Cale Henituse, under his former name Kim Rok Soo, had witnessed countless horrors. Even as Cale, his life had not been exempted from tragedies.
However, nothing had prepared him for the spectacle unfolding before his eyes. A black abyss littered with charred corpses, beasts and humanoids alike, all with an expression of profound agony on their faces.
His gaze fixed on the abyss; Cale murmured.
"This is truly desolate."
It wasn't the number of victims or the magnitude of the disaster that affected him, but the way they had died. Their bodies, turned into charred mummies, reflected unimaginable torment.
Cale swallowed hard as he confirmed it.
"There is no doubt, they are Beast People."
He closed his eyes and the images of what he had seen were seared into his mind. The mutilated bodies, with tails, ears, hands, and feet torn off, reminded him of the hunter Koukan who had failed to control his Berserk transformation.
Cale said in a somber tone.
"And most of them are high-ranking Beast People."
Wolves, lions, tigers... The remains of the fiercest creatures lay in the abyss, victims of unimaginable cruelty.
- That black swamp can be nothing but the Black Despair.
Cheapskate said, his voice filled with restrained anger.
Cale responded.
"Yes, The Black Despair. It is said to be composed of the residual resentments and negativity that permeate the corpses."
Cale remembered the bones piled in the Alchemy Tower of the Mogoru Empire. However, what they were witnessing now was different.
- It is evident that these creatures were thrown alive into the swamp and died in a state of deep despair. Otherwise, their bodies would not have blackened in this way.
Cheapskate assessed the situation.
It wasn't the fire that had charred their bodies, but a dark energy that had drained all vitality, leaving only withered husks like dead branches.
- Sigh~.
A sigh escaped Cheapskate's lips.
Super Rock said calmly.
- Cale, I believe it would be best to consult with the God of Death or Deputy Chief Priest Cotton about this matter concerning the Gods.
Super Rock shared his thoughts with Cale.
Ryan.
That bastard Dragon was planning to wreak havoc. But first, he had to resolve a doubt.
Cale thought, 'The Blue Wolf is a forgotten God.'
If he could summon it in Aipotu, the Beast People could complete their transformation and become a powerful ally.
However, a question kept bothering him.
'Is it possible to corrupt a God?.'
The black swamp was certainly horrible, but it wouldn't taint the essence of a God. Was it enough to corrupt a divine being?
Cale wasn't sure, but he didn't have time to dwell on doubts.
"I'll withdraw."
The elder mage bowed to the Dragon Letao before leaving with a casual demeanor.
Cale hesitated.
Should he follow him?
No, there was still much to investigate in this place. However, he couldn't let the mage leave just like that either.
Cale whispered to the Wind Elemental.
"Freedom, Follow that mage and bring me news."
The Wind Elemental replied cheerfully.
"Understood. Freedom... Espionage... Hurray!"
A small breeze headed towards the mage as the door closed with a creak.
Now only Cale and the children remained in the place.
Should he just leave the dragon alone?
Should he leave the children behind and take a closer look at the black swamp and that Divine Artifact?
The cry of the Wind Elemental echoed in the distance.
"Freedom!"
As Cale pondered, a whisper from the Wind Elemental reached his ears, followed by the voice of the old mage carried by the breeze.
No matter how closed a glass door may be, eventually there would be spaces, and the wind could pass through them. Of course, the Wind Elemental had deliberately cracked the door open.
"The door will be sealed with a magic circle soon! I'll transmit what I heard before that happens! This seems important!"
Along with the normal words, the murmur of the old mage was heard. A very small voice, full of mockery.
"Hahaha. When that guy arrives, the last supper will be ready. How foolish, coming without knowing he himself is the ingredient. Hahaha."
Eh?
"And he'll go with his daughter, so it'll be fun. I'm very curious to see that face full of despair. Hahaha."
...Wow.
Cale was stunned as he listened to the old mage's words that only he could hear.
- Human, the magic circle is activating at the entrance door!
The door seemed to have closed completely. Neither the voice of the Wind Elemental nor that of the old man could be heard anymore.
'Wow.'
And Cale was still amazed.
'These guys are completely insane.'
So, do they plan to use that Dragon named Letao as a sacrifice in the last supper in a week?
And also, the daughter of the Dragon?
That means two Dragons would be sacrificed.
Just imagining it, it was evident that the father and daughter, two Dragons, would die in the deepest despair.
'And moreover, with the Divine Artifact that was contaminated by sacrificing the lives of countless Beast People.'
Cale muttered unconsciously.
That's not a Divine Artifact, it's-
"It's a terrible disaster."
It will become a horrible existence.
"Human, what did you hear? Your expression now is that of someone about to destroy everything! I want to know the reason!"
"Nyaa!"
Hong and Raon were filled with curiosity, while On silently watched Cale.
It was then...
"Eh?"
Raon stopped.
Swoosh!
Cale felt a gust of wind.
"!"
And he startled. He raised his head.
The wind had been deliberately directed towards them.
"It's wind with mana!"
That means-
"We've been discovered!"
Letao. The Dragon has discovered us.
"Since when?"
"Human, that Dragon seems to have recognized my magic! Only someone as old as Goldie Gramps could have noticed it!"
Raon became nervous. Cale could see Letao staring at him intently.
"As expected."
Letao said calmly.
"There is something there."
Raon responded to that.
"Human, what do we do!"
Cale told the bewildered Raon.
"Dispel the magic."
"Eh? I-Is that okay?"
Cale looked around.
The only ones there were the Dragon and Cale's group. There was no one on the other side of the glass wall.
"All right, it's fine. However, only dispel mine."
The moment Cale's words came out of his mouth,
"Understood!"
The mana enveloping Cale withdrew. The magic dissipated.
Fwoosh!
The Sound of the Wind swirled around Cale's feet.
Tap.
Cale lightly stepped on the ground and immediately descended towards Letao, floating over the abyss.
As he landed softly, Cale met Letao's gaze from a prudent distance.
"Who dares to be here?!"
Along with these words, Dragon Fear emanated from Letao.
At the same time, he did not let down his guard.
'Since when has this intruder been here?'
While talking with the old mage, he had noticed a very faint breeze.
If he hadn't perceived that breeze, he wouldn't have noticed the intruder's presence at all.
However, even after detecting the presence of the other, Letao had shown no sign in front of the mage.
For some reason, it had seemed right to him.
'... Because the breeze was refreshing.'
It was too pure and fresh to be the wind blowing in this terrible place.
Indeed, it was such a subtle airflow that it could barely be called wind, but Letao, who had spent most of his time in this place, was able to detect that very subtle change.
"Are you not going to answer?!"
Letao intensified his Dragon Fear to press the opponent.
'It's a human.'
Without a doubt, the intruder was a human.
Who is it?
Who the hell could be capable of doing this?
At that moment, his confusion intensified.
"Well…"
The red-haired man opened his mouth.
A twisted smile spread across his lips.
"Do I need to introduce myself to the one who will be the sacrifice for the last supper?"
What?
What did the intruder just say?
At that moment, confusion overtook Letao's eyes.
"Ugh…"
He inhaled deeply.
Kuung.
His heart sank.
Uuuuuuu-
The air vibrated.
That human...
An overwhelming aura emanated from the red-haired human.
An aura that repelled Letao's Dragon Fear and completely oppressed him.
"How is this possible...?"
He couldn't even speak. If he could, he would rather focus on standing upright. He tried his best not to kneel or fall flat on his face. He felt that if he relaxed even a little, he would end up bowing down before that man.
...Domination.
Is this how one feels when facing a being that dominates everything?
Letao had never felt this way, not even when facing Ryan.
Ryan, the Dragon known as the God of Domination.
Not even when he encountered the Dragon whose attribute was "Domination" had he experienced such helplessness.
Is this how it feels to stand before the Dragon Lord?
He had never met the Dragon Lord, so he didn't know. However, Letao felt suffocated.
Thud.
In the end, he was forced to kneel.
"Ugh, ahh!"
And the overwhelming pressure enveloping him dissipated. Even then, he couldn't take his eyes off the red-haired man. He didn't allow himself to.
"Ugh, ahh. Ugh."
Leaning on the ground with both hands, he bowed his head and panted. He felt the man approaching him with bowed head. However, he couldn't even lift his gaze.
How can a human... be like this?
No, is he a human?
Who is this intruder?
What is happening now?
What is going on here?
Though Letao's mind was confused, he couldn't even continue his thoughts. An energy that dominated everything approached him.
He saw the foot of the human. Letao didn't raise his head.
Damn it!
And he then tightly closed his eyes.
How...?
How did I end up in this situation?
Desperation and helplessness welled up in his heart.
Two hundred years ago.
During a time of great chaos and instability, marked by rapid and significant changes.
Back then, his daughter had hatched from the egg.
That's why Letao focused on raising his daughter, avoiding the chaotic world.
Even when the Dragons fought among themselves and the Dragon Lord's faction overwhelmingly outnumbered the others, he stayed hidden.
He knew that by joining the Dragon Lord, he would gain the power of the Source of the World, but he didn't desire it.
"I have to raise my daughter in peace."
With his wife gone, his daughter was the most important person in his life. He didn't want to feed her the Source of the World.
"That's not something Dragons normally eat."
No matter how much stronger he became, he couldn't risk giving his daughter something so dangerous and uncertain. Therefore, the situation changed when Letao and his daughter, who had been hiding together, were discovered and captured by Ryan when Letao's daughter was playing with her Beast People friends.
Letao hid a group of Beast People near a secret sanctuary. He didn't want his daughter to grow up alone, and he also felt sympathy for the Beast People.
...sigh...
A sigh escaped his lips unintentionally.
"Letao."
At that moment, the voice of the human was heard.
Cale looked at Letao, who couldn't even lift his head.
"He's much weaker than Sisko, for sure."
Sisko, the Goddess of Struggle, ranked among the top ten among the Ten Dragon Gods.
For Cale, who even managed to defeat Sisko, Letao, who hadn't consumed the Source of the World in front of him, was an easy opponent.
Cale opened his mouth.
"You are destined to be sacrificed as part of the final execution, just like the Beast People members you killed."
"No-!"
Letao suddenly lifted his head, and his eyes met Cale's, but he stopped. However, he spoke.
"I didn't kill the Beast People here-"
But his voice faded.
"I didn't... but I am just as guilty."
Cale remembered a previous conversation.
"Thanks to the mana that Letao-nim provided us, we were able to handle the executions we've had so far. Finally, we have reached the final stage."
Recalling the words of the old mage, Cale said.
"What did you do with your mana? What have you been doing?"
...sigh...
Letao exhaled deeply and opened his mouth. Of course, it wasn't just because he was oppressed by the power of the human that trapped him.
"Am I the sacrifice for the final execution?"
He couldn't take those words lightly.
"And what about my daughter?"
He had to continue this conversation. So, he responded straightforwardly.
"In the final execution, there can sometimes be a strong reaction. I suppressed that with my mana. And, as you already know, we can't use ordinary people as guards here."
Why?
"A normal being can hardly stay in this space for more than a day. In the worst case, they might even succumb to the despair emanating from the black swamp and willingly throw themselves into it."
Choi Han.
Suddenly, Cale remembered Choi Han, who had struggled against the 'Black Despair.' Although he had managed to overcome it and grow from the experience, it had been incredibly difficult.
"So, was a Dragon here to protect this place?"
"That's right."
Cale looked at Letao, who didn't avoid his gaze, and thought, "It's ambiguous."
He had done bad things, but he wasn't exactly an enemy.
An enemy of my enemy...
"And... the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Letao, the greatest enemy of this Dragon, was Ryan.
A plan in motion.
Therefore, there was a possibility to work together with Cale.
More than anything, he had no other choice.
"Letao."
Cale crouched down and met Letao at eye level.
"I... will stop the final execution and overthrow the God of Domination in a week."
"...!"
He couldn't utter Ryan's name, for fear of being heard. However, it wasn't that he was afraid.
"The God of Domination will lose everything in a week."
Cale's voice was calm. At that moment, he was more concerned about how to communicate this to Lock later than what he was saying now. That's why his words flowed without hesitation.
"Because I will do it."
Letao's mouth involuntarily opened.
"B-but that's impossible..."
However, Letao's words couldn't finish.
"In the final execution, you and your daughter will also be sacrificed."
At that instant, the space vibrated violently.
Letao's aura soared to the limit.
Although it didn't reach Cale and the average ten-year-old children who were camouflaged, the anger emanating from it was dense and deep, like never before.
"...My... my daughter too?"
Letao's voice trembled. Cale looked into Letao's bloodshot eyes and said, "Yes. Your daughter too."
Cale reached out his hand.
"Letao, what will you do?"
The words of the hooded human echoed in Letao's mind, resonating with a chilling shiver. Not only him, but also his daughter... would be sacrificed.
Letao needed to verify the truth of that statement, to confirm the reality of such a terrible fate. However, a dark suspicion already loomed over his mind.
'Ryan is capable of that.'
Even without concrete evidence, a deep certainty told him that Ryan wouldn't hesitate to commit such an atrocity.
The human whispered into Letao's ear.
"Don't you want to turn that man's world, who dreams of being a God, into hell, rather than your own world?"
A human with an aura powerful enough to rival Ryan's. Letao reached out his hand, an act reflecting both hope and despair.
Ryan... his world...
"...Yes, I want to turn it into hell."
Letao saw a gentle smile form on the lips of the human.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Cale."
Cale introduced himself plainly, but Letao took his hand with both hands, as if it were a lifeline amidst a sea of darkness.
* * *
The next day, Cale stood in front of the teleportation magic circle.
"Are you going to see the Emperor, Human?"
"Yes."
It was time to face the Emperor.
* * *
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]