Chapter 337: What is your goal, what is the end? (1)

A black swamp stretched across the ground. The black, slimy, churning swamp was utterly horrible to anyone who laid eyes on it.

"Is this the path to the demon world?"

Cale asked and...

"Yes."

Cotton answered firmly.

"Let’s go."

Choi Jung Soo urged Cale.

"Mm..."

But Cale felt uncomfortable.

Splash.
The black swamp rippled like waves, and thick, dark liquid splattered outward. It was so viscous and sticky, it looked more like jelly than water.

Keeaaaah—!
The liquid let out a ghastly shriek before vanishing.

"Gross."
Cale’s face twisted in disgust.

"Human, let’s go quickly! I’m curious about the demon world!"

"Me too, I’m curious!"

Raon and Hong also urged Cale from the side.

"I hope you have a good trip."

On, who was standing next to Ron, waved at them.

Originally, On had also planned to go, but she first approached Cale and said,

‘I’ll stay here.’

‘Why?’

Hong was heading to the Demon World, while On stayed?

Cale struggled to believe it, but...

‘I can't completely trust the teddy bear, and I’ll protect Eden Miru.’

Cale found it difficult to refuse those words. As a result —

‘Grandpa Ron will stay in Neo's lair, and I’ll look after Eden Miru in the area.’

Ron and Beacrox decided to stay by On's side.

‘I’ll take care of the follow-up work.’

Additionally, the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben said he would take care of the remaining tasks. Thanks to that—

"Oh! So, this is the path to the demon world?"

"Doesn’t it look fun, Rasheel?"

"Hahaha! Yes, kid, it looks fun!"

The dragon Rasheel would join Raon.

Hong, Raon.
Choi Han, Choi Jung Soo.
And—
"I’m excited."
The Necromancer Mary as well.

‘It would be great if the team leader came too.’

Team leader Sui Khan stayed behind to take a closer look at the temple of the God of Chaos and also planned to search for any traces of the God of Chaos that remained in Aipotu. The Dragon Mila and the others would assist him.

"Mm..."

Cale finally realized why he felt so uneasy.
It wasn’t just the black, slimy, disgusting swamp.

‘Yeah... it’s this group.’

The ones who had agreed to go together were quite unsettling.

‘At least Clopeh Sekka isn’t here!’

…But wait.

Is it more problematic to leave him behind?

Clopeh Sekka was currently with the Pope, the Bishops, and the Dragon Half-Bloods—trying to coordinate various viewpoints.

‘Why do I feel so uneasy about that?’

Could that guy really be trusted with the job?

‘Ugh. I don’t even know.’

Cale shoved the thought aside.
His eyes drifted toward the black swamp—the gateway to the Demon World.

And yet...
Something else was bothering him.

‘Why does even the entrance feel like the Demon World already?’

The image of the demon world he had built from reading countless genre novels flashed through his mind.
Staring at the entrance to the black swamp, he had a feeling, things were going to get rough.

‘Well, I’m going to meet the sole descendant of the previous demon king, so it wouldn’t be an easy path.’

Wasn’t Cale the one the current Demon King wanted to kill the most?

‘It’s overwhelming.’

Cale felt inexplicably overwhelmed, but—

“Cale-nim.”

The moment Choi Han called his name with that gentle smile—

‘I have to go.’

Cale realized he couldn’t stall any longer.
Of course, it wasn’t because Choi Han’s eyes were terrifying or anything. Definitely not.

- I’m scared.

He ignored the words of the Glutton Priestess, who had been talking a lot lately.

Turning to Cotton, Cale said, “You go first.”

It definitely wasn’t because he didn’t trust the priest.
And it absolutely wasn’t because he didn’t want to be the first one to dive into that creepy, ominous swamp.

"All right! I’ll go first!"

Cotton replied without hesitation.

Cale, of course, pretended not to notice the expression of someone who had been harassed quite a bit by Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo.

“You’ve all heard this before, but I’ll say it again.”

Cotton raised the necklace hanging around her neck as she addressed Cale’s group.

“The Demon World may look similar to the human world… but at its core, it’s completely different.”

A black gem was embedded in the pendant, gleaming ominously.

“Aside from the environment, even the air is different. The mana there isn’t the same as in the human world. So don’t take off this necklace.”

The necklace that Priest Cotton handed out to everyone was an artifact designed to protect them from the effects of the mana in the demon world.

“It also handles translation, so you’ll need it to communicate.”

Unlike the human world, the heavenly world, and the divine world, communication in the demon world required this necklace.

“So, remember what I said earlier—and if you’ve got any questions, ask me now!”

With those words, Cotton headed toward the black swamp.

"I’m going first!"

Splash!

Cotton happily jumped into the black swamp and disappeared.

"Then I’ll go too."

Choi Jung Soo followed.

"The demon world, how exciting!"

The dragon Rasheel too.

"Noona, I’ll come back safe, don’t worry!"

"We’re great and mighty, so we’ll return safely!"

Hong and Raon also disappeared one after another into the black swamp.

"Cale-nim, let’s go. Mary and I will follow."

"…Yeah."

Though still feeling uneasy, Cale stepped into the black swamp.

Swoop.
His body was instantly pulled downward.

Darkness swallowed everything.

‘Umm...’
Strangely enough, there was no need to close his eyes.

As he sank, the swamp gradually shifted—turning into a vast lake of black liquid.
He kept descending, deeper and deeper, as if he were being pulled toward the bottom of the lake.

But no matter how far he sank…
The bottom never came.

- It’s beautiful.

Just like the Glutton Priestess had said, a breathtaking sight unfolded before him.

‘It’s shining…’

There was still no lake bottom in sight, but now—
Pinpricks of light began to appear within the black liquid, one by one.

‘It’s like the night sky.’

Yes.
Stars twinkled in the inky, silk-like waves, mirroring a starlit sky.

Cale watched the mesmerizing scene as he continued to sink.

‘It’s getting brighter.’

The black liquid slowly began to fade into a lighter shade, as if the darkness itself was lifting.

Then—
A bright light appeared in his vision.

‘There it is.’

Cale was enveloped by that light. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes.

"D*$)%"

Strange, garbled sounds reached his ears—muffled, like he was underwater.

Cale opened his eyes.
And the first thing he saw was—

‘Gray.’

A gray sky.

Just as they had said—the sky in the Demon World was always gray.

Ssshhh—
A cold wind whispered past him.

He slowly looked down from the sky.

A chill ran down his spine.

"I’m falling."

At that moment, Cale was falling.

Plop!

But soon, he landed—gently. No crash, no pain. He had stopped safely, without ever hitting the ground.

"……"

Smirk.

A large man with horns bared his teeth in a radiant smile.

"Welcome."

By the way, Cale was being held in the man’s arms.

[PR/N: Congratulations, Cale. You’ve been isekai princess carried into the Demon World. Legendary entrance.]

Zap! Zap!

Mary and Choi Han appeared midair in a flash of light.
Choi Han, holding Mary in his arms, descended gently.

Once they landed, Mary stepped down from his arms and stood beside him.

Cale looked around.
Hong and Raon were quietly watching him.

And finally, for the first time since arriving in the demon world—
Cale spoke.

"...Please put me down."

“Hahaha!”

A man larger than a giant laughed and carefully placed Cale on the ground. Then he spoke cautiously.

"I heard you’re very fragile. The demon world is a very tough place to survive, so be careful."

"......"

Just as Cale was at a loss for words, Raon flew over and spoke.

"It’s true! Our human is very, very, extremely weak."

"Really weak. Worse than wet paper!"

No! I’m a bit stronger now, right? I’ve consumed the Source of the World and devoured the plate too!

But Cale didn’t have time to respond.

The surrounding landscape finally caught his attention.

"Welcome."

There was a woman standing in front of him, extending her hand. A middle-aged woman who appeared to be an ordinary human like Cale, but the aura she emitted was quite refined, and just by looking at her golden eyes, one could tell her life had not been easy.

"Nice to meet you."
The woman’s smile was warm and welcoming, though it seemed stiff, carrying an unusual heaviness. Before shaking her hand, Cale murmured, his eyes scanning the landscape before him.

"I’m sure Cotton said she would move us to headquarters."

"Yes, this is headquarters."

The woman standing before him—undoubtedly the infamous Great Thief of the Night.
Illegitimate or not, she was the sole descendant of the previous Demon King.
More than that, she led the Mediators—a powerful organization resisting both the Hunters and the Wanderers.

Cotton, Cale’s uncle, the fake Hilsman, and the others were no small names themselves. But this woman?
She was the one calling the shots.

‘No—'

Cale hadn’t fully processed the sight.

The headquarters was the first thing that caught his attention. And the people welcoming them also entered his view.

‘No—'

Cale couldn’t bring himself to take the woman’s hand easily.

The Cheapskate shouted.

- Hey, is this supposed to be the headquarters or a slum?

The Cheapskate spoke as if he couldn’t believe the words himself.

- No, and the people... just look at them!

He shouted like he was cursing the heavens.
- What is this chaos?! The whole headquarters is frozen, everything’s filthy, and now you're dragging people into a beggars' den?!

And he wasn’t wrong.
Everything Cale saw was worn-down and dirty. The air itself reeked of poverty.
It was like a cluster of abandoned shacks clinging to the side of a forgotten mountain.

Doors had fallen off their hinges. Windows were shattered.
Everything was decaying.
And worst of all—
It was empty.
There was… nothing.

A village in the middle of a forest. No, more like a wrecked ruin.

"......"

Cale hesitated for a moment before finally shaking hands with the Great Thief of the Night, the leader.

"Nice to meet you."

"Yes. I’m also pleased to meet someone as remarkable as you—"

Cale continued speaking, regardless of what the Great Thief of the Night was about to say.

“Where’s Choi Jung Gun?”

That unsettling feeling in his gut? It was starting to make sense now.
He needed to get out of here. Fast.

“Ah, Mr. Choi Jung Gun is fine. Haha, but—”

“Let’s go see him. Now.”

“Haha… Yes. I’ll guide you.”

However, the woman standing before him wasn’t so easy to deal with. The Great Thief of the Night firmly gripped his hand and didn’t let go.

"However, I’ve heard that you’re quite wealthy. Would you be interested in investing in our organization?"

Ah.

There was indeed a reason for his discomfort.

"Haha! Haha!"

The people welcoming them were overly enthusiastic. All of them were laughing heartily while smiling generously at Cale’s group. And all of them were dressed in a shabby manner. Their armour and weapons were so worn out that it wouldn’t have been surprising if they fell apart at any moment.

- Human! This place is scary! Really scary! Something’s off! I feel like I need to protect my piggy bank!

[PR/N: When a 6-year-old dragon starts worrying about financial security, you know things are bad.]

Yeah.
As Raon said—this place was terrifying.

"Haha!"

The Great Thief of the Night smiled as she spoke.

"I heard you own some mines too. Slurp… hehe. You’re sitting on quite the pile of wealth, aren’t you?"

[TL/N: Yes, that was an actual slurp. No, we’re not okay either.]
[PR/N: Friendly reminder—if someone slurps while discussing your assets, it’s time to upgrade your personal security.]

‘What?’

The woman’s eyes turned wild. Cale flinched under that sharp gaze—he could feel just how experienced she was at spotting wealth. Her golden eyes gleamed as they looked at him. For the first time, he felt like nothing more than a golden calf, a walking lump of gold.

"Oh, and my name is Aurora."

The Great Thief of the Night, Aurora, gave Cale the friendliest smile she could manage.

The only descendant of the previous demon king. To survive in hiding in a world ruled by the current demon king, she had to suppress her own power—one that bore the mark of the former demon king.

She needed a lot of money, but there weren’t many ways to get it. Furthermore, maintaining such a large organization like the 'Mediators' required vast resources.

That’s why she had to lower her noble status to become the 'Lady of the Night.'

Over the years, living for a grand cause and a brighter future, how could she not be desperate for money? Sometimes, money was scarier than an enemy. No, in fact, over time, money became the scariest thing of all. Before her eyes now stood a lump of gold.

As she passed through her youth and into middle age, Aurora’s experience told her everything.

‘A lump of gold, right in front of me!’

Clearly, the man in front of her had plenty of money.

"Haha!"

Slurp.

While swallowing, Aurora displayed the friendliest smile possible.

- Cale.

And Cale, whose expression of fear gradually faded, his eyes darkened.

- You have to stay on guard.

The Cheapskate spoke seriously, and Cale agreed.

‘Yes, I have to stay on guard.’

Whatever he planned to do with these 'Mediators' in the future was uncertain.
However—

- You can’t waste money! You can’t get scammed!
- It’s the wealth we’ve bled for!
- For your future as a proud, rich slacker—the money we scraped together like our lives depended on it!

Still, he would protect the money.
If he couldn’t guard his wealth directly,
then he’d squeeze out the highest return from everything else.

Cale was serious.
The Cheapskate was serious too.

For the first time, Cale and the Cheapskate were in perfect agreement. A fierce, unquenchable flame flickered in his heart.

* * *

But that flame subsided, and a cold shiver rose in his heart.

- It’s horrible.

As Cheapskate had said.

The horrific sight of Choi Jung Gun lay before Cale.
His body had turned an unnatural gray, his eyes shut as if in eternal sleep. Even the Cheapskate whispered that it was dreadful.
Swollen veins bulged beneath the gray skin, thick fluid—whether sweat or something far worse—coating his entire body.
And then there were the abscesses. Ugly, festering lumps had erupted across his skin, oozing and inflamed.
It was the kind of sight that made your stomach churn, and your breath catch.

Chaos Contamination.

Cale watched Choi Jung Gun’s appearance, recalling the moments they had shared, and wondered why only death remained at the end.

At that moment, the Great Thief of the Night, Aurora, suddenly spoke in a monotone voice.

“It seems followers of the God of Chaos were lurking among the Wanderers.”

Cale’s gaze shifted toward Aurora.

“Do you even know what the Wanderers really are—part of the Five-Color Blood Family?” she asked.
When Cale hesitated, she didn’t skip a beat.

“They’re led by none other than the head of the Five-Color Blood Family.
The King of the Wanderers.”

Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo fixed their eyes on her, silent but intense.
Aurora returned their stares with ice-cool calm before delivering the final blow:

“The First Wanderer.”

They were the ones who had the right to become Gods.
But some chose not to ascend, remaining instead in the divine world.
Their lives, though no longer mortal, stretched on endlessly—just like a God’s.
They came to be known as the Wanderers because they roamed without a fixed purpose, eternally drifting in a world that was never truly theirs.

“The Leader of the Five-Color Blood Family is the First Wanderer.”

***

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]