Chapter 38: The First Law of the Hunt (1)

Cale had never used the Fire of Destruction beyond its maximum level until now.

However, he did it today.

He had used twenty five times the maximum level today.

"It's not here."

– …Y, you're right.

It's not here.

"…The tree is not here."

The vines and trunk of the black tree that was even larger than the Lord's Castle was not there.

The roots were naturally not there either.

"…The lake isn't here either."

There was a large pit with Cale at the center.

Whether it was the lake, the black tree, or its vines…

Nothing was here.

"…I was planning on leaving a portion of the black tree."

He was also planning on leaving some of the lake's water.

He was thinking about taking the two things back to Marquis Helson to investigate.

– …I, I've never burned anything like this either.

The cheapskate could not hide the shock in his voice.

– Cale.

However, that shock slowly disappeared and the Fire of Destruction's voice started to be filled with excitement.

– Cale, if it is like this, I think that we can burn up all of the dead mana in this world! What do you say? Let's go burn it all up right now!

Cale ignored the comments of the cheapskate who sounded like he had gone a bit crazy. He thought that the cheapskate's eyes would have rolled over if he saw him right now.

'It feels a bit off.'

The cheapskate's words oddly sounded a bit off.

Cale did his best to ignore it and looked around once again.

"Dawn is arriving."

Now that the dark cloud with the fiery thunderbolt had disappeared from the sky…

The sky that had only revealed itself around the lake was completely visible all around now.

That was how much Cale's fiery thunderbolt had swallowed the dead mana in the area.

The sky that had stars shining down was slowly turning from black to dark blue as dawn arrived. It would soon be morning after that.

"Hmm."

Cale lowered his head and looked down now.

– It's white.

The black sand was gone and white sand had replaced them.

– It is not the original sand color. It is probably because it lost its color after being polluted by dead mana for so long.

The cheapskate clicked his tongue in pity.

– At least it is pretty.

Cale looked around. A couple hundred meters, no, basically everywhere Cale could see now had white sand.

There would probably be black sand again if he traveled a couple kilometers, but at least everything he could see right now had sand without dead mana.

'Is that why the pit is so visible?'

The large pit that was at least a couple dozen meters in length was even larger than the lake.

– The ground is white too.

The ground where the lake had been was white too.

Dig. Dig.

Cale used the tip of his shoe to dig into the ground.

The white sand gently broke and scattered.

Swoooooooosh-

Cale even covered his foot with the Sound of the Wind and started to dig more.

Cale was standing at the deepest spot of the pit. Thanks to that, he could see some dirt with the original color of the ground after digging for a bit.

– That's a relief.

The Super Rock, who had been silent, chimed in.

– It looks like the Xiaolen World still has some room to recover.

Cale's mouth opened.

"Will it grow if I plant a World Tree?"

– …Ah, are you talking about that fake World Tree?

The fake World Tree that Cale had used Embrace on in the Eastern continent's Molden Palace basement to bring with him…

Ring ring!

Cale suddenly heard a cheerful noise coming from his pocket.

The sound was coming from the mirror divine item that the God of Death had given him.

It sounded like the ringtone when someone sent a message, but Cale completely ignored it.

'It's obviously going to be from Xiaolen. This place, this world is probably trying to contact me.'

If not, it was probably the God of Death.

'No.

It could be his highness too.' Cale turned away from Eruhaben's gold shield and cautiously pulled the mirror out.

It would be bad if the Black Bloods learned about this divine item.

< A message has arrived from the Xiaolen world. >

< - Get another mine and... [See more of the message]>

Cale put the divine item back in his pocket without any hesitation. It was a message he did not need to pay any attention to right now.

– Don't you need to check that?

One corner of Cale's lips twisted up at the Super Rock's question.

"I'm not the one who is in a rush."

It was this world that was in a rush right now.

Honestly speaking, Cale had his doubts about something regarding this world.

'I can't help but feel iffy about it.'

The rewards that Xiaolen has offered him, including the magic stones mien…

Would he be able to properly receive them in a world so seriously polluted by dead mana?

Cale's trust in it was even less because this was the first world that the God of Death brought him to help.

It was because he felt that similar people would hang out together.

'But I need to get everything I'm supposed to get.

Even better if I get more than I am promised.'

Cale was ignoring the message for that reason.

"It looks like it is pretty much finished for now."

He at least finished taking care of the monster.

Cale turned around and headed toward the gold shield. The whirlwinds were gone from his ankles as he headed out of the pit.

– It feels a bit empty now that everything was burnt away.

He heard the cheapskate's voice.

– The lake was pretty.

The cheapskate must be having a lot of lingering impressions as he was quite talkative unlike his usual self.

Cale thought about the lake that had surrounded the black tree monster.

'Mm.

It really was nice to look at.

The white sand might mix with the black sand again if the wind blows and this pit might end up being covered in black sand that is blown over.'

Cale turned around for a moment and reached toward the pit that he just climbed out from.

"Should I mark it for now?"

Splash-

A water spear appeared in his hand.

– My goodness!

The Super Rock gasped.

– You really are overflowing with power!

Cale ignored his shocked comment and gently threw the spear into the deepest part of the pit.

Splash—!

The spear spread once it touched the pit and created a small pool of water. Although it was extremely small in comparison to the lake…

'I'll have to ask Eruhaben-nim to fill it up.'

Now that this area was purified, a lake that was larger and more beautiful than before will appear if Eruhaben used magic to fill it up.

Cale slowly started to walk toward the gold shield that was still maintaining its form.

"Are you okay, sir?"

Eruhaben looked at Cale, who waved in an extremely relaxed manner as if he had gone for a stroll, with an odd expression on his face.

'He looks fine.'

Cale seemed completely fine.

'Ho.'

He kept his gasp of astonishment to himself.

'…My shield was completely destroyed and we were almost all sent flying but he's not coughing up any blood after using that much power?'

Eruhaben had to cast shield after shield to block Cale's power that had continuously destroyed the shields.

If it was not because he still had a lot of highest-grade magic stones and the area becoming purified made it easier to use his mana…

If Cale's power had not caused such a short explosion but had continued for a few more minutes…

Eruhaben's shield would have been destroyed into pieces.

'But it is not like I can tell him that.'

The ancient Dragon had too much pride to admit to something like that.

"Are you okay?"

That was all he could ask.

"Yes sir."

Eruhaben withdrew his gold shield after hearing Cale's calm response.

Cale looked around.

'What the hell?'

Fourth Imperial Prince Noi was crying as he looked at Cale. His fists were clenched and he was shaking.

'…And what is up with that bastard?'

Zero was snickering while looking at Cale with an extremely ardent gaze.

'Why does he slightly remind me of Clopeh Sekka-

No, Clopeh doesn't laugh like a crazy bastard like this.'

Zero was not crying right now but his face was full of marks from having cried.

'What the hell? Just what happened inside here?'

Cale was completely confused.

Thankfully, the rest of the candidates lowered their heads or curled up in fear and avoided his gaze when he looked in their direction.

As for Marquis Helson's subordinates, they bowed deeply while looking at Cale.

He could feel the awe and respect they felt toward him.

'Mm.'

They were acting extremely respectfully. Cale simply ignored them because he did not want to get used to such an atmosphere.

Cale's gaze turned toward Chief Eaen. To be more specific, he was looking at the video communication device in her hand.

"Oh esteemed purifier."

However, Chief Eaen called out to Cale in an extremely solemn voice and knelt down on one knee to greet him, making Cale flinch.

It reminded him of what the people of the Church of the Fire of Purification had done when he first arrived in this world.

Thankfully, she did not get down on her knees and bow down with her head on the ground as they had done.

'…Is that really a relief?

This is a situation I should feel relieved about, right?'

Cale had that question but brushed it aside for now.

'I'm sure Chief Eaen is being strategic knowing what we still have left to do.'

At least he thought that was the case.

'…That should be the reason, right?'

Cale brushed aside the question once again.

He started to walk.

He walked past Choi Han.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes sir."

Choi Han lowered his head and then raised it as he answered in a short but resolute voice. Cale patted Choi Han's shoulder once before continuing to walk.

'He shows no traces of coughing up blood and he is not pale. He also doesn't look like he will faint.'

Choi Han meticulously inspected Cale's condition and reached a conclusion.

'…Cale-nim is fine.'

He was much better than what Choi Han had expected.

His complexion was a bit off so it looked like he did push himself a bit, but… Cale definitely did not show any signs of being about to faint.

'That's a relief.'

An innocent smile appeared on Choi Han's face.

'Ha!'

First young lady Mineh scoffed internally while watching this.

She found the sword master's innocent smile to be disgusting. But the thing that she really could not believe was…

'He ignored me?'

This so-called purifier did not even glance at the first young lady of the Huayans.

He treated her like a random rock on the road.

'Hmm?'

However, that feeling of disbelief soon turned into confusion.

The purifier walked past the Dragon as well.

Then the First Imperial Prince.

He did not even glance at them.

It was as if they did not even have the qualifications to receive his gaze.

Instead, he spoke to one of his comrades.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes sir, I am okay."

Heni Wishrop. She spoke respectfully to the purifier.

The eyes of the people watching clouded over.

Heni Wishrop did not do anything, but even their short interaction was enough to feel the amount of respect she had for the purifier.

'It's him.'

The purifier really was the leader.

It was to the point that even Marquis Helson's close confidant knelt down on one knee and bowed her head.

'But I guess it only makes sense for him to be the leader.'

Mineh had quite the excessive expression on her face as she glared at the purifier but her mind was calm.

She had no choice.

Although it was less visible because she was tightly bound by the gold mana rope, her fingertips had been shaking while looking at the bundle of light earlier.

'Even the patriarch-nim probably can't use that kind of power.'

Her grandfather, the Huayans patriarch, was the strongest person she knew in this world.

However, even her grandfather could not create such a bundle of light.

'Most importantly, it destroyed the dead mana and purified the area around it.'

The purifier would be revered as the savior of the world if his existence was revealed to the world.

Mineh kept her eyes on the purifier and observed him nonstop.

'Where did such a person come from? Is he someone the Church of the Fire of Purification has raised?

Does he really have the power of a god?

In that case, what will happen to this world?

This person looks like he will be an enemy of the House of Huayans. How do we face such a person?

Most importantly, how do I inform grandfather about this?'

Mineh watched the purifier nodding his head at Heni Wishrop saying she was okay as all sorts of thoughts filled her mind.

"I'm glad that everybody is fine."

The purifier leisurely said that before moving his hand.

Almost as if he was about to pick up a teacup… His movements were extremely relaxed and unrestrained as if he was doing something obvious.

"Ugh!"

He then grabbed someone's hood with his hand and pulled it back.

'…Shit!'

Mineh's eyes opened wide.

The purifier had pulled someone's hood to reveal his face.

'Why that person-?!'

Mineh felt an unexplainable sense of anxiety.

The purifier stoically looked at the face of the First Imperial Prince's other helper, the person that others did not pay much attention to this whole time.

The helper of the House of Huayans…

The person who came from the Central Plains…

"Ugh!"

The man whose head was pulled back because Cale pulled the hood looked at Cale with anxious eyes.

"As I expected."

The corners of Cale's lips curled up.

'Hey Cale, the First Imperial Prince's last helper doesn't show any closeness to the First Imperial Prince.'

The team leader, who had continuously gathered information for them in the Imperial Palace and at the Lord's Castle, had said that to him.

'He does seem close to the first young lady though. We probably should confirm his identity.'

Choi Han's eyes opened wide after looking at the helper's face.

'Black yes, black hair!'

Furthermore, an appearance that made him think of Korea or Asia in general.

Cale moved his other hand. He then pushed the man's robe to one side.

He could see the top that the man was wearing.

The crest on his chest…

"Ha, haha-"

Cale started to laugh.

He thought that he needed to look further into the man's identity, but there was no need to do so anymore.

"What the hell? There is no way I wouldn't know after seeing this."

Cale saw some letters that should not exist in Xiaolen or the world that Cale lives in.

Cale spoke to the man who was getting anxious.

"Which world did you come from?"

'What?'

Through the anxious people who did not understand what he meant…

The anxious helper and Mineh… Only the two of them stiffened up.

"Hmm. Let's see. Should I make a guess?"

Cale asked as he smiled.

"You came from the Central Plains, right?"

Cale had read a lot about the Central Plains through wuxia novels.

In many wuxia novels, there was an organization in addition to the Demon Cult that was described as an organization of crazed believers. In some instances, they were expressed as an even worse organization than the Demon Cult.

His smile became even brighter.

"You're part of the Blood Cult."

Blood.

This Hunter's shirt has a red Chinese character for blood (血) on the chest.

Team leader Lee Soo Hyuk had said the following to Cale.

The Blood Cult.

One of the Hunter households was the Blood Cult of the Central Plains.

Cale pointed at that character and laughed in disbelief.

Cale truly found this to be funny. Who knew that the enemy would be walking around so openly?

"No, this, no, how-"

On the other hand, the enemy did not expect this at all.

There should be nobody in this world who recognized this character.

The glorious position of going to another dimension…

The Blood cultist who rose to that position would have the character for blood on their chest to maintain their identity.

It did not matter since nobody would recognize the character.

The helper looked at the purifier, someone who had recognized a character that nobody should recognize in Xiaolen, with shaking pupils.

Cale let out a short laugh.

"Are you stupid? How could you make it so obvious?"

Cale gently patted the Blood Cultist on the back as if he pitied him.

"Who are you?!"

Mineh almost screeched in astonishment at that moment and Cale looked at her with the smile gone from his face.

"Me?"

Cale debated for a moment before responding without any hesitation.

"The Hunter who hunts Hunters."

—
Translator's Comments

Hunter-ception!

***

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]