Episode 995
Chapter 246: The Great Mitra Desert Battle (5)
An hour had passed since the first clash between the Bamel Alliance and the Jeokmyeong tribe.
The Jeokmyeong tribe had immediately retreated to their base through a massive dimensional gate, while Jin and his group were just breaking free from the residual effects of the enemy’s psychic wave, preparing to spatially leap to Tikan.
Kadun and the Fire Dragon Legion returned to the Tower of Stories as soon as the battle fully erupted.
Now, only the three summoned demon lords and Kinzelro’s group remained in the vast desert.
“Heh, the one who pulled us out of the Abyss finally shows his face!” Sribi pointed with a finger, and Karmashu and Masalun turned their heads. Kinzelro’s group, who had been barely hiding and dodging throughout the fight, was approaching.
“Wow… it’s real! This Ranke guy actually summoned the ancient demons? Berakt, this is huge!”
No one in Kinzelro’s group had expected Ranke to succeed, but the three demon lords not only appeared—they instantly shifted the tide of battle.
“Lord Ranke, please forgive me for doubting you. Sribi, the Great Demon of Mount Tekan; Karmashu, the Duke of Blazing Flames; and Masalun of Sorrow… To witness these legendary beings in person is an honor. I am Shagal of the Bahma family.”
Shagal bowed deeply, and Bianca followed suit with a respectful nod.
“Bianca… Kaligo.”
[Looks like the little ones from the Bahma and Kaligo families. Well, well. Compared to Ranke, you haven’t done much, but at least you have manners.]
“We… didn’t expect… Ranke to actually succeed… but we cheered him on anyway…”
[Ah, this one speaks slowly. Must be the Kaligo family’s strongest bloodline, but hasn’t fully blossomed yet. Heh heh, don’t worry. I, Sribi, will help you from now on—if Ranke wants it, that is.]
[If Ranke wants it, we’ll do even more.]
[Exactly. After all, Ranke Halovice is the first demon to summon Masalun, Sribi, and Karmashu.]
The relentless praise from the three demon lords stirred Ranke’s emotions. His eyes grew moist as he burst into a hearty laugh.
“Excellent! Sribi, please train Bianca Kaligo—she’s my rival. Our Kinzelro is facing a critical and dangerous moment… Also! I earnestly ask you to share the visions of the Great Demon Sribi with me.”
[Ah, Ranke. I’m afraid that’s a bit difficult.]
“Why not!?”
[Your talent can’t compare to Bianca’s. But it’s okay—you may never surpass her, which is harder than a camel passing through the eye of a needle, but you summoned us.]
[That’s the real achievement. So what if you’re not great at fighting? Your name will be forever etched in demon history.]
The three demon lords looked at Ranke with a strangely sympathetic gaze. Ranke immediately deflated, but the important thing was that Kinzelro had gained a trump card for this crisis.
[But, Ranke.]
Masalun of Sorrow locked eyes with Ranke.
“Speak.”
[Do you realize how crude your summoning was? Don’t misunderstand—I’m not belittling you, just stating the facts.]
“Hmph, I thought the Sun God must have intervened somehow.”
[Exactly. It was pure luck. Your summoning was full of flaws—weak magic, poor control, and frankly, it’s embarrassing to even look at now. That pathetic summoning shouldn’t have even called a nameless demon soldier, let alone Masalun, Sribi, or Karmashu.]
Masalun’s harsh words pierced Ranke’s heart like a dagger. Embarrassed, Ranke wanted to argue but couldn’t.
“Masalun, what exactly are you trying to say…?”
[Still, your summoning was a success, though imperfect. That’s why Masalun, Sribi, and Karmashu couldn’t bring their full power. That alone is a fatal flaw, but there’s an even more serious problem.]
Everyone in Kinzelro’s group focused on Masalun.
“What problem?”
[Your summoning didn’t just affect Masalun, Sribi, and Karmashu. It also affected some dangerous beings we don’t know about…]
Masalun’s eyes narrowed.
[Yes, yes. I felt it too.]
[Me as well.]
“You mean Simat and the Jeokmyeong tribe?”
[Ranke, you must think Masalun is an idiot. They’re dangerous, yes, but Masalun fought them directly until just now. It’s not them. My instincts tell me there are beings even more dangerous… and more powerful.]
[They are the owners of the blue psychic energy we absorbed just before the battle stopped.]
The Myungwang tribe.
Ranke’s accidental success in summoning had also affected the Myungwang tribe’s Lafrarosa—directly.
“Myungwang tribe…”
“Indeed, the Myungwang tribe.”
Berakt and Badrei spoke. Berakt clenched his teeth, recalling the humiliation he suffered at the hands of Linpa, summoned by Jin during the Black Emperor War.
“Are you saying that, like the demons, the Myungwang tribe can also be summoned!?”
[It’s not certain yet, Ranke. But from Masalun’s perspective… it’s not an unlikely possibility. Summoning that calls forth Abyssal beings affecting the Myungwang tribe means their dimension is also connected to the Abyss. So it wouldn’t be strange for them to be summoned.]
Kinzelro’s group’s faces darkened.
They wanted the Bamel Alliance and Jeokmyeong tribe to fight each other to the death, not for one side to suddenly gain overwhelming reinforcements.
Especially the Myungwang tribe. Some in Kinzelro’s group had witnessed the might of Ban, the Myungwang warrior, during the Beast God War.
‘If such a figure joined the Bamel Alliance without the restrictions he had during the Beast God War…’
It would be like escaping a fox only to run into a tiger. Swallowing dryly, Kinzelro’s group shuddered at the thought of Ban.
“Then, if we assume the Myungwang tribe can be summoned… wouldn’t they appear in an incomplete form, like the three of you?”
[Are they living or dead?]
“Not sure, but probably not dead.”
[Masalun feels the same. So unlike us, they’re likely to be summoned fully intact. They don’t need to form a body or soul in the mortal realm, so the summoning would be simpler.]
[Hahaha, it’s fine, it’s fine. We’re immune to all kinds of attacks anyway. Even if more of those guys get summoned, we’ll protect you, Ranke.]
[Of course, the best thing would be to prevent the Myungwang tribe from being summoned at all. Hmm, no ideas come to mind yet, but the three of us will try our best. Ha ha ha.]
Sribi and Karmashu spoke as if unaware of the gravity of the situation. Ranke and Kinzelro couldn’t help but think that this summoning success wasn’t something to celebrate unconditionally.
“An airborne fortress or something—it was really annoying. It kept firing from long range, then teleporting away just as we tried to smash it. Ugh! It’s not a mosquito, for crying out loud.”
Tikan Palace.
Murakan vented his frustration to Jin and the others who had returned. While Jin’s group fought in the desert, Murakan had broken away from the Jeokmyeong ranks to face the airborne fortress ‘Rital’ that attacked Tikan.
“It’s no ordinary mosquito—it’s an excellent war machine. If it weren’t for you, Murakan, Tikan would have suffered badly. Many would have died or been injured.”
“That’s true, Ameris. If we could just pin down its mobility, we could’ve smashed it. Hey, kid, so… any results?”
Jin spent some time explaining everything that happened in the desert—from the battle with the Jeokmyeong tribe to the unexpected demon interference. His comrades listened with serious expressions.
“…By the way, Ranke’s summoning seems to have affected my brothers somehow.”
“Commander, what do you mean!?”
Kwal’s eyes widened as he stared at Jin.
“The power I sensed when escaping the enemy’s psychic cannon—it was definitely my brothers’ psychic energy. Probably from the Beliz and Linpa brothers.”
Every person’s energy has unique traits. Reflecting on it, that faint psychic energy closely resembled that of the Seven-Tiger King Beliz and the Death-Struggle King Linpa.
“The Jeokmyeong tribe wouldn’t have gone crazy enough to use hyperspace tracking to pull them out, so it must be the summoning’s influence, as you said. Or maybe the summoned demons did some trickery? They’re said to have the ability to absorb power, so that could be the reason. Oh man, whatever it is, this is an incredible achievement!”
Kwaul’s voice rose, thick with excitement.
“Is it really something to get this worked up about, Kwaul?”
“Absolutely! Even the wavelength-tracking synchronization device I built for the leader’s fusion with the spirit couldn’t channel the power of the Mingwang tribe into Inse without Jin as the medium. But now Jin says the Mingwang tribe’s brain energy has manifested in the Great Desert—without any device, and without him acting as a conduit.”
That meant a small passage had already opened between Laprarosa and the Great Desert!
As Kwaul trailed off, Eltiot was the first to nod.
“I was too exhausted at the time to sense that energy, but if the brain energy of someone from Laprarosa really appeared in the Great Desert, then Kwaul’s right. We didn’t make any special attempts to contact Laprarosa during the fight. It seems the aftermath of the summoning and battle blurred the boundaries between dimensions.”
“In that case, our next step is to widen that passage,” Jin said.
Kwaul jumped to his feet.
“Leader, let’s head back to the Great Desert right now! I have to see the site for myself. I’ve got a feeling—like a hunch—that we’re close to a breakthrough!”