Book 2: Chapter 278: The night after the sunset (8)

<The night after the sunset (8)>

Cale flinched.

‘A believer of the God of Chaos?’

He didn’t bother asking Choi Jung Soo why he suddenly said that.

Although Choi Jung Soo often carried himself with a carefree attitude, he must have investigated the God of Chaos while Cale was busy with the issues at Aipotu.

However, there was something he was curious about.

‘How did he know?’

Epley, the Second Saint Dragon.

How did Choi Jung Soo know that she served the God of Chaos?

The question disappeared once he made eye contact with Choi Jung Soo.

“Underneath the ear by the neck.”

On Epley’s neck just under her right ear… There was a strange symbol.

“Isn’t that the symbol of the Church of the God of Chaos? All believers have to tattoo that symbol on themselves.

Epley smiled at Choi Jung Soo's comment.

"You recognized this symbol that is from ancient times? You have quite the sharp eye. I guess that is expected of you as a wanderer?”

“It was you?”

Choi Jung Soo nonchalantly asked a question.

“I'm curious to know if you were the one who fought against Choi Jung Gun~”

He sounded cheeky but Cale sighed.

‘Maybe-’

The member of the House of Choi who was most attached to their bloodline was not Choi Han or Choi Jung Gun.

Choi Jung Soo, the one who made graves for his family…

This guy was probably the most attached. This guy was someone who would do anything in the name of family.

He even died for Kim Rok Soo, whom he considered his family.

“I was a part of that fight, yes.”

The moment Epley answered…

"Sounds great.”

Choi Jung Soo gently smiled.

He stepped forward.

However, he was stopped.

Tap.

A scabbard tapped at his chest.

Choi Jung Soo lowered his head to look at the scabbard before turning his head.

He saw Choi Han with an innocent smile on his face.

"This place is covered in dead mana.”

Choi Han stopped Choi Jung Soo with a calm tone.

“…….”

A big smile appeared on Choi Jung Soo's face. Of course, it was a slightly disgruntled smile.

“!”

But his eyes soon opened wide.

"We don’t have much time.”

The moment he heard that statement behind his back, Choi Han dragged Choi Jung Soo back.

Choi Jung Soo smiled.

“Ah, right.”

‘This guy goes nuts when he gets angry.

I forgot that for a moment.’

As he had that thought, right in front of his eyes-

Ruuuumble-

He heard the sky roar as the sound of thunder cracked.

Crackle—

A strand of rose gold light shot down into the black cave.

“Grr, ooo, grr-”

The old mage was groaning but it was hard to tell whether he was an animal or human.

The rose gold fiery thunderbolt fell right toward him.

“Oh my. You are so impatient.”

Epley stood in front of the mage.

A yellow barrier appeared.

As Raon’s eyes sparkled while looking at the barrier…

Baaaaaang!

The fiery thunderbolt was stopped by the barrier.

Crackle, crack!

After seeing that the fiery thunderbolt could not get past the barrier…

“Hoo hoo.”

A smile appeared on Epley's face.

“……!”

However, the smile soon disappeared and her eyebrow slightly rose.

Crackle, crack.

The fiery thunderbolt followed the barrier down to the ground and stabbed in, looking like a thunderbolt that struck down on a tree.

The shape of the thunderbolt started at Cale and went all the way to the front of Epley’s barrier.

It was a path.

The path Cale created was basically made for a certain person.

No words were necessary.

Ooooo—

A black aura infused with light started to rise up.

Choi Han held the roaring violent aura in his hand as he quickly followed the path.

“Will you be okay?”

Choi Han subconsciously chuckled after hearing Cale’s question behind him.

The reason was clear.

‘The black despair.’

Choi Han had struggled in the past during the fight against the Mogoru Empire when he ran into the black despair.

Of course, he overcame it and learned how to mix despair and hope into his black aura.

‘But this black liquid is even worse than the black despair.’

The thunderbolt path that Cale had created…

Those areas were starting to get dyed black again.

The thunderbolt could not purify the black liquid.

‘It retreated……!’

The black liquids had escaped from this thunderbolt.

It was as if it had intelligence, as if it was moving instinctively.

‘But Cale-nim’s power was not useless.’

The fiery thunderbolt that Cale used was an extremely low amount of power.

He should be able to purify it if he used his aura properly.

Cale had become stronger than in the past.

‘Me too.’

Choi Han answered with his actions instead of words as he knew what Cale was worried about.

Oooooo– oooooo–

There was an eerie rumbling as his black aura shrank.

It resembled a predatory beast holding its breath in front of a prey.

His presence became even colder.

It could not be helped.

Oooooo– oooooo–

The black aura coming out of Choi Han's body…

The presence that he had created…

“!”

Epley's eyes opened wide.

“Ha!”

Cale laughed.

Choi Han had shown him in his own way.

He was showing that he would not crumble in this thick black cave swamp despite it giving off deeper despair, sense of helplessness, and fear compared to the black despair.

He was showing that even if he ended up with questions about his path, his core would not falter.

He was using this presence to show his conviction.

Although this presence was not strong enough to pressure others like Cale or the Dragons did…

This aura showed that he would be unyielding, never allowing anybody to break him down.

Choi Han raised his sword.

Baaaaaang!

There was a loud explosion and Epley's yellow mana started to spread out.

Cale nodded his head while watching.

Crackle, crackle.

Rose gold currents fluctuated around him and the thunderbolts started to burn like flames.

– I have a basic understanding of it now!

The cheapskate had figured out how to purify this black liquid after using his power earlier.

“Hey, shouldn't I go help my paternal cousin once removed?”

Choi Jung Soo slowly asked in concern.

Cale chuckled.

Choi Jung Soo scowled but Raon came over to Choi Jung Soo and answered brightly.

“Hey Choi Jung Soo! Choi Han is stronger than you think!”

“Hmm?”

“I can’t figure out how much stronger Choi Han has gotten since fighting against the Blood Demon!”

Raon was unable to figure it out.

“It is probably because Choi Han has not gone all out lately. I'm sure he is very strong!”

“!”

As Choi Jung Soo’s eyes clouded over, Cale was already stepping into the black cave.

– You’ll have to use quite a bit of power at once to purify it all.

– The components of this thing are at least five times more dreadful than the black despair.

That was not all.

– I'm sure you already know, but…

The path they had made for Choi Han…

The ground starting from the door and making a straight line to Epley at the center of the hall…

Everything other than that path was a swamp.

It was hard to see because it was dark.

But the rest of the area was covered by that thick black liquid.

– Well, that doesn’t matter to us though.

As the cheapskate mentioned, it didn’t matter to Cale.

– Sniff sniff! I can smell it, yessssir!

The moment the Sound of the Wind created a gust to wrap around Cale's ankles, Cale stepped off the path without any hesitation.

Craaaackle, crackle.

The swirling rose gold thunderbolts made the black liquid run away. Cale turned his gaze.

“Grr- grrrrr-”

The old mage was now growling like an animal and everything under his nose was dyed black.

Cale's target was this mage, no, the divine item in his arms.

Swoooooooosh-

Cale heard Choi Jung Soo's voice just as his body shot forward.

“The God of Chaos is chaos as his name implies!”

He was not someone who would speak nonsense in an urgent situation.

"Chaos likes mutants, variables, and hybrids!”

There was nothing that could stop Cale as he quickly shot forward.

Baaaaaang!

Baaaaang!

Choi Han was skillfully handling Epley.

Even if the thunderbolt path decreased…

– I'm right here, human!

Raon stood by the door with Choi Jung Soo and used flight magic to support Choi Han.

It allowed Cale to quickly arrive at the old mage.

Crackle, crack!

He continued to hear Choi Jung Soo's voice as rose gold currents crackled in his hand.

“The believers of the God of Chaos place great importance on chimeras!”

Chimera.

Cale’s eyes clouded over the moment he heard that word.

“Oh my. You know about that too?”

Cale heard Epley’s relaxed voice and immediately extended his hand toward the old man.

“Kehehe.”

The old mage looked at Cale at that moment.

“!”

The eyes that had turned completely black were smiling while looking at Cale.

Although he was groaning in pain, his face looked delighted.

Cale could see it now that he was close.

“Crazy bastards!”

On the old mage's back that he had been unable to see until now because the old man was facing him…

There were wings.

The wings were small.

Their shapes had turned odd after being covered by the black liquid, but Cale could instantly tell the identity of these wings.

These were Dragon wings.

As for these small Dragon wings…

‘Maren!’

They belonged to Maren.

Dragon wings implanted in a human body…

Chimera.

He didn't know why Epley was a believer of the God of Chaos despite being a Dragon, but…

He could at least tell what she and Ryan had been doing here.

He now knew why Maren’s cell had Epley’s magic.

Also why she had protected this old mage as if she was his guard.

“Ha!”

Cale felt flames roaring inside.

The Hunters.

These motherfuckers he had fought against until now were extremely evil.

Were their goals really worth hurting and killing so many people?

‘No.’

A shitty value like that was none of Cale’s business.

He had no need to understand the minds of those bastards.

‘I just-

I just need to do what I need to do.’

Cale had actually been trying to find Maren's wings.

He had expected that Ryan would have stored them somewhere to use for something as they were not just any wings but Dragon wings.

He thought that Mila might be able to use her attribute to attach them back.

It was the same reason he was storing Choi Jung Gun's arm.

But those wings were no longer usable.

Cale had thought of Raon when he first saw Maren.

“You motherfucking bastards!”

Cale thought that he had no reason to be calm.

Epley had pushed Choi Han back and was coming toward him while the old mage was smiling brightly at him.

“You, you cannot stop me, kehehe-”

The mage spoke while groaning in pain and nodded his head, the only part of his body he could move.

Slaaash!

The black liquid around him shot up.

It created a barrier around him as if he controlled it.

It did not fear Cale's fiery thunderbolt.

Crackle-!

This was the same for Cale.

Craaaackle-

The black liquid was pushed back the moment it touched his fiery thunderbolt.

The black liquid ran away.

It was as if it would die if it touched the thunderbolt.

– You have to fuck these motherfucking bastards!

Cale heard the cheapskate's anger and pushed his hand into the old mage’s black barrier.

He placed both hands inside and pushed against the barrier as if he was ripping it and walked in.

And-

“Hehe.”

The old mage laughed.

He spoke leisurely to Cale.

“My liege has arrived.”

The old man, who was completely black underneath his eyes, opened his mouth. The moment Cale heard the words that came out of his mouth that was even black on the inside…

Choi Han raised his head.

Craaaaaack!

He heard the ceiling crack.

‘No way!’

Did Ryan come to help the old mage?

He didn’t know what the old mage was doing right now, but the divine item was almost completely black.

Ryan wanted the old mage to finish this ritual.

“Kahaha! My liege will stop you all!”

As the old mage shouted in both joy and madness…

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang-!

The ceiling broke.

It was right where Cale and the old mage were standing.

“No!”

Choi Han moved toward them in shock.

Flight magic helped him fly over there.

But he soon flinched.

“Ha!”

He then laughed.

Baaaaaang–!

Through the explosion…

Through the crumbling ceiling…

What Choi Han saw was…

"As expected of Goldie gramps!”

It was radiant white gold dust.

As Eruhaben stood there surrounded in white gold dust, a bloodied and limp Letao was breathing heavily on Eruhaben’s shoulder.

Of course, Eruhaben's body was not unscathed either.

He was hurt all over the place. Blood was dripping out of his mouth and it was clear that he had pushed himself too much.

However, the ancient Dragon stood firm as he received everyone’s gazes.

“Look at all you little rascals acting so arrogant.”

Eruhaben's cold gaze was looking at Ryan, who had been slammed into the black liquid.

“Oh.”

Cale was a bit amazed.

Ryan had been pummeled. His face was extremely swollen like bread and he was bleeding.

The rejuvenated ancient Dragon who had lived over 1,000 years was truly great and mighty.

Eruhaben looked to the side.

The ancient Dragon nonchalantly commented after making eye contact with Epley.

“Look at this Dragon having no pride and sucking up to a god. Do the little Purple Blood bitches not know the greatness of Dragons? Why are you so obsessed with being a shitty god?”

He sounded annoyed.

“Spineless sons of bitches.”

Cale smiled brightly while hearing those words.

His gaze had moved away from Eruhaben a while ago.

“……!”

Crackle, crackle.

His hands covered in rose gold light were pushing through the black barrier.

He then smacked the scared old mage on the head.

“Ugh!”

Cale clutched the groaning mage’s hair.

Cale pulled hard at the still white hair and laughed as he asked.

“I can take it, right?”

Cale’s other hand touched the divine item that was now completely black except for about three finger’s length.

Author's Notes

Hello, it is Yu Ryeo Han.

Today marks six years since I started publishing < I Became the Trash of the Count’s Family >.

That is why I am here saying hello with the chapter.

How has it already been six years…?!

There's still so far to go…!

That is how I feel, but…

As always, I am extremely grateful to all of you and it pushes me to write as best as I can.

Whenever Spring arrives, I think about when I first started writing this series.

The excitement and thrill is something I will never forget.

Thank you for always being with me.

I will do what I can to greet you with my best writing.

– Sincerely, Yu Ryeo Han –

P.S. I plan on eating meat today to commemorate the day. Hahahaha!

—

Translator's Comments

…Six years? Story should have ended with a Soos reunion and a happily ever after farming :cri:

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