## Chapter 1110
"The favor of the Guardians... no, the aid of Sepia."
Raon braced his legs and pulled his posture upright, rising from the earth.
"I will treat this assistance with the utmost respect."
Regaining his composure, he lowered his head in a respectful nod toward Siyana.
-What has come over you?
Wrath glided over to his side, letting out a sharp hiss of surprise.
-I fully expected you to keep up that tiresome display of false modesty for quite a bit longer.
The blue spirit’s eyes stretched wide, clearly stunned by Raon’s straightforward acceptance.
'It is a gift from my Master.'
This wasn't some merit he had carved out through his own sweat. Raon viewed Sepia’s pledge as the final legacy left behind by Rimmer.
"I am truly grateful."
Siyana looked up at him, a soft, warm expression gracing her features.
"Because of your actions, I was granted the chance to bid my elder brother a proper farewell."
"A final goodbye?"
Raon’s gaze sharpened as he focused on Siyana.
'Did she encounter Master as well?'
Both Siyana and Sterin had been deep within their own spiritual awakenings in the mental realm, and Raon assumed they hadn't crossed paths with Rimmer. Hearing her words now was a total shock.
"While I was absorbing the truths of Spirit Art within that inner world, just as I was returning to the physical plane, I encountered a figure woven from pale emerald gales. The playful way he signaled with his hand... it was unmistakably my brother."
Siyana’s smile turned nostalgic, as if she were watching Rimmer’s departing gesture in her mind's eye.
"I caught a whisper right against my ear, telling me 'Great job!' Even if it was just a trick of my mind, I am certain it was his voice."
She reached up to brush her tapered ears, as if the memory of those words was a physical treasure.
"He appeared to me as well."
Sterin gave a firm nod and limped forward a step.
"Right before I stepped back into reality, that insolent brat actually tripped me!"
The old elf scowled, grumbling about how Rimmer had caused him to stumble.
-Is that Pointy Ears actually a sociopath?
Wrath let out a long, exhausted groan.
-Who in their right mind trips their own grandfather? Especially right after helping the old man find enlightenment!
He shook his head, unable to map the chaotic logic of Rimmer’s mind.
'So he made his rounds to say goodbye before he came to me as the wind?'
Raon clicked his tongue softly while observing Siyana and Sterin.
'That man, honestly...'
He couldn't suppress a dry, disbelieving laugh. The thought of Rimmer casually waving to Siyana and prank-tripping Sterin before shifting into that heavy, serious conversation with him was peak Rimmer behavior.
"That brat looked down at me after I hit the dirt and said only one thing."
Sterin’s grip on his bow tightened, the cords of muscle and veins on his hand bulging.
"'Don't you dare leave your granddaughter behind; stay alive until you're old enough to need diapers.' My sense of gratitude evaporated instantly, replaced by pure fury!"
He gnashed his teeth, swearing he would have delivered a gut-punch if Rimmer had been a physical target.
"That sounds exactly like Master."
Raon found himself breaking into a genuine laugh.
"He truly hasn't altered one bit."
Even at the threshold of the end, the man maintained his wit and irreverent cool. It was so characteristic of Rimmer that Raon couldn't help but feel a swell of warmth.
-He certainly departed in a manner that suited him.
Wrath bobbed his head in rare agreement.
"What did he tell you?"
Siyana pressed her palms together, her eyes pleading for Raon to share his experience.
"Well..."
Sterin also leaned in, his bow lowering as curiosity took over.
"...He simply told me that I had done well."
Raon had heard many more words than the others, but that singular piece of recognition was what anchored his heart. Hearing those words in Rimmer’s actual voice was something he would carry until his last breath.
"That’s... surprisingly normal?"
"What’s the catch?"
Dorian and Martha both stared, their eyes wide with suspicion.
"What is the point of having a grandson! He attacks me with pranks but gives his student a proper compliment!"
Sterin stomped his foot in mock outrage. Despite his grumbling, a small, satisfied curve touched his lips.
"That is just like my brother."
Siyana smiled gently, noting that even a simple word of praise was a profound gesture coming from Rimmer.
"We will be able to reunite with him, won't we? After everything that happened, it feels as though his spirit is drifting back toward the World Tree."
She clasped her hands, her voice trembling slightly with the hope of seeing him again.
"Why would you ever want to see that rascal again! I'll put an arrow through his skull the second he shows his face!"
Sterin brandished his bow, though his bravado lacked any real venom.
"We will."
Raon offered a peaceful smile, even as he remembered the image of Rimmer dissolving into the ether.
"We are bound to cross paths again one day."
He gave them a confident nod, choosing to keep the memory of Rimmer’s final, blurred departure to himself for now.
"I knew it!"
Siyana gave a small hop of excitement, clearly heartened by his reassurance.
"But the two of you... you’ve undergone such a transformation in such a brief window. You look like entirely different people."
Sterin had regained the vitality of a man in his prime, and Siyana’s very aura felt fundamentally altered. Even taking their spiritual breakthrough into account, the speed of the change was startling.
"Brief? It might have seemed fast to you, but it took its fair share of time."
Sterin waved his bow hand dismissively.
"He's right. You've been unconscious for an entire week."
Siyana blinked, clarifying that it hadn't been a short nap.
"A week?"
Raon’s eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.
-You were stuck there like a stone carving for seven days, just goggling at that oversized tree!
Wrath scowled, looking as though he had endured a lifetime of boredom.
-If you've regained your senses, hurry up and get us some food! Anything besides that wretched Nadine bread!
Even in the middle of a poignant moment, the spirit’s hatred for the bland travel rations remained unshakable.
"It certainly feels as though that much time has slipped by."
Observing the physical changes in Sterin and Siyana—and noting that the others were wearing different outfits—confirmed that his perception of time had been skewed.
"However..."
Raon felt a sudden lump in his throat as he looked around frantically.
"Where... where is Evelyn?"
The absence of Evelyn, who usually stuck to him like a shadow, sparked a sudden flash of worry and confusion.
-Well, as for her...
"I'm right behind you!"
Just as Raon spun around, Evelyn leaped out from behind the massive trunk of the World Tree.
"Gah!"
-Aaaaaah!
Raon and Wrath both recoiled, falling backward and shouting in perfect, terrified harmony.
"As if I would ever wander off and leave your side."
Evelyn gave the tip of her nose a playful tap, acting as though his surprise was entirely uncalled for.
"That woman... she didn't budge from your side for a single second the entire week..."
Dorian shook his head, looking exhausted just from the memory of her persistence.
"I was here too, you know?"
Martha let out a sharp huff, making sure her own vigil didn't go unnoticed.
"I... I also stayed close..."
Siyana raised a hand shyly, adding her name to the list of those who had watched over him.
"Th-thank you. All of you..."
Raon offered his gratitude while shooting a murderous glare at Wrath.
'Hey! If you knew she was there, why didn't you say anything? Why did you scream like a little girl too!'
Since Wrath shared his senses, he must have known Evelyn was lurking, so Raon couldn't fathom the spirit’s dramatic reaction.
-That... that terrifying woman...
Wrath shook his head frantically, looking genuinely rattled.
-She is horrifying even when you're expecting her! You felt that heart attack yourself! Tell her to stand at least ten paces away!
'What kind of pathetic Great Demon King is this?'
---
Following a short period of recuperation, Raon traveled to the grand training grounds of Sepia alongside Siyana and Sterin.
"My reservoir of Spirit Energy has expanded significantly."
Siyana lifted her hand, allowing a surge of vibrant Spirit Energy to pulse from her palm.
"My connection to the spirits has reached a much deeper level as well."
Small nature spirits flocked to her fingers like fledglings returning to a nest.
"And there is something else..."
"There's more?"
Raon’s eyebrows shot up as he watched her.
"I have attained the secret of spiritual harmonization."
"Harmonization?"
"Yes. Rather than just directing spirits to strike, I can now internalize and direct their essence myself."
Siyana gave a radiant smile, explaining her newfound precision in handling spiritual forces.
"That is truly a formidable gain."
Raon let out a low whistle of appreciation.
-That High Elf's combat potential will skyrocket if she refines this technique.
'I agree.'
Short of being a Spirit King, controlling spirits with absolute precision is nearly impossible. They usually possess a degree of autonomy that can lead to errors, but if Siyana could bridge that gap, her threat level would be on a different plane.
"Observe."
Siyana pressed her palms together, and Highest-grade Spirits materialized instantly. Even without the ambient boost from the World Tree, their presence was significantly more overwhelming than before.
'Have the spirits evolved alongside Siyana's growth?'
It appeared that her breakthrough had directly empowered the entities tethered to her soul.
"Star of Spirit Light!"
At her command, the powerful spirits unleashed four distinct torrents of elemental force. Unlike her previous chaotic barrages, the fire and wind now fed into one another, while the water and earth moved in synchronized streams before all four fused into a singular, rotating beam. The atmosphere groaned under the pressure!
A brilliant, sun-like sphere of spiritual force spiraled in front of her.
"What do you think? It’s much more potent than before, isn't it?"
Siyana beamed, looking for his validation.
"Launch it at me."
Raon made a beckoning motion, offering himself as a target to test the impact.
"Are... are you certain? This has quite a bit of weight behind it."
Siyana’s eyes wavered with hesitation.
"It's perfectly fine."
Raon gave her a reassuring look, indicating he was ready.
"Alright, here it comes!"
With a sharp warning cry, Siyana released the compressed sphere of elemental light.
'It's quick. And heavy.'
The projectile was far swifter and more dense than he had anticipated. It had a volatile quality, as if it were straining to burst out of its constraints.
'However...'
It wasn't a difficult thing to intercept. It felt as though his very soul had been tempered. Even with Siyana’s upgraded power hurtling toward him, he didn't feel a hint of panic. The air shrieked as the light approached!
Raon didn't even reach for Heavenly Drive. He simply raised his bare hand and sliced through the center of the spirit energy. The blast split into eight harmless fragments that drifted away and vanished into the air.
"Just as I thought..."
Siyana nodded, her confidence in him apparently unshaken by his ease.
"Then, try to catch one of my arrows."
Sterin drew a single shaft and notched it against his bowstring.
"It will take some time to reclaim my full strength, but I want to test myself against you once."
He gave a challenging tilt of his head.
"I would be honored."
Raon smiled and unsheathed the Heavenly Drive.
"This feels incredibly liberating."
Sterin planted his right foot and stretched his left out wide. He dropped his center of gravity into a deep, stable stance and pulled back the string. A sound like the tearing of silk echoed as the bow reached full tension.
Around the head of the arrow, a titanic aura began to swirl and ignite.
While it lacked the sheer volume of his peak days, the shot was saturated with a fresh, sharp enlightenment.
"Watch yourself."
Sterin let the string fly with a playful smirk. A thunderous crack shook the surrounding trees as the arrow turned into a blue streak of light aimed directly between Raon’s eyes.
'Swift and powerful, but...'
Raon observed the trajectory, lifting his blade.
'Is this the limit of your current state?'
Though Sterin was physically younger, he hadn't had the time to rebuild the muscle memory and raw power needed for his old lethality. Raon swung Heavenly Drive to intercept the incoming projectile.
But the moment his sword moved, the arrow defied physics, snapping into a new path toward his shoulder. It was an impossible correction—the legendary Arrow Control technique that only Sterin mastered.
"You let your guard down!"
Sterin’s lips curled into a grin, as if teaching a lesson to a green recruit. A freezing, razor-sharp intent flared from the arrow at the last second.
'Let my guard down...'
He was right. Raon had underestimated the shot, thinking it would be a simple block. But he wasn't the same warrior he had been a week ago. Even with the arrow inches away, his heart remained a still pond, his mind perfectly clear. His sword responded with inhuman fluidness.
Raon actually loosened his grip on the hilt of Heavenly Drive. The sword pivoted at an angle that would have snapped a normal wrist, intercepting and crushing Sterin’s arrow just as it was about to bite into his shoulder.
With a deafening snap, the arrow—loaded with immense kinetic force—shattered in two, the pieces burying themselves deep into the nearby foliage.
"Well now..."
Sterin’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"I knew you were capable of Sword Control, but that execution speed..."
He exhaled slowly, noting that the technique had triggered with zero perception delay.
"It feels like my reaction speed has sharpened. I suppose I didn't come away empty-handed either."
Raon offered a thin smile as he returned his blade to its scabbard.
-That isn't just a 'sharpening'!
Wrath hissed in disbelief.
-How can your Sword Control function faster and more accurately than when you're actually holding the damn thing!
The spirit shook his head, baffled by the lack of logic.
'I know. It surprised me a little, too.'
He had expected his Soul Sword to evolve when his past and present lives fused, but it seemed his foundational martial level had received a massive boost across the board.
"If you get any faster, the eye won't even register the movement."
Sterin clicked his tongue in wonder, finally lowering his bow.
"Still, I'll be a proper challenge for you once I've fully recovered, Guardian."
Raon shook his head modestly.
"That isn't true."
Sterin’s eyes were calm and knowing.
"Because by the time I've recovered, you will have ascended to a completely different realm of existence."
He tucked his hands behind his back, speaking with the certainty of a master.
"Still, it feels wonderful. Just being able to loose an arrow like that again."
The old elf smiled with genuine joy, finding contentment in that simple act.
"I am happy as well, just to be with my grandfather again."
Siyana mirrored his smile with a warm expression of her own.
"I have a formal request for the both of you."
Raon stepped toward them, holding the remnants of the broken arrow.
"As you are likely aware, a massive conflict with Derus and Eden is on the horizon. The shadows of that war will eventually stretch even to this secluded forest."
He watched Sterin’s expression turn solemn and noticed the slight tremor in Siyana’s hands.
"Will Sepia stand with us in this fight? No, I am asking you to join us."
Raon spoke with a weight that made a refusal impossible. This wasn't just a favor for him; it was a necessity for the Elves' survival as well.
"You're being far too formal."
Sterin gave a short laugh.
"Thanks to you and that troublesome grandson of mine, I’ve been given a second life. There is no way I could turn down such a plea."
He gave a resolute nod, pledging to fight with everything he had.
"I'll ensure my body is back to its prime by the time the drums of war beat."
"I... I will assist as well! If I'm with you, I feel like anything is possible!"
Siyana raised her fist with newfound energy.
"I'll contact Elayim and Ifrit and tell them to wrap up their business in the spirit realm immediately!"
She looked determined, ready to summon the full might of the Spirit Kings.
"My thanks to you both."
Raon bowed deeply to them.
"Keep your thanks."
"That's right. We are the ones who owe you a debt."
They both dismissed his gratitude, insisting the balance was in his favor. Raon closed his eyes and then opened them, watching the sun dip below the horizon behind the two elves.
'Now I can depart once that shows up.'
-That?
Wrath tilted his head, confused.
-What have you forgotten now? Honestly, you're helpless without this King to guide you.
He waved his hand, waiting for Raon to explain.
'You're actually right. It's something that only appears when you're around.'
-Wait, what are you...
As Wrath blinked in bewilderment.
[A monumental feat has been achieved.]
[You have preserved the lives of the Elven leaders.]
[The essence of your previous life and current life have attained perfect unison.]
[All statistics have...]
[Unique Traits...]
The system rewards earned during his time in Sepia finally manifested.
'See?'
Raon gestured toward the glowing blue screens alongside Wrath.
'The thing that only triggers when you're here.'
He flashed a bright smile of genuine appreciation.
-Why does this cursed system have such impeccable timing!
Is it actually eavesdropping on us or what!
-
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