<Chapter 95: If I have to Move (5)>
A large wave rushed toward them.
"Ugh! Everybody hold on to my body!" Archie shouted urgently.
The waves produced by the bomb were still dangerous, even though they were outside of the explosion's range. Cale, along with everyone else, quickly laid down flat to hug Archie. Cale looked toward the source of the loud noise behind the tall waves.
The sheer amount of destruction from those ten magic bombs were catastrophic.
A bright light rushed out of the island in the midst of all of those noises. Cale could see that a black smoke had taken its place once he could open his eyes again. All sorts of debris were flying out from within the black smoke. Cale's jaws dropped.
"...This." It looked like the whole island was floating away as it broke down into small particles of dust. "...Is much stronger than I expected?"
He had never expected this much explosive power, even though he knew that the bombs would be stronger than average. He did claim that he would destroy the island, but the impact of the explosion on the ocean was huge. Raon, who looked calm and composed, tilted his head in confusion.
"Wasn't this what you wanted, human? I thought you meant it when you said you wanted to destroy it. That's why I fortified the bombs a couple more times."
This was the result of a miscommunication. There was no need to fortify those strong bombs.
Cale continued to hold onto Archie's back tightly as he looked around the destroyed island. All he could see was the black smoke where the island used to stand.
"Move farther back." Archie flinched before quietly moving as Raon instructed.
This time, TBOAH!Archie did not glare or feel offended that his counterpart had immediately and quietly obeyed the order of the youngest dragon. The sight of the explosion on the Palantír was enough to terrify even him, how much more frightening would it have been for TCF!Archie who had been seeing and experiencing it directly – he didn't even want to think about.
Cale could not take his eyes off of the ocean. The black smoke slowly started to dissipate and the island reappeared. The cliff that they were standing on earlier was slowly crumbling. It was like dominos after that. The entire island soon started to sink into the ocean. It was faint because they were far away, but Cale could hear both humans and mermaids screaming.
Those screams were heard by the guests of the Golden Annual Palace – this was the work of the Palantír. They could hear those distant and faraway screams as well as the louder and closer sounds of the crumbling crash as the island began to crack and fall apart.
The water rippled as Witira shot up into the air.
"Attack!"
Following the large Humpback Whale's command, the Whale Tribe, whales, and the oceanic beast people all rushed toward the crumbling island. The people escaping from the island needed to face Witira's whip.
"...What a terrible sight."
It was a selfish thought, and he was the one who caused this to happen, but he felt uncomfortable looking at the mess. That was why he just wanted to live a peaceful life. Cale's eyes grew cloudy as he looked out toward the ocean. The way he was looking out made it seem like there were a lot of complicated emotions going through his mind.
Raon started to speak at that moment.
"It is a problem that you're so compassionate, but that is also your strong suit."
'What? Compassionate?'
Cale was shocked. Would a compassionate person think about destroying an island?
Raon continued to speak.
"We did the right thing for that old human, as well as for Beacrox, who helped out with my revenge."
That did not necessarily mean it was the right thing, but Cale wasn't the type to always do the right thing.
– Plus, didn't you say they were part of the organization that handed me over to the Marquis? Even if they are not the actual people who did that, they are all the same.
Cale looked up at the sky after hearing Raon's words. He then patted the Killer Whale's back.
"Let's go."
Archie quietly moved toward Hais Island 12.
"I guess there wasn't a need for Lock or the children to get involved."
"Indeed."
Cale could see Hais Island 12 as he responded to Choi Han. He could see the Wolf children with the whales.
The sight of the Wolf children and the young whales who were watching the scene of Hais Island 5 coming apart was terrifying enough to chill the blood of all the weaker people among the audience, but for the Whale Tribe members from both world as well as those who had direct grudges against Arm, seeing this incredible and successful achievement was enough to make their hearts clamour in riotous and malicious delight.
However, their delightful reactions were short-lived because TCF!Choi Han spoke up at that point.
"Oh... the cockroach survived that, but he died a short while later." He announced.
Cale sighed heavily and slapped his hand to his forehead, but said nothing and ignored the snort of amusement that came from his left as well as TCF!Alberu's huff of approval from his right.
Cale decided to ignore the stares he could feel poking at the back of his shoulder because it was coming from TBOAH!Zed and TBOAH!Alberu's directions.
"What are you looking at? Why are you staring at my Human like that?" Raon's icy demand silenced the sigh of annoyance that threatened to escape Cale when he thought about TBOAH!Zed and TBOAH!Alberu. However, Raon's sudden anger and hostility could not be ignored. The two TBOAH!World royals were quickly forced to lower their gazes when met with the penetrating glare emitting from those sapphire eyes. Cale reached up again, realizing now that Raon must have felt their stares because he'd been clinging to the back of his head all this time.
"Let's just ignore them, Raon... they'll start to understand things soon enough."
"Hmph... okay, but only this once, if it happens again, I won't hold back, Human!" Raon rumbles with a huffing scoff and looked toward TCF!Dodori – who unfortunately was currently quietly arguing with his counterpart about the Boulder Guardian of the Roan Kingdom.
Seeing as he wasn't getting any support from the other young dragon, Raon turned and settled his gaze upon TCF!Ohn and TCF!Hong both of them had the fur on their tails bristling and were flashing their teeth while flexing their fluffy paws to reveal their sharp claws – this was their signal to Raon that they would be ready to go at any time. Cale pretended not to see this too, and instead reached over TCF!Alberu toward the four kittens and began to pet each of them until their fur settled and their hissing quietened down again.
While that was happening, TCF!Beacrox and TCF!Ron took the liberty of explaining to the bereft TBOAH!Beacrox and the stoic TBOAH!Ron that Young Master Cale had personally healed TCF!Ron's mermaid poison and had later found Miss Mary who had created a new left arm for him which worked just as well as original one. TBOAH!Ron feigned disinterest in this information. However, TBOAH!Beacrox clung to every bit of it like it was the last scrap of information he would ever receive. TCF!Beacrox seemed to empathize and understand his counterpart's reaction and so he quietly adjusted his seat to sit a little closer to his counterpart from the TBOAH!World so that he could tell him in detail about how Young Master Cale had cured their father.
Having given them all enough time to settle themselves, Grigori looked toward the Whale Tribes, appraising them with her glowing eyes for a moment and then deciding that they would need a few more scenes in order to repair the dissonance within them. She inhaled deeply and returned her gaze toward the Palantír, taking a moment to consider which scene she should put on first. Finally, she decided to play the scene they were most curious about – the TCF!Witira and TCF!Archie's battle against the Dragon half-blood.
"Naur... let's proceed to Chapter 240."
"Understood..." Naur replied, and the Palantír turned dim while the sound of multiple pages turning was heard from somewhere overhead.
<Chapter 240: I Will ... You (5)>
Originally, the Gorge of Death should have been destroyed from the magic bombs coming out of the large containers.
"Oh, are we watching the Battle at the Gorge of Death?" TBOAH!Rosalyn asked, her eyes becoming wide as she recognized the scenes on the Palantír. TCF!Rosalyn examined the Palantír and then nodded.
"Looks like... this was when the Northern Alliance, more specifically the Bear Tribe and the Flame Dwarves had tried to destroy the Gorge of Death so they could crossover."
"What was the plan to prevent that?" TBOAH!Choi Han asked, looking toward TCF!Rosalyn, who seemed to still possess a resemblance to the TBOAH!Rosalyn whom he knows.
"Prevent?" TCF!Rosalyn asked with an amused scoff.
"No... we just had to blow it up first." She waved her hand dismissively. "Of course... after all... a bridge can be used both ways..."
Her smile was devious, and TBOAH!Choi Han looked toward Cale seated a few feet away from them.
TBOAH!Choi Han suddenly became afraid of Cale's ability to corrupt everyone around himself and turn them into such devious strangers. He looked toward TBOAH!Rosalyn only to find her mimicking TCF!Rosalyn's smile for a split second before the expression disappeared. TBOAH!Choi Han tiredly brushed his face with his hands and convinced himself that he was imagining things.
"Ahh, of course, of course... if it's already a bridge, you just have to use it first." TBOAH!Rosalyn nodded, and TBOAH!Choi Han inwardly asked himself whether or not he really had imagined what he told himself he had. Disregarding the mental crisis TBOAH!Choi Han was going through right now, Naur continued the recording since the majority of people in the hall had gone quiet again.
The cliffs started to break apart. The broken pieces started to fill up the deep gorge.
"H, how is this-"
The knights of the Indomitable Alliance urgently got off of their horses after feeling a rumbling that was beyond what they had expected. They were clutching onto their reins, however, they did not even notice this action as they were at a loss for words while watching what was happening in front of them.
This was the same for the people on the Breck Kingdom's side as well. The soldiers who had been running away from the magic bombs quickly got back up after having fallen from the shock of the explosion.
TBOAH!Rosalyn frowned with disapproval but then shook her head, it made sense that during this first battle for Breck there would have been many that hadn't understood the gravity of war when they signed up. She swallowed down the bitterness as well as the curses she wished she could voice by glancing toward her calm, confident, and entirely relaxed counterpart. Envy gnawed at her the same way she was gnawing at the inside of her cheek. She clenched her fists to keep herself silent and returned her focus to the Palantír.
"That is from our side-"
The soldiers could not help but shake at what their allies had done. Their gazes all headed to a single direction as they got back up. They were all looking at Cale and his group. They were the only ones who were looking at this explosion with calm expressions. It was just one part of the Gorge of Death that was hundreds of kilometres long. Those few kilometres of the gorge were filled with rock and dirt.
"The Indomitable Alliance's plan succeeded."
Rosalyn started to laugh even though the enemy's plan had worked.
Why?
It was because she could see a wall of dark blue fire gulping up the broken area of the cliffs. The dark blue flames glowed in Rosalyn's red pupils.
'Dragons really are amazing.'
"Oh!! Goldie Gramps!!" Raon's sudden exclamation of awe and delight shocked many people who jumped at the abrupt shout. There was a bullet of black, and a moment later, Raon collided into the chest of the young-looking Ancient Golden Dragon who had stood up to receive the enthusiastic child.
"You made it my colour!!"
"Ho... that's right, you didn't get to see it last time..." TCF!Eruhaben chuckled mirthfully as he took his seat again with the baby dragon now comfortably curled up in his arms.
"That's right... I didn't get to see it because I was going through my Growth Phase, and our Human had to put it out soon afterwards."
"Hmm... well, it's fine. You got to see it now." TCF!Eruhaben conceded with an amused smirk. Raon continued to gush and compliment how vividly the colour matched his eyes.
In fact, he was very enthusiastic and boisterous about it. Grigori giggled quietly to herself before returning her gaze to the Palantír and nodding at it, thus permitting Naur to continue the record.
Although her insides were not well because of her overuse of mana, she could not stop laughing. She heard a quiet voice by her ear at that moment.
"...Miss Rosalyn, I'm going to let you down now."
Rosalyn flinched. She was still being carried over Cale's shoulders. She slightly turned her head. She could see that Cale's arm was shaking.
'...Ah, this weak person was-'
Glances immediately moved to compare the intimidating stature of the well-built Kim Rok Soo and the fragile delicate physique of Cale Henituse. There was a very distinct and vivid contrasting difference between the two. However, before anyone else could speak up or comment, Cale's solemn and firm voice put an end to any discussion.
"I will not go through all that hard work again. I won't do it, and none of you can make me!"
Realizing that she was being carried by this weak person, Rosalyn felt extremely sorry.
Naur and Grigori blatantly ignored Cale's attempt to shut down any arguments that his family and friends could try and come up with by continuing the record. TCF!Rosalyn also found the velvet padding on her cushioned seat incredibly interesting, it helped her avoid the pointed looks of betrayal she was receiving from Cale.
She quickly got off of Cale's shoulder. She then looked toward him, expecting to see him frowning from being tired. She then flinched again. His extremely calm face was looking toward the dark blue wall of fire.
'The bridge was blocked.'
The Gorge of Death spanned hundreds of kilometers. The enemy's bridge that should have appeared in the middle of the gorge became useless because of the dark blue wall of fire. Of course, the enemy may try to do the same thing at the other cliffs around the Gorge of Death. However, the Dragon's Rages that were installed throughout the cliffs would block them each time.
"Miss Rosalyn."
"Yes, young master Cale. Now the Mage Brigade can slowly take down the enemies in the sky."
Rosalyn was already giving orders to the Mage Brigade with her hands and having them prepare long-distance attack magic spells. She continued to speak with a much more relaxed disposition.
"Have the knights and soldiers line up against the cliffs so that we can detect and prevent the enemies from attempting to do the same thing again."
It was now going to be a prolonged battle.
A prolonged battle was okay. This was something the people from the TBOAH!World understood and could thus relate to. Unconsciously, they began to relax, entirely forgetting about the devastating scenes of the Battle at the Gorge of Death, which they had seen days ago when they watched Lock's evolution into the Wolf King.
Cale's group managed to block the enemy's path, however, it also meant that the Breck Kingdom's side could only attack the other side with magic as well. Although they had strong individuals with them, there were not enough of them to handle hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers. Furthermore, Rosalyn wanted to win while having the least number of casualties as possible.
"The enemy will end up retreating in a prolonged battle due to a lack of supplies. The north always has a shortage of food in springtime. The Breck Kingdom does not have such issues."
"We cannot allow that."
"Excuse me?"
A rare stern voice answered back. "We cannot let it become a prolonged battle."
"Young master Cale?"
Rosalyn's heart started to beat faster again. Cale had a relaxed expression on his face, however, there was nervousness in his eyes now.
Nervousness.
It was a word that did not fit well with Cale. That was why Rosalyn was getting worried as well.
Seeing Cale behaving in such a way made the people from the TBOAH!World anxious as well. Thus far, they had not experienced the Dragon Half-blood's full power – it had only been hinted at and mentioned briefly in the previous scene. Those emotions had dulled in all of them, especially since Cale Henituse had claimed this Dragon half-blood as one of his people now.