Chapter 797
Episode 197: The Red-Eyed Clan (1)
“Ugh… gasp…!”
Somewhere deep underground, far from the old Oterium.
The three members of the Red-Eyed Clan who had fled from Jin had just teleported to what was once the third city of their people, known in the past as ‘Patlock.’
Landing inside Patlock’s fortress, the trio doubled over, retching from the aftereffects of the teleportation. The Red-Eyed Clan’s ‘Return Technique’ was notoriously taxing on the body, and since these three were in a weakened state unlike any before, they even vomited blood.
“…Is everyone alright?”
Simat caught his breath and asked.
“Yes… Simat, comrade. We’re unharmed.”
“Damn it… right after waking up, Makiram and Manta…”
Andolin and Ozen answered in somber tones.
It was because Makiram and Manta, two comrades who had served as catalysts for the Return Technique, had fallen. While fighting Jin, there had been no time to grieve the sacrifices of their kin.
Using comrades as catalysts for the Return Technique was only done in moments like this—when total annihilation had to be avoided and no other living beings were available. The clan’s law dictated that the weakest comrades be sacrificed.
But among the five awakened Red-Eyed Clan members, all except Simat were second-rank War Kings. With no difference in rank or combat power, Makiram and Manta had simply stepped forward first.
“Don’t cry, Ozen. Since Jin severed Makiram’s arm, that was the best choice. Manta, who was right beside Jin’s form, stepping in was the same. Our duty now is to avenge these two comrades.”
Though he spoke coldly, Simat struggled to suppress the pain in his heart. As the leader of the ‘Simat Unit,’ the guilt of having endangered his comrades immediately upon awakening weighed heavily on him.
Though only two in number, the deaths of Makiram and Manta accounted for 40% of their remaining forces.
“Because they served as catalysts for the Return Technique, these two comrades won’t even have the honor of becoming Undying Warriors.”
At their peak, the Red-Eyed Clan had a unit of Undying Warriors—warriors whose corpses were weaponized. As Ozen pointed out, Makiram and Manta’s bodies had not been recovered, so they could not be transformed.
“…That’s one problem, but I’m more worried about the bracelets they carried, Simat. Especially Jin Runkandel deliberately severed Makiram’s arm. He was after the bracelets. It would be ideal if the comrades’ bodies burned completely and destroyed the bracelets, but that’s unlikely.”
“Even if the bracelets remain damaged, no inferior human technology could analyze them! Andolin, comrade. Though his power was immense, we found no trace of any technology nearby. No portable spatial storage, no flying ships.”
“Ozen, comrade, there was no spatial storage, but they didn’t carry many belongings. And the battlefield looked like abandoned land, far from any city. That means they must have used teleportation or something similar to reach Ameris.”
“Th-then, Simat, it’s possible they have the technology to analyze the bracelets…”
“It’s safer to assume so. Of course, even our own engineers, who have absorbed the knowledge of the Sun God, wouldn’t analyze them quickly. And even if they do, replicating and using the bracelets is another matter.”
To use the bracelets, one needed a strong body capable of withstanding the Red-Eyed Clan’s radiant heart and overload.
“We live in a world completely different from before our sealing. We must accept that humans and other mortals can now compete with us.”
Simat was a man of excellent judgment and potential. Despite being ‘one without a clan,’ he had become the fastest first-rank War King in Red-Eyed Clan history.
Ozen, who had been furious at Simat’s attitude, was gradually calming down. Andolin’s sorrowful gaze regained resolve.
Both silently thought how fortunate it was that Simat was among the unsealed Red-Eyed Clan members. As long as he lived, and the sealed clan members remained, the day might come when they could see the red-stained world again.
Simat slowly looked around. The dark interior of Patlock’s fortress’s Return Chamber came into view.
Despite having been abandoned for so long, the chamber showed no signs of wear. The stones bore no cracks, no dust had settled.
Once the lights were turned on and the Red-Eyed Clan returned, it would look exactly as it had before the sealing.
“Fortunately, the fortress’s lord, Great War King Rakiman Hog, still seems to be alive.”
As Simat said, the fortress’s intact state was thanks to its lord’s survival. The Red-Eyed Clan’s fortresses were almost like living organisms connected to their Great War Kings.
“Oh, now that you mention it… the fortress is in perfect condition!”
“Let’s head to the lord’s chamber.”
Simat pressed his bracelet against a right-angled panel on the Return Chamber wall. A faint red glow spread, and the sound of an elevator activating echoed.
Descending in the elevator, they soon arrived at Patlock’s central hall. There, they saw comrades floating like red stars beneath the soaring ceiling.
There were well over a hundred comrades—mostly foot soldiers, but occasionally second- or third-rank War Kings appeared.
Even Simat was briefly moved. These were the comrades who had defended Patlock’s fortress until the very end before the sealing.
Finally, opening the lord’s chamber door, they saw the sealed Great War King Rakiman Hog.
“Andolin, comrade.”
“Yes, Simat, comrade.”
“From now on, we will unseal Rakiman’s binding. But until we fully recover, awakening his radiant heart will be difficult.”
“Understood…”
“First, we must create means to recover ourselves. Check if the spatial transfer devices connecting to the surface are operational.”
“Yes!”
Andolin left the lord’s chamber to inspect the devices.
“Out of five, thankfully one is working!”
“Then from now on, the two of you will begin surface operations. Go out, gather nutrients, and assess the current situation. Especially, gather every scrap of information on Jin Runkandel and his forces.”
“Understood, Simat. Should we find catalysts for the Return Technique as needed?”
Andolin’s question was met with a heavy shake of Simat’s head.
“…If possible, yes. But whenever you go to the surface, be sure to bring the radiant heart of a sealed comrade.”
“Ah…”
Simat judged that Andolin and Ozen needed a reliable escape method during surface operations.
Currently, it was not easy to find the ‘catalyst energy’ required for the Return Technique. Using ordinary humans as catalysts required at least hundreds.
Not only humans, but dragons, demons, any living beings could serve as catalysts. But the Red-Eyed Clan had not yet regained their full strength. Using just anyone as a catalyst as before could mean death.
“It’s painful, but unavoidable. The moment even one comrade dies, our clan’s revival becomes that much more distant. Catalysts for the Return Technique will be selected based on combat power.”
The only consolation for the three was that from now on, the comrades chosen as catalysts could become Undying Warriors later. Becoming an Undying Warrior was the highest honor for a Red-Eyed Clan foot soldier.
“When should we begin operations?”
“Immediately. Return once every ten days, or sooner if there’s urgent news.”
“We’ll try to return without using the comrades’ radiant hearts as much as possible.”
Andolin and Ozen placed their hands over their chests and saluted Simat—reporting for duty as before.
The two left for the central hall, swallowing their tears as they removed the radiant hearts of two foot soldiers.
Simat sat before Rakiman, his radiant heart glowing red. The soft crimson energy flowed into Rakiman.
‘The sky of the Red-Eyed will rise again, and our Sun God will be reborn.’
Simat pushed away his pain with sheer determination.
Meanwhile, Jin and his companions had returned to the Tikan Palace with Ameris’s avatar.
Though the sudden appearance of the Red-Eyed Clan and the Sun God cults spreading in the present world were concerning, Ameris took a calm stance—what had happened had happened, and they just needed to resolve it.
She quickly adapted to life among the group. For someone always bound by fate, this was like a refreshing rain after a drought.
[My memory is so fragmented, I even forgot about their sealing. And seeing the Return Technique firsthand reminded me. The fact it was executed means their stronghold still stands.]
“Still standing? Oh no, that’s serious. They’re kin to your brothers, but… they must be incredibly strong, right?”
[Yes, Jet. Though they couldn’t fight properly due to the sealing’s aftereffects, Simat would have been stronger than Valkas. The others were probably around Rata’s level.]
“How many of them are there?”
[If only one fortress remains, under a thousand. If others remain, then between one thousand and ten thousand. I know of five fortresses: Yung, Hon, Kam, Hog, and Tun. Each ruled by a Great War King of their clan.]
Jet kept fussing, rubbing his forehead. Jin felt the pressure mounting as he estimated their numbers and strength.
[And above the Great Tusk King stands the Tushin. Whether he’s alive or not is the biggest question. His name… I can’t quite recall. The Tushin of the Jeokmyeong tribe, like Simat, was also a lone figure without kin.]
“Either way, Simat and his group are about to start breaking the seals on the Jeokmyeong tribe.”
[Yes, Jin. It’s probably already begun. The seals I placed only subdued their ‘Gwangsimjang’—their fierce hearts. Once those Gwangsimjang receive enough mental energy, they can awaken again.]
Ameris couldn’t understand why he had only sealed them instead of destroying them outright. But it was clear enough that the Jeokmyeong tribe had been powerful enough at the time to leave him no choice.
[They’ll need time, of course. And surely, they’ll begin activity on the surface. To regain their strength, they’ll have to hunt. We’ll need to gather intel on their movements.]
“Hunting, huh…”
[In my opinion, they won’t attack our Bamel Alliance right away. They’ve already suffered a heavy blow from you once, so they’ll be cautious. What we can hope for is that they’ll target the Jeop and other enemies to regain their power. And we’ll track that process to uncover their base of operations.]