Chapter 414: Confront and Protect (1)

“Haha—”

Cale laughed.

And across from him, Alberu Crossman was laughing too.

Thanks to that sunlight — Alberu’s sunlight — Cale had been able to move, to survive.

But Alberu Crossman…

He’s a mess.

It was the first time he had seen him in such a state.

His entire body was trembling.
The way he clutched the sword looked pitiful.

Cale didn’t know what Alberu had done, but his hood was torn, his clothes were shredded and wrinkled, and blood covered him from head to toe — streaking down his face, neck, and chest like paint.

It’s like me.

Suddenly, Cale thought he looked like him.

Ah.

Only then did he realize —
he could feel the night air.
Cold against his skin.

He realized his mask was almost gone, cracked and half-destroyed.
His clothes were torn to shreds.

The gray current — the wind —
he’d fought his way out of them.

Until the very end, the Sky Eating Water had protected him,
but the violent current and slicing winds shredded his clothes to tatters.

Ah… my face will be exposed.

Would everyone finally see that he was Cale Henituse?

“Hey, you—”

At that moment, Alberu’s trembling voice reached him.

But—

“Ugh!”

Cale’s body jerked.

Cale realized that it wasn’t the time to think about anything else.

- It’s not over yet!

Super Rock’s urgent voice echoed in his mind.

Even though he had escaped the gray water, he was still holding the sacred Chaos Sword.

Damn it!

It wouldn’t let go.

And the gray chaos that covered his body wasn’t disappearing either.

This isn’t the Chaos Contamination.

It doesn’t purify.

My body can’t handle this in its current state, and now isn’t the time to use Team Leader Lee Soo Hyuk’s Embrace.

Moreover—
I’m supposed to hand this sacred object to Lock, the Blue Wolf.
But how am I supposed to give away this damned thing?!

“Ugh!”

This is insane!

Cale collapsed onto the rock that had risen from the pond.
His whole body trembled.

Even though there were no more screams, no cheers echoing in his mind, his consciousness stayed clear.

This damn sword…!

The Chaos Sword vibrated violently, clinging to his hand.
No— it wasn’t just clinging.
It was trying to merge with him.
To become one.

“Cale—!”

Alberu was watching that scene more closely than anyone else.
Because he was the only one still standing on the gray water’s surface, the only one the chaos hadn’t swallowed.

His pupils trembled.

He didn’t notice it well because of the blood that Cale had shed.

“Your body—”

Everything except Cale’s eyes was stained gray.
Where his torn clothes exposed skin, the color was worse — thick, unnatural, spreading.

Especially his hand.
The one gripping the sword.

The veins bulged grotesquely beneath the gray surface, pulsing faintly as if the sword itself was forcing life into him.

The Wanderer, Choi Jung Gun.
The Chaos corruption that covered his body.
Alberu’s face turned pale as he remembered it, and he took a step toward the rock that had risen from the pond.

“Ugh!”

Cale groaned, his voice ragged.

“Ugh…”

Alberu froze. He held his breath.
Even his heartbeat seemed to stop.

The sword—

The moment Alberu stepped closer, his gaze locked onto the sword — that accursed blade that looked so much like a sacred object.

‘Ahhh, save me!’

‘Hahaha! Today is the Night of Pleasure! There’s only pleasure!’

Heart-wrenching screams and ecstatic laughter filled the air.
Tens, hundreds—no, tens of thousands of voices at once.

“Ah…”

Cale Henituse.

That guy was hearing these voices now.
Alberu understood it instinctively.

“Hmm…”

His body wavered, nearly collapsing under the weight of the noise and energy.
But somehow, he steadied himself.

Ah.

The sword beneath his feet — the one resting on the intact surface — supported him.

The Sun Sword.

Because of it, Alberu was able to breathe again.
To think clearly.

And in that brief moment of clarity—

he realized.

The God of the Sun!

The only power that could repel Chaos here—
was the power of the God of the Sun.

And wasn’t it Cale who had once reached for that light?

Alberu gathered the last remnants of strength in his trembling body and raised the sword.
Then, step by step, he moved toward Cale.

Whoooosh—!

The sword flared, radiating a brilliant, gentle light.
Warmth spread through the air like sunlight breaking through a storm.

“Ugh…”

Cale’s groan of pain faltered — for the first time, it grew weaker.

A flash of realization crossed Alberu’s eyes.

Splash.

Water seeped through the cracks in the shattered surface, rippling under his feet.
But Alberu didn’t care.
He didn’t even hesitate.

He took another step forward.

Step. Step.

Because his feet had touched the rock —
the one Cale had created before.

Ah.

Alberu felt it immediately.

It’s weaker here.

The terrible, overwhelming energy radiating from the pond was less intense on this rock.
Instead, he sensed something else — something familiar.

Cale Henituse’s energy.

The strong energy that Cale only revealed from time to time —
Alberu felt it here.

And he realized that very energy was protecting Cale now.

If he could just lend it strength —
if he could reinforce it with his own light —
then Cale Henituse could overcome this.

Whoooosh—!

The sword, blazing with radiant light, moved closer to Cale.

Cale, trembling and barely upright, leaned against the blade for support.
His eyes met Alberu’s.
And then, he looked directly at the Sun Sword, as if recognizing it — and the one holding it.

Light.

The moment he saw that light, the chaos subsided again.

The pain consuming his body eased.

Ah… I think I’ll survive.

The instant that thought crossed his mind—

“Ugh!”

Cale groaned again.

Damn it!

The Chaos Sword vibrated violently in his grasp, thrashing as if in its final struggle.
It was reacting — sensing that the power of the God of the Sun was a threat to its existence.

Mocking smile~

That’s why Cale laughed.

There’s still a way.

“Your… Your Highness.”

Cale forced his mouth open. He tried to speak through ragged breaths.

Hit me with that sword.

If the Sun Sword’s light could push back Chaos—
then there had to be a way.

If I can see how the power of the God of the Sun repels it,
I—and the ancient powers—will find a way.
Just like always.

But Cale couldn’t finish.

“Your Highness?”

Instead, Cale’s face contorted.

Alberu’s expression had become too bad.

Too fast.

The pale complexion he’d worn moments ago deepened into something worse: pure terror.

It was the same kind of terror Cale himself had once felt—
the moment Chaos crushed him for the first time.

What was happening suddenly?

The answer came in an instant.

“Ah.”

Cale’s eyes widened.

The Sun Sword in Alberu’s hand—
its light was fading.

Flicker. Flicker.

The bright light began to dim, flickering unsteadily—
like a light bulb at the end of its life.

At that moment, Cale remembered something about the Sun Sword.
One of his earlier assumptions.

Even a god’s sword needs to recharge.

Damn it!

Cale’s assumption was right.

[Remaining power: 6%]

Alberu heard the warning.

[Power will soon be depleted. Switching to power-saving mode.]
[When power reaches 0%, the system will shut down and enter recharging state.]

And with those words—
the light dimmed again, flickering weakly in Alberu’s hands.

At the same time, the screams and laughter of countless voices echoed around them.
The weight of Chaos pressed down on everything.

It was literally—
Chaos.

Something primordial—
something that had existed since the beginning.

Something that could never be clearly defined or explained.

That was Chaos.
And that was why it would always be terrifying.

Alberu, standing closest to the pond, understood it best.

That was why he realized—
right now, he was the one in greatest danger.

Perhaps more than Cale, who could resist.

The moment the Sun Sword lost its light,
he didn’t know what would become of him.

So, he made his choice.

“Cale—”

He called out in a trembling voice.

“The… the last—”

But the rest of his words—
wouldn’t come.

But this cunning guy—
he would surely understand Alberu’s intention.

I’ll give you all the remaining power of this Sun Sword.
The rest is up to you.

As if he’d realized it, Cale’s expression twisted in pain.

“Your Highness—”

Ah, seriously…

Alberu swallowed the laugh that almost escaped him.
Laughing now would be a waste of strength.

But still—
it was funny.

Would Cale Henituse understand what I felt… when I couldn’t stop him, even knowing he was walking into danger?

He would.
He surely would.

Because now Alberu Crossman understood what Cale must have felt back then.

[Remaining power: 5%]

Now he had to play his final card.

Alberu tightened his trembling hand around the sword’s hilt.

Cale’s face twisted—
and in that instant—

“!”
“!”

Cale and Alberu.

Both of their eyes widened.
Surprise flashed first,
then confusion,
and finally—
disappointment.

Crack, crack—

The Sun Sword made a gap.
It was where the rock had once pierced through—
the frozen surface that still surrounded it.

Crack, crack—

But now—
that surface was breaking apart.

No—
it wasn’t breaking.

It was melting.

Tremor.

Cale glanced down at his trembling hand—
at the sword he was holding.

The sacred object’s last effort.

And now—
Cale understood what it meant.

Crack!

The frozen surface gave way completely.

Splash—!

Gray water erupted upward, spilling over the edges of the pond.
Though small, the pond was deep—
and every drop of that gray water began to surge out at once.

Sssss—

The gray energy drifted upward, curling like smoke,
rising with the water that overflowed the rock and the light.

“Hahaha!”

Cale heard a laugh.

He lowered his head.
Down below—
at the bottom of the pond.

The Saint was emerging from the gray water.

He was laughing.

“Idiot.”

The Saint mocked Cale.

“Did you really think you could escape Chaos by running away?”

As there is shadow where there is light,
where there is order—
there is also chaos.

Chaos is everywhere.

“Sacrifice,” he said softly, a smile curling on his lips,
“you can’t escape.”

Vrrrmm—

The sword in Cale’s hand trembled violently.

But Cale couldn’t take his eyes off the Saint.

“…Crazy…”

He couldn’t help but say it when he saw the Saint.

“I’m happy.”

The Saint’s voice echoed softly as he rose from the gray water.

“To be the first sacrifice.”

Two swords were embedded in his own body—
one through his neck,
one through his stomach.

Yet he smiled.

“To kill myself,” he said, laughter trembling in his voice,
“it’s the best murder.”

Vrrrmm—

The sword in Cale’s hand shook harder—
as if answering the Saint’s offering.
The sword made its last effort.

“Night of Pleasure.”

The Saint looked upward, grinning as gray smoke spread across the sky, veiling the waning moon.

“But at least…”
he whispered, eyes bright with fanatic joy,
“I’ll die seeing the primordial Chaos.”

The Chaos that would soon descend upon this world.

Just thinking about it made him happy.

The 44th ritual.

This was only the beginning.

Seeing the Saint’s mad grin, Cale turned his head.

And then he shouted—
to his companions, to everyone around him—

“RUN!”

Splash—!

The gray water surged, overflowing violently.

And Alberu closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered—
words meant for Cale alone.

Then he poured everything he had left into the sword.

Whoooosh—!

The Sun Sword shone brightly for the last time.

And that sword—
it swung down toward the pond.

Slash!

A line of radiant light cut through the gray current.
For a moment, the torrent stopped.
The chaos itself paused.

“This way!”

Cale shouted.

And in that brief moment, his companions reacted.

Thud!
Thud!

The Heavenly Demon and Eruhaben landed on Cale’s rock as the pressure hit.
Both of them staggered.

“Ugh…”
“…”

Gray smoke rose with the gray water, swirling upward.

“This is—”

The tips of the Heavenly Demon’s fingers trembled.

“…”

Eruhaben didn’t speak.
He only shut his eyes tightly, as if forcing back something heavier than pain. “…Thank you—”

He whispered the words as he caught Alberu, whose body was swaying, moments from falling.

Even if it meant collapsing together.

And Cale—

Damn it!

He didn’t have time to think about his companions.

Splash~

The gray water, which had stilled for only a moment—

Splash—!

—spread outward again, flowing across the grass, spilling down the valley.

[Remaining power: 0%]

The Sun Sword was completely silent now.
Its light was gone.

Rosalyn! Gashan!

Cale’s eyes darted toward them—
toward the figures of Rosalyn and Gashan, who had been trying to heed his warning and escape.

But their bodies were motionless.
Frozen in place.

They were the two farthest away.

“!”

“…!”

They couldn’t move.

“Ugh, ugh—”
“…!!”

Instead, they clutched their heads,
pressed their hands over their ears.

The gray smoke spread quickly, devouring the air around them.

Screams and laughter — countless voices — seeped into their minds,
overwhelming every thought and sense.

Chaos.
All the undefined, all the unexplainable —
it swallowed them whole.

But even this—
was a relatively good situation.

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Update for Readers:
From now on, two new chapters will be released every week — one on Monday and one on Thursday.
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters!

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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]