Chapter 1134
Raon narrowed his eyelids, his gaze fixed on the charcoal-colored flames that sent a chill crawling down his spine.
'There is no doubt.'
That was the aura of death. It was a power that magnified spite even more intensely than the Necromancy-based Death Energy. Those obsidian blazes that extinguished the living and shrouded the departed in gloom were unmistakably the signature power of Derus Robert.
'How did the death aura manifest here?'
Raon ground his teeth while watching the dark fire flicker quietly.
'This shouldn't be linked to me.'
Had the death aura surfaced after he stepped into the First Patriarch of Zieghart's recollections via the golden fire, it might have made sense. However, it was this very death aura that had pulled him into these visions now. He found it incomprehensible that these flames would seek him out—the very person capable of neutralizing them.
'Is it a consequence of witnessing the First Patriarch’s history within the Unyielding Blade?'
Raon rubbed his jaw, mentally retracing his recent steps. Since this was his first unique experience following the discovery of his forefather’s legacy in the Unyielding Blade’s archives, he suspected it might be a continuation of those events.
'No. The First Patriarch’s visions were always comprised of disconnected fragments.'
The ancestral memories he had encountered previously, while themed similarly, never bridged across their individual segments. The abrupt appearance of the Black Flames in the garden of the annex—a place with zero relevance to those memories—pointed toward an entirely separate cause.
'Could it be because of my encounter with Derus Robert?'
That also seemed improbable. He had crossed paths with Derus Robert multiple times before. He had even physically sliced through the energy the man radiated, yet such a phenomenon had never occurred until now.
'It implies something unique happened during this specific encounter... Wait.'
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a vibration echoed deep within his spirit.
'Is it possible...'
Raon pressed a hand against his chest, his brow furrowing in concentration.
'Did my Soul Sword establish a link with Derus?'
If that hypothesis held water, then the memory he had just stepped into belonged to Derus Robert.
'I have to verify this.'
Raon steadied his pulse and moved past the barrier of dark fire that hung before him like a heavy drape. As he breached the Black Flames, a familiar landscape materialized. It wasn't a scene from his current life, but the estate of House Robert—the place to which he had sacrificed his entire existence and spirit in his former life.
'House Robert...'
It truly seemed that his Soul Sword had bridged the gap with Derus's. His own blade of the soul had nearly been consumed by Derus Robert’s, but thanks to Glenn’s intervention, he had narrowly avoided disaster. He believed the connection had been severed completely, but the current reality suggested that Derus's Mental Image had instead been tethered to him.
'Is the Ring of Fire responsible? I suppose this is a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune.'
He had considered it a catastrophe when Derus Robert gained the power to harvest Soul Swords, but because of Glenn, he was now privy to snapshots of the man's past. This promised to be an even more significant tactical advantage than he had imagined.
'Where is he hiding?'
Raon moved through the recognizable gardens of House Robert, hunting for Derus. However, despite searching the grounds, he found no sign of the man's presence.
'Looking closer, the layout is slightly off.'
The general location of House Robert matched his memory, yet the garden’s design and the orientation of the walkways differed from what he knew.
'The past. Likely a very distant point in time.'
Based on these unfamiliar details that weren't present in his past life, this appeared to be an era of House Robert that predated his own history.
'Should I investigate the interior?'
Just as Raon prepared to enter the manor, a noise drifted from the far side of the garden. A dry snap—the sound of a footfall on fallen leaves.
'Over there.'
Raon moistened his lips and headed toward the secluded corner where the sound originated.
'Confirmed. This is a version of this place I’ve never seen.'
In his memory, a high decorative wall stood here, but in this vision, a hidden clearing was tucked away behind the hedges.
Holding his breath, he stepped inside to discover a silver-haired youth, seemingly under ten years old, and a middle-aged man with a frigid expression. Their shared features made it clear they were of the same bloodline.
'Derus Robert!'
Those soulless, icy eyes and that lip curled in a sneer against the world were unmistakable. Others might have been fooled by the youth, but Raon knew him instantly. That boy was undoubtedly a young Derus Robert.
'In that case, that man is...'
Raon shifted his attention to the elder standing before Derus. Suddenly, the stern middle-aged man dropped to both knees without a moment's hesitation. He lowered his head with an air of profound honor and pressed his lips to the tip of Derus’s boot. It was a display of the utmost subservience, reminiscent of a servant pledging total submission to a lord.
"..."
Derus gave a curt nod, his eyes filled with a chilling arrogance, as if such a greeting from the man was merely his due.
'Wait...?'
Raon’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the older man.
'Only the leader of the clan is permitted to wear that specific mantle, right?'
The cold-featured man was draped in the House Robert robes that Derus Robert always donned. Wearing the attire reserved for the patriarch meant he was the one currently in power.
'So he is the previous leader, yet a father is showing such groveling reverence to his own son?'
The figure before Derus had to be Teruan, the former patriarch of House Robert. Raon could not fathom why a father would treat his child this way. Beyond the confusion, witnessing the scene caused an eerie sensation to ripple through his soul.
'What is happening here...'
While Raon was grappling with the unsettling sight, Derus’s eyes—which had been looking down at his father with disdain—snapped toward Raon. He pulled his mouth into a grotesque, elongated grin, as if he sensed Raon’s presence.
However, unlike the First Patriarch of Zieghart, he didn't seem to truly see Raon. It felt more like a phantom projection triggered by the version of Derus existing within the Mental Image.
'You...'
As Raon began to address Derus, the black fire of the death aura surged in front of him, as if barring his path for the moment. The dark flames flared with increased intensity, blocking his vision entirely.
'To uncover Derus's true nature...'
Did it imply he needed more power? It seemed he would have to become strong enough to tear through this reinforced Black Flame before he could witness the next sequence.
"Fine."
Raon gave a steady nod to the roaring heat of the dark fire.
"I won't make you wait long."
With a vow of absolute certainty, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, the darkness was gone, replaced by the sun-drenched, tranquil garden of the annex.
—Hey, brat!
Wrath ground his teeth together, poking Raon’s shoulder.
—Where did you vanish to this time? You were reeking of death!
The demon orbited him, his large eyes wide with suspicion and concern over Raon’s actions.
'It seems Derus Robert left a parting gift.'
Raon’s lips quirked into a smirk as he detected a tiny spark of the death aura lingering at the periphery of his soul.
—More of your riddles.
Wrath sighed, clearly exhausted by Raon’s cryptic behavior.
—Forget it. Get inside and eat something!
He licked his lips, eager to pivot the conversation toward food.
'Apologies, but we don't have the luxury of time.'
Raon pivoted toward the training grounds, retrieving a piece of Nadine bread from his storage pouch.
—Wait...?
Wrath’s jaw dropped.
—D-drop that! That bread is a biohazard. It kills anyone who touches it!
He waved his hands frantically, pleading for Raon to stop. But the Nadine bread was already being consumed.
—Gaaah! My mouth tastes like a forest fire and melting tires!
Raon sprinted toward the fifth training ground, the sound of Wrath’s lamentations ringing in his ears.
'I have to grow stronger, faster than ever before.'
If only to finally unmask the truth of Derus Robert.
"Not a year, but a year and one month?"
Within the blue glow of the communication screen, Chamber scratched at the bandage on her forehead, looking incredulous.
"That snake is definitely plotting something! The timing itself is fishy!"
She scowled, wondering why such conditions were even considered.
"The Destructive King of the North likely had his hands tied."
King Lecross nodded slowly, showing an understanding of Glenn's position.
"Derus is a predator who specializes in manipulating the human heart."
His withered lips twitched slightly, a sign that his health remained fragile.
"I should have been there!"
Ogram roared from his section of the screen, clearly frustrated at missing a chance to strike at Derus.
"Those wretched backstabbers!"
He appeared to be pushing himself through brutal training for the coming conflict; his body was mapped with fresh scars, and his presence radiated a far more potent pressure than before.
"Ugh..."
Larian, the Mage Tower Master, was huddled under a thick quilt as if her life force had been spent. She gave a weak wave of her hand, signaling her silent agreement with the group.
"What's her problem?"
Ogram grumbled, glancing at Larian’s feed.
"Leave her be. I’m out of commission for now, so Larian is carrying the entire burden of sustaining the Magic Circles and the Dimensional Gates alone. She’s lucky if she gets any sleep at all."
Chamber bit her lip, her expression softening with guilt and pity as she looked at Larian.
"...Is there really no way for you two to come back?"
Ogram asked, looking between Chamber’s bandages and Lecross, who was leaning heavily on his cane.
"Listen, you muscle-bound oaf. I’ll heal up and get back on my feet myself, so stop hovering!"
Chamber huffed with feigned confidence, making it clear she was fighting to regain her former strength.
"...Indeed."
Lecross remained quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting over Glenn, Chamber, Larian, and Ogram before he gave a slow nod.
"For me, it will be a challenge. Even with a full recovery, I doubt I’ll be an asset on the front lines."
He managed a faint, bittersweet smile, explaining that even if his mind and body mended, he would struggle to reach the level of a Grandmaster, let alone touch Transcendence again.
"However, I will ensure Owen’s full treasury and resources are funneled into this war."
Lecross lifted his chin, promising that his kingdom would provide the necessary backing. Yet, his hands shook with the suppressed agony of a warrior who could no longer draw his sword.
"To hell with those demons!"
Ogram slammed his foot down. The force was so immense that the vibration seemed to travel through the dimensions, echoing in Zieghart.
"Regardless of his schemes, Derus Robert has issued a challenge. We have no choice but to prepare our counter."
Glenn closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them to look at the assembled leaders of the Five Kings.
"It is obvious they are brewing something during this thirteen-month window. They are likely designing a trap to wipe us out. Therefore, before they can act..."
He rose from the throne, his hand coming to rest on the hilt of the Heavenly Tremor.
"Channel every resource of the Five Kings to locate the headquarters of Derus Robert and Eden."
Arcs of crimson lightning crackled in Glenn’s eyes.
"Before those thirteen months are up, we will be the ones to take their heads."
"...Consequently, Zieghart is now in a state of total war readiness."
Glenn announced the mobilization to the Zieghart high-ranking members gathered in the hall, having finished the briefing on the recent developments.
"Derus actually had the nerve to declare war?"
Balder’s fist shook with rage.
"That continental lowlife! Isn't that just— Gah!"
He turned to vent to Karoon, but recoiled at the sight of the man next to him.
"Yes. He has truly lost his mind."
Karoon was radiating a freezing aura, his pride clearly wounded by Derus’s audacity.
"I won't find peace until I personally separate his head from his shoulders."
He ground his teeth so hard it was audible, a rare display of raw fury since his recent changes.
"..."
Standing behind Raon, Burren gave a solemn nod, echoing Karoon’s sentiment.
"A year and a month? That's a very specific timeframe."
Alice smirked, noting that the odd timing suggested a hidden agenda.
"Precisely."
Glenn looked toward Alice and gave a small nod of confirmation.
"Derus is masking his true goal. Because of that, we won't be sitting idle for thirteen months. We will strike first."
He gripped his sword hilt, making it clear that the opening move of this war would belong to the Five Kings.
"Devote yourselves to training in the time we have left. Every member of this house must become a sharp edge for Zieghart."
Glenn commanded them to prepare for the coming storm as if their lives depended on it.
"If I may..."
As Glenn concluded, Balder tentatively raised a hand.
"The Successor trials are currently underway. What becomes of that process?"
He suggested that while war was the priority, they still needed to settle the internal hierarchy.
"Balder..."
Karoon shot him a freezing glare, clearly feeling that such petty matters were secondary to the coming conflict.
"No, I just thought it was worth clarifying..."
Balder shrank back, intimidated by Karoon’s intensity.
"No, he raises a fair point. The selection process was initiated before these events."
Glenn nodded at Balder’s question.
"We will accelerate the second phase of the Successor trials and conclude it within a month. As for the final decision..."
His gaze shifted between Karoon and Raon, who stood side by side.
"The title will go to whoever deals the most devastating blow to Derus and Eden before the formal war begins."
