Chapter 299
Zeus’ Thunder Spear was at Level 620, equivalent to Odin’s Golden Armor. I wondered how powerful this weapon would be when the reinforced Odin’s Thunderstorm was added to it as it was made up of thunderbolts. I had a suspicion that the resulting power would be extremely explosive. In fact, it would not only surpass the First Virtue but also what the First Evil had possessed in his heyday!
The surrounding atmosphere had just barely settled down, so it wasn’t the right time for me to test it out. The flames from Jonathan’s feet were devouring the neck of the dead Fourth Evil. When Jonathan took his foot away, ash and embers rose. His eyes were cold, and it felt like he was saying this.
It’s better to kill him since you have already stolen his item. He will have a grudge on you anyway.
He must have been thinking that it was the winner’s authority to judge the loser’s life or death and take all the spoils when the battle was over.
When items began pouring down in the air, he remarked joyfully, “A treasure Goblin was hiding here.”
Jonathan picked up one of the Fourth Evil’s dropped items, and Joshua also snatched one. Then, the two turned their heads toward the scream. The Kciphos King Gundrak was standing tall and roaring at the frightened Awakened there. A war could break out there soon.
Joshua made eye contact with me at that moment, and then used his eyes to point at the area outside of the fence. Just as the act of attacking the First Virtue triggered multiple battles, there was a big movement outside. Among them, Joshua’s camp, which had the largest number of troops, was the most active. When I nodded, he immediately left his spot in a ghostly manner. Jonathan began to relax the people in his camp, and Yeon-Hee brought her pet back into her arms.
Next, it was the turn of those who had been invited to be the owners of the seats. They had all been abandoned to the side in a disorderly manner, so they staggered and gathered in front of me. There were four, including William Spencer from Revolucion (30). Everyone was busy making excuses saying the resulting conflict wasn’t their fault.
I knew that the mess didn’t happen because of them. It started with those who had come in with them, especially the escort corps accompanied by William Spencer. They must have thought we were attacking their leader. Whether it was because of loyalty or to protect themselves… Or if it was because they were swept away by the heat of the battle… They now had to move under one banner.
I sent the four back out of the wooden fence and asked those who had surrendered, “Who came with De Gaulle?”
Three people responded. When I sent the three back to settle down the situation in their camps, I was able to see the surroundings properly. The dead bodies were scattered in ‘man(卍)[1]’ shape as their limbs had been cut off, but the damage wasn’t extreme. If all the leaders of the camp had led their escort corps in like William Spencer, or if my people were slow in responding to their actions, then the damage would have been more serious.
After the heat rose and cooled down, silence filled the air. Then, I heard the sound of a bonfire burning and small voices whispering. The stars were carefully twinkling in the sky.
Inside the wooden fence, Jonathan’s camp became quiet, and the movements of the other camps outside the fence settled down. Since the situation had calmed down, it was time to gather all the troops and supplies into one place. To where? Of course, to Revolucion (12). It was the central area, which was assigned as Camp One in the Final Stage. The Final Stage would happen there.
***
“No doubt!”
The unidentified Asian group that overpowered Priya, who had a mental attribute, must have been Odin’s and Mary’s party. Seong-Il trembled all over as soon as he heard the report. He had been pretending to be okay, but couldn't help from getting emotional as he had been worried about Odin’s whereabouts. Seong-Il didn’t care whether Priya was alive or dead.
There was no need to create an attack squad. It was only a short time after Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han left for the area where Odin was found. The messengers were following the patrols they had organized in case of an emergency.
「Twenty troops from Camp Two are entering in defiance of warnings. An additional increase in personnel is expected. Patrol officers who approached closer are out of touch.
Message delivered time: 15 days 14 hours 34 minutes until the Final Stage. 」
「Thirteen troops from Camp Three have been captured in the border area.
Message delivered time: 15 days 13 hours 10 minutes until the Final Stage. 」
「Along with fourteen troops from the Camp Four Revolucion (30), transportation wagons are deadlocked in the border area.
Message delivered time: 15 days 12 hours 52 minutes until the Final Stage. 」
The messengers who arrived one after another had serious eyes even though they were exhausted. However, the eyes of Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han, who were facing each other, flashed. Both were quiet, but they had a hunch about what was happening. Things had gone as they had expected.
「This is the message sent by the leader of Camp Four.
Message delivered time: 15 days 14 hours 22 minutes until the Final Stage. 」
When Lee Tae-Han unwrapped the sealed message.
「I, William Spencer, am taking an order from the Great Odin to gather on the central stage. Revolucion (12) should open the door to Odin’s soldiers. 」
Lee Tae-Han unwittingly strengthened his grip that was holding the message. There really was the name of the savior, Odin. He had waited a long time for this.
“It is Odin! Odin has actually united all the camps. The entire camps are gathering into one stage right now.”
Even though Lee Tae-Han rarely showed his emotions, he spoke in excitement as if he was spitting out fireballs toward Seong-Il. Seong-Il burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha, I told you! Everyone is under Odin!”
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Lee Tae-Han took measures to prevent conflicts with other camps on the spot, then sped up. When Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han arrived at the border area with Jonathan Investment Finance Group, they could sense their movements even without raising their Senses. It was because of the sand dust that rose and got closer to them. They saw the processions of troops and the carts catching up behind them in the dust. It was like moving a whole camp.
Seong-Il jumped down the hill while Lee Tae-Han reflected on the years that occurred when the savior had disappeared. Was it because he thought Odin might have been dead like the rumors that had been circulating recently? The shape of Odin from afar made Lee Tae-Han look back on the memories from when he had first met Odin to the point he vanished. Their first encounter was a coincidence, but in retrospect, it was inevitable. Thanks to Odin, Lee Tae-Han was able to stay alive, and Odin became someone Lee Tae-Han always missed. He couldn’t even remember the faces of his actual blood-related brothers.
However, Lee Tae-Han had never forgotten Odin’s cold eyes and determined face. He was more like a brother than his real brother, and that was why their relationship was inevitable. He had been waiting to see Odin’s smile and hear his words ‘Long time no see.’ He was even planning to answer him ‘Yeah, right’ with an awkward smile. It wouldn’t be long before that.
As Seong-Il narrowed the distance between him and the Odin hidden in the dust, it was difficult for him to bear the emotions that welled up.
Ha, this is nothing. A man can shed a tear maybe once like this.
Seong-Il was ready to greet his brother without being conscious of other people’s eyes.
Whooosh-
The dust was swept away by the sudden wind. He could finally see Odin and the people around him. Starting with Odin and Mary, there were two people standing next to them on both sides, and rows of people in the back appeared at once. The line of people behind Odin’s back seemed to be the leaders of other camps, and the line behind them was elite soldiers. Seong-Il also recognized some of their glaring eyes. Some had clever eyes that resembled that of vipers in suits, some were scary that had complete influence over one’s crew, and some were filled with absolute confidence that would never look back. Seong-Il surely knew that those were the eyes that only leaders could have.
However, all of them were obeying Odin even though they were powerful and had reached this far. Everyone was walking along Odin’s steps and responded in their own way to Odin’s words in a careful and polite manner. Also, Seong-Il was amazed by the procession. The army was so large that he couldn’t see the end of it.
Seong-Il realized that it wasn’t his old brother coming. It was someone who would lead the Final Stage… Yes, the emperor was visiting.
“Yeah, it has been a long time…”
Seong-Il talked to himself and used his index finger to wipe the area under his nose. He had a hunch that his runny nose instead of tears would be the last greeting for his older brother. He stopped walking after that and planned to bow and say this when he faced Odin: “I’m honored to see you, the Great Odin.”
He would say this in front of the army and the generals he brought, and he would subjugate himself under him like the others had done as well.
***
Seong-Il moved slightly away from the direction of the army’s march and lowered his head. It would be natural for Seong-Il to pay tribute to me from others’ perspectives, but Yeon-Hee smiled at him.
“Hey, you are alive!”
Although Yeon-Hee welcomed him in joy, Seong-Il’s head remained bowed.
“Yes, it’s all thanks to you, Ms. Mary.”
It was obvious that he was trying not to use the Jeolla-do dialect. Then, I called his name. Only then did he smile softly before regaining a poker face. Not only that smile, but it was nice to see that he didn’t change much from before I was sealed.
If I were to look for a difference, then it was just his eyes that skimmed through my people. His way of quickly searching for tough-looking guys and calculating the risk had become more delicate. The way he expressed his respect for me was different, and the moment he made eye contact with me, he uttered in a heavy voice, “I’m honored to see you, the Great Odin.”
After Seong-Il joined, Lee Tae-Han rushed toward me from the back. They were the last ones that I needed to regroup.
1. A symbol that indicates infinite merit, wisdom, and infinite compassion in Buddhism. ☜