N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 269
Raon looked at Burren, who had his mouth wide open to the point where his chin could almost fall off, and narrowed his eyes.
"It seems like I arrived just in time."
'He's still alive.'
Raon had been worried that Burren might has been brainwashed, but fortunately, there didn't seem to be any major issues.
His pupils were clear and sharp.
"Ra, Raon Zieghart? How did you come here!"
Glemier Zieghart's lips trembled, and his astonishment was evident in his eyes.
"I had a guide."
Raon pointed to the blue-haired swordsman standing at the door.
Glemier's gaze, upon seeing him, was filled with hostility.
"Dir. You...!"
"Oh, no! It's not what you think!"
The swordsman called Dir frantically waved his hands.
"That friend is really good at guiding. I came here comfortably thanks to him."
Thanks to Dir leading the way, he managed to avoid traps and obstacles and safely arrived at this place.
He broke through the ceiling instead of using the door, fearing that Burren might be taken hostage, but things turned out fine.
"That's not what I meant!"
Gelmier punched the wall with his fist, and the solid walls of the secret chamber turned to dust and collapsed.
"How did you know that Burren was here!"
"Oh, that? Well, that's actually..."
Raon chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"No, there's no need to tell you."
"You...!"
A sound that seemed like something bursting came from Gelmier's mouth.
His anger seemed to skyrocket to its peak.
"But I'll tell you one thing."
Raon raised his finger and pointed to Burren standing behind him.
"You underestimated your younger brother too much."
"What?"
"Burren has the strongest sense of responsibility among the members of the Light Wind squad. If he had to miss training, he would come here personally and explain the situation to everyone."
It was ridiculous from the beginning that he sent a servant to inform about his absence from training.
"Hmm..."
Burren bit his lip hard as he looked at Raon's back.
Was it because he received unexpected praise in this situation?
His heart was pounding fiercely.
He felt like he might cry out of gratitude towards Raon, who acknowledged him and came to rescue him.
"Raon, thank you so much..."
"Don't call me that like you did something great. You got yourself caught like an idiot."
Once again, his heart, which was racing, sank at Raon's unexpectedly cold remark.
"What happened to Gorman and the Central Martial Palace Swordsmen?"
"Find out for yourself."
Raon answered Gelmier's question with a playful tone.
Since it was a specially constructed secret chamber with a broken ceiling, he wouldn't be able to sense what was happening on the surface.
"If you can."
Raon deliberately refrained from answering his question, determined to break Gelmier's mental state.
"That bastard…"
Gelmier's demeanor turned icy as if he was about to rush forward.
"He's taken the bait."
Even if he's a Master, there's nothing he can do now.
Gelmier had lost his composure and he was now in a state of confusion.
"Why were you held captive here?"
Raon turned his head to look at Burren.
"Th-that's..."
"Don't hesitate. Do you still think that's your brother?"
He pointed at Gelmier, who was rolling his eyes, contemplating how to get out of this situation.
"Well, yeah. That's right. Now, he's not my brother anymore."
After exhaling a long breath, Burren expelled the pent-up emotions and smirked.
"He targeted you. He wanted to kill you before you rose any higher."
He stared at Gelmier with cold eyes as he spoke.
"He wanted to kill you, he said he needed my help. He wanted me to find out your weaknesses and lure you here."
"Burren!"
Gelmier shouted in anger, but Burren remained silent.
"When I refused, he used brainwash on me..."
Burren pointed with his chin at Allan, who was standing beside Gelmier, but no longer under his control.
"Wow, impressive."
Raon chuckled, looking at Gelmier's bewildered eyes.
"Just as I expected."
As he initially predicted, Gelmier aimed for him and tried to use Burren.
Kidnapping his own brother and attempting to brainwash him, it was a new level of twisted.
"I've never seen such a pathetic human being."
Most of the opponents Raon had faced so far possessed strength that matched their arrogance.
Although Gelmier was undoubtedly a higher-ranking swordsman than him, in this moment, he seemed so small.
"Am I that scary?"
Seeing Raon's sly smile, a fiery glint appeared in Gelmier's eyes.
"Shut up. Before I cut that mouth of yours."
He drew his sword with a sinister tone.
It was a slightly thicker sword than the usual three swords, allowing for both stabbing and slashing with its slender blade.
"Burren, are you in your right mind?"
"I can fight!"
Burren nodded firmly, biting his lips.
"That's good to hear."
Raon smirked and drew his Heavenly Drive sword.
He twirled the sword in his right hand as if loosening his wrist.
Clang!
Before the sword completed a full rotation and returned to its original position, the shackles and chains that bound Burren were torn apart by the sword's energy.
"Ugh..."
Burren couldn't help but fall forward, unable to control his body.
"Don't worry! It's just because my body was restrained for a long time."
Burren reassured him, gesturing that he was okay, and Burren quickly got back on his feet.
He seemed a bit shaky, indicating that it was indeed a bit difficult despite his words.
"Hmm…"
Raon nodded, not at Burren's physical state but at his resolute and hardened gaze.
"It's okay."
It was hard to believe that he had been brainwashed for a week.
Raon could sense an eerie energy flowing above Burren's head, along with an intense level of concentration.
-Hmm, he has entered an awakened state.
Wrath frowned as he observed Burren.
"Awakened state?"
-It's the stage just before you enter a state of no-mindedness. Your concentration is at its peak.
"It does look similar indeed."
Sometimes, after staying awake for an extended period and enduring, there comes a moment when drowsiness disappears, and the mind becomes extremely clear.
Whether it was due to the brainwashing or this peculiar situation, Burren's current state was reminiscent of that moment.
"I can't let this go to waste."
Raon aimed his sword at Gelmier.
"Shall we begin?"
He stomped the ground roughly and leaped forward.
"Fine. Let's start with that mouth of yours!"
Gelmier took a deep breath, and a sinister energy surged as he unleashed a spear that felt as if it could pierce through the heart.
Bang!
Raon pretended to charge towards Gelmier but swiftly changed direction, stepping on the floor and making a turn, knocking aside Dir who was standing at the door.
Crash!
With that, Raon gracefully evaded Gelmier's attack.
With a sudden impact, Dir, who was hit unexpectedly, was pinned to the wall without even being able to scream, dropping the sword he was holding.
Thud!
Raon casually picked up the fallen sword and stepped back beside Burren.
-After guiding the way, now he is giving you a sword too. He is quite generous.
"Take it."
Raon handed the newly acquired sword to Burren and pointed at Allan.
"You can handle that guy, right?"
"Of course!"
Burren took a deep breath and stood up, gripping the sword tightly.
Determination overflowed in his eyes as he looked at Allan.
"Then let's begin."
Raon flashed a faint smile and stepped on floor.
Bang!
As he penetrated into Gelmier's space and tried to counter with the sword, he felt a dizzying sensation from above.
Gwanggi.
Gelmier's formidable energy descended as if it could split his skull.
'His strength is not a bluff.'
Raon acknowledged silently as he confronted the powerful energy.
The sight of Gelmier predicting the speed and direction of Raon and immediately striking with his sword was no less than what people had heard about the name "Hurricane Sword" Gelmier.
"But..."
As he extended his left foot forward and rotated his waist, Raon gathered the rotational force through his core muscles and infused it into the blade.
The heat swirling around the blade and the blue wind energy imbued in Gelmier's triple swords clashed, causing a tremendous impact that ripped the solid walls of the chamber apart.
"Is this place too narrow?"
Raon swung his Heavenly Drive sword with all his might, competing fiercely against Gelmier's triple swords.
The tremendous force in his attack caused Gelmier to shoot up through the hole he made in the ceiling.
"You can follow, I'll be waiting."
Raon gestured towards the Gelmier and then turned around.
"Don't die. There are... people waiting for you."
After stumbling over the word "people" for some reason, Raon followed Gelmier and leaped up through the broken ceiling.
"Don't worry."
Burren clenched his lips and nodded.
"I don't plan on dying here."
"Haha…"
Allan approached while spewing empty words.
"Raon Zieghart truly lives up to his reputation. I understand why Lord Gelmier would attempt such an act."
He looked up at the collapsed ceiling, trembling with excitement.
"Take up your sword."
Burren aimed his sword at Allan.
"A sword? What does it matter in a situation like this? Whether I win or lose, I'm going to die anyway."
He raised both hands, indicating that he was done for.
"When I said I could defeat you earlier, you seemed pretty eager to prove me wrong. Was I mistaken?"
"Hmm..."
"Just to make sure you confirm my words before you go, come at me."
"Unlike the monster up there, you can't provoke me again so shamelessly."
Allan chuckled as he drew his sword.
"Since I'm going to die anyway, taking the direct descendant of Zieghart with me wouldn't be so bad."
Before finishing his words, he stomped the ground.
Instantly, he swung to the left, drawing his sword in a swift and graceful arc.
The silver blade split into five crescents, moving rapidly and beautifully.
It was a well-trained swordsmanship, quick and dazzling.
Kyaang!
Burren responded swiftly to Allan's attack.
Burren, who had been napping in the corner, used all his strength to parry Allan's attack, but Allan's swordsmanship used Burren's force against him, pushing inward even faster.
"Didn't I tell you?"
Allan snickered, raising his chin defiantly.
"No matter how talented you are, time cannot be defeated. You haven't reached my level yet."
"Time? Level? I've seen those shatter countless times."
Burren gritted his teeth, deflecting the sword.
His elegant yet powerful strikes, reminiscent of noble dancing, blocked Allan's attacks.
Jjijijing!
The clash of swords produced a chilling metallic sound.
'I can't go for a long battle.'
Having been bound for a week and deprived of sleep, enduring for too long would be impossible.
He had to shatter Allan's sword with a single strike.
Hooong!
However, Allan's sword relentlessly pushed forward with its flashy movements and immense power.
It was difficult to pinpoint his targeting position, and its speed made it hard to defend against.
"Hooong..."
Burren took deep breaths, recalling his conversation with Raon.
"How do you deal with Hwangum and Byungum? It's simple. Most Hwangum and Byungum reveal their true form at the last moment. Even if you're terrified and anxious, if you endure and wait, their real moves will be exposed."
It was the answer Rao had given when Burren asked how he erased Master Garon's transformations.
"He's been like that since the beginning."
Whenever Burre asked Raon about martial arts, he would always give a straightforward answer.
While others tried to hide their secrets, there was none of that with Raon.
He was a strange guy who would come back the next day and give a proper answer if he couldn't provide one on the spot.
"How could I betray such an idiot!"
Burren clenched his teeth and stared at Allan's approaching sword without flinching.
He resisted the urge to step back or strike back with his sword and kept his eyes fixed on Allan's every move.
Hooong!
Just before Allan's sword would reach him, the five separate blades converged into one and started to descend towards his chest instead of his neck.
"Now!"
With a tight grip on his sword, Burren unleashed the full force of the Soakpung Swordsmanship.
The blades of wind, like constellations, halted Allan's transformation and deflected his sword, piercing into his shoulder.
"Kruuugh!"
Allan grunted in pain.
From his shoulder to his waist, Allan was laid open, trembling as he slumped to the ground.
He looked up at Burren with an unbelieving gaze.
"H-How..."
"I said I've always been behind Raon, didn't I?"
Burren breathed out tiredly, planting his sword into the ground.
"That's true. It might be difficult for me to stand in front of Raon. But I haven't just been watching him from behind. I've been there, right beside him, closely watching his fights, building my foundation."
He tightened his grip on the sword and smiled.
"I'm different from you guys who thought killing Raon would solve your problems."
"Ah…"
"Don't think of dying so easily. Repay your sins and die."
Burren delivered a punch, knocking Allan unconscious, then tended to his bleeding.
"Haah..."
Feeling drained, he leaned back against a wall.
Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head.
"To complete the Wind Blade Formation in such a situation..."
A bitter laughter escaped him, as he had never succeeded with the technique before.
"Huff!"
He looked up at the ceiling, having a moment of satisfaction.
"I kept my promise."
*****
"Below seems to be the end."
Raon smiled faintly as he faced Gelmier, who was holding his sword.
"We should start properly too."
"Give up on your last chance."
Gelmier twisted his three swords and distanced himself from Raon.
"Go back. Now we can undo everything."
"Can you undo this situation?"
Raon smirked, hearing the cries from the more shattered ceiling.
"This is a neutral ground. Even the Judicial Bureau can't casually intervene here."
"But we came."
"Do you think everyone else is as crazy as you?"
Gelmier bared his white teeth and frowned.
"Hand over Burren. If you quietly pass by as if nothing happened, I won't question your crimes."
"What's wrong with you? Oh, don't tell me there's nothing?"
Raon lightly flicked Gelmier's temper with his finger, taunting him as if asking if he had no brain.
Gelmier's pupils froze coldly in response.
"You lost your mind, didn't you? The one who kidnapped and brainwashed his brother because you were afraid of your junior."
"What I feared was your future. Someone like you can be killed easily!"
An intense force seemed to tear through his skin as a fierce aura emanated from Gelmier.
It was crude, but he was undoubtedly a Master Intermediate.
"This is your last chance. Take everyone and leave. Live quietly as if nothing happened."
"Sorry, but it's already too late."
Raon chuckled, pointing above him.
"I called the Judicial Bureau too. Can't you hear the horn?"
After the Light Wind squad defeated the Jeonmadan, Raon had sent a letter to the Judicial Bureau so they could come now.
By now, the swordsmen from the Judicial Bureau would have arrived.
-Ridiculous!
Wrath turned red, then sighed as he looked at the fuming Gelmier.
"You really know how to toy with your opponents. Teach me that. There's someone I'd love to mock..."
"Later."
Wrath, who said the lecture fee would be paid afterward, was pushed aside as Raon focused on Gelmier.
"Raon Zieghart!"
Gelmier couldn't contain his anger and lunged forward with his three swords.
The wind-edged blades reached the heart in an instant.
Extreme speed and precise strikes.
It was a power that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Ugh."
Raon brought his left foot forward and lowered his waist, infusing the force of his entire body from the tip of his toes.
He added the aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, skimming the brink of suspension.
Swoosh!
The fiery power of the Hwagui ignited the Jehcheon Sword Gelmier wielded, colliding with his extreme thrust.
Kuwa-aaang!
The Heavenly Drive Sword and the three swords clashed at the moment of suspension, unleashing a storm of scorching heat that enveloped the underground space.
"I am a Master Intermediate! You, an inferior, are no match for me!"
"Inferior, Intermediate, Superior. Those distinctions only matter during training."
Raon smirked at the forehead of the charging Gelmier, exuding a cold smile.
"In a real battle, rank doesn't matter. If you're a warrior, let your sword speak."
He infused the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation with his Warrior's Spirit.
The storm of heat soaring from the blade mercilessly overwhelmed Gelmier's aura.
"In the end, you've chosen to be my opponent. Fine."
Gelmier aimed his three swords at Raon's heart, his eyes filled with determination.
"I'll cut that arrogant tongue of yours."
The wind's power emanating from him became fierce enough to ruffle his hair.
It was the full power of a Master Intermediate.
Realizing that there was no escape now, he pulled out all his strength.
"Now, it's getting interesting."
A blazing glint flashed in Raon.
