Chapter 35: Even the Pharaoh Calls Him an Expert

No. 27’s gaze snapped to the battlefield as Lorena spoke.

Above a glowing purification stone, No. 29 hung impaled on the wall, Cynthia’s red spear piercing his heart with surgical precision.
Blood trickled down, his body frozen in the act of drawing his dagger.

Clang.

The dagger slipped, struck the stone, and clattered to the ground.

“You… used a sneak attack?”

No. 27 realized their plan wasn’t just about him.
Had he not dodged, he’d be dead.
But his dodge cost No. 29’s life.

Either way, they were at a disadvantage.

“You rats dare call me sneaky?”

Cynthia recalled her spear with a flick of her hand, sneering.
“Always so vile, no matter the era.”

Her icy stare made No. 27 sweat.
A chilling realization hit—he was being toyed with.
She wasn’t even using her full strength, despite guarding Ina.

He’d tried targeting Ina, but Cynthia’s defense was impenetrable.
She stood there, spear in hand, like an armored knight, shrugging off every attack like it hit steel.

No. 29’s precise death proved she could multitask in battle.

She’s beyond me. I can’t win.

Retreat was his only option.
His speed, with smoke beads for cover, should let him escape.

“Hmph… your defense is tight, but can you keep up with this?”

No. 27 spoke slowly, drawing their focus.
Behind his back, he slipped beads from his sleeve and tossed them down.
“We’ll meet again!”

Smoke erupted, shrouding the purification chamber, blinding Cynthia’s group.

No. 27 vanished, retreating swiftly.
Confident in his speed and the smoke’s cover, he thought he’d escaped.

Then, red chains shot from the fog, lightning-fast, wrapping his limbs in a split second, halting him cold.

“What the—?!”

He strained against the chains, but they held firm.

They dragged him back toward the smoke.

“How is this possible?!”

The smoke he’d unleashed now seemed a monstrous haze.
The closer he got, the more panic gripped him.

The chains stopped just shy of the fog.
Cynthia emerged, stepping on his head, pinning him to the sewer floor.

“Didn’t expect to meet again so soon, Mr. 27.”

Her devilish smile gleamed as she mocked, “This strength got you to No. 27? The Holy Slaughter Canon’s fallen far~”

“You… what do you know?”

Bound and grounded, No. 27 was helpless, weapon out of reach.
He gritted his teeth.

“Don’t need to know much.”
Cynthia’s spear hovered near his face.
“Tell me what you rats are doing here, and maybe I’ll share something you’d like.”

“Dream on! You’re not even human—a monster!”

“Won’t talk?”

Cynthia stabbed her spear into the ground, an inch from his eyes.

“…You won’t break me like this.”

No. 27 stayed defiant, then laughed maniacally.
“Soon, you inferior creatures will bow to divine might!”

“Tough guy, huh?”

Cynthia leaned in, whispering, “By the way… I was No. 3 once.”

“Wha—”

His voice cut off as her spear pierced his throat, mirroring No. 29’s fate.
Blood gushed, staining the ground.

Cynthia withdrew her spear and turned to Ina and Lorena.

The smoke had cleared, revealing them staring at the wall.

“Cynthia-chan… look there…”

Ina’s voice trembled, pointing with familiar fear.

Cynthia followed her gaze to where No. 29 had been pinned.

His body, now spearless, lay beside his dagger.
But it wasn’t the corpse scaring Ina—it was its transformation.

“…Mummified?”

In minutes, No. 29 had withered into a husk, like the undead adventurers.

No blood flow registered with Cynthia’s senses.

She spun to No. 27’s body.
As suspected, it was shriveling, mummifying rapidly.

This time, she caught it—tiny blood particles drifting toward the waterway’s depths.

Something was greedily siphoning blood from deep within.

Cynthia’s eyes locked on the darkness ahead, glinting with resolve.

We’re close.