N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 629
It's dark.
It felt as if night had fallen, and a world shrouded in dark hues had unfolded before him.
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at the dimly lit forest, his eyes straining in the gloom.
‘What the hell is going on?’
Outside, it had been broad daylight, which made sense given they were underground.
But what he saw before him was a forest of grand scale. He couldn’t understand why there was such a massive forest underground.
Raon narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the branches and leaves of the trees composing the forest.
‘The fact that there’s a forest here is odd, but the leaves are strange, too.’
The climate of a region can be inferred from the leaves of its trees.
If the leaves are thin, it’s a cold region, if broad, it’s a warm one. Yet, in this forest, both types were mixed together.
‘Moreover…’
What’s with that sky?
Being underground, no matter how high it is, there should be a ceiling.
But even when he extended his senses upwards, he couldn’t feel the ceiling. Despite the long fall, this didn’t make any sense.
‘Huh?’
Raon’s hand trembled slightly as he raised his gaze.
‘Is that… the moon?’
A crescent moon, smaller than a fingernail, hung in the left corner of the sky. Unlike the real moon, it emitted a very faint light, but it seemed to be a moon nonetheless.
‘What is this place?’
Just to be sure, he pinched the back of his hand. Feeling the pain meant this wasn’t a dream. This bizarre land existed in reality.
‘A barrier? An array?’
Was it a trap, after all?
Despite his anxiety, his instincts told him this wasn’t a trap.
For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity.
‘I have no idea what’s going on.’
He furrowed his brows, recalling the entrance to the tomb of the Saber Sword Sovereign.
‘If it were a trap, there’d be no way out….’
That’s not true.
Wrath suddenly popped out from the bracelet.
‘Not true? Do you know where this is?’
He doesn't.
He waved its hand dismissively after acting like he knew everything.
‘Then what did you mean by what you just said?’
It means, contrary to your worries, there is an exit.
Wrath pointed to the moon floating in the air.
You know this place isn’t a normal space.
‘Yes.’
Whether it’s a barrier created by magic, an array formed by sorcery, or a space constructed by martial arts, if there’s an entrance, there must also be an exit. That’s the rule of the dimension that forms a complete space.
He waggled his finger, asserting that while finding it might be tough, there had to be an entrance to the outside world.
‘I see.’
Fortunately, he gained the information that the situation wasn’t the worst. Wrath was sometimes useful, despite being a glutton.
‘Thank you.’
If you’re grateful, hurry and get out of here to buy me some ice cream. The King of Essence heard there’s a new flavor out.
‘….’
Raon shook his head, wondering where he got his ice cream information despite not being able to communicate with others. Just then, the swordsmen of the Light Wind division landed one by one behind him.
“What is this place?”
Burren looked around, frowning.
“It was clearly daytime. Why is it so dark?”
Krein tilted his head as he looked at the dimly lit forest.
“Idiot. We came underground, so it’s dark!”
Martha smacked Krein on the head.
“There’s a moon.”
Runaan pointed upward. A thin crescent moon reflected in her blank eyes.
“Uh…?”
“Why is there a moon if we came underground….”
Martha and Burren stared at the moon Runaan was pointing to, their mouths agape.
"Oh, this is a strange place. I'd like to go out right now...."
Dorian, already trembling in fear, reached into his belly pocket. A torch that was burning with fire appeared in his hand.
“…What is that?”
Raon blinked at Dorian. It wasn't the material to make a torch, but the torch itself was popping out. No matter how much he looked at it, that pocket just didn't make sense.
“It’s a torch. Essential equipment.”
Dorian grinned, handing out torches to the Light Wind swordsmen. He didn’t know how there were torches in his pouch, but thanks to them, the darkness receded a bit.
“But no one else is coming in….”
He looked around, clicking his tongue.
“We don’t see anyone who came in before us, either.”
Burren looked around, shaking his head.
When they jumped into the tomb, many had gone ahead, and many were waiting behind. Yet, there was no one in sight.
It seemed the location of the fall changed depending on the time of entry.
“Is this a magic barrier?”
Rimmer frowned as he scanned the surroundings.
“I’ve never heard that the Saber Sword Sovereign used magic.”
“That’s correct.”
Risrin, the last to enter the tomb, nodded.
“The Saber Sword Sovereign wielded only swords and sabers his entire life. He never learned magic or sorcery.” (Dao changed to saber)
“Then what is this place?”
Rimmer frowned at the dark sky.
“While there were a few magicians or sorcerers the Saber Sword Sovereign was acquainted with, none of them could create a space of this scale.”
Risrin seemed well-versed in the Saber Sword Sovereign’s history as he immediately provided information.
“What kind of person was the Saber Sword Sovereign?”
“You all know that he reached transcendence. Aside from that, he was akin to a righteous hero. He had no faction, but he wandered across the continent performing noble deeds and focused solely on honing his martial arts. And…”
"And?"
“This isn’t confirmed information, but there were stories that he admired the swordsmen of Zieghart.”
“Is that true?”
Raon’s eyes widened, having never heard this even from Denning Rose.
“Yes, but they say he never sought out or met anyone from Zieghart. That's why I said it’s not certain.”
“I see.”
Denning Rose, being the successor of the master of the Black Market and the branch manager, must have withheld this information because it wasn’t confirmed.
Raon stroked his chin and lowered his eyelids.
‘In that case, this place could be one of three things.’
The first possibility was that the Saber Sword Sovereign, who never formed any faction, created this place to pass on his martial arts to a successor.
The second possibility was that the Saber Sword Sovereign utilized a place someone else had already created.
And the third possibility was a trap.
For now, the third seemed the most likely.
“Let’s move.”
Raon nodded at the Light Wind swordsmen.
“There are people who went in ahead of us, so it’s best to catch up quickly.”
“We don’t even know if there’s an exit. It might be a trap.”
Burren approached, worry evident in his eyes.
“No.”
Raon shook his head calmly.
“This space is already complete. Whether it’s an array or a barrier, if there’s an entrance, there has to be an exit. That’s a rule of the world. Even if it’s hard to find, the exit definitely exists.”
He repeated the information Wrath had given him.
That, that’s what I said!
Wrath widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Is there such a rule?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Me neither. First time I’m hearing it.”
“As expected of the leader. He’s knowledgeable in these areas, too.”
The Light Wind swordsmen gaped in admiration.
“Yes, that’s right. Whether it’s an array or a barrier, if there’s an entrance, there must be an exit. Most wouldn’t know that, but it’s impressive that you do.”
Risrin nodded with a surprised and confused expression.
You bastard!
Wrath yelled, grabbing Raon by the collar.
Bring the praise directed at you over to me! Why are you being praised for my information!
‘Does it matter who gets it?’
Wow! That shamelessness! I'm impressed! You shameless hypocritical bastard!
Wrath trembled with frustration.
‘It’s not that…’
As Raon tried to wave his hand, a message appeared before his eyes.
[You have received surprise and admiration from <Wrath>.]
[All stats have increased by 1 point.]
‘Oh?’
…What?
Wrath blinked at the message.
This isn’t right! Do you have pasta for brains? Do you really think this is praise?
Regardless of Wrath’s outburst, the message disappeared as if it had done its job.
Get out here! Today, either you die, or I die. One of us must perish!
Wrath, unable to quell his anger, grabbed his own hair and shook his head.
‘Cut it out.’
Would you stop if you were me!
‘Sigh.’
Raon shook his head and walked into the forest ahead.
“Let’s go this way.”
As he was about to determine the direction and proceed, a rustling sound came from inside the forest.
‘It’s not a person.’
The heavy and bloody scent indicated it wasn’t human. The sound was characteristic of a monster’s dull movements.
Grrrrooo!
With a rough roar that seemed to shake the entire forest, orcs with yellowed tusks emerged.
“What is this? Orcs?”
“Hah, orcs?”
“I got tense for nothing.”
The Light Wind swordsmen smirked at the sight of the orc horde. Despite their numbers, they didn’t seem to consider them a real threat.
“Don’t underestimate them.”
Raon narrowed his eyes at the orcs.
“What do you mean…?”
Burren looked at the orcs again but seemed unable to understand and tilted his head.
“They’re not ordinary orcs.”
While their appearance was the same as those outside, their eyes were different. These were not ordinary orcs.
Moreover, their skin was stained with fresh blood, suggesting they had already killed other warriors on their way here.
“You’ll understand once you fight them. Krein.”
“Yes!”
Upon receiving the order, Krein stepped forward and moved swiftly. He dove into the midst of the orc horde and swung his sword down.
Ssssiiing!
The blade, imbued with aura blade, aimed at the foremost orc, but a double-edged axe suddenly rose like a flash of lightning.
Claaang!
Krein’s sword was blocked by the orc’s axe, vibrating in his grip.
“What…?”
“Aura?”
Martha frowned at the red aura emanating from the orc’s axe.
“How can an ordinary orc use aura?”
She exhaled in disbelief.
Whooosh!
Just as Martha expressed her shock, the battle grew even more intense.
The orc pushed Krein back with its strength and swung its axe down at him.
“Tch!”
Krein frowned and concentrated his aura blade into his sword. A pale light flared up along the blade, cutting through both the orc’s double-edged axe and its neck simultaneously.
“The division leader is right! These aren’t ordinary orcs! They can use a bit of aura!”
He steadied his grip on his sword and caught his breath.
Kyaaaaah!
The orcs, seemingly enraged by the death of their comrade, let out a terrifying scream and charged forward.
Their speed and agility were unlike those of any normal orcs. They resembled the elite Black Orcs, the strongest among the orcs.
‘Not bad for training purposes.’
Raon pointed a finger at the orcs.
“They’ve killed people. Cut them all down.”
“Yes!”
Having witnessed Krein’s battle with the orc firsthand, the Light Wind swordsmen unsheathed their swords from the start.
Although each orc was formidable, they were no match for the Light Wind swordsmen, which had grown both physically and mentally.
The Light Wind swordsmen cleaved through the orcs and their aura, filling the forest with the bodies of the green-skinned creatures.
“Whew.”
Risrin let out a breath as he watched the Light Wind swordsmen advance like a storm.
‘How can they all be at the peak Expert level?’
The ordinary members of the Light Wind division were all in their early twenties. It was hard to believe that these young swordsmen were all at the peak of the Expert level.
‘What is this?’
While it was possible for there to be one genius like Raon, it was astonishing that they all were prodigies on the verge of reaching the Master level.
“This side is almost clear… Ugh!”
Krein, having just cut down the orc warrior in front of him, moved to his left and let out a groan. He limped back, clutching his right leg.
“Ouch!”
“What’s happening!”
Other Light Wind swordsmen also screamed around the same time as Krein.
“What’s going on?”
Raon quickly approached Krein.
“There seems to have been a trap.”
“Lift your foot.”
As Krein lifted his foot, it was clear he had stepped on a trap, the sole of his right boot had a hole, and blood was dripping from it.
‘An orc trap?’
Among the weeds where Krein had stood, a black-needle trap was hidden.
But besides Krein’s blood, the needles were smeared with a purple liquid.
“Poison?”
“Poison? Am I going to die?”
“Orc poison isn’t that strong. You should be able to push it out with your aura.”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
“But this doesn’t look like orc poison.”
“Ah! Which one is it!”
Ignoring the panicking Krein, Raon scraped off some of the poison with his finger and put it in his mouth.
“Division leader!”
“What are you doing!”
“Raon!”
Burren, Martha, and Runaan rushed over simultaneously. Martha and Runaan, forgetting their vow to always speak respectfully, raised their voices.
“Don’t worry. I can handle it.”
Thanks to the Ring of Fire, Raon’s body had a natural resistance to poison, and he also had an inherent trait that increased his poison resistance.
No matter how strong the poison, he could expel it, so the best way to identify it was to taste it himself.
‘It doesn’t affect internal organs but stimulates muscles, flesh, and energy centers.’
As expected, the purple poison wasn’t the paralytic poison used by orcs.
‘Bella’s Flower.’
It was a toxic plant he occasionally used in his previous life. While not particularly strong, it quickly drained stamina and accelerated aura consumption, making the target’s mental state deteriorate.
“This is poison made from Bella’s Flower.”
“Bella’s Flower?”
Risrin, being an assassin, reacted first.
“What is that?”
Krein asked, his voice trembling with fear.
“It’s not a potent poison, but it quickly drains your stamina. It’s quite bothersome to treat.”
“Phew, that’s somewhat a relief…”
“It’s not something to be happy about. This poison can’t be pushed out with aura. There’s no way we have an antidote here…”
He shook his head, indicating the gravity of the situation.
“Dorian.”
Raon gestured to Dorian, who was looking pale.
“Do you have Pellen’s Flower and Roseren’s Leaf?”
“Of course I do.”
Dorian nodded and pulled out several flowers and stems from his belly pocket.
“These are essential items.”
“……”
Raon, now confused about what wasn’t essential, accepted the herbs. He ground the two ingredients in a mortar and applied them to the wounds of Krein and the other injured swordsmen.
“Huh?”
“The pain is easing, and the trembling in my hands has stopped.”
The swordsmen clenched their fists, reassured that they could move again.
Just as the treatment was finished, more monsters appeared. This time, it wasn’t just orcs but also medium to large-sized monsters.
“Don’t think you’re only fighting monsters. Consider it a battle against this entire space.”
“Yes!”
The Light Wind swordsmen let out a sharp battle cry and charged at the monsters.
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the pile of dead warriors behind the monsters.
‘Saber Sword Sovereign.’
What do you really want?
* * *
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“What are those monsters….”
“Zieghart’s Light Wind division….”
"Who doesn't know that? Even though they're from Zieghart, they're still in their early twenties. How can they all be at the peak of Expert level?"
"The monsters are high-level too, but those kids seem even higher."
"Never mind their combat skills, they don't even get tired. They're the ones who look like monsters..."
The warriors slumped throughout the forest clicked their tongues as they watched the Light Wind division massacre the orc and troll hordes.
"Whew..."
Risrin also let out a sigh as he observed the Light Wind swordsmen swiftly turning monsters into corpses.
‘They’re literally monsters.’
This place was a small hell. Night had persisted for days, they had no precise idea of their location, and monsters appeared endlessly.
On top of that, there were traps and snares everywhere, demanding constant vigilance.
Even the most seasoned warriors and assassins were worn out, barely able to keep their eyes open. Risrin and the Black Market’s agents were no exception, their stamina draining rapidly.
But the Light Wind division was different.
They cut down monsters and destroyed traps with vigor, as if they had just started fighting.
It wasn’t the kind of resilience you’d expect from warriors in their early twenties.
He had encountered many other warriors and magicians along the way.
There were larger and more experienced forces than the Light Wind division, but they all had shadows of exhaustion on their faces.
Many had given up moving and were just resting in place.
But the Light Wind division, like deeply rooted trees, didn’t waver and kept pressing forward. It had gone beyond admiration to sheer curiosity.
Risrin approached one of the Light Wind swordsmen at the rear. His name was Dorian, a peculiar individual who would pull out tables and stoves during meals and set up tents when they rested.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
Dorian turned with a bright smile.
“Are you all okay?”
“What do you mean?”
He tilted his head as if he didn’t understand the question.
“We’ve been fighting in this darkness for days. Aren’t you exhausted?”
“Of course it’s tiring.”
Dorian sighed and shook his head.
“Then how…”
“Because we’ve gone through worse.”
“Worse?”
“Yes. Before coming here, we went through three weeks of special training under the division leader. It was…”
“Hell.”
Krein interjected, finishing Dorian's sentence.
“Right. Compared to those three weeks, this place is heaven.”
Burren nodded in agreement.
“Don’t even mention it. My hands start shaking.”
Martha bit her lip, clearly unwilling to talk about it.
“Ugh…”
Even Runaan, who usually had a blank look, clutched her head.
“What kind of training was it…”
“I couldn’t sleep more than an hour a day for three weeks while constantly fighting. Not just against the division leader and the captains, but also against the other members. I nearly died.”
Krein explained their training with a deep sigh.
“I don’t even want to think about it…”
Dorian broke into a cold sweat at the memory.
“Huh…”
Risrin blinked and looked at Raon, who was walking at the front.
“There’s a trap ahead. Don’t step on it.”
Raon pointed out traps in the darkness, traps that even Risrin, an experienced assassin, found difficult to detect.
‘He’s truly a monster.’
It was clear that Raon’s strength wasn’t just in combat. He had profound knowledge of poisons, traps, arrays, and an exceptional ability to train his subordinates. He lacked nothing.
Risrin swallowed dryly as he watched Raon's unwavering back.
‘The master of the Black Market found a real gem...’
* * *
Raon narrowed his eyes at the largest zelkova tree he had ever seen.
‘That’s...’
It was the first place within the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb that emitted its own light. Even a fool could tell it was a significant marker.
“It seems to be the exit!”
Krein, who was behind Raon, shouted excitedly upon seeing the glowing ground. He had been hiding his fatigue but seemed to be at his limit after four days.
“Unfortunately, it’s not the exit.”
Raon shook his head, keeping his gaze fixed on the glowing ground.
“They wouldn’t have created this place just to give us such a minor trial.”
The monsters were strong, and the traps were varied. They had drained a lot of stamina and mental strength, but it wasn’t enough to cause serious damage to a high-level warrior.
It felt more like a filter to weed out the unworthy. The glowing hole was probably an entrance to the next level, not the exit.
“It’s likely the next level.”
Burren nodded, apparently thinking the same.
“I’ll go first.”
Raon signaled the Light Wind swordsmen to hold back and examined the glowing ground. It was similar to the hole they had entered when they first arrived at the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb.
However, unlike the external entrance, this rectangular-shaped exit had a familiar feel to it.
‘Why do I feel this way…’
As he scrutinized the hole with narrowed eyes, a golden fire burst from the white opening.
Raon felt his vision fill with the golden fire and trembled as his hand touched the ground.
‘Again?’
No, does this man have nowhere he hasn’t gone?
