#just knows og!cale's not there anymore

[slackerlifewhere]

Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo

After I posted yesterday, I saw an opinion that I kind of agree with about the difference between Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo.

I'm gonna say my opinion without trying to offend the whole fandom. Again, you can read fics about OG Cale as MC. I will not stop you just because I have my own opinion. You are free to read whatever you want. If you don't agree with this, it's fine and if you do, don't antagonize or attack the fanfiction authors who made these fics. Let them do their own thing, okay?

This post is not a rant but me sharing my own thoughts and opinions about this topic.

To make this easier, I'll call OG Cale as Cale and OG KRS as KRS.

[✋SPOILERS for the first part of the novel✋]

Some say that Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo are the same person. While I don't know if this is true because I haven't read the second part of the novel yet, in my opinion, they are not the same.

Again, I repeat, I like Cale Henituse. He's very intelligent and kind to Basen to the point of destroying his own reputation, he targets thugs and scammers whenever he's "drunk", he's willing to sacrifice his whole identity in order to save his world after surviving for twenty years by himself. He's a complex character and in another world, if given the chance, he would've been a great MC.

But that's the thing, he is not the MC of TCF, Kim Rok Soo is. And I think some fans forget the reason why Kim Rok Soo became the MC and not Cale Henituse. Because in some fics that I see whenever I scroll down to look for something to read, Cale completely replaces KRS' presence in the story, to the point that he doesn't exist anymore.

Let me explain.

Kim Rok Soo

Kim Rok Soo is a very integral part of the story. You can't easily replace him with another person, normal or otherwise, and expect the story to go the same way it did in the novel. He did things his way because he's a chaotic little shit. He's a different person from Cale, no matter how many or few similarities they both have.

It's not because he's simply smart or OP (as some would say) that he won a war that ended in only two years, but it's also because of his past and the bonds he made as himself.

He's a person full of empathy for these people that he meets wherever he goes, regardless whether he knows them from a book or not, because he understands them and their pain. He does not hide his personality and in a way, his charisma attracts these people who see him for who he is, a kind person.

Kim Rok Soo is different because he survived in an apocalypse by himself until he meets Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo. Plus, he did not have a great childhood. He was abused and lived by himself for the rest of his childhood and teenage years because of a curse (or maybe because his uncle is just a shitty person, who knows).

The opinions he has and the way he thinks are shaped by his own experiences. He is the Kim Rok Soo we see in the novel because he grew up under these circumstances.

To say that he's easily replaceable would be too disrespectful to the sacrifices he made as both Kim Rok Soo and Cale Henituse.

Cale Henituse

Cale, on the other hand, is different. He lived alone for how many years because he deliberately pushed everyone away because of his grief and after what Jour told him. It's not because of a curse that he became this way but because he chose to.

Yes, everyone he knows should've tried to make an effort by comforting him or talking with him (his family, the nobles he's close to, Ron and Beacrox) but that did not happen because he's the one who chose to live like this. I've mentioned it in my post about Deruth but if a person doesn't want comfort or doesn't want to talk, they will not talk, especially someone as stubborn as Cale. To blame all these people (including the kids) and the rest of the world because of his own choice is simply not right or fair since the only one responsible to actually help him is Deruth. Violan is not given this chance nor did she try as his stepmother but it all comes down to Deruth. But of course, he did not get any help nor did he seek any.

He lived his years shrouded in grief until the very end. He's a kind person but unfortunately, life is not kind to him.

Later, he survives in the war until the White Star kills him. What did he choose to do in the end when he made that deal with the God of Death? To return to the past so he can save everyone? No. Instead, he chose to go to KRS' world to find his mother. If CJS were given the chance to decline a proposal, why didn't Cale? He could've said he'll do it himself but instead, he left it to KRS. We all know he's stubborn enough to ruin his reputation, is he not stubborn enough to make a deal to save his world as himself?

You can argue it's maybe because the God of Death didn't give him the chance to argue with it but there are other ways the god could've sent KRS to this world. Like Choi Han or Choi Jung Soo.

Choi Jung Soo

Choi Jung Soo is a prime example of what could've and couldn't have happened if he agreed with the God of Death's proposal. He is not KRS. He has his own opinions and experiences that make him unique. He is not like Choi Han who drowned in his despair in TBoaH but instead, is a man who wants to survive with his friends (brothers) and smile with them despite the pain he suffers in.

If he were to replace KRS, the story would've gone differently. He might find Choi Han and they would do their best to survive in this new world together. He may or may not find Raon and the kittens, depending on the time and location when he arrives in this world. Alberu may or may not completely trust him like how he didn't completely trust Choi Han in TBoaH because unlike KRS who is too similar with Alberu, CJS is different. He might not look for the ancient powers since he has his own ability, leaving some that the White Star could've taken like the Sky Eating Water and Super Rock. In fact, the shield could've been left at the tree unless CJS knows about it and takes it. (Let me remind you that no one in this world knows there's an ancient power in that tree in the Henituse territory.)

I can list down things he could've or couldn't have done but it might be too long.

But my point is, it could've been Cale, Alberu, or Choi Han who were sent to the past but the story would've gone differently because these people are all different in their own ways. Heck, if the God of Death truly wants to save this world, he could've sent back Choi Han or Alberu instead of Cale. Because these two are also powerful in their own ways that do not need the help of ancient powers. Just give them enough information and they could've ended the war faster than twenty years.

Conclusion

So, yeah. Kim Rok Soo became the main character for several reasons. He was an ability user and team leader back in his world, he has the curse attached to him because of the White Star, he was an abused kid who had a sad childhood.

And I think there are other reasons why, if KRS is not the MC, that the story could've ended differently. Put aside Raon who is powerful and has a connection to Sheritt and the Dragon Slayers and would be integral to the story, On and Hong could've died with no one knowing about them because they were barely mentioned in the books. Mary could've stayed in the City of Life because no one would need her to help Ron. Hannah and Jack could've died because no one would've known that they were killed. Paseton has a chance to live but no one knows where he is.

Some characters would live and some would die if Kim Rok Soo is not the main character. That's basically what I think about all of this.

The reason why they survived, aside from the books, is because Kim Rok Soo's heart is so big that he wants to help people or give them the chance to survive. Some people would ignore or not notice these people because they have their own problems to deal with.

But Kim Rok Soo just wants to live. And I think that's why the story went the way it did.

Kim Rok Soo, the man who became Cale. His life motto was pretty simple.

Living long without pain. Enjoying the small joys of life.

Living a peaceful life.

- Chapter 2: When I Opened My Eyes

Again, I'm not stopping you from reading these fics nor am I telling you to attack fanfic authors because of what they write. This whole post is just me sharing my opinion.

You don't have to agree with anything I said. You can ignore this and read whatever you want to read.

This is not a post undermining or disrespecting what Cale sacrificed and felt as a person. This is a post to share my opinion that Cale and Kim Rok Soo both deserve the respect that they should get for everything they did and to not completely erase a character for the other. But if someone does it, then I can't do anything about it.

As a Mob Psycho 100 fan, I will end this with one line that perfectly summarizes what I think about this topic.

Your life is your own.

[elaemae]

What did Og!Cale sacrifice?

Genuine question...

Hear me out;

I'm reading the latest chapter of 'In an Instant' by Messy_haired_bum and something just clicked in my head.

See, I know that the Og!Cale is a fan favorite, something that I didn't really understand because we don't know a whole lot about the guy, but there's just something that's been stopping me from getting enamored with him via various fanfictions I've read even though they've made the Og!Cale very lovable, and I didn't really know what it was, for a long time, until now.

There are various posts circulating around saying that Og!Cale sacrificed himself greatly with the deal he made with the GoD, and at a time, I believed that. But... reading this chapter opened my eyes and made me think, what did Og!Cale sacrificed?

What did he sacrifice that he didn't already lose?

A lot of ppl say that Og!Cale lost everything to be KRS but the only thing he had left was his identity. That's... not a lot to be honest. Not enough, actually.

Now, I can hear y'all thinking "Current!Cale got his wealth, backing, and a family–", but so did Current!KRS.

Current!KRS also didn't need to deal with a world war involving a megalomaniac, entire enemy nations, and a literal divine being.

Og!Cale was a foot soldier for 40 years, most likely didn't help a lot against Arm and The White Star, and he died without any (known) great feats but he's given such an amazing opportunity to take over the body of someone that'll need to deal with all those problems? An opportunity of rebirth that even Lee Soo Hyuk wasn't given until he gave one up of his abilities to help seal a deity?

He knows he couldn't shoulder the burden of saving the world so he just... washed his hands off that responsibility... And then occupied the body of a high-ranking well-known individual to then go off and get a happy ending with his reincarnated mom.

As the excerpt above said, it's a win-win for him, he doesn't get soul-crushing responsibilities, he gets a high-ranking position that grants him power, he can deal with the learning curve due to being given Og!KRS's abilities and having an actual reliable guide, and he gets to be back with his mom.

And...

... If Current!Cale ever fails?

He can just shrug and say it's not his problem anymore.

He's got his new happy life now. (I'm not saying he will, I'm just saying he could, if he was a lesser man)

Current!Cale lost everything he had too, all the fruits of his labors, the results of him dealing with all sorts of issues and problems for years, just... taken away by a stranger in his body. You can say KRS!Cale wasn't really happy, that Og!Cale didn't know if the body he'll end up in would be okay, that he gambled with his life in taking over Og!KRS's life.

Life that... he was about to lose anyways.

It just wasn't fair...

If we ignore the fact the KRS!Cale is literally thriving and just look subjectively at the situation of the body switch, KRS!Cale got the short end of the bloody, hellish, rotting stick.

I can only get closure if I personally find out if Og!Cale ever gave a fuck about the uninvolved, innocent guy that he sent to deal with a 20 year war, and not in the 'Is he doing the saving he's supposed to?' typa way, I want to find out if he ever feels guilty of the responsibility that he gave the man, if he ever worries for KRS!Cale's personal safety and mental health, for putting an innocent man through war. An innocent man that couldn't just stand by, as the world he found himself in, burns around him.

I don't want to dislike the current KRS, I want to love him actually, but this is my current perspective on the matter and you guys are free to share yours so that I can broaden my mindset about Og!Cale (pls do, I wanna like the guy but I wanna know if he's a good guy first, I wanna know why ppl love him so I can love him as well)

[sadlynotthevoid]

So, you know how when an author is writing og!Cale and they want to give him a power, sometimes they give him fantasy spirit stuff? Well, I want elementals to have the usual 'spirit king per attribute' that you usually find in fantasy mangas, but make the water spirit king an axolotl and let og!Cale befriend them.

And when I say Axolotl Water Spirit King I mean 'non-parlant little flying axolotl' that can turn into a 'giantic, water-looking-like, could swallow a pirate ship, still non-parlant axolotl' a la Ponyo.

Just, Imagine og!Cale who was just minding his business and finds a little dorky amphibian that got trapped in a net. And the little dorky one smiles at him. He has no choice but to help it.

The little one likes him. They become friends :D!!

So, turns out his animal friend can fly. Cool.

His new friend decided to follow him— Wait, where is he going?

...Oh.

So, his little friend is not so little anymore.

Ey, don't— spit it out! Spit the bad woman out!

And he doesn't like his relatives.

[thegradus2]

Im having modern day au alver x ogcale thoughts :,)

The setting is sort of like a earth 1’s korea except the catalysm happened waaaaay before like decades before, so fighting the monsters is way easier and more normal tho its still considered really hard and dangerous work (barely any deaths anymore but injuries are p common)

The soos all work at the company together. Cale (22 yrs old) is estranged from his family and also works at the company (hes happy to watch his little brother and little sister succeed from afar). Cale and kim rok soo constantly get compared bc theyre both serious and hard workers who tell people all the time that they wanna quit/slack off (they will never actually quit or slack off). Bc cale isnt actually in his familys life anymore he doesnt need to pretend to be trash and hes smiley like when hes krs in canon

Bc kim rok soo isnt as traumatized as in canon from losing his only friends he manages to make more friends (taylor sten, cage, eruhaben, he obvs manages to find his kids, choi han is also here and not as traumatized he just got kidnapped by monsters for like 10 years and is back home now, the whale tribe the wolf tribe the jungle queen the- you get the point. Kim rok soo is basically the companys information network at this point)

Idk if i should make krs and the other soos 36 etc still or if i should make them younger? (Like in late twenties, just a little older than when the soos minus krs died in the og timeline). In any case somehow its still cale nagging krs abt staying healthy and eating well and exercising, not the other way around

Maybe cale still has his adopted niece (aka reincarnated mom but ig he doesnt know that in this au)??

Alver (27 yrs old) has inherited his fathers trillion won company and is a repressed workaholic CEO (or maybe his father has a rlly succesful company and alver has become rlly succesful in politics instead?? Tho what ive seen the rlly succesful companies’ heirs in korea are lowkey treated with the same importance as a politician so it doesnt rlly matter)

Tasha pressures alver into taking 1 single day off. He obliges and almost gets assassinated by the mob (the white stars gang, and yes they do have powers). They decide to hire alver a specialized bodyguard. Cue the company: cale gets chosen as a guard while a few others (including kim rok soo) work on figuring out how to take out the white stars little group

Idk what power to give cale yet 👀 i wanna say either smth to do with time or smth to do with plants BUT i can also just give him both?? Or a power that combines the two?? I will look up symbolism to decide later lol

ANYWAY smiley bodyguard cale x repressed ceo alver. Cale falls first alver falls harder. Cale surprising alver with loyalty and cunning and with how he goes out of his way to take hits meant for alver. Alver being perfect and cale doing his best to goad alver into letting go of that mask every moment theyre alone

Multiple specific scenes im thinking:

- alver is goaded into taking a day off by tasha again a few months after the assassination attempt, this time with cale. They go to a café and have cutesy talks together (cale is just constantly being glib trying to trip alver up while alver is annoyed and into it)

- alver has to go to a high-end event. Cale comes with as his bodyguard/date (the date part is just a cover but they both wish it was real). They meet basen who is in complete and utter shock trying to hide it (he will do a full report back to the henituse family later)

- i need the company to go to a karaoke bar every friday bc i love karaoke. Cale sort of likes it and puts up minimal resistance every time. Kim rok soo does NOT want to go but he ends up napping the whole time every friday so its not that bad. During his bodyguard job with alver cale has to decline a few times. The company manages to wrangle cale into just bringing alver with him to karaoke (the repressed ceo of a trillion won company going to a shitty karaoke bar with a bunch of rowdy office workers/sort-of-soldiers is funny to me)

- at some point it gets serious and cale takes a bullet or otherwise rlly damaging attack that was meant for alver. He has to go to the hospital and alver realizes that oh shit its not a good idea to develop feelings for someone whos job it is to take bullets for you. And then he realizes of shit i developed feelings wtf??? And then he thinks i should stop feeling this way. And then he looks at cale again, whos passed out in the hospital bed and hes like im not gonna be able to stop feeling this way, am i. Fuck. Shit. Damnit

- they have a summer wedding 🥰

- neither of them are even involved w the white star mob. They just suddenly get a call from krs like “hi. I did the job. The others want me to tell you that im in the hospital btw.” Cale and alver visit him in the hospital and cale comforts krs by saying “dw, one day youll have your farm with the other two idiots. One day. Maybe.”

- that one scene in adventure time with bonnie and marcy and bonnie leans against marcy and closes her eyes and is like “wake me up in like 20 minutes.” Them. Them. Them. Them-

- cale slowly connecting with his family after him and alver met basen at that one event. First its deruth just calling (most painful and awkward phone call in the world where deruth very obviously avoids talking abt anything important and cale is just too confused abt why hes calling to pick up on any of it.) Then basen and lily start texting him. Then lily just shows up at his house to visit. It all snowballs from there with just little awkward moments of the family trying to rebuild a bridge with cale and cale just being confused abt what they want from him and why theyd wanna see him (its bc they love him bc hes family and theyre worried abt him)

- eventually deruth visits his house in person. This is also the moment where they finally actually have The Emotions and deruth acknowledges the abandonment and emotional neglect and cale confesses it was all an act but that he also actually thought they really didnt want him and that he thought he was ruining his fathers perfect new family with his presence and that he got rid of himself bc he thought it would make them happier

- cale goes to therapy.png. The family rejoices. The company also rejoices. The company stops rejoicing when he starts badgering everyone else to also get therapy (they really really all need it)

- the confession happens after cale isnt alvers bodyguards anymore. Cale has managed to talk alver into meeting every week at alvers place and just talking or playing chess or whatever they feel like doing. Theyre just doing their weekly catching up and cale is being especially wonderful talking abt his kid and alver being especially sleepdeprived just kisses him right on the mouth. He immediately backtracks and tries to be glib abt it like “im so sorry i dont know what came over me-“ but cale just kisses him back and then the next scene they wake up no clothes in bed together. They have been pining for at least a year by this point they deserve this

- alver goes to therapy after they officially get together bc cale pushed him to. It actually helps a little??? He is absolute shit abt opening up but the therapist has some generic tips abt managing his overworking problem

- most of the groomsmen/bridesmaids (or groomsmaids??) are part of the company. Tasha is alvers maid of honor. Basen is cales groomsman or honor or however the hell thats called lol. Cales niece is the flower girl and raon is the ringbearer. Cales family is there and robbit and his wife are there too + obvs alvers maternal family.

- summer wedding

Ok this is all for now

[fictionfixations]

can i just say

you know those transmigrater(?) grator?? i odnt. i dont know the terms for this man

but you know the the the. transmigrates into usually the villain kinda stories?

you know whats my favorite for that kinda stuff? where we were the actual character all along (i think its.. regressor...? ??? either going back into your past as yourself or living another life and then backtracking to a past life of yours that being of generally the villain? idont know if thats what it actually means)

ive also never seen it but i just. think its really cool. and i like reading fics where theyre the same person

in the same way i like it when they have motives. let me be clear, ive NEVER seen the source material so i have no idea whats canon and whats not

but you know what id like to think is canon? shen jiu being a former slave and being super bitter at the world for being very cruel and thats why hes an asshole in like. book canon.(? canon. of. the book. ..in the story.? i think the the the book in that one is like Proud Immortal Demon Way...? IDK man)

or like like. og cale henituse acting like trash because he cares about his siblings and doesnt want negative attention on them also dont know if thats canon. but yknow what? thats my canon

now about time travel in general since it kind of relates, romance is always iffy because its like you know everything that'll make this person fall in love with you. or like, theres an age gap now, and it might not bother them but its not like they know. i know. (its worse if youre like back in your teenage years while youre already an adult cause at that point it feels a little gross)

its that sort of discrepancy(?)

so like. i dont like that there needed to be an entirely new person to be in that body to make change or do things for the better or make everyone like that person

it feels like a cop out.

and also people believing that that person suddenly changed for the better when they arent that person at all???

which. ow.

maybe thats my bad. maybe im secretly an apologist for them, idk, maybe im projecting

but like idk man. the world telling you youre not enough so someone else ends up in your body and then fixes literally every issue in the world (and everyone liking this 'version' of you better). like ow me heart

in all fairness the og's wouldn't have knowledge of the book they're living in??? which is why the transmigrator can do so much

but. THUS. new life AS the transmigrator, then regressing(?) back into their past life with that new knowledge. and probably character growth cause maybe they experience what being loved is like (familial. imagine how cruel itd be to have a lover then one day waking up in a past life of yours that you can only associate as cruel and punishing, and you genuinely cant be sure if that person was made up or not. like was it just a dream? also 'oh god the people i thought mightve been dead are alive')

tbh though it might be because while op time traveling shenanigans (or anything in between) is cool with me, i also like the angsty time travel of 'when i look at them, i keep seeing their dead faces'

of 'how do you know this' (accusatory, 'are you a traitor?')

of also grudges and stuff

but also. more character growth refacing trauma theyve faced before

also maybe probably very much selfish because they kindaa probably just wanna protect their family and will do anything to do so (and thus embrace the 'villain' part that people think of them as)

i dont know if im making sense anymore

now LET ME BE CLEAR i dont like that shen jiu hit his students and shit and was a huge asshole and its not going to suddenly go away. but. its acknowledging what you did wrong, making up for it, but knowing that it'll still stay there. that he still did it even if he deeply regrets it and even if everyone forgives him. because i really dont know in what situation itd be okay to be hit? and also that hopefully hes not that person anymore, but that he wont hide it and will own up to it as a thing he did and shouldnt have done.

anyway i dont know what og cale did besides act like trash but its either the fics im reading are downplaying it or like. thats really it. i have no clue. but still the same thing. if he did some horrible thing, ABOVE.

i just like redemption. and revenge stories. and character growth-ing.

and maybe thats on me for liking villain-ish characters. (im saying villain-ish though because supposedly og cale didnt play a huge part in the book? ....Birth of a Hero...?????? like he just happened, got beat up, and dipped? i think? thats what ive heard anyway. so i dont know if he really counts as one since like uh. white star.????????? ????)

anyway uh thought dump over

feel free to correct me in comments i like learning about things

[youngyoo-apologist]

Writing fanfic with like 90% of the plot already planned is so funny but also so painful because every time there’s a mystery I purposefully put into the story as something that will be foreshadowed to revealed and revealed later in just praying people don’t think its a plot hole.

Like for example, the timeline OG Cale and Choi Han living in being different from TBoaH with some similarities. (The major differences being that Lily Henituse is alive, and while the rest of the continent took a pretty hard hit with the war, the Roan Kingdom managed to rebuild some of itself later in the war) , this one is so important because like, things aren’t supposed to be that way! I didn’t change canon for no reason! That happened for a reason! Guys! I swear!

Same thing with like KRS and OG Cale being able to hear eachother since they were young through their dreams, like that also has a reasoning behind it I promiseeee guys I swear😭😭 it’s like my biggest irrational fear that people will think that I’m just doing these things with nothing to back them up even though I know I shouldn’t rlly think abt it too much and just write the story like I intended 😭😭

I feel like a part of writing fanfic, especially LCF fanfic that makes me so nervous is the fact that canon is already and established and really well written universe. If things change, I feel like I need to make it OBVIOUS that they changed on purpose and not cause I’m changing things for the sake of changing them.

Sometimes I re read older chapters and go “wow, the delivery of this line sucked! I should re-write that slightly” because I’ve gotten better at phrasing things but WHAT IF ITS TOO LATEEEEEEE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 when I don’t have a limited vocabulary anymore it’s going to be the day I write something real good

Like I’m reading the early chaoters of [In the Borderline] and it’s like, FUCK some of these things just look like a dues ex machina even though they have reasons behind them.

I think a huge part of it is because of the wording, and how sudden everything is, I should have emphasized the characters confusion to these things to as a way to show that yes, things are off, BUT I DIDNT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS WRITING I FORGOT TO PROOF READ 😭😭😭😭 AND NOW ITS TOO LATEEE

Idk I’m just saying stuff at this point, but I guess my point is for a story like lcf, I want my fanfic to be something good becauee I really love lcf. I want to be able to write a story that shows how much I love the characters and things I want to see happening, but without erasing importance of characters or anything from TCF because I firmly believe that KRS is important no matter what.

There are things I will never change, like KRS being the one to name Raon, KRS being the children averaging whatever years old’s father, KRS having the silver shield(cause I think that’s like THE ancient power that represents him, that and Vitality of the Heart)

In a regression fic like [In the Borderline], where the time line has diverged so much, and in general is a fic that plays the long game when it comes to plot points, I just want it to be clear that everything happens for a reason and that I’ll never change KRS’s importance to the story, cause in that fic, OG Cale and KRS are both so important.

Choi Han too but he’s like, supposed to be cool and mysterious rn I can’t reveal too much abt him and TBoaH and why the world Cale and Choi Han lived in has so many differences from TboaH novel

[scammysmileroksuu]

—includes spoilers for part 2, beware!!—

I don't think Ron knew his identity was changed imo, because who would actually think of transmigration when someone close to them suddenly has a change of attitude? It's too absurd, one would just guess that something made them change them.

But I do think that he knew og Cale was acting as trash. And there was an instance where Ron heard Cale say "I can't stay as trash forever", I think he believed that statement for a while and thought that Cale was starting to act like a proper person again.

But then, there are some things that probably made Ron have his doubts. Like the message from the GoD that Cale refused to tell anyone its actual content, the sg test, the appearance of sui (we didn't get much reaction from Ron on this one though), and more scenes that i dont remember now,,,, and finally the current murim arc, where Cale in his young krs form claimed that cjs was his best friend.

I mean. Ron had been with you for your entire life, when did you even befriend that choi han looking guy.

As for the lemonade theory, I don't really have an answer to whether it was a test or it was just Ron annoying the scared Cale or whatever, but i can add that there were only two times (iirc) that Ron had served Cale a drink that's not lemonade or a sour drink: the first time was right before the Henituse territory vs paerun arc (which, Cale didn't get to drink because an attack came right after), and the second time was in murim where Ron served Kim hae-il sweet tea.

It went back to the normal sour tea after that one time, and Ron had said that he just hadn't found something similar to lemonade in central plains at that time, but would that really hinder our almighty butler from finding whatever sour drink to serve Cale? I don't think so. Considering it was right after an important moment of soos reunion and possible identity reveal of KimCale, I think it wasn't just a coincidence.

There is actually a chance that Ron might be thinking that Cale regained hos past life's memories or something, which is, to be honest, more likely than thinking about transmigration...but well.

Anyhow, while it would sound quite sad, I don't think Ron would be too shocked to know Cale is not og Cale anymore. Kimcale was being too sus that it'd be weird if Rom didn't doubt things before.

Additionaly, it was mentioned that Ron didn't care much about og Cale. He went on his path for revenge rather than helping out the injured og Cale after ch beat him up, and honestly no one can really blame Ron for doing so. Because in the end, they were a master and a servant, not a grandfather and their child. And his own child, vicross, wanted to follow ch, so what's stopping him?

I would like to think that at least he would feel sad later that he couldn't really help og Cale with anything while he was there. Ron is basically the person who brought og Cale up

But honestly, the novel have been really dismissing many things about og Cale and how his relationship with Ron formed/changed over the years, and we didn't really get much of his reaction either whenever Cale was acting sus about his identity. They said they'd talk after they go back to Rowoon, so.... we just have yo wait to find out, ig :')

Thanks for typing out your ramble, it was fun to read. I love them too.

I need your opinion, do you think Ron knew that Cale was no longer the same person?

I was stalking the fandom (as usual) and I saw a comment, by who I assume to be a new reader, wondering how Ron would react finding out Cale was actually KRS, that the child he watched grow wasn't actually the man he believes and it made me think a bit.

When I read tcf the first time, one of the things I was most curious about was all the odd looks Cale got in the first few chapters, and my biggest question was, surely a very sharp and experienced assassin who knew the know-hows of blending into different crowds would have immediately noticed that "Young master" was no longer the same person.

I'm sure you caught this too when reading, but there were many moments when Ron's expression turned odd after Cale did or said something.

Ron the whole first chapter:

It starts by something he dismisses, such as Cale waking up immediately after Ron calls out to him, on the very first attempt. But as the chapter progresses, Ron gets more and more intrigued.

He notices how Cale says thanks after he receives water and when servants dress him. Along with his other odd actions, asking the date, repeating his own name, asking to go to the study, not breaking things etc.

And then finally, Ron gives him the ultimate test, the lemon tea. I think this was his way of confirming that Cale had changed. It proved to me Ron was definitely onto something.

Now this is where I need your opinion. From my interpretation of Ron's character, yes he "loved" ogCale or held at least a bit of affection for him. Let me pull up some receipts:

^(sorry for light mode)

Although Ron treated him like his grandson he did not think Cale had a soft spot for him nor that he treated him like a person and never really took much interest in him aside from his duties.

And while I was doing a deep-dive I went on the wiki and saw this.

So Ron saw ogCale, his situation and therefore pitied him, yet he thought of him as a helpless impertinent puppy, which is why he did not have much issue with following Beacrox who wished to leave with Choi Han in BOAH. But only after Cale changed is when he begin to be interested.

Now the question is, was the lemon tea experiment he did, just to test whether Cale had become aware of Ron's true identity, or was it to confirm Cale was a changed person entirely???

Personally I think it was both, and that Ron was aware from the very beginning. However this is where I am conflicted, because the idea of Ron watching that small boy become so big and smart is so satisfying to me, because the author wanted to paint this as a "cale finally stopped pretending to be a dumb oblivious trash and started to take matters into his hand" like it was all a plan cale had to hide his powers and get stronger in secret while acting unsuspecting. This is what the public believes and it sounds very cool but... hmm I wish we got a chapter focusing more on Ron's feelings.

Like I am aware he loves Cale very much and especially after getting the new arm he started to feel a sense of loyalty for Cale he didn't have before but the fact that he was one of the few people og Cale was very close with since he was very young, the fact that a whole new person was in the body is kind of not addressed in its full concept, this transition from no interest to loyalty was also a transition from og cale to krs cale so I wish we got more on it.

Thanks for reading my ramble. I love them.

[illusionsofdreaming]

i miss og!cale

You sat by the hill that overlooked the courtyard you frequented as a kid. Your eyes were drawn towards the cherry tree that stood by the corner, fondly recalling memories of planting a fragile sapling that have now grown healthily into the formidable form it has today.

“You’re really leaving.”

You turned your head to the side, squinting against the bright sunlight to find his familiar form standing close.

Instead of answering, you patted the ground beside you and he sat down wordlessly.

You watched the scenery before you for a while before he broke the silence once more.

“Why?”

You looked over at his somber expression, brows pinched together as he watched you. You smiled gently.

“Probably the food?” you said lightly and only half jokingly, knowing ‘he’ wouldn’t see the morbid irony behind it. You thought back to the picnic you had a few days ago, when he handed you homemade sandwiches, carefully cut into adorable shapes. The kids and others spent much time preparing for the outing and he had been kind enough to invite you along, unknowingly handing you what was akin to poison for someone who’s allergic to wheat like you.

Perhaps you’d known all along. That ‘he’ was not him and hasn’t been for a long time.

You turned your gaze back towards the courtyard you spent many hours of your childhood running around. “He’s not coming back is he?”

A breath of silence confirmed what you already knew. A wry smile scratched itself across your face as your heart broke anew.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” you closed your eyes. It’s not ‘his’ fault, someone who tried to make the best of his situation and was doing so much for this world. ‘He’ could’ve abandoned everything upon realising his situation but instead he’d tried to salvage the ruins and pick up the pieces. Still, something picked at the back of your mind, “Is he…”

There was a soft sigh, “He’s happy there.”

“That’s good.” you could only manage. Something heavy and large filling up your throat. You’re glad he’s happier there but you won’t deny that some part of you raged and despaired that you weren’t enough to bring him back, that you weren’t a good enough reason to stay.

“I’m sorry.” he repeated again and you could hear the frustration within his tone. Directed at his own powerlessness at the situation. In this, they are very much alike.

You opened your eyes, the blue skies filled your vision as you inhaled deeply. “It’s hard for me to accept it now but that’s his choice.”

“and I’ve made mine.” you reached out to hold his hand and stood up.

“It’s been a long dream.” you allowed yourself to smile, it was painful, it was broken but it lifted the burden that weighed you down for too long. The restraints that have been threatening to suffocate you snapped off thread by thread and for the first time in a long while, it became easier for you to breathe. You turned to meet his conflicted expression, familiar in the shapes and angles that’s your Cale and yet not really at all.

Before you left, you bent down to brush a kiss on his forehead, a final act of selfishness. “Thank you for everything.” you whispered to him.

For all the good and bad, for all the joy and despair, for the past and now the future.

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡　　　ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

It was long after your silhouette had disappeared from the horizons and the sun began to dip did he finally unfurled his fist. Nestled in his palm, a silver ring that once meant a promise between two people, now worlds apart, reflected the day’s last rays up at him.

Notes: I said I would write competitive hand holding next but this came out of nowhere and blindsided me like-

Ft: Cale (KRS)

[hajidumps]

og!Cale: you're right

og!Choi Han: ....

og!Choi Han: are you sick?

[murasaki-cha]

Og!Cale: Bud could you tell Choi Han that he’s an asshead but I still love him

Og!Bud: Why don’t you tell him yourself?

Og!Cale: We’re fighting

Og!Bud: You’re sitting on his lap??

Og!Alberu: Cale and Choi Han get sad when we have fights.

Og!Alberu: And we don’t want anymore blown up ARM buildings ahead of schedule so we keep them as close as possible

Og!Bud: Why don’t you help them make up

Og!Alberu: I may be their boyfriend but I know better than to get in between those two fighting. They’ll just make me mad too and I’ll also be joining Cale on Choi Han’s lap

Og!Bud: You guys are so weird I’m done

[messy-haired-bum]

I understand Jour's actions are noble, and yes, I did not mean to diminish her sacrifices. But in the end, as you said, it is still a decision that she's made.

Jour may have been pushed into a tight corner by the Hunters, but in the end, it is by her own free will that she chose death. It's part of the reason why og!Cale never forgives her, actually.

Kim Rok Soo's parents were never granted that choice at all.

If there are still some human elements to be found in Jour's death, then Kim Rok Soo's parents' deaths can only be seen as a freak accident.

The agency that Jour has over her end is vastly different from what Kim Rok Soo's parents have.

I am not saying that all of og!Cale's tragedies when the war started are coincidences, I'm just saying that such tragedies are actually commonplace in war, and at the end of the world.

At the end of the world, everyone's tragedies are the same. In the end, they have all lost their families, their friends, their loved ones, etc. That doesn't mean everyone is cursed now does it?

And now about Kim Rok Soo.

Kim Rok Soo is introverted and didn't want to attach himself to anyone, because life has been teaching him that same reason since his parents' deaths. I said before: "Everyone he is close to either move away, transfer, died, or turn into such monsters that <he> can no longer love them anymore."

Kim Rok Soo could only try so much before he understood that inevitably, something will happen and the people he loves will be torn away from him.

(Btw, CJS was friendly bc he had a good supportive family before the Cataclysm. KRS's childhood was an actual shit hole.)

So why would he talk to people when obviously, they are never going to be friends?

I think Kim Rok Soo is very good at spotting patterns, and he must have subconsciously understood that he could not get close to people, because the moment he did, something will happen to change that fact.

Does he know he can get close to people if he has just talked? Of course he does. He just knows it would be entirely useless, because the people he's gotten close to always disappear after a while.

It's a lesson that life - the curse - has been routinely reinforcing after all.

Og!Cale's life is tragic, sure, but more than him being cursed, I believe it's more like his life was impacted by the one truly cursed - the White Star, just like everyone else whose lives the White Star ruined in tboah world.

"A life where you cannot cherish anything"......Yeah, og!Cale's life before the war by the White Star is nowhere near severe enough to get described like that.

OG!Cale is cursed too?

Now that I think about it, Cale(OG!KRS) shares the curse with White star because their souls touched when WS was reincarnating right?

This curse makes the bearer loose everything they ever cherished and we can see what happened to OG!KRS...

Now, take a deep breath and look at OG!CALE's life....Lost his mother, neglected by his father, his family feels uncomfortable around him,Ron left him without saying goodbye, His own territory's people hate him, The county was ruined, he was the lone survivor, finds out his mother's ancient power was taken by the one who murdered his family and he is only able to find peace and truly live after he leaves the world which for OG!KRS....was the factor that broke his curse!

And this is not that farfetched when you realise that WS's current body is most likely from a Thames, Cale is aa thames, They are the same age, and he most likely exchanged bodies with his soul cousin.

There must be a connection so what if it has something to do with them sharing the same blood???

(This just popped into my head and I'm open to a discussion anytime.)

[mypromptlair]

TCF Prompt 10

AU. No KRS, Main OG Cale

Harris Village, a small place located near a dangerous, forbidden location. A place Cale Henituse despised with his very being. Because, like his mother, he knew the truth. Those people were not as innocent as they portrayed. They were not as kind as Choi Han believed, playing him like a fiddle. After all, they were after people like Choi Han, beings who cross time and space: transmigrators, and people like himself who regress. A organization known as Hunters. A villainous group even more older, annoying and more powerful than the White Star. While it was a help they took that bastard down, they also slew Choi Han and himself immediately after(causing even more chaos).

With things really not ending up well afterwards, the damned GoD sent him back to when he was 18, waking up in agony and finding the Molan's gone. What a pain.

But this time, he doesn't seem to be alone. This time he has his hyungs and noona with him(were they this...protective before?). Gains some very talkative ancient powers, saves some adorable bratty kids he would die for, and unknowingly creates a family along the way.

And after giving up so damn much the first time around, and seemingly having to do it again, when all was said and done he was going to go off and just slack. Rest somewhere away from everyone with the kids…maybe even have a garden? Or perhaps a farm...

It's just his luck that his mothers family decides to come out of the woodworks this time around. They look torn between wanting to throttle him and smother him in hugs. Weirdos.

Wait, Noona, why are you laughing? What do you mean I fit right in!? - Cale

----------

The Village did cause the carriage accident, though only Cale was able to figure it out due to his mothers journal(amongst other evidence, which was too late to bring to his father. As the man didn't see him anymore).

Eric, Gilbert and Amiru all have a huge part to play and are way more active, and more powerful/strong in their own right.

Cale ends up going to the capital instead of Basen. It becomes a shitshow, thanks to Choi Han intervening with him, but at least they stop most of the bombs.

Hans is also more involved. Slowly becoming more and more loyal and protective of his young master.

Protective!bamf Thames family(they are not very impressed with how Deruth has treated Jour's son either). They also know Cale regressed and are horrified. Which is why they came out of hiding.

Protective!dragons(Eruhaben, etc.) and allies.

Cale's plate is very thin, caused by his regression. He's a bit annoyed, the coughing up blood thing is getting old.

Cale's trash act is found out to be just that. Everyone's upset he would hurt himself in such a way. Especially Basen and Lily.

It's also found out that some of the staff and relatives tormented and lied about Cale without even Ron knowing. Beacrox is furious to find out they also tainted Cale's food(some of which HE had made himself). No wonder Cale stopped calling him Hyung and had those "tantrums"…

The Molans have a lot of regrets towards Cale, but they make up for it.

White star is eventually dealt with, in such a surprising ease that Cale may or may not be a bit slightly annoyed at the fact.

Choi Han and his gang eventually become allies, but it will be a while yet.

Choi Han also finds out about the Hunters and is devastated to learn the truth of Harris Village. He also gets some much needed therapy for being alone for so long(along with the culture shock, etc.), thank you Eruhaben.

Cale gives him some cookies, as that damn fatherly dragon dragged him off for a similar reason as well. Then Ron gives them lemonade...urk.

Alberu also joins the older siblings train, though he feels like he's the only "sane" one(he says being a dark elf while wielding Taerang, a gift from the sun god, after dealing with Adin and his tower).

Cale, Cage and Bud are drinking buddies and get into shenanigans.

Cale gives his AP's grey hairs(if they could have them), Super Rock just wants to trap him in a rock and protect him there. He regrets constantly saying "are you trying to sacrifice yourself". It gave his wielder ideas...

The greatest enemy is the Hunters who are slowly taken care of.

[ayowuzap]

Posting this here cuz my phone's notes can't handle me anymore help

*This is just an idea! Anyone can use and/or take inspiration from the thing that i wrote but please don't driectly copy my thing please!*

TCF FIC IDEA CUZ WHY NOT LMAO will edit later ig

Summary probs idk more of a prompt i think: KRS!Cale's Indignity Test: Alberu Crossman meets his "version" of Cale Henituse except Alberu knows that Og!Cale being trash is just an act and attempts to make him either a dongsaeng (cuz of TCF!Alberu's actions and IT!Alberu having visions of those two interacting) or an ally for future purposes. (Its actually just an excuse to write these two heh)

i.e. thengalulu convo between these two ye:

Alberu then looked straight in the eyes of the notorious trash, Cale Henituse, as if he was initiating challenge, before starting to skim through the Henituse Records. (10mins and 14secs)

"Richard, a butler-in-training and servant, was fired for theft and embezzlement, Nala, one of the head maids, was accused of harassing lower ranking maids and the young master and young mistress' Basen and Lily, and was promptly fired later on by the Count and Countess themselves, Vroyz, a citizen in Rain City, kicked out of the  territory after people testifying of him attempting sexual assault, property damage and theft and succeeded in most attempts, Helen, one of the higher ranking knights, was kicked out of the Henituse Brigade after being accused of harassing the new countess..." (22mins and 17secs)

This went on for who knows how long but it still effectively confused but made the suspicions of the disguised dark elves and some human servants loyal to the first prince, more solid and clearer than ever towards the young master, while also making Cale forget that he was in front of a decent amount of people and the crown itself, and broke his act slightly as his not so drunk eyes widened in shock everytime a certain name was mentioned in the records.

'Fuck, I've been found out.'

Cale clenched the wine glass that was graciously given to him prior to this mess and gritted his teeth, opening his mouth to at least save or salvage some of his left over reputation that he worked so hard to build for the past years that was quickly getting trampled down but was promptly stopped by the noise of papers smacking onto the table.

"These are the recorded files of the fired employees of the Henituse County for the past nine to ten years."

He saw Alberu's hand hover his hands softly like a fluttering bird's feather over the papers, with the gaze of his eyes as soft as a doe's and smile as bright as the sun, contrasting his previous actions greatly of practically throwing the files on the table and nearly making them fly. (will probably keep the exaggeration idk)

"And..."

Gentle blue yet sharpened sapphire eyes (im sho shmart) moved towards the red head's, whose face is as red as a rose and eyes shook with emotions that could not be distinguished but is usually seen as between irritated drunkenness or absolute annoyance. (9mins and 32secs)

However, Alberu knew.

"These were the people that the infanous eldest young master of County threw a bottle or four at, prior to their punishments."

He knew it was raw anger and pure fear for his family's safety.

The crown prince smiled gently and youthfully towards the fuming red head, as if he hadn't just dropped a dangerous information bomb for and against a neutral noble, and tilted his head mockingly, asking the other to just give it up.

"Tsk."

What the blonde didn't expect, however, was that he would actually comply. Cale downed the whole glass of wine in his hand that he nearly splintered to pieces if he was any stronger, and slammed down the now empty glass, still skillfully maintaining his elegance all throughout his outburst.

1) "The Henituse Family bows to the collective Royals, not because they were forced to or chose to."

Rust colored eyes beneath the still, slightly bowed head peeked dangerously between the veil of hair and towards the young sun. (npi)

2) 'But because they see no reason to go against them.' (1 and 2: 5mins and 42secs)

The hand that was still holding onto the empty wine glass tightened until the knuckles turned pale white. (2mins and 19secs)

"Yet you seem to be testing my limits here."

Cale finally let go of the sole object that would normally give him a false sense of calmness, crossed his arms and legs in an extremely graceful manner and cocked his head aloofly with the most unrelaxed-relaxed face in existence. (8min and 22secs)

"I will give you what you want that I can with my power, excluding future territorial and political support, in exchange of not coming anywhere near my family."

A finger settled on his bicep started to tap restlessly as his patience wavered as he raised his brow.

"So? What do you want?"

'What do you want from a son of a neutral family?'

Cale was genuinely curious. The crown had not just found him out-the people who were supposedly there, how come they didn't know? Why? Did they not care enough to know what he was trying to do? what he was risking for that was much more valuable than his life? why-and just practically wasted his time and effort and taking advantage of his wide network full of information of different nobles, kingdoms and empires alike just for what, to exploit a weakness of the son neutral family? Or is there something more than that? (13mins and 2secs)

"Why, of course..."

A human servant clasped his hands to his mouth and a disguised dark elf's gaze had darkened in wariness as they both knew what was happening and what was going to come.

"Companionship!"

3) Alberu said with unreasonable pride, smiling impossibly brighter than before as he settled his chin on top of his crossed fingers that is placed on the table with his elbows propped up. (the fanfics that ive read good lord-)

4) 'Never mind, we don't know what's happening anymore.'

5) Said human servant unintentionally smacked his hands towards his forehead as the disguised dark elf bit her lower lip, both faces deadpan. (3, 4 and 5: 17mins and 56secs)

"Haa..."

Cale sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose understandably.

p r a i n b o w e r

[unparalleledtrash]

I had a sudden, random thought as I was reading yet another reaction fic (help, this is turning into an obsession).

So... The authors usually differentiate the TBOAH and TCF characters. The TBOAH people are usually dragged into a dimension to react and gather information so they could change the future... But what is their future? Then I thought about the regression thing. If you think about it, wouldn't TBOAH characters' future be TCF? I think Jour's diary should explain the difference of Transmigrators and Regressors. OG/TBOAH!Cale went back to the past before transmigrating.

So, as TBOAH's timeline goes on, they'll eventually become the people from TCF. The TBOAH's future would be TCF's present.

If TBOAH's timeline went unchanged, at some point OG!Cale would regress. The fate of their world is to regress. (I don't know how the regression works in the novel because in ORV, when YJH regresses, a different worldline is created. But for this post, I'm assuming that the world regresses with OG!Cale because he simply went back in time before actually going to a different dimension – the dimension being KRS' world.)

Thus, an idea for a fanfic was born :DDD What if TBOAH (the book/novel) was not actually about Choi Han. The book was supposedly about the the birth of multiple heroes all over the continent with Choi Han being the protagonist. But what if, the real birth of a hero is beyond the 5 volumes of the novel Kim Rok Soo has read. It is OG!Cale's death that resulted to the change of their future. The Gods saw how effective TCF!Cale is in dealing with the destruction of the world. The world that TBOAH was based on has already collapsed. Cale Henituse and Kim Rok Soo has given the Gods hope and a solution for the other parallel dimensions. The guide that was meant for Choi Jung Soo was now purposefully written for KRS. The fanfic will be about the birth of a hero who was fated to die. The Last Volume of TBOAH that Choi Jung Gun is writing would be about a hero who dies to bring the savior of their world. At the end of TBOAH, two heroes are born – one born as he dies and one born as he rise. It is a sad and cruel fate for both heroes. I doubt that anyone would try to save OG!Cale if it meant a brighter future with TCF!Cale was ahead of that sacrifice. OG!Cale dies, regresses, then transmigrates for the world. It is a cycle of that for every parallel dimension. And although he is now happy with his mother as KRS, doesn't he deserve happiness in his birthplace? It would be even crueler if he is aware that he's fated to die for the world. He acts as trash because he refuses to die for the world, but ends up doing it anyways. He does not know about the war, but he knows he'll die at a chaotic time. Idk how you'll save the dude if you ever think this is an interesting concept for a fanfic or reaction fic tho... At this point, I'm just rambling and typing the things I thought of at the top of my head. I just made my head hurt, I don't even know if I'm making sense anymore. Smh. I applaud you if you made it this far to the post. Bless you in the name of our God, Cale-nim, and our Pope, Clopeh... Jk

[sadlynotthevoid]

No, really. It has been more than a month and still thinking about it. What should they call them now?

Do they go with their original names? Do they exchange them? (since, you know, everyone thinks krs!Cale is the original one) Does Og!Cale get a total new name?

Then my brain told me that Bassen and Lily should name og!Cale. And, yeah, that sounds fair. They are the ones who spend the most time with him anyways, so they know him better. Besides, technically, og!Cale was Lily's pet. It's only right you name your pets (even if they're not your "pet" anymore).

So,

Og!Cale: Well, he's already "Cale Henituse" here, so I should get a new name.

KRS!Cale: Are you sure? (Translation: it's your own name, I could go by other one)

Og!Cale: Yes, I don't mind. Besides, having two Cale's would be confusing. (Translation: I actually prefer it. New life, new me.)

KRS!Cale: fine then. (Translation: If you say so.)

Lily, completely oblivious to their exchange: I want to name deer-beoni!

Og!Cale, aware of what an 8yo could convey as an acceptable name, but too happy to care: Sure.

Bassen: ...I also would like to help to pick a new name for hyung-nim.

Og!Cale: Alright. Let's go to the study and pick up a name together, then.

They don't take the name thing lightly— not that they should ("a name is an important matter", Violan told them once, "it's what the world and, more important, yourself will call you by. It should be special, because it's a word embroided into your heart"). But the names they look for...

Og!Cale spends hours trying to stop his siblings from choosing names with progressively more embarrasing meanings.

The good thing is he now knows actually how high his siblings think of him (he never knew what their opinion of him was, he just thought they felt uncomfortable around him, so he tried to avoid stepping over their happiness with his presence).

The bad thing is that his new name definitely ends up being "an embarrasing one".

("It's a normal name. You only say that because your self-steem is as poor as you're rich."

"The pot to the kettle, Cale. The pot to the kettle"

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

*Sigh*)

I talked a little with one of my mutuals abt this but what would happen if someone got like 5 powers but theyre all the same attribute? Would the person still explode? Or maybe some other wacky magic stuff happens (like for example 5 wood attributes makes u become all plant-ey)?

[blueteller]

“Trash of the Count’s Family” Review Series: Chapter 3

Trash of the Count's Family Manhwa: Chapter 3

We start off with a baker freaking out at Cale's presence, once again reminding the audience of our protagonist's current reputation. Cale stoically thinks he's not even surprised anymore. Then he orders bread; all of the bread, much to the baker's confusion. He gives him a gold coin and casually says he can go somewhere else, demonstrating his character as someone shrewd and very to-the-point. The baker complies as fast as possible.

Now equipped with a bag full of bread, Cale walks down the streets thinking how different a fantasy world is to his old reality. Meanwhile, people are staring at him and Cale thinks he really must have been a trashy character for all of them to look at him like that. (Interesting detail: Cale gradually stops separating himself from the character of OG Cale, even though he's completely aware that they're two different people... and that Kim Rok Soo never did anything to deserve a bad reputation in this world.) He wants to leave the area as fast as possible. (Another shot of his shoes and – I can't be the only one who thinks they're drawn great, right???) Among the bypassers there is a couple of homeless children, with red and silver hair and yellow (maybe golden?) eyes.

Cale arrives at a grassy hill separated from city buildings by a short distance. On the top there is a stone wall surrounding a tree. Cale stops and puts the bag down, wiping off some sweat. It implies to the audience that he's either lazy or weak (or both, haha!) – as carrying only a bag of bread to a small hill not too far away probably shouldn't make a person tired. He claims right away that he's come a long way and that the bag is heavy, but... As I already pointed out, Cale seems quite unreliable as a narrator, sooo... Press X to Doubt 😂

Cale passes a very old wooden door and approaches the tree in the middle, which according to Cale looks hundreds of years old (nice shadows in that image! And Cale's outfit looks great).

Now, I don't want to be nitpicking too much, but I promied myself to be honest; no matter how much I love this series. That tree does NOT look that old. If anything, it looks like the 20-year-old tree growing in my backyard. Furthermore, it doesn't look anything like its description in the book. That's the most ordinarily-looking tree I've ever seen. I understand the author's mistake if the person was reading and drawing side-by-side without checking out the content ahead (not even a couple chapters, at least??), but there's an important detail missing which becomes quite relevant later on: the tree is supposed to be black and ominous-looking. Anyone aware of basic fantasy symbolism should know things like that are rarely without a reason. (Also, the entire fence was supposed to be rotting and made of wood, but that's less important, as it's never mentioned again.) Still, the author probably should have been aware of this, as what happens next is the detailed exposition of what this tree is, and why Cale found it in the first place.

The children from earlier show up and warn Cale not to approach, as it is "a man-eating tree". (The author tries to make the tree seem more ominous during the exposition, using a red background and the negative effect, buuut... It would have been more effective if you just made it black, you know!!) Those who hang themselves on the tree (I'm still curious, why would anyone do that? To make their suicide special or something??) become mummies overnight. However, the manhwa doesn't mention the other two characteristics which made this tree such a bad omen: one, any blood which lands on the tree disappears, and two, nothing grows around it, not even weeds. These things make it sound way creepier, in my opinion.

Cale smirks and confirms that this is exactly the tree he's been looking for.

Next we get a backstory of a Priestess who got kicked out of her temple for her gluttony, and after her death this tree grew on the top of her body. Both her grudges and powers now reside in the tree. Cale tells us that the Ancient Power is called "the Indestructible Shield". We are shown the faint image of the silver shield with wings once again.

Cale starts throwing bread into a dark hole near the roots of the tree. However, the children keep calling out to him not to get close or he'll die. Cale, annoyed by them, throws them two paper bags with bread inside and tells them to get lost. It's the first instance where we see the glimpse of his true personality: irritable, but kind nevertheless. (Tsundere alert, anyone...? 😏)

One of the children collects the food eagerly, but the other stills tries to warn him. Cale reminds them of his reputation of trash. The children decide to leave, but the silver-haired girl still whispers to him not to die as she walks away (what a good child... 🥺).

Cale makes a "tsks" sound to himself and continues to feed the tree. The bread disappears the moment in enters the hole, which Cale considers freaky. (There's a slightly awkward "one-eye" shot with Cale holding a loaf of bread, but it's not that terrible. 1/5 awkwardness rating.) Still, he considers "these kinds of savage and primitive existences" more trustworthy than other sources of power available to him. (It's skipped here, but in the novel we learned that those other sources would be divine or demonic, and Cale has no intention in getting involved with such things. Ownerless powers of purely human origin are much more attractive to him.)

Cale remembers from the novel that he needs to feed the hole until the darkness – representing the dead Priestess'es grudge – disappears. Once it's gone, the shield will become his. Cale throws the rest of the bread into the hole all at once, and the chapter ends.

While you can tell I had problems with this chapter – mostly about missing details which I consider important... I still enjoyed it a lot. Especially the appearance of certain cute little childen, whom as we will discover shall play a big role in the story.

Feel free to leave comments!

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