Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Cale frowned as he stood at the entrance to the cafeteria. The furniture wasn't arranged as it usually was in schools. In general, he expected anything: piles of dirt, insects and worms, burnt walls and some kind of monster. But instead, he saw tables and chairs arranged like barricades. A huge pile of trash, table mats, and dishes had been created, which also appears to have been used as shelters.

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Basen frowned, his premonition screaming that something terrible was about to happen, so he watched the screen closely, not daring to turn away.
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It smelled like a butcher's shop, and once again everyone hesitated to enter. The NPCs didn't seem to be planning to follow them. Apparently, they were just guides this time.

No one took a step forward, and because of this, a system notification popped up.

Gradually, plucking up their courage, the players began to enter one by one, but until everyone was in the room, the quest did not begin.

Ten stubbornly refused to go in, she stood in front of the entrance and mindlessly growled, panther especially didn’t like it when Cale took a step towards the door.

Cale sighed heavily. He knew that for some reason the panther was following him, and if he let it stay outside the door, the system would simply kill it, so he looked her straight in the eyes and lightly slapped his thigh, silently ordering her to stay close.

Ten lowered her ears and moved into the room with obvious reluctance. The surrounding players watched the scene unfolding before them with undisguised interest.

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Litana grinned in surprise.
"Ha!" Right now, Ten was acting like a little kitten. It reminded Litana of those days when they'd first met. It seemed this Cale really had a knack for winning over both people and animals.
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Rosalyn wanted to ask if Cale and the panther had known each other before they entered the system, but she decided not to open her mouth, as she didn't know if the creature of this event was sensitive to sound.

Cale used his eyes to show his teammates and Paseton, who had continued to follow them after leaving the first room, that they need to go to the shelters; and they understood everything without words. Eleven creatures quietly moved behind one of the far barricades. Lock looked around, trying to find the elf who had been with them earlier in the first classroom, but it seemed he had returned to his comrades. There were mostly elves and a few other creatures that were clearly not human. They looked at the human race with disgust, so Locke awkwardly scratched the back of his head and simply turned away. Many knew from rumors about the arrogance of the elves, so he was not particularly surprised.

Gradually, almost every team of players went into hiding, expecting the worst. The only ones who remained standing in the middle of the room and didn't even plan to lower the volume of their voices were, of course, the team from the Whipper kingdom. Cale had expected something like this, so he simply turned away from them and quietly whispered to his team:

"If you see any of them approaching our hideout during the event, even unintentionally, notify the others immediately. We'll need to change our hiding spot."

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Deruth, waiting for the start of the aristocratic meeting, nodded in agreement. He was surprised that his eldest son seemed to have good analytical skills. He didn't think Cale was stupid by any means, but he seemed to have some tricks up his sleeve.

"Definitely Henituse."

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Rosalyn, Alberu, Lilia and Dale nodded in full understanding of what was happening, but Paseton, with an embarrassed expression on his face, quietly asked:

"Why? Is there something wrong with them?" The children and Choi Han seemed confused as well.

Honestly, Paseton felt out of place because he knew little about land. He also hardly encountered any sea beastmen here, and he didn't particularly like feeling like he was in the minority. Of course, the whale tribe was small in number, but their strength and wild spirit never made Paseton feel lonely.

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Witira exhaled heavily, right now she was sitting next to her father and Archie, looking at Paseton. Obviously, he couldn't cope on his own and needed support. Shickler worried about his youngest son, but was glad that he seemed to find a reliable group, even tho most of them were humans.

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Cale didn't have to go into detail, because Alberu, with a solemn expression on his face, began to explain the essence of what he had said earlier:

"Right now, the kingdom of Whipper is being categorically divided into two factions. One of them includes the common people, peasants and workers, who are, one might say, oppressed by the laws of the other side. The second faction includes mages, of whom there are a huge number in their lands, as well as aristocrats and the crown. The members of the first faction are known for their... irrational behavior, love of adrenaline and fighting, so their presence nearby can bring trouble for us. Those people are most likely members of the first faction." Alberu whispered quickly, but clearly separating his words so that everyone could hear what he was saying.

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Many people were currently assessing the Crown Prince's choice of words and his demeanor. So far, he has set an example of a good leader. Perhaps some of the words he said could offend the particularly sensitive representatives of the Whipper Kingdom, especially the mages.

But Harol Kodiang was thrilling. He liked that choise of words, and he especially liked how many people now heard these words. The whole world needed to hear about the position of the oppressed faction before the uprising, because this would increase support for them.

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For the first time in a long time, On took the initiative and said with confusion: “Peasants and workers against the aristocracy and the crown? That sounds incredibly unfair.”

Dale nodded, that was true. Frankly, there had been talk for a long time about the corruption of the Whipper Kingdom's government, however, this topic was never raised openly, because the kingdom of Whipper was a magical power known throughout the continent.

Thomb.

Cale could have sworn he felt a vibration through the floor. Everyone held their breath, looking in the direction of the loud banging through the cracks. There was the food line, where students were supposed to collect their meals.

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This system window caused everyone to panic and some to rise from their chairs. The previous event had already been difficult, but now the level had increased. It was becoming even more dangerous, and many didn't even want to look at the screen, expecting a bloody scene in a few minutes.
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Toonka stopped moving, sniffing the air before a grin appeared on his face. He was about to dash toward the scent, the scent of pus and power. However, it seemed he had been beaten to it.

Cale froze. Most likely, one player's achievements affected their own whole group, but right now this was a shared quest, so one player's achievement affected every other player? What kind of hellish system was this? Increasing complexity didn't mean anything good.

The title mentioned a cache. Cale began looking around, trying to find something that fit that description.

Something began pounding furiously on the door next to the food distribution area until it broke down, along with part of the wall. The monster of this event was strikingly different from the one Cale's group had seen before. He was enormous in size, and it seemed he weighed so much that a normal person could not live like that. Its stretched skin hung from its face, reminiscent of a Neapolitan Mastiff. Drool dripped from the monster's enormous mouth, but it seemed in no hurry to wipe it away. Instead, he quickly looked around and tried to actively sniff something, while he unconsciously made noises with half-moans. As soon as his small eyes could see Toonka standing through the folds of skin on his cheeks, The monster rushed forward, ignoring the things under his feet, constantly stumbling, but still continuing his run, looking at Toonka like a madman. His actions suddenly became very fast, despite his impressive size.

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To be honest, Venion enjoyed what was happening with particular pleasure. He felt like he was in the sweetest dream possible. He continued to laugh madly, and did not even plan to go to the black bastard to torture.

The little black dragon opened its mouth in horror. He tried to wave his little paws, but the chains prevented him from doing so. He knew the players couldn't hear him, but he still shouted desperately at the screen: "Don't move, don't speak, don't attract it's attention!"

Seemed like he really was worried.

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Cale, peering out from the crack, assumed the monster was mindless. However, that didn't mean they shouldn't be careful.

"Seriously, what's this guy thinking?" Cale cursed in irritation, looking at Toonka. If the monster came running here while looking for Toonka, it would reveal the other players! Cale's legs are numb from sitting behind that mountain of trash, so he's unlikely to be able to run far or fast. Toonka is really putting him in danger of ending his life in that slobbering mouth.

Choi Han glanced at the aristocrat. As expected, Cale Henituse was a good man. First he saves Lock from first creature, now he's worried about a complete stranger putting himself in danger. Choi Han shook his head. This guy was really too kind for such cruel "games".

Alberu, who seemed to understand Cale's thoughts, looked strangely at Choi Han, who sighed. What was wrong with that punk? Okay, that didn't matter right now. They needed to make sure that after the monster attacked the barbarian, it wouldn't come for their group.

Paseton bit his lip. It was unlikely their shelter of broken furniture would last long. The monster had already engaged in a fierce battle with that foolish human, and that man was clearly losing. The creature ignored the blows, merely grabbing the barbarian's limbs and pulling them toward its face with a mesmerized expression. Just what the hell?

On looked at the place where the monster had come from, at the broken door in the wall, and, gently tugging Cale by the sleeve, pointed there. The rest of the group also noticed this, and so they tried to see what was there, but saw only darkness.

Rosalyn tried to figure out what to do. There was a good chance they needed to go there, because the monster would likely soon destroy everything here, and they would be caught in the crossfire. But what if it was a trap? What if they put themselves in danger and come out of hiding only to die?
«What should we do??»

Choi Han carefully stood up and said without lowering his voice: “I’ll go check.” Apparently, this time the monster responded to visual stimulation, so it mindlessly chased after Toonka.

Lock's eyes widened in shok and he instantly blurted out, "No!" Teenager immediately became embarrassed and quiet but Rosalyn backed him up:

"It's dangerous. You shouldn't sacrifice yourself—"

"I'm not sacrificing myself. You're all much weaker than me, and I can guarantee that I'll get there undetected."

Everyone exchanged glances. No one wanted to let the teenager go into the thick of it, but no one either saw any other way out.

Ten let out a low meow, and Cale sighed. He knew Choi Han's strength better than anyone here, as well as his stubborn nature. He truly didn't want to interact with him, but this time he simply had to.

"Okay, Choi Han. Be careful." Cale placed his hand on Choi Han's shoulder and looked closely into his black eyes: "Our lives depend on you right now. But don't push yourself. If you suddenly change your mind halfway through, just come back. No one will judge you."

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The servants of the Henituse house, who were in the kitchen, silently watched what was happening, simply forgetting about cooking. How long had such a gentle personality been hidden behind their young Master's rough facade? Was that really Cale Henituse?
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Choi Han remained silent. He tried to open his mouth a couple of times to speak, but eventually closed it. Finally, he simply nodded and said, "Okay, I understand, Cale-nim."

Cale, confused, removed his hand from his interlocutor's shoulder. 'Calе-nim'? Since when had Choi Han addressed him so respectfully, and why?

Just when the black-haired swordmaster was already halfway to the other end of the room, everyone heard a system sound and turned towards it. As it turned out, in a strange fight between Toonka and the hungry monster, the barbarian was thrown towards the front door. Most likely, if a normal person had struck these iron doors, they wouldn't have even trembled, but they sagged under the weight of Toonka's body, and a gap appeared between the doors.

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Harol hit the table with his first. He looked at the screen with bated breath. Toonka couldn't die, not right now. He needed to do something, but what could he?

In fact, what was happening surprised many, the ancient dragon Eruhaben was no exception, He already had many questions about the system, especially about the fact that players were deliberately exposed to additional dangers beyond the events themselves. But that was just crossing the line. It was like throwing a motionless hare into a tiger's home.
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Cale frowned. This effect was disgusting, exhaust a player in the middle of an event? That was murder. He had a suspicion that this wasn't done by accident, and the system had deliberately chosen the moment when this effect would harm Toonkа the most.

At that moment, the Monster lost sight of Toonka, who had fallen from exhaustion behind a mountain of garbage, and it looked around in real panic. Most likely, the monster will soon notice his practically immobilized body, and then Toonka won't be able to survive.

Cale panicked internally. This couldn't happen. If Toonka died now, the civil war between mages and common people would at least be postponed, then the Mogoru Empire will try to find another scapegoat. And the weak Roan Kingdom is a rather suitable candidate.

But after the two weeks are over, Kim Rok Soo will most likely be sent to the homeland of the body's original owner, Cale. He really didn't want to end up in the thick of it, so he had to quickly figure out how to save the barbarian before he got eaten.

The aristocrat turned to look in the direction Choi Han had gone and winced. That punk was standing on the opposite side of the cafeteria, looking straight at Cale. However, it wasn’t even about that, but about his look, full of confusion and something dark.

«What the hell did he find there?»

Cale turned to the rest of the group and pointed at Choi Han, calling for the others to follow.

Crossing the entire hall in a large group wasn't just dangerous, it was practically fatal. Especially when the monster was tearing and lashing out. It was getting close enough to their group's hideout that they needed to leave anyway.

However, the problem was still the other players, who clearly didn't have the ability to move as stealthily as they did because their hiding places were closer to the monster. The atmosphere became more tense.

The group agreed to move in pairs: one child and one adult.
The order was as follows: Rosalyn with Lock, Alberu with On, Lilia with Hong. Cale would go with Ten, since she was following only him, and Dale and Paseton would have to go alone. This all had to be done quickly, but quietly.

They were truly lucky that the Whipper Kingdom's natives had no plans to give up even after their leader was left lying on the floor in a vegetative state. However, they were no match for Toonka, even if they were also mountains of muscle.

There was a crunching sound, followed by a heart-wrenching scream and a wet slurping sound. Cale definitely didn't want to turn around; he already knew what was happening. Frowning, he watched as Rosalyn, who had not allowed Lock to look at the scene of the battle, led him by the hand to the other side of the cafeteria. It seemed that while the monster was busy devouring, there was no need to worry about being seen, but she still remained extremely cautious.

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Everyone held their breath. It was a very dangerous moment, and many prayed to their gods that the monster wouldn't notice this pair of princess and beastman. When they reached the other side safe and sound, the queen, who had been clutching the bottom of her blouse, emerged with relief and hysterical laughter. No one could have imagined how her insides clenched with fear when she saw her little girl in danger.

With the advent of the system, the queen began to clearly understand that it didn't matter if Rosalyn renounced her title of princess and became a mage. The main thing was that her daughter was alive, and she, as a mother, would accept her no matter what.
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As soon as Red Hair disappeared behind the dark hole in the wall, Cale gestured for Lilia to follow their example with Hong. On gave her brother's hand a final squeeze before letting go. She didn't want to let him go with a stranger, but now On wasn't able to disperse her fog, so she wouldn't be of much use to her brother. At least if the Monster sees Hong with Lily, it will pounce on the more substantial, adult prey first. This will definitely buy Hong some time. The children hadn't tried turning into cats here yet, but the girl hoped it would work in a stalemate.

Needless to say, she was wrong. By the time Lilia and Hong had crossed half the hall, the shouting and chomping had died down. The monster, which was smeared with human entrails, contentedly licked its hands up to the elbows before starting to sniff and look around again.

Hong's red hair stood out against the general rubble and destruction. Cale stopped breathing for a second, his pupils constricted, and he ran out from their hiding place. But he wasn't the only one. On also followed the aristocrat, but was captured by Dale. She scratched and screamed, even bit, as a tear ran down her cheek.
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"Cale stop!" Deruth stood up up from his chair. He was already at a gathering of aristocrats, yet no one dared criticize the count for his lack of manners. Many also closed their mouths in shock, watching Cale's actions closely.

Viscount Tolz whispered in Marquis Stan's ear:
"It looks like there will be a funeral at the Henituse house soon."
The Marquis did not answer, but a malicious thought flashed through his head:
«After all, the eldest son was a complete disappointment, why not let him die? Less complications.»

The little dragon screamed in panic at the screen. He hadn't expected this turn of events at all. If the Monster saw this stupid human, it would simply kill him! But-..

Deep down, for some mysterious reason, dragon didn't want this one to die.

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"Let me go! I need to go, I need to go to him! Hong!"

"What are you- Cale!" The Crown Prince paled, looking at the eldest son of the Henituse family. What was going on in his head? And only then did Alberu see it, when a black spot rushed past Cale, straight towards the child frozen in fear. The monster had already changed its trajectory; after the meal, it could no longer stand on its feet, instead, the monster got down on all fours and, sliding its bloody limbs across the floor, began to push and jump like an animal.

Cale saw a panther running nearby, but he continued running anyway. On the other side of the cafeteria, Choi Han also peeked out from a hole in the wall, seeming to sense something was wrong when Hong and Lilia didn't arrive on time. His face instantly turned icy when he saw what was happening, and in the blink of an eye he was already next to the child paralyzed with horror. Choi Han was ready to fight the monster, but instead he heard someone yell nearby.

It was Cale Henituse. He was quite far away and seemed to be struggling to run, but his voice was clearer than ever.

"Get Hong out of here!"

It wasn't an order to fight. It was an order to save the child. Choi Нan didn't know why he'd obeyed someone else's order, why he hadn't taken up a fighting stance. Instead, he picked up the child and Lily, who was shielding him, and rushed towards the passage.

At the same time, the black panther fearlessly jumped onto the monster's face, sinking its sharp teeth into his folds of fat. The monster let out a piercing scream that forced Cale to his knees with his ears covered.

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The spectators, too, couldn't help but groan in pain and covered their ears. However, there was one person who didn't. It was the jungle queen, Litana, looking at Ten.
Her eyes were bloodshot, but she didn't dare look away.

"You have to survive there. When you come back, I will spoil you rotten, just please survive."

In fact, Litana had no one closer to her than this panther.

Her secretary, Ben, who was standing next to her, didn't dare say a word, and he himself was very worried about Ten.
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«The first attack method is uncoordinated actions driven by a thirst for food. The second method, used in extreme conditions, is an ultrasound attack.»

Cale's, no, Kim Rok-soo's mind was in the process of analysis. A familiar way of assessing the situation clung to him from his past life.

Ten seemed to have suffered the most, blood was coming from one of her ears, but the animal's teeth were still firmly clamped on the creature's skin. Then it began to push the panther away, making its wound deeper, which forced itself to let out another scream.

After that, all that was heard in Cale's ears was a staticky buzz, and the voices of those around him became blurred, but he still stood up, not taking his eyes off the monster choking on his own drool. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ten collapse to the ground, exhausted, and then thrown against the opposite wall of the cafeteria. Cale's fists clenched. The situation was bad: if he took advantage of the creature's state and ran past it into the hole, he would put his comrades in danger, since the creature would already know that people were walking here. This means they won't be able to use this method again, since the creature will be on guard.

Or he could...

Yes.

Cale took a deep breath and changed direction, heading toward the center of the room. The monster, in turn, slowly began to come to its senses.

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Deruth didn't hear or listen to anyone. Before his eyes he saw his child, who was on the verge of death. Memories began to fill his mind, first words, first steps, hugs, night stories. He remembered his first wife, Cale standing next to her, looking just like her, like a child version. He remembered the first arguments, how Cale became the one about whom terrible rumors circulated. He didn't care what his child was like. It was his child.

Oh, his little boy.

Deruth was ready to swear that if even one hair fell from Cale's head, he would find whoever was responsible.

There was one other person whose memories flashed through his mind. It was Ron. The one who mostly raised Cale. No one could tell what was going on in his head when the usual soft smile was not on the face of this always friendly old man.
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Choi Han's pupils narrowed. He'd just left Hong with Rosalyn, but when he turned around, he saw something completely different from what he expected. The aristocrat was standing in the middle of the room, shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Run into the passage!"

He didn't look anywhere expect at the monster's ugly face, but Alberu understood to whom these words were intended. He chanted in a firm voice to the remaining members of his team and also signaled to the other players:

"Get to the other side while Cale buys us time!"

He, for his part, was in no hurry to leave, watching the people running toward the door. It was a truly noble duet. A noble who put his life on the line to save his teammates, and a crown prince who wanted to make sure everyone survived before fleeing himself.

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The entire west continent held its breath, watching what was happening with excitement in their hearts and tears in their eyes.
"We look at how history is made." Said one passerby to another as they all stood frozen in the main square of Mogoru Empire capital, tensely awaiting the outcome. They were looking at real heroes, about whom books will be written and legends will be told.

Ron clutched the dagger he'd been keeping in his pocket since this morning. How long had his young master been leading him on? How long had his identity been a lie? Will he be able to answer this questions, or will he be killed right now, in front of this old servant?
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The elves, who had previously looked down on the humans with disdain, now looked on with profound shock and awe. Were there such noble humans?

The players, with frozen hearts and bated breath, rushed forward. There was no way to describe the feelings they experienced as they watched Cale standing alone in the middle of the room facing the terrifying creature, twice his size, and behind him lay a panther, which protected him to the end, but was thrown aside. Although Cale was obviously smaller, his noble, well-rounded shoulders seemed incredibly broad to everyone.

However, contrary to everyone's opinion, Cale had no plans to sacrifice himself. He was counting down.

«Two more minutes.»

Not far from where Cale stood was a pile of rubble. The very same one behind which Toonka lay, unable to move but still hearing and feeling everything. A dim and barely visible system window peered out from a mountain of broken chairs:

«I need to buy time.»

Ten was alive, her chest heaving, but she could no longer move. Cale needed to think. Players were running behind the monster, but it seemed completely unresponsive to other noises. It needed Cale. A thought flashed through Cale's mind about Choi Han, who was strong enough to at least hold off the monster, but there was no point for him to risk because of some trash aristocrat and-

But Kim Rok Soo was wrong. Choi Han was right in front of him, holding something he'd plucked from a pile of trash.

Cale didn't ask why he was here, he just said:

"Еveryone's on the other side?"

These words left Choi Han speechless. This guy had been on the brink of death, risking his, and in the end, all he cared about was the health of others?

"Сale-nim, you really..." but instead of continuing the sentence, Choi Han only sighed and answered the question:

"Yes. Everyone's safe."

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Аs soon as Deruth saw that Cale was no longer standing there alone, he felt dizzy with relief. He sat back in his chair, his shaking hands hidden under the table.

The people of the Roan Kingdom were touched. Various rumors had circulated about Cale Henitusе. But could this noble and selfless man really be the one that was described? Now everyone was questioning the past.

What they saw was a true act of altruism and nobility. This is what nobles should be. Each of the civilians was proud that this aristocrat was their compatriot.

The little black dragon screamed with tears in his eyes: "You, you stupid good human! How can you be like that...!!"

Vikross was silent. He truly had no words to describe his feelings about what was happening. Something completely unexpected was unfolding before his eyes, making even him forget about his work.
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Cale frowned. He wasn't asking about the other players' safety, he was asking if there were any obstacles in their way to escaping the monster.

At the same time, the creature, seeing an obstacle on the way to its desired dessert, rose from all fours. Blood trickled down his folds of fat, revealing to everyone one of the monster's eyes, which the panther had almost managed to tear out with its fangs. It hung ugly from the eye socket, making the view even more unpleasant.

Choi Han didn't wait to be attacked and rushed forward. He had no sword, no aura. But that was exactly how he had started out. The only difference was that he was scared back then.

But now he couldn't remember what it's like. What was true horror? Was it in the creature's wide eye when Choi Han plunged the broken chair arm into the monster's empty eye socket? Perhaps.

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Following the awe, everyone suddenly shuddered. Such cruelty from the teenager was clearly unexpected, especially when he did it with such a calm expression.

"How interesting," Adin settled into his chair more comfortably.
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A notification appeared in front of Choi Han:

This time, it wasn't a scream that followed; it was a cry. Bitter, instinctive tears rolled down the creature's cheeks, and it began waving one hand without looking. However, Choi Han dodged every move.

«Looks like I won't need Toonka»

The barbarian, in turn, seemed to begin to come to his senses.

Hearing the notification sound, Toonka finally rose to his feet. He was no longer interested in the ugly creature, which was now completely unresponsive to its surroundings. Instead, he looked at Choi Han with a wide smile, stretching his numb limbs.

"Let's fight!"

Cale clicked his tongue before ignoring the barbarian and walking toward the players peering out from behind the hole in the wall. He finished by saying to Choi Han, "Take care of the panther."
In response, the swordsman nodded with a soft expression on his face.

«Just what wrong with him?»

Alberu stood there, carefully studying the aristocrat's movements. As soon as he got close enough, Alberu took a few steps forward and asked loudly enough for those around him to hear:

"Are you okay?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he whispered irritably,

"What the hell was that? Did you wanted to die?"

"I'm fine," Cale replied, before also lowering his voice to a whisper: "I knew what I was doing."

The aristocrat's gaze shifted from Alberu to the two children standing behind him. They both had red and swollen eyes and were holding hands, looking at Cale.

Alberu looked at him skeptically, but did not reproach him further, instead turning to the players.

"Let's not waste the time Young Master Cale and Choi Han have given us. When we return home, I'll hold a spectacular awards ceremony for our heroes."

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King Zed considered his son's words. He was right; the actions of this young nobleman and swordsman truly deserved some kind of reward.

"Then it's decided." The king spoke in the silent conference room.
"Upon the arrival of Cale Henitus and... Choi Han the award ceremony will take place"
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The word "home" resonated warmly in the hearts of the players, and they, with heavy minds, nodded as they thought of their homeland and families. They also were really glad to hear that two people risked their lives were receiving the award.

The aristocrat broke out in a cold sweat at the thought and decided to talk to Alberu one-on-one later to prevent the award from being given to him.

Cale turned to call out to Choi Han, but he was already there, dragging the unconscious Toonka behind him. A wounded panther followed, limping slightly. Choi Han apparently tore a piece of cloth from his cloak to bandage the animal's wound.

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Litana looked at panther carefully before biting her lip. She was glad that Ten was conscious, but her injuries were very frightening.
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He didn't hesitate to ask any questions and simply nodded emotionlessly, saying, "Well done."

Everyone began to move on quickly. Cale wasn't sure how many players they lost in the first event and at the beginning of this one, but despite the multiple losses, walking through the narrow, dark corridor was unpleasant and very uncomfortable because of the crowd. At least he hoped that they would solve the mystery of this quest after the end of this corridor.

Cale turned back to look at Choi Han.

"What's at the end?" He knew the swordsman had already checked, so he decided to find out ahead of time.

"There are bodies there. And a storage room."

Cale froze.

"A what?"

"A storage room."

Cale sighed. And so, they headed straight for the corpses. In a horror genre, a room full of dead people would definitely be a bad sign, so they'd probably have a hard time there. However, it was impossible to stay with the monster, because it'd simply kill them over time.

A few minutes later, having passed through a crowd of players who themselves were making way for Cale, he found himself in front of an old wooden door, from behind which came the now familiar smell of rot.

The door swung open. These weren't just any corpses. The bodies of faceless NPCs in school uniforms were hung from the ceiling on hooks like pigs in a slaughterhouse. Limbs and rotting organs with teeth marks were scattered throughout the room.

«Is this the reason why faceless NPCs didn't come to this level? Could monsters from the same mission conflict with each other?» Cale frowned thoughtfully, listening to the gasps of horror behind him and the sounds of someone vomiting.

He took slow steps, trying not to step on the disgusting mess smeared across the floor, and made his way deeper into the room. Cale was trying to find something that would help them complete the level faster. And he found it. There, on the blood-stained wall, hung an old poster.

``

This was definitely an important plot detail. Cale wanted to look away, but his gaze caught on the box standing in the corner. It was buried under a thick layer of dust, and Cale had to get his hands pretty dirty as he bent down to pick it up.

The sweet scent of old paper penetrated even the surrounding stench as Cale lifted the lid. Inside lay an old letter, with a crooked signature: "Repentance." There was also a small toy mouse and something wrapped in white cloth nearby. As Cale tried to pick up the last item, a system window popped up in front of his eyes.

The aristocrat looked around and carefully put the item in his pocket before turning around and saying:

"Choi Han."

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It happened again. This time, the glitch in the system caught the eye of not only Ron but other people as well. It seemed to only happen on Young Master Cale's screen.
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The swordsman immediately came over and stood next to him, trying not to look at the corpses lying around. Cale handed him the box and pointed at Alberu. The Crown Prince clearly wanted to control the crowd, and Cale was not going to interfere with him.

Alberu looked at the letter with curiosity, but after reading it he frowned.

When Alberu's voice faded, the players didn't say a word either. They were all digesting what they had just heard.

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The audience's faces took on ugly expressions. What had they just heard?
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Rosalyn, who was also looking at the piece of paper, gasped and said,
"They're crazy!"

The players began discussing how to safely pass through the awakened monster. At that moment, Cale glanced at Toonka's body lying in the doorway and asked Choi Han to wake him.

When the barbarian opened his eyes, he stared at Choi Han with gleaming eyes.
"Want to continue our fight?"

"No," Choi Han replied coldly, a hint of disgust in his eyes.

"Hey, you."
Cale said with a blank expression, looking straight at the barbarian. He didn't even bother to look at the aristocrat, waiting for Choi Han to speak..

The black-haired swordsman frowned and said, "Answer."

This sparked a glimmer of curiosity in Toonka, so he finally deigned to look at Cale.

"What's your name?" Even though Kim Rok Soo had an excellent memory and remembered the names of all the characters he knew from "Birth of a Hero," he still asked.

"Why would a weakling know my name?" But seeing Choi Han's gaze, he said with a mischievous smile, "I'm Bob."

"Hey, black-haired one, let's fight again."

Choi Han continued to ignore the barbarian's stupid requests.

"What kind of weapon did the system gаve you?"

"Some trash. Real fighters fight with their own hands. I don't need a weapon to defeat an enemy."

"Then give it to me."

Cale said with a slight smile on his face and slyly narrowed eyes.

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"Wow, this not-so-bad human's smile is really villainous!" The dragon's eyes widened as he stared at the orange-lit screen. He had never seen such a sly smile before, and he tried to recreate it himself, although he wasn’t sure that he succeeded.

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Toonka noticed Cale for the first time.

"He's trash, but I'm not used to giving handouts to weaklings."

"Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal can I possibly have with weaklings? Step aside and don't interfere with strong people's business."

Choi Han, out of habit, reached for his scabbard, but upon discovering his sword was missing, he clenched his fists. He also didn't need a weapon to defeat the enemy.

"I'll tell Choi Han to fight you."

Choi Han glanced at Cale incredulously, but didn't deny the assertion. He really wanted to punch Toonka anyway.

"Ha! Then take it, you funny weakling."

Toonka tossed Cale a small black square, more like a flash drive. The aristocrat immediately stopped paying attention to the barbarian and only whispered as he passed Choi Han, "Do it quickly."

Choi Han listened, and in less than a minute Toonka was already unconscious again.

It was perfect. Just what he needed. Against a monster that relied primarily on sight, there was no better weapon than this. However, Cale wasn't really keen on holding something like that in his hands, so he simply handed the grenade to Choi Han and explained his plan.

Five minutes later, Cale was already explaining to the Crown Prince how to properly line up the crowd.

"Judging by the weapon's description, it has a good area effect, so we shouldn't be in the same room with the monster. However, there is a variation in the duration of action, and if we get the shortest one of 30 seconds, then we simply won’t have time to run to the exit if we stand too far away. Therefore, players need to stand as close to each other as possible and move closer to the exit to the cafeteria, but at the same time not show themselves from behind the wall."

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Deruth was at a loss. He didn't recall Cale possessing such strategic skills, even as a child. He must have developed it while hiding his true character. But how?
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Alberu nodded understandingly with a serious expression on his face and began to explain to the crowd what to do, showing himself to be a great leader.

Cale thought and whispered with a blank expression, "He really should become the next ruler of Roan." Neither Alberu nor the other players heard this. However, there were thousands of beings who heard this, they were all on the other side.

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The nobility of the entire Roan Kingdom was alarmed. For years, the County of Henitusе had maintained political neutrality. However, now their eldest son suddenly spoke out in favor of the crown prince, who, as is known, did not have the support of the aristocratic families. Everyone turned to look at Count Deruth Henitusе, who sat as one of the representatives of the northeastern faction of the kingdom.

He silently looked at his son's face, who looked as if he didn't doubt his words one bit. Right now, his eldest son, Cale, was going through incredible hardship and was on the brink of death. Deruth was unable to physically support him. However, here on the other side, he could at least support his son's thoughts and ideas.

"Henituse County has stayed away from politics for years. However, that doesn't mean we're weak in it. As the Count of the Northeastern Region, I publicly confirm that from this day forward, the Henituse County supports the Crown Prince's candidacy for the throne."

A burst of sighs and shouts echoed from the sidelines.
Viscount Tolz jumped up from his seat with an angry scream:
"Your son may support the Crown Prince, but that's no reason to determine the political stance of the entire county! After all, doesn't everyone know that Young Master Cale is far from political?"

However, this time, Deruth Henituse was not the only one to speak out in favor of the Crown Prince. He was followed by Viscountess Popelina Ubarr, a representative of a neighboring region.

"Alberu's behavior was truly befitting of a ruler. Even though he himself was in a critical situation, his first thought was for the people. From this point on, the Visconcy of Ubarr will question the previously chosen candidacy of the second prince, and begin to consider nominating the first prince for the throne."

This caused even more screams and scandals.

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The grenade exploded with an incredibly loud bang, and even though Kim Rok Soo had been used to this kind of thing in the past, he still closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears.

"Damn it!" Cale cursed out loud. They'd had the shortest time possible, but there was no point in wasting a second. Everyone, coordinated by Rosalyn and Alberu, were making their way to the exit without panic. Cale didn't want to get trampled by the crowd, so he joined the very back. In any case, if something went wrong, they should still have time to reach the exit.

That's what Cale thought. His opinion changed when he was almost to the exit, and suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to turn around. The monster was five meters away, looking at him with an expression of pure hatred. It seemed something in its code had been triggered when the players discovered its secret.

Another second and he wouldn't have had time to leave the room. However, a firm hand grabbed him and pulled through the closing doors. He stood face to face with Alberu, who kept a straight face, but his eyes were clearly panicked.

"Сale Henituse. I understand your noble desire to make sure every player gets out, but it's not worth putting yourself at risk at the end of the line to do so."

Cale blinked several times. A noble desire? What happened to the Crown Prince? Did he hit his head?