Chapter 599: Shadows of Surrender

“Sir, my name is Kim…”

“No need— from now on, you’ll be called Number 5.”

“And you’re Number 6…”

..

Floating in mid-air, Yenir gazed down at the mass of South Korean Battle Zone Awakeners below, thinking things were unfolding all too smoothly…

He had planned to severely wound a few to establish his authority, using terror and life-or-death threats to force these Koreans into submission.

Yet he never expected this group to surrender even faster than he had imagined.

Even though they hadn’t transformed into Otherworldly Ghosts yet, the decisive capitulation of the top Peak Third-Stage fighter made the entire South Korean Battle Zone abandon resistance.

Their sycophantic display of loyalty made him feel they weren’t Peak Third-Stage warriors at all, but just ordinary folks.

When did these top-tier human fighters become so fragile…?

Muttering to himself, Yenir didn’t seem overly troubled.

He suspected the Koreans’ own overactive imaginations had spooked them; realizing that even a retreat would cost lives, they simply surrendered.

In his previous life, the Peak Third-Stage fighters he encountered were the crème de la crème, survivors honed through successive rounds of elimination.

At this stage, honestly, who really knows how many of these warriors are the real deal.

So it wasn’t surprising that these Peak Third-Stage fighters lacked true backbone.

He paid little mind to such details.

Seeing the horde of South Korean Awakeners before him, a sly smile crept across Yenir’s face.

“Good.”

He now commanded no fewer than seven Peak Third-Stage fighters.

And his Third-Stage Advanced ranks numbered nearly two hundred…

Even if he bailed on the national battle right now and retreated with his men, Huaguo’s ranking wouldn’t sink to the bottom—in fact, they’d still be among the top!

Once deployed, this force would be not to be underestimated. Even if used merely as sacrifices, Yenir wasn’t afraid to spar with his established Peak veterans!

Who would have thought that he could not only enter the national battle unscathed but also return with a batch of top-tier fighters?

In high spirits, Yenir couldn’t help but ‘miss’ Yinglong.

One could say his explosive surge in strength was entirely thanks to Yinglong’s contribution.

‘Blood Shadow,’ the Legendary Suit, upgrade materials for the System…

Almost all of it was part of Yinglong’s ‘legacy.’

Umm… no, that’s not right.

Just as Yenir was about to find a place to process these Koreans, he broke into a silent laugh—remembering that another group of Awakeners was still out there.

To be precise, another batch of Third-Stage Advanced and Peak fighters was still ‘out there.’

Instinctively glancing west, Yenir calmly ordered Hakechi to keep an eye on these Korean men before silently gazing into the distance.

“They’re moving pretty fast…”

In his perception, the North Korean Awakeners were desperately racing over.

Everything was happening too fast.

From the North Koreans’ viewpoint, all they knew was that the remaining South Korean Awakeners had been ambushed, with no clear details.

Later, they weren’t even sure if these South Korean men, seeing that the North Koreans were untouched, had simply failed to issue any warning.

This led the North Korean Awakeners to probably not even realize that the South Koreans they intended to back had already surrendered.

“North Koreans aren’t exactly easy to subdue,”

“But at least there are three Peak Third-Stage fighters…”

“It’d be such a waste just to kill them.”

Using his formidable willpower, Yenir instantly gauged the strength of this batch of North Korean Awakeners.

Moreover, from the surrendering South Koreans, he learned about the abilities of these North Korean Peak warriors.

They weren’t overwhelmingly powerful, but their one-on-one combat skills were impressive.

If he could subdue them, even if only to use as sacrifices, it’d be a worthwhile gain…

After a quick evaluation, Yenir’s eyes gleamed as he finalized his plan.

Expecting to scare these North Koreans by masquerading as an evil god through the Evil God Ritual was simply out of the question.

Compared to the South Koreans, the North Korean Awakeners were far more resolute; subduing them would most likely require a proper, bloody fight.

Of course, if someone got killed by accident, there’d be nothing he could do about it.

Having thought of a plan, Yenir waved for everyone to hide as he patiently awaited the North Korean Awakeners’ reinforcement.

………………

“Captain! Didn’t Park Chan-eun’s men say that those Vietnamese Awakeners launched a sneak attack on them?!”

“Then why isn’t there any sign of activity?!”

“Bang!”

After stomping to shatter a zombie head underfoot, a North Korean Awakener sprinted low, his eyes filled with bafflement as he scanned the distance.

He avoided high-altitude flight because, with the situation unknown over there, soaring up would not only draw enemy attention but also make him an easy target.

Although they might not be top-tier in sheer strength, the North Korean Awakeners—much more battle-hardened than the South Koreans—moved in with extreme caution.

“I don’t know! They haven’t responded either!”

“But… it shouldn’t be too bad!”

Everyone was utterly baffled.

Leading the charge, the North Korean Captain brandished his knife, straining to sense what lay ahead.

Yet, in his perception, not to mention a battle, there was absolutely no movement at the coordinates Park Chan-eun’s group had sent from afar.

Could it be… that the battle was over!?

While multitasking, he noticed that the South Korean Battle Zone’s score hadn’t budged, whereas Huaguo’s points had unexpectedly jumped a few, making everything seem off.

The received information claimed an ambush by the Vietnamese Battle Zone, yet logically it appeared more like an attack by Huaguo forces!?

But if Huaguo had attacked, how could Park Chan-eun and his men be on the back foot!?

Nothing added up; the North Korean Captain found the situation utterly perplexing.

Still, a counterattack was necessary, and since it was all part of one battle zone, he had no choice but to grimly head back.

Soon enough, as he abruptly halted in heightened alert, he spotted a South Korean Peak fighter, beaming as he barreled straight toward them.

“Kim Ji-sung, you’re alright!”

“We drove off those Vietnamese monkeys! They were way too bold to dare ambush us!”

“Hey, quick— did you spot any sign of the Huaguo people over there?!”

With a smile and arms outstretched,

three South Korean Peak Awakeners eagerly converged, as if uniting, and rushed straight toward Kim Ji-sung.

At the sight, the South Korean Captain froze in shock, a surge of intense unease welling up within him.

“They were driven off!? Is the battle over!?”

Observing the North Korean Awakeners, he noticed clear signs of combat. Their unscathed appearance didn’t seem contrived.

But… what about the points!?

Seeing his own men abruptly question the Huaguo matter, Kim Ji-sung’s eyes narrowed as he demanded in a stern tone:

“Where is Park Chan-eun?! If the Vietnamese Awakeners attacked you, didn’t you kill some of them?!”

His muscles tensed up.

For some reason, even while facing his own side, Kim Ji-sung felt as though he were caught in a colossal crisis.

Noticing Kim Ji-sung’s extreme alertness, the South Korean Peak fighter targeted by Yenir let out a silent sigh and reluctantly moved to surround him.

With no other choice under Yenir’s threat, they had to act as such…

It seemed they might be allowed to escape; if not, at least they wouldn’t endanger their own.

Perhaps even Yenir hadn’t anticipated just how wild the imaginations of these South Korean Awakeners had become.

“That Huaguo guy who pulled off the Evil God incident even dares to turn his own battle zone into a sacrificial mess… He must be out of his mind.”

“There’s no escaping in this national battle! That Evil God’s power might even be off the charts—comparable to Fourth Stage! Since there’s no way out, might as well be a lapdog to survive…”

“Better for a comrade to die than for me—if others must fall, it’s not me!”

With that resolve, several of them swiftly closed in while Kim Ji-sung hesitated.