This One Shot Is The Definition Of Everything I Imagine About Rasheel, Archie And Bud's Relationship.

I love this idea! (*♡∀♡)

Even better that the costumes are terrible and the acting is super exaggerated (⌒▽⌒)☆

I can already imagine Cale's slacker life evaporating with this play! (*≧ω≦*)

TCF the Musical

Fic concept: Cale and his family watch a theater musical based on their adventures (much to Cale's horror and displeasure), "Ember Island Players" style

Raon hears about a theater play featuring Cale's group adventures. Cale really, REALLY doesn't wanna go and see it, but has little choice in the matter, once faced with the pleading faces of his children. Cale disguises himself of course, because he sure as hell doesn't wanna get recognized in the theater.

The play starts: Cale is introduced as a good-natured man, misunderstood and slandered by jealous folk (since people apparently decided that if Adin was the actual scum all along and his rep was a sham, why wouldn't the reverse be possible??) Apparently the musical decided that his past as a trash alcoholic never actually happened.

Choi Han is introduced, and the writers correctly investigated that he's from Harris Village and killed all the attackers, but was the only survivor. Cale is characterized as too righteous to let the matters be, and put this as his starting point to investigate Arm

Cale was portrayed to be humble and due to his bad rep, he wants to leave the Count's position to his brother Basen. (Real Cale is astonished, he doesn't want the position to be a SLACKER, not because of some self-sacrificial mindset!!!) But he requests to go to the capital to investigate more about Arm.

Choi Han comes along to investigate. On the way, they meet Mary. Cale isn't disgusted by her scars, and Mary promises to help the man in the future, should he ever need it.

In the capital, they're shown to meet badly disguised Rosalyn. The writers don't know about the assassination attempt, so they assume she went to investigate Arm, too. Apparently Rosalyn was credited in the musical for finding out about the mana bombs and dismantling them.

Cale and the Prince meet, and they have a whole number how instantly they recognized each other as kindred spirits. (Real Cale is dying on the inside watching this.)

Rosalyn stops the bombs in the background, and Cale stops the suicide bombers. The writers interpret Cale as having this power for a long time, but using it for the first time only in emergency, since he is a humble person who doesn't wish for glory.

Cale denies any rewards (completely untrue, Real Cale says to the kids, he took the Prince's money), and people of the Roan Kingdom start realizing just what a good person he is.

Cale goes to recover to the seashore, where he sees Toonka fighting some locals. (Those were the Whales, says Real Cale, not some mage thugs.) Cale breaks up the fight, and Toonka explains to Cale the situation in the Whipper Kingdom. Cale's idea of buying the magic tower doesn't come up here at all, and the scene makes a point that Cale and Toonka become friends.

The plot introduces us to the White Star, who is a completely crazy, power-hungry, cartoonish lunatic. Real Cale actually likes this representation a lot. He is plotting together with the Evil Imperial Prince, who is also cartoonishly evil. (Real Cale starts enjoying himself for the first time in the whole musical.)

To contrast the villains, the Just and Chivalrous Crown Prince Alberu has a number to drive the point how much he worries for his country, and the incoming wars. He thinks that perhaps with the help of Young Master Cale, they might be able to survive the incoming storms. (Real Cale is inwardly laughing hysterically, imagining Alberu's dumbfounded reaction to this scene, especially the part about Alberu's "unwavering trust in Cale's selfless heart".)

Meanwhile, Cale finished his recovery and goes to the Whipper Kingdom. His decision to buy the Magic Tower is shown to be a spur-of-a-moment thing, as the Whipper Kingdom needs money to continue fighting against the Empire, who the Crown Prince suspects is working with Arm. (Real Cale is disgusted how his very clever scam was turned into a selfless deed in this musical.) Toonka is indebted to Cale and loudly proclaims him his friend (since he does that in real life and the writers had sources)

Then Cale is shown to meet the Cat Children. Real Hong and On are irritated they came in so late. Raon is grumpy he isn't there at all. Real Cale comforts him that he had been hidden this whole time, of course they wouldn't know about him. The children say that the Queen of the Jungle is trapped in the Path of No Return, and Cale heroically helps rescue her. Cale uses his Water Ancient Power, which according to the writers, he found in the Ubarr shores during recovery. (Real Cale is surprised at the accidental accuracy.)

Cale saves the Jungle, and Litana has a number praising him. (Real Cale intentionally falls asleep to stop watching his character being portrayed as embarrassingly pure-hearted hero)

By the time he wakes up, the plot passed his "Heroic Actions" in the Empire and the war arc begins. Choi Han has a whole heroic solo number as he defeats Clopeh, who immediately is dazzled by the grace of his enemies, and joins them. (Real Cale is once again missed how completely off the mark the whole thing is, completely skipping Clopeh's torture and everything.)

We skip past various battles, and finally we arrive at the moment when the White Star shows up. He and Cale have a duet about destiny and all that jazz (mirroring the rumors started by the White Star's nonsense theory about Cale being "the messenger of the gods"). At this point, Real Cale has enough, and completely stops paying attention, to save his sanity.

Turns out, the kids didn't like it. It was much too inaccurate, and Raon wasn't in it. Cale comforts them that of course it was bad, because Raon wasn't in it. Raon decides he should start writing that biography with Mary, Clopeh and Dodori, much to Cale's horror.

“I am stupid. I do not know any fancy words and my head doesn’t work very well. However, I do know one thing… Why did you all choose to follow me? Why did you hold up your farming equipment, clench onto rocks, and follow behind me? Why did we fight?! I will only charge forward this time as well! Your opinions are not important. Follow behind me. Chase after me. Do not worry about your back." Toonka (Chapter 280)

It's true when they say that clothes show a lot about a person…

Choi Han uses a lot of furs and leather because that's what she learned to wear in the forest of darkness and they are perfect for his active lifestyle.

Rosalyn wears a lot of stereotypical wizard clothing because she identifies more with them than royalty even though she still wears a lot of fancy clothes since that's what she's used to.

Ron wears a butler's suit not only because that's his job but because it's the perfect disguise for an assassin, after all, how many daggers and poison can he hide in a suit with lots of pockets?

In short, your clothes say a lot about you, your social status, your habits, your way of life, your economic level, etc. ╮(￣ω￣)╭

random thought #5: clothes

I only noticed this after remembering what he went through as Kim Rok Soo but I think Cale actually likes or prefers to wear dark-colored clothes. That, or there's another reason why he wears them.

It's not as obvious in the manhwa because the artist probably wants him to have bright colored clothes (fair) but it's been mentioned a few times in the beginning of the novel.

Cale, who used to enjoy wearing fancy clothes and showing off until just two years ago, was suddenly only wearing dark clothes, and had a completely different demeanor about him.

Chapter 43: Somehow

I'm not completely sure if he likes the color (shade?) but I remembered seeing Kim Rok Soo wearing them behind Cale Henituse in a cover.

[SPOILER for the first part of TCF]

Dark clothes could mean a person wants to look cool and stylish or it could mean a person is boring. And in some ways, the person wearing black is grieving.

I looked it up because I wasn't too sure (and I don't want to offend anyone) but Koreans apparently wear black clothes at funerals.

And knowing his past, it could be that he never stopped grieving even as Cale Henituse.

Like I've mentioned before, and what most readers know about him after reading the novel, there are a lot of funerals back in Korea and he attended some of them.

People die everyday in his world and some of them don't have anyone to grieve for them. It's why he's the one who showed up in Lee Soo Hyuk and Choi Jung Soo's funeral.

One of the things that changed the most was the funeral tradition. The reason was simple.

Too many people had died.

And even more continued to die every day and will die in the future.

- Chapter 719

Him constantly grieving for those he lost could appear in what he's wearing.

Yes, there are moments when he wears them to look intimidating in front of the nobles or his enemies but there was this one scene after the Plaza Terror Incident when he actually wears dark clothes, albeit more luxurious.

“It is a beautiful day today. Probably because we are here to respect the fallen.”

Cale’s red hair fluttered in the wind and created a stark comparison to his black outfit.

- Chapter 48: Somehow

It's a sad thing to think about if this is actually the reason why he wears them.

Another preference that was briefly mentioned before is him liking simple clothes. It could mean several things for him.

Simple clothes could mean he's lazy (which is debatable but probably true). Simple clothes could mean he's a guy with simple tastes (also debatable). Simple clothes could mean he's poor or doesn't have the more luxurious type of clothes. Or simple clothes could mean he's used to wearing them in a world where the apocalypse is real and he needs to move comfortably to survive.

I'm thinking he's so used to getting too injured, he never allows himself to wear something different. Like if you're gonna get cuts all over your body after using an ability, I doubt you'll bother wearing something nice.

It's intriguing how a simple mention of his clothes can mean several things.

I really didn't consider the possibility of something more just judging by what he wears.

From his words, to his actions, and even to his clothes, you can make different opinions and theories about him and that's why I'm having so much fun reading this novel.

I came across some photos of Nyakim Gatwech and remembering the images of Tasha in the manhwa that I saw, I was very disappointed, why doesn't she look anything like this angel of darkness? She is the definition of black pearl beauty! She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life! So why doesn't Tasha look anything alike?＼＼٩(๑`^´๑)۶／／

What memories…

When I first found this deck online I spent hours searching for it to download.

I have it ready to print if one day I get the paper they use to make the cards for the decks (*¯︶¯*)

Found the Cards

In the translation I read the joke was explained, but I didn't understand it well.

I do it now (─‿‿─)

Warning: Laws of Hunting spoilers

Okay so I know Cale's name got mistranslated to "Gae-il Henidukes" in Central Plains, which later on became "Kim Gae-il" before becoming "Kim Hae-il".

What you don't understand is why "Gae-il" is so funny.

Raon said he dislikes "Gae-il" with a burning passion for a reason he doesn't know; Choi Han nearly bursts out laughing right then and there; Sui Khan was holding on for dear life.

Here's why.

I read the Chinese translation of this chapter (chapter 85) first, and in Chinese, "Gae-il" is "狗日", which can colloquially be translated to "Dog Fuck."

Literally.

The Emperor is literally calling this audacious tiny ass man "Dog Fuck" to his face, and Cale couldn't do anything about it because he literally brought this upon himself.

Yes people, we were robbed of "Kim Dog Fuck", and damn do I wonder what other jokes might have been lost in translation.

From the ashes [재], we rise (TCF AU).

Okay, I have an AU idea that could be a lot of fun to write. (＠＾◡＾)

This is nothing serious, I just thought what if this happened, and here I am. ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌

So, this is my AU:

OgCale was a commander of a platoon with whom he formed close bonds.

KRS managed to connect with the team members after JSH (Joo So Hoon) admitted that his father died of old age. The rest of the team (excluding KMA) consoled him, revealing that they also lack close family members.

They offered to be each other’s family, marking their oath by getting matching maple leaf tattoos. (Because the Korean word for ‘one’ [일] can be translated as ‘day’ [낮], and ‘autumn day’ [가을날] can be translated as ‘maple’ [단풍].)

This triggers Rok Soo to spend more quality time with Team 1, subconsciously thinking of them as family.

Simultaneously, an attack by an unclassified monster occurs during the battle in Puzzle City, pushing both Team 1 and the platoon to the brink of death.

The god of death brings OgCale and KRS to his domain, proposing that they return to their worlds and switch bodies. They acept whit one condition: their teams must go with them.

For OgCale’s side, it’s straightforward. The platoon members are easily placed in the younger bodies of Team 1, just before the destruction of the shelters. They receive information about the future situation and their new lives, enough to survive and thrive.

However, Team 1 (+ the Bae family) faces a tougher challenge. All platoon members were born during the war, so they can’t travel to those bodies.

The solution? Create new bodies for them. But there’s a problem: the resemblance to Choi Han.

His mutations in the Dark Forest (because you can’t convince me he didn’t mutate in the 150+ years trapped, surviving with magical beasts and mutated herbs while exposed to lethal poisons and dead mana ┐( ’ д ') ┌) would make him something a little less than human for those who know how to look.

The solution: create non-human bodies that replicate these mutations (bright reflections in black or brown hair, sharp fangs, thicker skin, high resistance to toxins and both live and dead mana, night vision, slightly pointed ears, etc.). This provides a viable explanation for their post-apocalyptic abilities.

Once done, they’re left somewhere between Rain City and Roan’s capital.

Everything up to the start of the journey to the capital happens as in canon, except that Cale’s tattoos (located above his knees) come with him to Nameless 1.

The encounter with the bandits changes everything. In their camp, they find a bunch of cages containing Team 1.

Cale, worried and mentally cursing the god of death, approaches to free them.

Meanwhile, Choi Han is visibly shocked to see a group of Koreans locked in cages (noticed by Cale’s entourage).

Cale frees them using a key he snatched from the leader.

And accidentally, Sejong calls him Timjang-Nim [팀장] (which means ‘team leader-nim’).

Ron asks if he knows them, and Min Ah, carrying her daughter, inadvertently worsens the situation by claiming they’re her clan.

Meanwhile, the knights wonder if this is why Cale brought Choi Han to the Henituse mansion, and they start concocting increasingly elaborate theories.

Villains who deserve redemption (✧ω✧) (Part 1: Becrock)

Becrock is a great villain in my view and his idea of how to mix living and dead mana was fascinating (✯◡✯)

I found his character very interesting and his story had too many holes and mysteries to solve so it seemed like a real waste that he no longer appeared after Rosalyn defeated him in battle (︶︹︺)

The fact that he got rid of his subordinates so easily is not an excuse for him not being given a well-deserved redemption or at least a relationship of frenemies and/or reluctant allies with Cale's group, after all DHB did exactly what himself and after being punished he was easily accepted as a member of the family and if everything goes as hinted in the Apitoyu arc he will soon receive a name (」><)」

(Don't get me wrong, I love the DHB (°◡°♡), but I feel that he is a good representative of this type of situation)

I really like the idea of him becoming Rosalyn's subordinate after all, he respects strength and Rosalyn defeating him will definitely show her strength to him probably having an energetic boss-non-energetic subordinate relationship ♡(｡ - ω -)

And who knows? Maybe after that he will become the leader of the ghostly mana research sector (Living Mana + Dead Mana = Ghostly Mana) in the new magic tower ( ̇꒳ ̇ )

Erjon of the Wind Island

Ok, I'm writing this at midnight and it's probably coming from my sleep-deprived mind, but here's an idea what I need to write down before I forget it ヽ(￣～￣　)ノ:

Well we all know that the Wind Island test was just an illusion unlike the SGT on Earth 2 and this is because the Sound of the Wind would not have enough power to create an entire alternate dimension based on anyone's worst fears of the challenger who is going to do it σ(￣、￣〃).

We also know that due to the curse Cale never tried to form bonds with Min Ah, So Hoon or the rest of Team 1 but they still cared about him and were just as loyal as any member of Cale's family ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ).

Well, what if that were the case for the butler boy we see in the Wind Island test (ᓀ ᓀ)?

Let's say that he became very worried about his master after seeing him act in such a strange way and he decided to follow him because of that same concern ~(>_<~).

This only grew after seeing the way he spoke (or rather questioned) everyone he crossed, it got even worse after seeing him pick up a book that he already hated too much to even approach (｡•́︿•̀｡).

Well, he follows him from afar, not close enough to hear him but close enough to see him.

He watches everything that happens in Super Rock Villa and after he enters the top floor he gets very worried because he can't see it without giving himself away.

He hears the sound of a book hitting the floor and, alarmed, runs in only to see him "commit suicide" (ﾒ﹏ﾒ)

He panics and while trying to stop him he accidentally falls out of the window with him, causing him to somehow reach the real world (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ.

Can you imagine his panic when he discovered that the world where he lived his entire life was nothing more than an illusion? That the monster that appeared in every horror story was real and was at its maximum power?

And that's not even counting the shock of trying to stop the suicide of a loved one and knowing that you're about to die only to wake up in a cave full of dead mana with a younger version of your lord ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : ).

What's more, let's say that he cannot remember anything from before the moment the test began, there is not a single memory, only information full of holes that he knows is true until he no longer is, worse yet? He didn't even have a name! ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

Finding out all of that would give him an incredibly big identity crisis, the chaos of the destruction of Wind Island would definitely be worse with a preteen suffering from an identity crisis.

It's more thanks to him that everyone discovers that for an entire week Cale was trapped in an illusion of his worst fear and had to commit suicide to get out of it to get the flask and the whip (╥_╥)(they don't know that the flask could be obtained easily and Bud never tried to get him off the island so everyone thinks the test was to get the jar out and improve the Sound of the Wind ╮(￣_￣)╭)

Eruhaben will feel incredibly guilty and will probably drink the entire flask, not wanting Cale's sacrifice to be in vain.

Bud will be worse than in canon thinking it was all his fault.

The children of "x" years of age on average will be very overprotective.

Ron and Beacrox will be more lenient than usual with Cale and at the bottom will be our butler boy.

Still in crisis, he decides to follow our young master, not knowing any life apart from him, despite questioning whether his affection for him was just another part of the illusion (ಡ‸ಡ).

Cale upon finding out this tells him to do what he wants and that if he is going to accompany them he will need a name or alias ( ̅́ ◡ ̅́ )

And he (Cale) ends up choosing Erjon as his name, which is of Albanian origin and means "our wind" (of course, the latter only after at least two hours of discussion about whether Cale will give him his name or Erjon should choose it, It turns out that even in a more than traumatized state of mind they are both incredibly stubborn)

It's crazy how true this is (⊙_⊙), for Cale having enough money to support his family must be one of the biggest dreams he's ever had taking into account that being the last survivor and loneliness are his biggest fears {{ (>_<) }}, every gift is like declaring to the world "I'm not alone and I can protect my people" is a beautiful thing and a big part of his character once you break it down (个‿个)

I feel like it's really telling that, when Cale got a lot of money, the first thing he did with it was give Billos a massive tip and tell him to treat everyone in the teashop to a cup of tea. Like, if that doesn't show how casually generous he is.

And the way he tried to play it off as if he was bragging but it's tea, you know? That's an insanely generous tip. And the way he says he'd always wanted to do it. Like most people, if they got a large sum of money, would go on holiday or buy a mansion or, you know, use it fairly selfishly (not a problem really I would too). And here Cale is, spending it on random strangers, most of whom are dismissive at best

And then he buys the bread and gives them very generous tips as well.

Idk what the point of this is, maybe just as always Cale is a better person than me. He never hesitates to buy things for people or spend his money on others. Sure he does sometimes spend it on Ancient Powers but most of the time, when he spends money, it's for other people