Chapter 338: What is your goal, what is the end? (2)

Cale was reciting in his mind the words that had been engraved into him.

‘The First Wanderer—'

Originally, there were seven hunter families: White Blood, Red Blood, Black Blood, Blue Blood, Purple Blood, Transparent Blood, and the Five-Colored Blood family.

Among these, the White Blood and Red Blood families no longer belonged to the seven hunter families due to betrayal and extinction.

‘Choi Jung Gun—’
Choi Jung Gun, now lying unconscious with his eyes closed.
The same Choi Jung Gun whom Cale had met during the trial of the sealed god.
He had once told Cale to search for the Red Blood family.
And he had also said:
‘The five leaders (patriarchs) protect the King's Successor and await the grand vision for after the successor has grown.’

The heir to the king.
He is the Absolute God.
And ultimately, the one Cale must stop… is that very God.

The divine world, the hunters, the demon world.

These three forces are attempting to create an Absolute God.

‘But my opponents are the hunters.’

Neither the divine world nor the demon world are areas Cale can handle.

Nameless 1.

In that world, the hunters are the entities that disturb Cale’s and his companions’ lives. His only hope is to stop these hunters and their grand plan of creating the Absolute God to maintain peace in his own life.

- That's right, Cale, you must not forget it.

Just as Cheapskate whispered, Cale had no intention of forgetting his original goal.

Black Blood, Blue Blood, Purple Blood.

‘I’ve dealt with three places.’

What remains are the Transparent Blood and the Five-Colored Blood Family.

‘The Transparent Blood operates in Earth 3 and the virtual world. Those are the two places I have to deal with.’

Of course, he knew that this virtual reality was the new world where the Absolute God would be born.

‘All sorts of things will intertwine.’

Without a doubt, Cale would experience all sorts of things in virtual reality. But his goal is simple.

Transparent Blood, Five-Colored Blood, Absolute God.

Just those three things, and then Cale intends to withdraw from all of this.

‘Let the gods handle the divine world, and let the demons handle the Demon World. Not my business.’

Everyone handles their roles properly.

‘That's why—'

The information about the Transparent Blood, the Five-Colored Blood, and the Absolute God is crucial for Cale.

‘The leader (patriarchs) of the Five-Colored Family is the first Wanderer.’

That information was clearly engraved in Cale’s mind.

"It can't be."

Choi Jung Soo opened his mouth with an expression of disbelief.

"The first Wanderer is currently missing— Ah."

A sigh of realization escaped his lips.

"If he's missing, then he could become the leader of the Wanderers."

Cale looked at Choi Jung Soo and asked.

"Do you know anything about the First Wanderer?"

"Yes, I've heard."

Choi Jung Soo walked toward the altar—but stopped before crossing the magic circle.
At the centre, surrounded by intricate symbols, lay Choi Jung Gun.

“Beings who have the right to become gods are called Wanderers. After the five ancient gods appeared, Wanderers began to emerge one by one in the divine world, each taking their place.”

The five ancient gods: Hope, Balance, Chaos, Injustice, Justice.

"Among them, there was one who refused to become a god. He was called the first Wanderer."

Choi Jung Soo’s gaze returned to Cale.

"That's all I know."

Cale’s gaze shifted to the Great Thief of the Night, Aurora.

"It's similar to what I know."

With that look, Aurora spoke.

"Hmm…"

After a pause to organize her thoughts, she continued.

"Choi Jung Gun—when I first met him, just before he passed out—he said, 'The leader of the Five-Colored Blood Family is the first Wanderer.'"

Choi Jung Gun, with an amputated arm, slowly losing consciousness.

"At that moment, I decided to save Choi Jung Gun, and after leaving a clue, I brought him here."

Choi Jung Soo, who had been silently listening, spoke up.

"When I decided to become a Wanderer, one of the warning cases they gave me was precisely the disappearance of the First Wanderer."

"A warning case?"

"Yes. Wanderers are a kind of mercenary. They act on behalf of the Gods when the people of the divine world or the heavenly world cannot."

He already knew that part.

"The first Wanderer disappeared while carrying out a mission given by a God."

"Which god?"

Choi Jung Soo’s expression immediately hardened.

- Disturbing.

As Cheapskate said, Cale felt an unknown discomfort, and Choi Jung Soo spoke.

"...Justice."

One of the five ancient gods.

God of Justice.

The Great Thief of the Night, Aurora, spoke.

"I’ve also confirmed that information."

After hearing Choi Jung Gun's information, she asked the members of the Mediators Alliance to gather related information.

"It’s already a well-known fact in the heavenly world and the divine world."

"That's true. It's a kind of common warning for those who wish to become Wanderers."

"But—"

Aurora's voice grew gloomy.

"But it has not been revealed what mission the God of Justice gave the First Wanderer. All I know is that the God of Justice tried to find him but couldn’t."

"That's right. The fact that even the ancient gods couldn’t find him led to considering it a complete disappearance. Yes, it’s—"

Choi Jung Soo stopped, his eyes widening.

"Huh?"

Cale and Choi Jung Soo looked at each other.

"What is it?"

In response to Cale’s question, Choi Jung Soo stammered.

"Now that I think about it—"

The first Wanderer.

It is said that the God of Justice frantically searched for the first Wanderer, as if hunting rats, but he never found him. That’s why Wanderers are warned never to let such a disappearance happen again and to only accept missions they can handle within their capabilities.

But that's not all.

"Wait… the God of Justice, never said the mission failed, right?"

"So?"

"No, it’s just that—"

Choi Jung Soo remembered.

In the past, Kim Rok Soo had said that one must memorize rules and regulations to avoid being deceived anywhere.

Choi Jung Soo, who clearly remembered the part about Wanderers, sighed in resignation.

"...The God of Justice never said the mission failed."

Cale’s forehead furrowed, and Aurora, with a puzzled expression, spoke.

"Isn’t it possible that the disappearance happened because the mission failed?"

"I'm not sure."

Choi Jung Soo shook his head.
“If the mission had failed, someone else would’ve been assigned to finish it. But there’s no record of that. No follow-up.”

He recalled the details of the disappearance incident clearly, and a deep unease settled in him.

Cale spoke quietly.

"Something isn't right here."

It is known that the God of War and the God of Chaos are collaborating with the hunters.

"Is the disappearance of the First Wanderer somehow related to the God of Justice?"
And that mission… still a secret?

Aurora’s gaze sharpened. "Something smells fishy."

"Right?"

‘Something’s off. We need to investigate more about that mission.’

"I’ll look for more information about the mission."

Right on time, Choi Jung Soo’s words made Cale nod.

"Through the God of Death?"

"Yes. That will work."

Dragon Rasheel scratched his cheek and spoke.

"Hey… if even the God of Justice is siding with the God of Chaos, then what are we supposed to do?"

It was a valid concern.

At that, Choi Jung Soo and Aurora, along with Choi Han, hardened their faces. Especially Choi Han, who couldn’t take his eyes off Choi Jung Gun, was visibly upset.

"......"

"......"

A silence fell over the room until one person spoke.

"Let the gods clean up their own mess."

It was Cale.

"Let’s leave it to the gods to sort it out."

With a rather irritated expression, Cale spoke in an indifferent tone.

"The God of Death, or even the God of Balance or the God of Hope, let them take care of it."

Cale looked irritated. And honestly? Disgusted.

Gulp.

Aurora’s gaze toward Cale sharpened.
God of Balance. God of Hope.
‘He dropped those names like it was nothing. How deep does his connection to the divine world really run?’

She was no longer looking at him like a golden calf—he was starting to look like a full-blown golden bull.
And Cale, completely unaware of the weight of his words, spoke without thinking.

"If they can’t at least help with what we’re doing, they should stay out of it."

Cale’s task was clear—face the Absolute God and stop the Hunters.

"If they’re gods, they should be able to do at least that, right?"

"Yes—"

Rasheel couldn’t say anything more in that moment.
"Right. They should at least be able to manage that much."

Cale flinched.
That voice—it was Choi Han.
He turned his head.
Choi Han stood there, looking at him with a gentle smile.

- Human, Choi Han is angry!

‘Yeah…’

Cale knew that too.

He swallowed hard.
He could feel it—Choi Han was genuinely, deeply angry.

"I don't understand."

Next, Mary spoke in a mechanical voice.

"If they want to fight, they should just hit each other. I don’t understand why they have to make people who are living well and without problems fight."

- Human, Mary is also angry!

Cale couldn’t argue with that.

"That’s a good point."

"Thank you."

Choi Han and Mary’s exchange was quiet… but uncomfortably intense.

- Human, both of them are angry!

Cale knew.

The sight? Absolutely terrifying.
Who knew what crazy things Choi Han and Mary would do now that they were both fired up?
"Ahem."
Cale faked a cough, trying to steer the conversation.

"Is this the best condition Choi Jung Gun can be in right now?"

"Yes."

Aurora’s expression darkened.

“If he leaves this magic circle, the contamination will spread quickly. He won’t survive more than three days. Well, since he’s a wanderer, maybe he can hold out for a week.”
“Um…”

Cale thought for a moment before asking,
“Can I enter this magic circle?”
“Huh?”
“To check on his condition, shouldn’t I get closer?”
“That’s true.”
“But won’t the magic circle stop if I do that?”
“Ah… Don’t worry. This circle is designed to slow the contamination. It won’t affect other living beings. It’s meant for healing.”
Aurora offered a warm smile.

Cale responded with a perfectly practiced smile.
“Oh, so I can enter, right?”
“Huh?”
“I just want to check on Choi Jung Gun.”
“Huh?”
Aurora was visibly bewildered.
“Um…”
She paused to organize her thoughts, then spoke cautiously,
“The contamination has an incubation period. But once it manifests, it becomes contagious. It only spreads through direct contact with the liquid from the lumps, though. So… don’t approach carelessly.”

Chaos Contamination.
It’s contagious.
“That’s why we created this magic circle to suppress the contamination.”
Aurora glanced at Cale cautiously before continuing in a softer tone.
“As I understand it, you’re quite fragile. Like a candle in front of a typhoon.”
Cale’s face twisted, clearly irritated.
Seeing this, Aurora quickly tried to salvage the situation.
“Ah, but of course! Like a flame that refuses to flicker in the face of any typhoon or wave—a life with a tenacious lifeline, just like I’ve heard you have!”
“That’s true. That guy’s lifeline is ridiculously tough,” Rasheel added, with a significant tone.
Cale’s face twisted even more.

“Anyway, the Chaos Contamination is extremely dangerous. It’s best if you avoid getting too close. Of course, we approach for check-ups and treatments, but only with proper protective equipment… wait!”
Aurora’s eyes widened.
Cale had already stepped inside the magic circle.

Woosh—
Vibrations reverberated beneath his feet, but his body didn’t feel any harm.

- In fact, I feel more vitality!

As Super Rock said, this magic circle seemed to be stimulating his body.

“No, Cale!”
Aurora stretched out her hand in shock, but Cale had already taken a step forward.

Thump. Thump.
Cale walked toward Choi Jung Gun.

“Bring the protective suit!”
Aurora shouted to the people outside.

“...”
Cale’s expression turned as cold as ice.
‘The smell.’
A terrible stench burned his nose, distinctive and overwhelming.

It was the smell of the liquid flowing from the lumps on Choi Jung Gun’s body. The trial of the sealed god.
In that place, the Choi Jung Gun that Cale faced looked just like the one he remembered from his high school days.
Young.
Like Choi Han, time seemed to pass slowly for him too—he even looked younger than Cale.

"..."

Even his breathing was barely noticeable.

Cale lowered his head.

"!"

But then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head.

Aurora's cold and calm gaze rested on him as she spoke.

"I told you it’s contagious."

Despite the oppressive atmosphere radiating from Aurora’s golden eyes, Cale spoke calmly, knowing that this was Aurora's true character.

"I’m fine with that."

"What do you mean by that?"

Instead of answering, Cale demonstrated with his action.

Woosh—

An intangible energy surged from him.

The moment Aurora sensed the energy, she flinched.
“Boss, I brought the protective suit—ugh!”
The horned man who had just entered through the door froze, inhaling sharply.

"This energy is similar to chaos."

Cale Henituse’s face, smiling elegantly, was reflected in Aurora’s golden eyes.

"Right. It’s similar."

- Because I stole it! Haha, ha-ha!

The Dominating Aura was laughing loudly.

Cale averted his gaze from Aurora and looked down at Choi Jung Gun.

Aurora didn’t stop him this time.

- Cale, this is familiar.

The chaotic energy left in Choi Jung Gun.

- It’s like the Saint of the God of Chaos. That’s his energy.

When Cale fought the One Star and Two Star Dragons, the Hunter Wanderers—those who had once clashed with Choi Jung Gun in the abandoned temple of the God of Chaos—were there as well.
Among them stood a saint.
There was no need to question his presence.
He had once helped imprison the World Tree in the Prison of Time. If he could appear in Aipotu before, there was no reason he couldn’t show up again.

The lair of Lord Dragon Neo.

'Virtual reality.'

The game Raising My Precious Absolute God. It’s likely that the saint had travelled through Neo’s lair, which contained a portal to that game. Or perhaps he had used the dimensional travel method that the hunters use.

"It’s a shame."

Perhaps Cale had narrowly missed the opportunity to face them.

'What’s a shame?'

Aurora felt a sinister unease at Cale’s words.

Just then.

"It might be possible."

‘What?’

At the moment Aurora’s gaze returned to Cale, he heard the voice of the two ancient powers.

- Now I know how to break into.

The Sky Eating Water, confined for so long in the lake infused with the power of the God of Chaos.

- To purify, I just need to experience a bit more of that power.

The entity that can incinerate and purify Dead Mana, the Fire of Destruction.

One was familiar with chaos. The other was exceptional at purification.

- Just once!

- Just once!

Both spoke at the same time.

- If I just confront another being with the power of chaos, I might be able to expel the contamination from this body!

The Sky Eating Water raised its voice.

- Just once, if I only have a real chance to purify this contamination of chaos, I might be able to purify Choi Jung Gun's contamination!

The Fire of Destruction exclaimed.

Currently, the only person Cale knew who could inflict such contamination was one. Additionally, Cale remembered the drawing on the tablet that Sui Khan had brought, the purification ritual. Surely, only he would know how to perform it.

Cale spoke past Aurora’s shoulder to Choi Jung Soo and Choi Han.

"If we capture the saint or anyone who knows how to use the power of the God of Chaos, we might be able to save Choi Jung Gun."

Cale smiled softly.

"Then, we might find an answer to this contamination."

Choi Jung Soo’s and Choi Han’s expressions brightened. As he watched them, Cale felt a small anxiety grow.

The God of Chaos.

Methods to face him were developing.

‘Wait... Do I really have to fight a god? No way, that can’t be right. It’s just hunters I’m supposed to face, right?’

Cale deliberately changed the direction of his thoughts.

‘Yes. All of this is to fight the followers of the God of Chaos.’

If he was going to face them, he would need the powers of the God of Chaos, one by one.

Cale was satisfied with his own reasoning.

"...Could he eliminate the worst disaster, that, without the help of a god... with his own power...?"

That’s why he didn’t hear properly what Aurora said.

"Sorry? What did you say?"

When asked again, Aurora spoke in a broken manner.

The greatest disaster— Chaos Contamination. One of the three great evils passed down through generations in both the demon and heavenly worlds. An absolute calamity that even forces the gods to bow their heads.

"...Can you eliminate the contamination...?"

"Ah, yeah. Maybe?"

As Aurora watched Cale shrug casually, she unconsciously asked.

"What’s your ultimate goal, then?"

At Aurora’s abrupt and sudden question, Cale simply answered honestly.

"To live a slacker’s life."

***

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]