Chapter 86: Ouroboros (2)
Hansoo made a surprised expression at Miyamoto who was standing next to a tree.
‘A lot of skills... and high mastery levels.’
He was quite formidable for rolling around the ground for 20 years.
And it seemed like he was quite talented as well.
If he had chosen to go up instead of staying here then he would’ve gotten quite famous.
Miyamoto looked at that Hansoo and then spoke.
“Are you really going to fight with that thing? For What? The Reward?”
Miyamoto then looked at the Ouroboros that was wrapped around the giant World Tree’s trunk.
A phenomenal size.
If one said that they weren’t afraid after looking at that thing which seemed like it depicted a beast from a myth then they would probably be lying.
Hansoo gazed at that Miyamoto and then spoke out.
“You can say it honestly. That you don’t want to fight.”
“...”
Miyamoto’s eyes danced about at Hansoo’s direct words.
‘...What is he thinking?’
Why did he suddenly say this to him.
Miyamoto was shocked at the sudden words of Hansoo but he just shrugged his shoulders and spoke.
“What are you talking about. I said I’ll fight with you.”
And when he was just about to add some extra words a chaotic noise was heard from before.
Miyamoto squinted his eyes as he looked at the origin of the sound.
Though they were quite a distance away from the World Tree, it wasn’t hard for Hansoo to know at his level.
‘It started.’
Miyamoto looked at the fight in the distance and then spoke towards Hansoo casually.
“It seems like a fight broke out. It could only be so when they tried to gather a large amount of people in such a short amount of time.”
Miyamoto looked at Hansoo’s reactions while he spoke.
If there was a meaning to the hostages then it would be simple.
He just needed to take the hostages and cross the lake.
Then Hansoo wouldn’t be able to do anything then.
But if the hostages had no meaning then it would become a little bit troublesome.
Since he would then need to look for an opening while fighting with the Ouroboros.
Of course the former was much more comfortable.
Since the latter meant that he would need to fight with the Ouroboros.
‘Let’s see.’
Miyamoto looked at Hansoo who seemed to have gotten interested in the fight in the distance.
..........................................
‘Hmm.’
Hansoo compared the two sides.
Though it was quite a distance away, it wasn’t something that Hansoo, whose ability was amplified by the relics and could utilize the powers of the World Tree to a degree, could not see.
After looking around for a bit, both sides had quite an amount of familiar faces.
One side had Mihee and Sangjin.
The other side was familiar because of a different reason.
‘...Dark Mad Lord?’
Hansoo clicked his tongue.
Since he knew what had happened.
‘They revived him with the Cross huh.’
But Hansoo shook his head.
Since that wasn’t the important part.
‘There are too many familiar faces.’
Everyone who he had known once upon a time had gathered.
It didn’t make any sense for all those guys to meet by a chance.
And they were all in life endangering situations.
‘Some bastard collected them huh. It seems like they’ll all die if I don’t do anything.’
The attacking side was also attacking while throwing their lives on the line.
It seems like they were going to take in hostages and make him take care of the parasites.
They were trying in order to find his weakness but there were too many people who could be suspects.
It could be Miyamoto behind him, one of the Six Pillars or even one of the 12 Roots.
People who had the ability to go through the mirror at this moment but could not because of himself.
People who wanted to at least save their own body.
Hansoo sighed inwardly
‘It’s quite a chaotic situation.’
He was the only person who wanted to kill the Ouroboros.
The others were trying their best in order to find a hole they can escape through.
‘They’re probably doing so because they think that they can escape.’
It seemed like him having closed off the exit with the parasites didn’t quite seem closed off to them.
They were now coming out too directly.
They think that that’ll be that if they didn’t get caught but it wasn’t like that in Hansoo’s situation.
‘I do understand.’
The only people who lived were those at the Purple Zone.
Since everyone weaker than that had been wiped off.
So even if these people went up from here, they could only live for about 5 more years.
But he understood their actions since they didn’t know those facts.
And they might still try to escape even if they knew.
They might die right away in the fight against the Ouroboros and the parasites but if they escape then they might be able to live another 3 or 4 more years.
About a billion people here would die off but what did that matter in their perspective.
‘But this is it.’
He hadn’t entirely closed the Mirror just in case he also failed.
Since he wouldn’t be able to open the dimensional door until he completely recovers the World Tree.
And he thought that would be enough but apparently not for the others.
They were constantly trying to grasp ahold of his ankles.
‘There’s nothing I can do since you and I think differently.’
If those guys and Miyamoto actually do succeed in escaping then even he wouldn’t be able to kill the Ouroboros.
They could only clash since their goals were different.
Hansoo started to organize the five relics around his body.
Kiiiing.
The Mana code within the relics started to move onto Hansoo.
The cross which symbolized the Administrator on Hansoo’s forehead started to shine.
Hansoo then put his hand on the World Tree and then spoke to Miyamoto.
“Miyamoto. Could you send a message? To the others?”
“What?”
“There won’t be a solution if we don’t kill other things other than the Ouroboros at this time.”
“...What are you trying to do?”
Miyamoto spoke with uneasiness while looking at the cross symbol shining on Hansoo’s forehead.
Hansoo smiled as he heard Miyamoto’s answer and spoke.
“Just because. I feel as if there’s a need for us to become closer.”
Hansoo finished his thoughts and then sent an order down the World Tree.
The mana code which flared down the World Tree reached a very deep location beneath the lake.
The location where the mana which turned the Lake into the Dimensional Portal once a month gathered.
And soon the mana within that place shattered as it dispersed.
Now that Mirror wouldn’t be able to turn into the MIrror.
Not until the World Tree was completely recovered.
‘But this isn’t enough.’
Why would they believe him if he just said that the door was closed.
There was a need for the people to realize it a bit more clearly.
The current situation that is.
Hansoo sent down an extra order.
And soon a change occurred.
...........................................
‘They fight well.’
He had thought that these guys would get swept off in an instant but they were holding on quite well.
Jukma made an amused expression as he looked at the newcomers fighting valiantly in the distance.
Watching a fight was always interesting but the best thing out of those was watching newbies fighting each other.
These fights seemed rather cute after the battle he had seen between Hansoo and the strange Demonic thing.
‘There’s a few that stand out even there. Shall I try to rope them in if they survive.’
Jukma checked out a few people.
It didn’t matter what they had.
They could just give things to them.
The important part was how much of the thing they had could they push out to the limit and use.
That was talent.
‘There probably isn’t anyone like Hansoo but... There’s nothing bad about roping them in’
There wasn’t a need for all of them to die.
Since the important thing was checking to see if Hansoo reacted in times of danger.
Kugugugugu
“What is it?”
Jukma, who had been looking at Miyamoto and Hansoo’s reactions up above frowned at the sudden vibration.
‘Is the Ouroboros moving?’
That was the only possibility for a vibration of this level.
Jukma quickly looked at the middle of the Lake where the tail of the Ouroboros was stuck onto.
He then doubted his senses that he had never done before until now.
Since a scene that definitely could not happen was happening.
Chuuuuruk
The volume of the lake was viciously decreasing.
The bottom of the Lake, which was filled with parasites, cracked apart as the waters that filled up the lake drained out.
The parasites were shocked at the ground suddenly getting cracked and were dodging here and there.
There was only 1 thing that came up in this head.
‘What just happened?’
Many thoughts clashed with each other in Jukma’s head.
‘Why did this suddenly happen? Could we still get out even if the lake dried out? The tunnel might open in a different way...’
But the worst situation slowly started to get drawn up in Jukma’s head.
And a red carrier pigeon flew towards that Jukma.
‘Miyamoto’s carrier pigeon.’
The red carrier pigeon, which was usually laid back as if it was depicting Miyamoto’s psyche, rushed towards them.
No, it didn’t only come to Jukma.
The red carrier pigeons were flying towards the other five pillars and 12 roots in the distance as well.
He would’ve applauded Miyamoto’s ability to control the red carrier pigeon which was harder to handle than the blue ones but the message within the carrier pigeon filled his head with rage instantly.
“This crazy bastard...”
.............................................
‘They’re coming.’
Hansoo saw the enraged clansmen flying towards him from afar and moved his head.
And below Hansoo’s feet, Miyamoto was holding onto his stomach and gasping for air.
“Kuha... What have you done...”
A monkey would’ve known as well.
As for why the lake below had dried out.
They realized another thing at the same time.
That all the safe escape routes had disappeared now.
Miyamoto’s sanity froze up at that moment.
He didn’t worry that much despite the exit being closed up with the parasites.
Others might not be able to get out but he thought that he would at least be able to get out.
But the story changed if this happened.
He really needed to fight with this life on the line.
Miyamoto, whose fort which he had guarded for 20 years had fallen down, couldn’t maintain his mask anymore and then charged towards Hansoo.
And this was the result.
‘Well. He probably thought that there wasn’t a need to maintain it anymore too.’
Hansoo mumbled as he looked at Miyamoto.
If he didn’t have the relics then he wouldn’t be able to beat Miyamoto.
Nurmaha’s ring, Demonic Dragon’s Reinforcement and Thousand Army Soldiers were amazing artifacts but there was a limit to closing the 20 year gap with those things.
The problem was that he had the relics.
While Hansoo was looking at Miyamoto who had charged at him and had gotten beaten up, hundreds of clansmen had flown into his location.
Everyone were important people from the Six Pillars and the Twelve Roots.
The clansmen who had rushed up with rage, flinched as they saw Miyamoto laid out on the ground.
Since there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know the face of the Seven Departed Souls who had acted as the king in this place for 20 years.
Miyamoto, who stumbled up, looked at Hansoo and shouted.
“You crazy bastard... What are you thinking. You. Don’t you know that you’ll get stabbed in the back if you act like a tyrant?”
No matter how strong they were, it was better to make as least amount of enemies as they can.
People who were pushed down under from strength will always look for opportunities.
He didn’t know what would happen from now on no matter how strong he was but for him to come out like this.
Hansoo made an amused expression as he spoke.
“You can calculate that after we finish. The important thing is that now you guys need me in order to live and go up from here. It’s a win-win since I need you too right?”
“...”
“And I don’t know who of the 18 friends it is but you should stop the thing going on below. It’s a nuisance.”
This was the Maginot Line*.
It was better to use a different method if they continue to grab onto his ankles.
Even if he were to organize the people in front of them.
‘I should visit Sangjin.’
While Hansoo was thinking of these things, Miyamoto grinded his teeth inwardly.
‘That relic. If only I can take those relics...’
Then that guy wouldn’t even be his opponent.
No, he might even be able to revive the Dimensional Door.
Miyamoto stared at the five blindingly bright relics shining around Hansoo’s body.
Translator’s note
To those who don’t know much about history, or not really about WW2 in general, the Maginot Line is : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line
I decided to just give you a wiki page since I was too lazy to search things up and wanted to use this precious time to TL more for you peeps❤.
TL;DR, click link if you don’t know what Maginot Line is.