C920
Raon looked at the hand holding the Heavenly Drive as he climbed the stairs to the next floor.
'As expected, it's powerful.'
Karoon seemed to have grown even more since the last time he had seen him, displaying a strength that surpassed his own. Judging by how he tried to dismantle his swordsmanship at times, it was clear that he hadn't even shown all his skills.
'Of course, I was holding back my power too.'
Unlike Karoon, whose power was suppressed by the Black Tower's demonic energy, he was actually gaining even greater strength. It would have been difficult outside, but if they had fought thoroughly inside the tower, he would have won without a doubt.
'No, not just the Master of the Central Martial Palace, I don't think I would lose to anyone.'
Wrath's Authority was getting stronger as he climbed the Black Tower. His power overflowed to the point of being uncontrollable, giving him the confidence that he could crush any enemy.
-You're a fool!
Wrath suddenly slapped him on the back of the head.
-Don't get carried away by power! You must be even more careful at times like this!
He frowned, telling him to snap out of it.
'Sorry...'
Raon rubbed the back of his head where he had been hit and looked down.
'I think I got carried away by power too much.'
As Wrath had said, he shouldn't become arrogant just because his strength had increased. Since this current energy wasn't originally his, he needed to be even more cautious in battle.
'As expected, Wrath is a dangerous power.'
The Authorities of the demon kings seemed to have as much mental influence as the powerful strength they granted. He hadn't expected to develop such arrogance that he could defeat any opponent.
'For once, you're right.'
-What do you mean by for once? This king is always right!
Wrath raised his hand, telling him to remember that well.
'I don't think that's true.'
Raon laughed as he stepped onto the last step and climbed up. Entering through the entrance that billowed like a curtain, the smell of old books and blood enveloped him simultaneously.
'A library? No, not just that.'
On the left was a library with numerous books and bookshelves neatly arranged, while on the right was a space black as if night had fallen, with several weapons scattered haphazardly.
'The colors are too different to be on the same floor.'
The library was extremely bright, as if the sun was shining directly on it, but the space where the weapons were scattered was like a dark room without a hint of light. The juxtaposition of such opposite places overlapped, giving him an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
'Who is the Floor Master here...?'
As he expanded his Aura Perception to find the Floor Master of this level, he felt an incredibly massive demonic energy above the ceiling. Just detecting its presence sent chills down his spine.
'Above.'
Raon swallowed and lifted his trembling eyes.
'It's right above us.'
The floor above was the top floor, and the Master of the Black Tower existed within. As if he wasn't fully prepared yet, he was coiled like a snake waiting to ascend, absorbing a tremendous amount of demonic energy.
-Hmph.
Wrath frowned as if he was stunned.
-Even for raw demonic energy, to gather so much... he's definitely not in his right mind.
'Is it surprising even for you?'
-Indeed. If that demonic energy were to erupt, Montiro itself would be wiped off the map. Of course, all of them would die too.
He let out an empty laugh, saying that this wasn't a normal situation.
'I don't think that will happen.'
A skunk too scared to come out of its burrow wouldn't self-destruct. Surely he was preparing some special spell or magic.
'It makes me angry.'
Raon looked at the ceiling, gritting his teeth.
'That one of the strongest on the continent is such a creature.'
Seeing him toy with the lives of countless people and not show himself, while waiting for his moment, indignation boiled in his chest. Unlike before, it wasn't arrogant emotion, but pure anger towards the enemy.
"Truly a monster."
Karoon exhaled as he looked towards the ceiling.
"If we don't get there fast, everything could really end."
He also seemed to feel the demonic energy that the Master of the Black Tower was holding, frowning.
"Yes. We need to finish this quickly."
"I didn't think you would actually get this far."
As Raon turned his gaze towards Karoon, a man emerged from behind a bookshelf. It was an old man with white hair who wore a monocle, exuding such a gentle aura that if it weren't for the rapier at his waist, he could have been mistaken for an ordinary librarian.
"...I told you we should have gone down to kill them."
A figure in a black robe rose from the dark space. No, more than a robe, it was as if he were shrouded in darkness itself, with black droplets dripping from his body.
'Strong...'
Due to the overwhelming demonic energy of the Master of the Black Tower, he hadn't been able to feel it properly, but the auras of these two were on a completely different level compared to the demonized humans he had encountered so far. They exuded the elevated dignity that only Transcendents could possess.
"That demonized human shrouded in darkness is Sigel, the Vice Master of the Black Tower. Despite his boring-looking body, he is proficient in all weapon and magic arts. He is not called the Black King for nothing."
Karoon narrowed his eyes, pointing at the demonized human who seemed to have merged with the darkness.
'Black King Sigel...'
Raon exhaled slowly as he looked at Sigel.
'I can't believe I would find the monster from the stories here.'
Although Sigel rarely left the Black Tower, whenever he showed himself, he created shocking incidents. During the era of the Six Kings, he had annihilated three martial arts families on his own, and even the Transcendent Owen, who had gone to support them late, had fallen into his hands.
He was called the Black King because he devoured everything without leaving a single drop of blood or fragment of bone from the corpses, leaving only black earth behind.
"Monocle and rapier..."
Jayna's lips trembled, turning pale as she looked at the old man with the monocle.
"That man is Karet. He is the butler who raised the current Master of the Black Tower and his only family. I heard that he still takes care of all the internal affairs of the Black Tower, but to be here..."
She swallowed, saying that Karet had even greater influence in the Black Tower than the Black King.
"I've heard that name."
Raon nodded, looking at Karet.
'Supposedly he takes care of all the affairs of the Black Tower.'
Unlike the Black King Sigel, who had shown tremendous martial prowess, Karet was the chief administrator who managed the human and material resources of the Black Tower. As the butler who raised the Master of the Black Tower and a Transcendent himself, he was said to possess power that surpassed that of the Vice Master.
'They're all gathered here.'
To think that the two people who could be the biggest obstacles to attacking the Master of the Black Tower were gathered here seemed quite fortunate. If he could just kill Karet and the Black King, there would be no one left to stop them.
"This is your last chance, trash."
Karet slightly shook his head, lifting his monocle.
"If you advance any further, I will punch holes in your heads."
He stepped out in front of the bookshelf, lifting his chin as if blocking the way. Truly, he who raised the Master of the Black Tower, arrogance emanated from him.
"...It's problematic, but it can't be helped."
The Black King Sigel also briefly clicked his tongue before dragging his inert body forward to block the way.
"If you don't cross this line, I will allow you to save those disgusting lives."
As Karet moved his finger, a thin, deep groove was engraved in the ground.
"The butler who raised the Master of the Black Tower..."
Raon clicked his lips as he looked at Karet.
"Will that mole show his face if you die?"
He stepped on the line Karet had drawn, twisting his lips into a deep sneer. The moment his foot touched the ground, the blade of the rapier at Karet's waist lunged towards his forehead. It was an incredibly fast attack, worthy of his title: Demon Thunder.
But it wasn't enough to overcome his own reaction. Just before the rapier blade touched his forehead, he bent back at the waist to dodge it.
A huge hole opened in the wall behind him, as if it had been hit with a hammer, from Karet's blow that had passed through instead. Not only was he fast, but the power was also terrifying.
"Dodging will only increase your suffering."
Karet frowned, extending his hand as an even faster rapier blade launched towards Raon's neck. Although it moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, he read its direction and deflected it diagonally. The shockwave of the Heavenly Drive colliding with the rapier caused the bookshelves to collapse and the books to spill.
Karet's sword attacks weren't just fast. The energy contained within was so powerful that it made his sword-holding hand tremble.
"You... something is strange."
Karet frowned, seemingly trying to end things quickly as he thrust his rapier in rapid succession. Although the sword strikes didn't touch him, the overwhelming speed and power of the attacks caused pain throughout his body as if he had been pierced by thorns.
Raon slightly deflected Karet's sword attacks while taking steps in the Supreme Harmony Steps. With his original strength, it wouldn't have been easy, but the power and senses he had developed by arriving here made it possible.
"Are you really the one who raised the Master of the Black Tower? You're too weak. Is it because you only look at documents?"
He took a step forward, provoking Karet harshly. He swung the Heavenly Drive blade even faster than Karet's rapier, putting strong pressure on him.
"What is this...?"
Karet's eyes widened in shock at Raon's swordsmanship that not only kept up, but even surpassed his own speed.
"...Insolent bastard."
As Raon turned to the right to cut Karet's waist, the Black King Sigel threw black energy. The magic energy twisting like octopus tentacles writhed towards his ankles to trap him.
"Hmm..."
Raon frowned, drawing the Blade of Requiem. As he prepared to defend himself, a blue blade shot out from behind, cutting Sigel's magic energy.
"Leave this to me."
Karoon extended his sword towards Sigel's neck as he entered the space filled with darkness. Sigel blocked Karoon's sword strike with a hand rippling with magic energy, but he frowned as if he wasn't satisfied with the situation.
"Reliable."
Having seen how strong Karoon was while fighting against him before, Raon turned his gaze back to Karet without looking back.
"Now you have no one to help you?"
Raon twisted the corner of his mouth, tilting his chin to the side.
"Ah, there's one left. Why don't you call that mole you raised for help? Although he's too scared to come out."
He moved his hand up and down, mockingly.
"Shut your mouth!"
Karet stomped on the ground forcefully, seemingly enraged by the insult to the Master of the Black Tower he had raised. Black horns sprouted from his white forehead, and a magic energy that seemed to be made of lightning enveloped his entire body. It seemed he was trying to unleash all his power by accepting the tower's magic energy.
"They say you have to hit the ground to make a mole come out..."
Raon mocked the demonized Karet as he pushed the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem against the ground. A blue moon emerged over the collapsing library, and a red sun bloomed in the pitch-black darkness.
"Maybe the Master of the Black Tower will show his face if you die."
Raon moved his finger as he pulled the divine and demonic swords from the blackened earth.
"You're the one who will die!"
Karet charged forward like a black flash, enveloped in jet-black lightning. His sword had already reached Raon's left chest, faster than sound. It was speed that transcended perception.
'I can see it.'
But he had already seen Karet's swordsmanship, so he was reading the trajectory instead of the speed. He lowered the demonic sword he had placed over his neck to strike the rapier aimed at his heart.
Karet's sword struck the ground, completely breaking the library floor. The books were torn apart and scattered, obscuring the vision due to the powerful impact.
"They say moles have bad eyesight but good hearing, but I guess your mole is deaf too. Still not coming out?"
Raon curved the corners of his mouth as he pushed aside the books blocking his view.
'The provocation is working.'
Karet had pride in having raised the Master of the Black Tower and had probably never been mocked before, so he was feeling hurt by Raon's provocations.
"Don't tell me he's already fled and left you behind...?"
"Shut your mouth!"
Karet thrust his rapier forward with his wrist raised. Dark red lightning flashed as countless sword strikes emerged.
He unleashed his sword strikes, seemingly forgetting even to breathe. The attacks were so powerful and fast that Raon's waist and thighs were cut, red blood gushing out.
If he had reacted even a little slower, it would have been his heart that had been pierced instead of his waist. As expected, this was an opponent he couldn't let his guard down against.
"You have no right to insult him!"
Karet continued to push his sword forward, determined not to let go of his advantage. It was like a never-ending torrent of lightning filling the sky. Raon narrowed his eyes as he blocked Karet's sword strikes with the Fire Wall.
'Now I can read him.'
Although Karet's sword had become faster and stronger, its fundamental nature remained unchanged. Raon entered the storm of sword strikes, opening the mental world inscribed with ten thousand swords.
The divine sword enveloped in flames slid into the dark red lightning. Although it was neither fast nor strong, Karet's magic energy was pushed back helplessly as if it had encountered a natural enemy.
The demonic sword that scattered silver frost followed, cutting deeply into Karet's chest as it passed. Black blood gushed from Karet's chest as it burst open.
"How can this be...?"
His lips trembled in disbelief.
"Your sword no longer works on me."
"Nonsense!"
As Karet roared, the horns sprouting from his forehead became even thicker. He thrust his rapier, dyeing his entire body with magic energy as if he was abandoning his humanity. As the magic energy concentrated on the rapier blade and exploded, it seemed a massive spear was being fired that could topple the entire Black Tower.
Raon launched himself towards the expanded explosion of magic energy. He made a cross-shaped movement with the divine sword raised above and the demonic sword lowered below, creating a river of blue and red.
Even the largest explosion loses its power under water. Karet's magic energy sword attack, unleashed with his life on the line, was slowly submerged within the red and blue aura.
"Im-impossible..."
Raon approached the stunned Karet and extended the divine sword. Just as the flaming blade was about to cut his neck, the ceiling collapsed with a black current. A black wave that could only be described as darkness itself overflowed, and red eyes emerged above it.
An evil that had transcended humanity and even demons. Now it was an aberration whose existence could not be explained.
"Ah..."
Karoon held his breath as he looked at the entity that seemed to have become darkness itself.
'The Master of the Black Tower.'
Although he had only crossed one floor, an immense aura that made it difficult to even move a finger pressed down on him. Time seemed to stop before such an overwhelming presence. The Master of the Black Tower raised a hand made of darkness, seemingly enraged by Karet's crisis, attempting to tear Raon's neck.
Compared to this god of darkness, Raon's presence was as weak as a firefly before the sun. The future in which his neck would be torn apart flashed before him, but he could do nothing.
The moment the hand of darkness filled with despair was about to deliver death to the small human, Raon reacted. The demonic sword enveloped in rage deflected the dark hand, and the divine sword enveloped like the sun traced a golden flash as it grazed Karet's neck.
As Karet's head fell, red blood rained down on the black darkness.
"You only show yourself after it rains..."
Raon looked at the king of darkness, stepping on Karet's fallen corpse. A red ray like Glenn's shone in his eyes.
"It seems you weren't a mole, but an earthworm."
-
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