Chapter 182
The bones of Asgard flew through the sky.
Bellen rode behind my head, and the rest of us climbed onto the spine. We were all wearing the newest wolf armor.
Although the leg and rib bones had disappeared because they were used to forge armor and weapons, there was no issue with flight. They were remains imbued with the guardian spirit of the wolf form, after all.
The Tuji brothers had become berserkers as well, and unlike the previous seven, they had mastered all the techniques of the information unit. Thanks to magic power, they now far surpassed the information unit.
Also, the Tuji brothers were equipped with spirit bows just like the one Lok had. Since their magic power was substantial, the spirit of the bow accepted the brothers.
And everyone wore a special glove on their left hand. Each member had a wind spirit on their left hand, which powerfully unleashed magic power—these gloves served as the activation device for that spirit.
The two Dran craftsmen had designed it, making holes in the glove's base for a magic power amplification device and tiny jets. The thrust had become so strong that our leaps were now twice as high.
"Young master! Over there! That's where I lived!"
"Descend!"
"Yes!"
The enormous bones of Asgard headed toward a western tributary of the eastern mountain range. Far to the south from the equator, it was a region where a great sea of jungle unfolded.
If it was where Bellen and Lok had lived, it would be the Kallaga fortress. Originally built by southern Dran, it likely now served as the fortress of the Tak Great Tribe.
Once Asgard's bones settled atop a rocky outcrop, everyone dismounted. I summoned a bronze knight with an orange gem set in it to check our bearings—it was quite close.
"It seems they're in the fortress."
"Looks like the leader of the Tak tribe has the stone, doesn't it?"
"That's possible. With the authority of the stone of the gods, they may have conquered the whole area."
Cloaked by the endless forest, we couldn't see anything from here. The Kallaga fortress would be under that forest, along with the Tak Great Tribe that ruled the land.
Within that fortress lived Elin who had survived as slaves to the Tak tribe for ages. Bellen and Lok were born and raised there until Wundbark rescued them.
"Since we're here, shall we rescue the Elin?"
"Let's do it. It might have been difficult before, but it's possible now. We can't save them all, but even rescuing some will let them live on their own near our new territory."
The team agreed.
There was nothing more to think over.
The Elin alone were a military asset.
"Everyone, get back on! Bronze knight, climb onto the bones too!"
We all boarded Asgard again. Asgard soon glided toward the southern forest. It seemed the Tak tribe was surprised at the sight, as arrows started flying at us.
As the vast forest stretched out below, we found ourselves above an open area free of trees. That was the place Bellen mentioned. Kallaga fortress should be nearby.
Asgard skimmed right over the treetops and headed due south. After a short flight, we spotted a fortress below—situated on a clearing without any forest around.
"There's a stone of the gods in that fortress!"
"Bellen! Take us down to that fortress!"
"Hold tight, everyone!"
Asgard plunged rapidly toward the fortress. The fortress was huge, and we could see Tak warriors pouring out from inside.
Asgard folded its wings and dove into the forest, skillfully avoiding the massive trees as it descended.
Soon, we touched down atop the fortress.
"Bronze knight, find the stone of the gods! Bellen, drop us off and circle around!"
"Understood."
Everyone jumped off.
Asgard soared upward immediately. The bronze knight quickly fixed its bearings.
Tak warriors charged inside the broken fortress walls, shouting all the while. Some immediately hurled axes at us.
CLANG-tang!—
We followed the bronze knight, deflecting the axes in midair as we walked. There were already hundreds of Tak warriors gathering.
"Namuh llik!"
"Woorah!"
Tak warriors rushed at us en masse.
In that instant, Donnie unleashed a horizontal sword line. Dozens of charging warriors were instantly cut in half and tumbled away.
The once-fearless Tak warriors were wide-eyed in shock. It lasted only a moment, and soon more surged forward in a pack.
The team easily knocked aside the attacking Tak warriors as they advanced. The Tuji brothers' Arrows of Light pierced through three or four warriors at a time.
But the bronze knight, moving toward the center, suddenly changed direction. It meant the stone of the gods was moving.
I looked that way.
Warriors with huge axes were moving west. Among them, I spotted one with an elaborate feathered headdress.
"Get the one with the feathers!"
We broke through the blocking warriors, bashing and knocking them aside to carve a path. The warrior with the feathers was surely the chieftain; all the others were mounting a defense around him.
Then, from a distance, we heard a loud blaring sound. At that signal, the warriors blocking us suddenly scattered from our path, frantically retreating.
"Something's coming!"
When I looked up, I was startled.
Suddenly, massive boulders began falling from the air above the forest—straight at us.
"Dodge!"
CRASH!
BOOM-CRASH!
Three enormous boulders landed exactly where we'd just been, smashing into the ground. It wasn't over yet.
Blare—
Again, the horn sounded. This time, a boulder the size of a house dropped straight down toward us.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—
Everyone used their left hand to blast out magic power and quickly moved from the spot. The instant we cleared the area, the boulder hit.
CRASH—the rock shattered the fortress floor, sending fragments flying everywhere. They didn't care whether their own were crushed under the stones.
"To the ramparts!"
Once again, we soared upward with jets of magic power and landed atop the fortress walls in an instant. The chieftain was summoning boulders and dropping them as he escaped the fortress.
"More incoming!"
BOOM—
Another rock fell, breaking and crumbling part of the ramparts. This was the authority of the stone of the gods.
Summoning massive boulders!
"Tuji!"
The moment I spoke, the brothers took position and loosed Arrows of Light. The arrows flew straight and struck the retreating chieftain in the back of the head in succession.
We jumped from the wall and rushed toward the fallen chieftain. The guards tried to block us, but it was pointless. Even a single member of our team was enough.
CLANG—CRUNCH-CRACK—
The Tak warriors were knocked away, split apart, and thrown out, blood spraying everywhere with just one Whirlwind.
Quickly, I rolled over the fallen chieftain's body.
He had the stone of the gods.
An orange stone embedded in a staff.
I snatched up the staff and touched the stone first. Light flared out, but there was no other change. The power of darkness was absent in this place.
But I understood its authority right away.
There, on a mountainside in the distance, were boulders. I gestured toward them and then pointed at the front of the fortress.
At that moment! All the boulders on the mountain rose at once. Then, arcing through the air, they plunged down toward the fortress.
CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!
Over twenty massive boulders struck the ground simultaneously, sending hundreds of Tak warriors flying in every direction.
Even the fortress walls crumbled as a huge cloud of dust rose. That was when the Tak warriors lost their fighting spirit. I was pointing at the mountain of rocks.
Was it this powerful?
It seemed as if instead of rocks, you could rip up buildings and send them flying. Wipe out a whole family line just like that.
"Everyone, get down!"
Donnie's shout rang out.
Most of the enemy warriors were already kneeling on one knee, signaling their surrender.
To these warriors, the stone of the gods symbolized the chieftain's prestige. They may have believed only the chieftain could use such magic. It meant they recognized us.
Moreover, unlike the previous chieftain, I had raised more than just half a dozen boulders—in my case, twenty or so. Thanks to the primordial strength, though the Tak warriors couldn't possibly know that.
"Bellen! Are there Elin to the south?"
—Yes! In the clearing without trees!
I immediately walked south.
After passing through the half-collapsed south gate, we kept walking until we came to a place surrounded by a tall wooden palisade.
We each easily leaped over the fence.
It was a gigantic farm.
From above, it was the spot without forest.
Elin stood there, emaciated and frail. There were many sick among them. Most were men and elderly; there were no young Elin women in sight.
How could it be this pitiful?
At least feed your laborers something.
As we approached, the Elin gathered, their characteristic expressionless faces watching us. There were about 200 in total.
Bellen, curious too, landed Asgard in the large field and ran over. Tears filled her eyes. The shock must be especially great for Bellen.
"Will anyone explain as a representative?"
No one among them stepped forward. Then, Bellen approached an old man. She quietly took his hand and gently led him toward us.
"It's okay now. Our young master will take you to a better place to live."
At those words, joy and emotion welled up in the Elin's faces. They didn't get visibly emotional—the closest they came was to look on the verge of tears.
"Where are the other Elin?"
Finally, the old man spoke.
"They're in the fortress."
"What about the Dran?"
"Yes, them as well."
I looked at my team.
"Bring them all."
As my comrades moved, a few Elin offered to guide the way. Since we hadn't destroyed the fortress, neither Elin nor Dran should have been killed.
A little while later, about forty Elin women and eighteen Dran entered through the fence—all those who had been inside the fortress. Thankfully, none were hurt.
"Is this the strongest tribe?"
The old man nodded.
"They are the largest tribe in this region."
"Are there bigger tribes?"
"To the south, there is a tribe even larger than these. This tribe and that one are still at war."
That explained why all the crops had been hauled off as war rations, leaving nothing for the slaves to eat. The little that remained went to the livestock.
Perhaps Aindel's Elin saw humans similarly to how we see the Tak. The wars themselves were ultimately incomprehensible to us.
I opened the magic storage.
There were dark knights inside, but there was more than enough room for everyone here.
"Everyone, please enter this gate of light. You'll be transported to where we live and let out there."
Bellen supported the old man as she guided him to the gate of light.
And so, all the Elin and Dran from the farm entered the magic storage.
I planned to settle these Elin in the northern part of the new territory. Once they recovered their health, they'd be helpful in many ways. There are still many spirit weapons left, too.
We boarded Asgard again and headed straight north. Only then did the many Tak warriors rise, staring at us as we took off.
///
Back at the mansion.
I sipped coffee and looked out the window.
The stone of the gods kept weighing on my mind.
The Grand Duke had three stones of the gods, but I had no idea what authority they contained. I doubted he'd use them carelessly, but they were extremely dangerous nonetheless.
If both sides used the power in the stones of the gods, it'd be mutual destruction. At this rate, these sacred objects, instead of ruling the world, could destroy it.
Wasn't there some way around it?
I took out all the stones of the gods from the magic pouch. Laying them on the table, I examined them.
Strangely, I felt as if something had been cut off.
Osu's tree was completely unresponsive.
Why was this?
On a hunch, I picked up the orange stone and pointed at the table. The table didn't budge. I tried gesturing at the rock outside the window—same result.
The authority was gone. I'd only removed the orange stone from the staff and put it in the magic pouch. The other two stones seemed the same. Even touching them produced no light.
I stared at the three stones for a moment.
Had someone placed a seal on the stone of the gods?
If not a god, then who could...
"Ah!"
Suddenly, it hit me.
Something the old man on the island had said long ago.
"When three come together, the door closes."
"When all are together, the door opens."
Back then, those words had made no sense, but he'd meant these three stones. When I put the orange stone in the magic pouch, the three gathered and the seal activated.
It truly must be a door. Like my necklace, the stone of the gods communicates with another plane. Through it, the power of the gods is linked. If the door closes, the connection is severed.
Even though the Grand Duke has three stones, he can't use them with the seal in place. That must've been the case since ancient times, ever since the three were first brought together.
If there's no record of this in the Grand Duke's family, then he'd have no way to lift the seal. Possibly, he doesn't even know the authority within the stones.
When three are gathered, the door closes.
The closed door can only be opened when all are present.
No one else can know this secret. Only then will people not dare use the stones of the gods to tamper with the world. That is the balance the old man spoke of.
But how did that old man know?
And why did he tell us?