#bear king Sayeru

[nukudraws]

"People" comic part 3

~people suck - people f-ck~

~people leave their sh-t behind~

~people throw up on the carpet~

~people trip up on the stairs~

~people laugh~

~people dare~

~people scare~

~people tell you what to wear~

.......................................................................................... First part<-, Part 2<-, ->Part 4

[caleism-1]

…….*Weird squealing noise coming out of my mouth*

This is how my brain always pictures Sayeru and Dorph by default.....(^_^;)

Uh... I know they're not supposed to look like this ... but I just can't help but imagine them like this ( of course, I picture them to look a lot more uglier and stupider, actually) 😅😅. It oddly feels weird to imagine them as noble like or as humans. It just seems brain rotting to think of them normally when the only thing we know about their appearance is that they're both frail/sickly looking.......

[nonexistentirl]

People who have the prettiest handwriting: KRS!Cale, OG!Cale, Alberu, Glenn, Clopeh, Eruhaben, Mila, Sheritt, On, Tasha, Paseton, Harol, Jopis, Basen, Violan, Bear King Sayeru, Sound of the Wind, Super Rock, Bilose, Adin, First Prince John, Saint Jack, Taylor, Ron, Vicross

People who write exclusively in chicken scratch: Archie, Hong, Toonka, Rasheel, Choi Han, Dodori, Lion King Dorph, Fire of Destruction, Sky Eating Water, Vitality of the Heart, Sun God, God of Despair/Sealed God (you'll despair after seeing his handwriting), Park Jin Tae, Fourth Prince Pen, Hannah, Cage, Rex

People who have Schrodinger's handwriting: Rosalyn, Witira, Raon, Heavenly Demon, Choi Jung Gun, Choi Jung Soo, Lee Soo Hyuk, Jour Thames, Bud Illis, White Star, Indestructible Shield, Dominating Aura, Kim Min Ah, God of Death, Zed Crossman, Deruth, Lily, Pendrick

[blueteller]

Thought Experiment: In a world with no transmigrator Cale, who could make the best use of Cale's Ancient Powers?

Buckle up, people, you're in for a long ride with this one!

(Warning: lots of head-canons and theories and AU ideas!)

This question occurred to me due to reading many "reaction fics", where the premise is that "The Birth of a Hero" timeline's heroes watch "Trash of the Count's Family" timeline.

If Cale did not transmigrate, but other characters – such as Choi Han, Alberu, Raon et cetera – knew what is to come and teamed up together to save their world... who could use the Ancient Powers to their full potential instead of KRS!Cale?

Let's discuss the first possibility: that a single person would inherit all of the same powers as Cale; or at the very least, the 5 elemental ones. APs such as Vitality of the Heart, Dominating Aura, Annual Rings of Life, Blood-Drenched Rock or even the quasi-Ancient Power that is Fire Suppressing Water combined with the Absorbing Necklace could end up in someone else's possession, in that scenario. Because the ability to Embrace APs belonged originally to Lee Soo Hyuk, and in this TBOAH AU timeline, he wouldn't be giving it to Cale or anyone else, so those additional APs would be harmful in the long run to the user.

(You might be wondering – it should be impossible to get the 5 elemental APs without the Vitality of the Heart, right? There's a way, however. Super Rock has the ability to stall for time in case of a person's plate being close to breaking. So in theory, if Super Rock was the second power taken, it should be possible to balance out the person's plate without Vitality.)

So, keeping all this in mind, let's look at the candidates for possessing the 5 main APs, first.

Choi Han is the most obvious one. As a Single-Lifer, he has a huge plate to work with. Once he balanced out his plate, there should be no problems for him using the APs to their fullest potential. Assuming he got the financial backing from Alberu, he could get all the APs, including the Fire of Destruction. After the expensive fortification, taking a test of character on the Wind Island – which he would certainly pass – and running some errands such as delivering bread or fighting a lake... Choi Han could, in theory make great use of Cale's APs. Even though he wouldn't get along so well with some of the APs as Cale – like sharing the Fire of Destruction's greed, or the thief's love for looting... Choi Han is a brave soul, with a vicious streak and a strong sense of justice. The APs would all willingly support him, and Choi Han is quite smart combat-wise. He could face the White Star with them head on and probably win without issues – provided he had someone with the Annual Rings of Life & the Vitality of the Heart by his side... but that's for later.

But that is the most obvious choice. What about possible candidates for the 5 elemental APs combination?

Let's look at Alberu, first. Since he had the Star of Healing, it's obvious that he's capable of using APs. The darkness attribute might clash.... however, maybe that could be balanced out as well? The opposite of darkness is light, isn't it? And who has the light attribute AP that could potentially help in this?

(Assuming that's how it works, of course, and that the light attribute wouldn't imply kill him, instead. Because I'm not sure which one would happen, but for this premise to work, I'm running with the hypothesis of light and dark balancing each other out instead of harming the user.)

That's right: Bear King Sayeru has a light attribute Ancient Power! And one quite powerful at that!

Assuming the TBOAH cast could, with their foreknowledge, corner Sayeru, steal his light AP and balance out Alberu's plate to make room for more attributes... what would Alberu with 6 Ancient Powers be like?

For one thing, Alberu would become the undisputed leader of the whole war. With other characters like Choi Han and Rosalyn supporting him in leading assaults and armies, he wouldn't need to be everywhere in person at once, just like Cale didn't need to use his powers on every battlefield. The APs would give Alberu the strongest political backing he could have, without Cale being in the picture.

For another, Alberu with 5 APs would be the scariest opponent imaginable to the White Star. Immune to dead mana, yet possessing a light attribute at the same time, he could essentially have no weaknesses. In addition, his ability to use magic and Highest Grade swordsmanship would make him an extremely scary combatant, just like in canon. Alberu could be the only person able to over-power the White Star on every possible field, and MORE. The heritage of the Crossman family being descended from the original White Star would make this premise especially spicy.

So we got Choi Han and Alberu as pretty decent candidates. Who else is there?

What about Rosalyn? That is assuming that the APs wouldn't be extremely deadly in clash with her magic, of course.. Let's say she would have to also acquire the Vitality of the Heart for this, since I can't see a way for her to be able to use magic and APs at the same time with no consequences.

Rosalyn is very intelligent and ambitious. She's also intuitive and extremely creative where it comes to using powers. She could make great use of the Fire of Destruction, she would probably have little trouble listening to the instincts provided by the Sound of Wind, and of course, she had the selfless mindset of a person able to use the Super Rock.

(I'll consider matching individual APs with Rosalyn's character later, as there is quite a lot to unpack there.)

Rosalyn with 5 APs would be the ultimate contradiction for the ideology of the Whipper Kingdom's rebels. It could be quite a useful tool in politics. Furthermore, she'd have no trouble creating her own Magic Tower, and turning it into a symbol of resistance. She'd flatten all of the White Star's mages in record time by herself. As for fighting the White Star himself... I think she'd stand a decent change in such a scenario. She has the mindset most similar one to Cale, after Alberu. She'd be very sneaky and clever about it. I think Rosalyn could eventually beat the White Star on her own, provided that someone with the Annual Rings of Life pointed her in the right direction.

So we considered a Sword Master, a Magic Swordsman, and a Mage for candidates. What about a Beast Person or two, for a change?

(We know for sure that Beast People can use Ancient Powers, since the Bear King Sayeru had one, and it had nothing to do with animal transformations.)

Let's look respectively at what Lock and Witira would be like, if they got the 5 APs.

Lock's main challenges would be his young age, soft temperament, and lack of experience. However, those obstacles can be overcome by time and training. What if Lock had the time to both gain the APs AND get use to them? Choi Han could provide technical instructions. Under Alberu's mentorship, he'd be able to learn using his head and strategize. And Rosalyn would provide the emotional backing and courage.

Lock's personality doesn't match the Fire of Destruction, or the Sound of Wind. However, he'd get along great with the Shield, as well as the Super Rock. Despite his timid demeanor, he is the type of person to push forward, no matter what. Assuming he'd be able to become familiar with the APs sufficiently in time for him to face the White Star...? He could truly be a force to be reckoned with.

However, it's clear that Lock wouldn't be anywhere near the top on the list as a candidate for the 5 APs. No one would actually want to put such a burden on his shoulders.

But, what if we took someone a bit older? Someone stronger and far more experienced, both in training and actual combat?

What about Whale Crown Princess, Witira?

With her natural water affinity, I'm not 100% sure if she'd need all 5 APs, actually... but for the sake of the premise, let's accept that she would still need all 5 elements, just like the rest of the candidates.

Witira would be physically far stronger than the White Star. Having solid 200 years of combat experience is no joke, either – she might not be as old as Cale Barrow, but she could definitely give him a run for his money without the APS being involved. Combine that with her whip proficiency, as well as the mastery of combat APs, such as the Shield or the Spear or the Super Rock... she'd be easily as scary as Alberu.

Of course, Witira's temperament would probably clash with several APs, such as the Fire of Destruction and the Sound of Wind (out of all cast those two are truly the most compatible with KRS!Cale, as this exercise shows). But she's so strong-willed, she would definitely tame those wild powers to her will. Even the dislike of fire wouldn't stop her from using the Fire of Destruction to her full potential, when faced with dead mana. Remember, Witira doesn't care for land life as she cares for the ocean. She probably wouldn't care too much about burning down some places.

Personally, I would place Witira above Rosalyn in the ranking. That leaves us with Choi Han being the top candidate, followed closely by Alberu, then Witira, and then Rosalyn and Lock.

Now, let's get to the funny possibilities:

...What about Toonka?

Yes, I'm taking Toonka into account – despite his character in the beginning definitely being lacking, considering the APs characters. Let's assume that in this AU, Toonka wizens up without Cale being involved. He learns compassion from the rest of the casts and understands the value of comrades, even the weaklings

Toonka was never best fitted for the Sound of Wind. In TBOAH, he probably never used it much. However, that might change a bit, if he got the full set of 5 Ancient Powers.

Assuming Toonka was preparing to face the White Star head on, APs versus APs, Toonka would probably figure out a way to make all the powers useful. Remember, Cale remarked that despite being generally dumb, Toonka had very sharp instincts and combat intelligence. He wouldn't have surprised as a leader of an uprising without those things.

There's quite a lot of hand-waving in this scenario, but let's assume Alberu could deal with other general, strategic parts of the war against the White Star, just like Harol took over that role in canon where it came to politics. The others would work on the sides, but Toonka powered with the 5 APs would be the one to clash against the Final Boss and distract him, before someone with Annual Rings of Life would be able to finish the job.

Toonka would be... terrifying. He'd be chaos incarnate. Unlike other people on the list, such as Choi Han, Alberu, Rosalyn et cetera, there'd be nothing holding him back. He'd unleash the full aggressive potential of all the APs, especially the Fire of Destruction. He'd probably get hurt quite a bit in the process, but he'd recover. Toonka is one resilient bastard, pain really doesn't bother him – he only cares about the thrill of combat.

(It would make him a huge problem AFTER the White Star got defeated... but that's another story.)

At the very least, where it comes to efficiency, Toonka would be right on the top, somewhere between Witira and Rosalyn, I believe.

Another funny candidate – Bud Illis.

Bud would be only able to get 4 APs, due to already possessing a wind AP himself. But even so, he'd be a scary opponent for the White Star. Not as scary as Choi Han, mind you, since Choi Han is stronger than Bud in pretty much every area, due to being over a century old and a Single-Lifer.

However, Bud Illis has something Choi Han doesn't have... and that is the Mercenary Guilds.

Picture, for a moment, Bud Illis and his army of Mercenaries from all over the Eastern Continent, versus the White Star and his Army.

In this scenario, Bud would be the perfect distraction. While Bud dukes it out with the White Star – and even if he wouldn't be QUITE as strong, he'd still be a pretty tough opponent – and the Mercenaries handle the White Star's main forces, the Roan Kingdom forces and allies could smack the White Star on the back quite efficiently. He probably wouldn't know what hit him, before someone with the Annual Rings of Life finished him off.

There could be other characters fit for the role of the main 5 APs holder, but none of them would be higher on the list than Bud, I don't think. For example: Mary could potentially wield the APs alongside the Light AP, just like Alberu. But it would likely hinder her own style of combat the process, which is using dark threads and controlling bones; both of which require great focus and precision. And while Ron and Beacrox with 5 APs could be very interesting, their main strength was never open combat, but stealth and sneak attacks. They would work much better as support in the shadows, rather than the enemies to focus on. Having 5 APs would kind of destroy their true potential.

Now that we got the "5 main APs together" premise out of the way... Let's try to find the best match among the TBOAH cast for each of the APs. Since it's impossible to have 2 elements at a time without consequences, if a character doesn't get all the 5 APs together, they can only pick one at a time.

Let's start with the Indestructible Shield.

The most obvious candidate would be Lock, since he showed his talent with Shield Arts in canon. That seems a bit cheap of an answer, however... It definitely wouldn't suit other main characters, though. Choi Han's aggressive style of combat isn't very compatible with how the Shield Works. Rosalyn already has her own shields. Alberu would have the same problems as the previous two, except twice as much, due to being a Magic Swordsman AND a dead-mana user on the top of it. The Shield would be also too flashy for the Molans.

Someone else came to my mind, however... two people, actually.

Firstly, what would you think about Litana?

Litana's character would fit the Shield quite a lot. Her role as the defender of the forest creatures would prove the Shield to be very compatible with the Queen of the Jungle, as well. Litana could have protected the Jungle from dead mana the same way Cale did so in the canon. Not to mention, she's as strong as Toonka in combat, and extremely fast and agile – especially when combined with her panther Ten.

The second candidate in my mind would be Princess Jopis.

Jopis has weak powers as a shaman, which are connected to nature. While it's possible it counts as an elemental attribute on its own (personally I never got that impression) – if it had to have an elemental attribute to it, it would probably still be wood. Which would make Jopis able to use her powers and the Shield without a clash. Her situation would make the ability to neutralize dead mana with nature extremely useful, especially in conflict with Elisneh and her river of dead mana.

So if I had to rank it, I'd put Litana as the top candidate for the Shield, then Lock, then Jopis.

Next, we have the Sound of Wind.

While Toonka got it in canon, it was clearly a poor match. The Wind AP provides agility, as well as instincts to seek out divine and ancient artifacts, neither of which could be explored by such a simple, brash person as Toonka.

It also doesn't fit Choi Han, Lock or Rosalyn, or even the Whales. None of them are really subtle fighters, more like power houses who need to run wild to make full use of their combat potential. Adding some extra speed wouldn't make a big difference for them, I believe.

My first take would be the Molans, obviously. Ron is already scarily agile without the power, so the Wind AP would make his stealth twice as scary. Same with Beacrox, even though his style of broadsword fighting is different than his father's.

My second thought would be Dark Elves. They already have the elementals on their side but someone like Tasha with the Wind AP? That would be a scary combination... She has all the stealth ability needed, the sneaky mindset, and her alliance with a Wind Elemental would make the Sound of Wind potentially twice as powerful, when it comes to creating whirlwinds.

There's also, once again, Bud Illis. Who could have 2 APs with the same attribute. As a sneaky Mercenary and a Swordmaster, he would definitely make good use of the Wind AP.

I've toyed with the idea of Pendrick as well, since he doesn't have an elemental... however, Pendrick the healer doesn't really strike me as the type to steal things. I think it would be a poor match, in the end.

That would make the Molans (especially Ron), Bud, and Tasha my top picks for the Sound of Wind candidates.

Next, there's the Fire of Destruction. And ohhh boy, isn't that an interesting one when you consider the possibilities.

Perhaps Alberu could have that AP, if it could balance itself out with the darkness attribute. He's certainly rich enough to get it, even though he'd definitely hurt from the loss... of money. But while Alberu could make good use of it from a strategic point of view, it wouldn't really match his position as the "kind, charismatic leader". This kind of fire would make people only afraid of him, unlike if he had all the 5 APs to make himself to main hero. It would fit better in the hands of someone like Choi Han... except Choi Han's personality doesn't quite the Fire AP. Rosalyn would probably be the best pick out the main cast... but I have someone better in mind.

I believe the one to fit this power best would be Hannah.

Hannah has literally the personality of a raging wildfire. If she could balance out her darkness attribute with the Fire AP – or if she could get it before getting poisoned by dead mana, and avoid having the darkness attribute altogether – she could make great use of the Fire of Destruction. She could face the Empire's Golems head on, and it would match her role as the "Holy Maiden of the Sun God" extremely well (despite Hannah disliking the title and rejecting it in canon). Add the Condemnation of the Sun on the top of it, and she'd be Black Magic's biggest nightmare.

Another interesting pick would be Mary... Mary can be subtle, but the Fire of Destruction in her hands would be a very interesting thing. She'd be able to control dead mana in all aspects; in the sense of absorbing it or purifying it at will, depending on circumstances. She'd also make a fascinating public figure for the Western Continent, as a contradiction of being a Necromancer who has the attribute of Light at the same time. Like the inverted second coming of the Queen of Death: perhaps people would call her "the Queen of Life".

So, I'm putting Hannah and Mary as my top picks, even though it probably wouldn't work in canon. Rosalyn could be third, as long as her being a Mage wouldn't be an issue at well (which canon isn't extremely clear about).

Fourth AP to discuss: Super Rock.

Super Rock is the most universal one out of the main APs, I believe. Any of the main cast could definitely make a great use of it. As long as the person is heroic enough to be willing to sacrifice themselves – which is easily 90% of the TBOAH hero cast... Choi Han would be extremely proficient with it. Same with Lock. An interesting option occurred to me, however, when I considered priestess Cage and Taylor Stan.

Cage is quite the chaotic character. I even briefly considered if she could be a good candidate for the Wind and Fire APs. However, for some strange reason, she felt a bit too subtle for the Fire, and too brash for the Wind. She feels... somewhere in the middle for me. A strong-headed, surprisingly sneaky person, yet as steady as a stone. Cage and Taylor are quite similar in that regard.

Once it occurred to me that those two could be AP users as well... Taylor, perhaps, wouldn't want to be directly involved in fighting, despite knowing martial arts. He's more of a political leader type. But Cage? She would certainly be willing to help out. She's sneaky enough to get captured on purpose in order to free other hostages. With that in mind... I think it would depend on circumstances, but if the Super Rock ended up in either of their hands, they could do crazy, amazing things with it. I think Super Rock would have approved of both of them. But Cage would be a better AP user, in the end.

So Choi Han, Lock, and Cage are my main picks, surprisingly.

Out of the main APs, we finally get to the Sky Eating Water... and let me tell you, that's a hard one.

I think it's mostly because out of all the APs, it comes with a clear recommended weapon affinity: spear. While Choi Han could definitely handle it, it doesn't strike me as very fitting. Same with Lock. Rosalyn and the Molans are definitely out.

Alberu is definitely an interesting candidate due to his skills, but Taerang would suit him much, much better as a spear of choice. Not to mention, there's no knowing how compatible a Water AP would be with his attribute.

Speaking of compatible with water...

A water power would fit Witira quite nicely as a Whale Beast Person, but her weapon of choice is a whip... Then again, she's not the only Whale around. So perhaps, Archie would have been a better pick? He's definitely aggressive and wild enough to fit this power. It could also be Paseton, I suppose, depending on how his spear-fighting skill compares to Archie.

Then there's Litana, although I still think that the Shield would be a good pick for her, her combat style definitely fits the Water AP.

In the end, I'd put a Whale (either Archie, Paseton or Witira) as the top candidate, then Litana, Choi Han and Alberu. Alberu's a last resort, however. Overall, Archie would probably be the best bet though.

FINALLY, we went over the main APs... but it's still not over.

We still have the Vitality of the Heart, the Annual Rings of Life, the Dominating Aura, the Blood-Drenched Rocks, the Absorbing Necklace and the Fire Suppressing Water to consider.

I'll be frank with the first two: they have to be a pair. No matter how hard I try, Vitality has to be used to stop the White Star with the World Tree Dagger. And the Rings have to direct the Vitality user to stab the White Star in his weak point. So either the two APs work together closely as comrades, or they belong to the same person.

The only person who can have the full power of the Annual Rings of Life is Cale Henituse, however. If KRS doesn't transmigrate, then it has to be the original one. The reason for it is because Jour made the test in such a way that only her close relative – aka. her son – would be able to inherit half of this power. The other half that the White Star took COULD belong to someone else, I suposse... but even so, the first can only belong to Cale. There can be no other.

Vitality itself is useful, but due to being a human power, which is neutral attribute-wise, it can belong to pretty much anyone. The necessity of it being used against the White Star, however, makes it so that it has to stay close to Cale, the Annual Rings user. So either Cale gets both powers – both Vitality and the Annual Rings – or Cale helps out the person with Vitality to use the dagger of the World Tree. There really are no other options in order to make this TBOAH-saves-their-world-without-KRS!Cale premise work, really...

The Dominating Aura... has to be Alberu's. I'm sorry, but it's like the power was created for him. It has to be in the hands of a scammer.

Even though just like Vitality, pretty much anyone could use it in theory... no one else would use it as well as Alberu. For Choi Han it would be especially useless, because he already has a powerful aura as a Swordmaster – aside from when facing the White Star directly, but even then, he wouldn't really need it.

Blood-Drenched Rocks in a very interesting AP, though. Cale has limited contact with it, in canon. But it's strongly implied that it has demonic influence. This power, just like the Sky Attribute, likely originated from the Demonic World, unlike all the other APs. That means that whoever gets this power, has to have a very strong will, humility, and immunity to the power of death.

And strangely enough... the top 2 who come to mind are either Alberu, or Mary.

Once again, Alberu having this power would be delightfully ironic, considering who his ancestor it. Mary, on the other hand... I feel like out of all people, this power would truly be safe in her hands. Mary would never be tempted to abuse it. She would use it only in the time of biggest need: in the main battle against the White Star, just like Cale.

So, Mary is definitely comes as my top pick, and Alberu is second. No one else really comes to mind, as I definitely don't think Choi Han would be able to keep this power in check as closely as it needs to be. Too much darkness inside his heart, et cetera: it's the story of the Black Despair all over again.

We went through all the actual APs. And at last, we come to the Fire Suppressing Water, and the Absorbing Necklace.

The reason I list those two separately is because they ARE separate. In canon, combining them into one power was Cale's idea. Which was a very good one, too! However, that doesn't mean they need to stay that way. The Fire Suppressing Water is a good component on its own, capable of bestowing complete fire immunity; as it happened to Toonka in the TBOAH timeline. And the Absorbing Necklace's potential is truly limitless, as it was able to convert a small puddle in to a river's worth of water easily. Just think of how much potential it holds, for example, absorbing dead mana. Or the power of the elementals. Or On's mists, or Hong's poisons.

For that reason, I truly think that it would be the most useful for the two kittens. This necklace in their hands could potentially amplify their abilities to a truly stunning degree.

As for the Fire Suppressing Water... out of all people, I think Rosalyn, Rex and Raon would be able to figure out the best use for it. Remember that seed from the magic tower, capable of storing the power of nature? Just imagine: human magic, alchemy, Dragon magic AND the power of nature combined??? Absolute madness would follow. The Empire's pathetic flames would never stand a chance.

So, here's my overall ranking:

Out of all people, all 5 APs would be best fitted for Choi Han. Which isn't surprising at all. While others could do it, his plate and age definitely make him the obvious choice.

However, in case that Choi Han wasn't chosen gather the 5 APs – which would be fair, that's a huge responsibility no one should be forced to have on their shoulders... Here's what I think would be the wisest choice of distributing the APs.

The Shield AP would fit Litana the best.

The Wind AP would become the greatest asset in Ron's hands.

The Fire AP would be amazing in Hannah's possession.

The Super Rock AP should be Choi Han's in the end.

The Water AP would fit shockingly well with Archie.

The Vitality and Annual Rings should both end up with OG Cale. Defeating the White Star is the endgame, after all, and we got no other way to destroy a reincarnation’s soul in canon.

The Dominating Aura has to be Alberu's, because it being wasted in the hands of someone who's NOT a scammer... That would be a crime.

The Blood-Drenched Rocks should be placed safely in Mary's hands, as she's the one most suited to resist its temptations.

The Absorbing Necklace should be used by Hong and On to amplify their attributes, or by the Dark Elves to collect dead mana – especially dead Dragon mana from the swamp. It could be used for both in one timeline, too.

The Fire Suppressing Water should be studied by Rosalyn, Raon and the rest of our beloved mad scientists, to create weapons against the Empire's alchemy.

...What do you guys think?

[incorrectrashofthecountsfamily]

The White Star: So you've come, like moths to the flame!

Cale: Do you ever say anything original?

Sayeru: You gotta admit... that line was seriously clichéd.

[we-stan-cale]

Cale's relationship with failure is fascinating.

Oh, and I suppose I need to add a spoiler warning. Yeah, don't read if you haven't gotten through most of the story.

Anyways.

Back when Cale used Instant to destroy two of the statues, Sayeru thought to himself ‘Cale Henituse has never experienced such failure!’

And it's like... Whoo boy, you don't know Cale at all, do you? (he also seemed to think he was serving some greater good, which really made me want to throttle the bear king. You do this shit, and claim you're good?!?)

This is the guy who couldn't take the failure test because:

– There are numerous worst failures in the challenger’s mind. There is no ranking of failures in his mind.

– He cannot forget any of his past failures and recalls them all equally.

– His uncertainty and fear for potential future failures are also on equal footing.

– Unable to choose one due to the existence of multiple worst failures.

Cale has failed. Numerous times. He can never forget those failures... Plus he imagines all sorts of potential failures, all of which weigh equally on his mind.

Failure? Cale is quite familiar with it.

He has managed to turn that into a great strength. As he himself notes:

Continuously deciphering the causes of failure in the past and thinking about the uncertainties of the future to protect the present and the future… That was something Cale felt was normal for him to do in order to organize information and analyze data.

He uses it to plan, and plan thoroughly. He uses it to make sure he can adjust his plan for any number of possibilities.

During the wrath test, he even said:

"Who cares if he had to flail around in the depths of failure once? He could even do it thousands of times more."

Failure is something he is so familiar with, that he would never let it stop him.

I suppose you could say something similar about despair, too.

[aro-screams-into-the-void]

TCF Cookies Time!

The Sugar Gnomes as the Fire Dwarves

Maestro Sugar Gnome as Mueller

The Cake Hounds as the Wolf Children

The Bear Jellies as the Bear Tribe

The Bear Jelly Village King as Sayeru

Choco WereHound Brute as Dorph

And I'm thinking Raspberry Mousse Cookie as Sir Rex

[biyooti]

— A conversation between Archie, the whale warrior, and Sayeru, the bear King. Trash of the Count's Family, ch. 431

[cave35]

Crazy bastards should act like crazy bastards. I’ve never seen anyone crazier than you.

Bear King Sayeru about White Star.

[blueteller]

TCF Summary Arc by Arc (Part 5/8)

Every TCF story arc in a nutshell

Volume 5: chapters 400-499

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Empire Strikes Back (and fails) [Enemy Beckrock wants to fight!] Beckrock: I invented a way to combine mana and dead mana, thanks to my tragic backstory! Rosalyn: I don't need a tragic backstory to defeat you. Becrock: Ha! Is that so, you spoiled princess? What exactly do you have that I don't? Rosalyn: Money Becrock: Wait wha- Cale: *hands Rosalyn a ton of magic stones* Rosalyn: BEHOLD THE POWER OF BEING RICH AND HEALTHY FAMILY DYNAMICS, B****! Becrock: *gets wrecked* [Enemy Becrock Got Captured!] *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 26*

Lion King (and the reverse Mufasa) Bud: *video-calling* Cale! All of the enemies went to the North! Cale: Ok let's go then Dorph: *politely* Let's all fight fair and square, shall we? Also Dorph: *throws his own people into a pit of dead mana* I apologize for my subordinate's bad manners Cale: (WTF's with this crazy bastard??) Jack: *heals* Hannah: *charges* Cale: Ok, time for MY money power up Dorph: Wait wha- Cale: *burns magic stones* Also Cale: *burns the dead mana pit* Raon: Human, Goldie Gramps says Choi Han woke up crying and yelling "Kim Rok Soo" for some reason! He's on his way! Cale: … Cale: (Well f***) Dorph: Let's fight, Cale Henitu-! Choi Han: *shows up having received Choi Jun Soo's power and memories* Hi Cale-nim, I mean Kim Rok Soo. What do I call the best friend of my nephew, anyway? Cale: (…S***. Is Choi Han going to beat me up now??) Dorph: Wait, I was in the middle of- Choi Han: You craving some Korean food, bro? Cale: …of course I am, bro? Choi Han: Great. Anyway, are you- Dorph: Excuse me- Choi Han: Are you happ- Dorph: But- Choi Han: SHUT THE F*** UP *goes on a war path* Cale: *relieved* (...at least it's not me) Raon: Human, what were you two talking about? Cale: …Raincheck Dorph: Khahaha! We shall kill you with the golems, then! Cale: *Mokuton-no-jutsus the tress to trap the golems* Dorph: (…well s***) Mary and the Dark Elves: *show up* Dorph: (Oh f***!) Mary and the Dark Elves: *absorb the rest of the dead mana* Dorph: It's not over! We can use the ✨Power of Friendship✨ too! …also we got airships Cale's group: Wait what [A Wild Bear Person Appears!] Dorph: He controls the light, and I control the dark! Sayeru: Together, we're Pokemon Black and White! Cale's group: Our ✨Power of Friendship✨ is more powerful than yours! Dorph & Sayeru: NANI??? Cale's group: *goes back to protect the capital* Cale: It's just me, Choi Han and Raon versus the Lion and the Bear then *Basically Even Fight Ensues* [You got away safely!] *Cale coughs blood and/or faints counter: 17* *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 27*

Hello From The Other Side Lee Soo Hyuk: Hey Kim Rok Soo, or should I say Cale Henituse Cale: …Am I dreaming? Lee Soo Hyuk: Ruining all your chances at slacker life as usual, I see Cale: Never-mind. You're definitely the real Team Leader Lee Soo Hyuk: So Choi Han got a power-up from Choi Jung Soo, and now you get a power-up from me Cale: …that motherf***ing God of Death Lee Soo Hyuk: Yup. He's a total motherf***er Cale: Ok, so gimme the power Lee Soo Hyuk: Not so fast, punk. First you gotta promise me you'll be a farmer Cale: WHY Lee Soo Hyuk: Because otherwise you'll only keep getting into trouble, that's why Cale: Dammit, good point Lee Soo Hyuk: Also, me dying is not your fault Cale: Agreed Lee Soo Hyuk: BTW, Choi Jung Soo and OG Cale are both happy Cale: *wakes up* Raon: Human! You're awa- Cale: *starts crying from happiness and relief* Everybody: GASP! Cale: …Why am I crying? I'm not sad *tries to smile* Also Cale: *collectively breaks the hearts of all his friends and the fandom* Everybody: *shook*

Secrets Shared At Long Last Jack: So we destroyed all the Alchemist Towers and looted everything. Cale: Great. We'll go to the North next Choi Han: Ok, but first we gotta talk. Cale: *bows* Hello, Senior Who Is So Much Older Than Me, This One is Kim Rok Soo, Choi Jung Soo's Friend Choi Han: …that's just awkward, please stop Raon: So what is going on, human? Cale: I'm from another world, and so is Choi Han. It's a secret. Raon: *unfazed* Okay! Cale: Now, time to set up some Brazilian telenovela level of drama

Ready, Set, Action! White Star & Sayeru: The Whale Tribe is acting very sus… Is it about the Earth Attribute power?? Witira: *confident* I shall kill you, White Star! Clopeh: *dramatic* I shall obtain the treasure that the Whales are hiding and become a legend! Witira: Gasp! Sir Clopeh, you're betraying us?? Clopeh: Indeed I am!! *Whales and Wyverns suddenly fighting each other* White Star & Sayeru: (WTF???) Shickler: *coughs fake blood* Paseton: *with the fake Korean ancient text in his pocket* Father, are you okay?! White Star & Sayeru: Look, they have the ancient text!! *steal it* Cale: *in hiding* Just according to keikaku Raon: See, Choi Han? This is how the experts do it! Choi Han: *nods along* What did you write on that paper, anyway? Cale: I wrote what Raon told me to Choi Han: …? Raon: "White Star, you stupid idiot! We tricked you!" Choi Han: Lol Clopeh: Now we shall spread the rumor that we defended the North from the evil White Star! Witira: (…that's the exact opposite of what happened, tho??)

Alberu Gets His Revenge Cale: *returns to the Henituse Territory* Ah, home sweet h- Cale: …Your highness what are you doing here Alberu: Ok so the nobles want to keep you and your people under control so you don't get any more political power Cale: Well f*** them. We don't want that anyway. Alberu: I gotta give you guys positions without political power then. So Choi Han will be my instructor Cale: Huh, ok Alberu: And you will be my sworn brother Cale: Sure- wait what Alberu: What, you don't wanna be my Dongsaeng? *sad eyes* Cale: (…why am I getting chills all of a sudden?) Alberu: *livestreaming* I shall now announce rewards for the heroes who helped us win the war! Nothing at all shocking or upsetting will happen! …BTW Choi Han is my instructor now Nobles: Wait, wha- Alberu: Oh, and Cale is my sworn brother. Won't you call me Hyung out loud, my dear Dongsaeng? Cale: … Cale: …sure, Hyung Nobles: (…WTF?!) Alberu: So Cale Henituse and his people all declined government positions- Nobles: (Good!) Alberu: -not to set a bad example, however… Nobles: (…why do I hear boss music?) Alberu: …I decided to promote the Henituses from a County to a Duchy Nobles: (F***!!!) Cale: *doesn't care at all* (IGNORE.) Basen: (Poor innocent Hyung... He doesn't realize just screwed over his "peaceful life" is)

Scammer VS Illusionist Valentino: The White Star is going to show up here in the Caro Kingdom? Cale: Yes, and we'd like for you to stand back and not interfere, please Valentino: …This makes me very anxious, but alright Cale: (…I'm sure this won't bite us all in the a** later) Cale: Ok, so- *Sudden earthquakes and fire going off* Caro Kingdom: *panic* Cale: …what the-? Wind Elementals: That fire is fake! It's all an illusion! Cale: …so there's an illusionist in the Dubori Territory, huh Raon: Human, they used some really strong mana disturbance devices! I can't enter Cale: (Well f***) Cale & Choi Han: *sneak in* Sayeru & Elisneh: Fools! We knew you would use that way! We lured you in on purpose! Cale: Fools. I knew you knew we would use that way, and we did it on purpose Sayeru & Elisneh: NANI??? Elisneh: Well, how would you like fighting innocent civilians caught in my illusion! And I shall trap Choi Han in one as well! Choi Han: *falls under illusion of being trapped in the Forest of Darkness for the first time* Elisneh: Ha! That illusion is so powerful, it won't break even if you kill me-! Choi Han: *snaps out of it using Protagonist Willpower* Elisneh: Wait wha- Choi Han: *destroys her medium* [Enemy Elisneh Fled the Battle!] *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 28*

Dis-Arming the White Star White Star: *shows up* Cale's group: *gang up on the White Star* Sayeru: *loses an arm* White Star: *also loses an arm* Cale: Damn it. I was aiming for the right one. …Oh well Arm: *video-calling to White Star* My liege! Assassins and mercenaries are destroying our secret base!! Ron and Beacrox: *casually reclaiming their house on another continent* We gotta clean up this mess before Young Master Cale shows up Cale: *smug* …NOW he's down three arms Valentino: *freaks out over everything going on* *Cale coughs blood and/or faints counter: 18* *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 29*

Unlocking: Dragon Half-Blood's Backstory! Dragon Half-Blood: Ok, so this is where the second Arm base is located Dorph: You traitor! How dare you betray your own father! Dragon Half-Blood: *having been experimented on and locked up in a basement for 900 years by the White Star* …are you f***ing serious?? Dorph: Obviously, you betrayed us because you share blood with the Black Dragon! Dragon Half-Blood: …Wait, what Cale: (WTF???) Cale: Ok listen, you can't die before we unlock that backstory, got it?! Dragon Half-Blod: S-sure? Cale's group: *destroys everything* White Star's group: *shows up* Cale's group: Later suckers! *teleports away* Cale: Alright so WTF is your deal, man Dragon Half-Blood: So the heart of the baby dragon from the red egg was shoved into my chest, and the White Star wanted me to eat the black egg too. So I threw it away Cale: Threw it away? Dragon Half-Blood: I gave it to Redika and told him to hide it somewhere with comfort and protection spells all over the place Cale: …you mean you protected it Dragon Half-Blood: Don't be absurd. Clearly I just threw it away, because I'm not a good person Cale: (This oblivious idiot…!) Cale: Ok so I don't like you at all, but you can't die now. So keep on living as long as you can Dragon Half-Blood: …you're a really good person Cale: Don't be absurd *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 30*

Stealing the Earth Attribute Cale: Hello, my name is Bob and I'd like to climb this dangerous mountain Bobe: Sir, no way! I sympathize over our similar names, but you will definitely die! Cale: I'll pay you a ton of money Bobe: I don't care about the money! …but I have to make sure you fools don't get killed [A Wild Red Snake Appeared!] The Ancient Power: Cale, how are you going to fit that power in your plate?! Cale: A cheat code, that's how Ancient White Star's voice: Would you like to dominate the world through fear-? Cale: What f*caking nonsense Ancient White Star's voice: Wait wha- Cale: *uses OP sealing skill from his Team Leader* [Earth Ancient Power: Blood-Drenched Rock, acquired!] *Cale's Ancient Power counter: 8*

And the Scale Just Keeps Growing Alberu: *completely done with everything* …Cale Henituse. Cale: What's wro-? Alberu: …Why the hell do you claim to plan a bonfire before setting the entire continent on fire?! Cale: What are you… *reads how Valentino publicly declared war against the White Star and asked everyone for backup* …oh damn Alberu: Oh damn is right!!! We're not ready to fight the White Star yet if we want to limit the casualties! Cale: Hm… But you know what, Hyung? Alberu: Call me your highness Cale: Sure, your highness. Remember the Illusionist? Turns out she's the queen of the Molden Kingdom, a major country on the Eastern Continent. How would you like to cut off another one of White Star's "limbs"? Alberu: …Call me Hyung

White Star Becomes a Conspiracy Theorist White Star & Sayeru: *enter the abandoned part of the underground Dark Elf city* Sayeru: Oh wow, look at this place! It must be ancient! White Star: …my power tells me this tree died less than a week ago. This must be a trap Cale: (Well f***) Cale: *steps out of hiding* You figured it out. Now what? White Star: …I finally get it Cale: …? White Star: You're a transmigrator, aren't you Cale: (Dammit, so he knows-) White Star: You're been jumping bodies for centuries while preparing to fight me Cale: …! (Wait wha-?) White Star: *sees a reaction* I'm totally right aren't I! Cale: No? White Star: Feigning ignorance again, I see! Cale: No seriously, I- White Star: You won't fool me!! Cale: *blows up the ceiling* [Enemies White Star & Sayeru Fled the Battle!] *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 31*

Hidden Backstories and Secrets Everywhere Alberu: …why do you all have such weird expressions Cale: Your highness… the White Star believes I'm a serial body-jumper transmigrator who's been secretly preparing to defeat him for centuries. Alberu: ??? Alberu: …you're not, right? Cale: (Do you even need to ask?!) Obviously, he's crazy. Alberu: ...Right. Cale: Also, he mentioned something about the Gate to the Demon World, so we have to investigate it. And if you could give me some ancient records on your family that would be great Alberu: *breaks into cold sweat* …Sure… Cale: Also Dragon Half-Blood, you gotta fess up about your backstory to Raon and Sheritt Dragon Half-Blood: *near nervous breakdown* …Okay… Dragon Half-Blood: *makes it out of the confession alive but with GUILT COMPLEX(TM)* Choi Han: …you wanna cook with me? Dragon Half-Blood: Sure *chops onions* Beacrox: *pissed* Get out of my kitchen you heathens

Third World Tree Meeting Cale: So I got a question, is there a time-related ancient power? World Tree: I dunno about that, but time is sure ticking down for you – remember that note with a countdown from the God of Death? He sure likes making deals Cale: Oh yeah, like the Vow of Death World Tree: It's a tracker BTW Cale: Wait what World Tree: Yeah, so you shouldn't trust him, since he- *loses a branch* …dammit. Censorship sucks Cale: It sure does World Tree: Anyway, the gods can't mess with fate, but they actually can. You can probably figure out the rest Cale: Right. Thanks World Tree: Also, Alberu Crossman was fated to be here Cale: …that sure is random World Tree: Oh it won't be very soon Adite: Also, Arm created a fake World Tree and it's right there *points at Molden City capital* The Elves all failed to approach it before, can you help us? Cale: …Perfect

Unlocking: Alberu Crossman's Backstory! Alberu: …you asked me about my family records Cale: Right Alberu: *brings him to a secret underground place* So this is it. The truth is… that my family was cursed by the Sun God. Cale: …? Alberu: *points at rock carvings* This right here says that a person with darkness within shouldn't ever become a king. (Meaning a dark elf like me shouldn't inherit the throne…) Cale: *absent-minded* Right…? Alberu: *tender hopes for reassurance and validation crushed* … *Meanwhile, in Cale's head:* The Ancient Powers: So there's, like, a crazy resemblance between the Crown Prince and the Ancient White Star for some reason…? Of course the Crown Prince is much hotter Cale: …! Cale: Your highness Alberu: Yes, yes, I know, I- Cale: -your ancestor was a criminal? Alberu: Yes, my ancestor- wait what. I thought we were talking about me being unworthy of the throne?? Cale: The hell are you talking about?? This isn't about that, it's about the Sky Attribute Alberu: Huh? Cale: It's probably from the Demon World Alberu: Huh?? Cale: And according to an unspecified ancient source, you look an awful lot like the first White Star Alberu: HUH??? Cale: So it isn't really a curse, more like a warning. You should totally be the king Alberu: … Alberu: *exasperated* THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO Also Alberu: *trust mode maxed out*

Rebellion in the Molden Kingdom Plot – Start! Glenn: We got a problem. Remember how Bud went to investigate Elisneh and the Molden Kingdom? Cale: Yeah? Glenn: Well he got captured by the banished princess. (I so regret being friends with that idiot) Cale: ?! Glenn: *shows recording* Jopis: *elegantly sipping tea with Bud tied up in the background* You there whoever is actually behind this man, come meet me or I'll blow his f***ing head off Cale & Alberu: (…wow, what a woman) Cale: Let's go meet her then Jopis: Hello. I was banished because I saw through that b**** and her illusions due to my weak shaman powers that let me talk to dogs Cale: Wanna overthrow your crazy sister together? Jopis: I sure do. Even if you're the devil himself Cale's group: (…he's something worse, actually) Cale: You're gonna give the Raon Kingdom benefits, tho Jopis: What about your personal benefits? Cale: *official permit to loot in his pocket* …nothing, nothing Jopis: Anyway, how are we going to deal with all the dead mana? Cale: Simple… Cale: Dragon simps. Lots and lots of dragon simps. *Nearly all Elves and Dark Elves of the two continents show up to deal with the fake World Tree* Jopis: …Ha! You are definitely worse than the devil Glenn: Emergency!! All 1,001 mercenaries who went to investigate the Gate to the Demon World went missing!!! Bud: *serious mode* I gotta go. Cale- Cale: Go, we'll join you after we're done Bud: …Thank you. Cale: Let's quickly get started then Cale's group: *barges in and causes chaos & destruction* Molden Kingdom Officials: Rebellion!! Traitorous Princess Jopis has returned!!! Jopis: *leads Cale & co. to the underground maze* The walls are filled with dead mana, so there's no way to- Cale: Break them down Jopis: Wait what Mary & the Dark Elves: *absorb all the dead mana and get stronger* Jopis: ...Well ok then Royal children: We are here on a secret mission for our benevolent queen! She told us to carry those totally-not-deadly bottles with precious black jewels inside! Jopis: That crazy evil b**** Royal children: Look, her majesty is here! She came to save us! Elisneh: Yes, I came to save you all Cale: Such bulls*** in front of the children Elisneh: *nonchalantly poisons one of the children* Yup, they're all my hostages Cale: Welp, time to explode a maze I guess. Elisneh: Wait wha- Cale: *goes on a war path on an F***ing Huge Stone Imugi* *Cale & Co. blow up and/or destroy things counter: 32*

End Volume 5.

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[blueteller]

TCF Favorite Villain Ranking

Here's my Top 10*:

White Star

Imperial Prince Adin

Venion Stan

Elisneh the First

Bear King Sayeru

Fake Dragon Slayer Syrem

Sir Bernard

Count Mock

The Sealed God

Becrock

*(Does not include redeemed villains, those are in the top 50 favorite characters list)

[nishicchikouchi]

I don't know. Everything was, is so good. It's hard to find a moment/section/arc to dislike.

But if u gotta point a gun in my head just to get an answer... I guess it's the time where Bear King Sayeru was so greeful at the fact that Cale will fail?

We usually talk about our favorite moments and stuff, but does anyone have a moment or section of TCF that they dislike?

For it it's probably that one test in the temple where Cale was invisible and White Star was impersonating him. Not for any reason in particular, I just wanted to get a move on with the rest of the temple tests y'know?