Chapter 172. Embers (3)

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“…What’s going to happen to us?”

The people who were talking about numerous things while collecting the runes and artifacts from below, whispered as they looked up.

They had said they would follow but as the fight calmed down and reality hit them, they started to get worried.

‘They wouldn’t throw us all away…’

Even if they don’t throw them away, a large amount of people might still die.

Mackill sighed as she looked at the calmy floating Satellite Fortress in the sky, the Atillan.

***

Hansoo thought of the words of his friends of the past while looking at the information about the Destruction Jade.

— Damn… if we knew that would happen then we should’ve destroyed it on the way up.

His three friends had left behind clues about the Destruction Jade as they went up.

Though they were running away because of lack of strength, they had hoped that the people coming after them would use it for the humans.

So that those people would finish what they couldn’t and save the humankind.

They had belief in the humankind then.

Though they fought with each other, they believed that they would combine their forces and fight together when a powerful race, such as the Higher Race, existed.

And so they had hidden the clues to getting to the Destruction Jade where the Higher races could not find it.

But sadly the one who had found it was Clementine.

The Destruction Jade had landed in the hands of the craziest person.

Well, it was meant to be in some way.

Since Clementine had as much skill as she was insane.

As she had covered the Great Jungle at an extreme speed and created a tremendous force which remained behind in the Great Jungle, her discovery was going to happen sooner or later.

And with this, Clementine’s plan had been completed perfectly.

Well, the discovery of the Destruction Jade was the reason why she had been able to stand up against the Higher Races to give the proposition.

‘Even if it was a proposition that benefitted both sides… if the difference of strength between the two groups is too large then such contracts wouldn’t be able to get created.’

The thing which had greeted Clementine when she had first went to the Higher Races was not curiosity but sneers and contempt.

But they could only accept the proposition eventually.

From the words of Clementine which told them that if they didn’t made the contract the or attacked the humans that she would use the Destruction Jade they had.

It might be different if all three races all lose mana together but if it only happens to one side then the same thing as in the past would happen.

They would get destroyed by the attacks of the two other races.

Clementine, who had gained a weapon against the Higher races, hid this in the deepest parts.

And the Higher Races pulled out one Satellite Fortress each in order to watch over Clementine’s forces in case of them doing something.

And so the contract had been made.

‘Well. No need to tell them all the way up to this.’

If one knew too much it would only bring harm to them.

And even if they didn’t know this, the goal had been set already.

Reclaiming the Destruction Jade after getting to the end of the Green Road.

But the difficulty of this mission was quite a problem.

Ekidu looked at Hansoo and asked.

“What are you going to do now? The Satellite Fortresses will be our biggest issue.”

Saying it was always easier, they had to constantly beat down Clementine’s followers while they searched for the Destruction Jade.

Even if they were going to go through the Green Road, the Satellite Fortresses would be a problem.

They wouldn’t even be able to do anything.

Since just a simple call for reinforcements will bring down a blue laser down from the Satellite Fortresses.

‘Though we have one as well…’

It was very easy to see the result.

Three against one.

They could not beat three with just one of these.

No, winning would be a problem as well.

Since the other Satellite Fortresses would swarm in.

‘Are we going to leave the Satellite Fortress? And go through the Great Jungle?’

But Ekidu shook her head.

It might’ve been different if they had a small amount of people but with so many people, trying to move anywhere would eventually get them caught somewhere.

They couldn’t go through the Green Road either.

They know it’s the mouth of the tiger, why would they go in?

And most of the Farmers were too weak for the Green Road anyway.

Those Farmers would get massacred by Clementine’s followers, who were self-announced Examiners, and get sent as offerings.

‘But then we can’t really leave them here either…’

It was calm now but once they see that Dakidus wasn’t returning despite it being time for him to come back, they would get suspicious.

‘Damn. I can really see that we’re at a huge disadvantage.’

Ekidu clenched her teeth.

They would get caught whatever they would do and all other roads were blocked.

If one’s group had the advantage and was strong then there was no need for worry.

Since they could just group up and kick away everything no matter what their enemies did.

This is all because they were weak.

To an extreme degree in comparison.

Something like this would only occur when they couldn’t even lift the fingers of the enemy.

Having a large amount of people wasn’t that advantageous either.

No, it was actually disadvantageous.

Since it got caught in the eye more…

‘We can just leave them to spread out and only collect the elites…’

Once the Archons and the other two Higher Races figure out that the village had been destroyed and the culprits had run into the Great Jungle then they would start to chase them madly.

Since they couldn’t stand idle when the humans, who had the possibility of killing them, aimed for them while hiding in the Great Jungle.

But then a gap will be created.

Ekidu was shocked whilst she was mumbling to herself.

Shocked at herself for thinking of such a method.

The thought she just had was only possible if she thought of those guys below as just baggage.

And even if the Higher Races didn’t chase them, what would happen to them would be the same.

Though there were quite a bit of Hunters and Guards, most of them were Farmers.

What would happen to them once they spread out in the Jungle which had much stronger beasts than the level 1 beasts?

‘…Is this my limit?’

While Ekidu was in despair.

Hansoo spoke to Ekidu:

“Here. Let’s go down now. There’s a lot to do. There’s also a lot to tell the people below.”

“…?”

A lot to say?

Ekidu’s expression turned into one of confusion from Hansoo’s words.

Having a lot of confidence was good but the difference in powers was reality.

What would those Farmers be able to do for them?’

‘Did he think of the same thing as me?’

That was the best choice of action she could think of.

“Are you going to send those guys up to the front?”

Hansoo shook his head at these words.

That would just be a useless death.

“It’s too wasteful to do that.”

Since they had a goal, they just needed to get stronger.

Once they were given time and a good environment, everyone below had the potential to become as strong as Karim or Ekidu.

If each and every one of them can survive, grow and reach all the way to the Violet Zone then a large quantity of amazing warriors would have been born to fight the Abyss.

“Then what…”

“We need to hide first. Inside the forest.”

A tree should be hidden inside a forest.

Ekidu made a confused expression at Hansoo’s words as he continued to speak.

“Loosen up. I’ll take care of it all.”

“…”

Despite there not being any guarantees, Ekidu felt her mind feeling at ease as she unconsciously nodded at Hansoo’s words.

***

Papapapapapak!

Tens of people were running through the Great Jungle.

A group of Hunters, Farmers and Guards who had stood on the side of the humans.

And of course Mackill was part of this group.

‘Phew…I hope it goes well.’

There was only one thing they had been ordered to do.

— Spread out and join the other villages.

At that time Mackill felt something tapping her.

“Wake up. We’re almost there.”

“Ah…”

They had been evenly separated so they could get to every village.

Though they had maps, it was still hard to go through the giant Great Jungle and reach the other villages.

That was why Hunters and Guards were evenly distributed amongst the Farmers.

Mackill woke up from the words of a Hunter in her group as she looked at the distance where she could barely make up a village.

Unlike their village, this one seemed to have been made by digging into the side of a cliff, it was a cave city.

‘It’s really a different city huh.’

Mackill gulped down her saliva.

And then organized her thoughts.

Since she would need to focus in order to get in and join the village.

And to do this, they would need to now start acting as <Refugees>.

<Refugees>

People who didn’t like the governing system of the villages and roamed around the Great Jungle.

Of course there weren’t that many of them.

But they did exist.

Not just the weak Farmers but there also existed Hunters and Guards who didn’t like the rules of the villages which suppressed them.

Since there wasn’t a need for them to like the village just from the fact that it was easy to live there.

But then sometimes these Refugees returned to the villages.

While regretting ever leaving the village.

Since the Great Jungle was not an easy place which they could live in after leaving the village because of how it was governed.

The people who left the villages usually roamed around the Great Jungle, felt the cruelty of the environment with their entire body and returned.

The villages they used to be at accepted them back and there were quite a few cases of them arriving at another village while roaming the jungle.

The composition of their groups was trying its best to mimic the sensation.

‘Though the size is a bit large.’

Over ten thousand people would separate and all go into different villages.

But there wasn’t any problems with this.

Since the villages had been isolated from each other in order to have a strong grasp over the villages so the villages wouldn’t join together.

But this would become poison for them as well.

Nobody knew that the village Dakidus maintained had been destroyed whole.

Well, they wouldn’t even have dared to imagine.

That Dakidus had died, that the traitors had all been killed and the fact that all the villagers had spread out, acted as Refugees and joined other villages.

And there was only one thing they needed to do after they got in.

‘Separate and join up. And… look for an open gap.’

Prepare to smash apart the traitors and gather people who would help them.

While waiting until the Satellite Fortresses fell.

Waiting until the day of retribution when the invincible armors of the Higher Races fall apart and an open slot for their blades to enter appear.

It wasn’t hard.

They were hidden but their enemies were out in the open.

They themselves knew their opponents but their opponents did not know of them at all.

And in Dakidus’ possession, a list of all the traitors had existed.

Just in case they needed to deal with a huge alliance of humans.

Everything will work out slowly within the village.

An invisible blade slowly digging into the flesh of their neck.

‘But if Hansoo fails… nothing can be done.’

Mackill decided to think realistically.

If Hansoo won then there wasn’t even a need to worry.

They would become the sparks of the counterattack and light the fuse.

And all the villages they were hiding in would explode out.

Since they were all extremely determined.

And they had seen it.

The scene of all the traitors hiding in the village being found out and Dakidus losing his life after falling down onto the ground.

With their own eyes.

This was why they stood on Hansoo’s side.

Since Hansoo showed them hope, a possibility.

But if Hansoo failed?

If the Satellite Fortresses didn’t fall?

‘Integrate with the village and continue to live.’

Try their best to not become an offering like they had in the village ruled by Dakidus and risk their lives in order to get through the Green Road.

They would return to being slaves, livestock.

They would just return to how they were.

Just that.

If Hansoo failed and the Satellite Fortresses didn’t fall then there was nothing they could do.

If a choice of life and death appeared and one side had no hope of life then the answer was chosen already.

Since it would just be a useless death if they tried to resist.

Hansoo probably sent them this way after thinking up to this point as well.

‘Well. The others accepted all this because it was only this much.’

The image of Hansoo in the villagers’ minds had was already set.

He was fearsomely powerful.

He had succeeded in the job that seemed impossible and saved the entire village.

He was amazing.

To the point that he gave hope to them that this revolution might actually succeed.

But Hansoo wasn’t here right now.

There was nobody who could control even those whom they couldn’t see.

If Hansoo asked them to put their lives on the line and fight, half of them would’ve probably left already.

And they wouldn’t really follow such harsh orders either.

This was as far as they could handle.

‘…Damn.’

She felt embarrassed after thinking about Hansoo who had entered into the most dangerous area.

So she wished.

‘Please, for the love of god, succeed.’

So that they would be able to raise their blades.

So that a hope for victory for which they would fight for despite the risks would be given to them.

***

Hansoo nodded after sending away the people.

The 1st stage was now complete.

They wouldn’t just win because the Satellite Fortress had fallen.

As he saw from Dakidus, their bodies were powerful just by themselves.

Those people were the second spear.

The weapon he would need to fight against the Higher Race once they fell onto the ground.

“They’ll be safe for now. Since the villages will protect them.”

They would grow and wait for a chance.

“So we’ll retrieve the Destruction Jade during that time?”

“Yes.”

Ekidu made a bitter expression as she looked around.

‘…With just three of us?’

“Damn. So we just need to kill around a thousand people like Karim? Quite simple huh. The Satellite Fortresses will have a fun time watching us.”

For just the three of them to run into the middle of the enemy’s territory.

A place where a laser beam may fall if they made a mistake.

Karhal, who had been standing next to Ekidu and Hansoo, complained out loudly.