Chapter 1157
"The technique itself isn't the goal; reflect on the purpose behind the shape you take."
"Prioritize your intent over your physical alignment."
"The essence of the blade surpasses mere physical power. You must always forge your steel with the strength of your mind."
Glenn moved across the practice area, offering vital guidance to the gathered warriors. With every stride he took, the profound insights of a master who had attained the absolute realm unfolded with seamless clarity. Watching this, Raon bit his lip in silence.
'This is stifling.'
Fourteen days had passed since he had stepped into the Head of House's personal training grounds. In that brief window, the other swordsmen had seen their martial prowess skyrocket under Glenn’s tutelage, as if every obstacle in their path had simply vanished.
Yet, for those two weeks, Glenn had not offered him a single word of direction. It wasn't just a lack of advice—he was being ignored entirely, treated as if he were a ghost haunting the grounds.
'What is the reason for this coldness?'
Raon was well aware of the affection Glenn held for him, which made this sudden wall of indifference impossible to decipher.
'It's not as if he has nothing left to show me.'
Glenn was currently providing meticulous, high-level instruction to the Blade Queen and the Warlord, treating them like students far beneath his own station. It defied logic that he would have no insights for someone like Raon, who stood on a similar level of power as those two.
"Hah..."
Raon let out a heavy breath while watching the members of the Light Wind Palace.
'Runaan and Dorian are surging ahead after receiving the Demon King's Authority, but even Karoon, Martha, and Krein are evolving at a staggering pace.'
It was expected for Runaan and Dorian to hit new heights with their new powers, but Glenn’s presence had acted like an accelerant for the others, pushing their growth to match that of the possessed duo.
-Isn't the progress of those youngsters a good thing?
Wrath tilted his head, seemingly confused by Raon’s dark mood.
'I’m not unhappy for them. Of course it's a positive development. It’s just...'
Raon exhaled sharply.
'I feel like I’m the only one stuck in place.'
At this current velocity, every person here—aside from the Transcendents and the elite Grandmasters—would likely jump an entire grade within a month. While everyone else sprinted toward the horizon, he was rooted to the spot, and the frustration was becoming a physical weight.
'Actually, even the Transcendents are evolving.'
Raon’s gaze shifted to the right side of the sparring grounds. Central Martial Palace Karoon and Warlord Yuber had shed their usual calculated shells, trading blows with a primal, predatory ferocity. They looked less like masters and more like apex predators tearing at one another’s throats.
The sheer intensity of the clash between the two Transcendents was so overwhelming that the space around them remained empty of other trainees.
'And on the other side...'
Raon looked toward the left. In total contrast, that area was draped in a library-like silence. The Blade Queen and Alice, who usually created the most chaos, were standing perfectly still. They watched each other with their weapons poised, resembling monks lost in meditation. Then, a singular, violent ring of steel echoed!
They weren't trading flurries every few seconds anymore. Instead, they spent long minutes hunting for a microscopic flaw, striking only once the perfect moment arrived. It was the polar opposite of the Warlord and Karoon’s methodology.
Regardless of the style, it was clear that all four Transcendents had reached a higher plane than when they arrived. Their blades were sharper, but their mental fortitude seemed even more impenetrable.
'Am I truly the only one failing to move forward?'
For a fortnight, he had been the earliest to arrive and the very last to put his sword away, yet his standing hadn't budged an inch from where it was two weeks prior.
It felt as though his current routine was only enough to prevent regression; he needed a spark, a catalyst he didn't yet possess, to break through.
'If this continues...'
Raon’s knuckles whitened around the hilt of his weapon.
'I might actually fall behind and lose the ground I fought so hard to gain.'
As it stood, he was the most powerful individual in Zieghart after Glenn. He had previously eclipsed Karoon and Alice, and his latest breakthrough had even placed him slightly above the Blade Queen and the Warlord. But if he remained stagnant while they surged, that hierarchy would inevitably flip.
'I have to find a way.'
While his internal energy and physical stats were sharpening slightly, his fundamental martial understanding was frozen. The anxiety began to claw at his chest.
'If my grandfather won't guide me, I'll have to innovate on my own... Wait!'
Observing the various styles around him, Raon snapped his fingers in realization.
'I'll absorb the strengths of the others.'
He recalled how much he had gained by mimicking and adapting the techniques of others during his time at the fifth training ground. With the elite of Zieghart all gathered in one place, the potential for learning was even greater.
'One way or another...'
Raon gave a resolute nod as he unsheathed Heavenly Drive.
'I will find my path to strength.'
"Hmm..."
Burren stifled a groan as he watched Raon swinging his blade with manic intensity alongside Serena, the leader of the Void Sword Division.
"Is he really doing okay?"
He spoke with a frown, dropping formalities to speak of Raon as a close companion.
"He's trying some new approach, but I don't see the usual spark of progress."
Burren rubbed his chin, sensing that something was fundamentally off.
"Raon is in a bad headspace," Martha added with a sigh.
"The Head of House hasn't acknowledged him once. That’s got to be eating him alive."
She nodded, sympathizing with the mental toll that kind of silence could take.
"Mm..."
Runaan's eyes fluttered open as she let out a soft sound.
"He’s struggling... a lot."
Even as she spoke with concern, she couldn't suppress a wide yawn.
"H-he's definitely hitting a wall, isn't he?"
Dorian sidled up to the group, his expression frantic.
"I’m telling you, the vibe is completely wrong this time!"
His eyebrows twitched, noting that Raon hadn't been himself for two full weeks.
"I can see it now too," Krein muttered, sharing the sentiment.
"But think about it..."
He glanced around at the others.
"Does the Palace Master actually need to be any stronger? Honestly, it’s almost terrifying to think he could go even higher!"
Krein shook his head, unable to grasp why Raon was so distressed over a temporary plateau when he had already achieved the impossible.
"It might look that way from your perspective. Think of it like this: you lot are in a carriage pulled by a pair of horses. But Raon?"
The Gambling Monster walked over, sipping water to keep a clear head.
"Raon has always been driving a team of eight. When you're moving that fast, standing still feels like falling off a cliff. I get why he’s spiraling."
He gave a slow nod, acknowledging the unique pressure Raon lived under.
"B-but why is the Head of House ignoring only him? He must know exactly what Raon needs to hear..."
Dorian turned to the Gambling Monster with pleading eyes, hoping for some sage insight.
"That's the thing..."
The Gambling Monster squinted at Glenn’s distant figure.
"I haven't the slightest clue!"
He let out a sharp snort, pointing out that he couldn't possibly read the mind of a man at the peak of the world, before wandering back to his spot.
"Let’s stop obsessing over it," Martha said, waving her hand to clear the air.
"Instead of worrying about that freak of nature, we should be focused on our own steel."
She hoisted her sword, signaling a return to work.
"Fair point."
Burren laughed softly, conceding the argument.
"Who am I to fret over him?"
Muttering about his own misplaced concern, he resumed his forms.
"Yeah..."
Runaan watched Raon for a few more moments before her eyelids grew heavy.
"Just have faith in him."
Guided by the essence of Sloth, she drifted back into a nap with a tiny smile on her lips.
"Y-you can't just say 'have faith' and pass out!"
Dorian gripped Runaan’s shoulder and gave her a shake, but the only response was the steady rhythm of her breathing.
With a resonant boom, Raon drove Heavenly Drive into the dirt, his teeth grinding together.
'Still nothing.'
He had spent another two weeks trying to mirror the techniques of his peers, but the breakthrough remained elusive. A full month had vanished. In the time it took for everyone else to shatter their limits, he hadn't moved an inch.
'Damn it!'
With the inevitable clash against Derus Robert only a year away, the realization that he was spinning his wheels made him feel physically ill.
'I don't have the luxury of standing still.'
He needed to reach the absolute summit where Glenn and Derus resided, yet here he was, pacing in circles like a fool.
'To hell with all of this.'
The fire of impatience roared in his chest as he reached for Heavenly Drive again.
-You look like you're about to explode.
As he prepared to draw, Wrath drifted over, looking bored.
'Because everyone else is leaving me in the dust.'
Raon shook his head, his voice tight with urgency.
-Are you actually losing your mind?
Wrath barked out a laugh, genuinely stunned.
'What do you mean?'
-Look up. You are currently trying to reach out and touch the sun.
He gestured toward the glowing orb in the sky.
-The others are still figuring out how to walk or, at best, starting to jog on the ground. When your starting points are that far apart, obviously the perceived speed of growth is going to be different!
Wrath scowled, calling Raon’s ambition beyond excessive.
'I know that, but...'
Raon gestured toward the other Transcendents.
'They are gaining ground fast.'
-It doesn't matter how fast they run; they aren't catching you!
Wrath brought his soft, round fist down on the back of Raon’s head.
-You fall into a state of enlightenment as easily as other people go to the bathroom or eat a snack. How are they supposed to compete with that!
He gnashed his teeth, telling Raon to stop being so dramatic.
-Raon Zieghart! This feeling of inadequacy you have? That is exactly what everyone else feels every single time they look at you!
Wrath’s expression shifted, becoming uncharacteristically solemn.
-I know better than anyone how hard you've pushed yourself. You've worked so much that even I can't get any rest.
He looked out at the persistent swordsmen still training in the distance.
-But even with that grind, your progress was unnaturally fast because of my presence and your absurd luck. How do you think the people around you felt?
Wrath narrowed his eyes, pointing out that everyone else had been living with a far greater sense of emptiness for years because of Raon's existence.
'That...'
Raon found himself speechless, his eyes dropping to the ground.
'You're right.'
Those who had watched him must have felt something deeper than just emptiness—it must have been despair. He had spent his life ignoring that reality, but now he finally tasted a fraction of their bitterness.
-Let me be clear.
Wrath’s brow furrowed deeply.
-Even if you learn absolutely nothing during your time here, it wouldn't be strange.
He nodded, explaining that since Raon was operating in a completely different dimension, a period of zero growth was actually a logical outcome.
-Just stop. Do nothing and sleep! That is the only logical move!
Leaving behind the advice to abandon his sword and rest, Wrath vanished back into the ice flower bracelet. With a sharp tug, Raon pulled Heavenly Drive from the earth. The silver blade shimmered as the dust fell away—or perhaps it was the mental clutter in his heart that was finally being cleared.
'Maybe a break is what I need.'
He had swung his sword with more desperation this month than ever before. Even though the frustration hadn't vanished, the idea of stepping back as Wrath suggested felt surprisingly right.
"Whew..."
After holstering his weapon, Raon took a slow, deep breath while observing the field. The other warriors were seizing their moment, their skills blossoming under Glenn’s watchful eye.
'They've come so far.'
While he had been flailing for a month, the others had transformed. They looked as if they had undergone years of training in a single moon cycle.
'No, I need to stop comparing.'
As the familiar pang of impatience tried to return, he forced his mind to go blank and shut his eyes.
'I'll just rest and listen to the rhythm of the blades.'
Even without a sword in his hand, the sound of the wind being cut by others brought a strange peace to his soul. His worries began to dissolve, replaced by the mechanical clashing of steel and the steady cadence of Glenn’s voice.
"Drop your center, keep the blade high. Every strike must also be a shield."
'He's teaching Dorian now.'
Simply by the sound of the displacement and the specific advice given, Raon could visualize exactly who was practicing and what form they were taking. With his eyes closed, he mapped out the entire training ground in his mind, letting his exhaustion bleed away. When the first light of dawn broke and the sounds of exertion finally died down, he slowly pulled himself back to the present.
"Ah!"
Raon let out a long, revitalizing breath, his lips curling into a genuine smile for the first time in weeks.
'Just being still... it actually helped.'
He decided he would do the same tomorrow. He had been so obsessed with constant movement that he’d forgotten how to simply be. Emptying his mind had acted like a balm, scrubbing away the poison of his thoughts.
'I owe you one, Wrath.'
Raon sent a mental thumbs-up to the spirit, feeling genuinely refreshed.
-Wait, what...?
Wrath’s voice was laced with confusion.
-W-why? Why are you...
His voice trembled as if he were staring at an impossibility.
-How did you get stronger?! You were just sleeping! This isn't how this was supposed to go at all!
