"You endure quite well, huh?"
Despite Cale's casual words, Kendall kept his mouth shut.
Even as his pupils wandered aimlessly, he revealed no information.
Pfft.
Cale let out a light laugh and said calmly, "You described Holy Water to Rasheel as the Source of the World. Wouldn't it be something like extracting sap from the World Tree, cutting the roots or stems, and boiling the water?"
Does the World Tree produce holy water?
Cale recalled the appearance of the World Tree he knew and then glanced at Kendall. He still kept his mouth shut.
'Hmm.'
Cale's gaze shifted, and he suddenly spoke, "Nine, right? Is that your correct name?"
The Dragon Half-Blood Nine lifted his head to look at Cale.
Inside the tent were Kendall and Nine together.
Cale recalled information about Nine.
'They call him the most useless member of the First Division, right?'
It was information obtained through Bailey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
And he was the guy wrapped in bandages due to injuries caused by Choi Han. Originally, after leading some of the Dragon Half-Bloods, including Sam, the Knight of Har Kingdom, to this place, he was captured and brought here enthusiastically.
Cale intentionally brought this guy among the many Dragon Half-Bloods.
'This guy should be useful.'
He relied entirely on Beacrox's assessment.
"Do you know what Holy Water is?"
'Haha.'
Kendall laughed internally.
Because he was sure Nine wouldn't open his mouth.
'And he doesn't know anything about Holy Water. He can't know!'
That was information close to confidential.
But Nine's mouth opened.
"Well, about that—"
Kendall's eyes widened. Unconsciously, he opened his mouth too.
"Hey, Dragon Half-Blood, be careful with what you say!"
And then, he was surprised.
'What's with this guy?'
Nine didn't even look in Kendall's direction.
To be precise, he was avoiding him.
The situation surprised Kendall.
'How dare he?!'
How dare he ignore my words?
At least, these Dragon Half-Bloods shouldn't do that.
"Hey!"
But Nine continued without glancing his way.
Kendall couldn't contain his anger.
"This ungrateful bastard! A fool who is nothing without Dragon blood!"
Nine shivered at Kendall's shrill voice and the Dragon Fear that rose in response to Kendall's intense emotions. However, Nine didn't look at him until the end.
"This bastard—"
When Kendall's eyes filled with anger...
Snap.
A snapping sound echoed.
'!'
And Kendall felt a faint energy fill the tent.
Dominating Aura.
The sound alone caused a faint energy to ripple through the air, like a gentle breeze.
Kendall pressed his lips. He remembered the colossal energy he had faced before. Although this one was weaker, it was the same in essence.
A crazy power that seeks to dominate even Dragons. No, perhaps more so because they were powerful beings; that energy enjoyed crushing them more.
"..."
Kendall fell silent again.
'Damn it.'
He muttered curses to himself.
And Nine saw it all.
'Damn it! That useless Dragon bastard!'
Nine's gaze towards Kendall was filled with contempt.
'How could someone like him be a Dragon?'
The moment Nine saw Kendall unconscious after being hit by Rasheel, Nine couldn't believe the situation.
Kendall, who was he? Wasn't he one of the Ten Gods, even if he was the last?
'Okay, let's assume all the Dragons in that Black Castle are incredibly strong.'
Indeed, Rasheel was so injured that it was understandable Kendall would have fought on equal terms and lost.
'But how can he bow down to a human?'
When he saw Kendall trembling in front of Cale Henituse and not even able to look him in the eyes, Nine couldn't help but hate him.
Nine held a deep-seated belief in the dragons' unrivaled might.
But seeing that great creature act like that was too much.
Nine's eyes filled with anger.
And Cale watched the scene in silence.
'Nine, that guy is weak-hearted.'
He remembered Beacrox's evaluation.
'And he also has a very twisted character. He also harbors resentment towards Kendall for not being able to save him.'
He said:
"The more he sees Kendall being torn apart, Nine will join this side to survive."
The corner of Cale's lips lifted.
'For Nine, nothing is more important than his own life.'
And he added:
"Turns out, even though his Attribute hasn't bloomed, he has inherited Kendall's blood."
Beacrox was a master of torture and interrogation.
His expertise extended beyond inflicting physical and mental pain. He possessed a keen ability to psychologically manipulate his victims, exploiting their vulnerabilities to extract information.
So, without much effort, he easily detected the weak points of others.
'Among the Dragon Half-Bloods here, Nine is the most angry and disappointed with Kendall right now. Also, due to the blood connection with Kendall, his emotions are similar.'
A coward focused on his own life.
Cale stood up from the chair.
And he approached Nine.
Although Nine trembled at first, Cale, looking at Nine, spoke kindly to him while he remained tied on the ground.
"Why do you think I brought you here?"
"..."
Nine's pupils trembled. Cale spoke softly.
"I'm giving you the opportunity first."
Opportunity. Nine's gaze brightened at that word.
"And Kendall. That guy won't be able to leave here."
Along with the suggestion that the situation wouldn't allow Kendall to escape.
"What opportunity is that?" Nine, unknowingly, spoke with respect.
A smile formed on Cale's lips.
'Commander Jenyu seems very confused and has many ideas about the current situation, but he won't talk. However, he understands the situation.'
Revealing information wouldn't benefit him.
'But Nine will talk because he lacks the clarity to differentiate.'
Beacrox's words were precise.
'I guess that's why the Team Leader depends so much on Beacrox.'
Beacrox was reliable enough to make decisions.
"Nine."
Cale asked gently.
"What is Holy Water?"
After hesitating for a while, Nine finally made a decision.
'Surely, this is an opportunity!'
Does that mean they will save him?
Does it mean the treatment will be better?
He didn't realize that Cale had never answered his question about what chance it was.
"Holy Water is the 'energy' most dragons have consumed."
"Isn't it liquid?"
"No, it's not liquid. It's more solid."
At that moment, Kendall intervened.
"Hey! You're crazy!"
But as if he heard nothing, Nine continued talking.
"The reason why the World Tree is the World Tree is because it knows how to see the flow of this world."
Cale nodded silently.
When he first met the World Tree. Didn't the World Tree tell Cale three things after seeing the flow?
"In short, it means it can reach the Source of the World."
Cale remained silent.
"Shut up, idiot! What do you know? This guy doesn't know anything!"
Nine snorted at Kendall's protest. And he spoke to Cale.
"The Dragons consider the Temple as their home. That's why they give us various tasks, and among them, the ones doing the most work are us."
The Knights First Division. From the outside, it seemed like a very noble and elegant place, but in reality, it was nothing more than a place where hundreds of tasks were performed.
'Yes, that's right.'
In the end, they were dealing with all the work for the Dragons. Anger shone in Nine's eyes.
"Even if it's only in part, after doing many things, eventually, the overall flow will be seen."
"Then-"
Cale continued speaking calmly.
"The Dragon Lord's side, subdued the world and, using the World Tree, reached the Source of the World and consumed that energy. Is that energy Holy Water?"
"Yes, that's correct. Although we don't know exactly what its effect is, we believe the reason why Dragons became stronger compared to before the Catastrophe Era is because of that."
Cale knew that the World Tree in Aipotu had lost its essence. He thought that this might be due to the domination or brainwashing by the Dragon Lord.
'There is no other option.'
It must be like that.
The World Tree in the world where Cale lived revealed part of the flow, so it lost several branches and had to undergo care. But if that energy from the origin of the flow is taken away...
"The World Tree must not be in its right mind."
Moreover, this world. Cale understood why Aipotu couldn't speak or act like Central Plains or Xiaolen.
'If they take away its power, I don't know how bad it will be, but-'
Such a scenario would be catastrophic. Depriving the world of its resources would lead to a complete collapse.
'Maybe that's why it can't answer, and the Divine World is silent?'
It is likely because the Source of the World, the energy, is being absorbed.
'Yes.'
This makes sense.
The little white snake said:
"Mom said that this collapsed world is trying to exclude the Dragons from this world."
The result was clear.
'The World is alive.'
If only I can find a way,
'I'll be able to talk to him as easily as I do to Central Plains and Xiaolen.'
If that happens, we might finally understand how the Dragon Lord suppressed all the energies in this world. And if they know...
'We can change the situation.'
The moment the reins on oppressed living beings are released, the world will flip.
'The puzzle pieces are coming together one by one.'
Cale understood the flow of events so far.
He asked directly:
"Was the starting point of the Catastrophe Era when the Dragon Lord completely subdued the World Tree?"
"Yes!"
Nine's direct answer and...
"Damn! Is that guy crazy?!"
Kendall's anguished cry cut through the air, and in the ensuing silence, Cale realized the truth.
'They managed to suppress the World Tree and reached the Source of the World to steal that energy.'
As a result, strange weather conditions and the onset of radical changes occurred all over Aipotu. Cale murmured without realizing and quickly closed his mouth. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind.
'The statue of the young monk.'
The statue that Central Plains used as an alter ego was struck by Raon and was slightly broken. However, after a repair process, it was quite well.
'Inside that is the Energy of the World Tree.'
And that was the energy of the World Tree from Aipotu, which the Dragons had inserted.
'That's what they called a seed, right?'
Central Plains said that it might be possible to grow a new World Tree through this statue.
"Then..."
Cale thought.
'With this statue, couldn't we even reach the Source of the World if we use it correctly?'
Could we then engage in a conversation? Cale saw a new path.
'If everything goes as I hope and things start to change in the world...'
The corner of Cale's lips lifted.
'Wouldn't the situation become quite interesting?'
A very favorable situation for allies could be created. As Cale liked overwhelming fights, this information was quite intriguing.
"And..."
Nine, who was watching carefully, opened his mouth.
"Yes?"
Cale responded gently, feeling in a good mood. Of course, Cale had no intention of treating Nine well, but couldn't he soften the conversation a little? Nine, with a brighter face, spoke quickly.
"Some Elves are suspected to have consumed that Source of the World! It is believed that their power surpasses even the Dragons before the Catastrophe Era!"
"Wow! "
A small sigh of admiration escaped from Cale's lips. His gaze turned to Kendall.
And then he smiled cunningly.
"So that's the reason why you resisted talking."
A rather severe smile.
"Did you think the Inquisitors would kill us and the Elves would come to save you?"
Kendall avoided Cale's gaze. However, Cale looked at him as if he could see through him. His gaze became more penetrating.
"So, the strong ones are starting to appear gradually."
He asked Choi Han.
"How many Inquisitors are there in this new Eradication Team?"
"It is said there are three."
After thinking for a moment, Cale spoke.
"Inform Miss Rosalyn about this information and let me know her response."
Cale sat on the sofa.
"Because she is the commander of this operation."
Along with that, he asked the Dominating Aura.
'How far can your reach extend?'
A deep voice answered refreshingly.
- I don't know. I have no idea.
When Cale's face wrinkled.
- Even if the concentration is low, I think it could still reach as far as the capital of the Roan Kingdom.
That far? Cale was surprised by how impressive the Dominating Aura was, seeing it in all its glory for the first time.
* * *
"Phew."
A bright light flickered and disappeared in an instant over the snow-covered expanse.
The sound of someone descending from a teleportation magic circle resonated.
Swish~
The figure that descended from the magic circle removed the hood.
"The enemies are ahead."
The blue-eyed Elf gazed into the distance at a huge ice wall.
The Inquisitors and the Eradication Team had arrived.
* * *
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 – Rai_Mayank]