Chapter 276: After Sunset, the Night (6)

Caw, caw, caw.

The first to react to Cale’s Aura were the crows dominating the sky. Hearing their cawing, the expression on Lock, the Wolf Tribe Chief, lit up.

“Ah!”

Fortunately, that was his first thought. Cale Henituse. Just seeing him calmed the unease in Lock’s heart a bit.

‘Is this what a leader looks like?’

The mere presence of a leader inspires those who follow. Lock paused, thinking about the role of the leader that suddenly came to mind.

“Eeeek! Aaah!”

The screams of the Beast People intensified from all directions. Their pupils turned increasingly red, and their sclera turned black. To anyone, it wasn’t a normal appearance. Most of the predatory-type Beast People had this appearance, their fur suddenly growing, their claws and nails extending, and their size increasing. It wasn’t the typical Berserk appearance, and if compared, it reminded them of the first time they succumbed to it.

‘They seem even more tormented than before.’

Lock’s brow furrowed.

“U-Ugh!”

The moment he heard the scream of Ansen, the Wolf Tribe Chief living here, Lock’s heart started pounding again.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

And he also heard someone’s furious cry.

“How dare they... do this to us?!”

He turned his head. No, he looked up.

The White Snake, as large as a Dragon, stood, releasing her anger. Her surroundings were ravaged by the green poison she had spat out.

“Fire!”

“Attack!”

The attacks of mages and archers rained down on her, but the White Snake paid them no attention.

“Ryan!”

She headed towards where Ryan was. Lock had no time to watch this scene.

“Lock-nim!”

The anxious voice of Nia, the chief who had come with him from Snow Village, resonated. Along with the hunter Koukan, they watched the wolves, not knowing what to do.

“Grrr!”

And when Ansen’s scream became similar to the howl of a beast...

Aaaaawwwwww~

The howl of the beasts was heard from somewhere.

When the red sky turned black.

When the stars still shone faintly.

The beasts jumped over the walls.

All of them also had red pupils and black sclera.

‘They’ve already been controlled by Ryan.’

Lock immediately understood the situation.

And he thought about what he could do.

“We’ll suppress them first!”

At his words, Nia and Koukan stopped to respond.

“Ah.”

Seeing this, Lock sighed.

Nia and Koukan couldn’t properly control the Berserk Transformation. Nia lost her reason when she succumbed to it, and Koukan wasn’t strong enough to control it even when he activated it.

“I’ll do it!”

He said this and added.

“We’ll resolve it soon.”

Young Master Cale would do whatever was necessary. Lock at least had a faith based on this.

“Lock, I’ll help you too!”

The Killer Whale Archie, jumping while calling Ryan, approached and helped him. Already in the surroundings, the Beast People on Cale’s side, including the Tigers and the Dark Elf warriors, were suppressing the agitated Beast People.

“It’s dangerous, step back!”

Lock also said this to Nia and Koukan, and immediately he grabbed Chief Ansen’s arm and shoulder.

It was to control him.

“!”

Then he shuddered.

He looked at Nia’s expression as she retreated.

Lock clearly understood the emotion reflected in her eyes.

Frustration.

And helplessness.

They were emotions that Lock knew all too well, as he had experienced them in the past. He immediately understood Nia’s situation.

She was the Chief.

The Wolf Tribe Chief of the Grand Duchy of Snow, who had managed to survive hiding in the mountains. Nia was still young, but she had the responsibility of leading her people. That’s why she probably followed Lock to learn and grow, even if just a little. This current situation must be filling her with helplessness.

But...

Was there something I could say to her?

No.

He wanted to help but couldn’t think of how. So, Lock simply kept his gaze in mind and focused on what he had to do.

“Sir Ansen, I’m sorry.”

With those words, Lock grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the ground.

Thump!

“Grrr!”

A howl of pain and fury from Ansen. Lock calmly held him down and then searched his body.

‘I must find it.’

There must be a reason for the Beast People and animals to be like this. Ryan’s Attributes that he knew didn’t reach this point.

“What the hell has that guy done?!”

Archie’s shout also made Lock frown.

There’s nothing!

There were no other marks on his body.

He had hoped to find some kind of mark, but there was nothing.

What to do?

Lock’s gaze filled with urgency when his eyes met Ansen’s. Pupils that soon turned red. Those pupils looked at Lock.

Ah.

Ansen still had some sanity left. Lock realized this. And he also understood the anguish reflected in his eyes.

“This isn’t...”

Ansen barely managed to open his mouth.

“...this isn’t my will...”

Grrr!

He let out another beastly howl, losing his reason. The words the chief barely managed to utter.

It wasn’t his will.

At this moment, he had lost control of his own body. This wasn’t the Berserk Transformation. In the first Berserk Transformation, they lost reason and showed their beastly instincts, but this was clearly external control.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Lock felt his heart pounding and raised his head. His eyes met Archie’s.

“What’s wrong?”

Archie stopped involuntarily at Lock’s gaze and opened his mouth.

For the first time, Archie felt intimidated by the gaze of that boy, who normally seemed like a timid wolf.

Does this brat have something special in his gaze?

It reminded him of Cale, the Young Master, no, of Witira. When they were about to do something. It was as if it were the same.

“Please take care of the containment.”

Lock left the rest to Archie and immediately started moving. Then he kicked the ground. He turned and headed towards the city center, away from the gates. He cut through the chaos around him and looked around.

Witira, the White Snake, Gashan.

They were heading towards the center of the castle, towards the open space where the stage was. They had understood. The key to solving this situation was Ryan. And it wasn’t something that could be left solely in Cale’s hands.

“Lock, be careful!”

The voice of the Tiger Tribe Chief reached him.

“Hey, we’ll take care of them!”

Not just the Beast People in Berserk Transformation, but also the excited beasts trying to enter the castle. The tiger warriors and other companions would take care of them. So, they said, and Lock decided to trust them.

‘Then, I...’

Lock headed towards the center of the battlefield, towards where the golden dust of Eruhaben rose.

As night approached and darkness spread everywhere, Lock’s silver fur shone with a blue tone, as if a blue light enveloped him. Lock had never fought at night, so he didn’t know. And he didn’t realize that the Beast People were looking at him. For him, the only important thing was to free the Beast People from the Berserk Transformation they were in.

And then it happened.

“Ha, haha!”

A laugh escaped Lock’s lips. Suddenly, he understood why Choi Han laughed like that sometimes.

‘That’s right, Hyung also believed in him.’

That must be why he was always at the front of the battle.

“Kuuuh!”

Ryan suddenly groaned. And the heavy Aura that enveloped his enormous castle.

“Haha.”

Young Master Cale started moving. Suddenly, Lock was no longer afraid. His own reaction seemed funny to him, but what could he do? Cale’s presence already occupied an important place in his heart.

He was like Choi Han, his Hyung, Rosalyn, his Noona, Gashan, his grandfather, and Raon, his little brother.

Cale was like an uncle to him, or even...

‘That’s it.’

He was like a father. It was strange. Even though there wasn’t much of an age difference between them, when Cale praised or acknowledged him, Lock felt it more than any other approval. And he felt secure. Cale’s back was the largest to Lock. He couldn’t help it.

And Cale couldn’t help it either.

- Hmph. Domination? How funny and pathetic.

The Dominating Aura irritated him in a strange way.

- As far as I know, there is no “God of Domination.”

Domination?

Hmph.

What’s wrong with this guy?

“For now, let’s use half of the power.”

Following his own words, Cale used half of the Dominating Aura.

Whoosh~

And he rose into the air onto the stage.

Ryan had been watching him for a long time.

“Who is that human?”

His eyes reflected doubt and suspicion. He did not underestimate Cale. Just for that, he could recognize Ryan’s ability. But that look didn’t last long. The moment half of the Dominating Aura focused on him.

“Ugh!”

Ryan’s shoulders trembled violently, and a groan escaped his lips. But he straightened up immediately.

“Ha, ha-”

A laugh escaped his lips.

- Oh, wow.

The Dominating Aura marvelled.

- So, you’re saying you’re second in command? I guess it’s right to aspire to the position of God.

And Ryan said.

“When I heard that Kendall and even Cisco had lost to a human, I couldn’t believe it.”

His gaze turned to Eruhaben, who was in the air.

“I thought it was that old man who was causing trouble.”

Ryan moved his neck slightly and relaxed his muscles.

“Xiaolen, Central Plains. All of this was your doing.”

Ryan, whose size rivalled Lock’s in Berserk Transformation, also relaxed the muscles of his arms and legs.

Zzzzt.

He felt the aura trying to suppress him, but he resisted with all his might.

‘Dragon Lord.’

How long had he lived in silence, waiting to surpass that person? His Aura was that of a “God.” To surpass a God, to resist a God, he had lived for a long time under the Dragon Lord’s rule, with his head bowed.

Now, the moment to break free from that rule and extend his own control far and wide was near. He had completed all the preparations, only one last step remained.

“It won’t be easy.”

Ryan murmured as he watched Cale at the end of the stage.

“Really, it won’t be easy.”

The red-haired man. It was evident that he was a human, but he was not someone to be taken lightly.

“You embody nature.”

A glimmer of curiosity shone in Cale’s eyes.

- Oh, did he even notice that?

The Dominating Aura marvelled.

Among the Dragons Cale had seen here, Ryan was the only one who understood it best.

“Besides nature, you also have an aura of domination. And that’s not all.”

Ryan shook his head, and Cale suddenly asked a question that had been on his mind.

“If it’s not all, what else is there?”

“The Source of the World.”

Cale’s eyes widened.

Ryan let out a chuckle.

“It seems you’ve already encountered the Source before.”

His finger pointed to the White Snake.

“That stupid snake over there has also done it. She touched the Source of the World. Just like the Guardian Elf.”

Cale paused. And not only him. Eruhaben’s eyes also widened.

Tap-tap.

He too descended onto the stage and faced Ryan.

Cale, Ryan, Eruhaben.

The three formed a triangle.

“What’s happening?”

Faced with the surprise of Cale and Eruhaben, Ryan smiled once again.

“Do you think I really didn’t know what was happening in my land, under my surface?”

Ah.

Ryan let out a small groan and added.

“Recently, I’ve been a bit busy, so I didn’t realize that you had infiltrated this land. That’s why I’ve made this painful mistake.”

Wow.

Cale felt a little impressed. He opened his mouth.

“You are quite smart, aren’t you?”

Ryan shrugged.

“People think I’m a brute because of my size. How am I going to rule if I’m an idiot?”

Oh. Right.

Cale marvelled, and Ryan sighed.

“It won’t be easy.”

He shook his head from side to side.

But he was calm.

Rage.

He could draw one of the many keys he had in his power.

At that moment, Cale also opened his mouth.

“It won’t be easy.”

Ryan smiled at the human who said the same words.

“Yes, yes. At least this is a bit more decent.”

Cale shook his head.

“If you want to fight, fight. There is no other option.”

Ryan nodded.

“That’s right.”

And then, the air around him began to vibrate.

Wooow, wooow…

Like the howl of beasts.

Like the howl of beasts in the night that makes you feel the fear of a wild beast that could attack at any moment. The air began to hum around Ryan. And at the moment when a cold aura blossomed around him.

Boom!

Without warning, the magic that sprang from Ryan’s hand enveloped Cale.

Boom!

However, that magic was immediately blocked by a Dragon.

The Ancient Dragon Eruhaben. Who had appeared in front of Cale in the blink of an eye.

“I’ll handle it.”

The Dragon was smiling, but it was clear that he was quite offended and annoyed.

“I haven’t been treated like an old man in a long time.”

However, Eruhaben stopped.

At the moment when the remnants of the explosion behind the shield disappeared...

Bang!

Another crash echoed on the stage.

Eruhaben heard Cale’s sighing voice behind him.

“It won’t be easy.”

But then he added, as if he couldn’t help it.

“After seeing that, what father could keep his sanity?”

Bang!

Another crash, and there, the Dragon Letao attacked Ryan with his bloodshot eyes.

Eruhaben looked towards where Cale was looking.

There, next to Raon, was a small Dragon.

A Dragon missing its wings.

The moment he saw this, Eruhaben’s eyes filled with flames.

And there he was, a Dragon engulfed in flames, without a hint of intention to contain his anger.

Letao.

He couldn’t stand it.

“I...”

His body was enveloped in blue mana like flames.

Letao couldn’t finish speaking.

He could barely utter the words.

“I... will kill you without fail.”

Ryan, with his blue mana that resembled the center of a flame.

Letao, with his dark blue mana, charged towards him.

Easy or difficult.

That wasn’t an important problem for Letao.

“Tsk.”

Eruhaben clicked his tongue and then took a step forward.

“Teaching the easy way is the job of the elders.”

Eruhaben, wrapped in golden dust, headed towards the place where the blue mana and dark blue mana mixed like raging waves.

And Cale,

- Purification?

The calm voice of Cheapskate, the Fire of Destruction, was heard.

But someone more important spoke before him.

The Sound of the Wind.

The existence that went crazy for sacred objects spoke, and the corners of Cale’s mouth lifted.

- Sniff, sniff. Where is this smell of a sacred object coming from? Although it’s mixed with a bit of a rotten smell.

The Howl of the Sunset.

The contaminated sacred object.

That had to be found first.

***

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]