N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 633
Delphiros frowned, staring at the crystal orb that reflected Raon's image.
"Is he really taking that phoenix with him?"
“I, it seems so.”
The Demon Rain division leader held his temples as if he couldn’t fathom that Raon would drag along the phoenix.
“Hah, he's truly an uncontrollable one.”
Delphiros sighed deeply. The thought of dragging along the gatekeeper (guardian) of the floor was an absurdity even that person hadn't considered.
“…Everything Is prepared, right?”
With annoyance evident above his eyebrows, he turned his gaze to the Demon Rain division leader.
“Of course.”
The Demon Rain division leader nodded confidently.
“No matter which direction they proceed, they'll encounter traps, formations, and waves of monsters.”
“Right. This time, they won't escape easily.”
Delphiros nodded as he looked back at the crystal orb.
He had no intention of killing Raon in the maze. The other floors were merely appetizers for the final level, for now, it was enough to deplete their stamina and aura.
“Foolish brat.”
Delphiros scoffed as he watched Raon try to get past the maze’s wall.
That wall was a will barrier that even transcendent beings couldn’t guarantee to break. Seeing his futile efforts eased his rising frustration a bit.
"Now he's starting. I wonder what kind of expression he'll have... hmm?"
Delphiros’ lips quivered as he watched Raon in the crystal ball.
“What, what is that….”
Instead of progressing through the maze, Raon Zieghart suddenly placed his hand on the wall.
Curious about his intention, Delphiros remained still, then suddenly, a mystical flaming door with engraved patterns opened on the wall.
And it wasn’t just one door. An identical passageway opened at the wall at the end of the third-floor maze.
In other words, the flaming passage Raon had opened was directly connected to the end of the maze.
“What the hell is that!”
“I, I don’t know either.”
The Demon Rain division leader ground his teeth, clearly having never seen such a passage before.
“No way….”
Delphiros clenched his fists as he looked at the phoenix, Kaiyan, that Raon had captured.
“Did that phoenix bastard reveal the hidden passage?”
After subduing the phoenix, Delphiros had manipulated its mind and it mentioned a dimensional door that could traverse the maze.
It seemed Raon had indeed opened that dimensional door.
“Even that person couldn’t do this….”
Derus Robert had opened a similar door but couldn't reach the maze’s end in one go. It had taken him three attempts to finally reach the end.
But now, Raon had opened a passage that led directly to the maze’s end in one go. It was unbelievable.
“Block it.”
“Pardon?”
“Block it!”
Delphiros slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it into fine dust.
‘We can't let him get away.’
If Raon escaped now, all the traps and monsters prepared in the maze would be rendered useless, leading to an unimaginable loss.
“I, I can’t.”
The Demon Rain division leader manipulated his mana but shook his head.
“I tried to block the passage the moment it appeared, but my manipulation abilities don’t work on it. It’s likely….”
He bit his lip and lowered his gaze.
"It seems to be a unique ability of the creator who created this place..."
“How did that bastard….”
Delphiros clenched his fists so tightly they made a grinding sound. Before this incident, Raon didn’t even know of this tomb’s existence.
How he managed to open that passage was beyond comprehension.
"Are there any Five Demons left in the maze now?"
“The Snow Demon Queen is nearby, she hasn't gone down even though she had the opportunity, maybe because she's deliberately exploring the maze."
“Send her there.”
“What?”
The Demon Rain division leader widened his eyes as if asking what he meant.
"Won't Raon Zieghart die if he meets the Snow Demon Queen?"
The Snow Demon Queen was a renowned Grandmaster far before Raon. No matter how much Raon had grown, defeating the Snow Demon Queen was impossible.
“Letting him escape is a bigger problem.”
Delphiros shook his head with a grimace.
“We can manipulate his corpse just fine. He’s the only one we need to deal with.”
“…Understood.”
“And.”
After taking a deep breath, he raised his finger.
“Prepare the fourth floor in advance.”
Delphiros’ face twisted with malice as he bit his lip.
“Make sure he doesn’t survive!”
* * *
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Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed the Black Spirits (The Black Tower mages) standing behind The Snow Demon Queen.
‘They’ve gotten stronger.’
Their energy felt sharper than when they were outside. It seemed the black spirits had also grown slightly as they passed through the first and second floors.
“What’s this? Black Tower scum?”
Martha scoffed as she looked at the Black Tower mages who had come through the flaming passage.
“Trash comes to us willingly.”
She rotated her wrist, generating a fierce aura.
“How fortunate.”
Burren smirked as if he had gotten lucky.
“A test subject.”
Runaan nodded blankly, seeming eager to test the power she had gained after passing through the first and second floors.
“Compared to the phoenix, they’re nothing.”
“I still haven’t forgotten what Orgos did.”
"They're the embodiment of evil, so there's no one to complain even if we get rid of them."
The Light Wind swordsmen glared at the Black Spirits of the Black Tower with eyes filled with confidence.
Many of the Light Wind swordsmen were burning with a desire for revenge after the incident with Orgos.
"Arrogant bastards!"
"How dare these youngsters..."
"Please give us the order! We'll cut off their heads right now!"
The black spirits of the Black Tower, seemingly infuriated by the Light Wind division's confidence, bowed their heads and asked the Snow Demon Queen for instructions.
"Ha, do they resemble their master? These dogs are getting cocky."
The Snow Demon Queen snorted in disbelief.
"Mad dogs won't stay still even when they see their prey."
Raon raised his finger, his eyes glinting with a trace of madness.
"Light Wind division."
He twisted his lips, pointing at the black spirits standing behind the Snow Demon Queen.
"Tear them all apart."
"Yes, sir!"
The Light Wind swordsmen drew their swords and charged at the black spirits. The same mad glint as Raon's shone in their eyes.
"Wait! We're not mad dogs...!"
"Stop calling us dogs!"
"I like puppies."
Martha, Burren, and Runaan each muttered something as they advanced.
Boom!
Martha's fierce sword strike shattered the wall of dark energy raised by the black spirits.
Burren's precise and sharp blade didn't miss the opened gap, slicing the black spirits’ necks.
Runaan walked between Martha and Burren, thrusting her sword. Frost danced like cherry blossoms on the tip of her blade, slashing the black spirits' vital points.
"Let's go!"
The Light Wind swordsmen advanced through the path opened by their three captains, clashing swords directly with the black spirits.
Boom!
Dozens of aura blade and demonic magic energy exploded at once, causing the sand in the maze to rise like a storm.
"Ugh..."
"What, what are these guys!"
"I heard they just barely passed their teens, but how..."
As the storm settled, it was the black spirits who were being pushed back.
The Light Wind swordsmen concentrated their auras like a single swordsman, suppressing The black spirits' dark energy. Their momentum was entirely different.
"Not one of them is cute."
The Snow Demon Queen tilted her head, not caring that the black spirits were dying.
"I'll show you the difference in power. Both of you, come at me."
She beckoned to Raon and Rimmer.
"Can you handle it?"
Raon glanced at Rimmer with a smirk.
"I can take on a one-armed man and a young brat anytime."
The Snow Demon Queen nodded confidently.
"Don't underestimate her just because she looks young."
Rimmer folded his arms with a faint smile.
"She became a Grandmaster before you were even born. She has the right to say such things. If she took off her mask, she'd be a wrinkled old grandma..."
"Shut up!"
The Snow Demon Queen glared at Rimmer, raising her finger. She seemed more angry at being called an old grandma than anything else.
"I have some bad memories with the Black Tower."
Raon lowered his sword and looked down at the Snow Demon Queen.
"Consider yourself unlucky."
"I said shut up!"
The Snow Demon Queen stomped her foot, unable to contain her rage.
Boom!
Raon took advantage of the Snow Demon Queen's emotional outburst and used the Supreme Harmony Steps without any preparation. He exploded his aura from the tip of his left foot on the second step.
A speed so extreme it could be called the ultimate speed. The edge of his vision seemed to darken.
"You fool."
As he charged at the Snow Demon Queen to draw a fatal cut, the corners of her mouth curled up.
The Snow Demon Queen, having calmed down as if she had never been angry, extended her left hand.
A black ice, condensed in her palm, shot out like a dagger. It was a near-perfect counterattack.
Raon bit his lip thinly as he watched the Snow Demon Queen's magic energy aim for his heart.
'As expected.'
His opponent was a Grandmaster. He had suspected that her angry demeanor was a trap, and it turned out to be true.
Crack!
Just before the Snow Demon Queen's ice pierced his heart, he switched from the Supreme Harmony Steps to the Shadowless Steps.
From speed to fluidity (evasion). His body slipped as if it had lost strength, narrowly evading the Snow Demon Queen's attack.
"What the...!"
The Snow Demon Queen widened her eyes, not expecting such a quick transition in footwork.
'This is real.'
Unlike her feigned anger, her surprise now was genuine.
Raon exploited the momentary gap created by her confusion, darting to her left side. He thrust Heavenly Drive like a nail, aiming for her neck.
Slash!
The red glow of his blade grazed the Snow Demon Queen's shoulder as it passed.
"Tsk."
Raon clicked his tongue as he retreated. His original target had been the Snow Demon Queen's neck, but she had dodged the blade's path in that brief instant, as expected of a Grandmaster.
"You..."
The Snow Demon Queen frowned, looking at the wound on her shoulder. As she summoned her magic energy, the blood stopped flowing, and the wound healed as if time had reversed. It was a regeneration beyond human capability.
"You're not as impressive as I'd heard. Your will is weak, and your aura is ordinary."
"You should fix your expression before saying that."
Raon smiled thinly, looking at the Snow Demon Queen's twisted face.
"Your wrinkles are showing."
"Shut up!"
The Snow Demon Queen yelled, extending her hand. Black ice, like a summoned night, spread outwards.
Crack!
In the blink of an eye, the Snow Demon Queen's demonic magic energy began to dominate the space.
Even the fire of The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation couldn't easily melt the ice. The density and amount of magic energy were overwhelming.
"Wa-wait!"
"Aaaargh!"
"Please, spare me!"
The legs of a black spirit exposed to the Snow Demon Queen's ice turned black and froze. The black spirits cried out for mercy, but the Snow Demon Queen didn't even glance their way, summoning an even darker and denser ice.
Raon lured the Snow Demon Queen's attention to the corner, ensuring that the Light Wind swordsmen wouldn't get harmed. He scattered the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to block the Snow Demon Queen's ice from freezing the floor and walls.
"It's useless. My ice can't be stopped by fire or even by other ice."
Just as the Snow Demon Queen said, her demonic magic energy didn't melt despite the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
'Come to think of it...'
Raon recalled the scenes he had witnessed in the desert and forest before entering this tomb.
Even when engulfed in strong fire and lightning, that black ice hadn't disappeared.
"I knew you'd retreat to the corner."
"What?"
"Now you can't escape. The only thing you can do is kneel before me!"
As soon as the Snow Demon Queen confirmed that Raon was cornered, she spread her hands wide.
The ice surrounding the area surged simultaneously, forming a massive tidal wave. It seemed she intended to end this all at once by unleashing her accumulated ice.
Raon watched the surging wave of demonic magic energy, his eyes growing calm.
'Now.'
From the moment the Snow Demon Queen began spreading her ice, he had anticipated this type of attack.
It was probably an infallible killing move she had never failed with before, but that very belief would be her downfall.
Instead of retreating, Raon advanced towards the wave of ice, pulling Heavenly Drive back over his shoulder.
"What are you doing! You can't reach from there!"
The Snow Demon Queen laughed mockingly, he raised his will, causing the cold air of Glacier to surge.
'The blade beneath the twilight won't waver even before the waves.'
Reciting a line (principle) of his, Raon extended Heavenly Drive.
The blue light flickering from the sword's blade pierced through the ice wave the Snow Demon Queen had summoned, cleaving a silver path through the air.
Zzzzeeeek.
Not even a small hole appeared in the ice wave that seemed to touch the wall of the maze. However, a black hole appeared in the Snow Demon Queen's left chest, who stood behind it.
"Grraaarghh..."
The Snow Demon Queen coughed up blood and collapsed. She tried to block the hole in her chest with her magic, but the black hole ignored her efforts and wouldn't close.
"Why, why is this happening..."
"You told me yourself. Your ice and my ice are different."
Raon shook his head as he looked at the Snow Demon Queen.
"Rather than a difference in power, it's like water and oil not mixing. It's natural that you can't block my ice with your demonic magic energy if it's stuck in your chest, isn't it?"
The Snow Demon Queen had said that her demonic magic energy couldn't be stopped by ice or fire.
The fact that his ice doesn't work on her means that her ice doesn't work on him either. In some ways, they were each other's natural enemies.
"Ah..."
The Snow Demon Queen's lips trembled as she realized what had happened.
"That mouth of yours was your downfall."
Raon spun Heavenly Drive and approached the Snow Demon Queen.
"Wait! I haven't used my full strength yet! It's not over!"
She was right. The Snow Demon Queen hadn't shown her full power. If he had fought her head-on, he would have had to use his ultimate technique, Sword Field Creation.
If he had fought with all his might, he might have grown a bit more, but because he didn't know what Derus' objective was, he needed to conserve his strength.
"Only fools give their enemies time."
Raon imitated the mocking smile the Snow Demon Queen had shown earlier and thrust Heavenly Drive down.
Roaaarr!
The sacred golden fire devoured the black demonic energy, engulfing the Snow Demon Queen's entire body.
"I-I'll kill you! I'll never forgive you!"
"Do it if you can."
Raon scoffed and slit the Snow Demon Queen's throat.
Zzzzaaaak!
Still unable to believe her own death, she died with her eyes open.
After ending the Snow Demon Queen's life, Raon lifted his gaze.
"How... how did he kill a Grandmaster so quickly..."
"Is this even possible?"
"And not just any Grandmaster, but the Snow Demon Queen..."
By then, both the Light Wind swordsmen and the black spirits had stopped fighting and were watching in disbelief.
The black spirits were so shocked they couldn't speak, their mouths agape.
"If this isn't over in five minutes, we're staying here for more training."
As Raon beckoned with his finger, the madness rekindled in the Light Wind swordsman's eyes."Kill them!"
"Crush them all!"
"Destroy them!"
Listening to the sounds of the Light Wind swordsman's fierce sword strikes, Raon closed his eyes.
'I've gotten a bit closer.'
By creating a line of his own mantra (principle), he had taken a step closer to a swordsmanship that could pierce space and ignore defenses.
'I've received some unexpected help.'
Raon chuckled, looking up at the ceiling of the maze.
'You must be there, right?'
It made no sense for the Snow Demon Queen to appear just as they reached the end of the maze. It was clearly manipulated by Derus' subordinates.
'Wait for me.'
Whatever they were planning, he intended to ruin it all.
