Chapter 259: Chaos upon Chaos (8)

Cale had no intention of being lenient with Deputy Chief Priest Cotton.

Uuu!

The air vibrated. And Dominating Aura took over the surroundings.

"!"

The White Snake stood petrified unable to move. Her mind, confused by the sudden situation, the words "God of War," and many others, turned completely blank in an instant.

Just then.

Uup, uup!

Cotton, with her mouth covered by Choi Han, wriggled and struggled. Choi Han removed his hand from her mouth.

"Ah, no!"

Cotton screamed desperately.

"I have been excommunicated!"

She claimed to have been excommunicated by the God of War. Cotton proclaimed with a face that truly expressed injustice.

"I have no more connection with the God of War!"

At that precise moment...

Smile~

A smile crept up on Cale's lips. Still crouching, he looked at Cotton condescendingly. When their gazes met.

"You're not affected at all by my aura, huh?"

"!"

"You're too intact."

The instant Cale finished speaking, Cotton opened her mouth.

"I'm finished."

Her face, previously desperate, turned cold and serene. It was the first time Cale had seen such an expression in the memories and records he had of Cotton.

"Heh~."

Cale chuckled ironically, while Choi Han pressed Cotton's back harder.

"It hurts. I'm not going to escape, so don't squeeze me so tight."

There was not a hint of visible pain in Cotton's actions as she sighed. Instead, she knocked her forehead against the ground and murmured.

"Being a spy in Ryan Castle was indeed too much."

Cale, who had already withdrawn his Dominating Aura, sat abruptly on the floor. Seeing him like that, Cotton spoke bluntly.

"It is true that I was excommunicated."

Cale said nothing. However, Cotton, as if she knew what Cale was thinking, continued.

"So, instead of siding with the Hunters, I became an ally of the White Snake's side here and conveyed information about Ryan to them."

"Hunters?"

When Cale spoke with an expression that said he knew nothing, Cotton sighed.

"Oh, let's not pretend we don't know each other. Among players."

At those words, Cale nodded.

"Alright. Let's talk calmly."

And so, Cale asked casually.

"You're a Priestess. And you say you were excommunicated by the God of War? Is it so easy to excommunicate a Priestess?"

That's right. Cotton was not just a believer, but a Priestess.

That's why, when he faced the White Star and Endable Kingdom, she was able to create a shelter for allies and protect them.

"And besides, you have a Divine Artifact."

Cotton also possessed the dagger, a Divine Artifact granted by the God of War.

Her position within the Church would not be low at all. On the contrary, it would be rather high.

"No, eh."

The Cotton that Cale had known was quite rough spoken. True to her style, Cotton uttered harsh words.

"Will you listen to me first?"

Cale readily accepted her proposal.

"Ah, will you?"

At the moment Cotton's face lit up, Cale gestured to Choi Han.

Choi Han nodded, and Cotton's expression, faced with what was about to happen next, froze immediately.

"…"

She was tied to a chair with a rope. Moreover, Raon watched her from the side, preventing her from escaping.

And besides,

Sss, sss.

Choi Han unsheathed his sword and was wiping it with a cloth.

"This is crazy!"

Cotton, exhaling a sigh, shook her head from side to side before staring at Cale, who was sitting relaxed on the couch in front of her.

"This is my house, aren't you overdoing it?"

"So what? Does my presence bother you?"

"...Your presence doesn't bother me."

Cale nodded in agreement and started talking.

"Be brief and direct. Tell me about your situation and the God of War's plan."

"…"

Cotton said nothing but looked at Cale with eyes full of reluctance. Her eyes seemed to say that it was impossible to summarize everything in a few words. However, Cale completely ignored her and gestured with his chin.

At that, Cotton opened her mouth.

"First, do you know that the White Star used the power of the Demon World last time?"

Ah.

A sigh escaped Choi Han's lips.

'I had forgotten.'

Now that he remembered, the White Star had tried to become a God by erecting a "Temple of the Demon God" in Endable Kingdom. Moreover, he had used the power of the Demon World to allow priests and other believers to use that power.

"Ah, yes, I know."

Cale also had it in mind. The reason he found out that Cotton had a God of War Artifact was when he removed the door and barrier imbued with the power of the Demon World.

In the depths of Endable Kingdom.

Beyond that door, Cale encountered an altar. And he saw the statue of the "Rankless Monster" he had faced when he was Kim Rok Soo.

"After that, I was trapped in the black sphere and had to go to Earth."

Furthermore, he met Choi Han and Dark Tiger Alberu. He also met Lee Soo Hyuk from another world.

'That's why I had it in mind.'

Of course, it was a part he preferred not to imagine, so he did his best to ignore it. Because -

'It takes me too far from my lazy life.'

It seemed things would get too complicated. Cale asked casually.

"Does it seem like the Demon World, the Hunters, and the Divine World are involved in this matter?"

"Indeed."

Cotton nodded.

"It seems you have grasped a bit."

Hoo.

Exhaling a sigh, a weak voice came out of her lips.

"I don't know all the details either. However, I'll tell you what I know."

"Speak."

Faced with Cale's attitude urging her to speak straightforwardly, Cotton immediately opened her mouth.

"Do you know about the Absolute God?"

"Ah, yes, the entity that the Hunters are trying to create."

"Right. Hmm."

After pondering for a bit, she went straight to the point.

"The current situation is..."

Gulp~

Appearing tense, Cotton swallowed before quietly reciting.

"It's chaos where three factions conspire to devour the world!"

With a trembling expression, Cale uttered words as if nothing.

"The three factions are the God of War, the Hunters, and the Demon World?"

"Yes!"

However, unlike her answer, she tilted her head and murmured.

"No, the Demon World is a bit different."

"A bit different?"

"They have been quiet lately. I don't know the reason, but it seems they have taken a step back. Therefore, I don't think we should worry about them."

"Is that so?"

It is said that the Demon World stepped back from the alliance of the three factions.

'Is that a good thing?'

Cale felt relieved, as it would be a real headache if the Demon World were also involved.

At that moment, Cotton shook her head.

"But the other two are a bit different!"

Seeing that Cale had understood the general structure but not the core of the issue, Cotton continued.

"Exactly, the group of Hunters led by Wanderers."

"The Hunters, yes."

"No, no. The key are the Wanderers!"

"Right. The Five-Colored Bloods are wanderers, aren't they?"

"... You know about that?"

Cotton's mouth felt open.

"You're impressive."

As she murmured quietly, Cale asked indifferently.

"And what's next?"

What about the God of War?

"Hmm. This is a bit of a long story."

Cotton pondered for a moment before continuing the conversation.

"Do you know about the Ancient Gods?"

"To some extent."

Cale had encountered the God of Balance and the God of Hope.

Cotton mentioned each of the five Ancient Gods one by one.

"Balance, Chaos, Justice, Injustice, and Hope."

The Gods who have maintained their positions since ancient times. While other Gods are forgotten or make way for successors, the Ancient Gods have existed unchanged.

"These five are the Ancient Gods. They have established absolute dominion in the Divine World. Of course, the God of Hope is a bit different. His presence is usually barely noticeable. Anyway, I haven't been there personally, but it seems that the Divine World is not much different from here."

Cotton let out a mocking laugh in her tone.

"The Ancient Gods have been in power for too long. Especially the power of the God of Balance has become too strong. There are some Ancient Gods who are discontent with that, and there are also some who want to surpass the strength of the Ancient Gods."

Cale, with a predictable image in mind, spoke up.

"So now they are conspiring to create this chaos?"

"Ah, yes."

Cotton nodded and continued.

"And do you remember that the Demon World has been quiet due to pressure from the Celestial World and the Divine World?"

"So, do they want to take advantage of this chaos to project their power into the Human World? But lately, they've stepped back and remained silent?"

"Oh, how do you know that? You're right."

Hah~

Cale sighed and spoke again.

"So, the Wanderers want to overthrow the current Divine World, so they're joining forces with the Hunters. And they want to create a new world by creating an Absolute God?"

"Oh, yes! You know it well?"

Ugh.

It was a cliché image, like a novel.

Cale felt irritated.

It was a cliché image, but a threatening and unpleasant one.

For Cale, it could be said to be an image full of a truly annoying, unpleasant, and bad situation.

He rubbed his face with his hands and said.

"So, now the three groups are negotiating and cooperating to some extent, but they don't fully trust each other and are working toward their own goals, right?"

"Wow! You're right! That's my assumption!"

Hoo~

Cale sighed and spoke again.

"Did you rebel against the God of War because you didn't like the direction the situation was taking, and they excommunicated you?"

"Ah! Right!"

Cotton nodded with wide eyes, confirming Cale's words. Cale's expression gradually distorted as he watched her.

At that moment, Cotton mentioned.

"That's why another girl is now taking my place as Priestess! The Hunters brought her!"

Huh?

At that instant, Cale froze.

A fragment of thought surfaced in his mind.

'Did the Hunters bring a new Priestess for the God of War? And is that why there's a new Priestess?'

Cale verbalized what came to mind.

"By any chance, is that girl from the nobility of Roan?"

"Ah, yes!"

"...Princess Orsena?"

"Ah! Wow, you're smarter than a God!"

Cotton, with a genuinely surprised expression, looked at Cale in admiration.

Damn!

Cale's head hurt.

Princess Orsena. He had searched through various worlds without finding solid clues about her whereabouts. And now it turns out she had become the Priestess of the God of War?

'...This, this-'

Cale's pupils flickered uncontrollably.

'This is getting too complicated?'

He wondered if this was really possible.

Feeling an unfamiliar sense of anxiety, Cale looked at Cotton.

"So, who did you ally with?"

"Eh?"

"You rebelled, and do you intend to wander the world alone? Does that make sense?"

"Ah, well."

Cotton couldn't continue.

Cale silently observed her.

If Cotton wasn't on Cale's side or the Hunters', she couldn't wander alone. It was too dangerous. Plus, Cotton possessed considerable strength that was unaffected by Cale's Aura.

So, she must have-

'Companions.'

Or perhaps a group she belonged to.

Cale reviewed the information and records she had. And immediately, a possibility came to mind.

In the current situation, there weren't many entities that could oppose the Hunters aside from Cale's group.

"Are you connected with the Red Blood Family?"

The Red Blood Family, which was said to have been exterminated.

'A descendant of Thames!'

'The Red Blood has not been exterminated! Find the Red Blood!'

However, Choi Jung Gun, whom Cale met in the Sealed God's Temple Trial, had asked him to search for the Red Blood Family.

Cotton spoke up.

"...Chills."

Had he finally found someone connected to the Red Blood Family?

Cale thought so upon seeing Cotton's reaction.

"Do you also know about them?"

"Hmm?"

Cotton's next words were different from what he expected.

She shook her head.

"But I'm not with them. Although I am indeed searching for the Red Blood."

Cale's expression hardened.

If it wasn't the Red Blood, there was only one force Cale could imagine that would help Cotton.

Cotton's voice continued.

"Actually, I can travel between worlds thanks to someone's help. Someone you also know."

There was only one possible answer.

Cale spoke up.

"...The Fake Hilsman?"

"Eh?"

Cotton asked, not understanding, but Cale closed his eyes tightly.

A person who approached Cale pretending to be a fake Hilsman. It was suspected to be the brother or sister of Jour Thames, Cale's biological mother.

(Note: Drew Thames in other translations)

Cale slowly opened his eyes and asked directly.

"Are you referring to someone related to Thames?"

The Fake Hilsman-

- Human, if you're talking about the Fake Hilsman, isn't he the human who swindled money from you?

Yes, the human who swindled money from me!

"Ah."

Cotton let out a groan.

"Is that the reason people call you Cale Henituse?"

She couldn't help but admire him.

"You're really clever."

And Cale, seeing her reaction, sank his body deeper into the sofa.

"Ah, my head."

"Does your head hurt, Human?"

Nya!

"You shouldn't have a headache."

When the quiet Ten-year-old children approached in surprise, Cale closed his eyes tightly again.

Then, what he saw was darkness.

Only darkness.

'Damn!'

His head hurt. His neck tensed involuntarily.

"Damn."

Wasn't this a real mess?

* * *

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]