Chapter 123: Lazar (1)
The carrier pigeons flying in and out meant that the upper echelons of the clan that they had to report to were gathered there.
Kyle, the vice manager of the 98th area who was standing next to Jennifer, made an uneasy expression as he looked at the joyful Jennifer.
“Are we really going to have a fight against the Cross or the Rerorerore clan? It doesn’t feel that good.”
2 Strong. 3 Medium. 2 Weak.
These were the clans that existed on the Gragos.
There were quite a difference between the levels.
And that was why their clan had conceded a lot of things so far.
Even if they had the upper hand at this moment, fighting against those guys would bring fear to oneself.
Jennifer smacked the back of Kyle’s head.
Smack!
“Kuhuk!”
“Dumbass. When would a chance come by if it isn’t now?”
Rerorerore clan was part of the 3 mediums and had lost most of its powerhouses from the collision with the Crown clan and were spread apart.
And even more so since the Ursa Majors had run here in order to control the Tiradus while hunting the Akaron.
Same for Cross clan.
They had kept the attention of the Tiradus since they were the strongest and their whole clan wasn’t able to react to the sudden raid of the Tiradus and the numerous Margoths as their current clan was in shambles.
That was why this was the time.
Since they knew that those guys had received huge amounts of casualties from this.
Though they had been hit strongly and were still in confusion, after some time passed and things calm down then people will again start to flock beneath Enbi Arin or Gwanje.
They needed to solve it before then.
“But... If we collide then isn’t leader Ariel also in danger?”
“Aigoo, there’s a lot you’re worried about huh.”
Jenniffer made a very annoyed expression.
“Would those guys collide that easily? In such a situation? They would probably stop after dividing the spoils of war. Don’t worry that much. We’re just going to go for a sightseeing.”
It might’ve been different if they roamed around alone but once a clan’s size increased in size then a safe zone where they can receive protection from Baladi and Margoths level as well as having a steady supply of body fluids becomes important.
It wasn’t that they controlled areas according to the size of the clan.
The more area they get, the more people they would be able to gather and sustain and increase the size of their clan.
Even more so in the otherworld where most people in the clan would get switched out in around 3 years.
The Rerorerore clan had constantly been disturbing their alliance so a chance hadn’t occurred.
And thanks to this the Cross clan also benefitted.
They had to reorganize the area at this chance.
The two clans would be enraged but there’s nothing they could do.
‘Yeah. It’s been long since the balance should’ve been broken. If we’re lucky we might be able to acquire three to four...
Booooom!
While Jennifer was laughing, a shockwave that shook the entire forest resonated out from the distance.
This shockwave, this sound.
It was the collision of Margoth levels.
Jennifer’s expression turned grim as she figured this out.
‘They collided?’
The story would change if this happened.
‘We can’t be late! We have to hurry and help!’
Jennifer spat on the ground and quickly started to run towards the battlefield.
.................................................
Booooom!
“Kuhuk!”
Ariel got dizzy from the powerful force that had smashed into her as she was sent flying backwards.
Tuduk
Ariel’s comrade from the Okonelly clan caught the flying Ariel as he asked quickky.
“Are you okay?”
“Damn. Do I look okay to you...Kuhuu.”
Ariel grinded as she shouted out.
It felt like her whole intestines had turned into a pile of mud.
A single spear strike.
That single attack had smashed through three of the defensive skills she had around her body.
At the same time the artifact she had gained in the deep parts of the Forest of Horns, a shield got smashed apart into three pieces.
‘What the hell is that? Was there the option of such a thing in the Body enhancement surgery?’
Ariel puked out blood as she looked at Hansoo.
His whole body had been covered in golden scales.
And a dark aura was radiating off above the golden scales.
It looked like an evil golden dragon.
And the pressure which was radiating from his body made her feel like her whole body was being pressed down onto the ground.
It felt like a demonic dragon was glaring at her.
‘...If we fight then all of us will die.’
The reason why they could hold on despite being a bit weaker on terms of strength was because of her.
She, who could hold on until reinforcements came.
Even if a collision were to happen the reinforcements will still come and she would be able to take this chance to wipe them all away.
But at this rate they might all die even before her clansmzn arrived.
Power was important but that only mattered if she was alive.
‘Damn... I must buy some time first.’
“Ariel threw away the shield she was holding onto the side, stumbled back up and shouted.
“This crazy bastard! Attacking us without a warning!”
Hansoo smirked as he spoke out.
“What do you mean without a warning. I told you clearly that it wasn’t possible. The one who said I wouldn’t be able to leave this place was you.”
He needed to take the Akarons to the altar deep within the Forest of Horns and control the Gragos.
He then needed to head towards the white lion, Lazar.
How could he allow these guys to take the Akarons from him?
Ariel breathed in and out.
She then looked around at the people around her and then sighed as she spoke.
“Damn. There’s nothing we can do then. Go. Damned bastards. Nothing we can do.”
It was a bit regrettable to let them go but she had no confidence.
The confidence to hold on until reinforcements came.
Ariel sighed, made an given up expression as she opened up the path to the deep parts of the Forest of Horns.
‘Hoooh. We’re able to get out.’
Akaella was making a nervous expression in the back but then sighed out in relief.
Even Margoth levels weren’t invincible.
If they were then why would they join a clan?
She didn’t want to fight with the people who were closing in with the formation while swarming from all around but thankfully Ariel opened up the path.
‘Yeah. Let’s go you bastard. No matter how strong you are you will still get held down here if you fight.’
But Hansoo let down Akaella’s expectations by a great margin.
“That’s not going to be possible.”
Booooom!
Hansoo swung his spear and smashed Ariel again after closing the distance between himself and her.
Ariel was on guard due to the previous clash and had comrades next to her so she barely held onto her life.
Crack
But she couldn’t prevent both her arms being broken.
‘Kuhuk...’
Ariel clenched her teeth from the pain of both of her arms breaking and shouted as she backed off.
“Why are you doing this! I told you to go!”
“You can enter at any time but leaving is a different story.”
‘This used to be Kangtae’s catchphrase, it’s quite pleasant today.’
Hansoo laughed as he looked at Ariel.
The Rerorerore clan and the Cross clan would have a quite hard time to perform, in terms of a clan as a whole, for a while.
Since they had gotten smashed apart into too many pieces to patch it up.
It would become extremely annoying if other clans ambush them after forming an alliance.
‘It might be different if they weren’t hostile to us but, I should at least make it so they can’t act.’
The carrier pigeon was not something as convenient as a phone.
There was a limit to how many people one could send out and receive the messages from.
So if he were to smash apart the location where all of the carrier pigeons gathered then the communication within the clan would get paralyzed for the time being.
And why would Hansoo let them leave when they were right in front of his eyes.
Even more so since these guys would probably create scouting teams to track them.
‘Damn.’
Ariel looked at her surroundings.
They had 13 Margoth levels.
But the opponent had 6 from the Cross clan, 3 from the Rerorerore and even 5 Akarons not including Hansoo himself.
‘We won’t be able to get out at this point.’
Ariel made a despaired expression for a moment and then thought of something as she shouted to the Akarons on the back.
“Akaron! You damned bastards! You said you guys kept honor and didn’t attack the weak! And you also said that you wouldn’t participate in wars of other races! Are you still warriors!?”
Taruhol simply shrugged his shoulders at those words.
“Those things are important but... The laws say that we need to help friends who are in danger. No matter how I see it, it seems like my friend is in danger.”
Taruhol then looked at Hansoo.
Hansoo nodded.
“That is true. My heart is beating extremely hard right now, my opponent is too strong.”
“Is that so? I shall help you.”
“Bastards...”.
Akaella clicked her tongue at Ariel who was making an expression full of despair.
Because she was in a similar situation.
There wasn’t much difference between her and Ariel who both had their lives turn for the worse after getting entangled with that Hansoo guy over there.
‘It’s a bit sad to watch but what can I do, I’m not in the position to worry about others.’
Akaella stopped thinking about this subject as she charged towards Ariel in the way her body was being controlled by the scents.
...............................................
“Huuu...”
Ariel made an expression that clearly showed that she had given up while she was being dragged after having her entire body tied down.
‘Damn. They really hit hard.’
Ariel frowned at the pain that was originating from every part of her body.
The difference in power was too great.
She thought that she would be able to hold on to a certain degree but that was a huge misconception.
They got beat down even before their comrades could surround Hansoo and his group as they were now being carried on the Akaron’s backs after being tied down towards an unknown location.
At that time the Okonelly clansmen appeared in front of their eyes.
“That damned clan leader!”
The clansmen who were grinding their teeth while charging towards them.
Quite a large number of them were attacking but Ariel just shook her head.
Since she knew what would happen clearly.
‘And they aren’t really doing this to save me or anything.’
Boooom!
A single spear broke apart the formation of the Okonelly clan.
“Kuaaaaak!”
The Okonelly clansmen rolled around her floor and shouted out in agony from the spores that exploded out from the spear.
The moment the formation was broken Hansoo and his group dashed through.
Ariel looked at this scene as she sighed.
‘There’s no way they can block these guys.’
It wouldn’t be enough even if they received orders from her and did it carefully but they were all dashing in individually.
They can’t do it.
Ariel dejectedly spoke to Hansoo who was running in the front.
“...Can’t you please just release us? We don’t have much value as hostages anyway! And... There’s no reason for us to chase you down as long as you’re still with them.”
There were probably wide spoken rumors all around the Gragos.
Actually the body enhancement surgery wasn’t that widely known until now.
Since the only person who had gained it was Gwanje and didn’t have many opportunities to show off his strength after creating his clan.
But this was different.
There was a difference between a rumor and seeing with one’s own eyes.
Everyone knew how that Hansoo guy had gotten extremely powerful in an extremely short period of time.
And the location of the Akarons had also been seen.
If they were just simply searching for them leisurely before then now they will madly search for them.
‘And... There’s no way the clan would even treat us as a hostage.’
The only time the clan would call the clan leader their leader was then the leader could control the clan.
Why would the clan feel pressured with their leader being caught as a hostage when that leader couldn’t even do anything?
“I know that you have no value as a hostage.”
Ariel was confused at Hansoo’s words.
“...Huh? Then why?”
At that moment.
A deep and magnificent roar resonated from the skies.
Guoooooooooooooo
“It began.”
Hansoo laughed at the sound that was resonating from the distance.
The Gragos was roaring so loud to the point the clouds were dispersing.
While Hansoo and Taruhol were fighting the Tiradus and gettings its attention, Oteon had arrived at the Altar and started working on the Gragos.
Now they just needed to move towards Lazar.
It would take around 1 week to get there.
But the fireflies, the people who would want power of the surgery, would not stay idle during that time.
‘I shall play with you guys for the time being. You shouldn’t come this deep into the forest you know.’
Hansoo laughed at the thousands of clansmen who from the hurry didn’t even have Margoth levels leading them as they charged into the forest.
Proofreader’s note
Weekly bonus chapter 2/3.
Hansoo tied up the dozen or so Margoth-levels from the clans and is using guerilla warfare on the huge army as well.