Chapter 381: Insufficient (6)

The Kingdom of Lan, one of the Three Great Powers of New World, along with the Eastern and Western Empires.

Known as the land of martial artists, its most important place was the sanctuary located within the royal palace.

The Sanctuary of the Kingdom of Lan.
A sacred space where only the queen and members of the royal family could enter freely.
Others could only step inside with the queen’s direct permission.

The current Queen—Tamahi.
And her husband, the Prince Consort, Hinpa Gong.

[Skill: Chaos Fear (Inactive)]

[To activate this skill, you must visit the Sanctuary of the God of Chaos.] 

[- More information -]

Sub–mission 1.

[Steal the power of chaos]

Hinpa Gong had appeared in Serisa’s memories.

Serisa, who had been famous as a bishop in the Church of the God of Sun.

She was a devotee of the God of Chaos.

Cale had met her at the Western Empire’s capital academy, and had obtained a clue about the sanctuary in her memories.

Hinpa Gong has a map that leads to the sanctuary.

Serisa had surely received a mission in the sanctuary, and Hinpa Gong had guided her there.

Ripple—

The sound of water was heard.

Cale turned his head and looked around.

“This is the lake, right?”

The center of the Lan Royal Palace. There was a lake there, and in the center of that lake there was a small island. The queen’s close relatives lived on that island.

“It’s fascinating.”

Alberu looked at the lake, as if he was quite interested.

Ripple—

Though it was called a lake, the water flowed. A huge lake, the size of several combat arenas combined.

Rush—

The surface of the lake wasn’t calm. Rather, many currents were flowing, colliding with each other and enveloping each other.

Cale, looking at that, jokingly said.

“Would you drown if you fell in?”

And Queen Tamahi responded calmly.

“Yes, you would drown.”

Hmm.

Cale shuddered.

Even so, Tamahi stepped toward the lake without hesitation.

“Lake of Tranquility.”

That was the name of the sanctuary.

“The surface cannot be clearly seen… yet the waters beneath flow ceaselessly—guided by each one’s will.”

“Sometimes, they clash. They fight, collide, and thrash against one another.”

“Other times, they embrace. They merge—only briefly.”

“But they never become one. And the water… never stops.”

The words that described the Lake of Tranquility flowed calmly from Queen Tamahi’s lips.

“Like the sea.”

The surface resembled the sea—
Vast, unfathomable, and ever-shifting.

“And… it becomes a swamp.”

A lake that pulled in those caught in its currents—dragging them down like a swamp with no bottom.

“Those who fall into it… find tranquility. Through the water that struggles endlessly beneath the surface.”

Tranquility.

Alberu repeated the word softly, as if tasting its meaning.

“Tranquility… is death.”

“That’s right.”

There was an island at the center of the lake.
But no boats waited. No bridges connected it.

Queen Tamahi glanced toward the distant guards.
Then she looked to her side—at Alberu, at Cale, and at Charun, the Sword Master, the only minister who had accompanied her.

She stepped toward the edge of the lake.

“But…”

She smiled faintly.

“There is a way to avoid death.”

Splash.

The moment her shoes touched the surface of the lake—

Whoosh—

A soft surge echoed across the water.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of falling droplets soon followed.

– Oh.

Cale heard the voice of the Sky Eating Water—
The Ancient Power sounded impressed.

He looked up.

Without warning, water droplets began to appear in the air.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

They fell, one by one, tracing a single, unbroken line.

Tap. Tap. Plop—

Each droplet landed on the lake’s surface—
And together, they formed a path ahead of Tamahi.

Not clashing.
Not merging.

Simply... existing in harmony.
A path born from neither struggle nor surrender.

The water droplets, which had fallen in silence, had become a path.

A tranquil path—
Wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

“Come.”

Tamahi extended her hand.

Charun stepped forward first, followed by Alberu, and then Cale.

Splash.

Cale stepped onto the path—
The only calm surface amidst a lake that constantly emitted sound and shifted.

Hmm.

The moment his foot touched the lake’s path, a strange sensation washed over him.

[You have arrived at a sealed area.]

The status window appeared, as always, with its unnervingly calm tone.

[In this area (Lake of Tranquility, excluding the island), no type of magic or aura can be used.]
[Only authorized individuals may enter.]

Ah.

Cale let out a silent thought, already feeling the restrictions wrapping around him.

I thought the restriction meant you couldn’t fly over the lake using magic to reach the island…
But it seems the meaning was deeper than that.

Splash, splash.

It was like walking on a dirt path, slightly wet from the rain.

Cale walked, breathing the fresh air.

Hmm?

Then, he stopped upon seeing Crown Prince Alberu, who was in front of him.

What’s wrong?

The sword that Alberu was wearing on his waist.

That sword, which was hidden by the scabbard, was the Sword of the Sun, the Sacred Object of the Sun God, which only a hero could use.

Sparkle.

A faint light emanated from the opening of the scabbard.

No, wait.

Isn’t it absorbing the light?

It seemed like the surrounding light was heading towards that sword.

“Oh.”

Cale marveled.

“Why?”

Alberu, who had reacted to his voice, turned around, and then stopped.

“…Why?”

Why is your expression like that?

Cale grinned mischievously at Alberu, who couldn’t say everything he was thinking.

“It’s nothing.”

I’ll tell you later.

Cale thought that, and smiled kindly.

“…Haah.”

Alberu sighed deeply—
Already exhausted by this dongsaeng of his.

Why is he like that?

Cale frowned—
As if someone had suddenly insulted him out of nowhere. But soon, he forced himself to smooth his expression.

Hinpa Gong.

There were several magnificent buildings on the island.

As they approached, a space that wasn’t luxurious, but conveyed a sense of tranquility and dignity, could be seen.

Every blade of grass, every flower.

Nothing was out of place, and no jewels or gold could be seen, but.

“Ah—”

Even Crown Prince Alberu let out a gasp of astonishment, at the harmony and beauty.

“Your Majesty.”

Hinpa Gong, the prince consort, was there to greet them.

It’s said that he’s quite dedicated.

Hinpa, who came from a fairly powerful noble family, had given up all his power after becoming Tamahi’s husband, and had been recognized for faithfully fulfilling his role as prince consort.

But he’s a devotee of the God of Chaos.

Also, he’s someone who cooperates with the Wanderers of the Five–Colored Family, and watches over the queen.

“Your Majesty, are these the heroes who have stopped the Justice Alliance?”

Hinpa Gong looked more like a scholar than a martial artist.

Unlike Queen Tamahi, whose presence exuded strength,
He had a slightly pale complexion—
Like flower petals caught in the wind, moments before scattering.

“That’s right.”

The queen smiled softly as her feet touched solid ground.

Charun, the Sword Master, bowed with respectful formality.
Alberu followed suit.

And behind them—
Cale, who had been standing in the queen’s shadow,
Gradually stepped forward, revealing himself.

Hinpa.

He was smiling kindly.

Smile~

And Cale also smiled, like a painting.

“?”

A faint expression of doubt crossed Hinpa’s face.

Neither Cale nor Alberu had greeted him.

Two civilians…
And yet they hadn’t bowed to the prince consort.

He paused briefly, the expression lingering for a moment—
Then calmly turned his gaze to the queen.

“Your Majesty, would you care to introduce these two to me?”

His voice was gentle—
Softly spoken, yet clear and composed.
Unshaken, but not without curiosity.

“Hmm.”

When Queen Tamahi opened her mouth, an expression of doubt appeared on her face for a moment.

Because Cale had said that he would take care of everything, after meeting the prince consort in this place.

I didn’t expect him to come to greet us.

It was unexpected that the prince consort, with such kindness, besides leaving his guards behind, would come alone to greet them. That meant he was curious about those two, who had defeated Sohyi.

“They—”

When Queen Tamahi was about to continue.

“You are the Guide.”

One word came from Cale’s mouth.

“!”

And Tamahi saw it for the first time.

“!”

It was the first time she had seen Hinpa Gong, the prince consort, so shocked.

Like the surface of this sanctuary.

An intense emotion was reflected on his face.

“Guide?”

The moment the queen repeated that word, Cale took a step forward.

“Or perhaps the Messenger?”

Guide or Messenger.

That meant that Hinpa had a position in the Church of the God of Chaos, he wasn’t just a devotee.

Cale, looking at Hinpa, who was stunned, opened his mouth.

“The Primordial Night.”

At that moment, Hinpa’s expression changed.

Wooong—

A gray aura emanated from his body.

“How dare you mention that name—!”

The Primordial Night.

That was the name of the God of Chaos’ sanctuary.

“Who are you?”

A weapon, containing gray aura, was forming in Hinpa’s hand. Unlike Bishop Serisa, this time it was a long spear.

“Huh!”

Charun was surprised, and stood in front of the queen.

Hinpa Gong.

It was said that he didn’t know anything about martial arts.

“Me?”

But Cale walked towards Hinpa.

Alberu followed, as if he was protecting him, but Cale didn’t pay any attention to him.

He was waiting for something.

[You have encountered the Guide of Chaos (Hinpa Gong)!]

The mission notification appeared.

I’m not surprised anymore.

Cale looked again at the sentence he had seen before.

[Skill: Chaos Fear (Legendary) is being used.]

The sentence that had appeared when he had faced Bishop Serisa.

[Wide–area skill, but this time, it will only be applied to the target Hinpa, for the mission’s progress.]

Legendary skill, temporarily unlocked for the mission’s progress.

Wooong—Wooong—

The gray aura bloomed, along with a strange moan.

“!”

It was definitely different from Serisa’s time.

“H-how is it possible that you have this strength—”

Hinpa recognized that strength.

[If the target using the Fear of Chaos is a devotee of the God of Chaos, there is a certain probability (30%) that the target will be hypnotized and controlled.]

[The probability varies depending on the mastery of the skill.]

[Current mastery of the skill: F (but it is temporarily being applied as A, for the mission’s progress)]

And he wasn’t immediately hypnotized.

[The opponent has successfully resisted!]

The skill failed once.

As a result—

Boom!

A thunderous roar rang out as the gray spear shot toward Cale.

He instinctively stepped back, the shockwave echoing in his ears.

“It’s an incredible strength.”

Alberu, who was already standing in front of Cale, blocked the spear.

The white spear, his main weapon, was cracked.

Crackle—

“How dare you use such a great power!”

Hinpa Gong wielded the spear again.

Wooong—

The gray aura enveloping him, one thing was certain.

It’s stronger than me!

Queen Tamahi felt Hinpa’s true strength.

A devotee of the God of Chaos, facing a Wanderer of the Five–Colored Family.

He couldn’t afford to be weak.

It wasn’t just the Wanderers who were aiming for this kingdom!

Tamahi realized it then—
It wasn’t the Wanderers, nor any external faction.

The true force aiming to seize control of this kingdom…
Was the Church of the God of Chaos, hiding among them all.

“Your Majesty!”

“Protect Your Majesty!”

The relatives and the guards were about to approach.

“Stop!”

Tamahi stopped them, and drew her sword.

“Sword Master, retreat!”

“Understood!”

The Sword Master, Charun, quickly retreated, knowing that his strength wouldn’t be of any help, and Tamahi lunged towards where Alberu and Hinpa were fighting.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart pounded.

It’s scary!

She was feeling fear now.

Wooong—Wooong—

Hinpa’s spear technique was incredibly powerful, but what emanated from that gray aura filled her with fear.

“Hmm.”

Alberu let out a quiet sound.

Spear technique.
Aura.
Pure strength.

In every aspect, Hinpa’s spear surpassed his own.

But Alberu had no intention of revealing everything just yet.
He would resist—endure—as much as he could.
The Sword of the Sun remained untouched at his side.

His face was expressionless as he raised his spear.

“I’ll help you!”

At that moment, Queen Tamahi wielded her sword, trying to join the fight.

“It’s not necessary.”

But Alberu refused.

“What?”

Tamahi felt confused.

“You’re arrogant! You’ll have to confess everything with your own mouth!”

Hinpa wielded the spear with more force.

He was restless.

Sohyi, the Wanderer, has been captured.

The fact that she had been suddenly captured, meant that something had gone wrong with their plan. Also, he had heard that Bishop Serisa had been imprisoned in the Church of the God of Sun.

This situation—

It’s definitely those guys’ fault.

Alberu and Cale.

Hinpa’s eyes sank deeply, as he looked at the two.

The Guide.

Someone who knows the path to the sanctuary.

Cale, who had mentioned his position and the name of the sanctuary.

Hinpa couldn’t escape, even though he had to flee quickly, because he had to find out Cale’s identity.

He even imitated the saint’s power.

No.

It’s not an imitation.

It’s like the saint at the beginning.

The genius saint—
Unmatched within the Church of the God of Chaos.

Even immediately after awakening, he could wield the power of chaos at an astonishingly high level.

But that guy was using it at that level.

What is his true identity?

There’s only one saint in the world.

Then—

Who is that guy?

Is he a devotee of the God of Chaos?

Is he an ally?

No.

That can’t be.

Isn’t it true that the power of chaos wouldn’t be used against an ally?

Also, he’s the Guide, not just anyone.

Maybe—

Maybe the lord has done something?

Is there something I don’t know?

What’s going on?

Truly, what’s going on?

Hinpa couldn’t escape, and he couldn’t fight with all his strength either, and he fell into confusion.

It was at that moment.

“If we attack together now, we can catch him!”

At that moment Queen Tamahi, not missing the opportunity, said to Alberu again.

“It seems like it’s not our turn.”

Alberu said that, and stepped back.

“!”

Hinpa, who was confused, wondered what was going on.

Alberu stepped back, and made eye contact with Cale again.

“!”

And Queen Tamahi was finally able to remember what true fear was.

Hinpa.

The fear emanating from him, was definitely primitive, like the fear she felt as a child, and made her shiver.

Therefore, you can ignore it.

You can overcome it as you grow.

But—

True fear is—

No.

To be exact, it’s not fear.

The feeling of being dominated.

As if you have to ask permission to do something as simple as breathing—

However, the primitive fear that is felt in that.

Like an herbivore, who vaguely feels fear of a beast, and as it grows, it fears the beast more.

It’s a fear that, the more you know, the more you want to ignore.

Because, the moment you sink into that swamp, you’ll want to be dominated.

“Ah.”

Tamahi, who felt a greater fear and domination, relaxed the strength of her hand, which was holding the sword.

And Alberu, with his arms crossed, shook his head.

“…T-this is—”

The Dominating Aura, which had subdued Sohyi, the Wanderer.

That force was concentrating on Hinpa.

What Alberu and Queen Tamahi were feeling was just a little of the aura that had overflowed.

“T-this isn’t the chaos I know—”

That force also contained chaos. And he could also feel that it was dominating him.

What’s going on?

His confusion intensified, and finally turned into fear.

Cale approached Hinpa, and used the skill again.

[Skill: Chaos Fear (Legendary) is being used.]

[If the target is terrified, you can read some of their memories by looking into their eyes.]

The skill succeeded.

Because Hinpa was already terrified.

[Skill: Dominating Aura (Rank: EX. Unable to determine)]

The Chaos Fear skill was classified as Legendary rank.

But the Dominating Aura—
Its rank was EX.

An unknown grade.

Unmeasurable.
But one thing was certain—
It was not below Legendary. If anything, it stood far above.

And—

[This skill is of the growth type.]

Despite the fact that it can’t be determined, it has growth potential.

[Reading memories.]

[As it’s a sample, only the memories related to the mission will be shown.]

[A devotee who is completely dominated by the Fear of Chaos, acts according to their ultimate goal or their mission.]

“Ugh!”

Hinpa screamed.

Meanwhile, Cale was reading his memories.

The Guide.

Someone who knows the map that leads to the sanctuary, the Primordial Night.

And, of course, the real map doesn't exist.

It only exists in his mind, as a memory.

And the mission had revealed that memory to Cale, so that the mission could continue.

[Map acquired.]

The status window displayed it for convenience. But Cale didn’t need it.

Because he had already recorded it in his mind.

Drizzle.

[A side effect of the skill has been detected!]

[Side effect: Vomiting blood]

[The side effect can be alleviated by increasing mastery.]

[Current mastery: 0]

[Attention: Even if you increase mastery, there is a high probability of a side effect occurring, depending on the degree of force used.]

Because I've used the force twice—

Cale opened his mouth unconsciously.

“Ugh—”

He actually vomited blood.

“Ha, I’m crazy.”

Alberu let out a long sigh, then moved to support Cale as he staggered.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Alberu spoke indifferently to Cale, who was still coughing up blood without pause.

“That guy’s about to explode.”

Cale, his body trembling, forced himself to stretch forward—
And looked ahead with strained eyes.

The Guide.

Someone who knows the way to the sanctuary.

Damn—

His final mission was to die, in case his information was discovered.

– Cale, the explosion is not normal!

As the Super Rock had said, that explosion seems to be quite large, for some reason.

Hinpa has two final missions.

His own death, after his information has been discovered. And also, the death of the person who has discovered his information.

Cale didn't know it, but he could guess it, seeing the gray aura boiling, enveloping Hinpa’s body.

It seems like—

– Do I… really have to put in effort?

The Indestructible Shield, the Glutton Priestess, asked calmly. It seems like, as when I was with Bishop Serisa, I have to use the shield again.

“U-ugh, damn…!”

Cale, who was violently vomiting blood, couldn’t help but say what he wanted to say. 

 ------

P/R Thought:

Not the Blood Demon showing up like a post-credit villain teaser 👀🔥.

***

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]