N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 635
“How. How the hell.”
The thing that had taken the form of Rimmer didn’t scream even though its wrist was crushed. It kept repeating the word "how" while its leaf-colored eyes twisted.
Raon furrowed his brows deeply as he watched.
‘This thing. It’s not human.’
No matter how much pain tolerance training someone has undergone, if the bones in their wrist break, they can’t help but flinch their elbow and shoulder.
But this thing seemed to have erased the very sensation of pain, showing no reaction whatsoever.
It appeared to be an illusion created by a barrier, or perhaps a special type of monster.
“How!”
The monster in Rimmer’s form screamed and tried to pull away the wrist held in Raon’s grip.
Raon tried to hold on, but the creature's wrist turned into a fluid-like substance, making it impossible to keep his hold.
“What the hell are you?”
Raon bit his lip as he looked at his now empty hand.
“Hell?”
The monster’s hand, which had transformed into something like thick mud, then pulled out two swords.
“Those swords….”
They were unmistakable. The familiar shapes were Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
“I am Raon Zieghart.”
As he was letting out a breath in disbelief, the creature charged at him, raising Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
Chiiiing!
A blazing heat radiated from the blade of Heavenly Drive held by the monster in Rimmer’s form.
“What is this!”
Raon’s eyes widened as he stepped back.
‘Crimson Slash?’
A sharp heat beam sliced through the space where he had just evaded. The floating snowflakes evaporated instantly, sprinkling droplets of water.
He swallowed dryly. It was real. The sword strike the monster used was Crimson Slash, the swordsmanship of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation he frequently used. It made no sense because Raon was the only one on the continent practicing the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
Thunk!
The creature tried to follow him as he retreated, stepping forward with its left foot. The movement was also familiar.
‘Supreme Harmony Steps….’
The creature used the Supreme Harmony Steps to rush to the left and struck down with Heavenly Drive. The fierce sword strike resembled a beast tearing at its prey’s neck—Fangs of Insanity.
Clang!
Raon parried Heavenly Drive while thrusting with the Blizzard Sword Art. The icy blade disrupted the balance of Fangs of Insanity.
“Khuhu.”
Despite being pushed back, the monster in Rimmer’s form curled its lips into a long smile.
“What the hell are you….”
“I am Raon Zieghart.”
The creature sneered and thrust the fake Heavenly Drive towards the sky.
From the silver blade, a red-tinted flower bud slowly emerged. Thousands of flaming fragments spread out, carried by the wind, enveloping the snowy field.
“Flame Spirit….”
It was the Flame Spirit, following Crimson Slash, Supreme Harmony Steps, and Fangs of Insanity.
The monster flawlessly reproduced the Flame Spirit, a sword technique considered to be one of the most difficult, without lacking in power or form.
“This is insane… hm?”
Raon let out a bitter laugh but then furrowed his brows. On the monster’s forehead, a dull gray horn resembling a shark fin appeared.
‘A horn?’
Wait a minute, that color….
Although it was his first time seeing the horn, he remembered seeing that dull gray color before.
‘Doppelganger.’
It was the same color as the original skin of the Doppelganger that had attempted to kidnap Yua in Habun Castle.
‘Judging by how it mimics my swordsmanship, it’s definitely a Doppelganger.’
And a lord one at that.
Unlike ordinary Doppelgangers who need to consume someone to gain their abilities, a lord Doppelganger can mimic the abilities of anyone they encounter from the start.
However, even a Doppelganger lord has limits to their ability to copy, but thanks to the peculiar nature of this space, it seemed the creature could exert power on par with his own.
You’ve only now realized?
Wrath snorted in disdain.
That copycat will continue to imitate your techniques. It’s annoying, so deal with it quickly.
‘Hmm….’
Raon narrowed his eyes, erasing the Doppelganger lord’s Flame Spirit with his genuine Flame Spirit.
‘But something seems off.’
Usually, Doppelgangers appear in the exact likeness of the person they mimic to face them one-on-one.
The saying that encountering a Doppelganger means death comes from this very phenomenon.
However, this Doppelganger lord did not appear in his form but rather in the guise of Rimmer, using his swordsmanship only after a surprise attack. This was not typical behavior.
‘So this too….’
It must be Derus Robert’s doing.
“I am Raon Zieghart!”
The Doppelganger lord screamed, thrusting the fake Heavenly Drive. The sword attack, like an arrow, spread like a mirage, pressing down on all the vital points of his body. It was Thirty-Six Crimson Slash. (Thirty-Six Strikes of Heaven and Earth changed to Thirty-Six Crimson Slash)
Whuuuuum!
Raon set up the Flame Wall with Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, gritting his teeth.
‘You really used your head well.’
Derus had manipulated the place where one would face a Doppelganger one-on-one to create a malicious space where the Doppelganger could ambush with a comrade’s appearance.
Making them fight alongside comrades from the first to the third floor to deepen their bonds, only to stab them in the back on the fourth floor with the face of a comrade, it was an utterly wicked strategy no one else could have conceived.
If the Doppelganger had imitated Rimmer better, he might have been deceived as well.
Then what about my subordinates!
Wrath suddenly jumped as if he just remembered.
The ice cream girl! The beef girl! The pineapple girl! And even my wallet! Aren’t they all in danger!
‘No, they wouldn’t be.’
They must have been as bad at acting as this one.
Doppelgangers consume humans to perfectly imitate them.
The creatures on the fourth floor had to mimic their comrades’ appearances with only fragments of memories, resulting in a clumsy performance.
The fact that the Doppelganger lord in Rimmer’s form worried about the Light Wind division members was proof of that.
Others might be fooled, but the Light Wind members, who had been trained to watch out for each other since the North Grave mountain training, wouldn’t fall for it easily.
Kraaaaaah!
The Doppelganger thrust its sword forward, a massive fire swirling into the shape of a dragon.
“This time it's the Flame Dragon Art?”
Raon narrowed his eyes and moved to evade.
Kugugugugu!
The whirling fire seemed strangely slow to Raon. He thought that if the fire moved faster, their power and speed would be even greater.
Whoosh!
Raon dodged the Flame Dragon Art with Supreme Harmony Steps. The Doppelganger lord followed to the right, swinging the Frost Pond down. The icy blade shadowed the main sword, targeting Raon's neck.
‘It’s following too quickly.’
The second blade seemed too fast, he thought delaying it would make it harder to counter.
‘Come to think of it….’
This was the first time he saw his own swordsmanship from an enemy's perspective.
In Habun Castle, the Doppelganger hadn't mimicked his swordsmanship, relying only on brute force. This view was extremely beneficial.
‘This is quite useful.’
Raon smiled lightly, gripping Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
‘I’ve found a new training ground.’
What training ground!
Wrath frowned at Raon.
Just finish it off and get out of here! you damned heaven bastard!
* * *
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“Why….”
Delphiros gritted his teeth, watching Raon fight the Doppelganger lord.
“Why doesn’t anything work on him!”
He clutched his head, unable to understand.
“I-I’m sorry.”
The Demon Rain division leader bowed his trembling head.
“It’s not your fault.”
Delphiros bit his lip until it bled.
“It wouldn’t have made a difference even if I did it myself.”
He glared at the image of Raon in the crystal orb, clenching his fists.
“It’s all because of him.”
He could overlook the first floor being used as a playground to train swordsmen. Defeating the phoenix on the second floor was acceptable.
But reviving the phoenix as his subordinate, opening the secret passage on the third floor, and killing the Snow Demon Queen was beyond belief.
‘Right. The Snow Demon Queen….’
It was unbelievable even in hindsight.
One strike.
Raon Zieghart waited for the right moment and pierced the Snow Demon Queen’s throat with a single blow.
Seeing it live left him speechless for a long time.
‘The Snow Demon Queen was superior in power.’
Raon was a Grandmaster, but the Snow Demon Queen had overwhelming aura and experience. It was natural to think she would win.
Yet, that monster died in one counterattack. It was still hard to believe.
‘And on the fourth floor….’
The ambush didn’t work.
The plan was perfect.
A situation where he was alone after being with comrades, feeling uneasy with an open view, then a trusted comrade appears, it was designed to make anyone lower their guard.
But Raon noticed the Doppelganger lord’s ambush and countered beyond just defending. It felt like a dream.
‘Is he just lucky?’
No, that’s not it.
One or two times could be luck, but achieving so much required acknowledging his skill.
“We’ll have to end it on the last floor….”
“It’s not over yet.”
The Demon Rain division leader slowly looked up.
“You want to believe that, but not even a Doppelganger lord can defeat a Grandmaster.”
Delphiros clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I strengthened the barrier of that space.”
The Demon Rain division leader gripped the crystal orb tightly, his hands suddenly looking older, deeply wrinkled.
“What?”
“I altered the ritual so the Doppelganger lord can use power beyond its own.”
His eyes burned intensely.
“Raon Zieghart will face an increasingly stronger version of himself.”
* * *
Two Heavenly Drives, reddened as if scattering sunlight, clashed head-on.
Boom!
A massive blaze covered the sky and earth like a volcanic eruption. The snow melted, revealing the gray ground.
Raon stepped forward, crushing the snow beneath him, thrusting his Heavenly Drive at the Doppelganger lord in Rimmer’s form.
Thwack!
The Doppelganger lord mirrored Raon’s stance and technique exactly.
Boom!
Fire emerged between their clashing swords, forming small spheres before exploding.
It was Raon Zieghart Style Technique. Second Form. Heavenly Heavy Cannon.
A huge shockwave spread out, momentarily stopping the snowfall.
Boom!
Both Raon and the Doppelganger lord took a step back, then used Supreme Harmony Steps to thrust their swords at each other’s hearts.
Frost Pond, Blue Rain, Blood Rain, Sword’s Silvery Dream, and Azure Sky Sword. Raon and the Doppelganger lord used identical sword techniques, aiming for each other's throats.
The once seemingly indestructible space began to crack, the ground caving in.
Raon twisted his lips as he watched the Doppelganger lord using his sword techniques.
‘It’s getting stronger.’
The Doppelganger lord’s swordsmanship was becoming increasingly powerful and faster. He was beginning to feel overpowered.
‘But….’
Nothing changes.
When Raon mastered and created those sword techniques, he was fundamentally different from who he was now.
The Doppelganger lord’s swordsmanship might be powerful, but it lacked the insights Raon had recently gained.
It wasn’t about having more aura but about having deeper thoughts and experiences that moved him forward.
‘Thanks to that bastard, I could realize this more clearly.’
Watching the Doppelganger lord’s swordsmanship, his martial arts skill improved, and he encountered a lacking version of himself who wielded the sword in the same way.
‘I felt it was lacking because these were swords created by sheer instinct without forming proper principles.’
Until now, he was like a grown person wearing children’s clothes. He gained a small insight into what and how he needed to do.
‘This is a serendipity.’
No.
The fourth floor seemed designed to let one reflect on oneself using a Doppelganger. As a training ground created by the ancestor of Zieghart, this was neither coincidence nor luck.
“I am… I am Raon Zieghart!”
The Doppelganger lord roared and planted its two swords into the ground. The fake Heavenly Drive and the fake Blade of Requiem emitted intense light, drawing the sun and moon in the sky.
Raon swallowed dryly, looking at the sun and moon staining the white sky and the Divine and Demonic swords in the Doppelganger lord’s hands.
“Sword Field Creation…?”
Is this possible?
Even though it’s the Doppelganger lord, he never imagined it could use Sword Field Creation. For the first time since coming here, he felt a sense of surprise.
“Kieeeeeee!”
The Doppelganger lord, having achieved Sword Field Creation, screamed and charged. The energy of the Divine and Demonic swords tore through the Black Dragon Coat.
Despite the distance, a painful sensation stung Raon’s skin.
Ssssss!
Raon infused cold and heat into Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, drawing the Flame Wall and Frost Pond.
Boom!
The impact was overwhelming, as expected of the Divine and Demonic swords. His shoulder felt like it was going to dislocate.
“Kieeeeee!”
The Doppelganger continued to strike with the Divine and Demonic swords, as if determined to maintain its momentum.
It didn’t waste energy recklessly but unfolded proper sword techniques. It felt like facing a martial artist who had reached a high level of mastery.
Crackle!
Raon narrowed his eyes, unleashing the Blue Rain with Heavenly Drive and the Sword’s Silvery Dream with the Blade of Requiem.
‘Did my enemies fight monsters like this?’
Terrifying power combined with endless heat and cold, connected with profound swordsmanship. It was my own image, but the sight was undeniably daunting.
‘However…’
The shortcomings have not disappeared.
He had thought his incomplete Sword Field Creation was perfected.
He believed it was balanced when he reached Grandmaster, unlike when he was a Master.
But it wasn’t.
Examining it with the perspective gained beyond Grandmaster, there were numerous areas lacking.
Balancing the Divine and Demonic swords without precise differences, or concentrating the sword field's range to maximize power in one-on-one situations seemed like good ideas.
The more he crossed swords with the Doppelganger, the clearer his path became.
Nothing was satisfactory.
Rumble!
The Doppelganger lord stepped back. It raised the Divine sword above its right shoulder and the Demonic sword behind its right hip.
A brilliant light burst from the two swords, blindingly bright and spreading in all directions.
‘Red and Blue Invincible Sword!’
A combined technique of Divine and Demonic swords, and the strongest sword technique he currently possessed, was now being used by the Doppelganger lord.
“Kiaaaaaa!”
The Doppelganger lord let out its loudest roar yet.
It charged in a final showdown. Just its approach caused Raon’s muscles to tear and his skin to feel like it was melting. It was undoubtedly his own strongest sword technique, Red and Blue Invincible Sword.
Fire and ice blades, amplified beyond limit, rained down. It was like the red sun and blue moon were devouring the sky.
‘There's no way to block it…’
The old me would have thought so.
He created the incomplete sword field when he was a Master.
Even though it was strengthened after becoming a Grandmaster, it still felt insufficient.
‘To move forward, I need to break past my old self.’
I will accept it.
Raon stomped heavily. The shock rising from his ankles spread throughout his body.
The heat of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the cold of Glacier raced through his swollen mana circuit.
The fire and ice, stimulated by each other, sparked lightning on the blade of Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
Change is scary, but if you don't move forward, you can't achieve anything.
Raon looked at the sky beyond the fire and frost.
The sky was lofty and unreachable, endlessly high.
Focusing on his goal, he unleashed his utmost effort.
Azure Sky Sword, True Void Flowing Flame. (진무유화)
Nothing could reach the endlessly changing sky.
Boom! Kraaaang!
The waves of fire from the Divine sword and the mountains of frost from the Demonic sword split apart.
What remained was the sky. The changing yet unchanging sky.
"Did... it change?"
The Doppelganger lord let out a strange laugh as it realized Raon was different. It smiled with satisfaction and disappeared into the light of fire and frost.
Whoosh!
The snow falling from the sky ceased. The snowy field vanished, revealing a black passage. It was the space leading to the next floor.
‘Now I understand.’
Raon bit his lip, looking at his trembling hands.
‘This place was created by the ancestor of Zieghart for his descendants.’
It wasn't a space for just one descendant, but a training ground created for all of Zieghart.
On the first floor, facing monsters in the dark and avoiding traps enhanced physical and mental strength. On the second floor, battling a powerful monster fostered strategy and camaraderie. The third-floor maze, though quickly passed, likely developed judgment, insight, and cooperation.
The fourth floor, which Raon just passed, allowed one to compete with oneself, verifying their abilities, and for those who achieved sword field, it was a place to grow their mindscape.
Each floor was designed as a nurturing space for warriors to reach higher levels.
But Derus Robert had turned this land, filled with the ancestor of Zieghart’s care, into a hell with the touch of death. His habit of trying to control people's lives remained the same.
‘Derus Robert.’
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the hole that likely led to the final floor.
‘You won’t be here.’
Derus Robert, being extremely cautious, would surely not be present in this place.
However, the plans he had orchestrated remained intact within this tomb.
To honor the ancestor of Zieghart, from whom he had received so much help, he needed to shatter those plans.
Raon threw himself into the black hole, twisting his lips into a determined smile.
‘In the name of house Zieghart, I will deny everything you stand for.’
