Chapter 1191
-Hmm?
Wrath arched a brow, his face clouding with skepticism.
-What exactly are you plotting this time?
He gestured with his plump, rounded hand, signaling for a clarification of the plan.
'The thing is...'
Raon was just about to divulge his strategy to Wrath when a weak voice interrupted.
"R-Raon..."
Edgar extended a shaking hand, calling out to his son.
"Help me..."
He exhaled a thin, ragged breath, looking as though he might expire at any second.
"You aren't going to die, so take it easy," Raon replied with a faint smirk, grasping Edgar’s hand. "Grandfather wouldn't use lethal lightning on my father. If anything, doesn't it feel like your muscles have loosened up?"
While Glenn’s discharge had appeared lethal, it was designed to deliver agonizing pain rather than actual damage. The electricity had essentially jump-started Edgar's physical systems, though the man was currently leaning into the drama of his "injuries."
"Eh?"
Edgar blinked, experimentally rotating his shoulders and flexing his arms.
"Wait, is it true?"
His jaw dropped in shock as he realized the persistent tension in his muscles had indeed vanished.
"It still stings a bit, but my entire frame feels limber!"
Edgar let out a foolish beam, delighted by a level of physical comfort he hadn't felt in ages.
"See? You should go express your gratitude to Grandfather."
Raon gave a supportive nod and a warm smile.
'He definitely treats Father differently than my master.'
Whenever Glenn targeted Rimmer, the lightning was merciless and genuinely dangerous. It seemed he possessed a shred of restraint for his son-in-law.
"Father-in-law!"
Edgar pushed himself up on wobbly legs and gave Glenn a deep bow.
"I am grateful to you for easing my stiff joints!"
Taking Raon's advice to heart, he immediately offered his thanks.
"Hmm."
Glenn didn't rebuff the gesture, offering a curt, acknowledging nod.
"I used to think of you as nothing more than a grumpy old man, but I was mistaken! As expected of the Sword God, there is a hidden wisdom behind your every action!"
Unfortunately, Edgar’s inability to stop talking soon began to erode the goodwill he had just managed to build.
"U-um, Father..."
"Even during our meals, when you sat there with that intimidating aura and I couldn't tell if I was eating through my mouth or my nose—that was a lesson too, wasn't it?"
Before Raon could intervene, Edgar’s mouth ran away with him, spilling unnecessary observations like a leaky faucet.
"What was the point of that dignified silence at the table? Oh! Were you training us to maintain our digestion even under extreme psychological pressure..."
Edgar was so thrilled by the idea of Glenn caring for him that he failed to notice the growing tension in the air or the horrified looks of the spectators.
"Ah..."
Raon winced and shut his eyes. He saw the sky darken and the air ripple as Glenn’s forehead creased. Then came the flash and the roar.
"I... Aaaahhhhh!"
With a sound like the world splitting apart, a fresh bolt of lightning descended. Edgar was blasted backward, letting out a sharp yelp before falling silent.
"I told you to just stay still..."
Raon dragged the charred, unconscious form of Edgar into a corner and applied some healing salve to his soot-covered skin.
"Good grief, how did I marry such a clown..."
Sylvia watched the scene with a heavy sigh, looking at her husband with a mixture of pity and exasperation. Nevertheless, she fetched a garden watering can and began sprinkling water over his face to wake him up.
-That man is every bit as dim-witted as your master, isn't he?
Wrath let out a dry, incredulous laugh, noting the striking similarity to Rimmer.
'The thought crossed my mind as well.'
Raon chuckled softly in agreement.
'In a way, it's a pity.'
Had his master and his father ever spent time together, they would have been inseparable. Both Rimmer and Edgar shared a talkative, breezy, and irreverent nature. They would have been the best of friends, and Raon felt a pang of regret that such a meeting hadn't occurred.
-Absolutely not. It is a blessing they never met!
Wrath shook his head violently.
-Dealing with one such idiot is exhausting enough. If those two had ever joined forces, my fury would have been so great that this King would have manifested just to end the noise!
He scowled, dismissing the idea of such a duo.
-Forget about them. Tell me what you intend to do!
Wrath jerked his chin toward Glenn, wanting to know how Raon planned to handle the old man's prowess.
'That...'
Raon narrowed his vision, observing Glenn as he provided instruction to Sia.
'I'll show you later.'
He made a dismissive gesture, telling the sin to be patient.
-Aah...
Wrath clutched his head, his hands trembling with irritation.
-This is unbearable! There are two primary ways to incite rage in a person: the first is to stop speaking in the middle of a—
As Wrath began to scream in frustration, Raon pressed a finger to his lips.
'Just wait a little longer and you'll see.'
Raon offered a knowing smile and turned away.
'Tonight is the time.'
Crack! Even in the post-dinner practice session, Raon failed to intercept Glenn’s simple wooden branch and was sent tumbling across the ground.
"Ugh..."
A pained sound escaped his throat; the impact had been more jarring than he anticipated. Glenn, seemingly realizing Raon’s body was sturdier than average, appeared to be increasing the intensity of his strikes.
-Hey...
Wrath stared down at him with icy, narrowed eyes.
-You promised something different. What was that? It’s exactly the same as before! Actually, you went down even faster this time!
He demanded to know where the supposed "plan" had gone.
'This is proving more difficult than I anticipated.'
Raon wiped his face and offered a thin, tired smile.
'I suppose I was arrogant to think I could decode the sword of the world's greatest master so quickly.'
He gave a self-deprecating shrug, admitting the plan hadn't survived first contact.
-Decode?
Wrath’s eyes went wide.
-Are you telling me you were actually trying to analyze and find a counter for that Nadine Bread geezer's technique?
He looked at Raon as if he had truly lost his mind.
'Exactly.'
Raon gave a firm nod.
-You have finally snapped!
Wrath looked at him with pure disbelief.
-Against brute strength or endurance, you might stand a chance. But in a contest of pure swordsmanship, you cannot possibly best that old monster!
He dismissed the idea entirely, certain that Raon's current skill level was nowhere near Glenn's.
'No, it is possible. Deconstructing martial techniques is the very core of my strength.'
-The core?
'The Ring of Fire—the one you always complain is unfair—grants the unique ability to perceive and understand all forms of combat.'
Ever since his rebirth, Raon had lived with the constant rhythm of the Ring of Fire within him. By now, it felt less like a technique and more like a part of his soul.
With his nine rings on the verge of birthing a tenth, he believed he could use the Ring’s analytical nature to read Glenn’s movements. However, Glenn was the strongest warrior alive for a reason; his sword wouldn't yield its secrets after only a few exchanges.
-Perhaps that absurd ring makes it plausible...
Wrath conceded slightly, his expression softening.
"Raon."
Glenn paced forward, coming to a halt before the young man.
"It appears you've devised a new method for dealing with my blade."
A small, appreciative smile touched Glenn's lips. He had sensed the shift in Raon's approach during their brief clash.
"It is a commendable effort. Feel free to test every theory you have while I am staying here at the annex."
Glenn’s expression was a mix of confidence—knowing the outcome wouldn't change—and genuine encouragement for Raon’s growth.
"I will. That is exactly what I plan to do."
Raon met his grandfather's gaze with unwavering resolve, prepared to fail a thousand times to find his path.
"Normally, we would wait until tomorrow morning, but shall we go one more round right now?"
Clearly pleased by the answer, Glenn gestured for him to prepare.
"I would like that."
Raon stood up, shaking off the lingering aches. He raised Heavenly Drive, his focus sharpening.
"Very well."
Glenn smiled softly and raised his branch, pointing it toward his own chest. Despite it being a mere twig, the killing intent radiating from it made Raon’s heart skip a beat.
"It’s getting late, so let’s conclude this."
Mentioning his plans to play with Sia, Glenn lunged. A heavy, vibrating hum filled the air. The moment the branch moved, Raon pushed the Ring of Fire to its limit. His nine rings whirled in a frenzied, resonant harmony.
The world slowed to a crawl, and the surroundings faded into a stark white void. Everything else vanished, leaving only the two of them.
In this frozen moment, only the branch and the blade possessed motion.
'Precision, Speed, Resonance, and Severance?'
Raon's brow furrowed as he watched the branch weave through the air like a predator. Glenn was layering four distinct, perfected principles into a single strike.
'Then I use the opposites!'
His intent wasn't just to understand the move, but to shatter it. He needed a direct negation.
'Confusion, Heaviness, Impact, and Fluidity.'
He wove these four countering concepts into the Fangs of Insanity and lashed out at the incoming branch. A high-pitched metallic ring echoed. The techniques within Heavenly Drive’s blade synchronized perfectly to meet Glenn's attack.
'I've got it!'
Raon clenched his jaw, pouring every ounce of strength into his grip.
'It's blocked!'
Believing he had successfully neutralized the strike with his custom counter, he prepared to transition into an offensive move.
'Now, the counter... Wait!'
The second the branch made contact with Heavenly Drive, Raon realized something was wrong. With a thunderous boom, the branch bypassed his defenses with a sharp twist and slammed into his chest. Crack! Just like the first time, Raon was sent spiraling across the dirt.
"Gah..."
A choked sound of pain escaped him. The impact felt even heavier this time.
'How? What happened?'
He had used the Ring of Fire to analyze the move and created the perfect logical counter. He couldn't fathom how it had been bypassed so easily.
"You were close."
Glenn walked toward him with a slow, deliberate gait.
"Your ability to adapt at such a young age is truly remarkable."
He looked down at the branch in his hand, which was now emitting a faint trail of white smoke. He looked genuinely impressed by his grandson’s progress.
"You deciphered the technique, yet you are baffled by the defeat."
Seeing the confusion in Raon's eyes, Glenn looked at him intently.
"That's right. My energy, my speed, and the logic of my counter were all there. I don't understand why it failed."
Raon admitted his total bewilderment.
-Well, the reason is...
"Would you like me to explain?"
Both Wrath and Glenn seemed ready to provide the solution.
"No."
Raon’s eyes burned with a quiet, fierce light as he looked at them both.
"I told you before—I want to find the truth on my own."
He refused the easy way out, knowing that a borrowed answer would never help him climb the mountain.
"I see."
Glenn’s smile shifted from simple approval to genuine pride.
"Then I shall look forward to your discovery."
Deciding they were done for the night, Glenn turned and headed back to the house to find Sia.
-You are an incredibly stubborn brat.
Wrath frowned, clearly thinking the answer was far beyond Raon’s current reach.
-This will take you forever to figure out.
He clicked his tongue in mock annoyance, though a small smile tugged at his lips.
'No, it won't take that long at all.'
Raon rubbed his chin, a spark of confidence returning to his expression.
-What? Why are you so certain?
Wrath looked at him suspiciously.
'It's time I carved out a new trail.'
Raon pressed his right hand over his heart, feeling the frantic, powerful pulse of the nine rings within.
'It is time for the tenth ring.'
