C344. What the hell are these humans?
With a stunned expression, Aurora looked at Cale and Choi Han, thinking:
“What the hell are these humans?”
The dragon Raon flapped his wings happily and, like he was the king of the place, perched on Cale's knees, who was sitting on the village chief's sofa.
“Human, is this village ours now?”
Aurora thought again.
“How did this dragon become like this?”
The former saint, Cotton, had warned Aurora.
“They’re exceptional beings, be careful.”
No.
“Isn't this more unusual than exceptional?”
Aurora ran both hands over her face.
“Is something wrong?”
Startled by Cale’s gentle voice, Aurora raised her head, and their eyes met.
“Is it because of the village’s situation?”
Cale smiled softly.
“No, that’s—”
Aurora couldn’t continue. The mountain village was more than half destroyed. The situation was dire. Although it was fortunate there were no deaths, despite the injuries, rebuilding the village would take considerable time.
Beyond worrying about the village’s condition,
“That’s troubling, but you, you are what’s troubling me!”
Aurora couldn’t continue speaking. However, she couldn’t help but address Cale due to his gentle face.
“That demon army—”
“Ah.”
Cale nodded as if he understood without needing further explanation.
“Don’t worry about the army. Those guys will have trouble escaping.”
“That’s right! Aurora, don’t worry! They’re all paralyzed by the paralyzing poison we created! And that poison is really amazing!”
Most of the army was paralyzed by the paralyzing poison that Hong had created.
Raon flapped his wings contentedly as…
Aurora screamed internally.
“Before that, you had already paralyzed them!”
No,
“You left them in a state worse than unconscious!”
After Count Deshuran fainted, the village was enveloped in silence.
No one could have imagined that the leader of the malevolent 6th army of the demon army, the Flame Demon, could be knocked out so easily.
However, it was a plausible situation.
“Cale Henituse. The aura emanating from this human is enough to remind one of the Demon King!”
In the presence of such a man, who would dare to move recklessly to save Count Deshuran?
In that silence,
The enemies finally regained their senses.
“But that was it.”
Deshuran had to escape.
That thought arose in the minds of the enemies. Or maybe he should escape and reveal their identities. That thought came up too.
“Why?”
The moment Cale Henituse looked around and spoke nonchalantly,
“Escape? Do you want to die?”
And at that moment, when an even more formidable force unfolded, as if all the terrifying power he had shown up to then wasn’t enough,
Hiieeeng-! Hiieeeng-!
The horses of the knights from the demon army knelt down and cried in terror.
Bang. Pang. Thunk.
The regular soldiers dropped their weapons. The knights and mages of the 6th army abandoned the thought of escape. An overwhelming force. That power, worthy of a demon, was known to those who had fought alongside a demon, and that’s why they didn’t dare to attack.
Aurora thought.
“If he can emit an energy that makes one think of a god—”
How powerful is Cale Henituse? Even the current demon king couldn’t withstand him for a minute.
Gulp.
She involuntarily swallowed.
Two hundred members of the 6th army. All of them were knocked out by Choi Han or stared alternately at Cale and Choi Han before finally fainting in terror.
Aurora looked down at her hands.
“Our ARM organization members also came and knocked out some of these guys.”
I don’t know what ARM is. Suddenly calling them that and signaling, Aurora also knocked out some of the demon army, just like other members of the Mediators.
Ssshhhhhh—
And then it started to rain.
No, to be precise, when Cale Henituse gestured with his hand, it started to rain only over this mountain village.
That rain quickly extinguished the flames that were ravaging the village.
—Compared to the fire that covered the three-star dragon’s house last time, this is nothing.
No one but Cale heard the words of the Sky Eating Water.
Unlike the terrifying aura he continued to emit, the raindrops were incredibly clear and warm, enveloping the village and its residents.
Aurora looked down, remembering the moment he knocked out the demon army and, at the same time, the warm rain that touched her hands.
The terror itself, yet the warmth that enveloped everyone.
How can a being emit such a thing?
Aurora saw it clearly. The moment the refreshing raindrops enveloped her, she saw the leaders of the 6th army grow even more desperate. Though not as strong as Deshuran or Aurora, they were powerful enough to recognize the true strength behind this softness.
Killing and reviving.
A being capable of both. It was truly an astonishing power.
“......”
Having finished thinking, Aurora spoke.
“The Demon King’s army—”
She mentioned the demon army again, and Cale’s gaze turned to her.
“The demon army, kill them all.”
Cale said nothing. Aurora continued.
“There’s no reason to keep them alive. After all, Count Deshuran holds all the information. We only need to torture him to get it.”
As she spoke, Cale thought.
‘She’s cruel.’
Is that the nature of a demon?
The clear distinction between friends and enemies. It seemed possible for Cale as Aurora continued to speak.
“On the other hand, keeping them alive is poisonous. The manpower, cost, and time we spend managing them is simply a waste.”
“......”
Cale said nothing. And Aurora continued speaking.
“Of course, if we kill them all, the news will be cut off, so it’s possible the backup army will arrive at this village. No, they’ll surely come.”
However.
“But even if we keep them alive, it’s the same. Although we hide them well, the lack of news will mean the demon palace will definitely send a messenger and eventually discover this place.”
Aurora stared at Cale.
Tap, tap.
Cale tapped the arm of the sofa as he seemed lost in thought.
“Either way, they’ll eventually discover this village and the central base.”
Of course, there was a way to prevent the base from being discovered. Doing nothing. But that wasn’t what Aurora, as a mediator, wanted. Although the people sent by the demon palace or the demon army would eventually find the base due to past actions, Aurora’s expression as she spoke wasn’t bad.
“Of course, they’ll eventually be discovered. But at least we’ve saved the village demons and bought time thanks to subduing the 6th army.”
If even one of the 6th army had escaped, they would have soon sent a report, and the enemy army would have arrived at this place. But thanks to capturing Count Deshuran and the demon army, a few days could pass without a report being sent.
‘It’s because of Count Deshuran’s usual behavior.’
Though he is known as a knight.
“He’s someone who unconditionally follows the demon king’s orders. There’s trust in him. But he has a strong tendency to act on his own.”
He’s only loyal to the demon king.
“That’s why he doesn’t report frequently, and everyone will think he’s just taking time to complete his mission.”
Therefore, they must make good use of that time.
“We have to eliminate the enemy army and also move the base.”
She quickly added, directing her gaze to Choi Han.
“But at least we’ve been given a few days of peace, so we’ll also meticulously prepare for Han’s move. So don’t worry about that part.”
If they had to protect the base and move Han while fighting the enemy army, it would have been really difficult. But in the current situation, although it’s arduous, it’s still something they can handle.
‘Yes. I have to show them I can do it, so I must definitely achieve it.’
A firm resolution formed in Aurora’s eyes. Then.
“It’s a shame.”
“What?”
Cale’s voice made Aurora’s eyes widen. The corners of Cale’s lips had lifted slightly.
“Lady Aurora.”
Cale pointed toward her.
“Isn’t it a shame the outfit you’re wearing now?”
She looked down. Her nightwear was on display. Although she had removed the mask, she had been so distracted that she was still wearing those clothes.
‘This outfit is a shame?’
This poor-quality clothing? Though the fabric was good, the outfit had a certain awkwardness that couldn’t be hidden, making Aurora feel uncomfortable.
“What?”
When Aurora’s expression involuntarily became unpleasant in response,
“It’s a shame about the time you’ve spent wearing those clothes.”
Cale’s words changed her expression. At her questioning look, Cale spoke softly.
“We are now the ‘secret organization ARM.’”
Facing Choi Han’s unconvincing performance, Aurora hesitated.
“The 6th army doesn’t know that we, or rather you, Lady Aurora, are a mediator. They don’t even know who you really are.”
“...!”
Cale’s words echoed in her ears.
“Now, what exactly is ‘Arm’?”
Originally, ‘Arm’ had been created by the White Star, a group used by the hunters.
However, Cale wanted to transform it into something new.
“From now on, ‘Arm’ will be the followers of the God of Chaos.”
“...!”
Aurora’s eyes filled with confusion. However, as they descended into the village, Cale had seen the gray demon energy and began to explain calmly.
“‘Arm’ is a group that the God of Chaos secretly cultivates. They infiltrate both the Demon World and virtual reality game worlds, acting only for the benefit of the God of Chaos.”
Cale’s smile gradually widened. Gulp. Aurora swallowed without realizing it.
“The followers of the God of Chaos use the power of gray. And demons also use gray demon energy, right? So, for people in the virtual reality world, would it be difficult to distinguish whether they are demons or followers?”
“......”
“Lady Aurora, am I right?”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
As she hurriedly nodded, Cale continued speaking, his voice full of a smile.
“And this energy I’ve used, doesn’t it resemble a little the terror that the God of Chaos might employ?”
The Dominating Aura was after Cale absorbed the Saint’s power. He hadn’t yet absorbed all of the Saint’s power, but he was increasingly imitating its essence.
“I’ve never seen the God of Chaos, so I’m not sure.”
Gulp. Swallowing again, Aurora continued cautiously.
“That terror, it evokes chaos.”
“That’s right. And the humans who suddenly appeared in the Demon World are us.”
Cale smiled slightly.
“Sure, among the 6th army, some have seen Choi Han and me, and Raon. But among those who weren’t at the center of the events, many regular soldiers have only experienced my power and haven’t seen our faces clearly.”
That’s true as well.
“What if we let some of those soldiers live by accident and send them outside?”
“...”
“And if we act as followers of the God of Chaos before they escape? As if we had purposely attacked the 6th army, as if we were offering sacrifices for the God of Chaos, wouldn’t that seem likely?”
Aurora found it difficult to speak. But the moment the burning heat surged in Cale’s eyes directed at her,
“Huh? Lady Aurora, what do you think?” The moment he asked for a response, Aurora spoke.
“Yes, if we can deceive them in that way—”
Stammering, she pieced together her thoughts.
“It would be an excellent way to sow discord among our enemies.”
“Exactly, Lady Aurora!”
Cale smiled brightly.
“Do you know what the greatest benefit for us is right now?”
Cale raised three fingers.
“We don’t have a single enemy but three. And each of them has different agendas and watches the others.”
The Divine World. The Demon World. The hunter families. All of them are immensely powerful. Cale’s target was the hunters.
“We must take advantage of this excellent situation, right?”
At his words, Aurora nodded slowly.
‘This human—’
Cale Henituse in front of her. The fear and wonder toward him soared.
‘Arm.’ A secret group following the God of Chaos.
Cale intended to create it. That was possible because the power inside Cale resembled that of chaos.
‘Can a human really contain energy similar to that of a god?’
Terrifying. This human is truly terrifying.
“Lady Aurora, who are we?”
But since he was an ally, Aurora suppressed her fear and answered.
“‘Arm.’”
“That’s right. We are the ‘secret organization Arm.’”
Cale smiled more brightly than ever.
“Human, are we finally going to stab them in the back? How exciting, haha!”
“Hm. As ‘Arm,’ we must act diligently.”
“Ah! Choi Han, don’t do anything! Just standing there is enough! Just stay still with me!”
The exchange between Raon and Choi Han had a warm and friendly atmosphere, but Aurora felt cold.
Her gaze still lingered on Cale. Cale stood up from the sofa. He approached the chair where Aurora was sitting. And he leaned down to meet her eyes.
“Lady Aurora. Of course, posing as ‘Arm’ will complicate things from now on.”
They had a lot to do with the captured 6th army.
“And even if we let some regular soldiers live and send them out, in the end, both the base and the village will be discovered.”
Therefore, Aurora would have to use more time and resources than she initially thought.
“And we’ll also have to take care of the village’s residents.”
Hearing Cale, Aurora closed her eyes tightly.
‘Things have gotten complicated.’
But if everything goes according to plan.
‘The base will become the secret headquarters of ‘Arm.’’
By hiding the mediators and exposing ‘Arm,’ the mediators could be safer. Moreover, it could cause confusion among the enemies.
‘If done correctly, it’s beneficial.’
A great benefit. Aurora opened her tightly shut eyelids, determined to achieve it—
“Huh?”
However, what came out of her mouth was a confused tone.
“Huh?”
Once again, her voice sounded perplexed. Her gaze stopped right in front of his eyes.
“Huh?”
She had no choice. Cale’s soft and gentle voice reached her ears. The voice that had terrified her continued.
“Let’s reduce the time and resources.”
Aurora’s eyes trembled.
“And in addition to finding a new headquarters, let’s move the village demons to another place. Let’s resolve everything quickly.”
Aurora closed and opened her eyes.
“Ah—”
However, there were still dazzling jewels in front of her. The jewels were piled up in Cale’s palms. Jewels so magnificently crafted that it was hard to estimate their value.
“Take them.”
Aurora received the jewels with trembling hands that Cale extended to her. Then, Cale pulled out another space pouch.
“There are more jewels inside this one.”
Gulp. Aurora swallowed hard. She looked at Cale with trembling eyes as he smiled softly.
“Let’s use the money to reduce the time and resources. It’s possible, right?”
Yes. Aurora nodded. With these jewels, it was possible.
“And let’s also properly establish a new home. We are ‘Arm,’ aren’t we?”
Aurora’s lips parted. Her lips trembled. Involuntarily, she exclaimed.
“Oh my god.”
For the first time, Aurora sought a God. Yes, the human in front of her was a God. A God of Gold.
“Huh?”
And at an unexpected response, Cale’s smile turned slightly bitter.
