In the Council of Clans,
a suffocating silence filled the air. Fear was painted on every face — for the words of the strongest being in the Central Regions had just been interrupted and disrespected.
In the world of Seris, strength is what is feared and respected. No weak clan or individual is ever allowed to insult the strong — otherwise, they could be wiped out in an instant as retribution.
Does the heir of the Ice Rabbit Clan truly understand what he has just done?
His entire clan will be erased from existence — and no one will save them.
The clans had gathered at this council to form alliances or decide which side to take in the conflicts ahead. But the council had now turned into a dramatic stage, its purpose twisted into publicly humiliating the Yeti King.
But… is risking everything just to tarnish the reputation of the most powerful being in the region worth it?
No one here is foolish enough to do this knowingly — not when the cost could be the annihilation of their entire bloodline.
So silence reigned.
Everyone only wished for this meeting to end quickly so they could escape and return home.
At that moment, the King of the Ice Rabbit Clan stood up, sweat dripping down his body, terror freezing his spine.
He looked to the side and saw two figures laughing quietly, others staring with shock — and then it hit him.
His clan had been used.
They had been sacrificed for someone else's plan — just to take down the Yeti King.
His heart pounded violently.
His breath grew short and uneven.
He thought of his family — of his clan that was about to die.
Should he play along with this plan, gambling everything for the Dragon King's sake?
Do they really have a plan to defeat the Yeti King?
His mind screamed:
No. Impossible.
Even if they did have such a plan — even if they killed him — the Yeti King is the Lord of the Ice Region.
What they are doing is nothing less than treason.
The Ice Region will be plundered, its clans enslaved by those from the other regions.
He made his decision in an instant.
He ran forward, not caring about his dignity as a king or how the others stared.
In a single motion, he stood before the great chair and faced the Yeti King — Lord of the Ice Region.
The Yeti King looked back at him with eyes void of mercy, void of interest — as if none of this mattered to him at all.
The Rabbit King understood, and without a moment's hesitation — he knelt.
Tears stung his eyes, but he held himself together and spoke:
"The Ice Rabbit Clan does not recognize the words of this so-called heir.
He has been stripped of his title and will never again be acknowledged as an heir.
I beg the Yeti King to forgive us and know that we have been used as pawns.
Our clan has been loyal to the Ice Region for thousands of years.
Please forgive us — for the sake of our ancestors' contributions and all we have given to the Ice Region's service."
Then, silently, the Rabbit King wept — for he knew the contributions of his ancestors would now be erased, never remembered again.
His clan would be ordinary.
He cried harder and thought to himself:
"Why? Wouldn't it have been better if I had just stayed quiet?
If I had let the council end, and we had returned home like all the other clans?
Why did the Ice Rabbit Clan's name have to be stained in my reign?
What will the future hold for us now?"
But none of that mattered.
The most important thing was that his clan survived — even if it cost him everything.
He turned to his son and asked:
"Why did you do this to me?"
The king felt broken — as though he had aged decades in a single moment.
Instead of a son to be proud of, he had been given one who made him a laughingstock among the clans,
and placed their very survival on a knife's edge.
The Yeti King merely stared at him with the same indifferent eyes, not even bothering to tell him to rise.
No one knew what fate awaited this clan.
The king then turned his gaze toward the Dragon King and the heir — wanting to know what they were truly planning.
The heir looked at his kneeling father and, instead of feeling guilt, he glared at the Yeti King — blaming him.
Though saddened that he had lost his status as heir, he didn't truly care.
What mattered to him was toppling the "tyrant" Yeti King.
In his mind, he was the hero who would save the Central Regions.
He never considered that if he had simply done nothing — nothing at all — his clan's position would have remained safe and untouched.
The Dragon King, ignoring the kneeling Rabbit King and the foolish heir's reckless thinking, spoke casually:
"Speak, young heir.
Don't worry — I will restore your title as heir."
The entire hall gasped — even the Rabbit King himself.
This was a blatant threat — a direct challenge to the Yeti King's authority as Lord of the Region.
The heir responded immediately:
"Thank you, my king. I will tell you everything."
He stood, his voice shaking but filled with conviction:
"You all know what the world of Seris is.
Seris is the point — the memory — that connects every clan from every dimension to this world.
It is the nexus that binds the other worlds together.
Because of this, there are differences even within the same clan, depending on the dimension they came from.
The strongest blood among all clans is the Blood of Earth — the most noble of them all.
The Yeti King is of the Earth Yeti Clan — not one of the dimensional offshoots —
and he is the only Earth-blooded Yeti in all the Central Regions.
That is why he is the strongest being here — why he looks down on every other clan,
even those of his own kind."
The Dragon King replied, jealousy hidden beneath his calm tone:
"Oh… I didn't know the Yeti King despised his own kind because of his superior bloodline."
Then he gestured for the heir to go on:
"Continue. What is the real issue here?"
The heir clenched his fists, his anger barely contained:
"Because of all this, remnants of civilizations from other dimensions have appeared in Seris.
We search for these ruins, seeking to uncover their secrets and grow stronger.
These civilizations were built by the ancestors of our clans from other dimensions.
Whoever discovers the ruins of their own clan's ancestors gains strength —
twice as much strength as others who also explore the ruins.
That is why regional lords were chosen — to maintain justice and allow the clans to explore freely,
taking what they have rightfully earned.
But the Yeti King has hidden the ruins of the otherworldly Yeti civilization,
forbidding anyone from exploring them — keeping them for his own kind alone.
And we, the weaker clans, can do nothing against this tyrant."
The Dragon King's face darkened, his expression full of scorn as he glared at the Yeti King:
"How could you do this?
Do you ignore your duty as a regional lord and do whatever you please?
What is this corruption?
I never expected this from you.
Are we not supposed to uphold the Laws of the Clans?
And yet you choose to ignore them?"
Then, his voice boomed across the chamber:
"We, the lords of the other regions — and all the clans —
will bring justice to you and make you face your punishment."
The gathered clans looked at each other in shock, thinking:
"If you want to do that, do it yourself.
Do not drag us into something we never agreed to."
Before anyone could object, the Dragon King's voice rang out like the voice of judgment itself:
"Do you admit your vile deeds and accept the sentence of death?"
A thunderclap struck the hall.
Everyone was stunned.
"Are you insane? You want to kill him here and now?
And why drag us into this?!"
All eyes turned to the Yeti King — who simply smiled, calm and unbothered, as though he had been waiting for this.
Minutes passed in suffocating tension.
Nothing happened.
The clans turned to the Dragon King, silently asking:
"Where is your courage now?
We thought you would fight him —
were you expecting him to kill himself?"
The Dragon King felt embarrassed — but he didn't care.
The plan had been set in motion.
The downfall of the Yeti King was already inevitable.
Then, suddenly, the great doors of the hall opened.
A crushing aura flooded the chamber — so powerful no one could breathe.
The Dragon King smiled.
"They have arrived."
The Yeti King's arrogance shone through, a cold smile curving his lips.
"Now things are getting interesting."
---
Next Stop: The Strangers
----
"What do you think of the chapter, and of this world? What are your thoughts on the events happening in the council? I really want to know your opinions."