Chapter 404: Do You Dare to Hit Me in the Back of the Head? (7)

Dust is everywhere.

It's just a matter of whether it's seen or not.

Ha.

Cale shuddered.

The shiny silver dust floated before his eyes—no, not just dust.

If Eruhaben aimed to be an assassin, he would be the best.

The dust was stealthy.

No, it didn’t even need to be.

It simply existed.

Eruhaben.

He preferred to fight by showing himself, but he also delighted in reducing everything to dust—into nothingness.

If he decided to be stealthy, Cale could glimpse the true extent of his power.

Actually, that's why I brought him.

Choi Han, Rosalyn, the Heavenly Demon, Raon.

They all had abilities that could be dazzling if they wanted. But Eruhaben could also do the opposite.

He could exist as if he didn’t exist.

He could choose any path.

Now!

Wanderer Cho passed Cale, who was being carried on Eruhaben's back.

When Cale tapped Eruhaben’s shoulder twice, silver dust rose silently.

Right now.

Tap.

At the third tap, Cale’s gaze locked on Cho’s back—
especially his empty hands.

"!"

Cho froze, startled.

The instant he felt the surge of power behind him; he turned his head.
A brilliant silver light—
what he saw was a speck of dust.

The dust floating in the air was so small that it was hard to see, but the moment he turned his head.

The number of particles increased rapidly, creating a small galaxy.

Hmm!

Even Eruhaben was surprised.

He hadn’t even unleashed his full power—
and yet, Wanderer Cho turned, reacting to the presence behind him.

Wow.

These Wanderers are really strong.

Eruhaben felt a chill run down his spine.

"!"

Wanderer Ryeon.

She, too, turned her head toward the faint silver dust on Cho’s shoulder.

They were strong—strong enough to sense even Eruhaben’s surprise attack.
If not for Gashan, shaman of the Tiger Tribe, distracting them, Eruhaben wouldn’t have been able to raise the dust unnoticed before these two.

But the surprise attack has already begun.

The silver dust swooped down on Cho.

But—

He'll block it.

These two Wanderers could easily block or dodge Eruhaben's surprise attack.

Unless—

Cale Henituse wasn't there.

Wanderer Cho shouted,
“You—!”

But his words never finished.
"!?"

His eyes widened.
The moment the silver dust engulfed him—

What is this?!

An immense force surged through him.
A wave of energy wrapped around his body, crushing his senses.
Wanderer Cho froze without realizing it.

……!

As if—

The Young Master—

The first Wanderer.

When he met him, with his five-colored Unique Power.

And—

…God!

When he met God.

That overwhelming presence—
before such power, a mortal was nothing.

The helplessness he felt at that moment and the defeat of having to bow before God.

All those memories emerged, reminding him of the moment he first felt fear.

Yes.

It's scary.

The fear buried deep within his very being rose to the surface, wrapping around him like chains.
Countless memories of dread and unease surged forth, dragging his mind into chaos.

Ah.

At that moment, Cho snapped back to his senses.
"Cho!"

His sister, Ryeon’s voice cut through the haze.
“Damn it!”

Cho hastily stepped back and activated his Unique Power.

Fwoosh—

Fire erupted.

Terrifying flames that seemed to burn everything.

"Ugh!"

But the cost of losing control, even for a few seconds, was steep.
Though it lasted only a moment—
it was enough.

Cho saw it—
the dust that had already clung to his arm, hidden beneath the flames.

A beautiful silver glow, too pure to belong to dust.
The specks that had slipped between the waves of energy—

Bang!

It began to explode.

Kaboom! Bang! Kaboom!

The price of a moment’s carelessness.
He’d been distracted by the Beast People.

With someone on his back.

Ignoring that person.

Although he detected the ambush, he faltered—

paralyzed for a brief instant by the fear of that overwhelming power.

A lapse that didn’t even last ten seconds.

"Gah!"

Cho had to feel the pain as a result.

"Cho!"

Wanderer Ryeon’s face twisted as the blast consumed her brother’s arm.

Damn it!

She was careless.

And she stopped for a moment.

She also flinched briefly at the enormous energy, like Cho.

But she recovered faster than him.
The enormous energy hadn’t hit her — it had swayed toward her, but its true target was her brother’s arm.

Kaboom!

Another explosion erupted — but not on Cho’s arm.

"You!"

Amid the shattered ice and smoke swirling away with the wind, Eruhaben stood, retreating with effortless grace.

Wanderer Ryeon stared at the guard with murderous eyes.

“Heh…”

The guard only smiled, extending his hand — straight toward Cho.

"No!"

Ryeon's gaze turned to Cho.

A wave of silver dust was rushing in again, surging to envelop him.

No.
Not again.
It must not touch him — ever.

Born on the same day, at the same time — they died on the same day, only seconds apart.

“This time, I died before my sister, didn’t I?”
Cho had laughed as he said it.

Of course, he had to die first. He died protecting Ryeon.
Because of that, Ryeon’s death came a few seconds later.

Only after dying did the two realize what it meant to be mortal.
Since then, they had walked together through endless time.

When Ryeon chose to live as a Wanderer, she made one vow:
I’ll die first.
If death comes again, I will meet it before Cho.

But now—
her brother was the one who had been struck.
And she was unharmed.

Though she was always described as calm and cold, before her brother she was just a younger sister — pulled along, following his lead.
Now, that calm shattered. Her heart burned with fury.

Anger toward the enemy.
Anger at herself for being careless.
Anger for failing to protect her wounded brother.

All that anger coalesced.
She unleashed her power.

Swoosh~

The wave of silver dust rose once more.
And an immense cold swept through her.

In an instant, the silver dust was sealed within ice.

Like a flawless sculpture, the glittering dust trapped inside the wave-shaped ice was almost too beautiful to look at.

"Ugh!"

Cho’s groan cut through the air.
Ryeon’s hand moved before she even thought.

The next action was already decided.

Swoosh~

Ice surged and wrapped around Cho’s arm — the one shattered by the explosion.

"Ugh—"

When his groan finally began to fade,
Ryeon’s hand moved again.

She was still furious,
but this time, she wasn’t careless.

Kaboom!

A massive icicle shot forward.
A silver shield rose to meet it.

Crack—

But the icicle pierced through the shield.

Beyond the shattered fragments, Ryeon saw the guard retreating swiftly —
and behind him, a servant dangling limply, unconscious.

"Let's go after him, Ryeon!"

Wanderer Cho’s voice met no response.
Though Ryeon’s ice still bound him, Cho reached for his nearly destroyed arm, trying to push himself forward, to chase Eruhaben.

The pain was nothing compared to the anger burning inside him.
His movements didn’t waver.

"……."

But in the end, he said nothing more.
He simply lifted his head toward the sky.

"Ha!"

Through the gaps between the tall trees, the sky was barely visible.

Rumble~

It darkened.
No… not just dark — the sky turned a deep, blood-red.
Crimson clouds spread across the heavens, swallowing the light.

And from those clouds—

Crack, crack!

Red and golden lightning began to rain down.

Wanderer Ryeon’s lips parted.
“We’ve been caught.”

Kaboom! Bang! Kaboom!

Dozens of firebolts and lightning strikes fell in an instant.
The jungle was torn apart.
Explosions and dust swallowed everything — sight, sound, and breath.

Swoosh—

Then, with a sudden gust, the chaos began to fade.
Smoke drifted. The roaring quieted.

At the center of the devastation, Wanderer Cho spoke softly.
“…Ryeon.”

The explosions had stopped.

Fire.
Lightning.
Trees.
Grass.

Every strike — every blast — was aimed at Cho and Ryeon.

All life around them froze.

"……."

Everything within reach of Wanderer Ryeon turned to ice.
The fire and lightning were already consumed, swallowed by the frost.

She lifted her hand, just slightly.

Crack

The ice cracked.

Everything trapped within it shattered.
Like the silver dust before —
it all crumbled to nothing, falling silently to the ground.

"……."

Ryeon said nothing.

Cho watched, jaw clenched, until he could no longer hold it in.
He kicked the frozen earth.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

His voice echoed in the ruined jungle, raw and broken.

He couldn’t contain his fury.

Ryeon’s gaze stayed fixed —
on the direction where the guard had vanished.

He was already gone.
It made sense — the guard had only needed a moment to destroy Cho’s arm, so a moment was more than enough to escape.

“Ryeon! Let’s go after that damn guard, right now!”

“…We’ve been caught.”

“Ryeon!”

Cho’s voice rose, cutting through the heavy air.
Ryeon turned toward him, her lips barely moving.

“We’ve been caught.”

The instant Cho met her cold, transparent eyes, he froze.

He could tell — Ryeon was furious.
So furious that even her eyes had changed.

Gulp.
Cho swallowed hard.

For a moment, he forgot about the pain in his arm.

Because when Ryeon’s eyes turned like that…
not even the five-colored ones of the Transparent Blood Family could stop her.

Meanwhile, Ryeon murmured softly—

“From the Beast People — everything was a trap.”

“Yes!”

At Ryeon’s words, Cho’s memory snapped back.
The Beast People.

Ryeon’s gaze swept the surroundings.
They were gone — vanished without a trace.

At first, it might’ve seemed like they fled after witnessing the battle.

But no.
They had disappeared too quietly.

They had appeared suddenly.
And vanished just as silently.
Every movement — planned.

Then, right as the guard escaped, the sky had unleashed its barrage of magic.
That timing… it couldn’t be coincidence.

Ryeon narrowed her eyes.

In addition, a Unique Power was felt in the sky from where the magical attacks fell.

Newly made, unstable, yet easily of purple level strength.

And those powers hadn’t even been at full capacity.
Only a few seconds —
just long enough to keep the two Wanderers occupied.

“Ha… haha—”

Wanderer Ryeon laughed as she looked at the clear sky from the ground where everything had frozen, broken, and melted.

Cho watched her, then froze when Ryeon’s gaze shifted back to him.

"Cho."

She stepped closer and took his arm.
“Are you alright?”

At her words, Cho answered with a stubborn smile.
“I can live without an arm.”

He wasn’t joking.
He meant it.

Cho had always known he’d be injured someday.
And if the Family ever offered to craft something to replace his arm, that would be enough for him.

He pointed toward his shoulder.
“They could cut below the shoulder.”

"……."

Ryeon didn’t reply.
She only looked at his arm — silently, deeply.

Then Ryeon spoke.
“Did you feel it?”

Cho met her gaze — those same cold, transparent eyes.
But within them burned a tremendous anger.

Wow…

Her eyes had changed again.
And though Cho knew what that meant, he couldn’t help it — he was furious too.

“Yes, I felt it. Did you?”

“Yes.”

Ryeon’s tone was low, even, and cold.
“The power that can suppress us — that chaotic energy laced with fear — there’s only one source.”

Her gaze shifted toward the depths of the jungle.

“The God of Chaos.”

The guard…
He was ultimately a pawn of the God of Chaos.

They should have suspected more — but the price of carelessness was his arm.
Ryeon felt as if she would go mad with rage, yet her voice stayed calm.
“In the end, the God of Chaos betrayed us.”

Cho let his anger out without restraint.
“How dare he stab us in the back?”

The God of Chaos — an ancient god.

It didn't matter that he was a god, Cho couldn't forgive him for betraying the Five Color Blood Family.

How dare he?

He would never be allowed to get away with this.

Ryeon answered quietly.
“There’s no other option.”

In that moment, it seemed true — with the God of Chaos’s treachery exposed, what else could they do?

Cho frowned at Ryeon's reaction and raised his voice.

“What do you mean, no other option? We’ll destroy him! We’ve already found a way to take down the ancient gods!”

Ryeon patted his back.

"Calm down. Let's leave that part to the family's decision."

"Just let it go?"

"No."

She smiled softly — but there was steel beneath it.
“There really is no other option. Nothing we can do through ordinary channels.”

She made her choice.
“We’ll destroy everything and show them how wrong they were to choose the God of Chaos.”

“Ryeon!”

Cho’s face brightened at the promise.
Ryeon continued, decisive.
“First — the sanctuary.”

“And then,” she added quietly, “we kill the bastard who did this to you.”

No careful entry. No furtive scouting.
They already knew the sanctuary’s rough location.

“Cho, don’t push yourself. I’ll handle it.”

Ryeon had made up her mind —
she would destroy everything around the sanctuary, and the sanctuary itself.

Ssshhh—

Cold air coiled around her furious form, ready to freeze everything in an instant.

“Hahaha, that’s not good,” Cho said, his grin twisted with rage. “I’m furious too. I need to collect payment for my arm.”

Wanderer Cho’s fury matched hers.
They would kill whoever had attacked them.

The Cult of the God of Chaos.
They were finished.

* * *

"Here it is."

Cale slowed down, ending the acceleration spell as they reached their destination.

Tap, tap.

Eruhaben entered the cave and immediately spotted the others.

"Did you arrive?"

Alberu, Rosalyn, the Heavenly Demon, and Gashan —
all hidden carefully within the shadows of the cave.

Hmm?

Eruhaben frowned. Something about their expressions felt… off.

Then—

"Haha!"

He turned at the sound of Cale’s voice behind him.

“Hello, everyone!”

Cale’s cheerful, almost too excited tone filled the cave —
a bright sound that sharply contrasted the grim air that lingered outside.

He was dangling from Eruhaben’s back, kicking his feet lazily — and even had the audacity to wave.

“Ah.”

Only then did Eruhaben realize, in his rush, that he’d been carrying Cale the entire time.

This guy’s fine. I could’ve let him walk on his own.

“Come on!” Cale said brightly. “Let’s head to the Primordial Night and watch how the Cult of the God of Chaos and the Wanderers tear each other apart!”

Eruhaben sighed. Cale, on the other hand, looked thrilled.

“Haha…”

Finally — all the people who had made him cough up blood and pass out were now fighting each other!
How could he not be excited?

The sacred object and Choi Jung Gun.

He could even save everyone while watching his enemies destroy each other — and quietly collect all the spoils in the process.

“Hahaha.”
Cale was genuinely delighted.

“Cale.”

Eruhaben’s low voice cut through his laughter.

“Yes!” Cale replied, full of enthusiasm.

“Get off.”

“Ah— yes.”

Cale immediately hopped down from the Ancient Dragon’s back, finally realizing he’d been clinging there far longer than necessary.

 -----

P/R Thoughts: Eruhaben’s silver dust ignites a storm—Cho loses his arm, Ryeon’s wrath freezes the jungle, and Cale grins as gods and Wanderers march toward mutual destruction.

***

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]