Chapter 473 – You made a mistake (5)

However, Eruhaben didn't stop there.

"Dead blood will not work. It needs to be the blood of the living. Only that is the opposite of death."

Valentino felt his heart beating wildly.
He felt as if he had heard a secret he shouldn't have heard.
He felt as if something was stabbing at his heart.

"What is the symbol of human life force? That is the blood pumping out of the beating heart."

'Ah!'

"It also cannot be a small amount of blood. It needs to be a significant amount of blood. That is why it is mentioned that a person would first die from blood loss when fighting with such a method."

That 'conscience' inside Valentino was stabbing at him.

"Anyway, the most effective way for a human to fend off dead mana is to stab his own heart with a knife or fight with injuries all over their bodies."

Valentino started to frown as he looked toward Eruhaben who was saying this without any emotion.

"…No…that..."

He couldn't say anything. His mind was a mess of words but he could not say anything.
Valentino noticed the faintly appearing smile on the mage's face. It was a sad smile.

"Isn't it such a sad method?"

Sad.

Hearing that word made Valentino think about Cale Henituse's face.

Finally…
He finally understood the weight of fighting inside the dead mana smoke.

He had no way of knowing whether Commander Cale would fight while being covered in blood or use a different method. However, dead mana was extremely dangerous and poisonous to people and he could feel that fighting an enemy in such conditions was terrible.

Valentino who was holding onto the railing let go. His hand was shaking.

Step.

Valentino took a step away from the railing.

'He's stepping back.'

Eruhaben looked at him with a stoic expression.

Valentino had subconsciously stepped back after hearing Eruhaben's story even though he was full of admiration for Cale. It was an instinctual fear.
However, he needed to feel the scolding of his conscience the moment he realized what he had done.

Eruhaben looked around.
The nearby soldiers and the nobles who had been eavesdropping on their conversation… He saw all of them taking a step back.
Eruhaben looked toward them and started to think.

'Now there should be fewer people who try to enter the desert.'

The chances of the Dark Elves' Underground City being discovered should go down.
But more than that…

'They should understand at least a little bit about how hard it is for Cale.'

There were many who said that Cale was a hero…
Many who said that he was amazing.
However, how many of them knew the details of the path he was walking?

'It's not just Choi Han.'

Choi Han, Mary, the children…
Many of them were fighting against the White Star in the face of death.
Eruhaben thought that people should at least know a bit of that weight.

'The Caro Kingdom should give that unlucky bastard at least something now.'

The Caro Kingdom would give something to Cale for his suffering. They would probably give him a lot of material goods as he hates fame and power.
Of course, Eruhaben had not said these things because he wanted them to give Cale a reward or understand his suffering.

'…I don't have much time.'

He didn't have much time left.
The White Star should be gone before his time was up, but he had no way of knowing how the world would be after he died.

That was why he was letting people know in advance.

Do you understand how hard it is to do what Cale is doing?
If you feel sorry and thankful, stop making him do things.
He, that punk, has earned the right to rest and live a happy life.
So, don't push the difficult tasks to him in the future because he is a so-called, 'hero.'

Don't use his kindness to your advantage.

This was the reason Eruhaben had spoken loud enough for Valentino, as well as the nearby nobles and soldiers, to hear.
Things like this were bound to spread quickly.

'I guess I am a selfish Dragon in the end.'

Eruhaben sighed internally thinking that he too was selfish for only thinking about his children.
However, his expression quickly stiffened.

Boooooooom!

The ground started to shake.

"Aaaaaah!"
"What, what is it?"

The shocked nobles grabbed onto the railing.

"W, what is that?"

A scared Valentino pointed toward the desert as he looked at Eruhaben.
Eruhaben who was already looking in that direction started to frown.

Boooooooom! Boooom!

The ground rumbled a few more times. A loud noise could be heard in the distance.

And then, at the center of the desert… There was a black whirlwind roaring there.

It was so large and black that everybody could see it.
The whirlwind seemed to shoot up to pierce through the sky.

Eruhaben started to float.

"W, where are you going? W, what about us?"

One of the nobles who noticed Eruhaben floating urgently asked while Eruhaben ignored him and started to speak to Valentino.

"I will go up to take a better look, sir."
"S sure."

Eruhaben left Valentino in Gashan's care as he shot into the air. His gaze was focused on the black whirlwind… On the center of the desert.

That was where the fake underground city was located.

* * *

Boooom! Boom!

Boulders started to fall into the underground city as the ceiling crumbled.

"Aaaaaah!"
"Dodge them! Stop blanking out and dodge!"
"My liege!"

The Lions and the rest of the White Star's subordinates were dodging or destroying the boulders without knowing what to do. It was not that they were afraid of the crumbling underground city.
They were afraid of the dead mana smoke that would soon fill the area.

There was already a small amount of dead mana smoke coming in through the crumbling ceiling.

However, their liege did not even look toward them.

"Are you going to run?"

Cale looked toward the White Star in disbelief. Next to the White Star was Sayeru, who was surrounded by the wind walls, as well as the black mages who had been up above ground.

"Isn't that losing too much face?"

Cale mocked him while the White Star calmly responded.

"I don't think you have any right to say that as you retreat into a teleportation magic circle."

Cale had started to head toward the center of the city as soon as the ceiling started to crumble.

Ooooooooooong-

Furthermore, Cale's body was already wrapped in a teleportation magic circle. He was not the only one.
Teleportation magic circles were activated throughout the city to teleport everyone.

Cale shrugged his shoulders.

"I know, right? Originally, one of us was supposed to die here."

Cale would have moved according to the original plan if the White Star had not realized that this place was fake.
That was because the White Star would have fought against Cale with bloodshot eyes to find the earth attribute ancient power. However, the White Star seemed to have no intention of fighting against him right now.
He didn't try to stop Cale nor the others who were trying to escape.

So, Cale had no reason to fight against the White Star with this dead mana smoke here now that his plan had become completely messed up.

– Human! Let's hurry! I teleported everyone else! The dead mana smoke will reach here soon!

The center of the underground city was slightly lower than the entrance.
That was why Cale had moved away from the White Star who was near the entrance.

"Aaaah!"
"Run away inside!"

The White Star's subordinates started to run toward where Cale was to avoid the dead mana smoke.

– Human! Let's go!

Everybody except Cale and Raon had teleported on Cale's side.
However, Cale had not left yet.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

The White Star asked and Cale shrugged his shoulders.

"I was planning on leaving right now."

Cale said that and gave Raon the signal.

Paaaat!

A bright light surrounded his body.
Cale recalled the last thing he had seen as he teleported.

'The dead mana smoke seeped into his body.'

The reason that Cale had stayed there until the very last moment.
He had seen the dead mana smoke touching the White Star.

That black smoke had seeped into the White Star's body as soon as it touched him. The black smoke disappeared into the White Star's skin without a trace like metal scraps sticking to a magnet.

'…I need to look into it.'

He really needed to look into the relationship between the White Star and dead mana now.
He felt as if he needed to do that to resolve all questions and completely get rid of the White Star name that had continued on since ancient times.
Most importantly…

'The Gate to the Demon World.'

He felt iffy about that gate.
Bright light covered Cale's eyes.

Paaaat-!

Nothing was left where he had been standing.

A black mage approached the White Star who was staring at the empty spot.

"My liege, we will teleport now."

The White Star raised his hand at the black mage's comment.

"Hold on."

The White Star stretched his hand. The dead mana smoke gathered toward him and created a large black whirlwind.

That smoke slowly disappeared into the White Star.
The black mage looked on as if this was marvelous. He didn't even look at the Lions and the few Arm members who had absorbed dead mana and died.

He also clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

'I didn't even get a small amount of the dead mana smoke.'

The dead mana smoke that had been around the White Star was completely absorbed by him.
The black mage was disappointed that there was no more black mana smoke for him to absorb while Sayeru finally breathed out in relief and leaned on the wind wall.

"Sayeru."
"What is it?"
"…It looks like I need to visit the Gate to the Demon World."

Sayeru's face stiffened up and he started to speak toward the White Star who was absorbing the dead mana smoke.

"Why?"
"Cale Henituse. I think I need to ask about that bastard's identity."

The White Star responded calmly but Sayeru's eyes were shaking.
There were not many questions they needed to go to the Gate to the Demon World to ask.

"…Do you think, Cale Henituse, he…? No way, right?"

Sayeru asked with concern while the White Star didn't respond to him and said something else.

"I need to confirm whether he is a bastard the other side prepared."
"Nah, no way."
"…Furthermore, I might not be the only one who has received a power from another world."

Sayeru who was shaking his head shut up after hearing the last thing the White Star mumbled.

The ancient White Star.
The existence that suddenly appeared and almost ruled the entire world.
Only the White Star, Sayeru, and Dorph knew about his secret.

Sayeru bit down on his lips.
If the White Star's suspicions were correct, then Cale Henituse was someone extremely dangerous to them and an enemy they must get rid of.

The White Star stopped absorbing the dead mana and ordered the subordinates.

"Let's go."
"You're not going to absorb all of it?"

The White Star raised his head. He could feel the dead mana smoke that his whirlwind had not reached yet being pushed out toward the sea.
It was because of the wind.

Mana was causing a strong wind to prevent the White Star from absorbing the dead mana smoke.

"The ancient Dragon has made his move. It's more urgent to look into Cale Henituse than to absorb this tiny amount of dead mana smoke."

The amount in the desert was minuscule for him anyway.
The White Star needed to look into this more important thing first.

The White Star, Sayeru, the black mages, and the remaining subordinates who were still alive soon left and the underground city became silent.

Chhhhhhhhhh.

A couple of video communication devices rolled around the bodies of tiny skeleton monsters.

Those tiny skeleton monsters then headed toward ancient Dragon Eruhaben as their master, the necromancer, ordered.

– Goldie gramps! The human says to grab the video communication devices and come with the White Tiger!

Eruhaben nodded his head at the little kid's message.

***

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]