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🕑 Added 2025-02-11 06:55:51 +0000 UTC<Do you really think you are capable of doing that with your abilities? (4)>
Ooooooooong-
The mana fluctuated around the video communication device.
Cale got out of the temple and on a carriage before crossing his arms and looking at the video communication device.
It was dyed red.
It created quite the contrast with the blue sky outside the window.
Paat!
The screen popped up.
- Cale.
“Team leader-nim.”
Cale could see Sui Khan.
‘Mm.’
He looked stoic as usual, but Cale noticed the subtle difference within it.
‘He’s angry.’
The team leader was angry.
- I'll send the coordinates to Mila-nim, so I hope you can get here right away.
“Yes sir.”
‘Ah.’
Cale hesitated for a bit before asking Sui Khan, who was about to hang up.
“Am I bringing Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo with me?”
-…….
Sui Khan was silent for a moment before nodding his head.
- ...Yes.
“I am currently at the capital. I will get Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo both and head on over.”
The call ended.
They soon received a message from Mila with the coordinates.
“Human, the Black Castle and the underground tunnel... Are we going to both places?”
Cale nodded his head at Raon's question.
“Yeah. It looks like we will need to hurry a bit.”
He turned his head and looked at Clopeh.
“I'll leave the capital to you.”
The Pope, the Church...
And the Emperor.
There was also the Haru Kingdom’s King Dennis.
Three different factions were currently at the capital.
Cale was going to leave Clopeh to control things at the center of these three fractions.
The Indomitable Alliance.
Clopeh Sekka had created that group that had almost burned down the continent and had received a lot of support.
Clopeh Sekka was the only one among Cale’s people who could handle something at this scale.
“You can do it, right?”
Clopeh smiled at Cale’s nonchalant comment before slowly lowering his head.
“Thank you very much, Cale-nim.”
‘...What the hell?’
Cale became anxious at the completely unexpected answer. Clopeh raised his head and spoke with a gentle smile on his face.
“Finally, I have received a proper mission. I will pour out every drop of my blood as needed to do a great job.”
“…….”
"So please don’t worry, Cale-nim.”
For the first time, Cale was not worried about one of his allies but the enemies that would have to face Clopeh Sekka.
‘At least he's reliable.’
Cale did his best to hide his anxiety and seriously asked.
“Moderately. So that nothing is revealed. You know that, right?”
The Purple Bloods... He could not have them be alerted.
Especially right now.
The enemies being well aware of their existence was only fitting after they took down Ryan and his lair.
“Hoo hoo.”
Clopeh laughed out loud this time.
“Of course, Cale-nim. A shadow is impossible to distinguish when it layers upon itself. You have nothing to worry about.”
‘What the hell is he saying?’
Cale decided to ignore it because he was busy.
“Okay. I trust you'll get it done.”
Pat pat. Cale patted Clopeh's shoulder.
Clopeh lowered his head.
‘He doesn’t fully trust me yet.’
Cale-nim cannot trust me yet.
‘I understand.
My starting point was a pebble that blocked his path.
But at least he trusts me more than before.
That is why he is leaving such an important task to me.’
Most importantly, he let Clopeh see his full conversation with the others.
‘Finally-
Finally I have a chance to seep into a corner of this legend.’
Clopeh's eyes sparkled.
‘Cale-nim is someone who has even gone up against a god.’
Even if it was a sealed god, Cale had fought against a god.
‘I cannot allow such an esteemed person to be annoyed with the greed and power issues in this political field.’
HE didn't want Cale to waste his mental strength on such trivial things.
Something like that was a job for the shadow.
“Hoo hoo.”
Clopeh subconsciously laughed from joy.
Cale looked unsettled as he removed the hand from Clopeh's shoulder.
Very carefully.
‘You should avoid the crazies.’
Cale motioned to Raon with his eyes.
- Okay, let's hurry! Clopeh Sekka is weird! He looks like he will go another ten degrees crazier!
An unsettled Raon quickly cast a teleportation magic circle.
Cale and the children averaging ten-years-old soon left the capital.
“Haaaaa.”
Clopeh raised his head and let out a short sigh in the empty carriage.
He could see the blue sky.
He mumbled to himself.
“I just need to stimulate the Emperor's greed and jealousy for the Dragons and Cale-nim to use him.”
He organized his thoughts one by one.
“For someone like King Dennis, who chooses conviction over pride, talking about being a hero or having pure convictions will help him follow on his own will.”
The smile grew bigger on his face.
“As for the Pope, her mind has become weak, potentially because she is near death. I should use that to my advantage. Raon-nim already did a great job shaking her up.”
Smile.
Clopeh, who was covered by shadows inside the carriage, wet his lips with his tongue as if he was a snake. His gaze was focused on the blue sky.
“How interesting.”
‘As I expected.’
“Politics is more entertaining than sword play.”
He soon had a holy smile on his face as he walked out of the shadow inside the carriage.
He then seeped into the Holy Empire underneath the blue sky.
*
Paaaat-!
A black light appeared and disappeared before Cale opened his eyes.
The southern part of the continent was a vast jungle.
There were no proper countries here.
“You're here.”
Sui Khan was waiting for them.
Choi Jung Soo, who came with Cale, was the one to respond.
“Hmm? I don't see a temple here?”
Choi Jung Soo looked relaxed as he spoke with a cheeky smile on his face.
Cale looked around.
There were tall trees and mysterious plants.
He saw a scene that definitely resembled a jungle more than a forest.
Chhhhhh-
There was even a small stream nearby.
Mila was by it, washing some fruit.
“You’re here?”
She smiled brightly before handing Raon some fruit.
“These are fruits from this world. They are very sweet. Have some, Raon.”
Raon looked at Cale, who nodded his head.
“Go ahead.”
“I’ll be back after eating! I'll bring some back for you too, human!”
The moment Raon snickered and flew over to Mila, Cale heard Mila's voice in his mind.
- I'll keep Raon here.
Cale became certain at that moment.
‘As expected, something happened.’
Furthermore, it was something very bad.
He heard Choi Han’s voice.
“I don’t see Chope-nim.”
The Dragon who sees the past.
They didn't even see his shadow.
“…….”
Sui Khan looked at Choi Jung Soo and Choi Han before looking at Cale and answering.
“Follow me.”
There was a small path by the stream.
IT was a path heading into the Jungle that looked dark because of the vast trees and plants.
Cale quietly followed behind him.
“Play with Mila-nim.”
Of course, he left Raon behind.
He stood right behind the team leader with Choi Jung Soo and Choi Han behind him.
“Ah.”
The team leader asked Cale to do something, as if he suddenly remembered.
“Release your aura.”
“Why?”
“It will keep the animals from attacking us.”
He shook his head from side to side.
“This place is quite a mess. They attack if you show the slightest opening. But they run away if you use Dragon Fear. Cale, wouldn't your aura be similar?”
"That is true.”
Cale quickly channeled his aura.
He then followed behind the team leader.
‘We’re moving so slow.’
But he felt as if they were walking too slowly.
“Isn’t this too slow?”
Choi Jung Soo asked from the back and the team leader peeked at Cale.
“What is it?”
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
"Cale, will you be okay?”
The team leader slowly looked Cale up and down.
“Too weak.”
Cale channeled the Sound of the Wind to his ankles after hearing Sui Khan mumble.
Swoooooooosh-
The wind swirled around him and Sui Khan nonchalantly commented.
“At this speed, we will get there after about five minutes of walking.”
Swoooosh-
The wind disappeared.
“Let’s just walk like we are on a stroll.”
The team leader spoke in a relaxed voice.
“Cale, doing the walking yourself is good for your health.”
“Keke.”
Choi Jung Soo laughed from the back.
Choi Han seriously nodded his head.
“That is correct.”
“As expected, little Han knows what is up.”
Cale closed his eyes while listening to the team leader chat with Choi Han. Choi Jung Soo nonchalantly commented at that moment.
You could hear the cheeky smile on his face as he spoke.
"Team leader-nim, based on how you are walking so slowly and messing around, the bad thing that happened must be very bad.”
Choi Han looked forward after hearing that.
The team leader didn't say anything and Cale waited for a bit before speaking.
“Let’s go slowly then.”
They all then walked in silence.
Choi Han’s face stiffened up.
Choi Jung Gun.
He was Choi Han’ s youngest uncle who had disappeared.
Furthermore, he was Nelan Barrow, the person who wrote ‘The Birth of a Hero,’ the first Dragon Slayer, and a current wanderer who was working with the God of Death.
‘Did something happen to that guy?’
It was still hard for him to call him uncle.
However, his concern did increase.
Boom, boom, boom.
His heart was beating fast.
Things were either good or bad when he was like this.
Ironically, time passed by quickly.
It felt like they didn’t walk very much but they could see an area without trees in the distance.
He could see an area where the blue sky was visible.
Step step.
Cale walked behind the team leader and slowly got closer to that area.
‘What happened?’
He wanted to ask the team leader but he held himself back.
Sui Khan would tell him soon.
That area where this vast forest ended must be their destination.
Before they arrived there...
"We found the Temple of the God of Chaos.”
The team leader stopped walking as he spoke.
"That temple was destroyed.”
He turned around.
“There were many signs of an intense battle having taken place.”
"And?”
The team leader stopped for a bit at Choi Jung Soo's question before continuing on.
"We found traces of Choi Jung Gun.”
Choi Jung Gun was not here.
However, there were traces of him.
Choi Han’s face was about to brighten a bit when he heard Choi Jung Soo's stiff voice.
"What kind of traces?”
‘Ah.’
Choi Han's pupils started shaking.
The team leader looked at Choi Jung Soo. The team leader calmly answered Choi Jung Soo, who had asked with a firm gaze.
“An arm.”
‘Ah.’
Cale barely held back a sigh as he clenched his eyes shut.
“Follow me.”
The team leader resumed walking and Choi Jung Soo quickly followed behind him. Choi Han did as well.
The two of them soon walked past Sui Khan.
Cale walked as quickly as possible as well before arriving at the open area.
“You’re here.”
Chope, the Dragon who sees the past, greeted them.
Cale didn't even answer him as he continued to walk.
‘It's a mess.’
It was desolate.
This open area was quite large with the vast forest surrounding it.
It was also completely scorched with the remains of a destroyed building.
There were traces of the ground being flipped over with not a single pillar of a building remaining upright.
It was just the shapes of the broken debris and the materials they were made with that let them feel that this was a temple.
“Ha!”
Choi Jung Soo scoffed.
Cale walked to where the Chois had stopped.
He then stood next to him.
He raised his head.
This was the one thing that did not break.
It was an altar.
"This is the altar of the God of Chaos.”
Chope walked up to them and calmly explained.
"Based on the traces, it looks like they were trying to conduct a ritual here.”
They could see red marks with the altar at the center.
The thing that resembled a magic circle looked erased or cracked, but it was still possible to see it.
“It is just that we cannot analyze these designs. This is my first time seeing it. It doesn’t seem to be from the World of the Gods.”
“Then-”
Choi Jung Soo let out a completely serious voice.
“Those red parts over there. Whose blood is it?”
“…….”
Chope was silent for a bit.
However, nobody urged him to talk.
Only the weight of the silence grew heavier.
Chope then opened his mouth.
“The arm on the altar.”
On top of this altar, the only thing that remained intact...
An arm was placed there.
They had no idea when it was cut off, but it was maintaining its form without rotting.
"That bracelet as well as the clothes covering the top of that arm...”
Chope's voice was faintly shaking.
Choi Jung Gun. He was Chope's friend.
He was the wanderer who remained by Chope's side for a bit when he was meandering alone.
“They are definitely Choi Jung Gun's.”
Chope spoke in a shaky voice.
"That circle was drawn with Choi Jung Gun's blood.”
Sui Khan’s low voice filled the desolate area.
"After taking a look around, it looks like there was an intense battle that lasted a while. Only a few people were involved in it, but they must have been quite strong based on the scale.”
It had not been long since the temple was destroyed.
They could tell based on the broken parts, the dust on top of them, as well as the state of the plants.
“There are signs of blood in multiple areas. It wasn’t just one person who bled here.”
Sui Khan then stopped talking.
Choi Jung Soo and Choi Han... The two of them just stared at the altar without saying anything.
However, he felt bitter after seeing the no longer smiling Choi Jung Soo and the calm Choi Han.
Nobody would have said anything if Choi Jung Gun's arm had just been here or if it had been the ritual circle without the arm.
However, with this arm on top of the altar like a sacrifice-
They had to be worried for Choi Jung Gun's life.
“So...”
Choi Jung Soo started to speak.
“Do you believe the ritual was successful?”
“I don’t know. I am unable to decipher this circle.”
Choi Jung Soo chuckled after hearing Chope's response.
“Wow. Anyway, they drew this circle with the blood of my ancestor, performed a ritual, and only left behind this chopped off arm?”
He covered his eyes with his hand as he nonchalantly commented.
“Fuck.”
Nobody dares to say anything.
However, Chope thoughtlessly spoke despite the situation.
“...This is my hypothesis, but I think his body was offered as sacrifice and only the arm remained. Otherwise, I don’t see why an arm would be left alone like this-”
“Hold on.”
Choi Jung Soo stopped him.
He then looked toward Cale.
“Hey Rok Soo. What do you think?”
Choi Han turned toward Cale as well.
He made eye contact with Cale.
The coldly sunken eyes were fluctuating as if there were eccentric fires within them.
“Chope-nim.”
“Yeah.”
Cale walked toward the design of the destroyed magic circle as he spoke.
“You said that this is not related to magic?”
“According to what I know, this is not related to mana nor any other ritual of this world.”
“I see. Team leader-nim.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not the World of the Gods, right?”
Team leader Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo would know if this was the language of the World of the Gods.
“I don’t know all of the ways of the gods, but this doesn’t smell like something cooked up by the World of the Gods.”
Cale lifted his head up.
He looked at the blue sky as he commented.
“Then it has to be one of the two.”
The answer was simple.
“Either the Divine World or the Demon World.”
If he had to choose one of those two...
The one that was related to this battlefield...
“I think it has to do with the Demon World.”
Cale lowered his head and made eye contact with Choi Han.
They were the two people who knew that the Demon World was involved in this chaos.
It was at that moment.
“Human!”
Raon energetically flapped his wings as he quickly flew over.
"This fruit is delicious! Let’s all eat it together!”
Cale motioned for Raon to not get closer and spoke immediately.
“Raon. Let’s give Cotton a call.”
Deputy Chief Priest Cotton.
Since she had rummaged through the current Demon King’s bathroom, she should at least know the language of the Demon World.
He looked at the arm still on the altar and thought to himself.
‘We can’t be certain just yet.’
Cotton's face then appeared on the screen.
- What is it? I haven't been able to contact our boss yet!
Cale showed her the ritual circle.
- Huh? This is from the Demon World?
She calmly answered.
- This is not a ritual circle but just normal text.
“Normal text?”
- Yeah. It is like a letter.
Cotton spoke in such a relaxed and peaceful voice.
- Mm, I can’t read it well because it was erased, but... Let me give it a try.
A clear voice that suited someone who was a Holy Maiden at one point echoed through the area.
- I am taking the owner of this arm. Don’t worry, I will keep him alive. His arm was already cut off so I will leave it here. Isn’t it needed for you to find his traces? Come look for me if you are concerned- huh?
Cotton became flustered.
- Uhh, mm. That, ah-
She was flustered for a bit before she continued.
- Come look for me if you are concerned about him. From, The Great Thief of the Night
‘The Great Thief of the Night?’
As Cale’s eyebrow slightly raised...
Cotton looked at him and awkwardly laughed.
- Uhh, why is our boss’s nickname there... Hahahaha!
The former Demon King’s only descendant...
Cotton's boss was the Great Thief of the Night.
“My goodness.”
They heard Chope's relieved voice that was mixed with a sigh.
“...Something like this... How could they write such a letter with Choi Jung Gun's blood? These crazy bastards of the Demon World! I didn’t know that and thought it was a ritual!”
Cale ignored the sigh of the angry Dragon and noticed Cotton avoiding her gaze as she awkwardly smiled and spoke to herself.
- T, there’s a postscript.
She quickly mumbled.
- I want to leave a message but I have no ink so I used some of the blood coming out of the already cut off arm. I did not cut off the arm. Don’t worry.
Cotton lowered her head.
- Haha, our leader is such a peculiar person. Haha!
Her laughter spread throughout the empty area.
Cale just silently sighed and closed his eyes.
Comments
Megan
Her boss better get slapped in the back of the head for that message. Really. It’s quite rude.
Kiesuke
Cale is so ready to punch some demon ass for the headache they're giving him.
