Chapter 1267
"You make it sound so easy..."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman released a dry, hollow chuckle as he studied Raon.
"I wonder if that bravado will hold up. I’m actually looking forward to setting up your introduction."
He smirked, clearly convinced that Raon’s stoic mask would shatter the moment he stood before the disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
"..."
Raon offered no reply to the swordsman’s taunts. His focus remained fixed on the swarm of Eden’s ghosts surging toward their position.
"Ugh..."
The Bear Fire Demon watched the Silent Serpent Swordsman with a look of sheer desperation, a vulnerability he hadn't previously shown. There was clearly a deep, unspoken history between the two.
"Excellent!"
The Silent Serpent Swordsman moved to Raon’s side, clapping his hands with theatrical flair.
"I’ll be your escort to the Heavenly Demon’s disciple. Seeing the two of you clash should be quite the spectacle."
He ran his tongue over his lips, seemingly savoring the thought of acting as a guide.
"Besides, I imagine you’d rather not burn through your stamina on this mindless rabble."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman let out a sharp whistle, looking down the slope where Raon’s eyes were already trained.
"I’m aware of a hidden path out of this mess. Follow my lead, and you can reach your target without having to swing your sword once."
He took a step back, gesturing with a flick of his finger for them to fall in line.
Yet, despite his persistent prodding, neither Raon nor the warriors of the Light Wind Palace budged an inch.
Gooooooo!
The Light Wind Palace ignored him entirely, their freezing killing intent directed solely at the spectral soldiers of Eden ascending the mountain.
"What's this...?"
The Silent Serpent Swordsman’s brow furrowed as he scanned the ranks of the Light Wind Palace.
"You have a free pass to skip the carnage, and you’re choosing to bleed instead?"
He sighed in genuine exasperation, unable to wrap his head around their logic.
"Keep your mouth shut."
Burren glanced over at him, his expression one of pure irritation.
"The Acting Head of House hasn't given you permission to speak."
He signaled for the swordsman to be quiet, indicating that his constant chatter was unwelcome.
"Skip the fight?"
Martha looked at the Silent Serpent Swordsman and curled her lip in a sneer.
"Are you insane? Why would we walk past a perfectly good fight! Of course we're going through them!"
Her eyes gleamed with battle-lust as she drew her blade with predatory intent.
"Not a single soul..."
Runaan unsheathed her weapon, her gaze turning as cold as a winter tomb.
"Will lay a hand on us..."
She nodded firmly, as if vowing that not even a hair on a Light Wind warrior’s head would be harmed today.
"Truly, a pack of incomprehensible fools."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman blinked, stunned by the collective defiance of the group.
"S-Sir Raon hasn't issued an order yet."
Dorian’s hand shook as he gripped his hilt, but he didn't retreat from the ledge.
"We move only on Sir Raon’s command. I-If he tells us to stand our ground, we do so, even if it costs us our lives."
Though his voice wavered with nerves, his feet remained planted firmly in the earth.
"Exactly! Finally, you’re talking sense!"
Krein slapped Dorian on the shoulder, nodding with vigor.
"With that man leading us, there is absolutely nothing to fear!"
He stomped his foot, radiating a sudden surge of confidence inspired by Raon’s presence.
Kuuuuung!
The rest of the Light Wind Palace followed suit, ignoring the Silent Serpent Swordsman as they waited for Raon’s word.
"You're all mad..."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman swallowed hard, momentarily speechless.
"But honestly? I think I like this even better. I’m sticking around!"
He watched Raon with newfound excitement, seemingly charmed by the raw conviction of the Light Wind Palace.
"We are here to settle a debt of blood with Eden."
Raon stood at the precipice, tilting his chin up with cold arrogance.
"Slinking away through back alleys would make us no better than common thieves. There is no retreat. We will cut a path straight to the Heavenly Demon’s disciple."
He had never intended to accept the Silent Serpent Swordsman’s offer; trust was a luxury he didn't afford enemies.
He pointed Heavenly Drive toward the fortress where his target waited, signaling his intent to shatter any obstacle in their way.
Chiaaaaang!
As Raon swept Heavenly Drive downward, a wave of crimson heat erupted from the blade, spreading like the wings of a phoenix toward the ghosts of Eden swarming the base of the mountain.
"Wh-what is this!"
"How can a sword strike do that..."
"Aaagh!"
Executives clad in Troll, Ogre, and Gargoyle masks were cleaved in two by the strike, tumbling down the cliffs they had spent so much effort scaling. A rain of blood fell upon the lower ranks still trying to climb.
"He took down three of them in one go?"
"The speed... it’s impossible..."
"That isn't the technique of a mortal!"
"Ugh..."
The ghosts of Eden were paralyzed by the sheer perfection and brutality of the attack. They froze on the rock face, trembling as Raon’s red eyes locked onto them, sending a wave of primal fear through their ranks.
"To any who stand in our way..."
Raon raised the glowing blade of Heavenly Drive, aiming it at the executives clinging to the cliffside.
"You shall find only death."
The command was calm, yet it carried the weight of an all-out declaration of war.
"We hear the Acting Head’s command!"
"By your command!"
Led by Burren, the Light Wind Palace roared their loyalty and threw themselves down the cliff.
"Clear the path for Zieghart!"
"You heard him! Leave none alive!"
Burren’s wind-imbued blade decapitated a Shaman in a Gnoll mask, while Martha, interpreting Raon’s orders with her usual ferocity, screamed as she shattered an Orc-masked swordsman along with his weapon.
"Let’s move!"
"Crush them!"
"The Sword Emperor is at our back!"
The momentum was unstoppable. Despite being deep within Eden’s territory, the Zieghart swordsmen radiated a crushing will to win that far surpassed their enemies.
"Haaa..."
Runaan let out a breath of frost. As she lunged, petals of ice bloomed from her blade, forming a swirling blizzard that shielded her comrades while freezing the limbs of the ghosts solid.
As the second Transcendent of the group, she dismantled the enemy with clinical precision, ensuring her allies remained untouched.
"This is going better than I expected."
Krein cut down a ghost and paused in surprise.
"Y-yeah. Is this really their main stronghold...?"
Dorian looked around, confused by how quickly the enemy lines were buckling.
"The true threats haven't emerged yet."
Raon walked calmly through the clearing his team had made, nodding to his men.
"These are merely decoys sent by the actual high-ranking members."
The skill level of these masked ghosts was actually closer to that of the Red or Green Demons—the lower tier of Eden’s hierarchy. They were only performing at an executive level because of the environmental buffs provided by this location.
"Spot on!"
The Silent Serpent Swordsman clapped.
"Those are just low-level fodder wearing mid-tier masks. The array here in Paradise is artificially boosting their strength."
He looked at Raon, curious as to how he had deduced the truth so quickly.
"I can see it."
Raon shook his head simply.
Because the world is clear to me now.
With his Ring of Fire reaching its tenth star and having stepped into the realm of Transcendence, the flow of energy in the world was laid bare to him. He could feel the pulse of the formation array and the true potential of every soul in the vicinity.
"You really are a freak of nature!"
The Silent Serpent Swordsman grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"Well then! Let’s keep moving!"
He joined the fray, striking down Eden’s ghosts as if he were part of the Zieghart vanguard.
"What are you doing?"
Raon frowned, watching the man attack his own organization.
"Like I said, these Green and Red Demons don't know when to quit. I’m just helping speed things up so we don't waste time."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman continued to thin the herd with his lethal hand-strikes.
That human is genuinely touched in the head.
Wrath let out a confused scoff.
It’s one thing to be a guide, but why is he slaughtering his own people?
He couldn't fathom the logic of the swordsman as he drove back the ghosts of Eden.
I agree.
Raon kept a sharp eye on the man.
I have no idea what his endgame is.
The Silent Serpent Swordsman was an intermediate Transcendent, a powerhouse by any standard, but still no match for Raon. His casual attitude in the face of such a disparity was suspicious.
"Ugh, ugh..."
The Bear Fire Demon trailed behind them, his lips trembling with an intensity of emotion that was becoming hard to ignore.
"Do you have a history with him?"
Raon asked, his curiosity finally piqued by the demon's obvious distress.
"Umm..."
The Bear Fire Demon bit his lip, unable to find the words.
"If it’s a private matter, keep it."
Raon didn't press him. He turned his attention back to the bloody trail the Light Wind Palace was carving through the enemy.
Kugugugugugu!
The warriors maintained their formation, harvesting the lives of the ghosts with mechanical efficiency as they reached the valley floor.
"Um, excuse me..."
The Bear Fire Demon stepped toward Raon, finally trying to speak.
[STAND DOWN!]
A massive voice boomed from the top of the central white tower. The shout was saturated with such overwhelming fighting spirit that both the ghosts and the Light Wind warriors were forced to a halt.
"Finally, the main event."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman wiped a drop of blood from his boot and smirked.
"Seems my hunch was right."
He nodded toward the tower, signaling that the disciple had made their move.
[OPEN THE WAY!]
The command from the tower resonated through the air, ordering the ghosts to cease their attack and step aside for the visitors.
Huuuuuuk!
Though they vibrated with a desire to kill, the ghosts of Eden obeyed. They withdrew, creating a wide, unobstructed path for the Light Wind Palace.
"An invitation?"
Raon gave a short nod and began walking down the main road of Eden.
"Huu..."
"Tsk! I was just getting warmed up!"
Burren followed, his hand never leaving his hilt, while Martha grumbled about the interrupted slaughter.
"..."
Runaan walked with her sword held close, her aura perception expanded to its limit to catch the slightest hint of a trap.
"One opens the door from their throne room, and the other walks right through the front gate..."
The Silent Serpent Swordsman looked between the tower and Raon, a manic grin spreading across his face.
"It’s a festival of lunatics!"
He laughed, finding the situation entirely too entertaining.
"..."
Raon ignored the commentary, his eyes scanning the forest of white towers that made up the heart of Eden.
The air is different here.
They were all elite.
As they moved deeper, the pressure intensified. The ghosts lining the path were no longer boosted fodder; they were genuine Eden executives radiating a heavy, oppressive presence. It seemed the formation array of this land enhanced their already formidable natural talents even further.
"Hmm..."
"The pressure is building."
"This is the real deal."
The Light Wind warriors felt it too, their bodies tensing as they adjusted their momentum to match the threat.
However...
Raon took a shallow breath.
The true monsters are still hiding.
The Transcendents of Eden remained in their high towers, watching like silent predators from above. Their refusal to descend suggested they were either incredibly arrogant or physically bound by some purpose.
The architecture is strange as well.
The inner sanctum was a surreal mix of white stone and dense forest. Each tower bore unique sigils—horns, fangs, blades, and axes—representing unknown divisions or powers.
Is this part of the array...
Just as Raon was analyzing the layout, a massive tremor shook the ground.
Kuuuung!
The tallest spire in the center of the base groaned. A massive door, engraved with a ten-horned dragon, swung open. A slender figure stepped out into the light.
Step!
With each footfall, the surrounding air grew heavy, as if the weight of the sky were descending. A woman with hair as black as flowing ink emerged. She wore a helmet crafted into the likeness of a transcendent beauty, topped with a laurel of emerald leaves.
She possessed a presence that was less like a warrior and more like an ancient, terrifying goddess.
"Welcome to Eden."
From behind the mask, eyes like molten lava flared with a fierce light.
"Sword Emperor Raon Zieghart."
