Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the smashed Golden Shard Stone pieces.
‘The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier weren’t the only ones that moved earlier.’
The ghastly energy also came out of the Blade of Requiem hanging at his waist, soaking into the Golden Shard Stone alongside the two energies that he was directly controlling.
And the last thing that moved when the three energies flowed inside the Golden Shard Stone was the Ring of Fire.
The six rings rotating around his heart resonated with each other to try merging the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Glacier, and the ghastly energy, and the Golden Shard Stone ended up shattering because it was unable to withstand that power.
“Hmm…”
Vulcan picked up the shining bead with his trembling hand.
“This is the first time in my life that I have witnessed the Golden Shard moving on its own.”
He slowly caught his breath while watching the Golden Shard, which was shining with five colors. Vulcan had never looked so surprised before.
“So, this is the Golden Shard.”
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the bead Vulcan was holding. The mysterious energy flowing from it easily showed the reason it was called the king of metals.
“Yes. This is the Golden Shard that supposedly amplifies all kinds of energy. The fact that it’s shining like this means that it likes your ener…”
“Uwaah!”
As Vulcan was talking while showing him the Golden Shard, Harren—who was lying down next to them—suddenly woke up and crawled towards them.
“H-How the hell are you using coldness and heat at the same time? And how did you destroy the Golden Shard Stone?”
His eyes were wide, as he had watched the Golden Shard Stone shatter into small pieces.
“I thought you fainted.”
Raon made him faint because he kept struggling because of the pain, but he had to have woken up when the Golden Shard Stone shattered.
“Old man! What kind of monster did you bring here?”
“Shut up and sit down!”
“Uwah!”
Vulcan smacked the back of Harren’s head to make him kneel.
“If you blabber about what you saw today, I’m seriously going to smash your head in.”
“Wh-What…? How could you do that to your son…?”
“That doesn’t matter. What’s your response?”
“I won’t! I have no one to talk to about it anyway!”
Harren screeched, then yelled at him to stop beating up a patient.
“Even though he’s an idiot, his mouth is heavy. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Vulcan smiled slightly, rolling the Golden Shard around in his hand.
“Alright.”
Raon nodded. When you considered the fact that he tried stopping the Zetul Kingdom’s prince and knights on his own, despite being unable to use any martial arts, he seemed somewhat trustworthy.
Harren turned his head while complaining. He was rubbing the back of his head, which was still hurting.
“Let’s continue, then. You used another energy besides coldness and heat earlier, right?”
“Yes. However, it wasn’t me that used it, and…”
Raon drew the Blade of Requiem and showed it to him.
“A possessed blade…”
Vulcan recognized at a glance that the Blade of Requiem had ghastly energy inside it.
“Yes, it’s a sword forged by the blacksmith Kuberad.”
“What? Did he actually make a possessed blade?”
He stared at the Blade of Requiem in bewilderment.
“How did he end up making a possessed blade with his stubborn personality…”
“There were circumstances around it. In the Siren village, south of the continent…”
Raon closed his eyes, telling him the tale of the Blade of Requiem’s creation.
“I see. That’s understandable.”
Vulcan nodded, saying that he finally understood.
“Is that blade sleeping right now?”
“It remains silent unless I ask about it or the White Blood Religion appears.”
Except for the time it moved on its own earlier, the Blade of Requiem usually remained immobile, as if it were sleeping. It almost looked like it was trying to save its strength in order to take revenge against the White Blood Religion.
It doesn’t amount to much if an insignificant creature saves its strength. It will still be weak enough to be crushed by a single flick of the King of Essence’s finger.
Wrath twisted his lips, looking at the Blade of Requiem.
Whir!
And ghastly energy started to emerge from the blade, telling him to stop making it laugh.
Hmph!
Wrath snorted, crushing its ghastly energy with his coldness.
This is how much more superior I am when compared to you. Beg the King of Essence, and he shall grant your revenge instead.
‘Does losing in terms of strength signify that it’s inferior?’
Of course. Strength is status, and it is the rank of existence.
‘That means that you are inferior to me, then.’
Wh-What do you mean? How would the King of Essence be inferior to a mere human!
‘But you always get beaten by me.’
Ugh…
Wrath’s jaw dropped, and he was unable to refute the matter.
‘Hey, inferior demon king. Stay beaten, please.’
Raon looked down on Wrath while caressing the Blade of Requiem.
Y-You bastard!
Wrath couldn’t hold himself back anymore, frost and wrath bursting from him to invade Raon’s mana circuit.
Whir!
Raon easily fended off that powerful attack by using the Ring of Fire, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, and Glacier, before returning the Blade of Requiem to its scabbard.
“Possessed blades are wicked by nature. However, it can either become a divine blade or a demonic blade depending on how you use it.”
“So, it’s all up to me in the end.”
“Yes. That blade’s resentment is so intense that I can see it with my eyes. Just like its name, you should help it complete the requiem, and return to its natural path without being devoured by the energy.”
“Alright.”
Raon gripped the Blade of Requiem tightly before sheathing it again.
“You should be able to do it.”
Vulcan smiled gently, patting his shoulder.
“Hmph, people would say he’s your son if they saw this.”
Harren pouted, his arms crossed.
“Shut up!”
“Argh!”
Vulcan glared at him, and Harren stepped aside with his shoulders drooped.
“Raon, try touching this.”
Vulcan handed over the Golden Shard that he was still holding in his hand. It had turned black, no longer shining with five colors. Raon nodded, grabbing the Golden Shard.
Whir!
As soon as he touched it, it started to radiate five different colors and trembled with a clear resonance.
“Gasp!”
“Huh, I see…”
Harren’s hands trembled in astonishment, and Vulcan admired the sight.
“Why is it doing this?”
“The Golden Shard is addicted to your energy. It’s saying that it wants to serve you, for you to be its master.”
“Does it actually have an ego?”
“It can’t really be called an ego. It’s just an instinct, like a flower spreading its leaves towards the sun.”
“Hmm…”
Raon licked his lips and looked at the Golden Shard. He was currently controlling three different energies inside of him in order to stop Wrath, and the Golden Shard apparently liked those energies, as it kept shining and vibrating.
“Can you put this in my sword? I’ll pay whatever the price…”
“I don’t need it, kid.”
Vulcan snickered and shook his head.
“Since it has already decided its master, I don’t mind giving it to you. The problem is that the quantity is insufficient.”
“Quantity…”
He was right. Since the bead was small enough to hold in his hand, it couldn’t even make a dagger.
“Not just making a sword from it, it can’t even be used to harmonize the two metals suitable for your energies.”
“...What does it mean to harmonize?”
“Since you use both heat and coldness, the best method to assist them is to mix two different metals and add the Golden Shard as a finishing touch. I have Flaming Steel to use for the heat, and Silver Steel for the coldness, but I don’t have enough Golden Shard to connect them.”
Vulcan gave a slight, bitter sigh.
“This can be used instead of the Silver Steel!”
Runaan, who had been silent, handed over the box containing Cold Blood that she was embracing.
“I’ll give him everything leftover after making my sword.”
“R-Really? This is a higher quality Cold Blood…”
“It’s okay.”
She said she would give away the Cold Blood without any hesitation.
“I guess it’s fine if you are okay with it…”
Vulcan nodded and looked at Raon. He seemed to be asking what relationship they had.
“We are companions.”
Raon shrugged his shoulders.
“Ahem, then the only problems left are the Golden Shard and geothermal heat.”
Vulcan slowly stood up, straightening his spine.
“I’ll look into the Golden Shard part. You two should go to Skellei Mountain and investigate the reason for the low geothermal heat.”
“Understood. Then, we’d like a guide…”
“There’s someone right there, a guy that has nothing else to do.”
He pointed at Harren, who was trying to crawl outside.
“Argh!”
“He knows the surrounding area really well because he has loved running around since he was a child. Just bring him with you.”
“Hah, why would I go there? I’m going to work, since I suddenly got a great idea…”
“Tsk.”
“I-I’ll go!”
Harren quickly stood up and nodded.
“Runaan.”
“Mhm.”
Raon left the workshop with Runaan.
“We’ll be back.”
“You don’t need to solve the problem, so please be careful.”
“Yes.”
He nodded and turned around.
You bastard! How long are you planning on ignoring me?
‘I wasn’t ignoring you.’
There was no way he could ignore the coldness stabbing him or the wrath stirring his heart. He was just enduring it while pretending he wasn’t affected by controlling three different energies.
Fine! Let’s fight to the bitter end today! You shall learn the height of the King of Essence’s level!
‘It’s pointless.’
Wrath used everything he had to attack the wall in his mana circuit, but Raon hardened the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier to block everything.
Rumble!
A fight of strategy and power continued inside his body, but Raon didn’t manage to lose any of them.
Keuh! The King of Essence won’t give u…
As he was about to explode the last remaining bit of energy, messages appeared in front of Raon’s eyes.
[You’ve withstood ‘Wrath’s’ interruption.
Perception has increased by 1.]
[You’ve nonchalantly endured the pain.
Stamina has increased by 1.]
The judge was announcing Wrath’s defeat.
Again? Daaaaamn it!
Wrath blacked out and collapsed backwards.
‘I told you to stay crushed if you are at a lower level.’
Raon smiled coldly as he watched Wrath faint on his bracelet.
* * *
* * *
“Hmmhum.”
Rimmer knocked on the audience chamber’s door in the lord’s manor while humming.
“My lord!”
Strangely, it wasn’t Glenn’s voice that greeted him. Instead, it was Roenn that stepped out and bowed to him.
“The head of house went outside for a moment.”
“What? I thought he caught some illness that killed him if he went outside. Did he not?”
Rimmer flailed his hands in disbelief.
“I haven’t seen him in action in a long time either.”
Roenn smiled slightly.
“Where did he go?”
“He didn’t mention his destination. He just said that he would be out for a moment and that he would return around evening.”
“You shouldn’t let him go like that! What if something happens to the head of… I guess nothing will.”
Rimmer swallowed hard. No one had any reason to try harming Glenn, and they would see a living hell if they tried.
“You don’t need to worry. He left with the Heavenly Blade.”
“Well, that’s fine, I guess.”
The division leader of the Heavenly Blade was an extremely powerful warrior that had been with Glenn from the beginning, just like Roenn and Rimmer. There was no problem if Glenn was with her.
“Why did you come to visit the head of house?”
“I came to report various things. Raon and Runaan left, Burren is still sulking in a corner, and Martha is working hard on her training…”
“I can convey that to him, if that’s all.”
“And!”
Rimmer grabbed Roenn’s shoulder tightly as he tried to leave.
“I-I was wondering if the squad leader’s salary…”
“I believe that has been paid in advance.”
“Could it be paid in advance, or I would like to borrow some money!”
“Hmm. Actually, the head of house left a message before he left.”
Roenn smiled and removed Rimmer’s hand.
“A message?”
“He said that if ever Sir Rimmer mentions something about advance payment or asks to be lent money, he would personally visit him to have a ‘warm conversation’.”
“C-Conversation…”
Rimmer swallowed nervously and stepped back. He said ‘conversation’, but it was obvious he was going to try to speak with his fists.
“Sir Roenn, we can keep it a secret between us, right?”
“Of course, I don’t mind keeping it secret at all. However…”
Roenn secretly pointed upward.
“I wonder about them.”
“Ah…”
Rimmer looked through the Heavenly Blade swordsmen hiding on the ceiling and frowned. There was no way they would listen to him, since the Heavenly Blade only listened to Glenn.
“The saying goes, enjoy the present. Getting beaten up is a matter of the future, while fun is in the present, so I’d rather have a conversation later.”
Rimmer didn’t withdraw and extended his hand.
“Hmm, I believe it’s impossible for you to win bets against him, even if I give you an advance payment.”
“A warrior’s spirit is meant to challenge the impossible!”
“Huhu.”
Roenn apparently liked that line. He smiled slightly and placed a gold pouch in Rimmer’s hand.
“Thank you! I’ll bring back the news of my victory today!”
Rimmer turned around, even using footwork to quickly leave the lord’s manor.
“I can see a death god.”
Roenn narrowed his eyes, watching Rimmer’s back as it got further away. It felt like the death god’s shadow was smiling.
“Anyway…”
Roenn opened the audience chamber’s room once again and spoke in a chuckling voice.
“I wonder if he has arrived by now.”
* * *
Harren was guiding Raon and Runaan at Skellei Mountain.
“Please climb silently, since monsters are going to swarm towards us if they hear us.”
He knew all the locations that the monsters didn’t appear, but they still needed to remain silent. Some monsters were sensitive to sound.
‘By the way…’
He quietly turned around to look at Raon.
‘The Golden Shard chose him.’
Even though it was called the king of metals, it was merely lifeless steel. He had never heard nor seen a soulless piece of metal vibrating in order to choose its master.
“Hmm, what are you planning to do with it?”
Likely because he witnessed a scene that could be called a blacksmith’s legend, he carefully spoke to him despite being much older than him.
“What do you mean by that?”
Raon tilted his head in confusion.
“You know, the bet you made with me.”
“I’ll decide on that later, since you said you would grant me any wish.”
“E-Even then, something that is too difficult or takes a long time would be…”
“‘Any’ means it includes all of that.”
“Argh, I can’t accept that! Gaining a leash with a single bet…”
As Harren was trying to shake his head, Raon drew his sword. He walked towards him with a frightening pressure.
“W-Wait! You can’t swing your sword just because I refused a little! I’ll do everything! I said I’ll do every… Gasp!”
He extended his hands, trying to stop him, and closed his eyes. However, the pain never arrived. Instead, some kind of sticky, muddy water was dripping on his head.
“What…”
When he opened his eyes, green blood was flowing from Raon’s sword, and three monsters that looked like huge flies were split in half.
“R-Red flies…”
They were insect monsters that lived in heated areas like deserts or volcanoes, and they were nasty monsters that sucked on the bodily fluids of living creatures.
“Th-Thank you.”
Harren instantly bowed. He thought Raon was trying to attack him, but he was actually defending him against the red flies coming up from behind him.
“It would be annoying if our guide were to die.”
Raon smiled, casually saying something scary.
‘H-He is a scary guy.’
His actions just then not only saved his life—they also warned him to be careful of what he said. It wasn’t a mind game that a seventeen-year-old boy could play.
“But those monsters…”
Harren narrowed his eyes while looking at the red flies.
“...Don’t usually come around here…”
Monsters never used the path they were currently using, not in the last ten years. And it wasn’t one monster that appeared, it was three. That was an abnormal occurrence.
“Just like the changes in the geothermal heat, the monster’s ecology must have changed as well.”
Raon, who was behind him, stepped forward and continued.
“I’ll take the lead from now on.”
“But you don’t know the area, right?”
“I don’t know the area, but I can feel their presence. I think I figured out where the problem occurred. It’s pretty serious.”
He narrowed his eyes, looking at the upper part of Skellei Mountain.
“Runaan, please defend the rear.”
“Mhm.”
The silver-haired swordswoman, who had been as silent as a doll, nodded.
“Let’s resume.”
Raon took the lead. Harren hadn’t told him anything or showed him the map, but he properly followed the flow of the geothermal heat amidst the complicated area.
‘Huh.’
Harren exclaimed.
‘Did he actually feel the source of the problem from here?’
It was amazing that someone who had come to Mirtan for the first time had recognized the source of the problem when Harren couldn’t be sure, despite having been living there his entire life.
‘H-He must be lying, right?’
Harren thought it couldn’t be true, but Raon’s footsteps were brimming with confidence. He climbed the mountain straight up, not hesitating once.
And that wasn’t the only surprising part.
As if he could feel every single sign in his surroundings, he immediately beheaded the monsters in a single strike whenever they appeared.
The Zicca Orc—infamous for its ferocity—lost its head before even swinging its ax, and the flame snake that could breathe fire was separated into 8 pieces as it fell like leaves.
The girl named Runaan, who was behind him, was the same.
Five gray scorpions, all of which had flame poison, attacked her at once. She froze them all in an instant by spreading powerful frost.
‘Is this really the level of a seventeen-year-old? Is this what a true Zieghart is like?’
Harren swallowed nervously. Even though they were still young, he was excited to witness proper warriors of Zieghart after only meeting people like Rimmer, who had a screw loose in his head.
‘I think I understand why the geezer told me to watch them properly.’
He finally understood the reason his father told him to not take his eyes off of Raon and Runaan.
He got the urge to take up his hammer and strike any metal as he witnessed the prowess of the young warriors.
For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t thinking about gambling. His fingers twitched as if he were holding a hammer.
* * *
Raon kept thinking about the principles of his quick sword while climbing the mountain and slaying monsters.
‘Something’s still missing.’
He combined the principles of speed from the Star Connecting Sword, the Fangs of Insanity, the swordsmanship of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, and the technique of Prince Tarkan from the Zetul Kingdom that he had recently met. He kept imagining it in his head, yet he still couldn’t achieve the speed he wanted.
‘I can’t tell what I’m missing.’
He had the feeling that he could create an extremely fast technique by slightly polishing the principles and the form of the swordsmanship, but it was proving difficult.
“Krra!”
Four Zicca orcs appeared from the right, brandishing their huge axes as they charged at him. They were brimming with killing intent, ready to shred a human into pieces.
Slash!
Raon raised his wrist slightly and slashed diagonally. The energy coming from the point of the sword looked like it would sever the space as they fell.
“Krrra…”
The orcs collapsed, their faces planted on the ground before they even reached him. Their expressions looked like they had died before they even realized they were cut by a sword.
The strike was fast enough for Zicca orcs with excellent senses to die before even realizing they were hit, but Raon’s eyes remained unsatisfied.
‘The speed is also problematic, but the direction went wrong.’
If he only focused on the speed, he wouldn’t be able to precise cuts, and he would end up leaving room for a counterattack. It was necessary to focus on his speed and precision together, bound together like a magnet.
Raon climbed the mountain by following the flow of the geothermal heat, all while combining and weaving together the principles of his quick sword one by one.
After climbing for almost half the day, he finally managed to reach the place where the explosively huge energy he had felt from below was crouching down.
“I’m telling you that we went too high. The place where the flow usually has an issue is underneath…”
“Silence.”
He hushed Harren, who kept telling him to go to the location where the problem usually occurred, and pointed in front of him.
Rumble.
There was a small rocky hill that looked like sharp boulders were piled up on top of each other, sitting in the middle of the mountain ridge. The area was saturated with a hazy heat. The hill was wriggling, which gave the impression that it was breathing.
“Hmm? Was there a hill like that around here?”
Harren skeptically scratched his beard.
“It’s not a hill.”
Raon caught his breath and drew his sword. The moment he showed his murderous intent, the hill raised itself up and created a powerful firestorm.
Whaam!
A head raised above the tremendous wave of fire that spread out throughout the mountain ridge. It was a huge creature of flame with two horns attached to a dragon’s head. There was a turtle’s shell on its back.
Whir!
The pressure flowing from its crimson eyes as it covered the setting sun had said that it had already transcended as a monster.
“R-Red dragon turtle!”
Harren unconsciously fell back upon meeting the huge monster’s eyes.
“I-I’ve never seen something so huge before. How can a monster be as big as a mountain?”
His lips trembled in disbelief.
“A red dragon turtle the size of a mountain, huh…?”
A blue fever sparkled from Raon’s eyes. The young man was supporting his sword on his shoulder.
“It looks like I can gain a lot from it.”
