N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 628
Raon raised Heavenly Drive, which had been angled downward, towards the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance and the magicians of the Black Tower (black spirits) standing behind Luciton and Belurian.
Swoosh!
Along with the sound of a wave crashing, the swordsmen's and magicians' bodies twisted.
Pukaaaak!
Blood spurted from the chests of the swordsmen and the magicians, which were split along with the surrounding space. Like Luciton and Belurian, they did not even realize their own deaths as they collapsed onto the desert. The gray sand was stained with blood.
"Ha.."
Risrin let out a sigh as he looked at the bodies of Luciton and Belurian, whose heads had rolled off at the same time.
"Those monsters shouldn’t die so easily..."
With just two sword strikes, Raon had broken through the wall of the Holy Sword Alliance and the Black Tower, which had blocked hundreds of people. His overwhelming power seemed even greater than when Risrin had last seen him.
“It was easy because they underestimated me.”
Raon waved a hand dismissively at the bewildered Risrin. Luciton and Belurian had underestimated him and hadn’t given their all from the start, which is why they lost their heads to a single strike. Complacency was something one should never afford in a life-or-death battle.
‘Now is not the time to be concerned with those fools.’
He activated the Perception of the Snow Flower and drew his aura, spreading it like a spider web throughout the entire forest and desert.
'They're in battle, so it should be easy to find them.'
Serena and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster were nowhere to be seen in the forest or desert, but since they were in the midst of a battle, sensing the flow of their aura shouldn’t be difficult.
At the end of his senses, which stretched out like a dragon, he felt a strong wave of aura. It was the clash of wills raised by a Grandmaster.
‘Over there.’
Raon, having determined the direction, turned around.
“The last place I saw them was over there.”
Risrin pointed to a place a bit away from where he had felt the aura wave earlier. It was the wrong direction.
“They seem to have moved while fighting. They are over there now. Everyone, follow me.”
After giving Risrin the correct direction, Raon gestured to the Light Wind swordsmen and was the first to step forward, using the Supreme Harmony Steps.
“Yes, sir!”
The Light Wind swordsmen, seemingly believing Raon’s words as gospel, followed him without a hint of doubt, running across the desert.
“Ah, this is annoying.”
Even Rimmer, known for not listening to the head of house, did not object to Raon’s words.
The entire Light Wind division fully trusted Raon.
“Can’t I just rest?”
Risrin sighed as he looked at Raon’s back, which was already far away.
With senses that transcended human limits, Raon could locate enemies, rendering it unnecessary for him to relay any information. Risrin had seen many warriors, but never such a monster.
‘Even if I’m of no help...’
He had to follow him all the way.
Aside from Denning Rose’s request, thanks to Raon, Risrin had been able to experience new emotions within the Sran tribe.
He wanted to follow the Light Wind division to feel that sensation once more.
“Wait for me!”
Risrin shook off his hesitation and chased after the Light Wind division, running across the desert.
"Hmm..."
“Hmm...”
“Let’s go too!”
“Yeah! The Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb is right in front of us! We can’t miss this!”
“Right. Once we enter the tomb, it’s anyone’s game.”
“Follow them!”
The warriors who had been blocked by the Holy Sword Alliance and the Black Tower also ran across the desert in the direction Raon had gone. The desire in their eyes had not diminished one bit.
“Whew...”
Unlike the warriors charging ahead like buffaloes, some turned their backs as if they had given up on the Saber Sword Sovereign’s legacy.
“I can’t do this.”
“I’m going back home...”
“How can we beat a monster like that?”
“I’ll just go back and continue the family business...”
A small number of warriors, intimidated by Raon’s power, hung their heads and retraced their steps.
However, the experts and eccentrics hiding in the forest and desert did not retreat, slowly following behind Raon.
* * *
Advance chapters: Tinyurl.com/Albnlfff
For Indonesian: Tinyurl.com/Aldbnlff
After running for a while towards the source of the clash of wills, a devastated forest and desert came into view.
Half of the forest seemed to have burned down, reduced to ashes, while the other half was frozen solid with black ice.
Meanwhile, dozens of craters pockmarked the desert, as if it had been bombarded by magic, leaving no intact place.
‘It looks like the Snow Demon Queen and the Thunder Hammer Barphil fought in the forest, and Serena and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster battled in the desert?’
Judging by the scene, it appeared there had been a 2-on-2 fight.
‘No...’
There’s one more.
Besides the traces of the swordsmen from the Void Sword division and the Holy Sword Alliance, there were traces of another highly skilled individual.
Raon couldn't be certain who it was, but it seemed there was one more person involved.
‘If that’s the case...’
As Raon was predicting another adversary, the sand dune in front of him exploded, and Serena and a tall man with long black hair shot into the air.
“...”
Serena's hair, usually tied back, was disheveled, and her uniform was splattered with sand and blood. She seemed to be in trouble.
On the other hand, the tall swordsman facing her was unscathed and wore a smile.
‘That must be the Ghost Demon Swordmaster.’
His arms and legs were unusually long, beyond just being suited for swordsmanship and footwork, giving him a mantis-like appearance. The aura he exuded was so immense it was no laughing matter.
Boom!
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster rushed at Serena, stepping on the air as if it were solid ground. The blade of his thin sword wavered, creating dozens of light streaks.
“...”
Serena looked at the net of blades filling the sky calmly. Gripping her sword with both hands, she struck down as if cleaving the heavens and earth.
Boom!
A tremendous shockwave erupted, melting away both Serena's sword strike and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster's net of blades.
Swoosh!
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster, seemingly anticipating this, lunged to Serena's left, aiming his sword at her heart.
“...”
Serena also seemed to have anticipated his move. She stepped forward with her right foot, meeting his attack head-on and deflecting it.
Clang!
Thanks to her quick reaction, the Ghost Demon Swordmaster's strike missed its mark. A moment's delay and her heart would have been pierced.
‘This isn’t a good matchup.’
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster's extreme speed and Serena's heavy strikes were a terrible match-up for her.
‘And...’
Raon turned his gaze to the left. From the crushed forest, a massive presence was rapidly approaching.
Boom!
A young-looking woman, wrapped in black ice that had frozen half the forest, leapt out and pointed an icy spearhead at Serena's neck.
It seemed the Snow Demon Queen had defeated the Thunder Hammer and was now aiding the Ghost Demon Swordmaster.
"You're too late!"
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster, with a sinister smile, regained his grip on his sword. Determined not to miss the opportunity, he thrust his sword at Serena's heart again.
“...”
For the first time, Serena's usually calm eyes wavered.
She seemed to be resigning herself to one threat, focusing solely on the Ghost Demon Swordmaster and using an aura shield to try and block the attack from behind.
Boom!
At that moment, Raon released his suppressed aura and stepped forward using Supreme Harmony Steps. Unlike the Ghost Demon Swordmaster, who stepped on the air, Raon seemed to leap through space itself and stood behind Serena.
“Raon?”
Serena's surprised gaze met Raon's as he intercepted the Snow Demon Queen's icy spear with Heavenly Drive.
Kwaaaa!
The Flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation clashed with the Snow Demon Queen's ice, the two energies battling like snarling beasts before exploding.
“Grrr!”
The Snow Demon Queen winced at the powerful shockwave, stumbling back. Her hand, seemingly sculpted from clear ice, trembled.
“You...”
As the Snow Demon Queen, startled, darted her eyes around, the Ghost Demon Swordmaster landed beside her.
"That's Raon Zieghart."
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster recognized him instantly, frowning.
"How did you get here? Luciton should have been there."
"Come to think of it..."
The Snow Demon Queen also looked around, as if searching for Belurian.
“Do you need an explanation?”
Raon tilted his chin, looking down at the Snow Demon Queen and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster.
“...”
The eyes of the two sharpened even more fiercely.
“We didn’t even notice a fight.”
“That’s because there wasn’t one.”
“What?”
“Both of them died in one strike. They weren’t worth fighting.”
Raon spoke with calm eyes.
"That little bastard..."
"What a cocky brat."
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster and the Snow Demon Queen bit their lips.
"I don't plan to chit-chat with you. Hand over the map."
Raon beckoned at the Ghost Demon Swordmaster with his finger.
"Hah! Hahaha!"
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster clutched his head and burst into laughter.
"I must've been resting too much."
He twisted his lips and stomped the ground.
"A greenhorn like you dares to run his mouth!"
"Try dying to this greenhorn then."
Raon chuckled and was about to use the Flame Spirit.
Woooong!
White energy surged to the right of the Ghost Demon Swordmaster and the Snow Demon Queen, revealing a monstrous figure with a grayish upper body.
'This presence...'
Bloody energy?
Raon could sense the bloody energy of the White Blood Religion emanating from the monster, and it was as intense as that of an apostle.
"That’s the one."
Serena approached Raon, biting her lips.
"It suddenly intervened when I was fighting with the Thunder Hammer. The Sixth Apostle."
She trembled, gripping her sword tightly, saying she was ambushed.
‘So it was the White Blood Religion.’
Raon had suspected it was an apostle of the White Blood Religion when he saw the traces, and his prediction had been correct.
'The Sixth Apostle...'
It was his first time seeing this apostle, but the power emanating from it was formidable. The bloody energy felt disturbingly smooth.
The three of them, among the Five Demons, often moved together. It seemed they had agreed to share the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb this time as well.
"Perfect timing. Let's deal with those bastards first and..."
"There's a problem."
The Six Apostles glanced at him and shook his head.
“The Wandering Revenant has already found the tomb. He was the first to enter, and now all the humans around are heading there.”
“What?”
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster's eyes widened, seemingly not having anticipated this.
"What nonsense is that!"
"Wasn't the Wandering Revenant supposed to be killed by the White Snake?"
The Snow Demon Queen also looked puzzled.
"It seems he was pretending to be dead and searching alone. He had memorized the map."
“Damn it! Where is it!”
“Not far from here.”
The Sixth Apostle raised a finger. A pale bloody energy spread from his fingertip, enveloping the Snow Demon Queen and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster.
"Where do you think you're going!"
"Hmph!"
Raon stepped forward using the Supreme Harmony Steps, aiming to slash at the Sixth Apostle, but the Ghost Demon Swordmaster and the Snow Demon Queen simultaneously reached out.
Boom!
The combined energy of the two monsters exploded, unleashing a rain of sword strikes and icy shards into the air. Their target wasn’t Raon but the Light Wind and Void Sword swordsmen behind him.
No matter how capable Serena and Rimmer were, it seemed impossible for them to block everything.
“Damn it!”
Raon took a step back and unleashed the Flame Spirit.
Whoosh!
Hundreds of petals bloomed from his swordsmanship, forming a flame wall to shield the Light Wind and Void Sword swordsmen.
Clang!
Rimmer and Serena each took the left and right sides, blocking the falling sword strikes and icy shards.
However, in that brief moment, the Sixth Apostle, the Ghost Demon Swordmaster, and the Snow Demon Queen had already disappeared.
“Sir Raon!”
Risrin approached with a worried expression.
“What they said is true. The Wandering Revenant found the tomb first and entered!”
He bowed his head, explaining he had just received word from the Black Market's scout agent.
“And the location is...”
“It’s over there.”
Raon pointed towards the direction of the ruined forest. He could sense the vanished presences of the enemies who had disappeared a while ago in front of him. It wasn’t far.
“Let’s go.”
“Understood.”
As Raon gestured behind him, Serena stopped in her tracks and coughed up blood. It seemed her internal injuries had flared up again.
"Division leader!"
"I'm fine."
Serena wiped the blood from her lips as if nothing had happened and swallowed a medicine pill for internal injuries.
"I just got a little hurt from the Sixth Apostle's ambush. Don't worry."
She waved her hand dismissively and walked towards the forest. The pain must have been severe, but she didn't show it, displaying a level of endurance comparable to Raon's.
"Thanks for coming."
Serena gave a faint smile and bowed her head.
"Let's save the thank you for later and get moving. We can't afford to be late."
"Are you really okay?"
"Yes."
"...Understood."
Since she insisted she was fine, continuing to worry would be impolite. Raon nodded and headed into the forest.
There were corpses of Balkar's magicians scattered everywhere, victims of the Snow Demon Queen and the Ghost Demon Swordmaster. Many had also fallen to the Sixth Apostle and the White Blood Religion fanatics.
The magicians couldn't hold out against the attacks from three of the Five Demons.
Biting his lip, Raon ventured deeper into the forest, where he sensed numerous presences. It felt as if everyone in the area had gathered here. Hidden experts and former masters had all revealed themselves for the first time.
Some swordsmen were brandishing their weapons, wary of each other, but most were charging deeper into the forest.
Following the crowd, Raon soon saw a small zelkova tree standing on a low hill. At its base was a rectangular hole, its edges unnaturally straight as if it had been deliberately carved.
The Ghost Demon Swordmaster and the Snow Demon Queen had already entered, leaving only a trail of blood behind.
Given that the one holding the map had entered without hesitation, it seemed certain that this was the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb.
People of all kinds, from hidden experts to ordinary warriors, were hurling themselves into the tomb.
Raon frowned as he looked at the hole.
'I can't sense any aura.'
It was just a hole, yet no aura could be felt from within.
"...."
Serena also seemed to have noticed this, her expression troubled.
"Void Sword division, advance."
Her decision was swift. She appeared resolute, ready to face any traps to fulfill the mission of finding the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb.
"Are you sure you want to go in?"
"This is a mission I chose myself. It's right to see it through, even if it means dying."
Serena wore a serene smile, showing her determination.
"You decide for yourself. If you come in, try to stay safe."
With a light wave, she entered the tomb first.
The Void Sword swordsmen followed their leader without hesitation.
"What are we going to do?"
Rimmer approached. Even at this moment, many were entering the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb.
"Doesn't this seem strange to you?"
"Strange?"
Rimmer looked puzzled.
"The tomb being discovered just as we and the Holy Sword Alliance, the Black Tower, and the White Blood Religion were about to clash is odd. It's also strange that everyone knows about it."
Raon frowned as he stared at the tomb. Serena's troubled expression indicated she had sensed something was off as well.
"Moreover, the Wandering Revenant is a thief and an informant. He'd rather die than openly reveal a tomb like this."
"Could it be that he's desperate? He might think that if he doesn't act now, the Ghost Demon Swordmaster will seize it."
Rimmer shook his head.
"Even so, the situation itself is bizarre."
Burren squinted at Raon.
"So you think it's probably a trap."
Rimmer sighed.
"That's correct. But…."
Raon nodded at Rimmer and examined the hole again.
"This entrance is old. Not just a few decades, but centuries old."
The entrance looked ancient, its exact age indiscernible.
"I think so too. It might be a trap, but this place has been here for a long time."
Risrin nodded in agreement.
"So what will we do?"
Rimmer tilted his head, waiting for Raon's decision as the leader.
Raon looked back at the Light Wind division. All the swordsmen stared at him with confident eyes, ready for anything.
"We're going in."
Even if they couldn't obtain the Saber Sword Sovereign's legacy, they couldn't allow it to fall into the hands of the Five Demons.
Moreover, with the injured Serena inside, leaving her behind was not an option. Providing at least some support was the right thing to do.
"Alright."
Rimmer nodded calmly, showing that he trusted Raon's decision as the leader, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.
"Dorian."
Raon gestured to Dorian.
"Distribute this to everyone."
"This? Ah, yes!"
Dorian nodded and began handing out badges with a green wind emblem to the entire Light Wind swordsmen.
"What is this?"
Burren asked as he took the badge, tilting his head in curiosity.
"It's the emblem of the Light Wind division."
"Ah, so that's why it has a green wind design."
He glanced at Rimmer and chuckled.
"Well, it's a bit tacky, but not too bad."
Martha nodded in agreement.
"It's light."
Runaan immediately pinned the badge to her sleeve, seeming to like it.
"Not stylish at all. They should've given the money to me instead."
"......"
However, the elf who inspired the badge's design frowned, clearly unimpressed. There was nothing about it that he found satisfying.
"We're going in."
After confirming that everyone in the Light Wind division had attached their badges to various parts of their uniforms, Raon jumped into the Saber Sword Sovereign's tomb.
His feet didn't touch the ground, and the aura he had spread around him was abruptly cut off. It felt like they had entered an entirely different space, isolated from the outside world.
The sensation was strange, like floating in mid-air and falling into an endless abyss.
Just as his sense of time and distance began to blur, Raon finally felt his feet touch solid ground.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Raon gaped in astonishment at the unbelievable sight before him.
"What is this place...?"
