“Let’s continue, shall we?” She requested, and everyone eagerly nodded. They were curious to know what was going to happen next and who’s records they would be looking at now, they didn’t need to wait any more though because Grigori kindly announced who they would be getting to know more about.
“If no one is opposed to it, I would like to complete healing the soul dissonance between Bud and Glenn now…”
“Oh?” TCF!Bud blinked in surprise, to be honest he wasn't sure what more he and his counterpart needed to see in order to fix whatever was broken between them, however TBOAH!Bud’s expression turned sober and after staring at the Goddess for several minutes he eventually nodded in consent. Following his best friend’s lead, TBOAH!Glenn did the same. Once she had their consent, the Goddess nodded to Naur, and the Palantír began a new record – Cale shuddered, and his expression stiffened.
<Chapter 346: The Two Trash (4)>
Cale started to speak, “What about Wind Island?”
Cale didn’t think that it would be that hard to visit that island because the thief of the Sound of the Wind had said that her other power was located there. He had a weird feeling that the island would welcome him.
“Ho? Are we going to see what happened there at last?” TCF!Ron asked.
Cale trembled visibly, and any expression of teasing and playfulness died on TCF!Alberu and Kim Rok Soo’s faces immediately.
“Cale… would you like to be exempted from viewing this record?” Grigori asked the question aloud on purpose, she also addressed him as Cale and not the affectionate “Cale-hyung”. This told everyone about the gravity and seriousness of what was about to be shown.
“It’s fine… it was just a test. It didn’t happen, and now that bastard is dead, so it won’t happen… I will watch it with everyone.” Cale answered. Grigori nodded and then swept her gaze across every person in the hall. Everyone grew quiet and began to pay attention.
However, Eruhaben’s expression turned serious. The reason for this was the same reason Ron and Beacrox’s expressions were more serious than the others.
“The Western continent has the Five Forbidden Regions.”
The Palantír briefly listed the names of those five locations for the benefit of those who did not know them.
“The Eastern continent has its Three Restricted Areas.”
That was the reason for the stiff expressions on the father-son duo. The Three Restricted Areas. They were locations that living beings were not allowed to enter.
Mercenary King Bud Illis started to speak.
“The children of the Eastern continent grow up hearing about the Three Restricted Areas. People say that they are dangerous places. They tell children that they will die if they go there. The methods of death are described as well.”
Seeing how even the TBOAH!Ron and TBOAH!Beacrox seemed to be having a difficult time keeping themselves impassive, everyone who was not aware were becoming increasingly concerned about the level of danger Cale was now planning to mix himself up in.
The Mercenary King seemed to be feeling Cale out as he asked.
“Can you do it? Can you go somewhere that even Dragon-nim is saying is a restricted area?”
“Ha!”
The Mercenary King could see Cale laughing in disbelief. Cale looked toward his group and answered Bud’s question.
“Yes.”
‘Why wouldn’t I be able to go?’
– My top’s whip and the ancient artifact I stole are located there. It was not a divine item, but an item of the temple that belonged to the people who claimed they served a god.
The thief’s husky voice was becoming more passionate as Cale started to speak.
“Oh?!” TBOAH!Glenn voiced sound of surprise, however, it was TBOAH!Bud who actually asked for clarification of what everybody else was thinking.
“Does this mean that the Ancient Power you have is the reason the island became that way?!”
“It’s a little more complicated than that…” Cale answered TBOAH!Bud. He wasn’t sure when TBOAH!Bud had died, or even if the island had blown up in the TBOAH!World, but he was sure that everyone’s answers would soon come with even more complicated feelings attached even without him explaining anything to them.
“Bud, my friend. Do you think I will not be able to do something that you were able to do?”
“What?”
Cale pointed to the Mercenary King’s slightly flushed cheeks and continued to speak.
“Sober up and lead the way. My friend is such an alcoholic.”
“Pwahahahah!”
Bud Illis laughed before opening his palm toward his mage friend.
“Hey, let me borrow a magic scroll.”
“You think I’m a bank or something?”
For this reason, Cale allowed the record to continue. Since everyone was still curious about this, he had no reason to hide it from them now that everything was over and done.
“Besides… they can’t hate me for it even if they do get upset about it…” He reminded himself.
The Poeff household’s survivor grumbled as he took out a bundle of magic scrolls from his pocket. They were all teleportation magic scrolls.
“I don’t need to sober up!” Bud laughed loudly as he handed the scrolls to Cale’s group. He then continued to speak.
“I’m always fine!”
“Fine my ass!” The mage’s voice was drowned out by Bud’s laughter.
“Haaaa.”
Cale heard Eruhaben sigh at that moment but feigned ignorance.
He could see the ancient Dragon’s mouth opening and closing as if he had something to say, but he didn’t care and quietly whispered to Eruhaben.
“I need to keep my promise.”
He needed to keep his promise of letting Eruhaben live many more years. Right?
TBOAH!Eruhaben’s eyes went wide, and his heart thumped strangely in his chest. Although he had seen Cale Henituse being selfless and reckless plenty times already, he’d also seen the way this young man always kept his word and never made promises he could not keep. However, TBOAH!Eruhaben had a very strange feeling in his chest this time. Perhaps it was because the promise was one that involved his TCF!World counterpart.
Cale looked toward the group and started to speak.
“Those who want to come along even if they can’t go to the island itself-”
Cale saw Ron smiling at him and let out a fake cough before changing what he was going to say.
“You decide the team, Ron.”
“I will do as you command, young master-nim.”
Cale looked away from the smiling Ron and asked Bud Illis a question.
“Bud, where are we going? We can’t go directly to the island, right?”
The Mercenary King smiled at Cale’s question before responding back.
“Wind Island has a twin island. It is an island that looks the same and is located right next to it.”
Beacrox let out a groan. Beacrox started to speak as Cale turned toward him.
“…Alcoholics.”
He only said one word. However, Cale got the chills for some reason and turned back toward Bud. Bud took another gulp of alcohol before continuing to speak.
“That island is my hometown!”
TBOAH!Bud and TBOAH!Glenn felt exhausted seeing their happier and livelier counterparts talking about their home. It was a home that had been lost to them because they had to keep running from that psychotic White Star.
The mage from the Poeff household quickly added on to Bud’s comment.
“It is Wind Island’s twin island. It has the Eastern continent’s largest and best brewery.” He continued to speak in a stoic voice. “It is heaven for alcoholics.”
They did not know what became of it after they died, but they were fairly certain White Star would have attacked it too – just to spite TBOAH!Bud since White Star promised to do so when he’d killed TBOAH!Bud in their world. White Star said he would burn TBOAH!Bud’s hometown to the ground because TBOAH!Bud had run and escaped him. He promised to use vicious and cruel torture when he caught TBOAH!Glenn too.
And so, seeing their counterparts happy and heading home while White Star was still alive and hunting them made TBOAH!Bud want to scream in anger and frustration at his carefree and happy-go-lucky counterpart who obviously did not understand the gravity of the situation nor the risks involved.
Grigori showed them the conversations Cale had with Bud about how his Ancient Powers could talk, and then everyone listened when his Ancient Powers told Cale to devour them in order to get stronger so as to beat the White Radish.
Unsurprisingly, however, Cale refused to do that to them,
"No, it it better to say that Cale is attached to them and did not wish to lose them." Grogori spoke up in order to convey the truth. Everyone in the Palantír Hall could instinctively tell that Cale considered the Ancient Powers he carried with him to be precious and dear to him.
However what surprised them all was the fact that those same precious Ancient Powers suggested that Cale turn Choi Han into the weapon to kill the White Star because Choi Han had a plate as big as the White Star’s plate.
When they heard Cale mutter that he had chosen the difficult path, it was at this moment that Choi Han and Raon finally understood what Cale had meant back then – they both shared a look and then grimaced together as they stared at Cale, willing him to explain and share the load of his burden with them, however Cale remained stoic and silent as he continued watching the record on the Palantír.
Mercilessly the record continued revealing how Cale thought of Choi Han and why Cale had called Choi Han an "unlucky bastard" back then, however everyone was now also privy to the conversation that Cale was having with the Super Rock. They listened closely to everything the Ancient Power was saying to Cale and also paid special attention to the Super Rock’s affectionate and amused tone too.
And then the tension in the room broke when Cale thought that it looked like Choi Han had lost a bit of weight and handed him gold coins to feed him good food and “fatten him back up”. Laughter came from all directions, and Cale bowed his head and gathered his three kids into his arms and embraced them. He just wanted to stay with them like this for a little while longer.
< Chapter 347: Severance (1)>
And finally, once he arrived at the peak and looked toward the other side of the island…
“Over there.” Bud pointed to a spot beyond the foggy ocean.
Cale’s expression stiffened up.
– Human! That looks too dangerous! Don’t go!
He could hear Raon’s worried voice.
In the middle of the foggy ocean. He could see the island that managed to even push away even the fog to reveal itself. It could not be helped. Wind. The whirlwinds from numerous directions, these blade-like winds were roaring and surrounding the island. Honestly speaking, Cale could not even see the island itself. He could only tell that the island was there based on the thousands, no, tens of thousands of wind blades and whirlwinds that were crashing against each other.
“Cale-nim.”
Choi Han approached Cale with a serious expression on his face.
Just as Cale had thought in the Palantír, it didn’t look artificial at all, TCF!Tasha and TBOAH!Tasha shared a look before returning their attention back to the Palantír. Their serious expressions matched the serious expression of Choi Han on the Palantír.
This was not aura or mana. The things on that island were natural wind. That wind was roaring like a natural disaster. The ancient Dragon Eruhaben approached Cale.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” He turned toward Cale and calmly continued to speak. “You do not need to go there.”
However, they could hear Cale’s usual relaxed voice respond back.
“I need to go.” He sounded confident in his answer.
The Super Rock commented at that moment.
– Let’s take this difficult path.
– A path where you don’t have to sacrifice yourself or others. However, it will be painful and difficult for your body. You could get hurt.
– But at least your mind could be at ease.
Cale started to speak. A path where your mind could be at ease.
“That is the easy path.”
“You see… this is the reason we won’t allow anyone to get away with harming him… because he treats us all like this…” TCF!Eruhaben told his counterpart telepathically.
“I see…” TBOAH!Eruhaben nodded discreetly in response. He was starting to understand that feeling he’d felt days ago toward Cale a little clearer now too.
The scene on the record continued showing everything they had done to prepare Cale for his mission and how they’d packed meals for him, showed him the maps of the safest routes and even gave him as much advice about the Island as TCF!Bud knew. TBOAH!Bud and TBOAH!Glenn continued to watch all this mutely, there seemed to be a strange tension in the hall.
“Cale.”
“I’ll extend your life for you.” Cale quickly cut Eruhaben off before kicking off the deck and flying up. He turned back toward the group and waved.
“I’ll be back.”
It still wasn’t enough, Cale’s people were worried about him both back then and now. They watched him closely and saw the way he kept holding onto the young dragon and the two kittens.
‘It’s been a while since I went anywhere alone like this.’
He had not moved alone since that time he earned the Indestructible Shield.
– It will be dangerous.
– Be careful.
Cale started to smile. He could hear the voices of the owners of the ancient powers.
‘I guess I’m not completely alone.’
He still had the voices in his mind.
The Cale that was sitting with them in the Palantír Hall was seeking comfort from his kids – this made every instinct in their family members rear up and set them all on high alert. Those instincts were telling them something was wrong, but they couldn’t stop their curiosity, and Cale seemed to have no intention of asking them to stop either.
Cale could see a small gap between them.
‘Cale Henituse, only follow the path I tell you. That is the only way to not be cut up by the wind blades.’
Cale thought about the path on the map that the Mercenary King had handed him before charging toward that small gap.
Cale could hear the voice of the thief, the owner of the Sound of the Wind at that moment.
– I was an average person.
The husky voice was full of sorrow.
– However, once my family died and our home was destroyed…
That sorrow slowly turned into anger.
– I then became a thief. I ended up becoming the greatest thief on the Western continent.
– It was because I stole an ancient artifact from a temple.
TBOAH!Cage and TCF!Cage pressed their lips together tightly and tried to understand and make sense of the Ancient Power’ story about the Ancient Times. Sherritt’s expression became impassive and silence surrounded her as she held onto the TBOAH!Black Dragon in her lap.
‘There is no life on Wind Island.’ That was what the Mercenary King had told him. ‘That is because only dirt and rocks that are poisoned by dead mana are there.’
Cale could see the black island.
TCF!Mary, her counterpart and the four other Dark Elves in the hall winced at the words the Mercenary King used on the record. The thought of an entire island void of life was revealed before their eyes. TBOAH!Alberu and TCF!Alberu got a strange feeling when they saw this, it somehow made them both angry – for one it was because this was what had happened to many areas of the continent during the wars.
However for TCF!Alberu it was anger for a different reason – the Ancient White Star had obviously done the same bullshit that their White Radish had tried to do – it made TCF!Alberu very angry and he very much wanted to hit the White Radish a few times to vent his anger and frustration. He glanced toward Cale with mounting concern fluttering in his chest.
The thief continued to speak.
– I was an average person, but I knew how to handle the wind and I had another unique power.
The powers that she had in the past. The Sound of the Wind. It consisted of wind and sound.
– I could hear the sound of the wind.
The sound that the wind made.
– I could hear the voices of the Wind Elementals.
Elementals were natural beings that were said to be the closest to nature. She was not an Elf nor an Elementalist so that she could make a contract with an Elemental, however, the thief had been able to hear only the voices of the Wind Elementals. She could not see or feel them, but it was enough to hear them.
– I couldn’t see from the beginning anyway. I just needed the sound.
The greatest thief of ancient times had been blind.
“Whoa?! Really?”
“Incredible…”
“That’s amazing!!”
Several people from all around the hall quietly exclaimed in awe and amazement.
However, she could feel and hear everything.
– Find my top’s whip.
– It will bring you a number of strong yet friendly and shrewd yet temperamental allies.
The husky voiced woman gently spoke to Cale.
– I like your decision. Let’s easily walk through the difficult path. I will be with you.
Cale started to smile as he looked at the black island.
“So this is the Ancient Power that Commander Toonka gained in our timeline, right?” TBOAH!Alberu questioned curiously, his voice sounding more pensive than curious though.
“That is correct.” Grigori answered him with a soft smile.