Chapter 588 – You’ve grown a lot (6)

"I, is it okay to do this?"

Doctor Kang didn't know what to do while looking at Lee Soo Hyuk who was not smiling.

He had no choice.

'It was to the point that even Kim Woo was at a loss for words.'

Kim Woo was nothing without his bluffing.

He would argue with Lee Soo Hyuk over the smallest of issues and would become extremely angry if anything seemed to decrease his power or influence.

Such a bastard had not said anything since coming back from supporting the rescue team. No, he could not say anything.

Of course, he did say one or two things.

Kim Woo had faced Heo Sook Ja, Doctor Kang, and Ma Seung Jin as soon as he returned to the central shelter.

Heo Sook Ja and the others had asked Kim Woo about Kim Rok Soo's group, but Kim Rok Soo had just walked past them with a frown.

He had then mumbled.

'…Where the hell did these monster-like bastards come from?'

The rest of the rescue team and the reinforcements had returned as Doctor Kang was about to think about the meaning behind those words. They were able to hear about everything from the rescue team.

Doctor Kang had a thought on his mind after hearing everything.

'If that unranked monster truly does attack Seomyeon, we must have these people with us!'

Doctor Kang then tried to hear more details about Kim Rok Soo's group from Lee Soo Hyuk.

But Lee Soo Hyuk just said that he had to chat with a pair of siblings in Kim Rok Soo's group before disappearing. He had come to the training ground after hearing that he was here, but-

'I found him fighting with them.'

Doctor Kang was thinking that it would be bad if their relationship got soured after fighting like this since they needed Kim Rok Soo's group.

That was why he had urgently brought Kim Rok Soo and Choi Han over.

'Why are they so calm?!'

The two of them were so calm that they looked almost asleep.

"Wait, if there's an issue, you should talk it out-"

Doctor Kang cautiously looked around at the people inside the training ground and started to speak, but…

"Hey! He said to close the door!"

Park Jin Tae looked toward Choi Han with a frown and shouted.

Doctor Kang subconsciously started to speak after hearing that.

"T, that guy is saying that even as he's being beaten up-"

He sounded full of disbelief.

"Hey, Han."

Lee Soo Hyuk quietly called out to Choi Han again and Choi Han quietly observed Park Jin Tae for a moment before closing the door.

Choi Han felt someone walking behind him at that moment.

He turned around to see Cale standing there.

"Rok Soo hyung?"

Cale looked toward Lee Soo Hyuk and started to speak.

"I'm leaving."

Choi Han's eyes opened wide.

Park Jin Tae shouted from behind them at that moment.

"Why are you leaving without watching? Didn't you want to see me get beaten up?"

Cale then looked toward Park Jin Tae.

He then nonchalantly responded.

"You see, I…"

Park Jin Tae looked into Kim Rok Soo's eyes where he could see himself as if they were transparent glass eggs.

He really looked as if he did not care.

The owner of those eyes calmly continued to speak to Park Jin Tae.

"I barely have enough time to look forward as I go."

Park Jin Tae suddenly felt a sense of despondency fill his body.

Park Jin Tae could see that Kim Rok Soo's eyes were firm.

"…Ha."

Park Jin Tae let out a weak scoff.

Cale turned away from Park Jin Tae without any regrets or hesitation.

He then took a step out of the door.

It was at that moment.

He heard Lee Soo Hyuk's voice behind him.

"I'm sorry, Rok Soo."

Cale looked toward Lee Soo Hyuk and started to speak.

"Why?"

Lee Soo Hyuk just looked at Cale without responding.

Lee Seung Won and Lee Jin Joo had told him about what had happened at the shelter with Park Jin Tae in charge.

They had told him how Kim Rok Soo had been treated, as well as how Kim Rok Soo led and saved the people of their shelter and the nearby shelters.

Kim Rok Soo, who had eyes as calm as a lake, calmly started to speak to Lee Soo Hyuk again.

"I don't think there's anything for you to be sorry for."

He then turned around again.

Choi Han walked over to Cale's side.

"Choi Han."
"Yes, hyung-nim."

Cale whispered quietly so that only Choi Han could hear.

"Park Jin Tae was on the national team for shooting. He has quite the athletic talent and fast reflexes."

Choi Han made eye contact with Cale who was walking out.

"But Park Jin Tae is still no match for the team leader."

Lee Soo Hyuk had talked about wanting to be an action or thriller movie actor, but he had not worked out as much as Park Jin Tae had done.

"You understand what I mean?"

Choi Han quietly looked into Cale's eyes.

Cale looked back at him before continuing to speak.

"I don't know what the team leader's limit is."

Choi Han's eyes opened wide.

But Cale was telling the truth.

Lee Soo Hyuk had continued to get stronger until the moment he died.

He had not perfected his ability.

But it had already been strong enough to put Lee Soo Hyuk as one of the top three strongest individuals and the best when it came to the sword.

"I plan on using this battle to raise the team leader's strength to at least the level he had at the end."

That was one of Cale's goals.

He had left Choi Jung Soo's issue to Choi Han, but nobody other than himself could take on Lee Soo Hyuk's issue.

"So, you should take a look."

Cale walked past Choi Han and was now outside the training ground.

"Lee Soo Hyuk was born with this sense."

Those words echoed in Choi Han's ears.

He held onto the doorknob for a bit and started to speak to Cale.

"I'll see you later, hyung-nim."

The door dividing the training ground and the hallway then slowly started to close.

Cale could hear Lee Soo Hyuk speaking to Park Jin Tae as the door closed.

"Hey, Jin Tae. You told me that you would follow my will."

Lee Soo Hyuk had trusted Park Jin Tae quite a bit when he had been at the shelter.

"You said that you'll at least let the shelter be a place where people can live in peace. That's what you told me."

Lee Soo Hyuk was now bringing up the promise Park Jin Tae made with him in an emotionless voice.

"You also promised me that you would protect the people in the shelter. Jin Tae, did you forget about that?"
"…Damn it."

Park Jin Tae responded in a cracking voice.

Cale could not see what was going on inside because the door was closing, but it was obvious what was going on.

He heard Lee Soo Hyuk's voice again.

"Come. We need to finish our sparring."
"Fuck!"

He heard Park Jin Tae's shout as well as the sound of someone running. It was almost certainly Park Jin Tae charging toward Lee Soo Hyuk.

"Pffft."

Cale chuckled.

"Looks like he'll suffer for a while."

Lee Chul Min and Park Jin Tae will suffer like this every single day.

The chances of today being the first day of many were very high. Lee Soo Hyuk would probably bug Park Jin Tae and Lee Chul Min over and over about how they need to share a proper lesson.

Cale chuckled as he could imagine that happening and slowly walked down the path he had come.

"…Rok Soo!"
"Hyung!"

Cale could see the Lee siblings and Grandma Kim coming around the corner.

The siblings called out to Cale but could not say anything else.

"Rok Soo."

On the other hand, Grandma Kim walked over to Cale and grabbed his hand.

Her hands were very warm.

"Rok Soo."
"Yes, grandmother."
"Is the resentment in your heart now gone?"

Cale smiled in response.

'Resentment in my heart.'

Grandma Kim was probably asking about Park Jin Tae… But Cale heard it differently.

The resentment in his heart.

The despair and regret recorded on his mind. Also, a sense of responsibility.

Cale opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm doing well lately."

Cale was doing quite well these days.

It might seem weird as the sealed god gave him this test in order to make him feel despair, but…

He really was doing well.

He felt as if he was slowly changing things one by one and that these balls of resentment on his heart were slowly getting resolved one by one even if he had to physically tax his body to get things done.

'Of course, it doesn't mean that I'll forget about it.'

He would not forget about his past memories.

However, good memories were slowly being placed next to those memories.

That was enough.

"Okay, that's good enough for me if you say that is the case."

Grandma Kim squeezed Cale's hand once before letting go and starting to smile.

The Lee siblings nodded their heads as they observed Cale.

"Then, I'll be on my way now. Noona, Seung Won, see you guys later."

Cale smiled at the three of them and started to walk.

And at that moment…

'That's why it's weird.'

The smile disappeared from Cale's face.

'Something is weird.'

The sealed god was trying to bring Cale over to his side.

In that case, would he leave Cale alone and let him successfully complete this test?

Would he just sit back and let Cale change the moments of despair in his heart one by one?

'The God of Death and the Sun God wouldn't have done anything if that was the case.'

They would have left Cale alone, thinking that he could get things done on his own.

But the fact that two gods got involved and sent two people to interfere with this test meant that there was something fishy.

'But no matter what that may be…'

Cale had firmed his resolve.

'I will destroy it.'

He would destroy anything and everything the sealed god did to get in his way.

* * *

Alberu, who had repeated going back and forth as the Dark Tiger for a while, sighed while looking at the pile of paperwork in front of him.

It was at that moment.

Flap!

The tent flap opened, and the cold late autumn breeze blew inside.

"Your highness!"
"What is it, Saint-nim?"

Alberu stood up from the couch after seeing Saint Jack urgently approaching him.

"Huff, huff."

Saint Jack was breathing heavily as he approached Alberu.

"You shouldn't run so fast when you don't have much stamina."

Behind him was the at one point Holy Maiden, the sword master Hannah.

Alberu found it odd that the two of them were here.

But Hannah just slightly bowed her head to greet Alberu before tightly closing the tent entrance.

She then used her senses to see if there was anybody nearby.

Alberu just watched this with confusion.

'It looks like something happened.'

He felt as if something extremely secretive was about to happen.

Alberu made eye contact with Saint Jack who barely managed to catch his breath.

"Saint-nim, may I ask what is going on?"
"We found it!"
"Excuse me?"

Saint Jack looked both urgent and happy.

"We found some text that seems to describe somewhere that might have information on the sealed god!"

Alberu's expression instantly changed.

"…Are you serious?"
"Yes, your highness! I swear!"
"Where is it?"

Saint Jack stopped talking for a moment after hearing Alberu's question and looked toward him.

"There are a few books stored in the Pope's office in the Vatican. They are the oldest books in there, so I decided to start there to investigate about the gods. By the way, those books are only for the Saint and the Holy Maiden. Oh, and the Pope; only those three people can read those books."

Alberu could see Saint Jack pulling something wrapped in silk out of his pocket.

He could see that Saint Jack's hands were shaking as he opened the silk.

"Mm."

Alberu soon saw a white book.

Jack started to turn the pages of this extremely old book.

Flip, flip.

But Alberu couldn't see anything.

"I can't see it either."

Hannah shrugged her shoulders and informed him.

"Only my brother can read that book right now."
"To be honest with you, I wouldn't have known what it was talking about if I had started to read it without any information."

Jack continued to turn the pages as he spoke.

"There are three ancient books that are passed down, but only this is a record left behind by the first Pope. But it looks more as if he had copied down the words of the Sun God rather than created his own record."

Jack's hands stopped moving.

"It's over here."

Alberu couldn't see anything.

But Jack started to read the words on the page.

"The sun will rise between two large cliffs facing each other. The memories of the sun will be buried where the sun rises."

Alberu's shoulders instantly flinched.

Jack continued to speak.

"And the only person who can reach the sun is someone who has overcome the curse of the sun."

Alberu's eyes opened wide.

"Only that person will be able to bring out the memories buried underneath this boulder."

Jack stopped there before looking at Alberu and continuing to speak.

"I believe this memory of the sun mentioned here might be the memories of the sun god and that there might be information on the sealed god within it as well. That is why if we use this as a foundation to research-"

It was at that moment.

"…Ha!"

Saint Jack and Hannah could see Alberu scoff.

"Ha. How could this, this is unbelievable!"

Alberu was brushing his face with one hand without paying any attention to the twins.

He then casually commented.

"This is talking about me."
"Excuse me?"
"What?"

The twins responded in shock, but Alberu didn't have time to pay any attention to them.

'The mark of the Roan Kingdom's crown family.'

It was the sun rising between a cliff made of marble and a cliff made of granite.

'In that case.'

The spot the Saint mentioned as where the sun rises…

That would be the Roan Kingdom.

No.

'It's the Crossman household.'

Alberu quickly figured out who could reach the sun.

'It's me.'

It was talking about him.

Furthermore, that last statement…

'Only that person will be able to bring out the memories buried underneath this boulder.'

The Roan Kingdom's library had a secret staircase heading into the basement.

It was a place that only the master of the Crossman household could enter.

There was a stone room in that basement.

That stone room had a large boulder that covered one of the walls.

He recalled the phrases engraved on that boulder.

< Descendants of the cursed blood. >

< The touch of the Sun God will always be by your side. >

< Never set your eyes on taking over the sky. >

< The Sun will always rise. >

< The moment darkness is planted in your bodies... >

< The moment a person with that darkness becomes the head of the household, the sky will be destroyed, and the ground will tremble. >

Alberu clenched the half white half black video communication device and started to speak to the twins.

"I need to chat with Cale Henituse for a bit."
"Excuse me? Your highness, we don't even know if this information will be useful. We must first find the record and see if there are any information about the sealed god-"
"It will be there."

Probably.

Underneath that boulder…

They will find the information they are looking for.

Alberu's instincts were making him certain about it.

* * *

"So, you're saying that you think the information will be under that boulder?"
"Yes."

The Dark Tiger calmly nodded its head and Cale's gaze headed toward the calendar.

Today was November 3rd.

There were 3 days left until that day.

***

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]