Chapter 400: Do You Dare to Hit Me in the Back of the Head? (3)

“Haha!”

Cale laughed heartily.

“…….”

Emperor Steinsen only stared at him.

That man… extraordinary, in the strangest way.

Steinsen recalled what Ahn Roh Man had once said about Cale:
'He’s kind, you know? Honestly, he even seems good-hearted—so much so he looks like a fool.’

‘But at the same time… he can be cruel, even hateful.
‘Still, when you think about it, he’s someone you can trust. In fact, trusting him is the only reason I took this path at all.’
‘Cale Henituse and Alberu Crossman… both of them have a way of getting under my skin.’
‘I wonder—did everyone who worked with them feel that way too? Lately, I’ve been asking myself that. Every time I dwell on it, I feel a prickling at the back of my neck.’

Just as Ahn Roh Man had described, Emperor Steinsen now felt that same prickling at the nape of his own neck.

‘But… was that sensation truly such a bad thing?’

No.
In truth, it didn’t feel bad at all.
‘Because everything is unfolding exactly as I expected.’

Yes.
‘Besides, Cale Henituse has already borne so much hardship to clear the way.

When I think about all the time we spent racking our brains over those problems, it feels a little empty. But when I see Cale Henituse—who suffered even more to open that path—acting as though nothing ever happened, it doesn’t feel unpleasant at all.’

That was it.
‘The man doesn’t even realize he’s a workaholic. He insists he’s just an advisor, but to me, he’s both strategist and assault captain. He charges headlong into battles from every direction, you know?!’

Exactly.
‘Simply put… ah, forget it. Talking with him will be far more entertaining.’

Entertaining indeed.

A faint smile tugged at Steinsen’s lips, slowly deepening.
His gaze drifted past Cale and toward the corner of the room, where the shadows lingered.

“How nice.”

Ahn Roh Man’s parents. It was through them that Steinsen had come into this world. To him, they were no different from his own parents.

For Steinsen, Transparent Co. was the enemy—the one that had stolen his parents’ lives. But RMPAG… that was the only inheritance they had left behind. Not just for him, but for the world where he still existed.

Betrayal could never be forgiven.
This place had to be protected at all costs.

He had lived with that conviction etched into his very being for as long as he could remember. And he was not alone.

“System. That one isn’t short on ingenuity either, is he?”

System—he too had moved to defend this world.

“That’s why he wanted to meet His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“That’s right.”
“I assumed that, realizing too late the schemes of the Transparent Blood Family, he had rushed in blindly to act.”

But that wasn’t it.

“…It turns out he, too, had been striving to protect this world.”
For a long time now.
“Alone.”

Yes—System had been utterly alone.
At least, for him, there had been Ahn Roh Man.

Steinsen’s gaze lingered on the dark corner of the room, growing heavier.
“Are the System and Won separate entities?”

“Yes. If the System is the World Tree, then Won is like an elemental born from it. But though they seem two, they are in truth one—Won acts entirely according to the System’s will. Any word spoken to Won will reach the System itself.”

At Cale’s explanation, Steinsen gave a silent nod. Anticipation welled within him for the meeting with Won. Slowly, his eyes returned to Cale.

“The hero’s mission… it was carried out in secret by the System, hidden even from Transparent Co.”

“Yes. And when the time comes, the hero’s mission will be revealed to the world.”

Steinsen’s gaze sharpened.
“Is the hero… Alberu Crossman?”

“!”
Choi Han froze mid-step.

Meanwhile, Cale’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
“Yes.”

“You tricked Ahn Roh Man.”
“No. I never lied—I just didn’t tell him.”

Cale corrected him without hesitation.
“Don’t you recall? Neither Ahn Roh Man nor His Majesty the Emperor revealed everything to us at the start.”

“That’s true.”
Steinsen understood at once.
“Even when facing the same enemy… complete trust is impossible.”

“Exactly.”

Steinsen leaned back on the sofa. After a brief silence, he spoke again:
“If the hero requires strength, then Reenti will act. The Kingdom of Knights must lend its power.”

“…You—” His expression hardened.
“I’ve heard… that you intend to unite the Eight Evils into one.”

“Yes.”

“Will you join the hero?”
“Yes.”

Cale’s response came without the slightest hesitation.

“The Queen of the Kingdom of Lan meeting with me… it can only be to unite our purposes, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”

“Your ultimate goal is to stop the Absolute God through the combined strength of all, correct?”
“Yes.”

Steinsen’s eyes burned intensely. Addressing Cale – and not the System – he said,

“You’ve already prepared a grand plan.”

Cale cracked a smile.
“It’s my own design.”

“Hahaha—!”

Steinsen burst into laughter. But the sound soon softened, replaced by a heat that carried no mockery, only conviction.

“And already, cracks are forming between the Hunters, the Demon World, and the God of Chaos.”

He tapped his knee thoughtfully. Then, realization struck.
“Cale Henituse.” His voice trembled.
“You intend to pit the God of Chaos against the Hunters—to make them tear at each other. And in that chaos, you’ll drive the God of Chaos’s faction from this world.”

There was no mistaking the conviction in his voice.
“Surely, the Demon World has prepared its own plan—one that will leave it too occupied to trouble the New World.”

His gaze shifted to Cale, who was still laughing.

“Then all that remains is the Hunter Families and the Absolute God.”
He leaned forward slightly.

“At that time… will you unleash everything you’ve prepared?”

Cale had said it many times before:
‘We will only deal with the Hunter Families and the Absolute God.
The Divine World and the Demon World are not my concern.’

So, when the question came, his reply was immediate.

“Yes.”

Steinsen’s throat tightened. He swallowed hard—otherwise, he could not have concealed the shudder that coursed through him.

A grand plan was unfolding.

God.
Demon King.
Absolute God.

One man intended to bend all these colossal entities—and the powers that followed them—to his will.

Unwittingly, those very beings were falling into the design he had set in motion. And in the end, the enemies once too vast to face would be whittled down to a manageable number.

“Ah…”

A shudder ran through Steinsen.

“But,” Cale added lightly, a smile tugging at his lips, “I’ll also split the Hunters into two factions.”

“…Eh?”

“Once the hero appears, the Transparent Blood Family won’t be nearly as concerned with the New World as you think.”

“Ah!”

At last, Steinsen stood up suddenly.
“Ahn Roh Man!”

“Yes.”

The president—staking the rest of his term and everything he possessed—had declared war on Transparent.

“Exactly! The Transparent Blood Family is a far greater threat than the Five Color Blood Family!”

The Transparent Blood Family—known as Transparent Corp—was the only force capable of imposing restrictions on the System.
They were the operators of RMPAG.

“If they tie themselves down with the reality of the Third Earth—Earth 3—so that they no longer even have time for the game…
and meanwhile, if we rise up to face the Absolute God and the Five Color Blood Family…”

“…It’s possible.”

RMPAG could truly be saved.
And this New World could remain intact.

Steinsen’s gaze locked onto Cale’s dark brown eyes.

…What a terrifying man.
No other thought would come to him.

* * *

At that moment, Alberu Crossman lowered the hand rubbing the back of his neck, trying to suppress the strange unease prickling there. He forced himself to focus on his task.

Knock, knock, knock.

Suddenly, feeling a shiver run down his spine, Alberu Crossman turned immediately.

“!”

Clopeh Sekka stood in the doorway, smiling.

He walked over slowly, almost too casually, and seated himself beside Alberu. His voice was gentle.
“How’s the work on the comments going?”

“Eh? Eh… well—eh.”

Alberu fumbled with the semi-transparent window hovering before him. It was the official game community, connected through RMPAG. Within that world, one could even access the internet—and so, real-time videos were being uploaded even now.

At that moment, Alberu was working on the commentary for the video of Eden Miru’s Birth Ceremony.

“Hehehe.”

Clopeh Sekka’s laugh slipped out, and Alberu froze.

“I trust you.”

“Mmm.”

Alberu only sighed.

Seeing his face, visibly uncomfortable and troubled, Clopeh Sekka smiled and stood up.

“Then, I’ll withdraw for now.”

He gave Alberu a polite bow and headed for the door.

Watching him leave, Alberu let out another sigh, then turned back to the endless stream of comments scrolling across the screen.

=====

– Ancient Dragon. Why would one who carries light be branded as evil? Why, moreover, as a sacred evil?

– Don’t you think something about this seems misaligned, as though the flow itself is distorted?

=====

They were comments left following the direction that Clopeh Sekka had marked.

Already, in addition to Alberu Crossman, Choi Seon-hee and Rosalyn have also joined this work.

Alberu Crossman observed the reactions.

=====

– Eh? This feels strange. Why did the former boss of the Seventh Evil suddenly vanish, and why didn’t the Ancient Dragon lose control completely?
– From the footage, it looked more like a sacred birth, didn’t it? Not the rise of a Demon King, but the emergence of a hero — one who drives back the darkness (those red-black clouds) and radiates light (like an aurora).
– Weren’t the Eight Evils supposed to be a tightly kept secret? So why is so much information leaking out? Could it be that the administration team intends to make the Eight Evils public?
– Does this mean a new episode is coming? Or maybe even a full-scale mission?

=====

“…It seems like the plot will take a very peculiar turn.”

Hmm.

Alberu pondered for a moment. His eyes fell on the word light.

Tap, tap, tap.

He left a message in the community.

======

– But didn’t something happen recently at the Temple of the God of the Sun?
– Is this truly the work of the God of Chaos, or has some other strange force appeared?
– And now, an Eight Evil connected to light emerges? Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?
– It feels as if something big is about to happen — a change that could shake every side.
– The Sun, the light… don’t you think the two are oddly connected?

=====

Although the sudden mention of the God of the Sun was unexpected, Alberu’s gaze shifted toward the Sword of the Sun.
Quietly, he murmured to himself.

“Yes. I, too, must prepare a plan of my own.”

Hero.
Even that title… would it not require a foundation to stand upon?
It could not be something that simply appeared out of nowhere.
Just like with Eden Miru, there must be a heavy justification for the rise of a hero, isn’t that right?

Creak.

Meanwhile, Clopeh Sekka closed the door carefully and headed to his study.

“Hehe…”

Standing by the window, he gazed out at the distant scenery.
A lush green meadow stretched into view, fresh and beautiful.

At first glance, this did not seem like the domain of the boss of the Seventh Evil.
On the contrary, it looked serene, almost idyllic.

“Yes… it truly is beautiful.”

Clopeh Sekka.

He was crafting a legend.

“…Eden Miru. You cannot remain defined as mere evil.”

Yet this was not to be a legend centered only on Eden Miru.
No—Eden Miru was only one fragment of the greater design.

“Good and evil… in any world, they stand opposed.”
He paused, eyes burning with conviction.
“But when an enemy arises that threatens the world itself,
in the end, they unite — to fight, and to protect the land.”

That is not a matter of good or evil.
It is the law of survival.

“Cale-nim”

He murmured, remembering his lord – who was still working hard somewhere.

“I know what you’re plotting.”

Through the Eight Evils and the Kingdom of Darkness,
he would seize the reins of evil.
Through the Kingdom of Lan and beyond,
he would expand the dominion of good.

And in the end—

“Neutrality.”

Ahn Roh Man, President of the Earth 3.
Alberu Crossman, the new Emperor of the New World.

“Good, evil, and neutrality.”
The three forces that are always bound to exist within a world.

“You intend to bind them together… to encompass all—
so that you may stand against the enemy who threatens not only this land,
not only this world, but even ours.”

What he intended was becoming clear.

“The path you have chosen…”
That harsh, unyielding road.

“That path must never collapse.”

The legend will inevitably be fulfilled.

Clopeh Sekka.

He was nurturing the seed called Eden Miru in anticipation of when the Eight Evils and various kingdoms would unite in the future.

“Cale-nim, I will take care of removing the stones that obstruct the path you have traced.”

A fierce fire blazed within his eyes.

Those green eyes — as vivid as a meadow in spring — now shone brighter than ever before.

Cale Henituse.

Alberu Crossman.

Clopeh Sekka.

Though they did not speak to each other directly,
each was moving in silence, preparing for the same grand plan.

* * *

“Achoo!”

Cale sneezed, then broke into a cough as a sudden chill crept down his nape.

“Are you alright, sir?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Cale replied softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“Mmm.”

The Queen of the Kingdom of Lan, Tamahi.

Cale had already returned to the Kingdom of Lan.
The Wanderer Sohyi was left in the care of Emperor Steinsen of the Eastern Empire, with Choi Han remaining behind to observe until the very end.
Once everything had been confirmed, Cale rushed back to Lan.

“Though the plans have shifted, I feel more at ease with your return.”

Queen Tamahi gestured to the side.

“Just stand beside the head of services, there.”

“Yes.”

Cale stepped forward, offering the head of services a courteous bow.

“I am at your service.”

“Yes. Or rather, from this moment on, I will act properly.”

“Yes.”

The elderly head of services spoke with resolve, and Cale allowed a faint, knowing smile to slip across his lips.
Half of his face, however, remained wrapped in bandages.

That smile left both the head of services and Queen Tamahi visibly uneasy.
But the moment Charun appeared, their expressions stiffened with tension.

“…The Wanderer has arrived.”

The Wanderer Sohyi.
And with her, Hinpa Gong — Guide of the God of Chaos cult.

To uncover more about him, another Wanderer had secretly infiltrated the Kingdom of Lan.

“Hmm.”

Queen Tamahi let out a quiet breath before addressing the hidden chamber prepared in advance.

“Oh, Dragon, I shall present him as the head of the guard.”

For, of course, Cale had not returned alone.

A new Wanderer – since it’s not known who he is.

‘I’m going to call a powerful dragon.’

Cale’s gaze fell on the man with black hair standing at the head of the guard’s post beside Queen Tamahi: a Dragon with an unusual hair color.

– When you call me in a hurry, something always happens.

It was Eruhaben’s grumble, heavy with annoyance.

Cale, of course, ignored it without a second thought.

He walked towards the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben.

After a long time, Eruhaben was once again playing the role of guard knight, and Cale, also after a long time, assumed the role of assistant.

I must make the God of Chaos, and the Wanderers fight each other!

Cale reaffirmed his determination.

“Heh.”

Without realizing it, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“…….”

The Ancient Dragon Eruhaben gave him a faintly uneasy look.

But Cale — his eyes burning with enthusiasm as he devised how best to strike the Wanderers from behind — remained oblivious.

The Ancient Dragon Eruhaben thought to himself:
He’s excited.

Just as he suspected, Cale was genuinely delighted.
After such a long time, he felt that familiar thrill — eager once more to sow discord and strike sharply at the back of the head.

 -----
P/R Thoughts: With Steinsen’s support secured and Eden Miru’s tale spreading, Cale prepares his next move in Lan: make the Wanderers clash with the God of Chaos.

***

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]