Chapter 228: Resurrected One
The large flame would have engulfed everyone if the conference room wasn’t so big.
-Night Sky!
Sung-Woon didn’t even move when a large beak emerged from the flames.
If one wasn’t using Hierophany, it was impossible to inflict harm upon a god inside the pantheon, and…
"...How rude!”
The Harvester Keiju jumped in, grabbing the beak, followed by the special force's Obin Mabru, who went for the neck behind the beak.
The blue flame receded slightly to reveal the shape of a bird, but the flame didn't extinguish. It came from the bird’s body.
The restrained Phoenix Aruna exclaimed.
-Let go of me! Mortal!
Obin replied, "Then stay still, Aruna."
-But that guy…! No one can summon me against my will! Not even a god!
Sung-Woon walked to a higher seat than the apostles and paid no attention to Aruna.
Mazdari said, "Isn't that because you always make excuses and don’t come when called, Aruna?"
-I’m busy!
"Without any task, how can you be busy?"
Aruna, who was also called Firebird, was a divine beast.
There were other captured divine beasts in the pantheon, but only Aruna had risen to the rank of apostle, and the reason was simple: Aruna was powerful.
Typical divine beasts had a variety of abilities, making it difficult to gauge their strength based solely on the parameter of raw power. But there were exceptions.
The Phoenix was a strong divine beast in The Lost World. There were two main reasons players considered the Phoenix strong. First, true to its name, it didn't die, which meant it would be viable as a tank. Second, it was burning in flames, so simply being nearby would inflict DOT[1]. In other words, merely being alive allowed it to deal damage.
The blue flames of the Phoenix, especially, could determine what it burned and not burned, allowing it to operate alongside allies. It also had wings, so it moved quickly. Although it was currently in a reduced size, its wingspan could reach up to a hundred meters, making it large enough to wrestle with smaller dragons.
Unlike other divine beasts whose abilities varied by individual, the consensus among players was that the Phoenix was generally worth having as an ally. Sung-Woon didn't necessarily agree, but when Aruna was discovered, both Lunda and Eldar, and even RD, Crampus, Solongos, and Jang-Wan wanted to actively use Aruna. Given that a significant number of the Pantheon’s members were in favor, Sung-Woon conceded.
‘But perhaps it would have been better not to accept it after all.’
Aruna didn’t have a very good personality.
Officially, the player Solongos was in charge of Aruna, but he didn't handle it properly. Everyone praised Aruna for being cool, but after all the admiration, it was Sung-Woon who was responsible for its care. For some reason, he felt like a parent whose children had adopted a cute puppy but was left to feed it and clean up after it in their children’s stead.
‘Why do I feel like this…’
Sung-Woon thought that players favored the Phoenix not just for its strength but because of its coolness. It wasn’t cool because it was strong, but it was said to be strong because it was cool.
‘Still...considering its capabilities, its unpleasant temperament is tolerable.’
Had it been completely useless, Sung-Woon would have disregarded the opinions of other players.
Aruna shook off Keiju’s hands around its beak and Obin’s grip around its neck, raising its head.
-Even Dragons pay their respects to me!
"That’s not the case here, so restrain yourself."
Mazdari raised his staff. The tattoo on Mazdari's right hand, which controlled gravity, resonated with the sentence on his staff, and Aruna's head was slammed to the ground.
-What the! How dare you!
As Aruna charged at Mazdari this time, Keiju and Obin rushed to knock it over again.
-Kugh!
Lakrak laughed heartily watching Aruna wrestle with the other apostles, while Toolbo looked at Aruna with eyes full of admiration.
Amidst the chaos, Dordol said, "Night Sky, did you not summon the fourth apostle?"
Sung-Woon replied, "The fourth apostle is already on their way."
When Sung-Woon pointed to the door, it slowly opened. A Troll who pushed both doors open and entered.
Lakrak lightly waved his hand. "It's been a while, Redin."
It was Wisdom’s apostle, Redin BR Oser. Wisdom's first apostle, Redin, had died and was revived by expending a large amount of Faith resources.
"It’s a waste of resources, Nebula."
Wisdom had been against reviving Redin. Redin's resurrection took place not long after the war with the Union Kingdom began. At the time, after designating Mazdari as an apostle, there was talk of a shortage of apostles, and Wisdom agreed to that point. However, he was against reviving Redin.
"I know that there isn’t anyone capable of becoming an apostle right now. Most of the divine beasts we have conciliated are not suitable. But wasn't the general opinion that the resurrection of an apostle, considering the resources spent, isn't very beneficial?"
"I know."
Once an apostle died, they stayed dead. However, a player could expend quite a lot of resources to resurrect an apostle. Still, resurrecting an apostle wasn't a commonly preferred method.
“Apostles rely on their achievements and reputation for strength. However, an apostle who has lost once and died…”
“Lose that much honor.”
People did not particularly favor a defeated entity. The victor was the role model, worthy of emulation. The defeated was not so.
"Even if we resurrect Redin, he'll probably come back with a faulty skill, won't he?"
Sung-Woon nodded.
"You like theories, so I’ll present you with a different one."
Wisdom complied easily. "Alright."
"The Lost World game we played was only a year old. Many played it, but due to the vast amount of game data, many parts remained unexplained."
"Indeed."
"So not many players had used an apostle tagged with resurrection. Bad stories about them spread, and after using them once or twice, many felt they weren't that great."
"You're suggesting that it hasn't been well-researched."
"Exactly."
"So, Nebula, are you saying you've done some research?"
Sung-Woon said, "Not precisely my research. I came across a research post that seemed plausible."
The post Sung-Woon had read went something like this:
Apostles, once resurrected, inevitably face a penalty due to the label of being resurrected. However, the mere fact that the defeated could be given another chance had a positive effect on the overall faith.
"So, while the resurrected Apostle carries a penalty, overall it's beneficial?"
"While I don’t find it highly credible due to the limited number of tests, I do find it valid. There's a loss of prior skills due to defeat, but it also allows for a new history to be made. It's not entirely disadvantageous for the individual."
"...There seems to be more."
Sung-Woon got to the point.
"There are people who hope for that."
On the third continent, the battles between Sung-Woon and other gods were as historically grand as those against evil. Among them, Wisdom, who had a significant influence, still had many followers. Even after all nations unified under the name of the Black Scale Empire, in Asbestos, which was Wisdom's territory, there were people who honored Redin.
"That's on you, Nebula. Couldn't you have settled it properly?"
Sung-Woon could have done so.
Wisdom didn't seem overly attached or sentimental about his past territories.
"Had I done so, opposition would have been severe. By leaving it be, I significantly reduced the number of rebels. It worked to my advantage."
"...So now, by reviving Redin, you intend to completely unify the superficial believers?"
"It seems logical to me."
The war was escalating, and the hero who had lost in the past was being resurrected to protect his territory and the people living on it. Although he had been an enemy in the past, he now stood side by side with the apostle who had become an ally.
Wisdom said, "...Alright. It seems like there might be another motive, but..."
"There isn't."
"Then let's proceed as you wish."
And so, Redin was resurrected. It was done at the ancient fortress of the Asbestos Country. Wisdom explained everything directly to Redin and made him understand.
"I once thought you were my mistake."
Redin replied that he agreed with that statement.
"But that was my mistake."
When Redin, still a devoted follower of Wisdom, denied this, Wisdom methodically explained. The reasons he listed were no different from the reasons he had lost to Sung-Woon.
"I avoided looking at you because I didn't want to face my mistakes. But I was wrong. Only after seeing you did I realize. To me, you were the best knight."
Redin knelt before Wisdom. "I will prove that statement true."
If Lakrak opposed the apostles and Mazdari created variables, Redin was the linchpin of the army.
Redin, invoking his past glory, dashed across the battlefield with his old knights, destroying every obstacle, proving Wisdom's words.
Rumors swirled eerily throughout the Union Kingdom that the Red Knights of the old Danly United Kingdom had been resurrected to defend the Empire.
Entering the conference room, the Enemy Knight Redin casually nodded and walked in.
Redin said, "I don't have much time to be here. Bounda has temporarily retreated, but there's word that Laitla is coming."
“Hmm,” Lakrak said while stroking his chin.
"With Redin's absence...shouldn't we be sending Gordius then?"
Dordol said, "Gordius hasn't recovered from the last battle, as far as I know."
"Then what?"
To Lakrak's question, Toolbo eagerly raised his hand. "This time it should be me!"
Dordol ignored him and replied, "Earlier, based on the prophecy from Concealed Text God, there was talk of using Divine Control to reinforce our strength."
"What about the Angry One?"
"She doesn't seem to be focusing on the battlefield for now."
Sung-Woon interrupted the conversation and said, "Other gods besides Bountiful Harvest will be paying attention to the immediate battle, so there’s no need to worry.”
The apostles looked up at Sung-Woon.
Sung-Woon then said, "We need to prepare for defense."
Mazdari asked, "Defense…you say?"
"Yes. It involves you, Mazdari."
The immediate battle might be even, but the overall status of the game tilted significantly. If the opponent wasn't Hegemonia, they could confidently play at a more relaxed pace. Given such circumstances, the apostles looked perplexed that Sung-Woon would mention defense.
'It’s only natural because they are not players.'
Any decent player would have a rough idea about the actions and intentions of the opposing player in such a situation. Builds and strategies were all about executing pre-decided actions based on the situation.
'And in this situation, the strategies Hegemonia could choose are limited.'
There was the simple option of an all-out war, but they were essentially already in such a fight. They could engage in a holy war with the majority of their available forces, leaving only a minimal number behind, but the Empire's size would make it hard to decide on a specific target to attack.
'But then switching to micro play to strategize for the future? While it would be possible, the chances of winning would hit rock bottom, and it doesn't seem like a method suited for Hegemonia.'
Excluding strategies that didn't fit the situation or trivial entertainment tactics, there was only one method left.
Sung-Woon said, "The Angry One intends to seal magic."
1. Damage over time. ☜
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