Chapter 154
Remus, the Wolf Tribe’s chieftain and High Priest.
He was also the older brother of Romulus, the Wolf Tribe troublemaker who had guided Seo-jin to this place.
Their relationship was the opposite of the brothers from the original legend their names came from.
Seo-jin boldly asked Remus.
“Do you happen to know the legend passed down in your tribe?”
“Of course. Though it’s now regarded merely as legend.”
Remus narrowed his eyes as he looked at the strange being before him.
[A mysterious savior from beyond the heavens shall come, bearing a strange wolf mask.]
This legend wasn’t passed down only among the Wolf Tribe.
Similar legends existed among the other tribes waging endless war in this cramped underground tunnel.
Because of this, countless con artists had proclaimed themselves the savior from beyond over the past few hundred years, and many power seekers had created and worn masks.
But none of them had been the true savior.
Not one had ended the war or unified the tribes.
They had only plunged this underground world into greater chaos.
Would this being truly be different from them?
“If you know it, then this will be quick.”
“Perhaps. But first, we need to go through a verification process to confirm whether you are the savior from the legend. The gatekeepers told me you have the ability to produce large quantities of Spirit Stones from thin air?”
“That’s right.”
As Seo-jin nodded, Romulus, who was standing beside him, joined the conversation.
“That’s not all, brother. This person is incredibly strong. Strong enough to defeat me in one blow.”
Remus opened his eyes wide and asked back.
“You in one blow?”
Although Romulus was treated as a troublemaker within the tribe due to his immaturity, his combat sense and talent were in no way inferior to the greatest warriors in history.
To subdue him in one blow.
He seemed more than just a simple con artist wearing a wolf mask and strange clothes.
‘But that alone isn’t enough.’
He needed to show much more than that.
If the being before him was truly the savior, he needed to present not just strength and supernatural abilities, but a true ‘path’ that everyone could acknowledge and follow together.
He only hoped that at the end of that path, the long war would finally come to an end.
As if reading Remus’s thoughts, Seo-jin spoke.
“I have a way to end the long war of this underground world. Not through some blood-soaked method where the Wolf Tribe kills off all the other tribes.”
The meaning of savior differs depending on what each person thinks.
To Romulus, who worships strength, he shows subjugation through powerful force.
To the gatekeepers who have become materialistic and only chase immediate gain, he offers abundance through Spirit Stones.
To a ruler who wishes for the endless strife of the underground world to end, he presents a new path.
That is Seo-jin’s method of governing the natives of this underground world.
“…!”
Remus’s body trembled at Seo-jin’s words.
It was because, as if reading his mind, Seo-jin had given the answer he most wanted to hear.
Did this truly mean he was the savior? Or was it merely another supernatural ability to read others’ minds?
Remus tried to calm his heart and sent a suspicious look.
“There have been countless beings throughout history who said such things. With what will you prove that you are the savior?”
***
“Oh! Our savior!”
Tribe members prostrating and bowing before So-yul, who wore a squirrel mask.
“Ahaha…”
So-yul scratched her cheek as she looked at the tribe members who had formed a circle around her and were bowing repeatedly.
Before she knew it, So-yul had become a goddess revered by the Squirrel Tribe members.
This was because she had happened to see Squirrel Tribe natives being attacked by Cat Tribe natives and had chased them away by setting them on fire.
To them, So-yul, who had easily conjured fire and driven away foreign enemies, must have appeared as a savior incarnate.
So-yul shrugged her shoulders as she looked around the dwelling where the Squirrel Tribe members stayed.
‘The power gap between tribes seems quite significant.’
The Squirrel Tribe’s dwelling consisted of only four or five caves connected by small passages.
Like real squirrels, they had stockpiled food well in their storage, but they didn’t seem to have the strength to protect that food.
After all, they had just been in great crisis from the Cat Tribe’s attack.
The power difference was so great that they could be annihilated at any time if desired, but it seemed they were kept alive for periodic pillaging.
‘It would be difficult to lead these people to victory in this test.’
It would be better to quickly unite with other Reverse Heaven Society members and form some kind of alliance before the squirrel totem was taken.
In that case, her role would be to persuade the Squirrel Tribe members so the alliance could be formed well.
For this purpose, even if it was a bit embarrassing, the ‘savior’ position was appropriate, so she decided to maintain this situation for now.
That’s when it happened.
Clatter-.
A skeleton soldier appeared from beyond that cave.
“A, a skeleton?”
“Is it the evil Snake Tribe’s sorcery?”
The Squirrel Tribe members were startled and wary of the skeleton soldiers.
“Ah, don’t worry.”
Then So-yul stepped forward, calmed the tribe members, and spoke to the skeleton.
“Did Seo-jin send you?”
When So-yul acted familiar with it, the skeleton politely nodded its head.
“Ooh!“
“Our goddess!”
“To even control evil skeletons.”
When the skeleton showed respect to So-yul, the Squirrel Tribe members began worshipping So-yul even more.
So-yul felt her face heat up under the mask and said to the skeleton.
“…Good. Guide me to Seo-jin.”
Clatter-.
The skeleton soldier nodded and gestured for them to follow.
Before following the soldier, So-yul looked at the Squirrel Tribe members and made a request.
“Could one of you follow me? Preferably someone with decision-making authority who can represent the tribe, or someone close to that.”
***
In a corner of a cave.
A group of tribe members were shouting at a suspicious figure, not knowing what to do.
“Be, be careful with that! You thief!”
“Do, do you even know what that thing is?”
Nam-gung Cheon held an Anima Totem shaped like a mouse in his hand while threatening the tribe members.
“Just try coming closer! I’ll smash it to pieces! Bring out the person in charge!”
Nam-gung Cheon had used a very characteristic method of his own—stealing the Anima Totem instead of methods like knocking down the tribe members one by one.
At Nam-gung Cheon’s threat, an old man stepped forward and shouted.
“I, I am the tribe leader! Put that down right now!”
“Right, you! From now on, everyone does as I say!”
***
Meanwhile, unlike Nam-gung Cheon who was struggling to face off with the Mouse Tribe members,
Francesca was lying comfortably on a leather bed, receiving VIP treatment from the Cat Tribe members.
“Oh my, you failed to collect tribute from the squirrels?”
“Y, yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then go to the mice and collect it from them~”
“As, as you command!”
The tribe members blushed and moved hurriedly at Francesca’s command.
Like this, Francesca was in a situation where she reigned over the Cat Tribe members by charming them with her beauty.
The other members were also gaining control over each tribe through their own methods.
Austin, similar to Francesca, had secured a high position by charming tribe members with his outstanding eloquence and Spirit Arts.
Se-yeon and Siegfried had ordinarily proven their strength by competing with tribe members.
Nam-gung Rin had taken control of her tribe using excellent Taoist Arts and Soul Absorption Technique.
And before such people, skeletons or Tam fragments appeared one by one.
***
“Somehow we’ve all gathered.”
Reverse Heaven Society members assembled in one place after being scattered for three days.
Seo-jin looked around at the animal masks each member was wearing.
Seo-jin himself wore a wolf, So-yul a squirrel.
Nam-gung Cheon wore a mouse, Francesca a cat.
Se-yeon wore a hedgehog, Nam-gung Rin a fox.
Austin wore a monkey, Siegfried a pangolin.
Looking at it this way, the animal masks assigned to each person didn’t seem to be assigned completely randomly.
Perhaps they corresponded to each person’s tendencies or image.
“Everyone seems to have received their masks properly. They seem to suit your images.”
Then Nam-gung Cheon frowned and asked.
“…You’re saying I suit a mouse? Me?”
“Yeah, you damn rat.”
Seo-jin answered playfully.
What other animal image could suit a thief better than a mouse?
“Then what about her?”
When Nam-gung Cheon pointed at Francesca, Seo-jin readily nodded and answered.
“She’s also a cat burglar. It suits her well.”
The way they bicker with each other daily and everything else fit perfectly with mice and cats.
Like Nam-gung Cheon, Austin and Se-yeon didn’t look particularly pleased either.
“That I’m a monkey, hmm, it’s not very pleasant.”
“…Hedgehog.”
Monkey was an animal that suited Austin well, who was always hitting on beautiful women, but he didn’t voice such sentiments.
Se-yeon had a serious expression, perhaps remembering the advice she had received from Talis in the past.
On the other hand, So-yul and Nam-gung Rin looked quite pleased.
“Hehe, am I a bit like a squirrel?”
“Yeah, the way you’re always nibbling on snacks seems similar to a squirrel carrying around acorns.”
“Huh? What does that…”
She thought it meant she was cute, but this way she was no different from a pig.
Clap-.
“Enough chatter. I’ll convey the plan of action going forward.”
Seo-jin clapped his hands to focus attention and got to the main point.
First, the primary goal was for each person to secure a solid position within their tribe and gain control over the tribe.
The second goal was to form an alliance through this.
Over the past three days, most members had gained control within their respective tribes, but it wasn’t quite perfect.
Also, since there were deep emotional rifts between the Wolf and Monkey, Cat and Squirrel, and Mouse tribes, forming an alliance wouldn’t be easy either.
But for the smooth progress of the quest, it was necessary to form an alliance.
“I spoke grandly, but it’s not such a special direction. The Strategy Team is probably proceeding in a similar manner.”
“That’s… true.”
Rather than leading each tribe to fight independently, it would be easier to unite as one force and finish off the opposition.
Although it would be difficult to integrate tribe members with deep emotional rifts, there was room for persuasion.
Rather than fighting divided like this for thousands and thousands of years, if they formed an alliance this time and fought to win, defeating half the opposing tribes, the resource situation would become much more comfortable.
‘The war of all against all.’
The natives must have been sick of this situation too.
They simply hadn’t formed alliances until now because they couldn’t trust other tribes.
If they made an alliance and were betrayed, resulting in their totem being destroyed, damage close to tribal extinction would follow.
If outsiders like us became intermediaries, forming an alliance would be quick.
After all, the interests align.
However,
“The most important thing is the totems. Alliance formation and victory in battle are processes, not objectives. We mustn’t overlook this.”
Seo-jin reminded the members of the true purpose of this test so they wouldn’t get absorbed in the process called battle.
What mattered were the totems.
The totems that symbolized each tribe while possessing the ability to revive the dead.
So-yul said confidently.
“Yes, we must definitely protect our side’s totems, right? And we need to destroy the enemy’s.”
Her words were sound theory, but Seo-jin firmly shook his head.
“No, it’s a bit different.”
It was correct that they needed to protect their allies’ totems, but they must not destroy the enemy’s totems.
All tribes’ totems had to remain intact without being destroyed.
This test was that kind of test.
