Chapter 168: The Summoner of the Central Continent (1)

"Hmm, as expected, on a hot day like this, the best thing to do is lying down underneath shade and getting a nap."

Kaizar, who used Bbookbbook as a pillow while in a gazebo that was built on top of a hill in the corner of the Pyro Domain, was humming as he took a nap.

And next to him, Hoonie was pouting as he sat down.

"To say it's hot on a chilly fall day. As expected, I'm saying you're not normal."

Kaizar, who heard Hoonie's grumbling, clouted his head with his knuckles like a lightning bolt.

Thud-.

"Ow!"

Hoonie glared at Kaizar.

However, with both of his cheeks puffed out, Hoonie was unable to say anything before he dropped his head.

"If you have time to say such useless words, go and level up at least before you come back, kiddo. You're so scrappy that I don't even have the desire to face you."

At Kaizar's sarcastic remark, Bbookbbook, who was by his head, also agreed.

Bbook- Bboo-bbook-.

However, despite having heard insulting(?) words, Hoonie was unable to give any reply.

And there was a reason for that.

Just 10 minutes ago, Hoonie had lost to Kaizar brutally.

What was even worse was the fact that Kaizar fought without any weapon, just with his bare hands, was a bigger shock.

On top of that, Hoonie wasn't able to cut down even 10% of Kaizar's Vitality.

'Monster-like jerk, if I just put the Power of the Immortal in my hands, I will return this humiliation at all costs!'

While looking at Hoonie grinding his teeth with rage, Bbookbbook seemed to enjoy something as he laughed while going bbookbbook.

At that, Hoonie's expression twisted.

"Why are you laughing? When you're just a turtle with a big head!"

Hoonie, who flew off the handle, threatened Bbookbbook, but Bbookbbook didn't even blink.

This was because he trusted his guardian, Kaizar.

"You're being noisy, useless subordinate guy."

Hoonie opened his mouth with a resentful expression.

"No, owner! Why are you sticking up for such a stupid turtle? What is he good for?"

However, without even giving him a glance, Kaizar replied with a lingering voice.

"Do you know how cooling it is to my head to use Bbookbbook as a pillow? On top of that, he provides cool water when I'm thirsty."

After he was equipped with the inherent ability Curtain of Water, Bbookbbook had gained an ability to make water.

Kaizar's words continued.

"On the other hand, you kiddo, are good for absolutely nothing."

"Ha..."

Bbookbbook, who clicked his tongue as he looked at Hoonie, stuck out his tongue as Hoonie glared at him before retreading into his shell.

At that, Hoonie's patience burst.

"Damn it... Just you wait, owner. I will get strong in an instant and return!"

With a gaze burning like a flame, Hoonie spun his body around and began to walk towards somewhere, and Kaizar threw a word at him as he did so.

"Return within a week, kiddo. The Lord guy said that the Kaimon dudes will raid us again in a week."

Hoonie stopped in his tracks and while turning his head, he opened his mouth.

"You said I was useless! Why are you telling me to come back?"

"Still, when we're fighting, it's less boring when you're next to me."

"..."

"I think I've finally found a use for you kiddo."

Hoonie, who felt his mood brighten for some odd reason at Kaizar's words, furiously shook his head as he began to move his feet again.

'I need to obtain the Power of the Immortal quickly even just for the fact that he plays dirty!'

While looking at Hoonie, who was getting conditioned by Kaizar little by little before he even realized, Bbookbbook wore an expression full of pity.

Bbook- Bboo-bbook-.

And Kaizar, who turned his gaze towards Bbookbbook, suddenly opened his mouth.

"But, Bbookbbook, you, don't you have to go to the Lord guy?"

Bbookbbook's gaze began to slightly quiver.

Bboo-ook...?

Kaizar's words continued.

"Your friends are all carrying bricks over there right now, so is it okay for you to just be playing here like this?"

Bbookbbook, who felt attacked, glared at Kaizar.

Bbook- Bboo-bbook-!

Kaizar, who was also guilty, pretended to be indifferent.

"Oh, me, well, my manpower is too high-class to be carrying bricks, and I usually don't listen to what the Lord guy says, so it's okay, but if you continue like this, your meatball supply may be cut off, no?"

Kaizar, who watched Bbookbbook's eyes shake, lied down splayed out.

"I'm just going to sleep a little more instead."

* * *

The temporary barracks of the rear Luspel base.

A total of about six or seven people were sitting around the round table with serious expressions.

They were none other than the Guild Masters of the giant guilds that were affiliated with the Luspel Empire.

Of course, the Masters of the 3 Guilds, Samuel Jin, Martin and Roy Chen, who had an emergency meeting the other day, were also included in there.

Roy Chen looked around at the whole assembly as he opened his mouth.

"Assuming that you all are well-aware of the current situation..."

Roy Chen's gaze turned towards Samuel Jin.

"Samuel. What do you think about the DarkRuna Guild losing?"

At that question, Samuel Jin's expression slightly darkened as he replied.

"What is the reason for asking me that?"

At that, Roy Chen hardened his expression as he replied.

"Are you acting like that because you don't know? It's because the person that first proposed this plan is you, Samuel."

"What kind of relation does that have to this situation...?"

While looking at Samuel Jin, who played innocent, Roy Chen opened his mouth again.

"As you probably know from watching the Lotus Guild put up a good fight, if we had actively supported them, we would have definitely been able to protect the bases of the mid-upper-ranked guilds on the front lines while blocking off the Kaimon Empire Army."

While looking at the Lotus Guild's recent battle, Roy Chen was regretting that he hadn't stopped Samuel Jin and Martin a couple days ago.

'Even if we didn't make a strategy that was as selfish as this, there was certainly a different method to have blocked them off.'

The reason why he was regretting this was because there was definitely a feeling of apology towards the mid-upper-ranked guild that would be sacrificed at the front lines also included, but the biggest reason was loss on the empire's part.

Right at this instant, the strategy of Samuel Jin didn't look like there were many problems, but eventually, through their choice this time, the mid-upper-ranked guilds of the Luspel Empire have lost their foothold to grow in the central continent.

In that case, because the mid-upper-ranked guilds of the Luspel Empire wouldn't be able to help but continuously slow down compared to the mid-upper-ranked guilds of the Kaimon Empire, this would soon result into a critical weakening of the fighting power of the Luspel Empire.

As of now, as the fighting power of the users were much weaker than the empire army, it wasn't that noticeable, but as time passed, the influence of the users would grow more and more.

Roy Chen thought that there would certainly be a day that they would regret not having the fighting power of the mid-upper-ranked guilds, who were comparably weaker at the moment.

Samuel Jin, who was silent for a moment, stared at Roy Chen as he opened his mouth.

"Of course, I think that the Lotus Guild having blocked off the troops of the DarkRuna Guild is incredible. I also admit that it was a part that I hadn't predicted."

The gazes of the whole assembly were gathered towards Samuel Jin's mouth, and his words continued again.

"However, if we exclude the domain of the Lotus Guild, there was not one army that had defensive power like theirs. No, if another guild had constructed even half of the defensive power that the Pyro Domain had, I would have thought of a different method."

There was definitely some reason to Samuel Jin's words as well.

That could be figured out even just by looking at the war situation of the front lines right now.

Despite the bases of the other guilds having not received such a large-scale attack as the Pyro Domain, they were seized altogether without having even tried to resist.

A low sigh flowed out from Roy Chen's mouth.

'Hoo, Samuel's words aren't wrong, but we should have looked for a different method...'

The words that they should lead their troops out to the front lines and recapture the stolen bases even now were on the tip of his tongue, but Roy Chen couldn't do anything else but wear a bitter smile in the end.

'Now it is truly too late.'

Roy Chen's mouth opened.

"I think it is all of our faults from the beginning. I think we should have unified the guilds affiliated with the Luspel Empire much sooner. We should have used our strength to help with the construction of the defensive power of the guilds that had possession over the front-line bases before we lost the central zone altogether to the Kaimon Empire Army..."

At those words, everybody nodded their head.

If they had even moved a little faster, then they wouldn't have given the central zone of the continent as a whole to them like this so easily.

Samuel Jin wore a bitter smile as he opened his mouth.

"We need to make the rear line of defense even stronger just like our original plan. If we continuously block off our opponents, I think we will get the chance to turn the tables around."

Martin agreed with his words.

"Samuel Jin's words are right. When the chance comes, we must not lose it and just grab it."

It was an atmosphere where it seemed like everybody was nodding their heads at the two people's words, but Roy Chen shook his head internally.

'A gap that had begun to grow will just increase more like a snowball as more time passes, so how are they able to have such complacent thoughts...'

The guilds affiliated with the Kaimon Empire, who captured a perfect victory, will now roll up a snowball while definitely creating an even bigger gap.

Roy Chen shortly sighed as he came out of the temporary barracks.

'But then again, since we've handled things so complacently up until now like this, that's why we've been pushed back by the guilds affiliated with the Kaimon Empire continuously.'

The 3 guilds of the Luspel Empire always showed movements that were one step too late compared to the DarkRuna Guild and the Titan Guild, who were first and second place in the overall guild rankings.

And that gap continuously piled, and, in the end, this current situation seemed to have occurred.

Roy Chen moved his feet towards the guild base.

The only thing that he could do right now was raise his internal stability even by a little before the Kaimon Empire Army drew close.

* * *

Meanwhile, as they were almost going into the finishing stage of the construction of the collapsed line of defense, Ian left the domain alone.

It was the fault of his body itching as he had rested from battle for two days.

'Before we're surrounded by the Kaimon Empire Army, I should hunt as much as possible.'

As not all of the bases surrounding them were seized, if he was just careful, it was possible to go around the field while hunting.

However, once they were completely surrounded by the empire army, they wouldn't be able to budge and just be shut into the domain.

'Before the next defensive war occurs, if I could hatch the God Dragon, that would really hit the spot.'

Ian, who moved his feet while thinking of this and that, turned his head towards Bbookbbook, who followed right beside him, as he opened his mouth.

"Bbookbbook."

Bbook-?

"By any chance, is there anything like an undiscovered dungeon around here?"

As Bbookbbook had shown a surprising exploration ability to the point Ian wondered if he was sometimes a hidden-piece hunter, Ian stared at him with slight anticipation.

However, Bbookbbook shook his head.

Bbook- Bboo-bbook-.

Just then, as Ian sighed deeply with a disappointed expression.

Kaizar, who was following behind Ian with an apathetic expression, said something that was unexpected.

"Lord guy."

"What is it, retainer?"

"I don't know about anything like undiscovered dungeons, but I know of a place that you would be interested in."

As they were the words of Kaizar, who whisked through the central continent battleground like it was his stage ever since a long time ago, Ian was delighted as he asked.

"Oh, retainer! Is there something you know about?"

Kaizar nodded his head as he replied.

"It was a place that I had also forgotten about, but I suddenly just remembered."

Ian's curiosity amplified even more.

"Where, where is it? Tell me quickly."

As Ian continuously pressed him, Kaizar, who paused for a moment to take a breath, frowned, blasting him away.

"I won't tell you if you keep annoying me."

At that, as Ian, who recoiled in surprise, wore a sullen expression, Kaizar smirked as he continued his words.

"If you continue north-west from the Grave of Holdream, there is a giant rocky mountain."

Including Ian, even Paulean and Celia, who were next to him, began to listen carefully to Kaizar's words.

"And if you clear the giant boulder that is halfway up the rocky mountain, there is a place called the Altar of Selamus."

"Selamus?"

Ian tilted his head at the name that he felt like he heard somewhere before, and from somewhere out of the blue, an exclamation burst out.

The owner of the voice was Bbakbbak, who had been following behind Ian quietly.

• Selamus! Oh, to have thought that I would hear the name Selamus again!