Chapter 341: What is your goal, what is the end? (5)

Demons.

The appearances of the demons Cale had encountered since arriving here had been truly diverse.

There were those with horns.

Those, like Count Lupe, with pale, greyish skin.

Others had bright red eyes.

Some resembled Beastmen, with fur, tails, and ears.

There were even ones like Aurora, whose skin was so pale and flawless it looked like glass.

And then there were those who looked entirely human—just like Cale himself.

- These demons are different from what I imagined.

Super Rock commented.

‘Rather, Count Lupe seemed like a typical demon, even a noble from the Demon World.’

Of course, Count Lupe had the appearance you’d expect from a character in the genre novels Cale had read for years.

‘But, well—’

Wouldn’t what I’m seeing now be more natural?

I don’t know how vast the Demon World is, but it’s a world in itself.

How big could it be?

And what about its long history?

It actually makes sense that demons come in all kinds of appearances.

‘However—’

There was one common factor.

Something that made them all feel like demons.

- “Human.”

Raon spoke seriously.

- “The energy of the Demon World is strange.”

Rustle—

A dense forest.

Over the trees or on the ground.

Only the sound of wind sweeping through the leaves and grass broke the silence of the forest.

- “It’s mana, but a bit different!”

Cale looked around.

Sssst—sss—

Those moving stealthily cut through the wind.

The demons’ movements were impressive.

- They seem like scouts.

As Super Rock said, their nimble movements barely made a sound.

- “Human, the mana of the Demon World is all gray. The aura is gray too!”

Raon was right.

Whoosh—

The demons that had come out to scout.

About half of them were using the power of aura or mana, and all of it was gray in colour.

Cale suddenly recalled a priest under a white star.

That guy had used a gray power while worshipping.

‘Hmm.’

Why does this gray make me feel so uncomfortable?

- “Human. But this power reminds me of the God of Chaos!”

Raon hit the nail on the head.

‘Ah, right.’

The gray that signified the energy of the Demon World.

The more I see it, the more I think of the God of Chaos.

- It’s different in essence.

Of course, as Super Rock said, the essence is different.

- But it might be hard to distinguish between a demon and a follower of the God of Chaos just by the colour of their power.

When Cheapskate spoke seriously for once, Cale thought.

‘Wouldn’t it be good to pretend to be a follower of the God of Chaos among the demons?’

No, it would be useful for deception.

- …!

- !!!

Super Rock and Cheapskate were speechless with surprise.

- …Impressive.

Even the Glutton Priestess murmured in admiration.

But only one existence responded appropriately.

- Hehe.

The Dominating Aura let out a pleased laugh.

- You thought the same thing I did! Truly, you're worthy of the power of the Dominating Aura!

The Dominating Aura spoke in a serious tone, clearly pleased.

- Anyway, we’re absorbing the saint’s power right now!

The demons could disguise themselves as followers of the God of Chaos.

That possibility wasn’t just theoretical.

‘After the game update, if we absorb that power properly, we could play a decent role as the Saint of the God of Chaos!’

…Cale really could pass as the God of Chaos’s saint.

- Hahaha.
‘Heh.’

Cale and the Dominating Aura.
Both let out quiet laughs they couldn’t hold back.

- "Hey, human!"
Raon shouted in confusion.

- "Who are you planning to deceive this time? That’s the face you make right before causing big trouble! I’m suddenly excited!"

Cale ignored the excited—and equally confused—Raon, as he held back the laughter trying to escape.

‘Ah.’
Seriously.
‘…That’s a pretty fun idea.’

The strategy devised by him and the Dominating Aura was genuinely clever.

- Exactly. Hehe. Maybe the saint will come looking for us first! Haha!

‘Exactly!’

Cale was briefly impressed by the Dominating Aura’s quick thinking.
How is he thinking the same thing as me?

For the first time in a while, he was genuinely pleased with his mindset.

- If we disguise ourselves and act as part of the cult or followers of the God of Chaos throughout New World, after hearing the rumours, how could the real saint stay still? Hahaha!

‘Of course, they’ll come looking for us to see who’s imitating. Hehe.’

- Yeah. We just have to take care of it once they show up.

Cale finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Hehe.”

A short laugh escaped again.

Pfft.

As they moved stealthily, the sound of stifled laughter echoed twice.

Glance-glance.

The demons glanced at Cale.

And the crazed eyes of Choi Han and Choi Jung Soo regained a bit of normalcy.

“Hehe.”

Trying to hold back his laughter, but unable to help it, Cale’s face, still trying to laugh, was seen at that moment.

Choi Jung Soo’s eyes suddenly lit up.

‘That’s the face of Kim Rok Soo when he’s planning something big.’

Is he planning to kill the Demon King right now?

‘No, we’re going for scouting, not to destroy everything!’

With Choi Jung Soo worried about Choi Jung Gun and his crazed eyes, he quickly calmed down—like he’d been splashed with cold water.

A strange air of tension took hold of Choi Jung Soo, Raon, and Aurora, who was watching, tensed up.

‘What’s going on?’

What kind of plan had Cale-nim come up with that was making him hold back laughter like that?

“Cale-nim.”

At that moment, Choi Han approached Cale.

He had already confirmed that there were only allies in the area, and no one else.

“What?”

Cale, already aware of this, turned to Choi Han.

“Have you come up with a good plan?”

Gulp.

Choi Jung Soo swallowed hard, and the demons running ahead and behind began to grow nervous at hearing that conversation.

Grin.

When Cale smiled, Raon shuddered.

- “H-human! When you smile like that, I get too excited! What are you planning this time?”

And Cale, as usual, ignored Raon’s rambling and answered Choi Han’s question instead.

“Yes. If we do this right, we might deal a good blow to the back of the God of Chaos.”

Ah.

Choi Han exhaled a brief sigh and smiled warmly.

“!”

Aurora’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Mediators’ scouts reacted the same way.

Though primarily tasked with scouting, being based at headquarters meant they were elite troops. They clearly knew who the enemy was, including the ancient god, the God of Chaos, thanks to Cotton.

Gulp.

Aurora swallowed hard.

“Phew.”

Choi Jung Soo let out a relieved breath.

‘Ah, I thought he was going to do something right now.’

Choi Jung Soo felt more at ease.

He asked casually.

“How are you going to deceive them?”

Cale hadn’t said anything about deceiving, but Choi Jung Soo naturally assumed he would. And, of course, Cale answered without hesitation.

“That’s—”

But his gaze shifted to Aurora.

“If the demons help us a lot, it might be possible.”

If the demons acted well enough as followers of the God of Chaos, Cale thought his plan would unfold smoothly.

‘I was already worried about how to find the saint of the God of Chaos.’

He had tried to search for the saint through the fierce Dark Bear or Count Lupe and the AI, but that process wouldn’t be easy.

‘The problem wasn’t difficulty, but time.’

That’s why he had estimated a few months, but given Choi Jung Gun’s condition, he had to solve it as quickly as possible.

“We’ll have to overturn the cult of the God of Chaos.”

Cale spoke calmly and smiled again toward Aurora.

The Mediators.

Scattered all over the world, they’d surely perform well, right? At least better than Choi Han.

“Will you help us? I suppose I can count on you, right?”

It’s not a difficult matter. Cale made this comment casually, as if joking. This wasn’t the time for deep conversation.

“…"

Aurora swallowed nervously.

“Are we talking about shaking up the cult of the God of Chaos?”

Would he need help from the demons?

‘How big is the battle he’s planning?’

Aurora could barely imagine the scope of Cale’s plans but nodded with a serious face. All the members of the Mediators were already committed to a common cause.

“Yes. We will do whatever is necessary to stop those who caused this chaos.”

“That’s comforting to hear.”

Cale was clearly pleased. And on the faces of Aurora and the other members, a firmer tension was drawn. However, Cale believed the reason for their tension was something else.

“Human!”

Raon shouted, and Choi Han quickly positioned himself in front of Cale.

Whooosh—

The whirlwind that had been swirling around Cale’s ankle began to dissipate.

“It's the enemy!”

A faint dark mana surrounded Cale, forming a shield. He understood the concern behind it and chose to remain silent.
At the edge of the forest, a gently sloping cliff came into view. Beyond it lay a basin-shaped village, nestled between hills and mountains with a river winding through its heart. It was clearly a mountain village.

“It’s quite large.”

The village, home to dozens of families, was under attack by the Demon King’s army.

“Human, they’re all wearing similar uniforms!”

The soldiers, clad in sleek black armor or dark garments, bore a symbol over their hearts—the silhouette of a horned human face.
Boom!
An explosion ripped through the air, its echo shaking the hills.

“Human! These humans—no, demons—are being captured!”

Though the sound was too distant to hear clearly, it was evident that the Demon King’s army was capturing the village's inhabitants in various locations. Demons could be seen shouting.

Cale’s expression hardened.

Meanwhile, Aurora was observing Raon.

“As expected.”

She admired how Raon could freely manipulate the mana of the Demon World, not just in gray tones but in his own unique color. Knowing that this wasn’t easy—and that for some, it would be impossible—Aurora decided she needed to evaluate Cale’s group more carefully before proceeding. But now wasn’t the time for those thoughts.

“It doesn’t seem like our base has been discovered.”

Everyone confirmed Aurora’s comment with silence. They had arrived stealthily, fearing that the enemy might enter the forest and find them.

Approximately two hundred members of the Demon King’s army seemed excessive for a village of that size.

They were capturing only the villagers.

Boom! Bang!

Despite the explosions and flames in various parts of the village, none of the villagers were killed. They were simply being captured, both young and old alike. In this remote, basin-enclosed area, whatever happened in the village would hardly spread beyond.

“Everyone must be thinking the same thing.”

Aurora’s expression grew stern.

“The Demon King’s army’s target is the villagers.”

Several villages had disappeared before. The incidents of disappearances, which had been quiet for a while, were now happening again.

“Captain!”

One of the scouts, holding a telescope, pointed to a place. Though the face couldn’t be seen clearly, there was someone there.

“There, it’s the Flame Demon.”

“!”

Aurora’s eyes widened. The Flame Demon was one of the strongest in the Demon King’s army, a loyal servant of the current Demon King, known for doing anything for his master.

“…This is serious.”

And he was incredibly powerful.

Aurora’s expression grew grim.

“Then all of them must be subordinates of the Flame Demon.”

Known cynically as the Demon King’s fanatics, those were the ones present now.

“Captain, what are we going to do?”

An assistant who had arrived with the scout spoke cautiously. Aurora didn’t hesitate to respond.

“We’re going to save them.”

The assistant, as if already knowing she would make that decision, immediately replied.

“I’d like to go save them right now. But if even one of them escapes the village, what will happen?”

The Demon King’s army, with around two hundred soldiers, was over-equipped for such an isolated village.

If even one escaped…

“Our base will be discovered.”

Aurora clenched her eyes shut. Moving again, setting up another hideout, and erasing their tracks would be enormously difficult and troublesome. Additionally, it would delay their fight against the current Demon King. But when she opened her eyes, her gaze was resolute.

“Even so, we must save them. Are we just going to leave them like this?”

Her voice was cold, without a trace of warmth, but firm because of it.

“Phew.”
The assistant exhaled sharply, then stepped back.
“You’re right. We can’t leave them like this.”
She turned to the fastest scout and gave a sharp nod.
“Go. Report back—and bring reinforcements.”

There were only about ten of them here. How could they face two hundred? Moreover, they had to rescue the villagers.

It wasn’t an easy task.

The assistant wasted no time in giving orders. Aurora, seeing this, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Boom! Boom!

Another explosion echoed. Some houses collapsed, and the villagers ran in panic. Their food stores were being destroyed, and terrified faces could be seen, bodies trembling with fear.

Aurora spoke calmly.

“They’re looking this way.”

The Flame Demon, in the center of the chaos.

Sitting calmly on a bench in the middle of the village, reading a book, he closed it and looked in their direction.

The distance was great.

They couldn’t see each other’s faces. But both knew how to recognize the approach of an enemy. Now was the time for Aurora to fight.

Sshing.

The sound of a sword being drawn resonated.

“!”

Aurora stopped, a violent energy pulsing through the air. She quickly spun around.
Choi Han stood behind her, a serene smile on his face, sword in hand.

Harris Village—next to the Forest of Darkness. The place where the ‘shadow’ had wiped out everyone.
After the massacre, Choi Han entered the village and learned all that had happened. Witnessing the scene now was nearly unbearable for him.

“Hmmm.”
Cale scratched his cheek, unfazed, and stepped forward.
He turned to Aurora and spoke.
“First, we save the villagers. And we need to make sure the Mediators aren’t exposed, whether because of the Flame Demon or anything else. Those are the two most important issues right now, right?”

Aurora blinked, caught off guard.
“...That, that’s true?” she stammered.
Her gaze flickered between Choi Han, Choi Jung Soo, and Raon. The expressions behind Cale didn’t look good.

“I’m angry!”
Raon’s mana swirled around him, crackling with intensity.

“Haha! Seriously, haha!”
Choi Jung Soo laughed, his eyes showing determination. There was no need to mention Choi Han—his quiet presence was noticeable.

With them all standing behind him, Cale turned to Aurora.
“Then we’ll take the initiative.”

ale’s tone was soft and friendly, speaking with a kindness that contrasted the situation. He pulled something from his storage bag.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A pile of black objects landed with a dull sound.

Night camouflage suits.

Cale, ever cautious, had more than enough to go around. He pointed to them and spoke:
“First, put these on and follow us slowly. Let’s see how things play out.”

With a casual wave of his hand, Cale glanced at Choi Han, who was staring at him.
“Shall we go?”

Without missing a beat, Cale’s response was light, almost offhand.
“Yes.”

At that moment, Choi Han leaped off the cliff, plunging toward the village below.
Whooosh—!

And black mana wrapped around him as Raon gave him a boost with the wind. Riding that wind, Choi Han reached his destination.

Boom!

A heavy sound, different from an explosion, resounded. In the center of the village, Choi Han looked ahead.

“Who are you?”

The Flame Demon, who had a book in hand, asked that question as Choi Han responded with a furious dark aura emanating from his sword.
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Proofreader's Comment:

Wait, did Cale really just do that? 😂 This chapter is peak ‘Cale’—genius-level chaos mixed with way too much confidence. Bet you can’t finish it without thinking, ‘There’s NO WAY this is going to work... but it might!’. Drop your thoughts below—because I’m dying to know what you think happens next!

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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]