Chapter 405 – Only Me (2)

All of the calls ended.
Cale immediately left through the window.

Clang clang.

The ninth floor strategy room window locked once again.

'I'll come to you a bit later!'

He could hear the voice of a Wind Elemental.
Now two of the three Elementals stayed behind in the magic stones storage room and the strategy room. Of course, they would reunite with Cale later.

'…Explosion! Blow it up! Kahahahaha!'

Only a weird one was left, but Cale did not have enough time to think about it.

"Let's go to where Beacrox is."
– I got it, human!

Cale headed toward Merchant guild leader Plavin's room where Beacrox should be.
He would meet with Plavin, Ron, and Beacrox over there.

***

Click.

Cale looked toward the door after hearing it open.
He slowly stood up from the couch.

"You're here, Merchant guild leader-nim."
"Mm!"

Plavin Singten flinched after hearing Cale's greeting as he walked into the room. He then nodded his head as if nothing was wrong and continued to walk in.

Click.

He then clenched his eyes before he reopened them after hearing Ron lock the door behind him.
It was at that moment.

"What do you think?"

He could hear Cale's nonchalant voice.
Plavin was shocked at this instant change of attitude, but he quickly started to speak as he preferred this nonchalant attitude.

"Some of the mages and the alchemists will head over in one hour with some troops to collect the fake slaves."

Plavin's two hands pointed to Beacrox and Ron.

"I convinced them to let these two seniors lead the way as you mentioned, sir."

Ron and Beacrox.
These two would be the ones to lead the Southern Alchemists' Tower's troops to collect the fake slaves.

"The mages are said to be skilled enough to install teleportation magic circles. Their plan is to teleport the slaves in batches as they are not strong enough to teleport all 1,200 at once."
"How wonderful."

Cale started to smile.
The mages who would head into a trap with Ron and Beacrox were not skilled enough like Rosalyn or Becrock to teleport multiple people at once by themselves.
However, it was fine if they were skilled enough to teleport 1,200 slaves even if it took multiple teleportations.

'It becomes easier to blow up the Tower when more of those skilled mages are not here.'

Cale's side would become more advantageous the more mages were not at the tower.
Plavin Singten who finished his report looked toward Cale with anxiety. Cale started to speak.

"Open them."

Beacrox's hands started to move.

Zzzzzzz-

One of the backpacks on the table was unzipped.

"…Hmph!"

Plavin gasped.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

His heart was beating wildly.

He could see the magic bombs.

'These will explode today.'

The tips of Plavin's fingers were slightly shaking.

Pat.

Plavin felt the man from the Sun God faction place a hand on his shoulder.

"You are going to move with me. You should know how lucky you are."

Plavin could see the laughing man's reddish-brown eyes.

"You should not get swept up in the explosion if you are with me. Doesn't that sound great?"
"…Yes, Yes sir. It sounds great."

Plavin tightly closed his eyes and reopened them as he responded. The man from the Sun God faction's voice hit him like thunder at that moment.

"We will move the enemies to the trap in one hour. We will start the explosions three hours after they leave."

Exactly four hours from now.

10 pm tonight.
A time when even the summer sky that stays bright so long is completely dark.

"The greatest defense is a preemptive strike."

They will hit the enemies first.

***

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

Plavin Singten's face slowly turned white as he looked at the watch in his hand.

His gaze headed toward the window.
He could see someone looking out at the dark night sky.

"It's time."

Plavin clenched his fists after hearing those words.
The eyes behind the mask headed toward him.

"Jump down."

He then pointed out the window.

"…Do I really need to jump?"

The man did not respond. Plavin Singten clenched his fists even tighter. He could see outside the sixth floor window.

He did not have any say in this. However, he was scared.
It was at that moment.

"10, 9-"

The countdown had started.

'Damn it!'

Plavin's pupils started to shake.
Cale stoically looked toward Plavin. He didn't care if this bastard was scared. He had no reason to make it comfortable for Plavin.

However. There were others who were responding to his countdown.

'It's finally starting!'
'Everybody move to the top of the tower!'
'Destruction! The countdown to hell! Kahahahaha!'

"8, 7, 6-"

– Human, human! I'm all set to go!

"5, 4-"

Tap, tap.

Cale turned toward the sound of the footsteps.

"Ahhhhh!"

Plavin screamed as he ran toward the window.

"3."

Cale held the golden top's whip in one hand as he cast some wind at the tips of his feet.

Swooooooosh-

Once the wind surrounded him…

'Let's go!'

Swooooooosh-

The three Wind Elementals jumped through the window.

"2."
"Daaaaaaaaaaaamn iiiiiiiiit!"

Plavin's body jumped out the window.

"1."

Swooooooosh-

Cale's body quickly jumped out the window as well.

"Gasp!"

Plavin gasped.

"I, I'm alive."

He could feel the wind surrounding him as well as see the scary distance to the ground.
His gaze headed toward the masked man.

"Gasp!"

However, he could only gasp once again.

It was black.

Ooooooong-

Something black was crawling up the tower starting from the first floor.

'What is that?'

His body turned because of the wind before he could think any further.

"Huh?"

The forest near the Southern Alchemists' Tower. The wind surrounding Plavin started to move toward the forest. Plavin's gaze headed back to the masked man.

"Shut up and stay hiding. If you wish to live, that is."

The man coldly stated before waving his hand.

"S, shit!"

Plavin's body moved away from the tower and started to quickly move to a cave at the edge of the forest that a Wind Elemental had discovered earlier.
It was a safe location, but Plavin covered his mouth in fear as he had no way of knowing that. He wanted to say something because he was expecting the man to protect him until the end, but he could not do so.

'…Son of a…! How could such a person be from the Church of the Sun God?'

He quickly started to understand what was surrounding the Alchemists' Tower.

Black mana.
That was what was enveloping the tower starting from the bottom.

Swoooooooooooosh- Swoooooooosh-

He could also see a large whirlwind being created at the top of the tower.

Beeeeeep- Beeeeeeep-

The Southern Alchemists' Tower's alarms started to go off in response to the black mana. The Alchemists' Tower that only had a few lights on here and there started to quickly get brighter.

The alchemists, mages, and knights remaining in the tower were probably running around trying to deal with the emergency situation.
However, Plavin did not need to see any of that.

The man in the black mask heading to the top of the tower.
The black mana rising up behind him.
The whirlwind at the top of the tower.
Finally, the magic bombs that would respond to that black mana and explode soon.

'…That person.'

Plavin was scared of that man in the black mask.

The new Church of the Sun God?
Saint Jack who seemed to be a good person?

This man was leaving a bigger impact on Plavin's mind than either of those two events.

He seemed the most like a villain.

Plavin could not look any more.

Cale had landed on the pointed roof of the Tower.

Beeeeeeep- Beeeeeeeep-

The entire Southern Alchemists' Tower was on alert.

– Human! Let's do it!

Cale heard Raon's excited voice.
He looked down and started to speak.

"Open the door."

That was the beginning.

'Chaos! Destruction! Kahahahaha!'

'Shut up and open the door!'

The whirlwind descended from the top, enveloping the entire tower as it went.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

All of the windows clunked as they opened wide.
Two of the Wind Elementals were opening every window as they went down.

"What the hell!"

The people looking out of the windows looked shocked.
There were many people running out of the tower as well.

"O, over there!"

There were a lot of people pointing at Cale at the top of the tower as well.
The others who were staying around the tower quickly started to head toward the tower as well.

"Who are you?!"
"T, that person is one of Merchant guild leader Plavin's subordinates!"

There were people who recognized Cale. One was the alchemist who had guided Plavin earlier.
However, Cale's gaze was not on any of them.

Clang.

Once the window to the tenth floor Tower Master's room opened…

"…Perhaps? This voice!"

Becrock, that bastard, looked out the window with a shield cast around him and looked up at Cale.
Cale shouted at that moment.

"Throw it!"

Swooooooosh-

One magic bomb headed into the open tenth floor window.
In addition.

"Explode!"

Ooooooong-

The black mana started to roar.

Baaaaaaaaaang! Baaaaang-!
Baaaaaaaaaang!

A total of three times.
Three explosions shook the area.

"Aaaaaah!"

People started to scream as they lowered their bodies.
Some of them were shouting in astonishment.

"T, that is the ninth floor! It is near the strategy room!"
"The sixth floor exploded as well!"
"T, the Tower Master-nim's place-!"

The sixth floor, ninth floor and the tenth floor.
Magic bombs exploded in a total of three locations.
Fire could be seen through the open windows.
No, the spots where the windows used to exist. There was smoke, fire, and the sound of the place being destroyed.

It was at that moment.

"That's round one."

They could hear the man on the top of the tower.
The voice that had been changed and amplified with magic could be heard by the people on the ground.

"Move, move!"
"Fuck, what is going on?!"
"Shut up! All of you get in formation!"

There were people shouting to get away from the tower as well as troops who had returned to their senses trying to get into formation.
The amplified voice reached their ears.

"…Round one?"

That meant that there was a round two.
All of them looked toward the burning Southern Alchemists' Tower.

– Human! I blew up the places without people first!

Cale started to speak as if he was responding to Raon.

"Round two will start soon."

The man in the black mask surrounded by black mana and wind. His words started to cause chaos.

"You bastard!"

Someone shot out through the fire on the tenth floor and rushed toward Cale at that moment.
This mage had a shield cast with one hand and appeared without any damage or soot covering him.

Becrock.

The White Star's subordinate.

He was glaring at Cale.
Cale looked at him and waved his hand in a friendly way.

"You recognized me right away. Long time no see, Becrock. Your one hand seems a bit empty?"
"Ha, haha!"

Becrock started to laugh.
He then soon stopped laughing.

"It looks like the black Dragon came with you."

His eyes were cold as he looked at the black mana.
Cale did not respond to Becrock and shrugged his shoulders.

"There's no need for me to answer you, right?"

Becrock did not show any response to Cale's cheeky retort. He started to smile instead. He caressed his stump with his other hand as he started to speak.

"Good."

Becrock's one hand started to move after he said that.
He then shouted.

"It is war! Proceed according to the plan!"

Baaaaang!

The eighth floor.
A window on a floor that had not exploded suddenly broke.

Becrock had broken it.
Maybe it was because of the explosion or because of Becrock's voice, but the troops quickly surrounded the tower and Cale.

"I will slash your wrist and that black Dragon's damn mouth."

Ooooooong.

Mana started to surround Becrock.
Cale looked at him and started to speak.

"But I don't want that."
"…What?"

Becrock started to frown.

Flinch.

He then flinched.
His gaze headed to the North.

He could feel a large amount of mana coming from that direction.

Something was coming.
Something was coming from the North.

It was different than this black mana.

Becrock's gaze quickly headed back to Cale.
Cale was smiling.

"You bastards suddenly said that you were going to invade the capital."

Cale and Raon both leisurely waited.

"So, it caused issues with our original plan. That's why we changed it."

The original plan would have been for the Empire's power players and some people, including Choi Han, as their backups heading to the four towers.

However, with Becrock and the White Star's magi faction getting involved…
They needed to change things.

"And you, you bastard. Becrock, we needed someone to deal with you."

It was a dark night.
Cale could finally see it.

Paaaaat!

He could see the red mana that was as bright as the sun.
A large red pillar of light was shooting up from the forest to the North of the tower.

– Hehe. Human, that's the teleportation magic circle that took us four hours to create.

Raon and someone else had created this teleportation magic circle during the four hour gap before the explosion.
A large number of people were coming through that teleportation magic circle right now.

Crack craaaack.

Magic stones were breaking down as they gave off a red light.
Cale could see two people floating up from the ground that was covered in red light.

One was a knight wearing a cape.
The other was a mage in a red robe.

The two people quickly started to fly toward the Southern Tower.

The knight was Sir Rex.
The mage's face could not be seen because it was covered in a hood.

However, the mage pointed at Becrock after getting close to the tower.

"Is it you? Are you the one claiming that you'll be the next Tower Master?"

The mage then saw the mana surrounding Becrock and commented.

"Ah, it is you."

Bright red mana that looked like fire started to gather around the mage in the red robe as soon as she said that.

The mage whose face was covered by the robe.
That mage was Rosalyn.

Cale looked toward Sir Rex. Sir Rex immediately started to speak as soon as they made eye contact.

"Explosion round two, start."

Baaaaaaaaaang!

Another explosion started to shake the night.
The bright red mana started to move along with the fire from the explosion.

***

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]