N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 631
Raon frowned at Wrath rather than the phoenix.
‘The phoenix is already burning, what do you mean roast it!’
You're clueless.
Wrath clicked his tongue in disappointment.
The flesh of a phoenix that has died and been reborn is as tender as the finest beef. Plus, it's already on fire, so there's no need to cook it!
It was as if Wrath had already tasted phoenix roast before, drooling eagerly.
‘What you didn’t even eat….’
Raon pushed away Wrath, who was panting like a puppy, and turned his gaze back to the phoenix.
‘Grandmaster level warriors must have passed through here first. If the phoenix is still here….’
Is the space divided?
It seemed that from the second floor onward, the paths were branching.
‘Anyway, I can finally break the seal on the ring.’
He had requested the location of the phoenix in the Black Market to break the seal on an old ring he bought during his trainee days.
He had waited a long time, and now the opportunity had arrived.
‘But that phoenix….’
Why is it so big? Has it lived for over a thousand years?
The phoenix before him was more than three times larger than the one he had encountered in his previous life, and the heat radiating from its wings far exceeded normal levels.
The longer a phoenix lives, the stronger it becomes, suggesting this one had lived an incredibly long time.
[You verminous humans.]
The phoenix raised its wings fiercely, its eyes glowing menacingly. It felt as if invisible flames were choking them.
“D-does it talk?”
Burren's mouth hung open. He had not expected the phoenix to speak.
“It’s not talking.”
Raon kept his eyes fixed on the phoenix and shook his head.
"It's telepathic communication using will."
The phoenix used its will to communicate its malice to all the humans here. Judging by the fact that it used will, it seemed like its level was Grandmaster or above.
[I will turn you all to ashes.]
The phoenix opened its beak, blazing with flames. From its pitch-black throat, a crimson flame flickered.
Even from a distance, the immense heat felt like it would cook their skin.
“Aah….”
“How are we supposed to stop that?”
“It’s over. We’re all done for….”
The warriors were paralyzed with fear, unable to move a finger under the phoenix’s oppressive presence.
But the Light Wind division was different.
Having experienced fear greater than the phoenix’s, the swordsmen gripped their weapons, ready to survive.
“Form up!”
Burren directed the swordsmen, positioning himself at the center of the formation. A fierce wind swirled around him.
“Team 1! Stick close to me!”
Martha, using her berserk mode, drew her sword at the front of Squad 1. A thick wall of astral energy rose to protect the Light Wind division.
“Team 2, fall back.”
Runaan spoke calmly, positioning herself in front of Squad 2. Her beloved sword, Snow Flower, bloomed with an ice flower on its blade.
“I'll handle the front.”
Mark Goetten gripped his sword with both hands, standing at the forefront of the Great Wind Formation, exuding astral energy.
“If a phoenix appears on the second floor, what will come next….”
Rimmer sighed, shaking his head. Despite his complaints, he placed his hand on his sword, ready to move at any moment.
Raon watched the Light Wind division from behind and nodded.
‘They’re worth watching now.’
Even though the captains were flustered, the Light Wind swordsmen were prepared to face the crisis without relying on him or Rimmer.
The three weeks of intensive training had paid off.
BOOOOOOM!
The phoenix’s flames poured down towards the Great Wind Formation, looking as monstrous as lava falling from a volcano.
“Give it your all!”
At Burren's shout, the Light Wind swordsmen braced themselves, thickening the shields of their blue-tinted aura.
HUMMMMM!
The auras of the three team captains enveloped the formation, forming an even stronger barrier.
The flames, which were said to consume everything, clashed head-on with the strongest formation of the Light Wind division.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The defense of the Great Wind Formation was solid enough to withstand the immense pressure, but the phoenix’s flames began to burn the aura itself, crushing the formation.
“Hold on.”
“Endure until the end!”
“If anyone retreats, we all die!”
Runaan, Martha, and Burren boosted the morale of the swordsmen, while Mark Goetten blocked the flames with his body at the front.
However, the phoenix's flames showed no signs of weakening, burrowing down to the feet of the Light Wind division.
‘What a shame.’
Raon clicked his tongue briefly. If the Light Wind division had been a bit stronger, they might have withstood those flames.
It was unfortunate that they lost by such a narrow margin.
‘But they did well.’
He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the Light Wind division’s resolute determination, which was markedly different from before.
With a satisfied smile, Raon reached out towards the phoenix’s flames.
What he summoned from his energy center was neither the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation nor Glacier. It was a beautifully burning crimson fire, the crimson fire he had received from Ifrit.
As he manipulated the crimson fire, which held dominance over other fire, the phoenix's flames, which had been engulfing the Light Wind division, weakened and flowed to the left as if they had been bent.
BOOM!
The collision of fire and lava caused a massive explosion. The sky filled with black clouds laden with ash.
[You….]
The phoenix’s beak quivered as it stared at him.
[What did you just do?]
Its blue eyes, filled with confusion, twisted in disbelief.
[Why do you possess such power….]
Raon silently examined the phoenix’s feathers.
‘Where is that thing’s weak spot?’
The key to the phoenix’s power lay in its golden feathers. Just as a dragon has its reverse scale, the phoenix hid its weakness within one of its feathers.
He simultaneously utilized the crimson flame, the Evil Eyes of Wrath, and the Perception of the Snow Flower.
As the rotating Ring of Fire amplified these traits, he could feel the energy the Phoenix was holding as if it were within his reach.
‘Is it under the right wing?’
The flames under the feathers in that area were slightly calmer than elsewhere. That seemed to be its weak spot.
[Speak! Why does a mere human possess such power….]
“I got it from my younger brother.”
[Yo-younger brother?]
Ignoring the phoenix’s confusion, Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps. He leaped as if to fly, but the Phoenix was too high up for him to reach.
[How dare you!]
Realizing that Raon couldn't get closer, the phoenix sneered and swept its wings. A rain of flames poured down from the countless feathers.
‘Got you.’
Raon bit his lip, then stepped sharply into the air. This was the air-stepping technique (void step) he had seen the Ghost Demon Swordmaster use before entering this place.
[Krgh!]
The phoenix, startled, raised its wings and ascended higher.
Even after another leap in mid-air, there was still a significant distance between Raon and the phoenix.
[Fool!]
Irritated by its earlier surprise, the phoenix scowled and spread its wings.
[I’ll burn you to ashes!]
It gathered flames at the tip of its beak.
The converging flames formed a massive fireball, descending with such intense heat that the space itself seemed to warp.
Raon smirked as the fireball hurtled toward him.
'I guess you think it's over. But...'
This is just the beginning.
He gripped the hilt of Heavenly Drive at his waist, He gathered strength in his hand and raised the energy of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
Focusing on the inside rather than the outside, he awakened the mana circuit of his entire body.
Chiiiiing!
Feeling both his body and mind fill with the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation,
Raon simultaneously wielded Aris’ spatial sword and Ogram’s Raging Sea.
Jijijijijik!
The combined use of these unfamiliar techniques brought excruciating pain, as if his mind were being torn apart.
But now was the time to endure and move forward. He rotated the Ring of Fire and drew Heavenly Drive.
Swoosh!
The crimson blade that surged from the scabbard ignored the phoenix’s descending fireball and cut beneath its left wing.
[Kyaaaaaa!]
The phoenix screamed in agony, far beyond what would be expected from a mere wing slash.
Overwhelmed by pain, it began to plummet to the ground, seemingly out of its mind.
‘It’s not dead yet.’
Lacking sufficient skill and unable to execute a perfect technique while evading the fireball, the phoenix was still alive.
Raon swiftly descended, making himself heavier, and charged toward the falling phoenix.
[Begone!]
True to its nature, the phoenix regained its senses and raised a wall of flames.
‘Expected that.’
Raon pulled back Heavenly Drive and drew the Blade of Requiem. He thrust it into the flames, piercing through the thick fire and again targeting the phoenix’s weak spot.
[Kyaaaa!]
The phoenix lost its mind, overcome by pain, and rolled its eyes.
Raon seized the opportunity, thrusting Heavenly Drive forward. The crimson blade, glowing softly, severed the phoenix’s neck.
Gugugugugug!
The phoenix’s massive body fell, detached from its head.
Thud!
Its head dropped into the lava, while its body landed half on the ground, twitching.
“Wow….”
“How many times did he swing? Three times?”
“Yeah, three. Now he can kill a phoenix with just three swings….”
“We can’t even call him a monster anymore.”
The Light Wind swordsmen shook their heads in disbelief.
“Is that really Raon Zieghart….”
“There’s a reason he’s called the Dragon Slayer.”
“Is his nickname going to change again? To Phoenix Slayer?”
“We have to compete with that kind of monster…?”
“Suddenly, I want to go home….”
The other warriors sat down, shaking their heads in defeat.
[It’s not over yet!]
Just as everyone was catching their breath, the phoenix’s voice rang out again.
[You will never escape this place!]
“It’ll take you over ten years to resurrect, though?”
Raon shook his head, looking at the lava from which the phoenix’s voice emanated.
While it was true that a phoenix could resurrect, it didn’t happen immediately.
It was known to be reborn from one of its feathers after about ten years, so why was it saying such things?
[This place is special. I can resurrect whenever I want!]
The phoenix vowed not to be caught off guard again, gnashing its beak.
“Hmm….”
Raon gazed at the lava, biting his lip.
‘So it’ll resurrect in the lava.’
Even when a phoenix resurrects, it can’t immediately regain its full strength.
It would undoubtedly emerge from the lava, a place humans couldn’t enter, and recover its power before attacking again.
‘If I could just identify which feather it resurrects from, I could easily subdue it… Huh?’
Raon blinked as he looked at the scattered feathers of the phoenix.
‘What’s this?’
Perhaps because he was still using Ifrit’s fire, Raon could feel small embers burning from each of the phoenix’s feathers.
These weren’t ordinary embers, they were the lifeforce of the phoenix he had just fought.
‘Could it be…’
Was the phoenix going to use the lifeforce in the feathers to resurrect?
[Wait! I will burn you all to nothing but ashes!]
The phoenix, frustrated by its death, continued to spew malice.
[I will melt you all down until you wish you had died in the lava!]
‘Maybe….’
Ignoring the phoenix’s threats, Raon picked up one of the fallen feathers.
Wooooong!
He mixed the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Ifrit’s fire, transferring heat into the ember within the feather.
Fwoosh!
The feather suddenly trembled, and a massive sphere of fire shot up, almost reaching the sky.
Crackle!
The round flame split in half, and out emerged a smaller phoenix, about half the size of the one he first saw, falling to the ground.
[I won’t let you escape… cheep?]
The phoenix, spewing anger, suddenly let out a chick-like cheep and looked around in confusion, its beak trembling.
[Wh-what is this? Why am I here….]
“It works.”
Raon grinned, looking at the trembling phoenix’s eyes.
“What did you say just now? Can you repeat that?”
[Ah….]
* * *
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The phoenix, named Kaiyan, gaped at Raon, who was smiling brightly.
‘What is happening….’
It had been preparing to resurrect within the lava, but suddenly its consciousness was pulled outside, and it was forced to resurrect.
Kaiyan had tried to resist, but it was like being sucked into a storm, completely out of its control.
[Wh-what on earth is going on? I wasn’t planning to resurrect yet!]
“Oh, that was me.”
The human waved his hand mischievously.
[What nonsense! How could you possibly resurrect me!]
“I just did it, and it worked.”
[Stop talking nonsense! Don’t lie!]
“Then let’s try again.”
The human grinned and swung his hand. Suddenly, the world split, and a sharp pain shot through Kaiyan’s neck.
[Screeeech!]
A tremendous pain followed, and everything went black.
How much time had passed? Kaiyan regained consciousness.
‘Phew, it was a dream.’
Even if it was brief, it was terrifying.
The idea that a human could forcibly resurrect him was absurd, even if it was a dream. Thank goodness it wasn’t real.
‘I must have been too tense.’
Having been caught off guard, he must have had a nightmare. He resolved to fight properly next time and was about to sense the feather’s aura within the lava.
Suddenly, he felt his soul being pulled, as if torn from his body, toward the outside.
‘No way?’
He tried to resist, but he couldn’t do anything. Like being grabbed by the hair, he was dragged outside.
[Cheep?]
When he opened his eyes, that annoying human was waving at him.
“Did you see?”
[Ahhh….]
Kaiyan gaped at Raon, again.
“You still don’t believe me? Should I do it again?”
[N-no! Wait, I believe….]
Thwack!
His vision went dark again.
* * *
In a tranquil land covered in gray mist like a canopy.
Delphiros sat in a sophisticated chair, incongruous with the surroundings, with his eyes closed.
The intense energy around him surged as if it would crush steel, indicating he wasn’t resting.
The storm-like energy gradually calmed and sharpened, flowing back into Delphiros.
“This should be enough.”
As Delphiros nodded in satisfaction, a dark shadow emerged behind him.
“Sir Delphiros.”
The leader of the Demon Rain division bowed to Delphiros.
“All key figures have descended to the third floor. They are severely injured, and their mental fatigue has doubled.”
“Any casualties?”
“Many are injured, but there are almost no deaths.”
He nodded, indicating that the plan was going well.
“And what about him?”
“Pardon…?”
The leader of the Demon Rain understood who he meant immediately but hesitated, pretending not to know.
“Raon Zieghart.”
“He is still in battle.”
“He’s still fighting? It must be tough.”
Delphiros smiled faintly, nodding.
“Didn’t I tell you? The phoenix’s flames are not related to fire resistance.”
“That’s not it….”
“What?”
“Uh….”
The leader of the Demon Rain bit his lip, reluctant to speak.
“Speak quickly.”
“He’s… using the phoenix for training.”
He covered his head as if he couldn't believe what he was saying himself.
“What nonsense is this?”
The cup in Delphiros' hand shattered.
"N, no, it's true. After killing the phoenix, he trains by resurrecting it and fighting it..."
“Do you think that makes any sense?”
“I’m not lying. I don’t know the details, but it seems Raon Zieghart can control the location of the phoenix’s resurrection.”
“…Bring it here.”
When Delphiros extended his hand, the leader of the Demon Rain handed him a round crystal orb. As he poured his aura into it, an image began to appear inside.
Wooooooong!
A lava field where flames touched both the sky and the ground.
A phoenix was born from a small feather. It spread its massive wings, exuding an overwhelming presence.
[Screeech!]
The swordsmen in black uniforms rushed forward as if they had been waiting, attacking the phoenix fiercely.
[Screeeech!]
The phoenix screamed and raged, but having just been resurrected, it couldn’t unleash its full power and fell.
Afterward, a young man with blond hair and red eyes grabbed a fallen feather and infused it with his fire, causing the phoenix to be reborn once again.
This time, the swordsmen on the other side approached and engaged the phoenix in battle.
Kyaaah!
Delphiros, his grip weakening, dropped the crystal orb, his head hanging low.
"What the hell are these guys..."
* * *
“Next, team 2.”
With his hands behind his back, Raon nodded towards Runaan.
“Okay.”
Runaan stepped forward with team 2 swordsmen.
Raon infused the phoenix feather with his fire and threw it. Fire erupted from the feather, and a phoenix was born.
[You wretches! Stop this!]
“Let’s go.”
Runaan advanced, scattering silver ice.
Shaaak!
All of the phoenix’s feathers froze before it could regain its strength.
Team 2 swordsmen seized the moment and rushed in, their swords striking down.
Thud thud thud thud!
The phoenix flapped its wings and unleashed flames, but in its weakened state, the swordsmen easily penetrated the fiery space.
[Screeeech!]
The phoenix, beaten by team 2, rolled on the ground, its feathers torn out.
[Stop! Please stop….]
The phoenix shook its head, begging them to cease.
[I've died nearly 20 times already! I can’t take it anymore!]
It screamed, pleading for mercy.
“Hmmm….”
Raon clicked his tongue, watching the phoenix pleading for mercy.
"There are still us!"
Burren raised his hand.
“Division leader! I want to try fighting it one-on-one!”
Mark Goetten raised his hand, expressing his desire to fight directly.
“Alright then.”
Raon wiggled his fingers at the phoenix.
“Let’s finish up with them.”
[W-wait!]
Raon killed the phoenix again and grabbed another feather. Infusing it with fire, he revived the phoenix once more.
[Screeeech!]
This time, the phoenix was born not with a roar but a scream, looking up at Raon with pleading eyes.
“Please take care of it.”
“Let’s go!”
[Please stop!]
Burren charged at the newly resurrected phoenix, which waved its wings in tearful desperation.
[I’ll kill myself! I mean it! I’ll really do it!]
The phoenix threatened to commit suicide, flapping its wings.
Using a phoenix as a training dummy….
Wrath sighed, watching the weeping phoenix.
The word ‘demon’ is too kind for you! You maniac!
‘It’s better than eating the phoenix.’
Raon mumbled as he heard the phoenix’s tearful shout.
[Just eat me instead, You demon!]
“……”
