N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
C 273
The Light Wind Squad spent the night on Bukmang Mountain for focused training, engaged in physical training in the early morning, practiced one-on-one sparring in the morning, and supplemented their lacking martial skills in the afternoon.
After training relentlessly for 24 hours a day, the Light Wind squad collapsed as soon as evening came.
"Ughhh..."
"Leader, I'm going to die if we continue like this..."
"Ugh!"
"Ah, the pain won't go away..."
"Kuhuh, how is the spot I hit during the day still hurting?"
The members of the Light Wind squad couldn't even get up from the sand, groaning in agony.
The only sound that could be heard was their shallow breaths, indicating their survival.
Raon surveyed the fallen Light Wind squad members with a satisfied smile.
"They seem fine."
Their training was surely drilled into their minds.
Thanks to the Ring of Fire, he was able to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of the squad at a glance.
By engaging in sparring and directly pinpointing their weaknesses, he ensured they wouldn't forget it.
"Great job, everyone. Starting from tomorrow, you will follow the instructions of the Sir Instructor."
With training that covered focus training, sparring, and even supplementing their lacking martial skills, they should be able to excel under Gambling Monster's guidance.
"Raon, you're amazing."
Runaan raised her head with great effort, her eyes sharper than usual.
It seemed like the first time he was actually complaining.
"Yeah, I know."
Since he wasn't particularly concerned about his own appearance, he readily nodded in agreement.
"Annoying..."
With those words, Runaan buried his face in the sand again.
"It's better to just kill me. This crazy basta..."
Martha, lay flat on the ground, squeezing her eyes shut.
Even she, with her stubborn determination, seemed worn out from the 24-hour training.
"I can't do this anymore. I don't even have the strength to twitch a finger. Ugh!"
She faltered in her speech due to exhaustion and quickly opened her eyes again.
Martha turned away, grinding her teeth in frustration.
"You guys, did you really endure this for a week?"
In the end, Burren, who had persevered until the last moment, collapsed onto the ground with a pale face.
"We've lost our minds. You, all of us, and that crazy bastard, too."
He had called Raon a benefactor to whom he owed a lifetime of gratitude just twenty-four hours ago, but now he was shouting that he was a crazy bastard.
"Not even benefactors are forever."
"I'm injured! Is there any reason to really make me do all this?"
"Wouldn't you survive if a patient gets hit by a sword?"
"Huh?"
"You're done."
Raon interrupted Burren and waved his hand dismissively.
"You're a week behind. Focus on catching up. Once my punishment is over, I'll start separate training for you."
"Ugh!"
Burren's pupils shook as if hit by a wave.
"Why... Why do I miss when I was kidnapped?"
He looked at the sky with a sad expression before collapsing.
"See you all in a week. You should be prepared if there's no change when I come back."
Raon approached Gambling Monster, who was on the platform, and bowed his head.
"Yes, do you want to kill those guys?"
Gambling Monster responded with a tremor in his voice, shooting empty air.
"I wouldn't go that far. I only had them do what they could."
It was not a lie.
Using the Rings of fire, he assessed the Light Wind squad stamina and aura, then pushed them to their limits.
It would be incredibly difficult and painful, but they could do it somehow.
"Do you want to kill them?"
"Do you really want to kill them?"
Gambling Monster's eyes quivered as he looked at the Light Wind squad unable to move, then he nodded despondently.
"Very well, I'll go now."
Raon greeted Gambling Monster and was about to leave.
Crash!
The door to the training ground was roughly thrown open, and only one person entered.
"Where have you been until now? There's training even for the leader…"
Raon was about to greet Rimmer as he went out to meet him, but he abruptly stopped.
"Why is he here again...?"
Wasn't he a wreck?
Rimmer's red hair was as blackened as if it had been charred, his clothes were torn, and he had blue bruises here and there.
He looked like he had been beaten up and thrown around.
"Growl..."
The moment Rimmer saw them, he gnashed his teeth and bared them like a fierce beast.
"Did you gamble again and come back?"
"Growl..."
Rimmer's throaty growl intensified as he tried to bare his fangs.
"Do you always go crazy when you see me?"
Rimmer approached, trembling hands preparing to attack.
"Can't you guess the outcome?"
Raon smirked, looking at Rimmer's shaking form.
"You're a beast, aren't you?"
That night, although the Judicial Department tried to suppress rumors about the clash between the Light Wind squad and the Jungmadan squad, rumors were not so easily stifled.
While the exact details remained unclear, news of the clash between the two squad spread throughout Zieghart within a day.
Even the dilapidated tavern in the back alley where Rimmer often visited buzzed with the story.
"Between the Light Wind squad and the Jungmadan squad, isn't it clear who the winner would be?"
"The Jungmadan would've definitely won."
"Right. Their experience levels are different. If the Light Wind squad is a cat, the Jungmadan squad is a tiger!"
"It's not just the members, even the squad Leader's fight was predictable. Raon, He's not ready to face Gelmier yet."
"No need to see the outcome."
The people in the tavern confidently predicted that the well-trained and experienced Jungmadan squad would emerge victorious.
"But, they say the Light Wind squad defeated the Jungmadan squad!"
The entire tavern was astonished by the news brought by an informant who had rushed from the headquarters.
"They, they won? The Light Wind squad?"
"Does that even make sense? The Light Wind squad was just formed recently! The Jungmadan squad has a long-standing tradition!"
"Unbelievable..."
"Wait, how did they win? Did they use dirty tricks?"
"That's not it. According to the Judicial Bureau investigation, they had a fair battle using swords."
"They said these days the name of the Light Wind squad name is heard the most, and there's a reason for that. To think they have such great strength already..."
People in the tavern gulped down their beers as they heard the news that the Light Wind squad had won.
"Then, what about the leaders' battle?"
"Exactly! What about the fight between Raon and Gelmier?"
"There should be news about the battle between Raon and Gelmier. Anyway, the two of them clashed underground in the middle of the night. Why underground? Ah, maybe it's because they rushed there, my throat is dry."
The informant, a man, asked for a moment to catch his breath and quenched his thirst by taking a drink of beer.
"No! More beer!"
"What's with these cups! Bring a whole barrel!"
"Order all the dishes on the menu too!"
"I have money! I'll give you money, just hurry up and serve!"
"Bring it on! Serve before giving me a Nadin bread!"
The people in the tavern started throwing money at the man in front, demanding to know more details. Some even threatened to feed him the disliked rubbery Nadin bread.
"Alright, hold on a moment."
The informant lowered his hand, calming everyone down.
"I'll tell you one by one. First, this whole incident started with Burren, the deputy leader of the third team of the Light Wind squad ."
"Burren? Why would Burren suddenly..."
"Actually, Gelmier, the leader of the Jungmadan squad, kidnapped Burren, who is his younger brother."
The man recounted, as if he had been present, the reason behind the confrontation between the Light Wind squad and the Jungmadan squad .
"Heartless bastards! Absolute sons of bitches!"
"They brainwashed him after kidnapping his brother?"
"Damn assholes! Complete assholes!"
"Anyway, those Jungmadan guys only have brute force. They're just using their strength to bully people!"
"In contrast, the Light Wind squad is truly remarkable. To storm the Jungmadan squad in an attempt to save their comrade..."
"I thought they were just naive youngsters, but I need to take another look."
"Light Wind squad! Light Wind squad!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
The tavern's patrons, having heard the story of the Light Wind squad fighting the Jungmadan squad to save Burren, were moved to shout the names of Raon and the Light Wind squad.
"Now, for the final highlight. The battle between the leader of the Jungmadan squad, Gelmier, and the leader of the Light Wind squad, Raon. A clash between an Intermediate Master and a beginner Master. Contrary to your expectations, Raon took the lead in this fight. Every time swords clashed..."
The informant satisfiedly nodded at the people who were cursing and continued to narrate the final battle.
Particularly, he praised Raon's mastery of thrusting that overwhelmed Gelmier and repeatedly emphasized it.
"Overwhelmed through thrusting?"
"This is madness..."
"I never thought I'd hear such words from a youngster barely twenty years old. Truly impressive. He's just amazing."
"Isn't it amazing? How can a beginner overpower an Intermediate and even cut his arm?"
"He even defeated a master when he was still an expert."
"At this point, it's not martial skill, but Raon himself who's strong."
"Who cares! From now on, I'm cheering for the Light Wind squad and Raon!"
"Raon! Raon! Raon!"
The male informant skillfully spun his tale, and the reaction was as refreshing as the beer.
Everyone in the tavern shouted Raon's name and cheered once again.
"Hmm."
The informant looked at the people enjoying his story and finished his beer before leaving the tavern.
Squelch!
He placed his hand on his face and as he pulled it down, his middle-aged male face disappeared, revealing Rimmer's bright face. (I fu***** knew it, lmao)
"Raon. Be grateful. You abandoned me, but I've only spread good rumors about you."
Rimmer patted his chest, as if pleased.
Rimmer cleared his throat unnecessarily and then cautiously opened the purse.
His pupils dilated like rotten eggs as soon as he saw the coins shimmering in gold and silver.
"How much is all this? As expected from our Raon's luck!"
He clenched the purse tightly and raised his arms to the sky.
"Thanks to you, I can survive!"
Rumble!
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the dry sky, and Rimmer jumped in alarm.
"Oh, you're not here, right?"
He wiped his hands nervously like a fly, looked around, and sighed in relief at the realization that the person wasn't there.
However, he still glanced around, then disappeared quickly into an alley.
Raon returned to his room in the annex building. He had no choice but to wait because of his probation.
"It's better this way."
During his time in the Light Wind squad, he had somewhat neglected his own training while focusing on enhancing their power and concentration.
This was a chance to make up for that.
"If the results in a week are below expectations, I can always roll the dice more."
Having realized how to properly play his cards, he now felt confident in handling the Light Wind squad.
"Wh- What, you mean there's a chance for more from there?"
Wrath grimaced as if it was horrifying.
"There's always a little moisture in a dry rag."
"Goodness!"
Wrath widened his eyes and let out a sigh of amazement.
"Raon Zieghart! No matter how I think about it, your presence here is a waste of talent! With the king in the Demon Realm..."
"I'm not going."
Raon gestured with his hand to the persistent Wrath and sat down on the floor.
He enjoyed the moonlight streaming in from the window for a moment before closing his eyes.
"The things I need to do are already set."
The Ring of Fire. Through many battles and training, the time had come to open a new path for the Ring of Fire.
Within a week, he wasn't sure if it was achievable, but if he could accomplish it, not only would his skill itself improve, but he could also conduct the Light Wind squad's training more efficiently.
"Heuuu…"
Taking a deep breath, he operated the Ring of Fire.
He slowly calmed his breathing and manipulated the Ring of Fire.
The six rings, driven by his heart, collided countless times like glass beads in resonance, producing a clear resonating sound.
"So I have to avoid these while shaping a new ring?"
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Even when he had to shape while avoiding five rings, it was challenging.
Now, having to avoid six rings while creating a seventh one, he was already feeling the tension.
"But I have to try."
Without a fixed trajectory, he shaped a new Ring of Fire, avoiding the rotations of the six rings.
Raon pushed Wrath away with the back of his hand and once again operated the Ring of Fire.
While crafting what could hardly be called a ring, the fifth ring approached and brushed against his side.
Kyaang!
With a crisp sound, the ring he had been crafting shattered in an instant.
"Tsk."
It ended so quickly, with his first attempt ruined, he clicked his tongue in frustration.
"What kind of nonsense are you up to again?"
Wrath scowled as if he wasn't pleased.
"Stop fooling around and let's go eat."
"It's been less than an hour since dinner."
"What are you saying? Since you usually eat improperly, I must feed you during times like this. You're in your growing years, after all. Eat two more meals from now until midnight."
Because he preferred the food in the annex building to the bland meals in the training grounds, Wrath was advocating for him to eat breakfast not even an hour after having dinner.
"I'm busy right now."
When the new ring had extended to about the length of a finger, it collided with the third ring charging at him like a wild boar, melting away like snow.
"It's tough."
He had anticipated it, but it was still no easy task.
"Damn it..."
"If you don't want food, how about a snack? Eating is about having something left."
Wrath pestered him with pleas every time he opened his eyes.
Is this the Demon King?
He really wanted to find out who had made this guy the Wrathful Demon King and give them a piece of his mind.
If this was the level of <Wrath>, he couldn't even imagine what <Gluttony> would be like.
Sigh!
Ignoring Wrath's demands for food, Raon once again manipulated the Ring of Fire.
"Phew..."
He exhaled from deep within his lungs and cleared his mind.
Blocking out his senses, including sight and hearing, he adjusted his posture.
"There's no point in making it halfheartedly."
Even if it's just once, he needed to concentrate and do it thoroughly.
Gathering his energy, he thought of this as his last chance.
While maintaining his focus to the maximum, he formed the seventh ring.
As if nails were growing, he shaped the new ring incredibly slowly, almost imperceptibly.
Like solving a puzzle, he gradually expanded the ring, discarding thoughts and concerns as they emerged in his mind.
Light Wind squad's training, Rimmer's recovery, the strategies for the Battle of the Void, even his deep-rooted desire for Sylvia's direct line family return and revenge against Derus Robert, everything was emptied from his mind.
The only thing in his mind was the Ring of Fire.
Chiiiiing!
The moment his entire focus was on the Ring of Fire, along with a resonating sound that seemed to resonate through his spine, the speed of the six rings that revolved around his heart appeared to slow down several times over.
It was the realm of an expert who had achieved the utmost concentration.
Was it due to the concentration-enhancing training he had subjected Light Wind squad to? It seemed like his own focus had also improved.
The third ring charged at the new ring like furious waves.
He quickly spun the ring using the subtlety of the Quick Sword and managed to avoid it.
The sixth ring surged forth in a spiraling rotation like a storm.
Using the subtlety of the Flowing Sword, he skillfully diverted it like water brushing past.
A wry chuckle escaped him.
Thanks to training his squad, his focus had improved, and using the sword techniques he had learned, he was avoiding the other rings, it was a strange feeling.
The Whirling Streams.
Though many streams of water converge at the end to become one, he hadn't expected to actually feel that saying firsthand.
As he concentrated on avoiding the six rings, he suddenly found the ends of the new ring meeting each other, and he realized that this was the real deal.
"From now on, it's for real."
As the new ring extended, the threat posed by the other rings grew stronger.
He concentrated his mind to the extent that he could sense the mana particles being absorbed through his breath.
Chiiiiing!
The six rings converged and revolved like interlocking gears, aiming for the seventh ring as if to hinder it.
He was so focused on avoiding them that he couldn't even concentrate on shaping the ring.
Pushing his concentration to the extreme, he managed to extend its length by just a hair's breadth.
Tension was so palpable that it felt like his nostrils were plugged.
Just before the seventh ring was about to be completed, even his heartbeat became agonizing.
"It's impossible like this."
Only the final shaping remained, yet with the six rings intersecting like obstacles, completing it seemed almost unattainable.
He had to seize the moment when all six rings were moving in the same direction.
Phew...
Raon calmly exhaled.
If it was about enduring, then it was something he had been good at since his previous life.
He could wait for however long it took.
Time passed.
As much time flowed as the sweat dripping down his forehead.
Several hours. No, maybe days or even a month.
He couldn't gauge how much time had passed.
He forgot everything and simply waited.
He believed he had squeezed his concentration to its limits, yet it climbed another step.
The flow of the resonating six rings and their subsequent movements were etched in his mind like a blueprint.
He swallowed his dry throat and waited for the right moment.
Like a solar eclipse where the moon obscures the sun, that moment when all six rings moved in the same pattern.
Chiiiiing!
The rings overlapped and twisted, merging into a single ring.
A moment divided by an instant.
It was the only chance to shape the seventh ring.
Biting his lip tightly, he filled in the final part of the seventh ring.
Quaaaang!
With a dynamic force that felt like the merging of two lines—soul and body—along with it, a golden lightning bolt struck his mind.
