404 Secret Rune Implan (1/2)
”Congratulations on your victorious return, chief!”
A group of sentries greeted upon chief Baskara's return to the tribe with 5000 warriors. Not a single warrior's life was lost on the trip, or rather, they seemed to be returning with more than 5000 warriors?
”What victorious return? There was no battle.” Chief Baskara calmly corrected before turning back to face the 5000 Warriors following behind him.
”Send these three to cell and have someone watch over them.” Chief Baskara ordered a warrior to take away the three captive Extremity-ranked Great Warriors.
”Yes, chief.”
The three captive warriors did not try to resist. Resistance was futile and might even result in them being put to death on the spot.
After the warrior complied and left with the three captives, Chief Baskara began issuing orders to the rest of the tribe, ”Alert the rest of the tribe and have every abled-warrior man the defenses to prepare for battle.”
”Yes, chief.”
The warriors complied.
However, shortly after, a higher-ranking sentry walked over and asked, ”What are we preparing against, chief?”
”Undead Battle Kings.”
”...Un-Undead Battle Kings?”
The higher-ranking sentry spouted alarmingly with wide eyes. The surrounding sentries overheard the words and became shocked by what they might be fighting.
”Undead Battle Kings?! Can we even fight against such a thing?!”
”How can there be any Undead Battle Kings?! Whose Battle Kings do they belong to?!”
”Dammit, it must be the Blackwind Tribe! They didn't burn their ancestor's corpses after the civil war two years ago!”
”F*ck! Now, we have to clean up after their mess!”
The 5000 warriors watched the sentries become a chaotic mess due to the news, smugly. They, too, have been shocked silly when they first learned the news. It was enjoyable to see others suffer the same shock as them.
”Burn the ancestor's corpses, huh?” Chief Baskara repeated with amusement. Humans were irrational creatures.
Burning the corpses of the dead was the wise thing to do, but no one would do it if they were told to burn their ancestor's corpse. Such an act was sacrilegious, and the person would be condemned by everyone else.
Between rational decisions and morals, these two had always been at odds with each other, no matter the ages.
The higher-ranking sentry gulped and asked, ”Do we need to wake up for ancestors for this, chief? I don't think we have anyone in the tribe who can compete with a Half-step Archdemon.”
”Waking up the ancestors should be the last resort. Nevertheless, we should prepare for the worse. I will arrange for someone to be on standby, should we fail to hold the Undead Battle Kings back.” Chief Baskara said.
Suddenly, the voice transmission stone lit up.
Chief Baskara brought the stone to his ears and listened to the message being delivered from the other side, ”The Liches and Undead Battle Kings is true, chief. They are currently heading towards our tribe.”
”I understand. That's all I need to know. Return to the tribe at once, Swiftwind.” Chief Baskara said.
”I'm sorry, chief, but that won't be possible.” Swiftwind chuckled bitterly and coughed heavily on the other side. ”Please take care of my family for me.”
The voice transmission ended shortly after. Sometime later, the voice transmission resumed but with a ghastly voice, ”Oh? What do we have here? Kekeke, quite an interesting tool. Guess I'll take this back to study when I'm bored.”
Chief Baskara sighed despondently.
It seems Swiftwind was detected by the enemy in the end. However, he made sure to deliver the news back to the tribe before he was killed.
'Don't worry, Swiftwind. You're sacrificed was not made in vain. I will make sure your family does not suffer the slightest grievance. You have my word.”
Chief Baskara silently swore.
His eyes glazed over with firm conviction.
”Notify the Venerable Shamans. We will need their strengths in the upcoming battle. It has been confirmed; the Liches and Undead Battle Kings are heading our way.”
”Yes, chief!”
After issuing a few more instructions to the warriors, Chief Baskara entered the tribe and headed to the cell where the prisoners were kept.
Ironfist and the other two Extremity-rank Great Warriors were not thrown into the prison cell for long before they heard the guards outside greeting loudly, ”Chief Baskara!”