Chapter 56: Perfect Time
Seeing Clay slam the unconscious body of his son, Bufolk, the Warchief’s voice exploded from the other side of the dimensional crack, no longer carrying any restraint, no longer holding onto any semblance of composure that a leader should have. It was no longer the voice of a Warchief speaking to an enemy. It was the voice of a father whose heart had been crushed again and again in the span of a few breaths.
"I agreed to your request! I agreed to your request! I, the Warchief of the Bersuka Tribe, have already spoken the oath! We will leave your lands! We will not take a single life from your kingdom! Why... why are you still hurting my son!?"
His voice cracked in the middle, but he did not stop. He could not stop. Rage and grief twisted together, turning his words into something that sounded more like a howl than speech.
"You said you would release him! You said you would let him go! Do you think the oath of the Bersuka Tribe is a joke!? Do you think we are liars!? Do you think we break our words like weaklings!?"
The pressure coming from his voice alone caused the very air around the dimensional crack to tremble, the space bending as if it could not endure the force behind his emotions, and even the soldiers below who could not see him felt their knees weaken as though a mountain had been placed on their backs.
"You human! You insect! You dare play with me like this!? You dare use my son like a toy!? I gave you my word! I bent my pride! I agreed to leave! And yet you still... you still dare to harm him in front of me!?"
His voice rose higher and higher until it felt like the sky itself would split open.
"Do you want to push the Bersuka Tribe to extinction with you!? Do you want to drag your entire race into ruin!? Do you want to provoke a war that will wipe out every living thing in your kingdom!? Answer me! Answer me!"
Below the crack, Clay tilted his head slightly, his expression calm, almost bored, as if he was listening to nothing more than noise carried by the wind.
Then suddenly, his face twisted.
"Huh?"
His voice came out sharp and filled with disbelief.
"You really think I would believe you that easily?"
The words fell heavy.
"You think I’m that stupid?"
His eyes narrowed as he stared at the crack, he smirked.
This bastard was too obvious. His actions screamed that something was off.
It was way too easy. Even if I didn’t know what was happening, I’d still doubt him. After all, this guy. He agreed too fast to take his oath.
Is the current Warchief of the Bersuka tribe really this much of a fool? How did he become their chief?
He paused for a moment, his brows furrowing as he acted like he was replaying everything in his head, every word, every reaction, every movement from the moment the Warchief appeared.
Then suddenly, his eyes widened. As if he figure out something, not because he already knew.
"Ah."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"You know."
His grip on Bufolk’s leg tightened.
"The beasts."
His voice became cold.
"You did something to them, didn’t you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the Warchief froze.
Even though he said nothing, even though no answer came, that brief silence was enough.
Clay’s smile grew wider.
"I knew it."
Without another word, he suddenly swung Bufolk’s body.
Bang!
The unconscious body smashed against the ground with terrifying force, the impact cracking the earth open like a spider web, dust bursting into the air.
"Stop! STOP! STOP!"
The Warchief’s scream came instantly, filled with panic.
But Clay did not stop.
He lifted Bufolk again and slammed him to the other side.
Boom!
The ground shook violently.
"YOU BASTARD! STOP! STOP HURTING HIM! I’LL DO ANYTHING! I’LL DO ANYTHING!"
The Warchief’s voice broke completely now, his earlier authority gone, replaced with desperation that clawed through every word he spoke.
But Clay only laughed.
"Anything?"
Bang!
He slammed Bufolk again, harder this time.
The body bounced against the ground like a ragdoll, dust and debris scattering everywhere.
"YOU SAID YOU WOULD STOP! YOU SAID YOU WOULD RELEASE HIM!"
Boom!
Another slam.
"YOU LIAR! YOU FILTHY LIAR! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU A THOUSAND TIMES!"
Bang!
Again. Again. Again.
Each time louder.
Each time heavier.
Each time accompanied by the Warchief’s screams that grew more broken, more frantic, more desperate, as if each impact was landing directly on his own body instead of his son’s.
The soldiers watching could no longer even breathe properly.
Their hearts pounded wildly in their chests.
Some of them turned pale.
Some of them trembled.
Some of them could not even look anymore.
Especially Borzoi, he was utterly stunned.
This... this is too much...
That’s the son of a Warchief...
And he’s being treated like this...
But Clay did not care.
He smiled as he continued.
"And you thought I would just let you go?"
Bang!
"You thought I would just trust you?"
Boom!
"You thought I wouldn’t figure it out?"
Crack!
The ground beneath them was already filled with craters.
The once solid earth now looked like it had been torn apart by a raging storm.
Finally, Clay stopped.
He stood there, breathing calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Then, without any warning, he threw Bufolk’s body high into the air.
The unconscious figure spun helplessly, limbs flailing as gravity pulled him back down.
Clay raised his hand.
Light gathered.
Blinding.
Terrifying.
Pure.
Enough playing.
Time to end this.
His eyes turned cold.
Become my slave!
The light in his hand grew brighter and brighter, the air around him trembling under the pressure of the power he was about to release.
Then—
Bang!
The beam shot upward.
It pierced through Bufolk’s falling body.
For a moment, everything froze.
Then—
Boom!
The body exploded into countless fragments, turning into nothing but dust that scattered in the air.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Clay lowered his hand slowly.
His gaze lifted to the dimensional crack.
"Come."
His voice was calm, but the fury behind it was clear.
"Come here."
Meanwhile, far away, in another continent, inside a massive hall filled with towering figures and ancient totems, the Warchief of the Bersuka Tribe stood frozen.
For a single moment, he said nothing.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
His scream shook the entire hall.
His body trembled violently.
His eyes turned bloodshot.
"I WILL COME MYSELF!"
He took a step forward.
But the moment he did—
A barrier appeared.
The totem behind him glowed.
A force pushed him back.
He slammed against it.
His eyes widened.
"No... no... no...!"
He tried again.
Boom!
The invisible force blocked him.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each time, he was pushed back.
Each time, the totem glowed brighter.
"Damn it! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"
His fists slammed against the barrier.
"I CAN’T GO! I CAN’T GO THERE!"
His voice cracked again, this time filled with helplessness.
"I CAN’T...!"
He fell to his knees.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
The rules...
The damn rules...
He clenched his fists tightly.
"There’s... there’s only one way..."
Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, Clay stood there, staring at the crack.
"Why aren’t you coming?"
His voice was filled with impatience.
"I just killed your son."
"Are you not coming to take revenge?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, the voice came again.
"I cannot come there myself."
Clay frowned.
"Huh?"
"But..."
The voice continued.
"If you truly want to face me..."
A pause.
"You can challenge me in a Nullgora."
Clay blinked.
Nullgora?
The word echoed in his mind.
For a moment, he said nothing.
But inside, he was extremely extremely... excited.
Even the words thrilled was not enough to describe it.
This...
This is it.
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
His lips curled slightly.
But his face remained confused. Acting like he didn’t know.
"What is that?"