Before going to the Dragon Palace, Jo Euishin told the Dragon and Tiger clans something about the enemies’ objective.
“Enemies will be attacking the Red Lion team building while the shaman test is ongoing.”
Who would do such a reckless thing to the home of one of the world’s top ten player teams and the home of the Dragon Clan?
Many of them thought it was impossible, but considering what has happened so far, they couldn’t deny Jo Euishin’s hypothesis.
Listening to Jo Euishin’s words with excitement, Hwangho asked something.
“What made you think that, Jo Euishin?”
“Because they have a lot to gain compared to the risk that they’d take.”
Hearing Jo Euishin’s answer implies that facing the Dragon Clan and Yeom Bangyeol is “low risk,” it did not sound good.
However, they eventually understood when Jo Euishin explained.
The shamans who betrayed the Dragon Clan and the Red Lion Team know their headquarters very well.
On top of that, if Cheongryong, who can handle earth power, leaves because of the succession ceremony, their power will be reduced.
The enemy seemed to be capable of subduing the Red Lion team at least.
“That person can summon otherworlds. He might summon one outside to lure some members out, and then another one inside the building to cause confusion.”
“If they want to go against the Red Lion, the otherworld that they’d summon should be high in rarity. Wouldn’t that trigger signs?”
Before a high rarity otherworld spawns, there are usually obvious signs that occur.
Yeom Bangyeol made sense, but Jo Euishin shook his head.
“That person can summon one without warning signs.”
“An otherworld without warning signs. I heard several of that occurring last year.”
“It reminds me of the otherworld that spawned back on Children’s Day.”
Jo Euishin nodded.
“Yes. That is their doing too.”
Something bothered them about Jo Euishin’s answer.
They didn’t pay attention to it at that time, but considering what they learned now and Jo Euishin’s existence, something was wrong.
Whenever such an otherworld would appear, Jo Euishin was at the scene.
“Come to think of it, you were at the baseball stadium that time too.”
“Don’t tell me the reason why Junyeol suddenly wanted to throw the first pitch is…!”
Jo Euishin took part in the defense line that day.
Yeom Bangyeol vaguely remembered Jo Euishin fighting against enemies and a few other high school students who came to watch the game.
Cheongryong remembered that from that day on, Yeom Junyeol stopped looking for the Red Wall Thief.
When Yeom Bangyeol and Cheongryong’s jaws dropped in surprise, Jo Euishin made a polite apology.
“I wanted to gather as much information on the Black Screen without them knowing. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”
Has Jo Euishin been constantly fighting such a scary enemy since then?
Instead of being angry, Yeom Bangyeol and Cheongryong were stunned.
“Such a young child fought hard. I can’t bear to hear any apology.”
Cheongryong said so and calmed himself down.
“No need to apologize. It prevented a big accident from happening, and I saw Junyeol-ie throw the first pitch in a cool and dignified manner. Ah, wait a second. There were no tigers on that day though.”
Cheongryong looked at Hwangho.
He seemed to want to ask what the Tiger Clan did during such a big incident where Jo Euishin intervened.
Hwangho responded to Cheongryong without hiding his dissatisfaction.
“I would’ve cooperated if Jo Euishin told me beforehand. He said not a word to this body.”
Hwangho didn’t directly hear from Jo Euishin, but he seemed to have a rough idea of what happened at the baseball stadium incident.
Jo Euishin had been the benefactor of the Tiger Clan for a while, but it was clear that Jo Euishin had been moving on his own for a long time before their close cooperation.
Hwangho complained to Jo Euishin, but the latter only listened roughly and didn’t respond properly.
Jo Euishin seemed more concerned that his actions on Children’s Day were revealed.
To ease Jo Euishin’s mind, Cheongryong spoke with a smile.
“It seems that the Dragon Clan’s benefactor had been cooperating with us without us knowing.”
“The Tiger Clan’s benefactor has always done that.”
Hwangho immediately stepped in, asserting that Jo Euishin is the Tiger Clan’s benefactor.
The clan heads continued their immature talk for a while while Yong Jegun would throw in a word or two to stir the pot.
It wasn’t until a few more minutes later that they finally got back to the topic.
“A raid would not aim for the Dragon Clan and the Red Lion’s annihilation, but their ultimate goal is to destroy them. This raid would be to secure the means to do that.”
“You seem to be speaking of more than one.”
“I think they’re aiming for two things. They’re well-positioned, but they are vulnerable.”
A weakness that can destroy the Dragon Clan and Red Lion, something that is worth securing inside the building.
Cheongryong and Yeom Bangyeol thought of a few things, but it wasn’t easy to narrow them down.
They had so many precious things.
Cheongryong then asked.
“What do you think they’d be after? Do you think they’d come after our Junyeol-ie?”
“They are aiming for Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim, but I think they’re going for an easier target this time. Taking that target hostage would make it easier to catch Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim.”
“An easy target? Who are you talking about?”
Jo Euishin spoke calmly.
“Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim’s mother.”
Yeom Bangyeol immediately understood that Jo Euishin was referring to his wife as he jumped out of his seat.
He wanted to deny it, but Jo Euishin was right.
She was always in her room, and the shamans knew where that room was.
If the enemy succeeds in infiltrating the Red Lion building, they can head straight to where she is.
‘If my wife is caught, we will take any sacrifice to get her back. The same goes for Junyeol-ie. That child is right.’
Yeom Junyeol, who has a deep love for his family, may secretly accept a deal if he can exchange his mother’s life for his own.
The scary possibilities kept eroding Yeom Bangyeol’s mind.
Jo Euishin mentioned the next target.
“The other target is the one confined to the Dragon Clan’s territory. Cadmus.”
The atmosphere turned sharp at the mention of the dragon dragon slayer Cadmus.
The possibility that a single attack would take their descendant and free a mercenary made the air heavy.
“I don’t think it’s easy to give up the royal lineage who can neutralize both the dragons and the descendants. It would be possible to immediately devastate the Dragon Clan as long as Cadmus is liberated.”
No one was able to talk.
The long silence was broken by Hwangho.
He asked in a confident tone.
“Of course you’ve thought of a countermeasure, right Jo Euishin?”
“Yeah, there’s actually a way to deter the raid itself. We can transfer Cadmus to the Tiger Clan’s territory. They wouldn’t take a risk if their reward is just a single descendant.”
“So you want to lure them away from the Dragon Clan’s side.”
Jo Euishin didn’t deny Hwangho’s words.
As the alliance between the two clans strengthened, he was sure that Hwangho would’ve trusted and offered to take charge of Cadmus.
However, when Kim Shinrok was sent to torture the dragon slayer, the Tiger Clan didn’t try to take him to their territory.
Jo Euishin spoke to Cheongryong and Yeom Bangyeol.
“There’s that, but please fight back.”
“There must be a reason why you want me to fight.”
Cheongryong didn’t immediately refuse despite the absurdity of luring dangerous enemies into the home of the Dragon Clan.
Cheongryong trusted Jo Euishin and heard him out first.
“Yes, they will definitely bring a dragon slayer weapon to this raid. I want to rule out as many weapons of that kind as possible until we face the Black Screen head-on.”
It was for their sake in the end.
They couldn’t reject Jo Euishin’s proposal, so Cheongryong, Yeom Bangyeol, and Hwangho decided to follow Jo Euishin.
Instead of members of the Dragon Clan which the enemy wants to lure away, they will be facing Yeom Bangyeol and Hwangho.
The two’s abilities are suitable for counter ambushes so that wouldn’t be too difficult.
‘Things are going as Jo Euishin predicted.’
Hwangho pulled an item card out of the arms of the demon that he bound with his golden boundary.
The item was a recovery item of SSR+++ rank.
After retrieving Cadmus, they would use this item on him and he would’ve recovered enough to fight against the dragons.
“I knew that would be bringing a strong recovery item. The benefactor predicted this much huh.”
Hwangho threw the item card out of reach and lifted the rugged sword that fell to the ground.
It was the Gram of Wrath that defeated Fafnir, the weapon that they wanted to use against the Dragon Clan.
However, in front of Hwangho, the Gram was nothing but a famous weapon unable to exert any of its original power.
When the demons recognized that the royal lineage in front of them was Hwangho, they lamented.
‘Hwangho is here… I didn’t recognize him. It’s my first time seeing him in that age’s appearance!’
‘Since when did the Tiger Clan and Dragon Clan form an alliance?’
‘The Dragon Clan came to Eungwang High at Christmas. The reason may not be simply to see their descendant after all.’
But they weren’t completely devastated.
Iranus’ priest, the demon who wielded the Gram, was quietly looking.
‘We’re not hopeless. There’s room for negotiation depending on the situation at the Dragon Palace. Hwangho apparently sent his share of descendants there.’
Holding the Gram in one hand, Hwangho looked down at Iranus’ priest.
He was smiling, his eyes bent over his head as if he was in a good mood.
“Have you recognized who I am? Looking at your face, you must be thinking about the masterpiece at the Dragon Palace. But even that is expected by the benefactor.”
Iranus’ priest waited and waited to hear more information from Hwangho with a poker face.
But Hwangho didn’t say any more.
***
Hwangryong felt that the shamans were up to something.
And he was right.
“They’re coming.”
Kugugugu…
Hwangryong’s downward gaze that looked underground where the shamans were suddenly turned upward.
The top of the deep sea was covered in five colors in an instant.
The ogansaek clouds spat something out at a breakneck speed.
It was a sign of war.
“This weapon wasn’t the only ominous being that came to this place.”
Hwangryong’s face became blurred.
A lump of ice popped out of the clouds, plenty enough to look like hail.
Kim Shinrok stood in front of Hwangryong, holding his knife as a chunk of ice larger than an adult man poured out.
However, the knife fell out of Kim Shinrok’s hand.
Tok.
He felt the spirit of a bear in that ice.
He identified it quickly.
Those are Bear Clan minions.
Someone sent Bear CLan minions down to the Dragon Palace in a frozen state, and when they got closer to the palace, the shamans transferred them inside.
“They must belong to the royal lineage of your source.”
Hwangryong said as he saw Kim Shinrok disarmed.
The Bear Clan minions were still trapped in ice blocks, but as the five colors wrapped around them, the ice gradually melted.
Soon, all the ice covering this area will be under the Bear Clan’s power, and they will be hunted.
The extraordinary situation did not stop there.
Hwiii…
A huge chunk of water rose in the sky.
It seemed to be from the shamans judging from the corners that shone in ogansaek.
“We’re in trouble.”
“…What is that?”
“That is the shamans’ Water Mirror. They use it to keep in touch while in a far-flung place.”
Do they want to see Kim Shinrok and Hwangryong fight against the Bear Clan?
“Maybe they want to show it.”
To who?
Before Kim Shinrok could ask, Hwangryong answered.
Hwangryong took his eyes off the Water Mirror and looked back at the ice blocks that were half-melted by that point.
“They want to negotiate with Yong Jegun for your life and mine.”
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