Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Guardian Awakens
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"The movements in the northeast are far from ordinary. We need to mobilize the army."
"Absolutely not. The Pengolians are buzzing with tales of the savior white spider right now. If we pull away the warriors who need to oversee them, it'll spell disaster."
Akulda, the northern governor of Asurada and a Rakshasa himself, furrowed his brow as he listened to his aides.
"I need to meet with Koprik."
One of his aides hesitated at those words.
"But Lord Koprik has been slumbering deep within the grand temple for a full month now. If we wake him..."
"Of course he'll be furious."
Koprik was the guardian overseeing Asurada's north.
Though he had been defeated by the 'Great Asurada' who ruled the Rakshasas and reduced to a subordinate, his rank was higher than any other Rakshasa.
Akulda held the highest position in Siool, the stronghold city of Asurada's north, but Asurada's guardians—those who reigned through sheer overwhelming power—were exceptions to that hierarchy.
Akulda declared,
"Prepare the sacrifices. Enough to temper his rage and allow for conversation."
"We sent no small number of offerings to Lord Asurada just recently. The Pengolians will rebel fiercely."
"No choice. If something massive is truly brewing in the northeast, we can't resolve it without Lord Koprik's aid."
In Siool, Pengolian slaves were rounded up, and candidates for live sacrifices were selected.
Perhaps because an ancient legend was circulating unprecedentedly among the Pengolians, there was some resistance.
But the Rakshasas wielded blades as large as a Pengolian's body, and the Pengolians lacked proper arms, so resistance was futile.
The first batch of candidates was chosen, and the remaining Pengolians seethed with anger even as they sighed in relief.
But then the second batch was selected.
As the Pengolians rebelled violently, Akulda spoke up.
"The first sacrifices are to soothe Lord Koprik's anger. The second are to petition him. Do not defy the guardian's will."
Siool's central square grew noisy once more, but gathering the live offerings didn't take longer than Akulda had anticipated.
The Rakshasa priests dragged the sacrifices into the temple, following procedure—or more precisely, in a manner unlikely to enrage Koprik.
Screams of Pengolians echoed from within the temple.
Akulda waited before the grand temple for the priests to offer the sacrifices and return.
Normally, the priests emerging would signal that it was safe for Akulda to enter.
But something unexpected happened.
A heavy thud of footsteps accompanied a black shadow bursting from the temple.
The shadow didn't fade even under the sunlight.
Koprik was a massive black panther, standing roughly 9 meters at the shoulder and over 30 meters in body length.
Its gleaming yellow eyes floated like twin moons, indifferently surveying the gathered crowd in the square, lips stained fresh with blood.
Akulda stammered in panic,
"Great Koprik, surely our priests..."
Koprik chuckled lowly.
Akulda didn't falter.
Koprik might appear as a beast, but he wasn't brutish. It was all calculated behavior.
Rather than genuine emotional rage at being awakened, it was a ploy for more sacrifices—less from true hunger and more for amusement.
The reason Koprik tolerated Akulda as governor was that he played along perfectly with these games.
'Gotta pick some more priests.'
Akulda bowed deeply.
"Great Lord Koprik, we Rakshasas face grave peril. I beseech your aid."
Koprik eyed him with interest.
"...I don't believe so, my lord."
Akulda explained.
Rakshasas had fled from a village in the northeast.
Their testimony spoke of a band of various races wielding rods that boomed like thunder.
When those rods spat fire and smoke, even Rakshasa warriors fell.
Afterward, reports from nearby villages ceased one by one, and legends of a savior spread among the Pengolians.
Scouts were sent, but no word from them either.
Something was clearly afoot, but conditions weren't right for mobilizing the army.
"Yes."
Koprik was already turning his body toward the temple's northern side.
Akulda interjected,
"...No, you mustn't."
"Yes."
'If, heaven forbid, Lord Koprik takes any harm, it'll be catastrophic.'
Koprik dying? Akulda wouldn't mind.
It might even be a blessing.
The Rakshasas extracted labor from slave-driving, but the presence of a guardian above them kept whittling away at that workforce.
But if Koprik survived injured, the wrath would fall on Akulda.
Akulda pressed,
"We can't risk pitting you against unknown dangers. Lord Koprik, simply patrol the villages to keep the Pengolians from overreaching thoughts. They're cowards; that'll freeze them solid."
Akulda suppressed a sigh.
'A cheap price to navigate this crisis.'
"...Do as you please."
With that, Koprik lumbered toward the live sacrifices bound atop the altar, rightfully his allocation.
The players looked down at Koprik and remarked,
"That's... one massive black panther."
Eldar picked up Runda's words.
"Probably a Naual."
"A Naual?"
The pantheon conference room.
Currently present were Seong-un, Runda, and Eldar.
Though fatigue-free and sleepless, constant all-player monitoring was deemed inefficient by all except Seong-un.
They needed a change of pace, they agreed.
Thus, they took turns vacating the conference room, leaving these three behind.
Eldar explained,
"Originally an avatar from Aztec mythology, but given Lost World's habit of borrowing freely from Earth's myths, legends, and folktales, you can just think of it as a huge, mystically powerful black panther..."
"Yeah, some kind of divine beast, right? But from what it does, it might as well be an abomination."
"That's certainly puzzling."
Seong-un silently agreed as he gazed down at Koprik.
Lost World's creatures fell into several broad categories.
First, sapients—humans, in other words.
Diverse species, yet convergently evolved to similar forms, the primary races faithful to players.
Then animals: some ate people, some people ate them.
Earth had those too, but next came 'monsters'—a different story.
Monsters included massive, powerful beings tough for lone humans to face, plus bizarre ones like drakes, cockatrices, and gargoyles.
Beyond them lurked 'abominations,' distinct from monsters that could be domesticated.
Abominations manifested as solitary entities, akin to field bosses in players' minds.
Similar were 'divine beasts,' but they differed: solitary like abominations, yet not typical player foes.
Often neutral or helpful, with benevolent intent—utilized well, they aided play.
Next: 'abominations' verging on godhood yet dominating humans through superior intellect. To the players, the Naual called Koprik seemed closer to abomination than divine beast.
"Could be due to this Asurada entity."
Runda replied,
"Is Asurada a player too? Doesn't show on the player list, though."
"Who knows, maybe some exploit hides it? But called a guardian, so..."
"An abomination then?"
"Maybe. Or a step above."
Runda nodded knowingly.
Eldar added,
"Either way, this Koprik looks plenty strong. Even armed with guns, our current forces would struggle. Send Rakrak after all...?"
"Can't play such a premium card yet. Plus, preemptively attacking as Basen wants means fighting in enemy territory—penalties galore."
"Got a better idea?"
"Yeah. Koprik looks tough, so perfect timing."
"Perfect?"
"Gonna create something. An old favorite method, and I've got the template ready—easy to make. Just need the subdomain level for the skills, and I'm short solo."
"Ah, got it."
Seong-un pointed at Eldar.
"Come with."
"Pardon?"
Runda beside them panicked too.
"Huh?"
A few days later.
The newly created, slender little lifeform named 'Gordius' hit the ground and immediately began wriggling eagerly.
Tiny and fragile compared to its siblings.
Body length barely 10 cm?
Its sole reliable asset: razor fangs at the tip, capable of slicing steel.
Even the weakest local life—minipigs herded by Pengolians—would be natural prey for this Gordius.
Gordius flexed and stretched its delicate form, crawling onward.
Overly grim for a worm-like creature, but Gordius possessed ample intellect in its diminutive frame.
It knew its origins, its purpose.
Of course, slightly distorted knowledge.
Ignoring the agony screaming from its frail muscles, Gordius pressed against the towering pedestal blocking its path, slithering upward.
Guided solely by scent and warmth, it knew its destination.
Atop the altar: bound, trembling Pengolians awaiting sacrifice.
More precisely, one specific Pengolian...
Gordius eventually scaled the leg of a rearmost Pengolian, burrowing into the orifice linking exterior to innards.
The sacrificial Pengolian's eyes bulged at the sudden sensation.
A priest eyed the odd reaction but turned away.
'Some sickly one slipped in. No matter. That glutton devours anything.'
A colossal shadow loomed, and the Pengolians began screaming.
One of the Rakshasas' guardians: the Naual, Koprik.
Koprik snatched and swallowed the Pengolian harboring Gordius.
Gordius knew its next turn had come.
Before Koprik could chew and gulp, it burst out, swiftly shredding the palate and surging forth.
Koprik felt sudden pain in his maw, alongside a voice reverberating in his skull.
Gordius bored swiftly through skull, blood-brain barrier, and cerebrospinal fluid, bridging itself to Koprik's brain.
Gordius was a Gordian worm.