Chapter 115

: Gragos (5)
Gwanje prepared to go in with a neutral expression.
‘I must take back that necklace.’
Of course the fact that taking the neck where the necklace was a definite thing.
He needed to hurry
The Capucios will stop chasing them once they get into the ant tunnels and he wouldn’t be able to kill those guys by himself at that point.
He needed to chase them while the Capucios could catch up to them.
Gwanje touched his waist.
‘I’ll use this.’
<If there is an incident where you get entangled with the Margoths, use this. It’s a formula that makes the Margoths go crazy. Those things will chase whatever they see until the medication power runs out. Be careful using this since tens of thousands of people will die once you use it.>
‘…Damn. Tens of thousands?’
Gwanje’s hands flinched.
It felt like that he will really go crazy if he couldn’t get ahold of that guy in front of his eyes.
But the thought of tens of thousands of people dying kept on delaying his actions.
While Gwanje was pondering over this problem, a line of voice rang out from an unknown location.
<Don’t forget about the contract. Remember what you paid in order to gain your strength. The living are more important than the dead.>
Gwanje clenched his teeth at that moment.
‘Damnit.’
The others would’ve almost reached the Forest of Horns by now.
He needed to go as well.
In order to control them.
‘I’ll visit there before I go.’
He needed to calm himself down after getting so worked up.
Gwanje looked at Bali Roper with a glare filled with rage for the last time and then flew towards the ant tunnels.
………………………………….
‘Is he leaving?’
Hansoo frowned as he looked at Gwanje backing off in the distance.
‘It’s a bit regrettable.’
Hansoo momentarily made an regretful expression.
He was going to throw Bali Roper out as a bait if that guy charged at him and then capture him.
But that guy somehow managed to suppress down his rage and then backed off.
Of course there still was something that he had gained from this short encounter.

Bali Roper. Amazing. Looking forward to working with you more.


…Mmm? Oh okay.

Bali Roper felt strange from Hansoo’s sudden compliments but he just thought of it as Hansoo praising his skills and just ignored it.
‘It seems like I’ll be able to use this guy in the future. I should keep him alive and well.’
Hansoo labeled Bali Roper a useful bait and then looked at his surroundings.
Though many clansmen had died, they had maintained quite a large amount of force.
He just needed to quickly regroup with the Akarons and help them.
Forest of Horns was basically where the Margoths lived in.
It wouldn’t be easy even for the five pillars that protected the Priest.
At that moment a single carrier pigeon flew towards Hansoo.
<Did everything work out on that side? The Rerorerore clan guys that were here left and headed to a strange location.>
There was the direction where they had headed towards that Sangjin had scouted written down on the carrier pigeon.
‘Past the 11th region… past the 14th… towards the 19th region huh.’
11th region located above the thorax region and the 14th region that was located on the neck.
And the 19 region that was located on the back side of the head of the Margoths.
Soon Hansoo realized what the destination of these people were.
‘Forest of Horns. They’re going to the Forest of Horns.’
Forest of Horns.
The name of the forest located between the two giant mountain-like horns upon the huge head of the Gragos.
The destinations of the Akarons and these people were the same.
Of course it might just be a coincidence.
Though it was called a forest, it was actually extremely wide and vast.
The location of controlling the Gragos that the Akaron were headed towards was located in this forest as well.
The Forest of Horns was a location that the clans used very frequently due to the high level skills and artifacts that drop there.
But the destinations and the times overlapped each other too perfectly.
‘…These guys. Did they put the Graphite in here in order to drag out the Akarons.’
How did these guys know about this?
And how did they know to get to the Forest of Horns?
At that moment another possibility was thought of in Hansoo’s head.
‘There’s another Akaron.’
An Akaron that had gifted Gwanje the body enhancement surgery and the intel.
An Akaron who couldn’t show itself to the other Akarons and was doing this because of a reason.
……………………………….

I’m here you damned bastard.

An Akaron who was making an arrogant expression nodded as he spoke.

You’re still arrogant. I’ll allow that much since you’re useful.

Gwanje snorted inwardly.
A guy who had all sorts of glamorous artifacts hung around his body despite being holed up in a corner.
Akarons couldn’t even use those artifacts.
The Akaron over there, who called himself a previous Great Priest, had these artifacts dangling upon his body in order to disguise himself.
‘He’s like a King of a fallen country.’
But his own situation was much worse.
Since he couldn’t even go against that guy’s words.
The Akaron seemed like it had guessed his intentions, it laughed coldly as it spoke.

Don’t act around as you want. You and I made a contract.

Gwanje clenched his teeth at those words.
His chances of survival when he had jumped into the Reflux Organ 4 years ago due to Bali Roper was actually 0%.
Since he had received quite a deep injury and had to take care of his unconscious wife as well.
And the reason why he had been able to live was because of the Akaron that was in front of his eyes.
The guy who called himself the Great Priest.
Right before he fell unconscious, the Akaron dragged him out and then whispered into his ear.
<Well… You should be content with this much at your current stage. Sleep for a bit. I’ll give you strength.>
And when he had woken up everything had changed.
An overflowing amount of strength and a powerful body.
To the point where he had thought that he had been reborn at first.
But he knew instantly.
That this guy hadn’t given this surgery to him out of generosity.
The Akaron said these words to him back then.
<Don’t worry. It’s not much. Just that you need to listen to my words? But for a guy I had rescued to be this arrogant. I gave you a blessing that’s only allowed to our own race after scratching up all the remaining materials I had. Do you know how hard it is to perform the surgery without the Temple?>
And as the Akaron in front of his eyes threw a bit of incense, his body forcibly knelt in front of the Akaron.
<Yeah. This is a good height.>
‘Damnit.’
Gwanje clenched his teeth after thinking of back then.
Since he had to work crazily since then.
In order to accomplish the thing this guy wanted him to.
It wasn’t hard.
Since the intel and the strength that this guy had given him were not just a bit.
Gwanje calmed down his mind and then spoke towards the Akaron.

The Akarons popped out after we petrified the body fluid like you told me to.


Yeah. They’ll need to move.

The Akaron laughed coldly.
They needed to get to the Forest of Horns in order to move the Gragos to another Gragos.
How could they remain hidden after getting the black warning even if they were hidden so well.

We’re almost there. Just catch them all. Killing a few is alright as well.

Gwanje frowned at the Akaron mumbling about how killing his own kind was fine.
How could a previous Great Priest talk about the lives of his own kind with such ease?
‘That’s why he got chased out by his own race.’

… What are you trying to do?

The Great Priest laughed coldly.

You don’t need to know about that. Don’t cross the line. Just go finish off what you need to.


…

Gwanje grinded his teeth but he couldn’t do anything
Though his body was suppressed, it wasn’t perfect.
There were many ways he could dodge his control but he couldn’t even if he wanted to.
‘Mihyang my darling.’
The only person he could find comfort upon after the death of his daughter.
Gwanje looked at his wife who was sleeping like the dead behind the Akaron.
The Akaron laughed as if it had sensed that Gwanje was looking at her.

It seems like my words were a bit harsh. It means that you don’t need to care about it that much. I’ll release your beloved as I promised. I’ll also erase the controlling method inside your body. You just need to go to that Yellow Zone then. Simple right? It won’t matter what happens here.

Gwanje set his mind from those words.
‘Yeah. This is a trade. This is definitely not a bad thing.’
Though he had to work like a dog for 4 years, the reward wasn’t bad.
Since he had escaped a lethal situation and had gained the strength to protect his wife.
He just needed to go up to the Yellow Zone after he was done with this.
‘It’s almost over.’
The contract was to lure out the hidden Akarons and to capture them.
He had gathered and increased his power and influence because of this.
Since he needed to be extremely strong as well in order to capture those strong Akarons.
But this was now all over.
Seeing the screwed up Ursa Majors and the Rerorerore clansmen was getting tiring.
He didn’t have any ambitions of finding the Temple and taking control of the Gragos in the first place.
It was that he needed to put on air like this in order to create the clan.
After this he would be able to leave this damned Orange Zone.

Ah. One more thing. If you meet those guys later…

Gwanje frowned after hearing what the Akaron said.
‘He has a real fucked up mind.’
But he had done what he needed to here.
His mind calmed down a bit more after seeing his wife and felt his sanity returning.
‘Yeah. Right now… I must focus on the living instead of the dead.’
He had to act in order to save his living wife instead of being enraged because of his dead daughter.
Gwanje looked at his wife once more, got out of the dark ant tunnels and then quickly headed towards the head of the Gragos.
………………………………….
Kuooooo!
Taruhol landed on the ground after smashing the head of the giant herbivore-shaped Margoth Du Gracios with a body full of injuries.
Boom!
A huge soundwave resonated out and Ailen quickly ran upand  started to look over Taruhol’s body.
Taruhol shook his hands and pushed back Ailen.

It’s alright. You go and fight as well. There’s a lack of manpower.

Taruhol mumbled as he saw the two giant horns in the distance.
The path of the Forest of Horns was much more intense than they had expected.
Since the numbers of Margoths had multiplied numerous times.
‘…If we don’t organize these guys then a disaster will happen. Anyways we’re almost there.’
They just needed to get through the gap in between the cliff in front of their eyes.
The moment Taruhol turned to catch some breath, something flew in from the distance.
‘What!’
Booooom!
The skill which had flown in from above the cliff flipped the grounds upside down and Taruhol, who had momentarily dropped his guard, prepared for the ambush.
At that moment a large shout was heard from above the cliff.

You know I missed you on purpose right?

And behind the woman, thousands of clansmen appeared on one of the cliffs.
Taruhol made an expression of disbelief at the human army.
‘They were waiting?’
The path to the Forest of Horns was harsh beyond reason for humans.
Why were these guys there when there wouldn’t have much to do here?
The woman above the cliff spoke while looking at that Taruhol.

It seems like our friends from the clan will be a bit late. Let’s just play around on our own until then. Oh and… Our clan leader told us to tell you something to you guys.

Then one of the members of the Ursa Major, Akaella, looked at the red carrier pigeon sent by Gwanje and made a confused expression.
‘What does this mean?’
But there were many things they didn’t understand that came from Gwanje.
Akaella just read the message on the carrier pigeon.

Congratulations. My clan. You will soon be able to follow me, your first leader, all over again.

Taruhol and the priest, Oteon, made an expression of despair at those words.
First leader.
The only person arrogant enough to call himself the first leader that they knew of was one person.
Great Priest, Karbana.
The person who had fought with Mekido the Great patriarch, put on all blame and responsibility onto Mekido who had created the Body Enhancement Surgery when the Calamity of Death had hit and had run away.
‘He wasn’t dead huh.’
But they realized that this wasn’t the time to worry about such things.
Taruhol clenched his teeth at the three Margoth level adventurers and the thousands of clansmen charging towards him as he went out to meet them.
‘Hurry up Hansoo. I don’t know how long I can keep up with this.’
Boooom!
Soon a huge shockwave and a loud sounds ran throughout the Forest of Horns.
…………………………………
‘I need to hurry.’
Hansoo moved quickly.
It was a race for time.
Whether Gwanje and the other three Ursa Majors arrive first along with their forces.
Or him arriving first along with the Crown Clan’s forces.
If they combine the two forces on both sides then the total strength was similar.
This was why the side which receives the reinforcement first will be at a much greater advantage.
‘I must arrive there first.’
Bali Roper cried out while following behind him closely.
Why was he moving in such a hurry?
The sensation of his body moving in such a hurry without his own intentions was not quite a good feeling.

Let’s slow down a bit!

Hansoo turned around and smiled kindly.
‘Oh yeah, I had a secret weapon’
If the thing that could move the enemy leader was not a secret weapon then what would it be?

Oh yes. Our Bali Roper is a man who would do great things for us.


…?

‘This feels a little bad for some reason.’
Bali Roper, who felt a chill, started to run even faster in order to get rid of the sensation.