The man in the black mask was reflected in Lion King Dorph's eyes.
The masked man opened his clenched fists.
Crumble.
The magic stones crumbled to the ground.
And then…
FLASH!
A flash of red covered everyone's sights.
Dorph's body moved forward.
"Ah."
A soldier plopped to the ground.
The fiery thunderbolt in the sky was flying toward them.
'I'm going to die.
I'm really going to die now.'
That was the thought going through the soldier's mind.
The soldier started to cry.
Baaaaaang!
One of the thunderbolts landed in the plaza next to the tower.
The tower started to shake.
The thunderbolt had formidable attack strength.
"Oo…ah..."
The thunderbolt had missed the tower this time, but…
'Next time-'
Crack. Crack.
The fiery thunderbolts flashed within the cloud as if they would strike down at any moment.
"I, it's over..."
The soldier anticipated the end of his life as he saw an endless number of red flashes heading down.
However, he soon saw a silver light.
Ooooooong-
He could see a shield covering the southern roof.
To be more specific, it was covering Saint Jack, Beacrox, and the soldiers.
It was a shield with large silver wings opened wide.
This large barrier appeared in front of the soldiers' eyes just as the thunderbolt was about to strike down. It looked sturdy enough to defend against the thunderbolt.
"My money!"
They could hear the man in the black mask shouting from afar.
Riiiiiip.
The masked man was slowly ripping a spatial pocket bag apart. His movement seemed careful and hesitant.
'F*ck! Damn it!'
Cale had been hesitant until the last moment before he started to rip the spatial pocket bag with his dagger.
'Do I use the magic stones? Do I not?'
He had looked down.
The same amount of strength he used during the Whipper Kingdom's battle against the Mogoru Empire seemed to be enough.
Normally, he would not need to strengthen the fiery thunderbolt.
'Who cares about a stupid promise?!'
However, he had made a promise.
'Human! Learn from today's incident! You should not be in pain! It makes me sad, it makes gramps sad, it makes everybody sad!'
That was what Raon had told him after they were told that Choi Han had fainted.
'I'll work hard so that I won't worry you in the future.'
Cale had promised to work hard to not do that again.
'It's not like I can break a promise I made with a child.'
It was a promise with a six-year-old who has not even gone through puberty! Furthermore, this was not someone who he could make a compromise with.
He could already imagine Raon sniffling and handing him a slice of apple pie.
He didn't want to eat those soggy tear-soaked apple pies anymore. They were not tasty.
Cale started to frown.
His hand was shaking as he held the ripping spatial pocket bag in his hand.
'…I shouldn't faint if I strengthen it, right?'
Since the power of the fiery thunderbolt would get stronger, it should be easy to purify this dead mana lake that looked shallow.
"Yes! Let's show off my wealth and burn through my money again!"
'It's not like it was hard to get this money.
We stole all of it!'
Riiiip.
Cale completely destroyed the spatial pocket bag.
"Ahahahahahahaha!"
He then started to laugh like a lunatic.
'My money!'
Beacrox had brought it from the capital, but it was nonetheless his money!
It'd be one thing if he was using it for something else!
– Hehe, thanks.
But to use it on this cheapskate!
Cale looked angry.
There were many things he needed to spend money on.
So, if this wasn't worth the investment…
"Just see what happens if you don't do your job properly."
The moment this vicious aura started to flow out of Cale…
"I can't let you do as you please!"
Cale could see a person jumping off a ledge and charging toward him.
Dorph, the Lion King.
Dorph smiled as he punched toward Cale.
"No!"
Hannah shot her aura toward Dorph.
Baaaaang!
However, That aura was easily blocked.
"What the?"
Hannah could see her aura being blocked by a formless power in the air.
"Just what, just what the hell is that power?!"
She shouted in anger.
Cale made eye contact with Dorph at that moment.
Dorph was trying to get to Cale. Cale was looking down at Dorph.
Cale started to speak.
"You're an Elementalist, right?"
'What?'
Hannah's eyes opened wide.
'An Elementalist?
That hard to find Elementalist?
The King of the Lions is an Elementalist?
The bastard who was claiming to be a warrior and a fighter who wanted a fair battle is an Elementalist?!'
Smirk.
Dorph started to smile.
"How did you know?"
Cale smiled as well.
The golden top's whip that had been in his hand until just a moment ago was now in his pocket.
'Cale! Something is weird about that Lion! I think he is an Elementalist!'
'But we can't see his Elemental? What could it be? Are there Elementals that can't be seen by other Elementals?'
'But we can feel the presence of an Elemental inside that man's body.'
'Maybe we can't see it because it is much stronger than we are?'
'We at least know it is not a Wind Elemental for sure! We would recognize any higher-ranking Wind Elemental-nim.'
'…What attribute Elemental is it?'
Two of the Elementals had shared that information with him.
'…Out of the norm! Something beyond normal standards has appeared! A Lion and an Elementalist! A strong Elementalist at that! Run, must run!'
The third Elemental continued to send him warnings as well.
"However, the fact that you have not escaped must mean that you have not thoroughly figured out my strength."
The feeble-looking Dorph's eyes were filled with murderous intent and lunacy.
Cale started to laugh as he responded.
"Be worth the price I paid for you!"
Along with those words…
He threw magic stones into the air and a loud noise roared out from the sky.
Baaaaaaaaaang!
Baaaaang! Baaaaaaaaaang!
Tens of thunderbolts landed in a single location.
It was aiming for the cross-shaped path between the divided tower.
It was also aiming for the dead mana at the center.
Thunderbolts that shined in both blood red and gold struck down toward those locations.
Baaaaaang!
The thunderbolts became even stronger after gobbling up the magic stones.
"Shit!"
Dorph jerked his body back.
Baaaaang! Baaaaaaaaaang!
The entire cross-shaped path was covered in fiery thunderbolts.
Nothing could approach the path anymore because of the thunderbolt and the fire it caused.
Boooom.
In fact, they had to stabilize themselves because of the shock it caused.
"Activate the magic shields!"
"Be careful! You'll die if you fall! Dodge the thunderbolts!"
The White Star's subordinates urgently cast shields or lowered their bodies. A soldier who had been blankly watching this raised his head.
"T, the thunderbolts are striking down...!"
The fiery thunderbolts were coming down endlessly without stopping.
And at the center of those thunderbolts…
There was someone at the center of the cross path with the dead mana lake underneath him.
The soldier blankly stared at the masked man that the thunderbolts did not hit.
He did not seem to be human.
At the same time, he could tell the identity of that masked man.
The Silver Shield.
And the fiery thunderbolt.
Cale Henituse. It was that person.
He couldn't tell whether Cale was the enemy or not, but a sense of relief filled the soldier's mind.
"…It's going to disappear."
The lake that was full of dead mana. He thought that the lake that could have been his grave would not disappear. He believed that this person could make that happen.
He was almost certain that would be the case.
It was at that moment.
Boom!
The tower started to shake.
"Huh?"
The soldier's eyes opened wide.
Pwaaaaaaaaaaah!
The black liquid shot up into the air.
It was as if a volcano was erupting.
The dead mana was shooting into the air.
"Damn it!"
Cale started to frown.
– …The dead mana down there is about three-stories deep underground.
He could hear the cheapskate's serious voice.
The dead mana lake.
The visible part was not all of it.
'Three-stories underground?!'
That was how the cheapskate had described the depth of the lake.
That was beyond Cale's expectations.
– I am using the thunderbolts to destroy the three-stories deep storage facility.
The dead mana had shot up once the thunderbolt made the storage facility explode.
Baaaaaang! Baaaaang!
The fiery thunderbolts struck down at the dead mana and gobbled them up each time.
Craaaackle.
The surface of the dead mana lake started to catch on fire. The blood-red light that had traces of gold started to burn.
However, the black liquid continued to shoot up.
"…Is this doable?"
Cale started to frown at this disgustingly large amount of dead mana.
He repeatedly clenched his hands into a fist and opened them back.
It was possible.
He could purify this.
The lake had started to catch on fire.
The thunderbolts were continuing to fall.
However.
– Human! Are you okay? Should I head over as well?
'Shit.'
– You cannot faint! Should I come help you? I am the great and mighty Raon Miru!
"Why would you come here?"
Cale started to frown.
"…My money."
Cale almost teared up as he took out another bag of magic stones.
– Hmm?
He could hear the cheapskate's shocked voice.
– You don't need to give me anymore. Why are you doing this? I'm fine. I have enough to get it done.
"Are you going to take responsibility if I faint? Are you confident you can do that?"
– ...
The cheapskate was silent.
– Money is useless if you are dead.
The thief whispered in his mind.
Cale sighed as he flipped the bag of magic stones over.
Plop. Plop.
The magic stones started to fall out one by one.
It was at that moment.
Baaaaang!
Someone attacked a thunderbolt and caused an explosion.
Cale turned his head.
"I'll be there soon."
Dorph punched out as he said that, causing damage to a thunderbolt without even touching it.
Baaaaang!
That invisible force was being used again.
Plop. Plop.
Cale continued to pour out magic stones and casually commented to Dorph whom he could see through the gap between the thunderbolts.
"Just watch your back."
Dorph flinched and turned around to see a gold aura flying toward him.
Hannah laughed as she started to speak.
"I thought you were going to fight me. Where are you going?"
Hannah looked vicious even though she was smiling.
"She really isn't normal either."
Cale shook his head before closing the bag.
That was the signal.
"Roar wildly."
Dorph easily took care of the gold aura.
He then flinched.
Something was coming.
A strong power was coming.
"Shit!"
He quickly moved back.
Thunderbolts soon shot down from the sky and the fire that was burning the lake shot up into the air.
A large pillar of fire had appeared.
Cale who was at the center of the pillar of fire and looking down was the only thing not burning.
Shhhhhhh-
Pssssssssss-
The dead mana started to burn.
Rose gold colored ashes slowly started to rise into the air.
It was the sight of the dead mana being purified and disappearing.
Everybody could see it.
And at the center of it all…
"Hehe, hehahahahahahaha!"
The masked man started to laugh out loud.
'This is the power of money!'
Cale was either laughing in joy or laughing in shock after wasting so much money.
It was at that moment.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Golems could be seen rushing back toward the tower.
They seemed to be in a hurry.
"Hehe."
Cale's eyes sparkled as he watched the golems head over.
"I'll show you the power of money."
It was at that moment.
– Human! Is it not hot in there?
Raon who was hiding while remaining invisible started to speak to him.
Cale shook his head.
First, he shot down fiery thunderbolts, then he started to laugh, and now he shook his head. Others were watching Cale's actions with confusion as Raon continued to speak.
– Human, by the way! Goldie gramps called!
'Eruhaben-nim?'
Cale flinched.
– He said that Choi Han opened his eyes!
'Mm.'
Cale slowly started to frown.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The golems continued to rush toward the tower, specifically toward Cale who was trying to get rid of the dead mana as he did that.
It would be acceptable for Cale to be scared while watching this sight.
However, that was not the issue right now.
– But goldie gramps said something else as well!
'What did Eruhaben-nim say?'
– Choi Han was crying and ignored gramps even when he tried to stop him and asked one of the kingdom's mages for a teleportation magic scroll to come here!
'Aigoo.'
Cale was at a loss for words.
– Apparently, Choi Han woke up while shouting, 'Kim Rok Soo!' Human, do you know who Kim Rok Soo is?
'Aigoo!'
Cale felt the world turn dark.
– Anyway, goldie gramps said he's headed over as well! Goldie gramps seemed to be shocked after seeing Choi Han crying! Anyway, they are all coming! Hehe!
Cale could not hear Raon's laugh.
'What the hell did he see?'
What had Choi Han seen in Choi Jung Soo's memories?
'What made Choi Han cry?'
News about the White Star coming.
Seeing the golems rushing over to kill him.
Hearing Choi Han was coming was scarier than either of those situations.