Chapter 799
Episode 197: The Red-Eyed Tribe (3)
September 25, 1803. About ten days had passed since the Red-Eyed Tribe began their activities on the surface.
“Hah, these lunatics… How can a whole group go this crazy all at once?”
Berakt growled lowly, exhaling a heavy sigh. Before him, the White Wolf Tribe and Red Tiger Tribe warriors stood packed tightly in formation.
“What? You’re saying the warriors keep disappearing, and you’re too scared to patrol? Am I really supposed to be getting these kinds of reports from the assault captains in times like this?”
The beast-men couldn’t answer, their gazes drifting into empty space. Berakt’s fury weighed down on their shoulders, making their limbs tremble.
In just ten days, over two hundred battle warriors who had gone out on patrol vanished without a trace. It was no wonder the beast-men were gripped by fear. Among the White Wolf Tribe, a few still burned with vengeance and fighting spirit, but that was all.
Even the White Wolves—renowned for their ferocity—were mostly consumed by terror. Berakt couldn’t understand their fear.
It was because he didn’t live in the barracks with the foot soldiers. The beast-men’s current state wasn’t just due to the rumors and the reality of disappearances; the faint scent left behind by the Red-Eyed Tribe played a major role.
“I know the foot soldiers have been disappearing lately. Yeah, it’s strange. But you battle warriors—are you really going to crumble and break like this? Whoever’s behind this, shouldn’t you be determined to find them and tear them apart? Yet these guys keep refusing to answer.”
“Ah, come on. Why keep pushing the kids like that? Do you think morale will come back just by yelling at them?”
A Red Tiger Tribe warrior beside Berakt spoke with a casual tone.
It was Bardrei, the Red Tiger King. He had been in seclusion, using an injury as an excuse, but had joined the Kinzelro main assembly a few days ago.
“Bardrei, you’ve been hiding all this time. Watch your words—there are subordinates listening.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. But Berakt, I think this isn’t just any ordinary problem. Why are you always so slow to catch on? Huh?”
“What?”
“I’m telling you, I smell something dangerous. While the great White Wolf warrior Berakt sits at the table clearing his throat, I went and scouted the patrol zones myself. This is no ordinary matter… that’s what I’m saying.”
Despite Bardrei’s mocking tone, Berakt only rubbed his forehead in irritation, not pushing back harder. Bardrei was a warrior of equal standing, and since his seclusion, he had only grown stronger.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“It’s the work of the Sovereign Tribe.”
“What?”
“The ones who disappeared literally vanished! Our guys are usually weak against the strong and strong against the weak, but you White Wolves are a bit tougher, right? No matter how fierce the opponent, you’d expect them to put up a fight at least once. But they didn’t. That means they surrendered to an irresistible fear, like dogs meeting a cruel master—whimpering and dragged away without a fight. Who else but the Sovereign Tribe could do that?”
“Right now, the only humans who can summon the Sovereign Tribe are the cow lord of Runkandel, or Jin Runkandel himself. But this isn’t his style.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s him either. But there’s no one else but the Sovereign Tribe. Either there’s a traitor among their ranks, or… there’s another Sovereign Tribe out there. One of the two.”
“A traitor, huh…”
Berakt briefly thought of Jin and his brothers. He couldn’t imagine a traitor emerging from Jin’s camp.
“It doesn’t make sense, but the idea of another Sovereign Tribe existing sounds more plausible. Or maybe another powerful being on par with the Sovereign Tribe.”
“From what I smelled, it definitely wasn’t human, dragon, demon, or monster. It was a scent only creatures with fur like us could give off. It can’t be a beast, right?”
Bardrei was convinced of the existence of another Sovereign Tribe.
“Starting today, you and I will patrol together. I have a feeling the border area two is going to get hit. The movement patterns say so. I’ve done this kind of thing a lot when I was younger, so I know. You and I will pretend to be weak and wait there. Even if the real Sovereign Tribe shows up, there’s no way we’ll lose.”
“Hmm…”
Berakt was displeased but agreed to join Bardrei’s plan for a week.
“Alright, that’s settled! Our poor little pups can now disperse and get back to work. The Red Tiger King and the great warrior Berakt will catch whoever’s been preying on our kin.”
The beast-men exchanged glances, and when Berakt nodded, they dispersed and returned to their posts.
“Look at those drooping backs. Don’t you feel sorry for them, Berakt?”
“Show some dignity. You’re the only hope for these trashy Red Tigers.”
“Red Tigers have to be Red Tigers. Unlike you guys, we’re born thugs. Real tough thugs.”
“The commander and Duke Zephyrin suddenly fell unconscious. We have to act carefully so the demons don’t look down on us.”
Unconscious.
Orgal and Zephyrin had suddenly shown strange symptoms ten days ago and had since fallen into unconsciousness. It was because they were affected by the awakened Ameris, but Kinzelro had yet to figure out the cause.
“Hmph, the demons say both are out of danger. They think it’s a mental shock. Hopefully, they won’t stay down forever.”
“Don’t jinx it. The nightmare demons said there’s hope for recovery.”
“Don’t trust those demon bastards too much. From what I see, they’re always ready to stab you in the back.”
“I don’t like most demons either, except a few. But I trust you won’t stir up trouble for no reason.”
“As long as you don’t start picking fights first! Haha, I’m looking forward to tonight!”
When night fell, they changed into clothes like the foot soldiers and went on patrol. Their size and aura couldn’t be hidden by clothes, but it was the best they could do.
Hours passed without incident, but exactly at midnight, both suddenly felt an indescribable chill.
“My spine just went cold! You feel it too?”
“Quiet. It’s over there.”
They exchanged a glance, then simultaneously drew their greatswords from their backs and swung. The massive sword energy swept through the bushes, revealing two hidden Red-Eyed Tribe warriors.
They were the Red-Eyed foot soldiers awakened from the blood seals placed by Andolin and Ozen.
“Ha! See? I told you, it’s the Sovereign Tribe. But this is strange. The Sovereign Tribe’s core heart is supposed to be blue. Why is yours red?”
Berakt studied their core hearts carefully. They were clearly different from those of Jin and his brothers.
“Also… they’re way weaker than I expected.”
Bardrei charged forward, swinging his greatsword, and the Red-Eyed warriors were sent flying.
The Red-Eyed Tribe hadn’t fully recovered yet. Being foot soldiers, they were no match for the two.
“Well, weak or not, they definitely give off a scent that would make our guys soil themselves. The Sovereign Tribe is the Sovereign Tribe. Who sent you? Jin Runkandel? Or is this a rogue operation? And why are your core hearts red?”
Bardrei’s rapid-fire questions went unanswered.
The Red-Eyed warriors were caught off guard. The second-tier duel kings had said that the hybrids of the surface world would be paralyzed with fear just by approaching.
Moreover, these two were on their first mission today, targeting the peak battle warriors of the surface world. Their senses dulled, they failed to detect the superhuman aura the others gave off—a fatal mistake.
“Don’t want to answer? Fine! You’re coming with us to the interrogation room… huh?”
Bang!
The Red-Eyed warriors fired a flare.
“Firing a flare in the middle of enemy territory? Interesting. Is it a call for backup or a signal for others to run? We’ve got flares too. We’ll catch every last one of you running and send you all to the interrogation room together. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you lonely!”
Bardrei fired a flare signaling assembly and encirclement. Soon, the patrolling beast-men and the warriors and demons waiting at the branch would converge.
Meanwhile, Berakt swung his sword like a club, crushing the Red-Eyed warriors’ lower bodies in an instant.
“Graaah!”
“Haha, our guys have taken down over two hundred of your kind, and you’re screaming over this? Now that I see it, you’re just like our Red Tigers—can’t even bark in front of someone stronger. I only got scared for a moment because of the scent.”
Crack!
Berakt slammed the Red-Eyed warriors roughly into the ground.
“When the others arrive, bind them and take them in. These bastards, just wait. The demons may be useless at other things, but their interrogation skills are top-notch.”
“Looks like they’re a sub-species or hybrid of the Sovereign Tribe. The Sovereign Tribe I’ve faced weren’t this pathetic.”
“Sub-species or not, Bardrei, I’m honestly a bit disappointed. I was hoping for a good fight, but this is no fun.”
“When we dig into their purpose and backers, stronger ones among their kind will naturally show up.”
“Ah! Please, I hope those guys aren’t this weak…”
Suddenly, Bardrei’s words cut off as his eyes sharpened.
Once again, a chill ran down their spines. But this time, unlike before, cold sweat broke out and their hands trembled.
Berakt felt it a moment later—the same icy sensation. His whole body froze, goosebumps rising uncontrollably.
“Release our people…”
A deep, heavy voice came from the opposite thicket. Unlike before, the two didn’t send their energy blades flying toward that direction.
Instead, they gathered all their strength, preparing for battle. An enemy unlike any they had imagined—or rather, a natural predator—was emerging from the shadows of the bushes.
“Holy hell… it’s huge. What the hell is this? Are these really a subspecies of the Meongwang tribe like us?”
Bardrei swallowed hard as the new enemy revealed itself. This towering figure easily dwarfed even the two largest among the Jeokho and Baekrang tribes.
“Then I shall let you leave quietly today.”
“…That’s impossible.”
“Do you think me weak because I’m not at full strength? Or are you mongrels just that stupid?”
The Meongwang warrior shook his head regretfully before introducing himself.
“I am Rakhiman Hog, Great War King of the Meongwang tribe. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen mongrels refuse the mercy I offer.”
“Great Warrior!”
“Jeokho King! Have you caught the spirits!?”
No sooner had Rakhiman finished speaking than reinforcements of beastmen and demons arrived.
Berakt instinctively shouted toward his allies.
“Run…!”
But it was already too late. The first dozen or so reinforcements who had just arrived were being sucked into Rakhiman’s palm, as if swallowed by a whirlpool.