Chapter 1210
"What? That lunatic?"
Wrath jolted, his eyes darting frantically.
"Wh-where? Where is that madwoman?"
The small king swallowed hard, looking ready to bolt at a moment's notice.
"Wait, what?"
Wrath scanned the surroundings, but seeing neither a human nor a beast that resembled Evelyn, he blinked in confusion.
"There is no one! Not a single soul is here!"
He scowled, shoving his face toward Raon as if demanding an explanation for the deception.
'If she had manifested as a person or an animal, she would have been spotted instantly.'
Raon gave a dismissive wave toward Wrath.
"That is ridiculous! If she isn't a person or a beast, how could that crazy woman possibly be here?"
Wrath tilted his head, completely lost.
'She is right here.'
Raon gestured toward the blades of grass dancing softly in the midnight air.
"N-no way..."
Wrath’s jaw quivered as he watched the Wind, which seemed to shimmer with a faint emerald hue.
"The madwoman is inside the Wind?"
He shrieked, his eyes wide with utter disbelief.
'Precisely.'
Raon gave a subtle, knowing nod.
'Since human disguises were impossible and Animal Possession Magic was being flagged, she had only one path left to her.'
He extended a finger, summoning the breeze that was brushing against his hair.
'Nature itself.'
A slight smirk played on Raon’s lips as he allowed the green Wind to coil around his long, slender fingers.
'Evelyn developed a technique that permits her to anchor her very soul within the elements.'
Evelyn hadn't succumbed to despair when her lifelong mastery of Animal Possession Magic was countered. Instead of stopping at disappointment, she had delved into new research, eventually reaching a state where she could merge her essence with the natural world.
Even though they had walked different paths—one as a Martial Artist and the other as a Magician—her relentless drive and mental fortitude always commanded his respect.
"In-insane..."
Wrath clutched his head and looked down, staring at the Wind that seemed to carry the echo of Evelyn’s laughter.
"She truly is a lunatic! What kind of terrifying obsession is this!"
The small king wailed, claiming that Evelyn’s fixations had reached a point where even Lust couldn't hope to compete.
'It isn't flawless yet, though.'
Raon moved his hand, his smile widening.
'Because nature is so vast, there is a risk that the soul might dissipate entirely while trying to dissolve into it.'
Evelyn hadn't perfected the art of soul-merging on her first try. She had cycled through various trials and suffered through countless errors before finally manifesting what was now her soul-opening magic. Just as Wrath noted, it was a craft born purely of her mania.
"How terrifying... it seems You will never be free from that madwoman’s shadow for as long as You live."
Wrath’s fingers shook as he squeezed his eyes shut in horror.
"But why the Wind? There is also the earth, or fire and Cold Energy, which are much more familiar to You."
The guy let his jaw hang slightly, clearly baffled by the choice.
'The Wind was the only one that worked.'
Raon traced a circle in the air with his finger.
'Like you said, she attempted to research fire and Frost first since they are closest to me, but those efforts failed. Only the Wind responded. And even then...'
He gazed up at the sky, indicating the breeze that glowed with a verdant light.
'Only the Wind carrying the scent of this specific forest was viable. It’s almost as if someone else was assisting her.'
Feeling the green Wind rising from the woods, he smiled warmly, his mind drifting to that one person who always occupied his thoughts.
"Hey! It can't be that guy again..."
Wrath tried to deny it, though his sigh suggested he wasn't so sure.
"I just wish she would leave already."
'I know.'
Raon let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
"Now, tell that crazy woman about this place."
Wrath wagged his tail, his curiosity finally sated.
'Huh? I already did.'
Raon shrugged, looking back at Wrath.
"Y-you did? When?"
Wrath’s eyes went wide, having noticed nothing.
'As I mentioned, the magic is still imperfect. The amount of data she can receive is small, and the connection is brief. Evelyn already heard the summary of the situation and departed immediately.'
Raon explained that she was already gone.
'She will take the intel I provided to locate this area and figure out a way to pierce through the defensive barriers.'
He expressed his total confidence in Evelyn regarding such tasks and smiled.
"You moron!"
Wrath yelled, swinging his hand like a blade through the air.
"What garbage are you talking about! That madwoman is never going to give up on You!"
The small king shook his head violently, wondering if Raon really didn't understand Evelyn by now.
"It’s obvious she’s still watching this very second!"
"Haaaaah..."
Evelyn let out a heated breath, her eyes tightly shut.
"Even looking like that, he is so magnificent. That is my Raon for you."
She swayed her body from side to side, cupping her flushed cheeks as if she were witnessing something divine.
"Um."
Burren made a cautious approach toward Evelyn.
"It looks like it's over now, so if you could please share..."
He licked his lips, urging her to reveal the details Raon had uncovered.
"I am occupied! It isn't finished yet, so get lost!"
Evelyn shook her head, keeping her eyes closed and insisting the magic was still active.
"Ohohoho! Look at those abdominal muscles!"
Despite her claims that the work was ongoing, she began mumbling odd phrases and letting out a chilling giggle.
"Finished my foot!"
"Hmph..."
Martha and Runaan didn't hesitate; they both swung their legs and kicked Evelyn squarely in the back and rear.
"Aaaah!"
Caught off guard, Evelyn shrieked as she tumbled across the ground.
"I am currently channeling magic! What do you think you're doing!"
Evelyn scrambled to her feet, her purple eyes flashing with indignation.
"It’s clearly over! Do you think we’re blind!"
"You definitely mentioned abs..."
Martha and Runaan wrinkled their noses in disgust, having seen right through Evelyn’s excuses.
"Ugh, here we go again..."
Dorian, who had clearly witnessed this scene many times before, read the room and decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Tsk."
Evelyn clicked her tongue, clearly irritated at being called out by Martha and Runaan.
"U-um, putting us aside, those two are here as well, so please tell us something."
Burren lifted a hand and pointed behind them. Standing there were Glenn, the Lord of Zieghart, and Rector, the Master of the Holy Sword Alliance.
"There is a literal earthquake happening, and lightning is falling from the sky!"
Burren’s shoulders shook as he looked at the terrifying expressions of the two masters—Rector causing the ground to heave and Glenn summoning bolts from above. He shouted that he couldn't stay calm while being stared down by the silent pressure of the duo.
"Ah! Right!"
Evelyn’s annoyed expression instantly brightened as she walked toward Glenn and Rector.
"Grandfathers! I have news regarding Raon!"
She gave a radiant smile, announcing the update they had been waiting for.
"Kehehehem!"
"Finally, we shall know!"
Glenn and Rector had been dying for news, yet they maintained stoic expressions as if they weren't particularly bothered.
"To start, the place known as Heaven is a realm sustained by human greed. By utilizing divine power..."
Evelyn began relaying every detail about Heaven that Raon had passed on to her.
"A death-match of desires..."
Glenn gave a dry, mocking laugh at the absurdity of it.
"It’s a system designed to wring human souls out like wet rags. Typical of Derus Robert."
Rector scowled, noting that the place was even more repulsive than he had imagined.
"Indeed. Most residents of Heaven will likely have their souls bled dry; they won't last long."
Evelyn noted the danger of the land with a freezing smile.
"Th-then isn't Sir Raon in peril as well?"
Dorian’s jaw shook, his worry for Raon evident.
"Hardly. Raon isn't some common human."
Evelyn smirked and waved a hand dismissively.
"Correct. The scale of the soul Raon holds is even greater than my own."
Rector smiled softly, asserting that Raon’s spiritual essence surpassed his.
"Even if that entire territory of Heaven were emptied into him, it likely couldn't fill Raon's soul, so there is no cause for alarm."
Glenn nodded firmly, in total agreement with Rector’s assessment.
"That’s a massive relief."
"Whew..."
Martha and Runaan let out long breaths, visibly relaxing now that the two masters had guaranteed Raon’s safety.
"Th-then what should our next move be?"
Dorian swallowed hard, anxious about what their response to this information should be.
"Obviously..."
"Is that even a question! We..."
"From this point on..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan all spoke up at the exact same moment.
"We are going to tear Heaven down!"
The moment the sun began to rise, Raon set out to find a tower that matched his own in height.
"A-are you really starting with this one?"
Charlie’s eyes darted around, clearly hoping they could pick a shorter target first.
"Hmm..."
Raon rubbed his chin, arms crossed, as if he were actually considering Charlie’s plea.
"F-finally, you’re listening to me!"
Charlie clapped his hands together, overjoyed that Raon seemed to be valuing his input.
"Excellent! This Charlie will do everything in his power to assist Lord Zilfen so your tower can pierce the clouds..."
He was beaming and nodding when it happened. Swoooosh. Raon stepped toward the tower and cocked his leg back.
"U-um, Lord Zilfen? What are you doing right now..."
A sense of impending doom washed over Charlie, and his eyes began to twitch.
"Provocation."
Raon curled his lip into a smirk and drove his foot into the tower. Kwaaaaang! Since the structure was saturated with the greed of demon kings, the tower rocked as if it were about to be uprooted, sending violent tremors through the earth.
"In-insane... He really is a madman!"
Charlie’s mouth fell open; he hadn't imagined Raon would be so blatantly aggressive.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
"Wh-what’s going on!"
"An earthquake! Heaven is shaking!"
"Get away from here!"
The people surrounding the tower began to shriek, scattering in every direction.
"Heoook! My tower!"
However, one specific individual didn't flee despite the earth buckling. Instead, he charged forward and hugged the trembling structure.
"Y-You! You're the bastard who tried to wreck my tower!"
The owner of the tower realized Raon was the culprit and ground his teeth so violently it sounded like stones breaking.
"That’s right. It was me."
Raon stepped forward with his hands on his hips, looming over the Tower Master.
"Bet this tower and face me in a life-and-death duel."
He let out a sharp grin, telling the man to put up his entire existence—the tower that held everything—rather than some pathetic, half-hearted stake.
"A-a death-match for the tower? You're out of your mind!"
The Tower Master scowled, finding the proposal preposterous.
"If you defeat me, double the desire currently held in my tower will be transferred to yours. If that happens..."
Raon gestured vaguely above the swaying building.
"It should reach about that height."
He smirked while pointing to a tower nearby that was three times taller than the one they stood before.
"H-how can I trust that..."
The Tower Master was clearly tempted by the offer, but he pressed his lips together, wary of a trick.
"The Srude Priest will vauch for it. The idea came directly from his mouth."
Raon waved a hand, suggesting the man go verify it with the Srude Priest if he was skeptical.
"I-it's true. The Srude Priest told Lord Zilfen exactly that yesterday."
Charlie chimed in, confirming he had heard the exchange while swallowing his nerves.
"Tw-twice the amount?"
"Then it’s worth the risk, isn't it? If you win, your tower doubles!"
"Exactly. The stakes are high, but the payoff is massive!"
"I-I'd take that deal!"
"You have to do it! If you don't, you're a fool who has no business being in Heaven!"
The crowd that had previously fled began to gather again, shouting their opinions. They all stared at the Tower Master with intense eyes, pressuring him to accept.
"Ummmm..."
The Tower Master still seemed hesitant despite the promise of doubling his gains, and he licked his dry lips with a forked tongue.
"If you don't want to, you don't have to."
Raon grinned and gave a casual wave to the man.
"There are plenty of other Tower Masters who will be more than happy to fight me."
Thanks to the Srude Priest, he had secured a level of leverage that shouldn't have been possible. With the incentive of doubling a tower's height, he could effectively take control of the entire social dynamic in Heaven.
"Speak for yourself. Will you grab this chance, or..."
Raon tilted his chin up arrogantly, looking down at the trembling, anxious Tower Master.
"Will you spend the rest of your days living as a coward."
