The widest hall in Cotton Candy Castle.

That place was complete chaos right now.

“Move it! Don’t let the residents of the Seventh Evil get inside here!”

“Yes, Lord Dark Bear!”

The vicious Dark Bear was the busiest of them all.

At present, he was doing an excellent job serving as the acting boss of the Seventh Evil.

“Make sure the shadows of the Sixth Evil can’t get into the castle! Light the torches properly everywhere! No one can be allowed to interfere with our boss’s Birth Ceremony!”

His stubby two forepaws flailed in every direction as he barked out orders.

“We have to make sure everyone knows the Seventh Evil is the greatest of the Eight Evils!”

At his solemn determination, every mob living in Cotton Candy Castle hurried into motion.

All of those mobs belonged to Cotton Candy Castle, and unlike Dark Bear, they were not mutants by default, so they followed his words diligently.

They had even accepted, in their own way, the fact that Cale and his group had been storming all over the castle.

‘Just keep following my orders, and you’ll witness a new Evil! You’ll reach the Worst!’

Because Dark Bear had said that.

“Heh.”

And behind that Dark Bear, Clopeh let out a low laugh.

For the last several days, Clopeh had looked to be in an extremely good mood.

“Hehehe-”

And the brighter his laughter became—

“Hey! You bastard! Who told you to stand around looking that out of it?! You’re gonna ruin our boss’s Birth Ceremooooony!”

—the higher Dark Bear’s voice rose.

The teddy bear’s back was soaked with sweat.

“......”

After watching all of that, Cale quietly rose from his seat.

“Cale-nim. There is not much time left.”

At Clopeh’s words, Cale gave a vague nod, then picked up the egg.

As always, the egg was warm, so still it almost seemed enlightened.

“You must return on time.”

“Yeah.”

He waved a hand at Clopeh’s reminder in a rough answer and started walking.

“......”

......

Neither Cale nor the egg made a sound.

“We’ve spotted spies trying to climb over the castle walls!”

“Catch them and kill them!”

“Lord Dark Bear, we’ve passed a hundred and twenty thousand! At this point, shouldn’t we at least give some kind of announcement?”

“Shut up! L-Lord Clopeh Sekka said we’re not supposed to say a single thing or make a single move! He said the coolest thing is to just shut up!”

“B-but still—”

“We don’t have to say anything! We just have to show them! That’s what a legend is!”

“Huh? A-a legend?”

“You think you know legends? Have you studied legends for three straight days and nights like I have?! You bastards, just do what I say!”

“Yes, yes sir!”

Without paying any attention to the noisy exchanges, Cale quietly moved off with Eruhaben Miru.

Choi Han, Rosalyn, Eruhaben, and the others.

None of his companions were beside him.

They all had to remain on standby inside and outside Cotton Candy Castle and carry out the roles assigned to them for the Birth Ceremony.

<NO ENTRY>

Before rounding the corner of the corridor, Cale smirked at the sign Dark Bear had set up.

The corridor ahead had, at some point, become off-limits.

The reason was obvious.

Step.

He passed the sign and turned the corner with light footsteps.

“Human!”

“We were waiting!”

“Welcome.”

The average age of ten greeted him.

No—

“Eruhaben Miru!”

“Today the youngest is finally being born!”

“I don’t think this is really the youngest.”

They were greeting Eruhaben Miru with overwhelming enthusiasm.

And then—

“Sheritt-nim.”

Cale walked toward Sheritt, who was looking this way not from New World, but from the place beyond the portal, in Apitoyu.

Dragon Lord Neo.

The portal to New World built beneath his lair.

Because it was underground, it was not exactly a structure the Black Castle could easily access in several ways, but it had been heavily remodeled.

In other words, that meant the distance had been shortened enough that if you opened the entrance door of the Black Castle, the portal would appear right in front of you.

“You’ve come.”

At the entrance.

Sheritt remained standing there, welcoming Cale.

“Human! Hand over Eruhaben Miru!”

After taking the egg from Cale, Raon set it down on the fluffy cushion placed right in front of the portal.

“......”

Sheritt’s gaze would not leave the egg.

“Hehe!”

“This is exciting!”

“It’s almost time.”

On, Hong, and Raon huddled together around the cushion.

“......”

......

Neither Sheritt nor Eruhaben Miru showed any reaction.

Cale glanced around.

There were roughly ten video communication orbs in front of the portal.

All of them were showing real-time images from different parts of Cotton Candy Castle.

It was a consideration Eruhaben had prepared for Sheritt, who would not be able to properly watch Eruhaben Miru’s Birth Ceremony later.

Sheritt would watch Eruhaben Miru’s birth here, at least with her own eyes.

At that moment, Sheritt’s eyes met Cale’s.

“Sheritt-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Can’t it just be born here?”

After confirming long ago that the progress had gone past 100%, Cale had begun to think that maybe it would be better if Eruhaben Miru were born beside Sheritt.

‘Honestly, the quest matters too, but.’

Birth.

When he thought about that word, wouldn’t it be better to be right beside Sheritt, no matter what?

And if Raon Miru was there too, then wouldn’t that birth become the greatest source of strength for Eruhaben Miru?

“No.”

But Sheritt was firm.

“We go according to plan.”

It was a rather cold answer, unlike her usual self.

......

Eruhaben Miru remained still on the fluffy cushion, without any reaction.

Cale looked back and forth between the egg and Sheritt before opening his mouth.

His voice came out flat.

“Then please explain why.”

“Huh?”

After looking at the puzzled Sheritt, Cale looked back at the egg again.

‘This dragon half-blood punk—’

It still watched Sheritt’s mood. More precisely, it stiffened up in front of Sheritt.

Not once had it rattled in front of her. It simply stayed still.

Maybe that was because it felt comfortable that way, but—

‘Who knows.’

Cale thought it might still be guilt, the guilt the dragon half-blood still carried toward Sheritt.

So Sheritt needed to say it.

Why she was not trying to remain at Eruhaben Miru’s side and watch the birth up close.

“Why did you let Clopeh Sekka run wild to that extent?”

At Cale’s indifferent question, Sheritt fell silent for a moment.

Raon, On, and Hong quietly shut their mouths and looked at Sheritt.

......

The egg was still quiet.

“......”

“......”

And then Cale and Sheritt quietly looked at each other.

‘Stop being embarrassed and just say it.’

Cale looked at Sheritt with that thought in his eyes.

Sheritt, who looked like a young girl, twisted her face. Her freckles trembled.

“Huu.”

She let out a sigh.

And at that moment—

Ding—

A small alarm sounded.

It meant the Birth Ceremony would begin soon.

[Recovery Rate 99.98% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 15 minutes)]

[Birth Ceremony Progress 197%]

[Reward Grade Undetermined]

Fifteen minutes until birth.

“We need to go—”

Just as On said, Eruhaben Miru and Cale now had to leave.

Raon, Hong, and On as well.

“Yes. We have to go.”

Cale picked up the egg, Eruhaben Miru, again.

He greeted Sheritt.

“I’ll be back.”

And then he turned away without any lingering attachment.

Raon and Hong looked at Cale as if asking whether he was really leaving, but there was not the slightest sign of anything on Cale’s calm face.

Sheritt was the same.

She too had merely remained still.

“I-I’m off too......!”

“Yeah. I’m heading out for now!”

Raon and Hong finally said their farewells to Sheritt.

But Sheritt was not looking at either of them.

Her gaze was on the egg sticking slightly out from Cale’s side as he turned away.

“Eruhaben Miru.”

Cale stopped walking.

Because Sheritt had called Eruhaben Miru.

......

The egg showed no reaction.

Sheritt revealed no emotion on her face.

At times like that, unlike her childish appearance, her age could be felt.

“You—”

At that moment, Cale saw the one who had come to fetch him and Eruhaben Miru.

It was Kesillia, the former Pope and dragon half-blood.

“......!”

She stopped walking when Cale raised a hand and signaled her to stop.

In that instant, Sheritt’s words to Eruhaben Miru reached everyone’s ears.

Her voice was indifferent, as if it carried no emotion at all.

“Eruhaben Miru, you deserve to be born under the blessings of many.”

Cale shifted his gaze from Kesillia, the dragon half-blood whose tangled emotions were plainly visible on her face, and looked down at Eruhaben Miru, at the egg.

For the sake of the egg, which showed no reaction, Cale turned around.

Sheritt was there, looking straight at the egg.

Her gaze had always been fixed on Eruhaben Miru.

“......”

She hesitated and fell silent for a moment, then opened her mouth again.

“I built a castle for my children.”

Mm.

Cale understood that she had hesitated because of the story of the past.

Dragon half-blood, Sheritt, Raon.

For those three beings, the past was something like a reverse scale, something no one wanted to touch if they could help it.

But unlike her hesitation, Sheritt’s voice was calm.

“I made preparations so that while those children grew, they would be able to do so without lacking anything.”

She prepared a castle for her children.

She decorated the inside.

She even created Sheritt, this current self of hers.

And yet—

“There was one thing I regretted.”

Sheritt raised her head and looked at the ceiling.

The one thing she regretted despite having prepared everything.

“When I thought of them being born in that quiet and desolate castle, I could not help but regret it.”

I myself, this body, am not truly a living, breathing life.

In the end, there had been no living creature to welcome her children.

The children would have to be born in loneliness.

“So I always imagined it.”

Maybe because of that regret, she had imagined it—or rather, harbored that desire.

“I often thought about how wonderful it would have been if my children could be born amid the cheers, joy, and blessings of countless people.”

The egg still did not move.

Sheritt was not looking at Eruhaben Miru.

She was simply speaking.

“I am the great Dragon Lord. If they inherited my blood, then naturally my children too would be great. Of that, I never had any doubt. And that was the truth.”

As the dragon half-blood Kesillia listened to former Lord Sheritt’s story, she thought to herself.

‘So dragons really do place that much meaning on their own greatness?’

Human and dragon.

Because those two halves were mixed, for her, who placed such significance on Eruhaben Miru’s birth, dragon blood was not especially great at all. It was just a curse.

So just as a dark look was about to fall over Kesillia’s face—

“However, that is not why I wanted them to receive the blessings of many, simply because they were great. Well, what is so great about dragons? There are plenty here who have done things far greater than I have.”

......!

Kesillia’s eyes wavered.

And Cale watched as Sheritt looked this way again.

Looking at Eruhaben Miru, she opened her mouth.

“It’s just that I—”

After hesitating for a moment, she said it.

“—am a mother.”

Clatter.

The egg moved.

Eruhaben Miru reacted.

“So I found myself wanting all my children to be loved by everyone.”

Cale could feel the egg trembling.

It was not because it was afraid.

Even from outside the shell, he could feel the unbearable intensity of emotion.

The egg was steadily growing hotter.

“I wanted at least that birth to be filled not with quiet and desolation, but with joy and cheers.”

A small smile appeared on Sheritt’s expressionless face.

And she said to Eruhaben Miru,

“Today, I have made that wish come true.”

I wanted all my children to be loved by everyone.

I wanted at least their birth to be filled not with quiet and desolation, but with joy and cheers.

And today, that wish had been fulfilled.

Everyone present understood the meaning of those words.

Clatter.

The egg shook and moved without stopping.

As if the life within it were struggling to break out.

Cale started walking.

The dragon half-blood Kesillia stared blankly at that scene.

Cale stood before the portal and held the egg out toward Sheritt.

Sheritt reached out her hand.

But her hand stopped in front of the portal.

She bent slightly and spoke to the egg in a whisper.

“I will be hoping for you to be born safely.”

Sheritt slowly drew in a breath for a moment, then let it out.

And then, with a trembling voice—

Cale could feel her sincerity in that sight.

Sheritt whispered to Eruhaben Miru.

I will be hoping for you to be born safely.

And once everything is over—

“Come see your mother.”

Sheritt made a small gesture.

Raon moved to her side.

Raon stroked Eruhaben Miru’s egg.

Sheritt watched that with gentle eyes and spoke to the two children.

“I will always be waiting.”

Come see your mother whenever you wish.

I will always be waiting, just as I always have.

“Got it, Mom! I’ll go and come right back!”

Raon hoisted the egg high with his chubby two forepaws.

“Eruhaben Miru! You’ll do that too, right?”

Clatter!

The egg bounced cheerfully.

Just as the corners of Cale’s mouth were twitching upward on their own—

—Khh. How moving! I shall pour out all my power—

the dominating aura muttered something chilling, and the twitch vanished from Cale’s face in an instant.

Still, it was satisfying.

‘Now this timid little bastard should finally be able to be born properly, right?’

Eruhaben Miru.

He would probably be able to relax now about the birth of this little punk who took an unexpectedly huge amount of care.

A small smile of satisfaction bloomed at the corners of Cale’s lips.

“Huh?”

That was when it happened.

[Recovery Rate 99.98% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 12 minutes)]

[Birth Ceremony Progress 197%]

[Reward Grade Undetermined]

The quest window suddenly went strange.

[*A change has occurred!]

Huh?

[Recovery Rate 99.985% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 9 minutes)]

Huh?

The time suddenly dropped sharply.

Three whole minutes vanished in a single second.

“What the hell?”

[Recovery Rate 99.99% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 6 minutes)]

Huh?

[*A variable has occurred in the quest as the target’s will to be born has reached its maximum!]

What?

[Recovery Rate 99.993% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 5 minutes)]

Staring at the status window, Cale shouted without meaning to.

“Th-this is insane!”

Five minutes!

The time started dropping even more violently.

Four minutes thirty seconds.

Four minutes.

The time was just plummeting away.

“Human?”

As Raon looked at him in confusion—

Smack!

Cale abruptly snatched the egg out of Raon’s forepaw.

And then he ran.

“Human!”

“Cale!”

“What is happening?”

Nyaaaow?

Nyaow?

At his confused companions, Cale shouted,

“It’s being born in four—no! Three minutes!”

Gasp!

Sharp inhales burst out here and there, but Cale had no time to care.

He shouted at the egg.

“Hey! What’s with you all of a sudden?!”

Cl-clatter......!

The egg seemed flustered too.

But right now that was not the problem.

Fweeeee—

Using even the Sound of the Wind, he sprinted at incredible speed.

[Recovery Rate 99.996% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 2 minutes 47 seconds)]

For the first time, Cale—

“Clopeh!”

—called Clopeh’s name desperately.

Because the planned schedule had to be moved up.

“Cale-nim?”

At the puzzled response, Cale shouted,

“Help me!”

At that moment, Cale froze.

Clopeh’s pupils shook, and then delight spread across his face.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

‘Th-this lunatic......!’

It was bewildering.

But there was no helping it.

Right now, he was desperate.

“Two minutes!”

He grabbed Clopeh by the shoulder and got straight to the point.

“It’s being born in two minutes!”

A birth eleven minutes earlier than expected.

The entire schedule had to change.

Cale’s gaze turned toward the quest window.

[Recovery Rate 99.9965% (Time Remaining: 0 hours 2 minutes 01 seconds)]

“Huh?”

And only then did he notice it.

[Birth Ceremony Progress 197%]

The progress, which had definitely been this—

[Birth Ceremony Progress 251%]

—had suddenly shot upward.

As if Eruhaben Miru’s will to be born had been reflected in it.

“Ah, hot!”

And Cale had to pull his hand away from the egg.

The egg had become burning hot.

And it was slowly beginning to float into the air.

And then his reliable lunatic—

“Cale-nim. Please do not worry.”

Clopeh had already returned to a gentle expression as he spoke.

“Variables are the foundation of legend itself.”

Hehe.

Laughing, he reached out his hand.

“Everyone to your positions!”

At that moment, he looked exactly like Clopeh Sekka, the guardian knight who had once led a great army and waged war across the continent.

Rumble—

Cotton Candy Castle.

Everyone who had come to witness the birth of the new boss looked up.

A massive crowd of a hundred and twenty thousand.

They watched as the dark red clouds spread across the sky and cast darkness over the plains of the world.

This was on a completely different level from the dark red clouds before.

The sky turned black, and crimson light spread over the plains.

“...At last!”

“...Ah, ah—”

The instant everyone sensed the birth of something—

—Cale. Let’s go.

Cale stood at the top floor of Cotton Candy Castle, looking out over the world beyond, and closed his eyes.

The dominating aura moved.

Fweeeeee—

The wind blew.

“......!”

“......”

The vast plain fell silent.

Silent enough that the sound of the wind could be heard.

It could not have been otherwise.

An unknown pressure was suddenly coming from that castle.

As if they were facing the absolute ruler of this world.

“!”

“......!”

At that moment, from high «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» in the sky, through the dark red clouds, a small egg descended.