N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 689
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the white waves.
"What is this?"
He could sense some energy, but it wasn't aggressive, making it hard to identify.
"It's a Blood Spirit Passage."
Glenn murmured, his red eyes reflecting the white waves.
"A Blood Spirit Passage..."
"Yes, it's a ‘dimensional gate’ that only the White Blood Religion can use."
He frowned, explaining it was a transportation magic and sorcery created by the White Blood Religion.
"You've seen it before."
Rimmer pointed at the shimmering white Blood Spirit Passage with his chin.
"When we first encountered the Tenth Apostle, this was how he appeared."
"Ah..."
Raon nodded.
'So, that's what it was.'
Hearing Rimmer's words reminded him of when the Tenth Apostle and the Seventh Apostle emerged from the pool of blood on the ground.
Since the White Blood Religion couldn't openly use dimensional gates, they must have used these Blood Spirit Passages for long-distance travel.
However, there was a significant difference between the Blood Spirit Passage used by the Tenth Apostle and the one in front of them.
"The Blood Spirit Passage we saw then was red, wasn't it?"
"Yes, this is the first time I've seen a white one."
Rimmer nodded heavily.
"It's probably one of two things. Either the passage was created by the White Blood Religion's leader, or the headquarters of the White Blood Religion is below us."
He clicked his tongue, certain of his prediction.
"So, that means..."
Sheryl placed her hand on her sword, looking back at Rimmer.
"If we go through this passage, we can capture the leader of the White Blood Religion!"
"That's right."
A cold sharpness flowed over Roenn's kind eyes.
However, Glenn was frowning, not at the Blood Spirit Passage, but at the energy of death attached to the cloth fragment.
"Is that the energy of death?"
He immediately recognized the black, rippling aura as the energy of death.
"That's correct."
Raon planted the Blade of Requiem into the ground to prevent the passage from closing, then removed the cloth fragment and handed it to Glenn.
"This is the same energy that attacked me in front of the Saber Sword Sovereign’s tomb."
As expected. Ogram wasn't defeated by the leader of the White Blood Religion but was ambushed by Derus Robert.
"That's it!"
Rimmer also nodded with his eyebrows slightly raised as if he was sure.
"The one who attacked me seems to have ambushed Ogram, who was fighting the leader of the White Blood Religion."
"..."
Glenn's red eyes burned with a heat more intense than lava. He seemed to be deeply enraged by the cowardly tactic used against Ogram.
"Whew..."
Raon sighed in relief as he saw Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn grinding their teeth.
'I'm glad we found it.'
They had found evidence that Derus ambushed Ogram and discovered a way to rescue Ogram.
Since they had achieved everything they came here for, his rapidly beating heart began to calm.
"Yeah. I didn't think that fool would go down easily."
Glenn twisted his lips, caressing the cloth fragment.
"He put the Raging Sea’s energy and the energy of death into the White Hawk Glove fragment, so the Blood Spirit Passage can't close. He's still as cunning as ever."
"I agree."
Raon nodded, looking at the White Hawk fragment in Glenn's hand.
'Incredible doesn't even begin to describe it.'
Seeing the measures Ogram had taken to evade the eyes of Derus Robert and the White Blood Religion’s leader, Raon couldn't help but admire Ogram.
"And you are no different."
Glenn looked at him and nodded.
"Pardon?"
Raon opened his eyes wide, not understanding what he meant.
"I wasn't sure if Ogram had done anything here. How did you find it?"
"Thanks to the energy of the Raging Sea."
He drew out the energy of the Raging Sea with his fingertips.
"The Raging Sea is a supreme martial art, but it has no light, shape, or energy waves. It only has a natural flow, and I sensed that subtle presence from below."
"You haven't even been learning the Raging Sea for a year, have you? You've already reached that level?"
"Thanks to meeting Sir Ogram in my mental world."
He had reached this level thanks to seeing Ogram in his mental world. Without him, he wouldn't have found the cloth fragment.
"Hmph..."
Glenn narrowed his eyes. He seemed displeased with something.
"Our leader learns faster than anyone else."
Rimmer nodded, amazed.
"Doesn't that mean Ogram is the only one whose Raging Sea level is higher than Raon's?"
"That might be the case."
Sheryl smiled faintly.
"He even learned my dual sword technique right away. He's quite the annoying one."
She seemed to recall old memories as her eyes softened slightly.
"Huhuhu."
Roenn just laughed, seemingly pleased.
"Ahem!"
Glenn, seeing the others laugh, coughed to hide his discomfort and allowed a small smile.
"The problem is how to open this passage."
Raon sighed, pointing at the Blood Spirit Passage that was struggling to push away the Blade of Requiem.
"And knowing the White Blood Religion, they might have set traps, realizing the passage hasn't closed..."
"That's unlikely."
Glenn shook his head calmly.
"Unlike dimensional gates, the Blood Spirit Passage is a one-time use. The White Blood Religion's leader and the white fanatics probably don't even realize it hasn't closed, lost in the joy of capturing Ogram."
"Indeed..."
If a grand feast was laid out while one was starving, no one would care about a small rat hole.
As Glenn said, the possibility of traps seemed very low.
"But that doesn't mean there are no traps."
"Yes?"
"Entering this passage itself is dangerous."
"What do you mean..."
Raon opened his eyes wide. He hadn't expected to hear the word 'dangerous' from Glenn.
"The White Blood Religion’s headquarters has an array made of bloody energy installed. It's a deadly array that drains the energy and stamina of those without bloody energy."
Glenn traced a semicircle in the air with his finger.
"In the past, the king of the Bellan Kingdom, who had a power not much inferior to the Six Kings, was overwhelmed and died due to this array in the White Blood Religion's headquarters."
"Ah..."
Hearing this, Raon recalled Derus mocking the leader of the White Blood Religion in his past life.
[Did you think revealing the location of the White Blood Religion’s headquarters was a mistake? Of course, it was all to lure king Bellan and drain his blood. The Supreme Demon Blood Array there can't be broken. You'll slowly be consumed by the bloody energy. She's like a poisonous spider.]
Raon erased the image of Derus's mocking laughter from his mind, frowning.
It seemed he had planned to use the White Blood Religion’s leader from the beginning.
"Moreover, the one who spread this energy of death might be inside, and Ogram's condition is likely to be critical."
Glenn brushed off the White Hawk fragment, frowning.
"So it's not about fighting..."
"Yes. We need to set a time limit and prioritize rescuing Ogram."
He nodded, emphasizing that there wouldn't be much time for a battle.
Today, it seemed that even Glenn, whom he had considered invincible, did not act carelessly and made judgments after careful planning. Raon learned something new.
"It's a pity. If it weren't for Ogram, I'd love to cut them all down..."
Sheryl clapped her hands together with regret.
"We can still have some fun, though."
Rimmer laughed lightly, brushing his hair back.
"Haha, we’re not here to have fun."
Roenn grabbed Rimmer's shoulder, who seemed excited. The three of them smiled lightly, as if they were going on an outing, even though they were about to enter the White Blood Religion’s headquarters.
However, there was something more important than them at the moment.
"I don’t know how to open this Blood Spirit Passage…."
"We just force it open."
As soon as Glenn lowered his finger, a red lightning bolt flashed, and the Blood Spirit Passage, which had looked too narrow for even a piece of paper to fit through, widened to Raon's height.
Crack!
Raon stared at the red lightning twisting and squeezing the Blood Spirit Passage with his mouth agape.
'Crazy…'
No words could come out. It was as if someone had torn a person's mouth open to nearly 2 meters wide using sheer force. He had thought they would use an artifact or understand the flow of the Blood Spirit Passage to open it, but Glenn had simply forced it open with power, showing a similarity to Wrath.
"They will have noticed our presence inside by now."
Glenn frowned, looking at the elongated Blood Spirit Passage.
"We have 15 minutes until this passage fully closes. We must find Ogram and get out within that time."
"Fifteen minutes is more than enough."
"We'll have time to spare even after sweeping them all away."
"Haha, it’s been a while since I’ve stretched my back."
Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn remained calm, seemingly having complete trust in Glenn.
"Raon."
Glenn finally turned his gaze to Raon.
"We'll buy time in the front. You find Ogram."
"What?"
Raon's eyes widened at the unexpected command.
"You found this place, didn't you?"
Glenn pointed at the Blood Spirit Passage with his chin.
"The new White Blood Religion’s headquarters is likely very large, given the White Blood Religion’s leader's personality. Even with 15 minutes, it would be difficult to search the entire place, so it's safer and more efficient for you to find him while concealing your presence."
He put his fingers to his lips as if whistling.
"If you are in danger, send the Light Wind’s signal."
"...Understood."
"I trust you."
Glenn's words of trust resonated deeply in Raon's chest.
"Then let's go."
Before Raon could even respond, Glenn entered the Blood Spirit Passage first. It seemed like he was seeing many different sides of him today.
"If you don't find Ogram, all your gold coins are mine!"
Rimmer, calling it a men's promise, was the second to enter.
"Don’t worry. If that guy takes your gold coins, I'll cut off his hand."
Sheryl gave a sweet smile and spoke ominously before throwing herself into the passage.
"It feels like the old days."
Roenn hid a chilling intent within his hearty laughter before entering the passage.
"Whew…"
Raon took a deep breath and entered the passage last. As he passed through the darkness, Glenn's words suddenly came to mind.
'The Light Wind’s signal?'
It was surprising that Glenn knew the Light Wind’s signal, something only Rimmer should know.
'Why…?'
As he pondered this oddity, the darkness cleared, and a bright light erupted.
A massive royal castle, hidden in the darkness, appeared.
It looked as though the entire space was covered with a white curtain, with everything before his eyes blanketed in a snowy white.
'Why does everything look so identical?'
The buildings were so similar that finding Ogram seemed like it would be quite a challenge.
Bong! Bong! Bong!
As Glenn had said, a loud bell rang throughout the White Blood Religion’s headquarters, indicating the intrusion had been detected.
Raon descended silently into the white ground, feeling the fine sand beneath his feet.
'The sand isn't important right now.'
The important thing wasn't the sand under his feet or the similar-looking buildings.
'My body feels heavy.'
Whether it was due to the Supreme Demon Blood Array set up here or not, just standing here caused his aura to drain, dulled his senses significantly, and made his body feel several times heavier.
Boom!
Glenn, Rimmer, Sheryl, and Roenn were wreaking havoc as if the array meant nothing.
The White Blood Religion’s white fanatics approaching them were reduced to puddles of blood around them.
'They're using their power excessively to make it easier for me to move.'
They were intentionally using excessive force to ensure he could move freely.
Raon bowed his head to Glenn and the three others before running to the right, where there were no white fanatics.
"……."
Glenn, confirming that Raon had slipped away, struck the white tower in front of him with lightning.
Boom!
With a tremendous explosion, the tower was cut in half and crashed down, crushing the white blood fanatics below.
"Come out, all of you!"
This roar wasn't just to attract attention or call out the White Blood Religion’s leader.
'That bastard.'
It was a call to the swordsman who used the energy of death that targeted Raon.
'How dare he target my grandson?'
He had told Raon that he was buying time, but if that bastard who touched his precious grandson came out, he would kill him instantly.
"Come out now!"
Glenn shot lightning bolts and moved forward. He spread a majestic wave of energy as if he were going to destroy the entire White Blood Religion’s headquarters.
"Uh…."
Rimmer blinked behind Glenn, looking dumbfounded.
"You said you were buying time…."
* * *
'Wow…'
Raon swallowed dryly, watching Glenn's lightning storm demolish the White Blood Religion’s headquarters.
'Were the head of house and Ogram that close?'
Glenn seemed to be almost rampaging, furious at the White Blood Religion for attacking Ogram.
It was surprising to see him move like this in a place where it was hard to exert full power and the aura consumption was immense.
'If I don't find Ogram, I might be in danger too…'
Raon let out a dry laugh and climbed up a tower overlooking the entire White Blood Religion’s headquarters.
'Why does everything look so similar?'
The buildings were so uniformly constructed that he couldn't tell where anything was, especially since everyone here had bloody energy, making it difficult to locate with aura perception.
'Finding him with the Raging Sea’s energy is tough too.'
He was considering taking someone hostage when the Blade of Requiem in his right hand, sensing the dense bloody energy, let out a sorrowful yet angry cry.
He felt an overwhelming desire to kill all the white fanatics present.
'Wait a minute…'
Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the trembling Blade of Requiem.
'If everyone here has bloody energy…'
Just find the person without it.
The only person here without bloody energy was Ogram, so it seemed best to locate his presence.
'Can you do it?'
Wooong!
The Blade of Requiem let out a confident cry, and then spread a thin layer of ghastly energy in all directions.
If the place had been quiet, the energy might have been detected, but with Glenn and the three Grandmasters causing havoc, no one noticed the Blade of Requiem's ghastly energy.
Zing!
Soon after, the Blade of Requiem vibrated intensely, drawing a path with its ghastly energy.
'Is it that one?'
At the western end, a building that looked like a cathedral caught his eye. Trusting the Blade of Requiem, he moved towards the building.
He hid his body in front of the building and activated The Perception of the Snow Flower.
'Two inside. It's Sir Ogram!'
He sensed Ogram's presence from the person lying on the floor.
'But the other one...'
Raon frowned as he sensed the presence of a white fanatic standing as if guarding Ogram. He recognized it.
'The Tenth Apostle...'
He felt the unique, sticky bloody energy of the Tenth Apostle.
However, the energy was much stronger than when he last saw it.
The fact that he didn't come out even though it was noisy outside meant that he was either focused on protecting Ogram or in the middle of meditating.
'Then there's no need to fight head-on...'
Should I go for an assassination?
Although there were no windows in this building, using this sturdy door, it seemed feasible.
‘Whew…’
Raon took a slow breath. He visualized various scenarios that could occur inside, then kicked the white iron door with all his might.
Boom!
With his superhuman strength enhanced by aura, the steel door was torn off and flew towards the Tenth Apostle.
Flash!
The Tenth Apostle, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them.
Crunch!
As the iron door ripped like paper in his hand, a yellow light flashed from behind it.
It was Raon. From the tip of the Blade of Requiem's blade, held in reverse grip, an invisible slash shot out.
Swoosh!
