Chapter 800
Episode 197: The Red-Eyed Tribe (4)
Crack—crunch!
The beastmen caught in Rakiman’s palm were instantly crushed beyond recognition, shriveling down to tiny, mangled shapes. As he clenched his fist, they were pulverized like squashed apples, blood dripping between his massive knuckles.
Like savoring the essence of a potent tonic.
Rakiman raised his hand, catching the heavy drops of blood trickling down with his mouth. His throat greedily swallowed, and the Kinzelos dared not even think of attacking.
‘What the hell is that thing…?’
Bardray, who had been bouncing around with amusement, suddenly stiffened. Berakt understood the fear that had gripped their underlings all along. The apex warriors of the ground combat tribes were trembling.
An instinctive realization that they could not stand against this.
A desperate certainty that they had to flee.
The beastmen’s primal instincts were screaming: Rakiman Hog was a predator to be avoided at all costs, not an enemy to be fought and defeated.
It wasn’t just a matter of power difference.
Rakiman had just awakened from his seal and was barely able to wield even 30% of his original strength. Both Berakt and Bardray recognized that he was not in his full state, and that if they fought properly right now, their chances of victory were high.
Yet, the fear was overwhelming.
“I’ve noticed before, but the taste of this blood isn’t good. The limits of a hybrid, I suppose.”
Crack!
Another group of beastmen was sucked into Rakiman’s hand. Looking closer, the red brain energy spread like a net, pulling and crushing them.
Without any interference, Rakiman took another sip of the concentrated blood. The corpses oxidized in the brain energy, turning into black dust that scattered in the air.
“I told you all to run!”
Berakt shouted again, but the beastmen were like flies caught in a spider’s web—unable to move a finger or even hear his voice.
‘I shouldn’t have fired the signal flare…!’
The Red-Eyed Tribe’s signal flare had surely drawn the patrol squads, but the entire branch headquarters wouldn’t have mobilized. If they had, they might have ordered a full evacuation to the main base.
“Stop it, you monster!”
Bardray slammed his greatsword down beside the necks of the fallen Red-Eyed Tribe members.
“You said they were your comrades, right? Seems like you care for your kin. But if you move one more time, their heads and bodies will be separated forever…!”
Of course, Rakiman paid no heed to Bardray’s desperate threat. With another outstretched hand, more beastmen lost their lives.
Rakiman did not belittle the lives of the ground warriors. His love for his kin was greater than anyone’s. But even in death, he believed it was an honor to have their bodies retrieved and turned into immortal soldiers.
“You hybrids don’t understand our Red-Eyed Tribe, so you can make threats like that.”
“Don’t want to know? Then think of this as negotiation, not threats. Like you said at first, just take these guys and leave quietly. No need for us to tire each other out. You don’t look well yourself.”
“You’re scared, but I admire your courage. I’ll give you one last chance. Will you two become servants of the Red-Eyed Tribe, or continue this futile resistance?”
“What if we become your servants?”
“We’ll keep you alive and put you to good use.”
“And the rest?”
“They’ll become nourishment for me and my kin.”
Boom!
Finally shaking off his fear, Berakt charged at Rakiman, swinging his greatsword. But he couldn’t pierce the brain-energy shield Rakiman had formed.
He hadn’t fully regained his composure as a 10-star warrior. Berakt’s strike was tinged with the hesitation unique to those consumed by fear.
“Bardray, take the others and run. I’ll buy as much time as I can.”
The reinforcements who had just arrived froze like statues at the sight of Rakiman. The demons fared slightly better, but even they felt fear seeing the stiffened beastmen and the unusually intimidated great warriors.
“Should we do that? Damn it, what the hell is that!”
Bang…!
Suddenly, a distant explosion echoed. Bardray and Berakt hurriedly turned to see red lightning striking from the sky.
It was the direction of the branch headquarters.
Other Red-Eyed Tribe members lying in ambush began to move. At the same time, a square spear materialized from Rakiman’s bracelet, revealing the face of another Red-Eyed Tribe member.
{Great War King Rakiman, comrade. All hybrids inside the building have been subdued. Some demons are fleeing, but comrade Ozen is pursuing and eliminating them.}
It was Andolin.
The infiltration squad of the Red-Eyed Tribe, including her, had taken the branch headquarters in just 15 seconds.
With Berakt and Bardray present, the moment the Red-Eyed Tribe appeared, the branch was effectively lost. The ground warriors and assault captains couldn’t even resist the aura of an ordinary Red-Eyed Tribe member. And with the fully restored power of the second-tier War Kings, resistance was impossible.
“Ozen’s power has almost fully returned, so no problem there. Any other unusual reports?”
{…There are experimental subjects resembling the Cheongmyeong Tribe in the underground facilities. They appear to be failed bio-golem imitations of the Cheongmyeong Tribe. Fortunately, the underground wasn’t completely destroyed by the brain energy we fired, so we were able to confirm this.}
“I see. Truly an interesting era on the surface. Understood, I’ll head there soon. Comrades, don’t save any of my share—fill your hearts with light.”
{Red-Eyed!}
Andolin saluted sharply, placing her hand over her chest, and the spear above the bracelet vanished.
‘The branch is already finished…?’
‘No matter how much I wreck them, I can’t do it this thoroughly. How many of these monsters are there?’
Berakt and Bardray, overhearing the conversation, had to force themselves to hold onto their sanity once more.
“You bastard! You said you’d let our comrades go if we left quietly. But you were already preparing to strike us down!”
“The Red-Eyed Tribe never utters lies. You hybrids just failed to recognize a chance more precious than gold.”
“Cut the crap! You think this is fun, playing with us? Just wait. You won’t be laughing forever today. Whoever’s behind you, I’ll find them and wipe them out. This is total war now, you bastards!”
At those words, Rakiman let out a low laugh, sounding like boiling metal.
“Bardray, the filthy hybrid who was hiding, and Berakt with the white fur. I was told you two are among the strongest in Inse, but I’m deeply disappointed. Is that human Runkandel on your level too?”
“Why are you suddenly asking about Runkandel’s master?”
“If you don’t know, then tell me about your leader, Orgal. Where is he? It’s ridiculous, but since he’s the head of one of Inse’s four great powers, I’d like to have a conversation with him sometime.”
“If you wanted to talk, you should have asked before committing this slaughter. As Bardray said, all that remains between you and us Kinzelos is total war.”
“You spurn yet another precious mercy… This is why you will always be mere hybrids.”
Blood-red brain energy gathered in Rakiman’s eyes like fresh wounds.
Berakt and Bardray felt the crushing weight of fear grow even greater, and the nearby beastmen all collapsed unconscious.
Rakiman’s hands formed massive swords of brain energy. Each time the twin crimson blades vibrated, the air around them warped.
“Come, hybrids. Though my current strength is not greater than yours, I will personally show you the true rank of the greatest mortal race to ever exist.”
“Raaah!”
“Die! Die! Dieee!”
Berakt and Bardray’s battle cries were like spells they cast on themselves. Without forcing themselves to shout, they couldn’t fight. They were the only beastmen in Inse who could keep their wits facing a Red-Eyed Tribe Great War King.
From the very start, the battle was one-sided.
Rakiman wielded his swords lightly, as if playing, never overexerting himself. The two fought with every ounce of strength they had.
Still, they couldn’t even reach half their true power. As Rakiman said, there is an insurmountable gulf between predator and prey.
Within minutes, Berakt and Bardray had no choice but to decide to flee. Humiliating as it was, they had to survive, report back to headquarters, and prepare to fight again.
Rakiman saw through their thoughts—the desperate urge to run, the paralyzing fear despite their greater strength, the humiliation of falling from rulers to mere cannon fodder in an instant.
He savored the thrill of the hunt as he read every emotion.
Soon, the two symbols of the ground combat tribes’ might turned tail and ran wildly like frightened children.
In the end, their survival instinct crushed their last shred of pride. Especially Berakt, who had never suffered such disgrace in his life.
Rakiman couldn’t chase them. His physical abilities were still inferior to theirs.
Nor did he feel the need to. They were prey to be savored when they were more fully ripe.
Instead, Rakiman gathered his strength once more and unleashed a blade of energy behind them—seeking to claim a pure, fresh supply of blood, just enough to sustain him.
Swoosh!
The blade sliced through Badrey’s left arm. Even as his arm was severed, Badrey didn’t glance back; he kept running forward without hesitation.
After that, Rakiman didn’t pursue them as they quickly disappeared from sight. Instead, he strolled leisurely, as if on a casual walk, and collected the fallen arm, savoring the blood it still held.
“Indeed, an excellent source of nourishment. I should share half of this with my kin in Simat.”
Picking up Badrey’s severed arm, Rakiman’s gaze shifted to a distant rock. He had been aware of it for some time now. More precisely, of the person hiding behind it.
“Yona Runkandel. If my guess is correct, you must be Jin Runkandel’s sibling. I’ve heard that only you and the Nameless King can hide this well in Inse. Now, it’s time to inform your brother of what I’ve witnessed.”
Yona.
True to Rakiman’s words, she had been quietly observing the situation from the start. Recently, at Jin’s request, she had been hiding within the beastmen’s territory.
“So when you return, tell your brother this: if he kills Ameris now and betrays the Cheongmyeong tribe, there’s still a chance for him to become one of the Red Name’s kin.”