language wasn’t very good.

’I’m here.’

The office was located near the pillar, just outside the metal fences, inside a well-maintained multi-story building.

People dressed in uniforms similar to mine moved in and out of the building. As I reached the main entrance, I gave the lobby a quick scan before letting my gaze settle on a particular room.

This was my first time ’seeing’ this place, but I had already been here as I reached for the door and slowly opened it, revealing a moderately sized room. Sitting within was a large man with a shaven head and thick brows. His frame was broad and imposing, his presence filling the space.

Though he wasn’t threatening to me, I could clearly feel the power radiating from him.

"You’re here."

His deep voice rumbled throughout the room as I stood near the door, back straight.

He didn’t look at me, his eyes fixed on a sword in his grasp.

"Do you know why I called you here?"

"...Promotion."

The commander paused, his head lifting to stare at me and revealing his deep red eyes. Silence followed for a brief moment before his lips pulled into a smile.

"Looks like you’re aware."

He placed the sword on the wooden table in the room.

"You... are a fine warrior. In all my years here, it’s been a long time since I’ve met someone as talented as you. Since your arrival, the number of fatalities among the Wardens has dropped significantly, and the number of worms we’ve been able to eliminate has nearly doubled compared to last year. If you wanted to, you could have applied for the Ranking Battles. Why haven’t you? Do you care not for honor?"

"Not for... me."

"Mhm, I see." The commander traced his finger along the metallic surface of the blade. "I won’t question your decision. Everyone has their own path, and I won’t force you. In truth, I would much rather have you remain with us. But your performance has already drawn the attention of those above."

Those from above?

My heart skipped a beat, my body tensing slightly.

’Although my performances have been great, they shouldn’t be to the point where I’d attract the eyes of those from above. Something is up. Have I been caught?’

"There’s no need to be tense."

The commander laughed, as if noticing the subtle shift in my demeanor.

"I understand where you’re coming from, but this promotion isn’t quite what you think. You could say you’ve gotten lucky, to some extent. With the recent loss of his private guards, he requires new ones. I recommended you."

"He...?"

Who was he...

"Tharvek."

The commander spoke solemnly, his hand leaving the blade as a sudden tightness formed in my chest.

"The Dune Conqueror."

***

Sun-Scour Arena.

BOOOM—!

Cheers thundered from every direction. Standing at the center of the arena, two warriors clashed, their bodies colliding as blood sprayed across the ground. The cheers grew louder as the fight dragged on, and even more blood spilled onto the arena.

Despite all the cheers, a certain area remained quiet.

High above the arena, on a private platform, a figure reclined on a large red sofa. His chin rested against his fist, grayish hair falling loosely across his face as his drooping eyes watched the scene unfolding below.

Suddenly, his lips parted.

"Hey."

To whom he was talking, nobody knew.

"...Do you think anyone beneath is a threat to me?"

His words were met with silence.

And when he turned his head, he realized why.

"Hm, oh. Right. They’re... dead."

Tharvek’s attention returned to the fight below. The longer he watched, the heavier his eyelids grew. Though he had asked the question, he already knew the answer.

Neither of the two contestants posed any real threat to him.

His eyes eventually closed as he took a deep breath, taking in the heavy scent of blood as images lingered in his mind. He was once like them. He was once a warrior who clawed his way all the way to the top.

And now, there was hardly anyone who dared challenge for his position.

’Well, there does seem to be one guy.’

Opening his eyes again, Tharvek’s gaze drifted toward the opposite side of the arena, where another elevated platform stood. Seated upon a lavish chair was an old man with a long beard, his unfocused eyes fixed on the battle below.

But as if sensing the shift in attention, the old man slowly raised his head.

Their gazes met, and Tharvek smiled widely.

The old man merely harrumphed before returning his attention to the fight.

At the same time, Tharvek sensed something behind him. He turned his head, his brows lifting slightly as several figures appeared.

"HoHo?"

His gaze settled on one particular person, and a smile spread across his face. Rising from his seat, his pristine white robes draped down as he extended both hands forward.

"If it isn’t the commander. I haven’t seen you in a long time. How are you doing?"

"...I am doing well."

Commander Rien answered, rubbing the back of his head as he pointed at the five people standing next to him.

"As you’ve requested, I’ve gathered five fine warriors. They will serve you as proper guards from this point forward."

"Excellent!"

Tharvek’s smile widened as he took a closer look at the guards. The more he looked at them, the more satisfied he became.

"Yes, yes. These guys will do. I quite like them. Oh?"

Suddenly, his gaze shifted to a particular guard. Though the man’s features were concealed, leaving only his amber eyes visible, Tharvek sensed something unusual about him.

"This guy...?"

"Hahah. Looks like you’ve noticed."

Laughing, the commander placed his hand over Julien’s shoulder.

"This one here is one of the more talented guards that I’ve met in a while. In fact, he’s so good that I almost feel pity giving him away. However, considering our relationship, I decided to give him away. You owe me a lot."

"Is that so?"

Tharvek looked at the guard up and down before nodding in satisfaction.

"The more I look at him, the more I like him. You’ve done a good job commander. This will certainly make things less troublesome in the future."

"Haha, given our relationship, this much is nothing."

The commander laughed once more, his voice booming across the platform before suddenly getting drowned out by the noise around them.

"Oh, looks like the fight is over."

Tharvek turned his attention back toward the arena. His gaze settled on the lone figure still standing, hands gripping a severed head, its spine still trailing from it as blood poured down from above.

"Excellent!"

Tharvek cheered, looking at the grotesque scene beneath.

"That was a fine performance."

Reaching for his pocket, he retrieved a certain vial and tossed it down to the winning warrior.

"Congratulations on your victory! That was a well-earned reward."

The crowd erupted in cheers from every direction, chanting the name of the victorious warrior. The fervor was overwhelming, and as Tharvek looked around, he found himself intoxicated by the atmosphere.

He was completely different compared to when the fight had begun.

Clapping loudly, he continued to look at the arena as the warrior was soon escorted out of the area, and silence swept the place. Tharvek proceeded to sit down in his seat, his gaze once again falling on the old man on the opposite side as the old man stood up and his deep voice reverberated throughout.

"Let the next entrants step forward."

The metal gates at the far end of the Sun-Scour Arena opened, and two figures appeared on both sides, the audience exploding into cheers once more.

"Gorian! Gorian! Gorian!"

"Rhizen! Rhizen!"

As the two new entrants stepped into view, Tharvek’s smile shifted into something more peculiar, his gaze settling on Rhizen.

He stood a head shorter than Gorian, but that did little to diminish his presence. Like Gorian, he was one of the newest members in the Rankings, someone who had risen with startling speed.

As Tharvek’s gaze settled on him, he turned his head toward his guards. His eyes lingered on one in particular as he called out to him.

"Hey."

His voice was soft, and yet, despite the chaos around, it made its way to the guard who turned his head.

For a brief moment, nothing else seemed to exist as their eyes met.

Then Tharvek spoke.

"Do you think anyone beneath is a threat to me?"