Trash of the Count's Family Book 2: Chapter 389: The Birth of Evil (6)

Can you save me?

Alberu and Rosalyn's eyes darkened the instant they heard those words from Chief of Staff Kang Geun Mok.

‘There’s something here.’

‘…This man knows of something more crucial than the laboratory.’

Alberu possessed an instinct that Kang Geun Mok held knowledge far more valuable than Earth 3 or the Raising my very own precious omnipotent god game. He sensed this individual knew something that would significantly aid their battle against the Hunters.

“……”

However, he remained silent.

He did nothing at all.

Because-

“From what?”

Cale Henituse, more than anyone, would never overlook such a detail.

“What exactly do you need saving from?”

Cale retracted his Dominating Aura, fixing his gaze upon Kang Geun Mok.

Kang Geun Mok took a slow breath.

“……”

He momentarily regretted his words. Yet, after meeting Cale’s eyes, he spoke again.

He could not escape the gaze that had been the sole light in that horrifying illusion.

“When I was young…”

Kang Geun Mok began to recount a dreadful memory.

“Ah. Please wait a moment.”

He reached for his phone.

“Hmm?”

As Rosalyn’s brow furrowed, her gaze threatening to turn menacing…

“Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo will dispatch someone if I don’t make contact.”

Kang Geun Mok displayed his phone screen to Cale.

< Delaying departure by approximately 10 minutes. >

After reading the message, Cale glanced back at Kang Geun Mok.

“This is a message intended for one of the secretaries at the Chairman’s estate.”

He then added, almost with a sigh.

“I am genuinely asking for your help.”

Cale nodded.

He saw no reason to believe Kang Geun Mok was plotting against them currently.

– If things go awry, we'll simply escape.

With a mage like Rosalyn and Alberu by his side, he felt confident they could flee from any of Han Taek Soo’s subordinates, provided he didn't reveal himself. He could manage it while simultaneously abducting Kang Geun Mok.

“Please continue.”

Cale prompted Kang Geun Mok to proceed. He had gained about ten minutes, but urgency was needed as it was a lengthy account.

“When I was young, I worked at a function hosted by the House of Han.”

‘A function?’

Rosalyn looked puzzled…

“!”

Cale’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

“A function hosted by the Transparents?”

“…How could you possibly know-?!”

Kang Geun Mok stared at Cale, astonished. Given Cale’s apparent age, he shouldn’t have any knowledge of such an event. However, Cale had a strong suspicion about the nature of this function.

‘It seems to be that particular event.’

More precisely, he had heard whispers of it.

‘The Central Plains.’

The Blood Demon.

During his time in the Central Plains, while confronting the Blue Bloods…

Cale had clashed with the elder Baek, the creator of jiangshi. Upon seeing Cale, that man had uttered something.

‘I shall make you a god.’

Cale already possessed a world within his being, which was believed to be the divine vessel of a god. Much like the King’s Successor whom the Hunters sought to elevate into an omnipotent deity, Elder Baek was the first to inform Cale that he too harbored a god’s plate.

‘Should I say I can perceive the essence within humans? Or perhaps, their limitations?’

Elder Baek possessed eyes of a unique nature. He claimed the ability to see a person’s true self.

‘In any case, when I was very young, I attended a celebration held by the Transparents.’

He had mentioned this event once before. Cale began to access his memories, one by one.

‘I could glimpse the King’s Successor despite the great distance.’

That celebration was where Elder Baek had observed the King’s Successor, the individual destined to become the omnipotent god. He had perceived what resided within that person.

“Did you witness the King’s Successor at the celebration?”

Cale inquired.

“Ah.”

Kang Geun Mok gasped, clenching his fists.

“H, have you also seen the King’s Successor?”

If that’s the case—!

This person must surely understand the source of his current terror!

“No.”

Cale shook his head. “I only heard that the King’s Successor was present at that celebration. I have never personally seen the King’s Successor.”

Cale’s stern reply caused Kang Geun Mok’s grip to loosen, yet he managed to speak with slightly more composure.

At least this individual was aware of the King’s Successor. Since he acknowledged knowledge of that dreadful entity, he ought to share his story.

“Back then, I was employed at the celebration hosted by the House of Han to earn some money. Naturally, those like me, being outsiders, were only permitted to assist with preparations and external tasks, gaining little insight into the actual event.”

Yes. It should have been that way, but-

“It happened while I was retrieving ingredients from the food storage area.”

The food storage. That location was situated a short distance from the Han Residence. Of course, other workers were present there as well. The number of staff seemed unusually high, likely due to the ongoing celebration.

The majority were from the steadfast House of Han, with only a fraction being temporary personnel brought in from outside.

“I observed a child amidst them.”

A child, indeed.

Cale immediately understood that this individual was the King’s Successor.

“And then?”

Kang Geun Mok carried on, prompted gently by Cale.

His hands trembled even more severely now.

“That child declared he was hungry.”

A child uttering hunger right before the food storage facility.

The individuals stationed near the food storage directed the child, whose face was obscured by a bandana, towards the dining hall. However, the child persisted in stating their hunger.

Kang Geun Mok had witnessed the entire scene unfold.

And he found himself unable to move.

He sensed an instinctual prohibition against approaching this child.

“I felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding while observing the child’s retreating back. I concealed myself rather than proceeding towards the food storage.”

It felt like the only correct course of action.

“It was then that I witnessed it.”

Kang Geun Mok’s voice began to quiver.

Unable to bear his trembling hands any longer, he clutched at his trousers.

“The child removed the bandana, and, th-that monstrous entity—”

That appalling, malevolent spirit—

“I-it consumed those people.”

He then turned his gaze to Cale.

“How?”

Kang Geun Mok’s shaking unconsciously ceased upon noticing Cale’s utter lack of surprise, his demeanor completely composed despite the horrific account.

It wasn’t merely Cale’s eyes that conveyed such calmness. Kang Geun Mok perceived the flames within Cale’s gaze and instinctively raised his voice.

“He didn’t consume their physical bodies! That wretch—”

Kang Geun Mok became aware that his voice had escalated in volume. He also registered the return of a cold sweat drenching him.

He regained his composure.

Much like Cale, who stood before him.

“As soon as that wretch extended his hand, every single person working in that vicinity spontaneously fell to their knees before him.”

It had been a truly bizarre spectacle.

The individual who had kindly directed the child toward the dining area…

The person who had craned their neck to ascertain the unfolding situation…

The part-time workers who had been standing there, seemingly dazed…

Every one of them fell to their knees.

“Their eyes were utterly vacant.”

Then, the child spoke.

“The child, who had previously expressed hunger, uttered something further.”

It was the first time he had said anything other than his initial statement.

“He declared, ‘I believe it is time for a meal now.’”

Those were precisely his words.

“Utter chaos then ensued.”

In truth, the situation was far too bizarre to be described merely as chaos.

“Are you familiar with the concepts of the five desires and seven emotions?”

“I am.”

Five desires and seven emotions.

“Joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, hatred, and desire.”

The seven emotions.

“I witnessed all seven of these emotions manifest in the people present.”

They were suddenly overcome with joy. Then, abruptly, with sadness. Subsequently, with anger.

They cycled through all these emotions with vacant stares, and then—

“In the end, they all collapsed to the ground, like marionettes whose strings had been severed.”

They perished.

“Their bodies ceased to be.”

But that was not the entirety of the horrifying event.

“Following that, something emerged from their bodies. I took it to be their souls.”

A memory etched irrevocably, even after fifty years had passed.

That dreadful moment that haunted his sleep perpetually…

“The child suddenly let out a soft snicker, and then… He began pointing at those souls, one after another.”

Kang Geun Mok raised his hand, mimicking the action in the empty air. It was as if he was reliving that precise moment.

One.

“Melancholy befits you.”

Then another. And then another.

“Joy for you. Anger for you.”

After assigning an emotion to each of the souls…

“All those souls transformed into the specific emotion the child decreed. Then, that child slowly parted his lips and… commenced to consume the souls, one by one.”

He appeared as though he were savoring something exceedingly sweet and delectable.

The child, with his innocent facade, began to devour them all.

“An illusion manifested each time he consumed a soul.”

It occurred with the assimilation of every single soul.

“In actuality, I still cannot definitively ascertain whether it was an illusion or a genuine occurrence.”

Yet, Kang Geun Mok harbored a profound, inexplicable certainty that it was not illusory.

“A soul designated as angry, the moment that soul, displaying only anger, was consumed by him… Beneath the child’s feet… His shadow expanded, and I beheld a chasm filled with enraged individuals.”

That—

“That was truly hell. Every single person seethed with anger. Yet, despite their faces contorted in rage, they pleaded for salvation, their beings alight with resignation and utter despair.”

He could not perceive any sound.

He saw only fury etched onto their faces.

But Kang Geun Mok could distinctly feel the emotions emanating from these souls.

He was absolutely convinced that the abyss contained nothing but despair.

“Sadness, joy, hatred. I witnessed all those souls plunging into their respective infernos. And all of those infernos… were saturated with despair.”

Even the pits filled with souls engaged in laughter…

Even the pits brimming with joyous souls…

All that remained were the silent, unseen resentments and profound despair of the souls.

“All seven pits resided within that child’s elongated shadow. Numerous souls filled these pits. To be entirely candid, I could not even begin to count them all.”

Kang Geun Mok’s speech accelerated.

He continued speaking with extreme rapidity, as if releasing a torrent of pent-up breaths.

“I, I could just feel it. Each of those pits felt like a whole world. Yes, that describes it.”

This was his first time in fifty years discussing what he witnessed that day.

“They each felt like their own little worlds.”

A world brimming with despair, containing only a single emotion.

“That child possessed those seven worlds within his shadows, right beneath his feet.”

The child had laughed while orchestrating this spectacle.

The way he appeared—

“He resembled the god of hell, poised there, trampling over hell itself.”

“Mm.”

Rosalyn let out a soft groan.

This was unlike any adversary she had encountered before; it was distinctly different.

Kang Geun Mok’s shoulders sagged inward.

“It was at that precise moment that someone grasped my shoulder.”

Cale opened his mouth to speak.

“Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo?”

“Yes, sir. This is what he imparted to me.”

The younger Han Taek Soo had offered a smile as he relayed these words.

“You possess keen instincts.”

Following this, there was little else to be said.

“I was rendered unconscious by one of Chairman Han Taek Soo's subordinates. Upon regaining awareness, I could no longer perceive that child or any trace of the incident. Since that time, I have been in Chairman Han Taek Soo's service. Pfft.”

Kang Geun Mok let out a dry chuckle.

“The Chairman declared he would turn me into food should I ever betray him.”

Food.

This implied he would end up as sustenance for that child.

“I, I do not fear death. But I have no desire to be cast into that hell, denied even the solace of true death. I wish not to endure such an existence.”

Kang Geun Mok stared blankly upward.

“…That was truly dreadful.”

The emotion conveyed by those words was exceedingly clear.

“I have witnessed a considerable amount of dreadful events while by Chairman Han Taek Soo’s side up until now, but that moment was the absolute worst.”

Cale observed Kang Geun Mok, noting the palpable emotion emanating from him as another recollection surfaced.

“…Each pit was like a world—”

Old man Baek had spoken words to that effect.

‘Numerous instances of despair, delight, joy, sadness, good, and evil. It was filled with their screams. That was certainly not something a living human could contain.’

‘The world within the King’s Successor was terrifying. It possessed no beauty whatsoever. It was frightening.’

That fiend, the King’s Successor, carried such burdens and spoke of hunger, proclaiming it was time to feast?

Cale felt as though he was glimpsing the authentic nature of his ultimate adversary.

Kang Geun Mok resumed his account at that juncture.

“I am aware.”

He had accumulated extensive knowledge about Chairman Han during their prolonged association.

“Ultimately, my fate lies in that hell. There is no possibility that Chairman Han will grant me a peaceful demise.”

Chairman Han was an exceptionally monstrous being.

“Please, spare me.”

The corners of Kang Geun Mok’s lips turned upward.

They were trembling.

“Given that you comprehend Chairman Han’s true identity, you must be aware of all my actions as well, correct? I am not seeking absolution or anything of that nature.”

Cale’s expression shifted, becoming peculiar.

To be frank, he had anticipated that Kang Geun Mok would have engaged in numerous terrible acts up to this point. Whether coercion was involved or not was irrelevant.

“My sole request is for you to grant me a peaceful death.”

Kang Geun Mok appeared on the verge of tears.

“I do not wish to descend into that hell.”

His countenance was incongruous with that of an individual who had served under Chairman Han for fifty years out of sheer terror. It did not seem like the face of someone who had perpetrated all manner of wicked deeds until now.

‘No.’

Perhaps it was a profoundly vulnerable facade, one that only a person in his situation could exhibit.

There was a specific question Cale needed to pose to Kang Geun Mok.

It was something that had intrigued him since earlier.

However—

“…Based on what evidence?”

What was it about Cale that instilled such confidence to solicit salvation?

“What about me led you to request to be saved?”

How could he be so assured?

Cale inquired, and Kang Geun Mok responded without a trace of hesitation.

“Your eyes.”

Cale and Kang Geun Mok met each other's gaze.

Kang Geun Mok's eyes held an undeniable certainty.

“I observed your eyes. Within that persistent nightmare, within that illusion of hell that has perpetually haunted me… I beheld something novel for the very first time. It was your eyes.”

Those eyes had facilitated his escape from that recurring nightmare.

They were capable of extracting him from a torment he had been unable to break free from, regardless of his efforts.

Kang Geun Mok was genuinely perplexed.

“What manner of power is that?”

What was that resolute and radiant force?

What was that power that inspired apprehension yet simultaneously offered support?

It felt like a power diametrically opposed to that profound evil.

“…….”

Cale remained silent for a moment.

‘That power?’

I simply…

– I didn’t manifest any special eyes?

I merely employed the Dominating Aura?

As the Dominating Aura expressed confusion, the Sound of the Wind calmly interjected.

– Cale. Did the God of Chaos not also display eyes?

“!”

Cale’s eyes widened considerably.

– Huh?

The Dominating Aura visibly flinched.

– Hoo.

He then emitted an extremely amused gasp. Cale’s visage became etched with a strangely knowing smirk.

He recalled the eyes that materialized each time the God of Chaos exerted his powers.

‘I am getting the distinct impression that it is becoming increasingly akin to the God of Chaos’s power.

Impossible, surely?

No way.

It cannot be.

Absolutely not.

I find that possibility deeply unsettling.

‘Impossible. Could it be true?’

“Who can say for sure?”

After a significant pause, Cale began to voice his thoughts.

“Perhaps you merely imagined it. Such an ability does not belong to me.”

“Pfft.”

Kang Geun Mok dismissively shook his head.

“Believe whatever you wish, sir.”

‘What in the world?’

‘What is with this fellow’s reaction?’

Cale appeared flustered, his head turning away.

“…….”

“…….”

He noticed Rosalyn and Alberu observing him with curious expressions.

Cale reacted instinctively.

“What is it? What are you looking at?”

He then added for emphasis.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with it!”

His declaration of being wronged went unheard by anyone who mattered.

Well, they heard him, but they certainly didn't believe him.

“Precisely how far are you willing to take this charade?”

Rosalyn inquired with deep contemplation.

“…This is truly vexing.”

Alberu merely sighed, shaking his head.

“I-I truly didn’t do it!”

Cale felt an immense sense of injustice.

– Hehe.

The Dominating Aura emitted a series of peculiar chuckles.

—

Translator's Comments

This individual, having only known you for mere minutes, is already aware of your secret, Cale…

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