Chapter 334: Me? (5)

Cale decided to ignore reality. The new religion of the Five Colored Light that was emerging in Aipotu.

"No-"

He ignored Clopeh Sekka, who was laughing behind him, and quickly spoke with Pope Casillia.

"No, the Five Colored Light is the essence of the world, isn’t it? So, people wouldn’t be believing in me, but in the essence of the world. And a temple, that makes no sense!"

It really made no sense.

"I just captured the Dragon Lord just three days ago! Three days!"

It's unbelievable. Cale realized his voice was rising unknowingly.

"Think about it. A new religion emerges in just three days and a temple is built? Does that make sense?"

Frustrated.

After pouring out his thoughts, Cale took a moment to catch his breath.

"Haha."

Clopeh Sekka was still laughing behind him. Cale looked at him annoyed and was startled.

Radiant smile. Truly, smiling more sacredly than the Pope in front of him.

"......"

Cale simply looked away.

Now this guy scared him a bit too.

'Choi Han!'

He should have brought that guy Choi Han! But Choi Han was dealing with Choi Jung Soo and Cotton.

Choi Jung Gun, the demon world. That matter had been left to the two men of the Choi Family.

Click.

Casillia, holding a teacup, drank quietly.

She looked at Cale, who had made eye contact with her, and spoke calmly.

"Didn’t you see it?"

"What?"

Cale asked abruptly, and she continued with a calm smile.

"The Five Colored Light that spreads throughout the world through the body of the commander. Those who were there saw it."

"......"

Cale was left speechless.

Both enemies and allies had seen that spectacle from him.

"But that five-colored light is the essence of the world—the very Source of the World."
"What does that matter?"

Anyway, it was thanks to Cale that the world’s energy had returned. The moment he caught the intent in Casillia’s eyes, he quickly averted his gaze.

"And most of those who were there were prominent figures from Aipotu."

"Hmm."

Cale murmured and the Pope laughed.

"Building a new temple? That’s nothing to them. And now that the intentions of the Ten Dragons are known, that temple is empty. How people choose to fill it—that’s up to them, right?"

Ugh.

Cale swallowed dryly.

‘Something always happens wherever I go.’

From Xiaolen to the Central Plains and Aipotu—Cale recalled the dimensions he had travelled through and how he was perceived in each.

'Let's forget it.'

And he ignored it. Instead, Cale asked abruptly.

"How much time is left?"

His gaze turned to Casillia's hand.

"......"

Casillia shut her mouth for a moment. A hand completely covered in dragon scales. That hand trembled slightly as it held the teacup. Casillia did not bother to hide it in front of Cale. After a while, she spoke.

"Who knows. I could depart at any time."

As a Dragon Half-Blood, her death was not far off.

"Gosh-"

She let out an ironic laugh.

"We were supposed to plunge the world into chaos, all sorts of talk. But in the end, we didn't do anything significant."

A bitter taste was evident on her face.

The Bishops, including the Pope. The Dragon Half-Bloods had not done much in this battle. The main reason was that before they could fight properly, Dragon Lord Neo unleashed his fury and stopped time, leaving them with nothing to do.

"There’s no one left to take revenge on."

Neo had died.

"And all the other revenge targets had surrendered."

The remaining dragons showed quite pathetically their willingness to surrender. The fate of these would be decided by Aipotu.

"Only a miserable life remains."

Casillia let out a sigh as if it were a whisper.

Click.

She put the teacup down. Her body was so damaged that holding the cup for too long was difficult.

"Well."

Then, Cale's voice sounded.

"You didn’t do much this time, did you?"

Although his tone was light, it was cold.

"The Beast People were more helpful. The elves also did quite a bit in the end, helping the World Tree."

Cale's indifferent eyes captured the figure of Casillia. The Pope thought that her reflection in the commander's eyes was pathetic. Cale's serene words were like a sharp dagger to her.

"When you were an enemy, we had to recruit you as an ally because you could have ruined everything. But once you became an ally, you weren’t much help."

Indeed, the Pope and the Bishops had also joined the fight. But their participation was not as notable as Cale’s group.

Casillia bowed her head.

Her reflection in the teacup showed the truth. The scales had spread from her neck to her face. She was at the limit of her life—she could die at any moment.

"Ha, haha-"

She could only laugh. In this state—

'I don’t want to destroy this world.'

She did not want to destroy this world. And—

'I want to live.'

But what good would it do? She no longer had time.

"So, Pope."

Casillia was listening calmly when her eyes widened.

"Could you help me with something?"

What?

"Do you remember the conditions Exion proposed?"

The Three-Star Dragon. The dragon who betrayed Dragon Lord Neo for his wife and son and joined Cale. Pope Casillia remembered the conditions he had proposed.

'A means to prolong life eternally.'

She recalled the person who had mentioned this.

Click.

The door opened, and a person entered.

"...The First Bishop."

The First Bishop Mold—always beside Casillia. She remembered their conversation.

'Exion proposed to me. A means to prolong life eternally.'

'Eternally, you say?'

'Yes, eternally. Probably referring to a virtual reality game.'

'Probably.'

'Exion offered this opportunity only to me.'

'Will you tell Commander Cale?'

'No need to say, it seems he already knows.'

At that moment, Casillia told Mold.

'I’m not the least bit attracted to that offer.'

And she added.

'Because I have no more reasons to live.'

Mold and Casillia's eyes met.

"My role is to serve by your side, Pope. How could I not know your intentions?"

The words of the First Bishop Mold left Pope Casillia speechless. Then...

Tap, tap.

The sound of someone knocking on the table was heard. Casillia turned her head. Her eyes met Cale's.

Wide smile.

Cale showed a quite refreshing smile as he said.

"The condition Exion proposed. Let’s go ahead with that."

Cale and his group were about to leave Aipotu. The beings who protect Aipotu, the essence of the world and the World Tree, cannot leave that world.

'The Dragon Lord's Lair.'

However, he could ask them to protect this place. He had already spoken with the Three-Star Dragon, Exion.

"Then, we need beings to connect Aipotu and New World."

What group would be suitable for this task?

"The Pope and the Bishops."

Speaking coldly, most of them did not have much remaining lifespan. Especially Casillia,

"Become NPCs."

Like Eden Miru, they should exist only within the game. But the bishops who followed her, more than following her, considered her like a younger sister, could spend quite some time as semi-NPCs between Aipotu and the game, although it was said they did not have much remaining lifespan.

‘In particular, the First Bishop, Mold, has quite a long life.’

Additionally, they despise hunters—how could they not? Hunters are on Neo's side.

‘And Eden Miru.’

Cale and Raon's group could not protect Eden Miru forever. Like when they had to go to the demon world. They needed beings to protect the Seven Evils for those times.

Pope And the bishops. He had never really seen their fight. Even the Third Bishop, Horns, had quickly surrendered.

‘But they are definitely strong.’

If not, Neo would not have had them under his command along with the Inquisitors.

"If only they protect what I’ve asked for."

Cale proposed to the Dragon Half-Bloods of Aipotu, including the Pope.

"I won’t interfere in how they choose to live in that world."

"Anyway?"

"Yes."

Dragon Half-Bloods. No, Eden Miru. As he wanted.

"Live as you wish."

Virtual Reality, New World. The new world will give them the opportunities they wish for.

"......"

Casillia closed her eyes tightly.

The First Bishop, Mold, quietly told her, "The bishops have decided to follow the will of the Pope."

And he added, "The surviving knights have also expressed the same wish."

Knights. They too are, in a way, dragon descendants. They are not chimeras, but they are those who can withstand the dragon blood that emanates from the gems embedded in their chests. Therefore, they also have great power, although they are not in good condition. Pope, bishops, knights. They have a mutual understanding that others cannot comprehend.

"......"

Casillia closed her eyes. After a while, she opened her mouth. Still with her eyes closed, she spoke with a trembling voice.

"...I want to try it."

I want to try it. Upon hearing that, Mold smiled.

Casillia slowly opened her eyes and saw Cale's hand extended towards her.

"......"

Casillia took his hand. At the moment of the handshake.

"I hope we can count on your cooperation in the future."

A smile appeared on the Pope's lips. That smile was full of anticipation.

"I hope the same from you."

She asked Cale.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Not everything is decided yet. But there are two things you definitely must do."

Cale's clear response made her nod.

'That's a commander.'

It had been only a few days since Neo disappeared. The commander had already roughly identified what needed to be done and had proposed a deal. A leader like that was worth following. Cale informed her about the two things they first had to do.

"First. In the virtual reality, New World, we must become the supreme villains."

Eh? Casillia released Cale's hand. And she looked at Mold.

"?"

Mold had a questioning expression on his face.

Casillia was equally puzzled.

She calmed her mind and looked at Cale again. Corresponding with this, Cale, with a gentle smile, continued with the second task they had to do.

"And please, take care of the dragon egg."

Dragon? A curious expression crossed Casillia's face when.

"It's a half-dragon egg!"

"!"

The fierce Dark Bear had informed Cale about the species of the dragon egg. Eden Miru was a half-dragon.

"Do you remember the Black Bone Dragon? The soul of a Dragon Half-Blood that lived almost a thousand years resided in that Black Bone Dragon."

"...!"

"That Black Bone Dragon will soon be reborn in New World as a true half-dragon."

Casillia recalled that scene—the platinum dragon standing against Neo. And at the beginning of it all was the Black Bone Dragon.

Cale recalled what the Dark Bear had said. The final boss of the Seven Evils.

"The being that will be born from this egg will be the true successor of the Seven Evils, the next great dragon. And until then, I will act as the provisional boss. I will take care of the manipulation!"

The fierce Dark Bear had said he would make Eden Miru the successor of Neo. During that time, he would enjoy the position of final boss.

"And that half-dragon, Eden Miru, will take the place Neo had in that world."

Ah. Cale added.

"Of course, if he wishes."

Casillia, unknowingly, opened her mouth.

"A half-dragon, will take the place of Neo?"

That same half-dragon that faced Neo?

"......"

Casillia was speechless. Suddenly, her mind became a whirlwind. She turned towards Mold.

"......"

"......"

Mold also seemed to be hearing this for the first time, with a complicated look. However, soon both realized that they thought the same, and Casillia spoke.

"That sounds interesting."

Protecting the egg that would soon be born. And creating the worst villain role in the world, as desired by the saviour.

"Yes, that sounds fun."

I want to try it. Not a path imposed by others, but simply something I want to do for myself.

"Let’s do it."

Casillia responded with a smile. With that, Cale felt satisfied.

"It will be satisfying for both."

Casillia's response was with a look full of energy. They did not know the distant future yet.

For that reason, they did not know that this moment was the beginning of the "Miru Order," also known as the "Order of Dragon Half-Blood Knights." That it would become a whirlwind in the world of New World.

They had no idea...

* * *

"Now, it's time to settle."

Cale smiled cunningly as he extended his hand.

Ssssss---

The wind blew. Flower petals fell.

Flutter-

To be precise, the World Tree trembled with the wind, causing the petals to fall.

Thump, thump.

Cale shook off the petals stuck to his arm while extending his hand even further.

"You owe me compensation, don’t you?"

Cale smiled.

Flutter-

The World Tree and the Source of the World trembled.

The time for reckoning had arrived.

***

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 – Mayank]