C967
Hmm...
Glenn's eyelids flickered slightly as he observed Raon standing in front of Karoon.
"What else happened in the meantime?"
As far as he knew, after leaving the Hall of Self, Raon had trained the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace and assisted with Alice's recovery.
"He supported Alice's cultivation, but instead of getting weaker, she has become stronger..."
It was incomprehensible. He hadn't focused on his own training, but rather on helping others; yet, Raon seemed even stronger. Glenn couldn't help but laugh ironically.
"No, he's grown, but it feels more like he has finished organizing himself."
It seemed that Raon had not only become stronger, but he had also adapted the ideas gained from the Hall of Self and his martial arts. The immense heat and cold energy that seemed about to explode at any moment were now perfectly integrated into his body and mind.
"It was already surprising that he managed to heal Alice."
Glenn was astonished again. He had assumed that even with the Dragon Heart, Alice could not immediately reach the realm of transcendence due to her curse. But thanks to Raon's help with her cultivation, she shattered his expectations and crossed the threshold of transcendence all at once.
Naturally, her martial prowess was not at the same level as before, but it was still a feat that even Glenn would find challenging, making him marvel at Raon's abilities once again.
"Maybe I should be glad I didn’t intervene."
In reality, if Raon hadn't acted, Glenn would have personally helped with Alice's cultivation. But no matter how he looked at it, he didn't trust that he could have restored Alice to her current state.
"He's a lucky charm."
Glenn smiled softly as he looked at Raon.
"To the point where I almost regret that he’s my grandson."
Not only did he possess exceptional talent in martial arts, but he had also maintained a warm heart since childhood. Glenn couldn't help but smile, feeling love for his grandson.
"Hm?"
Glenn's smile faded as he squinted, observing Karoon standing in front of Raon.
"That guy..."
He's tense. Karoon seemed intimidated by the powerful aura and the noble energy of the sword emanating from Raon. In that state, he wouldn’t be able to show even half of his true ability.
"Stop staring at each other."
Glenn shook his head as he stepped between Raon and Karoon.
"It's not time to start yet. Step back and prepare."
He gestured for Karoon to step back, allowing him to relax.
"Yes."
Raon calmly nodded and stepped back, appearing as tranquil as ever. He rotated his wrist as if he was ready to start at any moment.
"...Understood."
Karoon exhaled heavily and shook his head. He was still tense, but seemed to have escaped Raon's strong pressure.
"Eh? Why the long face? Don't tell me..."
Balder approached Karoon with a smile.
"Are you scared? Of your nephew?"
He twirled his finger, pointing at Karoon's stiff expression.
"Shut your mouth."
Karoon frowned and elbowed Balder to the side. His elbow dug deep into Balder's waist, as if he was about to crush it.
"Gah..."
Caught off guard by Karoon's sudden attack, Balder fell to his knees, gasping for air.
"It's just before the duel. Don't provoke unnecessarily."
Denier clicked his tongue disapprovingly and dragged Balder toward the edge of the training field.
"I-I was just trying to help him relax..."
Balder's lips trembled as he complained about not being able to joke around.
"Now is not the time for that,"
Denier's tone became as dry as a drought-stricken field.
"If you want to aim higher, pay close attention to this fight. Though I’m not sure if you'll be able to watch..."
He looked at Raon and Karoon with eyes as clear and cold as glass marbles.
"If you’re ready, step forward."
With Glenn's gesture, Raon and Karoon approached the center of the training field.
"At your level, you don't need a signal. Start when you're ready."
He stepped back, asserting that he would not give a signal to begin.
"I wonder how far you can go."
Karoon met Raon's eyes and nodded.
"While others sail across the sea of martial arts in a ship, you seem to be advancing alone in a boat."
He acknowledged Raon's talent with a calm tone and a nod.
"Aren't you similar, Palace Master?"
Raon shrugged as he looked at Karoon.
"I used to think that."
Karoon chuckled and lowered his gaze.
"After reaching transcendence, I felt I was becoming stronger quickly and thought I was better than my sister. But before you, I'm just a firefly before the sun."
He continued in a tense tone.
"But that doesn't mean I'm admitting defeat before we even start. The outcome of a duel is not determined solely by martial strength."
Karoon unsheathed his sword, acknowledging his own strength. A blue flash imbued with his will coursed along the silver blade.
"I'll give it my all from the start."
Karoon pointed his sword at his own neck, indicating that he had no intention of prolonging the fight.
"Then I will also face you with all my strength."
Raon gritted his teeth as he unsheathed the Heavenly Drive sword.
"And I agree that the outcome of a duel isn't determined solely by strength. After all, there are no absolutes in this world."
He pointed the Heavenly Drive at Karoon's neck, expressing his desire for a good duel.
"..."
"..."
Raon and Karoon remained still, swords pointed at each other. Glenn and Denier, observing their confrontation, were as quiet as statues, not making a sound.
"Ugh!"
Only Balder, unable to endure the pain in his waist, let out a short cough. At that moment, the swords of Raon and Karoon shot out simultaneously.
* * *
Raon squinted as he blocked Karoon's slash, which had a natural sharpness like the claws of a beast.
'He has become stronger.'
Karoon's sword was sharper and more fluid than in their first duel, precisely targeting Raon's vital points.
'Did he gain some insight from our previous duel?'
It seemed that Karoon had also grown while Raon was in the Hall of Self. It was an impressive achievement, but with his current martial prowess, Raon felt he wouldn't lose to anyone, let alone Karoon. Raon briefly licked his lips and rotated the wrist holding the Heavenly Drive.
The flames that erupted from the blade of the Heavenly Drive instantly devoured Karoon's powerful sword strike.
Karoon's consecutive slashes halted, and his body was thrown backward. The difference in their levels and martial power was evident.
"Hmm..."
Karoon frowned, seemingly surprised that his sword combination had been broken so easily. He bit his lip and used his footwork to run to the left.
"I'll finish this with a single strike!"
Karoon lowered his sword, wrapped in an aura as majestic as the Grave North Mountain.
'I need to finish this once and for all.'
The previous exchange had made it clear that Raon's swordsmanship and aura had surpassed his. To have any chance of victory, he had to give everything from now on. He drew his aura to the extreme from his energy center and unleashed a newly refined technique. It was the Medium Lotus Knot, said to be able to cut even the enemy's breath.
Karoon advanced toward Raon, betting his life on this single strike. As Karoon's sword attack moved forward, Raon rotated the ring in his heart. In an instant, the Fire Ring resonated, breaking down and analyzing the complexities of Karoon's Medium Lotus Knot technique.
"Destructive Sword, Fluid Sword..."
Raon extended his left foot, incorporating the subtleties of the Ten Thousand Swords into the Azure Sky Sword technique to counter Karoon's attack.
As he unsheathed his sword, the heat of the tenth level of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation ignited golden flames on the blade.
Neither Raon nor Karoon dodged. The two swordsmen lowered their swords toward each other's eyes, trusting in the techniques they had perfected. The blue light and golden flames clashed head-on, sending tremendous shockwaves in all directions. However, the result of the clash became evident almost instantly.
Karoon's technique, which had the power to split even the sky, could not overcome the flames that were above.
The blue light was consumed by the golden flames, gradually losing its power. It was not just a break, but a complete dismantling. Karoon's full-powered sword strike crumbled mercilessly before Raon's sword. Karoon fell to his knees, as if all his strength had abandoned him. He barely held onto his sword, but it seemed he could no longer wield it.
"Damn..."
He tried to use his sword as a cane to get back up, but his body would not obey, and he fell backward.
"Haa..."
Raon raised a trembling hand to wipe the blood that had dripped from below his lip.
'Is this how I won?'
To defeat a Transcendent who had recently been his equal, all it took was a minor internal and external injury. It was astonishing growth, even for him.
"It was a good fight."
He slowly regulated his breathing and bowed his head to Karoon.
"I want to force myself to get up and keep fighting, but..."
Karoon looked at Raon, frowning.
"Wouldn't that make much sense, right?"
He shook his head, acknowledging his defeat.
"If you were just strong, I might have managed to resist somehow, but you penetrated the critical points of my swordsmanship. There’s nothing I can do."
Karoon clenched the hilt of his sword, commenting on Raon's terrifying ability.
"It's thanks to my duel with the Central Martial Palace Master before entering the Hall of Self."
These were not just empty words. Thanks to the duel with Karoon, he had recognized his own deficiencies and was able to develop himself faster.
"Spare me the flattery."
Karoon snorted disdainfully.
"Leave me alone."
He fell backward, telling Raon to go away. The mental shock seemed greater than the physical pain.
"I'll see you next time."
Understanding Karoon's feelings, Raon bowed to him and the others before leaving the training field.
"W-What..."
Balder let out a bewildered breath.
"Did he really lose like that? Is the difference really that great?"
He shook his head in disbelief.
"Considering the difference in martial prowess, he actually fought well."
Glenn smacked his lips as he watched Raon's back.
"He managed to inflict internal injuries and cause significant shock to Raon's body."
He shook his head, saying that although Raon seemed fine, he had taken some damage.
"Of course, it won't be satisfying for you."
Glenn lowered his gaze, seeming to understand Karoon's disappointment.
"Outsiders call our family monsters, but that kid is a monster even to us."
Denier smiled as he looked at the spot where Raon had stood. Despite being a Grand Master who had not reached the realm of transcendence, he seemed calm, as if he had predicted this outcome from the start.
"Are you okay? Should I help you get up?"
Balder approached Karoon, who was covering his face with his sleeve, swallowing dryly.
"...I'm fine."
Karoon waved his hand dismissively.
"But still..."
"Leave it be."
Glenn patted Balder on the shoulder and headed toward the exit.
"Denier. You too."
He left the training field, gesturing for Balder to follow quickly.
"Yes."
Denier nodded slightly and headed for the door of the training field. He glanced at Karoon with seemingly expressionless and transparent eyes before exiting.
"Haa..."
Karoon exhaled heavily as he looked at the bright sky.
"Damn it..."
Strength returned to his hands, but it was already too late. His opponent had left after making him taste defeat.
'I never thought I would be so surpassed.'
Of course, if he hadn't given his all, he could have prolonged the fight a bit longer. But knowing that the result would have been the same in the end made his chest ache as if it were collapsing.
"I lost completely, but..."
Karoon slowly raised his upper body.
"Still, I have to keep moving forward. No, I will catch up."
Unlike before, his mind was not filled with jealousy and envy toward Raon. Instead, only the burning desire to reach him remained.
'But I can't do it alone.'
Karoon stood on both legs, his sword planted in the ground. He nodded as he looked at the shadow cast by the red sun.
'I will need help.'
* * *
After finishing the duel with Karoon, Raon returned to the annex.
- You could have at least consoled him.
Wrath briefly smacked his lips.
- He must be very disappointed that an opponent who was once his equal has suddenly surpassed him.
He lowered his eyebrows, suggesting that Raon was being too cold.
'It's better not to say anything in that situation.'
Raon shook his head calmly.
'Especially coming from me, it wouldn't help.'
If he were still living as an assassin, he might have thought the same as Wrath, but living his current life had helped him understand a bit of the mindset of martial artists. At this moment, Karoon would want to be alone.
'But...'
It seems I've become stronger than I thought.
'I didn't expect to defeat a Transcendent with just minor internal injuries and torn muscles.'
Naturally, he had felt that he had become stronger, but he hadn't expected to defeat Karoon so easily. Of course, it was possible because he had seen Karoon's techniques before, but even taking that into account, the victory came too easily.
- Fool.
Wrath tilted his chin toward Raon.
- You haven't just improved your swordsmanship. Your physical strength, mental fortitude, bodily skills, aura, and experience have all grown. With all these elements combined, it’s natural that you display such martial prowess.
He squinted as he recited thoughts that Raon had had in the past.
'I see.'
Raon clenched his right fist and smacked his lips.
'It feels like I'm getting closer to my dream, little by little.'
He had worried a lot about whether he could catch up to Derus, but now it seemed he was starting to see that bastard's back, even if it was just a little.
'In times like this, I need to work even harder.'
He smiled slightly as he walked toward the annex, but stopped in front of Federick's mansion.
'Is Aunt still sleeping?'
He was a bit worried because Alice had not woken up even though it was past the time she should have done so.
'It wouldn't hurt to stop by before I go.'
Raon changed his course from the annex to Federick's mansion.
"Has the duel already ended?"
Federick's eyes opened wide in surprise, as if wondering why Raon had returned so quickly.
"Yes. It ended sooner than expected."
"You defeated Karoon already? You've really gone mad."
He let out an astonished breath.
"I was lucky. More importantly, is Aunt still sleeping?"
"She’s awake."
Federick nodded, saying that Alice had woken up a while ago.
"Really? Then..."
"No need to go in."
As Raon was about to enter Alice's room, Federick raised his hand to stop him.
"She has already left."
"What? Already?"
For someone who had just woken up today to disappear so quickly, it was typical behavior for Alice that Raon hadn't experienced in a while.
"Where did she go?"
"I don't know. She just ran out saying she was going to look for something she lost."
Federick shook his head, as if to say, "Don't you know Alice's personality by now?"
"If it's something she lost..."
Raon squinted as he pondered Federick's words.
"Could it be?"
-
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