C959
"Hmm..."
Raon opened his eyes in front of the exit of the Room of Self, which glowed with a golden light.
"Is this the third death?"
Wrath had screamed in fear, but still had invoked frost to sever his own neck. Despite his eccentric behavior, he certainly was meticulous when it came to the action.
"It's safe now."
Raon nodded, focusing on the heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation rising from his energy center.
"There is no loss to death here."
Despite dying three times, there were no changes in his body or mind, suggesting that death did not exist in this world. Of course, it was still painful and terrifying.
"The biggest problem is..."
I still haven't discovered Wrath's attack. Even after being hit three times, I still can't tell where or how the cold energy comes.
"Should I start moving then?"
Raon licked his lips briefly as he advanced through the blue sea.
"What kind of method is it? Clearly it's a blade flying towards the neck, but..."
I can't decipher that trajectory. Every time I see my head being cut off, it's clearly a slash aimed at the neck, but it's completely invisible.
"This time, should I keep the Heavenly Drive in front of my neck from the beginning?"
If I place the Heavenly Drive in front of my neck and deploy the Fire Wall on both sides, maybe I can block Wrath's attack.
"Alright. Let's try it."
As long as Wrath remained in the Room of Self, there were practically infinite opportunities. Raon wanted to try every method to block his attack. He practiced Glacier, trained his footwork, and mentally reviewed his battles with Wrath.
Moving with the concentration of entering a state of Transcendence, he soon found himself arriving at the broken snowfield where Wrath was.
"You're back, again!"
As soon as Wrath saw him, he let out a piercing scream as if he had seen a ghost.
"What the hell are you thinking! I don't know what tricks you could do, so killing you just makes me feel dirty!"
He gritted his teeth as if asking for some explanation.
"Your job is simple. Just kill me."
Not wanting to break his accumulated concentration, Raon extended his hand, signaling to fight.
"If you don't talk, I absolutely won't kill you! No, I'll die first and escape this space!
Wrath took a stance as if he were about to strangle himself, threatening to commit suicide.
"This time, even threatening me with Nadine's bread won't work! You're terrifying!"
He frowned, insisting that he wouldn't move a finger unless the situation was explained.
"Alright, I understand. Calm down."
Raon sighed briefly and lowered the hand that was about to grab the Heavenly Drive.
"Hmm..."
Wrath looked at him with narrowed eyes, still seemingly suspicious.
"You asked what I'm trying to do? Obviously, it's training."
Raon lightly tapped the sheath of the Heavenly Drive.
"T-training?"
Wrath's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you saying you're training while dying?"
"That's right."
Raon nodded calmly.
"As you know, there is no loss to death here. Your aura doesn't decrease, your swordsmanship level doesn't go down, and your soul realm doesn't decrease."
He smiled slightly and hit his chest with his fist.
"It means this is the best place to gain real combat experience."
"Hah..."
Wrath let out an exasperated sigh.
"Are you saying that's why you asked to be killed? Is there such a madman...?"
He shook his shoulders in disbelief.
"What the hell is inside that head of yours!"
Wrath pressed his lips tightly together.
"Even if you know you'll resurrect, as a living being, you can't stop fearing death, so how...?"
Living beings instinctively fear death. It's an innate emotion from birth. No matter how much one trains, it's a part that can't be conditioned, yet this guy didn't fear death from the beginning. The more he looked at him, the more incomprehensible he became.
"Besides that, don't you feel the pain of dying? It's not like the pain disappears, so how can you bear that?"
Even when being beheaded, a person doesn't die instantly. They would feel extreme pain and fear before sinking into darkness, yet he challenged it with such indifference. It was amazing.
"Well, yes it hurts."
Raon said it was very painful as he touched the neck that had been cut three times. His words contradicted his expression, which was so calm it was unsettling.
"Don't you ever think you might not wake up again?"
Wrath exhaled deeply, showing his white teeth.
"Even if you've been able to resurrect so far, there's no guarantee that will always happen. Don't you ever think you might die forever!"
Wrath felt frustrated because Raon seemed like a young man who didn't know fear.
"Of course I do. Honestly, it's scary."
Raon nodded as he looked at Wrath's eyes that blinked fiercely.
"But I don't have much time. I have to climb, even if I'm clinging to frayed ropes."
"I'm ashamed to say this, but you've grown at an unprecedented rate even in the Devildom. What the hell drives you like that!"
Wrath frowned, seeming unable to comprehend.
"You know. I have many things that tie me down."
Raon shook his head with a slight smile.
'First, there's Derus Robert.'
This time, Derus Robert had shown martial prowess that surpassed Silent Sword Master Lecross. He had shown strength that even Glenn recognized, so his current self couldn't even touch a hair on that guy's head. It was natural to take risks to close that gap.
'Besides that, there are many promises to keep.'
He had to destroy Eden, which had caused pain to his mother, father, and Sia; subdue the Leader of the White Blood Religion and rescue Martha's mother; and help Runaan defeat Syria on his own.
Besides that, there were many desires to fulfill for his subordinates, including Burren, Dorian, Krein, and Mark Goetun. He wanted to achieve all that.
He had earned the titles of Youngest Transcendent, Greatest Genius of All Time, and Sword Emperor, but there was no time to enjoy that fame. He had to become stronger as quickly as possible, by any means necessary.
"Haa..."
Wrath let out a long sigh, looking at the space as if he were smoking.
"I'm sorry every time, but you're the craziest of all the Demons and Angels I've seen."
"But I'm neither a Demon nor an Angel?"
"I won't consider you human anymore."
He shook his head, saying that looking at Raon shattered his illusions about humans.
"Anyway, you understand now, right?"
Raon smiled slightly as he pulled the Heavenly Drive from his waist.
"Then I'll ask you."
He took a defensive stance, bending his knees slightly.
"Kill me with all your strength."
Having explained everything, he no longer wanted to threaten with Nadine's bread. Since he had spoken sincerely, he wanted Wrath to face him seriously.
"To think you were trying to fulfill all those promises..."
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn't believe it.
"You're a complete fool."
"Even a demon king keeps his promises, so I, as a human, should too."
Raon nodded, saying he learned that from a foolish demon king.
"Fine. If that's what you want..."
Wrath stood up, as if he had made up his mind.
"I will kill you with all my strength."
The moment his words ended, a blue light flickered before Raon's eyes. Before he could even feel it, his head flew off.
'The light emerged from his fingers.'
Raon licked his lips, remembering the light he saw in the final moment.
'So the trajectory of the frost is from the left...'
Even as death approached and the world became blurry, he closed his eyes thinking about the next battle.
"Huh..."
Wrath shook his head as he watched Raon's body slowly disappear.
"No matter when I see it, it's not normal."
Death is fair to all things. Even Archangels and demon kings fear death because they can't escape it, but Raon seemed to lack that fear. It was as if he had already experienced death once.
'Of course, I understand his reasons for wanting to become stronger.'
Rescuing Martha's mother, destroying Eden, helping Runaan overcome his trauma with his own hands, helping Burren gain recognition from Karoon, making Dorian the head of the Merchant Association, and even Raon himself becoming the head of the Zieghart house.
Each of Raon's goals was difficult. Since they weren't just his own affairs, there could be many he couldn't achieve.
But he didn't seem to have any intention of giving up on any of them. He wanted to fulfill all those desires, even at the cost of sacrificing himself.
'Wanting to become stronger, huh...'
To be honest, it wasn't difficult to understand because Wrath himself had gone through a similar phase. Of course, not to the point of ignoring death like that madman.
'Enough...'
Wrath sat at the base of the World Tree, letting out a slight smile.
'It seems this will take a while.'
Was it because he had encountered Raon's eyes that reminded him of his past self? Strangely, he wasn't hungry. As he recalled his bittersweet past, the Dimensional Gate opened and the next Raon arrived.
"Let's begin immediately."
Raon nodded as if asking Wrath to use all his power again.
"Alright. I will kill you."
Wrath stood up and invoked the blade of cold energy that had been severing Raon's neck with all his strength. Woong! Raon seemed to have grasped a bit of the pattern and adjusted the trajectory of his Heavenly Drive, but the cold energy that Wrath shot out flowed in an elegant trajectory like moonlight and severed his neck.
"T-the direction..."
Even as he died, Raon's eyes shone with the determination to return before disappearing.
"But this..."
Wrath licked his lips as he stroked his hand, which still retained the feeling of killing Raon.
"Is this more fun than I thought?"
Once he realized Raon had no ill intentions, killing him wasn't scary, but refreshing. It felt as if repressed emotions were being released one by one.
'Since it's come to this...'
Wrath curled his lips into a long smile as he looked at the Dimensional Gate where Raon would emerge.
'Should I enjoy this a little?'
* * *
As soon as Raon awoke from death, he rose above the sea. He stepped on the Supreme Harmony Steps, used Glacier, and recalled the moments right before his death.
'A blue light bloomed from his fingers.'
Right before his neck was severed, a faint blue light had emerged from Wrath's left hand. Contrary to expectations, it seemed he had attacked with his left hand, not his right.
'That's why the angle was twisted.'
It was natural he didn't have enough time to block, since he had prepared his defense expecting an attack from the right.
'This time, I should place the Fire Wall on the opposite side.'
Facing a right-handed opponent is completely different from facing a left-handed one. To block the attack even once, it seemed better to reverse the trajectory of the sword strike.
'Or should I try to predict it?'
Since his head was cut off before he could react, it might be good to launch a sword strike before Wrath's attack arrived.
'It's good to think while you move like that.'
When he first died and awoke, the journey back to Wrath seemed too long and boring, but now he realized it was actually good because he could reflect on the previous battle while moving.
'I can also practice my footwork and Glacier at the same time.'
It was like killing four birds with one stone, since he could improve his mastery of Glacier and the Supreme Harmony Steps while crossing the sea, and mentally train his swordsmanship.
'I think I've been too focused on the opportunities obtained in the Room of Self.'
The reason he had grown so fast wasn't just because of the trials and opportunities, but also because of his tireless efforts to make those encounters his own. Although he had gained many encounters in the Room of Self, he hadn't made them perfectly his own yet, so he decided to take this time to let them mature.
'Let's move slowly.'
Raon stepped back onto the broken snowfield, thinking about how to block Wrath's attack.
"You don't get tired of coming back, do you?"
Wrath let out a hollow laugh, as if asking if Raon ever rested.
"When I come back to life, I'm perfectly fine."
Raon shook his head with a slight smile.
"Then we can start immediately."
Wrath took an aggressive stance, seeming to have lost all hesitation.
"Ugh..."
Raon pulled out the Heavenly Drive and placed it halfway, closer to his left side.
"Hmph!"
The moment Wrath smiled arrogantly, a blue light flickered from his left hand.
'It was the left hand after all!'
The moment the blue light intensified, Raon placed the Fire Wall with flames infused into his sword strike and unleashed a Crimson Slash. It was a defensive technique that extended the shield and sword simultaneously. Chiaang! But Wrath easily severed his neck as if he had predicted every move.
'Alright.'
Raon smiled without disappointment even as he watched his body crumble after losing his head.
'I can try again.'
* * *
He couldn't block it with Flame and Ice Unification. He died. He couldn't block it with Skybreaker Unleashed. He died. He couldn't block it with Thunderbolt Supremacy. He died. He couldn't block it even with Void Slash. He died. He couldn't block it even by raising the Sword Domain. He died. ... ... ... He couldn't block it even after linking three sword techniques. He died.
"Haa..."
Raon shook his head as he naturally rode the waves forward.
'I've lost count of how many times I've died.'
After failing even with the Skybreaker Unleashed technique of the Azure Sky Sword, he stopped counting his deaths. Calculating roughly, it seemed he had already died more than 50 times.
'Still, I'm starting to feel it a little.'
At first, he couldn't understand it at all, but after dying more than 50 times, he felt he was starting to recognize the flow of Wrath's movements, even if it was just a little.
'Of course...'
The problem was that even if he understood it, he couldn't block it. Wrath's attacks were not only fast and dazzling, but also powerful. Every time he tried to block, the Heavenly Drive would break, and he couldn't help but lose his head.
'It's certain I can't block it just with my current swordsmanship.'
His strongest swordsmanship technique, the Sword Domain, was slower to activate compared to other techniques. Wrath's attacks were so fast that he would cut his head off before the Sword Domain could fully open.
'Then there's only one way.'
Raon licked his lips as he looked at the distant gray island.
'Let's use everything. Everything I've accumulated so far.'
He entered the cave illuminated by blue, determined to incorporate not only swordsmanship, but also footwork, cultivation techniques, body techniques, and combat experience into his defense.
'Ugh.'
Even while walking through the cave, he kept thinking about how to block Wrath's attack. Strangely, it wasn't boring or frustrating, but enjoyable. After all, it was all a path to his growth. Before he knew it, he had reached the end of the cave where a black mirror appeared.
In the mirror that glowed faintly, he saw himself smiling. As if this moment was immensely happy.
Raon entered the mirror with a smile even brighter than his reflection. Tak. As he stepped onto the broken snowfield, Wrath, who had been sitting on the World Tree, stood up.
"Let's begin immediately."
Wrath nodded calmly, as if he had gotten used to this situation. Seeing him smile slightly, it seemed he was enjoying it too.
"As much as you want."
Raon stabilized his breathing as he pulled out the Heavenly Drive.
"Try to block it well this time."
Wrath smiled arrogantly, as if he were sure Raon couldn't block it, and extended his left hand. The moment a blue light flickered from his fingers, Raon felt a sharp pain in his neck. It wasn't a real cut; his finely honed senses reacted to the incredibly sharp blow. Whoosh!
The moment Raon felt the pain, he stepped on the Supreme Harmony Step.
He retreated using the extreme-speed footwork, creating distance from Wrath's slash.
Woong. Wrath pursued him with the frost blade as if he had predicted it. Even though Raon was using the Supreme Harmony Steps at full power, he felt Wrath catching up to him immediately.
'Now!'
Feeling Wrath's frost approaching his neck, Raon switched from the Supreme Harmony Step to the Supreme Harmony's Third Step, infused with softness.
Yielding his body to the flow of Wrath's frost, he unleashed the flames burning in his sword strike like silk. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Golden Flame Dance. He incorporated the essence of the severing sword into the soft defensive swordsmanship and continued the softness of the Supreme Harmony's Third Step.
Despite using a flowing sword technique, the Heavenly Drive broke and red blood gushed from his body. But this time, the world didn't spin. What was cut wasn't his neck, but inside his chest. For the first time, he didn't die instantly from Wrath's attack.
"...Did you twist that?"
Wrath's eyes widened in disbelief. Judging by his expression, he hadn't taken things lightly with Raon, but had intended to kill him with all his strength.
"Haa..."
Raon curled his lips into a smile even as he watched the wild amount of blood dripping onto his broken Heavenly Drive.
‘I lacked power.’
He had managed to deflect it well, but the power in Wrath’s sword strike was so strong that it had pierced his defense.
‘Still, I didn’t die instantly.’
Although he had received a mortal wound, he was happy to have blocked it once. He felt his mastery of Ten Thousand Swords had grown even further.
“Wrath…”
In his darkening vision, Raon moved his finger towards Wrath.
“I’ll be back.”
With those words, he turned to dust and disappeared.
“Hmm…”
Wrath swallowed as he recalled Raon’s smiling face. Having learned of his sincerity, he had been able to kill him with joy, but for the first time, he felt a chill down his spine.
“Monster kid.”
-
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