Chapter 814
Episode 204: Declaration of War (Part 1)
Underground, the Fourth City of the Jeokmyeong tribe—Usrok.
Gaila Tun, the Great Warrior King and ruler of the Fourth City, greeted Bibol Biment with a visibly displeased expression.
“Welcome. Hmm, you could’ve just sent a message. Why come all this way?”
“Why did you act so recklessly?” Bibol asked bluntly, skipping any formalities. His tone was sharp, as if a superior was scolding a subordinate. The nearby Jeokmyeong tribesmen glared at him.
“How dare you speak to Comrade Gaila like that, you mere human. Do you think trading with us makes you something special?”
“If you show that attitude again, I’ll send you straight to the blood factory.”
“I’m no human, and I won’t be caught and thrown into your food stores. It’s pathetic how these lowly warriors barge into conversations between commanders without any sense. This is exactly why the Jeokmyeong keep failing, Great Warrior King Gaila.”
Gaila sighed at Bibol’s words.
“Everyone, leave.”
“Great Warrior King, but that man—!”
“Out! And on your way, apologize to Bibol. Also, bring Comrade Simat here.”
Reluctantly, the warriors offered hollow apologies to Bibol and left the lord’s chamber. Bibol stared at Gaila with an unreadable expression.
“You called, Comrade Gaila?”
“Yes, Comrade Simat. You know I’m not great at strategizing. I need your help. I don’t even know how to explain things to Bibol.”
“Understood.”
Great Warrior King Gaila and First-Class Warrior King Simat.
The Jeokmyeong had decided that all future alliance talks would be handled by these two. There was simply no one else suitable for negotiations and cooperation. Gaila was known as the gentlest among the Jeokmyeong, while Simat was recognized as a brilliant mind even before the sealing.
“We still haven’t received an answer. We clearly gave advice, so why did such an absurd incident happen? As allies, we must hear the explanation.”
The “absurd incident” referred to the death of Drek Hon and the destruction of the fleet.
“We apologize, Bibol. We’re currently overwhelmed and unsettled. But we fully understand why the royal family is angry.”
“Is ‘apologize’ enough to cover this? Especially since Drek Hon, who died this time, was the one who fed and revived most of the buried Cheongmyeong tribe members we had. He restored them to perfect condition even before Bakalun Yung, considered the strongest Great Warrior King. Do you know why?”
Bakalun Yung was the Great Warrior King of the First City, the wall Drek wanted to cross using the blood of Jin and his comrades.
“…Because of Drek’s unique ability, I believe.”
“Yes, the bloodsucking ability! That’s exactly it. With that power, we could have easily and overwhelmingly dominated the surface forces in the upcoming war. No enemy below nine stars, no matter how many, would be anything but excellent nourishment for you. The blood absorbed would have filled the factories. But now, it’s all gone to waste.”
“Well, um… seeing that Drek died, doesn’t that mean the bloodsucking ability isn’t that powerful? It’s still an incredible power, though.”
‘Please shut up, Great Warrior King Gaila. You called me here to keep quiet!’
Simat cursed inwardly at Gaila’s response.
“Jin Runkandel, we clearly said he was special. We warned to avoid fighting him directly at all costs. Even Great Warrior King Rakiman had a record with him. You say the bloodsucking ability isn’t that strong? If I had that power, we would already be pressuring Jin Runkandel to force a favorable deal. Even if it’s no threat to him, it’s not his comrades or territory!”
This was why Bibol was so furious.
The royal family had planned to use Drek’s ability to invade the surface.
“Do you think Jiple or Kinjello have any way to counter Drek’s bloodsucking ability? No. Even if they did, they’d suffer heavy losses. How could you lose such a crucial card from the start?”
Gaila cleared his throat and fell silent.
“Also, it’s unpleasant that you touched the Joryong fortress without consulting us. The imperial territory is land our royal family must reclaim. You risked it just to gain more nourishment? How much do you underestimate us? Can the Jeokmyeong conquer the surface alone without us?”
“As I said earlier, we fully admit our mistake, Bibol. So instead of blaming us, it’s better to discuss the future. You didn’t come here to break the alliance or demand compensation, did you?”
Simat’s intention was clear: he knew Bibol was angry, but from now on, they would consult on everything and take a more humble stance. It was time to stop the quarrel and think ahead.
“Can we trust this won’t happen again, Warrior King Simat?”
“I swear on my name and Comrade Gaila’s. You will see the Jeokmyeong show more respect to the Biment family from now on.”
“If this is just talk, we’ll break the alliance immediately. And you’ll need to educate your subordinates. Every time we come, we’re called worthless humans or insects… It makes me question supporting the Jeokmyeong.”
“We will definitely take measures on that as well.”
“Good. I’ll trust you.”
For Simat, this was a bitter moment.
Until Drek’s death, the Jeokmyeong had held the upper hand in the alliance. Now, the balance had shifted.
“First, we need to ask what the Jeokmyeong plan to do next. Have you chosen a new Great Warrior King to replace Drek?”
“I think Comrade Simat should take that position, but since there are warriors from the Hon clan, one of them will likely be selected soon.”
“As you know, the new Great Warrior King from the Hon clan will inherit part of Drek’s abilities.”
“The half-hearted bloodsucking ability isn’t much use as a war weapon. It’s barely enough to face the surface monsters.”
The Jeokmyeong Great Warrior King is connected to the fortress.
And ‘bloodsucking’ is a power originally granted to the fortress. So the next Great Warrior King after Drek can also use it.
However, without the approval of the Guardian Spirit, the ability remains a mere imitation. Until the Guardian Spirit returns, the Fifth City’s Great Warrior King will inevitably be inferior.
“So we need to know where the Guardian Spirit is. Then the next Great Warrior King of the Fifth City can wield power similar to Drek’s.”
“We will only reveal the Guardian Spirit’s whereabouts once we have solid results and are certain of a perfect alliance. Besides, you’re not ready to receive him yet.”
The reason the Jeokmyeong believed the royal family knew the Guardian Spirit’s location was simple.
The royal family possessed the seal and sword left by the Jeokmyeong’s Guardian Spirit.
We must awaken the other Great Warrior Kings. Once Comrade Rakiman’s treatment is complete, we need to check the other fortresses. To counter Jin Runkandel’s forces… at least Great Warrior King Bakalun and his fortress, or the Guardian Spirit, must awaken.
Bakalun’s fortress is probably sealed like ours. But the Guardian Spirit… even when we were active, he suddenly disappeared.
Lately, I think the Guardian Spirit vanished because he foresaw this sealing.
Simat recalled a past conversation with Andolin.
‘As I suspected, the Guardian Spirit foresaw the sealing and disappeared. But why leave the orders and sword to those unknown people…’
Just as the Great Warrior King is linked to the fortress, the Jeokmyeong’s Guardian Spirit is connected to the sword.
The sword shown by the royal family still held the Guardian Spirit’s energy, meaning he was alive and breathing.
‘The Guardian Spirit wouldn’t have let them take those. If he had, the orders would have been destroyed automatically. There must be some meaning, but I can’t figure it out.’
Bibol read Simat’s thoughts and sneered inwardly.
“…Understood. In any case, one of the Hon clan warriors will become the Great Warrior King of the Fifth City, and no decision has been made yet about the surface invasion. However, the Bamel Alliance is completely off the invasion list for now.”
“That’s the right choice. Without Drek Hon’s ability, pressuring the Bamel Alliance is impossible. You’ve seen it yourself—dimensional travel and fleets alone can’t match them. Plus, the record mages keep tracking the Jeokmyeong. If we keep attacking the Bamel Alliance, we’ll inevitably get caught.”
Valeria still hadn’t located the Jeokmyeong fortresses. To the royal family, she was the greatest threat. The moment Valeria pinpointed their locations, Jin would personally destroy the Jeokmyeong strongholds.
“What should we do then?”
“First, we’ll send more buried Cheongmyeong tribe members.”
“…There are more buried Cheongmyeong?”
“Fortunately, we’ve discovered new ones.”
That couldn’t be. The royal family was only allowing the Jeokmyeong to regain their old power gradually, ensuring they remained controllable.
Simat realized this but said nothing. Oblivious, Gaila beamed as if this was great news.
“Oh! There were more of them! Then maybe we can boost Comrade Bakalun’s power this time!”
“No, our plan is different. The newly provided buried Cheongmyeong will be used to operate the aerial fortress.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to restore the Bakalun people first before activating the airborne fortress?”
“Activate the airborne fortress first. Then, using that fortress as a base, I recommend launching an attack on Jiple. In other words, we need to start a war with them. If we capture their Sun Priestess, we’ll gain valuable information about the Sun God.”
Bivol said this and abruptly turned away.
“Remember this—if we end up facing another senseless disaster like the Drekhons again, we will immediately withdraw all support for the Jeokmyeong tribe.”