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Chapter 464
Let’s take a look. a.s.suming that I was not barking up the wrong tree, the plan of the two ancient dragons was to launch a simultaneous attack on me. However, if they were buried somewhere underground or hiding under a cliff, it was likely I’d find them. They would have known how futile such an ambush would be.
Then, let’s a.s.sume they had set up a trap here. And that trap had to be powerful enough to kill me. Nonetheless, there was something that necessarily accompanied the completion of such a concentration of power.
When creating the insignia Time Reversal and Odin’s Left Eye, what was the reason why a barrier, a safety device, had to be installed? It was because without it, the outside would not have been safe. When a powerful force was in motion, a corresponding phenomenon followed.
In the early days of the war, that was the reason why I could block the Spirit Kings from entering as they tried to manifest themselves.
If a trap was installed near my bone ring, then those who were here during its creation should have experienced a strange phenomenon. There should have been something that reached Lee Tae-Han’s ears.
However, nothing like that had happened. Of course, I could have been completely off track, thinking that the dragons were not hiding here anywhere, Silver had not resurrected, and Black had not recovered from its injuries.
Nonetheless, if I was off track, that was exactly what I was hoping for. They were somewhere here if they had a sliver of intelligence.
The next day dawned. Interestingly, Saeka’s group members avoided me even more after Kim Ji-Hoon openly showed his dislike for me. Honda was the only one who talked to me, but he was just doing his duty as a senior.
He said as he poured water into the combat ration, “Do you sense anything?”
I shook my head. “There shouldn’t be anything.”
“You are so lucky. When we move to headquarters, you are coming too, right? Then…if you wait a bit, you will be able to see Him up close. He will commend our group’s achievements. Exciting, right? Despite being a tag-along, you are reaping all the benefits. Even if you dedicate your life to the group, it would not be enough. Get it?”
“Yes.”
As I answered, I turned to look somewhere else. There, Kim Ji-Hoon was communicating with the outpost through a military radio. He had deep emotional grudges against Revolucion (42).
However, he knew what should have been prioritized as a commander protecting my bone ring. His aggressive behavior was limited to when he confronted me. The way he displayed such a demeanor without concern was also born from a sense of leisure that only the strong could afford.
From what I observed, he was in full control of the situation. Honda followed my gaze and said, “Why? Wait. Let me find out what is going on.”
He stood up and left the rations that were heating up. Even to him, the Savior city’s citizens looked unusual.
Honda went with a face full of antic.i.p.ation but came back disappointed. He must have thought that ‘Odin’ had come, seeing Kim Ji-Hoon’s actions.
“The front lines have retreated. I can’t believe that we were pushed back when the Awakened joined the battle. Can you believe that? There were about two hundred thousand Awakened. Even the Undead corps have been pushed back from its main base. I thought they were invincible, but I guess not.”
The powerful magic tower of the elves was responsible for this. Precisely, it was called the ‘Tower of the Holy War.’ It was something that needed to be destroyed first if Elsland invaded us.
It was one of the reasons why Elsland could remain as a land of life during the War of New Devil, and one of the secret techniques of Lacryma. In other words, it was the symbol that showed the Old One’s love for Elsland.
However, I only learned that it could be moved when I heard it appeared on the battlefield. f.u.c.king Old One. Although it was possible, the Old One had neglected the mainland in the past. The civil war was intense, but if the Old One had created just one tower, then the mainland wouldn’t have been in such a state…
Anyway, what was important was now.
“The elves are furious and in a frenzy. Those Greenwood natives were nothing.”
“What is the situation?” I asked.
Honda grimaced. “Thanks to some fortresses, we were able to avoid major damage. It must have been made by Him, right? Ah, it seems too urgent for Him to come and retrieve the ring. If only I could touch it, I’d want to bring it to Him.”
Honda continued, “Don’t even dream about it. The Savior’s city citizens won’t let you, but it is not something that common beings like us can touch… His equipment is…unbelievably strong.”
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They were not waiting in ambush, and no strange phenomenon had been detected. I didn’t expect to grasp the schemes of the ancient dragons in one go, now that my abilities had dropped to platinum. If I could discover something in this state, then Kim Ji-Hoon would have discovered it first.
Therefore, I had something prepared before coming here.
That afternoon, there were signs that the instructions I had given to Lee Tae-Han in advance were about to be executed. Kim Ji-Hoon’s expression was serious as he held the radio to his ear.
He stared at the vicinity where the bone ring was placed… Mmm…no. He was staring at where it was isolated for a long time. It seemed like he had no other choices as his contemplation dragged on. He had hit a rock as he couldn’t deal with his anger and shouted to everyone.
“Pack your stuff. We are all heading to the frontlines!”
His voice was so loud that it reached this far.
Honda whispered to Saeka, “So, are we also heading to the war? This is different from the promise.”
The citizens of the Savior’s City also buzzed.
“Stop!”
Kim Ji-Hoon raised his voice again.
“Comrades! n.o.body can touch His ring. It can be considered our enemy. At a time when manpower is urgent, the a.s.sociation desperately needs our cooperation. They want us to attack the enemy’s tower. It has been found that the enemy’s power is being enhanced from that tower. If we make a big detour, then we can reach it before the enemy’s main force returns and attacks. Of course, the tower’s defenses are stringent, but if we fight with a resolve to die… ”
“How many people will stay here? Shouldn’t someone stay and protect His equipment?”
The voice that interrupted him was also loud.
“We are a special task force. As I said, our mission is to break through the enemy’s base and destroy the tower. It is a mission that is nearly impossible, both in terms of numbers and circ.u.mstances. Maybe we will all be annihilated there. Understand? No one is exempt among us. As citizens of the Savior’s City we will be together in His name until the end.”
“Is this the a.s.sociation’s order?”
“The a.s.sociation’s command is…the same as His command. That’s all.”
Kim Ji-Hoon’s face was contorted even as he spoke. He walked through the murmurs with that same expression and headed toward Saeka.
“Your group will not be joining us. Join the command center. The stronghold is currently under siege, but we Awakened are stronger than anything else. When we attack the enemy’s main base, the Awakened in the siege will also be coming out into the field. You can join the command center by taking that opportunity. Good luck, Saeka.”
“I am…honored…”
Saeka watched Kim Ji-Hoon walking away and hurriedly gave us instructions.
“See? I told you that you are f.u.c.king lucky. You are part of the command center with us now. I have never seen someone as fortunate as you,” Honda said in the quietest voice he could muster.
All I had brought were enough combat rations for a few days. I had even blown up the empty storage container in preparation for the ancient dragons discovering my disguise. I could make that again, so it was not a big deal.
I kept an eye on the movements of the citizens as I packed my bags with Honda. A commotion broke out shortly after.
“What the h.e.l.l did you say? Say that again!”
“I will stay here. The a.s.sociation’s orders are unjust! Don’t you see that? Lee Tae-Han and Kwon Seong-Il have always been like that. They don’t care about our comrades’ lives at all.”
The reply also resounded loudly enough to be heard here. It was the voice that had interrupted Kim Ji-Hoon’s words moments ago.
“Think carefully. This is not the Stage of Advent. How long must we obey their orders? Comrades, am I not right? Lee Tae-Han’s intentions are clear. If we succeed, it becomes his achievement, and if we fail, we would be eliminated as we could be a threat to him. This mission is no different from those at the Stage of Advent. Lee Tae-Han is once again risking our lives for his personal gain.”
“Nevertheless, I believe! I believe striking the tower would ultimately serve Him.”
“It doesn’t have to be all of us! Also, there is nothing more important than protecting His equipment.”
I saw a few members of the group, including Honda, walking toward the commotion. I also joined them. From up close, I could see that Kim Ji-Hoon was suppressing his anger.”
“Can you handle the consequences? Disobeying the command is a death penalty.”
“We move by our beliefs. Nothing can supersede our beliefs. Are you truly afraid of punishment? Are you not ashamed before your comrades? And His…”
“Stop!” Kim Ji-Hoon snapped. It was obvious that he was swallowing his rage.
“I agree with him. I, too, have been bothered to leave his equipment behind. If you stay here, there is nothing more I could be thankful for. However, be prepared to face trial afterward.”
“Of course.”
“Then we will protect our comrades to the end. Well…as long as we survive.”
“You will both succeed in your mission and survive.”
“Yes, For Odin!”
“For Odin!”
The citizens of the Savior’s City raised their fists in union, and the same slogan exploded powerfully from their mouths.
“For Odin-!”
“For Odin-!”
The cheers pierced the sky. The group members, including Honda, were shaking from the overpowering sound.
The wors.h.i.+ppers also made a big impression on me. They were not afraid even though there was a possibility they could die. The one who said he would stay was even willing to face execution.
However, that made my heart ache even more. The citizens of the Savior’s city did not blame each other. Although they didn’t seem to have a hierarchy, Kim Ji-Hoon was their leader and was highly regarded among them.
Under Lee Tae-Han’s rule, they had established their own rules. The citizens didn’t pressure Kim Ji-Hoon even if they had different opinions. They didn’t burden him by asking if they were scared of trial or ashamed.
Thus, where would the ancient dragons be right now if there were no ambushes or traps? They must have been like me. They must have disguised themselves in an ident.i.ty that did not arouse suspicion even when they got close to me. They would be waiting for me to arrive.
They had either borrowed the body of the guy who was left behind, or perhaps, they already killed him and reshaped themselves into a similar form of him. The one who said he would stay was placed on the list of suspects.
Then, Kim Ji-Hoon picked up the radio. His expression quickly fell into despair.
“The mission has been canceled! We will continue to protect the bone ring until He arrives.”
At that time, I didn’t take my eyes off the guy who said he would stay. He was standing still with one hand tucked inside his clothing, and I a.s.sumed that what he was clutching was about the size of a dagger.
During the moment of chaos when the mission was suddenly canceled, it happened. His gaze was not directed toward Kim Ji-Hoon. Only his head was turned toward Kim Ji-Hoon, but his gaze seemed to be looking beyond, as if he was chasing a phantom.
I knew what that look meant. Yeon-Hee always had that kind of daydreaming gaze when she entered the mental world, and Orca also had that look when he rummaged through the memories of his kind.
It was only for a short moment, but he seemed to be communicating with something. It was probably related to the action of putting his hand inside his clothing.
***
I had gone through two steps to hide my power.
First, I used most of my power as material to create [Odin’s Left Eye.] Second, I transformed it into [Mysterious Stone] by sealing the power contained in Odin’s Left Eye temporarily. I acquired all these methods from the blueprints left by the Old One. That was why I couldn"t help but be full of doubt.
What if it was possible for the enemies as well? Even if not in the same way as me, what if they could produce the same result? If they were suppressing their powers so that I couldn’t detect them? Like the processes I went through to infiltrate here.
There was one more thing. I was convinced that there were two ancient dragons here. The ancient dragons below the Great Red level did not differ much. Even if they were confident that they could successfully ambush me, they couldn’t finish it off properly with just one. In order to defeat me, they needed a collaboration of at least two ancient dragons.
That was why it was highly likely that what that guy had clutched inside his clothing was another ancient dragon. What I meant was that the guy was an ancient dragon disguised as a citizen of the Savior’s City, and what he was hiding in his clothing was a powerful weapon made of the other ancient dragon.
The disguised dragon was holding another one as an item to ambush me, very similar to the way I was trying to attack them.
That day, I was waiting for an opportunity. I then spotted Kim Ji-Hoon, who had been monitoring the movements of the ring, entering his campsite.
I said as he walked into his tent, “I have something to report. I am coming in.”
He was in the midst of changing clothes. As soon as he pulled his face out of his battle uniform, his face became contorted.
“You mother f.u.c.ker. Do you think my words are a f.u.c.king joke?”
Why didn’t they disguise themselves as this guy? That was a question I had been wondering.
A small ent.i.ty flew out from the pocket of the uniform he just took off, and my question was answered then. What flew out was one of the Lusea species.
Since [The Tower of Sanctuary] was located on the battlefield, it couldn’t be that Yeon-Hee had come in person. It was undoubtedly one of her subordinates that Yeon-Hee sent in her place.
“...You are really crossing the line today. As expected, I should treat you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds with violence.”
Kim Ji-Hoon started to laugh derisively while looking alternately at me and the Lusea species. A strong murderous intent flowed in a single laugh.
“Go ahead, dumba.s.s. You said you have something to report. Let’s hear the real story after that.”
Even then, there was a dangerous light lingering in his pupils as he snickered.
「Name: Na Seon-Hu
Cla.s.s: Regular Member
Level: 281
Affiliation: Safety Bureau
- World Awakened a.s.sociation -」
I pulled out my ID card. He was one of the few people who knew my real name. He couldn’t take his eyes off my card. When his eyes, colored with astonishment and suspicion, turned toward me, I pulled down my hood with a gesture that said not to say anything.
I silently moved my lips.
You have grown a lot, Kim Ji-Hoon.