Chapter 302 – Following Your Instincts (2)

'Fire.
He has become fire.'

That was the thought in Choi Han's mind. The young Dragon's voice reached his ears as he blankly watched the burning fire.

"Choi Han! Snap out of it! It's not over yet!"

'That fire is not the end?'

Choi Han who was surrounded by multiple layers of silver shields flinched and started to shake. He then lowered his head.

Screee- boom!
Boom- boom!

The approximately thirty golems.
They were slowly melting down one by one.

He could see something that wasn't melting within the fire as well.
The black liquid.
The thing that had dyed Choi Han's sword black had not disappeared yet.

'Is Cale-nim's fire useless as well?!'

Choi Han's eyes clouded over.

'Is it impossible to destroy that chunk of despair in the end?'

It was the moment Choi Han asked that question to himself with concern.
Someone from outside the sea of fire started to speak.

"It's bad if the fire goes out."

It was Imperial Prince Adin.

'The black despair will appear if the fire goes out. The Empire's forces will feel even more chaos and become suspicious.'

It would also make this area around Maple Castle desolate, forever turning it into a land of death that the living would have to avoid forever.
However, he could not help but want to smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck.

"…Cale Henituse."

Shield. Earth. Water. Fire.
The same number of ancient powers as the White Star.

He couldn't tell whether the power Cale used to quickly approach him was an ancient power or a spell, however, he knew Cale had at least a minimum of four ancient powers.

Cale Henituse managed to remain healthy while having four ancient powers.

'How entertaining.'

It really was entertaining.
He also wanted to kill Cale.

He figured something else out as well.

"It was you."

It was Cale.
The unknown power that had foiled all of the Empire's plans until now had to be Cale.
Cale Henituse and the Roan Kingdom.

They pretended to be on good terms with the Empire while aiming for their necks.
The pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.

He started to speak.

"Immediately launch magic spells toward Cale Henituse!"

He didn't care about the destroyed golems, the dying pilots, nor the screeching despair.
All he was thinking about was the damage control he needed to do once the black despair was revealed.

'Even Cale Henituse will not be able to get rid of the black despair.'

The black despair was still wailing from inside this sea of fire.

Screeeech- screeeeeeech-

The dead were still crying.
Even formidable powers could not destroy the black despair.

'Then I will kill Cale Henituse and blame it on him.'

There was a way to solve everything as long as he killed Cale.

"Vice Tower Master! Mage Brigade Captain!"

Two people quickly became alert as Adin called for them. However, the other nobles and soldiers were all still out of it.
Adin emphasized his order.

"Aim for Cale Henituse! He is currently standing still!"

Cale Henituse was currently floating in place without moving.

"Can't you hear the screams of the dying golem pilots?! We must quickly get revenge for them and the Empire!"
"Follow his highness's orders! Everybody use the magic stones and launch your strongest attacks!"

Metelona quickly ordered the mages and alchemists.

"Our target is Cale Henituse!"

There was only one target.
It was the person who had created this amazing situation.

Oooooooong- Ooooooooong-

The mages started to cast spells with shaking hands.

"Only death awaits us if that fire reaches us!"

This comment from the Imperial Prince made everyone start to move.
They quickly prepared to launch their spells and were waiting for the command to launch their attacks. Metelona peeked toward the Imperial Prince who raised his hand up.

Adin's hand coming down would be the signal to launch their attacks.
His hand slowly went down.

He then smiled as he looked toward the battlefield.
Why?

'Honte is smiling.'

Honte, the Tower Master's disciple, was smiling. He seemed to be enjoying it.
That was why he was certain.

The Empire was currently not in danger.
Cale Henituse would die.

That was the reason Adin could smile while looking at the fire.

However, something happened at that moment.
Adin heard someone's voice as he lowered his hand. It was someone who had not said anything until now. Honte.
Honte started to speak.

"…I need to inform the White Star."

Honte continued to speak.

"This is that power. The power of the forgotten ones. The true ancient powers."

The Imperial Prince's eyes opened wide at that moment.
Things were changing.
The sea of fire was changing.
He heard Honte's voice again.

"…We must kill him. We must kill him before they are all gathered together."

He heard another voice at that moment.
One of the mages who were preparing to attack sat down and shouted out.

"I can't do it sir! I, I can't do it!! I can't, a, attack while l, looking at that!"

The mage looked at the sight in front of him and grabbed his shaking hands. His eyes were focused on Cale.

Things were gathering toward Cale.
The black smoke, no, the black smoke skulls headed toward Cale.

Screeeeeech- screeeeeeech-

They shrieked as they moved toward Cale.

Cale didn't care about that as he stood there with his head down.
He had this thought every so often.

'How would it feel to cause a shit show and flip everything over as a munchkin?' ( Munchkin is a term for an overpowered MC that can do everything on their own. )

Would it be refreshing?
Entertaining?
Fun?

'Fun my ass!'

It felt like shit.
He looked down at the ground.

He could see the melting golems.
He could also see the alchemist pilots who were burning to death or just blankly sitting there.
Furthermore, he could see the disgusting and sticky black despair.
The ground became dyed black as that despair touched the ground. The black smoke and the shrieks became even worse.

Cale lifted his head up.
He could see Choi Han standing there in shock as the black smoke surrounded him. Cale let out a chuckle.

He then got started.

He decided to properly use this power that he could not control.

Screeeeeech- screeeeeeech-

Cale, who was covered in black from the black smoke and surrounded by shrieks, slowly landed on the ground.
He stepped in the middle of the golem pilots, the black despair, and the ground that was filled with fire.

"Cale-nim!"

Choi Han tried to run out of the silver shield in shock.

"That liquid…!"

The black despair. That sticky liquid gathered toward Cale. They gathered together next to Cale, who could not be seen because of the black smoke and shrieks.

Cale slowly disappeared into that black swamp.
He looked as if he would drown in it soon enough.

"No!"

'He can't become bewitched like me! He can't be tricked by that power!'

Choi Han tried to run out of the shield. However, there was an invisible presence preventing him from doing so.

"Raon, don't stop me!"
"Stupid Choi Han! Did you forget what the human said?!"

Choi Han who had been shouting flinched.
The young Dragon repeated what Cale had said to Choi Han.

"The human said that he might not be able to control the power! But the human is still okay! There's no issue with his plate either!"

Raon was calmly assessing Cale's status right now.

"The human is just starting!"

The black Dragon could see it.

He could feel warmth coming from Cale, the person he called, 'our human.'
Warmth was one of the reasons people sought out fire.
It was something that consoled the cold and the lonely.

The cold and lonely things were currently gathering around that power.
The black smoke and the shrieks.
The despairs of the dead people were gathering around Cale's warmth.

Raon shouted once they had all gathered together.

"They're going to disappear! They will disappear!"

'What?'

Choi Han's vision turned red as he questioned Raon's comment.

Paaaat-

A red light shot out.
This rose gold colored light blasted out from the center of the sea of fire.

"…The black things-"

The black things, the skulls, and the sticky black liquid were all burning.
The black swamp was burning.

This sight didn't give off as much pressure as the initial sea of fire.
However, nobody was able to say anything right now.

Screeeeeech- screeeeeeech-

The terrible shrieks. The grotesque cries of unknown origin. They disappeared.

The black smoke turned white while the black liquid was slowly eaten up by the rose gold light.
They could hear something else as that happened.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Aaaaaaah-
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

They could hear people.
They could hear lots of different voices of people crying. Those voices slowly floated up into the air with the now white smoke.

The sea of fire started to die down as well.
The fire was going out on its own.
The golems disappeared without a trace.
Everything had disappeared without a trace.

The screeches and explosions were all gone. Rosalyn, who was on Maple Castle, raised her head.

Drip, drip.
She could see rose gold dust on the silver shield.

No, they were ashes.

Fire only left smoke and ashes once it burned up.
She opened her mouth to speak.

"…Purification."

It was a beautiful sight, as if dust was falling from the sun.

Plop. Plop.
The rose gold ashes fell on the burnt black ground like snow.

They also landed on someone's shoulders.
The rose gold ashes gently landed on Cale Henituse's hair and shoulders.

Cale lifted his head up.
One of his knees buckled.

"Cale-nim!"

Choi Han caught Cale as he was falling forward. Choi Han's eyes were opened wide.

Drip.
A strand of black blood was running down the corner of Cale's mouth.
Choi Han was frowning although the falling rose gold ashes looked beautiful.

This beautiful and peaceful situation that did not have any loud explosions nor noises required a lot of strength.
This silence required a sacrifice in order to attain it.
Choi Han knew that this was the case.

"C, Cale-nim-"

Choi Han's hands were shaking. He tried his best to support Cale in standing up straight.
It was at that moment.
Cale's mouth started to move.

Choi Han felt an invisible round front paw pushing his hand away at the same time.

– Choi Han, move!

Choi Han's eyes opened wide once more after seeing something appear in front of his eyes.

It was a piece of soggy apple pie.
It floated in the air before landing inside Cale's mouth. Choi Han heard a sniffling voice in his mind.

– Human! Our human! You're hungry! I know you're hungry! That's your, 'I'm hungry,' look! I'm relieved! The human feels like he has starved for three days, but he will not die!
"R, Raon?"

Choi Han was shocked, but soon saw Cale happily eating the apple pie.
Cale's face was filled with fatigue from hard work. Cale chewed on the apple pie while his body was slumped over without any strength before shouting out loud.

"Aim for the monsters on land!"

Choi Han flinched.
He had heard this at the beginning of the battle.
Clopeh had said the same thing as he got on the white skeleton bird.

'Fly up!'

And then…

'Aim for the monsters on land!'

People believed that Clopeh was talking about the golems when he said, 'monsters.'
Choi Han started to smile.

He was finally relieved.
Cale was okay right now.

Piiiiiiiiiiiiii- Piiiiiiiiiiiiii-

He heard the sound of a flute.
The white skeleton birds that had escaped high up in the sky had returned.
They all headed toward a single direction like an arrow.
Clopeh started to shout.

"The Commander has given us an order! Keke, kahahahaha! It is finally time to capture the monster on land!"

The beaks of the white skeleton birds and the swords of the knights were all pointed toward the same spot.

The monster on land.

Imperial Prince Adin.

The truth behind the order Cale had given to Clopeh was aimed at the Empire like an arrow.
Cale then smiled brightly before speaking to Choi Han, who was looking at him.

"Choi Han."
"Yes Cale-nim."

Cale's head was spinning right now.
He had used too much power.

"Slap me."

Silence filled the area for a moment before it finally broke.

"…Excuse me? A, are you okay? You seem confused?"
– Human, are you okay? Your plate is fine! Do you go crazy when you use your power now?

Cale calmly answered back when Choi Han and Raon were truly concerned.

"I feel like I'm going to faint."

It would be bad if he fainted right now.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]