## Chapter 1282
"B-but..."
Dorian lifted his shaking hand, looking utterly miserable.
"Is it possible to just avoid killing the Silent Serpent Swordsman so that Hydra never wakes up?"
He tilted his head to the side, questioning if they could simply prevent the monster's arrival by sparing the swordsman's life.
"That man didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward us, quite unlike the rest of the Ghosts of Eden."
Dorian gulped nervously as he thought back to the surprisingly cordial demeanor of the Silent Serpent Swordsman.
"Oh!"
Martha struck her palms together, her eyes brightening.
"He's right! The guy didn't act like he wanted to fight us at all!"
She licked her lips, noting that she hadn't sensed a shred of murderous intent coming from the Silent Serpent Swordsman during their encounter.
"That's not a viable plan."
Burren glanced at Dorian and Martha, let out a heavy sigh, and looked at them with an expression of pity.
"Regardless of his attitude, he is an executive of Eden. Do you really think they’d let a Transcendent just wander around doing whatever he likes?"
He shook his head firmly, dismissing their optimism as a pipe dream.
"......"
Runaan gave a slow, silent nod, appearing to agree with Burren’s assessment of the situation.
"T-then, if we just leave the Silent Serpent Swordsman alone and ignore him..."
Dorian pressed his hands together, his eyes turning red as he clung desperately to his fading hopes.
"That won't work either."
Evelyn spoke up, her expression unusually grim and focused.
"The Silent Serpent Swordsman is a Transcendent. Specifically, one who has surpassed the upper tiers. While magic and martial arts function differently, in terms of raw realm and power, he is far beyond my own capabilities."
She furrowed her brow, admitting she had been stunned by the terrifyingly sharp and polished martial skill she witnessed when she first saw the Silent Serpent Swordsman.
"If we leave a man like that to roam unchecked, wouldn't half of Zieghart be wiped out?"
Evelyn’s red lips curved into a thin line as she suggested the potential for catastrophic destruction.
"Our Raon might be able to keep him in check without much trouble, but even then, it would be no different than seeing one of the pillars of Zieghart crumble."
She gave a small shrug, indicating that there was no simple fix for this dilemma.
"Ughhhh..."
Dorian gripped his head, already paralyzed by the terrifying thought of Hydra appearing and laying waste to the world.
"Ugh..."
The Bear Fire Demon squeezed his fist tight, his gaze fixed solely on Raon. It was clear that his desire to rescue his children outweighed his dread of Hydra.
"I have a question for you."
Raon lowered his chin, meeting the Bear Fire Demon's gaze directly.
"Are you absolutely certain that the death of the Silent Serpent Swordsman will trigger the rebirth of your youngest son in Eden’s headquarters as the vessel for Hydra?"
Reflecting on it, since Syria Sullion was the source of that information, he found it difficult to accept as the complete truth.
"Y-yes, it is certain."
The Bear Fire Demon nodded with conviction.
"After hearing what Syria Sullion had to say, I looked into Eden myself. Just as he claimed, the spirits of my fifth and youngest sons are intertwined..."
He bit his lip until a bead of blood appeared, explaining that his own investigation had only deepened his sense of hopelessness.
"Based on the flow of the mana, if my fifth son perishes, the souls of all five siblings and the essence of Hydra will surge into my youngest."
The Bear Fire Demon dug his fingers into the dirt with shaking hands, having already verified the grim reality for himself.
"Evelyn."
Raon called out to her with a weary exhale.
"Is such a thing actually possible?"
Given Evelyn's history with Eden and her expertise in both sorcery and magic, she was the best person to separate fact from fiction.
"It is entirely plausible."
Evelyn shook her head, clarifying that the logic wasn't overly complex.
"If they truly possessed Hydra's magic stone and distributed its essence among the five brothers, and the death of the others triggers the birth of the true Hydra in the last one—well, even I could design a ritual like that."
She shrugged, confirming the feasibility of the dark magic.
"I see..."
Raon’s face darkened with frustration. Based on the testimony of the Bear Fire Demon and Evelyn’s confirmation, it seemed inevitable that the Silent Serpent Swordsman’s death would birth an Eden executive wielding the full power of Hydra.
"There is one detail that confuses me."
Raon bit his lip and looked back at the Bear Fire Demon.
"If the Silent Serpent Swordsman is truly the final key to unlocking Hydra, why would they allow him to wander so freely?"
During their meeting today, the Silent Serpent Swordsman had displayed no hostility. He had only offered friendly looks and a sense of curiosity, as if he were merely an observer.
"The Silent Serpent Swordsman wasn't dedicated to the Heavenly Demon or the cause of Eden. He was actually ignoring his instructions. It’s highly unusual."
It seemed irrational to leave a man who could be Eden’s most powerful asset, second only to the Heavenly Demon, to his own devices.
"That is the catalyst."
Evelyn stepped forward to provide the answer in place of the Bear Fire Demon.
"Granting the Silent Serpent Swordsman his freedom and removing his leash—that is the very magical binding. It’s a constraint designed so that upon his eventual death, the youngest can inherit the entirety of Hydra's strength."
Her red lips twisted into a smirk, as if the pattern was clear to her.
"Constraints and vows make both magic and sorcery exponentially more powerful. In all likelihood..."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes as she looked toward the Bear Fire Demon.
"If the Silent Serpent Swordsman dies, a true nightmare will be unleashed."
She let out a short, tense breath.
"But of course, our Raon will take care of everything!"
Evelyn grabbed his arm in her usual manner, showing her absolute confidence in Raon.
"Evelyn. Are you able to pinpoint Eden's current location?"
Raon squinted at the wall where the Dimensional Gate had previously manifested.
"No. The structural formation has shifted. The Heavenly Demon must have altered it."
Evelyn shook her head, explaining that the leader of Eden had likely moved the entrance to their stronghold.
"In that case..."
Raon shut his eyes for a moment before opening them again.
"Even if the Silent Serpent Swordsman is the key to calling forth Hydra, there is no way to address the situation at this moment."
The path to Eden was sealed, and both the Heavenly Demon and Pride remained inside. Even a man as powerful as Glenn would find it impossible to pluck the Silent Serpent Swordsman from that fortress alone.
"Furthermore, I have no intention of offering you a pardon."
Regardless of the Bear Fire Demon’s motives, he was a killer who had tormented Runaan and taken the lives of those from Zieghart. Forgiveness was off the table.
"Ah..."
The Bear Fire Demon’s eyes shook with a sense of total collapse, his final thread of hope snapping. The psychological trauma caused his internal wounds to flare up, and he coughed up a spray of blood.
"However, I will attempt to find a solution to rescue the Silent Serpent Swordsman and your youngest son without taking their lives. I'm not doing this for you..."
Raon stared down at the Bear Fire Demon as he spat out dark blood, his brow furrowed.
"I'm doing it for Zieghart."
---
Prior to his return to Zieghart, Raon made his way to a mansion of red brick in the heart of Cameloon.
*Swoosh!*
As he neared the entrance, a butler and a maid materialized from the shadows of the night.
"Greetings to the Sword Emperor."
The two servants dropped to their knees and bowed before Raon, as if they had been anticipating his arrival.
"Where is the leader of the Black Market?"
Raon spoke calmly as he acknowledged their greeting.
"She is waiting for you inside."
"Allow us to show you the way."
The pair bowed deeply once more, gesturing for him to follow as they opened the mansion's front door.
"Lead on."
Raon stepped into the residence under their guidance.
'This is a dangerous place.'
Though it appeared to be a standard home, the mansion was crawling with hidden assassins, lethal traps, and complex magical wards. He wasn't certain about its effectiveness against a Transcendent, but it felt as though it could neutralize a Grandmaster with ease.
Raon sensed the biting cold aura permeating the Black Market leader's home as he followed the servants to the second floor.
*Knock knock.*
The maid paused at a wooden door on the upper floor and knocked softly.
"You may enter."
A gentle, soothing voice answered from within. It was a familiar tone. Raon adjusted his attire, pushed open the door, and stepped inside. The sharp, slightly bitter scent of tea filled his senses.
The pleasant aroma helped ease his nerves as he spotted an elderly woman with a warm expression sitting behind a desk. She appeared to be a typical, stooped grandmother, but she was none other than Roseline, the formidable woman who had stretched the influence of the Black Market across the entire continent.
"I offer my greetings to the acting patriarch of Zieghart."
Roseline, seemingly well-informed about the internal affairs of Zieghart, bowed first and addressed Raon by his new title.
"My greetings to the Black Market leader."
Raon returned the bow with respect, recognizing her status as the head of a massive organization.
"When we first met, you were merely the Vice Leader of the Light Wind Squad, and now you are the acting head of your house. You have truly achieved remarkable growth."
Roseline offered a soft smile, as if she were reminiscing about their first encounter.
"It was only possible because of the significant assistance provided by the Black Market."
Raon bowed his head, acknowledging that his survival and progress were tied to their support.
"Please, have a seat."
Roseline gestured toward the couch beside her, inviting him to sit.
"Thank you."
Raon nodded and took a seat on the brown sofa, which felt inviting and warm.
"Did your recent mission conclude successfully?"
Roseline seemed to have an inkling of the events as she watched Raon while pouring the tea.
"It went better than I anticipated, though a new complication has surfaced."
Raon bit his lip slightly, staring at the tea Roseline had served.
"This time..."
After taking a sip, he recounted the entire ordeal to Roseline, omitting only the details regarding the Demon King's Authority.
"Hydra..."
Roseline let out a soft, troubled sound as she watched the tea leaves dancing in Raon’s cup.
"That beast appeared in the age preceding the Dragon of Destruction. Most people in this era would be ignorant of it, but some ancient texts remain."
She pulled an old, fragile-looking book from beneath the desk; its cover looked ready to turn to dust.
"'Severing the heads of Hydra was not a difficult task. It moved slowly and lacked strength relative to its size. Furthermore, it was so focused on its assault that it didn't even register its heads being lopped off. However...'"
Roseline turned the worn pages, reading the first-hand account of someone who had faced the creature.
"'The more heads the Hydra lost, the more it tapped into a strength that felt alien to this world. Even the mightiest warriors of the land could not endure its toxic fangs and were reduced to black puddles. Specifically, when only the final head remained, the only word left in my mind was despair. Nothing could harm it...'"
She closed the volume with care, her expression solemn, as that appeared to be the end of the entry.
—Hmph! It’s nothing more than a glorified lizard!
Contradicting his previous concern, Wrath snorted in disdain, calling Hydra just a common snake.
'You were the one saying it was powerful earlier.'
—It irritates me that something that isn't even a demon king receives such flowery descriptions!
He clicked his tongue, muttering that he should have been the one to go and roast the serpent himself.
—This time, you should catch it and turn it into snake wine!
'In any case.'
Raon felt a small urge to laugh. Thanks to Wrath’s intervention, the terrifying weight of the name Hydra felt significantly lighter.
"If a creature possessing the true essence of Hydra were to manifest, it would become a massive threat in the upcoming conflict. It would be ideal to handle the Hydra situation before then."
Roseline noted that resolving this before the war broke out would be the wisest course of action.
"I am in complete agreement."
Raon gave a steady nod.
"But we lack a path forward. Locating Eden’s base is nearly impossible right now."
He mentioned that the Heavenly Demon had obstructed the way into Eden.
"Even so, the search must continue."
Roseline set her cup down and offered a gentle, knowing laugh.
"Even if it requires the mobilization of every single asset within the Black Market."
A sharp, warrior-like intensity flashed in her eyes, contrasting with her grandmotherly appearance, signaling her resolve to win the war at any cost.
"Give me every detail of what you saw when you entered the heart of Eden. I will scour every mountain range and every ancient map we've collected since the dawn of time to find it."
Roseline tightened her aged fist, vowing to uncover Eden's location regardless of the difficulty.
"Ah."
Raon felt a surge of tension as he witnessed Roseline’s overwhelming presence. Seeing the fire in her eyes, he finally understood how she had built the Black Market into the powerhouse it was today.
"And there is one more thing..."
Roseline held up a finger, indicating that the following point was of even greater importance.
"You are prepared to step into the role of a hero, aren't you?"
