Chapter 58: Fluttering Ashes (4)

Like the first time seeing the calm ocean… The radiance that the calmness that makes you unable to fathom its depth gives you…

This white light resembled that.

On the other hand, a violent and dangerous power that looked as if it would burn its whole body without caring about breaking at any moment…

This rose gold light resembled that.

"What are you looking at?! Run!"

An Agent of Destruction shouted almost as if ordering people around.

"B, but..."

A citizen of the Empire who was running far, as far away from the plaza as possible could not help but look back.

The fight between light against light…

They could no longer see the people causing those lights.

"But, my ass!"

"The Duke-nim-"

"Haaaa, you are so frustrating! Isn't it obvious?! Can't you tell who is trying to protect you?!"

"I know, I know, but-"

"But what?! What's the problem?! Hurry up and move! Otherwise both you and I are going to die from the aftershock of that fight!"

The citizen scowled and shouted after being urged by the Agent.

"The Duke is being pushed back!"

"What?"

"The Duke is being completely manhandled!"

"Huh?"

"It's just swallowing it!"

The light resembling the ocean was being swallowed by the fire.

The Agent subconsciously turned back. He looked at the same place that the citizen had been looking at until just moments ago.

The rose gold light was moving.

It was moving while consuming the white light.

"How..."

Reddock Huayans could see the white light being pushed back by the rose gold light as soon as they touched.

He could see the faint blue pebbles that were slowly rising from the rose gold light completely swallowing up the white light.

"…According to my calculations-"

Thinking about the report about Cale Henituse's powers and using the white sand desert as foundation…

Reddock Huayans' strength should be strong enough to defeat Cale Henituse.

'Even if it is disadvantageous when it comes to compatibility-'

The Huayans patriarch had used enough strength to overcome that disadvantage and still swallow up the rose gold light.

He had condensed…

And condensed once more to make this white light extremely concentrated.

The power concentrated within this white light was beyond that of the white sand desert despite how it looked.

He was sure of it.

"But why-"

"Why are you being pushed back?

Pfft."

The Huayans patriarch could see Cale Henituse chuckling.

Cale was smiling with a rose gold light wrapped around him.

This tired smile did not fit the violent power surrounding him.

"That's because you are weak?"

"What fucking bullshit!"

The Huayans patriarch's hand moved.

Arrows shot out from the white light following his movement and headed toward Cale.

'My house has made this! This white magic that we created just for this world! There is no way that this great magic would be pushed back by that puny power!'

Dead mana. The great way to erase the black light from it and make it glow white…

"Why is it bullshit?"

Cale gently moved his hand.

Crackle. Crack!

A current that shot out from the rose gold light surrounding Cale smashed against the arrows.

Baaaaang—! Baaaaang!

There were multiple explosions as all of the arrows disappeared.

However, the current remained.

Baaaaaaaaaang—!

The current attacked the white light.

"Ugh!"

The Huayans patriarch was pushed back three steps because of the explosion. He had cast a shield but it was destroyed.

He was pushed back from the aftershock.

'I was pushed back?'

It was just a small scale impact but it made it clear about the results of this battle.

'That power is stronger than me.'

Reddock's pupils started to shake. It could not be helped.

'Nameless 1.'

The test subject in that world named the White Star…

That experiment had failed.

The Hunters naturally tried to figure out the cause of the failure and had managed to gather lots of information.

Cale Henituse.

The conclusive reason for why the White Star test subject became useless.

Of course they had gathered information on the strength of this reason.

"H, he should not be able to defeat me."

According to the information, there was no way that Cale Henituse could defeat him.

'That is why I didn't pay much attention to it.'

Cale was nothing to worry about.

The Hunters had believed that Cale Henituse's level of strength was within their control.

That was why he had ignored Cale.

Nobody would pay any attention to a puny ant that they could crush at any moment.

'Yes, that is how it is supposed to be.

This bastard should not be able to use this much fire power.

But he is able to do so?

The information that 'those Hunters' gathered was wrong?'

There was no way that those Hunters would give out false information.

Then there was only one conclusion.

Astonishment was visible on the Huayans patriarch's stoic face as he looked at Cale Henituse.

"…You were hiding your full strength?"

'Hmm?'

Cale was confused for a moment.

'But I didn't?'

Cale had not hidden his full strength.

– He even went to the white desert. Hide your power?! You basically used it whenever you needed to after getting here! Kahahaha! Because you won't faint! Kahahaha!

Cale easily ignored the crazed words of the cheapskate.

He focused on the patriarch instead.

'Something is weird.

Why does he look so scared?'

The patriarch looked extremely wary and did not dare to attack Cale.

His eyes were wide open as if he was trying to observe each and every one of Cale's movements.

"…You should not be able to use this much power."

'That is true.'

Cale easily accepted the words that the patriarch struggled to get out.

'I find it to be odd as well.'

Cale had also never imagined there to be a world where the Fire of Destruction would be so efficient.

'That is why I find it so fishy.'

He heard the silent Super Rock's voice at that moment.

– The shadows become bigger as the light gets stronger. Its reaction to dead mana seemed to become a greater power in this world.

– The world is always trying to achieve balance.

The Super Rock quietly added on.

-That is why balance is so scary.

The cheapskate chimed in as well.

– Kahahaha! Anyway, let's enjoy it to the fullest since it is a good thing!

Cale slightly shook his head at the cheapskate's thoughtless words. However, he kept his gaze focused on the Huayans patriarch.

He didn't know what that man might try to do.

"Ha!"

The Huayans patriarch must have misinterpreted Cale shaking his head as he let out a sigh-like scoff.

"Yes, you must think that I am foolish!"

'Mm.'

Cale slowly prepared to move.

The Huayans patriarch looked dangerous.

The Huayans patriarch spoke as if to console himself as Cale tried to become as alert as possible.

"Your main power is not the fire power. That is not the power you use the most. So if your fire power is at this level, the other powers must be extremely strong."

'Hmm?'

"That is why you probably think I am nothing. Haha, I truly do look like a fool right now. You were not someone we should have ignored like that. Yes, that is why you crossed dimensions to come here and attack me."

'Wait a minute...?

I did look down on you but only my fire power has become exaggerated. The rest remained the same?'

Cale kept his mouth shut as he had no reason to correct an enemy's misunderstanding.

"You, Cale Henituse. You must be aiming for the other patriarchs as well?"

The Huayans patriarch's sleeves fluttered.

"That should be entertaining. The other bastards will probably not care about your existence or think the same way I did even if they do know about you!"

"Are you done?"

"...!"

Cale charged forward.

The Sound of the Wind he had prepared earlier was already around his ankles.

"Did you think I would not notice you trying to stall?"

"Ugh!"

The Huayans patriarch's hands urgently started to move.

It looked as if his hands were moving to create a seal to cast a spell.

"We were watching you this whole time. Isn't that right?"

Cale calmly spoke to someone.

The Huayans patriarch got chills on his back. That question did not seem directed at him.

It was at that moment.

"...!"

Under his feet…

The Huayans patriarch felt a stealthy power shooting up from below him.

It was a power he had not felt because his attention was on Cale Henituse's rose gold light.

"Shit!"

The Huayans patriarch stopped his seals and stretched both hands toward the ground.

"Hehe, I'm faster!"

He heard a young voice before a black magic circle appeared on the ground.

It resembled a shadow that appeared because of his white light.

Chhhhhhhhhhhh-!

Black vines shot up from inside the black magic circle. They resembled the vines of the large black tree that existed outside of Precinct 9.

The vines that shot up wrapped around the Huayans patriarch's feet and moved up.

"...!"

The patriarch's eyes opened wide but his movements were calm.

He immediately cast another spell.

Swords glowing white appeared. The mana swords cut through the air to slice the black vines.

Pssssssssss-

However, they all disappeared.

They disappeared without any explosions or commotion.

Tap. Tap.

The Huayans patriarch could see Cale Henituse riding the wind to approach him.

Sssss— ssssss–

All of the white light touching Cale's rose gold light disappeared as Cale got closer.

They turned into white ashes and fluttered into the air.

It was as if the fire was creating snow.

"Fuck!"

Reddock Huayans tried to run.

The sacrifices and the preparations for the ritual were complete.

'I just needed to put it into action!

It was a miscalculation!'

He realized his mistake.

He thought that he was a step forward and could suppress the enemy because he had information on the enemy.

However, that was a big mistake.

The information, everything he knew about the enemy had been wrong.

The person in front of him had such a destructive power that he could not handle.

Furthermore, he had other powers of nature beside this fire power that were just as strong.

'Fuck!'

This would be a big threat not just to him but his family and the entire Hunters organization.

Crack, crackle.

The vines continued to bind him.

They clung to him despite being destroyed by the white light. They did everything they could to hold on.

Of course, the patriarch was trying to cast a teleportation even in his current state.

However, he could tell that it was useless.

A path was created within the white light.

It was naturally a path only opened to the person charging forward with the rose gold light.

The Huayans patriarch felt a hand grabbing his neck through the white ashes fluttering in the air.

He then saw a smiling face.

Pss-

His shirt burned away into ashes after touching the current.

"As expected, the teleportation was a feint and this was what you were really trying to do, wasn't it?"

The patriarch's body was being dyed black.

It was like the Emperor earlier.

However, it was different in some aspects.

The Huayans patriarch's eyes were focused.

"Hmm."

Cale could fathom the identity of this state.

"Is it some kind of overload? A final card to let out all of your power?"

The Huayans patriarch could not speak while being choked. Cale Henituse, this guy's gaze was so cold.

"If I can purify you, all of the strength you have gathered until now will disappear. Right?"

However, his voice was extremely friendly.

– Cale! You can't purify dead mana that has seeped into a person or living creature and become a part of them!

Cale ignored the cheapskate and looked into the patriarch's eyes as he spoke in a warm voice.

"I'll tell you something about my power that you guys don't know about. The hidden secret behind this fire power of mine."

The Huayans patriarch's pupils started to shake.

He realized what Cale was saying.

"N, no way, you are capable of purifying people infected by dead mana?!"

Cale smiled after hearing the astonished voice.

"Are you curious to see if it is possible or not? Should I tell you? All of the information you had until now has been wrong. So I really want to show it to you. I want to show you my true power."

He then added on.

"But then what would happen to you? What would you be without dead mana?"

The Huayans patriarch felt intense pressure as Cale smiled.

A Hunter who has lost all of his strength… Being a regular person… It was something the Huayans patriarch didn't even want to imagine. He would rather die.

'He's serious!

This bastard is seriously trying to purify me.'

The Huayans patriarch couldn't help but look at Cale as if he was crazy. He was scared.

'Is he telling the truth? Can he really purify dead mana that a person has absorbed?'

The cheapskate chimed in again.

– Cale! I told you that you cannot purify black mages or necromancers who have already fused with dead mana! Even people who are poisoned! I tried it before! That was why I burned up all of the dead mana and tried to burn the entire continent!

– Ah, come on.

It was rare to hear the Super Rock sound so annoyed.

– Be quiet! Can't you tell?! Cale is threatening the Huayans patriarch right now.

– …Is that what he is doing?

Raon spoke energetically while the cheapskate sounded embarrassed.

– Human, you smiling like that looks so reliable right now!

Cale ignored Raon and the ancient powers as he channeled a rose gold current into the hand that was not choking the Huayans patriarch.

"Now then, shall we give it a try?"

He moved the hand with the rose gold current toward the Huayans patriarch's upper body that was dyed black.

***

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]