Chapter 1265
Kuguugugugu!
Raon’s brow furrowed as he neared the portal to Eden, which was radiating a shimmering gold light.
'It truly was a gap between worlds.'
Just as he suspected, the threshold the Sphinx had triggered served as a bridge to a different realm across dimensions.
—It was never going to be located in this physical space.
Wrath gave a sharp nod, his thoughts mirroring Raon’s.
—It would be quite contradictory for those who label their home "Paradise" to be lurking in a hole in the ground!
The small demon smacked his lips, clearly intrigued by the nature of Eden's primary stronghold.
'If it were hidden here, it would have been found long ago.'
The commercial hub of Cameloon was a hornet's nest of the continent’s top spies. Had the gateway to Eden been tucked beneath these streets, it would have been impossible for them to overlook it.
"T-this cannot be happening."
The Bear Fire Demon’s jaw shook uncontrollably as he observed the Sphinx dissolving into tiny golden embers.
"That creature is a Spirit Beast that cannot die! How is this possible!"
He cried out, yanking at his own skin to verify he wasn't trapped in a nightmare.
"If you think that Sphinx is a monster that cannot die, then our Temporary head of house is a monster capable of killing the unkillable."
Dorian stood up, casually patting the grime off his trousers.
"He doesn't just sever the flesh; he shatters the very essence of the soul. There is no coming back from that..."
He rolled his eyes, mentioning that such displays were just a typical Tuesday for him.
"Mmm..."
The Bear Fire Demon stumbled backward, his legs failing him as his terror of Raon reached a new peak.
"Hmm."
Paying no mind to the chatter between Dorian and the prisoner, Raon reached out toward the entrance of Eden.
Bzzzzzz!
The golden rift rippled like the surface of a pond, welcoming his touch without resistance. Feeling no pushback, he realized he could pass through unhindered.
'However...'
Raon rubbed his jaw, watching the way the golden light swirled around his fingers.
'The path is failing.'
The once wide-open rift was beginning to contract. Whether it was a result of the Sphinx's demise or a preset time limit on the magic, the door was shutting.
"I believe this is my cue to step in?"
Before Raon could react, a suggestive voice drifted from his rear.
"Haah! Sitting on the sidelines was a bit tedious, but watching our Raon's finale made it all worthwhile! How on earth did you crack that impossible puzzle?"
Evelyn wiped her damp palms. A vibrant grin spread across her face as she admitted her hands had clenched instinctively while Raon was deconstructing the Sphinx's logic.
"And truly, seeing you cleave that chimera apart with a single strike was breathtaking!"
Evelyn gushed, her gaze practically dripping with affection as she praised his every move.
"I appreciate the sentiment... but could you focus on the gate first?"
Raon gave a weary sigh, gesturing for her to stabilize the collapsing rift.
"Yes! Whatever you wish!"
Evelyn chirped, stepping up directly behind him as if his request were her command.
"Let me take a look!"
She began etching complex arcane sigils onto the air, pressing herself firmly against Raon’s back as she worked.
"U-um, is this necessary...?"
Raon glanced over his shoulder, his composure slipping into a stutter similar to Dorian's.
"I need this angle to see the flow clearly. There's no other way."
Despite her claim of necessity, Evelyn’s face was bright with a delighted smirk as she worked on the portal.
—Grrrgh...
Wrath shuddered violently the moment he sensed Evelyn’s proximity.
—Flee at once! I can sense a brand of lunacy in that woman that would drive even a demon mad!
The little king wailed, claiming the sheer intensity radiating from Evelyn felt like it was going to dissolve his icy form.
"E-Evelyn. Perhaps it would be more efficient to handle the magic from a few steps back?"
Raon, who hadn't broken a sweat while slaying a Spirit Beast, now had beads of moisture on his brow as he tried to gently create some distance.
"I was never permitted entry to Eden's inner sanctum because The Fallen kept me at arm's length. I spent my time in the outskirts or trapped within The Fallen's Mental World. To be honest, I hadn't seen this specific gateway before. But..."
Evelyn paid no heed to his protests, her crimson lips curving into a playful line.
"I am well-acquainted with the frequency of Eden. Keeping a rift of this caliber open is child's play."
She crowded back into his space, her fingers weaving magical threads with practiced ease.
"Then please, do it from over there..."
"Don't fret! I'm almost finished!"
Evelyn nodded, though her hands seemed more interested in tracing the line of Raon’s back than the edges of the portal.
"Huh...?"
The Bear Fire Demon let out a bewildered puff of air at the sight of Raon's helplessness.
"W-what am I looking at? Is this real?"
He rubbed his eyes, unable to reconcile the image of the peerless warrior who forced his way through the Sphinx with the man now being bullied by a single woman.
"That's standard procedure."
Dorian sighed, acting as though this were the most normal thing in the world.
"In truth, it’s a toss-up if anyone in Zieghart can actually handle Evelyn."
He shrugged, noting that even Glenn struggled to keep her in check.
"That man is truly beyond comprehension..."
As the Bear Fire Demon stood there frowning at Raon, a sudden movement caught his eye.
Swooooosh!
Figures clad in dark tactical gear and masks bypassed his own cloaking spells and swarmed the area. They immediately began a methodical sweep of the portal and the surrounding magical traces, assessing the battlefield with clinical efficiency.
"W-who are they? They don't look like members of the Light Wind Palace."
The Bear Fire Demon tensed, his throat going dry at the arrival of these strangers.
"Agents of the Black Market."
Dorian nodded, greeting them as if they were expected.
"They've been in the shadows, providing logistical support the entire time."
He beamed, explaining that the Black Market had been trailing them since the mission began.
"F-from the start?"
The Bear Fire Demon’s eyes bulged. He hadn't sensed a single soul.
"Indeed! It was a specific request from our Temporary head of house. We have to minimize civilian risk, manage the wounded, and harvest every scrap of data on Eden we can find."
Dorian explained that every piece of the puzzle had been laid out by Raon in advance.
"Hmm..."
The Bear Fire Demon let out a low, pained groan.
"I don't get it. I really don't..."
He muttered to himself about the enigma that was Raon Zieghart, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Finished!"
Evelyn announced, finally stepping away from the shimmering doorway.
"As long as I'm standing guard, this path remains open!"
She gave a playful wink, telling him to go ahead and settle his business.
"I understand. Thank you."
Raon offered a nod of genuine appreciation for her constant reliability.
"No need for such formalities between us!"
Evelyn waved off his thanks, though she couldn't resist one last lingering touch on his shoulder.
"Mmm..."
Raon’s shoulder twitched involuntarily at her touch as he moved toward the gate.
"Light Wind Palace."
At his command, the atmosphere to the west of Cameloon shifted. With a synchronized thud that vibrated through the earth, the warriors of the Light Wind Palace appeared like ghosts and dropped to one knee.
"Light Wind Palace. We await the orders of the Temporary head of house."
Burren and the rest of the unit looked up, their faces set with absolute loyalty as they struck their chests in salute.
"Our next objective is the heart of Eden."
Raon turned his back to them, his posture straight and authoritative.
"We are heading into the unknown. We don't know the layout of their 'Paradise,' we don't know the traps they've set, and we don't know who stands in our way. But you have no reason to fear."
He spoke with a calm that defied the danger of the situation.
"Because I will be the one at the very front."
Those few words sent a surge of adrenaline through every Zieghart swordsman present. Raon turned back toward the golden light.
"Yes, sir!"
"We follow your lead!"
"To the end and beyond!"
The Light Wind Palace responded with a roar of conviction, their hands tightening on their hilts as their killing intent flooded the air.
"Bear Fire Demon."
Raon beckoned to the captive as he stood at the threshold.
"You're coming with us."
He made it clear the demon would be seeing the inside of his old home one last time.
'That man...'
The Bear Fire Demon chewed his lip, his legs shaking as he followed.
'Raon Zieghart is a breed of human I've never encountered.'
He possessed a mind that could solve a legendary riddle in seconds, the martial power to erase a soul-based Spirit Beast, the strategic depth to coordinate the Black Market and the Light Wind Palace simultaneously, and an aura that could lead men to their deaths—yet he was strangely weak against a persistent woman. It was terrifying to realize he hadn't even reached his thirties.
'If it's him...'
He might actually make it back.
The demon had originally planned to use Raon as a bargaining chip to save his own skin once they reached Eden. It was a cowardly plan, born of a desperate need to survive.
But seeing Raon’s capabilities firsthand, he began to believe that standing behind this man was a better survival strategy than trying to appease the Heavenly Demon.
"We move out."
Raon’s gaze was piercing, as if he could see right through the demon's internal conflict.
"W-why are you staring at me like that..."
Guilt flared in the demon's chest, and he flinched away from Raon's cold eyes.
"Moving in."
Raon ignored the man’s panic and stepped into the golden radiance of the Dimensional Gate without a second thought.
Wooooong!
The sensation wasn't the usual weightless float; it felt like being pulled down into a thick, warm mire. Just as the pressure reached its peak, a brilliant blue light broke through the darkness.
Hwaaaaa!
When Raon’s vision cleared, he found himself standing in a lush, vibrant forest.
'So this is it...'
A vast woodland encircled a central city where ivory structures rose like the pillars of an ancient heaven. The architecture was perfectly balanced, creating a city that resembled a massive, celestial laurel wreath.
"I wondered what sort of fool managed to trigger a dead gate..."
"An invasion?"
"It appears the Evil Goat Demon and Bear Fire Demon have turned traitor."
Before Raon could take another breath, icy voices cut through the air.
"Are you the hounds of Zieghart?"
"This sanctuary is no place for filth like you!"
"I was craving some entertainment, and here you are, delivering yourselves to the grave!"
"I'll grant you a quick end as a reward for the effort!"
The Specters of Eden converged, their killing intent freezing the air. They were all high-ranking officers, hidden behind masks and helmets, radiating a much more potent malice than the ones he had fought previously.
"......"
Raon remained silent, his eyes tracing the line of masked figures.
"Speak, damn you—"
An executive in a heavy Ogre-themed helmet stepped forward to bark a command.
"Do not raise your voice in the presence of the Head of House."
Burren stepped through the rift, his blade moving with the speed of a gale as he cleanly decapitated the man in the Ogre helmet.
"Ah..."
The head hit the ground, eyes wide with the shock of a sudden death.
"Explosion War Ghost!"
"Didn't you hear the man? Stay silent!"
A ferocious voice erupted from behind a man in a Black Orc mask who was reeling from his comrade's death.
Thwaaaack!
Martha’s blade, wreathed in the explosive power of Titan aura, slammed into the Orc-masked man's spine, shattering it instantly.
"Hueok!"
"I-it’s the Light Wind Palace of Zieghart!"
"Then that must be Raon Zieghart..."
The moment the remaining officers realized who they were facing and tried to retreat, a blizzard of blue energy locked them in place.
"Shh."
Runaan encased the fleeing men in jagged walls of frost, pressing a finger to her lips in a mock gesture for silence.
"Hueoo... hueok!"
The final survivor, wearing a serpent-styled helmet, scrambled backward in terror only to trip over a root. He looked up, trembling, to see Raon standing over him, his expression carved from stone.
"Bring the Heavenly Demon to me."
Raon spoke the name of the realm's master, his hand moving to his chin.
"He and I have an outstanding debt to settle."
