The final battle.
The peace that would come afterward.
Just thinking about that put a smile on Alberu’s face.
Chief Priest Gersey got the chills after seeing a gentle and calm smile appear on Alberu’s face.
The White Star.
No matter how talented he was and regardless of how he could reincarnate over and over through this curse that couldn't be considered a curse… He was still human.
But Alberu was asking what a human wanted from a god while smiling?
‘…He’s not normal.’
Gersey was thinking that something was twisted with this bastard as well.
Something was twisted with Alberu, similar to his liege.
Alberu walked a circle around Gersey as he started to speak.
"The ancient White Star gathered ancient powers with the five different attributes of nature. He is said to have been worshipped by his followers and became a god.”
Unfortunately, all of his efforts had turned into nothing when he lost the battle against the other ancient power users.
“Cale Barrow.”
Alberu was thinking that, although there were two individuals named Cale, this Cale was extremely annoying to even think about as he continued to speak.
“That person carried on the name of the White Star.”
That meant that he was carrying on the will of the ancient White Star and showed that he wanted to achieve what the ancient White Star had failed to do.
“He wishes to become a god.”
The sculpture of Barrow in the Temple of the Demonic God was proof of it.
But it seemed as if he didn't want to just be a regular god.
“He also desires the power of the Demonic race.”
Cale had said the following to Alberu.
< Hyung-nim, wouldn't someone like that be greedy for the powers of a god as well? >
“Wouldn't someone like that be greedy for the powers of a god as well?”
Greedy for the powers of a god.
That greed was something that was quite difficult, almost impossible, to achieve.
But was the White Star the kind of bastard who would give up because something seemed impossible?
Absolutely not.
“The White Star has the tenacity to reincarnate tens and even hundreds of times. Wouldn’t he dream of becoming a perfect existence?”
Someone with the determination to give up his family and numerous cherished individuals for power should want something at least at that level.
"That bastard took everything that the ancient White Star, the person who was claimed to be the strongest human ever, once possessed.”
In addition.
“He also gained the power of the Demonic race.”
Furthermore.
“He’s also greedy for the powers of a god.”
Finally.
“He’s probably dreaming of becoming an existence that has everything.”
The White Star was probably greedy for something greater than a god.
< Hyung-nim. Do you think the other gods sent us all sorts of signals in order to simply get in the sealed god’s way? >
< Gods are unable to meddle with things happening down below without a good reason. That is the law. >
Alberu started to think about the gods that they had even the slightest of interactions with until now.
The God of Death, the Sun God, the God of War.
Something that three gods would get involved with…
‘If the White Star gathers everything he wants one by one as he planned…’
It made sense for the gods to be concerned.
“Chief Priest Gersey, as you probably know already, the powers of a god are not something that can be obtained just because someone wants it.”
Alberu moved away from Gersey and sat down on the couch again.
“Which god would be willing to share their powers?”
Gods were not benevolent beings that were willing to share everything in Alberu’s opinion.
They were beings who could curse humans and even their bloodline.
‘Well, it is possible that a god would let someone borrow a portion of their powers.’
However, the god involved in this situation…
The sealed god was not someone who would do that. It was obvious based on what he was doing to Cale.
“The sealed god sharing his powers with the White Star?”
Alberu started to chuckle as if even he knew what he had just said was ridiculous.
He looked down at Gersey.
< Your highness. >
Cale had said the following.
< Do you think he is planning on taking it away by force and stealing it? >
“He’s trying to steal it, isn't he?”
Chief Priest Gersey's eyes were shaking, but not because his mind was chaotic.
Alberu had asked a question.
He wanted to know if the White Star was trying to steal the sealed god’s powers.
“Hmm? Am I right?”
Unlike Cale who had just had a hypothesis, Alberu was quite certain that was the case.
Power and influence.
Those were things that he wanted to a degree as well, the things that he had desired as he grew up.
“I'm right.”
That was why he got the answer he needed just by looking at Gersey’s expression.
“Chief Priest. Do you know what kind of expression you have right now?”
Flinch.
Gersey lowered his head as he had no idea what expression was on his face right now.
He could hear Alberu's voice coming from above as he continued to keep his head down.
“It’s the same expression the bastard nobles in my kingdom have as they shake in fear that I might take their power away. I know the minds of those kinds of bastards very well.”
“…What bullshit!”
The Chief Priest started to frown and raised his voice.
How dare Alberu compare him to a mere noble that wants power?!
Someone like him who dreamt of a great world was different than some noble bastards.
“What’s wrong? It looks similar to me.”
Regardless of what Gersey thought, the expressions looked almost exactly the same.
“I!”
Gersey glared at Alberu as he started to speak.
“I will not tell you anything! That, that-”
He then turned toward Beacrox.
“No matter what cruel things you do to me with those daggers, I am someone who dreams of achieving greatness! I will never say anything!”
“I don't need it.”
“…What?”
Alberu stood up, looked down at Gersey, and nonchalantly commented.
“I don't need it. I don’t need you to say anything.”
“…There’s no way-”
Alberu stoically looked down at Gersey who was at a loss for words at this unexpected situation.
‘Let’s not rush things.’
Alberu wanted to drag all of the information out of this bastard.
However, the more urgent something was, the more he couldn't rush things.
‘The most important thing today is Cale Henituse and everyone’s survival.
He would complete that task first before taking care of other things one by one.
‘Plus, I need this bastard to get anxious.’
Alberu turned away from Gersey.
He then walked out of the room.
He heard a flustered Gersey's voice behind him.
“D, don't you want to know how he is planning on stealing a god’s power?”
He was right.
Alberu was curious.
It was impossible to destroy a god.
But he could not let Gersey take away his upper hand.
It was at that moment.
“Your highness.”
Ron calmly asked him a question.
“Should I bury that coffin?”
He was speaking about the sleeping Count Mock who looked as if he was dead.
Ron had a benign smile on his face as he continued to speak.
“There’s no need to leave something useless around to annoy us, is there?”
He was clearly talking about the coffin. However, his eyes were looking at Gersey.
Gersey, who had been adamant that he would persist through even torture, could do nothing as his pupils started to shake again.
‘I guess he is afraid of death.’
Alberu chuckled and responded back.
“You take care of things.”
He then nonchalantly added on as he grabbed the doorknob.
“Both that and this.”
Gersey realized that the ‘this’ was talking about him.
Smile.
It was because he saw the cold smiles on the faces of the Molan bastards.
Of course, everybody other than Gersey knew that everything that they were saying were just threats that they had no intentions of carrying out.
‘The two of them will dry Gersey out on their own.’
Alberu was thinking that things had become a bit easier for him.
It was at that moment.
Beeeeeeeeep- Beeeeeeeeeeeep-
He heard a sharp alarm.
‘The video communication device……!’
Alberu took the video communication device out of his pocket.
It was an emergency warning signal.
‘The person sending it is… Duke Fredo!’
Duke Fredo, the leader of the Vampires who was back in the Endable Kingdom was contacting him.
It seemed to be an emergency.
‘I need to pick this up!’
He needed to get rid of Gersey and Mock in order to do that.
Alberu urgently raised his head.
“I will get rid of them.”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
Shhhhhhh- shhhhhhh-
A person grabbed the large coffin Count Mock was in with one hand while grabbing Gersey by the back of his clothes with his other hand.
He then started to drag both of them away.
“Please feel free to take care of business.”
That man was Beacrox.
Beacrox then calmly walked out the door.
Alberu started to speak after seeing the door close.
“Ron, your son truly is a sharp man.”
“You're right, your highness. He’s quite intelligent.”
Ron pretended as if he wasn’t happy before slipping in praise for Beacrox, but Alberu couldn't say anything as he was busy connecting the video communication device right away.
"Duke Fredo!”
Alberu then started to frown.
-Ch-Chhhhhhhhh, w, we, chhhhhh--
The other side's video communication was quite unstable.
The sound was terrible and the video screen was full of static that they couldn't see anything.
That meant that his mana was being disturbed or that the nearby area was quite unstable.
Gersey.
Duke Fredo was the reason Alberu didn’t have to rush Gersey’s questioning, but this situation made Alberu anxious.
“What is going on?”
-Chhhhhh--, escape, chh---
“What?”
‘We? Escape?’
Alberu started to frown even more.
“Duke Fredo, are you okay?”
He could barely make out Duke Fredo's voice through the static.
‘Sacrifices?’
Click.
The call suddenly ended.
“Your highness.”
Alberu heard Ron's voice next to him while he channeled his dead mana again.
Ooooooooong-
The video communication device reacted and attempted to connect something.
“Damn it. It’s not working!”
He could not connect with Duke Fredo.
Alberu tried a few times before starting to swear.
“Fuck.”
He then changed the target of his call.
Mercenary King Bud was the one to pick up.
“Mercenary King.”
Alberu started to speak with a stiff expression on his face.
The Wolf tribe and Sky Mountain.
“Please figure out the situation in the Eastern continent right away. Also, is there a place called Sky Mountain on the Eastern continent?”
“Huh?! Yes, there is! There is a Sky Mountain! But why-”
“Please take care of what I just told you first.”
Click.
Then he hung up the call.
He then started to speak to Ron who was standing behind him.
“Go bring Lock over right away.”
Sky Mountain.
“The Wolves that Duke Fredo managed to hide away should be on Sky Mountain.”
He then immediately contacted the Roan Kingdom’s palace.
“Enough.”
The person Alberu contacted stopped smiling after seeing Alberu’s stiff expression and low voice.
Alberu then gave him an order.
“Immediately contact all kingdoms on the Eastern and Western continent!”
Duke Fredo had said the following.
‘The White Star-, chhhhhh, Endable Kingdom, hunters to bring in sacrifices, chhh---’
That was enough for Alberu to have an idea as to what was going on.
The White Star was planning on using the residents of the Endable Kingdom as hunters to bring in sacrifices.
He didn’t know what the sacrifices were.
“The Endable Kingdom’s warriors might invade and abduct people!”
He needed to prepare for the worst.
“Furthermore, we are placing the entire Roan Kingdom on emergency status! Do it now!”
Alberu’s voice calmed down and became even lower.
“Do it immediately. Do as I say. I will explain it to you later.”
He heard his subordinate’s response before hanging up the call and looking toward Ron before starting to speak again.
The Forest of Darkness. There were some people he needed to call now that he had Cale staying here.
“Go bring Duke Henituse and Duchess Violan over.”
It was at that moment.
Chhh-
His video communication device shook unstably again.
‘Duke Fredo!’
Alberu quickly connected the call again.
-Chhhhhh--, chhhhhh--
However, the quality was even worse than before.
The screen was black and he couldn’t hear most of what Fredo was saying.
"Duke Fredo!”
As Alberu raised his voice in frustration…
The call ended after Alberu managed to hear just two words.
He had clearly heard Duke Fredo say those two words.
Only silence filled the room after that.
Alberu slowly started to speak in the quiet room.
‘Puzzle.’
“…Puzzle City?”
Alberu turned toward Ron. Ron slowly started to speak as well.
“It's a city famous for its rock towers and for supposedly falling out of grace with a god.”
Puzzle City.
A city famous for its rock towers and for the Rock Tower festival. It was the city that was the center of the transportation of goods in the northeast region of the Roan Kingdom.
That place had a myth related to being a city that has fallen out of grace with a god.
It was also the city that Cale had earned his second ancient power, the ‘Vitality of the Heart.’
Alberu opened his mouth and started to mumble.
“…Location… Puzzle… And sacrifices… gathering them-”
What would happen after gathering sacrifices?
“…Summoning.”
That should mean that when Fredo said location…
He was probably talking about where the summoning would happen.
And that place was…
“Puzzle City.”
Alberu’s eyes lit up in anger.
“Ha!”
He started to smile in disbelief.
“He’s going to come to the Roan Kingdom?”
Silence filled the room again.
But Alberu was the one to break the silence again.
“I guess he wants to die.”
He looked out the window.
The sun was setting and the red sky was visible along with the dark blue night sky.
6 pm.
The day would end in six hours.
Cale opened his eyes that he had closed once he got on the watchtower and started to speak.
“…One hour.”
It would be 8 am in just one hour.
That would mean that Cale Henituse on the other side would have safely lived past the day.
“Hey, Rok Soo. What do you mean by one hour?”
Cale turned his head after hearing a voice behind him.
Lee Soo Hyuk walked up to the watchtower.
Only the two of them were here right now.
“Hey, Rok Soo. Did you have something to say to me?”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
Cale had asked the other Kim Rok Soo inside his body.
The other Kim Rok Soo had had a lot of influence on this decision.
Cale and Kim Rok Soo had come to a conclusion after discussing this issue with each other for a long time.
‘I'm going to do it now.’
The Kim Rok Soo from this world responded without any hesitation.
‘Is it really okay to tell him?’
Cale nodded his head after hearing that Kim Rok Soo wanted to do so.
It was time to tell Lee Soo Hyuk the truth.