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Chapter 53
Monsters came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from despicable dwarf goblins to giant brutes like ogres. In the world of monsters and ghosts, various creatures waged war against one another. The constant warfare was the natural order of this world and had been the same ever since the dawn of time.
At the bottom of the food chain were goblins, the epitome of feebleness. They constantly had to fight for their survival in the grim abyss. However, a very minor yet crucial stroke of luck turned a weak goblin into the King of Monstrous Beasts.
Ammut was a crocor, a merciless race of giant humanoid crocodiles. The creature sat comfortably at the top of the monster ecosystem and lorded over the others.
One day, the crocor became intrigued by a young goblin he encountered by coincidence. “This is a feisty little one. There is a certain steel in your eyes.”
The goblin child had been born weak. But due to his shortcomings, the little goblin was resilient and had survived through sheer will. He had even clawed out the eyes and ears of his fellow goblins when pushed.
The young goblin was covered in blood from a recent struggle, but he was determined to survive against all odds and didn’t lose his spirit, even in the presence of the mighty crocor before him. His body was trembling under the weight of fear, but his gaze was fixed on Ammut with a determination that seemed ready to devour the enormous beast.
That very gaze started a small fire in Ammut’s heart. He was the smallest and weakest goblin Ammut had seen, but he had survived the harsh wilderness of a world dictated by chaos and violence. What would happen if I taught this pitiful creature? How strong could he become? This should be interesting. Ammut decided to spare the little goblin and took him under its wings.
“From now on, you shall be known as Tarnak. I’ll make your pathetic body as strong as a crocor. Let us see if you can endure my methods.”
After giving the puny goblin a name, Ammut picked him up with one hand and carried him back to its nest. This marked the first day of Tarnak’s grueling journey.
The training was incredibly rigorous, and Tarnak came close to death numerous times. However, Ammut had no intention of letting go of its new plaything. If he dies, so be it.
The experiment had started on a whim without any real expectation of success. Therefore, Ammut pushed Tarnak without mercy. The hours turned into days, weeks, then months. Tarnak wasn’t sure why he was being subject to such rigorous training, nor was he even aware that it was an experiment, but he felt he was gradually growing stronger.
Soon enough, Tarnak succeeded in singlehandedly defeating an orc with only a dagger—an unimaginable feat for a goblin. The outcome made Tarnak ask Ammut, for the very first time, about the power he was learning. contemporary romance
“What am I teaching you? Hmmm.”
The question made Ammut ponder, also for the first time, what it was teaching. The technique was powerful enough to strengthen Tarnark’s frail goblin body into something as powerful as itself.
“The Iron Body Technique.” With its characteristic cruel smile, Ammut decided on the name right then and there. “What you’re learning is the Iron Body Technique.”
The Iron Body Technique! Tarnak engraved the name in his heart. The torture that was named the Iron Body Technique continued for him thereafter. Gradually, Tarnak grew stronger, eventually becoming powerful enough to defeat orcs, trolls, and ogres with ease.
As more time passed, Tarnak eventually became stronger than his mentor. Coincidentally, the incumbent King of Monstrous Beasts met their demise around the same time, and Tarnak was chosen as the new vessel, becoming the new Monarch. He became known as the Monarch of Iron Body and devoted himself to the primordial darkness. He’d go on for eons fighting against the primordial light—the Rulers.
***
“But in the end, a goblin is just a goblin. He came against someone stronger and ended up dead. No matter how hard he tried, Tarnak was just your run-of-the-mill monster,” Ammut recalled.
The creature licked its tongue self-deprecatingly at the thought of his former student. He then glanced at Suho, who had been listening to the long-winded story. The crocor noticed that Suho had become smaller, much like a goblin, which reminded the beast of the first time he discovered Tarnak.
Ammut chuckled before stretching its jaws into a grin, showing its gleaming sharp teeth. “That was when ‘he’ turned up.”
“He?”
“Grand Spellcaster Kandiaru.”
Ammut recalled their first encounter. It happened around the time of Tarnak’s death in the Monarchs War. A sorcerer from a mystical world appeared before the crocor with an interesting proposal.
“Ammut, the mentor of Tarnak, why don’t we push the boundaries of the Iron Body Technique together?”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“I will create the optimal training grounds for the Iron Body Technique with magic and provide you with suitable test subjects. What do you say?”
Kandiaru’s proposal was quite appealing to Ammut. The crocodile beast’s confidence was sky-high after producing the Monarch of Iron Body and had captured and trained countless goblins thereafter. However, all its attempts had ended in failure. Unlike Tarnak, the other goblins couldn’t withstand the intense training and quickly perished.
Ammut was greatly disappointed by the results. The crocor concluded that Tarnak had been truly exceptional, and the Iron Body Technique it developed wasn’t all that remarkable. The realization was a blow to Ammut’s pride.
Kandiaru had acted quickly to capitalize on this vulnerability. “The question burns inside of you. Is your Iron Body Technique truly extraordinary? Or was Tarnak the special one?”
“There’s no need to deliberately provoke me like that. I already like your proposal. But the time given to me is running out.”
Ammut was nearing death. The crocor was one of the most powerful monsters in its world, but there was nothing it could do against the unyielding tides of time.
“No matter. I can take care of that too.” Kandiaru chuckled ominously. The spellcaster considered lifespan and age to be trivial. “My knowledge also expands toward the search for eternal life.”
Ammut eventually took Kandiaru’s hand. It didn’t take long for the crocor to regret that decision, its eyes turning red with anger.
“After that, Kandiaru sealed me in this damned tomb. Eternal life? Hah... What a fraud!” Ammut’s dreadful aura shook the pyramid.
Kandiaru didn’t lie, of course. The sorcerer had fulfilled his end of the contract and made Ammut immortal, but only within the pyramid.
“It seems like this beast is no different from the mummies that dwell here,” Beru whispered in Suho’s ear.
Ammut overheard the ant’s whispers, which made it burst into sinister laughter. “That’s right! For me, this pyramid is like the bandages that bind their decaying bodies.”
“This crocodile appears to be insane,” Beru said.
“You couldn’t be more right! I’m out of my mind! Death should have taken me a long time ago. I’m beyond being simply senile!”
“That’s nothing to brag about.”
“But my mission remains crystal clear! The deal I struck Kandiaru means that I’m stuck here researching the Iron Body technique until the end of time! I must teach any challenger who comes here seeking my knowledge!”
“Young Monarch, do you truly intend on receiving training from this insane crocodile?” Beru asked.
“Well, what else can I do? It’s a quest,” Suho answered. He eventually grasped the meaning of the inscription Kandiaru had left outside the pyramid.
—The challenger’s future will be shone with a brilliant light. The Grand Spellcaster Kandiaru
The challenge the prophecy implied was the mastery of the Iron Body Technique. How interesting... Suho smiled as he looked at the message that appeared before him.
[Daily Quest: “Iron Body Technique Training” has arrived. (Unconfirmed)]
Since the quest appeared without any warnings, Suho didn’t feel that it would be harmful. Moreover, since it was a daily quest, it came with daily rewards. The quest seemed to be a win-win situation for him.
“Fine, teach me this so-called Iron Body Technique,” Suho said.
Ammut’s enormous mouth split wide open, laughing heartily. “You made the right decision. I was going to kill you if you rejected my offer, but you saved me the trouble!”
Esil, who was standing next to Suho, felt differently about the decision. As a demon noble, she was more sensitive to Ammut’s aura.
Although his mind was clouded, the mighty crocor exuded a powerful aura that was truly formidable. She knew that if the beast suddenly unveiled its true nature, their fate would mirror the plight of the Scavenger Guild hunters who were strewn around them in a state of utter devastation.
Ammut rose abruptly, guffawing. “Excellent! Then let’s start the training right away! From now on, your name is Tartar!”
“No, my name is Suho...”
“Now, Tartar, let us begin training immediately!”
“No, my name is Sung Suho...”
“Tartar, my second student! I’ll make your pathetic body as mighty as a crocor!” Ammut roared thunderously, ignoring Suho’s corrections. The beast seemed extremely pleased to have found a promising talent after such a long time. “Brace yourself for what’s to come. My training is exceptionally rigorous and perilous. Many monsters have failed to endure my methods and perished.”
Suho swallowed nervously.
[Rakan is listening attentively to Ammut’s words.]
Even the former Monarch of Fangs was showing interest. After all, the Iron Body Technique had transformed a feeble young goblin into the Monarch of the Strong Body and the King of Monstrous Beasts.
“Tartar, from now on, you will complete...”
“Confirm,” Suho said accepting the quest.
Ammut continued explaining the rigorous training, “100 push-ups! 100 sit-ups! 100 squats! Run 10 km! You’ll do this every day!”
“Come again?”
At that moment, the contents of the daily quest unfolded before Suho’s eyes.
[Daily Quest: Iron Body Technique Training]
[100 push-ups: Incomplete (0/100)
100 sit-ups: Incomplete (0/100)
100 squats: Incomplete (0/100)
Run 10 km: Incomplete (0/10)
All tasks require you to carry Ammut.]
“But the catch is, you must carry me!”
Suho’s eyes widened by the absurdity.
“Let’s get started then! Try your best to endure!” Ammut said as the crocor’s colossal body gradually became transparent before floating in the air.
“Spirit Transfer?!” Esil recognized the transformation and gasped.
Ammut’s spirit form descended onto Suho’s head. An immense gravitational force pressed down on him, forcing him to summon all his strength to withstand the pressure.
“Quite impressive! I might increase the weight a bit more!”
Crash!
“Ugh...!”
As Ammut’s weight increased, every muscle fiber in Suho’s body began to tear, and even his veins started to burst with a squelch.
“Suho!”
“Young Monarch!”
Esil and Beru quickly stepped back, avoiding the gravitational field, and they looked at Suho with pity.
“What are you doing? If standing is too difficult for you, how do you plan on doing push-ups?”
Listening to Ammut’s taunts, Suho gritted his teeth as he struggled to turn his body over. When he eventually did, his body felt like it was being squashed flat by a tremendous gravitational force.
“Ugh...! R-Ruler’s Authority!”
Despite the assistance of the invisible hand, Suho could barely support his body. No wonder everyone died from this!
The infernal push-ups began in earnest.
“One! Two... Two... Two...”
“Why do you keep repeating two?”
“Because your form is wrong!”
Is this a gym session from hell?