C185
"Sigh~."
Cale let out an inward sigh. As soon as he entered the room where the Priestess was, he was met with dozens of people. They were surrounding the central bed like a protective wall. Even though the wall collapsed, they didn't utter a groan and stared at Cale with determination, their faces hidden behind their hoods, as if they wouldn't allow anyone to get close to the Priestess. It seemed they would tolerate no enemy seeking to harm the Priestess. Cale looked beyond them to the bed.
"As I thought, not just one person."
Previously, when he first met Candidate Myung, he clearly gave instructions to his subordinates.
'Immediately, protect the Priestesses. Also, go inform Blood Demon-nim.'
She said 'Priestesses.'
-Human, are there two Priestesses?
"Oh? It seems so."
On the bed were two women. To be precise, an older woman and a young one. Of the two, the older woman looked at Cale with a piercing gaze. In the face of that gaze, Cale murmured.
"Are you the former Priestess?"
Clearly, Hoya and Yoon said that a new Priestess was selected, but they didn't say new Priestesses were selected.
Then the answer came quickly.
One was the former Priestess.
And the other is the new one, who had just become a Priestess.
"..."
The older-looking woman who seemed to be the former Priestess remained silent with tightly shut lips as she continued to stare at Cale. Cale didn't pay much attention to the unresponsive woman and instead looked in another direction.
"A familiar face..."
A prestigious noble family in the capital of the Roan Kingdom.
Duchy of Orsena.
The Orsena castle burned and collapsed, and most direct family members lost their lives. The eldest daughter, the duchess of Orsena, suspected as the author, disappeared. Along with her, the only survivor, the younger daughter, disappeared at the hands of the Hunters who attacked the Roan royal palace.
-Human, it's the youngest daughter of Orsena!
And now the youngest daughter stood before Cale in the appearance of the new Priestess. The expression disappeared from Cale's face.
-...Human.
Raon's voice sounded cautious.
-...The condition of the younger duchess seems strange. A bit, um...
Raon couldn't find suitable words to describe it. He couldn't help it. The younger duchess had no focus in her eyes. She was staring blankly into the air without looking at anything in particular, with her mouth slightly open. Although the younger duchess already had a rather small build, her body seemed to be in a pitiful state. Of course, her body was wrapped in luxurious golden robes that seemed to be embroidered with threads of gold, and her hair and wrists were adorned with dazzling jewels.
-Mmmm. It seems like she ate something strange...
As Raon said, the state of the younger duchess was very different from what it used to be. It was as if she was under the effects of some kind of drug and couldn't think clearly.
"Ha."
Cale was perplexed. When the Duchy of Orsena collapsed and burned, the young duchess who survived alone showed a rather restless appearance. However, her body was in good condition at that time. Despite her fear, her eyes were sharp.
Unconsciously, Cale muttered to himself, "No, what did they do to the girl?"
His expression twisted.
However, those protecting the Priestesses did not react to Cale's words. The older-looking woman held the younger duchess firmly in her arms and stared at Cale. Then, she pursed her lips.
No sound was heard.
"!"
But Cale's pupils shook.
It was at that moment.
"We need to evacuate the Priestesses!"
Cale heard a shout from behind.
"Attack!"
Chaeng, chaeng.
People who had been thrown by Raon's wind magic immediately regained their senses, grabbed their swords and weapons, and rushed towards Cale.
Woo, woo, woo...
Especially the person at the front had a tremendous aura on his sword, which shot out.
Thud!
At the same time, those protecting the Priestesses took a step forward, raising their hands towards the sheaths of their swords. They were ready to unsheath their swords and attack Cale without delay.
"Let's go."
And some of those closest to the bed approached the Priestesses. It seemed they were looking for any opportunity to escape.
Someone shouted, "Stop them! Buy time! That's the only thing you should think about!"
They were willing to face Cale alone to give the Priestesses time to escape. Dozens of people lunged at Cale and Raon, some wielding swords and others pointing them.
But that wasn't all.
Boom!
"I found them!"
The Gatekeeper (Guardian) appeared, and he did so with dozens of followers behind him. However, his appearance was anything but normal; he was covered in blood from head to toe.
Thud, thud, thud.
Vibrations were heard in the distance.
"Tsk."
The Guardian pursed his lips and spoke.
"We need to finish this before Old Baek arrives! Catch that guy right now! Avoid the Dragon's attacks and bring him alone! You can kill him if necessary!"
There were looks exchanged between the Guardian and the people around him.
"Candidates, follow me! You must bring the core that's in the owner's lap! That's a priority!"
At the same time, Myung also shouted:
"We must save the Priestesses too!"
"So, wouldn't it be resolved if we simply killed that guy?"
"Shouldn't we deal with the Dragon in the background first?"
There was a slight difference of opinion, but they ultimately decided not to say more. They knew that once they caught the owner, everything would end.
"Attack!"
Led by Myung and the Guardian, a hundred men ran straight towards Cale.
At the forefront, of course, were the Guardian and Myung.
"Raon."
In response to Cale's casual call, Raon stood in front of him.
"Don't worry, Human, I'll destroy everything!"
A powerful aura surrounded Raon. Given Cale's current state, unable to use his shield and wind, Raon decided to be his protector and support.
However, at that moment, a casual voice and a rough hand touched Raon's head.
"Why fight?"
"Eh?"
Cale and Raon looked at each other. In that instant, Cale whispered.
"Let's take the Priestesses and escape."
Then, he grinned mischievously. The corner of Raon's mouth also lifted. Breaking everything might be an exhilarating experience, but what excited them the most was hitting their enemies from behind and escaping.
Raon's wings fluttered.
"All right!"
They didn't need to say more. With a roar, Raon and Cale rose into the air thanks to the wind. The wind quickly carried them to the location of the bed.
"You won't be able to escape."
"Attack them!"
Some threw swords, others shot energy waves at Cale, and there were those who threw spears and daggers. The scene turned into absolute chaos.
Bam!
Boom!
Raon's created shield could not be penetrated.
Ruuuummm...
Raon's sturdy front legs held a high-quality Magic Stone, shining brightly. Cale and Raon stopped at the bed.
"Protect the Priestesses..."
The person closest to the Priestesses opened his mouth and hesitated.
"Ugh!"
A deep groan erupted from his mouth. The hand holding the sword trembled intensely, and sweat ran down his face. But it wasn't just him; the people who had created a wall around the Priestesses, as well as those looking at Cale behind their masks, were restless and trembling.
"Hii!"
Even one of the Candidates let out a breathless sigh.
Ruuuummm...
A strange energy spread through the space in the blink of an eye. The energy emitted by Cale began to dominate everything.
"..."
Such a powerful aura that even the Guardian, who encountered him for the second time, was instantly terrified.
Cale extended his Dominating Aura at a leisurely pace.
No one could move easily against the suddenly dominating aura.
Bang!
"Kugh."
No, some of those who were close dropped their weapons and clutched their throats, struggling to breathe in the midst of that aura. They felt confused and scared by the power that tried to dominate even their own breathing.
'W-why this energy...'
Candidate Myung, experiencing this energy for the first time, trembled as she awkwardly held her weapon and looked at Cale. Well, she couldn't even look properly. She was shaking so much that she felt she could be overwhelmed by this energy and die.
Had she ever felt this from the Blood Demon?
No. It was worse than that.
'...And the Dragons?'
A figure came to her mind.
'...The Lord Dragon.'
That person's energy was clearly like this. Yes. He had the power to dominate everything like this, as if he could kill someone just with this energy.
'No...'
Candidate Myung shook her head. It was different. The energy of that human was different from that of the Lord Dragon. It was a little more...
'...What should I say?'
It was definitely different from the Lord Dragon, and that's what made it so suffocating.
'What do I do?'
Was it even possible to face such an individual? Candidate Myung's back was soaked in sweat.
Then...
"Let's go."
Cale crouched down and grabbed her hand.
"N-No!"
Myung shouted, her voice trembling with urgency, but she couldn't resist.
The Priestess...
'Why...?'
Because the Priestess had grabbed the hand that Cale had extended.
Unexpectedly, the former Priestess, who seemed to be taking care of the young duchess, took the young one in her arms and reached out to Cale.
Seeing that scene, Myung could finally speak.
"S-Stop them from escaping! Do whatever it takes!"
In response, the men protecting the Priestesses stirred, but they couldn't move easily. They were afraid even to lift their heads in the face of Cale's aura.
"Damn it!"
Then, Myung bit her lip so hard that blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and only then did she have the strength to withstand the fearsome aura.
"...Ha-"
But soon, her movements stopped.
Wuuuu— wuuu—
Black light rose like smoke. And on the bed where Cale and the Dragon were, strange magic patterns appeared.
Myung knew what it was.
"...A Magic Circle."
The dragon had drawn a magic circle.
"Hehe, let's go!"
With a cheerful cry, Raon activated the teleportation circle.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
As an added bonus, Cale waved his hand at Myung and the Guardian.
Pat!
With a bright light, another higher-grade Magic Stone broke. And shortly after, the light disappeared completely.
In the place where Cale, Raon, and the bed once were, there was nothing left.
"...Ugh."
Myung released her grip on her sword.
The sword fell to the ground.
"I can't believe it... The core, the core!"
She could hear the desperation in the Guardian's voice, but she ignored it.
She stood, staring at the spot where Cale had disappeared.
The two Priestesses and the Magic Formation Core were gone too.
The human with such an overwhelming presence that it seemed he could strip lives just with his aura, and the young Dragon, had disappeared. While this meant they didn't have to fight that person, they also lost everything they were trying to protect.
Thump, swish!
At that moment, Old Baek appeared with the True Jiangshis.
His appearance was also in a disheveled state.
"What's going on? Did they leave me behind?"
Old Baek's face reflected desperation as he realized the situation.
---------------------------------
Paaaat.
With a bright light, Cale's eyes blinked. Soon, he had a clear view.
"...Young Master Kim?"
The one who welcomed him was Fist King Mok Hyun.
Along with the captain, he was the only one left on the ship.
In front of him, Cale and Raon appeared with the two Priestesses.
"Human, I used this as coordinates! I thought it would be better on the island!"
"You did well."
Cale casually praised Raon and then let go of the Priestess's hand. Then, he looked at her.
"A while ago, you asked me to save you, right?"
The Priestess, still holding young Lady Orsena as if it were her own life, nodded slowly. A moment ago, when they were in danger, the former Priestess simply opened her mouth and spoke without making any noise.
'Save me.'
Cale managed to understand the silence and was able to approach her. Cale looked at the hand he had let go and opened his mouth.
"...You're young, aren't you?"
She had white hair, and her face and neck were full of wrinkles.
However, the older woman's hand was smooth and wrinkle-free. It was a young hand that had not suffered at all.
Cale could see it clearly when he realized it. Unlike her aged appearance, there was a strange energy surrounding her.
She nodded.
Then, she pointed to her throat and moved it from side to side.
"Can't you speak?"
She nodded again.
The Priestess tilted her head once more. Despite that, she kept watching Cale constantly. There was fear in her gaze, as if she feared Cale would abandon her.
It was a completely different atmosphere than when she looked at him with hostility before.
Cale spoke casually.
"I guess it'll be hard to talk right now. For now..."
He was about to continue speaking when suddenly he stopped.
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
A deafening roar echoed in the distance, in the direction where the Blood Cult was.
"I see!"
Raon, floating in the air, shouted involuntarily.
"Human, Heavenward is collapsing!"
What?
Heavenward.
The place where the Priestess and the Magic Formation were.
The building where Cale had been moments ago was collapsing, and this news made Cale's eyes widen.
'It hasn't been even a few minutes since we arrived, what happened?'
It was at that moment that doubt filled Cale's eyes.
"Gah!"
A groan escaped his lips.
"Human, what's happening?"
"Young Master Kim, what's going on?"
Raon and Fist King approached Cale in surprise. Before Cale could respond, he reached into his clothes pocket.
"What's happening?"
Woo, woo, woo.
A dull and steady sound resonated as the Magic Formation Core vibrated, slowly releasing a purple light.
'This seems worrisome...'
Just as that thought crossed his mind...
Rumble—
A noise that shouldn't have been heard reached his ears. Cale dropped his head back and looked up.
It didn't come from the direction of the Blood Cult or the east coast of Guangdong.
It was in the opposite direction.
It came from the vast ocean in front of Hainan Island.
Rumble, rumble—
From the night sky over the sea, rumbling sounds were heard.
Cale lowered his head.
Below the ship.
The ocean, which had been calm just a moment ago, was unusually turbulent.
-
