Mirror World: Destined Return

Consul Melsine immediately left the grand conference hall as if fleeing once the trial was closed. The remaining three consuls stared at Seong-Hwi.

Cassis was the first to approach Seong-Hwi to say, “Is it shrewdness, or just thoughtlessness?”

“Please call it fairness,” Seong-Hwi replied.

“Hah, I can’t believe you would make a deal with the child of your mortal enemy... Humans sure are calculative.”

“I am willing to make deals with demons if it is to gain approval to use Pangaea.”

Cassis recalled Seong-Hwi’s cold expression and words in Shasamond’s memories.

“Echion will abandon Nivalis. When that time comes, make a deal with me. If you refuse, I will kill your siblings during the trial. You never know, Consul Melsine may blunder if she watches her fellow dragons executed before her eyes.”

Excellent blackmailing skills. You are already demonic enough, Cassis thought.

They remarked, “Thanks to you, we will be busy. I cannot guarantee when you will get a response. Lord Grandis is very busy lately.”

“It’s okay. We need time to sort things out as well,” Seong-Hwi answered.

“I wish you luck.”

Once Cassis left the grand conference hall, Quetzalcoatl, who had been wandering around the hall, quickly approached Seong-Hwi with his hands behind his back.

“Ahahaha, I didn’t think I would see that bratty Melsine run with her tail between her legs today. Thank you for letting me witness such a sight,” he said, smiling as he expressed great interest in Seong-Hwi.

He brought his hand forward for a handshake, which Seong-Hwi shook.

Quetzalcoatl’s green eyes shone as he asked, “As I had thought... You’ve realized your unique caliber, have you not?”

“I am not sure what you are saying. I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Ahaha! Witty, too!” Quetzalcoatl laughed heartily and then proposed, “Do you have any intention of joining Redeo? I will put in a good word for you to Master Una.”

Gasps were heard all around, and the eyes of those who had been eavesdropping on their conversation widened. Redeo was one of the main powerhouses of the Sēmen. Not only that, but Una was the Fifth Fiend, one of the Ten Lords and Fiends.

“I appreciate the offer, but I will respectfully decline. I am a human,” Seong-Hwi replied.

“You are a human?” Quetzalcoatl looked Seong-Hwi up and down, then smirked.

Seong-Hwi then said, “More importantly, I would like to ask something of you.”

“Hm?”

“Could Redeo take in those three dragons?”

“Those little things?” Quetzalcoatl stared at Shasamond, who was still swaying due to dizziness, and her younger siblings, who were worrying about her. He then smiled as if he had figured something out and said, “Oh? So, that was the deal, eh?”

Seong-Hwi nodded and said, “It is not a bad deal for you either. They are the children of Biphatogenes, Echion’s former loyal watchdog. I am sure you have many uses for them.”

He knew that if anything, Echion would find it humiliating for Redeo to take in those three dragons. Since the Union would find it burdensome to keep them imprisoned, earning the favor of a faction that could handle them was a much better alternative.

‘Ahahaha! Very well. An envoy will arrive from Redeo soon,” Quetzalcoatl said, smiling in delight as he grabbed something from his pocket. He handed Seong-Hwi a gold coin with a dragon engraving and said, “Here is a reward for the unexpected gift. If you bring this to me at a later date, I will accept any reasonable request you have for me.”

“I will not deny it,” Seong-Hwi said, accepting the coin with a business smile.

Quetzalcoatl laughed heartily again as he turned around and left the grand conference hall in satisfaction. Seong-Hwi then turned to Dodo, the only remaining consul, who was shaking hands with Bafor.

“Meow! Message delivered,” Dodo said.

“Take care on your way back,” Bafor responded.

Dodo winked at Seong-Hwi before she pranced out of the grand conference hall. People gathered in front of Seong-Hwi once every consul left.

Bong-Seong, at the front of the group, said with a stiffened expression, “I would... like an explanation.”

Seong-Hwi turned to Bafor, Irura, and Elementum and said, “Please wait for me on the eighty-sixth floor. I will be there in a moment.”

***

“Together?”

“So... you want to build an integrated city?”

“The scale is off the charts.”

“So, that’s why you demanded Pangaea.”

“Holy shit!”

Those who heard Seong-Hwi’s plan had mixed expressions.

A member of the conservative faction shouted, “T-this is absurd! You decided this crucial matter by yourself, RB?!”

Once one person expressed their complaints, others also shouted one after another.

“Yeah! I don’t accept this!”

“This is a matter of changing our base of operations. One person can’t just decide it!”

“You may be close to the Steel King, but you can’t just force this on us!”

Seong-Hwi listened to their complaints expressionlessly, having expected them.

The reception wouldn’t have changed even if I had talked about it before the trial. Hence, it was best to drive the plan forward unannounced and give them no choice but to follow, he thought.

He knew it was forceful and assertive, but a leader of a group in the Mirror World was required to be assertive, as Kang-San had been. A boat with only rowers wouldn’t go anywhere; it needed an opinionated captain who would set a direction and make the choices themselves, while also taking responsibility for them.

The problem is that I don’t have their acknowledgement yet. Not as much as they acknowledge Lee Kang-San.

Seong-Hwi slowly looked around. Those who met his eyes flinched and kept their mouths shut.

“Explain so that everyone can understand, you damn daredevil,” Bong-Seong said to Seong-Hwi with a faint smile.

Seong-Hwi nodded and said to everyone, “This invasion exposed Underground’s weakness to everyone in the Mirror World.”

He explained what he had to the leaders of Underground before—the structural weakness of a confederation, the need to build a city they could protect together, the limits of remaining in the first zone, and more.

“I’m sure you all felt it. When the Capital was attacked, cities outside its vicinity either didn’t send reinforcements or it took too much time for those reinforcements to get here.”

“The decentralization,” Bong-Seong remarked.

The Union’s executives had discussed the issue since the Lost-All phenomenon. The mass influx of the Lambs triggered the Great Reclamation era, resulting in countless clans reclaiming unclaimed cities. This scattered the Union’s assets, which had been focused in the Capital.

“Eactly. The decentralization. Together is required to fix this problem.” Seong-Hwi said with certainty, “The Capital is in the first zone, but the power of humanity is growing by the day. This is the fundamental accelerator of the decentralization issue.”

People began to nod.

“Hmm... He’s right.”

“Our clan moved to the third zone because there were no viable hunting grounds in the first zone.”

“The ranks and rewards of dungeons deeper than the first zone are much better.”

Seong-Hwi continued, “If we use Pangaea to move the Capital to the fourth zone or deeper, it will naturally resolve the decentralization issue. The humans who had left will gather in the Capital again.”

Humans were still in the middle of reclaiming the fourth zone, but all small cities were weak against invasions. However, if the largest human city, the Capital, were to be relocated to the fourth zone, reclamation would become significantly safer. The establishment of such an environment would naturally eliminate the decentralization issue, which the Union had been struggling with.

“On top of that, it won’t just be the Capital. Ferrum, the Ancient Forest, and the Spirit Land will be combined. That’s four cities, for now. Give me a valid reason to give up on the security and possibility for development.”

No one could find a reason. Those with complaints had no choice but to agree with Together’s benefit and necessity. Not only that, but they had just witnessed the power of Underground. Bafor the dwarf, Irura the elf, and Elementum the spirit had stood up for humanity. Their dependable presence left the Sēmen with no choice but to take the voices of humanity seriously.

If Together becomes a thing... the World Ranker Bafor, and Elementum, who is known to be World Ranker-level, will live in the same city as us, right?

It’s necessary for humanity after we just lost Lee Kang-San!

The plan was a triple threat of justification, benefit, and a plausible method. People stared at Seong-Hwi in a new light.

He came up with this by himself?

RB isn’t just physically powerful!

He’s not affiliated with any organization, right?

Seong-Hwi smiled, noticing the changes in the way they looked at him, and mumbled, “If you’re not up for it, then forget it. I’ll relay your concerns to Lord Bafor and the others. Tsk, I might as well visit Redeo. I don’t want to remain in a place with no future.”

The eyes of those who heard his mumbles flashed. They had seen Consul Quetzalcoatl proposing that he join Redeo.

What would happen if RB joins Redeo?

It would be the worst!

Leaving his power aside, if he leaves, we lose the exclusive channel to communicate with the dwarves, elves, and spirits!

We’ve already come this far, so we can’t go back!

People chatted among one another as they glanced at Seong-Hwi.

“Ahem. Together, huh? I think it’s necessary.”

“The serial killer—I mean, Record Breaker has outdone himself yet again.”

“H-hahaha. So what if it’s forceful? Only the result matters.”

Bong-Seong mumbled, “Where did someone like this even come from? He’s exactly like Lee Kang-San.”

It felt like Kang-San’s absence had been partially filled.

***

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to back you up,” Taidzu said.

Seong-Hwi shook his head and replied, “Not at all. We couldn’t have you join the trial when Fortitudo’s position is still unconfirmed.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better. You stopped the orc civil war for us, but I couldn’t help you in any way.”

Since Taidzu was not the Abkai yet, he had no power to declare that the orcs would join Underground.

“I will persuade the tribe chiefs as soon as I return to the plains and join the confederation as soon as possible,” Taidzu guaranteed, happy with his decision to come to the Capital before he could quell the disorder in Fortitudo.

We must join Underground. It is the only way not to be belittled while not being under the banner of a major superpower! Taidzu thought.

He had witnessed the true power of humanity in this battle and had been enlightened after meeting Bafor and Elementum, those who were much more powerful than he.

More importantly, this is a golden opportunity for Fortitudo’s northern advance!

Fortitudo was located at the far edge of the southern plains in the first zone. Being so far on the outskirts protected the orcs from foreign invaders, but it also hindered their development. Hence, Taidzu aspired to advance the orcs northward once he became the Abkai. His aspirations had triggered his clash with humanity in his past life, but the situation had changed in this life.

If we’re given access to Pangaea, Fortitudo can reach the fourth zone in an instant! Taidzu thought, his eyes shining as he looked at Seong-Hwi.

Seong-Hwi had stopped the orcs’ civil war against the Tusk tribe, saved Taidzu from dying together with Bodonchar, and had even proposed a plan that coincided with his aspirations.

“Hahah! You look like you’re in love, Taidzu,” Bafor said as he laughed.

Taidzu smiled widely and answered, “How could I not, when he introduced me to the renowned Steel King, Lord Bafor?”

“Ahaha! You really aren’t like any orc I have interacted with. It’s like I’m talking to a human.”

“I have spent a long time outside the plains.”

Bafor and Taidzu seemed to be getting along, already treating each other like brothers. Elementum and Irura were speaking respectfully and calmly to each other.

“Madam Elementum, is there anything we can help you with if we receive access to Pangaea?” Irura asked.

“I am fine. I recommend the elves of Viridis not to enter Forestis. Sefirot will not take it fondly,” Elementum replied.

We have quite the balanced group, Seong-Hwi thought as he nodded.

He then said, “It will take time for the Sēmen to get back to us. We must finish our preparations for Together before that.”

“There’s no problem for us dwarves. No matter where we are, we get by just fine as long as we have metal to hammer,” Bafor boasted of his people’s adaptability.

“Hmm... The orcs will need education. Most of us have not left the plains aside from when we go on the Way of the Warrior,” Taidzu remarked worryingly.

“We of Viridis are fine. We have spent so long under Sefirot’s imprisonment that we would be happy with anywhere else,” Irura said with little worry about the change in their base of operations.

“The spirits... Well, I’m the only one,” Elementum mumbled sorrowfully.

Seong-Hwi nodded as he turned to Bafor. “Lord Bafor, I saw you talking to Consul Dodo. What was it about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing important. She just sent me Modak’s regards.”

“M-Modak?!” Taidzu shouted, staring wide-eyed at Bafor.

Modak, the Beast King, was the Sixth Lord. The only thing the beastfolk had in common was their Beast Force. Besides that, they were just a group of highly individualistic people with different tendencies. They were likely the second-most egotistical race, second only to the demons. However, they were members of Barbaria, the massive powerhouse, led by the undisputed strongest beastfolk, Modak.

“Are you... In contact with Modak?” Seong-Hwi asked, his expression filled with anticipation.

Bafor waved his hand once he noticed Seong-Hwi’s expression and replied, “We were just acquainted in the past. Don’t have your hopes up. He just wants to maintain a connection as he confirms Underground’s potential. That’s the kind of person he is.”

As expected of Lord Bafor, Seong-Hwi thought as he nodded.

The fact that he had a connection to the Sixth Lord spoke to Bafor’s large personal network. It was only natural since dwarves were the main item supply in the Mirror World. Seong-Hwi did not doubt that Bafor’s connections would be of great help to Underground.

“Ahem. It may pale in comparison to Brother Bafor, but we of Fortitudo also have a race we have close relations to,” Taidzu said.

“You must be referring to the centaurs,” Seong-Hwi said.

“Correct. Arimaspi, led by Chiron, who has recently become a World Ranker. I will try to persuade him.”

Irura expressed amazement and said, “If even the centaurs join Underground, our power will grow even further.”

“We will brew a storm throughout the Mirror World,” Elementum added as she nodded.

“It’s only the beginning. I will make preparations as well,” Seong-Hwi said.

“Preparations?”

“Now that Lee Kang-San is dead, humans currently do not have a World Ranker.” His eyes shone as he continued, “I need to... live up to my name.”

The time had come to shine brightly.

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