C278
Cale stopped.
"A follower of the God of Chaos?"
Suddenly, why did that word come up? Cale didn't ask Choi Jung Soo that question. Even though he was always smiling, while Cale was dealing with the matters of Apitoyu, that guy had been investigating the God of Chaos. There was only one thing that intrigued him.
"How did he know?"
Star Dragon, Epley. How did Choi Jung Soo know she worshipped the God of Chaos? The doubt disappeared the moment Choi Jung Soo's gaze met his.
"Under her ear, on her neck."
Under Epley's right ear, on her neck, there was a strange symbol.
"Isn't that the symbol of the Cult of the God of Chaos? And the devout must carry that symbol."
At Choi Jung Soo's words, Epley smiled.
"This symbol is ancient, but you recognized it. You have a good eye. Are you a Wanderer?"
"Was it you?"
Choi Jung Soo asked casually.
"I wonder if it was you who fought against Choi Jung Gun~."
Although his tone was relaxed, Cale sighed.
"Perhaps..."
Yes, perhaps the person in the Choi family who has the most affection for his lineage is neither Choi Han nor Choi Jung Gun. Choi Jung Soo, the one who made the graves for his family. This guy probably has the deepest attachment. He would do anything in the name of family. Like when he died for Kim Rok Soo, whom he considered family.
"I fought too."
The moment she gave her answer.
"Alright."
Choi Jung Soo smiled slightly and started to walk. But his steps stopped.
Toc.
The sheath of a sword brushed against his chest. Choi Jung Soo looked down at the sheath and turned his head. There was Choi Han with a calm smile.
"This place is covered in Dead Mana."
With a calm voice, Choi Han stopped Choi Jung Soo.
"..."
A broad smile formed on Choi Jung Soo's lips, although he showed slight discontent.
"!"
Soon his eyes widened.
"There's no time."
The moment those words were heard behind him, Choi Jung Soo was pulled back by Choi Han's hand. And Choi Jung Soo laughed.
"Ah, right."
When this guy gets angry, nothing can stop him. I almost forgot.
While thinking this, in front of his eyes—
Urrrr—
The sound of the sky, thunder, was heard right in front.
Craack—
A golden lightning bolt shot in the dark cave.
"Krr, uu, krr—"
The old mage, emitting indistinguishable groans of a beast or a human. The golden lightning headed directly towards him.
"Wow, you're quite impatient."
And Epley stood in front of the mage. A yellow shield appeared. The moment Raon saw that shield, his eyes sparkled.
Kuaaaang!
The lightning was blocked by the shield.
Craack, crack!
The lightning couldn't penetrate the shield.
"Hoo hoo."
A smile appeared on Epley's lips.
"...!"
But soon the smile disappeared and her eyebrows raised slightly.
Craack, crackle.
The lightning that went down the shield hit the ground, forming a pattern similar to those made by lightning when it strikes a tree. A pattern that started from Cale and reached right in front of Epley's shield. It was a path.
And it was clear who should walk the path that Cale had created. There was no need for words.
Uuu—
A black aura imbued with light surged. Choi Han, holding that wild aura in his hand, moved quickly along the path.
"Are you okay?"
Hearing Cale's question from behind, Choi Han smiled without realizing it. The reason for the question was clear.
"Black Despair."
In the fight against the Mogoru Empire, Choi Han faced Black Despair and suffered difficulties. Of course, he overcame that and learned to infuse his black aura with hope along with despair.
"But this black liquid is worse than Black Despair."
The path of lightning that Cale had created. That place darkened again. The lightning couldn't purify the black liquid.
"They retreated."
The black liquid avoided the lightning, fleeing as if it had intelligence, instinctively.
"That doesn't mean Cale-nim's power is useless."
The golden lightning that Cale just used was only a small fraction of his power. If he really used all his strength, he could purify it. He had become stronger than in the past.
"Me too."
Choi Han, aware of Cale's concerns, decided to show him something instead of answering him.
Uuuuu---uuu---
With a strange vibration, his black aura contracted. It was like a predator crouching before its prey, holding its breath. This made his presence even more terrifying.
Uuuu---uuu---
The black aura emanating from Choi Han.
"!"
The eyes of the Dragon Epley widened.
"Ha."
Cale let out a chuckle. Choi Han was demonstrating in his own way that, in this sticky, dark swamp of despair, helplessness, and fear, he wouldn't collapse. Although he might doubt his path, his core wouldn't waver. He demonstrated it with his firm presence.
Although his aura wasn't as powerful as Cale's or the Dragon's, it possessed an unyielding solidity that wouldn't give in to anyone. Choi Han wielded his sword.
Kuaaaang!
A roar resounded, and Epley's yellow mana began to scatter everywhere. Cale nodded at the scene.
Craack, crackle.
Currents of golden electricity crackled around him, starting to burn like flames.
"I can more or less see what to do!"
The Cheapskate had used his power a moment ago and had found a way to purify the black liquid.
"Hey, shouldn't I go help our uncle?"
Choi Jung Soo expressed his concern. Cale laughed.
When Choi Jung Soo frowned, Raon approached him with a cheerful expression.
"Choi Jung Soo! Choi Han is stronger than you think!"
"Eh?"
"I haven't been able to measure how much he's grown since he fought against the Blood Demon."
Raon hadn't been able to measure Choi Han's growth.
"He probably hasn't had to fight with all his strength lately! He's very strong!"
The moment a spark of understanding flashed in Choi Jung Soo's eyes, Cale had already advanced into the dark cave.
-To purify all of this, I'll need to use quite a bit of power at once. These things are at least five times more nefarious than Black Despair.
And not just that.
-And you know...
The path he had created for Choi Han. From the entrance, a straight line to the center of the cave, where Epley was.
-All the ground, except for that path, is a swamp.
The rest of the space was covered in a viscous black liquid, difficult to see in the darkness.
-But, we don't care, right?
As Cheapskate said, it didn't matter to Cale.
-Sniff! I can smell it, it smells rotten!
The moment the wind, provoked by the Sound of the Wind, wrapped around Cale's ankle, he moved forward without hesitation, off the path.
Crack-le.
The black liquid withdrew before the golden lightning, and Cale shifted his gaze.
“Krr, krrr—”
The old mage, emitting beastly groans, with his face blackened up to the nose. Cale's target wasn't the mage, but the Sacred Object he carried.
Whii—
The moment his body lunged forward, he heard Choi Jung Soo's voice.
“The God of Chaos is literally chaos!”
In a desperate situation, there was no time for nonsense.
“Chaos loves mutants, variables, hybrids!”
Nothing could stop Cale's swift advance.
Kuaaaang! Kuaang!
Choi Han was skillfully handling Epley. Even if the path of lightning shortened.
-I'm here, human!
Raon, along with Choi Jung Soo, was assisting Choi Han from the entrance with flight magic. Because of this, Cale could quickly reach the old mage.
Pazizik, pazik.
Even as the golden current crackled in his hand, Choi Jung Soo's voice continued.
“The followers of the God of Chaos value chimeras highly!”
Chimera. Upon hearing that word, a spark of understanding flashed in Cale's eyes.
“Well. You even know about that?”
Epley's relaxed voice was heard, and Cale reached out his hand towards the old mage.
“Kuhuh.”
At that moment, the old mage looked at Cale.
“!”
The mage's eyes, blackened even to the whites, laughed at Cale. Though his body groaned in pain, his face showed an expression of ecstasy. And it was then, as he approached, that Cale could see it.
“Damn lunatics!”
On the back of the old mage, not visible from the front, there were wings. They were small. Covered in black liquid, they had taken a strange shape, but Cale could immediately recognize what those wings were.
They were Dragon wings.
And those small Dragon wings were...
'Maren!'
They had to be hers.
Dragon wings implanted in a human body. A chimera.
He didn't know why Epley, a follower of the God of Chaos, proclaimed herself a follower of a God being a Dragon, but at least he could understand what she was doing here with Ryan and what had happened in Maren's prison. Why he had found Epley's magic in Maren's prison and why she was now protecting the old mage as if escorting him.
“Ha!”
Cale felt a flame burn inside him. The Hunters. These bastards he had been fighting all this time were truly the worst. Were their objectives really so valuable as to kill and harm so many?
'No, of course not.'
He didn't care about the value these idiots might have.
'He just...'
He just had to do his job.
Cale had been searching for Maren's wings. They weren't just any wings; they were Dragon wings, and he hoped Ryan had kept them for some future use. Then, he thought he could reattach those wings to Maren with the help of the Dragon Mila, using her special abilities. Just like he kept Choi Jung Gun's arm.
But those wings could no longer be used. In fact, when Cale first saw Maren, he thought of Raon.
“Damn bastards!”
Cale thought there was no need to remain calm. At that moment, Epley was quickly approaching after repelling Choi Han, and the old mage was grinning widely at Cale.
“You can't stop me, kuhu-”
Moreover, the mage, with a groan of pain, slightly moved his head, the little he could move.
Shooo!
Around him, the black liquid rose. As if following his will, it formed a protective shield. He wasn't afraid of Cale's fire.
Crack-!
The same applied to Cale.
Whoosh!
The moment the fire touched the black liquid, it retreated. It fled as if knowing that touching it would mean death.
“Damn you!”
Cheapskate's anger resonated, and Cale thrust his hand into the mage's black shield. He pushed both hands in, tearing the shield to enter. And then...
“Kehhe.”
The old mage laughed. And calmly said to Cale.
“The lord has arrived.”
Now, the old man, whose skin was completely black up to beneath his eyes, opened his mouth. When the words came out of his mouth, which had also darkened, they echoed in everyone's ears.
Choi Han raised his head.
Crack!
The sound of something breaking was heard from the ceiling.
“It can't be!”
Had the Dragon Ryan come to help the old mage? Although he didn't know exactly what the mage was doing, the Sacred Object was almost completely black. Ryan wanted the mage's work to be finished.
“Kahaha! The lord will stop everything!”
At the moment the mage shouted with a voice full of ecstasy and madness.
Boom---!
The ceiling broke. Right where Cale and the old mage were.
“No!”
Choi Han moved surprised to that side. Flight magic helped him fly.
But he soon stopped.
“Ha!”
And he laughed.
Boom---!
Among the crashes. Amidst the collapsing ceiling.
What Choi Han saw was...
“As expected, it's Goldie Gramps!”
A shining platinum dust.
And on Eruhaben's shoulder, wrapped in that platinum dust, was Letao, who was breathing heavily and coughing blood. Of course, Eruhaben's body wasn't in good condition either. He was injured all over. There was blood at the corner of his lips, a sign he had exceeded his limits.
But the Ancient Dragon stood tall, receiving all the gazes.
“Where do these young ones get so much arrogance?”
Eruhaben's cold eyes looked at the Dragon Ryan, submerged in the black liquid.
“Oh.”
Cale was a little impressed. Ryan had taken a good beating. His face, especially, was so swollen it looked like a bun, bleeding everywhere. The rejuvenated Ancient Dragon after a thousand years was truly impressive.
Eruhaben's gaze turned to Epley.
When his gaze met that of another Dragon, Eruhaben spoke disdainfully.
“What is a Dragon without pride doing serving a God? Do the Dragons of the Purple Blood Family not know the greatness of Dragons? Why bother with those Gods?”
He spoke in an irritated tone.
“Dragons without principles.”
Hearing this, Cale laughed openly. His gaze was no longer on Eruhaben.
“...!”
Crack, crack!
His golden, electric hand pierced the black shield. And struck the mage's head, who was filled with fear.
“Kuhuk!”
As the mage groaned, Cale grabbed his white hair that hadn't yet darkened.
Pulling the mage with a smile, Cale asked him:
“Do you mind if I take this?”
Cale's other hand touched the Sacred Object, which was covered in black except for a few centimeters.
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