Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 653

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Brother, who is this?”

Rak thrust his face toward the pearl with a puzzled expression, watching as Choi Han stared at it intently before opening his mouth.

-Gasp.

Lee Chul-min, who had similarly thrust his face toward Park Jin-tae to see what was happening, recoiled in shock at the sight of Rak’s sudden transformation.

-…You-.

Park Jin-tae opened his mouth but found no words forthcoming, closing it again.

‘Where in the world is this bastard right now?’

Park Jin-tae fell silent, observing the scene beyond Choi Han’s shoulder—Rak and the other sights before him.
An unranked monster, the Electric Eel, lay dead, and surrounding it were not only humans but also many beings of peculiar appearance.

He recalled the day Choi Han had vanished.

‘Choi Han, that bastard?’
‘He left.’

Kim Rok-soo, having regained his senses, was subtly transformed.
Neither the original Kim Rok-soo that Park Jin-tae had known, nor the Kim Rok-soo who had served as commander—but something in between.
Yet Kim Rok-soo remained Kim Rok-soo, and his actions differed little from when he had been commander.
Still, what Kim Rok-soo said left many in the Shelter at a loss for words.

‘A considerable portion of the power I wielded has vanished. I can no longer use it. And several of my abilities have been sealed.’

As a result of excessive ability usage, he had ended up in this state. Most accepted this explanation, relieved that Kim Rok-soo had survived.
Park Jin-tae, one of those relieved, suddenly asked about the whereabouts of Choi Han, who seemed to have simply disappeared into thin air.
It was not mere curiosity. The other comrades were equally puzzled, but they had not dared ask Kim Rok-soo directly, as he still required rest.

‘Choi Han has returned to his own place.’
‘…His place is here, so where could he go?’

A smile played across Kim Rok-soo’s lips as he spoke to Park Jin-tae with a teasing tone.

‘Park Jin-tae, I never thought you’d have such thoughts?’
‘Damn it.’

Park Jin-tae couldn’t ask further given that attitude. However, he could roughly sense what was going on.

‘Kim Rok-soo, Lee Soo-hyuk, Choi Jung-soo. Those three must know something.’

Especially Choi Jung-soo—ever since Choi Han left, he’d been training like a madman with the swordsmanship book Choi Han had given him. Lee Soo-hyuk, on the other hand, had become somewhat more relaxed, one might say.
It seemed as though a burden had lifted from him.

“Park Jin-tae. Why are you holding the Orb of Harmony?”

Park Jin-tae faltered at Choi Han’s casual question.
He shifted his gaze from the Orb of Harmony down to his own hands. He was holding a cloth—a cloth for polishing the Orb of Harmony.

-…I’m in the midst of spiritual cultivation.

Lee Soo-hyuk had recently stopped using sparring as a pretext for mental education and was now putting Park Jin-tae through various other forms of spiritual cultivation.
A soft laugh escaped.
The sound of air deflating came from Choi Han’s lips.

“You do need some spiritual cultivation, that’s for sure.”
-…This bastard.

Park Jin-tae frowned and glared at Choi Han, but those beside him, including Rak, regarded Choi Han with peculiar expressions.
Choi Han was typically composed and affectionate. There were few beings toward whom he would act so askew, and yet in his gaze toward the person within the Orb of Harmony, surprise and joy were evident.

‘Similar.’

Rak could only see two people within the Orb of Harmony, but he noticed their appearance and hair color resembled Choi Han’s.
In a world where black eyes and black hair were rare, the interior of the Orb of Harmony seemed distinctly different.
It was as if it were another world entirely.

‘Hmm.’

Rak swallowed and kept his mouth firmly shut.

“Fascinating. We can actually communicate.”

Choi Han found it fascinating. He was currently speaking in this world’s language rather than Korean. Yet despite this, both sides were communicating smoothly, each using their own language.
That was when it happened.

—Bang!

The door burst open over Park Jin-tae’s shoulder as Lee Chul-min entered, bringing someone with him.

—Gasp, huff.

Unlike the gasping Lee Chul-min, the man who entered without a single labored breath strode purposefully toward the Orb of Restoration.

—Han, what happened to you?

It was Lee Soo-hyuk.

“We captured an Electric Eel on this side. The Orb of Restoration was inside it, and that’s how the connection was established.”
—…Ah.

At Choi Han’s composed response, Lee Soo-hyuk let out a short laugh and nodded.

—What about Rok-soo?

At that question, Park Jin-tae’s expression twisted oddly as if hearing nonsense, and Choi Han’s face hardened.
Park Jin-tae hesitated at the sight of Choi Han’s stiffened expression.

“…He is not here at the moment.”

Lee Soo-hyuk stared intently into Choi Han’s eyes.

—He collapsed again, it seems.

He hesitated before continuing.

—…As long as he’s alive, that’s what matters.

But the moment those words left his mouth, he saw Choi Han’s pupils trembling faintly. Lee Soo-hyuk felt his heart sink.

—Is he in critical condition?

It was at that moment, as hesitation flickered across Choi Han’s face in response to his question.
Lee Soo-hyuk witnessed a fierce gust of wind descending upon the location where Choi Han stood.

“Hyung! Get out of the way!”

Rak seized the back of Choi Han’s neck—who seemed momentarily lost in thought—and pulled him backward.
Choi Han lifted his head upward.
He could see a figure crashing down into the very spot where he had been standing.

“Ugh!”

It was Alberu.
Choi Han rushed toward him in alarm.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Alberu raised his hand as if to reassure him, offering a hollow smile.

‘This is not easy.’

Erhafen had told him to climb onto his back, but even approaching Erhafen—who was locked in combat with the Lion Dragon, exchanging attacks while keeping it at bay—proved nearly impossible.

He felt like a shrimp caught in a whale’s fight.
Before he could draw near those two beings, the shockwaves and explosive force they generated sent him hurtling backward repeatedly.

-I’m sorry.

In such circumstances, Erhafen had apologized to Alberu for breaking his word, yet it was Alberu himself who ought to have been apologizing.

‘To think I’m this weak.’

Anger surged within him at his own helplessness—unable to even approach Erhafen, let alone the Lion Dragon, to target its wings.
Concealing his true feelings from Choi Han, who was lifting him up with one hand, he spoke.

“You’ve already captured the Electric Eel.”
“It’s the one we caught before.”
“I just need to do my part properly.”

At Alberu’s calm tone, Choi Han regarded him with concern. Alberu rose to his feet, averting his gaze from those worried eyes, when his attention was drawn to an orb held in Choi Han’s other hand.

“Huh?”

Alberu lifted his helmet slightly without thinking.

“What? Park Jin-tae? Lee Soo-hyuk?”

Lee Soo-hyuk and Park Jin-tae were startled by the voice tinged with surprise and delight.

-What? Why does this bastard know me?

At Park Jin-tae’s words, Alberu’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Bastard? To the future sun.”
-…What? Is he insane?

Pfft. Despite the dire situation, Alberu let out a hollow laugh. Choi Han shook his head at Park Jin-tae.
Lee Soo-hyuk and Park Jin-tae still looked bewildered, but Alberu glanced once at Choi Han, Yeoryeo, and the Electric Eel before turning his lips up slightly toward the orb.

“Don’t you know me?”
-Why should I know you?

The moment Park Jin-tae shot back with a sharp retort, Alberu let it slip out.

“Albert Crossman. You should know that, right?”
-…What?

Where have I heard that before?
When was it?
Park Jin-tae’s mind raced through his memories. Then, Lee Soo-hyuk’s mouth opened.

-Dark Tiger?
-Holy shit.

Park Jin-tae and Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes widened.
Alberu looked at them with a mischievous expression before tapping Choi Han’s shoulder.

“Wait a moment. I’ll bring that monster down for you shortly.”

Whoooosh—
He paused mid-action, about to unfurl his flight magic once more.

—Crown Prince!

Raon’s urgent voice reached him. Alberu’s gaze turned toward where the City Hall stood.

—We’ve received contact from Tasha!

Tasha the Dark Elf. She was Alberu’s aunt and the one leading the Dark Elf Combat Unit.
Currently, she had gathered even the Elf warriors and was stationed in the Endable Kingdom.
After Kale and Raon evacuated, Tasha needed to monitor the movements of Sayehr, the Bear Tribe, and the remnants of Dark, and if possible, rescue any Dark Elves who hadn’t yet been sacrificed and were still alive.

Though she had departed on such a grave mission, he had judged that since the Elves and Dark Elves of the East-West Continent had formed an alliance, they would suffer no significant losses as long as they avoided an all-out war.
However, it was a task that would require considerable time.

‘But why contact so quickly?’

Alberu felt an inexplicable unease at Tasha’s unexpectedly swift communication.
That unease soon became reality.

—They say they’re gone! The Dark Elves locked in the prison carriages were still there, but Sayehr, the Priest, the Bear Tribe, Dark—all of them are gone!
“Damn it.”

Alberu’s mind grew turbulent.

‘Where did they go?’

Where had his enemies vanished to, all those countless numbers at once?
Were they heading to Puzzle?
Rather than deliberate on this new concern, Alberu felt only mounting dread.

‘I must deal with that lion-dragon quickly.’

One thing was certain: that monster was not the end.
There was the Sealed God as well, and a premonition that something else would unfold after he dealt with this creature.

Alberu’s heart pounded with tension. Then, Choi Han’s voice reached him.

“Rak.”
“Huh?”

Choi Han stood beside Alberu and handed the Orb of Womankind to Rak, wrapped in cloth.

“Take this to Kale. Just go to City Hall. Tell Raon ‘Kim Rok-soo’ and hand it over—he’ll know what to do.”
“Kim Rok-soo? Oh, oh! Got it.”

Alberu watched the exchange in silence, while Choi Han wore that gentle smile he always displayed when pretending to be harmless. I noticed dried blood smeared at the corner of his mouth. Alberu found himself at a loss for words at what Choi Han said while bearing such a mark.
The sight of that blood left Alberu speechless.

“Let us do this together. A master cannot abandon his disciple to face this alone. I shall provide cover.”

Then he saw Rosalind approaching, her own lips stained with blood just like Choi Han’s.

“Your Highness. I’ll handle the flight magic. I’ll break through that wind for you as well.”

She lifted a necklace strung with top-tier mana stones, displaying it as if to say it was nothing. Alberu could no longer even manage a laugh at his predicament.
Alberu found he could no longer laugh at the absurdity.

If Rosalind lifted him with flight magic and created a barrier to shield against the fierce winds,
and if Choi Han provided cover from the front, blocking any stray attacks from enemies,
then Alberu’s chances of piercing through that monster’s wings would increase significantly.

At that moment, a shadow fell over Alberu, Rosalind, Choi Han, and the others.

“It seems you have forgotten about me.”

Merry descended to the ground.
And the black Bone Dragon hybrid with golden eyes gleaming.

“Climb onto my back.”

The Dragon Hybrid presented his armored back before Alberu, Choi Han, and Rosalind. Alberu smiled and spoke.
Alberu laughed as he spoke.

“…It seems there was no need to ride on Erhafen’s back after all.”

A sky blanketed in golden dust like the Milky Way.
Three figures rode atop the black Bone Dragon toward the battlefield in the sky.

* * *

At that same moment.

“What?”

Rashil, the half-shaved dragon, couldn’t hide his bewildered expression. He shook Dorf by the collar with one hand.
The Black Curtain that Dorf had deployed had already vanished.

“Hey! Snap out of it! What happens if you die already?! Hey! Hey! You lion cub! Snap out of it!”

Thud, thud, thud!
To get him to come to his senses faster, Rashil continued raining punches down on Dorf’s ruined face.

“Ugh… Aaah….”

Each time, groans escaped from the unconscious Dorf’s mouth, but Rashil didn’t stop and kept striking.

“Hey, if you don’t snap out of it, you’ll get beaten until you die, yeah? You want that?”

He continued with relentless, menacing threats.
The Mercenary King Bud watched the spectacle with an astonished expression and cried out.

“Rashil! How about you help us too?”
“No way! I’m only beating this one guy!”

Wham!
Rashil kicked Dorf in the stomach.
Bud turned his gaze away from the sight in disgust, only to catch sight of the Lion Tribe members glancing at Rashil with expressions even more appalled—or rather, consumed by terror.
Bud muttered as he observed the scene.

“Well, it doesn’t really seem like help is needed anyway.”

Whoosh—!
Bud’s sword, emanating a blue aura. Eyes as cold as the blade itself surveyed the battlefield.

The Lion Tribe had entered a berserk state, but they were currently at a disadvantage. Clustered together, they found no corner to escape toward.
Once their leader Dorf lost consciousness, they lost their center of gravity and stumbled about in confusion.

“Surround them! Don’t let them escape!”
“We can’t win against their numbers!”

Furthermore, the Ranger Unit members who had gone to rescue the Vampires joined in, and a total of roughly five hundred Rangers attacked the Lion Tribe.
With only dozens of Lion Tribe members, even their berserk state couldn’t sustain the battle—they were inevitably overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

“You wretches!”
“I will never forgive you!”

Finally, despite their weakened bodies, some Vampire warriors joined the fray, pouring their attacks relentlessly.
And an unexpected ally.

“Attack those who attempted to harm the King! Do not hesitate!”
“Leave none alive! The enemies of the Sezes Kingdom!”

The Black Curtain vanished, and the Sezes Kingdom Knights, soldiers, and mages who appeared fought alongside the mercenaries.
The three unconscious leaders—King Bakehe, the Knight Commander, and the Royal Court’s highest mage—would have been astounded by this situation had they witnessed it, but they remained motionless in their unconscious state.
Instead, the Vice-Captain of the Royal Palace Knights, who orchestrated this entire situation, continuously vented his fury toward the Lion Tribe and Cat-Human Race.

“Good heavens, such treacherous villains!”
“Hehehehe.”
“I am in awe of the Peace Group’s ideals. Thanks to the Peace Group, His Majesty has returned, and I am simply grateful.”
“Hehe, it is nothing. Merely what we ought to do—simply the righteous path.”

Gashan patted the shoulder of Dodori, who could not hide her anxiety, while pretending to care for the unconscious King Bakehe.
At his devoted demeanor, the Vice-Captain of the Sezes Royal Palace Knights was pouring out praise for the Peace Group that Gashan had mentioned, his face moved with emotion.
Of course, Gashan was prepared to sever the King’s neck the moment he regained consciousness and the situation threatened to unravel, but only a handful—Bud and a few others—knew his true intentions.

Bud, observing this, thought that the subsequent cleanup would be handled well if left to Gashan. Simultaneously, he bit his lip with anxiety.

‘I must leave quickly.’

He had heard from Dodori and Gashan about Kale’s condition. And he could discern what danger Rowan faced.

‘I must go as quickly as possible and help.’

To do that, I needed to finish things cleanly here before leaving.
Bud’s gaze turned toward the forest.

“Only one left.”

Nexus Mountain, shrouded in mist.
One-third of it was occupied by crimson fog.
And I surveyed the battlefield once more.

“Ha. Those Cat-Human Race members are remarkably quick.”

The Molan Family and the Cat-Human Race were nowhere to be seen.
When the situation became critical, all the Cat-Human Race members had fled into the mist at incredible speed.
The Cat Tribe Chief was no exception.

“…I didn’t know the Cat-Human Race could become this fast when they enter a berserk state.”

The speed of a berserk Cat-Human Race member was so agile that even a Sword Master found it difficult to keep pace.
They fled without concern for their allies—the Lion Tribe or Dorf—in such haste that only the Molan Family members managed to chase after them before disappearing into the mist.

Bud could not hide his anxiety and worry.
The forest was far too quiet.
Then, a low voice reached my ears.

“It will end soon.”

Vicross spoke with determination as he wiped the blood from his greatsword.

“The silence means we’re doing well.”

Father, running through the mist.
On and Hong, billowing the crimson fog ever higher, attempting to consume this entire mountain.
Vicross could vividly picture his family’s forms.
And every image he conjured reflected reality with perfect accuracy.

The forest, cloaked in mist.

“Kugh—!”

The Cat Tribe Soldier, unable to even produce a proper sound, collapsed to the ground with a pierced throat.
Thud.
The body that fell into the grass made barely a sound.

Whoosh.
Ron wiped the blood from his short blade with a grass leaf and fixed his gaze forward.

“…Grrr-”

Within the mist, the berserk Cat Tribe Chief glared at Ron.
And from behind the Cat Tribe Chief, a crimson mist crept forward, gradually expanding its domain as it approached Ron and the Chief.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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