TOMWDET Chapter 188.1

Battle for Rota County (1.2)

 

The intelligence that Ergonikin had been attacked and quickly surrendered didn’t take long to reach Clemens’ ears.

 

A Beast Tribe messenger knelt respectfully before Clemens, who was in human form. The monster beast lowered its head, speaking in a humble manner. “Ergonikin was breached by the Water Tribe yesterday.”

 

“Water Tribe Ruler Leia Somorfeld personally led the troops. Among the accompanying forces were the already captured Elvi Bessemer and Lord Bartholomew Christian.”

 

“Is that so?” Clemens’ emotionless voice responded. In his human form, he didn’t look as strange as when he was a [tiger], but around his body still lingered those seemingly indestructible black elemental bands.

 

“Thank you for reporting this information.”

 

The king spoke in what seemed a courteous and polite manner. “However, what do you think is the reason Leia chose to attack Ergonikin at this particular time?”

 

Cold sweat instantly flowed down the Beast Tribe messenger’s face.

 

But there wasn’t much time for him to struggle. Faced with the Beast King’s question, he could only choose to answer.

 

“I… I don’t know how to express the thoughts in my heart…”

 

“I permit you to speak all your thoughts without deliberately organizing your language.” Clemens was like a guide.

 

“Yes…”

 

The Beast Tribe messenger gritted his teeth and said, “That human who fought against Your Majesty before has considerable strength, and if it were just him alone, he probably wouldn’t have the courage to participate in the Beast Tribe’s attack on the Winged Tribe.”

 

“Since he appeared, perhaps… maybe behind him stands Leia Somorfeld.”

 

Clemens wore a fearsome smile on his face. Sitting on the throne in the Winged Tribe Queen’s palace, he lightly raised his eyelids, and those dark elemental bands spontaneously formed an absolute suppression against others who also possessed elemental power.

 

The Beast Tribe messenger prostrated on the ground. Only then did Clemens speak with a straight mouth, “Everything you said is correct. Whether Ergonikin was breached or not isn’t important. The real threat isn’t Leia Somorfeld either, but that human of unknown origin.”

 

“The human and the mermaid formed a cooperation. After the former learned of my intelligence about attacking the Winged Tribe, he immediately informed the mermaid. With such a powerful human collaborator, it’s not strange that Elvi Bessemer and Bartholomew were both captured by the Water Tribe.”

 

“Rather than bringing monster beasts to support the already destroyed Winged Tribe, choosing to attack the Beast Tribe’s rear would be easier to extend the battle line and create containment… right?”

 

Clemens was just talking to himself. He didn’t need an answer, but the Beast Tribe messenger, who urgently needed to flatter to stabilize his anxious heart, immediately said, “That kind of mermaid who lacks the power to face Your Majesty directly can only mess around with these conspiracies and tricks.”

 

“Is that so? In your view, the mermaid’s actions are just so-called conspiracies and tricks that need to be looked down upon?” Clemens, who had been quietly thinking, shifted his gaze from the void to the Beast Tribe messenger.

 

One of the elemental bands, as if controlled by its master’s consciousness, in the blink of an eye, pressed the Beast Tribe messenger directly into it.

 

Blood flowed silently, bones twisted yet made no sound – the scene inexplicably revealed a horrifying meaning.

 

This time, the Beast Tribe messenger was no longer kneeling on the ground, but had directly sunk into the ground, his life or death unknown.

 

Clemens withdrew his gaze. For such cheap tools that could be replaced at any time, even if damaged, the Beast King wouldn’t feel any heartache.

 

“…The attack on Ergonikin was so crude, it seems that mermaid had never thought before that the Beast Tribe’s rear cities had no obvious defensive forces.”

 

“Suddenly attacking Ergonikin was tantamount to alerting the enemy. Since they’ve already alerted the enemy, rather than leaving the Water Tribe army in Ergonikin, which is itself a Beast Tribe city, it would be better to directly attack other cities in a short time, waiting for the Winged Tribe to clean up the aftermath and rise again, then unite with the Water Tribe to surround the Beast Tribe… right?”

 

Clemens walked down from the throne.

 

His footsteps echoed continuously inside the palace. They sounded nothing like those of an existence as powerful as a monster.

 

And the Beast Tribe messenger who had delivered information to him completely stopped breathing when Clemens passed by his side.

 

Previously, the Beast Tribe messenger still had a breath left. He could clearly feel his blood flowing from his body, his body getting colder and colder, until those footsteps like death’s bell were still ringing in his ears…

 

All the scenes before his eyes also shattered and disappeared.

 

At the main entrance of the Winged Tribe Queen’s palace, countless Beast Tribe forces formed arrays. The first words Clemens spoke after walking out of the gorgeous palace were: “Order the high-mobility monster beast units to form separate teams, organize the first main force, and attack——“

 

“Rota County.”

 

Did the mermaid think that pulling at the rear would make the Beast Tribe face enemies from both front and back?

 

However, for Clemens, let alone one Ergonikin, even ten would be meaningless.

 

Compared to that mermaid, Clemens cared more about the human who could make him bleed…

 

That human seemed to be the one with pure human blood who had been targeted by the giant dragon as a breeding tool…

 

Such a human had no monster beast blood in his body, yet possessed such powerful strength…

 

Clemens couldn’t control his excitement. The feeling of boiling blood made that face, which could be called handsome, twist for a moment.

 

The seal that later appeared in Rota County, sealing the emotions of humans with the talent to transform into monster beasts, was itself intended to prevent humans, who were better at living in groups and generating collective consciousness inconvenient for control within groups.

 

Between rules and individual small loves, Clemens would never direct the purposes of both toward the same direction. He would only make all transformed monster beasts uniformly follow rules and obliterate individual small loves.

 

And for humans…

 

The death of their kind could make humans who discovered this scene feel the greatest degree of panic, even foolishly empathizing and identifying themselves with the dead.

 

Until their brains were completely filled with various fears, death, and dread…

 

Clemens anticipated such emotional changes appearing in Su Li.

 

But before that, he would only give the mermaid a hard slap from afar.

 

Ergonikin.

 

Not long ago, the mermaid had taken out a map of the Beast Tribe.

 

Completely as Clemens had expected, after discovering that attacking Ergonikin was so easy, the mermaid immediately turned his attention to the idea of simultaneously attacking multiple cities.

 

Although Leia didn’t know what the current situation of the Winged Tribe was, Matilda was also present here, which meant the Water Tribe still had the possibility of continuing cooperation with the Winged Tribe remnants.

 

Compared to seeking death by attacking Clemens, the mermaid hoped more that those Winged Tribe remnants could be stirred up with fighting spirit and actively raise the heart of resistance.

 

At that time, the Water Tribe wouldn’t need to personally face Clemens…

 

The idea was good, but when he proposed dividing troops to simultaneously attack multiple cities, he encountered obstruction from Matilda.

 

“Use your brain to think. Land is not the advantageous domain for Water Tribe monster beasts. Dividing troops for battle would only greatly reduce our current strength. Moreover, our previous attack on Ergonikin was only intended to prevent the Beast Tribe from attacking Rota County from the city closest to Rota County, which is here.”

 

Rota County, this human city that gathered the characteristics of water, land, and air monster beasts, was located in the area closest to the inland plains and Beast Tribe city territories.

 

Considering that currently the strongest among the monster beasts and humans was actually Su Li, who had previously been labeled as waste, Matilda couldn’t arrogantly exclude Rota County from consideration.

 

Even if Su Li and Rota County weren’t a community of interests, they were a human community.

 

Protecting that city’s safety wouldn’t gain the power of that city, but Su Li’s friendship.

 

However, Leia pointed to another Beast Tribe city closest to Ergonikin on the map and said, “Rather than using Ergonikin as a future front line for war with the Beast Tribe to indirectly protect Rota County, wouldn’t pushing the battle line forward and seizing multiple Beast Tribe cities better protect them in the rear?”

 

“The idea is good, but I still don’t approve of dividing troops for battle.”

 

“So what you mean is, we can fight, but we either have to give up the newly acquired ruling rights over Ergonikin, or we can only give up attacking other cities?” Leia narrowed his eyes.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re worried that after the Water Tribe occupies too many Beast Tribe cities, we, who originally cooperated with the Winged Tribe as equals, would suddenly start putting on airs and try to occupy more initiative in cooperation.”

 

“Who would think like you, such a dark person!” Matilda was stunned for a moment, then said angrily.

 

“Not to mention dividing troops for battle, whether we can capture other cities as you envision, just speaking about the Water Tribe capturing Ergonikin, didn’t you also only discover later that this city was abnormally easy to attack?”

 

“Don’t you think that the breach of Ergonikin, which is destined to be transmitted to Clemens’ ears without you actively blocking information, won’t make that monster-like existence raise his guard?”

 

Initially, who would have thought Ergonikin was a city that could be captured so easily?

 

While they were still discussing the reasons for victory, those land-dwelling monster beasts that hadn’t been slaughtered for military merit still had relatively free status.

 

In this situation, if there was still no way to think of the possibility Su Li had mentioned before about leaving this city, Matilda felt she would have to have half her brain blown out to think land-dwelling monster beasts were such idiots.

 

“Once Clemens takes action, in the current situation where there’s no way to contact the remaining Winged Tribe personnel, you, and even the entire Water Tribe, can only choose to confront them on land, where the Beast Tribe has the advantage.”

 

“Divide troops? I think you feel you’re not dying fast enough!”

 

Leia’s face showed impatience. “If we don’t want to actively attack, then what’s the difference between capturing Ergonikin and our previous waiting on the beach for possible attacks from the Beast King?”

 

“The difference is of course whether Rota County is under our control or not.” When Matilda said this, she didn’t dare look at Su Li.

 

Leia finally understood that Matilda’s essential meaning was that Su Li, the only one who could confront the Beast King, might suddenly be drawn away by possible anomalies in Rota County due to the human situation during battle.

 

While considering that Su Li was the strongest combat power, one must also consider the reality that he was human.

 

There was naturally a huge gap between humans and monster beasts.

 

The previous thoughts of being enchanted and constantly wanting to get close to Su Li were like being doused with a bucket of ice water, and Leia instantly calmed down.

 

When Su Li noticed the various observing gazes from Matilda and Leia, he had been thinking about humanity’s greatest problem – namely, what to eat for lunch – and showed a smile that couldn’t be determined whether it counted as a smile or not.

 

Matilda’s heart instantly turned half cold.

 

When Lan Zhe, who was preparing lunch, called Su Li to eat, Matilda and Leia each sat on chairs in the hastily constructed conference room, covered in cold sweat and feeling weak all over.

 

“He definitely understood what my words meant.” Matilda showed a bitter smile.

 

“I feel I had no need to calculate against him like this. Not long ago I had already prepared for death, so why am I now inexplicably caring about the life and death of the Winged Tribe…”

 

Leia didn’t interrupt this soliloquy. He was similarly cold all over, and both fell into complete silence in the quiet environment.

 

On the other side, Egbert, who had been told he couldn’t eat for free and must help with work, was asking Su Li what the mermaid and Winged Tribe Queen had discussed.

 

Su Li was just about to explain when Roy retorted to Egbert: “Rather than asking the little master, you might as well directly ask that mermaid.”

 

“I saw you two chatting quite well before.”

 

Egbert glared at the sarcastic Roy.

 

“You also know that’s just what you saw.” Egbert said disdainfully, “As fellow humans, the bad thoughts you and Lan Zhe each had about Lord Su Li before, based on them not being realized and being impossible to realize, I can pretend they don’t exist. But the things the mermaid has done, I will never forget.”

 

Losing his temper at the human youth, frantically despising his strength. Occasionally using words to mock Su Li’s face, even deliberately acting as if he could do things inappropriate for a mermaid ruler wielding power for Su Li’s face…

 

Egbert would never consider him a companion.

 

“Besides, what you said isn’t completely unreasonable. Rather than asking Lord Su Li about these trivial matters that others also know, it would be better to ask others. What Lord Su Li needs to answer has always been those things that everyone can’t figure out. Things everyone already understands, Lord Su Li would only understand earlier.”

 

Su Li’s hand holding the grilled fish trembled, nearly letting the grilled fish fall back into the fire.

 

Not dwelling on the absurd behavior of the Dark Holy Son grilling fish among the Water Tribe, Su Li only said seriously after removing a fish fin, “Actually, I wasn’t seriously listening to the conversation between that queen and Leia.”

 

Egbert immediately showed an expression of: “I understand, that mermaid was talking nonsense with the queen.”

 

“I see, unimportant words naturally don’t need to be heard.”

 

Su Li: …No, this was just the daily attitude of a working person habitually slacking off during meetings.

 

But he had given up saying this.

 

It would inevitably be interpreted as: Lord Su Li has indeed been very tired these days, and still has to find ways to find free time to rest, it’s really too hard.

 

Or: Lord Su Li had no need to bear these messy responsibilities in the first place. It became like this because he took on the hardships belonging to all humanity…

 

Su Li finished an entire fish because of this speculation.

 

Understanding Egbert was something Su Li felt unnecessary to regret, yet exceptionally regretted…

 

Cyril’s Perspective.

 

One day earlier.

 

After the dragon-blooded youth successfully sold Su Li’s artwork to Winged Tribe monster beasts in cooperation with Julius, he planned to return to Rota County together with Adison, who had been assigned to follow human actions, and his subordinate Winged Tribe soldiers.

 

This was the sincerity shown by the Winged Tribe monster beasts to the humans.

 

But on the road, Adison, who had spread his wings behind them, was clearly expressing his dissatisfaction.

 

“Since it’s sincerity shown by Asgari and Adonis, then let those two follow the action. Why assign me for no reason? I just want to stay in the flower sea – you know, it’s spring now.”

 

“Along this journey, you’ve been saying this like a broken record at least five times already. Don’t you find it tiresome?” Julius pressed his temples with a headache. He felt genuine admiration for Cyril’s unmoved attitude.

 

“I thought I needed to say it ten more times before you would actively talk to me.” Adison blinked.

 

“I’ve had a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time, but I’ve never found the opportunity. I’ve been waiting for you to actively start talking to me so I could naturally insert the topic.”

 

“Also, my question is: what’s your relationship with Su Li? One has a mixed aura that, although without awakened monster beast bloodline, still doesn’t feel quite clean, and the other is a dragon-blooded youth who has already shown obvious dragon characteristics…”

 

“This way of inserting topics isn’t natural at all.” Julius complained, but he also explained: “Cyril supposedly once begged together with Su Li. As for me, of the two who brought me out, one died under Su Li’s gaze, the other died in secret. I borrowed the second one’s body, have some memories of the first, and finally gave birth to the completely new individual that is me now.”

 

“So complicated…”

 

“Then why did you still ask!”

 

“Probably because… I’m about to forget my memories from when I was human.” Adison showed a very beautiful smile.

 

Julius’s urge to complain came to an abrupt halt.

 

After a long while, he said, “Let me ask you a question – would you rather be human or monster beast?”

 

“I don’t want to be either. I want to become a third kind of existence that is neither human nor monster beast. Without any civilization or rules, just like flowers, grass and trees, swaying with the spring breeze, swaying toward the sun.” Adison said in a calm tone.

 

“Anyway, that’s it, topic over.”

 

“…That was way too fast.”

 

“Actually, I think it was fine.”

 

Along the way, time passed in this kind of conversational exchange that seemed to have no deep meaning.

 

Before long, the people flying high in the sky could already see the blurry silhouette of Rota County.

 

Only then did Cyril make a timely sound. “Ah, looks like we’re almost there.” As he spoke, he took out two earplugs from his ears.

 

Julius almost kicked Cyril directly off the bird’s back from high altitude at that moment.

 

The flying monster beasts accelerated.

 

It didn’t take long before everyone returned to Rota County.

 

Compared to the last time as someone being rescued, this time Adison became the helper.

 

Cyril’s request was to achieve mass production of strength-level individuals like Adison in the short term.

 

Even if they couldn’t achieve the kind of military numbers that Amikbi considered in units of millions, Cyril still felt: “At least we should produce two or three hundred in the short term.”

 

That was one percent of Rota County’s human population.

 

“Two hundred strength individuals like me – you really dare to imagine.” Adison’s strength couldn’t compare to Elvi’s, but the butterfly spirit’s strength wasn’t far behind either.

 

With truly two hundred strength individuals like him, excluding Elvi, just with these people, they could conquer the dragon race.

 

“Then twenty.” Cyril said without being picky at all.