C 255
Raon decided to assassinate the Fourth Apostle, then turned around and called Dorian.
"Dorian."
"Y-Yes.."
Startled, Dorian, holding a shimmering and luxurious desk, flinched and assumed a defensive stance, pointing the desk forward as if it were a sword.
"W-What's going on?"
"What is that again?"
Why is he carrying a desk around?
Raon couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't understand why Dorian was carrying a desk as if it were a sword. The fact that the desk was unnecessarily beautiful made it even more bewildering.
"It's just a desk…"
"I know it's a desk. Why do you carry a desk around like it's a sword?"
"G-Ghosts..."
"Ghosts?"
"This is a desk made of Baekmok wood, and I thought it might be effective in warding off ghosts."
Dorian blushed slightly in embarrassment and lowered his head.
'A desk made of Baekmok wood…'
Baekmok wood possesses excellent power in repelling evil spirits and ghosts. In fact, many artifacts and weapons used by spiritual practitioners were made of Baekmok wood.
'Did I scare him too much?'
Ignoring the fact that a Baekmok wood desk came out of his pocket, the fact that Dorian was trying to use it to ward off ghosts made Raon burst into laughter.
"Is it heavy?"
"It's, it's fine."
Dorian, being naturally strong, lifted the desk like a twig and then put it down again. Though he looked pale, it was clear that he was frightened.
"Does that work?"
Raon pointed at the Baekmok wood desk and looked at Lohengreen.
[Of course not. I am not an evil spirit.]
Lohengreen shook his head and chuckled.
"Don't treat His Majesty's servant as an evil spirit!"
'After all, Dorian is your subordinate.'
-Isn't he a bit dense? You should understand him.
Raon could see the deep meaning behind Lohengreen gaze. Even in this situation, he cared for his subordinates. It was impressive.
"It won't work."
"This is terrible!"
Dorian held his head and sat down hesitantly. Even in this state, he didn't let go of the desk, making him look quite intimidating.
"Well, that's not the most important thing right now."
"If ghosts aren't important, what is?"
"First of all, this person is not a ghost. And below..."
Raon pointed his finger down the passage.
"There are members of the Baekhyulgyo."
"Ugh..."
The desk that seemed to be stuck to Dorian fell to the ground.
"M-Members of White blood Cult?"
"Yes, there's Morrel from Salaman, and also the arrogant princess."
"So, you mean, Balkan is stuck with White Blood Cult now?
"That's right."
Raon nodded.
"W-We can sneak past them, right? They're fighting each other, so we can ask the ghost to guide us..."
"There's no way to sneak past them. The laboratory is right below, so it's better to tidy things up and go directly. That's why..."
"Th-Then what?"
Dorian swallowed dry saliva.
'If it's Raon, he would come up with a way even if there isn't one.'
Dorian had seen it many times before. He was always able to come up with the best solution without panicking, even in dire situations. This time, he would undoubtedly find a way to get past White Blood Cult and Balkan without confronting them.
"I'm planning to assassinate the Fourth Apostle."
"Uh...?"
Assassinate him?
His heart pounded as if it was going to leap out of his chest. It was more absurd than suggesting they dig a hole or go back.
"Ar-are you saying that you want to assassinate the Fourth Apostle?"
His voice trembled, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Yes. If things continue like this, White Blood Cult will likely wipe out Morell and Balkan and reach the laboratory first. Before that happens, I want to kill the Fourth Apostle."
"Ugh..."
The Fourth Apostle were like monster. How could they kill them? If they fought head-on, even if they won, they would be severely wounded.
"Fourth Apostle."
"That one is known to be a Master Intermediate level..."
After encountering Tenth Apostle and Seventh Apostle in Porvan, they investigated the information about White Blood Cult Apostles. Although most of their identities and abilities were hidden, the strength of the Fourth Apostle was somewhat known. Master Intermediate level. He was at that level two years ago, so he might be even stronger now.
"They're probably right."
Raon nodded as he looked at Lohengreen's bead. The vibes and movements he sensed indicated that the Forth Apostle were highly skilled Masters.
"How do you plan to deceive someone like that and stab them with a sword?"
"I'll manage."
"Huhu..."
Dorian's mouth dropped open at the word 'manage.'
"You knew it! That's just being reckless! You've never even tried to assassinate anyone!"
"That's right. I've never attempted a proper assassination."
Raon smiled mischievously and nodded.
"Still, I can do it."
After all, he had tried it countless times in his past life.
*******
The members of the 2nd team who decided to stay in Doran Village sighed as they looked up at Runaan standing on top of the central tower.
Her gaze, surveying the entire village, still appeared distant, but there was a different determination in her eyes.
"How long has it been?"
"It's been a little over two days."
"Not sleeping for two days...."
After Raon and the other teams left, Runaan climbed up to the tower and guarded the village without even taking a nap. Even if they told her to rest and then come back up, she wouldn't listen.
"You seem to be pushing yourself too hard...."
"Yeah. I've never seen her like this before."
"The person who loves sleep the most...."
Runaan was as much of a sleeper as Rimmer in the Light Wind Squad. To think that someone who loved sleep so much could endure without sleeping at all was astonishing.
"It must be tough. It's not a simple endurance."
Runaan wasn't just guarding with her gaze; she was utilizing minute auras to grasp the situation around her, so she must be quite exhausted.
"I'll go talk to her again."
Ebi, the vice leader of the 2nd team, let out a light sigh and climbed up to the top of the tower.
"Leader."
At Ebi's call, Runaan turned her head. Despite not sleeping, there was no sign of fatigue in her eyes.
"Take a break, even if it's just for a moment. You might not be able to fully display your abilities when you really need to fight."
Since Runaan wouldn't listen when they spoke about her health, Ebi talked about their mission instead.
"I'm fine."
Runaan slowly shook her head.
"I practiced enduring without sleep."
"What? W-When did you practice that...."
Ebi's mouth hung open. She had never heard that Runaan practiced enduring without sleep.
"Raon told me to. He said things can't always stay the same."
Runaan tightly grasped the hilt of the Shillwe sword and closed her eyes.
'I can't burden him forever.'
Despite holding the position of a Vice Squad Leader, Raon always stood guard and provided the other inspectors with a chance to rest.
Feeling sorry for him for always considering others' needs without being able to rest herself, Runaan asked her father for a way to maintain her senses without exerting too much energy, and she learned the guard technique that would allow her to spread her senses while using minimal energy.
At first, it was so difficult that she wanted to give up. Sleep was as precious to her as a bead ice cream.
'So, I couldn't give up.'
Knowing that Raon must have endured
similar hardships, Runaan's determination grew stronger.
Thanks to consistent practice every time she returned home, she became proficient in the guard technique called "Unsa," where she could finely observe her surroundings while reducing her sleep.
"I can endure a little longer."
Runaan pointed her head up and surveyed the village.
"I will protect this place no matter what."
The determination to fulfill Raon's mission no matter what was evident in her violet eyes.
******
Raon stood still in front of the sixth common ground where Morell and the Fourth Apostle members were fighting.
Even though they couldn't be seen, he could sense the impact of Morell's magic colliding with the Fourth Apostle members' blood energy.
'Hogak? No. Morel seems to be getting pushed back.'
Although there was a difference between magic and martial arts, Morel's power was higher. Despite having the advantage, he was being pushed back, likely because the Fourth Apostle members' blood energy and the longsword they carried were countering his magic.
'That longsword....'
Raon observed the distant longsword that the Fourth Apostle was wielding through Lohengreen's bead. The longsword, even now, could instantly cut through Morell's flame magic, and it seemed to possess a formidable power.
'Is it interfering with magic? Or is it the aura...?'
Through the bead, he couldn't accurately determine what power was embedded in the longsword.
'I need to analyze it properly.'
Even if time was limited, analyzing the enemy accurately was essential for a successful assassination. He needed to know whether the longsword was the issue or the Fourth Apostle's blood energy.
Gooohhh.
Raon used Glacier and opened the sea of senses, connecting the pervasive chill and senses throughout the dungeon and activating the heightened senses of the Shilla inspectors. He sensed the flow of the Fourth Apostle's blood energy as he confronted Morell's flame magic.
Hwaahh!
Dozens of thick, serpentine flames
resembling building pillars shot out from Morell's hands.
His flame magic, the same name as his alias - the Flame Serpent, Ignis. The snakes covered in fiery scales seemed to move and wriggle as if they were alive, targeting the Fourth Apostle's throat.
Kukukuk!
The Fourth Apostle twisted his waist, drawing his longsword. From the black blade, a whirling blood aura rose like embers.
Kwaaaang!
The aura clashed with Morell's flame magic, creating a burst of sparks
The power of swordsmanship and magic was at the level of "Hogak," a formidable and mysterious martial arts technique. However, at the moment when the strange tremor occurred in the longsword, the snakes' main heads were cut off, causing a powerful explosion.
"That was...," Raon narrowed his eyes.
"The blood energy emanating from the longsword interfered with the flow of mana."
The blood energy that had occurred in the longsword of the Fourth Apostle just before wasn't cutting through the magic but rather interfering with the flow of mana, weakening Morell's magic.
After that, the Fourth Apostle easily absorbed the spectacle of Morell's flame magic.
"So, that's what it was."
Raon nodded, looking at the longsword used by the Fourth Apostle to cut through the magical connections.
"It wasn't the blood energy; it was the power of the longsword itself."
Although the blood energy itself was strong against both auras and magic, he had never heard of such an ability before. The real power that could easily cut through magic was in the longsword.
"It shouldn't be too difficult, then."
It wasn't the Fourth Apostle inherent ability but rather the power of the weapon. This shouldn't pose a significant obstacle to assassination.
"Hmm, the god of Wrath," Lohengreen made a short groan and approached.
"The weaklings who use that blood energy are stronger than the God of Wrath. You're not ready for this; reconsider the assassination plan."
The difference in power might be one reason, but both Dorian and Lohengreen were concerned.
"The wrathful one speaks the truth. Do not do anything reckless and end up dead without even resolving the remaining business, you piece of a sparrow, swindler, and demon's child!"
Wrath grimaced as he spoke. From the profusion of profanity at the end, it seemed he was still feeling angry.
"It's okay. I'll finish it quickly."
Raon pushed Wrath away and raised his head. Assassination was precisely a single strike. If it failed, the risk would come back heavily, so their concerns were only natural.
However, they didn't need to worry. Since this dungeon was filled with Glacier chill, it was as good as having prepared in advance.
Gooohhh!
Raon raised Glacier, suppressing the aura of the comic ball entirely, and filled his entire body's mana circuit with Glacier chill.
He resonated the pervasive chill throughout the dungeon and the aura emanating from Glacier, creating a single flow.
"A little more...."
It was still not enough. He needed to erase his presence to the point where the Fourth Apostle couldn't recognize him. He assimilated Glacier aura into the surrounding chill until it felt like a piece of floating ice in the air.
"What... What is this...?"
Dorian swallowed dry saliva as he looked at Raon's back.
"Why can't I sense his aura?"
Even though Raon was right in front of him, he couldn't sense his presence. If he hadn't seen him with his own eyes, he wouldn't even know he was here.
[Wow!]
Lohengreen felt Raon's presence resonating with the chill of the dungeon and exclaimed with admiration.
"Unnecessary worries."
He could never make mistakes. The God of Wrath would never choose a foolish and ignorant person as a deity. He felt ashamed for doubting for no reason.
Swoosh!
Raon drew the Harmonic Sword. A wavering energy gathered above the crimson blade (the cursed dagger)
Ooong!
Seemingly excited about the thought of killing the Fourth Apostle, Raon emitted a stronger aura than usual and exhaled powerful vigor.
"No, I can't do this."
He tightly gripped the Harmonic Sword and lowered his head.
"If I make so much noise, I'll be discovered. Conceal your aura in the enemy's aura and lower your energy."
Raon controlled the fluctuating aura of the Harmonic Sword, aligning his own flow and wavelength with it.
Ooong.
The rough and burning aura that was erupting fiercely like lava began to flow gently like a stream.
Once the aura of the Harmonic Sword was lowered enough to be concealed within Glacier chill, Raon nodded.
Calming his mind, he stood at the entrance of the sixth chamber. Since his presence had disappeared, no one in this direction was paying attention to him.
Morell and the Fourth Apostle , as well as the magic users from the White Blood Cult and Balker, were pouring out their auras and magic at each other with eyes filled with intent to kill.
Watching them, Raon closed his eyes.
"When does a prey have the most vulnerabilities?"
Is it when they're sleeping? When they're eating?
No.
It's right before their breath is cut off by their predator.
At that moment, all their attention is focused on their imminent death, as if they'll starve to death if they miss this chance.
Hoo.
Raon controlled his breath, reverting back to his prime years' sensations, and naturally adjusted the Harmonic Sword's grip.
Sweating profusely, Morell backed away from the Fourth Apostle's aura. Raon fixed his gaze on Morell, keeping himself hidden in the enemy's aura while lowering his energy.
"Kkeok!"
"Kyaah!"
Inield and Princess Jayna couldn't withstand the Bishop's aura and were thrown to the ground. Taking this opportunity, the Bishop created dozens of spears made of aura.
"Damn it!"
Morell gritted his teeth and unleashed a powerful wave of flames. It was a fearsome fireball, but it was a magic he shouldn't use right now.
In his urgency to finish the battle and save the princess, he threw the enemy a feast.
Zzjjijijik!
With a sinister laughter from the Fourth Apostle, a fierce aura shot up from the black longsword and distorted the flow of Morell's magic.
"Damn it! It's the Flame Serpents!"
The Fourth Apostle bent his waist and swung the longsword. Morel's flames began to weaken as they mingled with the aura of the longsword.
"Not yet."
Raon lowered his head.
If he moved now, the guy would notice. He had to endure a little longer.
Chiiing!
As the longsword cut through the giant fireball, it stabbed into Morell's shoulder.
Puhwak!
The veins on Morel's collarbone burst, and the Fourth Apostle's aura became even stronger. He twisted the trajectory of the longsword as if he was about to cut Morel's throat.
"Now!"
Raon gritted his teeth and struck the ground. He rushed forward like a powerful typhoon and appeared next to the Fourth Apostle.
Suppressing his emotions and holding his breath, Raon stood next to the Fourth Apostle shadow.
Hooong!
As the black longsword aimed at Morel's neck, the Harmonic Sword was thrust out.
Chiiing!
The blood-red blade seemed to seep into the flow of aura, and it struck the Fourth Apostle left chest. (Surprise Madafaka)
"What the hell!"
The Forth Apostle tried to pull back and evade, but it was already too late.
Kwaaah!
The energies of the Harmonic Sword, which had been condensed inside the blade, surged forward, causing a tremendous explosion in the Fourth Apostle's chest.
