Chapter 240: Madness, Adoration, and Truth (2)

The Ancient Dragon, Eruhaben, let out a laugh full of admiration, as if he were impressed by something astonishing.

"Ooh. I never imagined there would be such a large cave under the capital."

Capital of Har Kingdom, in the north.

Eruhaben, along with Bailey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, had discovered a small hidden entrance beneath the walls to the north of the capital, coming out of the royal palace.

Through it, they descended underground and found themselves facing a huge cave that seemed several times larger than the royal palace.

And in the darkest spot of that cave...

"Who are you?"

An intense green glowed in the darkness.

And Eruhaben couldn't help but be amazed again.

"It's enormous."

Dragons reach a length of up to 30 meters in their adult dragon form, and Eruhaben's body, when transformed, is of the same size. However, even now, he couldn't help but sigh.

"You can't see the end."

Even in the darkness, it was visible.

A huge snake of several tens of meters was coiled, staring at Eruhaben.

"Ha."

Truly, the Ancient Dragon was astonished. He had never seen such a large creature, be it a snake, a supernatural being, or even a Dragon, in his entire life. But he couldn't stay admiring it forever.

"I am Eruhaben."

He introduced himself to the White Snake in front of him.

"A-"

Eruhaben, who had paused briefly, uttered a phrase.

"I have come to this world to eradicate the Blood Purple Family."

Sss~

The air in the underground changed in an instant.

The oppressive and dense atmosphere suddenly became sharp. Bailey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, involuntarily shrank unknowingly.

Between Eruhaben and the White Snake, she realized that the solution was not to intervene and remained silent.

At that moment, a voice resonated. The voice coming from the darkness was as calm as before.

"Aren't you from this world?"

"That's right."

Eruhaben responded to the White Snake's question, and she asked again.

"Did you come to hunt the Hunters?"

"Yes. Well-"

Eruhaben smiled ironically.

"I also came to defeat those annoying bastard, Dragons."

Sss~

A light laughter like the wind escaping was heard in the darkness. However, the voice quickly calmed down, and she asked calmly.

"Oh, Dragon from a different world. Do you know Maxillienne?"

And Eruhaben replied.

"Ring, crown, sword. I brought everything."

Maxillienne.

Traces of a Dragon discovered in the secret space of the Lord of the Province of Sichuan's study when they went to the Central Plains. The Dragon was Maxillienne, and the objects she left behind were a ring, a crown, and a sword.

Sss~

The sound of the movement of the White Snake was heard.

"Who brought those objects?"

The White Snake asked another question, and Eruhaben answered.

"Those who have the right qualifications possess those objects."

In Eruhaben's pupils, the White Snake reflected as it peeked its head from the darkness.

The head of the snake was larger than Eruhaben's height.

Such a colossal-sized snake approached Eruhaben, tilting its head.

"Are you the owner of the ring?"

"I have it for now."

Of course, the ring wasn't Eruhaben's. He was just temporarily keeping it instead of giving it to Raon.

"So, are you the Hope?"

The White Snake was speaking now.

The owner of the ring is the Hope.

And that existence is you.

Eruhaben responded without hesitation.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Bailey's eyes widened as she watched.

Anyway, Eruhaben stared into the green eyes of the White Snake and opened his mouth.

"You also have Dragon Fear."

"!"

Those words surprised Bailey a lot, and she involuntarily opened her mouth and let out a silent gasp of amazement.

Eruhaben shook his head.

"No, you're a snake, so you don't have Dragon's Fear."

Then, Eruhaben waved his hand through the air.

"Let's not fight unnecessarily with the same energy."

It was then that Bailey noticed that the sharp energy filling the entire cave was disappearing. At the same time, she realized it was the momentum of the White Snake.

And then, the White Snake slowly opened its mouth.

"...Nonsense."

"Yes, nonsense."

The corner of Eruhaben's lips lifted.

"Why are we the 'hope' of your world? We don't have the responsibility or duty to fight for that 'hope.'"

Eruhaben didn't have good feelings towards Maxillienne. Especially when, for no apparent reason, she pointed out little Raon as an object of Hope to save Aipotu.

"How much of her life has she wasted?"

How can you entrust such an important task to a young Dragon who is now 6, no, 7 years old?

'If she had the ability to see the future, and if she knew about Cale, she would surely know that Raon is also young!'

'How pathetic!'

'Isn't she ashamed?'

For the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben, who is now 1009 years old, or well, now 1010, it was a situation he couldn't accept in any way.

Therefore, even without Cale, Eruhaben's attitude became increasingly grumpy. His original personality was starting to come to light.

'Is it because I've rejuvenated?'

Eruhaben felt that he was becoming more and more honest with his emotions and that his moods were becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Just like in some moments of his youth.

The Ancient Dragon did not try to stop this new version of himself. He thought that this too was natural.

And his unpredictable emotions soon calmed down.

His years of life and experiences had given him wisdom.

'Certainly, this might be the only way.'

He understood the desperate desire of those who trusted him, seeking hope even in a 7-year-old Dragon. He was also considering the situation of Aipotu, entwined with various relationships like Choi Jung Gun and the Hunters.

But the way the White Snake suddenly mentioned the 'Hope' without warning did not sit well with Eruhaben. Eruhaben's brow furrowed even more.

"Seeing that you mentioned Maxillienne, my assumption seems to be correct."

He told the White Snake suddenly.

"Move your head a bit. Or rather, move your enormous body a bit."

He looked beyond the White Snake, into the deeper darkness.

"Hey."

Eruhaben suddenly called out.

"You. Yes, you."

He had heard it from Cale.

Aipotu. That there would be a Dragon he should find when he came here.

That it was an expected being as an ally.

That the Attribute of that Dragon would likely be of great help to them.

And Eruhaben noticed it the moment the White Snake mentioned Maxillienne.

Moreover, the reason why the White Snake, she, suddenly spread a force like Dragon Fear around her.

"Are you that Dragon who can see the 'Past'?"

The existence that the White Snake was trying to hide. In the darkness. A middle-aged man with strangely colored hair, neither black nor blue.

Step by step, he approached.

'Incredible.'

Bailey was truly surprised that someone was there.

After all, she hadn't even noticed the presence of that person.

"!"

And she was surprised once again. The middle-aged man had a messy beard, unkempt hair, and was dressed sloppily.

'Eye-'

And he had one eye closed.

And the other non-closed eye couldn't be seen because it was covered with an eye patch.

"..."

"..."

Eruhaben was also middle-aged. Without saying a word, they stared at each other. It was the middle-aged man who broke the silence first.

"I have seen the Past."

Eruhaben's eyebrow raised slightly.

"One moment."

Eruhaben raised his hand to cover the middle-aged man's mouth. All eyes turned to Eruhaben, as his reaction seemed unusual. Only the middle-aged man remained silent. And finally, Eruhaben spoke.

"How old are you?"

Bailey's pupil trembled. At that moment, Eruhaben quickly added.

"For your information, I am over 1000 years old."

"..."

The middle-aged man who had been silent opened his mouth.

"I saw the Past."

"Yes, yes, that's the way I like it, go on."

(Note: Here, the middle-aged man, upon hearing Eruhaben's age, now starts speaking in a much more formal tone, so our Eruhaben is happy.)

Eruhaben, as if he were satisfied with that, nodded quickly as if urging him to speak more. Bailey watched in confusion, her mouth slightly open, but neither the White Snake, the Ancient Dragon, nor the middle-aged man noticed her reaction.

The middle-aged man spoke calmly.

"About 250 years ago."

The Catastrophe Era reached Aipotu about 200 years ago.

250 years meant a much older story than that. The moment Eruhaben's eyes reflected surprise...

"I remember a moment from the past."

The voice of the middle-aged man echoed in the quiet space of the cave.

"There were two beings who came to visit the current Dragon Lord."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bailey, who was listening, realized that this was the moment to uncover a part of the internal history of the entire incident.

"They offered advice on how Dragons could dominate and rule the world."

When the middle-aged man stopped after saying that, Eruhaben asked.

"Who were those two beings?"

"One of them was a Wanderer."

Wanderer.

When people like Choi Han die and do not become Gods or do not work as God candidates, they become Wanderers. And this time, Cale's group discovered that some of the Wanderers were Hunters.

"That Wanderer seems to be from the Five-Colored Blood Family."

Before Eruhaben's indifferent words, the middle-aged man smiled slightly for the first time.

"You know more than I thought."

"That's right."

Eruhaben, as if it were nothing, responded, urging the middle-aged man to speak more.

"And who is the other one?"

"..."

At that moment...

'!'

Eruhaben's eyes widened.

"You-"

Drip~

A drop of blood flowed from the corner of the middle-aged man's lips. A brief silence settled. The middle-aged man took out a handkerchief from his chest and wiped his mouth.

And he smiled slightly.

"I have never seen with these eyes since I was born. But even though these eyes cannot see the present, they have shown me the past. So, I thought about it the moment I manifested my ability. I suppose they took my eyes because I saw what I shouldn't have seen."

When Eruhaben's forehead wrinkled as if it were nonsense, the middle-aged man continued speaking.

"When I try to say things, I shouldn't, it doesn't always go well. Especially when the truth I'm trying to share feels really heavy."

"..."

Eruhaben closed the mouth he had opened.

How accurate was this, and what did the Dragon see

'Mmm.'

Eruhaben had a hunch that something was not right. A truth that no one can handle.

Finally, he couldn't hold back and opened his mouth.

"By any chance, is that second being a God?"

A clear smile appeared on the middle-aged man's mouth.

"I cannot see all of my past. I am only allowed to see authorized fragments. Therefore, I have not seen or heard about how the Dragon Lord rules this world."

But...

"I was able to properly recognize the two people who showed that method to the Dragon Lord."

As if engraved in his mind as an instinct. As if it were information or truth that he had to know at all costs.

"Oh, Dragon."

The middle-aged man spoke while shedding blood, and then slowly opened his eyes.

Bailey shivered in surprise.

There was nothing where the eyes should be.

Only deep darkness existed.

Eruhaben faced that darkness.

The Dragon shrouded in shadows spoke.

"War. War has come."

And the middle-aged man trembled.

White hands held his body to prevent him from falling to the ground.

Eruhaben observed him with an imperturbable expression.

War.

It definitely referred to the God of War.

'Did the God of War come to the Dragon Lord with a Wanderer and tell him how to rule this world?'

Is the God of War on the side of the hunters?

As Eruhaben's mind became complicated...

'God of War...'

He had a connection with us.

In the first place, it was the God of War who determined the existence of Cale's Ancient Power, "Sky Eating Water," as the "Water of Judgment."

Eruhaben's expression turned infinitely cold.

God of War.

Eruhaben recalled the last time he met someone who worshiped the God of War.

"Deputy Chief Priest Cotton!"

Remembering that name, Eruhaben quickly recalled other information.

'Within the White Star's palace. We found a weird place deep in the basement. There seems to be traces of going through to a different dimension here. I would not have noticed it without having experienced going through different dimensions through the Church of the God of Death.'

'And in those remains lies the power of a God.'

That's what he told Cale.

When Eruhaben didn't go to the Central Plains and stayed in Roan, he saw traces of a journey through dimensions with the power of a God in Endable.

And if Cotton, the Deputy Chief Priest, was not an ally but one of the figures behind everything...

Then, what if she stayed by the White Star's side as Deputy Chief Priest while hiding her identity as a follower of the God of War?

Just as the Hunters treated the White Star as a sacrifice or a means...

What if she, following the will of the God of War, was secretly observing the whole process and understanding the situation?

"Hah."

Eruhaben let out a sigh unconsciously.

"Incredible!"

Little by little, the situation started to become clearer.

"Eh."

He approached the middle-aged man and asked:

"Who else knows about this fact?"

"Hoo."

The middle-aged man, who was taking a breath to calm down, answered without hesitation.

"It hasn't been long since I saw this Past. Less than half a year. There are three people here who know, and one more also knows."

"Who is that person?"

Eruhaben asked, and the middle-aged man stared at him.

"Do you know Choi Jung Gun?"

Eruhaben thought at that moment.

'We have to go to Cale as soon as possible.'

So, he acted immediately.

"White Snake. And you."

While he spoke to the two beings, Eruhaben extended his hand.

Flutter~

Along with the Dragon Fear, the Golden Powder began to float around him.

"Let's go somewhere."

Although he saw the gigantic body of the White Snake, he didn't care.

Swish~

A huge teleportation circle unfolded that seemed to fill the entire underground cave.

"Let's go there and finish the conversation."

The teleportation circle to the Black Castle was completed.

* * *

Cale lit the fireplace and reclined on the sofa, feeling the warm indoor air.

Click.

At that moment, the shop's entrance opened, and someone entered.

It was Choi Han.

"The enemy is not visible yet."

"They've already crossed the border, so they'll arrive soon through teleportation."

Cale spoke casually as he looked at the open entrance where the cold wind was blowing.

The snow-covered wasteland stretched before his eyes.

In this place, covered by rugged mountains, Commander Jenyu knelt here on this relatively flat plain. But the plain was a bit different now.

"Rosalyn is really amazing."

Huge ice walls were built on both sides of the plain.

"I heard that Witira-nim helped too."

"Even so, the engravings on those ice walls are the work of Rosalyn-nim and the mages, right?"

"That's right."

Cale responded indifferently.

"That's not a wall; it's a weapon. A siege weapon."

Cale, with his head tilted, pointed at the tent with his thumb.

"It's cold. Come in."

Then, he turned his gaze.

"Hey."

There was someone lying on the ground, with the whole body tied up. It was Kendall, the Dragon, unable to look at Cale properly.

"What is Holy Water?"

He pressed his lips without saying a word. At that, Cale asked again.

"Does it have anything to do with the World Tree?"

And Kendall shivered. With a smile, Cale let out:

"As it's an obvious answer, just say it."

He added:

"If you want to keep living."

Of course, Cale had no intentions of killing Kendall. He was someone very useful. Kendall's eyes kept moving around quickly. So, while he waited inside the cozy tent, Cale knew the Eradication Team would arrive soon.

* * *

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 – Rai_Mayank]