Chapter 350: Ascension of the Spirit King (2)
Assembly.
A very common word in South Korea.
It’s the first chapter in the “Jipseong” math textbook, which many students become very familiar with.
But for most men, the word “assembly” instantly brings to mind the military.
Morning roll call.
Assembling for meals.
Gathering for training.
Assembly for work.
Gathering for guard duty.
And roll call to end the day.
The endless cycle of assemblies that define military life.
Many who have served likely recall those times with a hint of PTSD.
But for the spirits residing in the Pantara Mountains?
The assembly order given by Lloyd, a human from South Korea, was utterly foreign.
Unfamiliar.
They were not used to it.
Which was why.
At the sixth highest peak of the Pantara Mountains.
Six senior spirits, who gathered at the summit upon Lloyd’s assembly order, looked at each other in bewilderment.
‘Oh, rock spirit. Long time no see.’
‘You too, pine tree spirit. But where’s the blizzard?’
‘Over there. Been here since a while ago. Frost moss, icicles, and crevasses are all here too.’
‘Ha. So I’m the last one?’
‘Seems like it.’
‘I’m ashamed before the Spirit King.’
‘It’s alright. This is the first time the Spirit King has summoned all of us senior spirits together.’
‘True. It’s a rare occasion. But why did he summon all of us?’
‘Probably because of the humans.’
The senior spirit of the pine tree, the guardian of all conifers in the Pantara Mountains, spoke.
‘Recently, humans have been causing chaos in the mountains.’
‘Ah, that was troublesome. They flattened two peaks and forcibly widened the gorge.’
‘It was horrific. I think the Spirit King is enraged because of that.’
‘Indeed. It’s the biggest incident since the mountains were formed.’
‘It’s more of a disaster than an incident.’
‘Right. I agree.’
The senior spirits of the pine tree and rock nodded in agreement, sharing their sadness.
And they waited with the other senior spirits.
For the Spirit King who summoned them to appear.
How long did they wait?
After a while, the Spirit King appeared at the peak.
But the Spirit King wasn’t Pantalarasa, whom they had been waiting for.
Thump!
“…Ugh! My back. Why did I even order an assembly up here?”
A sweaty human face appeared, gripping the edge of the peak.
Panting, with a face flushed red from the climb, he reached the top.
‘……’
The senior spirits were all speechless.
Too shocked to speak.
The sudden appearance of a human left them at a loss for how to react.
They all stared at the human in a daze.
And the human’s reaction?
Unbelievable.
“Hoo-ah!”
He caught his breath and brushed the snow off his clothes.
He adjusted his disheveled winter gear and grinned at them.
“So, you all gathered already? How nice.”
‘……’
Such a calm tone.
As if he expected this.
The senior spirits were astonished.
Because of the human’s composure and brazenness?
No.
It was because they could clearly feel the Spirit King’s authority from him!
‘…This can’t be!’
He was definitely human.
No matter how they looked at him.
Even if they looked upside down.
He was undeniably a biological human, walking on two legs.
Yet, he exuded the unmistakable authority of the Spirit King.
It was no mistake or illusion.
‘How is this possible? Is it even possible?’
A human Spirit King?
The senior spirits were equally shocked and doubtful.
It didn’t make sense.
It defied common sense.
Yet, here he was.
And he was approaching them and speaking.
“What are you all standing around for? Gathered nicely, but just staring blankly?”
Lloyd, now a human Spirit King, smirked and asked.
His question snapped the senior spirits to attention.
The rock spirit was the first to react.
‘Human! What are you?’
“What do you think? I’m the Spirit King of this mountain range. Can’t you tell?”
‘No, I mean! How? What happened to our Spirit King?’
“Your Spirit King? Pantalarasa?”
‘Yes! The ruler and protector of this mountain range, Pantalarasa! Where is he, and why are you, a human, exuding his authority?’
“Pantalarasa? He’s on vacation.”
‘…What?’
The rock spirit faltered.
Lloyd’s lips curled into a meaningful smile.
“Really. He found a place cooler, cozier, and more comfortable than here. So, he wants to rest there for a while.”
‘For a while… How long?’
“A few decades? Just until I die, he said.”
‘…….’
“Honestly, that’s not too much to ask. Pantalarasa has been in service for millions of years without a single day off. How sad is that? How much must he have wanted a break? And a few decades aren’t that long for you all, right?”
‘That’s true, but…’
“So, are you saying you won’t recognize me as the Spirit King?”
‘Yes!’
The rock spirit shouted immediately at Lloyd’s probing question.
And it wasn’t just the rock spirit who reacted sharply.
The pine tree spirit floating beside the rock spirit.
The spirits of the blizzard, frost moss, icicles, and crevasses too.
Some floated threateningly in the air.
Others began emitting cold energy.
Their attitude was clear.
“Ts. So you don’t want to recognize me as the Spirit King? Because I’m human?”
Lloyd chuckled.
It was exactly as he expected.
He thought their reaction was understandable.
‘Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine a company you’ve worked at all your life. One day, the CEO suddenly disappears. And a random cat shows up saying, “Meow! I’m the CEO now, meow!” Will the employees accept this easily?’
Absolutely not.
Lloyd thought this situation was similar.
‘That’s why I only summoned the senior spirits.’
He had been fortunate to inherit the position of Spirit King from Pantalarasa.
Thanks to this, he could command the spirits of the mountain range.
But to do so, he had to overcome a hurdle.
He needed the spirits’ recognition.
‘How many spirits are there in this mountain range? If I have to call each one and get their approval, that’s too inefficient.’
So he gathered only the senior spirits.
If he subdued and gained their recognition?
The rest of the spirits would follow.
‘Spirits have a hierarchy from the Spirit King to senior, mid-level, and junior spirits. It’s like a military hierarchy. So, what should I do? I don’t need to summon every private and corporal. I just need to deal with the sergeants.’
Then the rest will fall into place.
The punished sergeants will take it out on the corporals.
And the corporals will vent on the privates.
‘Until one private files a complaint to the division commander, causing a stir. But here, there are no such complaints, making it an ideal world.’
So he gathered only the senior spirits.
Thanks to the Spirit King’s authority, it was easy to summon them.
He simply issued an assembly order in his mind.
The assembly order spread like emergency alerts.
Lloyd grinned.
Recalling the purpose and intent of summoning the senior spirits, he spoke.
“I understand you don’t want to recognize me as the Spirit King, but as the Spirit King, I have to say this. I don’t work with those who don’t listen to me. So decide now. Will you recognize me as the Spirit King, or quit your spirit life?”
‘…….’
“You don’t want to answer?”
‘…….’
Despite his repeated questioning, the senior spirits only gave defiant looks.
But Lloyd just smiled more meaningfully.
As if he expected this.
As if he had prepared something special for them.
He calmly declared.
“First, you.”
His finger pointed at the pine tree spirit.
The pine tree spirit tensed and showed hostility.
“Your main body is the largest and oldest pine tree at the treeline of that ridge, right? I can tell by looking. It’s true. So let’s start with you.”
Lloyd smiled.
He raised his other hand.
In that hand was a shovel.
Bang!
The detonation from the shovel shot high into the sky.
It lit up a corner of the sky brightly.
Then faded away.
But in the next moment.
‘…Gasp!’
The tense pine tree spirit collapsed.
And with a pained look, it glared at Lloyd and shouted.
‘What did you do to my main body?’
“What do you think?”
Lloyd smiled calmly.
“I cut off one of your branches.”
‘H-How!’
“How? My bodyguard cut it. He saw the signal I just sent.”
‘…….’
The pine tree spirit stared at Lloyd in shock.
The branch that had just been cut from its main body.
It was the branch the pine tree spirit cherished the most.
The prettiest and neatest among its many branches.
It was the branch it loved and treasured the most.
But it had been cut off in an instant.
Lloyd had sent someone in advance.
What kind of human was this?
But Lloyd, with a shameless expression, met its gaze.
He even seemed to imply that this was just the beginning.
“So, do you understand the situation now? This makes it simpler. Let me ask you. Do you really want this to end like this? Should I cut down your trunk and use it as construction material? Or will you close your eyes and endure for a few decades?”
‘Grr…’
The pine tree spirit trembled.
As soon as it heard the proposal, it realized.
That was not a proposal but a threat.
Accept it and endure.
Or lose its main body and perish.
It was a clear and direct threat.
‘…….’
The pine tree spirit hesitated. It agonized.
But towards the hesitating pine tree spirit.
Lloyd’s sweet proposal flew gently.
“Think about it. Just a few decades. And am I asking for something huge? No. I’m just asking you to acknowledge me as the Spirit King. I’m human but have the status of the Spirit King, so just acknowledge that.”
‘…….’
“Still don’t like it? Because I’m human? Are you perhaps a racist, no, a speciesist? No, right? And even if I become the Spirit King, do you think I’ll issue some extreme orders?”
‘But humans like you destroyed the peaks and…’
“That was unavoidable for the construction. That’s why I’m asking. Just don’t cause blizzards or harsh weather near the site, and occasionally help with some difficult spots.”
‘…….’
“In return, I’ll make sure no human steps into the rest of the mountain range. I promise. This won’t harm you. So, can we agree on this?”
‘…….’
“Well, if you still don’t like it, you can end your spirit life as construction material.”
‘…….’
“And you there. Senior spirit of icicles, right? Feeling safe because you think you can’t be used as construction material?”
‘……!’
The icicle spirit, sharply observing the situation, flinched.
A sinister smile spread across Lloyd’s face.
“I assure you, even icicles aren’t safe. So, let me ask. What’s your future aspiration?”
‘What?’
“Do you prefer clear soup or red soup?”
‘…….’
“Which do you want to end your spirit life as? Which will be more fulfilling?”
Gulp.
The icicle spirit swallowed its nonexistent throat.
Finally, the senior spirits realized.
The human’s threats.
They weren’t lies.
They weren’t bluffs.
He really was capable of doing what he said.
In other words, they were in a situation where they were truly trapped by a madman who transcended common sense.
As soon as they realized this.
‘…….’
The senior spirits glanced at each other.
In the brief exchange of glances, fierce debates and opinions were exchanged.
Pros and cons.
Acceptance and resistance.
Soon, they reached a conclusion.
‘…Alright. We will recognize you as our ruler.’
They didn’t want to perish.
So, they decided to endure for a few decades.
The senior spirits bowed their heads.
At that moment, Lloyd smiled in satisfaction.
And ordered.
“Good. You’ve made a wise choice. Now, let’s run.”
‘What?’
“Run. Touch that rock. The first five won’t be punished for momentarily resisting me. The last one gets nothing.”
‘What does that…’
The senior spirits’ expressions wavered.
A determined smile formed on Lloyd’s lips.
Just because the defiant spirits bowed their heads.
Just because they pretended to obey momentarily.
If he naively accepted that, they would rise again.
So, he had to grind them down while the mood was set.
He had to make sure they knew who was in charge, down to their bones.
So he could make use of them for a long time.
With that thought, Lloyd spoke.
“Got an attitude problem? Hesitate and you’ll be last.”
‘……!’
The senior spirits, realizing the mood, started running.
It was the moment Lloyd was finally recognized as the complete ruler of the Pantara Mountains, leading hundreds and thousands of spirits under his command.
