N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 672
Raon ascended the black-stained stairs, feeling the powerful vibrations emanating from below.
‘Those two should be able to handle it.’
Although saintess Olga was hiding it, she had already surpassed the strength of high priest Piren, and Rimmer's swordsmanship was at a level that could easily overwhelm Danieff the commander of the royal guard.
Moreover, Piren and Danieff harbored hesitation and guilt in their hearts, so the possibility of Olga and Rimmer losing didn't even cross his mind.
The scent of demonic energy is getting stronger.
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling made of demonic energy.
It means we’re almost there.
‘Yeah.’
Raon nodded calmly. Just as Wrath said, the stench of demonic energy was intensifying. It was clear that king Baurun, who had made a contract with the demon, was right above.
‘What is the power level of the demon that made a contract with king Baurun?’
Weak.
Wrath answered without a moment's hesitation.
It’s a weakling who would burst and die with a flick of my finger.
He shook his head, saying the word 'power' itself was a waste for that demon.
‘Sigh….’
Raon sighed as he patted Wrath’s cotton candy-like hair.
‘Not from your perspective, but from mine.’
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Wrath’s power was exceptional even among transcenders.
Considering he had left even the Flame of Inferno Commander, another transcender, in a near-death state with a single blow, the word 'weak' from him wasn't helpful.
At your level, it won't be easy to win.
Wrath looked down at Raon, tapping his chin.
One small mistake and your head will be gone.
He sneered, mocking Raon's pathetic level.
‘Is that so.’
Considering the high level of demonic energy king Baurun had displayed, it was natural for the demon's power to be strong.
However, Raon wasn’t particularly worried. If things went as he planned, dealing with the demon would be easier than dealing with king Baurun.
There's no need to worry. The one up there isn't a demon yet, just that foolish king.
Wrath waved his chubby hand, seemingly mistaking Raon's concern.
‘I know. But just in case.’
Raon smiled faintly and continued up the grotesque, vein-like stairs.
As he reached the top floor, made entirely of demonic energy, an unexpected sight came into view.
Gooooooo!
A black cocoon, woven from thin threads of demonic energy, was floating in the air. Four high priests stood in the four cardinal directions, pouring holy power into the cocoon.
Not only the holy power of the priests but also the holy power and demonic energy spread throughout the kingdom were being absorbed into the cocoon.
‘King Baurun is inside that.’
He could sense the presence of Baurun within the pulsating, black cocoon. It seemed he was accumulating power inside.
"Wh-what!"
"Why is the Dragon Slayer here!"
"C-could it be that Sir Piren and Sir Danieff have been defeated!"
The high priests trembled, unable to believe Raon was here.
“Shit.”
Raon, uttering a curse word often used by saintess Olga, approached the cocoon where Burun was hiding.
“W-wait!”
“Stop!”
“If you attack now, the cocoon might burst! The entire kingdom could be destroyed….”
“That’s not something for you to worry about.”
Unfazed, Raon advanced, confident he could handle whatever emerged from the cocoon.
Srrrk!
Raon placed his hand on the hilt of Heavenly Drive. The moment he set his intention to cut, the blade turned into the scythe of a grim reaper, slicing towards the priests' necks.
“B-block it!”
“Ugh!”
The priests to the north and east hastily raised shields made of demonic energy despite their panic.
Chwaaaak!
However, the blade, imbued with the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, shattered the demonic shields and slit the priests' throats.
“Aaargh….”
“What the….”
The two priests fell, eyes wide with shock at how easily their demonic shields had been cut.
“D-don’t come!”
“It’s really dangerous! If it goes berserk, everyone will die!”
The high priests to the south and west waved their hands frantically.
“You dare say that after turning the kingdom into this?”
Raon sneered and aimed Heavenly Drive at the two remaining priests.
“Attack!”
“Graaaah!”
The priests, realizing words wouldn’t work, switched to offense.
The demonic energy condensed in their hands, shooting out like sharpened spears.
The demonic spears flew like a rain of arrows, but Raon had already moved.
Thud!
Using the Supreme Harmony Steps, he forcefully pushed off the ground and reached the priests' rear.
"Behind, behind us!"
"Gasp!"
The priests sensed Raon’s presence and turned around, but it was too late.
Chwaaak!
The silver blade, shimmering like ice, flashed past the necks of the priests.
“Ah….”
“Ugh….”
Red lines appeared on the priests' necks, growing thicker and spurting red blood.
Rumble!
But it wasn’t over. The priests’ bodies, already tainted by demonic energy, began to regenerate even after their heads were severed.
‘This level of regeneration….’
Due to the power they received from Baurun, who had directly made a contract with the demon, the demonic energy within the priests was overwhelming.
‘But it’s meaningless.’
Raon plunged Heavenly Drive into the ground, drawing out the fire of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to the extreme.
Whoooosh!
Golden fire erupted from the ground, burning the priests' bodies and the fragments of demonic energy to ash.
All that remained was the black smoke and the floating cocoon of demonic energy.
Tsk.
Raon stepped onto the skeletal frame of the tower, approaching the demonic energy cocoon, which was pulsating more violently.
He struck the center of the cocoon with Heavenly Drive, wreathed in the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s fire.
Chwaaaak!
The black cocoon shattered like an eggshell, king Baurun was curled up inside, eyes closed like a fetus in its mother's womb.
As Raon prepared to strike upwards with Heavenly Drive, Baurun's eyelids opened.
Boom!
His black eyes, darker than demonic energy, glinted.
"You…."
“Did you come to bless my rebirth?”
With a chilling smile spreading across Baurun's face, darkness surged forth.
Whooooosh!
* * *
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Roar!
A beast with a lion’s head and a bull’s body charged forward, smashing the ground.
“Hup!”
Hopen didn’t retreat. Instead, he leaped forward and brought down his sword, ablaze with holy power.
Chwaaaak!
The blade of holy power cut through the demonic energy and sliced the beast's body.
Screeech.
Even with its body bisected, the beast didn't die, lunging with its sharp teeth.
Thunk!
Hopen crushed its head with his sword, and the beast melted into a pool of black liquid.
“There are five more inside! Finish them off before they escape!”
At his command, the priests and holy knights waiting behind him rushed in to purify the smaller beasts inside.
“Whew….”
Hopen wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped out onto the main street.
‘I'm exhausted.’
Using the knight’s emblem given by Kinear, he had dealt with most of the beasts, but their sheer numbers had worn him out.
There was no time to rest, though. There was still much work to be done.
‘The most dangerous now is….’
The Light Wind division.
He was most concerned about the Light Wind division, who had to protect Kinear while fighting the demons.
Having eliminated all the large monsters, he left the cleanup to his vice leader and ran towards the tower.
When he arrived, he saw a single wind sword the Light Wind swordsmen had created.
Whoooosh!
The blue blade of wind tore through the massive demonic energy, ripping the demon’s body apart mercilessly. The demon vanished without leaving a trace of demonic energy.
"Huh..."
Hopen let out a breath as he watched the back of the Light Wind swordsmen, who had just eradicated the demon.
'They actually won...'
Demons have a nature that oppresses human souls.
It was hard to believe that these young swordsmen could break that nature and defeat the demon.
The most surprising part was that none of them had died. There were some seriously injured, but no one had sustained fatal wounds.
"......"
Even after defeating the demon, the Light Wind swordsmen did not fully relax. They only began to sit down one by one after confirming that the demonic energy had completely disappeared.
'They're so different...'
Hopen couldn't fathom what kind of training and real battles they had gone through to possess such strength and mental fortitude. Instead of envy, he felt a sense of awe.
"Hmm..."
Hopen followed the gazes of the Light Wind swordsmen, looking up at the top of the tower where Raon was.
'Now, only that place remains.'
They had taken care of the demons and monsters, so the only ones left were High Priest Piren, Sir Danieff, and his father at the top of the tower.
'Please...'
Hopen clasped his hands together and prayed, hoping that everything would end without further deaths.
KUUUUUUUUUNG!
The entire kingdom, not just the tower, seemed to twist with a massive shockwave as demonic energy from the top of the tower surged up, covering the sky.
A man with two pairs of wings rose up against the pitch-black sky.
He had a well-built physique without an ounce of excess fat, and skin as white as an infant's. His sharp features and jawline made him look extraordinarily handsome.
He wore a black crown on his head, with demonic energy radiating around it like a heat haze.
"C-could it be..."
Hopen's jaw trembled as he looked at the man with a sinister smile.
"Father?"
They resembled each other. The young man's face looked exactly like the portrait of his father painted 20 years ago, or rather, long before he was born.
Leaving everything else aside, the black crown he wore was identical in shape to the white holy crown, the national treasure and symbol of the king of Schper. It was unmistakable.
"Ugh..."
Hopen felt a chill as he looked at Baurun, surveying the entire kingdom with a twisted grin.
His father, who had touched forbidden powers, had turned into a monster consumed by demonic energy. The aura emanating from him was no longer kind and holy, but reeked of demonic energy and malice.
However, the overwhelming demonic energy didn't reach the ground.
Hwaaaa!
Raon's fire at the top of the tower were burning away all the demonic energy.
'Please...'
Hopen looked at Raon, clasping his hands together, biting his lips, and falling to his knees.
'Please stop my father!'
* * *
"I feel free."
Baurun spread his arms wide, taking a deep breath. The demonic energy from his breath darkened the already black sky.
"I feel omnipotent, capable of anything."
"You've regained your youth."
Raon lightly twisted his neck as he looked at Baurun floating in the sky.
Due to the influence of demonic energy, Baurun's appearance and physique seemed to have reverted to his twenties.
His blue hair and eyes, as well as the white crown he once wore, had turned black. He looked like a completely different person.
Of course, the most significant change was the demonic energy. The demonic energy he emitted felt like it had absorbed all the holy power that once filled the kingdom, and its scale was unimaginable.
'There's no way to win based on aura alone.'
He had always considered himself to possess more aura than those of the same level, whether warriors or mages, but Baurun's demonic energy was beyond comparison.
"Raon Zieghart."
Baurun looked down and stroked his chin. Despite his transformation, it seemed his old habits remained.
"I have realized what it truly means to be a king."
He said this while pointing to the blackened crown.
The audacity! That scum dares to call himself a king!
Wrath shouted in anger, shaking his fist.
"You've become arrogant. No more honorifics, I see?"
"Why should I elevate my speech when I am the king?"
Whether it was his hidden true nature or a change brought on by the demonic energy, Baurun's tone was irritatingly arrogant.
"What is a true king, then?"
Raon raised an eyebrow and smirked at Baurun.
"Power. It's this very strength."
Baurun clenched both fists tightly.
"Only those who possess the power to protect the kingdom and annihilate their enemies can become true kings!"
"Power? As expected."
Raon shook his head with a sneer.
"Does a true king sacrifice his people to gain power? That's not a king, but a butcher. You're not even as good as an idiot king who generously gives everything away."
Baurun claimed to have realized what a true king was, but to Raon, he was nothing more than a butcher.
An idiot king who generously gives everything away? Such a person exists? Who the hell is that!
'....'
Wrath shook his head, saying that someone who only gives is not qualified to be a king.
"Becoming part of me is a blessing. The people who died would be happy."
Baurun, already consumed by madness, gently traced his youthful body with a warm smile.
"You're beyond help."
Raon flicked his finger at Baurun.
"I'll show you how worthless your so-called power is."
"Good. Fighting the Dragon Slayer will be a fitting first battle to spread my name."
Baurun raised his right hand. The demonic energy burning in his hand shot out as a black beam of light.
There was almost no delay. The moment it flashed, the demonic energy was already right in front of Raon.
Fwoosh!
Raon lowered his stance deeply. With Heavenly Drive tilted downward, he slashed upward at the incoming demonic sphere. It was quite heavy, but not impossible to cut through.
Chwaaaa!
The red-hot blade cleaved the demonic energy, leaving a thick, clear trail in the air.
"Is that all?"
Raon shook his head slightly, waving his reddened blade.
"Of course not."
Baurun smiled faintly, raising his hand again. The demonic sphere that Raon had cut now multiplied into countless smaller spheres.
"I just wanted to play a little."
With a flick of his finger, the countless demonic spheres rained down like a storm.
Hwaaaa!
Raon swung Heavenly Drive, creating a swirling wave.
Red petals bloomed along the sword's trajectory. The scattering petals filled the air, as if experiencing all four seasons at once.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Thousand Flames.
Flame Spirit.
The fragments of fire imbued with astral sphere intercepted the rain of demonic spheres, causing countless explosions in the sky.
Kwaaang!
As black smoke covered the sky and the ground, a black shadow charged from the right. It was an incredible speed, difficult to react to.
However, because the movement was so fast, predicting its direction wasn't difficult.
Thud!
The moment Raon stepped onto a slightly bent steel bar using the Supreme Harmony Steps, Baurun extended his blackened fist. The force behind it was so strong that the surroundings seemed to distort.
Raon used the flowing movement of the Supreme Harmony Steps, as if swimming through clouds, to deflect Baurun’s punch and then unleashed Frost Pond with Heavenly Drive.
Chwaaaa!
The two ice swords extended consecutively.
But Baurun, as if his reaction speed had also increased, leaned back to easily dodge both attacks and even counterattacked with his left fist.
Raon tilted his head to the right to dodge Baurun's fist. Blood splattered from his cheek due to the wind force, but he didn't mind.
'It's all as expected.'
Raon slightly bit his lip and threw the Blade of Requiem, which was enraged by Baurun’s demonic energy. The bright yellow ghastly energy surging from the red blade tore apart the demonic energy that Baurun was emitting.
Zzeooook!
Baurun's forelock was slightly cut, but he leisurely stepped back.
"Impressive, as expected."
He nodded in satisfaction.
"You said you were the true king, right?"
Raon looked at Baurun and tilted his chin.
"Indeed. I am the true king who can protect the kingdom of Schper."
"Is there a king without a crown?"
"What do you..."
Just as Baurun frowned, the black crown on his head split in two and fell to the ground.
"That was bothering me."
Raon caught the Blade of Requiem he had thrown and smiled faintly.
"What suits a murderer is a noose around the neck, not a crown."
"You bastard!"
A monstrous roar erupted from Baurun's throat. His wings spread wide, and an overwhelming demonic energy filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
"I'll kill you!"
"Try if you can."
Raon planted both Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem into the ground.
"Incomplete Sword Field Creation, Harmony of Heaven and Demon."
A clear resonance twisted the world. Above the dark sky filled with demonic energy, a golden sun and a silver moon rose.
The sticky demonic energy seemed frightened by the noble light and was pushed back to the corners.
"From you..."
Raon, with the divine and demonic swords forged from the sun and moon, revealed a fierce gaze.
"I'll take the title of king."