Chapter 405: The Night and the Light (1)

The sanctuary of the God of Chaos, the Primordial Night.

Cale was heading there at that moment.

– We will soon obtain everything we need.

At the words of the terrifying Super Rock, Cale gave a slight nod.

Swoosh.

The wind curled around his ankles as he moved through the shadowed jungle.

Sub–mission 1.

[Steal the power of chaos]

[Skill: Chaos Fear (Inactive)]

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

[- More information -]

First, upon reaching the sanctuary, he would soon be able to use Chaos Fear—the power of the Saint.
Once he did, everything else would naturally fall into place.

Choi Jung Gun.

Second, he will be able to save Choi Jung Gun, who was contaminated by chaos.

The Chaos Contamination, known as one of the three calamities of the demonic world.

The method to purify it.

The Fire of Destruction and the Sky Eating Water were the ones who spoke.

The fire was familiar with purification, and the water now understood chaos.
Both of them had asked for it.

– ‘Just Once!’

– ‘Just once!’

They wanted to face someone who carried the power of the God of Chaos.

They only needed one chance — a single opportunity to cleanse the corruption of chaos.

Their reason was simple.

Because that was how they would truly understand the power of the God of Chaos.

But Cale no longer needed to face the Saint to grasp that power, nor did he need to learn more about the power of chaos.

Skill.

The Saint’s power, Chaos Fear.

Cale could acquire it as a skill — through the game.

If that happens...

He would be able to perform the purification ritual for the Chaos Contamination, using the information Leader Sui Khan had uncovered from the stone slab.

Of course, the exact method of the purification ritual still had to be learned from the Saint.

“Cale. Are you heading to the sanctuary archives first?”

Rustle~

Gently brushing aside the leaves, the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben asked.

"Yes."

"Is there anything about the purification ritual there?"

"Yes. I saw it."

Tap.

Landing softly on the ground, Cale glanced to his side.
Unlike Eruhaben, Alberu, who moved lightly through the trees, descended beside him and spoke.

“You saw it? But didn’t you only receive information related to the mission?”

"That's right."

Cale had seen fragments of memory when he confronted the followers of the God of Chaos.
And based on those memories, he had made it this far.

“There are two things you must do in the sanctuary to obtain the skill.”

"Yes, I heard that."

Cale, while running, looked at the sub-mission window.

[Go to the hidden place in the archives and obtain the 'Record of the Power of Chaos'.]

[Go to the Primordial Night and destroy the acquired record.]

“While I was watching Hinpa Gong’s memories, I confirmed that there were also records about the purification ritual there.”

“Ah.”
Rosalyn, who had been listening silently, let out a quiet sigh — as if a lingering doubt had finally been resolved.

Somehow, I knew it by chance.

Hinpa Gong had shown him the hidden section within the archives.

And in that place, Cale had seen it — a book detailing the purification ritual.

"I left a trail."

At that moment, Gashan, the leader of the Tiger Beast People, reported calmly.

“With this trail, the Wanderers will notice it… and follow our path.”

Cale replied.

“The Wanderers already know the approximate location of the sanctuary, don’t they? Is it really necessary to leave such an obvious trail?”

"Yes. The Wanderers won't even be able to enter the sanctuary, let alone find the entrance."

Wanderer Cho and Ryeon.
Especially Cho. With that man’s temper, he would surely lose control. Even without knowing where the entrance was, he would start destroying everything around the sanctuary. No — he definitely would.

Even so, Cale was firm.

"You can only enter through the entrance."

That was why Cale had Gashan leave a trail from the place where they had attacked Cho and Ryeon.

A trail that looked like the inevitable mark of someone hastily trying to erase their traces —
the kind that would draw suspicion, not dismissal.

He had asked Gashan to leave something that felt accidental yet deliberate, and the experienced tiger had carried it out perfectly.

Although Ryeon is cautious, in the end, unable to find the entrance she would follow the trail — even if she doubted it.

"Cale is right."

Alberu’s calm voice came from ahead.
They had been running through the jungle for some time now.

“If the sanctuary is really where Cale said it is, it won’t be easy to find — even if they already know its location.”

Eruhaben spoke calmly.
“You said it was a canyon?”

“Yes. But you’ll have to see it to believe it.”

Alberu once again wrapped himself in wind magic.
“Let’s go.”

The Demon Kingdom stretched out before them — an enormous land, vast enough to rival two or three normal kingdoms combined.

Tap.

Alberu pushed off the ground lightly and leapt onto the branches.
His movements were fluid, almost like a dark elf’s as he ascended through the trees.

"Just ten more minutes."

A quarter of the Demon Kingdom was covered in jungle — a breathtaking, endless green expanse.

The leaves rustled softly as they moved.

Cale followed close behind Alberu. The others fell silent and trailed after them, their steps blending into the whispering wind.

Swoosh.

The wind grew stronger.

Cale could see the end of the jungle approaching.

Towering trees. Grass that reached high into the air. Thick vines that tangled together and blocked the view.

And through all of it — the wind.

He followed that flow until, finally, they reached the edge.

Whshh—

The group stepped out of the jungle.

“Wow.”

Eruhaben let out a low sigh.

“I was expecting something like the Gorge of Death… but this is on a completely different level.”

A powerful gust swept past them.

Whoooosh!

At the end of the jungle lay a cliff.

Cale walked forward and stopped at its edge.

He looked down.

The bottom couldn't be seen.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

He looked toward the other side.

“There.”

The land across from them was several kilometers away.

But to get there, they would have to cross a cliff several kilometers long.

Cale turned his gaze to the right.

"Impressive."

Eruhaben’s voice carried quiet admiration.

Cross shape.

The canyon — no, the cliff — divided the Demon Kingdom into four sections, forming the shape of a cross.

“The Death Cliff. That’s the name of this place.”

Rosalyn explained, her tone calm but grave.

“It has a similar name to the Gorge of Death, but this place is far more terrifying.”

The bottom could not be seen.

“No living being that has fallen here has ever returned alive. Not even those who went down to search for them.”

She spoke of the stories that surrounded this place — tales whispered in fear.

“An endless cliff. They say that down there, the world after death begins to unfold.”

That was why both the people of the New World and the inhabitants of the Demon Kingdom avoided this place.

“The fact that teleportation magic doesn’t work within the Demon Kingdom is particularly troublesome. And because this gorge divides the land into four parts, there are four entrances in total.”

Rosalyn’s gaze shifted toward the center of the cross-shaped canyon —
the point where the vertical and horizontal cliffs intersected.

It wasn’t far.

Cale’s group had intentionally come from this direction.

“Fortunately, there’s a bridge there. It makes travel slightly less inconvenient.”

It was a strange bridge.

Four enormous trees stood on each side of the divided lands, and their thick roots stretched out and intertwined, forming a massive natural bridge that spanned the several-kilometer-wide cliff.

“There are even people who come just to see this,” Rosalyn added quietly.

New World.

This land held countless extraordinary sights — places so fantastic they felt almost unreal.
And that bridge was one of them: mysterious, ancient, and strangely beautiful.

"They call that bridge Primordial Roots."

Rosalyn said softly, her gaze falling on Cale.

One by one, the others turned to look at him as well.

Still watching Cale, she continued, “That bridge is special because, twice a month — on the full moon and the new moon — the four trees withdraw their roots. When that happens, the bridge disappears.”

The Heavenly Demon spoke next.

“Primordial Roots. And the sanctuary of the God of Chaos is called Primordial Night, isn’t it?”

His sharp gaze turned toward Cale.

“I can’t say for certain,” he added, “but I think that bridge was created by the followers of the God of Chaos.”

Cale gave a light shrug and pointed down toward the cliff.

“That’s because the sanctuary of the God of Chaos — the Primordial Night — lies beneath this gorge.”

The gorge below the cliff stretched vast and deep.
If its entire area were measured, it would easily surpass that of a large city.

Alberu stepped up beside Cale and looked down.

“There have been users who fell from this cliff,” he said quietly.

They were the ones who had done exactly what they were warned not to do.

"When that happens, a message appears that says, Inaccessible Area and they die."

Of course, users could revive and reconnect, so many tried again.

“But what they saw while falling,” Rosalyn added quietly, “was a gray mist that covered everything.”

“They must be concealing it with the power of the God of Chaos,” Eruhaben said, stepping up beside Cale.

"Cale."

He turned toward him.

“So,” Eruhaben asked, “how do we get in?”

Cale already knew how Hinpa Gong had approached this place.

"Here."

He pointed to a precise spot along the cliff.

“Do you see that small plant there?”

Trees even grew on the sides of the cliff, their roots clinging to the rock.
And among them — a single small plant bearing a red flower.

“If you follow that point a little farther down, there’s a cave hidden beneath the mist and vines.”

“Follow me.”

With those words, Cale descended, the wind coiling gently around him.

Eruhaben, Rosalyn, and Alberu followed, each using their own magic.
The Heavenly Demon relied on his martial skill,
and Gashan moved with his excellent physical ability.

They walked with long, light steps, as if strolling along the cliff, and soon stopped with Cale.

"Here it is."

Cale brushed aside a curtain of thick vines, revealing a cave large enough for two adults to walk side by side.

"Let's go down."

Inside, a narrow stairway descended into the darkness.

"Gashan, did you leave the mark?"

"Yes."

Cale gave a small nod, confirming that Gashan had left the trail up to this point. Then, without hesitation, he began to walk.

Tap. Tap.

The steady rhythm of their footsteps was the only sound that echoed as they made their way deeper below.

There were no guards there.

It was a path that only guides could use.

The followers of the God of Chaos must have used another route — one that was likely heavily guarded.

This path suited Cale better.

“But what exactly happens in the Primordial Night?”

The Heavenly Demon’s calm question echoed behind him.

Cale didn’t answer. He only kept walking, eyes lowered.

“Originally,” the Heavenly Demon continued, “if you were Kim Hae-il, you’d be the type to infiltrate quietly, steal what you need, and slip away, wouldn’t you?
Of course, destroying a few things along the way wouldn’t be out of character either. But this time, it seems you’re provoking something… much larger.”

Wanderer Sohyi.

Just by using her, Cale had set the Wanderers and the cult of the God of Chaos against each other.

But by attacking Wanderer Cho, he had gone even further — igniting conflict inside the sanctuary itself.

“If it were you,” the Heavenly Demon murmured, “you wouldn’t want too many people to get hurt.”

Even if they were followers of the God of Chaos.

The Heavenly Demon believed that was simply the kind of person Cale was.

“The Primordial Night… is a kind of tomb.”

When Cale finally spoke, the Heavenly Demon fell silent, listening closely.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of six pairs of footsteps descending the stone steps blended quietly with Cale’s voice.

“Guides like Hinpa Gong bring people from the outside.”

His tone was steady, almost detached.

“They kidnap, deceive, and tempt. They don’t care what methods they use, as long as they bring new people to this sanctuary.”

“And once they’ve gathered enough… the Saint uses the power of chaos to make them fight each other.”

The Primordial Night.

A tomb without mourning.
A place of execution.
A battlefield.

“Enveloped in chaos, they slaughter one another.”

Tap. Tap.

“And when everyone died and the last one collapses from their wounds…”

His voice dropped lower.

“They offer all those corpses as a sacrifice to the God of Chaos.”

“And the entire process of fighting and dying… that itself is the primordial chaos. A primitive spectacle where only the strong survive — without laws, without rules.”

“The followers of the God of Chaos watch it all and offer prayers of gratitude.”

"Gratitude?"

“For allowing them to feel chaos.”

Cale’s expression didn’t change as he continued.

“They call the night when this ritual takes place… the Night of Pleasure.”

His voice echoed faintly in the stone passage.

“Once the sacrificial ritual ends, until the morning sun rises, all the followers who live here dance and feast, indulging in primitive pleasures.”

“Ah…”
Rosalyn let out a long, quiet sigh.

“But the people those guides bring… they don’t seem to be New World NPCs.”

Cale’s eyes darkened.

“They’re outsiders. Beings from other dimensions. Each one had a different face, a different body, a different way of dressing.”

“Hmm…”

Eruhaben exhaled heavily, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

Tap.

Meanwhile, Cale, still descending the staircase, stopped for a moment.

“If we go a little farther down, we’ll reach a forest — the bottom of the gorge.”

Soon after, they exited the cave.

A forest stretched before them.

A forest under a sky covered in gray mist, with a strange and gloomy atmosphere.

"……."

"……."

The group stood motionless, holding their breath.

They remembered Cale’s words before leaving the cave.

Outside the forest there are walls and gates.

The Primordial Night has four main gates.

We’ll avoid the patrols and guards and climb over the wall. With our abilities, it’s possible.

The wall wasn’t very high.

There didn't seem to be any magical artifacts.

They probably relied on the power of the God of Chaos that covered the gorge, and they didn't pay much attention to the wall.

If they turned invisible and climbed over, they wouldn’t leave a single trace.

And usually, there weren’t many patrols or guards around anyway.

Cale had memorized every word, image, and fragment he’d seen in Hinpa Gong’s memories during the man’s visit to the sanctuary.

According to those memories — before the Night of Pleasure, when the guides weren’t bringing in new sacrifices — this place was always quiet.

But now—

"……."

"……."

No one dared to speak.

In front of the gate.

There were quite a few people there now.

– Cale.

Eruhaben’s voice echoed in his mind.

– They seem to be guides… and sacrifices.

Cale’s eyes narrowed.

Among the group, a few looked healthy — their expressions calm, even purposeful.

But the rest… were clearly captives.
Their hands were bound, shackles fastened around their ankles.

"……."

Cale closed his eyes tightly.

The records from Hinpa Gong’s memories began to unfold in his mind.

The Night of Pleasure.

In those memories, Hinpa Gong had walked leisurely toward the hidden place within the archives — even as that horrific night unfolded around him.

Right.

I forgot.

Cale’s eyes snapped open.

A gray sky spread above him.

But in the memory—

The sky had been different.

The Night of Pleasure had a different sky.

New moon.

That night, the sky had been swallowed by darkness.

He remembered Rosalyn’s words.

‘That bridge is special because, twice a month — on the full moon and the new moon — the four trees withdraw their roots. When that happens, the bridge disappears.’

And today—
it’s a new moon.

-----

P/R Thoughts: Beneath the Death Cliff, Cale stands before the Primordial Night—where the God of Chaos’s sacred darkness and the Night of Pleasure await under the new moon.

***

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]