Chapter 646 – We cannot retreat (2)

Hundreds of Bears were already in their berserk transformations to face off against Cale and Raon.

The sight of the remaining members of Arm all pointing their weapons at Cale and Raon…

The light surrounding Bear King Sayeru who was standing in front of them…

Cale and Raon had to make their way through all of them.

However, Cale could not look at them.

"…Blood."

He could see that the originally red blood had dried and turned black on the palace floor.

But he couldn't smell blood at all. All he could smell was the refreshing scent of the forest.

"T, this is not possible… This!"

Raon's voice was shaking slightly. Cale realized that Raon was looking at the same thing as him.

"Sooooob!"

"Mmph, mmph!"

"Oo…ooooooooo...."

Past the numerous enemies in front of Cale and Raon… They could see the cage carriages imprisoning the Dark Elves.

However, some of them were completely empty. The Dark Elves who were still in the carriages seemed completely out of it or were anxiously shaking in fear.

Boom- boom, boom–

The drumming continued. The enemies. And then those cage carriages. Behind that were people wearing grey priest robes banging the drums while bleeding out of their noses and mouths.

On top of the circular altar they were surrounding…

"Human! Those are not the sculptures we saw before!"

The sculptures were already dyed grey and all glowing in different lights.

Cale turned toward Sayeru.

"…You didn't start the summoning ritual after being contacted by Dorph."

"That's right. It was quite difficult finishing the summoning preparations so early in the morning."

Sayeru looked somewhat pleased. This small amount of joy was coming from the fact that he would finally be able to pull one over Cale and that their greater good was near.

"We were going to finish the summoning ritual here in the Endable Kingdom and then proceed with the second summoning ritual at Mount Nex if we succeeded."

Smile.

The corners of Sayeru's mouth twisted up.

"Cale Henituse, why do you have such an expression on your face?"

He looked at Cale as if he found him to be ridiculous.

"I don't know why you have such an expression while looking at the empty cage carriages and this dried blood. Are you sad looking at the blood of the dead sacrifices? Does it make you angry?"

No emotions were visible on Cale's face now that the look of urgency was gone. However, Sayeru couldn't help but sneer while looking at Cale's eyes that looked extremely chaotic despite his stoic expression.

"They weren't even the Vampires that sided with you. These Dark Elves are your enemies who attacked and killed your allies. Shouldn't you be happy that there are less of them now? Your enemies are dead, you bastard."

Raon channeled his black mana as he was unable to hold back his anger.

"You trashy Bear King, I, eek!"

At that moment… Raon saw a large water spear charging toward the Bear King. Cale had launched his ancient power.

Baaaaaang-

The light and water crashed into each other and broke down. The Bear King could see Cale charging toward him through the clashing powers.

Bear King Sayeru commented to the leader of the enemies who had taken one of his arms.

"It's already too late."

He then raised his arm. The rest of the Bears charged toward Cale at his signal.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Hundreds of berserk Bears moving at once shook the ground. The remaining members of Arm spread out to aim for Cale's blind spots at the same time.

Wind… And Water.

Cale was using two powers at once.

– Aren't you overdoing it?

The Super Rock asked, but Cale did not answer. No, he didn't have time to answer.

The summoning ritual had started long before Cale attacked Mount Nex.

If it had already started, he needed to stop them before it was too late.

"Human! Don't overdo it! I will stop them all!"

Unfortunately, Sayeru appeared in front of Raon.

And in front of Cale…

"Kahahaha! I've been waiting for this moment!"

"The enemy of the Bears!"

There were so many enemies that he could not see in front of him.

This entire area was full of burning hostility. The Bears swung their weapons, their fists, and their legs while looking at this person who was the greatest enemy of the Bears under the heavens.

Baaaaang! Baang, baaaang!

Cale summoned his shield. He then continued to charge forward while riding the wind.

The ground started shaking at the same time.

– …You're going to use me as well?

Inside the sinkhole where the Endable Kingdom was located… The cliffs crumbled and hundreds of stone spears appeared.

Those stone spears all headed toward the altar.

"Raon!"

"I'm already on my way!"

Raon was heading toward the circular altar in between the stone spears. Hundreds of black arrows filled the gaps between the stone spears.

The black arrows looked like the night sky as they filled the area, while the stone spears looked like meteorites shooting down to the ground.

Raon was channeling so much mana at once to do that.

He was sweating all over.

'This is dangerous!'

The four sculptures were completely dyed grey and giving off an eerie light.

In addition…

'The glass coffins!'

The four glass coffins with the transforming dead mana… The large amount of liquid inside these coffins that were connected to the sculptures was pretty much gone.

Toward the only power he could use… Raon shouted toward his mana.

"Destroy them!"

"Heh."

He heard a low chuckle.

"Do you think that is possible?"

Raon could see an extremely bright light wall appearing around the sculptures like an umbrella.

Baaaaaaaaaa- baaaaaaaaaa, baaaaaaaaang-

Stone spears and black arrows pouring down… A light wall receiving the full brunt of the attack.

All three were destroyed to pieces.

"Ugh, cough!"

Sayeru coughed and spit up some black blood.

Raon and Sayeru made eye contact. Sayeru started speaking to the young Dragon.

"You didn't think that you guys are the only ones able to learn and grow, did you? Am I right?"

The Bear who only used to use the light spears could use his light to defend as well now.

"I am putting my life on the line today."

Sayeru had given up on his life and was looking at Raon with a dedication only to the greater good. Raon felt as if he couldn't breathe for a moment from the weight he felt in Sayeru's gaze.

Raon had never seen an enemy going all out like this before. The young Dragon subconsciously turned toward where he expected Cale to be.

"H, human-"

However, he could not see Cale.

Baaaaang! Bang! Bang!

Numerous Bears were piled up like a hill, making it impossible for Raon to even see Cale's shield. The members of Arm were finding any openings in between the Bears to attack as well.

Raon realized it after seeing this sight.

He could move freely because Cale was taking on all of their attacks.

"Young Dragon."

Sayeru spoke to Raon again.

"Are you prepared to fight me with the same kind of resolve?"

The now extremely pale Sayeru looked calm.

Raon subconsciously clenched his fists. His front paws were shaking. Sayeru's eyes clouded over as he looked at the young Dragon. His words seemed to have affected the still young and naive Dragon as he had expected.

Boom- boom, boom–!

The drumming continued. Raon saw something and his eyes opened wide.

Crack. Crack.

The grey mouth in the sky was now large enough to cover the entire sinkhole. He could see darkness darker than the abyss in between the lips of the grey mouth.

And one more thing…

Craaaack-

Two of the grey sculptures were starting to crack.

"Continue drumming!"

"Keep praying!"

"We must offer more sacrifices! Go bring more sacrifices!"

The priests serving the Demonic race looked crazed as they shouted while coughing up blood. A black light appeared underneath the altar as well.

"A teleportation magic circle!"

The teleportation magic circle was slowly being activated so that it would be ready to use the moment the summoning was complete.

Shhh.

There were some people pulling off their grey robes. These people were black mages.

Sayeru commented once Raon saw them reveal themselves.

"You guys aren't the only ones who can use disguises. These are all things we learned from you guys. What do you think?"

Even Raon's clenched front paws were full of sweat.

"I, I-"

It was at that moment.

"Raon!"

The moment he heard Cale's voice…

Swooooooosh-

There was a large gust of wind.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Ugh!"

The whirlwind was so strong that the Bears were sent flying. Cale was standing at the center of the whirlwind.

Cale already had black blood in the corners of his mouth after continuously using his ancient powers.

Raon finally started speaking.

"H, human! Two of the sculptures are cracking!"

"It means that you're already too late."

Sayeru cheerily added on. He couldn't help but smirk.

'Cale Henituse has never experienced such failure!'

That fact was making him smile. He would have no regrets if he died while doing a lot for the greater good and landing a blow on this bastard.

"There are only one or two minutes left now."

Sayeru looked at Raon and Cale as he added on.

"No matter what attacks you launch, no matter who you bring over, there is no way you will be able to destroy those sculptures in just two minutes. I will put my life on the line, no, all of us will put our lives on the line to stop you."

The start of the great story they had been waiting 1,000 years for would start in just two minutes. Sayeru felt as if he would cry tears of joy.

On the other hand, Raon was about to cry for a different reason.

'It's impossible!'

Even if they called people over, the summoning would finish while he contacted them.

Even if he used his magic, the enemies putting their lives on the line would be able to last at least one or two minutes.

"H, human, what do we do?"

Raon couldn't help but look for Cale. Cale had always shown him the way. The only place for the young Dragon to retreat to was to Cale.

"Raon. Contact his highness. Do it now."

Cale looked as calm as usual.

"Ha! Are you planning on calling over your allies? I told you that the summoning will finish while you do that."

Sayeru sneered at Cale who looked just as pale, no, even worse than him.

However, Raon immediately did as Cale asked.

– Hmm?

Alberu had just stepped onto a teleportation magic circle to move to Puzzle City. His face stiffened while looking at the sight that appeared through the video communication device.

Choi Han and the strongest individuals from the palace who were by his side had the same reaction.

Through the video communication device in the floating Raon's paws… They could see everything.

Cale knew that they could see everything and that Alberu would be able to understand what was going on.

"Your highness. The Dark Elves… Please send the Dark Elves and anybody else you think would be necessary to take care of things here."

– Cale! I'll send Eruhab-

"It is useless."

It would be too late, no matter how quickly Eruhaben rushed over.

No.

It was already too late, as is.

"Kekeke. There's less than one minute left!"

Cale felt as if the screams of ghosts swept over him like a tsunami along with Sayeru, Arm, and the Bears' laughs.

"Human! I'll try something!"

– …Cale. Even if it is useless-

Cale did not look at Raon, Alberu, or Choi Han.

"Two."

– What?

"Two monsters at max will end up over there. Please be ready."

Swooooooosh-

The whirlwind swirled even harder around Cale. He was gathering the power of the wind and then gathering some more, as if he had turned into a rocket.

Raon subconsciously moved toward the whirlwind.

Alberu asked the question Raon wanted to ask.

– …What about the rest?

'What about the two other monsters? What were they going to do about the two remaining sculptures?'

Cale answered calmly, as he always did.

"I will get rid of them."

'How?'

Alberu could not ask.

It was because Cale's eyes that became visible for a moment through the whirlwind had turned strange. He couldn't see Cale's eye area clearly.

The area around Cale's eyes seemed blurry, as if they were covered by haze. Alberu subconsciously grabbed Choi Han's arm. He had an unexplainable sense that something terrible was about to happen.

"Raon."

"…Human."

Raon flinched at the unusual and unexplainable situation. But Raon looked ready to rush through the whirlwind and to Cale's side after hearing what Cale said next.

"Raon, the moment I become unconscious… Move me to the Roan Kingdom immediately."

"Human, you can't fai-"

"Raon. Decisions need to be made in times like this."

Cale put his hand up as if to tell Raon not to come. Raon froze in spot and looked toward Cale as Cale had never done that to him before.

– This is the limit.

The Sound of the Wind commented in her husky voice.

– The wind will soon roar as quickly as possible.

The whirlwind had compressed and then compressed again to prepare to roar at its maximum speed.

Cale gathered his thoughts one last time in the middle of the whirlwind.

'If all four unranked monsters go to the Roan Kingdom, we might be able to take care of them, but thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of people may die in the process. Actually, millions of people will die.'

Fighting normally against unranked monsters would take a long time.

They could only finish the battle quickly if they focused on the monsters' weaknesses, as he had done while fighting against the Electric Eel.

However, it would be impossible to do that while fighting against four of them at once. The chances of the battles against the seventh and eighth unranked monsters, the two that they had no information on, lasting a long time were very high.

'That is why decisions need to be made at times like this.'

Cale still had the time to make a decision.

One choice was for him to get hurt.

The other was for him to retreat.

"Raon. I'm someone who cannot forget."

Raon had never heard Cale speaking so gently before.

Actually, even the people on the other side of the video communication device had never heard this gentle yet weak voice.

Cale Henituse.

Kim Rok Soo was someone who could not forget anything.

'If I retreat right now, my people might get hurt. My home might get destroyed.'

If he retreats now and his people get hurt… If his home gets destroyed…

Cale could never forget that. The moment he made that decision it would be recorded and run in an endless loop.

'What happens to certain people and the world because I hesitated thinking that I could suffer less… I will never be able to forget that.'

But if there was a reason Cale was thinking so hard about this right now…

"Raon."

It was because of the young Raon.

Raon could see Cale turning his head toward him.

But he could not see Cale's eyes properly as they still seemed covered by haze. Raon opened his eyes wide trying to see Cale's eyes, but he could only hear Cale's voice properly.

"Don't be like me."

Cale was giving Raon advice.

"Make different decisions than I've made."

He alone was enough to live a life like this.

That was why, for the young Raon…

"You MUST rescue me and escape."

He would make Raon make a different decision.

– Cale Henituse!

– Cale-nim!

"Kekeke. There's less than ten seconds left now. What can you do in that time before running away?"

Sayeru sneered at Cale while Alberu and Choi Han were almost screaming after sensing something was wrong.

"Do you really think that your shitty wind can pierce its way through?! It won't be able to reach inside!"

Sayeru suddenly flinched and closed his mouth.

Cale started to smile.

He could feel the wind.

"I'm relieved."

A long time ago, when he went to see the Mercenaries Guild's Directory… That was the first time Cale used Kim Rok Soo's 'Record' ability.

He had brought over a portion of the Grade 1 ability user Kim Rok Soo's abilities to this world and had realized he could use a portion of his multiple abilities in this world.

Then came the sealed god's test.

His body had changed after going to the parallel world and defeating an unranked monster inside that twenty years old Kim Rok Soo's body.

'That portion became whole.'

A thick smile appeared on Cale's face.

Cale's first ability, 'Record,' heated his body and put a lot of pressure on his body, but his second ability gave him a much more serious pain.

'It'll be troublesome if I get overloaded. But I still have to use it.'

It was at that moment.

Craaaaaaack-!

The remaining two sculptures started to crack as well.

Sayeru watched that sight and started shouting again.

"You guys are done for! Glory to our Endable-!"

Ooooooong-

The teleportation magic circle underneath the sculptures started vibrating and lighting up.

The sculptures started to crack even faster.

"W, what-"

As Raon stuttered without knowing what to do…

"Try not to look."

Raon heard those words and stopped with his eyes opened wide.

No, something stopped him.

It felt as if the entire world had stopped.

It had not actually stopped, but it made him feel as if it had.

It was because there was someone who seemed to be moving in a different timeline.

Our young Dragon saw it.

In that very short period of time…

In that 'instant'…

He saw someone shooting forward as if he was made of light.

That person was his human.

'Instant.'

This was Cale, well, Kim Rok Soo's second ability and the ability that allowed him to lead the attack team.

Someone had recorded some information about Kim Rok Soo.

< Team leader Kim Rok Soo's second ability, 'Instant' is an ability that transcends time. >

< The human brain is said to control the human body. >

< Kim Rok Soo's brain is able to push the human body to its limit, making him move at a speed that humans aren't able to move in, allowing him to make movements that humans wouldn't normally be able to make. >

< It makes it look as if he is jumping through time and space. >

< He is the only person able to move in the world during that time. >

< That time only lasted an 'instant' as its name implied. He could only use it for about five seconds. >

< However, there was a price to pay for using this ability. Although this ability allowed him to break the laws of time and space, his body was unable to handle the impact. >

One step.

Cale took another step forward as everything around him slowed down to the point it seemed as if they had stopped.

He couldn't hear anything.

However, every time he took a step forward…

Crack-!

He could hear his body starting to break down.

Crack, crunch!

Legs, body, arm… His entire body was starting to get injuries as if he had received paper cuts all over his body.

Blood splattered like water behind him.

'This body will become like Kim Rok Soo's body. Actually, it'll be even worse since Cale Henituse's body is even weaker.'

The reason Kim Rok Soo's entire body had been full of scars…

Cale thought about the biggest of many reasons he always needed to wear a long-sleeved shirt and couldn't stop smiling.

'Instant.'

It was a very short duration of time, but Cale was able to get past everything in his way.

He was the only one who was free during this moment.

He pushed forward with the help of the wind just before using his ability.

But even the wind stopped once he used 'Instant.'

Cale was making movements that his body would normally never be able to make in this world where everything seemed to have stopped.

He jumped over the Bears and moved past them, as well as a shocked Sayeru.

His head hurt.

It felt as if it would explode.

He had a fever.

Cale, with his experience from being Kim Rok Soo, knew that he couldn't close his eyes right now.

He moved toward his goal. He charged forward toward the sculptures.

'3.'

The 'instant' given to him would not last very long.

He needed to achieve his goal before it ran out.

'2.'

One foot forward. One step.

His legs, arms, body… Every muscle in his body felt as if they would rip apart.

But he continued moving.

'1.'

And as that 'instant' was coming to an end…

The haze covering Cale's eyes disappeared. He reached his hand out and grabbed the sculpture in front of him.

15 seconds. He should have about fifteen seconds left if Sayeru had been telling the truth.

His hand was covered in blood from numerous cuts. Cale felt as if everything was turning red.

"Huff. Huff."

He was having trouble breathing. He could barely lift the sculpture using every ounce of strength left in his body.

Soon…

He would definitely faint soon.

However, there was something he needed to do before that.

The sculptures were glowing.

He could not use his ancient powers, nor could he call his friends.

There was only one way to destroy these things.

"This is the only thing I can grab."

He used the sculpture he grabbed with both hands to strike down on another sculpture.

This was one way to destroy the sculptures of the unranked monsters.

He could use the sculptures of other unranked monsters to strike down and destroy them both.

Baaaaang!

The sculpture of the seventh unranked monster struck down on the second unranked monster, and the second sculpture crumbled into pieces.

"N, no—-!"

The world was moving as normal again. Cale turned his gaze toward his next goal as he heard Sayeru's shout.

The person covered in blood was moving his tired body on top of the circular altar.

He could not stop, and he could not retreat.

—
Translator's Comments

Wow, Cale's second ability is… so … painful.

What will happen next?

***

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]