Chapter 499
“Huuk…”
Mark Goetten knelt down, gasping for breath. Releasing a scream that expelled all the pent-up frustration, and now his chest felt like it had been opened up.
It felt like a weight that had been pressing down on him for over ten years had suddenly been lifted.
‘I finally did it.’
Intermediate Master level.
For nearly twenty years, he had been stuck in the same place. After nearly twenty years, he had finally moved from his stagnant position, having lingered at the novice (beginner) level for a long time.
Even his seniors, peers, and juniors moved ahead, he had remained in the same place. Now, he had finally been able to break through the wall and climb one step higher.
‘Yeah, just one step.’
To someone else, it might be a small step, but to him, it was a step more precious than his life.
‘I made the right choice to follow him.’
Meeting Raon was a turning point in his life, grabbing onto his coattails and letting go of dwindling pride and honor.
‘If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to feel this way right now.’
The coolness of the wind that soothed his sweat after he had trained with all his heart, the warmth of the meal he ate with his comrades who walked the same path, and the sense of accomplishment of breaking through a wall through hard work.
Thanks to Raon, he was able to feel emotions that he had forgotten a long time ago.
Even now, he felt that his decision to follow him was the best decision of his life.
‘Thank you. Really…’
Mark Goetten closed his eyes, offering his gratitude to Raon, who was not here at the moment.
Feeling the pulsation of his energy center, beating like a heartbeat, he heard the sound of swords clashing from behind him.
‘Ah!’
Mark Goetten quickly opened his eyes.
‘Right, this isn't the time for this!’
The situation was not over yet. He did not have time to hesitate if he wanted to save his comrades.
“Ugh!”
Trying to stand up, unbearable pain struck him. His side and thigh were torn, and the pain, coupled with internal injuries, made his head spin, but now was not the time to dwell on that. He forced himself to stand and turned around.
“What…?”
Mark Goetten’s eyes widened as soon as he turned around.
“It’s all over…?”
All of the Masters who had come with the Holy Sword Union leader’s disciple were dead, and only three of the remaining escorts were left.
They were also seriously injured and looked like they would die soon.
The White Blood religion fanatics who had swarmed like ants were all dead, their bodies pierced by ice shards.
"When did this happen…?"
"Is everyone okay?”
“Were you crying?”
As Mark Goetten’s lips trembled, Burren approached him from the side.
“Burren? No, you!”
Burren’s condition was not normal. His entire body was covered in wounds, and he looked like he had internal injuries, but his eyes shone with a light that had not been there before.
His aura had changed. It was a change that would have been impossible if he had not broken through the wall and reached a new realm.
“You’ve reached Master realm, haven’t you?”
“Yes. And I’m not the only one.”
Burren, who rarely smiled, smiled broadly and raised his hand. As he followed his hand with his gaze, he saw Runaan sitting down on the ground.
“Her injuries are severe. But…”
Runaan’s injuries were more serious than Burren’s. Her back and shoulders were completely soaked in blood, as if her flesh had been torn off..
However, the aura that was emanating from her was also different in level. The air that had been like a gentle lake was now surging like a rough sea.
"B-both of you have become Master?"
"Well, it happened somehow. Although it's right before dying."
Burren let out a deflated laugh as he looked at the sword marks on his body.
‘So that's what he means, huh.’
He had not paid attention to it because he was concentrating on the battle, but now he could understand why Balven had said that the situation was a bit twisted.
"Kyaaaack!"
"Kugh..."
The last surviving escorts had their throats cut and their hearts pierced.
Encia and Denning Rose's guards had also eliminated the Holy Sword Union swordsmen, so there were no more enemies left.
"We, we won...."
Krein wiped the blood that was dripping from the corner of his mouth and lay down.
"Phew, I th-thought I was going to die."
Dorian wiped the sweat from his brow as he carefully lowered Martha down.
"Uuuuuaa."
"We won."
"Damn bastards! This is Zieghart, and we are the Mad Dog division!"
"Where did the Five Demons have the nerve to...."
The Light Wind members celebrated, raising their hands in victory
However, they were also very tired, so their voices and the hands they raised were weak.
"Hmm..."
Runaan staggered to her feet. Despite being the most seriously injured, she approached Burren and Mark Goetten with a calm expression.
"Ru, Runaan!"
"You withstood this much...."
Burren and Mark Goetten's eyes trembled as they saw Runaan's injuries up close. The wounds were much larger than expected, and it was amazing that she hadn't died.
"I, I'm sorry. I should have finished it sooner...."
"I'm the same. I was so focused on my own fight."
The two of them bit their lips as they looked at Runaan's wounds that looked like they had been bitten by an animal. Those sword marks would probably leave scars even if they were treated by a saint.
"You did well."
But Runaan did not blame them. She raised her trembling hand, which seemed to be due to the pain, and tapped Burren and Mark Goetten on the shoulder.
"No one died."
She turned around and pointed to the Light Wind division members. She nodded, saying that everyone was alive, even though no one was unscathed.
"The untamed girl is also safe."
Runaan smiled with warmth, even though she had the most serious injuries of anyone here. It was a smile without a single crease.
"You...."
Burren swallowed his dry saliva as he looked into Runaan's clear eyes.
'Is this Runaan?'
Runaan was initially the most isolated member of the Light Wind.
She only followed Raon and she didn't show any affection to anyone, yet she was more delighted than anyone else here that the Light Wind division had survived.
His heart ached and his nose tingled at the change in the girl he had seen since childhood.
"Oh my God! Don't move!"
Encia, who came running from behind, grabbed Runaan and scattered the white powder she was holding all over her.
"It hurts."
"Bear with it! I need to stop the bleeding and apply the regeneration potion!"
Encia sprinkled regeneration potion and holy water on Runaan, and Denning Rose gave her some unknown medicine to eat.
“Here you go, too.”
Denning Rose gave Burren and Mark Goetten internal medicine, then took Runaan away with Encia.
‘Is it because of him? Everyone is changing… Hmm?’
As Burren watched Runaan being dragged away, he let out a wry laugh. Then, he heard a sniffling sound from the side.
When he turned his head, he saw Mark Goetten, with his sharp eyes, crying like a child.
“S-sir, Mark?”
“Ugh….”
“Are you crying again?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Mark Goetten wiped his eyes with his sleeve and shook his head.
‘I can’t help it.’
Just a moment ago, Runaan’s hand, which had held his shoulder and said “Thank you,” was so warm. He felt the affection that reminded him of his former comrades.
He had joined the Light Wind late, and it was difficult to get along with the other members because of the age gap.
He felt a little alienated because he could not be considered a comrade just because he was in the same space and had the same affiliation. However, the slight sense of alienation vanished with Runaan's words.
Now, he felt like a true member of the Light Wind division.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Burren smiled faintly, as if he knew Mark Goetten’s feelings, and patted him on the back.
“No, but what should we do now?”
Mark Goetten rubbed his reddened eyes and turned to Burren.
“Should we wait for sir Raon here? Or should we go after him now….”
“No.”
Burren raised his chin and looked at Barena. The towers were collapsing, and the buildings were collapsing. The battle between the transcendents was not over yet.
"It's best for us to leave this place as soon as possible.
It wouldn’t help to go to Raon or Barena. He was worried about Sheryl and Rimmer, but the most important thing now was to get out of this place.
“Especially that monster guy, we don’t need to worry about him at all.”
Burren looked back at the direction where Raon had disappeared, then shook his head.
“That’s right.”
Runaan, who had returned unnoticed, nodded her head. Despite her severe injuries, she had a calm smile on her flour-smeared face.
"We’re going to Cameloon and eat ice cream. He'll come back when he's ready."
She said with confidence.
“I agree. He will come after us on his own.”
Denning Rose nodded at Runaan.
“But…”
Encia trembled her fingertips as she looked at the place where Raon had disappeared.
“He will be fine. There’s no need to worry…”
"The moment Sir Raon defeated the Holy Sword Union's disciple, he would create a good scene with an ultimately handsome face and posture, and unfortunately, I won't be able to take that photo. Urgghh!"
When Mark Goetten was about to tell Encia to believe in Raon, he sighed deeply.
“Hmm…….”
Burren shook his head and clapped his hands.
"Get up, everyone! We're leaving right away!"
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Kuwaaaaang!
The shockwave from the collision of the swords exploded, cutting through the descending darkness.
Raon stepped back five steps, but Cloud was stopped after being pushed back only three steps.
‘Tsk.’
Raon frowned as he looked at the crushed ground.
'I knew it. I'm still inferior to him in a head-on fight.'
He drew out his footwork at the same time, but the opponent's sword was faster and more powerful.
His physical strength and agility were superior, but the difference in their levels seemed to be playing a big role.
"That's all you've got?"
Cloud lowered his sword with a relaxed expression, lifting the corners of his mouth.
He a smug look on his face, as if he was far above Raon. He wasn't being careless, he was provoking Raon.
"Your tongue seems sharper than your sword."
"Using all strength from the start is what a lion does. I'm a dragon, so I don't need to."
Raon shrugged as he twirled Heavenly Drive.
"You're still so relaxed. Aren't you worried about the ones you left behind?"
He rolled his eyes in the direction where he had left the Light Wind division and smiled.
"By now, the heads of your subordinates would be rolling one by one, right?"
"I didn't raise those guys to be that weak."
Raon raised Heavenly Drive, its silver-gray blade ablaze with the fiery heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The serene, beautiful flow of flames illuminated the surrounding darkness.
"Don't worry about other people's kids, you should worry about yourself."
"You're quite cocky for someone with flower bracelet on your wrist."
Cloud frowned and rolled his foot. It seemed like he was lightly pushing the ground, but the reverberation that came through was quick.
In an instant, he crossed the space and lowered the sword he had set at the top.
'Is that heaviness sword?'
His shoulders were weighed down, and his legs felt heavy. The sword strike that poured down on his head was filled with the weight of a mountain.
The swift and powerful swords he had shown in his footwork were also considerable, but the heaviness sword was even more so.
If he received it head-on, he would be injured internally, so he turned his body to the right and unleashed the principles of flowing sword around Heavenly Drive.
Chiiing!
Just as Heavenly Drive was about to deflect Cloud's sword strike, his sword bent like a snake's head and came in to pierce his chest.
'This is...'
Severing sword?
In an instant, the heavy sword became a severing sword and caused a crack in the flowing sword. He didn't know he could switch the principles of swordsmanship so quickly.
'I don't have time to block it.'
Heavenly Drive was bent down, so there was not enough time to block Cloud's sword.
He quickly leaned back. Cloud's sword brushed his forehead and cut off his bangs.
“Running away suits you.”
Cloud sneered and twisted his wrist. The sword that was cutting through the air bent strangely and fell down towards Raon's neck. It was a quick and accurate strike.
Raon unleashed the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation through the mana circuits in his waist and thighs, then raised Heavenly Drive.
Zzeerrreeeong!
Blizzard Sword Art unleashed, which contains the principles of the severing sword, roughly deflected Cloud's sword strike.
However, the center was off, so he couldn't absorb all the shock. He felt a dull pain in his waist.
"You...'
Raon, who had retreated, narrowed his eyes at Cloud.
"Have you learned Myriad Swords?"
Only the practitioners of Myriad Swords can use various swordsmanship principles and switch them freely.
"You're too presumptuous to know about the Myriad Swords as well."
Cloud nodded as he put his sword on his shoulder.
"That's right. I am following the path of Myriad Swords after my master. No matter what principles your swordsmanship contains, it cannot reach me.".
He flicked his finger, as if to say that he didn't want to waste any more time on a fight that was already over, and to charge at him immediately.
‘This is interesting.’
Raon smiled faintly and stepped onto the ground.
“All you can do is charge like a wild boar.”
Cloud chuckled coldly and thrust his sword down from his shoulder. It felt like his body was being sucked in by the incredibly fast sword strikes that broke through the wind.
‘Swift and absorption principles. But…’
'Swift can be subdued by slowness and accuracy.'
Raon thrust Heavenly Drive. His sword was moving at a speed that seemed to be on a different level from Cloud's swift sword.
But that sword was occupying the most important space.
Cheer-eong!
Cloud’s sword was knocked back before it could gain any momentum and collided with Heavenly Drive.
"This bastard..."
He frowned in disbelief as he drew his sword back and swung it down again.
A loud explosion erupted from the sword blade. A raging explosion of aura, like magic, curled along the flow of the powerful sword.
Tuk!
Raon did not back down even when he saw the explosion that was tearing through space. He even moved forward.
'I can handle the explosive sword and the powerful sword.'
With confidence in himself, he drew his sword, Heavenly Drive, and raised his wrist. He wrapped the principles of heaviness and reversed sword around the special technique of Blizzard Sword Art which rises while sweeping the ground.
Kwa-a-a-aang!
The two swords clashed, and an enormous shock swept through the air.
The two swordsmen, who had torn through the earth, were blown back, cutting through the gray dust. However, this time, Raon was four steps away, and Cloud was three steps away.
"You... you couldn't have..."
Cloud's eyes narrowed with murderous intent, and his lips curled up.
"Yes."
Raon nodded without waiting for Cloud's next words.
"I am also learning the Myriad Swords."
He continued with a sneer.
"It's amusing to see you acting all high and mighty, thinking you're the only one learning the Myriad Swords."
"You bastard..."
Cloud's murderous intent rose, and he gritted his teeth.
However, he did not make the mistake of rushing in thoughtlessly. He must have been a Grandmaster for a reason.
"I understand why the union leader and the Blood Swordsmaster said that your talent was special. It's because you're learning the Myrad Swords. But..."
He lightly scratched the ground with his foot as if he was taunting.
"My talent is on a different level than yours!"
Cloud rushed forward, revealing his desire or inferiority complex for talent.
The principles of swift sword and illusion sword were also embedded in his sword. Unlike his twisted personality, he seemed to have trained his martial arts properly.
Chii-i-i-ing!
Cloud, who used the principles of illusion sword to split his body into three like a ghost, merged into one from the right side. At the same time, the blades that extended out contained the principles of reversed sword and charging sword.
'It's powerful.'
Raon exhaled a low breath and unleashed the Blizzard Sword Art’s Silver Wind Vortex, towards Cloud's sword strikes.
Kuwa-a-a-ang!
The principles of severing sword, which rose up along with the silver wind, struck down Cloud's sword. The broken sword hit the ground and caused a huge explosion.
'Now.'
Raon did not miss the opportunity and penetrated Cloud's space. He unleashed the early techniques of the Silver Wind Vortex in succession, applying strong pressure. However, Cloud managed to evade the attack using a Heavy Sword technique, showcasing the skills befitting a practitioner of the Myriad Swords.
The two men were fighting with similar levels of aura, but Cloud's sword techniques, which were on a higher level, were gradually gaining the upper hand. If it hadn't been for the stats and the Ring of Fire he had gained through the system, Raon would have been pushed back long ago.
‘The wall of Grandmaster is indeed high.’
As he felt the specialness of the Grandmaster realm, he held his sword tightly. At that moment, Cloud raised his sword to the sky.
"I'll show you why I'm on a different level from you."
Cloud cuts through the frozen ground with a smirk on his face. His sword moves in a familiar pattern, summoning a strong wind.
"This is...?"
Raon opens his eyes wide and raises Heavenly Drive. He tries to use the Fangs of Insanity, but the wind wrapped around Cloud's sword breaks the flow of the Fangs of Insanity.
Crack!
The power of the principles of the severing sword, which interrupts the flow of sword techniques, resembled the technique akin to the Silver Wind Vortex of Blizzard Sword Art.
"Did you see that?"
Cloud, once again stirring the wind, raised his chin.
"I can easily imitate your sword techniques. No, I can even perform them more powerfully."
He was trying to break Raon's spirit, even recreating the Silver Wind Vortex he had shown once before with a stronger flow.
Huuuuuuuuuuuuung!
The astral energy contained in Heavenly Drive is torn away by the cold wind that feels like it's scraping the skin.
"Do you feel it now? What true talent is? I'll take away the Dragon title that was given to you.”
“This is my first time seeing it from the other person’s perspective, and this is what it felt like.”
Raon slowly lifted his head. A red ecstasy was blossoming in his sparkling eyes.
"There's a lot to devour from you."
