#Cale failing at being trash

[caleism-1]

"Your dress."

"Yes?"

"It's awful."

"H-huh?"

"You should fire whoever made that for you. That design will make it incredibly easy for you to trip and embarrass yourself in public."

"Is that so...? Thank you very much!"

'What is that supposed to mean??'

In order to butter him up, the Northeastern nobles wait until the end of the meal to approach Cale with the proposition of Eric Wheelsman taking over all of Cale's social interactions at the Crown Prince's gathering. As a result, Cale has to spend the whole meal trying his best to act like a mean bastard. Yet somehow, all of his efforts backfire entirely. Why are they acting as if he's reformed or something?!

Or, a what-if AU of chapter 35 where Cale attempts to be trash... and fails spectacularly, for some inexplicable reason.

[tysleria]

bffr.

Half of llyods character is him trying to make the best of 'stealing' og lloyds life and making things better for those around him while cales whole thing is 'why am i here,,, anyways *does things that make him more linked to the story bc "he HAS to ofc he can't just leave it alone now"

They couldn't be more different. The only thing they share is the chronic need to 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 at the cost of themselves while acting like its FOR themselves.

Lloyd is constantly trying to do/make things better for his family/javier (while trying to convince himself he doesn't care about them too half the time) while dealing with the fact that yeah, he isnt lloyd. That no matter how happy he makes them hes still taken their son/friend and all he can do is make a life they wouldve both wanted.

𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.

Cale is always trying to LEAVE every situation he gets into but stays anyway because he doesn't know how he affects those around him by saving them; he rationalizes everything to the point hes 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 into thinking everything he does it for selfish reasons and doesn't deserve the loyalty/admiration of those around him.

Anyways whoever said that was dumb asf and I have many feelings about both og!Cale, krs!Cale, og!Lloyd, ksh!Lloyd and Javier.

You should totally read them both :D

the thing about tcf is that i could've been interested in reading it but one person called lloyd 'discount cale' and that soured the entire thing for me. i will need someone to be very convincing to get me to start reading it again and even then i will go in very biased against it. yes i am that childish how dare you be mildly dismissive about my blorbo online ahskajsks

[sadlynotthevoid]

The funniest thing about og!Cale being called a trash an everyone acting like him is so kind of cartoon villain is that guys like Venion are described in the novel like "your typical noble".

Guys—

Venion: sends people to kill his own brother, tortures a baby dragon, whatever Taylor had about him.

Is called a typical noble.

Og!Cale: drinks alcohol, breaks furniture here and there, glares.

Is called a lout, trash, famously infamous.

Just— what did everyone think he actually did in his daily life?

Why did the nobles, many of them who were way worse than him, act like he was Pitch?

Is it because og!Cale, different from them, didn't silence the bad rumors about him? People who were involved in really dark stuff actually feared a teen who failed shots on purpose. Lmao.

He's so good at playing people.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Young Master Shield's Chapter 209

TL;DR - Lily worries about failure and disappointing her family. Everyone reassures and supports her. Cale meets academy staff and is overwhelmed by the welcome. Effric keeps saying stuff that makes Cale embarrassed. Sui and Alberu laughing at Cale's situation. A wanderer gatecrashes the event.

Lily's Worries The first quarter of the chapter was about Lily. She was happy that her brothers were attending, but also worried about her future. Like what if she failed? Fortunately, everyone was supportive of her.

CH said with a sincere and gentle smile that he couldn't study and was bad at it. Basen told her that he was bad at swordsmanship. And Cale told her that it was fine to fail. Her family would not be disappointed in her even if she failed. Awww~ 🥰

Effric's "Attacks" on Cale The entire chapter after Lily's part was so hilarious. Effric, the president of Roan Academy, dealt several blows on Cale that made him feel so embarrassed. And Raon's comments that his human's eyes kept shaking added to the fun. 😂

Effric: *bows at a 90 degree angle* It's an honor to meet you, LORD CALE! Cale: ... Various deans from other departments: IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU! Raon: Human, your eyes are shaking! Effric: A lot of people wanted to hear your speech, and we barely managed to reduce it from the tens of thousands who wanted to. Cale: (Huh? How many thousands?!) Effric: We cleared all schedules today for your speech! Hahaha! Raon: Human, your eyes keep shaking! Effric: I'm sure you'll be a great role model for the students. And for us adults too! Hahaha! Raon: Human, why is your smile like a shrivelled persimmon? Effric: I am looking forward to it, Lord Cale. No, Commander Cale. Hahaha! Cale: ...Yes... I'll do my best...

Cale: *sees the academy plaza* Effric: What's the matter? Cale: It reminds me of the capital's plaza. Effric: You're right. It was modeled after the capital's plaza. Cale: *freezes* Effric: *smiles* I guess you remember that time. Cale: ...Pardon? Effric: Where the legend began. Cale: *freezes again* Effric: *talks more about Cale's shield legend in the capital plaza* Cale: *awkward smile*

Embarrassed Cale Next part was funny. The way to the podium had a red carpet laid on it, and Cale felt embarrassed walking on it while thousands of eyes were watching him. Raon's comments weren't helping him either, especially the one about how Sui kept laughing for some strange reason. Cale could only mentally curse and hold it in. 😂

Cale was dressed in his black commander uniform, so the students were very excited. And when Cale met eyes with a knight student, the "Shield" chant began and spread all over the plaza. Cale was embarrassed again, and Raon made it even funnier again.

Raon said that Alberu had arrived and was laughing out loud at Cale... 🤣🤣🤣 Poor Cale... 🤣🤣🤣

We did get some thoughts on Cale about his past. His KRS self found school life as dull, and he found speeches boring, so he decided to keep his speech short. And also a line about original Cale not having gone to school because he was busy acting like a trash.

Speech Curse is Real We were all expecting the speech, right? Unfortunately, Cale's speech curse is back! 😂 Anyway, we find out that CJS actually headed back to report to GoD after his time on the Central Plains. Cale had messaged GoD, asking to send CJS and reporting about his finding of the Five-Colored Bloods being like wanderers, but GoD ghosted him... 😂

As for the speech curse...

Cale to the students: Nice to meet you. Raon: Human, CJS is here! Cale: (Okay, I just greeted them...what now?) Raon: CJS said it was urgent! He said he could sense another wanderer nearby! Water AP: The sky is strange. Cale: *looks up the sky and sees an incoming black dot* Cale: (Is that a person? A wanderer? No, why is this always happening to me?) Cale: Damn it.

Ending Remarks I loved today's chapter. Reading about an embarrassed Cale is so fun~! 😂 And the speech curse at the end! 🤣🤣🤣 Given the chapter title, I guess we'll see the return of Cale's shield legend next chapter. I can't wait for Friday to come!

[skylerskyhigh]

I have a crack crossover idea

Tcf but with the plot of Romantic Killer.

Basically, Kim Rok Soo, is a shut in who doesn't sociolize and spends most of his time reading novels, eating sweets, and working. Or school, whichever time setting this will be in.

Then, one day, a weird being appears and tells him that he is picked to be part of a program that will match him up with a love interest and follows romance tropes. Like the kabedon, stuck together in a storm, giving each other lunch boxes, etc.

To ensure that he won't be "distracted" from his love interest, his other interests (books, sweets, and work/school) will be taken from him.

Rok Soo absolutely hates it. He does whatever it takes to NOT fall in love. But he keeps ending up with so many love interests.

The love interests:

Choi Han- the sporty and diligent type of person who is extremely loyal. He is from a long line of martial artists and his family owns a dojo. He is also Rok Soo's "childhood friend".

Alberu- rich CEO/heir to a company and the star student/employee. Has a glib tongue and finds Rok Soo amusing.

Cale Henituse- trash rich heir to a company but secretly kind and soft hearted.

Paseton- Shy but honest person. He is a smart person who is related to a rich family.

Witira- Paseton's sister and a very dedicated and strong woman. She is next in line to inherit the family's company.

Rosalyn- intelligent and talented, she is well known to be an heir who turned down her position so she could study and get her masters/doctorate. (In what? Unsure yet)

(More along the way but I can't think of possible love interests right now)

Rok Sok tries his best to avoid being in romantic situations with these people, using his knowledge in romance tropes to help him, but he fails. It's not all bad when he finds a family and a strong circle of friends around him.

[inked-night]

Sic Parvis Magna

What happens when Cale Henituse is killed by the White Star?

The Unknown God [Seere] is in charge of claiming the soul of the last descendant of the Thames, preventing the God of Death from making a transmigration pact and distorting the timeline that was destined to happen in the TBOAH world.

Due to this and in order for him to live prosperously, said soul reincarnates as Nathan Drake in a totally different world.

After ending the events of Uncharted 4: The Thief's End, the God of Death manages to interfere in the adult's new life to transport him to both his old world and body, giving him the memories of everything that happened during the war.

Forced to embark on a new adventure, Cale sets out to put an end to the White Star's plans while finding a way for him and his family to return home.

He is calm, collected and works well under pressure; however, he can sometimes let his emotions get the best of him, especially in times of great stress (This usually leads to fits of rage or nervous panic, which are followed by a dry, cynical comment). The trait that stands out the most is his dry humor, even in dangerous situations.

As a former treasure hunter and thief, he frequently faces various types of enemies and dangers, although this does not seem to discourage him (Typical of an adrenaline junkie). Because of this, he possesses a callous and somewhat sadistic contempt for his adversaries; killing without remorse, although always in self-defense (He is against cold-blooded executions).

Due to his first life as Cale and his second life as Nathan, he is self-taught in history and several languages, as well as being highly intelligent.

Surprisingly Cale's main skill is with weapons, he has a trained hand and is a very good shot, although he also has experience with light swords.

An extraordinarily skilled runner and climber, capable of leaping great distances and possessing formidable strength as well as a tolerance for pain. His improvised fighting style, while effective against most of his opponents, can be outmatched by much more experienced or intelligent combatants.

He is too proficient when it comes to fighting without weapons. Sullivan and Elena agree that he could be considered a perfect example of a "one man army"; able to take on people much bigger and stronger than him. However, Cale is not invincible and can also be overwhelmed or subdued by any opponent.

Ever since he woke up in his old body, Cale doesn't know how to feel about Count Deruth and Ron Molan and tries to keep his distance. He believes that Sullivan has been an excellent father/mentor and that he could not replace him, even if these people were once a kind of “father” figure.

Victor Sullivan, Samuel Drake, and Elena Fisher are transported to TBOAH. Seere decided to send them there when he found out about the stupidity that the God of Death did with his protégé, therefore, to avoid misunderstandings or that the relationship between the four of them would be broken; she ends up telling them all the details of Nathan's past life as Cale Henituse.

All the people of TBOAH are a bit insecure and incredulous before the actions that the well-known "Trash" has carried out and the frequency with which it gets into trouble. To the point of theorizing that the presence of those unknown people at his side is an indication of his current behavior.

Cale ends up adopting On and Hong after attempting to flee the Henituse Territory by scaling one of the walls and failing miserably when he ends up colliding with Choi Han, causing them both to fall carelessly from above though luckily they managed to avoid crushing the little cats (Both are too stubborn to accept that they hurt themselves falling and end up returning to the redhead's mansion after a "painful" walk).

Choi Han, On and Hong did not help Cale to rescue Raon, instead, Sullivan and Elena were his support, because in the middle of an exploration they ended up finding the location of the cave and after "kindly" eliminating the guards; they find the dragon and release it. At first none of them understand why he decides to follow them, however, after hearing him say that he wanted to protect the kind and clumsy human, well, they decide to let him do whatever he wants even if they have to put up with Cale's complaints for two hours.

[fanfiction-artist-prototype]

Goddamn young adults these days and their reincarnating vampire boyfriends- 👀

ask me about my wips post

SO!

I have had this idea because Part 2 of Trash of the Count's Family came out! It's literally just a 'what if Lee Soo Hyuk transmigrated as a vampire in the endable kingdom, had no good reason to get close to Cale during the war because iit'd be suspicious and GOD is like 'yo... yo cale your hyung is alive' post war, they meet and happy polysoos commence but from an outside POV and everyone is so horribly confused and just come to the conclusion they met during his stint pretending to be Fredo's son.

Fredo admitantly denies it but the consensus is, well the old bat is jealous of not being his father of course he's going to deny that the one vampire he likes and lets drink his blood came into Cale's life duirng the one time he had the opportunity to monopolise his time and literally failed so bad that Cale had time to fall in love with a stranger.

[blueteller]

"He just thinks that he is a bad person and, therefore, when he is trying to be bad, it doesn't work out since he doesn't see the need to act." That's exactly the point, my friend! 😁

A lot of plot and comedy in TCF comes from the fact that Cale, despite being a very clever person and a brilliant strategist, really doesn't understand how other people perceive him. You can blame it on multiple factors (least of all his childhood trauma from his previous life as Kim Rok Soo), but the point is, Cale is unable to see himself from an outside point of view at all. He also doesn't realize his own double-standards.

What does "being trash" mean to Cale? When applied to himself, it means his character. He thinks that deep inside, he's "trash" because he's "selfish, self-serving, useless, a coward".

What does "being trash mean to Cale while applied to other people? It means people like Adin: "manipulative, liar, evil, remorseless".

And Cale sincerely thinks that those two categories are the same, while it couldn't be further from the truth.

"Trash Cale" means that being even slightly rude to anyone is being trash. Being actually mean to someone is "not even something as trash as him would do". He's still prioritizing his people over his own safety, he's extremely generous with his wealth, and helps out whoever needs it, all while making super weak excuses why "he's doing this for his own sake, actually". I think most readers stopped believing this BS around the time Cale adopted Raon, despite his oh-so-sincere insistence that he would NEVER get involved with a Dragon, because too much trouble-! Oh wait the Dragon baby tried to save him that one time, nevermind. He's family now. 😂

"Trash Enemies" means the WORST kinds of scumbags. Notice that not even Clopeh fits in that category – while our favorite madman fanatic is certainly a sociopath lacking any morals, and his plan to spread war and conquer for the sake of glory was quite evil... that's still not what makes someone qualify as a "Trash Enemy" to Cale. Clopeh was an evil bastard, but still had his uses. "Trash Enemies" are people who aren't even useful to Cale. Those are people who "Have To Go Down". Those are scumbags who murder innocent people en masse, spread destruction everywhere, experiment on children, plot to end the world. THOSE are the "Real Trash" to Cale.

"Being slightly rude" versus "being actually super evil"... You see the difference? ...And why Cale Utterly Fails At Acting Like Actual Trash? 🤣

I was thinking about that one tcf meme where it's like talking about how people in tcf act. Cale gets 'bad at acting bad', and it kinda got me thinking. We know that Cale can act. We love it when he does, but when he thinks he is 'acting bad,' he isn't acting at all. He just thinks that he is a bad person and, therefore, when he is trying to be bad, it doesn't work out since he doesn't see the need to act.

[screamingtofuu]

Cale’s wild imagination (tcf chapter uhhhh somewhere when they were taking care of mogoru i think its when choi han found out about kim rok soo)

And also i have some plans to do with og!cale i think its either gonna be a vid or a lyric comic but basically i wanna bash deruth so hard and i wanna snuggle og!cale but he’s so easy to hurt im sorry

And also since i am extremely deprived of tsctir content i made something during class n uh

Did i get their dynamic right

[illusionsofdreaming]

Actually, Cale's method of getting his slacker life is pretty good. Work hard, get assets, set up the stage for your future, then slack off as much as you want because there's no longer any need for you to work. Insurances and savings are your bestfriends. The only problem is that he lives in a fantasy world while we live in one without dragons, magic and crazy people with a God complex. And if he doesn't stop said crazy people, the world will end like in TBOAH. He is literally required to save the world to get his slacker life. He's already 40+ years old mentally, his old man peepaw brain and weak body deserve to rest 😭

The formula you just mentioned is basically the ultimate retirement life plan that we’ve been fed since childhood:

Study Hard > Work Hard > Enjoy Retirement Life

Where if you place emphasis on the second stage and save up a lot, you can move onto retirement life earlier or enhance the quality of your retirement life. And that’s the formula everyone in society is working to achieve. 

Now, when Cale says he wants to enjoy a Slacker Life, it means he wants to skip 1 + 2 and jump straight into 3. Retirement 🤣

Course some people have the privilege to do exactly that (because the world is unfair and wealth gaps exists) and technically, Cale can enjoy his slacker life because Henituse is loaded. 

The reason Cale isn’t enjoying the slacker life right out of reach is just because he’s a busybody. A true trashy slacker would ignore world crises with the mindset of “I can’t fix it, someone else will fix it”. But Cale with his extremely stubborn views and moral standards would step in and do what he can because he believes fixing it would yield better results than just ignoring it.

As we all knew from the very beginning, Cale isn’t fit to be any kind of trashy slacker because more often than not, he’s willing to work for it even if he complains all the way.

Which to be honest, we’ve all been through those times where we complain and grouch about doing something, loudly or softly, but still do it anyways. 

[galaxygirl8880]

Be aware of the sads

---

It's in the middle of the night and Cale just got done with paperwork. The kids are asleep on his bed, their soft breathing being the only sound in the room besides his shuffling

He's just walking through a hallway, not really paying attention to his surroundings. He can't focus, everything feels.. muddy in a way. He isn't really processing anything, just going wherever his feet are taking him.

Oh, he's in the gardens.

The moonlight looks soft and makes the white flowers shine brighter. He sits on a bench near the red roses.

Is it odd? Nothing terrible has happened, yet he feels so.. empty.

He stares.

He waits.

What is he waiting for? He doesn't know.

He doesn't know a lot of things. He doesn't know why they stayed. Why so many people look up to him. Why they think he's such a great person. Why his Hyungs had to die, he was supposed to die instead, isn't that what the GoD said? Would it have been better?

He can't find himself to regret the fact that he's here now.

'Ah, this is why Im trash'

He's selfish.

Very selfish.

Lost in his mind and records, he fails to notice the hot and wet tears that are falling down his face.

He cries.

When those cries turn to sobs, no one is there to comfort him.

And when morning comes and he's found on that bench, with dried tear tracks visible on his flushed cheeks, all Choi han and Ron can do is carry him back to bed and tuck him in. Concern visible in their eyes and when Eruhaben bumps into them and looks at Cale's face, they say nothing.

'Why is it that you must bare everything on your own? Don't you know that you can lean on us? Lean on me? You've done so much for us. Why not let me do this one small thing and offer you a shoulder to cry on.'

---

I saw a comment on a different post about angst writers never making Cale cry and decided to finish this in honor of that comment

Honestly, if anyone's up for it, write something in (whatever character you want)'s pov where they find Cale in the gardens like this fic (or I'll do it later, idk-)

Is this ooc? Probably :^

[phantom-thiefx]

Tcf incorrect quotes part 4=

♡♡♡

Alberu: Yk you are not as much of a trash as you think yourself to be.

Cale: Preposterous. Unimaginable. Absolutely ludicrous. What farcical bullshit are you spewing hyung? Have a terrible day.

Raon: Our not-so-weak human is indeed a good person who saved my life.

*Everyone chiming in on how Cale helped them survive.*

Cale: *disassociates on command*

♡♡♡

Plot: White Star and Adin, the two people despised by Cale facing judgement.

Adin: How much of an utter idiot do you have to be to make all the mistakes you've made, huh? You are a complete failure. Not even a thousand years can help you.

White Star: *bristles* Who are you calling a clown and a failure?

White Star: Remind me again who lost the trust of their own people by giving away all of their evil plans while cackling like an evil mob boss on camera? Amateur.

G.O.D: This is strangely entertaining, wish i had popcorn.

♡♡♡

Cale: It's useless to argue with you. You never come to the conclusion that there are other perspectives than your own.

White Star: I'm well aware of perspectives other than my own. I just happen to think mine is better.

Cale: I believe that's only supporting my theory.

White Star: *inhales sharply* NO I MEAN HOW CAN A RUMORED TRASH DESTROY ALL MY CAREFULLY CRAFTED PLANS OF THOUSAND YEARS IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS WITHOUT BEING A GOD'S MESSENGER!? IMPOSSI-

♡♡♡

Duke fredo: You know the secret to living with rules and regulations?

Alberu: *smiles brightly* Finding ways to bend them.

Cale: *nodding* Or destroying the reason they exist.

Raon: Human you and the crown prince are smiling like that again! Are you both going to scam someone? Hmmm? *tilts head cutely*

♡♡♡

LSH: *sees injued KRS* We need to talk.

CJS:*smiles menacingly* A nice, long chat.

KRS: That has never been true. Goodbye.

♡♡♡

Beacrox: Whats wrong with you?

Choi Han: *in a rare moment of honesty and covered by the nth dish he failed to cook*

Choi Han: Almost everything.

♡♡♡

Basen: Who thinks they can fight me and win?

Lily: Almost everyone.

Basen: They are right. I am sensitive. But that doesnt mean i cant make them bankrupt and politically isolated.

♡♡♡

Flight attendant: Before we take off, please ensure all small items are secured.

Witira: *smiles and looks at Archie*

Witira: Do you feel secure?

Archie: Fuck you.

♡♡♡

[blueteller]

“Trash of the Count’s Family” Review Series: Chapter 8

Trash of the Count’s Family Manhwa: Chapter 8

(This is actually the second time I'm writing this chapter's review, because Tumblr glitched out on me at the last second and deleted all of my work before I could post it. I tried to replicate it but I'm sure I missed some things – so this is the shorter, less detailed version. Sorry about that.)

We start off with Cale noticing how Ron apparently has been feeding Choi Han well (suuure Cale, you don't care at all about the well-being of this protagonist, you're just using him… uhuh, I totally believe you), and how apparently Choi Han, Beacrox/Vicross – depending on translation – and Ron are all getting along (suuure Cale 🤣).

Then we get an adorable, sincere face of Choi Han who wants to repay Cale for his kindness. I honestly adore Choi Han's design, it's simple but it's just so cute.

Cale notices how the events are gradually diverting from "The Birth of a Hero" (TBOAH) story-line, and how much more they will change when he goes to the capital. He puts a page on the table and starts "interviewing" Choi Han: he asks him whether he can protect. Choi Han is surprised at the question.

Cale thinks on how he can profit from the current situation and we get the first "no-eyes" shot of this chapter – only 1/5 awkwardness rating, since I barely caught it. Cale is planning on taking the "Ancient Powers" before Choi Han and his companions from TBOAH can get them. Honestly speaking, when I first read this part, it made me think Cale really isn't a selfless person, just like his inner narrator kept insisting. However, we will soon find out that despite Cale framing it in such a selfish manner – coming in and stealing other people's good luck before they can get it – he admits to the audience that "they won't need them anyway". Turns out Ancient Powers really are supposed to be minor power-ups, which didn't serve a larger purpose in the original story-line. In retrospection, Cale really has a tendency of framing his "misdeeds" as if they're the ultimate proof that he absolutely cannot be a good person, while downplaying all of his acts of charity and selflessness as if they didn't matter. What a charming hypocrite you are, Cale…

Anyway, Cale continues the interview. Choi Han doubts himself, because of course he does – he just failed to save the entire village of people who were like family to him. Then Cale asks him if he can kill. Choi Han naturally responds yes. He did kill all the assassins, after all. Cale tells him that he can protect as well, then. Choi Han says that would be difficult. But Cale responds that "difficult doesn't mean impossible".

We are reminded about Kim Rok Soo's backstory of a difficult past as a poor orphan. It's the reason he's so happy that he got transmigrated as a rich trash/lout like OG Cale. But now Cale faces an obstacle to his desired peaceful life, so he needs Choi Han to get through it – naturally ignoring the fact that by doing so, he's helping Choi Han with his problems as well.

(...And getting involved in the very plot he didn't want to get involved with from the start – but as we've established by now, our MC's self-awareness is equal to that of a potato sometimes 😂)

Choi Han smiles as he agrees with Cale and ahhh, why is he so cute?? I wanna squish that over-century-old teenager's cheeks! 🤗

Then Cale finishes off the interview by asking Choi Han his name. He knows it by now, obviously, but he wants to hear it from Choi Han himself. I'm not 100% sure how to interpret Cale gesture here – if maybe that's some Korean culture aspect that I'm missing – but if I had to guess… I think that's his way of showing respect? Like, accepting Choi Han as a proper employee. Which is just so wholesome of Cale. He really has no idea what a nice guy he is.

When Choi Han asks "You don't know my name?", we get a long-distance image where we can still clearly see Choi Han and Cale's expression. So that's very nice. Unfortunately, we get another "no-eyes" shot from Cale in the very next panel, and it's reaaally noticeable and obvious, so I'm giving it a 4/5.

But Choi Han's happy smile as he reaches out to Cale is great. And the way the hands are drawn is fantastic, as always. So an awkward panel here and there is a small price to pay, I think.

Now that our main heroes finally introduced themselves and Cale officially hired Choi Han, Cale passes him the page we saw at the beginning. Choi Han reads two names on it: Rosalyn and Lock/Lark – once again, depends on translation.

We get some exposition on the new characters (whose eyes are covered, but since they count as "mysterious, yet-to-be-revealed characters", I'm giving it a pass): Rosalyn is a princess who survived an assassination attempt, as well as an incredible mage who would lead the strongest Magic Tower in the future. Lock/Lark is the heir and only survivor of the Blue Wolf Tribe, who can transform into a powerful beastman through "berserk transformation".

Cale get chills as he remembers how TBOAH, Beacrox/Vicross would torture those who tried to assassinate Rosalyn. That panel is surprisingly bloody, considering how earlier all violent scenes got significantly censored… I'm really impressed! It looks scary and gory, but it's amazing. Such a minor scene got so much detail, the artist is really someone special.

(Also, Cale's disturbed expression is quite hilarious, not gonna lie 😏)

With another "no-eyes" shot (let's give it a 2/5) Cale says it's a good thing Choi Han can read, and before anyone can accuse him of being patronizing – that's a valid concern, since education doesn't seem to be a requirement among peasantry in this world. Cale is actually being very clever by staying in-character as a noble – from that point of view, Choi Han's ability to read wasn't guaranteed at all.

Next, Cale pulls out a map and – wait… seriously? The map of the continent? Cale, wasn't there any smaller-scale maps?? I'm pretty sure a country map would be enough! Or is this "subtle" exposition for the audience? ...Or maybe since this map will be used more in the future, the artist just didn't bother with a country-sized map, since they would have to make up a lot of towns or something.

Either way – we get what I think is our first close look at this world's layout. Cale points at the right middle side, so this is where this country (yet unnamed at this point, I believe) is located on the continent. The castle in the middle apparently symbolizes the capital, where Cale is going. The buildings at the North-East stand for the Henituse territory, their journey's starting point. Cale plans on taking Choi Han with him part of the way, before splitting up. There is a reason for that.

We get some more exposition: in TBOAH, there was a villain Marquis/Marquess – again, depending on translation. Both are accurate nobility titles, one rank before the Duke position. That person served as an antagonist to Choi Han and the crown prince. He also raised a "crazy dragon".

Then we get more TBOAH story content: a dragon, less than 5 years old, was tortured in an attempt to tame it. However, it broke free and went berserk (or more accurately, into "mana explosion state", since the "berserk state" is solely for the Beast People), killing innocent villagers. Choi Han fought the dragon and killed it out of mercy.

Now lets get into the most interesting topic to discuss this chapter: the visual representation of the dragon's rampage.

I admit, the first time I read this I totally missed the part about the dragon being only 4. The way this sequence was shown in the Manhwa made me believe this was an adult dragon. It isn't a spoiler to say that wasn't the case since the age is right there: also, at the beginning we were told that Choi Han has been gifted "the lifespan of a dragon, making him pretty much never age". Based on that information, it's obvious that dragons are VERY long lived, so less than 5 years makes it a kid, if not an infant. In the novel we get even more information: the dragon was small, about 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) in length and described as very cute.

So here's the question: why was this dragon drawn like an adult?

When I started writing this review, I thought perhaps it was hidden for a future twist: the Manhwa-only readers would expect a huge, scary beast, and would get a surprise in the form of a small adorable baby later on – just like I did, when I read it for the first time.

I even came up with a theory how such a thing could canonically make sense – the dragon growing in size so much while going berserk. In some lore we will get much, much later, we find out that dragons go through sudden growth phases, instead of growing gradually. If the dragon broke free by cutting through some of its life force… that means it could have forcefully sped up its growth, with potentially very deadly consequences. So this change isn't necessarily a plot-hole or anything.

However, the more I thought about it… I realized what was likely the true reason.

The reason I'm content with this representation of the scene, is that aside from being very well-drawn and dramatic... I didn't want to see a baby get murdered on screen. But what if the artist's reason was the same? It is a form of censorship, in a way – just like drawing less blood in a village massacre.

...Or maybe it's because it's all Cale's imagination and he just thinks dragons are scary 😅 Who knows!

Back to the chapter – Cale knows he can't avoid the village where that event took place, since it's on his way to the capital. He plans on either having Choi Han take care of the dragon again, or releasing it before it can go crazy. I think we all know where this is going… 😏

Cale tells Choi Han to bring Rosalyn and Lock/Lark to the capital as repayment. Choi Han asks if his job is to protect them. Cale tells him to "do whatever he wants", which is especially sweet since it's 100% sincere sentiment from Cale that will repeat a lot in the future. Cale believes in the freedom of choice for his allies; so even though he manipulates people and lies sometimes, he never forces them to act against their will or judgment. He's sending Choi Han to meet Rosalyn and Lock/Lark like he did in TBOAH, but he doesn't force him to form a relationship with them – they don't need his protection, they're powerful and capable people in their own right. (And Cale's unconditional belief in their abilities will cause a lot of beautiful misunderstandings in the future… 😂)

Cale also tells Choi Han to come to the capital uninjured – because he needs him healthy for the plan, of course! It's not like he cares for his well-being or anything… 🤣

Once Choi Han confirms that he can protect himself, Cale finally dismisses him (with a beautifully-drawn hand btw) and tells him to keep their discussion a secret. Choi Han says "I know" and leaves.

After a lovely transition of a starry night with a full moon above the Henituse mansion… we see Cale speaking with the Count, requesting money (because of course he is, lol). Deruth agrees without hesitation, showing once more he is a very generous father. We get 3 "no-eyes" shots one after another: Deruth, Cale & Ron, and separately I'd give them 1, 3 & 2, maybe... but together like that… mm… I'm giving those the first 5/5 awkwardness rating. That was just too many in too little space, you can't just not notice it.

We see Cale chilling in bed with his money check, with Ron serving him lemon tea, "made especially for him, for a good night's sleep". Allow me to remind you that Cale shares taste with OG Cale and dislikes sour things and likes sweet things instead. Also, Ron absolutely knows about that. He's just being a jerk on purpose 😂

Before he leaves, Ron also tells Cale to "remember that he is always right beside him", and I'm not sure he intends it to sound like a threat… but Cale sure hears it that way, judging from his expression! The relationship between this two really is comedy gold.

Now Cale is really set on sending off that sly assassin and his son with Choi Han in the future. Good thing they're all getting along well... Riiiight, Cale?? 🤣

And thats the chapter! Despite those "no-eyes" shots, there were so many beautiful panels with amazing expressions and detailed imagery, I really enjoyed it. Not to mention the humor. And my favorite dragon finally showing up! I really love this story.

Feel free to leave comments!

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[lostinfinity1]

Theory time : Trash of the count’s family

As usual, it’s pretty long.

And I don’t think I ever got a theory right. So if you don’t want to read a lot, skip it. Spoiler until chapter 480 of the light novel and a few things that I was spoiled. (I know, I still have a long way to go with 700+ chapter having been released, but the idea just kept coming back in my head and I was trying to not work on other things. So, I procrastinate to write this and to flee the tiny humans visiting who wanted to keep playing with me until exhaustion.)

Theory: Cale Henituse aka Kim Rok Soo ‘s soul/ heart is someone from the ancient time.

Why? There are a few things that caught my attention while reading the first 480 chapter.

I first thought about it because the ancient powers’ behaviour surprised me a little.

1.      The little hints in the ancient powers

               a.      The way the ancients power saved the “water of judgment”.  They burned a whole area in the North, created an epic mess and saved/ freed someone in the process. When I read about that crazy plan, I thought: that is something Cale would do. And the more I thought about it, the more I am certain Cale would have done something like that had he lived in that time. Create a big mess to save someone.  

            b.      The ancient powers personalities. Don’t they seem like crazy people that would gather around Cale had they lived in the present time? Also, Cale kept wondering if the Cobblestone was human since he killed so many monster in the tunnel between the two continent next to his villa. But if the ancient powers were not all human, it would parallel Cale present time where he befriends so many different races that look up to him. And while they worked together to save the water ancient power, they seemed to have split later on since they all died alone and they did not all seem to be friends.

                                          i.     It made me think of another theory, if the one person (Cale original self per example) they gathered around together died or disappeared (Cale is the heart of the group in this present time too), it wouldn’t surprised me that they would split. And that would kinda explain why the fight was so complicated that all evil and all heroes died if the strategist had died beforehand and that the core members had died while branching out.

               c.      The way the scary cobblestone kept asking: do you want to sacrifice yourself. Now we know that he wasn’t doing it to scare him (well maybe a little), but because he was worried and wanted to protect him. But what if he was asking and being worried because he and the other power knew his self-sacrificial tendencies from back in the days (and that they failed to protect him maybe)?

              d.      Cale can hear the ancient power while others who have ancient powers don’t. It was said that it was because the power didn’t fuse with him properly, but it might have been a subconscious choice from him. Cale also chose to not to fuse with them to keep hearing them. The reason could be because while he doesn’t remember them, he subconsciously didn’t want to lose them again.

                e.      The reason Cale was so lucky to find all five ancient powers could be because they all wanted to be found by him. Why? To protect him. They were all on the same side of the war. None of the powers are the ones that the white star or his subordinate had. I know most of them came from the Birth of a hero book from Nelan Barrow but (SPOILERS that I found out that happens later in the series, be warned, 600+ chapter ?) it was said that the current god of Death could be the first Choi Aka Nelan Barrow. He was also part of the group of heroes from that time since he was the only survivor of the last battle because he was protected by the Scary cobblestone. If he had known about the original Cale, he could have written about them for Cale to find because he knew they would have wanted to protect him. Remember that some ancient powers in the book were mentioned, but never claimed. That itself is pretty weird unless it was on purpose. And Nelan Barrow might have written down only the powers that he knew that Cale had met, if he had met the ancient power after they had split since I don’t think they say at what time exactly he arrived in ancient time. It could be before, in, or after the war.

               f.       The world tree hint. Chapter 172 I think : “There were people like you whom I could not see their pasts nor futures. I could only see tiny glimpses of their near future.” And later. “– The owners of the ancient powers were just like you. I could not see them. (…) I couldn’t see through the arsonist nor the rock for brains.”

 2.      Cale ability “record”.  I have a theory that the ability people awakened in his version of Earth are things or power that they either consciously or subconsciously wanted. Like his team leader embrace that stem from his desire to become an actor in the past. The ability to “record”, thus remember things, might stem from him subconsciously wanting to remember people in this time since he forgot (because of reincarnation probably) his past life (or lives).

 3.      The Henituse motto. "There is no reason to be recorded in history. Live for peace and happiness instead." The key word here is “recorded”. Knowing Cale’s ability, this sentence hits differently. What if the Henituse family had ties to Cale’s earlier life (ves?) ? Or was created by him at one point in time if he had more than one incarnation? It’s an old, selfless noble family that ended up protecting people from the forest of darkness while quietly living their life. The motto is essentially how Cale wishes he could live. I always thought it was fishy when I read it. The first incarnation of Cale may or may not have had the record ability though, but may reflect Cale’s desire not to known as a hero or recorded as one. However, the two sentences still hold true to what Cale wants and desire, especially if he lived in the troubled/war time that was the ancient times.

 4.      The birthday conundrum. It seems the Choi of the past and present and Kim Rok Soo share the same birthday. It might be the “link” that allowed the Choi and Cale to transmigrated into the birth of a hero world. But I wondered something else, what if (Spoilers again like earlier, so 600+ chapter spoilers that I saw online) the link was more subtle or emotional. If the first Choi, Nelan Barrow, chose that day, his own birthday, to incarnate people to protect someone. Kim Rok Soo friend, the nephew of Choi Han, ended up dying to protect Kim Rok Soo. Choi Han is currently acting as Cale’s sword. Nelan Barrow, possibly the god of death, is using Kim Rok Soo to save the world, maybe 2 worlds since he was also a hero on Earth.  Anyway, the God of death seems like a complicated story that will get worse as it goes on.

 5.      Cale’s aura. The fact that people keep mistaking him for dragons/demons/some sort of other being. He could be related to the gods or be a divine race, or just a human favored by nature (and possibly his past friends that had a close affinity to nature such as the ancient powers). It points toward the fact that Cale is someone special in any case.

 6.      SPOILER Chapter 600+. Cale’s mother from the Thames family has a time/fate? Ancient power. The Thames family also gathered information about transmigrator and the sort. So there is definitively something going on on that side that has yet to be revealed.

 7.      Raon power is the present. It sounds like a strange power and, as of chapter 481, he hasn’t really used it yet. I kept wondering why he had that power. But if Cale’s time is related to the past, maybe Raon is going to be needed to secure is time in the present or something of the sort. But I feel like his power is a clue to the events to come.

 8.      Cale time is warped according to the white star. That itself doesn’t say much, but (SPOILER Chapter 600+ that I saw) Original Cale had not his time warped apparently. I am wondering if it’s because Kim Rok Soo transmigrated or if it’s actually because it’s is soul/heart that is from the ancient time.

 9.      Cale/Kim was supposed to die, but didn’t according to the god of death. His friend from Earth weren’t supposed to die, it seems. Kim Rok Soo was supposed to die, but it was never cleared when he was supposed to die. It could mean that he was supposed to die in the past, the ancient time kinda past. Yet, he is here now. I also find it weird that his past team leader on Earth took the time to explain to him, he who can remember everything, how is special ability, Embrace, work when it was not standard to talk about them. I also wonder a lot about him since he was the first one to find Kim Rok Soo and that he was one of the first to develop an ability, but that’s off topic.

 Well, that’s all I could think off.

I’ll keep reading the novel when I get more time and probably think how a fool I was to write this. Bah, Tumblr is the land of fools. It would not be the first time I am completly wrong about something. And this novel is pretty good at being hard to predict.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Trash Boss's Chapter 134

TLDR; HD and Cale talk. Suicidal HD. HD found a way to purify the dead mana while keeping his chi.

Soos? LSH = ❌ CJS = ❌

Alberu and Heavenly Demon It wasn't just me, even Cale thought that these two were similar! The difference was that HD did not like having a glib tongue. He openly expressed his feelings without hiding anything.

Young Master Kim's Rumors

HD: You are a little different from what I heard. Cale: What did you hear? HD: I heard that you are gentle, kind, and have an incomparably broad heart. HD: That's all nonsense. Cale: ! Raon: T-That! No! Human, you are a little resentful, no, it's not a little... but anyway, human, you are not gentle-... anyway, human, you are very nice!

Raon, it's so hard to defend Cale, right? 🤣🤣🤣 Of course, our Cale ignored Raon's mumbling.

HD: However, it seems that your power had nothing to do with the "Nature Realm" martial arts rank. Cale: Sigh. It's not a rumor I spread. HD: I know. It's just an interesting rumor. I like those kind of gossip and exaggeration. The exaggerations and misunderstandings of the murim people are interesting. Cale: (What???) HD: *changes the subject*

I'm with you, HD. The exaggerations and misunderstandings in this murim arc are very funny and interesting. 😂😂😂

HD: But why do you want that as a reward? Cale: *feels awkward because he couldn't completely tell his plans to HD* Cale: Because that is what I need the most. You know that, right? Cale: *feels embarrassed for some reason* HD: I know. HD: *silently laughs* HD: I think I know why those rumors are circulating. Cale: Pardon? HD: Nothing. *chuckles in laughter* HD: You are a very amusing person. Cale: (What did you just say now?) HD: *changes the topic again*

Cale, you are not really good at hiding your emotions, okay? Or trying to mask your goodwill with selfishness. 😂😂😂

Suicidal Heavenly Demon Okay, so sad part. HD tried to remove the dead mana himself, but failed. That was why he planned to kill himself within 2 weeks to prevent the "other him" from destroying the Demon Cult.

Cale gets a taste of his Dominating Aura You know how this AP is so OP in this murim arc? Well, Cale finally experiences being on the receiving end of an aura similar to that. HD had let out a dark red aura as he argued with Shadow Guardian who disagreed with his suicide plan. And Cale got goosebumps and felt a dominating pressure. Even Raon remarked that it was like Cale's AP!

Cale and Heavenly Demon's Collaboration HD had figured out a way to remove the dead mana while keeping his chi, and Cale was needed for that method. Telling Cale that method was the reward mentioned in the conversation I wrote above.

Cale and Fire AP were excited to try that method, thinking that it would be easier now. However, Raon was nervous when he saw his human smiling brightly... 😏

Ending Remarks This entire chapter was hilarious! And Heavenly Demon is really growing on me. Kinda wish that we will know his real name and not just his title. Author-nim is really fleshing out his character unlike the other murim arc characters.

Anyway, next chapter is Cale coughing blood time! Or will he not? Tune in on Friday to find out! Bye!

[workaholic-slacker]

WHAT IF

CLOPEH SEKKA DIES

It was a normal ordinary day. The group were staying in the Super Rock Villa in the Forest of Darkness. Mary, the necromancer, decided to explore the Forest alone. Though she has a GPS like voice, she doesn't have the GPS's sense of direction.

Yes. She got lost.

No worries, she could conjure a bone dragon and just fly back home. The problem is, she hadn't considered the possibility of being lost and thus had not prepared any bones with her. But Mary has a solution for that too. She had connected with a lot of bones, scattered across the places she's been to, in case of emergencies. So she could conjure them from quite a distance. Although it does require some amount of concentration. Mary had practiced a lot with Raon-nim's and Eruhaben-nim's guidance. She could do it easily. After all, she was great and mighty.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. There! She could feel a connection, like it was a rope tied to her. It seems it's nearby too. How lucky for her. She decides to select this bunch of bones and uses her ability. But it somehow felt different from when she had practiced this method. Maybe it was due to the structure of the bones? Only one way to find out. So she does what she always does. She waited for it to reach her. She waited. Waited... What is this? Was there something wrong with her ability? That can't be. She was sure she had grasped on to something, though she had a different feeling. But nonetheless, there wasn't a bone in sight.

What had happened?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of rustling leaves. And an all too familiar voice echoed inside her head.

'Good Mary! Something big has happened!'

It was Raon-nim, the black dragon. There seemed to be an incident he wanted to share with 'good' Mary.

"What seems to be the matter, Raon-nim?"

Mary asked with her GPS-like voice.

"The lunatic is dead!"

Hm? The lunatic? Isn't that Clopeh Sekka, the crazy worshipper of Young Master Cale-nim? How did he die? Was Young Master Cale-nim finally fed up with his nonsense? That can't be. He is not such a person. The Young Master Cale Mary knew was a very good and righteous person, who wouldn't kill someone just like that. So-

"Young Master Cale-nim must have had a good reason for killing him. What did he do, Raon-nim?"

Raon was confused. His human killed the lunatic?

"That's not it, good Mary! Our human didn't do it. He even looked disappointed when he saw him dead!"

Raon did not know that Cale was disappointed at the fact that he couldn't kill that crazy bastard himself. Raon thought that Cale was disappointed because he couldn't use him for his plans anymore. Well, that was part of it too.

"Then was it Choi Han-nim?"

"No! Choi Han wouldn't do anything like that without our human's permission!"

Raon did not know what Choi Han had muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue, looking angrily at the body he would have loved to kill.

Now it was Mary's turn to be confused. If not for those two, someone else? But like Raon-nim had said, no one would do that without Young Master Cale-nim's permission.

"Then how did it happen?"

"We don't know!"

'They don't know?'

"He just died out of nowhere! His body looked like it was torn apart! There are barely any remains."

'Torn apart? Why does that ring a bell?'

"Why did you do it, Mary?"

A new voice came in. It was the human, the young master, Cale Henituse.

'Ah!'

Mary realized it. It was not Cale, not Choi Han, no one she thought it was, moments before. It was her. She was the one who killed the lunatic.

But how? She had not even thought about the bombs she had planted on that guy for a long time now. She barely remembered it. Then why-

"Where you lost in the forest?"

Cale asked with a concerned voice. It didn't really matter much to him how that crazy bastard died. He was more worried about Mary's safety at the moment.

"Yes, young master-nim. I was planning on conjuring a bone dragon to fly back- ah."

"Hm? What is it?"

She finally understood the reason. The reason why she had felt different when she tried to conjure the bones. The reason why she had failed to conjure any. The reason why Clopeh, the lunatic, died out of nowhere. The reason his body looked like it was torn apart. She had connected all the dots (properly, unlike some idiot called White Star).

"It was an accident."

That was all Mary could say. She didn't mean to do something that hindered Young Master Cale-nim's plans. When she was about to say 'I apologize', she was cut off. It was Cale.

"Oh, is that so? I see"

Mary was surprised, though it couldn't be seen on her face. Right, she had forgotten that this was Young Master Cale-nim, the one who had showed her the world along with Raon-nim, the one who is kind and has helped many people, but denies it by calling himself trash and what-not. He must have a lot to deal with when a prominent figure and one of the core members dies. Yet he forgives her, just like that.

"Thank you, Young Master-nim."

Cale had a weird expression while hearing Mary thank him. Why was she thanking him? He hadn't done anything to be grateful for.

'Whatever'

He decided to ignore it. He had other matters to take care of because of that crazy bastard now. Informing everyone he knows, dealing with Rock Sekka, redistributing the work he had assigned to the now dead Clopeh, and so on.

Cale patted Mary on the shoulder and beckoned Raon and her to follow him.

"Let's go back", he said.

"Yes, human!"

"Yes, Young Master-nim."

Let's go back. Back home

Yes, Clopeh was ignored. Legendarily ignored.

--------------------------------------------

I made this while I had a thought:

There are 3 ways Clopeh could die

Of old age

Trying to become a part of a legend (most probable)

By Mary's hands.

Didn't mean to write this much. It just happened : )