Chapter 1188
The blade in Burren’s hand descended with surgical accuracy, etching fissures into the stone of the training area that were as thin as a strand of hair. He executed these flawless strikes without the slightest deviation, leaving the grounds of the Central Martial Palace crisscrossed with hundreds of minute fractures.
Only after two hours of relentless, uninterrupted exertion did Burren finally still his arms. It was as if he were trying to physically purge not just the training sessions he had missed, but the turbulent weight of his own heart.
"Dammit!"
Burren clamped his jaw shut, glaring at his hands as they shuddered ever so slightly. He was clearly disgusted by his own performance.
'A lack of will to compete...'
It wasn't merely about a general desire to win. The competitive drive the Monarch of Envy had referenced wasn't aimed at the world at large, but specifically at Raon. That precise distinction was why Martha had been the one chosen.
'To think I’d be found wanting in drive...'
Since his youth, he had been consumed by the need to never suffer defeat, all to ensure he never brought shame to his father. He had accepted Raon’s superiority, yet he had sworn to himself that he would one day close the gap, even if Raon was a terrifying anomaly of nature.
'No, I only convinced myself I had made that vow.'
If he had truly been committed to overtaking Raon, there was no possible way Envy would have overlooked him. It seemed that, at some point, he had subconsciously surrendered his ambition to surpass Raon and simply resigned himself to the status quo.
'To be fair, it’s understandable.'
Raon was a literal freak of talent. He had stepped into a territory that even Burren's idolized father had failed to reach, wielding a level of martial might capable of felling the Dragon Lord. In the face of that, giving up felt like the only logical response.
'But...'
Martha hadn't bowed out. Unlike him, she hadn't let her competitive fire toward Raon extinguish. She had committed to hunting him down no matter how grueling or slow the process, and that divergence in spirit had led to yesterday's outcome.
'How does she manage it?'
Raon was the reason her mother was still alive! Martha had more reasons than anyone to be awed by him, having witnessed his power firsthand during that rescue. Raon was an existence that had moved beyond transcendence into the realm of the absolute, and he was her family's savior—how could she still view him as a rival to be beaten?
'Curse it all...'
Burren gnawed on his lip until a bead of crimson appeared.
'I understand the "why," but I have no idea about the "how."'
After agonizing over it, he grasped why Martha was picked, but he was lost on how to rekindle that same fire within himself.
'It's because Raon is simply too vast.'
In his eyes, Raon Zieghart was both an immovable mountain and a deity of martial prowess. He didn't know how one was supposed to feel competitive toward a god.
"Haaa..."
Burren prepared to raise his weapon once more, despite the fatigue in his grip.
"You look like a man drowning in thought."
A deep, resonant voice drifted from behind him.
"Ah!"
Burren spun around to find his father, Karoon, standing there with his fingers interlaced behind his back.
"Tell me what's wrong."
Karoon brushed his chin, gesturing for his son to vent his frustrations.
"Well..."
Burren felt his throat go dry as he met Karoon’s steady gaze.
'Father must be struggling as well.'
Given that Karoon was locked in a rivalry with Raon for the leadership of the house, Burren wondered if it was appropriate to dump his insecurities on him.
'He's going to tear into me.'
He fully expected Karoon to scowl and berate him for being weak-willed. Yet, if he didn't speak up now, he might never find another opening, so he summoned his resolve.
"The truth is..."
Burren laid out his dilemma, omitting any mention of the demon king. He explained how his lack of competitive spirit toward Raon had cost him a vital chance at growth.
"Raon has become such a flawless warrior that I can't find a way to see him as someone I can actually challenge anymore..."
He ended his explanation with a heavy, weary exhale.
"I see."
To Burren’s surprise, Karoon didn't erupt in anger. Instead, he simply blinked slowly, as if the sentiment were perfectly valid.
"Every person encounters a wall that halts their progress. When you stand right up against it, it looks infinitely tall and unbreakable."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon, speaking as though from personal memory.
"But if you step back and look at that same wall from a distance, or from a higher vantage point, it starts to look much smaller and thinner than you imagined."
Karoon spoke with a calm authority, sharing the wisdom of his own battles with such barriers.
"Raon might be a flawless martial artist, but as a human being, he is full of holes. It wasn't long ago that he even began to grasp basic human emotions."
He nodded encouragingly, advising Burren to look at Raon from a different angle—to see the man's flaws as a way to shrink the shadow of the warrior.
"Ah..."
A chill ran down Burren’s spine as the realization hit him.
'Of course...'
While Raon was an absolute monster with a sword, he was still remarkably clumsy as a person. When he superimposed the socially awkward Raon over the invincible warrior, the monolithic wall of his legend began to crumble.
"Th-thank you, Father."
Burren bowed deeply, moved by the profound insight.
"If you are ever troubled, do not hesitate to come to me. I have only just..."
A ghost of a smile touched Karoon’s lips as he stroked his chin.
"...learned how to behave like a father."
He let out a small, self-conscious cough at the word "father" and turned to walk away.
"Until next time."
Karoon gave a casual wave and exited the training grounds.
"..."
Burren watched his father’s retreating figure, his lips pressed thin. While the wall that was Raon had become smaller and more manageable, the wall that was Karoon suddenly seemed more towering and magnificent than ever before.
'Thank you.'
Father.
Raon shoved aside Wrath, who was currently simmering with a rage the color of thick tomato soup, and focused on the notification for his latest spoils.
[You have taken the life of the Dragon Lord!]
[You have made a fool out of <Envy>!]
[You have accomplished a legendary feat!]
[All attributes have increased by 100 points.]
'Only 100?'
He had put down the Dragon Lord and mentally dismantled a Monarch with nothing but words. Honestly, 100 points felt like a bit of a lowball. In his mind, 200 would have been more appropriate.
'I guess 100 is the hard cap.'
He recalled times when he’d seen higher totals because multiple rewards stacked before he checked them, but he’d never seen a single achievement break the 100-point barrier.
It appeared that 100 was the ceiling for any individual notification.
—You arrogant brat!
Wrath’s jaw hung open in pure disbelief.
—You just pilfered 100 points of my essence, and you’re pouting? Do you have a death wish!
The small spirit shook a fist, as if trying to knock some gratitude into him.
'Look, I killed three Ancient Dragons plus the Dragon Lord and played Envy like a fiddle. I just thought the payout would reflect the scale of the job.'
Raon tilted his head, arguing that it felt weird to get the same reward for this as he did for much smaller tasks in the past.
—Hmph!
Wrath let out a sharp, dismissive snort.
—Your power and your perspective back then were worlds apart from what they are now. Obviously, the grading scale has to shift!
He nodded, acting as if the logic was elementary.
'Because I’ve grown stronger and more experienced...'
Raon mulled over Wrath’s explanation.
'That actually makes sense.'
Just as the demon said, his martial skill, willpower, and experience were on a completely different level now. If he performed his old feats today, he’d be lucky to get 50 points, let alone 100.
—Finally, you’re showing some sense.
Wrath let out a frosty puff of air.
—The thing you did this time is actually worth a bit of praise, even from me. But there have to be boundaries!
He nodded along, offering a rare bit of validation to soothe the situation.
[You have earned high praise from <Wrath>.]
[All attributes have increased by 20 points.]
The moment Wrath offered his approval, a bonus notification popped into existence.
"See? I knew I deserved more."
Raon smirked, feeling satisfied with the extra bump. With a total of 120 points hitting his system at once, a fresh wave of power flooded through his already superhuman frame.
—Wait... what?
Wrath’s eyes went vacant.
—What is this?! I said you did a good job, I didn't say give him more stuff!
He began shrieking at the empty air, demanding to know why the system was handing out rewards based on his casual remarks.
'Let's see what else we have.'
Raon ignored the tantrum and moved to the next item on the list.
[New trait <Scale of the Heart> has been forged.]
'Scale of the Heart?'
The name didn't give much away, so he pulled up the details immediately.
[<Scale of the Heart>: Anchors the user’s self-defined path with absolute certainty, bolstering the potency and resilience of the Soul Sword.]
Raon’s eyes widened as he read the description.
'This is actually incredible.'
Since he had just manifested the new Soul Sword, Life Beyond Death, it was fitting that the reward complemented it. Strengthening the durability and power of the Soul Sword was exactly what he needed. He couldn't help but let out a short laugh.
—Curse you...
Wrath gnashed his teeth, clearly miserable.
—How much of my own vitality is being burned away to craft exactly what this punk needs!
He bellowed at the unseen system, begging it to stop being so helpful.
'It should provide what's useful. Why would I want something I can't use?'
Raon effectively muffled Wrath’s shouting and scrolled through the remaining pings.
[The level of <Bleeding Curse> has risen.]
[The level of <Poison Resistance> has risen.]
[The level of <Snow Flower’s Veil> has risen.]
[The level of <Snow Flower Absorption> has risen.]
[The level of <Snow Flower Piercing Spear> has risen.]
[The level of <Heavenly Slaughter> has risen.]
[The level of <Spirit Concealment> has risen.]
[The level of <Authority Enhancement> has risen.]
[The level of <Authority Manipulation> has risen.]
[The level of <Light Attribute Resistance> has risen.]
[The level of <Crisis Detection> has risen.]
[The level of <Soul Sword> has increased by two ranks.]
[The level of <Spirit Transformation> has risen.]
Raon stared at the flood of upgrades, his mouth hanging slightly open.
'Thirteen of them?'
He counted them twice to be sure. Thirteen traits had leveled up simultaneously. They were all tools he had utilized during the recent conflict, but seeing them all jump at once was as overwhelming as it was gratifying.
'And Soul Sword jumped two ranks.'
Likely because he had ended the Dragon Lord using Life Beyond Death, that specific trait had taken a double leap. It was a far better haul than he had anticipated.
—Thi-thirteen?
Wrath’s lips were quivering, his face turning a sickly shade of blue.
—I'm begging you, stop! Are you trying to leave my true form as nothing but a pile of bones?
He ground his teeth, terrified of what else might be stripped away.
'Relax. There isn't much left to go anyway.'
Raon waved away the screens, satisfied with the audit.
'Once I take care of Derus Robert, then...'
He was about to share his post-Derus plans with Wrath when a sudden, powerful surge of energy radiated from the annex garden.
"What is that!"
Raon’s heart hammered against his ribs as he bolted through the annex door.
"Wait... what?"
He stopped dead, staring at the man standing regally in the center of the garden.
"I expect your full cooperation from this point forward."
It was the man known as the Sword God, the undisputed peak of the continent’s martial world. Glenn Zieghart stood there, his eyes cold and his presence vibrating with an intense, combative aura.
"G-Grandfather?"
Raon’s jaw dropped as he felt the sheer pressure coming off Glenn.
'Was he actually serious about the training?'
Judging by the fire in Glenn’s eyes and the sharpness of his energy, he had clearly come here with the sole intent of training, completely shattering Raon’s private assumptions.
'I feel terrible for doubting him.'
He had pegged Glenn as someone just looking for an excuse to slack off, but he had been dead wrong. Feeling a wave of guilt for his misjudgment, Raon instinctively lowered his head in a respectful bow.
"I gave you my word, and I intend to honor it."
Glenn began to undo the ties of a large bundle he had brought along, looking every bit the diligent mentor. He reached in to pull out a plain, untitled book. But as the bundle fell open, a shower of items tumbled out alongside the manual: playing cards, rubber balls, a chess set, little toy soldiers, and various board games.
"..."
Raon was struck dumb, staring at the pile of toys scattered across the grass.
"Ahem! Cough, cough! How... how did those get in there..."
Glenn’s composure evaporated instantly. His face flushed a deep crimson as he hacked out a series of fake coughs, looking everywhere but at the mess on the ground.
—That old man is unbelievable...
Wrath’s forehead crinkled with more disgust than he had shown for any of the rewards.
—I take it back! I shouldn't have given that old geezer any credit!
Stop making a mockery of the Absolute!
