## C401
Unlike the lively Cale, the three people from the Kingdom of Lan were in a state of extreme tension.
**Tac, tac.**
The only sound in the place was the sound of footsteps.
On the path that Queen Tamahi walked, not a single warrior or servant was visible; only Tamahi, Cha‐run, the head servant, Cale, and Eruhaben were present.
A small room stood in a corner of the Kingdom of Lan's palace.
Originally abandoned, it was at some point converted into the place that Queen Tamahi used for meditation.
“Actually, it was the meeting point with the Wanderers.”
Tamahi never forgot the moment when, alongside Elder Hinpa, she met the Wanderer in this place…
—It was when she surrendered.
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Her heart beat strongly, and tension gripped her entire body.
*Glup.*
She heard Cha‐run, the venerable master, swallow nervously.
Looking sideways, she saw cold sweat sliding down the old man's forehead; the head servant's rigid expression was also noticeable.
“Exactly.”
While everyone was so tense, the Dragon and Cale Henituse remained calm.
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Looking at their faces, it seemed that the beating intensified even more.
However, Tamahi didn't dislike that tension.
“...Always, when coming here, a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me…
A helplessness that deepened with the passage of time. The feeling of defeat. Despair.
Therefore, over time, I stopped getting nervous when I came to this room, because I understood that nothing could change.
But now it's different.”
However, now she, along with Master Cha‐run and the head servant, were nervous—because the possibility of doing something new had opened up.
“Besides, we had been presented with the opportunity to beat the Wanderer and the forces of the God of Chaos.”
How could my heart not beat?
Probably, neither old Cha‐run nor the head servant were tense out of fear, but out of excitement.
“Let's be tense.”
Tamahi immersed herself deeply in that tension, because in the current situation that emotion was the right one.
“Speak.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The entrance to the room, so silent it bordered on the eerie, obeyed her command.
Instantly, the head servant rushed towards the door, and in response, Eruhaben and Cale moved to open it together.
**Crrrick.**
As the door, located in the center of a stone wall, opened, the front yard of the room unfolded: a desolate space, of arid earth, ideal for meditation.
There, a person stood.
“…….”
A woman, with a severe face, stared at her.
The moment Tamahi saw her, her tension became evident.
The woman's gaze swept over Tamahi and rested, one by one, on each member of the group; finally, she turned to Tamahi and spoke:
“Enter.”
The King could only access this place with the consent of the Wanderer.
It was, truly, a rather peculiar situation.
However, Tamahi, still nervous, stepped into the room.
“You, stay here and wait!”
Meanwhile, she ordered a bodyguard to remain at the entrance to the room.
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Her heart beat strongly.
**Crrrick.**
The bodyguard closed the door from the outside.
**Bum.**
The door closed completely, and the King entered the Wanderer's territory, isolated from the outside.
“…….”
The Wanderer was still looking at her.
Tamahi swallowed.
“…….”
After staring at her, the Wanderer's mouth opened:
“It's noticeable that she's too scared, as if…
as if she felt like knives had been stabbed all over her.”
At that moment, Tamahi closed her eyes tightly.
“…….”
The Wanderer was silent.
Around the woman, standing in the center of the courtyard, not even a breeze moved; it was so calm and silent, although that same atmosphere was, at the same time, peaceful.
“…….”
No one spoke again; everyone, except Tamahi, kept their heads bowed, and not even the head servant showed the slightest movement, bent over at the waist.
“…….”
Finally, Tamahi opened her eyes again.
She met the gaze of the Wanderer, a woman whose name she didn't even know, whom she simply identified as the Wanderer.
“Speak.”
With that permission finally granted, Tamahi began to speak slowly.
Her lips were dry and her mouth, likewise, felt arid.
“Ahem.”
She couldn't utter a word immediately; she was so nervous that she seemed almost pathetic, but she didn't have time to worry about it.
“E-... yes. I'm hurt.”
To the implied question of whether she felt pain, Tamahi replied:
“Lies, anyway, are discovered.”
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Tamahi became nervous; it was the opportunity to strike a good blow to the enemy, although that tension could seem, in her eyes, fear or terror.
“Although it was only for a moment, I pursued the illusion of escaping their clutches.”
“Are you referring to the ‘martial arts competition (비무대회)’?”
“Yes.”
The Queen responded politely to the Wanderer, although with evident indignation:
“But that martial arts competition also failed, and because things turned out this way—”
“…….”
Looking away from the Wanderer's eyes, Tamahi continued in a trembling voice:
“I have understood that one should not pursue illusions.
One must hold on to reality.”
“…….”
The Wanderer simply observed, and at that look that asked her to speak more, Tamahi opened her mouth again:
*‘I must do it right.’*
From now on, I must skillfully mix lies with truth.
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Her heart beat rapidly.
She was sweating.
“Did you come in search of Wanderer Sohyi and Elder Hinpa?”
Tamahi's voice trembled as she spoke.
“It was Elder Hinpa who said that.”
(No, actually Elder Hinpa didn't say anything.)
“He said that if the martial arts competition was held, it could attract the Wanderers. And then—”
He never said that.
**Bum, bum, bum.**
Gradually, the tremor in her heart calmed down.
—How strange. Why, when lying, do I feel so calm?
“He also said that once attracted, the Wanderers would take care of themselves, according to Elder Hinpa.”
I remembered the conversation with Cale Henituse.
*‘...Actually, I'm afraid of the Wanderer. I don't know if I can lie smoothly in front of her.’*
“Just do it naturally. Simply blame everything on Elder Hinpa. That will solve everything.”
“He said that the Wanderers would be resolved with their own power, by Elder Hinpa.”
But Elder Hinpa never said anything like that.
“Furthermore, he claimed that since his strength was that of the God of Chaos, the Wanderers could never defeat a god, and that the cult of the God of Chaos, if they were worshipped, would not intervene in the kingdom's affairs.”
In truth, that never happened; Elder Hinpa never said anything of the sort.
But the dead cannot give explanations.
Tamahi's voice was gaining strength little by little:
“Honestly, I considered that it was preferable to worship Elder Hinpa's god rather than lose this kingdom to the Wanderers. That's why I proceeded according to his words.”
I have never had the slightest intention of worshipping the God of Chaos.
“But—”
She spoke that far, and Tamahi stopped.
“!”
A strange energy settled on her shoulders.
“Mmm.”
The head servant swallowed, and Master Cha‐run's fingers trembled.
Tamahi closed her eyes tightly.
!Ice!
Frost settled on her shoulders, and a cold energy—capable of making the entire body tremble—extended from her head down.
‘Damn!’
The strength of that woman manifested silently, freezing everything around her.
‘...The heart.’
Once, the Wanderer had managed to freeze the heart of one of Tamahi's bodyguards to instill fear.
And Tamahi was scared.
The bodyguard, who was dying silently, had his heart completely frozen.
Who could defeat that woman who causes silent deaths?
“This person possesses the power to cover the world with her gaze and with ice.”
Tension took hold of her again, but at the same time, Tamahi's eyes sharpened.
“But I have seen another scene…
Cale, Heavenly Demon, and Choi Han.
The image created by those three was truly amazing.
With them, they could face the Wanderer who stood before us.”
“But the moment I saw the ally Elder Hinpa brought, I realized I had made a serious mistake.”
The icy energy stopped for a moment.
“…Ally?”
The Wanderer reacted for the first time.
“Yes.”
Tamahi closed her eyes.
“That ally subdued Sohyi and managed to silence all the chaos.”
—But, unlike having silenced the chaos, that person was pure chaos.
“!”
The Wanderer's eyes lit up with a peculiar hue.
Tamahi opened her eyes again and said:
“The terror he generated made people only able to bow their heads in submission. Also, he dominated space, making one feel unable to think, forced to surrender to him.”
The Wanderer perceived, in Tamahi's gaze and voice, that there was no falsehood at all.
That was, undoubtedly, the truth born of experience.
“Terror and chaos?”
“Yes. That energy, which I experienced for the first time in my life, left me completely disconcerted. And Wanderer Sohyi couldn't offer even the slightest type of resistance. But—”
Tamahi paused and continued:
“…That person and Elder Hinpa clashed. Elder Hinpa exploded and died.”
It couldn't be considered a lie, because Tamahi's gaze was too sincere.
Being honest, there was also a hint of joy at Elder Hinpa's death, an emotion impossible to fake.
“...That's right.”
The Wanderer opened her mouth, and the frost that had settled on everyone's shoulders disappeared.
‘I understand.’
The Wanderer accepted Tamahi's words, and realizing that, Tamahi let out a sigh of relief.
She simply acted without lying.
The Wanderer, after confirming all this, looked away.
“So, are you the person who witnessed Elder Hinpa's death?”
The information that Master Cha‐run had given the Wanderer before coming to receive the King explained, in part, the half-day delay.
“Yes.”
Queen Tamahi gestured to the head servant, who brought out a person.
“We had to wait for Ija to regain consciousness to be able to hear his account, and it took time to present him to the Wanderer.”
Even as Tamahi's words were heard, the Wanderer's gaze remained fixed on that person, whose face was almost completely wrapped in bandages; in the areas that weren't covered, bleeding wounds and burns were visible that had left his skin disfigured. Also, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and his entire body trembled.
**Clac. Clac. Clac.**
Although it wasn't cold, his teeth were chattering loudly, demonstrating the terror he was in.
“He was one of the lowest-ranking servants who worshipped Elder Hinpa.”
Tamahi explained the identity of that individual.
The Wanderer addressed the servant, who didn't even look up, and asked:
“Is it possible to speak with him?”
At that question, Queen Tamahi sighed.
“Mmm.”
Then, she shook her head and continued:
“Although he repeats the same thing over and over again, I'm not really sure that information is correct. I've brought him so he can talk directly.”
“…….”
The Wanderer observed the servant for a moment and finally said:
“What did you see?”
Actually, she still didn't fully believe Queen Tamahi's words.
*‘Sohyi is not weak.’*
Although she possessed a moderate individuality, she had a tenacity that surpassed that of the Loner, the one endowed with heroic qualities.
How is it possible that someone like her has fallen so easily, to the point of disappearing?
Of course, the last message she sent said that the God of Chaos had attacked her.
*‘...It's very likely that that's true.’*
Only someone of the stature of the God of Chaos could face the Wanderer.
As much as the King tried to rebel, she could never subdue Sohyi in that way.
The break with Elder Hinpa. Sohyi's disappearance.
All of this suggested that it was the God of Chaos.
*‘And lately, stories about the God of Chaos are being heard in the New World.’*
Certainly, they were plotting something there, although she wasn't convinced yet.
*‘It's time to be careful.’*
It's the final stage for the Absolute God.
Now, even the smallest detail must be treated with caution.
*‘So, if the God of Chaos has really interfered…’*
If that conclusion were to be reached, I wouldn't let it pass.
*‘Because he dared to interfere with our affairs.’*
He must not be allowed to stand in the way of the end that the Five-Colored Family longed for.
“What…?”
She asked again, addressing the servant, who was trembling so much that he couldn't even look at her.
“What did you see?”
It was at that precise moment.
The servant slowly raised his head, and his trembling hands covered his face.
With difficulty, the servant stammered:
“T-The… !! The eyes…!”
With those words, the Wanderer was convinced:
*‘The God of Chaos.’*
Ija had seen the power of the God of Chaos.
The eyes…
That's something that can't be understood without experiencing it firsthand.
“Gray eyes, the eyes are approaching…!”
“!”
They are approaching.
That she also knew.
The God of Chaos used to use the power of eyes that emerged from waves of gray energy.
The servant repeated that idea over and over again, trembling more and more, shrinking like a terrified person, without the Wanderer paying much attention, as if facing waves coming from all sides, as if colliding with a wall, muttering only about "the eyes."
“Ha.”
The Wanderer, without realizing it, let out a laugh.
*‘It's the truth.’*
The God of Chaos had really taken Sohyi and was trying to interfere with their affairs.
She ignored the servant, who refused to look her in the eye.
It was then that:
“Well!”
Master Cha‐run, unable to hide his bewilderment, began to move.
“!”
The Wanderer, turning her head, stopped short.
The servant tried to suffocate himself and shouted:
“At the beginning… let's go back to the beginning…! Let's surrender our lives…!”
“Enough, enough!”
But his action didn't continue.
Cha‐run and the head servant quickly immobilized his limbs.
Cha‐run took some ropes from his coat and tied the servant tightly.
The servant, in a deplorable state, was observed by the Wanderer, whose eyes lit up with a peculiar gleam.
*‘Did he say that we have to go back to the beginning and surrender our lives?’*
Only she could fully understand the meaning of those words.
“I'm sorry. While he kept repeating those words and on the verge of death, I had to restrain myself, which unfortunately delayed this meeting.”
“It's alright.”
The Wanderer, while listening to the Queen's excuse, thought:
*‘The Primordial Night.’*
A place where not only were the devotees of the God of Chaos, but also fanatics; a sanctuary that, it was said, those fanatics erected in honor of the god and in which real madness was committed.
“I understand.”
…I could see the picture.
The Wanderer understood what her next goal would be; there was something else she needed to confirm.
She suddenly interrupted the King:
“Why did Elder Hinpa die?”
—“I don't know. There was no trace left, so the cause couldn't be determined.”
The King shook her head, and the Wanderer nodded.
“That's right. It's unknown, isn't it?”
If she pretended to know, it would have generated even more suspicions.
There was no falsehood in Queen Tamahi; in reality, she didn't know exactly how Elder Hinpa had exploded and died—he was simply fighting with Cale when he suddenly self-destructed.
“…”
The Wanderer, after seeing the servant immobilized and as he calmed down, observed him briefly:
The servant, having struggled so much, was covered in dust and in a deplorable state.
“…!Ah! Ah!”
Too exhausted to keep struggling, he lay on the ground, catching his breath.
The Wanderer, without looking at him with pity, looked away.
That man, defeated by the power of Chaos, would die soon; and that was none of her business.
“Will Elder Hinpa's house remain intact?”
“Yes. Do we venerate it?”
“Yes. Please do.”
The Wanderer proceeded to the next task.
The Queen moved to guide her, and she followed.
“…….”
Then, both the servant and Cale looked up to observe the Wanderer's silhouette head-on, recording every aspect of her bearing and aura.
At that moment, **Super Rock**'s voice was heard:
—Originality. This is really similar to the Ancient Power.
The energy the Wanderer used.
The frost that settled on her shoulders.
Also, when using her power, she enveloped her surroundings with a manifestation similar to the aura of Choi Han and Cale.
**Super Rock commented:**
—She's stronger than Sohyi. She can't be compared.
Cale nodded.
Although her strength was small, her power seemed to have no end.
Perhaps it was because of her stillness that it was appreciated even better.
*‘Even if Cale, Heavenly Demon, and Choi Han joined forces, they couldn't defeat her.’*
That Wanderer… is truly strong.
I wonder what level she is within the Five-Colored Family.
Surely, at least, she's in the upper ranks.
*‘!Ice!’*
While Cale recorded every detail of the Wanderer, an Ancient Power reacted.
!Ice!
Since the frost began to descend on Cale's shoulders, that power responded in a peculiar way.
—It's cold. And it doesn't make any sound.
Like a predator that, upon seeing its favorite prey, renews its hunger.
—I, on the other hand, am burning and thundering.
The Fire of Destruction and Cheapskate couldn't hide their interest.
“Hmm?”
The very moment Cale began to feel a certain discomfort from that reaction, Cheapskate commented:
—It's worth trying.
A new Wanderer.
Surprisingly, the one who showed the most interest in that presence was Cheapskate, the Fire of Destruction.
