<Chapter 242: I Will... You (7)>
"...A tsunami?"
Confusion and anticipation appeared on Witira's face. How could there be tsunami in this place where there was a wall of fire created by a Dragon?
However, she could not get a response from Cale, who was not looking at her.
"Mary!" Cale's calling made Mary's gaze turn toward him from underneath the black robe. She then heard Cale's order. "Persist!"
Mary immediately understood what he was trying to say. However, she did something else first. She stopped hesitating and cautiously asked Cale a question.
"Young master-nim, wouldn't it be safer if Mr. Choi Han came down and stood next to you?"
This was the first time Mary ever said anything back when Cale gave her an order. Her gaze was locked in on Cale, Lock, and Raon without moving.
Hearing this TBOAH!Mary curiously turned her head to glance first at TCF!Mary and then shifted her curious gaze toward Cale. A moment later however, she fixed her hooded-gaze back to the Palantír eager to see how Cale would respond to her counterpart's sudden question.
"You think that we will get hurt?"
Mary could not respond to Cale's cold gaze. She did not want to see Raon who showed her around the night sky and the Forest of Darkness, her good young brother Lock, nor the most benevolent young master Cale getting hurt. She heard a stiff voice speaking to her.
"That won't happen." Mary could see Cale's cold but confident gaze. "I don't plan on getting hurt."
TBOAH!Mary blinked, and her purple eyes slowly grew wider – she could tell that this red-haired male whom her counterpart spoke so fondly and affectionately about really and truly trusted her and her skills. He also valued her opinion and respected her – he wasn't using her or even trying to control her. TCF!Mary had told TBOAH!Mary that Cale Henituse made her hero to everyone so that they also could not dare to look down on her ever again – this was something TBOAH!Mary had been pondering about ever since she'd seen the Caro Kingdom battle as well, however it was only now that she was really realizing Cale's pragmatic sincerity.
TBOAH!Mary understood now that such a person had really achieved the impossible and granted the Mary of his timeline her freedom. TBOAH!Mary rejoiced at the victory TCF!Mary had gained and whatever envy she felt melted away as her eyes began to prickle strangely – it was a sensation she had never experienced before, not since she was ten and had been infected with the Dead Mana from the desert.
He really meant it. Hadn't he worked so hard in order to not get hurt and not be in pain? There was nobody in the world who wanted to get hurt. There was a drastic difference between coughing up blood and then feeling refreshed thanks to the Vitality of the Heart and being in pain because someone beat you up. He did not want to get hurt because of that crazy bastard's strength.
Cale started to smile.
"Plus, that bastard is probably not normal right now. You know about it too, Mary."
"Ah."
Mary's gaze headed toward the Dragon half-blood. Mary had seen the Dragon half-blood through the wyvern skeleton's empty eye sockets during the battle at Caro Kingdom. A thunderbolt had pierced through the Dragon half-blood's body. Raon had sent that attack. The Dragon half-blood had run away, but he must have still gotten injured.
"Raon's strength is not that weak. He said he definitely left traces."
Sherritt reached over and pet Raon's head.
"Well done, My Child! Good job!"
"Of course, Mom! Hyung needed to get sense beat into him for him to come right in his head. He was spending too much time with that White Shit that's why he started acting like a lunatic!"
"Ahem... Raon, who taught you that?" Cale felt a cold sweat prickle at his back, but ignored it the same way he ignored the way Raon opened his mouth to respond to TCF!Eruhaben's question and Sherritt's unhappy expression. Across the table TCF!Mila sighed softly, this was because she knew that Sherritt had been the one to call White Star 'White Shit' several times in passing during her conversations with herself and Rasheel.
Contrary to his usually boisterous attitude, TCF!Rasheel was unexpectedly quiet as he searched for more of his newfound favourite snacks on the table nearby – he did not want to butt into this conversation because he was afraid that the Ancient Dragons would accuse him of teaching the young ones bad words.
"I think 'White Lunatic' suits him better, let's call him that from now on Hoobae!" TCF!Dodori called out from the other side of the lounger where he was sitting with his counterpart and his mother. He didn't want to see Raon get in trouble, so he casually tried to defuse the situation – this was a tactic he learnt in order to avoid getting lectures from his mother.
"Oh, okay Sunbae!" Raon concedes with a nod of consideration and agreement. Cale lets out a quiet exhale of relief.
Raon said he had left a trace on that Dragon half-blood. The injuries left by the Black Dragon. And Raon had not pushed for them to go find that Dragon half-blood yet. That meant that the injuries left by Raon were still there. However, he didn't know whether the injury was shallow or deep. Regardless, that Dragon half-blood was not fully healed yet. The enemy was not at 100 percent power. That was the important part.
"I will persist."
Mary immediately started to move the wyvern skeleton. Choi Han was the first one to respond to that movement. The wyvern had stopped while flying toward Cale. Black lights filled the wyvern's empty eye sockets. Then it turned its head toward the Dragon half-blood.
Choi Han took out his sword. He was quite an intelligent person. The Cale he knew did not push for sacrifice. Furthermore, he also did not make them use their powers for no reason. He was weaker than the Dragon half-blood. Cale knew that.
"We meet again. You are still stupid enough to take your sword out in front of me."
The Dragon half-blood mage's sneer and entertained expression made Choi Han realize what he had to do.
Persist. Buy some time.
Choi Han knew what Cale wanted without him having to say it. And if that was indeed the case...
"Mary, let's go."
...Mary would start to move as well.
Scenes flashed by showing Choi Han taunting the Dragon half-blood as well as having an unexpectedly twisted smile upon his face. No one dared to breathe even a word of reproach or comment about his expression because they could feel the gravity of the Dragon half-blood that they were facing now in full.
Being half-human was a sore spot that angered the Dragon half-blood. Choi Han did not enjoy touching someone's sore spot. However, whether he enjoyed it or not wouldn't matter if he was dead. Choi Han had to become witty and use underhanded tactics in order to survive when he was the weakest in the Forest of Darkness. The only thing that had changed since then was that he was not just protecting himself anymore. That was why Choi Han planned on using these underhanded tactics as much as he needed to do so. Choi Han's voice that had a touch of mockery in it reached the Dragon half-blood.
TBOAH!Choi Han's eyes began to turn wide as he started to understand once again the difference between himself and his TCF!World counterpart. It was not that having Cale Henituse making things easier was what had changed TCF!Choi Han, it was because what he valued and what he hoped to achieve were drastically different. TBOAH!Choi Han knew what motivated him was revenge against Arm who had stolen his peace and were destroying the world he was living in. For TCF!Choi Han, Arm was merely a stepping stone that was hindering the peaceful life that TCF!Choi Han wanted to spend with the people around him – TCF!Choi Han did not elevate Arm, or the war, or even the enemy. In his mind, they were just like the monsters in the Forest of Darkness who got in the way of his survival and peace.
TBOAH!Choi Han glanced pensively toward Cale as it dawned on him that Cale had not corrupted anyone, instead he had given each and every one of his allies an avenue to vent their anger and wrath and then a place for them to settle into after they got their revenge. Cale Henituse taught them the value of their future after the anger and grief and the seasons of sorrow and rage had passed so that they would not become burnt-out shells of themselves. TBOAH!Choi Han gulped thickly swallowing down the heavy ball of emotion that lodged itself in his throat.
The light orbs started to charge toward a single person. Naturally, they were aimed at Choi Han. At the same time, the wyvern's wings started to move quickly.
"Mary, it starts now."
It starts now. The time that they needed to persist starts now. Choi Han stuck close to the wyvern skeleton's back and curled up his body. At the same time, he sent his black aura toward the light orbs without stopping. Escape. Choi Han had done it in the Forest of Darkness for so long that he lost track of time. Choi Han started to smile while knowing that he was assigned a task that he knew how to do best.
The Humpback Whale Beast people Witira who was watching started to frown. Light orbs. She could feel the strength of the Dragon half-blood.
"...He's almost an adult Dragon. How did a Dragon half-blood... he's at least gone through two growth phases."
Witira had lived for over 250 years. She knew a bit about the lives of Dragon half-bloods. That was why she expected something to be a bit off about him when she had first heard about the Dragon half-blood. However, this Dragon half-blood's light was completely pure.
"Witira-nim, we need to go."
She nodded her head at Archie, who was rarely this serious.
Archie, the Whale tribe's greatest warrior. He could feel the Dragon half-blood's strength as much as Witira. However, she did not move even after Archie said, 'let's go.'
Instead, she looked toward someone.
Cale Henituse.
'I will create a tsunami for you.'
Tsunami. This human says he would create a tsunami the size of the giant pillar of fire in front of her. Witira could not believe his words, however, she had no choice but to do so after seeing what happened next.
TBOAH!Witira and TBOAH!Archie frowned in surprise at their counterparts before immediately returning their gazes to the Palantír – it occurred to them that this much anticipated battle was something where they and their counterparts would find themselves at an extreme disadvantage and would thus try to avoid it, however the fact that this record was being show and talked about with this much anticipation meant that the battle between the Whale Tribe and the Dragon half-blood had actually happened in the TCF!World. TBOAH!Witira gulped and drew in a deep breath to keep her composure.
She then glanced toward Paseton and grit her teeth. Perhaps her counterpart stayed and fought because this was their way to pay back Cale Henituse, but Choi Han's words on the Palantír about how Cale Henituse never pushed for sacrifice nagged at her and told her she was wrong about Cale Henituse 'using' the Whale Tribe. It then occurred to her like a light bulb going off in her head – the water. There was something special about the tsunami Cale Henituse intended to create for her counterpart. TBOAH!Witira's curiosity was piqued once more, and she returned her attention to the Palantír to attentively take in the scenes that would soon follow.
'I will create a tsunami for you.'
Rosalyn's expression changed the moment Cale had said that. She continued to take magic stones out of the bag as she raised her voice toward the Magic Brigade.
"Everybody, use water magic! Use the largest magic circles possible! We need magic that creates large supplies of water!"
Large supplies of water. That statement made Witira believe that Rosalyn firmly believed in Cale.
"Noonim."
Her younger sibling Paseton approached her and urged her to hurry.
"Paseton- Hold on!"
She suddenly stopped moving. Her heart was beating wildly. She subconsciously closed her eyes. She could feel the beating of her heart. Her heart slowly started to beat faster. She could see an image in the darkness as she stood there with her eyes closed. Water. A large wall of water.
TBOAH!Witira felt her heart racing as well, the skin along her arms began to prickle as a sensation she was not yet familiar with began to encircle her. Her thoughts about the water Cale Henituse was calling for being special were correct.
The Gorge of Death did not even have a tiny strand of river water underneath the cliffs. In fact, the current situation was the opposite of a river, with a pillar of fire that was reaching up into the heavens. But she could feel the power of a large amount of water. And it was not just regular water.
There was a reason that the Whales loved the ocean. Although it might seem fickle, the roaring waves and the splashing water did not even show the Whales, who lived a long time, its true self. However, there was one thing it did show. The ocean was strong and dominated over everything. That power of domination. The Whales couldn't help but get along with the ocean. The future Whale Queen suddenly thought of something. The Dominating Water.
Witira opened her eyes once she thought about it. She turned her head at the same time. The Dominating Water was pricking at her skin.
"Ah..." TBOAH!Witira gasped softly in absolute awe at the sight being revealed upon the Palantír in front of them. Beside her TBOAH!Shickler's eyes went large, and TBOAH!Archie's jaw fell open in shock. As members of a species who thrived and survived in the ocean, they could most distinctly feel the sensations of the Dominating Water that Cale upon the Palantír was releasing.
"Incredible..." marveled TCF!Shickler, even he did not hold back his admiration and awe. Seeing it in the records was very different from hearing about it from his son. Even reading about it in their reports did not do justice. TCF!Shickler's sentiments were agreed with by many other people around the room as well.
"...Witira-nim. Wow, shit, this-"
Witira raised her hand in order to shut Archie up. She then started to walk somewhere. At the same time, someone else headed toward the cliff as well. A tall boy with a blanket in his arm followed behind that person. He was moving to a spot a bit away from the pillar of fire. It was a cliff that was still not destroyed. That person was slowly walking there.
The blue jewel in the necklace on Cale's neck was slowly glowing bright and brighter. Cale reached both of his hands out at that moment.
– Are you trying to sacrifice yourself?
– Looks like I need to eat one more?
He heard the Super Rock and the glutton priestess's voices in his head.
There were sharp, but quiet intakes of deep breaths from different areas around the room at the voices of the Ancient Power. More so now because of the questions they asked Cale rather than the fact that they were talking at all. No one liked the Super Rock's question – especially TCF!Dodori and his counterpart, whose eyes narrowed with disapproval. TCF!Dodori and TBOAH!Dodori did not like that their idol mentioned sacrificing himself. Both Pink Dragons didn't like the endings where the hero has to sacrifice themselves for that 'greater good bullshit'. TCF!Dodori had come to Cale Henituse to prevent such an ending – to prevent a repeat of the Ancient Times when the Boulder Guardian had sacrificed himself to defeat the Darkness. TCF!Dodori bristled and his eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth and quietly began to unconsciously hiss with disapproval.
"Dodori." Cale's sharp voice cut through TCF!Dodori's thoughts and abruptly returned him to the present moment. He and his counterpart turned immediately to look toward Cale because he did not specify which one of them he was calling out to. TCF!Eruhaben corked his head and passed on the two rectangular boxes of apple-flavoured juice that Cale held up for them.
"You see that small silver circle at the top of the box. Gently pierce the straw into that circle." Cale said, demonstrating his instruction to the two Pink Dragons with a similar juice box that had an image of grapes on its side.
Curious, both TCF!Dodori and TBOAH!Dodori did as he instructed and then took a sip of the juice from the straw. Their expressions brightened similarly, and with delight, they exclaimed that it tasted great. Cale smiled softly while holding out a juice box for Raon as well as one for the TBOAH!Black Dragon, who was seated in Sherritt's lap beside him.
"Just drink the juice and don't worry about useless things..." Cale added, returning his gaze to the Palantír.
"Yes, Teacher!" TCF!Dodori answered enthusiastically – the dark thoughts that had filled their minds were completely gone now.
TBOAH!Mila stared with fascination and then locked her gaze upon her counterpart, TCF!Mila smiled pristinely and sat back. Her eyes conveyed a message to her counterpart:
'Even if he's human, isn't he a good teacher for our child?'
TBOAH!Mila nodded in delight and with enthusiasm now.
However, those good and happy feelings did not last because Naur continued the record, and it drew everyone's attention back to the Palantír.
He also heard Rosalyn's voice by his ear.
"Young master Cale! Eruhaben-nim is not picking up, so I left him a message."
'Damn it.'
Although he was swearing internally, Cale started to smile.
TCF!Eruhaben flinched, and TBOAH!Eruhaben grimaced. A moment later, Cale reached out and touched TCF!Eruhaben, patting his arm again.
"It's alright..." Cale reassured the once again distressed adult TCF!Dragons around him. "This is our past, remember? We've already won this battle!" He speaks gently to them, and slowly, they calm themselves. In the back of his mind, however, Cale suspects that the goddess will reveal how he had answered the Super Rock's question in the affirmative later on. He dreads the chaos that scene will cause.
Rosalyn understood the meaning behind his smile.
"Everyone activate your magic circles!" Her shout that was almost like a scream echoed throughout the area. A magic stone was placed at the center of the large magic circle. The mages were currently confused with Rosalyn's order.
'Why do we suddenly need to use magic for large supplies of water? Are we trying to put out the wall of fire?'
Although they were confused, they still followed their leader's orders. Their leader opened up her arms at that moment. Another blood vein popped inside Rosalyn's eye. Her eyes were turning bloodshot again. However, the highest-grade magic stones around her made it impossible for her to stop.
TBOAH!Rosalyn flinched, she hadn't pushed herself to such an extent in the beginning – in fact, it wasn't until the final series of battles against White Star that she had ever exhausted herself – so to see her counterpart, her younger self, pushing herself to this point and even demanding more of herself was as horrifying as it was embarrassing for TBOAH!Rosalyn. She wanted to do that too. She wanted to use the highest-grade magic stones to push herself and see how far her talent would unfurl. She craved to learn more and to discover how much greater she in her original timeline had failed to realize she could still grow.
She could hear a loud noise. That noise was not caused by her magic. It was caused by something that was different than mana. However, it was also a power of nature. It was an ancient power.
Cale could feel his heart beating wilder than ever. However, he ignored it. His plate was not complete yet. However, each of his powers supported each other, with the Vitality of the Heart and its regeneration abilities preventing them from clashing. Cale chose a method that would put him in a bit of danger. It didn't mean that he would get hurt or die. He would just be walking a tightrope. That was similar to his past life, so he was not afraid.
Many people in the audience flinched and began to slouch in their seats.
"It's the past. Now you're all much stronger, so I don't need to be like that anymore." Cale spoke his voice was quieter now, he almost sounded afraid of speaking up, this was because he knew that they would all remember the consequences that doing this and then using the Super Rock soon after this had on his body. He didn't want them to feel burdened by guilt and shame and he wanted to remind them that they were all much stronger now then they were back then, so that's what he tried to convey with his words.
However, rather than calming down and relenting, the people of his group, his friends and family, instead grew even tenser and refused to look at him. TCF!Ohn and TCF!Hong whimpered quietly, and Kim Rok Soo and TCF!Alberu both gathered them into their arms to hold and console the two kittens. Their counterparts curled up closer between the two adults and continued to watch the Palantír silently – even though they were younger – they could instinctively tell bad things happened at the end of this battle.
"Young master Cale!" He could hear Rosalyn's voice. "It's ready!"
Everything was ready. It was the moment her voice echoed across the cliffs. The sound of water could now be heard.
"...Ah-" The mages who were reaching their hands out toward the large magic circle all turned toward the same direction. It was the sound of water. It almost sounded peaceful. However, what they saw in front of them made it difficult for them to breathe. It was shooting up. It shot up as tall as the pillar of fire. It rivalled the wall of fire. A significant amount of water shot up into the sky.
The mages did not feel mana coming from that power. It was caused by an ancient power. Their gazes headed down as soon as they thought about that. They looked toward the person who activated this wall of water that was continuing to grow in size. Commander Cale Henituse. The mages heard a shout as they watched him.
"Activate the magic circle!" It was Rosalyn.
The magic stones surrounding her slowly started to turn blue.
Rosalyn knew about the power of the water ancient power that was helping in keeping the balance in Cale's body. They had all heard about it when they went to Eruhaben's lair. She also knew that this water was something that could be used up. She had heard that when he put out the fire in the Jungle.
TBOAH!Litana looked toward TCF!Litana, who nodded somberly. TBOAH!Litana gulped and continued to watch in silence.
There was blood coming out of her mouth again, however, Rosalyn could not stop since she knew what Cale was trying to do.
It soon started to rain from above the water wall. It only rained on top of that water wall. Rosalyn had created the rain. The rain fell down and wet Cale's clothes.
"Ugh." There was still black blood dripping out of Cale's mouth.
Seeing Cale bleed made the people of the TCF!World viciously silent, while their counterparts of the TBOAH!World restlessly shuffled awkwardly in their seats.
– I guess I don't need to eat it yet.
It was the voice of the glutton priestess.
Cale did not use all of the Dominating Water. He left a small portion of the third that was remaining in the necklace. The water wall was as tall as the wall of fire, however, it was not as wide. This was Cale's current limit. However, even more rain started to fall from above the wall of water. The magic circles had activated.
The water wall was next to the wall of fire that the Dragon half-blood was currently floating above. The water turned into mist and slowly started to eat up the fire. That water wall would disappear when the water ate up all of the fire. No matter how much it rains, the water wall will eventually end up disappearing. Now it was a fight against time.
However, Cale had no plans on wasting that time. He then opened his mouth to speak.
"Go up."
A large water whip started to climb up the water wall. At the same time, someone rushed past Cale and started to climb up the water as well.
"I will not waste this opportunity." It was Witira's voice.
Cale raised his head. He could see two people easily climbing up the water wall. Witira and Archie. The two Whale Beast people calmed their wildly beating hearts as they climbed up the water wall. The Dominating Water slowly started to surround their bodies.
TBOAH!Witira pouted quietly with envy. She wanted to ask TCF!Witira what the Dominating Water felt like and what difference it had on her berserk transformation. She could already clearly see how much stronger that power made her counterpart. Paseton sat back, watching with tender affection and pride as TCF!Archie and his older sister stepped forward to join the fight.
The Whale tribe's berserk transformation. This was Cale's first time seeing it. Witira and Archie. Their builds did not change. However, their hands and feet became half-transparent. Water then started to cover up their half-transparent hands and feet. The water surrounding them started to glow like the ocean water that was hit by the light from the sun. The Whales had the Dominating Water around their bodies.
The two Whales who looked as if they were wearing half-transparent armour could see someone at the top of the wall.
"Ha! I've never seen berserk Whales before."
The white-gold haired Dragon half-blood's pale expression. The individual floating above the wall of fire could see the Whales standing at the same height. However, The Whales did not respond to the Dragon half-blood. The Whales could tell from Rosalyn's desperate actions that this water that Cale was using came at a cost. They were certain that this water had even more repercussions than the silver shield. The two Whales could see something approaching them. A crow had come by their side.
There was a mixture of the sound of rain and water vapor. White fog slowly covered the Gorge of Death.
– Are you sacrificing yourself now?
Cale blinked after hearing the voice in his head. He could see the battlefield.
'What a damn world.'
He then opened his mouth to speak.
"Fight." The Whales heard the order through the crow. The two violent beings covered in water armour started to move. The Whales were cutting through the air as if they were swimming in the ocean.
The battle between the Whales and the Dragon half-blood started with a loud bang. The Wolf boy Lock had his eyes focused somewhere else other than the battle. He could see Cale's back that seemed even smaller after getting wet by the rain. Lock subconsciously held Raon a little tighter. However, the owner of that back, Cale, was paying full attention to the battlefield after giving the order. His gaze was still calm and collected.
Everyone kept their focus on the Palantír, so Grigori and Naur decided that they did not need a break just yet – therefore the next scene fluidly continued without giving the audience of her palace a chance to compose their awe and shock at the incredible sight being revealed.
<Chapter 243: I Will... You (8)>
He could hear noise as the water clashed against the fire and created vapor.
'It needs to stay up for a while.'
The water wall needed to last as long as possible. However, that was not easy to do. The water wall was created next to a pillar of fire. The two had no choice but to clash. And unlike fire, nature's law indicated that water would fall from top to bottom.
Cale drew an image in his mind and tried to maintain the Dominating Water in the wall form for as long as possible, however, the water would eventually turn into vapor or fall to the ground. This was something that other people should know as well. Cale thought about the person who would know about this the most as he continued to look up at the sky. A loud explosion happened as if it was responding to Cale's gaze.
A light orb was destroyed by someone's fist and exploded into pieces. The solid fist that was sparkling in the water was swung past the light orb.
"Why you little...!"
The Dragon half-blood easily cast a shield. The fist slammed into the shield. At the same time, the owner of the fist smashed his forehead into the shield. A crack appeared on the shield.
"Kehehehe." The Killer Whale Archie was laughing with his teeth showing as he made eye contact with the Dragon half-blood.
No one could speak. They could only watch in awe and fascination – those of the TBOAH!World who had never seen the Whale's fight were both fascinated and terrified at the same time. While those who hadn't lived long enough to encounter the Dragon half-blood were pale with relief. They were relieved that they had died before they could experience fighting such an enemy.
The forehead that was wearing the half-transparent water like a helmet continued to slam into the shield.
"You crazy bastard!"
The Dragon half-blood could not hide his shock.
Why?
It was because he was in the air above the wall of fire. That Whale bastard had walked over the fire in order to get there. The Dragon half-blood created another shield after seeing the crazed look on Archie's face as he sent a small thunderbolt out.
"You're like an animal."
Archie started to laugh at the Dragon half-blood's comment.
"Why are you saying something so obvious? You stupid half-Dragon bastard. Whales are half animals."
'Half-Dragon bastard.'
The Dragon half-blood's gaze changed after hearing that insult.
"I was going to go easy on you-"
"Why would you go easy on me? What a funny half-Dragon bastard, eh?"
Cale snorted quietly in amusement and then nodded to himself.
"Yes, I was right. We do only need one of those type of people. Archie did a great job over at the Duke Sekka's Estate as well, yeah?"
"Pfft!! Brown Broom Head..." Raon snickered and started to giggle in Cale's arms.
Over at the front of the hall, TCF!Hong and TCF!Ohn heard Raon's laughter and perked up, they scaled up TCF!Alberu and Kim Rok Soo's shoulders respectively to peek and check. Only to receive a soft smile and a beckoning gesture from Cale. So, the two kittens leapt off the back of the couch and came scampering over to join Raon and Cale among the Dragons. Once they were settled in Eruhaben's lap, Raon shared those three words with them, and soon, the three kids, as well as Cale himself, were laughing quietly at the joke.