Yellow-scaled venomous snakes, tiny scorpions, and bands of bandits lying in ambush.
On top of that, a sweltering climate and soil made up of nothing but desert.
Even this much made one thing clear. The West had never been a place fit for people to live.
“But if people gather and live somewhere, there has to be a reason for it, right?”
Every now and then, gold was mixed into the sand.
There were oases that supplied a stable source of drinking water in this water-scarce land, as well as mines full of magic stones that could be sold to other regions.
If you looked carefully, there were certainly some good parts to it.
And this was one of those places.
“Good. It is exactly where it was in the original work.”
I had come to the undead-monster spawning area in the Sahel Zone while avoiding the soldiers’ eyes.
When I dug into a nearby sand dune, just as expected, I found an entrance made of old metal.
[You have discovered the dungeon, “Tomb of the Forgotten King.”]
[Warning. The raid difficulty is extremely high compared to the player’s level.]
[Enter?]
The difficulty was high?
That only applied to people who did not know what they were doing.
RUMBLE.
Ignoring the warning, I put all my strength into lifting the entrance, revealing stairs that led underground.
The sandstone walls, decorated with ornate carvings, were covered in a thick layer of age-old dust.
Proof that no one other than me had ever come here.
Naturally, that also meant the relic item that would become mine was still completely intact.
“I feel like a tomb robber.”
This was a place you almost had to visit if you came to the West.
The memories of playing the game came vividly back to me.
WHOOSH!
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped in my tracks.
The razor-sharp threat that grazed past right before my nose.
The arrow embedded at my feet, seemingly meant as a warning, had been part of those memories as well.
Certainly.
“There was an effect like that when the dungeon raid began.”
Even knowing it would not hit me, the feeling was rather chilling.
If it had passed even a little closer, it might have lodged in my leg.
I reached out and felt around beneath the arrowhead.
“Ugh, filthy.”
Like the walls, the letter beneath it was blanketed in a thick layer of dust. When I shook it off and unfolded the letter, it held only a single line.
[Death’s wings shall descend upon those who disturb the king’s rest.]
In other words, I would never forgive those who robbed my tomb. If you valued your life, get out at once.
...That was how ordinary people would interpret it.
CLATTER, CLATTER.
Before I had even finished reading the note, undead monsters swarmed in.
Their level of armament was no joke, either.
Unlike the skeletons outside, the mummies here carried a variety of weapons, including swords, staves, and crossbows.
[Warning]
[The level gap between you and the Undead Royal Guard is severe.]
[We recommend that you challenge them after progressing through the Main Story and growing stronger.]
The Status Window filled with warnings as it tried to dissuade me from taking on the challenge, but...
With a grin, I rummaged through my pack and took out an incense burner.
Ordinarily.
Neither Hans, who had never shown the slightest talent in martial arts in his life, nor I, who had only possessed this body a few days ago, would have found it easy to face even one of those lowly mobs.
But XTube was god, and guides that used exploits were invincible.
“The person who discovered the real strategy was amazing, too.”
No one had ever imagined that the words on the note would be a clue to clearing the dungeon.
It was an ordinary metal incense burner, with nothing special about it.
Uuuh...?
But its effect was certain. When I raised the incense burner high, every mummy that had been advancing menacingly let the hand holding its weapon droop.
“That is right. I am not an enemy. Shoo, get out of the way.”
Using the incense burner as a shield, I walked forward, and the mummies parted cleanly to either side like Moses’ miracle.
As if acknowledging that the situation had changed, a blue message window appeared.
[The words on the letter are not simply a threat; they are words of blessing. In an ancient kingdom that revered the afterlife...]
“I have passed the first stage, then.”
The point was simple.
The monsters here were not aggressive. A hidden piece was concealed here that, once specific conditions were met, turned them into friendly NPCs instead.
[…Updating information…]
[Battle map: corridor, passageway, and audience chamber entrance cleared.]
[Please proceed to the boss room.]
RUMBLE—
‘In other words, once I meet the conditions, I can skip everything and even meet the boss monster.’
The hidden piece in this place was to pay a proper visit to the tomb.
After walking a little farther between the open stone walls, I found an enormous door that practically announced, ‘I am the boss room.’
The sight of its brilliant radiance, even beneath the faint light, suddenly gave me a thought.
“How much could I get if I sold that?”
That door was solid gold and hung with countless jewels. If I pried off and sold just one of its doors, would I not be able to live comfortably for the rest of my life?
It had been impossible in the game, where it was only background scenery, but this was reality.
“Well. Do I have a business partner?”
“You startled me!”
While my attention had been on the door for a moment, someone placed a hand on my shoulder and patted it.
Startled, I immediately raised my weapon.
A middle-aged man with a red beard, a scar running across his narrow eye, and a half-bald head shrugged and stepped back.
“Do not be so wary. I did not know anyone other than me had found this place.”
“Who are you?”
My guard immediately rose to its highest point.
He was an unexpected intruder.
‘This dungeon definitely remained uncleared until the later stages of the story.’
Had he come alone, failed to clear it, and left?
No, wait. His face looked familiar.
“...Sand Mole?”
There was no mistake. Was it not the exact same face as the mugshot in the newspaper Baron Byron had been reading a few days ago?
Staring at him, I spoke.
“I heard House Roberk captured you.”
“Hmph. All I had to do was escape. It would be good for a young junior like you to learn at least how to escape when your entire body is restrained. It comes in handy in many ways.”
‘He escaped from House Roberk’s holding facility? It was notorious even in the game for being as difficult to escape as a maze.’
But with the proof right in front of me, it would be foolish not to believe him.
“Since meeting this way is a bond, we should at least introduce ourselves. I am so famous that there is no need for me to say who I am, right?”
Sand Mole held out his hand toward me with easy confidence.
He seemed to be trying to build goodwill with a handshake, but I found it thoroughly disagreeable.
Just as I noticed the thorn-like barbs clinging to the inside of his hand, as well as the rare silver-gray liquid...
[You have identified the anesthetic poison <Red Iron Scorpion>.]
“Remove that hand.”
“My, you are cold.”
“Is it not more foolish to let your guard down in front of a competitor?”
I coldly snapped at Sand Mole.
It was a relic I had set my sights on.
I had not the slightest intention of letting a competitor take it.
“You are not wrong. In this line of work, greed is the driving force. I understand being hostile toward a competitor.”
“If you understand, why not yield a little?”
“It is not as though I could not. To begin with, neither this solid gold door nor the relic is what I am after.”
That was difficult to believe.
There would be no reason for him to come all the way here if that were true.
“You still have the expression of someone who is suspicious.”
“How can I believe a man called a Phantom Thief when he says he is not after treasure?”
At my scoff, he let out a hearty laugh and pointed in a direction.
“It is true. In this line of work, modest people live longer. Can you see that?”
When I turned my gaze in the direction of his finger, I saw a throne through a slightly opened gap in the door.
A giant mummy wearing a golden crown sat there.
[Boss Monster: Nameless King]
As if to hammer it home, the Status Window displayed the name in prominent red letters above the golden crown.
“It is a monster whose level I cannot even gauge. Now I understand why House Roberk hid this place so thoroughly. If it is provoked carelessly, the entire West will be thrown into chaos.”
“...”
“You have frozen completely. Well, nothing is more precious than one’s own life. I am glad you are not as foolish as those blinded by greed.”
Frozen? Who was?
With a quiet snicker, I stepped forward.
I was merely feeling a fresh rush of emotion.
‘To think that the boss who tormented me with diverse patterns—summoning lesser mobs, reflecting damage, and area-of-effect instant-kill attacks—has become real.’
Once again, it truly sank in that I had entered the world of a game.
“H-Hey! Where are you going? Hey! You will die if you go there!”
That was why I was certain.
If this world was exactly like the game, there was no need to fear this oppressive aura!
***
Perno, nicknamed the Sand Mole, felt as though his insides were drying up.
The cause was the black-haired boy walking toward mortal danger before his eyes.
“I thought I had finally found a talented prospect...”
He was already forty.
Even if he had once been a famous Phantom Thief, he could not defeat the passage of time. His balding head proved it.
That was why finding a successor was the natural next step.
And by chance, he had found an unexpected prize in a place he had thought would be a bust.
A lean-looking build at first glance. The greed and nerve to stay wary, even upon seeing Perno, lest he lose his own share. Sharp eyes that not only noticed the barbs in Perno’s hand but seemed to have identified the poison as well.
On top of that, the information-gathering ability to find the secret place he had discovered only after breaking into a ducal house.
But.
He was the perfect prospect for a Phantom Thief’s successor, yet unfortunately, he did not know his own limits.
“Tch. Excessive greed only harms one’s own body.”
Was he too young to recognize the difference in their strength?
With steps full of reckless courage, the boy arrived at the giant mummy’s feet.
Now he would be trampled by that monster and reduced to a handful of blood.
Thinking that he should at least watch the boy’s final moments, Perno observed beyond the doorway from a distance.
“I have come to honor your death!”
“He truly has no fear.”
To think that he would try to speak before a monster.
Perno clicked his tongue and sighed.
The boy held an incense burner in both raised hands. But it was only an ordinary incense burner, from which not a trace of magic power could be felt.
What on earth did he intend to do with that?
“Have you come to pay respects to me?”
Perno’s eyes widened.
Incredibly, the monster answered the boy’s words. Its heavily hoarse voice contained a dense aura of death, making a chill run down Perno’s spine despite himself.
“Yes.”
Yet the boy faced the monster.
His tone was confident, as though he were certain that the aura of death would not harm him.
“Indeed. After seeing nothing but thieving bastards who claim to be tomb robbers and recklessly smash my dwelling, you are a rare outsider who knows courtesy. How admirable your bearing is.”
Perno flinched.
For a moment, he felt as though he had met the monster’s eyes.
‘...I did break several walls when I entered this place.’
Realizing that the words were aimed at him, Perno unnecessarily fidgeted with the weapon in his clothes.
He knew he was no match for it, but perhaps resisting would still open a path to survival.
Fortunately, the monster’s attention moved from him back to the boy.
“Tell me what you desire. I shall grant it.”
“There is only one thing I desire: the king’s rest.”
The mummy blinked the faint flames settled in its eye sockets as if they were eyes, then shook its head.
“Impossible. With your feeble strength.”
“Of course. I am still far too weak.”
The boy was not daunted even by the monster’s refusal. Instead, he placed a fist over his chest and shouted loudly.
“But if Your Majesty places trust in me, I will gladly live up to that expectation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bestow treasures upon me. I will grow strong enough to sever the king’s curse.”
“...!”
At that moment, Perno saw the boy in a new light.
‘He is truly cunning beyond measure.’
The boy’s true intent was simple.
I will grant the wish you want. But give me the reward.
Up front, at that.
He clearly looked like a child, but inside him, a black-hearted and crafty serpent sat coiled, hissing with its tongue out.
“Please bestow your grace upon me!”
An experienced merchant? No. A merchant would at least exchange what he was selling for money.
Perno was certain. That was... simply a swindler.
“Hmm.... I find it difficult to trust you easily.”
“But Your Majesty will choose me. There is probably no living person who can speak with Your Majesty without feeling burdened, as I can. I am the only one who can give Your Majesty rest.”
Now he was even making a subtle threat.
Perno was sincerely impressed.
Of course, Hans was negotiating based on his knowledge of the original game, but to Perno, it looked as though he were walking a tightrope with a monster he could not possibly handle.
“...Very well! May death’s wings settle upon you. I shall look forward to the day we meet again.”
And incredibly, the boy succeeded in obtaining a relic from the giant mummy with nothing but three inches of tongue.
Perno, the Sand Mole of the West, muttered blankly.
“I want him.”
The relic before his eyes was certainly attractive, but the boy drew his attention more than that.
His mysterious ability to speak with a monster and his audacity were impressive enough.
But his instincts were telling him something.
More precious than any relic he had ever seen.
That boy, who had rolled right before his eyes, was a valuable treasure.
When the boy, after bowing politely at the waist, walked back out into the corridor.
“You. Have you ever considered becoming a Phantom Thief?”
Perno strode forward and abruptly made his proposal.
It would be foolish to let a treasure like this slip away.
And Perno had no intention whatsoever of letting the boy who had rolled in before him go.
Phantom Thief was a flashy label, but his essence was that of a criminal.
The hand hidden behind his back gripped the concealed dagger.
Perno had already made plans to abduct him by force if he refused, and his eyes gleamed sinisterly.