Chapter 682: A hunt in the middle of the night (5)

"You're out of your damn mind!"

"What is?"

Cale's voice sounded calm.

Sword master Hannah couldn't help but rub her arm. Her arm was full of goose bumps.

'…I always have this question, but what is the end for this guy?'

Hannah could see Cale smiling while looking at the barrier being created between the Lion Dragon and their allies through the window.

How many steps in advance was this guy looking at?

Where were these thoughts and demeanor coming from despite being just twenty years old?

"Ha!"

Hannah looked toward Cale with disbelief.

"Did you just say, 'what is'? Can you not think straight because of anger?!"

Shaaaaaaaaaaa-

Wind slowly gathered around the White Star and wrapped around him. His clothes started to flutter intensely.

"You're going to take on the Lion Dragon and me without being able to use any magic?"

The wind filled the area around them.

Chhh-

The magic lights had turned off already because of the mana disturbance tool. Now, the candles lighting up the room also went out because of the White Star's breeze.

It wasn't completely dark because the sky was still partially orange from the sunset, but… Darkness was hitting this room quicker than the outside.

The White Star laughed as he spoke.

"Inside this darkness?"

'They're going to take on the Lion Dragon and me in this darkness? The now complete me? While I am holding their weakness, Deruth Henituse?'

"You are an idiot."

The White Star sighed.

"Cale Henituse. You truly are different from me. You are foolish."

Why was he saying that Cale was foolish?

Sword master Hannah couldn't help but have that thought as she watched.

The White Star and Cale Henituse… These two existences were extremely different in Hannah's eyes. So why was the White Star saying that the two of them were very similar but different in the end? Why did he sound disappointed as he said that?

Hannah subconsciously turned toward Cale.

Cale started to speak at that moment.

"Why am I doing this?"

Cale calmly answered inside the room that was dark blue and not completely submerged in darkness yet.

"There's just two."

His calm yet enunciated voice spread throughout the room inside the darkness.

"There are only two enemies to fight. One bastard is white and so big that it is easy to see. The other bastard is in front of my eyes."

A flame crackled in the darkness.

Crackle-

A flame that was redder than his red hair started to appear around Cale.

"That much is doable, even if I am out of my mind."

Wind and fire…

The wind had only put out small candles and these flames were not burning anything, but… The two people, surrounded by wind and fire respectively, were observing each other.

The White Star's left hand went into the inner pocket of his shirt. His hand was holding a white mask when it appeared again.

From the forehead to the middle of the nose… This white mask that covers half his face was placed on the White Star's face.

Click.

There was a quiet noise and the White Star's appearance changed.

He was no longer Deruth Henituse; he looked his original self now. Of course, half of his face was hidden underneath the mask.

This whole process seemed natural yet mystical, but Cale could only see the unchanging core that was the White Star.

The White Star's lips twisted up after seeing that Cale had not even blinked.

"Do you really think that you bastards will be able to take down the Lion Dragon and me if you split into two?"

It was at that moment.

"Yeah. It's definitely enough."

Someone else chimed in.

The White Star turned toward the person. Alberu Crossman was sitting on the window ledge now. He was still wearing simple pajamas.

However, there was a spear in his hand that was glowing white, similar to the Lion Dragon that could not hide its white scales despite it being night.

"I received some special grade tutoring."

He had heard from Ahn Roh Man.

'After defeating the Lion Dragon, we analyzed the data and used the Lion Dragon's bones to create an Ex-Grade weapon.'

'There is actually just one meaning behind those words.'

'The Lion Dragon is now a monster that is capable of being defeated, a monster that can be overcome.'

Ahn Roh Man had also said the following.

Using the word overcome did not mean that they could simply kill it. It meant that they had completely analyzed this existence and conquered it.

'With this Ex-Grade weapon… If you have a few strong individuals at the S-Grade or higher… It is actually pretty easy.'

He said it was easy, but the way to do it was quite difficult.

However, Alberu happily said the following.

"I will take care of the Lion Dragon."

It wasn't as much as Cale Henituse, but Alberu had gone quite crazy right now as well.

It was because the person that the White Star disguised himself as and the time he did it… It was at a location that Alberu was responsible for and he took a Commander-Grade individual from right in front of Alberu's open eyes.

Cale shrugged his shoulders and looked at the White Star again.

He was still very calm.

"Did you hear him?"

The White Star pursed his lips after seeing Cale's gaze that seemed to be asking what the problem was.

"How do you plan on getting past the temple?"

"Who knows?"

Although Cale responded in a relaxed voice… Although he responded as if he had no idea…

He planned on going.

Cale planned on taking the White Star and going to the temple.

'Cale. Ahn Roh Man told me something.'

This was something that only Cale, Choi Han, Raon, and Alberu knew about.

'There was a reason it took them a year to get to the end of the temple.'

'I…have no confidence. But I still plan on doing it. If someone needs to be the first one to step into that place, I must go.'

The sealed god. The place where the sealed god was currently sleeping…

There was one way to get to the end of that temple.

Cale planned on taking the White Star down that path with him. It was because he had full intention of completely finishing things this time.

That was why Cale calmly responded.

"That's a problem I can think about later."

"What?"

The White Star looked anxious after hearing this response that did not seem to follow Cale Henituse's usually prepared style.

But Cale just reached his hand toward the flames surrounding him.

"Mila-nim, go ahead. You can leave this place to me."

Baaaaaang—!

A flame with a thunderbolt inside shot out toward the White Star.

The flame crashed into the wind wall and let out a loud noise.

Alberu was still on the window ledge as he looked up.

Someone brushed past him and jumped out the window as he did that.

"Mila-nim."

Mila removed her polymorph spell. The mana was currently disturbed, but similar to how Raon was able to maintain the dye magic back in the Caro Kingdom… Returning to her original form was easy for an ancient Dragon like her.

The Dragon revealed its large body once again.

"Where do you-!"

The White Star seemed to have realized something as he started to move toward Mila and Alberu who was on the window ledge.

Baaaaaang!

Cale got in his way.

Chhhhh-

A swirling water whip was whipping down on the White Star nonstop.

"Ha!"

The White Star sneered and didn't even lift a finger as a wall made of wind and water blocked all of those attacks.

Bang! Baaaaang! Bang!

Countless explosions slowly turned the inside of the room into a mess.

All of the furniture was destroyed and Hannah stood in front of her brother, Jack, to protect him from the aftershock.

"Oppa, stop moving! Why are you doing that?!"

"I need to go."

"Go where?"

She was getting flustered, following her brother to protect him as he moved.

She still managed to look at Cale Henituse for a moment and then looked confused.

"What is that?"

Cale Henituse took a badge out of his pocket.

He then undid about two buttons, as if it was hot.

"You made a very bad decision this time."

Touching the Dragon Lord's lair, experiencing the curse of reincarnation…

The White Star will regret this day more than every other decision he has made in the past.

Actually, he won't even have time to regret it anymore.

Cale closed his eyes.

'Anyway, human, don't worry! I will take our human's daddy, the fake Hilsman, and everybody!'

'Grandpa Ron and the Wind Elementals will find him quickly! They will be able to locate any weird places pretty quickly because the mana is in chaos!'

The mysterious fake Hilsman was quietly sitting there captured, with his hands and feet tied up.

He had mana restricting chains on him. The fake Hilsman seemed as if he was going to try to run at first, but he then started listening to them.

Cale opened his eyes and addressed the hesitating Dragon.

"Mila-nim, go ahead."

"…See you later, Teacher."

Although this Dragon had appeared again…

The people below did not have the time to look with amazement.

Mila quickly flapped her wings and headed toward someone.

"Time to wake up, Eruhaben-nim."

Even the large body of the stopped Dragon could not cover the body of the individual on the ground.

As the Dragon above opened its mouth and formed what looked to be a smile…

At that moment…

"…Haaa."

Someone sighed. The individual with a bigger body than Mila…

The Gold Dragon slowly opened its closed eyes. Mila looked into those gold eyes and motioned with her eyes.

"Over there. There is someone waiting for you."

Alberu Crossman was standing on the window ledge, looking directly at the Gold Dragon, Eruhaben.

"I guess I'm done pretending to be dead."

The Dragon that had been pretending to be dead slowly moved his large wings.

Boom-.

The Dragon raised its body.

Just that simple movement shook the nearby buildings and the ground.

There was no noise coming from the Gold Dragon as it flew up.

But it felt as if he had gotten a good rest because…

The Dragon's body seemed very light as it flew up.

"Everybody is headed over."

The Dragon looked toward the northeast sky once he flew up.

Although darkness had already spread through the area…

He could see a large grey Dragon flapping his wings and quickly heading over.

There was a pink-haired boy sitting on the Dragon and waving.

Eruhaben turned away from the waving boy and started to move. He felt a bit better after getting that rest.

He happily offered his back.

"Thank you very much."

"It's nothing."

Alberu got on Eruhaben's back.

"Huuuuuu."

He took a big breath in and out. The cold winter air spread inside his body and his hot breath came out.

Alberu looked at himself.

He didn't like the fact that he had no shoes and that he was wearing pajamas, but this should be enough.

"…That blonde hair! His highness! I'm sure it is his highness!"

"Even his highness is here!"

For the people who were scared of the magic-less night, this should be enough.

It should be enough to get rid of their fears.

He looked inside the open window before turning away from the red hair swirled in flames.

"I guess it was waiting for us, Eruhaben-nim."

The monster, the Lion Dragon. That monster was observing Eruhaben, Alberu, and the spear in his hand.

"Let's go."

Eruhaben's body headed toward the monster. His wings flapped as if to slice through the night.

"P, please wait!"

It was at that moment.

"Your highness! P, please take me with you!"

Someone awkwardly jumped off the window. Eruhaben looked shocked before he quickly offered his back.

Plop.

The person who fell onto Eruhaben's back…

"Hey! Are you crazy?!"

They then heard someone shouting almost like a screech before that person jumped out and gently landed on Eruhaben's back.

"Saint-nim?"

Alberu looked shocked as he headed over to Jack.

"Your highness!"

Saint Jack quickly got up and clenched the hems of Alberu's pajamas.

"W, what is it, Saint-nim?"

An anxious Alberu stuttered a bit but Saint Jack moved on to clench Alberu's left hand.

To be more specific, he clenched Alberu's left hand and the spear he was holding.

"Your highness. The Sun God has given me a message just now."

Saint Jack had been blankly staring at something.

He had been listening to the Sun God speak. The Sun God had started directly speaking to Saint Jack at some point in the past.

"Saint-nim...?"

Jack quietly answered as Alberu looked toward Jack with suspicion.

"Fortification."

"Excuse me?"

"It is a fortified weapon."

Jack stumbled over his words as he answered.

He had no idea what he was saying, but it was important to share the will of the god.

"The Sun God said that t, this is different from when it belong to A, Ahn Roh Man. It has the touch of a god now."

Taerang was said to have received external data and been updated.

Many changes must have happened to the data and the system, similar to how it referred to the place it came from as Earth 3.

Jack blankly looked at the white spear as he continued to speak.

"Light…the Sun God said that light will pour out of it."

'Light?'

Alberu's expression turned odd.

"The Sun God said that darkness will not be able to stop you, your highness. My lord said that you are the only owner of the fortified Unbreakable Spear."

Saint Jack looked at the odd expression on Alberu's face.

"The Sun God said that Alberu Crossman is like the sun and must shine. Your highness, my lord told you to light up the darkness."

The Sun God apparently gave Jack an incantation as well.

Jack was told that Alberu would figure everything out if he recited those words.

Alberu recited that incantation in his mind and looked down at the white spear.

But as he did that…

"We need to dodge!"

"We're moving!"

Hannah and Eruhaben both shouted and the Dragon moved away from the window.

Baaaaaang—–!

There was a loud noise and the wall by the window crumbled.

It seemed as if the White Star and Cale's battle had started for real.

"Your highness...!"

Saint Jack called out to Alberu, sounding as if he wanted something. Alberu bit his lips before starting to speak.

"I order you, as someone who has received Angelina's protection."

The incantation that the Sun God supposedly gave to Jack…

Alberu was able to confirm that Angelina was the Sun God after reciting the first line.

He also realized that, between Choi Jung Gun and Angelina, it was Angelina who inputted the data into Taerang.

What was the Sun God trying to give him with this incantation?

Alberu had that thought as he continued to speak.

"Follow the one who is meant to be."

– First item in update 1.1.

He heard Taerang's mechanical voice.

– Additional data. 'Holy Flashlight.'

– This item is for using the Sun God's Divine Power to create light to brighten a night-time environment.

'What? A flashlight? Divine Power?'

Alberu frowned.

Divine Power was a critical poison for Dark Elves.

– Revealing information about, 'Divine Power.'

– Please be advised that the Divine Power stored within the weapon is only for radiating light and will not threaten the user in any way.

– Analyzing the user's usual pattern. Using this as foundation to change to the most fitting form.

The weapon changed form.

Click.

A gun was in Alberu's hand again.

– Beeeeeep-! Beeeeeep-!

– The area around the user is currently unstable. Analyzing information.

– Something called 'mana' is in disarray.

However, it is unrelated to Divine Power. 'Divine Power' is still able to be used.

Taerang then said the following.

– As a result, releasing immediately.

Click.

Alberu flinched and his eyes opened wide.

He could feel a bullet that was different from the usual mana bullet filling the barrel.

– Five seconds. Divine Power will release in five seconds.

It is strongly recommended that you use it somewhere dark, without anybody in the line of fire.

'It's firing all of a sudden?'

– 5, 4-

'Damn it!'

Alberu immediately pointed the barrel somewhere.

The darkest place without anybody…

It was the sky.

-2, 1.

Fire.

Click.

He heard a mechanical click in the gun and the gunshot blared through the night.

Tang—!

Alberu saw it at that moment.

Saint Jack commented on what Alberu had seen.

"…Light...!"

To describe in more detail…

"The power of the sun...!"

It was light filled with the power of the sun.

There was only one thing that could mean.

"Divine Power!"

Although it had no offensive power or healing power… He was sure this was Divine Power even though it did not seem to hold any of a Divine Power's usual abilities.

Saint Jack subconsciously dropped his jaw.

In this night without magic…

The small light that shot out of the sun slowly started getting bigger as it headed for the sky.

It looked as if a small sun was rising.

That was why everybody on the ground, and not just Alberu, could see this right now.

Rosalyn, who was in a chaotic state because of the mana disturbance, could hear the Knight Captain mumble while blankly looking up at the sky.

"…The sun...!"

The Knight Captain seemed shocked at what he just said before he teared up and looked at the others around him.

The knights and soldiers of the Roan Kingdom all looked at each other as well.

They all had the same thought on their minds.

The Roan Kingdom's Crossman royal family.

This family was said to have the blood chosen by the Sun God.

That legend that they heard every so often since they were little were clear in their minds right now.

They were remembering that legend in this darkness, as if they were getting back memories they had lost.

Alberu Crossman was thinking about that legend as well.

He also remembered 'the truth.'

He was thinking about the Sun God's curse that was on the Crossman royal family for having the ancient White Star's blood.

Furthermore, Alberu was thinking about the Sun God's curse toward the Dark Elf blood flowing through his body.

Finally, he was thinking about himself, who was meant to be here, despite all these things.

Alberu chuckled and mumbled to himself.

"…This… feels like I really became the sun or something."

He shook his head.

"No."

Alberu raised his head.

It was the night of a new moon.

"I am the moon."

What rose in the sky was not the sun, it was the moon.

Others might think this was the sun, but it was different for him.

Alberu looked down at Puzzle City. He couldn't see the gazes of the people below, but he could feel it.

Cale Henituse might freak out if he saw this, but…

"…I might be able to become a legend as well."

'It might be quite the interesting picture.'

Unlike Cale Henituse, Alberu was someone who knew how to enjoy and use something like this to his advantage as well.

***

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]