Chapter Text
Boom- boom- boom-
Early morning as the darkness slowly disappeared and the sun started to rise… The sound of drums echoed throughout Puzzle City.
Not a single one of the many birds were chirping. The sound of the drums was the only thing that was heard, as if it would cover up all of Puzzle City.
“Human! Wake up! The drums are sounding!”
“It’s today, nya!” “Today, today is that day, nya!”
Today was the 50th celebration, the day to offer the sacrifices.
“Ugh.”
Cale couldn't breathe for a moment. He barely let out a breath and quietly mumbled.
“T, take your feet off.”
‘These little punks.’
The children averaging ten-years-old. The three children who were chubbier than when they were children averaging nine-years-old were pushing down on Cale’s stomach.
“Huff, huff.”
‘I thought I was going to die.’
“Aigoo. Human, you're so weak!”
“It’s okay that you are weak, nya.”
“…It’s… a bit understandable.”
Raon, Hong, and On commented one after another and shook their heads. Cale had expected it from Raon and Hong but looked at On with a bit of a betrayed gaze as he had
not expected this from her as well.
On raised her front paw and pointed to the clock.
“It’s almost time to head to the temple, nya.”
Boom- boom- boom-
Cale listened to the drums as he observed the clock.
The celebration was to start at noon.
However, the preparations had started early in the morning.
Knock knock knock.
Ron knocked on the door and entered the room.
“Young master-nim, it looks like you will need to get ready.”
A cold gaze slightly revealed itself through Ron’s fake benign smile as he looked at Cale whose hair was a mess and overall look was shabby.
“Mm.”
Cale grabbed the cup of lemonade and quickly got up from the bed. He started grumbling.
“They’re telling us to come and go for no reason from the morning.”
Cale and the rest of the people staying in this place…
They were people who came as the person in charge of the sacrifices delivery from the different nations and territories or famous people who received the threat veiled as an
invitation from the central temple. They were all forced to watch the celebration.
All of them had meaningless tasks to fulfill from the early morning. Furthermore, they had to do it all together.
“They’re just trying to tame all of you.”
That was right. This schedule was a taming process by the central temple and the White Star as Ron mentioned.
Cale's glabellas scrunched as much as his temper.
"Tsk. How annoying.”
* * *
In the end, Cale ended up coming to the central temple to do those annoying things.
Of course, he was alone.
Ron, Raon… He could not bring anybody else with him here.
He was currently on the third floor of the central temple where he could see out clearly unlike the first and second floors that were surrounded by the rock wall.
He could see all of Puzzle City.
There was a simple reason as to why Cale and the rest of the forced celebration spectators were brought here.
‘It’s an altar.’
Outside the rock wall surrounding the central temple…
There was an altar on a wide area that used to be a plaza in the past.
‘That’s where the sacrifices will die.
Close to 2,000 lives will be lost there today.’
They had been called here early in the morning to watch that and get scared.
“Young master Cale Henituse of the Roan Kingdom's Henituse territory?”
Cale looked away from the altar after hearing a voice.
“Mm. You're here. Your identity has been verified.”
The priest smiled warmly before moving to the person in line behind Cale.
“Prince Pen of the Breck Kingdom?”
"What is it?”
“What else? You ended up coming in the end. Your identity has been verified.”
Cale listened to Rosalyn’s younger brother respond with a grumble as he looked around.
There were hundreds of people gathered here from all over the Western continent.
“Mm.”
“Ahem.”
The people who made eye contact with Cale quickly looked away.
There were people throughout the room peeking at Cale and unable to hide their shock.
‘That person is here?’
After the initial shock, their faces were filled with curiosity, scorn, disappointment, or grief.
“Sayeru-nim. We have confirmed everybody on the list.”
“Really?”
In front of the room… Bear King Sayeru, who had been standing facing the group of people, nodded his head at the priest’s report and addressed the crowd.
“The celebration starts at noon so please wait here until you all move together when the times comes.”
He was telling them to watch the preparation of the altar to its completion.
“Just so that you are aware, priests are stationed all around so please let us know if there is anything you need.”
Basically, he was saying that priests are keeping their eyes on them and not to do anything useless.
“We will prepare chairs and refreshments. Isn’t this quite great of a treatment?”
Sayeru smiled and then suddenly clapped his hands.
"Ah, in addition.”
He pointed toward the sky with his finger.
“The White Star-nim has said that he would like to see some people face to face before the celebration starts. He wishes to have tea with those people. I'm sure it will be an
extremely honorable place to be.”
The fifth floor of the central temple… The White Star was there.
When the celebration starts at noon… That was when the White Star would reveal himself to the people in front of the altar.
‘Honorable my ass.’
Cale was calm despite his completely different inner thoughts. His face just looked cold to the others.
Sayeru peeked at Cale before continuing to speak with joy.
“His highness, crown prince Alberu Crossman.”
Cale’s gaze headed to the front of the group.
Unlike Cale, who was to the rear of the middle of the group, Alberu was in the front as he would be giving the congratulatory speech.
“A time of refreshments with the White Star-nim. You’re happy, aren’t you, your highness?”
“…Of course.”
“Then please come this way.”
Sayeru pointed next to him and Alberu walked over.
It was the first time Cale saw Alberu’s face in person in this illusion.
Alberu Crossman had not called over or come to see Cale at their resting area.
The two of them were not giving any signals through their eyes or greeting each other right now either.
‘He looks terrible.’
Cale observed Alberu with a stoic expression on his face.
Unlike his tired look Cale had seen through the video communication device, seeing Alberu in person allowed Cale to see that Alberu had lost a lot of weight.
“Oh no, your highness.”
Sayeru’s eyes curled down as if he was sad as he continued speaking.
“The despair prayer must be hard on you. You seem to be losing more weight by the day. Mm. How about asking the White Star-nim about it? Ask him to allow you to stop
praying. Ask him to let someone else take your place. What do you think?”
“…That’s okay. Praying is important.”
“How magnificent. Your faith is very strong.”
Sayeru laughed while Alberu just continued looking forward without any changes to his expression.
‘That son of a bitch.’
Cale was slowly losing his temper. However, his face still remained stoic.
“Okay, next is the Caro Kingdom's crown prince Valentino. Oh, the prince from the Breck Kingdom please step forward as well.”
Sayeru continued choosing the people who would have this secret meeting with the White Star.
“Please smile, you must smile. It is rare to have an intimate conversation with the White Star-nim like this.”
Sayeru made that comment to the people standing next to him before looking forward again.
“Okay, last person. Young master Cale Henituse-nim.”
The silent room became even more silent at that moment.
Sayeru respectfully ordered Cale.
“Please come forward.”
Some people started peeking at Cale.
Cale Henituse was the person at the center of the people who had fought against the White Star. The past did not disappear just because Cale had been defeated.
"Are you not going to step forward?”
Cale just quietly looked forward.
Tap. Tap.
Sayeru slowly started to walk. He stopped in front of Cale and asked the still emotionless Cale.
“Young master Cale, are you not going to come forward?”
Sayeru’s face turned cold as if he had not been smiling at all. There was an unexplainable sense of tension.
The Bear King called out to the person who was not looking at him in a low voice.
“Cale Henituse.”
The eyes of the person who had only been looking forward slowly moved.
“Priest Sayeru-nim.”
Cale’s calm voice cut through the silent room. His voice was not loud but everybody heard it clearly through the silence.
“I've done as much as I could.”
Cale looked at Sayeru and asked.
“But you want me to do even more?”
Cale then turned his body to face Sayeru.
One step. He took a step forward and shoved his face closer to Sayeru’s face. Sayeru could see the scowl in Cale's eyes.
“…Isn’t bowing down this much enough?”
His eyes were full of wrath, annoyance, and all sorts of other negative emotions. There were so many that Sayeru could see them without even trying.
The defeated person slowly spoke, as if he was breathing out, with the scowl on his face.
“Don’t expect too many things from me. This is my limit.”
Cale then took a step back, looked forward and avoided Sayeru's gaze.
“…Ha.”
A short chuckle came out of Sayeru's mouth.
Some people were slightly nodding their heads. They understood where Cale was coming from.
Cale Henituse. He had come to Puzzle City to deliver sacrifices.
Furthermore, he was watching the celebration where the sacrifices were being offered. He had not shown any resistance and had even shown a lot of goodwill through it all.
That alone was enough for some people to think that Cale Henituse had gone crazy.
But they realized it now.
Although he was acting calm on the outside and smiling…
This defeated person was at his limits holding himself back.
“Ha, haha-”
Sayeru was laughing out loud now. He could finally understand Cale Henituse well.
‘Yes, he isn't Cale Henituse if he doesn't act like this.’
The fact that he had done everything for the sacrifice delivery was weird.
He looked at Cale Henituse who dared to go against the White Star's order and felt joy and pleasure.
"Well, I will show some understanding this one time since you are saying that you are at your limit. I will put in a good word with the White Star-nim.”
Pat.
Sayeru patted Cale’s shoulder.
“However, there is no next time.”
Sayeru's cold eyes glared at Cale. He warned the defeated fool who refused to make eye contact with him as well as everybody here.
“Who will be the next sacrifice? Nobody knows who it may be.”
Sayeru, who turned away from Cale without any regrets, headed out of the third floor with the people
who will enjoy refreshments with the White Star and headed for the fifth floor.
Cale did not make any eye contact with anyone until that point. Many people were looking at him with different emotions, however…
‘Phew, that was close.’
Cale was relieved on the inside.
‘It’s one thing if we are far apart, but my condition might be revealed if I am close to the White Star.’
Even just using this illusion as the basis, Cale had clashed with the White Star many times.
That was why it was better for him to be as far away from the White Star as possible in order to not have his shield found out.
‘It’ll be bad if he found out before I flipped everything over.’
Cale thought that he did a good job to slither out of that situation and sat down on a chair a priest brought over.
Cale could hear some things in the room that was a bit more rowdy after Sayeru left.
"Tsk. Cale Henituse is pretty much dead too.”
“He should just fully submit if he wants to survive. What’s with this half-assed stuff?”
5
“…He’s done for.”
Cale closed his eyes without saying anything.
Time quickly passed by.
Boom- boom- boom-
It was now noon.
Cale looked up at the person sitting down at the chair at the top of the altar as the drumming continued.
The White Star.
His ⬛⬛⬛ wearing the white half mask that covered above his nose was sitting on a white marble chair looking down.
Woooooooooooooooo–
At an area a bit away from the altar… The residents of Puzzle City and people from all over were cheering.
The people who were forced to come observe were at the center of the cheering crowd looking up at the White Star.
It was set like this on purpose with dividers to separate the cheering crowd with the forced spectators. Furthermore, Cale and the others got chairs as a form of consideration.
Sitting on the chairs made it so that they could only see the people cheering and the White Star on top of the altar.
They’ll probably be able to see the sacrifices as well as they step onto the altar.
Cale looked around.
There were some people who had no choice but to cheer but the crowd had a lot of followers of the White Star and the God of Despair.
Cale felt the fervor spreading out of the cheering and raised his head.
He could see the White Star.
At that moment…
‘Mm.
The White Star looked toward Cale.
It could have been a mistake but he was certain that the White Star was observing him.
Cale frowned but did not avoid the White Star's gaze.
“Pffft.”
The White Star laughed and turned his head.
It was a clear sign that he was ignoring Cale.
It was for that reason.
‘Ah, that scared me.’
Cale was relieved.
‘He didn't find out.’
He had been anxious that his shield, his current condition, would be found out and something else...
Thankfully, the White Star seemed to not figure out Cale’s condition due to the distance.
How did he know?
The White Star's eyes were definitely looking with an positive emotion at Cale.
It was as if he was looking with compassion. That seemed to be the right feeling.
But that can't be true. Cale denied the look of the White Star and continue to stare.
“We will now start the ceremony!”
Cale leaned against the back of the chair and slumped down.
He then lowered his head.
“…Young master Cale.”
Rosalyn's young brother, Prince Pen, who was next to Cale, called out to him as if he was concerned, but…
Cale covered his face with both hands and lowered his head even more.
The White Star saw this and smirked. He then completely looked away from Cale.
The ceremony continued as all of that happened.
Boom. Boom- boom-
People wearing different battle attires moved toward the temple from the North, South, East, and West with a flag bearer in the front as the drums beat on.
It was a performance to show that the White Star was the strongest force on the Western continent and Eastern Continent right now.
Cale did not raise his head.
Sayeru shouted in a cool voice at that moment.
“His highness, crown prince Alberu Crossman will give the celebratory speech!”
Woooooooooooooooo–
Boom, boom, boom-
The area roared with cheering and the drumming mixed together.
Noon.
The moment when the sun was at the highest point in the sky…
“Huuuuuu.”
Alberu slowly put his foot on the step headed up to the platform.
He was able to get on top of the altar and look down at everyone just as he thought to himself that the few steps seemed quite high.
Only the White Star… Everybody other than the White Star, who was located at a higher point on the altar behind Alberu, could see him.
“Mm.”
Alberu saw Cale with his head down. The moment he saw Cale buried in the chair as if he was disappointed…
Alberu's eyes clouded over.
He opened the paper with the celebratory speech written on it. Of course, this was prepared by the central temple and not Alberu himself.
He opened his mouth to speech.
“The fact that I can be here with you today-”
Alberu saw it at that moment.
He saw Cale lower the hands that were covering his face.
He saw that the face underneath the hands was smiling.
‘In the end.’
Alberu started to think.
‘You’re going to cause an incident in the end.’
The crown prince subconsciously laughed.
Cale raised his hand at that moment.
Boobooboooooooooom-
There was a loud rumbling and the ground shook.
Alberu turned around.
The starting point of the rumbling…
It was the rock wall protecting the central temple.
The rock wall was shaking.
– Cale, just flip everything over right?
The Super Rock asked and Cale nodded his head.
“Yeah.”
– Sounds good. I’ll go all out since this is the last test.
The drumming stopped.
The cheering stopped.
Instead, a loud noise shook Puzzle City.
Baaaaaang—!
The rock wall started to break.
No, it started to crumble.
“W, what is going on all of a sudden-?!”
Bear King Sayeru was shocked for a moment before he turned his head.
Caw. Caw. Caw.
He could hear crows cawing and getting closer.
The Bears knew the person who could do such a thing.
“…Gashan……!”
The Tiger shaman Gashan.
He knew how to control crows.
The tribe that had lost their home on the Eastern continent and ran away without any victories until they went into hiding.
The Tiger tribe.
They had been quietly waiting in the Forest of Darkness for the right moment.
There was someone leading the Tigers and climbing over the walls of Puzzle City.
Choi Han. He had black aura around him as he jumped over.
“Cale-nim.”
Choi Han looked up at the sky.
The rock wall had been made my destroying the rock towers that had been full of numerous desires.
The barrier that had separated the central temple from the rest of the city and protected it…
It was gone now.
Instead, thousands, no, tens of thousands of rocks shot up into the air.
It was as if they were trying to cover the light of the sun.
It was as if they were trying to take over the sky.
Rocks covered the sky above Puzzle City.
Cale was seated comfortably on the chair smiling.
People looked up.
“…Rocks……”
“This, just what-”
Rocks were filling up the sky. The wall had crumbled.
Choi Han and the Tiger tribe were coming toward this place. Crows were cawing.
The jaws of the people who had been cheering dropped after realizing everything that they had just seen and heard.
"W, we need to run away!”
“Fuck!”
“A, aaaaaaaaaah!”
The residents of Puzzle City started running, as if they were people having nightmares.
They ran in all directions, doing whatever they could to get away from this place.
"There, there are people who dare to get in the way of such a sacred celebration?!”
On the other hand, there were people standing firm and shouting in anger.
"That is the evil knight Choi Han! Cale Henituse has done something crazy in the end!”
“Kill them! Let’s kill them and protect the White Star-nim's celebration!”
The White Star's followers… They glared at the rocks covering the sky and headed toward the center of the spectators.
That was where Cale and the rest of the people invited by the White Star were located.
Those people who were invited here realized the situation as well.
“…H, holy shit!”
“You should just die alone if you want to die!”
Some of them turned their heads to look at Cale Henituse.
“Heh.”
Cale Henituse was seated on the chair laughing.
He leisurely made eye contact with the people looking and glaring at him.
Clang!
Someone who came from the north immediately pulled out his sword.
"Stop this right now!”
He charged toward Cale as if he was going to use this opportunity to kill him. The moment he swung his sword without any hesitation…
Clang!
There was a sharp noise and his blade was blocked by someone else. The swordsman was grinding his teeth as he glared at the person.
“…Breck Kingdom……!”
Rosalyn’s younger brother… The Breck Kingdom's immature fourth prince Pen. He was holding a sword blocking the swordsman's way. He stood next to Cale.
“Ugh!”
The swordsman who was pushed back scoffed in disbelief.
“Kekeke. You crazy fools!”
Nobles from the Roan Kingdom's northeast region, Amiru and Gilbert, stood on either side of Cale.
The northeast region's nobles, who had nobody to gather around since Eric
Wheelsman’s family lost a lot of its power and influence going up against the White Star, started to gather around Cale one by one.
“Young master Cale.”
Taylor Stan walked over to Cale’s side.
The swordsman and some others could not hide their shock at what they were seeing. One of the Mogoru Empire's nobles frowned as he shouted.
“How foolish! Going against the White Star-nim is simply asking for death!”
He pointed in all directions.
The White Star’s followers had approached and were glaring at Cale. It felt as if they would charge toward Cale with anybody who pointed their swords at him.
“You can still stop this! If not, it will be all of you who will end up as sacrifices-, ugh!”
The noble clenched his side. His head slowly turned to the back.
“…Chief… Harol?”
The Whipper Kingdom's Commander Toonka. His close confidant, Chief Harol. He pulled a dagger out of the noble’s side and spoke in a low voice.
“It’s too boring to only watch.”
“I completely agree.”
Caro Kingdom's crown prince Valentino slowly smiled and waved to Cale.
“Ho! When did they band together like this?!”
“Crazy, they’re all crazy!”
“I have nothing to do with them!”
There were people who gasped in disbelief and moved away while looking at the people gathering around Cale.
On the other hand, the White Star’s followers were getting closer
step by step.
“Young master Cale.”
Cale looked to the side.
"Sayeru is starting to move.”
Taylor Stan, the owner of the Stan March. He pointed to Sayeru on top of the altar.
Shhhhh. The moment Sayeru raised his hand…
Paaaat-!
A bright light left his hand and shot up into the air.
He gave an order at the same time.
“Move.”
Boom- boom- boom-
The drumming resumed shaking Puzzle City and the troops that had been headed toward the temple from the north, side, east, and west sides of Puzzle City had new targets.
The ones who came from the east and west headed toward Choi Han and the Tiger tribe.
The ones from the south headed toward Cale.
The ones from the north headed toward the White Sky building. They were headed for the sacrifices.
They all started to move.
Numerous people suddenly moved.
To escape, to suppress, or to exterminate… It was quite chaotic and looked like a scene straight out of hell as these people moved for their different reasons.
Chaos had descended upon Puzzle City.
At that moment…
“Enough.”
A person's voice echoed out and everybody looked toward one spot.
The highest spot on the altar…
The White Star slowly got up from his seat. He looked down. More specifically, he was observing Cale.
“You did something foolish.”
His voice oddly sounded extremely clear as if he was whispering right in front of their faces.
Was this also possible because this was a complete White Star?
The White Star spoke in a disappointed voice.
“You should know when to give up. You're always like that Cale Henituse”
“Pffft.” Cale let out a chuckle. He commented with a nonchalant look on his face.
“It’s funny hearing the most pathetic son of a bitch saying something like that.”
Cale slowly got up with a sad look but nobody could see this.
The White Star who could not hear what Cale had said, spoke as if he was consoling Cale in a low voice.
“Stop.”
His voice was gentle.
“I'll let everybody live if you stop now.”
The white star looked worried.
'Please Cale, stop it !'
However…
“Ugh.”
“Ugh!”
Prince Pen plopped down on one knee. Young lady Amiru's body bent forward and she grabbed onto the back of a chair.
“Huff. Huff.”
Taylor Stan clenched his shirt at his chest and was breathing heavily. Taylor barely raised his head to look at the highest spot on the altar.
The man in a white mask covered by a red aura…
He was looking down at everybody.
He could feel fear as he looked at this man.
It was an extremely instinctual fear. Death. He suddenly felt a fear of death and his body curled up and started shaking.
Caw- caw-
The crows in the sky cawed as if they were screaming and started running away.
Plop. Plop.
The White Star’s followers were obedient to that fear and they knelt down, lowered their bodies as much as possible, and praised their ruler.
“Oo.”
“Ahhhhhh.”
They could not even speak properly as they were suppressed by fear, but their voices were full of awe.
Only trained people like Taylor were able to persist through this.
‘…Damn it!’
When Cale Henituse had said to come watch… He had expected such a situation.
Taylor knew that he was too weak to overcome the White Star's fear.
Tatatap!
Taylor barely turned his head to hear the only sound of running.
Sir Choi Han.
The Black Knight was persisting through this fear and charging forward. Yes, this was the reason he had had hope in the past.
The fear from the earth and the sky looking down on them…
To defeat the White Star who possessed both of those things…
They believed that they might be able to be victorious if they persisted through.
Taylor clenched his eyes at that moment.
Plop. Plop.
Some of the rocks in the sky started to fall.
Cale Henituse's rocks were coming down.
“Ah.”
Taylor gasped and he felt power leaving his body, forcing him to bow.
‘Ah, is it not possible in the end?’
Taylor thought that the falling rocks seemed to resemble his situation as well as the situations of his comrades.
‘…Maybe I should have not come to watch-’
Taylor was having that thought when he suddenly got the chills.
“Huh?”
A confused noise burst out of his mouth. His body was bent forward in a bow but he turned his gaze to the side.
He could see someone’s shoes.
The two feet he was looking at were standing firm, as if it was not hard at all.
“…Young master Cale?”
Cale Henituse was the owner of these two feet.
‘How?
Why is it that I feel the same aura coming from him as I do from the White Star?’
Taylor's pupils were shaking.
He slowly put some strength into his bent body. He had this odd feeling that he would be able to stand up straight now.
He was able to stand up straight as he had thought and
his gaze was locked on one person.
“…Ah.”
He subconsciously took a step back.
He moved away from Cale.
‘It’s not the same as the White Star.’
It was different.
This was different from the White Star’s fear.
‘…The level of pressure is different!’
If the White Star was controlling fear…
Young master Cale….
He felt like a conqueror who had suppressed fear and was standing on top of it.
A red aura was swirling around Cale.
It was even redder than what was around the White Star.
Choi Han stopped running and looked at Cale.
“Cale-nim?”
He saw that Cale was smiling.
He was smiling more relaxed than anybody else.
“How the complete White Star would be. I was a bit curious about it before we started fighting.”
Cale smiled as if he was amused at the White Star whose eyes were open wide as he looked down.
“Looks like it won't be much.”
There was a badge on his clothes. The power Embraced in the badge was in Cale’s hand.
‘The Blood-drenched Rock.’
Cale also had the power that the White Star of this place used to instill fear.
As mentioned before, the Cale here was the Cale from the outside. He had everything he possessed in the real world.
Cale took one step forward.
The air fluctuated around him and the red aura rippled.
The aura around him…
‘The Dominating Aura.’
The ruler was not affected by fear.
“…You-”
The White Star took a step onto the stairs heading down from the altar. His gaze was focused only on Cale Henituse.
“How do you have this power-?”
His low voice sounded both shocked and for Cale, proud.
Cale smiled sadly.
“Wow. I guess you can act all tough because you’ve won everything until now ?”
‘He’s clearly different from the White Star I know, the one who became more pathetic as time went on. Why did he change so much ?’
Cale turned his head, and quickly regained his stoic face.
Alberu Crossman. The man who was still on top of the altar urgently moved away as soon as he made eye contact with Cale.
And at the same time…
Rumble-
They heard a roar from the sky.
Was the White Star trying to use his thunderbolt? Taylor had that thought before realizing something.
He realized where Cale's rock had fallen.
Not all of the rocks in the sky had fallen.
The altar and the area around it…
The rocks had only descended in those areas.
The area above the altar and the White Star was clear up to the sky.
Taylor heard what Cale said with a smile on his face.
“Get started.”
A ray of rose gold light struck down toward the White Star and the altar.
And then, at the altar…
Baaaaaaaaaang!
Baaaaaang—!
And at another building, the White Sky where the sacrifices were being held… There was an explosion at that building as well.
– Human, just leave it to me!
Raon's energetic voice echoed through Cale's mind.
“Meeeeeow.”
“Meeow!”
The White Sky. Dense fog started wrapping around that building.
And into that fog, Ron, Beacrox… And the Henituse employees who had disappeared… The best of the Molan household had charged into battle.
Their mission was to rescue the sacrifices.
Swoooooooosh-
“Young master Cale!”
Taylor urgently called out to Cale after hearing the sound of wind.
Cale floated up with the whirlwinds around his ankles. His body quickly moved forward.
The Dominating Aura with fear infused in it followed him like a tsunami.
“Ugh!”
“How is the White Star-nim's power……?!”
The troops became anxious while the followers became astonished. Cale moved past the chaotic area and headed for the altar.
Cale reached his hand toward the dust from the explosion from the rose gold thunderbolt.
“Cale Henituse.”
He heard a low voice call his name as the White Star brushed through the dust and appeared.
He was running toward Cale as well. There was a burning red sword in his hand.
On the other hand, water sparkled in Cale’s hand and turned into a spear.
Baaaaaang-!
Fire and water, the moment the White Star and Cale clashed…
“Let’s go down.”
“…We can’t just sit and watch.”
People who had been quietly watching raised their bodies.
Two red haired were sittting peacefully, talking with compassion.
"Hey Young Master, What do you want to do ? I'm bored.."
"Don't care Barrow, do what you want, I'm busy.."
"My~~, you know that only you can make me feel emotions no ?"
"And ? That's not a reason for annoying me you know ?"
"What I mean is...I'...happy to be with you"
"Thanks Barrow...your a great friend.."
Baaaaaang–!
The fire sword and water spear created a loud explosion as they slammed against each other.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
The White Star and Cale… Both of them moved back as if they were flung backward.
Boom!
Cale’s back hit a building he didn’t recognize. He used his wind so the impact wasn’t too strong but Cale frowned after feeling the shock shooting through his body.
‘…This is no joke.’
Cale’s eyes looked shocked for the first time.
Water, fire, wind, earth, and wood.
The White Star who had all five major natural elements was completely different from the White Star that he knew.
‘He’s stronger than before.’
He could feel it after that single exchange of attacks.
This White Star was at least two times stronger than the White Star he knew.
‘…Two or maybe three times stronger.’
This was probably why the incomplete Cale of this place was unable to defeat the White Star.
“Ha, haha-”
Cale started to laugh. He looked down at his hand.
His water spear had disappeared after slamming into the fire sword.
‘My name is tingling.’
His palm was slightly shaking after just one time.
‘Yes, if it is a complete White Star… Maybe this is more accurate.’
Cale started calmly analyzing the situation.
Looking at the person themselves, the White Star was much stronger than the feeble Cale Henituse.
Next, the ancient powers of the five major natural elements.
Both of their ancient powers were quite strong, making it difficult to say whose was stronger.
When it came to their other ancient powers, Cale had more of them in quantity.
He could even use the White Star’s earth attribute ancient power.
However, the White Star had the strong sky attribute ancient power.
‘Not an easy enemy. No, this is a difficult enemy.’
Cale accepted with difficulty his enemy but accepted his too strong level of power and kicked off the building wall.
Swooooosh-
His body headed toward the White Star with the wind.
There was no hesitation whatsoever.
This was the same for his opponent.
Furthermore, Cale was not the only one who was shocked.
“…How did you become complete?”
The White Star asked Cale as they exchanged attacks once more.
One large red rock and a stone spear made of numerous little rocks crashed against each other at the same time.
Baaaaaang-!
The rocks crumbled to dust and scattered this time.
Tap. Tap. Cale and the White Star both landed on the ground. All that was left of the altar were black ashes because it had been burnt by the red thunderbolt.
The White Star landed on the ashes and looked down at his hand. His fingertips were numb.
“You got the wood.”
Someone else made up their mind just as he finished making up his mind.
“Immediately!”
Alberu Crossman. He grabbed the administrator who had been waiting on one side of the altar to observe the celebration by the collar.
“Ugh, y, your highness?”
This administrator considered himself to be one of the White Star’s subordinates.
Alberu grabbed that administrator who had been running away and gave him an order.
“Open the city gate immediately!”
Alberu Crossman’s eyes were full of delight.
Cale Henituse was able to go up against the White Star.
That punk had achieved a balance of his ancient power.
“…As expected, as expected!”
‘That punk doesn’t bluff when he makes a move!’
He turned on his video communication device. He then gave the order.
“Advance into battle.”
The Mage Brigade and Knights Brigade that should be waiting in the forest nearby Puzzle City right now…
Their numbers were small because it had not been long since they were defeated and restored, but they were all talented.
“Your highness.”
Alberu twisted his body and rolled at that moment.
Baaaaang!
There was a strand of light stabbed into where he had just been standing.
Siiiizzle.
There was a burning noise and the spot Alberu had been standing in was covered in heat.
“Ugh. Priest Sayeru!”
Alberu immediately got his body up from the ground and glared at the enemy who had sent the light spear flying toward him.
“Your highness, you can’t do cute things like this. Advance into battle?”
The area around Sayeru was full of bright lights.
“Do you wish to die?”
He launched light spears at Alberu at the same time.
“Fuck!”
Alberu swore before reaching his hand toward the air.
– It’s been a while, Alberu Crossman-nim.
Alberu listened to Taerang’s calm voice as he swung the white spear in his hand.
Baaaaaang-!
Sayeru watched Alberu being flung back from the explosion and raised his voice.
“Arrest Alberu Crossman!”
The troops, who were no longer in a state of chaos, started moving. Black Knights charged toward Alberu.
Clang! Clang!
However, there were knights who got in their way.
“We must protect his highness!”
Taylor Stan had the House of Stan’s knights with him as he stood in front of Alberu. Alberu and Taylor made eye contact as Alberu stood up.
There was no need for words.
“I’ll be going first.”
Alberu had places to go.
‘I need to rescue the hostages while Cale Henituse is keeping the White Star occupied!’
He also needed to safely evacuate the residents of Puzzle City.
It was impossible to protect them with magic shields.
“Ugh, your highness!”
Alberu grabbed the administrator who was crawling away by the collar and urgently started running.
“I can’t let you go.”
Sayeru smiled and tried to chase after him.
“…Damn son of a bitch.”
However, he frowned and could not move.
“You’re mine.”
Oooooo– oooooo–
It felt as if an animal was crying. It wasn’t an actual animal.
It was the roar of someone’s aura that was full of wrath.
The aura had a mix of black and gold. The owner of the aura removed her hood.
Sword master Hannah.
The only family member and younger sister of Saint Jack who had become a sacrifice.
She was standing in front of Sayeru with a smile on her face. However, she released her roaring black aura and did not hide her anger.
“Cage!”
“Long time no see.”
Ex-communicated priestess Cage’s baggy sleeves fluttered. The Mercenaries Guild appeared behind her.
“Tsk.”
Sayeru clicked his tongue and slightly nodded his head. Hannah, Cage, nobody understood the meaning behind his action.
However, the shadows of the buildings in between the former plaza and the residential and commercial districts started moving.
Arm.
They were one of the White Star’s forces and had now seeped into the shadows throughout the continent, spying on the houses and workplaces of important figures.
However, assassination was always a part of their nature.
Arm chased after Alberu.
Their goal was to assassinate the target.
Sayeru could not watch them leave.
“You crazy son of a bitch!”
“Yes, I am crazy!”
An aura that felt as if it would explode swirled and charged toward Sayeru.
Bear King Sayeru and sword master Hannah started their clash.
The Black Knights Brigade started fighting the Stan Knights Brigade and Cage’s Mercenaries Guild.
Cage turned her head to look around at that moment.
Baaaaaang—!
Baaaaang—!
“Haaaaa.”
She subconsciously sighed.
A swirling wind wall and a whirlwind. A fire sword and water spear looked as if they wanted to gobble each other up in between them.
The White Star and Cale were launching attacks at each other nonstop.
“…This really is no joke.”
Cage had goosebumps on his forearms in his baggy sleeves.
However, his face soon stiffened.
“I’m going.”
“Okay, I leave it to you.”
Taylor asked with a stiff face as she started leaving.
“Don’t worry.”
Cage left their battle with the Bear King and quickly moved. She kept her body low and avoided people as much as possible.
The White Sky.
The place with the sacrifices was her target.
There was someone who was looking at the White Sky as well.
‘Why is it taking so long?’
It was Cale.
He was starting to get anxious as he had not heard anything from Raon.
The children averaging ten-years-old, the Molan household, and the Henituse soldiers
who had come with them to deliver the sacrifices had attacked
the White Sky to save the sacrifices a few moments ago.
Their goal was to use the chaos created by the sudden ambush to rescue the sacrifices.
‘Should I go there?’
Did he need to go there to see what was going on?
Cale couldn’t make up his mind but he couldn’t easily move anyway.
“Mm!”
Cale immediately brought over some rocks in the air. They created a shield.
Baaaaaang!
There was a loud explosion and the rock shield crumbled into pieces. A red stone spear in the White Star’s hand stabbed through as the shield disappeared.
Cale waved his hand. Water immediately burst out and turned into a spear to parry the stone spear away.
“Ugh!”
It was the White Star’s turn to step back and brush his hand off.
Cale bit down on his lips as he watched. His forehead was full of beads of sweat.
‘There are no openings.’
The complete White Star.
This ...bastard... did not easily show any openings.
Similarly, Cale could not show any openings.
That opening would determine whose life would be given to the other.
“Fuck.”
The White Star started smiling saddly as those crude words came out of Cale’s mouth. He don't really want to kill his friend
Ruuuumble- ruuuuuumble–
The rumbling in the sky sounded different from before.
‘He plans on going all out.’
The strongest of the White Star’s ancient powers…
The sky attribute ancient power was slowly showing itself.
The rocks that Cale had raised to the air were mainly destroyed already.
There was not much left to block the sky.
People started reacting to that noise.
It was because people knew and feared the White Star’s white thunderbolts as much as his red rock. They had not seen any power that could block it.
“Fuck!”
Cage started moving faster. She was running without anything getting in her way.
Puzzle City was in pandemonium.
“We need to run away!”
“Lock the door!”
“Mama, mama!”
“Come here! Mommy said to stick next to her, right? The thunderbolt, we need to dodge the thunderbolt! Where can we go?”
People hiding in their houses… People running away… People quietly hiding and looking around.
All order had crumbled a long time ago in Puzzle City due to the chaos.
“Ohhhh! Finally the god’s thunderbolt!”
“Oh sky, punish those who created this chaos!”
The White Star’s followers’ screech-like shouts reached Cage’s ears.
“You damn Tigers!”
“I guess you want to die, little teddy bear?”
The Tigers and Bears were busy fighting in their berserk states.
The Bears outnumbered the Tigers quite a bit, but the Tigers were fighting as if there was no tomorrow
and the small number of troops from the northeast region and the other kingdoms were helping them barely maintain balance.
The Bears who had the numbers advantage will be the victors should this balance ever break.
‘Ha, this is driving me nuts.’
However, she could not help them. A bead of sweat slid down her cheek. Her eyes lit up in rage as she looked forward.
“That weak ass Lion bastard!”
Boooom!
There was a dull thud and Cage saw Beacrox Molan slamming into a building wall. Crack- His greatsword cracked and broke before falling to the floor.
Boom. Beacrox fell to the ground as if he was breaking into pieces.
“Ugh!”
A groan-like breath burst out of his mouth.
“Kahahaha! As expected, Cale Henituse is not a bastard who would submit so easily!”
The gatekeeper of this place, Lion King Dorph, was laughing loudly with a black presence around him.
“Grandpa Ron! What should we do?”
Raon removed his invisibility and looked uncertain as to what to do while next to Ron.
Ron’s eyes looked at Dorph and the area behind Dorph.
“…They didn’t have their guard down as we expected.”
The entrance to the underground area with the sacrifices… Ron had attempted to avoid that area while infiltrating the basement.
He thought that it would be fine if they destroyed a wall and headed down but the enemies had been more thorough than he had expected.
“We can’t put our guard down already when it has only been one year.”
Dorph was laughing extremely loudly, almost exaggeratedly, but his eyes were more rational than anybody else.
The people coming up from the basement started speeding up as he motioned to them.
They were wearing grey priest robes with sleeves that fluttered with the wind. They were the priests working for the White Star and the God of Despair.
“Ugh.”
“Ooo……”
The groans become louder as they quickened their pace.
There were chains in their hands.
The chains were similar to the shackles around the necks of the people behind them.
The priests had blindfolded sacrifices in each hand as they dragged them to the surface.
Dorph had his arms open as he spoke to Ron and the children averaging ten-years-old who were watching.
“I knew that Cale Henituse would try to rescue these sacrifices at some point. That is why we always had priests keep their eyes on the sacrifices during the celebration day.”
Cale’s side knew that there would be people on guard.
However, they had not expected it to be so many priests.
‘We haven’t seen them until now.’
Ron and everybody who had come to the White Sky building to deliver the sacrifices had never seen this many priests.
They had only seen a few priests and Lions standing guard.
Dorph’s Lions surrounded the area with the priests and sacrifices to guard them.
‘This is bad.’
Ron, who had planned on rescuing the sacrifices and leaving, wondered what he should do.
The priests would rather die than release the chains with the sacrifices.
‘We were in too much of a rush.’
Ron admitted his mistake.
They had to hurriedly prepare after Cale told them that he was going to Puzzle City immediately that they had not searched the temple properly.
They should have at least spent six months scoping it out.
‘The young master-nim is fighting the White Star right now. If we are unable to do this in such a situation-’
That was too unfathomable.
Ron quickly started thinking about how to take care of this situation.
‘Make On and Hong use their paralyzing poison? Then the close to two thousand sacrifices will be unable to move as well.
Or maybe we attack Dorph first to distract them?
…Kill that bastard?’
Ron’s cold gaze headed toward Dorph.
Dorph seemed to enjoy that gaze as he spoke.
“How foolish.”
“…What?”
“Our liege has yet to finish the celebration.”
“…What the hell are you talking about?”
Boom. Boom. Ron started to get an ominous feeling.
He heard the rumbling in the sky at that moment.
Ruuuuumble- ruuuuuuumble-
They had been hearing this noise since earlier.
“Grandpa Ron! It’s the White Star’s attack! The thunderbolt!”
Ron scowled as Raon shouted.
“Damn it! Go to the sacrifices, go to the priests!”
The people of the Molan household quickly headed toward the priests behind the Lions at his shout.
But Dorph laughed.
“Alright, let’s go.”
He gave the order and the Lions charged toward Ron and the others.
No, they brushed past them.
Plop. Plop.
The priests all knelt down and clasped their chain-holding hands together.
“The celebration is not over!”
“We will all give our lives for the White Star-nim and this world!”
The priests smiled toward the white thunderbolts that were crackling in the sky.
“Oo, oooo! I, I don’t want to die!”
“Fuck! It’s not time for me to die yet!”
Although they were blindfolded, the sacrifices who could sense what was going on based on what they heard started screaming or swearing.
The White Star lowered the fire sword he had raised as if he was going to attack Cale and looked at Cale.
“You are strong in your complete state.”
He sighed and wiped some blood off his cheek.
“However, you are a bit weaker than me *whisper* my friend.”
Cale looked up at the sky.
He could see the priests and sacrifices through a broken wall. The thunderbolts were revealing their faces toward those people.
The White Star calmly spoke.
“Being a bit weaker than I am… The difference is quite large despite only being about the width of a single piece of paper.
You should know that as well, don’t you ? After all theses time together...”
The White Star raised his sword again, charged toward Cale and spoke with certainty.
“You cannot protect them since you need to stop me. Please abandon Cale.”
The sky let out a loud roar at that moment.
Baaaaaang—!
White light, pure white thunderbolts that looked as if they would erase all light and color from the world, struck down from the sky to the ground.
It was directed toward the sacrifices and priests.
“Don’t stop!”
Ron shouted while looking at the light. He was still running toward the sacrifices.
He heard some noises around him but couldn’t hear them properly. The light seemed to even absorb the sounds.
However, his two feet did not stop. He could feel that the others around him were moving forward without stopping as well.
‘Ron. Do not fear no matter what happens.’
Before they came to Puzzle City…
Cale had said something to Ron.
‘I will block whatever it is. You guys understand too, right?’
He had said that to the children averaging ten-years-old and Vice Captain Hilsman as well.
‘The moment I block it…’
Silver wings had glowed around Cale as he had said that. A silver shield had appeared to protect him.
Cale had spoken with confidence the moment he activated the shield.
The moment he blocks it…
‘That will be the moment everything changes.’
Ron raised his head.
He could slowly start to see a silver light in front of the white thunderbolts.
‘Have faith. Have faith in my words. And remember. Remember what I told you.’
He had faith and remembered.
It was not only Ron but everybody who had been with Cale when he said that felt the same way.
Once the silver shield appeared above Ron and the sacrifices…
Cale looked at the White Star with saddeness.
The White Star had said the following just now.
‘Being a bit weaker than I am… The difference is quite large despite only being about the width of a single piece of paper.
You should know that as well, don’t you? After all theses time together...’
Cale, as he had shown until now, would find it difficult to have an overwhelming victory over the White Star. Cale knew that much as well.
The White Star had also said the following.
‘You cannot protect them since you need to stop me.’
Cale put a stoic face but hus eyes were chaotic and the White Star frowned while turning away from Cale. Cale spoke while looking at his back.
“Why would I block you on my own? We can do it together. *whisper* but I want to be with you”
The White Star who had turned his back… a black yong was viciously charging toward him with its jaws open.
Choi Han was swinging his sword toward the White Star behind the black yong.
Baaaaang—!
The black young smashed against the White Star and…
Baaaaaaaaaang—!
The silver shield blocked the white thunderbolts.
Would it sparkle like this if the Milky Way was connected together?
“Ho.”
Ron’s legs became weak and he knelt down on one knee.
Babababang–
Through the explosion that seemed to stab his ears to the light that hurt his eyes…
A holy-looking silver shield with two radiant wings opened wide surrounded the people and clashed against the thunderbolts.
The White Star’s thunderbolts…
This thunderbolts striking down from the sky destroyed everything they touched from this world.
All that was left as evidence was black ashes that disappeared with the wind.
However, there was now a shield going up against the thunderbolts.
Craaaaaaaaack, craaaaaack-
But this shield continued to crack. Silver light seeped into it endlessly to prevent it from breaking.
“G, Grandpa Ron!”
Raon came over with a shocked look and pulled at Ron’s clothes.
“The human’s new power is more amazing than I expected……!”
Raon had seen the shield with Ron before they came to Puzzle City. However, he had never imagined that the power would be so strong.
His chubby cheeks twitched as he smiled.
Although it was his first time seeing this ancient power…
More than any other power, this one…
“It’s similar!”
It was similar to Cale!
Raon’s eyes were full of life as they sparkled. Raon turned around at that moment.
Plop.
The priests were blankly staring at the shield before some of them plopped down on the ground.
“T, this……!”
“I, it blocked the White Star-nim’s power, the power of someone who will become a god?!”
The people who had clenched their eyes shut or had been screaming were staring at the silver shield now that their sights had recovered from the bright light.
They were unable to say anything.
It was at that moment.
“Ugh!”
There was a groan from among the priests.
Click. Click.
Magic cutters had broken the shackles. It was the result of Ron and the people from the Molan Household making their moves.
The people who had more experience than anybody else didn’t miss the opening created by people blanking out at the shield and at the fact that they were not dead.
Ron raised his voice.
“Do not miss this opportunity that the young master-nim has created!”
The children averaging ten-years-old and Vice Captain Hilsman responded to his shout.
They remembered what Cale had said.
‘The moment I block it… That will be the moment everything changes.’
Things could change.
This was the chance for it.
We could change things if we can defeat these thunderbolts.
Craaaack-
The rate at which the silver shield was cracking because of the white thunderbolts started to quicken.
Vice Captain Hilsman gave the order.
“Knights, go help patriarch Ron immediately!”
He was in charge of the entire sacrifices delivery guarding team.
He was in charge of the knights brigade and the mages who were covering themselves with their robes.
“Mages, immediately install magic circles and any remaining members create shields!”
One of the mages pulled their low hood back and pulled a bag out of their pocket.
Boom.
There was a loud noise as the bag opened to reveal a lot of highest-grade magic stones.
“Commencing magic circle installation! Half of you immediately start casting shields!”
“I’ll take care of the shield!”
Raon’s two wings opened wide as he flew close to the shield.
“Meeeeeow!”
“We can keep the priests tied down, nya!”
Hong and On used their poisonous fog and focused it on the priests. The priests could not even resist after being hit by paralyzing poison.
On looked around and mumbled to herself.
“It’s actually better like this, nya.”
Only the priests, the sacrifices, and people on Cale’s side were left here because the Lions and the rest of the White Star and
Dorph’s subordinates had run away to dodge the thunderbolts.
Thanks to that, it was much easier to protect and rescue the sacrifices now.
As long as that shield could defeat the thunderbolts that is.
On’s eyes headed up.
She was certain that it would work.
There was a large fluctuation of mana from Raon’s small body.
An immense amount of black mana instantly started creating layer after layer of shield around the silver shield.
She was certain that their youngest and Cale together would definitely persist.
On’s eyes filled with delight at that moment.
As the white thunderbolts struck down at the shield…
There was a large flame that charged at the thunderbolts from the right side.
It was as if a large snake was trying to rip apart the thunderbolts. That large flame was ruthlessly charging toward the thunderbolts.
That red mana…
Baaaaang—!
It disappeared after crashing into the thunderbolts but it definitely lessened the power of the thunderbolts by at least a bit.
Craaaackle-!
A flame that appeared in the air again slammed against the thunderbolts again.
It resembled someone who relentlessly moved forward without stopping.
“Rosalyn is here!”
Raon shouted and On and Hong realized that Rosalyn, Lock, and the Wolves were outside the shield.
Ron calmly commented.
“I guess the Wolves will catch the Lions.”
Ron was certain that their companions were all here.
He also knew that they were no longer just watching.
“…Crazy fools.”
Lion King Dorph’s face that had looked shocked while looking at the silver shield was now filled with wrath and scorn.
Lock was standing in front of Dorph who had activated his berserk transformation at some point.
Behind Lock were Maes and the rest of the Wolves in their berserk states, waiting while ready to attack the enemy’s necks at any moment.
“Let’s go.”
They were waiting for Lock’s order.
“Pwahahahah! This is not even funny. Sure, I will accept this final resistance.”
The Lions followed Dorph’s order and charged toward the Wolves as well.
“Support the Wolves!”
People wearing ragged robes lowered their heads and responded to Rosalyn’s order.
“Yes, Tower Master-nim!”
They were the mages who had escaped to all parts of the continent while waiting for the rebirth of the Magic Tower, choosing not to submit to the White Star.
“Today is our chance!”
They strongly agreed with Tower Master Rosalyn’s comment and channeled their manas.
Rosalyn checked on them before turning her gaze toward the shield again.
The White Star’s white thunderbolts were weaker than earlier but continued to strike down from the sky.
“…A shield.”
‘How fitting for young master Cale.’
She truly thought that it was a good decision to come watch as her gaze followed a silver thread connected to the shield.
Raon and she were helping him but Cale’s shield was slowly reaching critical condition.
‘I saw Choi Han attack the White Star.’
She wondered what happened after that as her gaze followed to the end of the silver thread.
Baaaaaang—!
The black yong shot up toward the sky and the White Star’s red sword slashed the black yong’s tail off as Choi Han’s black aura
returned toward the White Star as if it was boomerang.
As dust fluttered everywhere and different colored lights flashed… Rosalyn saw someone through it all.
“Ah……”
She frowned.
“Cough.”
Cale was releasing the silver thread with one hand while his other hand was covering his mouth.
Dark red blood continued flowing out of his mouth without stopping.
“…Why?”
‘Wasn’t young master Cale’s plate complete if he got the wood attribute ancient power?
Why is he still bleeding?
Is it because he overdid it too much?’
Rosalyn made eye contact with Cale at that moment.
Smile. Cale smiled before nodding his head as if he was asking something of her and then turning away from her.
He was looking with an expression nobody could see at the White Star.
Actually, both Cale and Rosalyn knew.
They knew that they needed to attack the White Star in order to stop the white thunderbolts. But she doesn't know his past.
The reason Choi Han and the White Star could fight pretty evenly without any injuries to either side was because
the White Star could not use his full power against Choi Han as he was using the white thunderbolts.
Both of them knew that was the case and Rosalyn bit down on her lips and turned her head.
Crack. Crackle.
Red mana swirled around her.
White thunderbolts. She glared at the light and her fire attacked again. She did not plan on looking back.
‘It’s time to trust young master Cale.’
Cale got involved in the White Star and Choi Han’s fight as if to respond to her trust.
“Kehehe.”
Cale was laughing but with a hint of hurt.
– Blood is gushing because you’re burdening yourself too much after a long while.
He just wiped his mouth with his hand. He simply swallowed the blood coming up.
Drip drip. Drops of blood dripped down his chin and wet his shirt.
His head was tingling and the world seemed to spin a bit.
“Heh.”
However, Cale was feeling refreshed.
Why?
‘That’s true.’
He was feeling a bit better after coughing up dark red blood.
Was it because the wastes in his body were released after coughing up blood for the first time in a long while?
Cale was having such unnecessary thought as he channeled wind to his ankles.
Swoooooooosh-
He flew forward almost as if he was bursting forward with the wind.
‘That face. It’s very nice to see.’
.The White Star...… Just seeing him after all this time was making him feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
“Do you wish to push yourself to your death ? Stop getting in my way !!!”
The White Star peeked at the shield before waving his hand toward Cale.
A water wall appeared to block Cale’s charge. However, the White Star soon had to turn his head and cast a fire.
The sword with the aura of natural disasters slashed down toward Choi Han.
Baaaaang!
There was a small clash as Choi Han stuck to the White Star with everything he had.
“Ugh!”
His hand that was covered in shining black aura grabbed the red sword. The lava-infused fire of the sword looked as if it would swallow
Choi Han at any moment but Choi Han’s aura persisted.
However, it would probably not last very long.
“Time is on my side.”
The White Star commented as the corners of his lips twisted up.
He could feel the movement of a large power behind his back.
He was certain that Cale Henituse was gathering rocks to create a spear or arrow to attack him.
As for Choi Han, he must be planning on grabbing his sword to buy Cale some time.
It was obvious without even looking.
“…Fuck……!”
Choi Han had nothing else to say at the White Star’s gaze that seemed to be saying that their plan was obvious.
They had fought against this enemy too many times until he defeated them.
Chhhhh–
The White Star’s sword shined even more ominously red as if it would swallow Choi Han’s black aura and his hand.
“Your hand is going to get burnt like that. You won’t be able to hold your sword. Hmm?”
The White Star spoke as if he was consoling Choi Han but Choi Han could not let go.
His liege whom he could see past the enemy’s shoulder… He could not release his grip after seeing Cale Henituse’s condition.
Cale’s face was pale but it was not very visible because of all the blood.
Baaaang— bang—-!
The shield was in critical condition but still holding on in order to defeat the thunderbolts.
Cale was gathering the remaining rocks to create a large spear while that was going on.
That spear would soon be launched toward the White Star.
Choi Han knew that it was an obvious attack but he also knew that this was Cale’s best efforts.
That was why he couldn’t give up and had to continue going up against this enemy, similar to how his liege’s shield and
these white thunderbolts were endlessly clashing against each other.
Siiiiiiizzle-
The look on Choi Han’s face did not change at all even when his black aura was finally swallowed by the fire and pain struck his hand.
Cale nodded his head at that moment.
A large rock spear flew toward the White Star at the same time.
“How obvious.”
The White Star sneered as he easily pushed Choi Han back. His movements were extremely relaxed as if he had been letting Choi Han hold him there on purpose.
He then raised his fire sword toward the rock spear.
Red aura swirled around his whole body.
The aura that was filled with fear mixed with the aura of natural disasters in the sword and added an ominous presence to the sword.
Boom. Boom. Choi Han’s heart was beating wildly while watching the White Star.
The White Star raised that sword.
And toward the rock spear that was quickly flying toward him… He slashed down with the sword.
“This is why you always lost.”
At that moment…
“What kind of nonsense are you spewing?”
The rock spear’s form changed with Cale’s voice.
No, the rock spear turned into small rocks again.
They then charged toward the White Star from all directions.
“I’m not the me you used to know.” ( lol he really said that in the novel )
The bleeding Cale… An aura similar to him, no, a red aura that was similar to the color of his hair, was swirling around Cale.
He had the ancient power, the Blood-drenched Rock.
He also had the Dominating Aura.
The two of them mixed together again and…
– It feels iffy to use this power.
The Scary Giant Cobblestone was mixed with them as well.
It had been quite a while since Cale used his powers altogether like this.
Boom. Boom.
Choi Han’s heart was beating wildly.
The White Star’s eyes opened wide.
“…Shit.”
The rocks turned dark red as they attacked the White Star from all directions.
The aura infused into each and every one of these rocks was as strong as the natural disaster and fear infused in his sword.
The spirit to not even submit to a Dragon…
Instinctual fear…
And the firmness of the Guardian who stood against that fear.
The small rocks were not any weaker than the sword in the White Star’s hand nor the white thunderbolts striking down from the sky.
In fact, they were giving off an even stronger presence.
No other aura could be felt because of the strong presence it was giving off.
The White Star’s surroundings instantly turned red.
His view was full of red rocks.
“Such a petty trick……!”
He immediately swung his sword.
It was directed toward where he had just heard Cale’s voice.
He had to rely on that because the presence of the rocks was making it difficult for him to locate Cale’s aura.
“What are you doing?”
The White Star heard a laughing voice behind his back at that moment.
He urgently changed the direction of his sword.
However, Cale was quicker.
Swooooooosh-
As a faint breeze surrounded Cale… He was smiling while bleeding after using so many ancient powers for the first time in a long while.
He had cast his wind to move the moment the rocks surrounded the White Star and used their presence to suppress the area.
Cale’s hand moved. There was a rock in his hand.
Although this rock did not have the blood-drenched fear or the dominating aura infused in it…
It did have the power of the Scary Giant Cobblestone.
Cale slammed down with the hand holding the rock.
He smacked the back of the head of the White Star whose sword was starting to change direction.
Baaaaang—!
There was quite a loud bang for the sound of a rock smashing into a person’s head.
Choi Han’s jaws dropped and he stared at Cale who calmly commented.
“I guess his head didn't change, always so hard.”
– …Ho.
The Super Rock held back his comments.
“Ugh!”
The White Star clutched the back of his head.
“Heh.”
As for Cale, he laughed.
He laughed…with saddeness but nobody hear it.
While dripping blood.
“Ugh.”
The White Star curled forward while clutching his head. Cale leisurely watched him and commented.
“How amazing. You managed to dodge ever so slightly in that short moment. You even attempted to create your wind wall.”
Craaaaaaack-
The cracked wind wall crumbled into pieces. The quickly generated wind wall could not defeat the fully activated rock.
– I… I put all of my Super Rock essence into it despite it being a bit too late,
but using a rock with the Blood-drenched Rock’s essence as well…
you are more amazing than I am to use such a power to smack the White Star in the back of the head.
Cale simply ignored the Super Rock’s comment.
“Grr……”
The White Star was still clutching his head as he looked up.
‘Fuck!’
Everything seemed to be shaking.
He had not received a direct hit because of his wind wall that was being created, despite it not being full made.
However, the White Star could still feel blood dripping down the back of his head and his back getting wet.
‘I made sure it didn’t hit a vital point!
I’m sure that I dodged it!
I’m certain it barely hit me ! He didn't change at least...’
Getting a light hit by that stupid power was still critical.
He especially couldn’t get his bearings straight because everything looked as if it was shaking and his head was dizzy.
Furthermore, the fear that made him unable to sense Cale Henituse, that fear infused with death had been cast into the rock at the moment it hit him.
That instinctual fear of death overwhelmed the White Star and made it so that he could not snap out of this state quickly.
The White Star’s body was suppressed as well because that fear also had the Dominance from the Dominating Aura.
Both the White Star’s body and mind… Every part of him would not move as he wanted, making him take a while to even cast an ancient power.
‘I need to escape-’
However, there was one thing he was certain about.
‘I need to run away. ’
He needed to escape.
He needed to quickly get far away from this.....
It didn’t matter even if it was only for 30 seconds.
Then this dizziness would disappear and he would be able to have the upper hand again.
“Ugh!”
Sadly, his opponent knew about that as well.
Cale grabbed the White Star by the collar and whispered to him.
“Where do you think you’re going ? you left me....”
The White Star could see Cale Henituse’s face through the shaking of his eyes.
“…Crazy…bastard……”
It was a mess.
Cale Henituse’s face was even more of a mess than his own. Cale Henituse was dripping dark red blood from his mouth again.
The power of the rock that had smashed against the back of the White Star’s head…
Having two earth attribute ancient powers infused into it must have placed a burden on Cale’s body as well.
The aftershock from it should have impacted Cale’s plate.
“Ugh, you little bastard-”
As the White Star barely managed to get out, Cale’s hand basically had no strength as he held the White Star’s collar.
The White Star could push him off even in his current state.
‘But Choi Han is the problem.’
He was sure that Choi Han would be aiming for an opening.
The White Star started thinking.
‘The best choice might be to take Cale Henituse as a hostage and turn this situation around.’
He made up his mind to go along with that plan.
‘Yes, if I do t-’
But he could not continue that thought.
“Heh.”
Cale raised the hand that was not holding the White Star’s collar.
In this instant when the White Star was dizzy…
It was true that Cale didn’t have much strength. His insides were churning and he was a bit dizzy.
However…
“Hey.”
Cale smiled while bleeding.
“The rock isn’t broken yet. And I want you to pay...”
The hand that was not holding the collar… The hand holding the small rock sliced through the air again.
“Ugh!”
That hand smashed down on the White Star’s head again before starting to hit him all over.
– Yes, Cale! Hit the head once more before he snaps out of it! Y, yes! If you keep h, hitting him like that… it should work, right?
Cale could not hear the Super Rock’s voice.
Choi Han blankly watched the rock that was beating the staggering White Star all over.
Plop.
The red rocks that had filled the sky fell to the ground.
The power of boulder…
All of it was focused in that single rock in Cale’s hand.
The gates opened at that moment.
Screeeeeech- boom!
The Royal Knights Brigade, the Mage Brigade, and soldiers quickly entered in formation through the open gate.
Alberu Crossman, who had been standing on top of the wall above the gate, confirmed this before turning to look at Cale,
whom he expected to be having a difficult time fighting the White Star, with a sad and angry look on his face.
“……?”
He then rubbed his eyes with his hand.
“…Hmm?”
He could see Cale Henituse coughing up blood while beating up the White Star.
“…A rock?”
Cale Henituse was holding a small rock that was a little bigger than a pebble. The White Star was taking a beating.
“…T, that- crazy bastard……”
He was unbelievably beating the White Star all over with a rock.
He focused a little more because he didn’t think Cale Henituse had such speed to him and saw that Cale was using his whirlwind to increase his speed.
“Ho.”
‘That crazy bastard.’
Alberu Crossman’s eyes clouded over and he could not hide his shock at this unbelievable situation.
‘It’s shrinking!’
The white thunderbolts that had been attacking the building with the sacrifices…
The thunderbolts that had been viciously shooting down without stop were shrinking.
It must have gotten weaker because the White Star could not pay any attention to it as he was being attacked.
“……!”
Rosalyn was the first person to notice this.
1 minute. The thunderbolts had suddenly decreased in exactly one minute.
‘Young master Cale and Choi Han succeeded!’
She attacked the weaker white thunderbolts that had shrunk in numbers with her red mana
after realizing the two of them had done something and found an opening to look toward Cale.
“…Huh?”
She was then flabbergasted.
“…Y, young master Cale?”
Cale was covered in blood while physically attacking the White Star. No, it just looked as if he was beating the White Star to a pulp.
It was only for a moment but Rosalyn was relieved that Raon, On, and Hong were inside the shield and could not see outside.
“Uhh?!”
However, her eyes filled with urgency.
Cale shouted while using the rock in his hand to strike the White Star in the abdomen.
“I! Because of you! Why?! Why do I need to struggle like this?! Hmm?”
His voice sounded full of his true feelings.
“I want to be a slacker! That! Is my dream !”
‘I’m someone whose dream is to live quietly ! But why you leave ! Why you left me you Bastard !’
“Also, keep your damn subordinates in line! Huh? He wants to use Raon as a sacrifice?!”
The fist holding the rock headed toward the White Star’s abdomen again and Cale sounded extremely annoyed.
“Where the hell is your lackey getting the confidence to spew such ludicrous statements out of his damn snout?”
It was at that moment.
“Ugh.”
The White Star groaned and his hand quickly moved.
His hand was headed toward Cale’s hand that was moving toward his abdomen, as if it was a snake aiming for its prey.
His head was dizzy after getting hit nonstop but the White Star had not forgotten his goal.
His hand was now very close to grabbing Cale’s wrist.
1 second. No, the White Star needed even less than that to turn this situation around.
Baaaaaaaaaaang—!
“Ugh!”
However, the White Star’s body was sent flying to the side. He frowned while looking at the black yong’s jaws digging into his side.
Baaaaang!
“Ugh!”
The White Star’s body crashed into the building on the opposite side of the temple.
“Kehehe.”
The White Star laughed at that moment. He had gotten away from Cale Henituse. To be more specific, he had moved away from that rock full of dominance and fear.
Choi Han knew this as well. However, he had no choice but to attack the White Star after seeing his hand
moving toward Cale despite the result being that the White Star was freed.
He silently looked away from the White Star and slightly bowed his head to Cale who was looking at him.
“…I’m sorry, Cale-nim.”
“That’s the perfect direction.”
Those words were not what Choi Han had expected.
“Excuse me?”
Choi Han asked back and Cale patted his shoulders and smiled gently.
Choi Han subconsciously bit down on his lips after seeing Cale’s mouth that was full of blood.
However he became anxious for a moment after hearing this next part.
“Good job. You sent him flying in the perfect direction.”
“Excuse me?”
Choi Han asked again. He watched as the White Star pulled his body out of the building wall.
Rumble—
The sky that had been getting quieter started roaring again. Did they have to fight against the White Star again? Cale whispered as Choi Han started getting anxious.
“Choi Han.”
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
“Attack the temple immediately.”
Cale was looking at Choi Han… No, he was looking past Choi Han’s shoulder as he gave the order.
“Let’s destroy the temple.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Let’s get rid of it. Let’s get rid of those bastards’ base.
Heh.”
Cale laughed while the White Star frowned.
Choi Han finally realized that the rumbling in the sky was not from the white thunderbolts.
He also realized that Cale truly planned on fighting until the end.
He could tell that Cale’s mindset and his words about everything changing were not things he said without thinking things through.
“I’ll go first.”
Cale removed his hand from Choi Han’s shoulder and watched as Cale fell to the ground.
He then felt a frightening power behind his back. He urgently turned his head.
He watched a rose gold thunderbolt strike down from the sky.
That thunderbolt landed directly on the fifth floor of the marble temple.
Baaaaaaaaaang-!
Everybody watched as the temple shook from the attack by this gold and red thunderbolt.
The thunderbolt magically only burnt the fifth floor of the temple.
The rose gold thunderbolt melted the fifth floor away and gobbled it up.
The fifth floor. That was where the White Star resided.
“This is a new start.”
Excommunicated priestess Cage realized it as she watched the shaking temple.
This moment was the first step toward a new state of things, the starting point for their victory.
Her vague belief in it had turned into certainty.
Choi Han thought that he should rescue Cale who was falling but subconsciously raised his sword.
Cale had made the rock wall protecting the temple disappear as well.
Oooooo– oooooo–
His black yong twisted its body and charged toward the temple. Its target was the fourth floor. That was where the White Star’s chief executives resided.
“Aaaaaah–!”
“Dodge it! Run away!”
The priests who were in the first and second floors ran out of the temple for their lives.
The ones on the fourth floor cast all sorts of protection spells.
Choi Han followed the black yong and headed toward the temple. There was nobody strong enough to stop his path.
He felt the fluctuation of a strong power behind his back.
“Ha, haha-”
Choi Han started laughing.
A black spear and a red snake charged past him on both sides.
“I’m going to do it too!”
“Choi Han, I can’t let you do something so fun by yourself.”
Raon, who had come out of the silver shield after the white thunderbolts had stopped, had launched a black spear full of mana.
Rosalyn had changed the direction of her red mana that was going to attack the white thunderbolts and directed the snake toward the temple.
Baaaaaang-
Baaaaang!
Babababang–
Multiple attacks struck the fourth floor of the temple after that initial attack from the rose gold thunderbolt.
Choi Han looked around. His gaze was sharp.
He was thinking about immediately attacking the whole temple if it looked as if most of the priests on the first and second floors had made it out.
‘There is nobody on the third floor because that was used as the waiting area for the people who were forced to be here today.
The fourth floor only had a few of the White Star’s high-ranking subordinate bastards who were still hiding in this situation.’
He looked behind him for a moment.
The White Star was starting to fly up again. He needed to finish this before that bastard did something again.
Choi Han then looked down to see Alberu supporting Cale who was stumbling on the ground. Choi Han was finally relieved and smiled toward Rosalyn who approached him.
“Cale Henituse……!”
“Human!”
Down below, Alberu scowled while supporting Cale.
“Until you ended up in such a mess……!”
Cale Henituse, who looked worse than any time Alberu had seen him in the past, was barely standing and breathing heavily.
Raon flew over to him. On and Hong could not come because they still had work to do and could only look anxious from a distance.
“Human! This, this!”
Raon tried to take an apple pie out of his spatial dimension.
“…Your highness.”
“What is it?”
Alberu focused on Cale after hearing a faint voice. He wanted to tell Cale to stop talking and to recover his stamina first but the situation did not allow for that.
“You……!”
Numerous different auras were roaring around the extremely angry White Star.
“Not the temple!”
Bear King Sayeru flung sword master Hannah to the side and ran defenselessly toward the temple.
Lion King Dorph looked as if he could defeat Lock and the Wolves at any moment.
“Your highness……”
That was why Alberu waited to hear what Cale had to say. His hand sent a signal at the same time. The Knights Brigade and mages quickly started suppressing the chaos.
“Your highness.”
“Yes, hurry up and speak.”
“Human, stop talking and get some rest!”
Cale weakly mumbled the moment both Alberu and Raon spoke to him.
“The White Star will run away.”
“…Huh?”
Raon raised his head to the sky as Alberu asked back in confusion. The black Dragon’s dark blue eyes looked toward the eastern sky.
“…It’s gramps!”
Raon shouted with joy.
“It’s Goldie gramps!”
The ancient Dragon was said to be busy building a new lair. Alberu looked away from Cale and toward the sky.
Cale was the only one he knew who could call that busy ancient Dragon here.
“……?”
Alberu had a confused look on his face.
Raon, who was looking at the sky, blankly added on.
“…T, there are other Dragons behind gramps! It’s my first time seeing them! They are new Dragons!”
No other Dragons beside Raon and Eruhaben had been their ally in this world. There was no Young Master Silver Shield for Dodori to come find.
However, Mila, Rasheel, and Dodori… Cale knew very well where the three Dragons lived. He also knew who was the most fitting to bring them here.
Alberu stopped blankly staring at the sky and turned his head.
“He, hehehe.”
Cale Henituse’s shoulders were moving up and down as he laughed.
“…Scary bastard.”
Alberu mumbled before he started laughing and Raon laughed as well.
"Hey Barrow ?"
"Yes Cale ?"
"You will never leave me right ?"
"What ? Afraid I leave ?"
Barrow teased Cale who was tried to punch him but fail miserably.
"Don't be stupid ! Your my friend, so you're always with me bastard !"
"Pfft-hahahahahahaha...of course Cale, my curse don't work with you so why I would leave you ?"
"Why you want to be a god, after all, you will be alone ?"
"I forgot the reason...but I don't think I want to be that.....I don't really know.."
"Do you think someone make you do this ?"
"I....I think ? Please If It's really the case...can you help me please ? You're the only one who care deeply about me..."
"Of course ! You're...a friend everyone should have..."
However, there were more people who could not laugh.
The gold Dragon was flying over from the east while flapping his large wings.
There was a beige adult Dragon and grey adult Dragon following behind him. Furthermore,
the pink-haired person sitting on top of the beige-colored Dragon seemed to be a Dragon as well.
No, it didn’t matter if that one person was a Dragon or not.
“…Three… adult Dragons……”
Someone blurted that out and both allies and enemies could not say anything else.
It was at that moment.
“Kekeke, kahahahahaha!”
Sword master Hannah. She pointed towards the sky with the sword that had been attacking Sayeru and laughed out loud.
“Cale Henituse, you crazy bastard! I’ve never seen such a rare and precious sight in my whole life!”
She nodded her head over and over.
“Yes, yes! I knew that the scale would be much bigger when that bastard said that he had prepared for this!”
She looked around at the people around her before shouting toward Sayeru’s back as he ran to the temple.
“Looks like you’ll be the sacrifice today!”
She moved her body that was full of injuries as she fought without dodging Sayeru’s light arrows and ran toward the Bear King as she shouted.
The crazed look in her eyes was full of fury, joy, and sadness.
“I’ll make you the first sacrifice of our victory, you bastard!”
“That crazy bitch!”
Sayeru glared at Hannah as if he was tired of her.
Sayeru had been the one to tell the twins that Saint Jack had been chosen as a sacrifice. However, Sayeru wouldn’t remember something trivial like that.
“That’s a bit concerning.”
Hannah and Sayeru… They both looked up after seeing a shadow cover them.
“Something shitty like that as a sacrifice? I can’t even use it as fertilizer for my vegetable garden.”
“Ha… I came because they woke me up but, haaaa… it doesn’t even look worth my time.”
“Rocks, there are lots of boulders! My heart is beating quickly all of a sudden!”
The shadows of the large Dragons covered everything from the temple to the old plaza.
The one among the Dragons who had not said anything descended to the ground.
His body had already turned from a Dragon to a human.
“It’s been a while.”
Eruhaben landed right in front of the White Star.
“Ha, haha–! You came as a bunch. Haha!”
The White Star laughed in disbelief. Eruhaben was scoping out the White Star’s condition.
‘This is the weakest we’ve ever seen the White Star.’
The back of his head was bleeding and his body was covered in injuries. The White Star’s complexion did not look good either.
But they missed a shadow dancing in his eyes.
Peek.
The ancient Dragon peeked at Cale, who was being supported by Alberu before looking away.
“I guess the unlucky bastard created this opportunity for us.”
“Yes. I guess you guys would consider it an opportunity.”
The White Star was still smiling as he nodded his head.
He finally accepted what Cale Henituse had done.
He accepted that Cale Henituse had truly prepared a lot of things this time.
He accepted that the chance of victory might have appeared for them.
“Ha……!”
‘It’s been a year since I thought that everything had ended. For him to have prepared all of this during that time…’
The White Star regretted his actions.
“I should have just killed him.”
He should have just killed Cale Henituse at that time.
“I know, right? Why did you keep us alive ?”
Eruhaben smiled at him. The White Star watched as two others landed around him.
They were Dragons polymorphed into human forms.
He could not see the pink-haired one, but the beige Dragon and grey buzz-cut Dragon turned into humans and were observing the White Star.
They were not at ancient Dragon Eruhaben’s level, but they were both strong adult Dragons.
“Mm. He seems quite tired, so why don’t we finish this quickly?”
The beige colored Dragon, Mila, pointed toward the White Star and gently commented.
“Fuck.”
The White Star swore as he slowly channeled his energy. Numerous powers of nature were gathered around him.
He continued his preparations so that he could use any ancient power immediately.
However, one Dragon didn’t seem to care about that at all.
“Hmph.”
The grey buzz-cut Dragon lightly snorted. Rasheel immediately charged toward the White Star. He was adept at hand to hand combat despite being a Dragon.
There was nobody in his way.
“My liege!”
However, there was someone trying to catch up to him.
“Ugh!”
While Lock was frowning after Lion King Dorph got away,
Dorph was moving with the Darkness Elementals with darkness all around his body as he charged toward Rasheel.
“What the…?”
Rasheel nonchalantly turned his head and commented toward Dorph who was approaching him.
“Is this lion cub with black stuff around him trying to stop me?”
Dorph felt the peculiar aura around Rasheel at that moment.
That was the indomitability attribute that the Dragon Rasheel had, which allowed him to be even stronger in unfavorable situations.
Dorph used the darkness from his Darkness Elementals to create a favorable battlefield for himself. He watched as Rasheel quickly moved right in front of him.
The buzz-cut Dragon’s eyes looked extremely annoyed, but he had a stoic expression as he asked.
“Really?”
He asked again.
“Are you really trying to stop me?”
He then raised his fist and…
Pow!
“Ugh!”
He started beating Dorph up.
It was the exact same situation in this illusion as when Rasheel had excitedly beaten Dorph to a pulp in reality. Someone shouted at that moment.
“Mouth! Smack his damn snout! Make it so that he can’t say useless shit with that damn snout!”
Rasheel flinched and looked toward a red-haired man covered in blood. That man had a big smile on his face while speaking to him.
The inside of that mouth was full of blood as well. But he was smiling.
‘What the hell is up with this crazy human?’
Rasheel was not scared of anything, but he was a bit wary of a crazy human. Eruhaben quietly mumbled at that moment.
“He’s the commander.”
“…T, the human who found us is this kind of crazy ba-”
Rasheel stopped talking, turned his head, and just swung his fist. That fist magically struck Dorph right in the mouth.
“…Damn it… he drooled on me!”
Rasheel looked down at his fist and then his eyes rolled over before he angrily pummeled Dorph everywhere.
“We should go too.”
Mila spoke in a gentle voice before walking over to the White Star as if she was on a nice evening walk.
Ooooooooong-
Eruhaben, who had golden dust around him, was already in front of the White Star with his hand up.
“I’m relieved. Your final moments are mine.”
“I still have enough strength to take down an old Dragon.”
Eruhaben and the White Star’s battle had started.
However, Eruhaben was not alone. The White Star had to frown while looking at the beige mana that was aiming for an opening.
‘He used too much strength……!’
He had wasted too much energy because of Cale Henituse and the sacrifices.
On the other hand, the Dragons were in great condition. This was especially true for the ancient Dragon, whose lifespan was said to be close to its end.
Baaaaaang— baaaaang–!
As the White Star started fighting against the Dragons and caused numerous explosions again…
“…Ha… haha……”
Bear King Sayeru looked up at the sky and laughed. The video communication device in his hand flashed and delivered all sorts of messages.
– This is the capital of the Caro Kingdom! The temple is currently being attacked!
– This is the Molden Kingdom! Princess Jopis has survived and has returned with rebels to destroy the temple! Requesting reinforcements!
– The Mercenaries Guild’s Ranger Brigade has installed magic bombs all around the temple and are currently destroying the temple!
How did they get so many magic bombs…?! Reinforcements, reinforcements, aaaaaah! S, save-
– Sayeru-nim, this is the Whipper Kingdom! Here, over here…! C, Commander Toonka has gathered forces again!
– The disappeared Litana, the Queen of the Jungle, has returned! What should we do?
We must quickly stop them because all of the people of the Jungle have opened their doors to her soldiers!
The same information was flowing out of Alberu’s video communication device. Cale raised his body on his own as he asked.
“Did you prepare that, your highness?”
Crown prince Alberu nonchalantly responded back.
“Of course. Who would just watch because you told us to watch?”
Everybody had been waiting.
They were waiting for the moment they could hold down or go up against the central forces of the White Star and his subordinates.
They had continued to prepare for their own goals and reasons despite being unable to communicate because of the surveillance of the temple.
Whether it was to push the temples out…
To regain their throne…
To recover and protect their land…
They all moved for their own goals and it just happened that their directions happened to be helpful to one another.
“We have to rampage through when the time is right.”
However, there was somebody who was blanking out after hearing the same news.
“Ha, hahaha-”
Sayeru was still laughing in disbelief. Hannah had lowered her sword and was silently watching.
Sayeru did not even look toward her once.
“Just, just with this one moment-”
‘How could so many things change because of just this one moment?’
He blankly watched the priests running away from the temple, as well as Choi Han and Rosalyn who were heading over to destroy the temple from the top down.
How strong had the White Star been, how strong had they been, until now?
How long had they prepared, how many things had they killed and destroyed to rule over them?
But what were these things that he was hearing?
Ooooooooong-
The video communication device flashed again and delivered a message.
– Ah, ah. This is the Henituse territory. Sayeru priest-nim, correct?
An elegant voice flowed out.
– I am Duchess Violan. The temple in the Henituse territory has been destroyed,
and Duke Deruth is currently headed toward Puzzle City with soldiers.
Please be advised that we will now commence destroying all temples in the northeast region. I am contacting you just so that it will make you angry.
The speaker elegantly announced his demise.
– I wish to kill you with my own hands, but it looks like you will die before then. Goodbye then.
Sayeru chucked the video communication device in his hand to the ground.
Crack!
The video communication device cracked and the orb lost its glow.
“Huuuuuu……”
Sayeru calmed his breathing as he watched it become dim before raising his head. Hannah and numerous other enemies aiming for his life were encircling him.
He finally realized the reality of the situation.
“I am the prey now.”
He had turned from the hunter to the prey.
He looked toward the person that had been the starting point that turned the situation like this.
Cale Henituse.
He was standing alone and looking around the battlefield. Cale Henituse did not even glance at Sayeru. It was as if there was no need to do that.
However, the real reason was a bit different from what Sayeru was thinking.
“Cale Henituse, what is it?”
Cale could not respond to Alberu’s question. He could not pay any attention to it.
He looked around the battlefield before closing his eyes.
– The final test is coming to an end. It wasn’t too difficult for you despite being the final test, right?
He could hear the sealed god, the damn God of Despair’s voice in his ears.
.
The god’s voice was quite friendly yet business-like.
The bastard who had destroyed the first illusion test and disappeared was speaking to Cale again.
– Cale Henituse. Do you want to make a deal with me?
Cale opened his eyes.
– I am waiting for you at the basement of the temple.
His gaze headed toward the crumbling temple. The white marble building was quite ugly now.
– Hunters. Stories about them. Stories full of truth. These stories will be helpful to you if you hear them.
– I wish to chat with you alone before the test finishes. You can decide whether to accept my deal or not after hearing everything I have to say.
Cale slightly nodded his head.
“Okay. I’ll at least hear what you have to say.”
– That’s enough.
Cale nodded his head a bit deeper.
He then thought to himself.
‘Make a deal my ass.’
Cale had no plans to make a deal with this motherfucking god bastard.
‘He’s waiting for me in the temple basement?’
That was the only important information.
Cale clenched the rock in his hand.
– C, Cale? Are you planning on beating up a god?
The Super Rock anxiously asked, but Cale only patted the rock in his hand and smiled.
* * *
Clopeh Sekka smiled brightly as he climbed over the prison wall that he had destroyed. He then spoke respectfully in a serious tone.
“Cale-nim, I came to rescue you.”
“…Yeah, welcome. Sir Clopeh.”
“Clopeh really is crazy!”
Clopeh frowned the moment he heard Raon’s comment.
He heard some voices behind his back.
“Capture that traitor Clopeh Sekka!”
“The enemies are escaping! Clopeh Sekka is their accomplice!”
“Catch those bastards! We can’t let them escape!”
Cale loosened his grip. The Super Rock shouted in relief.
– Good job, Cale! Good job holding back!
Cale nodded his head as if he would chat and the red eyes slowly came closer to Cale.
– Hmm.
The red eyes observed Cale for a bit before sighing and responding.
– The White Star.
– The White Star, that bastard was cursed to lose anything he cherishes.
He is someone who has maintained his conscience and memories as he reincarnated for 1,000 years.
That guy had a lot of time, but it only applied to himself. How could a bastard who cannot have anything important have such loyal subordinates?
The White Star’s loyal subordinates such as the Bear King and Lion King.
– Furthermore, those subordinates all have special powers.
The Lion King consumed a Darkness Elemental and can control them while the Bear King has the light attribute ancient power.
Would it be easy to gain such powers?
The red eyes came a bit closer to Cale. The eyes whispered to Cale, who had stopped right outside the boundary into the darkness.
– Do you think that it was a coincidence that his subordinates got those powers?
Do you think that the White Star found all those ancient powers by himself?
Keke.
The red eyes laughed.
– I’m sure they all think it was their own abilities or luck.
Although they think everything was a coincidence, well…
The god whispered in a tired voice.
– There are a lot of coincidences in this world but I don’t think that was the case for them.
Cale raised his head and looked at the ceiling for a moment.
There was no light on the dark ceiling. He clenched the golden plaque in his hand.
“The White Star was a chess piece as well?”
The red eyes curled up like crescent moons again.
– You could say that.
The god added on.
– The White Star is just a pawn who will free me once this temple open.
I would have consumed that bastard.
The god continued as if he was a bit amused.
– There is no soul in this world that has swallowed more despair than that bastard. Don’t you think so?
Cale looked down woth anger.
– That bastard should have lost a lot of precious things as his life reincarnated without an end.
As long as he is human, he can’t help but cherish something or show someone affection, even if by accident.
And numerous people had to die because of that bastard’s curse.
I’m sure even the God of Death is regretting creating such a curse.
One step.
That was the distance between the red eyes and Cale. The god’s eyes observed the reaction of Cale.
– It would been great to consume that soul.
“The White Star was basically a sacrifice ? Seriously ?'
The red eyes looked at Cale with a stoic gaze.
-…….
The red eyes were silent for a bit before looking away from Cale and staring at a distant location.
– He is a sacrifice for me.
The eyes seemed to be smiling.
– Why would I tell you more informations ?
“How disappointing.”
“I just asked something.”
– This is all I will tell you unless you make a deal with me. I will have no choice but to tell you if you do. You and I will be in a cooperative relationship at that point.
Cale looked as if he was thinking hard about something. The red eyes attentively watched him.
Cale truly was thinking hard about something.
‘Should I pretend to make a deal and trick him?’
Or…
‘Should I just beat him up?
It’s annoying.’
Cale was tired after dealing with this piece of shit. He couldn’t help but be a bit tired.
‘I should just… Yes, should I just beat him up?’
‘If all else fails, I can ask the God of Death to send Choi Jung Gun over, can’t I?
Wouldn’t Choi Jung Gun tell me everything?’
Cale looked at the red eyes.
‘So is there a need…’
Was there truly a need…
‘Is there a need for me to carry this red eyes son of a bitch around and be wary of him all the time?’
That was what Cale was thinking about. He stood there with the rock still held in his hand.
He then made up his mind.
‘Like hell I can trust this bastard.’
He was certain that this bastard, albeit acting like this right now, would try to stab him in the back at some point.
The red eyes spoke a bit cautiously the moment Cale nodded his head.
– I can make things as convenient for you as possible.
“Is this deal a secret?”
The red eyes sounded happy at Cale’s question.
– If you wish. Nobody will know about the contract between you and me.
“How do I make the deal?”
– Go to the end of the temple when the test is over. You will find a sculpture on the wall. You just need to embrace that.
Cale tilted his head in confusion.
“My friends who finished the test before me might see it.”
– Don’t worry. Nobody has finished the test faster than you.
“Really?”
– It is the truth. I did not speak any lies today. I will even swear on my divine authority if you wish.
“I’m going to have faith.”
The red eyes curled up at Cale’s mischievous tone. It realized that this relaxed mood meant a positive response.
– Yes, you can have faith.
“Yes. Of course I’ll have faith.”
Cale walked half a step closer to the red eyes.
“Not in you but in my instincts.”
– …What?
Once he was half a step away from those red eyes…
Cale finally let go of the rock in his hand.
Swoooooooosh-
He let a whirlwind carry the rock and…
Cale nonchalantly commented once the rock quickly reached right in front of the red eyes.
“Explode.”
Baaaaaaaaaaang—!
The rock immediately exploded.
The small rock that had the power of wind, Super Rock, Blood-drenched Rock, and Dominating Aura crumbled into pieces and attacked the red eyes.
– Ugh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh—!
The basement shook.
Cale touched the corners of his lips that were subconsciously curling up and calmly commented.
“My wrath is disappearing.”
His wrath was truly disappearing.
He was starting to feel refreshed.
– Ahhhhhh—! T, this human bastard-!
The God of Despair roared in anger, but… Unfortunately, Cale didn’t give a shit.
Everything turned dark around him.
The sealed god.
Just meeting Cale like this probably took a lot of the sealed god’s power.
Booboobooboooooom—-.
The whole basement started shaking. It looked as if it would break.
Cale turned his head while watching the world around him turning dark.
“Hey! Just what-”
Alberu was coming down the stairs.
– Ahhhhhhhh—!
“Goodbye, your highness.”
Cale gave a simple goodbye and looked at the red eyes.
The eyes that were cracking looked as if veins had burst.
– A deal, a deal with me… you dare……!
Cale smiled toward him.
“You think I would trust you? I’d even trust Clopeh before I trust you.”
The red eyes started to get covered in darkness.
“Keke.”
Cale wiped his mouth.
His body’s condition was very good.
– C, Cale… H, Henituse—!
Cale’s smile started looking a bit demented as he observed those red eyes.
‘Sealed god. Just wait. I’ll come to destroy you.
“Be ready.”
Cale added on.
“I’ll let you know that reality is harsh.”
The area turned completely dark.
Cale could see a red light cover him through the darkness.
“Mm.”
Cale subconsciously closed his eyes as the light looked as if it would stab him in the eye, and once he immediately opened them back…
“…It really is over.”
Cale was able to see an area full of white marbles.
“There’s nobody here.”
He could not see anybody in this quite large white marble hall. There weren’t any traces of people either.
Cale slowly looked around.
– Cale, is your body okay?
Cale stopped thinking about that for a moment and nodded his head at the Super Rock’s question. He slowly started walking.
It was to the only entrance to this place.
There was no door there.
It was just a long marble hallway with beautiful sculptures.
The end of the temple that the sealed god was talking about… That place should be at the end of this hallway.
Cale touched the marble wall as soon as he stepped onto the hallway.
Pat, pat.
He felt it for a moment before activating his Super Rock power.
– You, are you really?!
As the Super Rock sounded anxious but could not hide the fact that he understood what Cale was doing…
Craaaaaaack-
A part of the marble started breaking.
It was toward the opening that connected the hallway and the hall.
“Just enough so that the temple doesn’t break.”
– …I understand. I will control it.
Craaaaaaaack- boom!
A part of the marble fell to block the opening between the hall and the hallway.
The Super Rock cautiously asked.
– Is this not to drag your friends into it?
Cale looked at the blocked entrance before turning around and walking down the hallway.
“There’s no need to show them a bad sight. It’s for me to handle.”
-…….
The Super Rock held back a sigh but did not say anything else.
Step, step.
Cale’s steps were neither heavy nor light as he walked down this beautiful and luxurious white marble hallway that did not look aged at all.
He pulled out a small black wooden dagger out of his pocket.
* * *
“What, what is the human doing right now? Gramps! Did you hear what the human just said? What is the bad sight?!”
“Haaaa. T, that unlucky bastard!”
“…This is going to drive me nuts.”
Alberu did not pay any attention to the two Dragons’ conversation and focused on one area.
“…Here and there, they’re all driving me nuts.”
Clopeh Sekka, who had arrived at the end of the temple, was installing his automatic video recording devices all around. He was smiling gently as he did that.
Alberu Crossman thought about what he had seen a few moments ago.
Not long after one of the black pieces started showing Clopeh Sekka, the black color started disappearing from another piece.
The one who appeared was Cale Henituse.
He seemed pretty much the same as he had looked when he went into the temple.
‘Raon-nim said that Cale was using his ancient powers nonstop and that he could feel the aura, but…’
Thankfully, that seemed to have been an illusion in the test. Cale seemed fine. His complexion seemed decent and he didn’t even seem tired.
‘I guess he just went wild destroying everything.’
“Pffft.”
He couldn’t help but laugh.
It was a laugh of relief.
At that time, Alberu had thought that Clopeh and Cale would soon meet and that Cale would be the one to finish this thing one way or another.
‘That punk likes to have the numbers advantage unless it is urgent, so he will probably wait for the others. He’ll lie down and roll around doing nothing for a while.’
It didn’t seem as if Cale would come this far and then shout that he gave up.
Cale was probably coming up with some extraordinary plan to take care of everything before coming out.
However, Alberu’s face couldn’t help but stiffen.
Cale destroyed the opening between the hall and the hallway and separated the two areas.
The moment he saw that and saw the calm look on Cale’s face as he watched the crumbling opening…
Alberu had a headache.
‘That punk is plotting something again.’
He was sure of it after having experienced something like this with Cale many times.
Alberu and Eruhaben made eye contact.
Although Eruhaben was hiding his emotions because of the anxious Raon and the shocked On and Hong who were coming over…
His eyes held the same emotions as Alberu.
Eruhaben was pretty much sighing as he said this.
“That unlucky bastard, again……!”
‘Again.’
There was so much in that single word.
An emotion burst forward from inside Alberu and he wanted to say something, but he could only let out a deeper sigh after seeing his confidants approaching him.
“Your highness. His Majesty will be here soon, what should we do? I understand that you cannot leave here right now.”
King Zed was coming here.
Alberu looked around.
The chief executives of the different kingdoms, who had been standing in their respective areas,
were gathering toward the temple since Clopeh became visible in that piece above the temple.
They were looking at the piece with Cale with serious looks on their faces.
Alberu quietly mumbled.
“…Should I destroy it?”
Eruhaben flinched after hearing that. He didn’t question what Alberu was thinking about destroying. It was obviously the temple.
The only reason Eruhaben was shocked was because it was Alberu and not him, Raon, On, or Hong, who had said that.
“You………”
“I don’t mean it, Eruhaben-nim. We can’t attack the temple when there are still people in the illusion.”
But once Choi Han, Mary, and Rosalyn finish their tests and appear…
“…It’ll be a different story at that point.”
Alberu bit down on his lips.
Seeing Cale leisurely walking down the hallway without any hesitation…
Seeing Cale like this was giving him an ominous feeling for some reason.
‘What the hell is that punk thinking about?’
Alberu felt something patting his leg and looked down.
“Meeeeeow.”
The silver kitten On was looking up at Alberu.
Alberu raised his head to see that Hong and Raon were stuck to each other looking at Cale and lowered his head again.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m curious as to whether you remember what I said last time, nya.”
What On had said?
Alberu could not immediately recall what On had told him.
“…About how it hurts……”
An image flashed in Alberu’s mind after hearing On mumbling about it hurting.
On and Hong had said that they heard Cale mumbling to himself after his fight against the White Star.
The things he said were concerning enough that On had told Raon, Eruhaben, and Alberu.
‘ ‘It shouldn’t hurt that much, right?’ is what he mumbled while looking sad, nya!’
‘That’s right. It’s weird because he is usually someone who doesn’t say anything hurts, nya. I feel like he’s plotting something, nya!’
The things that Hong and On had told them…
Alberu looked at On and blankly mumbled.
“…What is there… to make that punk hurt right now?”
He then turned toward the piece with Cale. He then saw something.
The dagger in Cale’s hand…
Alberu had heard about that dagger from Cale in the past.
‘According to what you said earlier, Cale Henituse, you can stop the White Star’s endless reincarnation with the dagger from the World Tree?’
‘Yes, sir. This is the only way to completely get rid of the cycle of reincarnation of the White Star.’
Cale had flinched and had looked oddly awkward when he said that.
Alberu thought about what On had said as well and all sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind.
‘Is he planning on doing something with that dagger?’
He was looking at Cale with a slightly different mindset now.
‘What the hell are you thinking?!’
* * *
Cale did not have many thoughts right now.
‘I’m almost there.’
He was just thinking about finishing this soon and resting once he was out. Cale could soon see the end of this quite long hallway as he walked.
Unlike the opening between the hall and the start of the hallway that had no door, there was a white door at the end of the hallway.
Cale recalled what the sealed god had said.
‘Go to the end of the temple when the test is over. You will find a sculpture on the wall. You just need to embrace that.’
He interpreted that as he pleased.
‘Once I open that door, I will be at the end of the temple, and the sealed god will be sealed in the sculpture on the wall, so…’
It was simple.
“I just need to destroy it.”
– …….
The Super Rock mumbled something, but Cale ignored it since he couldn’t hear what was said.
‘I guess I should take care of that bastard before the god.’
The White Star was first.
It would be bad if he accidentally messed with the temple and it started crumbling before the others could finish their tests.
‘Taking care of the White Star before the others finish their tests and then taking care of the temple together is also a method.’
Cale organized his thoughts while heading toward the door.
The information that led to him acting like this…
It had started from Cale getting the diary of the biological mother of this body, Drew Thames.
An existence that reincarnates endlessly without losing his memories.
‘A reincarnator.’
The House of Thames had discovered a way to completely kill those reincarnators.
‘The reincarnator’s memories… The largest annual ring that would be the foundation for their being… You just have to get rid of that.’
The power that had been passed down through the House of Thames, the ability to see a life form’s annual rings…
The wood attribute ancient power, Annual Rings of Life.
The annual rings could be considered the record of time in a life form’s soul.
Following that logic, a reincarnator who repeats life over and over has the annual rings of the numerous repeated lives within their one large original annual ring.
That was why destroying the largest annual ring, the foundation, was the only way to completely stop a reincarnator.
“I have the prerequisite requirement.”
He needed to be able to see the annual rings in order to attack a reincarnator.
Cale could pull out and use Drew Thames’s Annual Rings of Life ancient power because he had embraced it in her diary.
Then how was he ablle to stop the cycle .?
What was the method?
Drew Thames had also told him about that.
‘A reincarnator’s numerous annual rings will have a soul that is extremely strong thanks to its numerous life cycles.’
Magic, swords, and even ancient powers would not work.
‘If you compare a Dragon that has lived for 1,000 years and a reincarnator who has reincarnated over and over for 1,000 years,
the annual rings of the reincarnator are usually stronger.’
‘That is why, in order to destroy the annual rings of a reincarnator, you need to use the power of someone who has annual rings with more years than the reincarnator.’
The answer was an immortal that does not die, in this case, the World Tree.
Cale had gone to meet the World Tree after that and procured a way to attack the White Star’s annual rings.
‘So, you need a weapon with my power in it.’
The World Tree had said to him.
‘If that method really works… I should give you the real thing.’
The World Tree had revealed a part of its body that had been buried deep in the ground.
‘I should give you the oldest thing in my life. That would be considered the foundation of an immortal, a part of my existence.’
‘This is the tip of my oldest root.’
It was the sharp black and white tree root dagger in Cale’s hand right now.
“…I have the method as well.”
The World Tree had given him the weapon to stop the White Star.
The only remaining thing was how to stop the reincarnation.
The World Tree had said the following about that.
‘The power of this root dagger will activate once you put the blood from your heart on it.’
It was something that made him question his ears and his heart drop when he first heard it.
‘My body… The part of me that is cut off will be in a state of asphyxia once it is removed.
It needs the blood from someone with ‘healing’ or ‘rejuvenation’ in order to awaken it.’
‘That power cannot be the power of a god and must be the power that a living being possesses.
Furthermore, the blood must come from the central location of that power. Only the person who awakens the root with their blood will be able to use its powers.’
Cale had the Vitality of the Heart, an ancient power with the power of restoration. Its power started from his heart.
Henceforth, stabbing his heart and getting his blood on the dagger was the way for it to get out of asphyxia.
“…Unbelievable.”
Cale sighed.
‘Basically, I need to see the White Star’s annual rings and destroy it with the dagger that has blood from my heart?’
He recalled something else the World Tree said with a stoic look on his face.
‘Don’t worry. You will not die. It will be grotesque since you will bleed a lot, but it will actually be helpful to you too. I guarantee it.’
There was no way and no reason for the World Tree to lie. He shouldn’t have to worry much about it.
Cale reached his hand toward the white door at the end of the hallway.
There was no doorknob. He just had to push it.
Cale looked back for a moment before pushing the door open. The hallway he had just walked through… The other end was still in shambles.
It should take his allies some time to get past that.
‘I’ll take care of the White Star during that time. I will save him !’
It was a simple plan.
Cale pushed the door.
Screeeech-
The door easily pushed open.
Cale remained alert. He had no idea what might be on the other side of this door.
He had landed a blow on the sealed god in the last test, so he had even more reasons to be tense.
‘Confirm what is on the other side of the door and then immediately make my move!’
Bang!
The door completely opened and smacked into the wall.
The god had said the following.
‘Go to the end of the temple when the test is over. You will find a sculpture on the wall. You just need to embrace that.’
Cale could see an altar in front of him.
He could also see a wall behind it.
He was finally at the end of the temple.
There were numerous hands on the walls reaching up towards the sky.
Above the hands was a sculpture of a figure standing there.
It was a person wearing white clothes.
The person had a benevolent gaze and his long hair almost seemed to be fluttering in the air.
He looked quite handsome even as a sculpture.
‘That must be it. That must be the sculpture.’
It had only been an instant.
That was all it took for Cale to open the door, see the sculpture, and observe it.
“Motherf-”
The eyes were red jewels.
The moment Cale registered that in his mind…
“You motherfucking son of a bitch of a god!”
The red light shot out toward Cale.
This evil red light…
Cale was sure that he had seen it before. It was the same red aura that had been around the sealed god’s sickle.
It was the power filled with despair.
‘I knew I shouldn’t trust that bastard!’
Cale had thought that the sealed god would not be able to use any power outside of the illusion.
However, inside the temple was the sealed god’s domain.
If Cale had accepted the deal and opened this door without any thoughts, he would have turned into a sacrifice for the sealed god.
‘Not just me, Barrow would have become a sacrifice as well.’
.
He was certain about that.
Cale Barrow was planned to be a sacrifice for the sealed god from the beginning.
There was no way that he would miss out on that. ‘This son of a bitch of a god.’
“Fine, whatever.”
Cale clenched his hand that was holding the root dagger. The corners of his lips naturally curled up.
Swoooooooosh.
The wind assisted him as he ran toward the explosion almost as if he was flying.
Paaaat!
A silver shield and two wings surrounded Cale at the same time.
Cale threw the diary into the air.
It was the diary with the ancient power, the Annual Rings of Life.
– It’s my turn now. Be careful!
The moment Drew Thames shouted in a low voice…
Chhhhhhh—!
The red diary opened and red leaves instantly appeared to surround Cale.
The red leaves that were similar in color to his hair swirled around him like a whirlwind, similar to the first time he met this power.
Cale’s eyes sparkled.
Red smoke filled his eyes and turned them red.
‘I will quickly take care of the White Star before the sealed god does anything else.’
As long as he had a bit of time…
As long as he had an instant, it was definitely doable.
Smile.
As Cale’s smile became thicker, he made eye contact with this annoying enemy wearing a white mask that he was tired of seeing.
“Did you rest well my friend ?”
He greeted this friend for the first time in a while.
This relationship can continue after all of this.
That was why Cale was unable to see it.
At a place in his blind spot unlike the front area he saw when he opened the door…
Clopeh, who was crouched in Cale’s blind spot installing the fifth automatic video recording device, opened his eyes wide at the sudden situation that broke the silence.
And on the other side of the hallway… The opening blocked by the crumbled marble debris was moving.
It was as if someone was stabbing at it with a stick or sword to inspect it.
The hands of Clopeh Sekka were shaking.
His hand that was holding the automatic video storage device was filled with strength.
‘What am I seeing right now?’
Before the others could arrive, he moved faster than everyone in order to install the automatic video storage devices in the last place of the temple.
‘Something great will happen here!’1
He was certain and did not doubt it. This was the last room of the temple. Clopeh was sure that Cale Henituse would reach his final peak as a hero here.
‘Bang!’
The door suddenly opened then.
And red light shot out of the sculpture carved on the wall, which had been silent at the time Clopeh was moving.
The light contained an ominous feeling that reminded Clopeh of the red eyes he saw when he escaped the last illusion test – anger.
Everything had happened suddenly.
‘Booooooom-!’
Then the red light collided with something and exploded with a roar.
And he could see someone running towards the explosion.
‘Cale Henituse…!’
The moment Clopeh noticed who it was, joy filled his eyes. At the same time, questions arose.
‘Did you rest well?’
Cale spoke quite warmly towards the explosion.
‘Who? Who is resting?’
For a brief moment, Clopeh thought on why would Cale say something like that. After all, Cale could not have said to Clopeh himself.
“…That!”
Crack.
The automatic video storage device in the hand of Clopeh cracked.
But such a thing did not come into Clopeh’s sight. His eyes grew bigger, and the corners of his mouth began to rise.
‘It’s him.’
Red hair gradually begin to reveal itself in the middle of the explosion.
‘White Star.’
He suddenly appeared here.
Bathump. Bathump. Clopeh’s heart beat violently.
Cale Henituse and White Star. The long fight between the two would finally be over.
“…Ah.”
He was the only one who would see it.
Clopeh felt his heart was pounding from his intense emotions. The moment his heart raced like that, his eyes turned to the statue.
The red light. It must have been from the god who ran away from the first test.
‘How dare you…’
He stared at the statue with cold eyes that was different from the warmth he had a while ago.
Swoosh-
He heard the sound of a whirlwind.
Clopeh turned his gaze.
He met Cale’s eyes that had turned bright red.
Cale, whose eyes slightly widened, quickly turned his gaze away from him as he took out the silver shield and sent the whirlwind to White Star.
Clopeh smiled.
As he expected.
The hero did not bring Clopeh into this fight.
Perhaps because it was dangerous.
Clopeh threw the cracked video storage on the floor and brought his hands together.
Flutter-!
A red book that unfolded.
And red leaves that wrapped around Cale.
Cale’s hair was red like blood.
It was so beautiful.
‘…What is that?’
Clopeh looked at the small black and white dagger with curiosity.
But there was someone here who had a bigger question.
‘What the?’
It was Cale.
‘Why is Clopeh Sekka here?’
Cale took his eyes off White Star for a moment when he heard the sound of something breaking and rustling,
and saw the really scary expression of Clopeh Sekka smiling with his eyes wide open.
‘That damn shitty god !’
That god had told Cale that he was the first to pass the test. That god who said that it was telling the truth and even swore on their godhood was a pure liar.
‘It’s a good that I didn’t believe it.’
He quickly averted his gaze from the scary-looking Clopeh Sekka.
The important thing now was not him.
“Cale Henituse…!”
White Star had just broken out of the golden plaque and was clutching his chest.
‘It’s going well.’
Cale’s body was at its peak condition.
the White Star who just awakened was not a big problem.
White Star’s full body was revealed as the dust from the explosion cleared.
But Cale could see it.
In his bright red eyes, the true state of White Star was revealed.
-Look carefully.
The pages of the diary quickly turned at the voice of Drew Thames.
The red leaves.
Through the fluttering leaves, Cale could see the ‘annual rings’ drawn on the body of White Star.
It was like a spider web.
Or like the ground that was dry and cracked.
“You....Stop being in my way!”
In an instant, the Sword of Disasters brightly burned in the hand of White Star.
But Cale did not see that.
He only stared at the ‘lines’ drawn all over the body of White Star.
‘I can see it.’
The lines made countless rings.
Big and small. Thin and thick. Rough and smooth.
‘Ah.’
Cale held back his exclamation.
Those were time.
All those lines were time.
The countless hours were drawn on the body of White Star.
Time was in various forms as he reincarnated through numerous bodies.
However, the many rings were eventually confined within one large ring.
‘That’s it.’
A gigantic tree ring that contained so many rings that looked disgusting.
It was quite large, but it was torn here and there, thereby losing its shape.
White Star.
Cale Barrow was his first life.
The ring engraved with his life when he, the last dragon slayer, decided to become White Star, was torn, ripped, and broken over the course of a thousand years.
‘A curse is a curse.’
The constant curse of reincarnation given to White Star.
It was truly a curse.
Cale felt that when he saw the ring. He wanted to help him, to...stop his pain.
That large ring of White Star would eventually break and shatter if he repeated a few more lives. It would be completely destroyed and lose its function.
When that happened, White Star would no longer be able to maintain himself as White Star when he reincarnates over and over again.
A curse that caused him to lose something precious to him.
The curse created by the god of death was ultimately his last and most precious thing.
It would even make him lose his ‘self.’
‘How pitiful...’
Cale realized the truth of the curse and looked into the eyes of White Star for the first time today.
Swooosh-
The burning Sword of Disasters was headed towards Cale.
Cale did not stop despite seeing the sword. Rather, he approached White Star and stretched out his hand that did not hold a dagger.
Whiiiiir-
The whirlwind blasted out of Cale’s hand swiftly. Bang!
The sword and wind collided.
“Ugh.”
At the same time, the hand of the White Star that was holding the sword was pushed back by the recoil.
‘What’s going on?’
White Star was awakened when the seal was suddenly released, so he attacked Cale while trying to calm himself.
Either he make Cale leave as fast as he can, or run away from him. Or get the sealed god. Those were the only three options he had left.
His attack was deflected.
He naturally knew that Cale Henituse would counter such an attack.
However, the moment White Star met Cale’s eyes that had turned red, he unknowingly felt a chill.
Cale Henituse was looking at him.
But White Star had the feeling that Cale Henituse was not looking at him.
Cale Henituse was looking at something other than White Star.
‘What is it?’
White Star did not have the time to question it.
Cale moved his hand again.
Whiiiiir—
Whoosh… Whiiiir…
Whirlwinds were shot towards White Star at a high speed in succession.
“You bastard-!”
White Star who barely stood straight then quickly spread his water wall, but the whirlwind and Cale were faster than that.
Pak!
Pak! Pak!
The whirlwind struck the body of White Star.
At his two feet and hand that was not holding a sword.
The body of White Star spread wide at the recoil.
But White Star did not just stand by idly.
Fwoooosh-
A red boomerang leapt out of the fire in his sword that burned greatly than before, and flew towards Cale who was just a step away from him.
Whiiiiiir—
At the east, west, south, and north. Walls of wind came from all directions, gradually narrowing as it tried to trap Cale.
Swooosh-
Walls of water formed a shield around White Star.
“…I knew it would be like this.”
As Cale said that, he let out a small empty laugh.
“Cale-nim!”
As Cale heard Clopeh Sekka shouting, he felt a warm aura heading towards him.
He did not turn his head.
It was apparent to him that this aura was from the sealed god.
Red light appeared in the statue’s eyes once again.
The light seemed like it would shoot at Cale any time.
—Cale, did you know that it would end up like this?
Super Rock asked.
Cale did not bother to answer.
Super Rock gave the answer instead.
—If you block that red light with your shield, White Star will defend himself with the water wall in the meantime.
And you will have to spend time blocking the Sword of Disasters and wind walls.
Cale tightened his grip on the dagger.
—Why are you using less of your ancient powers?
—Why are you so calm and relaxed now?
—Why did you pause for a moment, leaving one step between you and White Star? There must be a reason.
Super Rock said a bit sadly.
—The best way in this current situation is to dodge that red light and avoid both the attack and defense of White Star.
Avoid everything and reach White Star.
—You have to be fast.
Cale could be that fast.
—Cale, do you remember what the dragon, Mila, said?
The beige dragon. Dodori’s mother, Mila, said as she connected the plate of Cale with her attribute ‘connect together.’
‘My power… Connect Together is quite useful for putting things together without leaving any traces of it happening. However…’
‘Teacher, your plate is large, but it is weak as glass. So, please be careful.’
—The dragon said that.
‘There is no next time.’
—There will be no next time.
He knew.
Cale was also very aware of that.
Instant.
Kim Rok Soo’s ability to leap through time in 5 seconds.
Cale had no intention on fully using that ability.
‘Half a second.’
In his calculations, it would only be 0.5 seconds.
No, it would take less time than that if he used Instant.
Because the distance between White Star and Cale was only one step.
That was enough.
—But if it’s just one step, your plate will not break.
He knew.
He knew that, so he was doing this now.
—But all of this is assuming that you do not use your ancient powers when you use ‘Instant.’
He knew.
—Just in case, do not use ‘Annual Rings of Life.’
He knew that too.
That was why he ‘recorded’ the rings of White Star in advance.
Cale raised the dagger.
He did not know, but the people who saw the scene thought differently.
‘Can he stab White Star with a dagger in that situation? No way, that bastard with that power!’
Alberu Crossman, who was watching outside the temple, eventually stood up. And he blocked the front of Raon, On, and Hong.
Instant. Because he knew what would happen to Cale’s body if he used that ability.
And many people outside the temple watched with anxiety, wondering what Cale would do with that.
‘What is he going to do!’
Clopeh, who was in the same space inside the temple, ran towards the statue while opening his eyes wide.
He looked unsightly, but did not care as he looked forward to what Cale would do with the mysterious dagger.
And the last person.
‘How in the world are you going to attack me with that-‘
White Star thought as he moved to straighten his body that had leaned back.
However, he could not finish his thoughts.
‘Eh?’
It stopped.
For a moment, he felt that time had stopped.
He felt that way.
Stab!
At the time when Cale stabbed his own chest with a dagger.
Schwaak-
The dagger which had deeply stabbed Cale’s heart was immediately pulled out.
The white and black dagger was brightly shining with the blood of Cale.
In an instant. Cale’s time had slowed.
But for others, it went faster than ever.
A lot of things happened in that short moment.
A very short moment that was less than a second.
Cale took a step forward.
Thud.
The diary fell to the floor.
The leaves surrounding Cale and the whirlwind had all disappeared.
Tear—
Cuts appeared in the hand of Cale holding the dagger.
Cuts appeared in the skin of his leg that took a step forward.
Blood gushed out of the chest stabbed by the dagger.
But the only thing in Cale’s eyes was the faint ring. He raised the dagger high.
The dagger that stabbed Cale’s heart. His blood flowed down the blade.
Bathump. Bathump. Bathump.
Cale felt the dagger beating.
The dagger was beating like a heart.
And the beating coincided with Cale’s heartbeats.
The dagger that had been in a state of suspension was awakened and beat along with Cale’s heart.
And the heart that contained regeneration and healing. The heart moved according to its master’s will.1
Cale’s hand moved.
The weakest and most worn-out point of the largest ring. The point where it passed through the right collarbone of White Star.
Cale thrust the dagger dipped with his blood towards that point.
‘What’s going on?’
An instant. It was a really short moment for White Star whom he was facing.
At the time he suddenly saw the bleeding Cale Henituse reach in front of him and wondered what was going on.
“… Aack…”
His world turned upside down.
His voice was not loud.
A small groan came out of his mouth.
He looked down.
A red dagger stabbed his collarbone.
It was originally an insignificant attack that would not even be considered an injury.
But why?
Riiiip-
White Star heard a sound as if something was being ripped apart.
He could not see it, but he realized it.
Because his body lost its strength and his vision shook.
He stretched out his hand.
His trembling hand rested on the hand holding the dagger.
The hand of Cale that was holding the red dagger was also bleeding and trembling.
White Star stared at Cale.
Before he knew it, Cale’s red eyes had returned to normal, and the bleeding Cale said to White Star with a calm expression.
“It’s over. You can now be free...”
That was all that he said.
Cale pulled the dagger out and a single strand of blood flowed out of the White Star’s collarbone.
The White Star’s body plopped to the ground as if he was a puppet that had its strings cut.
Screeeech- screeeeeeech-
The White Star’s ears were going deaf from a sharp noise.
The aura of the God of Death that had been on his body was disappearing.
The power of that curse had been on the White Star’s body through his endless reincarnations.
The God of Death’s aura that had been the driving force of his reincarnation was scattering away like smoke.
‘Unbelievable.’
The White Star’s pupils started shaking.
‘I can’t reincarnate anymore?
Cale looked down at the fallen White Star. The White Star and Cale were still observing each other.
Once his Instant ended in less than 1 second, Cale wiped some blood off his face with the hand not holding the dagger.
‘How amazing.’
It was fine.
No, his body was instantaneously becoming fine.
– Cale, your plate is fine… And you-
The Super Rock could not finish his sentence.
He could not hide his shock.
He barely managed to speak again after a while.
– …You’re getting healthier.
The injury on his heart was closing.
The healing could not be seen because of the blood that spurted out
when he stabbed and then removed the dagger, but Cale could feel life force that was stronger than ever before swirling around in his body.
Shhhhhhh-
Cale lowered his head.
The now red dagger that had absorbed Cale’s blood…
The root dagger in his hand slowly turned to dust starting from the tip.
Shhhh—
That red dust left the dagger and approached Cale.
‘Mm!’
They them seeped into Cale’s heart.
‘The World Tree was telling the truth.’
Cale recalled what the World Tree had said while giving him the dagger.
‘Don’t worry. You will not die. It will be grotesque since you will bleed a lot, but it will actually be helpful to you too. I guarantee it.’
It had not hurt at all when he stabbed his heart either.
That was how he was able to stab so deeply in one try.
And when he made up his mind to use Instant…
When he decided it would only be about 0.5 seconds… Cale had decided that it would not be very dangerous
because it was less than 1 second and he was not planning on using any ancient powers with it.
He thought that he would not faint or have his plate broken like last time.
However, he did expect it to tax his body in multiple places at least a bit.
‘…It’s really weird.’
It had not burdened his body much to use Instant.
Of course, it had hurt when he received injuries on his body to take that one step forward while using it.
Cale was personally experiencing the fact that his body condition was getting much better, to the point that he did not need objective data.
He heard an old man’s voice at that moment.
It was the first time in a long while that the Vitality of the Heart had spoken since being absorbed into the shield.
– …It looks like a new regeneration power will be born.
Cale’s eyes became a bit wider.
– Traces of an immortal are being gathered.
“Ah.”
Cale let out a gasp.
The World Tree’s roots were the things that had never disappeared as it repeated death and life. It had given Cale the foundation of those roots.
‘That foundation has been imbued into my heart.’
‘This is like herbal medicine.
This is an extremely great herbal medicine.’
The whole dagger had turned to dust and disappeared and Cale looked down at his empty hand before turning his head.
“…Haaaaa…. haaaaa…….”
The White Star was breathing lightly, as if it was difficult to breathe.
Cale reached his hand out at his friend.
Cale Barrow take his hand and they looked at each other.
"You did it....thanks Cale.."
"I promised to you that I would have saved you If you were not yourself. Look, I kept my promise right ?"
"Yeah...we are alive and our injuries thanks to the World Tree and your blood..."
"You're not the villain...you were just used..."
"Yeah but nobody will believe me....and the God of Despair is not sealed forever yet.."
"Don't worry...we will seal him. Sadly, we can't torture him..."
"You didn't change..."
"Cale-nim !!!!!"
all of his allies were running toward him with a white star hiding.
"Cale ???!!!"
"What is he doing here ?!"
"Calm down please, I will explain..."
After some time, Cale explained how he met Barrow, that he was used by the sealed god and how they want to smack him.
Some hours later, Cale sealed the god of despair and Barrow and him were friends like in the past.
The war ended, reconstruction well done and all of Cale's family and friend live happily.
If you want a better ending, I think I can If you can give me more ideas, It's supposed to be a long one-shot...