N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 634
"Ugh, the floor master…"
"How could this happen...?"
"No way! the Snow Demon Queen was defeated by such a brat!"
"Ah..."
The black spirits of the Black Tower trembled as they looked at the lifeless body of the Snow Demon Queen at Raon's feet. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads.
"Quick, move as fast as possible!"
Burren gritted his teeth and thrust his sword at the Black Spirits. The sharp blade cut through the startled Black Spirits' chests, causing a gust of wind to rise.
"Our division leader is a man of his word! It's no joke!"
Martha furrowed her brow and activated her berserk mode. The aura in her grip fell with immense weight.
Boom!
The shock was strong enough to shake the entire maze, scattering the Black Spirits in all directions.
"I hate training..."
With a sense of urgency in her blank eyes, Runaan scattered ice. The cold air spreading from her blue sword confined the Black Spirits' hands and feet.
"You bring nothing but harm to this world!"
Mark Goetten gritted his teeth, his hatred directed more at the Black Spirits themselves than at Raon's training, as he executed the wall-splitting sword technique with all his might.
The blade, which tore through the sky like a lightning bolt, decapitated the Black Tower's captain giving orders to the Black Spirits.
Rumble!
As the explosive force of the captains and Mark Goetten continued to rain down, the wall of demonic energy protecting the Black Spirits shattered in an instant.
"The path is open!"
"Show no mercy to the Black Spirits! Kill them all!"
"Let's go!"
The Light Wind division advanced into the Black Spirits' territory, seizing the opening created by their captains.
"Block them! Hold out no matter what!"
"How can we hold this back?"
"Ugh..."
"It's over. It's all over!"
The Black Spirits, shocked by the Snow Demon Queen's death, couldn't muster a proper counterattack and were helplessly pushed back.
"You fools! Do you want to die here?"
"Move forward now!"
"There is a way to survive!"
The Master-level black spirits tried to rally their morale, but Burren, Martha, and Runaan moved to completely crush their spirits.
"Fight? Do you think you can?"
"It's all over! You filthy rats!"
"There is no escape."
Each of the three captains took on a Master-level black spirit, cutting off any chance of the black spirits' counterattack.
With the Snow Demon Queen dead and even the Master-level black spirits unable to fight back, the remaining black spirits were easily uprooted like weeds.
"You're the last one!"
Martha leaped like a lightning bolt and thrust her sword into the neck of the last standing Master-level black spirit.
"Ugh..."
The black spirit reached out to the air in vain before collapsing.
"It's over!"
Burren swallowed dryly and looked back.
"The time!"
"It's not been five minutes yet, right?"
Not only Burren, but the entire Light Wind division watched Raon with both trembling and anticipation.
"Hmm..."
Raon tapped his wrist and shook his head.
"Unfortunately, it's been five minutes."
"What..."
"No, that can't be!"
"We finished quickly!"
The Light Wind swordsmen’s jaws dropped in disbelief that five minutes had passed.
"Five minutes?"
Rimmer tilted his head.
"It seemed more like four minutes to me?"
He, too, wondered if there was a mistake in the time.
"Vice leader."
Raon narrowed his eyes at Rimmer.
"Do you want to join the training?"
"..."
Rimmer shivered and shook his head.
"It's definitely been five minutes! I'm sure! I saw it!"
He abandoned the Light Wind swordsmen like a pair of old shoes for his own safety.
That angelic-looking bastard!
Wrath deeply furrowed his brow.
How can a person lie without blinking an eye!
He sighed in disbelief.
'It's all for their sake.'
Raon shook his head with a smile.
"No, it hasn't!"
Dorian raised his hand. Holding a pocket watch, he shook his head.
"I started the watch as soon as you mentioned five minutes, and the alarm hasn't gone off yet!"
After a few ticking sounds, the watch vibrated and let out a small bird sound.
"See? It's five minutes now!"
"..."
Raon looked at Dorian's watch and clicked his tongue.
"The watch must be broken..."
"You know I always take care of essential items, right? It's not broken!"
Dorian confidently placed his hand on his hip.
"Oooooh!"
"Dorian did it!"
"He defeated the demon!"
"He captured the demon king! Hero Dorian!"
The entire Light Wind division raised their hands and shouted Dorian's name in triumph.
Poohehehehehehe!
Wrath clutched his chubby belly and burst into laughter.
You got beaten by a pocket watch! Serves you right!
[Cheep cheep cheep!]
Kaiyan flapped it's wings and let out a mocking laugh.
Keek!
[Squeak!]
Raon, gripping Kaiyan in his left hand and Wrath in his right, approached the Light Wind swordsmen.
"It seems I made a mistake. I apologize."
If he stubbornly insists on winning even when the time has been measured, it will only hurt his pride. He had to admit it when he had to.
What’s with you?
Wrath blinked in surprise.
"R-really?"
"Are you admitting it?"
"Wow!"
"Dorian! Dorian! Dorian!"
The Light Wind swordsmen cheered in joy and even tossed Dorian into the air.
"Hahaha! We won!"
Krein danced teasingly, wiggling his fingers.
"Krein."
Raon brushed back his hair and approached the jubilant Krein.
"Yes?"
"You got cut by a sword?"
"It's nothing."
Krein hid the wound on the back of his hand and shook his head.
"If it were a little more, your hand might've been severed."
"Well, that..."
"And it wasn’t just any sword, but one imbued with demonic magic energy. If you were unlucky, you might've had to cut off your arm."
"Uh, that’s..."
"First."
Raon approached Dorian, who was basking in his hero status.
"Dorian."
"Y-yes?"
Dorian approached cautiously.
"Your thigh was slashed?"
"I-it barely grazed me. Didn't even break the skin..."
"Demonic magic energy can be lethal even with skin contact. It’s not called demonic for nothing."
"Oh..."
"Second."
Raon passed Dorian and approached other Light Wind swordsmen. They were all members with minor injuries.
"What are you doing now? Why are you counting?"
"Well..."
"This doesn’t feel good..."
The Light Wind swordsmen gulped as Raon continued counting, surpassing ten.
"Twenty-five."
Raon returned to his original spot after counting the injured Light Wind division members.
"That’s the number of fools who got injured in this fight."
"..."
The Light Wind swordsmen lowered their heads and fell silent, as if the celebration had never happened.
"Twenty-five of you got injured fighting the black spirits whose spirits were broken after the Snow Demon Queen’s death. Does that make any sense?"
"That’s not it..."
"It was a rushed battle! We didn’t have time!"
"The less time you have, the more you need to keep your wits about you. Do you think that's a valid excuse?"
Raon's piercing words made the Light Wind swordsmen's faces turn pale.
"This won't work. Let's at least train a little here."
"Hey, wait a minute! You promised something different!"
Krein raised his head like a meerkat.
"What promise?"
"We finished in five minutes, so training us now is unfair..."
"You’re mistaken. The training we’re about to do is special education for those fools who got injured. It’s unrelated to time."
Raon looked down at the Light Wind swordsmen with a twisted smile.
"T-the Demon King has resurrected..."
"How can he resurrect so quickly!"
"Who’s going to subdue him?"
The Light Wind swordsmen let out a collective sigh, shoulders slumping in resignation.
[Oh, the demon. Bheep!]
Even Kaiyan trembled his wings sympathetically for the Light Wind swordsmen.
You idiots! How many times do I have to tell you!
Wrath shouted at the Light Wind swordsmen.
There is no such Demon King in Devildom!
* * *
Advance chapters: Tinyurl.com/Albnlfff
For Indonesian: Tinyurl.com/Aldbnlff
"Hah."
Serena, the leader of the Void Sword, lowered her sword and took a short breath. Behind her lay a mountain of white-furred monster corpses.
Though the blood was still warm, the falling snow quickly erased the traces of battle.
"....."
Serena slowly lifted her gaze. Endless snow fell from the empty sky.
There was nothing on the ground below. An endless plain filled the world.
'Where am I?'
The scenery she saw when she reached the fourth floor after passing through the third floor maze and the place she arrived at after walking for more than a day were identical.
This world consisted only of this snowy field, the snow, and the monsters.
'Are there no other people here?'
After passing through the fourth-floor passage with the Void Sword division swordsmen, she hadn't encountered a single subordinate or any other person. It seemed either extremely vast or isolated from the outside world.
Worrying about her subordinates, she walked through the barren snowy field, quickly exhausting her strength even more than during battles.
Fighting monsters that emerged without a sound was mentally exhausting, making her body feel heavy.
‘Is this really the Saber Sword Sovereign’s Tomb?’
She had ignored the thought earlier to move faster than the Five Demons, but the more she thought about it, the more suspicious the nature of this tomb seemed.
‘Rather than a tomb, this place seems more like...’
A place to test one's abilities.
Usually, tombs and dungeons set deadly traps to deter looters.
But this tomb seemed to create an environment to test intruders rather than trap them. She couldn't understand the Saber Sword Sovereign's intentions.
‘What kind of monster created a place like this?’
Whether it was the Saber Sword Sovereign or someone else, it was clear they were an unimaginable master.
Her mind grew more complicated the more she thought about it, so she looked up at the sky again. Seeing the snow pouring down like crazy reminded her of a Zieghart member she met before coming here.
‘I hope Raon is doing well.’
She trusted Raon's strength and judgment, but given that he was up against the Holy Blood Religion, the Black Tower, and the Holy Sword Alliance, she couldn't help but worry.
Especially since Raon had helped her before entering the tomb, she wondered how he was faring.
‘To know that, I have to get out of here first... huh?’
As Serena looked at the endless snowy plain and smacked her lips, she noticed a small figure at the far right.
‘It’s not a monster.’
The monsters on the fourth floor would appear suddenly, ignoring her presence. This was the first time she saw a human figure here.
‘Who is it?’
Not wanting to approach recklessly, as it could be an enemy, she focused her aura on her eyes.
Even covered in snow, the figure’s blond hair didn't lose its shine, and his blazing red eyes were like a burning sun. His black long coat, now his trademark, fluttered in the wind.
"Raon?"
"Void Sword division leader!"
Raon, seemingly recognizing her, quickly ran over.
“It’s a relief to meet you here, division leader!”
He bowed with a face full of joy.
“Were you lost here too?”
“Yes. Though I’m not sure, it seems that over a day has passed.”
Raon sighed, describing the place as an endless, harsh environment.
"It was the same for me."
Serena nodded, scrutinizing Raon. This place was so peculiar that she scanned him just in case, but she found nothing strange.
His aura and physique were the same, and even the shape of his uniform, torn during the fight with the Ghost Demon Swordmaster and Snow Demon Queen, remained unchanged.
"Nothing special happened, right?"
"It happened right before I came here."
Raon shook his head.
"Right before you came?"
“Yes. I encountered the Snow Demon Queen in the third-floor maze.”
“You beat that bastard?”
“Yes.”
He calmly smiled, stating he had defeated the Snow Demon Queen.
“Hah…”
Serena looked at Raon and let out a short laugh.
“You really are something else.”
“I was lucky. Her demonic magic energy was like waves, making her a tricky opponent.”
“I’m curious about how you did it, but let’s move first.”
She motioned Raon to follow her.“We need to find the others too.”
“Understood.”
Raon nodded and positioned himself behind Serena’s left.
“Tell me as we go. How did you meet and defeat the Snow Demon Queen?”
Serena gestured with her fingers for him to walk beside her.
“She seemed to have been waiting at the end of the maze. I had the Light Wind swordsmen fight the black spirits while I took her one-on-one…”
Raon explained the battle with the Snow Demon Queen in his characteristic calm tone.
“Using the cold like that… you’re something else…”
Serena chuckled, looking ahead. Meeting someone, especially Raon, whom she was friendly with, quickly eased her tension. It felt like she was back home.
“I had an easier time than you.”
“Didn't you encounter the Five Demons?”
“Yes. But I was far from them. I did get caught in some nasty traps in the maze…”
As she explained her experiences while walking ahead, it happened.
“I see.”
Raon kept smiling while forming a karate chop with his right hand. Without any force or killing intent, he drove the strike into Serena’s back.
Thwack!
* * *
“Burren, you lack the tendency to showcase your own strength because you’re preoccupied with leading everyone from the front.”
Raon dusted off his hands and stood in front of Burren.
“I understand.”
Burren, with dark circles under his eyes, nodded weakly.
“Martha, your reliance on berserk mode is increasing. If you rely solely on that power, your true skill will diminish.”
“Ugh…”
Martha bit her lip, unable to refute.
“Runaan, you’re still too passive. Don’t you have more to do?”
“Yes…”
Runaan understood what he meant and nodded.
“Dorian, it’s good that you’re trying to overcome your fear, but you’re becoming too hasty, narrowing your perspective. Be careful. Next…”
Raon pointed out the shortcomings of the Light Wind swordsmen he noticed during the battle and training.
As they rested, the Light Wind swordsmen deeply engraved Raon's advice in their hearts.
They realized he wasn’t doing this just to be harsh but out of genuine care.
“Rest time is over, prepare yourselves.”
Raon clapped his hands and pointed to the passage leading to the fourth floor.
“My final advice is to have more faith in your own strength. Be confident.”
“Yes, sir!”
Receiving both advice and praise, the members of the Light Wind smiled brightly and entered the passage to the fourth floor.
“Are you planning to make the Light Wind division as good as the Heavenly Blade division?”
The last remaining person, Rimmer, stood at the entrance to the passage and looked back.
“Not just as good as the Heavenly Blade division, but beyond them.”
Raon shook his head. He had no intention of stopping at this level. He aimed to elevate the entire Light Wind division to mastery, making them not just the best in Zieghart, but the strongest force on the continent.
“Wow, I feel a bit sorry for the kids.”
Rimmer muttered that perhaps he had relinquished his position as leader too soon, then entered the passage to the fourth floor.
“They’ll be grateful later.”
Raon chuckled softly and entered the black hole last.
Woooong!
The sensation of floating was the same as before, but the falling time was significantly shorter than the previous times.
“Whew.”
Raon let out a small breath and opened his eyes.
It was white.
A vast snowy field stretched out, devoid of trees, shrubs, or even a single pebble.
Snowflakes the size of a child’s fist poured endlessly, making it feel like anything that happened here would be buried in the snow.
‘No one is here.’
Not only were the Light Wind swordsmen missing, but even Kaiyan, who he had been holding, was gone.
No one, you say! The King of Essence is here!
Wrath shook his head, telling him not to fool around.
‘Right. Thanks to you, I won’t be bored.’
Raon smiled and began to walk through the snowfield.
But there really was nothing.
No people, no monsters, no trees, no clouds, no sun. There was nothing to use as a landmark, making it impossible to tell if he was moving forward or backward.
What kind of place is this?
Wrath frowned in frustration.
Why has it taken over a day to get nowhere? I’m so bored!
‘I feel the same.’
The first three floors had some discernible purpose, but the fourth floor’s existence made no sense to him.
‘Is it designed to be annoying?’
Raon clicked his tongue when he saw a shadowy figure at the far right.
“Raon!”
With his eyesight enhanced by the Evil Eye of Wrath, he saw Rimmer waving and running towards him.
Snow piled up on Rimmer’s head and shoulders, making him look like a snowman.
“Division leader.”
“Finally, I found you!”
Rimmer sighed in relief, his voice full of concern.
Hmm?
Wrath twisted his mouth as he looked at Rimmer.
Raon calmed his eyes as he looked at Rimmer. Just in case, he examined him closely, but nothing seemed particularly off.
“Ah, it was so tough being alone all day.”
Rimmer shook his head, saying it had been a boring and hard time, implying he had no one to boss around, as usual.
“Anything happened to you?”
“It’s a place where there’s really nothing, so it was actually comfortable.”
“Well, that’s just like you.”
Rimmer chuckled and nodded.
“Let’s move quickly. I’m worried since I can’t see the others.”
He furrowed his brows, suggesting something might have happened to the Light Wind swordsmen.
“…Let’s do that.”
Raon nodded calmly and started walking straight ahead. As he walked steadily, Rimmer brought his fingers together and formed a knife hand.
With a hand sharper than a sword, he silently aimed a strike at Raon’s back.
Paaang!
But Rimmer’s strike cut through nothing but a falling snowball, not Raon’s heart.
Slam!
Raon appeared like a phantom from the ground and grabbed the trembling Rimmer’s wrist.
“H-How!”
Rimmer’s lips quivered as he looked into Raon’s calm eyes.
“That damn elf teacher (master) of mine wouldn’t worry about me and the others.”
Rimmer, who disliked showing affection, wouldn’t outwardly express concern even if he felt it inside.
Crack!
A lava-like heat blazed in Raon’s eyes as he crushed the wrist of the being resembling Rimmer with a rough grip.
“Who are you?”
