Chapter 653 – Everything can be connected (3)

"Hyung, who is that?"

Lock moved his face toward the cintamani after seeing Choi Han's anxious expression as he focused on it.

– Eek!

Lee Chul Min, who was doing the same thing on Park Jin Tae's side, gasped and moved back after seeing the berserk Lock.

– …You-

Park Jin Tae opened his mouth but closed it back without being able to say much.

'Where the hell is this bastard right now?'

Park Jin Tae was at a loss for words after seeing Lock and the area visible behind Choi Han's shoulder.

One unranked monster, the Electric Eel, was dead and there were many humans and peculiar looking humans as well.

He recalled the day when Choi Han had disappeared.

'What happened to that punk Choi Han?'

'He left.'

Kim Rok Soo had seemed oddly different when he woke up again.

He wasn't the original Kim Rok Soo that Park Jin Tae knew, nor was he the Kim Rok Soo who had acted as the commander. He was someone in between those two people.

But Kim Rok Soo was still Kim Rok Soo, and his actions weren't very different from when he was acting as commander.

However, many people didn't know what to say after hearing what Kim Rok Soo told them.

'Most of the abilities I've used have disappeared. I can't use them anymore. Some of my abilities have been sealed as well.'

He must have ended up that way after using too much of his powers. Most of the people understood it that way, and they were just relieved that Kim Rok Soo was still alive.

Park Jin Tae, who had been one of those relieved people, had asked about Choi Han, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

He wasn't the only one who had been curious. The others had been curious as well, but they didn't dare to ask Kim Rok Soo who still needed time to recover.

'Choi Han returned to where he belongs.'

'…He belongs here, so where the hell did he go?'

Smile.

Kim Rok Soo had smiled and mischievously responded to Park Jin Tae.

'Park Jin Tae, I didn't expect you to feel that way.'

'Fuck.'

Park Jin Tae could not ask anything else after hearing that. However, he did notice something.

'Kim Rok Soo, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Choi Jung Soo. I'm sure the three of them know something.'

He felt that it was especially true for Choi Jung Soo, who trained like hell using the book Choi Han gave him as he left. On the other hand, Lee Soo Hyuk seemed a bit more aloof.

It looked as if the burden on his heart had been lessened.

"Park Jin Tae. Why are you holding the cintamani?"

Park Jin Tae flinched at Choi Han's calm question.

He turned away from the cintamani and looked down at his hand. He was holding a cloth. It was a cloth to clean the cintamani.

– …I'm currently training my mind.

Lee Soo Hyuk had stopped Park Jin Tae's mental training via sparring and was now making him do all sorts of different things.

"Pfft."

Choi Han chuckled.

"I suppose you do need to train that mind of yours."

– …You little punk.

Park Jin Tae frowned and glared at Choi Han, while Lock and the others beside Choi Han looked at him with surprised expressions.

Choi Han was usually calm and tended to be more affectionate. He was only snappy like this against his enemies, but he seemed shocked yet happy to see this person for this guy to be an enemy.

'They're similar.'

Lock had only seen two people inside the cintamani but realized that their physical appearances and hair color were similar to Choi Han's.

The place inside the cintamani seemed to be different from this world, where black eyes and black hair were rare to be seen.

It seemed to be a different world.

'Mm.'

Lock held back a groan and kept his mouth shut.

"This is amazing. We are able to talk to each other."

Choi Han was quite amazed. He was currently speaking in the language of Cale's world and not speaking Korean, but they were able to communicate with both sides using their respective languages.

It was at that moment.

– Bang!

The door behind Park Jin Tae slammed open and Lee Chul Min came in with someone.

– Huff, huff.

Lee Chul Min was breathing heavily, but the person behind him seemed completely fine. That person quickly walked over to the cintamani.

– Hey, Han. Why do you look like that?

It was Lee Soo Hyuk.

"We caught the Electric Eel on this side. There was a cintamani inside the Electric Eel and it connected like this."

– …Ha.

Lee Soo Hyuk laughed at Choi Han's calm response and nodded his head.

– Then what about Rok Soo?

Park Jin Tae's expression twisted as if to ask what the heck Lee Soo Hyuk was talking about while Choi Han's face stiffened up.

Park Jin Tae flinched at Choi Han's stiff expression.

"…He is not here right now."

Lee Soo Hyuk focused on Choi Han's eyes.

– He must have gone unconscious again.

He hesitated before adding on.

– …It's fine as long as he is still alive.

However, he noticed that Choi Han's pupils slightly shook the moment he said that. Lee Soo Hyuk felt as if his heart was sinking.

– Is he in critical condition?

Choi Han seemed to hesitate after hearing that question.

Lee Soo Hyuk could see a strong gust of wind blowing toward Choi Han.

"Hyung! Dodge!"

Lock grabbed Choi Han, who seemed to be thinking about something, by the collar and pulled him back.

Choi Han raised his head.

Where he had been standing… Someone was falling there as if he had been slammed down.

"Ugh!"

It was Alberu.

Choi Han walked toward him with shock.

"Your highness, are you okay?"

Alberu raised his hand to say that he was okay before smiling in pain.

'This isn't easy.'

Eruhaben had told him to get on his back, but it was difficult to even get close to Eruhaben, who was trading blows with the Lion Dragon.

He felt like a shrimp in the middle of a battle between whales.

The strong gusts of wind and the aftershock of the explosive blows between the two behemoths just sent Alberu flying.

– Sorry.

Eruhaben was apologizing to Alberu for not being able to do anything about it but Alberu felt as if he should be the one to apologize.

'I didn't know I was this weak.'

Alberu was angry at himself for being unable to even get close to Eruhaben or the Lion Dragon to attack its wings.

He hid his thoughts and addressed Choi Han, who was helping him up.

"You already caught the Electric Eel."

"We've caught it once before, so it was easy."

"So I just need to do my part."

Choi Han looked at Alberu with concern after hearing his calm voice. Alberu, who had turned away as if to pretend he had not seen Choi Han's gaze, noticed the orb in Choi Han's other hand.

"Huh?"

Alberu subconsciously lifted his helmet a bit.

"What the hell? Park Jin Tae? Lee Soo Hyuk?"

Lee Soo Hyuk and Park Jin Tae were both shocked to hear this surprised yet happy voice.

– What the hell? How does that punk know who I am?

Alberu slightly frowned after hearing Park Jin Tae's comment.

"Punk? How dare you say that to the future sun?"

– …Huh? Is this some crazy bastard?

"Pfft."

Alberu chuckled despite the dire situation they were currently in. Choi Han shook his head while looking at Park Jin Tae.

Lee Soo Hyuk and Park Jin Tae still seemed confused, but Alberu looked at Choi Han, the cintamani, and the Electric Eel before smirking toward the orb.

"You don't know who I am?"

– Should I know who you are?

Alberu nonchalantly commented after hearing Park Jin Tae's retort.

"Alberu Crossman. How about now?"

– …Huh?

I definitely heard that name before.

Where was it?

Park Jin Tae tried his best to remember. Lee Soo Hyuk's started to speak at that moment.

– The Dark Tiger?

– Eek.

Park Jin Tae and Lee Soo Hyuk's eyes opened wide.

Alberu smirked at them before patting Choi Han on the shoulder.

"Just wait. I'll make that monster fall to the ground soon enough."

Oooooo-

He was about to cast flight magic again before he suddenly stopped.

– Hey, crown prince!

He heard Raon's urgent voice. Alberu turned his head toward the City Hall.

– Dark Elf Tasha called me!

The Dark Elf, Tasha. She was Alberu's aunt and currently leading the Dark Elf Battle Squad.

She also had the Elf warriors with her right now, and they were headed for the Endable Kingdom.

Tasha was headed there because they needed to figure out what Sayeru, the Bears, and Arm were doing once Cale and Raon had left, and if possible, to rescue any Dark Elves who were still alive after not being used as sacrifices.

She had a difficult task to fulfill, but they believed she wouldn't be in too much danger as long as it wasn't a full-on battle since the Dark Elves had formed an alliance with the Eastern and Western continents' Elves.

However, it should have taken a long time to complete this task.

'She already contacted him?'

Alberu had an ominous feeling about the fact that Tasha was contacting them so quickly.

That ominous feeling turned out to be right.

– She said they weren't there! The Dark Elves imprisoned in the caged carriages were there but Sayeru, the priests, the Bears, and Arm… None of them were there!

"Fuck."

Alberu's mind turned into a complicated mess.

'Where did they go?'

Where did so many enemies disappear to at once?

Were they headed to Puzzle City?

Alberu became anxious after hearing about this new source of headache.

'We need to hurry and take care of this Lion Dragon.'

What he knew for sure was that this monster wasn't the end.

There was still the sealed god, and he had a feeling that something else would happen after they took care of this monster as well.

Alberu's heart started to beat wildly with nervousness. He heard Choi Han's voice at that moment.

"Lock."

"Huh?"

Choi Han stood next to Alberu and wrapped the cintamani in cloth before handing it to Lock.

"Take this to Cale-nim. You just need to go to City Hall. Raon will take care of things if you tell him, 'Kim Rok Soo.'"

"Kim Rok Soo? Uhh, okay! I got it."

Alberu just glanced at them while Choi Han smiled the way he smiles when he pretended to be all innocent. Alberu could see the dry blood on Choi Han's lips as he smiled.

Alberu couldn't believe what Choi Han was saying while looking like that.

"Let's do it together, your highness. Your instructor can't leave his student alone. I will cover you."

He could see Rosalyn, who also had blood on her lips, walking over to him as well.

"Your highness. I will deal with the flight magic. I will help you pierce through that gust of wind as well."

Rosalyn picked up the necklace full of highest-grade magic stones as if something like that was easy to do for her.

Alberu was so full of disbelief that he couldn't even laugh.

If Rosalyn casts the spell to send him flying and casts a barrier to block that strong gust of wind…

And if Choi Han covers him from the front to block the aftershock of the enemy's attacks…

Then the chances of Alberu piercing through that monster's wings would go up.

A shadow appeared on top of Alberu, Rosalyn, Choi Han, and the others at that moment.

"You all seem to be forgetting about me."

Mary descended to the ground.

She was with the black Bone Dragon Dragon half-blood whose gold eyes were sparkling.

"Get on my back."

The Dragon half-blood offered his armored back to Alberu, Choi Han, and Rosalyn.

Alberu laughed and started to speak.

"…I guess there's no need to get on Eruhaben-nim's back."

On the sky covered with gold dust as if it was the Milky Way…

Three people headed to the battlefield in the sky on top of a black Bone Dragon.

* * *

At that moment…

"What?"

The buzz cut Dragon Rasheel could not hide his shocked expression. He grabbed Dorph by the neck and shook him around.

The black wall by Dorph had disappeared at some point.

"Hey! Snap out of it! How can you already faint?! Hey! Hey! You damn Lion! Wake the fuck up!"

Pow, pow, pow!

'Hurry and get back up!'

Rasheel continued to punch Dorph's already bloody mess of a face.

"Oo… oo...…"

He heard quiet groans from the unconscious Dorph each time, but Rasheel continued to punch him without stopping.

"Hey, I'm going to punch you until you die if you don't wake up! Huh? Do you want to die?"

He just launched vicious threats to Dorph.

Mercenary King Bud watched Rasheel with disbelief before shouting.

"Rasheel-nim! Could you please help us?"

"No! I'm only beating up one bastard!"

Pow!

Rasheel then kicked Dorph's stomach.

Bud seemed to be scared as he turned away only to see the other Lions who were peeking at Rasheel full of fear.

Bud mumbled while looking at them.

"Well, I guess we don't really need the help."

Chhhhhhhhh-!

Bud's sword was glowing with a blue aura. His eyes that were as cold as his sword glanced around the battlefield.

The Lions were berserk, but not doing well. They were currently gathered in one area without any means of escape.

They were chaotic messes after their leader, Dorph, had gone unconscious.

"Surround them! Make it so that they can't escape!"

"They can't beat us with this kind of numbers advantage!"

Now that the Rangers who had gone to rescue the Vampires were back, a total of 500 Ranger Brigade members were attacking the Lions.

The tens of Lions couldn't help but be pushed back by the numbers advantage, even while berserk.

"You bastards!"

"We will never forgive you!"

Even some of the still weakened Vampire warriors were helping them to attack the Lions.

Then there were the unexpected allies.

"Attack those villains who tried to harm his majesty!"

"Leave none of them alive! They are the enemy of our Sez Kingdom!"

The Sez Kingdom's Knights Brigade, soldiers, and mages who appeared once the black wall had disappeared were helping the mercenaries.

Their three leaders were still unconscious. King Bakehe, the Knight Captain and the top Royal Mage would despair if they saw what was going on, but they were currently unconscious without showing any signs of waking up.

The Vice Captain of the Royal Knights Brigade who was leading the troops right now continued to show his anger toward the Lions and Cats.

"Such evil people!"

"Hohoho."

"I am impressed by the desires of the Society of Peace. I can't thank you all enough for safely returning our majesty to us."

"Hoho, it was nothing. We just did what needed to be done, the right thing to do."

Gashan patted Dodori, who could not hide his anxiety on the shoulder before making it look as if he was taking care of the unconscious King Bakehe.

The Vice Captain of the Sez Kingdom's Royal Knights Brigade couldn't help but throw praises at this Society of Peace Gashan mentioned after seeing Gashan looking so hard at work to take care of his king.

Gashan was doing this to snap the king's head off in case he woke up and the situation took a turn, but only Bud and a few others knew about his true intentions.

Bud watched this and thought that he could leave the cleanup to Gashan afterward. He then anxiously bit down on his lips.

'We need to hurry over.'

He had heard about Cale's condition from Dodori and Gashan. He could also tell what kind of danger the Roan Kingdom was in right now.

'We need to get there as quickly as possible to help them.'

They needed to take care of things here properly before heading over.

Bud looked toward the forest.

"I guess there's only one left."

Mount Nex was fully covered by fog.

About a third of it was covered by red fog.

He looked back at the battlefield.

"Ha. The Cats are so quick."

He couldn't see the Molan household or the Cats.

The Cats had all quickly escaped into the fog once they realized they were in danger.

This was the same for the Cat tribe leader.

"…I didn't know Cats become so quick when they go berserk."

The speed of the berserk Cats was so quick that even he, a sword master, had trouble catching them.

They were so efficient running away without caring about the danger their allies, the Lions and Dorph, were in. Only the Molan household barely managed to chase them into the fog.

Bud could not hide his anxiety and concern.

The forest was too quiet.

He heard a low voice at that moment.

"It'll be over soon."

Beacrox was wiping blood off his greatsword as he said that.

"The fact that it is silent means that we are doing well."

His father would be running through the fog right now.

On and Hong were trying to swallow the whole mountain with their red fog.

Beacrox could clearly imagine what his family was doing right now.

The image in his mind was almost a direct representation of what was going on.

Inside the fog-covered forest…

"Ugh-!"

A Cat that couldn't even make much noise before its neck was pierced fell to the ground.

Plop.

The body didn't even make much noise as it fell.

Shhhhh.

Ron wiped the blood on his dagger with a leaf before looking forward.

"…Grrrrrr-!"

Inside the fog… The berserk Cat tribe leader was glaring at Ron.

Behind the Cat tribe leader was a red fog that was slowly extending its territory and approaching Ron and the tribe leader.

—
Translator's Comments
Behind the Cat tribe leader was a red fog that was slowly extending its territory and approaching Ron and the tribe leader.
Go On and Hong go!

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]