Quiet laughter came from between the sworn brothers in the front of the Palantír Hall, Kim Rok Soo beside them pretended not to hear their scheming while also avoiding the looks he was getting from TBOAH!Zed and TBOAH!Alberu. He'd heard plenty during the breaks from his family members and the others about the scammy things Cale's been doing to Arm, White Star and other bad guys, so he wouldn't be surprised if Cale really did manage to return Redika’s explosive greeting in the Roan Capital with a 'Cale-style' reciprocating boom. After living on Earth 1 as Kim Rok Soo, he had come to learn and appreciate the effectiveness of some well placed C4.
<Chapter 93: If I have to Move (3)>
Witira’s idea of Cale’s help was that he fought with them. However, Cale’s plan was slightly different. Cale, who had been quietly thinking for a while, slowly started to speak.
“Witira.”
“Yes?”
“I’m thinking about destroying an island.”
“…Destroy what?”
TBOAH!Zed looked faint, his counterpart was already as pale as a sheet. TBOAH!Alberu gulped and then schooled his face into an impenetrable mask of composure. It was a mask he was unaware that Cale had broken many times already and would continue to do so.
A map opened up in front of the confused Witira. Raon had opened up a map with his front paw and pointed to a location.
“I’m thinking about removing Hais Island 5 from the map.” Cale was speaking seriously. Hais Islands 1 – 15 were approximately two to three hours distance from each other. According to Ron, there were no other life forms on Hais Island 5 other than the secret organization.
“Ships can just sail a bit further to Hais Island 7.”
Hais Island 7 would become the new resting spot for the people using this sea route.
“Is that even poss-, ah.” Witira stopped in the middle of speaking because the Black Dragon was staring right at her.
“It is possible, little Whale!”
“Yes, I’m sure it is as you say, Dragon-nim.”
It was definitely possible. Although Hais Island 5 was much larger than the Black Swamp, no control was needed as they were trying to destroy it.
Raon giggled, while TCF!Ohn and TCF!Hong quickly filled in their TBOAH!World counterparts about which Black Swamp, Raon had blown up over in the Forest of Darkness.
“However, I need two things to do it.”
“What is it?”
Witira’s still calm demeanor let Cale know that Witira really was from an Oceanic tribe. She did not care about the island, a piece of land, disappearing. On the other hand, Cale would have contemplated it for a while before giving up on the idea if there were other creatures living on the island.
“Actually, there’s also a prerequisite prior to those two things.”
“A prerequisite?”
“Yes. We plan on fighting without revealing our identities, especially when we are fighting against that organization.”
Witira understood what Cale was trying to say. It would be a bad ending if Cale ended up in some terrible situations because he became involved with that organization while helping them. Plus, that was trivial when he was going to destroy the island for them.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good. First, we need transportation.”
“I will call some Whales for you.”
“Small ones.”
“Of course. I will focus on agile, but stealthy ones.” He just needed a small Whale for the Wolf children.
“Second.” Cale and Witira made eye contact. “I need you to go wild.”
“…Wild?”
“I need the Whales to run wild in order to cause a distraction.” Cale casually continued on. “Then I will use that moment to destroy Hais Island 5 and the mermaid base underneath.”
“You want us to draw them out. Will it be fine if we draw out the swordsman, spearman, and the mage?”
“Yes.”
TCF!Hannah reached out and touched TBOAH!Hannah's arm. He gaze was penetrating and firm, enough to convey that TCF!Hannah knew what TBOAH!Hannah was thinking and wanted her to understand something - however whatever that something was TCF!Hannah did not yet say it or explain it aloud.
“Ah!” Witira suddenly remembered something. “The mage has not left the island since the swordsman and spearman have arrived. He hasn’t come out unless we got really close to the island.”
“Really?”
That was perfect. It would be even better if he could blow away that blood crazy Redika along with the island.
Mocking laughter came from TCF!Rosalyn while a heavy sigh escaped TCF!Choi Han, who began to mutter about cockroaches again. TCF!Lock smiled innocently and pretended like he didn't agree with his older brother and that comparing the two was an insult to insects.
“Yes. He … seems to be a bit crazy.”
Witira’s face suddenly turned into a frown. Cale felt like he knew the reason.
“He started to laugh and rush at you when you were using your blood to fight?”
“How did you know?”
“The information we gathered said that he goes crazy because of the color red.”
“Ah.” Witira looked toward Cale with concern. Raon turned his head around to look at Cale so fast that it made a swishing noise.
Cale saw the looks on their faces and brushed back his red hair before casually adding on.
“That is why it will be complicated if I am seen.”
“So that’s it, human!”
“I understand.”
Both the Whale and the Dragon understood.
"Didn't he say something about display cabinets during the Plaza Terror Incident?" Taylor questioned and TCF!Cage nodded with a dark angry expression of disapproval. She, like Taylor and many others, didn't like crazy bastards being near Cale because it often led to Cale acting even crazier to get away from them. TCF!Eruhaben could already guess what was coming and began to practice breathing exercises in order to maintain his elegant composure and keep his calm.
He discussed the other details with Witira before saying goodbye. The next morning he went to see the Wolf children and Hilsman off.
“A whale will guide you there, so be as quiet as a mouse on Hais Island 12. You have the outfits I gave you, right?”
“Yes young master-nim! We have it packed. I will take good care of the children!”
Cale ignored Hilsman’s report and looked toward Lock and Maes. The two boys both nodded their heads.
TBOAH!Lock stared longingly at Maes and the other Wolf Children who were making an appearance upon the Palantír. His heart skipped a beat whenever he caught glimpses of them and he felt relieved that they had TCF!Lock by their side - because he was someone who fought for them. TCF!Lock was someone who protected them. TBOAH!Lock now was happy that TCF!Lock existed and that he was so different from himself. It soothed his soul to see this as well.
Lock was usually shy, but he was reliable when he was with his younger siblings. A sense of responsibility seemed to change his demeanor.
TBOAH!Lock nodded approvingly and lightly reached out to pat TCF!Lock on the shoulder.
"Thank you... thank you for succeeding where I failed."
TCF!Lock’s immediate reaction to shy away and wave off TBOAH!Lock's gratitude by calling it 'misplaced' died on his tongue as he looked at his counterpart in the eyes and understood the depth from which TBOAH!Lock was speaking to him from. The only thing he could do now was nod and accept those heavy words.
“Then go and stay there. Shoot the signal flare if something goes wrong.”
“Yes sir.”
The 12 all packed their weapons and got on a teenage whale and a baby whale, both of whom were less than 4 meters in length, and headed toward Hais Island 12.
Cale watched them disappear before speaking to Beacrox.
“I know you are not happy, but you must be with your father.”
“I understand, young master-nim.”
“Good.”
“Please save my father.”
Cale understood how Beacrox must feel, wanting to fight yet not being able to do so.
“Don’t worry.”
He patted Beacrox on the shoulder before looking at the rest of the group.
TBOAH!Beacrox was disappointed that his counterpart hadn't partaken in this battle, but a soft and quiet part of him acknowledged that if their roles were reversed he wouldn't have been in a good state to fight either, however that still didn't make him feel good about sitting out of the fight.
Rosalyn, Choi Han, On, Hong, and Raon. This group was going to move with Cale. Cale took out multiple black outfits from his magic bag.
“Alright, put these on.”
Choi Han started to frown.
“…We have to wear these again?”
It was the black outfit with a white star and five red stars around the heart and the black mask that they had worn in the past when they went to rescue Raon.
Curious sounds came from some people, but Grigori shrugged and said nothing, thus implying that this information was irrelevant to them. Naur continued the record before anyone could brave the risks and ask about it.
Of course, this fake secret organization outfit was slightly different compared to the real one.
“Yes.”
Choi Han started to change after hearing Cale’s short response.
“We are leaving now.”
Cale’s group flew up into the sky after Raon’s warning. They were heading to Hais Island 5.
The recording on the Palantir changed as a new scene began.
<Chapter 94: If I have to Move (4)>
Their flying speed increased a bit. Raon started to speak at that moment.
“That Whale is pretty good too.”
‘That Whale?’
Cale looked down again. There was a woman darting through the parted water.
“The small Whale is sort of good too.”
There was a man following behind her. It was Witira and Paseton. The siblings wielded a whip and sword respectively as Witira rushed toward the swordsman and Paseton rushed toward the spearman. The two were rushing forward while spraying blood as Cale had expected, quickly rushing toward their targets.
“Choi Han.”
“Yes Cale-nim?”
“Watch them carefully.”
Choi Han continued to observe without answering back.
"Of course, you'd even see this as a teachable moment!" Kim Rok Soo taunted Cale.
Cale blinked in confusion, adorably tilting his head, and then frowning slightly.
"It was important for Choi Han to see and experience the fighting styles of other more experienced fighters... This was a good opportunity for him to observe and learn about Witira-nim and Paseton's fighting style."
"It came in handy too... we were all able to fight fluidly during the Battle of the Gorge of Death against the Dragon Half-blood because we had these experiences as our base." TCF!Choi Han added from his seat a few feet away. TBOAH!Witira and TBOAH!Shickler glanced toward TCF!Shickler, TCF!Witira, TCF!Archie, and Paseton to see them all smiling proudly and sitting up straight. Their royal counterparts were both oozing an air of confidence that made them feel strangely envious.
“Don’t worry. Choi Han will not lose. Rosalyn will not lose either.”
Raon made that proclamation before increasing his speed even more. Cale looked toward Choi Han and Rosalyn, who both smiled back at him.
“Do not worry. Choi Han and I will not get hurt, even if things do not go as planned.”
Even if things do not go as planned, Cale was planning on taking care of it with the people wearing the masks. One of Cale’s goals was to get rid of any potential issues that would make things dangerous for them in the future.
‘Things will become complicated if Raon is revealed.’
Since they could not get rid of the organization completely right now because they didn’t know the location of the organization’s headquarters, things would become very complicated if any of them saw Raon and managed to live to tell the rest of the organization.
Several people's expressions fell, and silence filled the hall as they began to stiffen up. The people of the TCF!World collectively held their breaths, some even began to clench their fists. However, before TCF!Alberu could take the opportunity to address their issue with Cale's thoughts, Naur continued the record.
“She is right, Cale-nim. I will not get hurt.”
On tapped on Cale’s arm.
“I don’t think you will get hurt either. You do not need to worry.”
TCF!Ohn nodded her head at seeing her actions upon the screen. She looked at her younger siblings and smiled softly because she had been right, none of them had gotten hurt back then, she had read and judged the situation accurately - she felt quite proud of herself for achieving that.
Cale was floating above Hais Island 5. Rosalyn started to speak.
“The traps and alarm magic are around the coast, as Mr. Ron mentioned. The flow of mana is focused on those areas as well.”
“There are none in the air.” Raon added on.
Raon had a pretty smug expression on his face that seemed to say that Rosalyn was a smart human mage. However, it was ironic, as Raon had learned human magic from Rosalyn.
TCF!Eruhaben spoke up for his counterpart's benefit. TBOAH!Eruhaben, who stared at him offended that he hadn't taught Raon yet, seemed to misunderstand the timeline.
"This happened before we met."
The other dragons from the TBOAH!World also look chastised and simmered down mutely.
“Will it be possible to get past the magic and barge into the building?”
Cale opened up the map he drew based on Ron’s description as he asked. Since Ron could not draw it himself due to the effects of the poison, Cale drew it based on what Ron described, with Ron verifying the details as they went.
“It might be a bit difficult.”
“That mage bastard has secured their base with layers after layers of magic.”
Choi Han let out a fake cough. Redika was probably very focused on security after almost dying last time.
“Really?”
Then it was simple.
“Then do like we planned and don’t touch the base as you plant the magic bombs.”
Raon had created these magic bombs. Since Raon’s mana was the signal for them to explode, Raon needed to focus on the 10 magic bombs for them to go off.
TBOAH!Dragons' blinked and looked toward the Palantír with interest. They were curious about what the little hatchling was capable of - since they hadn't seen the scene of him blowing up the Dead Mana Black Swamp in the Forest of Darkness that was shown to only the two Black Dragons, Cale, and Dragon Lord Sherritt days ago.
“Then where should we put all 10 bombs?”
Cale showed the map to the group at Raon’s question. They could see a total of ten points on the map.
“You can put one in each of these spots.”
Rosalyn looked at the 10 points before opening her mouth and then closing it back again. She started to think while looking at Cale and Raon.
‘Highest-grade Magic Stones.’
Raon’s magic bombs were extremely scary weapons of war that were many times stronger than the current bombs used during war. The strength of magic bombs relied on the quality of the Magic Stones, and these bombs were made with highest-grade Magic Stones. Rosalyn had been in awe of the mana gathered inside a highest-grade Magic Stone she had seen when she was still the next in line for the throne of Breck Kingdom.
Cale took out those precious items without any comment and handed them to Raon.
TBOAH!Rosalyn made a whimpering sound from the back of her throat and TCF!Rosalyn blatantly pretended not to hear it. A single glance toward Grigori was enough to reveal exactly which scene of hers, Grigori would show TBOAH!Rosalyn when their turn came around.
Those 10 Magic Stones alone were enough to make Cale very wealthy. Rosalyn was shocked at Cale’s willingness to use them.
“Then we will split into two groups to do it.”
The map was ripped in half and Cale handed one half to Rosalyn.
“You two take care of this half.”
Choi Han and Rosalyn nodded their heads. Cale then looked toward Raon. They landed on a quiet cliff that was on the opposite side of where the Whales were currently fighting. Cale could see a vibrant forest as he stood with the cliff to his back.
Cale lowered his mask as he took a small step forward. All they could see were his eyes. It was the same for the others.
“We gather back here.”
Cale’s group dispersed across Hais Island 5.
Cale took the magic bomb out of his pocket and buried it into the ground. His movements were very cautious. The bomb used in the Black Swamp was already extremely strong, but this bomb was made with even better ingredients. That was why it was possible for it to destroy Hais Island 5 and the mermaid base underneath.
The Palantír showed Cale calmly and casually burying each bomb, even when the alarm for intruders was blaring through the air a while later. His calm demeanour made everyone even more curious about the life he lived in his original world, and those curious gazes were drawn once more toward Kim Rok Soo’s well-built and meticulously maintained body.
Cale installed the last bomb and returned to their original location. Someone familiar was underneath the cliff.
“Long time no see, Archie.”
The Killer Whale, Archie, flinched. He was surprised at Cale’s outfit. It was similar to those who were helping the mermaids.
“Why are you wearing… Nevermind, please get on for now.”
"What? It was a little surprising... to see them dressed like those bastards!" TCF!Archie argued with the glaring expression his counterpart shot at him.
"That's not it!" TBOAH!Archie rumbled, still offended and horrified at the sight being shown upon the Palantír once again.
Cale lightly jumped off the cliff. It would be difficult for Raon to keep all three of them floating in the air while controlling ten bombs and making sure that nothing else is harmed. That was why Cale had called this super-speed taxi over.
Kim Rok Soo, who understood this reference, laughed quietly to himself and then blinked in surprise when he heard TCF!Alberu, as well as Choi Han (both TBOAH!Choi Han and TCF!Choi Han) snickering too.
The pair of Choi Han understanding the reference he could fathom and understand because they came from Earth 1, but how the heck does TCF!Alberu understand it. He looked down at Cale for an explanation, but Cale just shrugged and refused to explain because he found it tiring and bothersome to do so.
“The rest will come soon too.”
Archie looked toward Cale with a suspicious gaze instead of answering. His gaze seemed to be asking if they were really going to destroy the island. However, he did not have a chance to ask any questions.
“Catch them! We have to kill them!”
They could hear someone’s angry shout. Cale flinched and made sure his hair was fully covered after hearing the familiar voice.
“No! Don’t let them jump!”
At that moment, two people wearing the same black outfit as Cale jumped off of the cliff. Some more people wearing similar outfits soon appeared at the top of the cliff. They were the real secret organization members. Cale could see the blood crazy mage, Redika, among the group.
“Oh you did it.”
Choi Han had an awkward smile at Cale’s statement. Redika was being supported by his subordinates. His left eye was wrapped up, while his right eye was currently bleeding.
Many people heard the hissed sounds of delight from TBOAH!Beacrox and TCF!Beacrox and yet they didn't find it vicious or scary this was because they understood and agreed that seeing that hateful mage in that state was a delightful treat to their eyes as well.
“I ran into him while installing a bomb-.”
“Tell me later.” Cale stopped Choi Han from speaking and instead commanded Archie. “Hurry up and go.”
Archie started to move quickly after seeing Redika and the other members of the secret organization. He seemed to be excited at seeing Redika injured.
See, even the Whale Tribe's Killer Whale, Archie from both timelines, agreed that this enemy's suffering was definitely something to rejoice about.
Cale urged him on some more.
“Move even faster. Get as far as possible.”
They needed to at least get to a point where Hais Island 12 was visible. It was the closest island to Hais Island 5, but it was still a good distance away. At that moment, Raon started to speak.
“Looks like someone found the bombs.”
Choi Han lowered his head even more. The secret organization members probably found the bombs while looking for them. Cale patted Choi Han’s shoulder as he gave the order.
“Start.”
“Alright.”
Raon started to gather mana in his front paws.
Sherritt smiled softly when she saw the Black Dragon of the TBOAH!World fly over to take his seat in her lap again, so he could watch this scene with her. Sherritt smiled a little brighter when she spotted Raon clinging to the crown of Cale's head, watching this scene with the same expression of interest and excitement.
"I'm busy learning Cookie Prince. Don't disturb me right now." Raon spoke up sternly when TCF!Alberu offered him and Cale brownies from the tray on the table.
"Learning?" Kim Rok Soo asks with a frown of concern.
"Yes... I'm learning, so that I can do it even better next time."
Cale sighed softly and reached up, patting Raon on the top of his round head gently in encouragement and support.
Cale looked toward Rosalyn.
“Please put up the strongest shields you can and make sure to include Archie inside.”
“Of course.” Rosalyn started to create her shields.
A total of two shields were created. Cale could see the Whales continuing the battle with Witira in the lead to their east. Cale felt like he made eye contact with Witira. even though she was very far away. Witira flicked her whip onto the water. The waves started to rage, and Witira used that opening to move back. The Whales that were running wild previously were now quickly running away. Everybody was finally out of the range of the bombs.
“Preparations are complete.”
Cale made eye contact with Raon. He gave the order to Raon, who was waiting for the go ahead.
“Explode.”
The royals from both continents and both timelines couldn't help but flinch. They held their breaths. Cale's instruction to Raon filled them with chills because they knew that Cale meant it.
The black mana that was gathered by Raon’s paws shot out like arrows. The ten rays of mana rushed toward the island like streaks of light. Cale covered his ears. The ocean started to shake.
Raon's unquestioning willingness to follow any instruction given to him by Cale shocked them. Those who doubted earlier now realized that the things they'd heard during their time socializing with their counterparts and the others, the things they'd all thought were just an exaggerated joke were actually real. It terrified them, no, Cale Henituse terrified them.