Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Refusing Surrender
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"Refusing?"
"Yeah."
As Seong-un moved to end the video chat, Jang Wan hurriedly spoke up.
"Wait. You didn't even hear me out?"
"I'm cutting it off for your sake."
"For my sake?"
"We both know the situation, right? No need to waste time talking it out."
"......"
Jang Wan trailed off, fumbling for words.
Seong-un quickly ended the chat in the meantime.
Runda, who had been listening nearby, whispered.
"What was that? Why'd you refuse? Wasn't it the best offer?"
"Chat's off. Just speak freely."
Runda straightened up from her crouched position.
The enemy capital of Agartin lay beneath a gentle mountain range.
Surrounded by abundant natural resources, it was a place where life was easy, and it was said that not only the Lennars but people of other races grew laid-back in Agartin.
Runda said,
"Tell me. Wouldn't it have been better to accept their surrender?"
"Well, honestly, it wouldn't have been bad."
"Right?"
Seong-un continued.
"It'll take time to fully integrate everyone, but in the end, we'll be stronger than their alliance. Simply put, more troops mean a clear advantage in war."
Runda, surprised by Seong-un's words, asked back.
"You're continuing the war?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
Runda said,
"If they surrender, doesn't that mean we've won? No, wait while I talk. Look, unifying the continent would give us an edge in intercontinental fights. But in the Lost World games I've played, fully unified continents rarely win those. You can win without it. No need to be... what should I say... obsessive... persistent... something like that."
"Obsessive?"
"Yeah. No need to be obsessively fixated on total unification."
Seong-un said,
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
"Second thoughts?"
"Regretting your strategic choices in how we won, and thinking we should go easy on them because of that regret."
Runda waved her hands dismissively.
"No way, come on."
Runda thought,
'He doesn't seem like it, but he's got a sharp side.'
Seong-un thought,
'Maybe not?'
Seong-un said,
"Good if not. But it's not for reasons like that anyway. It's not some obsession with perfect victory or claiming every inch of this continent. I'd prefer to end the war too. Especially if we profit from it."
"Then?"
Seong-un said,
"The problem is, those guys have no intention of ending the war. Can I just end it on my own?"
"Huh?"
Runda said,
"Jang Wan offered surrender."
"And asked for E.A.R.'s vassal statue in return."
"So what?"
Seong-un understood Runda's reaction.
In the game Lost World, vassal statues rarely saw actual use.
The most common was opening your inventory at the end and screenshotting the pile for personal satisfaction.
"Don't you get it? They're trying to revive E.A.R."
"Oh."
Typically, when a player dies, they turn into a statue form called a vassal statue.
But through special rituals, you could revive the player or completely destroy the statue.
"To get a vassal statue from an opponent, you either kill the player who has it or trade. So you don't see them often. Plus, Lost World is basically a free-for-all."
Hearing the explanation, Runda nodded.
In standard Lost World games, vassal statues weren't that useful.
If you could play the next game, you wouldn't cling to a lost one.
Often, even if allies revived dead teammates, the player was already in the next game, leaving an AI in control.
Of course, with no next game here, Runda figured it might be different.
But simply lifting the seal didn't seem advantageous enough.
"Doesn't unsealing cost a ton? Takes time and hassle too, right?"
"Yeah. But it's worth trying for them. Once unsealed, you don't start at level 1— you get some restored level, close to pre-death if not fully. Keeps their numerical edge. And more than that..."
"More than that?"
Seong-un pointed to the map of the Third Continent displayed on one side of his screen.
He indicated the 9 o'clock position—the Golden Eye.
"They can stabilize the chaotic Golden Eye court too."
The Golden Eye was in turmoil after losing their god.
Seong-un said,
"Anyway, reviving E.A.R. means they'll challenge us again someday. Sure, I won't sit idle, but why add unnecessary variables when we're in a strong position?"
Runda nodded.
She wondered if Seong-un realized the vassal statue in his inventory held a person.
'But no need to poke that. We're a team now.'
Runda changed the subject.
"Speaking of, I haven't seen Eldar lately."
"Oh, Eldar's busy with something I asked him to do."
"What?"
Seong-un just shrugged without answering.
Prime Minister Karloa Lotte of the Golden Eye knew many decisions would be made tonight.
'His Majesty hasn't left his chambers in a month. Everything falls to me.'
But she wondered if they would truly be her decisions.
Things had reached this point without her input, and she suspected it would continue.
'It's been even longer since the god answered. Did Ambon truly die?'
A god's death seemed plausible.
The Golden Eye had history with a malign god called the "God of Blood and Rotten Flesh," who rampaged with the Demon King.
They thought the damage healed over a century.
'But it wasn't.'
Player deaths don't notify everyone.
No info pops up at all.
You could hide or exploit it if needed.
But not for Golden Eye's people.
They suffered from that malign god and confirmed its death.
So they firmly believed gods could die—more than anyone.
When rumors spread that "Yacheon's apostle killed the god," they didn't deny it like others might.
'No response to the priests' prayers.'
Even soldiers from Golden Eye, who returned with Dark Cave and Asbestos troops, claimed they saw the god die.
'Killed by Rakrak, the one who slew the malign god.'
The god's death became undeniable.
Everyone in Golden Eye was slowly accepting the absence, splitting into two camps.
One: despair from utter defeat.
Unable to cope with depression—healthy bodies idle, endless tears, even suicides.
Karloa saw it as folly.
'Without a god, no afterlife—just eternal wandering.'
Death terrified everyone, but now more for Golden Eye folk.
Devout ones like Karloa and Ambon's priests clung to hope.
But priests without proof were just ordinary people.
The other camp:
'Opportunists. Even if the god returns, they're so quick...'
Those turning to other gods.
The issue wasn't just faith— they claimed another god must fill the void for the nation to function.
Karloa regretted it was partly true.
'Too many sunk in gloom. The country stalls. Bandits, rebels everywhere. Relying on Dark Cave and Asbestos alliances has limits. Need a firm national direction for the people to follow.'
But choosing wasn't easy.
Nobles split swiftly.
One side: surprisingly, pro-Black Scale faction.
Karloa knew pro-Black Scale existed long before.
Back then, it was fine.
Golden Eye as top loyalty, choosing it ultimately—pro-Black Scale were useful.
Black Scale was strong; friendly ties brought benefits.
But now? No.
'Why side with Ambon's killers now?'
Pro-Black Scale boldly emerged after Yacheon's apostle slew Ambon.
They didn't mock the death—honor to the loser.
But claimed Yacheon strong, Ambon not.
Logic Karloa couldn't accept.
'But...'
The opposition didn't appeal either.
Pro-Dark Cave faction.
Long allies, some fondness, but they flipped after Ambon's death.
"Join us now or Black Scale takes you," they demanded.
'We're just shaken. Not lost everything. Why act like it's already yours?'
Plus, pro-Dark Cave got support from below (Dark Cave) and above (Asbestos), using rebel suppression to station troops inside borders.
Ready to storm the palace if pro-Black Scale gained ground, excuses ready.
'Black Scale too, but can't hand power to such tools. Just shields against Black Scale.'
Karloa gazed out the window.
The sun was setting.
Key figures from both factions due at tomorrow's dinner.
'Not choosing the better— the lesser evil. Ambon, what shall we do?'
Karloa knelt and prayed.
Then someone entered her room.
Eyes closed, she assumed her maid—but the door opened from the empty bedroom side, not the hall.
She jumped up.
"Who are you?"
She thought armed assassin—no.
Unarmed, leaning on a wooden staff. The race was unusual.
"...An Ent?"
The Ent's mouth opened.
"Ent? It doesn't capture my essence well."
"Your name?"
"Talai. That too falls short. What does a name prove?"
Karloa frowned, and Ent Talai said,
"Prime Minister of Golden Eye, I am a mage."