章節 651: CHAPTER 807

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The Vermont imperial family was hiding in seclusion on an uninhabited island, where there was a passage leading to the netherworld known as the "Middle Layer." This passage was not a direct connection to the real netherworld, hell, but rather a link to the Middle Layer inhabited by beings like Ameris, which existed after the world was split in half.

Neither the imperial family nor the current island owner, the Lutero Federation, created the passage. It was actually built by the Blue Plutonian Tribe during the ancient era when the "War for the Sun God" was at its peak. These passages, created by various factions that held power at the time, still remained scattered throughout the world.

Among the surface forces, only the imperial family knew about the existence of these passages. Due to a memory error caused by the seal, Ameris had forgotten about the existence of the passages.

"Fortunately, the situation we feared did not occur after sensing the awakening of the Great Serpent. If the memories and powers of the Great Serpent were intact, none of the races sealed in the Middle Layer would have survived."

After Bibol left, Airan smiled and spoke.

Based on the fact that the Red Plutonian Tribe is rampaging in the human world, Airan was certain of Ameris's current state. Her power, abilities, and memories were all incomplete.

The Red Plutonian Tribe was no different.

It was true that the battle prowess of Jin was closest to the pinnacle of the human world, but if Rakiman and Red Fleet were in their prime, Jin would not have dominated the battle so one-sidedly. At least they could have offered some resistance.

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is fortunate for us that the Red Plutonian Tribe was cornered immediately after awakening. Even those arrogant and wicked beings cannot reject the hand we extend to them."

"Once we acquire the Red Plutonian Tribe's technology through trade, cloning him will no longer be a dream. Moreover, if we start searching for the Remnants of the Blue Plutonian Tribe from now on, we can awaken Eltiot as well... The Empire will rise again! It will become an eternal empire that no one can destroy!"

The members of the imperial family did not hide their excited voices.

Throughout the long ages, from ancient times until now, they had endured humiliation akin to eternity in order to survive and seize opportunities. During those long years, they had never once dominated the world as overwhelming conquerors.

In ancient times, they were treated as insects by the likes of the Red Plutonian Tribe and the Blue Plutonian Tribe. Even after the "Great Seal," while the birth and destruction of civilizations occurred repeatedly on the surface, they barely survived the imminent threat of extinction.

Then, at long last, they established Vermont. However, as the current history of humanity attests, Vermont has never attained a position worthy of the name "Empire."

That was because monsters like Runcandel and Zipfel existed. Zipfel emerged and immediately threatened the empire's existence, and just when they could no longer hold on, Runcandel appeared.

And for a thousand years since then.

The empire had walked a tightrope, watching the moves of both sides, and now only the ancient beings of the imperial family barely concealed themselves.

That's why the desires of Vermont's imperial family were singular.

Complete and secure survival.

The power to reign alone in the world was the most important means to achieve that goal. The imperial family had no interest in the resurrection of the Sun God.

On the contrary, they were in a position where it must be prevented at all costs. If the Sun God were to be resurrected, they would once again have to live a life like insects, bound by their predetermined fate.

"As soon as Bibol returns, we will start searching for the Remnants of the Blue Plutonian Tribe. Check the various regional passages. Our enemies, especially Runcandel, will soon become aware of the existence of the Remnants of the Blue Plutonian Tribe, as they have access to Ameris and the abilities of the Record Mage. We must secure them before anyone else."

"Understood, Your Majesty!"

"Once our trade with the Red Plutonian Tribe is finalized, the situation on the surface will change rapidly. The Red Plutonian Tribe will soar like crazy... In the midst of this swift transformation, we will remain at the center until the end. Surviving until the end is something that has always been our speciality."

As the members of the imperial family dispersed, Airan remained alone in the conference room, gazing out the window as the cool breeze was blowing.

***

October 8, 1803.

It had been exactly a week since Jin drove out the Red Plutonian Tribe, who had attacked the 3rd Branch of Kinzelo. Since that day, there had been no sightings of the Red Plutonian Tribe in the human world. At least, that's what the Vamel Alliance and Zipfel knew.

In fact, the Red Plutonian Tribe had already concluded their trade with Airan, where he personally met Rakiman and Shimat. They had only refrained from hunting in the human world, but everything else had been settled.

And both the Red Plutonian Tribe and the imperial family had already gained significant benefits from each other. The Red Plutonian Tribe had swiftly opened their second fortress by consuming the blood of the humans and ancient remnants sent by Airan, while the imperial family had received their technology and were cultivating their weaponry.

All of this had happened under the radar of the watchful eyes of the major forces. It was a privilege of those who had seized control of the Middle Layer.

"Veradin is making quite a bold move since becoming the patriarch."

Jin spoke while scanning through the special reports.

Every day, the news articles poured in. Veradin becomes the patriarch, the background of Kelliark's rebellion, the underworld, the emergence of Ameris and the Red Plutonian Tribe, and Jin awakening them.

All of these stories were being made public.

"The reporters from Zipfel are consistently spreading the narrative that the young master is threatening world peace by awakening the underworld beings."

Jin nodded in agreement with Kashmir's words.

"It feels like they are trying to create a pretext for war. They're saying that since I posed a threat to the world first, Zipfel's actions against Runcandel and the Vamel Alliance are in self-defense."

"They must have something to believe in, even after witnessing the power of the young master, the battle god, and the strength of our alliance. It must be related to the Demon's God's Orb or the abilities associated with Zipfel's holy land."

Naturally, Jin wanted to delay the war as much as possible. He wanted to complete the Golden Fleet, bring his brethren out from Laprarosa, and have Murakan return.

And if possible, he wanted to start the war after he himself became the genesis knight. A war fought under those conditions would be overwhelming, devoid of bloodshed, madness, and unnecessary killing.

If he could completely overpower his enemies, he could tidy up the world without unnecessary death and destruction.

In other words, he could fight while safeguarding the lives of ordinary people to the greatest extent possible.

At present, that was an impossible task, and Jin had to fight a highly disadvantageous battle beyond that. The only force that thought about the civilians, both on the surface and nether, was the Vamel Alliance.

"Veradin knows exactly what I am most concerned about. The deaths of my companions and innocent people. If the war starts quickly, I will lose a lot, even if we achieve victory."

Nightmares that Jin had personally experienced in the evil god war.

In fact, in the war between the major factions, there would be even more sacrifices than that. The entire world would become a battlefield, and after the fighting ended, the victors would be faced with a desolate landscape that would never be the same again.

It frustrated Jin.

The burden he felt as a regressor.

Jin recalled the words Ron had left for him through Dante right before he died.

-You have done nothing wrong. That's what he told both you and me.

'Yes... While it's possible that none of this is my fault, it doesn't mean I can turn a blind eye to it. Whatever happens from now on, I can only move forward while doing what I have to do. I must become the best in the world.'

The efforts to become the best in the world.

That was the only thing pushing aside Jin's agony as a regressor. Like someone shaking off a nightmare, Jin adjusted his expression and met the gaze of his comapnions.

"The war will start soon. There will definitely be localized battles, if not a full-scale war. Even if it's not Veradin, there is a high possibility that the Red Plutonian Tribe will engage in more aggressive activities in the human world after recovering from their losses. After defeating them, Valeria investigated the 3rd Branch of Kinzelo, and not only Zipfel but also remnants of the imperial family sent people there."

"There were reports that Zipfel has been constantly searching for remnants of the imperial family."

Cuicantelle pointed to the reports.

"Not only Zipfel, but we have also been tracking them ever since the fake Yona incident. We've used all possible means, including Valeria's record magic. But so far, we haven't managed to catch a single trace of them, so we can't exclude the possibility that they are hiding somewhere other than the surface."

"I agree with you, Ms. Cuicantelle. Those mystics must possess hidden abilities. If it's related to the nether, it could be an opportunity for them."

"From what I know, there are no such secrets within the imperial family... but well, considering how Airan Vermont suddenly inherited power after Amir's death, it's possible that the former emperor was just a figurehead from the start."

In addition to Zipfel and the imperial family, Kinzelo was also a problem.

[Zephyrin, it's almost certain that the Demon Dragon is one of my heads. When Zephyrin wakes up in the future, she will likely regain some of her memories and power from that time. It won't be complete, but her lost self will return to some extent. In any case, it's clear that she is not one of those heads who were trying to prevent the resurrection of the Sun God.]

"Hopefully, she can regain some of her power and abilities from that time. Or we can hope that Zephyrin's unconscious state is unrelated to Ms. Ameris."

[If it's the latter, it would be even better, but it's best not to have high expectations.]

As Ameris said those words, the communication device installed in the conference room emitted a blue light and resonated.

{Young patriarch! Urgent report!}

As soon as Jin received the call, he heard Luet's urgent voice.

"Speak, Head butler."

{The Red Plutonian Tribe has attacked Zipfel.}

"...What did you say? Not Kinzelo, but Zipfel?"

{Six hours ago, Zipfel's 2nd-class Magic Tower located in Ramatan was bombarded by the Red Plutonian Tribe's fleet. Zipfel is currently in a state of war.}

Runcandel and the Vamel Alliance had naturally thought that the Red Plutonian Tribe would target Kinzelo once they resumed their activities on the surface.

However, they had boldly attacked Zipfel, and it was an unexpected development for everyone except the imperial family.

"For them to resume their activities so quickly... it seems like they received help from someone."

Jin replied with narrowed eyes. If it wasn't the work of Zipfel's own rogue faction, the remnants of the imperial family were the most likely suspects.

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章節 652: CHAPTER 808

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Before the evil god war began, Zipfel closed down all the Magic towers except for the First Magic tower. Then they supplied fleets and troops to each federal region and built new Magic towers of various ranks.

The 2nd-class Magic tower that the Red Plutonian tribe invaded was one of the middle-class Magic towers. It was filled with about fifty ships and around a thousand mages.

The flagship was the Arcadia-class from the Zipfel headquarters' 5th Fleet, and the Tower Master was an 8-star mage from non-Zipfel background. However, they also deployed two squads each of the Spectre corps and Ghost Corps, which had combat capabilities surpassing the Tower Master. They weren't considered elite, but they were far from being inadequate.

[T/L:- Here ghost corps is the intelligence division that was mentioned in past chapters. Ghost corp is a team that moves in the shadows to collect information. So do not get confused in the ghost corp or intelligence division as they both are the same in the Zipfel clan.]

And it took a mere 30 minutes for the Red Plutonian tribe to reduce the 2nd-class Magic tower to rubble.

"Does this mean there was such a significant difference in the fleet's power?" Veradin asked.

The land where the 2nd-class Magic tower stood so grandly was now completely in ruins. The black bone fragments left throughout the ruins hinted at the extreme cruelty of the Red Plutonian tribe's bombardment.

The survivors of the attack were only two members of Sartin's Ghost Corps.

"Yes, lord patriarch. Suddenly, a giant dimensional portal opened in the sky, and more than a hundred Red Plutonian tribe warships emerged, surpassing the performance of our fleet by far. Although most of our allied fleet couldn't properly sortie, even if we fought with preparations in place, the only difference would be in the duration of the battle; the outcome would not have been different."

The surviving members of the Ghost Corps explained the situation to Veradin with their heads bowed.

"Did it seem that the enemy fleet was superior to what Jin faced?"

"Yes. Although the Red Plutonian tribe hardly revealed themselves, it seemed that the commanding officer was not Rakiman Hog, but someone else."

"What is your basis for making that judgment?"

"The insignia on their fleet was different."

"Is that all? Does that mean they didn't make any declaration of war or state their intention to attack us?"

"They didn't say a single word. They began their bombardment as soon as the dimensional portal opened. The upper part of the Magic tower collapsed with the first bombardment, causing the Tower Master to die, and although I took command and immediately initiated a response, I couldn't do anything."

Literally, the Red Plutonian tribe unleashed a one-sided massacre in silence and disappeared in an instant, just like Diphus and Joshua, who were tainted by chaos before the evil god war.

It was an attack that could only be possible with large-scale teleportation.

However, unlike that time, the Red Plutonian tribe did not cause any harm to civilians. They thoroughly destroyed only the Magic towers and left.

"I originally wanted to meet them once and have a conversation, but they came out like this first, so we have no choice but to fight. It feels like they've already joined hands with other people. They must be crazy bastards. Why the hell did they attack us? It can't be just to show off their strength."

"After the Magic tower was destroyed, warriors descended from their ships. I witnessed them capturing powerful mages who survived the bombardment. We were almost captured as well."

"They don't seem to have the intention of using them as prisoners. If they did, they would have targeted the Tower Master or other factors first and would have stated their demands before leaving," Veradin recalled what Sanna recently told him.

"Furthermore, according to the shrine maiden, among the ancient nether races, there are those that nourish themselves with the blood of other beings. It seems to be the Red Plutonian tribe. I also heard that there were hardly any bodies left in the Kinzelo territory that was destroyed. It must be because they took all the bodies to extract blood."

Sigh...

Veradin exhaled heavily and lowered his head.

"We are disgraceful."

The Ghost Corps members lowered their heads.

"You are not at fault. On the contrary, you have greatly informed us of the scale and combat capabilities of the attackers. If you have any desires, speak to the magistrate."

Veradin dismissed the Ghost Corps members and looked at his executives.

"...I never expected that we would be attacked in this way by someone other than Runcandel or Kinzelo. It hasn't been long since you became the patriarch, but such a situation happened at this exact time. It's an event that could shake the prestige."

"It doesn't matter since the clan's prestige was already ruined by Jin in the past. The problem is not the immediate damage to our prestige or the losses, but the fact that we couldn't respond at all to their attack, captain of spectres. Since they reaped the harvest without any harm, they will continue to attack various regions of the Federation in this manner."

"For the time being, all regions will have to maintain a state of constant emergency. Even though, given the severe gap in fleet capabilities, I'm worried."

"For now, we only need to hold out until we become aware of the strikes and send reinforcements. We lasted 30 minutes when we were attacked in an undefended state, so if we were at full strength, we could hold out for at least two hours."

"It doesn't seem like there are any constraints on the Red Plutonian tribe's dimensional teleportation, Lord patriarch. They may not be able to carry out attacks with fleets exceeding a hundred each time. If they attack our regions with smaller forces, we can buy more time."

"I agree, elder brother Ronil. We should prioritize deploying the experimental small high-speed ships to all regions. This way, we can immediately report any place that comes under attack."

Due to the lingering chaos left by Glyek, all ground portals remain closed. Except for the few that have teleportation or long-range communication capabilities, Zipfel's high-speed ships are currently the fastest means of transportation in the human world.

"As of now, the war with the Red Plutonian tribe begins. With limited information, we will have to fight disadvantageous battles for the time being. The most urgent task is to discover their headquarters."

"I will issue an order to capture at least one member of the Red Plutonian tribe alive in every battle. Even if it involves some sacrifice."

"Please do so, elder brother Ronil. Even if we lose another Magic tower, it will be more beneficial to capture one member of the Red Plutonian tribe. And don't cover up what happened today. It was already so devastating that we can't hide it anyway."

If the Demon's God's Orb were in a more complete state, such disgrace could be concealed through history manipulation, but it is impossible now.

"What should we do?"

"Jin, publish the articles about the suspicious ties between the Vamel Alliance and the Red Plutonian tribe."

"Understood."

"It's an obvious provocation, but the important thing is to make the public aware that the new threat of the Red Plutonian tribe emerging on the surface originated from Jin. Hurry. It's better if the articles come out before the Red Plutonian tribe attacks Runcandel or the Vamel Alliance."

"Yes, Lord patriarch. Indeed, the Red Plutonian tribe deliberately excluded civilian casualties, so there are similarities with the Vamel Alliance's methods. We will focus on that and publish articles."

"But it's strange, patriarch. According to the Ghost Corps' report, it seems that the Red Plutonian tribe already had some kind of grudge or enmity with Jin, so I don't understand why they would attack us with such full force. It is obvious that the Garden of Swords or Tikan would be difficult to attack, if they attacked Huphester and the Empire's castles and fortresses, they could have inflicted significant damage."

Ronil nodded in agreement with Octavia's words. Veradin narrowed his eyes.

"Fear."

"...patriarch?"

"I have a feeling that they are afraid of Jin. Not too long ago, the commander-level Red Plutonian and his fleet in Kinzelo's 3rd branch was on the verge of being wiped out. The reason they attacked us first and excluded civilian casualties might be because they don't want to provoke Jin for the time being."

Veradin turned and walked towards Kozec.

"Therefore, let's make it clear who is the more terrifying opponent from now on."

***

"Veradin will undoubtedly spread the news that we have awakened the Red Plutonian tribe. Not only did Runcandel give birth to the evil god, but it is now once again threatening the surface by joining forces with the nether factions. Judging by Veradin's recent activities in public opinion warfare, it seems certain."

Jin accurately predicted Veradin's moves.

"It's your expertise to undermine prestige, but Zipfel is engaging in public opinion warfare more frequently than usual. Weren't we supposed to ignore such things now? It feels like there's something more than just trying to create a pretext for war, like there's another reason."

"Yes, Ms. Cuicantelle. Just a sudden thought, but perhaps this ongoing public opinion warfare, aimed at making people believe that the threat to the surface comes from me, is an underlying preparation for future history manipulation. If there are many people who believe it, it becomes easier to manipulate."

"Wow... that gives me chills, Young Master Jin. It could be possible. But we have Valeria, so we'll be fine!"

"It's just speculation, Enya. In any case, the immediate concern is Zipfel and the Red Plutonian tribe's movements. This time they targeted Zipfel, but next time it could be us or the Empire. We have Mort, communication devices, and the Red Owl, so we can respond much faster than Zipfel, but we lack fleets. We can't send fully prepared fleets to all regions like Zipfel."

The underground shipyard in Sword Emperor's territory has not been completed yet.

"We haven't finished mass-producing the Iello units either. And we haven't deployed magic knight units to all regions either. So, for now, we need to increase the production speed of the communication devices and supply them to major strongholds and fortresses. In case of an attack by the Red Plutonian tribe, me and other superhumans can be called and be able to provide support at any time."

In other words, what Runcandel and the Vamel Alliance needed most was time.

[Jin, the speed at which they are moving is concerning. Whether they are remnants of the imperial family or someone with whom they have made deals, they must be individuals who know the Red Plutonian tribe well. They are supplying what the Red Plutonian tribe needs to regain their power: the blood of exceptional individuals and information about the surface.]

"Ms. Ameris, didn't you mention last time that the Red Plutonian tribe has a technology that can resurrect fallen warriors to fight again?"

[Yes, that's right. The Red Plutonian tribe creates a living weapon called the Undying arm, utilizing the illuminating hearts of fallen warriors. Why do you suddenly ask about it?]

An ominous thought came to Jin's mind.

"If it is true that they made a deal with remnants of the imperial family... The greatest price they could obtain from the Red Plutonian tribe is the technology to turn Temar's body into a weapon.'

Jin kept that thought to himself and shook his head.

"It's nothing. I just had a sudden thought. For now, I will return to my clan to review the deployment of forces. If there is any urgent matter that needs to be informed, please contact me."

"Understood, Young Master."

As Jin rode the Red Owl to the Garden of Swords, at that moment, the Red Plutonian tribe was opening dimensional portals above the human world's sky for an invasion. It is the sky above the land that is guarded by Dante, the Empire.

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[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]

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