N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 613
Risrin cautiously entered the burning village of the Sran tribe, his brow furrowed in confusion.
'Treating someone you've never seen before as a subordinate.'
Risrin had been instructed by Raon to remain in the village while he rushed to the battleground between the Sran tribe and the assassins. He found it hard to believe that flammable materials (seed of fire) were hidden within the village, especially considering the difficulty of placing them without being detected.
"Hmm..."
Reflecting on their interactions, Risrin realized that Raon had never seemed comfortable with his presence. He had even given him a disapproving look when he followed him into the burning forest.
'What's his reason? Does he think I'm here to steal information about his martial arts?'
As a former assassin, Risrin's perception was honed to a level surpassing even the most elite warriors. He couldn't shake the possibility that Raon's suspicions stemmed from his expertise.
'He's narrower-minded than I thought.'
Currently, the Black Market and Zieghart were allied, Risrin couldn't help but find Raon's distrust humorous.
‘But you never know.’
Considering the possibility that Raon might have sent him to protect the village, Risrin began preparing a suitable escape route. As he worked, an eerie sight unfolded in the darkened sky above, a golden sun and moon rose together in the dark sky.
'What in the world...'
As he stood there, dumbfounded, a terrifying energy storm erupted beneath the sun and moon, revealing Raon standing at the center of the battlefield, wielding a sword engulfed in fire and ice. Effortlessly, he deflected attacks from both the shamans of the Sran tribe and the assassins.
Raon didn’t use extraordinary swordsmanship nor did he unleashed massive energy. Yet, his seemingly mundane swordsmanship sent the Sran tribe warriors reeling, their shamanic powers rendered useless. The assassins, unable to withstand a single stroke, were torn apart like paper.
With a final flourish of his sword, Raon froze dozens of assassins to the ground, their bodies entombed in ice. Witnessing such a feat with a sword, even he, who had been through countless battlefields, had never seen such a sight.
From that moment on, no one dared to raise a weapon against Raon. With just a few swings of his sword, he had quelled the wrath, rage and killing intent that had plagued the land. The monster known as Raon Zieghart had brought the battlefield to an abrupt end.
'Wait a minute...'
As Risrin watched Raon fight, he couldn't help but think that someone with such immense power would have no reason to hide their true abilities.
'Could it be really…?'
He quickly spread his aura perception. He felt the presence of assassins approaching the village from the burning flames.
The assassins stopped at a certain distance and created a subtle aura wave. The wave seeped into the village and caused a massive explosion.
Kwaaaaang!
A wall of enormous flames surged, engulfing the entire village. The heat was so intense that breathing became difficult.
A flaming prison was erected, where one couldn't even breathe or escape.
"What, what's happening?"
"Why is there suddenly a fire here..."
"Everyone come out! We'll all die if we stay here!"
The elderly villagers emerged from their homes, carrying the children who had been hiding inside. But the flames were too fierce, leaving them at a loss for what to do, only chewing on their lips.
Chiiiiing!
Risrin drew the sword at his waist. Creating torrent of aura blade and wind energy, he opened the escape route he had prepared in advance.
"Please, come this way!"
At his shout, the elderly villagers and children of Sran tribe widened their eyes.
"We don't know who you are, but thank you!"
"Everyone, this way!"
"Get out quickly before the fire spreads!"
Initially hesitant, the tribespeople eventually followed the open path away from the burning village, trusting that the stranger held no ill intentions.
Risrin, watching the Sran tribe flee, gulped nervously.
‘It was real?’
Was this even possible?
The idea that someone could single-handedly end a skirmish and detect the presence of hidden assassins was inconceivable.
But the ability to pinpoint and finding the yet-to-be ignited seeds of fire within the village was beyond comprehension.
It wasn't merely an act of brilliance or genius, but rather something akin to divine intervention.
As Risrin exited the village, he turned his gaze around. He searched for Raon, but he had already disappeared, leaving only the Sran tribe's warriors and shamans rushing towards him, their eyes filled with sadness and anger.
However, upon confirming the safety of the villagers, they approached with relieved expressions.
"Thank you!"
"You have our deepest gratitude, savior!"
"How can we ever repay this kindness?"
The Sran tribe leader and warriors approached, expressing their gratitude and bowing their heads.
"Oh, no, it wasn't me," Risrin stammered, his hands trembling as he faced the outpouring of gratitude.
'Come to think of it...'
It's the first time I've received such thanks in my life.
As an assassin turned informant agent, he had never experienced genuine appreciation or thanks.
The sincerity in their words stirred an odd sensation within him, a mix of warmth and unfamiliarity.
It wasn’t a bad feeling, but he had to make it clear.
"I didn't do anything." Risrin stated firmly.
"Sir Raon instructed me, just in case, to protect the village."
"Ah, so it was him..."
"Hmm..."
"Did he predict to this extent that this outcome would happen?"
The leader of the Sran tribe sighed and glanced at the spot where Raon had stood. The tribesmen followed his gaze with astonished expressions.
Risrin followed their gaze and nodded.
'He truly is an unpredictable person.'
* * *
Raon watched the assassin with a mask on, his eyes glinting.
'So, this is their leader.'
All the assassins here were skilled, but in terms of raw power, the one in front was the strongest.
Without a doubt, he was the mastermind behind today's event.
"Ho-how… how did you get here...?"
"You call yourselves the Illusion Slaying squad."
Judiel said that the name of the assassination group Juvel belonged to was Illusion Slaying squad.
"What are you aiming for?"
"W-what are you talking about!"
The leader of Illusion Slaying squad stepped back, swallowing dryly.
"You're not here for assassination, you're here for a skirmish. Assassins don't charge head-on like moths to a flame."
Raon narrowed his eyes at the leader of Illusion Slaying squad.
'They must have another objective.'
Assassins retreat when their plans go awry, they don't charge in recklessly like this. It seemed they were aiming for something other than assassinating the Sran tribe.
"Nonsense!"
The Illusion Slaying squad leader shouts, signaling the hidden assassins around to approach silently.
'Ah, these are the real deal.'
They knew how to conceal their presence and perfectly suppress their movements, showing at least two levels of skill above the assassins he faced earlier.
Seeing these assassins stationed here further confirms that their aim isn't the assassination of the Sran tribe.
Shing!
Concealed within the shadows, the assassins launch their daggers. A rapid and intricate web of projectiles takes shape, resembling a net. It's a refined technique of dagger throwing, honed through extensive experience.
'Even so...'
It’s useless.
Raon steps into the web of daggers launched by the assassins. With the killing intent of the daggers reflected in his eyes, he raises Heavenly Drive.
The silver-gleaming blade carves a path through the darkness.
Clang!
Heavenly Drive sliced through the web of daggers pouring down, splitting it into pieces.
Looking at the distorted eyes of the assassins, Raon drew the Blade of Requiem. The red blade brushed against the scabbard, emitting a clear resonance.
Woooooooong!
The sound sword technique, Blue Rain, pierces the ears and shatters nerves with its piercing sound.
"Ugh!"
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
"Guh!"
The assassins, experiencing excruciating pain as if their nerves were being shattered, dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
Raon raised his sword. Gathering the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation from his energy center to his palm, as he attempts to wield Heavenly Drive down.
However, before he can do so, the leader of the Illusion Slaying squad moves.
He extends his hand lightly, and a dagger imbued with his aura transforms into dozens of beams of light, piercing the space. He was undoubtedly a skilled assassin worthy of leading an assassination group.
"Get a grip! He’s weakened!"
Blocking the strike of Heavenly Drive, the leader of Illusion Slaying squad shouted. The assassins, who had lost their minds to the shockwave of Blue Rain, regained their senses and rushed forward again, gripping their daggers.
Their use of techniques is swift. In the blink of an eye, their daggers are aimed at his throat and heart.
"You're not wrong, but..."
Raon smirked and lowered his eyebrows.
"You're not at a level capable of handling this."
He widens his field of vision. With approaching daggers and assassins in sight, he raises Heavenly Drive, which he had kept tilted to the left.
The terrifyingly sharp blades unfolded along the scorched horizon, ignited by the flames.
As his black cloak fluttered, the darkness was torn apart. The assassins' necks were severed in a single stroke, rolling to the ground. With a single stroke, the lives of more than ten assassins were cut short.
"How, how...?"
The leader of Illusion Slaying squad's eyes were bloodshot with disbelief. He couldn't believe that the assassins, who were coming from different directions and at different distances, had been killed in a single stroke.
"I told you."
Raon approached the leader of Illusion Slaying squad and shook his head.
"You're not at the level to handle it."
"Keugh!"
The leader of Illusion Slaying squad stepped back in disbelief. His body disappeared in an instant as if melting into the darkness.
'I have to run away!'
He had heard that using the Sword Field Creation would consume over 80% of one’s aura, but it seemed to have no effect on that monster.
Fighting him head-on was out of the question. He had to get out of here somehow.
He tried to move forward with all his strength, but strangely, his field of vision didn't change. It was as if he was stuck in place.
'What, what's going on?'
He trembled his lips and looked back, but he couldn't see his legs. The moment he realized that, his body tilted and unbearable pain surged through his body.
"Euaaaaaaak!"
The leader of Illusion Slaying squad grabbed at the dry bushes and screamed. He looked at his legs again, and his knees were cut off, spitting out bright red blood.
Clack.
Raon lowered Heavenly Drive and approached the leader of Illusion Slaying squad.
"The only way for a trapped rat to survive is to cut off its legs."
He lowered his gaze and met the leader of Illusion Slaying squad's eyes.
"Of course, even if you cut off your legs, you won't be able to survive."
"Ugh..."
His complexion turned pale with terror and pain.
"Speak."
Raon put his hand on the leader of Illusion Slaying squad's back and grabbed his chin.
"What were you aiming for?"
"Huhuh..."
The leader of Illusion Slaying squad let out a groan-like laugh and raised his eyes.
"You're going to kill me anyway, aren't you?"
"An assassin doesn't die easily. Don't you know that the difference between an easy and difficult death is also important?"
"Don't make me laugh. Kid. I decide my own death."
He chuckles, his voice laced with mockery.
"No, your life is not yours."
Raon snorts and pries open the Illusion Slaying squad’s jaw.
"Heok..."
"Those assassins, they're so outdated."
With that, he pulled out the poison pill hidden between the leader of Illusion Slaying squad's teeth.
"Y-you... how did you..."
The Illusion Slaying squad leader's eyes widen in disbelief as he realizes his hidden poison has been discovered.
"It's very basic."
Raon threw the poison away and shook his head.
"Since you've refused the easy path, I'll guide you to the difficult one."
With those words, he injected the heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier through Illusion Slaying squad leader's back. Utilizing his self-developed torture technique, he spreads the two energies.
"Gaahhh..."
Despite his stiffened body rendering him unable to speak, Illusion Slaying squad trembled violently, emitting a pained groan that seemed to indicate his whole being was in agony. Blood vessels began to surface in his eyes due to the torment.
Raon sits on the Illusion Slaying squad leader's back and gestures to Wrath.
'Wanna bet if he can last an hour? If you win, I'll buy you an ice cream.'
What if I lose?
'How about you give me your stats?'
Not a bad deal considering he’s the leader of an assassins' group. He should be able to endure more than an hour.
Wrath raises his hand, betting that Colin can last more than an hour.
'Alright, I'll bet that he won’t last an hour then.'
Raon grins and increases the intensity of the torture he inflicts on the Illusion Slaying squad leader.
Hey, y-you cheating scam artist bastard!
Wrath grabs Raon by the collar and shouts.
Increasing the torture intensity is cheating!
'There was no condition that the intensity couldn't be increased.'
That's a basic condition!
'Oh, really? I didn't know. I'll keep that in mind next time.'
What kind of scoundrel...
Wrath looked incredulous, his mouth agape.
"Gaahhh..."
The Illusion Slaying squad leader lets out a gasp as if his breath is being cut off, unable to endure any longer. Looking into his eyes, it seemed he was on the verge of revealing anything if only the torture would stop.
"You should've done that sooner."
Raon releases the torture and helps the Illusion Slaying squad leader up.
"What's your name?"
"C-C-Colin. Colin."
Colin bowed his head completely, his expression vacant.
Ughh! You're really the Monarch of Deception!
Wrath grinds his teeth in frustration.
[You have won the bet against <Wrath>.]
As soon as Wrath acknowledged his defeat, a message popped up congratulating him on winning the bet.
You didn't come out when the King of Essence summoned you, but in moments like these, you're disgustingly swift! I should really smash you to pieces...
[All stats have increased by 3 points.]
Another message appears as Wrath frowned.
Huh? Why did it increase by 3 points instead of 1?
'I didn't even mention how many points it was. It must be the system's decision.'
There's no need to mention that! Obviously, the system should assume it's just 1 point!
'Oh, really? Then I'll make sure to mention it next time.'
Raon waves his hand towards the system that sent the message.
I'm going crazy for real!
Wrath can't take it anymore and looks up at the sky, shouting in frustration.
Raon gestured to Colin, leaving Wrath, who was exploding in anger, alone.
"So, what were you really after? Don't give me that assassination nonsense."
"W-we were creating a crisis."
"Creating a crisis?"
As Colin was about to answer, a blue light flashed through his heart, and then his chest split open.
Sploosh!
The belated eruption of blood showed that this situation is no illusion.
Raon saw a man with an eerie eye glow behind Colin's collapsing body.
'Karoon?'
Karoon, the master of Central Martial Palace, whom he never expected to be here, appears.
'Why is this man here...'
Raon can't understand why Karoon, who was supposed to be on a mission, is here.
'Why he's here... Wait a moment!'
What if Juvel hadn't escaped Karoon’s grasp?
He thought Juvel became an assassin and Karoon sold him to the outside, but that doesn't seem to be the case. This assassination group called Illusion Slaying squad might belong to Karoon.
'Yes, that must be it!'
Neither Juvel nor Judiel managed to escape Karoon's clutches from the very beginning.
Combining Karoon's appearance with Colin's words about creating a crisis for the Sran tribe, a hypothesis came to mind.
'What if the Sran tribe was on the brink of death by fire and Karoon showed up to save everyone?'
Karoon would become a benefactor of the Beast Union and could achieve remarkable feats even in Zieghart.
In fact, the assassins who tried to attack the Sran tribe were merely numerous, not particularly strong. It was clear that they were meant to be sacrificed to boost Karoon's own achievements.
The reason Karoon went to such an extent must be because of me.
Recently, there have been talks that with my numerous achievements, it wouldn't be strange for me to become a candidate for successor.
Feeling threatened by the strange atmosphere within the family, Karoon must have devised this plan to make a name for himself.
'The Central Martial Palace’s master sealed Colin's mouth.'
By killing Colin, Karoon had proven that all of this was his doing.
"Master of Central Martial Palace."
Raon suppresses his burning anger and meets Karoon's cold gaze.
"I never expected to see you in a place like this."
"I heard there was a fire while I was returning from a mission, so I came to check."
It's not a strange answer. In fact, he was not at the family when I returned from my mission.
"But why did you kill that man?"
"He's an assassin. Assassins are the ones you can't let your guard down on until the they’re dead."
Karoon tilted his head as if to say why ask something so obvious.
Raon chewed his lip as he watched Karoon slowly approaching.
'Is he planning to kill me?'
This is dangerous but...
Seeing Karoon's composed expression, a shiver ran down his spine.
There were only the two of them here right now. There was absolutely no chance of survival if he were to attack here.
'Even if I use the sword field creation, I can’t win.'
Karoon's power surpasses even the Axe King's. Raon knows that he would be outmatched in a direct confrontation, especially now that his strength is depleted after using the sword field creation.
'Should I run? No, showing my back would be even more dangerous.’
Just moments ago, Karoon's swordsmanship had sliced through Colin before he could even react. A reckless move could result in his head being severed in a single stroke.
"Raon Zieghart."
As Karoon brandished his sword, he approached within striking distance, revealing a chilling gaze.
"What have you heard from him?"
"Well, not much."
Raon replied with a calm smile, tilting his head.
"Is that so?"
Karoon's gaze darkened. It seemed like he was intent on finishing things here and now.
As Raon tightened his grip on Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, preparing for defense, a massive shadow appeared in the sky.
Kwaaaaaaang!
A white tiger, the size of a house, crashed through the forest, roaring majestically. The man riding atop it descended in front of Raon and Karoon.
Raon's hand trembles involuntarily at the sight of the man, his physique rivalling that of the white tiger, his eyes sharp and piercing, and his aura so domineering that it seems to suppress all living things.
"Ugh..."
Even Karoon seemed taken aback by his unexpected arrival, furrowing his brow and stepping back.
Swallowing dryly, Raon called out to the man descending from the white tiger's back.
"Beast Union leader?"
