Chapter 759: Seeing it all (4)

Clopeh's hands were shaking.

He subconsciously clenched the hand that was holding the automatic video recording device.

'What am I looking at right now?'

He had moved quicker than anybody else to install the automatic video recording devices at the end of the temple before the others arrived.

'Something great will happen here!'

He had full faith that it would happen. This was the last room of the temple. No matter what it might be, Clopeh was certain that Cale Henituse would reach his peak as a hero here in this place.

'Bang!'

The door suddenly opened at that moment.

The sculpture in the wall that had been silent while Clopeh had been moving around suddenly shot out red lights.

That light gave Clopeh the same ominous feeling he got when he saw the red eyes while leaving the final wrath test.

Everything had happened all of a sudden.

'Baaaaaaaaaang—!'

There was then a loud explosion and the red light exploded after hitting something.

He then saw someone charging toward that explosion.

'Cale Henituse...!'

Clopeh's eyes filled with delight the moment he realized who it was. But he had a question at the same time.

'Did you rest well?'

Cale was warmly saying that toward the explosion.

'Who? Who rested?'

Clopeh thought for a moment about who Cale might be addressing. There was no way Cale would be saying that to him.

"…Oh no!"

Crack.

The automatic video recording devices in Clopeh's hand cracked a bit.

However, Clopeh could not focus on something like that. His eyes opened wide and he started smiling.

'It's that bastard.'

He could slowly start to see red hair through the explosion.

'The White Star!'

That bastard suddenly appeared here.

Boom. Boom.

Clopeh's heart was beating intensely.

'Cale Henituse and the White Star. Their long battle is finally coming to an end.'

"…Ah."

'I'm the only person who gets to witness it.'

Clopeh felt as if his heart was hurting from the intense emotion. His eyes headed toward the sculpture as his heart beat like that.

Red light. He was sure this was the work of the god who ran away from the first test.

'How dare he...!'

He glared at the sculpture with a cold gaze that was completely different from the fervor visible in his eyes just moments before.

At that moment…

Swooooooosh-

He heard the sound of a whirlwind.

Clopeh turned his gaze.

He made eye contact with Cale, whose eyes were now red.

Cale's eyes opened a bit wider before he looked away from Clopeh, pulled back his silver shield, and sent the whirlwind flying toward the White Star.

Clopeh smiled.

'As expected.'

The hero would not pull Clopeh into this battle.

It was probably because it was dangerous.

Clopeh chucked the cracked video recording device on the ground and clasped his hands together.

Chhhhh-

The red book being opened…

The red leaves surrounding Cale…

And Cale's hair that was as red as blood…

This sight was truly beautiful.

'…What is that?'

Clopeh then looked at a small black and white dagger with a confused gaze.

However, there was someone here who was even more confused.

'What the hell?'

It was Cale.

'Why is Clopeh here?'

Cale, who had looked away from the White Star to be cautious after hearing something break and rustling, saw Clopeh, whose eyes were opened wide as he smiled with an extremely scary look on his face.

'You motherfucking son of a bitch of a god!'

He had said that Cale was the first to complete the tests. The god who claimed that he would even swear on his authority as a god was a complete liar.

'I was right not to believe him.'

He quickly looked away from Clopeh and his scary expression.

That punk was not important right now.

"Cale Henituse...!"

The White Star was coming out of the golden plaque and trying to find his balance.

'Good.'

There was one thing about the current situation that Cale did like.

The White Star did not have his Embrace released in a relaxed situation.

The Embrace was forcibly removed because of the God of Despair's red light attack.

It should be hard for the White Star to get his bearings because the seal was removed with the golden plaque breaking.

'This makes it easy.'

Cale's condition was great.

As someone who had fought against the complete White Star in the illusion, a White Star who could not even get his bearings was nothing for Cale.

The White Star looked physically fine as the dust from the explosion settled.

However, Cale could see it.

The White Star's true nature was visible in his now clear red eyes.

– Look carefully.

The pages of the diary quickly flipped as he heard Drew's voice.

The red leaves…

Cale could see the annual rings being drawn on top of the White Star's body through the fluttering leaves.

They looked almost like spider webs.

They also resembled the ground when it cracked from being too dry.

"You dare to do that to me!"

The Sword of Disasters instantly burned red in the White Star's hand.

However, Cale did not see it.

He was only focused on the lines being drawn on top of the White Star's body.

'I can see it.'

The lines were creating numerous circles.

Large, small, thin, thick… Rough, soft…

'Ah.'

Cale held back a gasp.

'Time. Those lines are all time.'

Numerous lines of time were being drawn on top of the White Star's body.

They were of all different sizes and consistency based on the countless bodies he had reincarnated through.

However, all of those numerous circles were captured inside one large circle.

'That's it.'

This large annual ring contained all those almost disgustingly large amounts of circles.

It was quite large, but was ripped in multiple places and losing its form.

The White Star.

His name in his first life, Cale Barrow.

The annual ring from that life where he chose to become the White Star from the last Dragon Slayer had been damaged, ripped, and broken through his 1,000 years of life.

'I guess it really is a curse.'

This curse of endless reincarnation for the White Star…

It truly was a curse.

Cale could feel it now that he could see the annual rings.

The White Star's largest annual ring would break completely in a few more lives and crumble to the point it will lose its function.

Then the White Star would continue reincarnating without maintaining his identity.

This curse that makes him lose things he cherishes…

The curse from the God of Death would take the one last thing he cherishes in the end.

It would make him lose himself as well.

'How scary.'

Cale, who now learned the truth about the curse, looked at the White Star's eyes for the first time today.

Craaaackle-!

The fire sword with natural disaster headed toward Cale.

Cale did not stop despite seeing the sword. In fact, he walked toward the White Star even more and reached out his hand that was not holding the dagger.

Swooooooosh-

A whirlwind quickly left Cale's hand and shot out.

Bang!

The sword and the wind crashed against each other.

"Ugh!"

The White Star's arm that was holding the sword was pushed back from impact.

'What is going on?'

The White Star had snapped back to his senses from the sudden seal removal and attacked Cale.

Whether it was quickly killing Cale or running away… Or taking the sealed god… Those were the only three choices he had left.

The attack bounced off.

He knew that Cale Henituse would be able to reflect an attack of this caliber.

However, the White Star got chills after seeing Cale's eyes that had turned red.

Although Cale Henituse looked into his eyes…

The White Star felt as if Cale was not looking at him.

Cale was looking not at him, but at something else.

'What is it?'

The White Star didn't have time for such thoughts.

Cale moved his hand again.

Swoooosh-

Swiiiiiish— Swiiiiiiiish—-

Bursts of wind quickly shot toward the White Star one after another.

"You bastard-!"

The White Star, who barely managed to stand up straight, quickly cast his water wall, but the whirlwinds and Cale were quicker.

Pang!

Pang! Pang!

The whirlwinds struck the White Star in three spots.

Those spots were his hand that was not holding a sword and his two feet.

The White Star's body opened wide from the impacts.

However, the White Star was not only on the receiving end.

Crackle-

A red boomerang that shot out of the fire sword that was larger than ever flew toward Cale who was only one step in front of him.

Swoooooooosh-

North, south, east, and west. Wind walls that appeared in all four directions started to close in to capture Cale.

Chhhhh-

The water wall was now protecting the White Star.

"…I knew it would be like this."

Cale chuckled after that short comment.

"Cale-nim!"

Cale felt an evil aura headed toward him the moment Clopeh shouted.

He didn't turn his head.

It was obvious that this was the sealed god's aura.

Red light filled the sculpture's eyes again.

That light looked ready to aim at Cale at any moment.

– Cale, did you know it would end up like this?

The Super Rock asked.

Cale did not respond back.

The Super Rock said his response instead.

– The White Star would use the water wall to protect himself if you use your shield to stop that red light. And you will have to waste time to block the Sword of Disasters and the wind wall.

Cale clenched his hand that was holding the dagger.

– Why you only used a little bit of ancient powers…

Why you are so calm and relaxed right now…

Why you stopped for a moment with one step in between you and the White Star… There was a reason for that.

The Super Rock sounded sad.

– The best method in this situation is to dodge that red light and the White Star's attack and defense.

In order to dodge everything while getting to the White Star…

You need speed.

Cale had such speed.

– Cale. You remember what that Dragon, Mila, told you, right?

The beige colored Dragon. Dodori's mom Mila had used her attribute, Connect Together, to fix Cale's plate.

'My power… Connect Together is quite useful for putting things together without leaving any traces of it happening. However… I cannot use my power twice on the same person.'

'Teacher, your plate is large, but it is as weak as glass. So, please be careful.'

– The Dragon told you.

'There is no next time.'

– She said that there is no next time.

He knew.

Cale knew that that was the case as well.

Instant.

Kim Rok Soo's ability that let him transcend time for five seconds.

Cale was not planning on using that power completely.

'Half a second.'

According to his calculations, it would only take half a second.

No, in the Instant state, it should take even less than that.

There was only one step between the White Star and Cale.

In this situation…

– But your plate shouldn't be harmed since it is just one step.

'Yes. I'm doing this because I know that that is the case.'

– However, this is only if you don't use any ancient powers while using Instant.

'I know.'

– Just to be safe, don't use the Annual Rings of Life either.

'I know that too. That's why I already recorded the White Star's annual rings.'

Cale raised his dagger.

He didn't know about this, but the people watching him do this had different thoughts.

'Can he stab the White Star with a dagger in that situation? Is that punk planning on using that power?!'

Alberu, who was watching from outside the temple, jumped up. He then stood in front of Raon, On, and Hong.

Instant. He knew what would happen to Cale's body if he used that power.

The numerous people outside the temple were watching with anticipation as they knew Cale would do something with that dagger.

'What is our esteemed legend planning on doing?!'

Clopeh, who was in the same area inside the temple, had his eyes opened wide as he ran toward the sculpture.

He was looking forward to what Cale was planning on this simple yet mysterious dagger.

And finally…

'What is he trying to do, attacking me with something like that-'

The White Star was moving to fix his body that had been spread open as he had that thought.

However, he could not finish that thought.

'Huh?'

Everything stopped.

He thought that time had stopped.

At least, it felt that way.

Puuk!

Cale had stabbed himself in the chest with the dagger.

Chhhhhhh-

The dagger that was stabbed all the way to Cale's heart was immediately pulled out by Cale.

The black and white dagger was sparkling once it absorbed Cale's blood.

At that moment… Time started flowing slowly for Cale.

No, it moved faster than ever before for other people.

So many things had happened in such a short instant.

In this very short time of less than one second…

Cale took a step forward.

Plop.

The diary fell to the ground.

The leaves and whirlwinds that had been surrounding Cale all disappeared.

Crack.

The skin on Cale's hand that was holding the dagger cracked.

There were gashes on his leg that burst open from a single step forward.

Blood spurted out of his chest that was stabbed by the dagger.

However, the only thing Cale's eyes were focused on were the annual rings that were starting to become faint.

He raised the dagger high into the air.

This dagger that had been stabbed into Cale's heart… His blood was flowing down from the tip.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Cale could feel the dagger beating.

It was beating like a heart.

In fact, it was beating exactly like Cale's heart.

The dagger that had been in asphyxia had woken up to beat together with Cale's heart.

After stabbing this heart that had restoration and healing powers… It was moving following the will of the owner of the heart.

Cale's arm moved.

The most worn out and weakest spot of the largest annual ring… The area right by the White Star's right collar bone…

Cale stabbed that bloodied dagger into that spot.

'What's going on?'

An instant. It was truly a short moment for the White Star who was looking at Cale.

As he wondered what was going on after seeing that Cale Henituse was suddenly right in front of him and bleeding…

"…Huff...."

His world started shaking.

It wasn't even a loud voice.

A quiet groan flowed out of his mouth.

He looked down.

A red dagger was stabbed into his collar bone.

Usually, this kind of attack wouldn't even leave an injury on his body.

But what was going on?

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaackle!

The White Star heard something that sounded as if something of his was being ripped away.

He couldn't see it, but he could realize it.

He had lost all strength in his body and the world was shaking.

He reached out his hand.

His shaking hand was placed on top of the hand holding the dagger.

Cale's hand that was holding the red dagger was shaking and bleeding.

The White Star looked at Cale.

Cale, whose eyes had turned back to normal instead of red at some point, the bleeding Cale simply spoke to the White Star in a calm voice.

"This is the end."

That was all he said.

***

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]