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Raon frowned as he examined the bell of a dark red color.
'It's not making any sound.'
Even when he shook it vigorously, the bell produced no noise at all.
'Strange. There’s clearly a sphere inside.'
Normally, bells used by shamans as ritual tools are made with metal or hollow wooden exteriors containing small spheres to produce a clear ringing sound. However, the dark red bell he held now emitted no sound, despite clearly having a sphere inside. He shook it again.
The only sound produced was the soft whisper of the decorative silk ribbons brushing against each other.
'Apart from the lack of sound, this bell...'
It's extremely ominous. While the dark red bell itself possessed no energy, there was a strange and unsettling allure to continue looking at it, along with a sense of foreboding. The feeling was so unpleasant that he wanted to smash the bell at that very moment.
'Merlin...'
He glanced at Merlin just in case, but she remained unconscious, taking shallow breaths.
'I would like to leave it here, but it’s probably better to take it with me.'
The Martial Society and Eden had tracked Merlin down here to retrieve this bell. To hinder them, it was right to take the bell, despite its ominous nature.
-Hmm...
Wrath frowned as he examined the sphere from different angles.
'What’s wrong? Do you recognize this sphere?'
Raon extended the dark red sphere to Wrath, who appeared to be deep in thought.
-No, I don’t know it at all.
Wrath shook his head firmly, asserting that it was an object he had never seen before.
'Then why do you make that sound of pain?'
-Strangely...
The entity licked his lips while looking at the sphere.
-It smells similar to someone I utterly despise.
Wrath frowned, saying that the ominousness of the sphere mixed with a repulsive stench.
'Someone you utterly despise? Surely it’s not Lust?'
-Well, she also disgusts me, but there’s someone who irritates me even more instinctively.
He shook his head, saying it was different from Lust.
'Then who is it?'
-I'm not entirely sure...
As Wrath furrowed his brows, uncertain if it was similar or the real thing, a thunderous boom resonated from the direction of the field where Mark Goetun was.
'We need to move quickly.'
Mark Goetun's condition must have worsened significantly since that lightning strike. It wasn't the time to chat with Wrath.
'Mark Goetun’s condition is bad, but...'
The Fallen must have been alerted by the death of the Demon Slaying Spear by now. Someone of The Fallen's caliber would surely have felt the death of the Demon Slaying Spear, whom he had brainwashed. They needed to flee as far as possible before he came looking for them.
"Blood Horn."
After placing the sphere into the pocket of his uniform, Raon called for Blood Horn, who stood near the Demon Slaying Spear.
"Your master asked me to take you with me, but I will respect your choice."
Raon continued speaking, assuming that Blood Horn could understand human language.
"If you want to stay by your master’s side, I will leave now. What will you do?"
He looked at Blood Horn with little expectation, having killed his master. Blood Horn trembled slightly. It seemed to understand his words as it looked at him for a moment before slowly lowering its body to touch foreheads with the deceased Demon Slaying Spear.
Blood Horn slowly closed its eyes, as if that was its last farewell to its former master, then opened them and approached Raon.
Although Raon was tall for a martial artist, he had to look up at Blood Horn due to its immense size. Blood Horn stood in front of him and lowered its head, presenting its forehead.
'Does it want me to touch it?'
Raon squinted and caressed Blood Horn's forehead with the back of his hand. At that moment, a red circle like the sun was engraved on the back of his hand, and he felt a strange joy as if Blood Horn's soul connected with his.
Blood Horn slowly tilted its head. Contrary to Raon’s expectations, it seemed grateful that he had given the Demon Slaying Spear an honorable death as a martial artist.
"Does this mean you will follow me?"
Raon nodded at Blood Horn. Blood Horn closed its large eyes and opened them again, as if to say yes.
"Then I look forward to working with you."
Raon nodded and mounted Blood Horn's saddle along with Merlin.
"Let’s go. At full speed."
As Raon grabbed the reins, Blood Horn charged forward as if it had never been tired, its mane like flames rising as it tore through the ground and the forest. Despite the sorrowful neigh of the warhorse carrying its new master, a faint smile appeared on the lips of the warrior who had departed after a satisfying battle.
* * *
Mark Goetun's sword fell like a blue flash, instantly breaking through the wall of monsters blocking his path. But the ghosts of Eden and the monsters surged again, as if resurrected to besiege him once more. Facing the endless avalanche of monsters felt like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.
Mark Goetun retreated while cutting through the wave of monsters and evil spirits of Eden that rushed at him like a tide.
'Damn it! There's no end to them!'
The monsters and ghosts of Eden continued charging toward him to enter the forest, no matter how many he killed. Even with corpses piled like mountains, they showed no fear. It felt like fighting moving dolls.
'It's becoming hard to hold on...'
Perhaps because he had suddenly crossed the threshold to Grand Master, his internal and external wounds were not healing. For now, he was holding on with his awakened will, but soon he would reach his limit.
'Before that...'
Mark Goetun bit his lip as he looked around.
'I need to find the commander.'
Before his flame extinguished, he needed to kill the commander who had formed the overwhelming network to open an escape route for Raon.
'Where the hell is he?'
Judging by the rapid changes in the formation and the lightning magic being cast, the commander was certainly within the network, but no matter how much he searched, he couldn't locate the enemy’s position.
'Damn it...'
Just as Mark Goetun was biting his lip while cutting down a monster that charged at him like a bull, a tremendous vibration and explosion that seemed to shake the earth erupted from within the forest, followed by a pillar of flames that appeared to pierce the sky.
'The battle is intensifying.'
Seeing Raon's aura reach so far, it seemed the battle in the forest was also reaching its climax.
'Even Lord Raon cannot easily take down a Transcendent.'
Knowing that Raon could come out with severe injuries, he had to break this encirclement by any means necessary. He extended his aura perception again while cutting down the ghosts of Eden, but there was no human with a special aura anywhere.
'Did they use invisibility magic? Or perhaps disguise themselves as monsters?'
Mark Goetun abruptly stopped, mocking himself for such an absurd thought.
'A disguise? Could it be...?'
Considering the possibility of a disguise, he recalled the clumsy speech of the commander when ordering the White Wolf Ghost, and a chill ran down his spine.
'That must be it.'
That's why he couldn't find them! Mark Goetun licked his lips and quickly scanned his surroundings. But this time, instead of looking for officers with masks or helmets, he focused solely on the monsters.
He deflected the attacks of the slimy ghosts of Eden that rushed at him while quickly extending his aura perception. Having suddenly surpassed the threshold of Grand Master, his senses now covered the entire field.
'I've found a clue, but I still can't tell.'
Although he now knew how they were hiding, the enemy was so cunning that even his aura perception couldn't locate them.
'In that case...'
I’ll have to show an opening. He exhaled slowly, gathering what little aura he had left in his sword.
"Damn annoying pests! Get out of my way!"
Mark Goetun roared as he swung his sword at the wave of monsters charging at him. The energy imbued in the blade released like a divine dragon, spreading in all directions.
The supreme technique of the Blue Thunder Sword, Lightning Strike, extended outward, destroying not only the monsters charging toward him but also the ghosts of Eden behind them.
"Ugh..."
However, having used the sword technique with all his might, his body stiffened, and he could not move. At that moment, as if they had been waiting for this opportunity, red lightning fell from the sky, and blue spears surged from the ground.
Mark Goetun could not lift his sword and barely managed to block the red lightning and ice spears with a wall of aura.
Unable to absorb the impact completely, he spat dark red blood. Blood also gushed from his barely closed wounds, soaking his uniform.
'The damage is severe.'
Having swung his sword with all his might, his aura consumption was extreme, and his wounds had reopened, causing a pain that made his head throb.
'But...'
Mark Goetun bit his blood-soaked lips and straightened his bent knees.
'I’ve found them!'
Taking a deep breath as if this fight were the last, he charged toward the group of monsters on the other side of the forest. After passing through numerous monsters, he struck a kobold shaman who was staring blankly.
[H-How... ?]
The kobold shaman's eyes opened wide in disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe that his identity had been discovered.
"There were many clues."
Mark Goetun twisted his lips as he pressed the kobold shaman with his Dragon Wall Sword.
"I found it strange that the voice giving orders to the White Wolf Ghost sounded inappropriately clumsy, unlike that of a human."
The commander of the overwhelming network had spoken more clumsily than a child when ordering the White Wolf Ghost to enter the forest. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now he realized it was because the speaker was not human.
"Moreover, none of the officers seemed to be in charge."
He had examined all the officers of Eden on this battlefield, but none had the ability to command or were truly giving orders. That’s why he thought the commander must be hiding among the monsters, not among the humans.
[T-Then...]
The green lips of the kobold shaman trembled, seeming to realize he had been caught.
"That's right. I deliberately showed an opening."
Mark Goetun nodded, saying he was able to find the location thanks to the lightning.
[D-Damn it!]
The kobold shaman ground his sharp teeth, as if he was suppressing himself for his fatal mistake.
[Even if you've noticed me, it's too late! You'll die here!]
He called upon the monsters and the Eden officers behind him to attack from the rear while blocking Mark Goetun.
"As expected from Eden. Giving a monster such abilities. However..."
Mark Goetun shook his head while looking down at the kobold shaman.
"This is the end for you too."
He unleashed the technique of the Manifestation Ghost Sword point-blank against the kobold shaman, who was reinforcing his mana barrier. His sword, shining with blue light, shattered the kobold shaman's shield and sliced his body in half.
[I can’t believe I’m being defeated by a mere human...]
The eyes of the kobold shaman trembled in disbelief at his own death before he spat blood and sank into the cracked ground.
As the kobold shaman commanding the overwhelming network died, the monsters scattered in all directions like lost children or began to fight among themselves.
The ghosts of Eden that had been rushing at him were forced to retreat, unable to get close due to the frenzied monsters. It seemed he no longer needed to worry about them.
"Ha..."
Mark Goetun wiped the dark blood dripping from his mouth and managed a small smile.
'What a relief.'
Fortunately, he had managed to dismantle the overwhelming network before Raon appeared. He felt a small sense of relief for having fulfilled his vow to Raon.
'Now...'
He should head to the Master Palace. Mark Goetun lifted his legs, which felt heavy as if soaked in water, and walked toward the forest.
'Although in my current state, I should be able to help.'
Considering his physical condition, retreating would be the right choice, but if he could launch a surprise attack with his remaining strength, he could create an opportunity for Raon. Going was undoubtedly the right thing to do.
Just as Mark Goetun was about to enter the forest, a cool breeze blew over his head.
Slowly lifting his head, he saw a man with a green serpent helmet floating in the air as if standing on solid ground.
'The Green Serpent!'
He was one of Eden's officers, said to resurrect endlessly no matter how many times he was killed.
"What a disaster this is."
The Green Serpent snorted, emitting an ominous aura.
"Ugh..."
Mark Goetun's hand holding his sword trembled. This man was beyond his ability to handle, even at his best.
"I’ll have to kill you before he comes out."
The Green Serpent slowly extended his hand. The tip of his finger flew toward Mark Goetun's neck like a sword.
'Ah...'
Although he could see the Green Serpent's attack coming, he could not block it. As the word "death" etched itself in his mind, he felt a sensation as if he were being pricked by a needle in his back, and memories of past training flashed through his mind.
Raon had unleashed an inevitable sword strike during the concentration enhancement training. In the end, unable to dodge, he had offered his neck during that training session. That moment overlapped with the current reality.
'He is certainly strong and fast. But...'
Not as much as the sword of the Master Palace! Mark Goetun twisted his sword and lunged to the right. In that instant between life and death, his experience sharpened his judgment, allowing him to dodge the Transcendent's sword.
"Huh? You dodged that?"
The Green Serpent exhaled in disbelief.
"As expected of your subordinate. I'll give you a proper treatment."
He clicked his tongue in disgust and drew his sword. The blade approached him with a chilling gleam, and this time there was nowhere to escape. A certain death rushed toward his chest.
'This is the end, I suppose.'
Mark Goetun did not lower his gaze even as he saw the Green Serpent's sword approaching to pierce his chest.
'But I have no regrets.'
He had blocked the path as he had sworn to Raon, and he even broke the overwhelming network, so he had no more desires. He simply watched the blade approaching, which seemed to pronounce his death sentence, hoping Raon would return safely.
Just when the blue blade was about to pierce his chest and stab his heart, he heard the sound of intense hooves behind him.
Before that sound could reach his ears, a red light shone before his eyes. A cut resembling a golden flame violently pushed back the Green Serpent's sword that was about to pierce his chest.
"You did well."
Even before he could turn around, he saw a massive horse and the golden-haired swordsman mounted on it appear before him. Raon nodded at him as if to say he had worked hard.
"I'll take care of this from now on, as quickly as possible."
Raon briefly licked his lips as he looked at the Green Serpent clinging to his wrist and the monsters that were beginning to pile up behind him.
-
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Thanks for the support
Bro came back again to aura farm and W Mark Goetun
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