Alberu Crossman thought about what he had seen a few moments ago.

Not long after one of the black pieces started showing Clopeh Sekka, the black color started disappearing from another piece.

The one who appeared was Cale Henituse.

He seemed pretty much the same as he had looked when he went into the temple.

‘Raon-nim said that Cale was using his ancient powers nonstop and that he could feel the aura, but…’

Thankfully, that seemed to have been an illusion in the test. Cale seemed fine. His complexion seemed decent and he didn’t even seem tired.

‘I guess he just went wild destroying everything.’

“Pffft.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.

It was a laugh of relief.

At that time, Alberu had thought that Clopeh and Cale would soon meet and that Cale would be the one to finish this thing one way or another.

‘That punk likes to have the numbers advantage unless it is urgent, so he will probably wait for the others. He’ll lie down and roll around doing nothing for a while.’

It didn’t seem as if Cale would come this far and then shout that he gave up. Cale was probably coming up with some extraordinary plan to take care of everything before coming out.

However, Alberu’s face couldn’t help but stiffen.

Cale destroyed the opening between the hall and the hallway and separated the two areas.

The moment he saw that and saw the calm look on Cale’s face as he watched the crumbling opening…

Alberu had a headache.

‘That punk is plotting something again.’

He was sure of it after having experienced something like this with Cale many times.

Alberu and Eruhaben made eye contact. Although Eruhaben was hiding his emotions because of the anxious Raon and the shocked On and Hong who were coming over… His eyes held the same emotions as Alberu.

Eruhaben was pretty much sighing as he said this.

“That unlucky bastard, again……!”

‘Again.’

There was so much in that single word.

An emotion burst forward from inside Alberu and he wanted to say something, but he could only let out a deeper sigh after seeing his confidants approaching him.

“Your highness. His Majesty will be here soon, what should we do? I understand that you cannot leave here right now.”

King Zed was coming here.

Alberu looked around.

The chief executives of the different kingdoms, who had been standing in their respective areas, were gathering toward the temple since Clopeh became visible in that piece above the temple.

They were looking at the piece with Cale with serious looks on their faces.

Alberu quietly mumbled.

“…Should I destroy it?”

Eruhaben flinched after hearing that. He didn’t question what Alberu was thinking about destroying. It was obviously the temple.

The only reason Eruhaben was shocked was because it was Alberu and not him, Raon, On, or Hong, who had said that.

“You………”

“I don’t mean it, Eruhaben-nim. We can’t attack the temple when there are still people in the illusion.”

But once Choi Han, Mary, and Rosalyn finish their tests and appear…

“…It’ll be a different story at that point.”

Alberu bit down on his lips.

Seeing Cale leisurely walking down the hallway without any hesitation…

Seeing Cale like this was giving him an ominous feeling for some reason.

‘What the hell is that punk thinking about?’

Alberu felt something patting his leg and looked down.

“Meeeeeow.”

The silver kitten On was looking up at Alberu.

Alberu raised his head to see that Hong and Raon were stuck to each other looking at Cale and lowered his head again.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m curious as to whether you remember what I said last time, nya.”

What On had said?

Alberu could not immediately recall what On had told him.

“…About how it hurts……”

An image flashed in Alberu’s mind after hearing On mumbling about it hurting.

On and Hong had said that they heard Cale mumbling to himself after his fight against the White Star.

The things he said were concerning enough that On had told Raon, Eruhaben, and Alberu.

‘ ‘It shouldn’t hurt that much, right?’ is what he mumbled while touching the golden plaque, nya!’

‘That’s right. It’s weird because he is usually someone who doesn’t say anything hurts, nya. I feel like he’s plotting something, nya!’

The things that Hong and On had told them…

Alberu looked at On and blankly mumbled.

“…What is there… to make that punk hurt right now?”

He then turned toward the piece with Cale. He then saw something.

The dagger in Cale’s hand…

Alberu had heard about that dagger from Cale in the past.

‘According to what you said earlier, Cale Henituse, you can stop the White Star’s endless reincarnation with the dagger from the World Tree?’

‘Yes, sir. This is the only way to completely get rid of the White Star.’

Cale had flinched and had looked oddly awkward when he said that.

Alberu thought about what On had said as well and all sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind.

‘Is he planning on doing something with that dagger?’

He was looking at Cale with a slightly different mindset now.

‘What the hell are you thinking?!’

* * *

Cale did not have many thoughts right now.

‘I’m almost there.’

He was just thinking about finishing this soon and resting once he was out. Cale could soon see the end of this quite long hallway as he walked.

Unlike the opening between the hall and the start of the hallway that had no door, there was a white door at the end of the hallway.

Cale recalled what the sealed god had said.

‘Go to the end of the temple when the test is over. You will find a sculpture on the wall. You just need to embrace that.’

He interpreted that as he pleased.

‘Once I open that door, I will be at the end of the temple, and the sealed god will be sealed in the sculpture on the wall, so…’

It was simple.

“I just need to destroy it.”

– …….

The Super Rock mumbled something, but Cale ignored it since he couldn’t hear what was said.

‘I guess I should take care of that bastard before the god.’

The White Star was first.

It would be bad if he accidentally messed with the temple and it started crumbling before the others could finish their tests.

‘Taking care of the White Star before the others finish their tests and then taking care of the temple together is also a method.’

Cale organized his thoughts while heading toward the door.

The information that led to him acting like this…

It had started from Cale getting the diary of the biological mother of this body, Drew Thames.

An existence that reincarnates endlessly without losing his memories.

‘A reincarnator.’

The House of Thames had discovered a way to completely kill those reincarnators.

‘The reincarnator’s memories… The largest annual ring that would be the foundation for their being… You just have to get rid of that.’

The power that had been passed down through the House of Thames, the ability to see a life form’s annual rings…

The wood attribute ancient power, Annual Rings of Life.

The annual rings could be considered the record of time in a life form’s soul.

Following that logic, a reincarnator who repeats life over and over has the annual rings of the numerous repeated lives within their one large original annual ring.

That was why destroying the largest annual ring, the foundation, was the only way to completely stop a reincarnator.

“I have the prerequisite requirement.”

He needed to be able to see the annual rings in order to attack a reincarnator.

Cale could pull out and use Drew Thames’s Annual Rings of Life ancient power because he had embraced it in her diary.

Then how was he to attack the reincarnator?

What was the method?

Drew Thames had also told him about that.

‘A reincarnator’s numerous annual rings will have a soul that is extremely strong thanks to its numerous life cycles.’

Magic, swords, and even ancient powers would not work.

‘If you compare a Dragon that has lived for 1,000 years and a reincarnator who has reincarnated over and over for 1,000 years, the annual rings of the reincarnator are usually stronger.’

‘That is why, in order to destroy the annual rings of a reincarnator, you need to use the power of someone who has annual rings with more years than the reincarnator.’

The answer was an immortal that does not die, in this case, the World Tree.

Cale had gone to meet the World Tree after that and procured a way to attack the White Star’s annual rings.

‘So, you need a weapon with my power in it.’

The World Tree had said to him.

‘If that method really works… I should give you the real thing.’

The World Tree had revealed a part of its body that had been buried deep in the ground.

‘I should give you the oldest thing in my life. That would be considered the foundation of an immortal, a part of my existence.’

‘This is the tip of my oldest root.’

It was the sharp black and white tree root dagger in Cale’s hand right now.

“…I have the method as well.”

The World Tree had given him the weapon to attack the White Star.

The only remaining thing was how to attack.

The World Tree had said the following about that.

‘The power of this root dagger will activate once you put the blood from your heart on it.’

It was something that made him question his ears and his heart drop when he first heard it.

‘My body… The part of me that is cut off will be in a state of asphyxia once it is removed. It needs the blood from someone with ‘healing’ or ‘rejuvenation’ in order to awaken it.’

‘That power cannot be the power of a god and must be the power that a living being possesses. Furthermore, the blood must come from the central location of that power. Only the person who awakens the root with their blood will be able to use its powers.’

Cale had the Vitality of the Heart, an ancient power with the power of restoration. Its power started from his heart.

Henceforth, stabbing his heart and getting his blood on the dagger was the way for it to get out of asphyxia.

“…Unbelievable.”

Cale sighed.

‘Basically, I need to see the White Star’s annual rings and destroy it with the dagger that has blood from my heart?’

He recalled something else the World Tree said with a stoic look on his face.

‘Don’t worry. You will not die. It will be grotesque since you will bleed a lot, but it will actually be helpful to you too. I guarantee it.’

There was no way and no reason for the World Tree to lie. He shouldn’t have to worry much about it.

Cale reached his hand toward the white door at the end of the hallway.

There was no doorknob. He just had to push it.

Cale looked back for a moment before pushing the door open. The hallway he had just walked through… The other end was still in shambles.

It should take his allies some time to get past that.

‘I’ll take care of the White Star during that time.’

It was a simple plan.

Cale pushed the door.

Screeeech-

The door easily pushed open.

Cale remained alert. He had no idea what might be on the other side of this door. He had landed a blow on the sealed god in the last test, so he had even more reasons to be tense.

‘Confirm what is on the other side of the door and then immediately make my move!’

Bang!

The door completely opened and smacked into the wall.

The god had said the following.

‘Go to the end of the temple when the test is over. You will find a sculpture on the wall. You just need to embrace that.’

Cale could see an altar in front of him.

He could also see a wall behind it.

He was finally at the end of the temple.

There were numerous hands on the walls reaching up towards the sky.

Above the hands was a sculpture of a figure standing there.

It was a person wearing white clothes.

The person had a benevolent gaze and his long hair almost seemed to be fluttering in the air.

He looked quite handsome even as a sculpture.

‘That must be it. That must be the sculpture.’

It had only been an instant.

That was all it took for Cale to open the door, see the sculpture, and observe it.

“Motherf-”

The eyes were red jewels.

The moment Cale registered that in his mind…

“You motherfucking son of a bitch of a god!”

The red light shot out toward Cale.

This evil red light…

Cale was sure that he had seen it before. It was the same red aura that had been around the sealed god’s sickle.

It was the power filled with despair.

‘I knew I shouldn’t trust that bastard!’

Cale had thought that the sealed god would not be able to use any power outside of the illusion.

However, inside the temple was the sealed god’s domain.

If Cale had accepted the deal and opened this door without any thoughts, he would have turned into a sacrifice for the sealed god.

‘Not just me, the White Star would have become a sacrifice as well.’

He was certain about that.

The White Star was planned to be a sacrifice for the sealed god from the beginning.

There was no way that he would miss out on that. ‘This son of a bitch of a god.’

“Fine, whatever.”

Cale pulled out the golden plaque and threw it toward the red light.

“It’s better if I take care of you both at once.”

One of the two evil red lights that had shot out from the eyes struck the golden plague and let out a loud explosion.

Baaaaaaaaaang—!

The golden plaque feebly cracked and turned to dust.

Once the medium breaks…

The existence sealed inside it would come out.

Cale clenched his hand that was holding the root dagger. The corners of his lips naturally curled up.

Swoooooooosh.

The wind assisted him as he ran toward the explosion almost as if he was flying.

Paaaat!

A silver shield and two wings surrounded Cale at the same time.

Cale threw the diary into the air.

It was the diary with the ancient power, the Annual Rings of Life.

– It’s my turn now. Be careful!

The moment Drew Thames shouted in a low voice…

Chhhhhhh—!

The red diary opened and red leaves instantly appeared to surround Cale.

The red leaves that were similar in color to his hair swirled around him like a whirlwind, similar to the first time he met this power.

Cale’s eyes sparkled.

Red smoke filled his eyes and turned them red.

‘I will quickly take care of the White Star before the sealed god does anything else.’

As long as he had a bit of time…

As long as he had an instant, it was definitely doable.

Smile.

As Cale’s smile became thicker, he made eye contact with this annoying enemy wearing a white mask that he was tired of seeing.

“Did you rest well?”

He greeted this enemy for the first time in a while.

This tiring relationship was coming to an end.

That was why Cale was unable to see it.

At a place in his blind spot unlike the front area he saw when he opened the door…

Clopeh, who was crouched in Cale’s blind spot installing the fifth automatic video recording device, opened his eyes wide at the sudden situation that broke the silence.

And on the other side of the hallway… The opening blocked by the crumbled marble debris was moving. It was as if someone was stabbing at it with a stick or sword to inspect it.

—

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