Chapter 1263
Raon squinted his eyes as he passed through the checkpoints of Cameloon, the bustling merchant hub, while wearing a heavy disguise.
'The atmosphere has shifted.'
During his previous visits, Cameloon had served as a mere resting point on his travels, but viewing it now as a lair for Eden caused his hand to tighten instinctively around his hilt.
"T-this is a bit terrifying, isn't it?"
Dorian, currently posing as a traveling trader with a messy, long-haired wig, felt his jaw shake as he pulled the Bear Fire Demon along.
"I have this feeling they might spring out at any moment..."
He wiped his nose, whimpering about the possibility of Eden operatives lying in wait to launch a lethal ambush.
"They won't."
Raon effortlessly deployed a barrier of aura to keep their conversation private and gave a composed shake of his head.
"Eden has no way of knowing we've arrived."
Syria Sullion and the Bear Fire Demon had severed their ties with the organization to pursue their own goals. Since Eden was a cult focused on their restoration and the absolute will of the Heavenly Demon, they wouldn't waste resources tracking those two.
Furthermore, Raon had completely suppressed the Bear Fire Demon’s chaotic energy and altered his appearance; even if high-ranking members of Eden were nearby, they would remain oblivious.
"We aren't the ones walking into a trap; we are the ones bringing the fight to them."
Stopping in his tracks, Raon met Dorian’s eyes with a steady, piercing gaze.
"Burn that into your mind and make sure the rest of the unit understands it too."
Dorian was currently acting as the vital link between Raon and the other warriors of the Light Wind Palace. Raon nodded, trusting that Dorian grasped the weight of his command and would instill that same resolve in their comrades.
"Y-yes! I've got it!"
Bolstered by Raon’s certainty, Dorian seemed to find his spine, clenching his hand into a firm fist.
"Bear Fire Demon."
Raon addressed the captive and lowered his brow slightly.
"Is there something about my plan that bothers you?"
Noticing the Bear Fire Demon’s face turn grim, Raon placed a heavy, warning hand on his shoulder.
"N-no."
The Bear Fire Demon shook his head frantically.
"I just find your demeanor... unsettling..."
He scowled, admitting he couldn't wrap his head around what he was witnessing.
"Unsettling? Explain yourself."
Raon tilted his head, prompting the man to speak clearly.
"As you've noted, this city houses the heart of Eden’s power," the Bear Fire Demon said, his lips trembling. "The Heavenly Demon is arguably the most formidable warrior alive, and his inner circle consists of titans who could rival even your strength. I don't care how powerful you are—you can't fight them all at once. I don't understand where this confidence comes from."
He let out a ragged breath, baffled that Raon would lead his subordinates into such a hornet's nest.
"The logic is straightforward."
Raon surveyed the sprawling markets of Cameloon with eyes that did not waver.
"Eden struck at Zieghart. If we allowed ourselves to be paralyzed by fear simply because an enemy is numerous or elite, no one would ever respect the name Zieghart again. Even if I, acting as the temporary patriarch, fall in this place, this is a path I must take."
Eden was far from incompetent; they were surgical and ruthless. They surely anticipated that Syria Sullion would make a move against Runaan and Zieghart, meaning they had effectively sanctioned the harm dealt to the house.
"Exactly! Even if we're shaking in our boots, we have a duty! We are the blades of Zieghart!"
Dorian marched forward with renewed energy, inspired by Raon’s declaration. While his anxiety hadn't vanished, he had successfully pushed it to the background.
"Ha..."
The Bear Fire Demon’s jaw dropped as if he were hearing a foreign language.
"If only there were people like you among my kind..."
He looked at Raon with a complicated mixture of resentment and genuine admiration.
"Bear Fire Demon."
Raon shifted his focus back to the prisoner.
"I'm not looking for your life story. Tell me exactly how we summon the sentinel of Eden."
The Bear Fire Demon likely had his reasons for siding with Syria Sullion, but Raon had no interest in the backstory of a criminal who would be dealt with once the mission concluded.
"...Fair enough."
The Bear Fire Demon gave a bitter, self-aware smirk and nodded.
"The process isn't complex, but it is meticulous. When the moon is at its peak, you must travel to the western fortifications bordering the wasteland to perform the rite. Crucially, the officiant must be masked or armored."
He gestured vaguely, explaining that the sentinel would remain invisible to anyone not wearing the traditional gear of Eden.
"The ritual requires five precious stones of varying hues, five types of harvested fruit, five specific grains, and five different cuts of meat."
He counted them off on his fingers, emphasizing that every category needed to be provided in a set of five.
"Wait, what?"
Dorian’s eyes went wide.
"Do the members of Eden really have to jump through all these hoops just to go home? That's preposterous!"
He cast a skeptical glare at the Bear Fire Demon.
"It's not that," Raon interrupted calmly.
"The Heavenly Demon ordered his followers to cease all external operations and focus solely on their training before he went into meditation. That means the standard gateways to Eden's headquarters have been sealed shut. The guardian the Bear Fire Demon is talking about..."
He let out a sharp, knowing smile as he watched the crowds on the main thoroughfare.
"He’s likely watching over a threshold that is never meant to be used."
The Heavenly Demon had shut down Eden to honor his truce with Glenn. Since his followers viewed him as a deity, they would have locked every door. The entrance the Bear Fire Demon intended to open was an emergency or secret passage that stayed shut under normal circumstances.
"P-precisely."
The Bear Fire Demon’s nostrils flared in surprise at how quickly Raon had deduced the truth.
"That sentinel is a spirit-like entity tied to the base. He won't talk or open the path unless he is satisfied with the offerings. The grains and fruits must be flawless and ripe, the gems cannot have a single blemish, and the meat must be absolutely fresh."
He grimaced, noting that while the ritual was annoying, convincing the sentinel to actually unlock the door was the real challenge.
"And how did you plan to win him over?"
Raon's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the man.
"I intended to offer human sacrifices to pass the negotiation phase."
The Bear Fire Demon admitted that with several gifted youths available, he could have easily satisfied the requirements. He looked down, his face flushing with a mix of shame and fear.
"You monster..."
Dorian ground his teeth, looking ready to strike the man down.
"I-I did what I had to do to survive! Look, you should start scavenging for those items. The full moon is only two nights away..."
The Bear Fire Demon tried to deflect, urging them to focus on the supplies.
"We're already prepared."
Dorian hoisted a sack containing the five varieties of fruit, grain, meat, and the five gems, showing they had anticipated the need.
"Wait... what?"
The Bear Fire Demon blinked in disbelief at the ready-made kit.
"You already have all of that? Meeting the exact standards I described?"
He sounded incredulous.
"Of course. These are basic necessities," Dorian replied with a grin, acting as if it were obvious.
"What in the world..."
The Bear Fire Demon shook his head, unable to fathom the logic of either Raon or Dorian.
"Then we wait for the moon. However, before that arrives..."
Raon nodded toward Dorian's bag, his expression hardening.
"There are other matters we must attend to."
A plume of frosted breath escaped Karoon’s lips. He gripped his blade with both hands, his cold gaze fixed on Glenn, who stood across from him.
Swoosh!
As Karoon adjusted his stance, the air in front of him seemed to fracture, and Glenn’s form appeared to warp within the distortion as if he were about to be shredded.
Whoooom!
However, as Glenn shifted the Heavenly Tremor, the massive, lethal pressure Karoon had generated dissipated harmlessly, like ice melting in the sun.
"Huff! Huff!"
Exhausted by the effort of that single strike, Karoon drove his sword into the dirt to stay upright, his breath coming in ragged, labored gasps.
"Impressive."
Glenn offered a slight, approving nod.
"You haven't been in this training for long, yet you've already shattered one of your limits."
He acknowledged Karoon’s growth with a steady look.
"I am still far from where I need to be."
Karoon stood up, refusing to stay down despite his fatigue. He bit his lip, fueled by a grim determination.
"I used to regret that you focused more on sabotaging others than on your own progression, but it seems you have finally discovered your true path as a swordsman."
Glenn seemed genuinely pleased by the transformation in his son.
"The journey of the blade is infinite. If you maintain this momentum, you will eventually reach the heights you covet."
He encouraged Karoon to stay focused on his training, yet he raised the Heavenly Tremor once more, his tone remaining soft but his posture deadly.
Kugugugugugugu!
As Glenn gathered his power, a torrential wave of pressure surged outward, as if Glenn himself had become the embodiment of a sharpened blade.
"Ngh!"
Karoon struggled to stay upright against the onslaught.
'No. This isn't right...'
It wasn't just that his father had become a sword; it felt as though the very atmosphere had been reshaped into a weapon designed for his execution.
If the stage of Sword and Body Unification meant the man and the blade were one, Glenn appeared to be merging with the world itself. By simply stoking his intent, the entire environment became a hostile, freezing force.
"Grrgh..."
Unable to withstand the crushing energy, Karoon was forced to one knee. Yet, he never broke eye contact with Glenn.
"If you sprint too fast, you'll trip and fall behind those who walk steadily. Find your rhythm."
Glenn praised the progress but warned him not to overexert himself, a small smile playing on his lips.
"I am aware. But..."
Karoon forced himself back to his feet. He steadied his shaking legs and raised his weapon one more time.
"Accepting defeat without giving everything is worse than death. If I am to lose, I will do so only after I have wagered my entire soul."
His lip bled from the force of his clenching teeth, his thoughts clearly on Raon, who continued to pull ahead.
"Raon?"
Glenn closed his eyes briefly, envisioning the youth Karoon was competing against.
"That boy is an anomaly. In all honesty, even a lifetime of absolute devotion wouldn't be enough to bridge the gap between you two."
Given their circumstances, Glenn chose to be brutally honest about the disparity in their talents.
"As you pursue the way of the sword, you should also consider the administrative duties of the patriarch that only you can fulfill..."
Glenn intended to suggest that Karoon find his worth in leadership rather than pure combat.
"I know that better than anyone. You are entirely right."
Karoon agreed with a calm nod, showing no signs of anger.
"Oh...?"
Glenn's eyes widened, surprised by Karoon’s level-headedness.
"However, I believe a warrior who abandons his training just because someone else is more gifted has no business leading this house."
Karoon spoke with heavy conviction, asserting that even if his potential paled in comparison to Raon’s, he would never stop working.
"And I don't believe Raon Zieghart would be a lesser leader than I am. When we finally leave this place..."
He thought of Raon’s constant ability to defy expectations and tightened his grip on his sword.
"He will undoubtedly have done something to shock us all again. I'm sure of it!"
The night arrived under a full moon that burned with the intensity of a silver sun.
"Phew..."
The Bear Fire Demon was drenched in sweat as he meticulously prepared the ritual to call the sentinel, placing the items Dorian provided in a precise arrangement on the earth.
Once he was satisfied that the symmetry was flawless, he stood up with a heavy sigh.
"It... it is ready."
The Bear Fire Demon signaled to Raon, who had been observing from the shadows, that the ritual site was complete.
"It looks like he's drawing a complex magic array."
Dorian marveled at the offerings, which were positioned with mathematical precision.
"Eden’s sentinel is an exacting creature."
The Bear Fire Demon swallowed hard, his eyes wide with genuine dread.
"To be honest, I'd rather not face him..."
"If you're finished, call him."
Raon cut him off, gesturing toward the site with an imperious tilt of his chin.
"Wait! There are rules! You have to be careful when dealing with the sentinel!"
"It’s not us who should be worried; it’s Eden. The parley, the verdict..."
Raon released a surge of icy killing intent and shoved the Bear Fire Demon toward the center of the ritual.
"I'll be the one deciding how this goes."
