Raon didn't relax his concentration despite seeing the collapsing wall of combative energy.
“Kuh!”
“D-Damn it!”
Raon could see the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon struggle to run away with trembling lips between the shattered pieces of that red wall.
Whir!
He used the force of attraction emerging from the blade's extremity to pull them in, and added more power to his hand holding the Heavenly Drive.
Whaam!
The crimson glow that managed to destroy the astral energy ended up crushing the Red Wolf Demon's right shoulder and the Black Winged Demon's left arm.
Slam!
The two demons couldn't overcome the heaviness in the Heavenly Heavy Cannon, slamming into the ground while coughing up blood.
“Aaack!”
“Kuuh...”
The Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon screamed while grasping their arm and shoulder.
'I need to finish them off right now.'
Raon kicked the ground. He dashed towards the collapsed Red Wolf Demon and unleashed the Fangs of Insanity.
“You bastard!”
The Red Wolf Demon raised himself up using only his legs and thrust his left hand. His claws, which resembled a rake, were covered with combative energy.
'I don't need to deflect it anymore.'
Raon bit his lip and swung down with Fangs of Insanity. The burning fang of a savage beast incinerated the astral energy that was composed of combative energy.
“H-How is that possible?!”
The Red Wolf Demon's eyes, which had been calm, started to waver like a tidal wave.
“There's still a lot more.”
Raon stomped the ground and unleashed the Spear Flash of the Fangs of Insanity. A sharp light made of fire pierced through the Red Wolf Demon’s hand like a general’s spear thrust in a battlefield.
“Kuaah!”
The Red Wolf Demon screamed for a second time, as he was about to lose his left hand on top of his right. Just as Raon was about to behead him, a fierce combative energy stormed at him from behind.
‘Black Winged Demon.’
It was obvious who it was without even looking at him. He must’ve decided to fly towards his opening.
‘You won’t get me anymore.’
He’d been running because he’d lacked strength, but he didn’t need to do that anymore.
Cring!
Raon turned around and unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s technique. Burning astral energy burst out like a spike to clash against the Black Winged Demon’s dagger.
Claang!
Powerful shockwave spread out in all directions. He would’ve been pushed back by that in the past, but he had changed. The astral energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation was advancing with him by burning the combative energy.
“Wh-Who are you? How can you be so powerful right after your awakening…?”
The Black Winged Demon’s lips were trembling. His eyes were submerged in astonishment at the unbelievable sight.
“Because it’s not an awakening.”
Raon smiled coldly, pushing Heavenly Drive with both hands.
‘I just walked through my path.’
He didn’t surpass the wall like other people, he simply walked over the wall he’d destroyed before. There was no reason for him to become weaker.
“Argh!”
The Black Winged Demon’s feet were embedding into the ground more and more, unable to deal with the huge amount of power coming from Heavenly Drive.
“Uaaah!”
The Black Winged Demon screamed to explode all of his remaining energy, but he was unable to change the situation.
“H-How…?”
His chin trembled in horror as he realized that he couldn’t push Heavenly Drive back, despite using his full power.
“Black Winged Demon! Hang on!”
Realizing it was the last chance he had, the Red Wolf Demon incorporated his completely lacerated hand with an enormous amount of astral energy as he charged at Raon.
Smack!
Raon kicked the Black Winged Demon away and turned around.
Swaa!
He thrust Flame Dragon Art towards the combative energy assaulting him like a giant’s hand. The astral energy covering the entire blade formed the shape of a dragon to breathe out a massive flame.
Kieee!
The Flame Dragon Art’s roar, made from astral energy instead of aura thread, slashed through the last of the Red Wolf Demon’s combative energy and created a jet-black hole in his chest.
“Ah… Ah…”
The Red Wolf Demon stared at the hole in his chest, where even blood had been evaporated by the flame, before collapsing onto his back.
“Hieek! Hiee!”
The Black Winged Demon, who’d been looking for an opportunity, freaked out and stepped backward. He ran towards the tree where the Evil Goat Demon was leaning, flapping his only wing.
“P-Please save…”
“You won’t go anywhere!”
Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps. The Black Winged Demon was capable of flying, but he was slower than the Red Wolf Demon on the ground. He caught up to him in an instant, stabbing Heavenly Drive into his heart.
“Y-You monstrous bastard!”
The Black Winged Demon turned around upon feeling his murderous intent. He raised his dagger diagonally, holding it in a reverse grip.
‘Deflection?’
He must’ve been trying to deflect the blow, because he’d realized he couldn’t win in terms of strength. It was a good idea, since his dagger was an excellent blade that even astral energy couldn’t easily destroy.
However.
‘It won’t work against me.’
Since he learned how to deflect while fighting against opponents more powerful than him, he obviously knew how to counter his opponents when they were deflecting.
Cring!
He incorporated the softness of flowing water into Heavenly Drive. He took advantage of the Black Winged Demon’s deflection to stab Heavenly Drive into him.
Crack!
Heavenly Drive’s blade pierced through the black armor, slamming into the Black Winged Demon’s shoulder.
“Kuaah!”
He glared at him with cold eyes and raised his chin.
“Deflecting is my specialty.”
“W-Wait! Listen to m…”
“You made the wrong move.”
Raon simply slashed with Heavenly Drive, which was stabbing the Black Winged Demon’s shoulder. The extremely sturdy armor was severed like tofu, and the blade even managed to cut through his heart.
“Kuah, you…”
He breathed his last, unable to finish his final sentence.
“Haa.”
Raon exhaled heavily while looking at the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon’s corpses. He could feel the pain in his chest once the tension decreased. He was apparently just forgetting about the pain from the excitement.
‘A little longer.’
He gritted his teeth and straightened his back. The pain became even worse, but he raised Heavenly Drive to point at the Evil Goat Demon, not showing his pain.
* * *
* * *
“S-Sir Saint.”
Yulius violently shook Federick’s hand, as if he were trying to pull it off.
“He won, right? Did he really win?”
The boy was hopping in excitement, his face turned completely red.
“Who is that man? How can he defeat those monsters when he’s so young?”
Yulius’s eyes were sparkling in admiration even though he’d been remaining calm despite his age.
“Do you remember what I told you earlier?”
“What did you tell me?”
“I told you I wanted to introduce someone to you.”
“Ah, the one who couldn’t become a warrior because he had a bad constitution…”
“The boy in that story is him.”
Federick swallowed nervously and pointed at Raon’s back.
‘He’s exactly the same.’
His blond hair and red eyes that were so similar to Glenn, and his gaze that remained calm in any situation were the exact same as before. He could understand why he felt familiar ever since their first encounter.
“S-Seriously?”
“I don’t know why he’s here, but he completely shattered my expectations.”
He laughed bitterly while looking at Raon’s back.
‘Is Raon seventeen years old now? No, he must be eighteen years old now since another year has passed. Even so, he still broke the youngest record by five years.’
Upon witnessing the boy he’d believed wouldn’t even manage to become an average warrior actually reach Master level at the youngest age in the continent, Federick felt like he was losing his mind from the absurdity of the situation.
‘I thought someone would come to help him, but he finished them off on his own.’
He thought Zieghart’s squad leader or division leader would come with him, but Raon simply slayed the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon by surpassing the wall through enlightenment. Federick honestly still felt like he was dreaming.
‘However, it’s still not over.’
He bit his lip while looking at the Evil Goat Demon, who Raon was pointing his sword at.
‘Because the real fight starts now.’
The Evil Goat Demon was clearly stronger than the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon. Even Federick himself was incapable of estimating how much power he was hiding.
‘Moreover, he hasn’t used any aura nor stamina.’
Unlike the Red Wolf Demon, the Black Winged Demon, and the Blood Raving Demon, he hadn’t even spent the slightest bit of power yet. Back in the village, he was just playing around while setting places on fire, and he didn’t interfere at all in the fight inside the forest. He was at full power.
Even though Raon seemed to have advanced another step after his awakening, it doesn’t return the aura he’d consumed, nor remove the injuries he’d received. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible for Raon to defeat the Evil Goat Demon.
However, Raon wasn’t wavering in the slightest.
Even though he was aware how powerful the Evil Goat Demon was, and how bad his body’s condition was, he was still raising his sword even more confidently than in the beginning.
‘I see…’
That power wasn’t coming from his might, but from the level of his human soul. Raon’s soul had reached an unimaginably high level.
“Sir Saint.”
He looked down at hearing Yulius’s excited voice.
“Does that mean we can finally return?”
His eyes were filled with hope as he stared at Raon.
“Yes, we shall be able to.”
Federick grabbed Yulius’s shoulder with a gentle smile, hiding his thoughts.
“We shall.”
He nodded, without realizing that he was unconsciously strengthening his grip.
* * *
Raon chewed his lips while looking at the Evil Goat Demon.
‘I think this guy is even stronger than I thought…’
He could see his might because he’d reached Master level. He seemed even stronger than the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon combined.
Did you only realize that now?
Wrath giggled, soaring on the bracelet.
Your awakening was unexpected, but he’s on a different level. He was already strong by himself, but he became even stronger thanks to that weird armor.
His smile deepened as he examined the Evil Goat Demon’s entire body.
It’s impossible for you to defeat him, even if you got your stamina and aura back.
‘Is that why you accepted the bet? Asking me to make all three of them disappear?’
Of course. You shouldn’t believe that the King of Essence would lose over and over. The King of Essence wins this time!
Wrath confidently harrumphed, touching his nonexistent nose.
Just give up and give me your body now. There’s no hope for yo…
‘I won’t know until I try.’
Raon didn’t lower his sword, resonating the Ring of Fire and circulating the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
‘It’s true that I’m in bad shape. However, I’ve also gained a lot.’
The sensation of a cold rope tightly squeezing him had disappeared, and his middle energy center around his solar plexus had opened. His aura was quickly recovering, and his internal injury was also slowly healing.
It was possible he would get an opportunity to win as long as he lasted and analyzed just like he did against the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon.
“Hmm.”
The Evil Goat Demon nodded slightly, unfolding his arms.
‘Is he making his move?’
As Raon tightened his grip of Heavenly Drive from the nervousness, a clapping sound could be heard.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
It was the Evil Goat Demon. He was causing the dull clapping sound while still leaning his back against the tree.
“That was amazing. It was a really interesting sight.”
The Evil Goat Demon smiled while looking at the Red Wolf Demon and the Black Winged Demon’s corpses as if he were completely unrelated to them.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Raon frowned.
“What are you trying to achieve?”
“I told you before.”
The Evil Goat Demon leisurely shrugged his shoulders.
“My mission is to block this path. I’m just doing my job.”
He still wasn’t taking his back off the tree, as if he still wasn’t planning on moving. His carefree attitude made Raon feel like he was talking to a kid.
“That means… Are you not going to act as long as I don’t go in that direction?”
“Well, indeed.”
The Evil Goat Demon nodded while scratching his chin.
“What the hell.”
Raon narrowed his eyes. He’d managed to understand most people’s psychology from his two lives, but he couldn’t understand him at all. He couldn’t read anything about him, as if a thick fog were blocking him.
‘However…’
It was a bit curious that his temperament didn’t feel completely unfamiliar. He was trying to figure out where he had seen someone like him before, but he couldn’t remember.
“There’s nothing too strange about this.”
The Evil Goat Demon raised one of his fingers.
“You guys in Zieghart aren’t completely united either.”
“What?”
“Not everyone in Zieghart agrees with each other. Some people want to make the house grow even further, some want to maintain the current state, and some might even want to ruin the house.”
“Are you talking about the factions?”
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at the Evil Goat Demon, who was slowly raising his fingers. According to what he said, Eden must’ve had different factions.
“Correct. I knew you were smart.”
The Evil Goat Demon gave him a big nod. His goat horns were swaying as if they were alive.
“My opinion differs from those two and the mad woman out there.”
He pointed at the dead Red Wolf Demon, Black Winged Demon, and Merlin outside the forest, one after the other.
“Which means, can we really return now?”
“Of course. It’s not fun fighting someone who is already exhausted, after all… is what I would like to say, but…”
The Evil Goat Demon separated from the tree for the first time. He raised his chin and slowly walked towards Raon.
“I might get criticized a lot if I don’t do anything in this situation, so…”
He raised his hand in the air and a jet-black greatsword emerged from the distorted space.
Creak!
The Evil Goat Demon smiled cheerfully while grasping the hilt.
“Let’s have a single-strike match.”
“Single strike?”
“Yes, the winner will be decided after a single strike. I’ll let you go if you manage to survive, along with the two others behind you.”
He pointed at Federick and the boy behind Raon.
“Be ready.”
The moment the Evil Goat Demon raised his sword to point it at Raon, the evil energy soared while engulfing the land to reach the end of the sky.
Rumble!
Raon unconsciously swallowed nervously from the tremendous amount of energy that even surpassed his perception’s range.
Arrgh!
Wrath popped up from the bracelet and ground his teeth.
What is that idiot saying right now? Use that sword right now to attack him!
He was freaking out and trembling his entire body from witnessing a situation that was different from his expectations.
‘Calm down a bit. The bet isn’t over yet.’
He pushed away Wrath, who was floundering his arms like a kid throwing a tantrum, and slowly inhaled.
‘A single strike.’
Raon closed his eyes. He thought about his body’s condition and his remaining aura. If it was a single strike… If it was just a single strike, he felt like he could survive that tremendous amount of power.
“Raon!”
Federick’s voice could be heard from behind him. Although his voice was the same as before, a different emotion could be heard in it.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
Raon smiled faintly at Federick and the boy. He waved at them to reassure them before standing in front of the Evil Goat Demon.
‘This is insane.’
Raon could completely feel his might once he stood in front of him. He felt like the vicious pressure that matched too well with his atrocious greatsword was stabbing through his skin.
Even though he wasn’t even clad in armor, like the Blood Raving Demon, he was clearly at a higher stage of Master than Raon. Since he was even capable of using advanced magic on top of that, he was literally a monster.
“Be ready.”
The Evil Goat Demon raised his greatsword over his head. He must not have been lying about going all-out in a single strike, since an unimaginable amount of power could be felt from his greatsword.
“Haa…”
Raon caught his breath, then gathered the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The energy hardened after passing through the lower and middle part of his body, clustering together to create the astral energy of a raging flame on his blade.
‘I need to incorporate the enlightenment I had just now.’
The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation was a martial art that became stronger with its user. That was the enlightenment he needed to incorporate into his blade.
“We will start once this falls to the ground.”
“Alright.”
Raon nodded, and the Evil Goat Demon threw the leaf he was holding in his left hand into the air.
As the leaf that was floating on the night wind slowly fell down, a crimson light was reflected in Raon’s eyes.
He incorporated the enlightenment of the Ten Thousand Fames Cultivation that he got as he reached Master into Heavenly Drive.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Hundred Flames.
The ten flames flourishing on the silver trajectory spread around like shadows to blossom into a hundred flowers.
The dazzling crimson light distorting the blade was discharged towards the black greatsword, crumbling the sky.
Claang!
