Tap, tap.
Cale started to frown after feeling someone slapping his cheeks.
Tap, tap.
This hand that was rudely slapping his cheek made him upset.
'I remember fainting, but who is slapping my cheeks?'
"Haaaa."
Cale slowly opened his eyes after letting out a deep sigh.
He then became anxious.
"…What the hell?"
"Kim Rok Soo! You bastard, hurry up and snap out of it!"
"Huh- Jung Soo, why are you here-?"
Cale flinched and touched his neck.
'This voice is-
Kim Rok Soo's voice.'
The person in front of him was Choi Jung Soo, someone who started work at the same time as he did. And he looked younger than Cale last remembered. This clueless face was definitely when this punk was in his twenties.
Cale felt his hot forehead and rubbed his cheeks. His forehead was bleeding.
He lowered his head only to find that his black work outfit that was made from advanced materials was ripped in multiple places and that he was bleeding.
"Ah."
Cale remembered this moment.
Choi Jung Soo lifted him up at that moment.
"Hey! Let's go! Why would someone who uses their head like you come to the battlefield instead of staying in the back? You stupid bastard! Did you think that you coming here would help us?"
"Move."
"What? You bastard, I told you, this is not the time to be out of it!"
'I know.
I know it's not the time to do that right now.'
Cale lifted his body up and turned around.
He could then see it.
He could see the few buildings that they had barely managed to rebuild being destroyed while monsters were coming out of a black hole in the sky.
He could see the burning Korean sky.
"Damn it."
'It's that moment.'
It was something that happened when he entered this, 'company.' It was something that happened during his first year.
Grade 1 monsters suddenly appeared in section C-1 of Korea.
The abilities user's guild responsible for the area and the hunter bastards had all run away, leaving the company employees to come to hold out until someone showed up from the government.
"…Team leader."
Kim Rok Soo, Cale, could see his team leader and sunbaes from his first year at the job. They were all focusing on defense in order to stop the monsters.
He had been weak back then.
His ability had activated properly later, but he was just a green newbie at this time.
That was why he could do nothing before having to run.
"Hehe-"
Cale naturally realized it.
'I'm dreaming.
But it had to be this damned dream.
Why did I have to have this dream after fainting during my fight with the Empire and Honte?'
"Hey! Hurry up! You stupid bastard who hasn't even fully activated his ability! If you weren't my one and only fellow first-year! Sigh!"
Cale remembered what he had said in the past when Choi Jung Soo had supported and dragged him out of here.
Kim Rok Soo in his twenties had said the following.
'I'm going to kill all of those damned bastards and be a slacker for the rest of my life with my pension.
'I'm definitely going to do it.
I'm going to kill all the monsters.
I'm also going to kill the ability guild members who got all the advantages we gave them to protect the citizens and defend against the monsters but ran away when we actually needed them to do something.
I'm going to kill them all.
'…And then I'll live peacefully in a peaceful world.'
Cale repeated those same words again.
"I'm going to kill all of those damn bastards and then rest. I will definitely live a peaceful life."
The Empire and Arm.
Why were there so many damn bastards in the world who don't even deserve to be called humans?
"Why are there so many people who are even worse than I am?!"
When Cale, no, when Kim Rok Soo in his twenties had shouted that, he saw that Choi Jung Soo was looking at him.
Choi Jung Soo had responded back.
"Shut up, you bastard! Just take better care of yourself!"
"Hehehe."
Cale laughed as he casually commented to his fellow newbie, Choi Jung Soo.
"You should do that first."
"I'm better than you at that."
Cale could not help but laugh at Choi Jung Soo's response.
'So why does someone better than me end up dying first?'
Cale was extremely annoyed. He knew that it was a dream from the moment he saw Choi Jung Soo, his sunbaes, and his former team leader. It made no sense.
It was something the Kim Rok Soo who was in his thirties and was now the team leader could not imagine.
Choi Jung Soo had responded back.
"Hey! Don't you know our team leader's motto?"
'How could I not?'
Cale knew it too well.
"Being alive is the best! Why don't you take those words to heart, huh?"
He had indeed taken it to heart.
"Hey, the team leader says he's going to own a farm once he retires. I'm going to own an orchard next to him."
He had scoffed at Choi Jung Soo back then.
'How can you say something so relaxed in a situation like this?'
That made Choi Jung Soo let out his unique clueless laugh as he answered back.
He said the same thing he was saying in this dream.
"What do you want to do?"
'What else could it be?
I want to be a slacker.
Damn it.'
Cale felt his annoyance and anger filling up along with the hidden emotions deep within him, making him even angrier.
He closed his eyes. He then shouted.
"Damn it! I'm going to destroy it all!"
He then opened his eyes.
He couldn't help but blink.
The surroundings had changed.
The falling buildings, the company employees, and the running citizens were all not there.
He saw something else instead.
Cale subconsciously started to smile.
"…H, human?"
He could see round dark blue eyes in front of him. He could also see a front paw shaking from shock. That front paw had stopped while trying to put a towel on Cale's forehead.
Cale started to think.
'Ah, I finally woke up.'
It was at that moment.
– How vicious.
'Hmm?'
He heard a familiar voice.
Cale first tried to figure out what he could see.
First, he could see the shocked Raon, as well as Vice Captain Hilsman who was holding the basin of water with a cloth in it.
He turned his head to the side to see a small round table.
Saint Jack and Clopeh Sekka were sitting there with crown prince Alberu connected through the video communication device.
– What amazing sleep talking.
Alberu seemed very calm.
Most people would think he looked like a benign grandfather who had come with his grandson on a field trip. Alberu started to speak with that benign smile on his face.
– 'Damn it! I'm going to destroy it all!' is what you said, right?
'Ah, I said that out loud.'
Cale calmly nodded his head.
"It's been a while, your highness. I seem to have spoken the truth in my sleep."
Crown prince Alberu could not hide his shock.
He had seen the video from Clopeh and heard about the situation from Rosalyn and Choi Han.
However, the one responsible for all of it woke up after fainting and casually said, 'it's been a while.' The crown prince subconsciously asked even though Clopeh and the others were in the room as well.
– What are you going to do after destroying it all?
Cale looked around.
Everybody was fine. That was the important part.
They were inside a small barracks.
Cale responded back.
"Live as a slacker, your highness."
Silence filled the area.
Even Clopeh shook his head at Cale.
"You seem to be still half-asleep. I guess Cale-nim is still human as well. I suppose heroes are humans as well. Hahaha!"
Vice Captain Hilsman chimed in as if he had been passed the baton.
"He's like that every so often."
Cale ignored all of their gazes. Crown prince Alberu who knew about Cale's long-desired hope was smiling with a, 'too bad,' type of expression, but he ignored that and started to speak.
"Did Choi Han, Mary, and Miss Rosalyn go?"
Raon responded back.
"That's right! The three of them headed to the Jungle first!"
Cale had let them know before he fainted.
He said that they needed to go to the Jungle first.
Cale felt satisfied that the best combination for this moved first. The three of them would prevent the worst-case scenario from playing out.
His eyes headed toward Alberu who was on the other side of the video communication device. Alberu immediately started to speak once they made eye contact.
– You've only fainted for three hours.
"It's already been three hours, I see."
Alberu smiled at Cale's description. It was obvious to him what this punk was trying to say.
– The Breck Kingdom, Whipper Kingdom, Roan Kingdom, and the three Northern Kingdoms will all make a declaration tonight.
'As expected.'
Cale was certain that Alberu would have done something during these past three hours.
– We will announce that black magic has returned to the world.
Cale sat up on the bed.
Alberu continued to speak.
– We are contacting the churches as well. They will help us out if it is revealed that it actually is black magic.
"I assume that'll take some time, your highness?"
– Yes. The Empire will adamantly deny it. It will be difficult for the churches' forces to join right away. And most importantly…
Alberu stopped speaking for a moment.
Cale got off the bed and stood up. He then fixed the hems of his clothes.
The thing that was most important above all else right now.
The thing that the crown prince was about to say.
Something that was more important than the declaration that black magic has returned, destroying the Imperial Prince and the Alchemists' Bell Tower, and getting help from the churches. There was just one thing.
"I will head to the Jungle now."
The place with a battle going on right now was the most important.
Alberu opened and closed his mouth a few times without saying anything. He had seen what Cale had done on the battlefield. Furthermore, he could imagine the toll that took on this punk without even seeing it.
However, they needed Cale's strength in this battle, especially that power to destroy the golems.
The crown prince had something he wanted to say, but he didn't know what he should say right now, so he could only open and close his mouth silently. He could see that Cale was looking at him.
Cale nonchalantly asked a question.
"Is the Roan Kingdom okay?"
The Roan Kingdom had chosen not to go to war.
However, they were now in the middle of one. The crown prince had no choice but to become the center of this war.
This was because the Roan Kingdom was the strongest nation after the Empire on the Western continent right now.
Alberu chuckled and responded back.
– Just worry about yourself, you stupid bastard.
Cale just nodded his head and motioned to Raon.
Raon immediately activated a teleportation magic circle. Saint Jack jumped on as well and Cale flicked his finger toward Hilsman.
He then looked toward Clopeh and asked.
"You know what to do, right?"
"Of course, Cale-nim. Chief Harol and Commander Toonka apologized for not being able to see you out."
Clopeh stepped away from the teleportation magic circle as if it was obvious.
"I will take care of the Maple Castle business properly."
Cale felt iffy after seeing Clopeh smile. Harol should be able to deal with Clopeh properly, but he was a bit worried as he never knew what Clopeh would do next.
It was at that moment.
– You don't need to worry about Maple Castle as representatives from each of the alliance kingdoms will go there as well. They will all arrive there in about an hour.
Alberu casually added on.
Cale was relieved.
'It should be okay then.'
Alberu said a couple of other things and Cale asked for something as well.
– You thought that far ahead?
Alberu was amazed and happily obliged.
– I will prepare it right away.
Cale was about to suck up to Alberu for the first time in a while after hearing that Alberu had taken care of things so well.
– Contact me at the Jungle. See you then.
Drip.
However, Alberu hung up.
"Human! The crown prince is always the same!"
'Exactly.'
Cale sighed and motioned for Raon to activate the teleportation magic circle.
Raon looked at Cale's face and body once before nodding his head with a look of satisfaction.
"Here we go!"
'Yes, let's go.
Let's go back to the battlefield.'
* * *
Cale closed his eyes after seeing the scenery change. He felt something odd happening to his body and soon opened his eyes.
He could then see it.
"…Raon, where is this?"
"The sky!"
They had teleported to the sky.
Cale felt the emptiness under his feet.
"The smart Rosalyn told me to come here!"
Cale asked once more after seeing what was in front of him.
"Where is this?"
He heard a different response this time.
He knew it was the sky, but which sky was this?
"Section 8 of the Jungle! She told us to come here!"
It was not Section 7 that the Empire invaded, but Section 8 which was underneath it.
Cale could hear Hilsman and Saint Jack's voices behind him.
"My goodness! What is that-"
"Oh, lord."
However, Cale didn't have the time to look at the two of them.
He could tell why Rosalyn had told him to come here.
"Those fucking black magic bastards."
Different parts of Section 7 were on fire.
However, what caught Cale's attention were the black human-shaped Golems that were shooting up through the trees of the Jungle.
There was a total of four golems.
These golems that were close to 20 meters tall were guarding Section 7 from the North, South, East, and West directions as if they were gatekeepers.
Furthermore, in the sky of Section 7.
There was a castle-shaped airship located above the palace at the center of Section 7. It was looking down at Section 7 from the center of the area as if it was keeping an eye on everything.
"You're here?"
Cale could see Rosalyn flying up from down below.
She quickly flew up next to Cale and started to speak.
"…The Jungle's forces and us have currently stopped attacking."
Cale could understand why they stopped.
Rosalyn continued on with a bitter expression on her face.
"The citizens of Section 7 are currently being held hostage."
The citizens of an entire section were being held as hostages.
There would be no way for the regular citizens to get past the four golems in each direction nor the careful watch of the airship in the sky.
"Section 7 of the Jungle has turned into a fortress."
It was a closed-off fortress that nobody could go in nor out.
It was also like hell.
That was the current Section 7.
Rosalyn could hear Cale calmly responding back at that moment.
"It is not a fortress. There is a path."
Rosalyn observed Cale's clear eyes.
There was bound to be a path somewhere.