Cough!

Another handful of blood escaped his mouth, but the man was too occupied to care even as he felt the disgusting iron taste in his throat. It was an uncomfortable lump that might suffocate him, but he was forced to ignore it.

He could not risk losing focus. A single mistake could cost everything.

The blue sky, usually serene, had been replaced by a low, brooding ceiling of clouds churned in muted shades of charcoal—dark and heavy, as if pressing down on the earth itself. Faint flickers of lightning seeped behind the veil, each one followed by a growl of thunder that seemed to make the ground shiver.

A certain feline's eyes shook, a chill pooling in her chest. Every shadow in the distance seemed sharper, every sound more hollow. She felt a sickening dread. The sight itself felt like a horrible omen draped in storm—

RUMBLE!

Thunders ring in her ears as she hastily drags her little brother away through the dark forest, legs aching and heart hammering.

BOOM!

She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. But she didn't dare look away from her guardian. The same man who took care of her like she was his own.

He was switching between his ancient powers at a concerning pace that made a certain black dragon tremble beside her. A blast of lightning that was almost blinding, wind howling and sharpening its whips, the ground attempting to break apart, water hovering and threatening to pierce the sky…

They had never seen him fight like this — so desperately.

It was two against one.

That wouldn't usually be a problem. Two enemies were measly numbers that anyone in their family could take care of on their own.

Except they weren't your usual enemies.

Because how could anyone easily fight against a group of people that had capabilities that would burden the like of Gods? Fanatics who would kill and sacrifice anything and anyone to destroy world after world just to create omnipotency?

Ah, really, he hates fighting crazy people the most.

On the far sidelines, his comrades could only panic and watch the battle helplessly.

They wanted nothing but to rush in and help — that was the intention, follow the plan made before. But before they could do anything, chains made out of steel shot out of the ground and shackled them.

They were firm, tight — not tight enough to block their bloodflow, but their limbs certainly couldn't slip out of them. The restraints didn't hurt, but that matters not. All they cared about was the red-haired man's safety.

And he didn't look safe. Not with the blood practically pouring out of him.

The swordmaster and dragons were still trying to break open the steel chains each of them was bound with. The archmage tried to assist her friend with long range attacks but it resulted in nothing but thin air. She looked down at her hands like they were alien. She couldn't feel her mana.

Is that it? The steel was one of those men's powers. They could form into any shape that the holder desired, and they have the ability to block one's flow of mana. And aura, too, it seemed. Since her swordmaster allies couldn't summon it either. They blocked out any form of foreign power, except the soil of the very ground they were built on — nature.

Truly... a power out of this world. Something that even dragons couldn't break.

And to think her friend was facing those very dangerous enemies. He was the only one who could.

"Cale!"

"Young Master Cale!"

"These fucking chains!"

They called out his name while uselessly pulling on the rattling chains tying them down. The cries fell deaf in his ears. The crown prince preferred it that way. It would only distract him, and he knew that Cale couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

The unhinged man in front of the redhead laughed maniacally, shooting a bright light of white mana which Cale quickly deflected with his water spear. It vaporized into steam instantly. "How does it feel to finally be on the receiving end, Descendant of Thames?"

The title was spat like it was cursed.

Cale had no time to respond. He whipped his head and dodged an incoming giant thorn of steel that slightly scratched his cheek. It healed faster than usual. He could've lost his head if he hadn’t been aware.

— I'm working... on full... power.

— Ignore light injuries. Focus on countering.

— Take advantage of their blind spots. Don't waste a single attack.

He listened to the familiar voices inside his head.

The bloodied commander blasted blinding rose gold lightning from his hands, and his enemies blocked it with ease. However, before they could attack, vines shot out and bound them, starting from their legs, quickly traveling up to their arms.

"I don't like it," Cale answered their previous question while panting and wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. "You running your mouth about nonsense. It's annoying."

Who said that he'll be on the receiving end? He will always find a way to smack the enemies back, especially if they harm his family. No matter what it takes.

They weren't the first to make such a mistake. He'd pay it ten times fold. He'll make sure of it.

"—Human, watch out!" A young dragon shouted in alarm, but Cale was too far to hear the child's shriek. It was frustrating. Voice transmission through the mind couldn't even be done.

However, Cale was ready.

He sent a giant wave of thunderbolt towards the steel man who attacked him, and he didn't stop. He would only stop once this man drops dead.

Between the two enemies, this one seemed the most dangerous. It was strange, at first. How could someone be stronger than the one who wielded white mana?

But that's the thing. He had grown familiar with white mana. Strong members of his enemy group have it. But this man's power was not only strong, but also unfamiliar. It was harder to fight enemies whose power you knew nothing about.

– Cale! You're at your limit!

He could hear the shout of the ancient rock power holder in his head, which he swiftly ignored. This time, he couldn't listen. Pushing himself past his limit was the last thing he's worried about.

"Kugh—!" Cale coughed again, and blood began to spill from his nose.

– C-Cale! I-I can't heal you fast enough! This is...!

The vitality power — a certified crybaby old man — cried in panic, working itself to the bone and trying hard to maintain Cale's vitality. The power worked quickly, but this battle needed the impossible.

– THESE XXX PIECES OF XXX! I'LL XXX KILL THEM ALL!

We will.

– I'm so hungry, I can't keep going like this...

We'll eat once this is finished.

– Cale, you're using too much of my power!

I have to.

– You can still use my wind and run!

…

Run? Not a chance. He knew if he runs now, they'll only come back to toy around with him. They were crazy strong. He may be able to escape but…

Cale glanced at his friends, bound and shackled by chains.

If he runs, he'll abandon them.

He doesn't want to be alone, not again.

The redhead grinned, stepping closer as he watched the man get burned by his lightning. Loud screams of agony reached his ears, but they didn't faze him the slightest. He had to end this, now.

Just as he was about to grab his opponent, there was a blinding flash, and in a blink, someone appeared behind the steelman in front of him.

Then there was blood in the air, a pair of eyes losing their light.

The other hunter had apparently escaped his endless vines and murdered his own comrade by slitting his throat with a maniacal smile on his face.

Familiar words that always sent chills down his spine were spoken. The very words that were said before the inevitable dread.

A sacrifice, for an incomprehensible power to traverse worlds.

"Take this offering of Karma."

A red sinister wall appeared behind Cale, and with a push, he and the hunters disappeared through it.

"HUMAN—!"

And Cale fell.

Everything went black.

At least, he thought it did.

As it turns out, his surroundings were eerily dark, and his vision needed to adjust.

Cale took in his surroundings. It was a typical office room, a familiar place. Somewhere that he wouldn't even dream of coming back to. There was a familiar thickly suppressed aura of death shrouding him, engulfing him, squeezing his throat and would not hesitate to suffocate if not for—

"Cale Henituse."

"Shit," He cursed, whipping his head to glare at the silver-haired man sitting on a chair, his elbows placed on the table.

Of course. Who else could it be if not this bastard?

"What a disrespectful way to greet someone, don't you think so?"

Cale scowled, clearly displeased by simply meeting the annoying deity who wouldn't leave him alone. "God of Death. What do you want?" His response was curt, more than usual and blatantly disrespectful, but he was currently on edge after the battle that had abruptly ended, so pleasantries were absolutely out the window.

God of Death sighed, shaking his head. "Why is it that you always ask that question first whenever I talk to you?"

"Because you damn gods always do whatever you want and try to get something out of it, so just spill it, what do you want from me?" he shot back.

Cale tried his best to not outwardly snarl. Despite how annoyed he felt, he was still in the presence of a god. He could instantly die in a snap of a finger if the God of Death wanted to do so. Many believed the god wouldn't, but he didn't trust gods.

"I need a favor."

"Declined."

His rejection was immediate.

Favor? What favor? He'd rather roll in the mud and shoot himself on the foot twice before he could even begin to think of doing favors for persistent deities.

The God exhaled deeply as if he had expected that immediate answer. "I suppose I have to explain the situation beforehand," he muttered, loud enough to reach the human's ears. "Cale, do you know what just happened?"

Upon remembering what had happened to him just a few moments ago, his face twitched slightly in annoyance but it didn't affect his stoic expression. "Other than the fact I got forcefully teleported by those hunter bastards, I was also taken by you."

He couldn't help but wonder what happened to those hunters. Where did they escape to? One of them was dead, at the very least, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"Correct. But that's not all."

Cale raised an eyebrow, urging him to elaborate.

God of Death smiled. "Cale, if I hadn't taken you, you would have certainly fallen into a world out of the gods' reach. Not even I or any other gods could contact you."

He frowned.

Well, that doesn't sound very good.

"Then how come you're able to reach me?"

The God shrugged leisurely, a relaxed smile on his face. "I'm the God of Death. Travelling through multiple universes is an easy feat if that world contains the cycle of life and death. Fortunately, death happens everywhere, and as long as it does, I'm always there."

He wasn't surprised by the answer. That was a concept he could understand easily. Still, there were questions that lingered. "...You wouldn't be able to reach me?" he asked, recalling his previous words.

That made the god's expression shift. For once, he looked eerily grim. It was new and Cale oddly disliked it. He preferred the god being annoying. "Speaking of it mildly, there are worlds that have been... abandoned entirely. Or roughly put, completely destroyed. Worlds that gods gazes cannot fall upon. I am assuming that those are where the hunters meant to send you to. If you had fallen there, there would be absolutely no way for me to reach you."

So, that's how it is.

Cale nodded slowly, beginning to understand the situation, but God of Death wasn't finished.

"Cale, you're now thousands of worlds away from your original. I managed to take you before you were thrown even further."

This strange human acted like how the god had expected him to. Calm and collected. Cale's gaze wasn't chaotic at all. In fact, it was calculating, like he was trying to reassess everything while processing all the information that had been dumped onto him at once.

"Then... is it not possible for me to go back home?"

That was the most important thing — going home, returning to his family.

The god nodded. "Oh, it's definitely possible. However," he emphasized, "I need... some time to gain enough power." Or a lot of time.

Sending people into a different world wasn't an accomplishment without cost.

Cale frowned again. "What? Didn't you easily send Choi Jung Gun and Choi Han to another world?"

God of Death silently stood up, gracefully walking to the other side of the table before leaning back while facing Cale directly. "That was only one or two worlds apart, even so, I had to make a lot of sacrifices to do it. But thousands? It may even take more than a few years until I can properly send you back."

The god heaved slightly. “Well, there's also the whole circumstance with both of them being tribulators. There was little to no problem propelling them into another dimension.”

Tribulators, or single-lifers; the target of his current enemies. Tribulators are basically immortals with the capability to ascend into godhood. They were usually cherished by gods and would often be called whenever a world was in danger. It was no wonder they were hunted by crazy 'we want an omnipotent god' fanatics.

No hunters will go to his world to finish their business and attack Choi Han while Cale wasn't there, right…?

Oh, well, there's no use worrying about that. Choi Han is strong. He can take care of them just fine. Since that weird steel hunter is dead, it should be okay.

There was a short silence.

"... How far away am I?" Cale asked reluctantly.

"That depends."

His frown deepened in confusion. What the hell does that mean?

As if the god could read the human's face, he smiled. “You know how your world consisted of Earth 1, Earth 2, Earth 3 and so forth?”

Cale nodded slowly.

The god flicked a finger. Suddenly, there were large hologram-like images of Kim Rok Soo's Earth's milky way floating in the air above their heads.

“That’s just one plane of the universe,” he began to explain carefully. The image shifted, zooming out further into a set of galaxies, planets mirroring each other. “Think of it as a set of parallel worlds stacked side by side. The earths you know are worlds born under the same sky — branches of the same universe, sharing the same root. That’s why sending Choi Jung Gun or Choi Han across was… manageable, though costly. Like rooms in one sprawling mansion, you have different layouts, different occupants, but the same foundation. The walls between them are thick, but there are doors. As long as you have the right key, you can move between them. Hard, yes, but you're still on the same land.”

The god paused, his gaze sharpening as the images changed once again into what seemed to be an entirely different galaxy cluster.

“This world you landed on, however, is not under your sky. It sits beyond the edge of your universe, past the point where your reality bends in on itself.”

That's one way to overwhelm someone with information, but Cale had no time to feel lost.

“… So there’s a boundary?”

“There’s always a boundary,” the god confirmed. “The corner of every universe... The moment you cross that line, the skies, the rules, even the stories themselves change. It’s not just distance, it’s crossing into a place where your existence doesn’t naturally belong.”

Well, that doesn't sound frightening at all.

The god shrugged, waving the holographic images away. “You've crossed many universes and ended up here. On Planetary 8612.”

What the fuck.

Cale suddenly wanted to implode.

No, no, let's think about this for a bit.

Setting aside the fact that, yes, he's really fucking far from his world, he should firstly focus on the matter at hand — which is to gather information.

“So what's the difference?” he asked, “Between this universe and mine?”

The God of Death stroked his chin in contemplation. “The best I can tell you is that they run on two entirely different foundational forces. Your world is held together by something called the World Tree, a root system that serves to stabilize its planet.”

Cale recalled the World Tree, the same tree that once cut off its branch and told him to use it to stab himself to defeat the enemy. He shuddered. Definitely not a memory he was fond of.

“Meanwhile, this world goes under something called the Star Stream.”

… The Star Stream?

“It's… essentially a current. In your previous world, the word ‘stream’ is often related to things such as live media or broadcasting. And while it isn't technically incorrect, it's more than just that. In this universe, the Star Stream is a great river of stories flowing endlessly. Every realm, every being, is caught in its current. It feeds on stories, sustains them, and shapes reality according to its flow. To live here is to live inside a story being told… and retold… and retold again.”

Cale’s frown deepened. “…So crossing from there to here means—”

“Not just moving between worlds,” the god interrupted, “but leaving the roots of the World Tree behind to be swept into the current of the Star Stream. Hence why I said… costly. Very much so.”

For Cale Henituse, he suddenly found himself in a much more complicated situation.

How was he supposed to react, exactly? Fighting day to day, and then proceeded to get tangled up by matters that a human trash like him shouldn't have been able to step into.

Cale would love nothing more than to hear a particular ancient power yell inside his head and tell him to burn everything while laughing like a maniac—

No, what is he even thinking? This whole situation is making him think of crazy things.

"Hm," Cale hummed, the gears in his brain began to turn. "Alright. Back to the core problem, assuming you told me the truth, those hunters purposely tried to throw me as far as possible? They want to either separate me from my allies or prevent the gods from aiding me, right?"

"That seems to be the most likely answer, yes." God of Death nodded.

"... Shit."

Hearing the quiet curse, the god merely chuckled. "An unfortunate situation for you indeed. So, if you listen and do the favor, I'll send you back. How about it?" He smiled again, something that sent chills down Cale's spine.

This again?

What nonsense. He didn't even want to be involved with this hunter bullshit in the first place! Wasn't this bastard the one who sent him to the front lines to fight? Cale didn't want to have anything more to do with the god at all.

But then again, the situation he was trapped in…

What could he even do when faced with something like this? Additionally, gods always do whatever they want.

His shoulders slowly dropped defeatedly.

"... I'm listening."

God of Death nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect. The favor is... Ah, why don't I first explain about this world further to you?" He grabbed something from the table and raised it for Cale to see. It was a book.

'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint'...?

The god spoke, "From what you can gather based on my explanation before, some worlds are made out of stories, or in any case, records. The past, present, future — It can be written in the form of stories." He raised another book that the redhead is very familiar with.

'The Birth of A Hero'.

Choi Han's story.

Huh.

"Just like yours. Your story is either being recorded or retold at this very moment. I'm sure you're quite familiar with this concept. You are a reader, after all. A variable that exists to make a story flow differently that even records cannot predict." 

‘Just like mine—?’

But Cale didn't have time to ponder about it as the God of Death threw the first book towards him, which he swiftly caught.

"That book—" The god pointed at the book, "—is this world's story after a certain variable interrupted the original flow, just like you did in The Birth of A Hero. Convenient, isn’t it? Read it, because you'll soon have to experience that story."

Oh.

He already knew that Choi Han's world was a story, or at the very least, an alternate past. He read it before being thrown into it. Even so, his world didn't exactly revolve around stories. He couldn't help but be curious about a world where stories sustain everything.

"Hold on," Cale's eyebrow twitched.

But this sounds troublesome already.

"Why do I have to experience it?"

Right? Why can't he just slack around and then have the god shove him back once the work is done?

"I can't keep you here if I want to gain more power. This is where that favor comes in." God of Death observed the other book in his hand, glancing at the words written at the bottom; Nelan Barrow, the writer.

The god looked up to face the human again.

"Cale, you have to die."

What?

"Are you cr—"

"Wait, no, let me rephrase that. Cale, you have to work really hard to increase the merit of your soul before dying in that world. Then I'll send you back."

That rephrase didn't make it sound any better.

Did this god go nuts? What the hell is he on about? Dying?! That's the last thing on his mind! He doesn't want to die.

No, rather, he cannot die.

Why can't this crazy god just tell him to roll in a pile of dogshit instead of dying???

"I refuse."

"Then it'll take too many years to finally send you back."

"I don't care."

"Your world might already be destroyed because of the hunters by the time you return."

... Fuck. He's trapped, isn't he?

"You motherf— Haaa... Damn it. I really will kill you one day."

"I'm sure you know that gods can't die, Cale." The god bastard sounded smug.

"To hell with that, I'll smack you in the back anyway."

He was glaring at a god and didn't back down, but strangely, the God of Death was watching him with... approval?

"Keep that attitude."

"What?"

"This world consists of constellations," God of Death began to explain, stroking his chin and not bothering to hide the amusement in his eyes, "There are gods, demigods, angels, demons; a lot of species that you greatly dislike."

... No way.

'Did this bastard decide to help me only when I'm somewhere I find annoying?!'

Cale decided that he really will smack the God of Death, the hardest smack he would ever do.

"... Damn it. At least elaborate about the dying part first," he muttered. "It's meaningless if I return to my world as a corpse.”

The god only gave him a slow, enigmatic smile. "Think again."

...? What is he talking about—

Ah.

Seeing the realization in the redhead's eyes, the god continued, "Just read the book. You'll be able to finish it in a few minutes, right?"

Cale looked down at the item in his hand. The book was pretty thick, but it was nothing compared to the thousands of books he read in a week. At times like this, he was truly grateful for his record ability.

Record; an ability which allows the owner to remember whatever they see with their eyes. Anything the owner wants to remember — from conversations to specific moments to certain sights — will not be erased even as time goes by.

Very useful to store valuable information, very awful when it came to bad memories. You get the gist.

God of Death snapped his finger, and a couch appeared behind Cale along with a table filled with snacks and drinks. "You can take your time, but we must move as soon as possible. Time keeps ticking."

Cale hesitantly sat down and began flipping the cover. "Hey, you said I have to work hard. What do you mean by that?" He really didn't like working.

"You won't need to do physical work if that's what you're concerned about. By work, I mean, just do what you've always done."

'Slacking off and doing nothing?'

Cale thought with a frown of confusion.

'How is that hard work? ...Forget it. It's a good thing for me.'

He began to smile brightly, imagining his slacker life in another world without crazy lunatics by his side, and started to read.

'I think he's misunderstanding something.' God of Death shook his head. 'Should I explain it to him? ... Nevermind. It's fine, it'll work out.'

And so Cale was left alone to finish the book...

Only for him to flip it to the latest chapters and epilogue, end, then repeat, and again, before he slammed it shut.

What… the… fuck?!

No! What happened to the main character?! The epilogue gave him hope but nooo, they just had to end it there! 

Kim Dokja. That bastard.

Was he alive??? Did he return to his companions? They worked so hard to bring him back too.

He was very annoyed. If not for his natural stoic expression, he might as well be fuming.

This main character… was absolutely ten times worse compared to the protagonist he knew. Choi Han wasn't even this frustrating!

Maybe he was being too passionate, but what the hell is the main character doing? This bastard kept sacrificing himself over and over again, ending up hurting his companions until the end.

‘Demon King of Salvation? Don't joke with me.’

Cale liked happy endings, but what he read wasn't one at all. There was no way it was a happy ending if all of the characters were still drowning in grief because a certain stupid sacrificial maniac named Kim Dokja never tried communicating with his friends about whatever he was trying to do, especially when it came to facing a crisis.

He was angry. Some aspects reminded him of his team leader. Even so, although Lee Soo Hyuk preferred to shoulder all the burden, he still wouldn't keep secrets from his comrades if it was regarding their safety.

Kim Dokja liked to do things on his own even though he had many strong companions. Putting yourself through things you could do so much easier with others and taking the weight on your own… Cale didn't understand at all.

Is it that skewed mindset of his? The determination to see an ending to the story he loved — yet not seeing himself included in it? Feeling like he was undeserving of it?

In some ways… he could understand it.

Cale suddenly felt like he had aged fifty years older.

"Haaa..." He sighed deeply, and as if on cue, the God of Death walked in again, this time with a mug that says 'Best Dad Of The Year' with colorful patterns on it.

Cale scrunched up his face in disgust. "What is that?"

"Coffee."

"..."

"... You want some?"

"No, I meant— Haaa, whatever." Cale massaged his throbbing forehead. "I'm finished,” he sounded bitter while saying it.

The god looked at him questioningly. “Not your favorite story?”

“... Hard to say.”

The God of Death nodded and put his mug on the table after taking a sip. "Alright. I suppose we can start now."

Before the god could do anything—

"Wait."

"Hm?"

"Money."

"What?"

Cale raised a brow. "You didn't expect me to work for free, right? Give me money. Lots of it. And a place to stay too."

The God of Death stared at him for a while before sighing. "Yes, yes, of course. Everything is well prepared."

The redhead beamed. "Great. Now we can start," Cale said and stood up, a satisfied smile on his pale face.

"... You're oddly calm for someone who knows they're going to go through an apocalypse," The god remarked with a raised eyebrow.

The redhead shrugged nonchalantly. "Won't be the first time."

"... Right. Someone will wait for you by the time you arrive. I won't be able to keep in touch until the first scenario arrives since divine intervention is prohibited, so make sure to take care of yourself."

Cale nodded. Taking care of himself until the first day of the apocalypse. Easy enough.

With the flick of the god's wrist, he was engulfed in black smoke and felt himself drift off to sleep. Dark specks filled his vision, and the last thing he saw was a sky full of stars.

God of Death gazed intently at where Cale once stood.

"Be safe, my child.”

———

old a/n: another tcf x orv crossover, woo!! there will be major changes too as this book progresses, i'll try to be creative as much as possible. i won't only include the orv storyline, but will also mix it with tcf.

i just want interactions between two sacrificial bastards (kdj & cale) while doing a little bit of character study about their similarities and differences.

new a/n: yoo hoo we're back!! but continuation from note above, there WILL be differences in future chapters on how the story unfolds. i realize that i need to do descriptions and world building better because i remember too late that not everyone has read both stories so i need to keep in mind to put whatever plot points and context needed so people won't feel lost!

as you can see, a 2k worded chapter became 5k XD rewriting is hard! and yes, the fixed chapter will have the [rewritten] addition in title and will be kept until i've rewritten all the chapters.

old chapters will continue to stay up in case anyone wants to keep reading. who knows, they might help with this fic's theories until i get to the latest chap... ok that's it