Reincarnator
chapter-165

"Hmm…"

Mackill heard the proposition of Karim in the distance and then got lost in thought.

Three choices had suddenly appeared in front of them from Karim's proposition.

First.

They could continue their path and go into the Green Road.

Second.

Follow Karim and take over the giant Satellite Fortress, the Atillan.

Third.

Follow Ekidu to help Hansoo and kill Dakidus.

'Damn. This is hard.'

Mackill muttered.

The moment she made a wrong choice, she might even lose her life at worst.

And the problem was that none of the three things was a guaranteed thing.

Nobody knew how dangerous the Green Road was.

Same with helping Hansoo.

'But…Karim's proposition is quite similar to those then as well.'

She didn't know if taking over the Satellite Fortress, the Atillan, was possible by helping Karim.

No, what would they even do after taking it over?

Karim smiled after seeing the expressions of nearby people and then shook the item in his hands.

"That is…"

It was just a single book.

While everybody including Mackill were making confused expressions.

Karim looked at Ekidu as he laughed.

"Ekidu, do you know? As to how long I have been in this village?'

'…Hmm.'

Ekidu made a confused expression.

Nobody knew how long Karim had been in the village for.

Even when the previous village leader had left without a word, the captain of the guards had still been Karim.

And as she had heard, Karim was the captain of the guards even before that.

If one looked at it, he was actually the true leader of the village from how long he had been in the village.

Even Ekidu had learned everything about the village from the captain of the guards, Karim, when she had become the village's leader.

And the reason why the guards had been able to become so great was thanks to karim.

Since Karim, who had been in the village longer than anybody, had raised the current guards since when they were just greenies.

Being much stronger than the other guards was second, the reason that the Guards couldn't go against Karim was because he had disciplined them for a very long time.

'If there wasn't such a large event as this.'

While Ekidu was making a forced smile.

Karim continued to speak.

"I've been here for quite a while. Do you know why I have been able to survive for so long?"

Everyone made confused expressions.

They had never actually thought about it.

Since there wasn't anything that was very weird about it.

'There was a reason for it?'

If one was strong, staying at the village was quite a nice decision as well.

There was no danger of being offered as an offering and they could stand at the top of the village due to their strength.

The occasional 1st level beasts were quite strong but staying here was a much better choice than going through the Green Road where swarms of those beasts existed.

Karim spoke towards the confused people.

"It was to find out a method. A method to land a blow to those guys. No, that wasn't it. It was just to land a blow onto that Arukon guy over there."

Karim then raised something in his hands.

Intel.

"This is all the intel I have gathered about the Arukons and the Higher Races."

"What? How?"

Karim smiled at those words.

"It's not what I gathered but it is something handed down upon the village leaders and captain of the guards. It's not something that one person has completed."

Ekidu frowned at Karim's words.

"Then why didn't I know about this? And the others?"

Karim shook his head.

"Think about it, think about others knowing that we are collecting such intel as this. How do you think they'll react to Dakidus who has come to gather the Offerings?"

"Mmm…"

Ekidu nodded at those words.

There was a clear difference in reaction between preparing a blow and falling into despair after not having been able to figure out anything.

If something reached Dakidus's ears, who could hear and see everything, then the entire village will fall in danger.

"Me holding onto it doesn't really have that much meaning. It's because it has been set to be given to one person who can be trusted and has a large influence. If I had perhaps left the village then this document would've been handed over to you Ekidu. Anyways, this isn't the important part. My proposition is very simple… Let's take over that Satellite Fortress."

"We, control that?"

Everyone, including Ekidu, laughed.

That Satellite Fortress was indeed very useful.

Since they knew about its uses very well.

But if it was possible?

Would the Arukons just leave them be?

The reason why the humans had been able to survive until now was because they had been treated as toys by the Higher Races and had been ignored most of the time.

But what if they actually thought the humans posed a threat to them?

There wasn't even a need to think about it.

They'll just bring the Satellite Fortress and wipe them out.

If they take over the Satellite Fortress?

'No way.'

Their main forces would pop out and destroy that Satellite Fortress.

Karim nodded as if he had read the people's thoughts.

"No, that's not it. Think about how many treasures would be aboard that thing. It's the Satellite Fortress of Dakidus. Could it even be compared to the Armory of the village?"

A treasure vault above their heads.

A battlefield where they could die.

It was obvious which choice they would make.

When Mackill had been looking at Karim with a resentful expressions.

The surroundings people's eyes turned into one of greed.

"Can we look a bit at the book?"

Even Ekidu started to slowly walk towards Karim.

..............

Booooom!

Booom!

Handoo and Dakidus were ruthlessly clashing in the midst of the village.

Everytime the front claws of Dakidus clashed with the weapon in Hansoo's Hands, the little bits of remaining buildings got smashed apart and crumbled.

The moment Hansoo dodged the attack and moved back after destroying the outer wall of the Armory.

Boooooom!

Dakidus's front claws smashed through the wooden walls and smashed down onto Hansoo.

An attack which came out from his giant stature and utilized its reach to the max.

'It's a bit awkward to dodge it.'

If he was fighting from a distance then it would be easy to dodge it.

But Hansoo was fighting against the Dakidus up close.

Since he knew that he won't be able to win just by dodging.

Even just their body parts, the differences in their size were more than two times.

And the reach difference was even worse since his race already had longer front legs.

If he couldn't get close then he wouldn't even be able to attack.

And Dakidus' actual body had long turned into quite a rag.

The shining fur that had covered his body like a chained mail had long been smashed apart and the metallic dark skin had long been turned into a mess.

It wasn't just one or two injuries.

Sword, Spear, Axe, Scythe, Chains.

Injuries created by numerous types of weapons had long turned Dakidus's skin into a mess.

And his entire body was bleeding as well.

But Dakidus was clearly winning in the clash within the center of the village, which had perfectly depicted an Oasis.

Since fighting up close meant that he had to get into the danger zone as well.

Boooom!

Hansoo couldn't dodge Dakidus's attack which slashed onto him and got hit by it.

Crunch!

The Forked Lightning curved as if it would break.

It actually curved to the point of snapping.

Dakidus's strength was this great.

In conclusion, even the Forked Lightning was just a well made weapon without any mana.

'That won't do.'

The moment Hansoo pulled out the Forked Lightning.

Kaagagagagak!

The three claws that were already radiating a vicious aura slashed right down onto Hansoo's chest, onto the Thousand Soldier's Armor and the dragon's scales.

The Thousand Soldier's Armor lived up to its name of being a solo numbering and had withstood most of the attack but couldn't completely block the force behind the attack.

The clash was so harsh that one of those extremely hard claws had actually broken off and got embedded within the armor.

Booooom!

Hansoo couldn't handle the force behind the attack and got sent flying back along with the Thousand Soldier's Armor.

Like a volleyball that had been hit by a powerful strike.

Boooom!

Dakidus slowly walked towards Hansoo who had smashed through six buildings and had smashed onto the ground with a leisurely expression.

He received quite a large amount of damage himself as well but Hansoo had received the damage as well.

With his own body.

Dakidus, who had gotten much more laid back from before, had organized the situation in his minds while fighting and had figured things out.

As to why all the mana had frozen.

Why the Atillan, the Satellight Fortress, had stopped working and why the mana in his body, which had been flooding before, had completely frozen.

But he knew now.

"Kuheheheh. You insolent bastatd. Going up against me with just that?"

It was impossible with just the strength of the humans.

No, it was impossible even for the three Higher Races including the Arukons.

Only the losers who had fallen beneath their feet.

Only the artifacts of those guys could do such a thing like this.

Sealing Jade.

It was indeed amazing.

But that was the limit.

Since the Atillan will recover soon.

Of course it would all end if he died before that happened but Dakidus was happy.

'Once it recovers, I should go back to the main base and refill the mana crystal.'

Since he didn't know if an unknown problem might've occurred, it was good to go back to the main base and resupply.

Hansoo didn't reply to those words, lifted the broken claw of Dakidus and fed it to the Thousand Soldiers Armor.

Crunch Crunch.

The Strange looking armor opened its mouth and devoured Dakidus's claws.

The ripped and smashed parts of the armor got mended a bit as the color darkened slightly.

As if it had evolved even after eating a claw.

'…This was why my attacks weren't working ever since before huh. I guess that works even without mana. Is it because it's alive?'

The previous attack should've turned that guy's armor into pieces.

But that guy had held on and was continuing to fight against him.

This was all because of that special armor.

'Well. There's not much time left for him anyway.'

Dakidus giggled.

"Anyways, why aren't your friends coming to you with reinforcements? Heheh, it's been quite a while since they should've gotten here."

Hansoo laughed as he looked at Dakidus's expression which was filled with confidence.

"Why are you so confident?"

Even Dakidus wasn't really in a leisurely situation.

If Ekidu came with the reinforcement then he would die no matter what.

Dakidus laughed as he spoke.

He wondered a bit but it was clear after he had come this far.

"Shall I tell you since you'll die soon? You reinforcements won't come no matter what. This is because…"

Dakidus, who was holding back his words, was making fun of Hansoo clearly.

Hansoo cut off Dakidus and completed his sentence.

"Is it because there's a Mudfish?*"

"…"

Dakidus stopped as he looked at Hansoo.

"I guess you know some things."

Hansoo chucked.

"Well. I don't know the details but I know quite a bit about the person who made this village you see."

Clementine.

The first leader of the village.

'A name that's quite nostalgic.'

There weren't that many people who knew about that name.

Since her nickname was much more famous than her name in his world.

'Mad Monarch.'*

A person who had led the humans into destruction.

Oasis was one of the ceasefire villages the Mad Monarch had set up.

'Ekidu. You judge it. As to who the person the Mad Monarch had left behind is.'

He couldn't clearly tell who it was.

But if the traces of the Mad Monarch existed then it would clearly appear.

At this moment.

'And…This moment where the village has fallen is the best chance to erase that trace.'

Then it would be a profit.

'Clementine. I will pull out all the roots of your remnants.'

............

"Huukk!"

"Ekidu! Why!"

The people freaked out as they looked at Karim and Ekidu.

Since Ekidu, who had approached Karim to talk, had swung her right fist.

Well, Ekidu had actually tried to smash Karim's heart but it had failed because Karim had backed away after throwing away his right arm.

"You were hiding your skills huh."

Ekidu mumbled as he looked at Karim.

She had always thought that she would win if she fought with Karim even without any mana or skills.

But the movements Karim had shown her just before were completely different.

Puushushushuk

Karim didn't fall into dismay despite having his arm cut off and just looked between his arm and Ekidu.

And then spoke with a cold expression:

"How did you know?"

Ekidu then touched the blade on her gauntlet, which came out from the Scarlet Yang Armor, and then thought of the words of Hansoo from before.

"How did you know?"

<as i see it, it's not you. if there is a person who is causing chaos in the village and that person has stayed in the village longer than you. and if that guy's proposition was benefitting the higher race more than the humans whichever way you saw it then… kill them without mercy.>

'The village I have protected for so long…'

For it to be created from an agreement between the Higher Races and a traitor of the humans.

'Damned bastards.'

Ekidu grinded her teeth.