TRAIGS (Novel) Chapter 993

C993

"Raon Zieghart..."

The eyes of Green Serpent trembled as he looked at Raon, apparently in great shock.

"Did you kill the Demon Slaying Spear?"

He bit his lip hard while looking at Blood Horn, the beloved steed of the Demon Slaying Spear.

"..."

Raon did not answer Green Serpent's question; instead, he directed his gaze to Mark Goetun behind him.

"You finally did it."

Mark Goetun had not betrayed his faith and had awakened to the realm of Grand Master right here. Judging by how he had settled at an even higher level than when Burren, Martha, and Runaan awakened, it seemed that the reward for his years of perseverance with the sword, even when his skills did not improve, had finally arrived.

"It's all thanks to you, Master Palace."

Mark Goetun bowed his head without even wiping the blood flowing from his wounds, attributing his success to Raon.

"If it weren't for you, Master Palace, I would still be..."

"I know you have a lot to say, but first, let’s finish cleaning up here."

Raon waved his hand with a slight smile.

"Please take care of this."

After dismounting from Blood Horn, he handed Merlin over to Mark Goetun.

"Hmm..."

Mark Goetun let out a low groan as he observed Merlin's condition, covered in wounds from spear attacks.

"I will protect her life."

"That's not necessary."

Raon calmly drew his Heavenly Drive sword.

"Nothing will happen."

Saying that no one could touch them, he approached Green Serpent.

"Green Serpent."

Raon lifted his chin as he looked at Green Serpent.

"I'm tired of seeing that snake helmet now."

From the Golden Mask Swordsman he had first seen in the Eden branch to this Green Serpent who had been attacking Sepia. Having encountered four colors of snake helmets, he now felt irritated just by seeing them.

"I let you go in Sepia, but today you won’t have that luck."

He had let him go in Sepia to minimize damage, but today he had no intention of being so lenient. Gripping the Heavenly Drive sword tightly, he vowed to kill not only Green Serpent but also the next snake helmet.

"Ugh..."

Green Serpent bit his lip and stepped back, seemingly frightened by the killing intent emanating from Raon. Thud. Raon squinted as he advanced as much as Green Serpent retreated.

'He hasn't improved at all.'

Although it had been quite some time since he saw Green Serpent in Sepia, the enemy's martial power had not changed much. It seemed there was another secret behind his strength, as if he continued to resurrect.

'Before killing him...'

-What are you planning now?

Wrath tilted his head in curiosity.

'There are some things I need to confirm.'

Raon pulled out the reddish bell that he had placed in the pocket of his uniform.

"Green Serpent. Do you know what this is?"

He extended the bell, hooking the attached ring to the tip of his finger.

"Why is that object in your hands...?"

Green Serpent stopped retreating and opened his eyes inside his helmet. The other Eden ghosts also revealed beastly looks and drooled sticky saliva at the sight of the bell.

"No..."

Green Serpent exhaled softly, clutching his head.

"Merlin is with you, and the Demon Slaying Spear is dead, so I guess it's natural."

He nodded heavily as if he understood.

"Haa..."

The hand of Green Serpent holding the sword trembled.

"As long as that object is with you, I can't simply retreat."

He pressed his lips firmly, saying he had no choice but to fight.

"We agree on that. I also had no intention of letting you go."

Raon smiled disdainfully as he spun the bell on his finger.

"So, what is this bell that's causing such a reaction?"

He raised his chin, demanding an answer from Green Serpent.

"Even if you knew, you wouldn't understand."

Green Serpent licked his lips while looking at the spear wound on Raon's chest, torn by the Demon Slaying Spear.

"I will stop you here, even if it means carrying out the will of the Demon Slaying Spear."

He openly expressed his intention to attack Raon's wound, licking his lips.

"Don't you dare speak the name of the Demon Slaying Spear with your filthy mouths."

Raon frowned, turning his chin to the side.

"Hmph!"

As Green Serpent snorted and lowered his hand, the monsters and Eden ghosts behind him charged simultaneously at Raon.

"The overwhelming network no longer exists!"

Mark Goetun shouted that the pressure of the formation had disappeared with the death of the commander.

"I understand."

Raon nodded calmly as he watched the wave of monsters approaching.

'Indeed, the network has broken, but...'

The fighting spirit of the monsters had become more intense. Although there was no longer the powerful pressure of the overwhelming network as before, the aura emanating from the Eden ghosts was imbued with a determination to fight to the death, perhaps due to this bell.

"Wait there."

Green Serpent did not launch himself at once but retreated behind the monsters and Eden ghosts, concealing his presence. It seemed he was not fleeing but surrounding them to seek an opportunity to attack.

-He’s becoming increasingly despicable.

Wrath clicked his tongue as if he was disgusted.

-At least before he had the decency to fight head-on!

He snorted, saying that the guy had become more pathetic with each color change of his mask.

'I think the same.'

Raon nodded and moved forward. As the large monsters and Eden ghosts approached right in front of him, he activated Glacier and took a step forward. The ground beneath his feet violently upheaved, sending all the charging monsters and Eden ghosts flying through the air.

"Keep attacking!"

"We must kill him here!"

"If your hands don't work, bite him with your teeth!"

The Eden ghosts and monsters lunged at him to attack even while suspended in the air. But their attack did not end merely with lifting them. A silver frost exploded from the long cracks in the ground, turning the Eden monsters and ghosts into enormous blocks of ice.

It was a martial art applying Wrath's supreme technique, Silver Aurora. As the Eden monsters and ghosts froze, clearing his view, Raon directed his gaze to the right. His bright red eyes caught the movement of Green Serpent behind him.

"Damn it!"

Green Serpent quickly retreated as soon as he made eye contact with Raon, seemingly flustered.

"So you were there."

Raon launched the Heavenly Drive sword he held into the air. The sword, wrapped in green wind, rose on its own as if it were alive and fell toward Green Serpent.

"Sword Control!"

Green Serpent halted his retreat and grabbed his sword with both hands. A transcendent aura emanated from his fingers, and a brilliant green light rose above his sword.

"Haaaa!"

Just as Green Serpent was about to unleash his full power sword strike to deflect Raon's attack, the Heavenly Drive sword disappeared from his sight.

"What!"

As Green Serpent exclaimed in astonishment, his trembling eyes widened, the Heavenly Drive sword pierced through space and curved toward his chest. Raon Zieghart's sword technique.

8th Form: Whispering Wind.

His unique sword strike, which had evolved even further from Alice's Spatial Slash and Rimmer's Garunua, penetrated Green Serpent's sword strike and breached his opening.

"Damn it!"

Green Serpent, as a Transcendent, realized the flow of Whispering Wind and sidestepped to the right while raising a wall of aura. However, the Heavenly Drive sword followed Green Serpent's movements without losing track, adhering to Raon's will.

The Heavenly Drive sword, wrapped in a light green wind, penetrated the aura wall that Green Serpent had raised as a last resort and pierced his chest.

"Kuhehek!"

Green Serpent halted, spitting black blood. Unable to withstand the overwhelming weight of the Heavenly Drive sword that could even break a Transcendent's will, he fell to his knees on the spot.

"Speak."

Raon approached Green Serpent and raised the reddish bell.

"What is this bell?"

"...I don't know. Even if I did, I couldn't tell you."

Green Serpent shook his head, spitting blood. Despite the unbearable pain of the sword filled with cold energy and wind piercing his chest, he refused to open his mouth.

"Then, what is your identity? Why do you keep coming back to life?"

Raon frowned and asked a second question.

"I believe I told you once before..."

Green Serpent weakly shook his head.

"You will know soon. This time, for real..."

He smiled as if this death were not the last.

"Alright. Then..."

Raon pulled the Heavenly Drive sword out of Green Serpent's chest.

"Die."

He swung his sword without hesitation, decapitating Green Serpent.

"Ah, no..."

Green Serpent's eyes trembled as if he had not expected to be decapitated so quickly, and then he collapsed.

'No need to waste any more time.'

Although torturing Green Serpent could provide information about the bell, escaping quickly was the priority since The Fallen or other Transcendents from Eden could arrive at any moment.

"Defeating a Transcendent so easily..."

Mark Goetun let out an incredulous laugh. He seemed even more surprised because he had clashed with Green Serpent before.

"Get on."

Raon remounted Blood Horn and gestured for Mark Goetun.

"Ah, no. I'll use my own legs..."

"It will be faster if you ride this."

The speed of Blood Horn was faster than Mark Goetun running at full speed. Given his current injured condition, it was undoubtedly better to mount the horse and gallop.

"A-Alright."

Mark Goetun rolled his eyes in disbelief before mounting Blood Horn.

"Let’s go!"

Even before Raon could shake the reins, Blood Horn seemed to read his mind and took off from the ground, launching through the field. Blood Horn had already crossed the field and entered the mountain they had climbed before coming here. The steed was reading his intentions without needing to be told.

Normally, horses significantly decrease their speed when climbing mountains, but Blood Horn ignored such concepts, ascending the mountain at the same speed as on flat terrain.

"Huk!"

Mark Goetun could not close his mouth, which was agape in surprise at the speed of Blood Horn.

'It’s certainly impressive.'

Raon nodded while stroking Blood Horn's mane.

'Even a first-level expert couldn’t keep up with him.'

The basic movement speed of Blood Horn, its instantaneous acceleration, and changes of direction were superior even to those of a Grand Master, and they were unaffected by terrains like mountains. He never imagined there existed a warhorse like this.

-E-This king also wants to ride it!

Wrath clicked his tongue, expressing his desire to ride Blood Horn himself.

'It certainly feels refreshing and good.'

-That’s not what I meant!

Wrath frowned, indicating that wasn't what he was looking for.

'Then?'

Raon rolled his eyes at Wrath.

-The horse is big and magnificent! It’s perfect for this king!

Wrath drooled, saying he was captivated by the elegant appearance of Blood Horn.

-You don’t deserve it, so hand it over to this king! I’ll use it well!

*Sigh...*

Raon shook his head, letting out a brief sigh.

-Why don’t you respond? You really don’t want to keep him, do you?!

Ignoring Wrath's cries, Raon turned to Mark Goetun.

"Congratulations."

He nodded, congratulating him on reaching the Grand Master level.

"Really, it's all thanks to you, Master Palace."

Mark Goetun bowed his head, biting his lip.

"If you hadn’t accepted me, I would still be stuck in a tavern, selling my soul for some coins."

He gave a bitter smile, saying he would have given up the path of the sword and sold his soul for insignificant money.

"No, this achievement isn’t mine; it’s yours."

Raon shook his head, looking into Mark Goetun's eyes.

"The courage to kneel before someone younger and beg to be accepted is not something everyone has. The same goes for the will to keep the promise you made to yourself afterward."

Even now, his first encounter with Mark Goetun felt like yesterday. The fact that someone whose body and mind were broken had transformed into such a martial artist was not due to his good teachings, but because he had made efforts to the point of nearly dying. Although it was true that he had helped, he did not want to belittle the growth of a martial artist who had created the change by himself.

"...Thank you."

Mark Goetun seemed to understand his meaning, bowing his head and trembling his shoulders.

"Until I die. No, even after death, I will serve you, Master Palace."

He hit his chest with his fist, as if swearing once more.

"There will be more to do from now on."

Raon said to keep up the good work and then looked ahead again. Blood Horn had already climbed to the top of the mountain and was about to descend.

'It would be better to call Larian after crossing this mountain.'

Raon licked his lips as he looked down the mountain.

'Her condition won’t be good either.'

Larian had sent him and Mark Goetun to this location using a magic that even Chamber could not perform.

For a Transcendent, it took about 30 minutes to prepare magic, so it must have been quite heavy for her.

For her sake too, it seemed better to leave this land filled with curses and ask for help.

'But...'

Raon pulled the reddish bell from his pocket as they descended the mountain.

'What exactly is this bell?'

The reason they even deployed such a formation to track Merlin, and the reason Green Serpent charged at him while fleeing, was all because of this bell. Although he did not know its identity, it was certainly an important object.

'Is it really the Sacred Artifact of Eden...?'

Just as Raon squinted while shaking the silent bell, something happened.

-Evade!

Before Wrath's shout could be completely heard, a brilliant light flashed in the dark sky. White light and black light. Dozens of currents of light pierced through his senses and fell from above his head.

To protect Merlin in his arms, Mark Goetun, and Blood Horn, Raon unsheathed his Heavenly Drive sword and lifted his Wooden Ring Sword with Sword Control, creating two layers of Fire Wall.

However, the flashes of light falling from the sky penetrated the Fire Wall and struck his chest and Blood Horn's legs. Raon was thrown from Blood Horn and rolled down the mountain.

"Damn it..."

Without even thinking to stop the blood gushing from the wound on his chest, he lifted his head. Mark Goetun was trembling, spitting blood onto the ground where a black hole had opened, and Blood Horn leaned against a tree, emitting cries of pain as if its legs were broken.

'M-Merlin...'

As Raon turned his head with difficulty, he saw Merlin collapsed under a rock to his left. Bright red blood gushed from her chest. It seemed that the wound which had barely healed had opened again.

"Merlin!"

Raon used the Heavenly Drive sword as a cane to stand up. Just as he was about to muster strength in his legs to run toward Merlin, the black sky opened up, and a brilliant radiance bloomed. A strange figure wearing a young mask descended from the sacred yet ominous light. The Fallen. The leader of Eden had personally come out to block his way.

"You've made quite the spectacle again."

The Fallen smiled warmly as he placed his hand on his gray clothing adorned with demon horns and angel wings.

"Emperor of Swords Raon Zieghart."

Just when he was about to grab Raon's neck with his pale hand that seemed not to have seen the sun, something occurred. A pure magic circle rose, enveloping Raon, Merlin, and Mark Goetun, pushing The Fallen's hand away.

A golden-haired woman wearing a loose robe stepped out of the magic circle and stood in front of Raon, as if to protect him from The Fallen.

The Master of the Magic Tower, Larian. Her blue eyes, which always seemed lazy and bored, now sparkled sharply like a recognized sword blade.

"I'm sorry for arriving late."

Larian directed her gaze at Raon and nodded slightly.

"I had to make some preparations. And..."

She pointed a blue-stained dagger at The Fallen, who had not lost his smile.

"I had to choose the tools to dissect this guy."

Larian advanced toward The Fallen with confident steps, as if telling Raon to trust her from now on. The entire mountain trembled beneath her calm steps, extended with threads of mana.

-

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