Mercenary Black Mamba

If Edel were a regular woman, she would have wet her pants the moment she saw Dino. However, she had become rather used to abnormal situations while being next to Mu Ssang. This was not unique to her, though. The rest of Black Culture was like that, too.

She inspected Dino much more thoroughly. Its length, four meters. Height, 1.6 meters. Tail length, 1.5 meters. Weight, around 500kg. It was a physique that put even the Siberian tiger to shame. Its four-meter-long lithe body gave off the impression that this creature was capable of some astonishing feats.

Even an elephant might topple over after getting hit by this creature's thick-as-a-tree front limb.

However, it had a gentle-looking face. Its round amber-colored eyes and the way it purred were completely that of a cat's, just on a bigger scale. It looked so gentle, so could it really act like its intimidating size?

'Does it really matter, though?'

Edel chose not to sweat over it. Novatopia's security was iron-tight thanks to the special strike force and the civil militia. That's why, instead of bodyguards boasting incredible combat prowess, she much preferred a friend that she could talk to.

Dino's fur, as soft and supple like silk, looked like a perfect replacement for her pillow. Sleep would come so easily and gently to her if she used this feline creature as a pillow and enjoyed the lake's breezes by the terrace.

Thinking about using the strongest beast in existence, Dino, as a pillow... Now that was some out of the box imagination only Edel was capable of.

As for Dino, it really liked this human female letting out a sweet scent. It also liked the master but he was too scary, while the mean-natured leader (Samdi) was an opponent Dino wanted to overcome someday.

This human woman was weak but it seemed that they were of one heart and mind. A comrade it should protect, in other words.

But, her somewhat suspicious eyes inspecting Dino everywhere got on the creature's nerves. As a matter of fact, the way she looked at it was similar to back when master was staring at Dino after a vicious bird (terror bird) beat it up to a pulp.

Dino was triggered by that. Staying still and doing nothing might lead to this woman underestimating it.

"Growl…"

Dino looked up at the sky. A flock of Rüppell's vultures were circling around there.

A Rüppell's vulture was a giant bird found in the Sahara desert that weighed around ten kilos and its wingspan averaged around 2.5 meters.

In 1973, one of these birds collided with a plane flying 11 kilometers above Ivory Coast and that became a widely talked about topic for a while. Unfortunately, these cunning birds of prey were found liberally in the Ennedi Plateau.

Novatopia did not have a food production 'system' in place yet, and as such, N'Djamena's Wakil Chamber took care of supplying all the foods. Most of them were transported through land, but some fruits, vegetables and meat that were perishable were transported through air.

But this arrangement created an unexpected headache. These vultures of Ennedi somehow learned about it and began raiding the airport now.

They used their powerful hooked claws and beaks to tear through the boxes and stole the meat and fruits. Some large individuals even brazenly grabbed the entire box of provisions and flew away too.

Vultures were known as the 'cleaners' of the animal kingdom, Their claws and beaks were habitats of all sorts of germs and viruses. All the boxes ruined by the vultures had to be discarded for fear of contamination.

Shooting at them or using fireworks to scare them off only worked in those moments. And as a result, the airport's management suffered severe migraines thanks to these unexpected and unwanted guests.

Rüppell's vultures circled around in low altitudes, silently targeting the meat boxes piled up near the airport's apron. One bird lowered its altitude before landing on the pile of provision boxes covered in tarpaulin.

It was undoubtedly a scout.

The creature craned its fur-less neck and began screeching. It must've been a signal saying that its fellow birds did not have to worry about humans.

In reality, Rüppell's vultures didn't fear humans at all. These birds of prey were vicious enough to attack back if any humans tried to chase them away.

Fifty or so Rüppell's vultures circled around overhead while gradually lowering their altitude — a cunning action used to check out the humans' reactions. Dino did not budge an inch and continued to glare at the kettle of vultures.

"Roar!"

But when the vultures reached around fifteen meters off the ground, Dino powerfully kicked the air to leap forward.

The firm surface of the runaway caved in as if someone used a shovel to dig the ground. Dino pounced on the kettle of vultures like a streak of lightning before taking almighty swipes with its front limbs.

Dino's front paws were as big as satellite dishes, and the 150mm-long sharp claws protruding from those paws easily swept past the insolent animals without mercy.

Miserable screeches rang out. Black feathers danced crazily in the air as if they were leaves swept up in gale-force winds.

Dino exhibited a truly incredible level of hang time in the air. It spread wide its four limbs like a glider to glide across the air and took vicious swipes with its claws.

Corpses of Rüppell's vultures, their necks snapped and wings broken, crashed to the ground while scattering dark crimson blood like rainfall.

Rüppell's vultures, struck down by a sudden misfortune, frantically ascended back into the air. After barely escaping Dino's claws, the birds hurriedly fled and disappeared from the view.

Having slaughtered the flying animals using a novel method, Dino landed softly on the ground like a feather.

"Whooooa!"

Humans on the ground loudly cheered on. Over a dozen Rüppell's vulture remains littered the ground. Not only was Dino shockingly fast, it displayed a stunning level of killing power, too.

"Huh! What the freaking hell was that?" Even Samdi was stunned by what he saw.

Whenever the master had a chance, he would stroke or pat Dino's body, strengthening the creature to the point where it was almost unrecognizable now.

Samdi realized that it just became harder to hit Dino in the back of its head whenever he wanted to.

Dino stood proudly, raising its front limb before waving it in a circle. It seemed that the creature became addicted to putting on a show.

"Kyah! Dino, you're the best!"

Edel jumped up and down in delight, her arms raised up high.

The kettle of Rüppell's vultures was one of the headaches plaguing Jipoon Dari. Due to the sizes of these birds, they even managed to snatch away a newborn baby too.

Dino was now a hero that drove back the villainous vultures. Edel instantly became enamored with Dino, while Mu Ssang was nodding in approval as well. Judging from that performance, Dino could definitely protect Edel and then some.

"Dino, you shall protect Edel!"

The resonance wave dug into Dino's brain.

"Grrr…"

Dino stood close to Edel and glared at the surroundings with its scarlet eyes. This was the day that the divine beast of Novatopia, Dino the Queen's Guard, made its first appearance.

Sun WooHyun finally found an opening after that commotion had died down. While being mindful of Dino's glare, he greeted Edel.

Once Mu Ssang and Edel climbed into the first jeep, Ahmmad took over the driving duties. Bakri and Aishe entered the second jeep. Sun WooHyun tried to enter the back seat only for Dino to shove him aside with its large butt and deftly climb inside first.

"A goddamn animal dares to shove me aside?"

Sun WooHyun was about to punch the animal in question only to sneakily lower his fist and trudge towards the third jeep. There was no guarantee that he would win even if he tried to fight the dang thing. And besides, losing to some animal in a fight would only humiliate the honor of Namir.

Sun WooHyun's anguish became worse after some random animal managed to steal his spot in the pecking order.

***

The Yoa House itself was nothing to write home about, but the vast plot of land it sat on was covered in a verdant hue.

The expansive front yard surrounded by palm trees had been converted into a theme garden filled with blooming flowers boasting a rainbow of colors. Sprinklers spun around to scatter water on the lawn, while swarms of bees and even butterflies were buzzing about.

The only evidence of this place being a part of Sahara, a desert of sand and rocks, were reddish sandstone boulders left behind in the garden as ornaments, as well as dark red stones paving the footpaths.

The noise of tires traversing the paving stones roared out. Six-passenger Renault jeeps arrived one after the other. Mohammad, decked out in tan combat gear, leapt off from the first jeep, along with two Kurdish warriors.

Chief Ariba and a slightly chubby man in his sixties exited the second jeep alongside one other man with sharp, alert face. More people climbed out of the third and fourth jeeps.

Mohammad began guiding them into the residence.

'Well, I'll be damned. That man is getting harder to read, isn't he?'

Chairman Margerie was flustered by the sight of the temporary building that had nothing going for it other than its large plot of land.

It was quite surprising to learn about a new independent self-governing state suddenly appearing in the withered eastern Sahara. But what surprised him even more was the shabby residence of this land's master.

The DGSE's General Director said that the 'master' of this land was supposed to be a billionaire, but the so-called billionaire's residence was even worse than the Parisian backstreet apartments used to house refugees.

The chairman of Total tilted his head in confusion only for his eyes to grow very wide next.

"Huh!" Chairman Margerie involuntarily let out a gasp of admiration.

The reaction was because an angel wearing hot pants and a sleeveless shirt had made her entrance. Her blonde locks seemed to be ablaze in the dying sunlight of the evening sun.

What a stunning beauty this woman was. She was so beautiful that even the cheap structure seemingly fashioned out of random panels now looked like a gleaming palace.

The woman greeted him. "Mister Chairman, thank you for coming all this way."

Would the sound of water trickling from Mont Blanc's glacier be this pristine and clear? Or would a stream flowing through the Provence be this refreshing? It was at that moment that Chairman de Margerie experienced both the profound cleansing of his sight and hearing.

Noticing something, Ahmmad and Sun WooHyun who were standing behind Edel, glared sharply.

Margerie quickly regained his wits after two pairs of piercing glares landed on him. The skinny Arab emitted the stench of blood, while the Oriental man with a seedy-looking face gave off a chilling aura reminiscent of a naked blade.

"...Ah! Mademoiselle, your beauty has taken my breath away," Chairman Margerie hurriedly replied and aimed for a chance to kiss the back of this beauty's hand. But instead of said hand, he only received the sharp glares of the two men.

Margerie could not help but feel a bit sour after sensing that his opportunity had been taken away.

"Thank you both. It's fine to return to your stations." Edel smiled at the two Kurdish warriors.

"Honor to Dubaiburupa, bluart!"

The Kurdish warriors performed perfectly disciplined salutes, their heels snapping close, before turning around to leave.

"Huh. At least they are disciplined despite their shabby looks."

Margerie believed that personally stepping forward would make it easier to swallow up the big fish. But at the current moment, he sensed that something was not going according to his plan.

"Novatopia's master is waiting for you on the second floor." Mohammad reminded Margerie of his surroundings.

"...Mm. Very well, please show us the way."

Edel and Margerie climbed up the stairs. Five agile-looking men kitted out in black suits and the man with the sharp, alert face tried to follow them.

However, Ahmmad and Sun WooHyun blocked the path of these six men accompanying Margerie.

"You lot will be on standby here."

The corners of the bodyguards' brows arched up at the order made in clumsy French.

"We are the chairman's bodyguards, while this gentleman here is the accountant."

"You don't need any bodyguards where Sir Dubaiburupa is. And you definitely don't need an accountant either."

"What are you even talking about? We have never left the chairman's side during our job."

The man who looked like the bodyguard's leader raised his voice at the robotic and flat attitude of Sun WooHyun and Ahmmad.

"Slice!"

Shadows wavered for a moment there.

A short blade darkened like ink scythed through the air vertically and horizontally. Even though Ahmmad's Mamluk Circassian Crescent Moon Slash had cleaved past them, none of the bodyguards had noticed it.

"Bodyguards aren't necessary in this place," said Ahmmad with a sly smirk.

Sun WooHyun wordlessly pointed at the chests of the bodyguards.

The chest area of the business suits worn by all five bodyguards had been sliced open and the fabric was left dangling in the air.

"Uh-huk?!"

"Son of a b*tch!"

"Sh*t!"

"Bordel! (Dammit!)"

An assortment of curses leapt out of their mouths. No bodyguard out there could maintain their calm in a situation where the area near their hearts had been attacked without any of them noticing it.

"Man, you guys sure do have filthy mouths, dontcha."

Sun WooHyun lightly flicked his fingers.

Five nails three inches long each brushed past the ears of the five bodyguards, flying across the air before stabbing deep into the sandwich panels.

This was the hidden weapon Sun WooHyun developed for himself, the Miru Seru (Dragon's Claw). He was still obsessed over all things dragon.

"Urgh..."

The expressions of the bodyguards progressively got worse.

The hidden weapons had buried themselves deep into the steel plate. Only their nail heads visible on the surface.

The bodyguards did not even see the throwing motion. At this show of power, the five bodyguards lost their will to continue on with the confrontation.

Ahmmad pointed at a couch positioned in the corner of the living room. "Though not the most luxurious, it's still plush enough not to cramp your butts. Sit there and wait quietly, or get buried in the desert. Your choice."

The bodyguards flinched at the remark filled with the stench of blood. Unable to withstand the murderous glares of Ahmmad and Sun WooHyun anymore, the group wobbled their way towards the couch like cows being dragged to an abattoir.

The accountant joined them and obediently settled among the bodyguards too.

Chairman Margerie's bodyguards were obviously the elite among elites, but at the end of the day, they were still 'normal' people who only learned some close quarter combat techniques and fired a few rounds of their pistols. There was simply no way they could deal with the Dubai's hammers.

"Now that's a good boy. You'll breathe longer by knowing what's what." Sun WooHyun spat out some words that matched his chilling looks.

The five black suited bodyguards squeezed their eyes shut. They were supposed to make a living by embodying the threat of violence, yet they were helplessly suppressed by said violence. A guard dog that could not do its job as a guard dog would eventually be put down. Now, the bodyguards found themselves in danger of losing their jobs.

They were close to breaking out in tears at that moment.

However, Chairman Margerie was not paying much attention to the commotion taking place behind him. He knew his bodyguards were the top professionals that went through a rigorous selection processes. In other words, they were supposed to be on a whole another realm compared to some dumb soldier wannabes in the backwoods like this.

***

Edel guided Chairman Margerie and Chief Ariba into the drawing room on the second floor. Mu Ssang stopped his chat with Dino and stood up.

"It must've been difficult coming all this way, gentlemen. I'm Sbard Gulbeig."

The official name on Mu Ssang's French citizen registry was 'Sbard Gulbeig'. This meant that he had no choice but to introduce himself with that name in official meetings. Although he did think about changing this name, in the end he let it be out of sheer laziness.

Despite the stiff introduction, though, Chairman Margerie still smiled widely while reaching out for a handshake. Only a novice would act high and mighty in such a situation.

"Hello. I'm la Défense's Michel Margerie. It's an honor to meet the master of Novatopia."

Mu Ssang lightly shook Margerie's hand and smiled back. "Novatopia is just a small independent state that only started taking its baby steps recently. We're still not at the level where la Défense's emperor can praise us."

"No need to be so humble. The authority of Novatopia's master is quite amazing, after all. It's my first time meeting a client without my bodyguards, interpreters and even my secretary present, you see."

Chairman Margerie sneakily expressed his dissatisfaction. He was somewhat miffed after realizing that his bodyguards had been stopped at the ground floor. He was about to request that his bodyguards be allowed in, only for a large wasp to fly in through the open window with a loud buzz.

Dino lying flat on the floor behind the couch shot up to its feet and rapidly took a swipe with its front limb. Its claws scythed through the winds and accurately struck down the wasp.

Dino's long tongue then easily snatched up the falling wasp and it swallowed the insect up in the blink of an eye.

They said that bickering with someone would make you two grow closer; just like Samdi, Dino now also suffered from the habit of enjoying toxic substances as a light snack.