Chapter 126
Chapter 126
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Shadows of Betrayal
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A month later.
With the Dan Yeom forces just ahead, black-skinned Nix soldiers with pointed ears were pitching tents.
Duke Robei Sulla of the Golden Eye Army, golden-eyed commander, was receiving reports from his knights.
"When did the Cheokgwa Army arrive?"
"General Tove Volko's force of 20,000 arrived four days ago."
"Hm. And the Mangul Army?"
"Count Milobo Toon's 24,000 troops should arrive in about three days, assuming no interference from Yacheon."
"...Hm."
Ever since the Black Scale Army had entered Daimirit, everyone on the continent had realized this war was no mere conquest.
The conflict between the gods had fully ignited.
Even Robei Sulla had faced Yacheon's relentless assaults.
Wells they stopped at for drinking water were contaminated. Sleeping in the fields brought swarms of insects.
Flocks of birds followed them everywhere, crying out ominously.
Robei ordered his men to loose arrows without mercy at any ill omen.
But the most dangerous moment had been when Apostle Rakrak appeared right before them.
'Even with 18,000 troops at his back, the terror was palpable.'
Fortunately, Rakrak hadn't been able to display his full might to the Golden Eye forces.
The moment Rakrak appeared, Ambon, god of the Golden Eye and Nix, had sent down his creations.
Ambon's guardians clashed with Rakrak, allowing Robei to withdraw his army from that mythic battle.
'Though when we returned to the battlefield, the guardians' corpses remained... The fact that Rakrak hasn't attacked again means our god has the power to hold off Yacheon's apostle.'
Beyond blocking Rakrak, Ambon had nullified or countered through miracles the countless curses Yacheon had unleashed.
Robei believed Dan Yeom's defeat stemmed not from weakness, but from Yacheon's cunning schemes.
'In the end, Yacheon's trials have only made us more devout. His ordeals only strengthen us. We will triumph.'
Robei issued his command.
"Shift our forces to flank the Cheokgwa Army. Then wait for the Mangul Army. Our enemy isn't just the Black Scale forces—it's their god Yacheon as well. Stay vigilant."
As Robei moved to dismiss the knights, a soldier burst into the command tent.
"What is it?"
"A group of 2,000 soldiers is approaching us."
"Affiliation? Black Scale?"
"We need a closer look, but they appear to be Dan Yeom troops."
"Dan Yeom? I thought they'd already surrendered and disbanded their army."
The soldier bowed his head low.
"Yes. They seem to be 2,000 rebels who rebelled against Dan Yeom."
"Suspicious."
Atop the Golden Eye Army's tents.
Four players who hadn't gathered in some time were meeting.
AR1026, Jang Wan, Runda, and Krampus.
Excluding Wisdom, who was only now moving his army after wrapping up his civil war, this was all five allies assembled.
They'd avoided meetings before to prevent exposing openings to Seong-un, but with main forces now nearby, staying apart would seem unnatural.
"What's suspicious?"
AR1026 countered.
"Yacheon's movements."
"Hm? I don't really see it."
AR1026 elaborated.
"He's been consistently disrupting our marches. It's bought Black Scale more time. They're still steadily gathering forces. The numbers are still lopsided, but they're defending, not attacking like us with our expeditionary force that has to march for a month."
Fair enough for Cheokgwa and Dan Yeom, but Golden Eye and Mangul had long supply lines.
Allies meant no supply issues or risks of cutoff, but a prolonged war would strain them.
Jang Wan agreed.
"Right. Nebula's doing well."
"But?"
"Well by our standards. Textbook play."
"What's wrong with textbook?"
AR1026 asked, puzzled.
"Textbook means it's the most common choice to win the game, usually optimal. Deviations are risky gambles, right?"
Jang Wan shook his head.
"If we play textbook, fine. It's expected. But not Nebula."
"Why? Because he's rank one? So he must be doing something incomprehensible? Textbook hides ulterior motives?"
Then Jang Wan's lion mask turned toward AR1026.
The mask's eyelids drooped.
A what are you saying? expression.
"No. Nebula's obviously at a disadvantage. If we fight like this, we win. The first Dan Yeom-Black Scale battle? Yeah, miscalculation. To predict that loss, not just Dan Yeom generals but even Krampus needed deep battle knowledge. Players aren't real war commanders; game experience doesn't cover it."
Jang Wan continued.
"But the next battles will be sieges or field engagements. Sieges have fixed rules. Lost World even has an addon siege calculator factoring tech and variables into win rates based on numbers."
"Uh, can I ask the percentage?"
Jang Wan paused, fiddling with his system window.
"Variables make it imprecise, but 80 to 95 percent win rate."
The other two players, and even AR1026, nodded as if obvious.
"I see."
"Field battles are even surer. Black Scale added about 5,000? 14,000 total. We're 62,000 combined. That gap—you couldn't lose if you tried. Even with walls, 95 percent; without, higher."
"Nebula has higher divinity level."
Jang Wan hesitated.
But the lion mask hid it.
"...True. But total levels, we're way ahead. Not one-on-one like with Krampus, so we can dump all faith resources and take Rakrak."
"So ultimately..."
"We win. If Nebula sticks to textbook, we just win."
Krampus cleared his throat.
"My loss didn't feel textbook."
Jang Wan raised a finger to retort, then paused.
Even to him, Krampus's ploy had intriguing aspects.
The first battle loss and bloodless entry into Daimirit were unavoidable.
Then Krampus separated politics from religion.
Lost World's core was religion, so ditching political power was viable.
Not simply good or bad, but it made religion resistant to kings, parties, dictators—more violent when church-state aligned.
That was Krampus's intent.
If Black Scale puppeted Dan Yeom, resentment toward Yacheon would grow.
Thus weakening Seong-un's control over Dan Yeom.
To gain control, he'd burn massive faith resources—might even abandon Dan Yeom eventually.
But Seong-un twisted it further.
He placed neither his religion nor Krampus's in the empty king's seat—instead, a third party: wizards.
Putting Dan Yeom in a neutral position, neither Krampus's nor Seong-un's.
Wizards hadn't shone yet, but Aranju Dolan and key generals used them to sway nobles.
Magic was reviled, but among Satyros nobles, opinion shifted: better than Mujin who wouldn't protect them to the end, or external pressure from Yacheon.
At this civilization stage, society was noble-centric.
Krampus could only incite commoners.
Especially as Aranju, backed by wizards, arrested agitators and unruly priests for stability. Black Scale didn't interfere much, blunting Krampus's momentum.
Krampus settled for smuggling zealots out of Daimirit to build a separate 2,000-strong force.
Still, Jang Wan thought Krampus had done well in tough straits.
'After crushing defeat, fallen royals, lost capital—2,000 troops and regional holdouts is lucky. Opportunity not fully gone.'
Strictly, Seong-un hadn't purely played textbook either, as Krampus noted.
'Nebula—no, Choi Seong-un is human too. Facing five, can't always innovate. Textbook against others while screwing Krampus... plausible.'
As Jang Wan pondered, Krampus spoke.
"Ultimately, Jang Wan, you have other thoughts."
"Other thoughts?"
"Opponent's doing obvious plays, so maybe secretly up to something we don't see... That's what you're getting at?"
Jang Wan sighed at Krampus's point.
"Yeah, honestly."
Krampus pressed.
"So what's worrying you?"
Jang Wan said.
"First, the wizards."
"...Hm."
Krampus, stung by his own creation, scowled.
Jang Wan continued.
"We know three: Gnome Yan, Ent Talley, Garuda Mazdari. Located Gnome Yan, but not the other two."
"Wizards can deceive eyes. Why's this damn trait same as in game?"
"Beyond hard to find, they're dangerous even off-field. Nebula already used one; two cards left means two more plays."
"Certain?"
Jang Wan nodded firmly.
"Certain. Unlike puppets, wizards act proactively. Less effort. Knowing their moves lets strategy adjustment. He won't leave them idle."
"...So wizards are all?"
"No."
Jang Wan glanced at the other three.
"Simple logic. Nebula plays textbook because he calculates he'll win that way, unlike our figures."
"Why?"
"He has accurate info, accurate math. We have bad info, bad math. We're the ones needing risky plays."
"What'd we miss?"
Jang Wan eyed Krampus.
"What if there's a traitor among us?"
Silent Runda struggled to keep a straight face.
Luckily, no one noticed her color change.
Krampus said.
"Uh... you're just hypothesizing? Not saying there's really one?"
"Maybe. No hard proof, but suspicions. Bringing it up now is to confirm."
"Who's suspected?"
Runda swallowed hard.
'Here it comes.'
She frantically brainstormed excuses.
But her mind blanked white.
'W-what do I do?'
Jang Wan spoke.
"It's..."
His finger pointed at one player.
"You. AR1026."
In the silence, Runda deflated with a whimper.
"...Huh?"