N/T: Translation made by our friend 'Irving'. A big round of applause for him :)
Chapter 690
Raon frowned as he watched the bloody energy surging up like flowing water.
‘He noticed.’
Despite the surprise attack from behind the door, the Tenth Apostle reacted immediately and prepared to counterattack.
An immense bloody energy made it feel like the attacker would be the one to suffer instead.
‘Stopping would be even more dangerous.’
Raon dug into the Tenth Apostle's gap and slammed the Blade of Requiem towards his hand.
Clang!
The blade and hand collided, producing a deafening sound as if metal chunks were clashing. The bloody energy of the Tenth Apostle had grown even stronger than before, and he couldn't break it even with the Blade of Requiem.
‘Then to the second plan.’
Since the surprise attack failed, he had to move on to the second plan immediately.
Boom!
Raon moved towards the fallen Ogram, planting his left foot firmly on the ground just before the shockwave exploded.
“Where do you think…ugh!”
The Tenth Apostle, who had been reaching out with his bloody energy-condensed hand, paused. He bit his lip, his left hand trembling from blocking the Blade of Requiem.
Raon didn't miss the moment when the Tenth Apostle couldn't move, positioning himself to protect Ogram.
‘It’s done.’
The first plan was to kill the Tenth Apostle with a surprise attack, and if that failed, to protect Ogram so he couldn't be taken hostage. Fortunately, the second plan succeeded.
“Phew…”
Raon let out a short breath and checked on Ogram behind him. Although he had severe injuries all over, his breathing was faint but he was still alive.
‘This should be enough.’
Raon had been worried that Ogram might be too injured to move, but carrying him didn't seem to be a big issue.
“Raon Zieghart. Why are you here? And…”
The Tenth Apostle bit his lip while gripping his trembling left hand.
“How did you learn the Raging Sea?”
He recognized that the martial art that broke his hand was the Raging Sea and furrowed his brow.
“A disciple can't just ignore his master's crisis.”
“Disciple?”
“The one who taught me the Raging Sea is right behind me.”
Raon answered the Tenth Apostle's two questions at once, gesturing towards the fallen Ogram.
“Well, he might not think of me that way.”
“A disciple…”
A white current arose from the Tenth Apostle's hand, realigning his twisted wrist back into place. It seemed he was regenerating his bones and muscles with his bloody energy.
“Do you know the name of this palace?”
A sharp spear formed from the white bloody energy above his hand.
“It is the Palace of Sacrifice.”
“Palace of Sacrifice?”
Raon looked at Ogram again. Blood trickled from his concealed neck, and his energy had rapidly decreased, indicating that the blood-sucking process had already ended.
Suppressing his rising irritation, Raon maintained a calm expression.
“This is the first time since the palace was built that I will see both master and disciple become sacrifices.”
The Tenth Apostle's gaze was as sharp as a spear, determined not to let them go.
“No.”
Raon shook his head calmly, drawing Heavenly Drive.
“This will be the first time since the palace was built that an Apostle's blood will be spilled.”
“Your big mouth hasn't changed.”
The Tenth Apostle sneered, shaking his head.
“But boasting won't help here. You should feel it too.”
As he raised his finger, the flames of his bloody energy flared intensely.
“This land blesses only those who possess bloody energy.”
The Tenth Apostle shook his head with a mocking smile.
"You couldn't beat me under normal conditions, and now you plan to fight while protecting that old man and also with heavy pressure on your body?"
“Growth comes only through taking risks.”
Raon lifted his chin, holding both Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
“Don’t worry about me. Just come at me.”
Although he confidently beckoned with his finger, he wasn’t entirely at ease.
‘Because he's not wrong.’
Due to the array covering the entire White Blood Religion’s headquarters, he couldn’t exert his full strength.
Even with his full power, the chances of defeating the Tenth Apostle were slim, and now the situation was even more frustrating.
‘Calling the head of house isn’t a good idea either.’
He couldn’t clearly hear Glenn’s lightning as before. Although it was unclear who he was fighting, it means he was blocked by the White Blood Religion’s leader or another expert.
If he called him now, it would only attract the White Blood Religion’s leader and other Apostles, making it harder to escape.
‘I need to secure Sir Ogram before sending a signal.’
To ensure everyone’s safe escape, he had to secure Ogram and get out of the palace before sending a signal.
“I will pierce your slender neck right here.”
The Tenth Apostle twirled his bloody spear. Massive amounts of bloody energy began to condense between the whirling spearhead.
“Phew…”
Raon exhaled a low breath, tightening his grip on Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem.
‘My heart is pounding.’
Despite the dangerous situation, he found himself unconsciously smiling. The thrill of unleashing the enlightenment he had gained in the mental world to the Tenth Apostle made his fingertips tremble slightly.
‘It’s a pity I can’t use my full strength… Hmm?’
As he bit his lip and assumed his stance, the Blade of Requiem emitted a fierce cry and unleashed a wave of ghastly energy.
Wooong!
The ghastly energy from the blade swirled around him, relieving the oppressive pressure of the array that weighed down his body and soul.
‘What is this…’
His body and senses, heavy due to the array, returned to their original state.
No, he even felt a stronger surge of energy.
Raon took a deep breath, looking down at the Blade of Requiem.
‘Did you do this?’
It seemed the Blade of Requiem had nullified the effects of the array with its ghastly energy.
Wooong!
The Blade of Requiem cried out once again, as if to say yes.
However, the cry gradually weakened, indicating it couldn’t hold out for long.
‘Alright. I’ll finish this in a minute.’
Determined to use all his power to push back the Tenth Apostle and escape within a minute, he stepped forward.
“How, how are you…”
The Tenth Apostle, sensing Raon's change, trembled in disbelief.
Boom!
Without answering, Raon dashed forward. He raised Heavenly Drive and lowered the Blade of Requiem, unleashing the Flawless Sea of Fire.
Fire and ice surged from the blades, sweeping towards the Tenth Apostle.
Clang!
The Tenth Apostle frowned as he burned his bloody energy and watched the red and blue tidal waves rushing towards him. Veins popped up on the back of his hand, and a huge sphere of bloody energy soared, suppressing the waves of fire and ice.
Ching!
Raon advanced just before the Flawless Sea of Fire ceased, thrusting the Sword’s Silvery Dream towards the Tenth Apostle's neck.
Clang!
The Tenth Apostle twirled his spear to block the Sword’s Silvery Dream, revealing a chilling look in his eyes. His cold eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
Raon met the Tenth Apostle's dry eyes, moistening his parched lips.
‘55 seconds.’
* * *
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Clicking her tongue, the White Blood Religion’s leader deeply furrowed her brow, lifting her eyelids.
‘What now…’
Despite being in the training chamber that blocked noise and mana flow, she could sense external disturbances.
If one could feel it from this place, it meant that at the very least, a transcender was present.
‘The First Apostle? The Second Apostle? No, this is…’
Not the Apostles. An outsider. And it was someone whose energy was unmistakably familiar.
‘Glenn Zieghart…?’
She couldn't forget it because of the trouble she had gone through to erase Glenn's lightning energy. The intense wave of energy coming from outside was definitely Glenn Zieghart’s.
‘Why is he here? No, how did he get here?’
Only those chosen from among the White Blood Religion could enter the current headquarters. She couldn't understand how Glnen had broken in.
“Damn it!”
The White Blood Religion’s leader bit her lip and left the training chamber.
“L-leader!”
The executives waiting outside the training chamber hurriedly bowed their heads.
“What’s going on?”
“G-Glenn Zieghart has attacked us!”
The archbishop at the front trembled as he looked at the streak of lightning.
“How did this happen?”
“We don’t know. S-Suddenly, Zieghart’s Sword of Light, the King of Slaughter, and even the Heavenly Blade division’s leader appeared and started massacring….”
“Massacre….”
The White Blood Religion’s leader bit her lip as her bloody energy surged. Just as the archbishop said, the number of followers was rapidly decreasing.
“We sent the First and Second Apostle, and even the Eighth Apostle, but they won’t hold out for long.”
“Of course not.”
"Even with the First and Second Apostle being transcenders, it would still be impossible to completely stop Glenn."
‘If only he had come a little later….’
Unfortunately, she hadn't yet fully absorbed Ogram's energy. It was frustrating not to be able to devour Glenn who had walked into the tiger’s den himself.
‘There’s no other way.’
She couldn't afford to lose the First and Second Apostle. As she revealed her annoyance and was about to leave, she heard a very faint sound of blood energy clashing from the direction of the Palace of Sacrifice.
‘Is the Tenth Apostle fighting too? The opponent is… what?’
Raon Zieghart?
It was Raon’s energy, just as unforgettable as Glenn’s.
‘Now I understand.’
She realized why Glenn was causing havoc and why Raon was fighting the Tenth Apostle in the Palace of Sacrifice.
They weren’t targeting her, they had come to rescue Ogram.
“In that case….”
The White Blood Religion’s leader's lips curled up into a long smile.
“I might be able to suck one more….”
* * *
The Tenth Apostle gritted his teeth as he watched Raon continuously unleash sword strikes without even taking a breath.
‘I just need to buy time.’
He had already sent a wave of bloody energy towards the training chamber where the White Blood Religion’s leader was.
She would surely grasp the situation at once and, instead of going after Glenn, come here to capture Raon and Ogram as hostages.
It was too dangerous to engage Raon head-on and risk attracting Glenn's attention, so the best course of action was to conserve his strength and endure.
‘However….’
This guy, he’s gotten stronger.
When he first saw him, he wasn’t even a Master, but now he had become a Grandmaster, displaying dangerously powerful swordsmanship.
Shiiiing!
Raon’s sword twisted at a bizarre angle and then dropped.
Clang!
The Tenth Apostle deflected Raon’s twisted sword strike and bit his lip.
'It's not just his aura that's gotten stronger.' The level of his swordsmanship had changed.
Raon’s swordsmanship was precise like the hands of a clock and unpredictable like a wild beast. He had returned, having grown absurdly strong.
Moreover, he was also using the Raging Sea, making it incredibly difficult to defend against him.
It was unbelievable that just a few years ago, this was the same guy who struggled against the Seventh Apostle.
Phew.
The Tenth Apostle exhaled a murky breath and readied his spear.
‘Even so, I won’t fall for your tricks.’
Right now, Raon was using flashy and powerful swordsmanship to call Glenn.
Not falling for his strategy and defending with the minimum necessary force was the best approach.
“Tsk.”
Raon clicked his tongue briefly and lowered his sword.
"As expected, it's not easy to break through. And you won't fight me head-on either."
“There’s no reason to.”
The Tenth Apostle shook his head calmly.
“Five seconds left.”
“What?”
“I have five seconds left.”
Raon’s reaction showed that he knew the Tenth Apostle was stalling for time.
"Even so, it's meaningless. You can't escape this place…."
“This timing is perfect.”
Raon exhaled a heavy breath and gripped his sword with both hands.
“You won’t be able to avoid this.”
Golden flames blazed on the red-hot blade, drawing ten arcs.
The lines of the sword attacks, bending and twisting chaotically, connected into one, and a radiance so bright it was impossible to open one's eyes soared.
Fast yet slow, strong yet soft. The concept of martial arts, defying logic, pierced through space.
‘This is dangerous!’
Alarm bells rang in his head.
Though still rough and chaotic, its power was beyond comprehension.
‘If I dodge, I’ll die!’
The Tenth Apostle clenched his teeth and mustered all his bloody energy. The hasty gathering of power prevented him from using his full strength.
Rumble!
His spear trembled as if it would break, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
However, Raon's sword strikes contained more than just the principles of martial arts.
Boom!
The flow of the Raging Sea’s energy penetrated through his blood energy, twisting his bones and muscles.
"Kuaaaggh!"
The Tenth Apostle screamed in agony and was flung outside, breaking through the wall along with a golden light.
Boom!
* * *
“Cough….”
Raon clutched his chest and spat out dark blood.
‘As expected, it was too much.’
He had attempted a new sword field based on the enlightenment he had gained in his mental world, but it was still too much for him now.
He had suffered more internal damage than the Tenth Apostle he had struck.
But the power was undeniable. The Tenth Apostle was also shocked and couldn’t move his body.
‘This will surely become a weapon.’
Having used a new incomplete sword field against the Tenth Apostle, today's experience would be of great help in the duel to death against the Axe King.
‘No, now isn’t the time to think about that.’
He had to move quickly.
Suppressing the pain rising from his chest and abdomen, Raon carried Ogram on his back.
Despite his large size, Ogram was easy to carry since he was weakened.
“Y-You bastard….”
The Tenth Apostle's face was distorted like a demon. Raon left the Palace of Sacrifice before he could get up.
Beeeep!
Raon immediately sent the signal that signified he had rescued Ogram. Knowing Rimmer understood the meaning, Glenn and everyone else would return through the Blood Spirit Passage they had entered.
'Now I just need to run...'
He turned his head, smiling, having achieved his objective.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
He felt a terrifying energy approaching from the right, where there had been nothing before.
It felt like a heavenly dragon soaring through the sky was charging at him.
'The White Blood Religion’s leader!'
Having encountered her twice, he couldn’t mistake it. The endless bloodthirst of the White Blood Religion’s leader was closing in on him.
'I miscalculated.'
He had assumed that the White Blood Religion’s leader would be busy blocking Glenn, but for her to move here instead, she was quick-witted as always. The joy of pushing back the Tenth Apostle vanished instantly.
'There's no point in hiding.'
The White Blood Religion’s leader had definitely spotted him. Hiding would be meaningless.
Boom!
Raon crushed the ground and started running after unleashed the Supreme Harmony Steps. Despite using his fastest footwork, the distance between him and the White Blood Religion’s leader was closing relentlessly. He would be caught within ten seconds.
Whoosh!
He heard the rough sound of the wind behind him. The White Blood Religion’s leader had already approached close enough to be visible. His heart pounded as if it would explode from running so fast.
“Long time no see! Raon Zieghart!”
There was a thrill in the White Blood Religion’s leader’s voice. Her eyes were filled with desire, not only to capture Ogram but also him as a hostage.
“From the first moment I saw you, I wanted to make you mine.”
The White Blood Religion’s leader reached out her hand toward Raon’s back.
“Now you are mine.”
“No.”
Raon smiled, not at the White Blood Religion’s leader, but while looking ahead. He shook his head as he turned around.
“I am a Zieghart.”
“No matter what you do, it’s already too late….”
The White Blood Religion’s leader was about to grab Raon’s collar with a sinister smile.
Kaaaaa-booooom!!
A massive bolt of lightning struck, pushing back the White Blood Religion’s leader’s hand.
“Argh!”
The White Blood Religion’s leader hurriedly stepped back, looking at the wall-like streak of lightning.
Crackle!
From behind the eerie red glow of the lightning emerged a blond-haired, red-eyed swordsman. It was Glenn Zieghart. The continent’s greatest swordsman walked forward with a confident stride, as if this blood-filled space was his domain.
“Who do you think you are calling yours?”
His red eyes met the White Blood Religion’s leader’s crumpled gaze.
“Do you want to die?”
