N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 688
"Uh..."
Rimmer ran his fingers roughly through his hair as he looked at Raon's determined eyes.
"It's impossible right now."
"Why?"
"Because the fall of the Beast King is a much bigger deal than you think."
He shook his head while rubbing his shoes on the floor of the training ground.
"Currently, any trips outside Zieghart territory are prohibited all the armed forces carrying out missions outside have been ordered to return."
"Ah..."
Raon let out a low groan upon hearing that.
'That's right.'
It's only natural.
For decades, the Six Kings and the Five Demons have maintained a strange balance.
Each one was a force competing to be the best on the continent, so a fight between them would never result in an easy victory for either side.
The loser would be annihilated, and even the winner would suffer such tremendous damage that they couldn't fully rejoice.
Would other forces leave the greatly weakened winner alone?
An injured lion is bound to be attacked even by hyenas. Not just the Six Kings and the Five Demons, but also organizations like the Five Divine Orders would certainly jump in, drooling.
Expecting support from other Six Kings or Five Demons is also unrealistic.
'The Six Kings and the Five Demons are not bound by a desperate connection.'
Raon let out a long sigh.
'This is serious.'
Ogram's defeat to the White Blood Religion’s leader wasn't just the fall of the Beast Union, it might be the fall of one of the Six Kings.
'The bigger problem is...'
That the White Blood Religion hasn't suffered much damage.
It wasn't the White Blood Religion versus the Beast Union, it was a one-on-one fight between the White Blood Religion’s leader and Ogram, so the White Blood Religion hasn't weakened.
They couldn't annihilate the White Blood Religion, and the forces following the Five Demons would rise like wildfire, making it the worst situation in many ways.
'Therefore...'
He had to go to that place even more.
Even if he couldn't save Ogram, he had to go to the Chiran tribe because he might find clues about the White Blood Religion’s leader and Derus Robert.
"Hmm..."
Rimmer scratched his chin and smacked his lips.
"It seems you have an important reason."
"Yes. I must go."
"Then there's only one way."
He pointed his finger at the main building.
"You have to argue with the person who gave the order."
"It's late..."
"He'll be awake."
Rimmer lightly flicked his fingers.
"When you get old, you can't sleep."
He laughed, saying something that would make Glenn strike him with lightning if he heard it.
* * *
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"Haaa..."
The White Blood Religion’s leader lifted her red lips from Ogram's neck. She looked at the two holes in Ogram's neck with a smile of ecstasy.
"I never expected this."
The moment she absorbed Ogram's blood, an indescribable extreme pleasure surged through her.
The wounds on her body and soul, which should have left her collapsing, healed in an instant, and an uncontrollable surge of energy overflowed.
She had drunk the blood of a transcender before, but this was the first time she had sucked the blood of a transcender stronger than herself, and it exceeded her expectations.
Even though she hadn't yet completely made Ogram's blood her own, she felt her white soul’s aura reach a much higher level.
"Congratulations on your great achievement."
The Tenth Apostle bowed to the White Blood Religion’s leader.
"Great achievement? This is just the beginning."
The White Blood Religion’s leader lightly waved her hand at the Tenth Apostle. A deep blush spread across her pale cheeks.
'If I make all of Ogram's energy mine...'
I might reach Glenn Zieghart’s level.
Even with just the bloodsucking, the power surged so much that her mind was dizzy, so if she converted all this energy into the white soul’s aura, it would be no problem to break the northern sky.
'No, it wouldn't end there.'
With her increased power, she could target the leaders of the other Six Kings and Five Demons, making it possible to become the ruler of this continent.
"It's going to get interesting."
The White Blood Religion’s leader licked her blood-stained lips and smiled seductively.
"What about the Beast King?"
The Tenth Apostle pointed to Ogram, who was breathing faintly, as if dead.
"Hmm..."
The White Blood Religion’s leader narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Ogram.
'He said he separated the soul and body, right?'
The man with the dragon helmet said that he had separated Ogram's soul from his body, so he wouldn't wake up on his own. She wanted to find out what kind of ability that was.
"Leave him for now. I'll look into it after I finish my cultivation."
"Understood."
The Tenth Apostle bowed his head, indicating he would follow any command.
"And the remaining bloody energy here... hmm?"
The White Blood Religion’s leader narrowed her eyes, looking at her own hand. The hand part of the White Hawk Glove she was wearing was torn.
'Was it torn?'
She hadn't noticed it during the battle with Ogram, the nerve-wracking standoff with the man with the dragon helmet, or while absorbing Ogram's blood, but now she saw that the White Hawk Glove was so damaged they couldn't be used.
'It was a tough fight, after all.'
Ogram was a strong opponent she couldn't defeat one-on-one. If the price for defeating him and absorbing his blood was just one damaged glove, it was a profitable deal.
"You absorb the remaining energy here."
The White Blood Religion’s leader handed the torn glove to the Tenth Apostle and nodded.
"How can I, when the First and Second Apostle are here..."
"Stop the pretense and say something meaningful."
She laughed and left the Palace of Sacrifice.
"...Thank you."
The Tenth Apostle clutched the damaged gloves and bowed deeply. His eyes shone white as he slowly raised his gaze.
* * *
"You want to go to the place where the White Blood Religion’s leader and Ogram fought?"
Glenn frowned deeply as he looked down at Raon, who was kneeling.
"Yes."
Raon bit his lip to withstand Glenn's pressure and bowed his head.
"It seems you don't understand the gravity of the situation."
Glenn sighed heavily, turning his gaze to the moonlit window.
"Ogram's defeat isn't just his own. Numerous forces oppressed by the name of the Six Kings will rise like a flood."
He too couldn't believe the current situation and pounded the armrest of the throne roughly.
"The Five Demons won't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will take the lead in rallying the villains. The balance of the continent has already collapsed."
Glenn said rumors of Ogram's defeat were spreading at an unbelievable speed, clenching his fist.
"In this worst-case scenario, if someone like you, whose reputation rivals even the transcender, moves, those aspiring to be the second White Blood Religion’s leader will pursue you."
For once, he showed concern for Raon with a sharp look.
"I won't lose to moths chasing fame."
Raon pounded his chest, asking for his trust.
"When a thousand ants gather, they can lift a millstone."
Glenn shook his head calmly.
"No matter how strong you are, if many come after you, you'll eventually be driven out."
"Still... I have to go."
"Hmm."
Glenn raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he didn't expect to hear Raon insist on going.
"Why?"
"..."
Raon didn't answer right away. He could have made up a reason, but since Glenn showed sincerity, he wanted to answer sincerely as well.
"I accidentally entered my mental world during training."
"Again? You entered it again?"
Rimmer glared, asking if the mental world was a convenience store.
"While trying to leave after finishing training in the mental world, Ogram suddenly appeared."
"Ogram?"
"Is that true?"
Sheryl and Roenn stepped forward simultaneously.
"Yes. He appeared in my mental world..."
Raon explained how Ogram taught him the Raging Sea and showed him fighting someone before being dragged into darkness.
He didn't mention Derus' dark flow because he wasn't sure about it himself.
"He looked at me as if desperately asking for help. So I have to go."
"That's ridiculous..."
Sheryl's jaw trembled in disbelief.
"No, it makes sense."
Rimmer interrupted Sheryl.
"Raon wasn't surprised when he heard about the Beast King's defeat. He even seemed to expect it. I found it strange, but now I understand why."
"Huhu..."
Roenn stroked his beard and let out a hollow laugh.
"If that's true, then I understand why young master Raon wants to go there."
He nodded, indicating he believed Raon.
"Did you say you learned the Raging Sea from Ogram when you were in the Sran tribe?"
Glenn placed his hand on the armrest of the throne and furrowed his brow.
"Yes."
"Teaching you the Raging Sea that could be his secret technique, he's quite a dense fellow."
He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
"I understand why you want to go. Even if there's a reason, it's still dangerous. The White Blood Religion or other Five Demons could still be there."
Glenn closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and shook his head calmly.
"Hmm, that is..."
"So."
Raon thought Glenn would oppose and frowned, but Glenn continued speaking.
"I'll go with you."
With that, Glenn stood up from the throne. His presence was so immense that it felt like the air twisted as a towering mountain rose.
"Pardon...?"
Raon blinked in bewilderment.
"I said I'll go with you. Any objections?"
"No, absolutely not."
Raon shook his head quickly, like a spinning wheel.
How could I have objections...
* * *
Wooooooong!
Raon looked back as he exited the dimensional gate closest to the Beast Union.
Glenn, Roenn, Sheryl, and Rimmer followed, their faces hidden under black hoods.
"Do you know the way?"
Glenn asked, tilting his chin lightly.
"Yes..."
Raon was familiar with the route as the Chiran tribe village wasn't far from the Sran tribe.
"Lead the way."
"Understood."
Raon swallowed dryly and led the group.
'What is this...'
Why are these people behind me...
Three of the four were Grandmasters, and the remaining one was a Transcender who was considered the best on the continent.
Even though there were only four, it wasn't an exaggeration to say they represented half of house Zieghart's power.
The fact that they were following him because of his request was incredibly burdensome.
'If I can't find him, I might die...'
Listening to Glenn, it seemed he had a close bond with Ogram. He felt like he might die if he couldn't find any trace of him.
'No, death is later.'
He couldn't forget Ogram's last look. He had to focus on finding the trace now and think about the aftermath later.
Piaaaaang!
Raon took a deep breath and unleashed the Supreme Harmony Steps with all his might. His body became a black line, sprinting across the grassland.
Glenn, Sheryl, Roenn, and Rimmer exchanged approving looks as they followed behind Raon.
Since everyone was at least a Grandmaster, it didn't take long to reach the Chiran tribe.
Ssssss.
Raon stopped in front of a scorched tree and bent down.
Warriors of the Beast Union blocked the entrance to the Chiran tribe village, so they couldn't enter directly.
[There are no signs of life inside the village. Let's go in quietly.]
There might be spies among them, so it wasn't good for Glenn's presence here to be known. Raon suggested sneaking in through an aura message.
[Our leader is giving orders well!]
[That's a good idea.]
[Huhuhu.]
[...]
Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn nodded in agreement.
Glenn said nothing. He just looked at Raon, his hand covering his mouth trembling slightly.
'He's a bit strange as always.'
Raon shrugged and suppressed his presence. He crossed the half-collapsed wall and entered the Chiran tribe.
The four behind him followed without making a sound, like the wind.
Fortunately, there was no one inside. It seemed they had only stationed warriors outside to avoid erasing the battle traces unnecessarily.
'Hah...'
Raon let out a breath, looking at the ground of the village.
'No need to find where they fought.'
There was no need to search separately for traces of the battle between Ogram and the White Blood Religion’s leader. The entire village bore the marks of their fight.
"It started here."
Glenn pointed to the ground beneath his feet.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and stood next to him.
"Sir Ogram attacked first, and the White Blood Religion’s leader used her blood energy to retreat."
Examining the traces on the ground, bushes, and walls, it was clear how the two had fought.
It was identical to Ogram's movements Raon had seen in the mental world.
"The first attack was likely a greeting, and they fought properly from here."
Raon followed the deep footprints left by Ogram.
"Sir Ogram kept gaining the upper hand. The White Blood Religion’s leader occasionally pushed him back with the quantity of her bloody energy but suffered damage from the Raging Sea."
"How do you know that so well?"
Rimmer squinted in disbelief.
"Even I can't interpret it this quickly..."
Sheryl's eyes widened in surprise.
"You have a talent for this as well."
Roenn, as always, only gave praise.
"It's nothing."
Raon shook his head, saying it was thanks to Ogram he had seen in the mental world.
"And here."
Raon pointed to the deeply dug-up ground as if someone had shoveled it.
"They had their final clash here. The White Blood Religion’s leader used the Goddess of Blood Devouring Anguish, and Sir Ogram increased his Raging Sea output to the maximum."
Kneeling, he showed the slightly deeper marks.
"Judging by the traces here, it looks like Sir Ogram won, but someone intervened."
"Intervened?"
Glenn, who had been silent until now, narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, I'm certain."
This was the exact spot where Ogram had staggered in the mental world. It was clear that Derus had intervened and swung his sword here.
"There are no traces at all."
"I don't see anything either."
Rimmer and Sheryl shook their heads, not understanding. Naturally, they wouldn't know.
Even Raon wouldn't have known if it weren't for Ogram he had seen in his mental world.
"Indeed..."
Glenn stroked his chin, looking at the ground Raon pointed to.
"It's so natural that it feels artificial."
He clicked his tongue, saying it looked like an expert had erased the traces.
"After that, it was one-sided."
Raon followed the movements of Ogram he had seen in the mental world and stopped in front of the mud with no traces.
'The final conclusion was made here.'
Ogram had tried to overcome the situation of being outnumbered two-to-one. He poured out all his power but only managed to injure the leader of the White Blood Religion before falling to Derus.
'The problem is...'
Finding evidence that everyone could see, not just what he knew alone.
'It will take some time.'
Since there would be traces left after Ogram fell, he might have to search the entire village.
'No.'
Raon stroked his chin and then opened his eyes wide.
'There is a way.'
He thought of how Ogram left traces and how to find them.
Using the Raging Sea.
If it was a formless (invisible), colorless energy that penetrated the enemy's aura, it would be possible to avoid the eyes of the White Blood Religion’s leader and Derus.
Wooooong!
Raon closed his eyes and drew up the Raging Sea. Normally, he would only use it very subtly, but he spread it outside his body like an aura perception.
It was the first time he spread the Raging Sea into the air, so his head throbbed, but he endured and gradually expanded the range.
'Huh...?'
Around the time his skin started to feel prickly, he sensed a small flow that tickled the Raging Sea’s energy about ten steps to the right.
'Is it over there?'
While still using the Raging Sea, Raon dug into the spot where he sensed the signal earlier.
If Ogram had left traces after falling, he couldn't have dug deep, so he moved his fingers cautiously.
After digging through the mud about five times, a small cloth fragment wrapped in the Raging Sea’s energy revealed itself.
'This is it!'
Inside the cloth fragment, he could feel the energy of death. It was definitely a trace left by Ogram.
'Amazing.'
Since the energy of death was wrapped in the colorless and formless Raging Sea’s energy, Derus hadn't noticed it either.
'However...'
There was no bloody energy.
Unfortunately, only the energy of death remained in the cloth fragment, without any bloody energy from the White Blood Religion’s leader.
Tsk.
As he clicked his tongue in disappointment, Glenn shook his head.
"Look below it."
"Sorry?"
When Raon lowered his hand holding the cloth fragment and cleared a bit more mud, he saw a milky white wave blocked by the cloth.
Wooooooong!
The Blade of Requiem emitted an intense sword cry as soon as it saw the white wave.
"It seems..."
Glenn smiled as he looked at the blackened cloth fragment.
"We found the right thing."
