“Di-did you just say that you’d make me stronger?”
Mark Goetten asked with wide eyes.
“Indeed.”
Raon nodded while looking at Mark Goetten’s trembling pupils.
“Of course. I can’t immediately increase your realm, and I’ll be just helping you to make better use of your ability. I’ll be practicing my dagger throw at the same time.”
He took out some iron daggers without any blades and shook them.
“But you don’t need to be nervous. It’s just simple training.”
Isn’t it only simple in your standard?
Wrath leered at him.
‘Maybe.’
Since he was planning to attack Mark Goetten with iron daggers instead of wooden daggers, he was bound to suffer if he didn’t manage to recover his original might.
“Understood.”
Mark Goetten realized the meaning of the training and clenched Black Hermit Saber.
“How do you like Black Hermit Saber?”
“The grip feels perfect. It’s almost like I’ve been using it for a long time.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Raon smiled. He’d picked that saber because of the weight and shape of Mark Goetten’s previous weapon, and it must’ve been the correct choice.
“But can I really accept such a fine saber…?”
“Since Zieghart is a house of swordsmen, we hardly have anyone using sabers. It’s going to end up rotting in the warehouse if Sir Mark doesn’t make use of it.”
“Thank you. I won’t disappoint you.”
Mark Goetten leaned forward from the saluting position. He was as disciplined and polite as when he used to be a knight.
“Please continue your personal training in the training ground in the meantime. I think it will take more than a day to finish the preparations.”
“Understood.”
He went to the center of the training ground and started swinging Black Hermit Saber.
Raon observed Mark Goetten’s technique for a while before he looked away.
‘I should get started now.’
He opened the two books of martial arts that he’d received from Glenn and started reading them. He’d already finished reading them the day before and memorized them, but he was skimming through them one more time just in case he’d missed something.
‘The head of house was right.’
Hundred Lightning was focused on speed, while the Explosive Giant Throw had nothing but power going for it.
Since they were both extremely focused on one aspect of the dagger throw, he figured that a proper combination should create a technique that excelled both in speed and power.
‘That wouldn’t be the only reason he gave me those books.’
Glenn must’ve also anticipated that his realm would also increase as he created a new technique.
‘However… I won’t be satisfied with that.’
The technique he’d learned in his previous life was called the Dark Severing Throw. It was unmatchable in terms of stealth and precision, and Raon was planning to combine it along with the two others.
It will take ages for you to create a new martial art!
Wrath snorted.
How dare you attempt such a thing when you don’t even know anything about dagger throwing? Just keep swinging a sword instead like you’ve always done!
He clicked his tongue, saying that it would be impossible to achieve unless he became an expert himself.
‘It will be difficult, but it won’t be impossible.’
Raon’s first weapon in his previous life was a throwing dagger. Even though he hadn’t used it that much in his new life, he was confident he had enough understanding of the dagger throw.
The King of Essence would rather eat another spoonful of mint chocolate ice cream instead of watching a useless attempt like that.
‘Just wait and see.’
Raon closed his eyes and started to control the Ring of Fire. The rings rotated smoothly and resonated at once to create a clear vibration.
The intense focus narrowed down his vision, and the principles of Hundred Lightning, Explosive Giant Throw, and Dark Severing Throw started to mingle with each other.
Whir!
Once the Ring of Fire rotated around a hundred times, the first design was created.
‘This is no good.’
It was too focused on Hundred Lightning’s speed, and it was lacking in terms of power.
Raon immediately discarded it and tried to think of a second design, but it was too focused on power and even a fly would be able to dodge it.
‘I should use the Dark Severing Throw to neutralize them.’
Instead of being disappointed, Raon immediately proceeded to the next design.
‘This is fun.’
Raon smiled while imagining tens of thousands of throwing daggers flying around in his head.
A small throwing dagger sprouted like a bud inside his mental image, which had nothing but blades.
* * *
Mark Goetten lowered the saber he’d been swinging and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
‘This is the best.’
Black Hermit Saber, the saber that Raon had gifted him, had the perfect grip. It was as if he’d been using it since childhood.
Its quality must’ve been even better than the saber he’d been given by the king when he used to belong to a knight order.
‘He gave me such a valuable weapon without anything in return…’
He’d never heard the name Black Hermit Saber before, but he could tell better than anyone how valuable it was because he’d been using a saber as a weapon all along.
It was a priceless treasure that couldn’t be purchased with even a mountain of gold coins.
Mark Goetten briefly exhaled and shifted his eyes towards Raon.
‘He’s really difficult to understand.’
He was thankful about the fact that Raon gave away such a noted saber and accepted a failure like him after a small trial, and he thought he was just a bit peculiar.
‘But the most peculiar part is… That focus.’
After saying that he would prepare for the training, Raon didn’t move an inch for the entire day and a half.
He looked like he was practicing martial arts in his head, and it was unbelievable that he could maintain that focus when he wasn’t even cultivating.
‘Thanks to him, my training also went pretty well.’
Because he was displaying a tremendous amount of focus from right next to him, his senses were sharpened a lot more than usual.
Mark felt like he could fight even better than his normal abilities in his current state.
“It would be nice if I could have a spar right now…”
“Let’s do it then.”
When Mark Goetten was murmuring about his wish, a low voice could be heard. He looked around, and Raon was looking at him with his eyes open.
“Sir Raon!”
“Sorry for the long wait.”
He stood up and smiled while warming up his shoulders and ankles.
“You said you wanted a spar, right?”
“Ah, about that…”
“We will do it of course, since it was our initial objective.”
Raon nodded after examining Mark Goetten.
“It doesn’t look like you need any preparations.”
“Indeed.”
Mark Goetten fixed the grip on Black Hermit Saber with sparkling eyes. He was excited for the battle because he’d been practicing the saber art all along.
“Let’s get started right away.”
Raon leaped backward and took his throwing daggers into both hands. He scattered three throwing daggers from his right hand at the same time without any warning.
Swoosh!
Along with the piercing sound of the wind, the throwing daggers flew towards his thigh, shoulder, and the vital spot in his abdomen.
Clang!
Mark Goetten swung Black Hermit Saber diagonally to fend off the throwing daggers at once.
‘Too light.’
Despite his expectations, Raon’s throwing daggers weren’t that fast or heavy.
Honestly, he felt like the wooden daggers that he’d been throwing from the cliff were more powerful than that.
“How was it?”
“It was a bit too light.”
“I see, please wait a moment.”
Raon closed his eyes while standing. He opened his eyes again after a long time, and the pressure emerging from his shoulders differed from before.
“Here I go again.”
Raon threw three daggers from his left hand at the same time. Just like the previous attempt, they were targeting his thigh, shoulder, and abdomen.
Mark Goetten narrowed his eyes and examined the daggers flying towards him.
‘It’s the same as befor—Hmm?”
Although they were clearly thrown with the same amount of aura and method as the previous attempt, the speed was at least twice as fast as before.
It was also soundless and had a faint presence—like an assassin’s swordsmanship.
‘But it’s not that difficult to fend off.’
Mark Goetten stopped his breath and unleashed the Hundred Spinning Slash of Anarchic Lightning Saber. The sharp curvature of the saber’s trajectory went back and forth between the sky and the ground to deflect all of the throwing daggers.
Clang! Clang!
On top of speed and stealthiness, even the weight and power had increased. Because the rebound was on a whole different level from the previous attack, Mark couldn’t hide his frown.
“Sir Raon, was this…?”
“Ah, please wait a moment.”
Raon closed his eyes once again while standing. He opened his eyes faster than the last time and grabbed the throwing daggers with his right hand.
“Let’s try again.”
He nimbly jumped into the air and threw the third round of daggers.
‘They became even faster.’
The second set of throwing daggers was already faster than the first, but the third was even faster than that, and the improved stealthiness made them even more difficult to perceive. If they were doing it in the night, Mark wouldn’t have been able to figure out where they were targeting.
Clang! Clang!
Mark Goetten lowered his body and unleashed the Anarchic Lightning Saber technique. His aura rotated like a windmill to clash against Raon’s throwing daggers.
‘It’s even stronger than before!’
The speed and stealthiness weren’t the only improvements. The power of the throwing daggers was also further improved.
‘How is this even possible?’
It was difficult to believe the drastic improvement in power when all Raon had done was to think about it while standing still for a short time.
“Huff…”
He managed to deflect the daggers with difficulty and exhaled intensely. He raised his head and saw that Raon was already meditating with his eyes closed.
Mark Goetten swallowed nervously, and the hands holding Black Hermit Saber started to tremble.
‘D-don’t tell me he’s getting even stronger now.’
* * *
* * *
Raon repeated the process of throwing the daggers and thinking about it three more times. His thoughts ended faster and faster, and the dagger’s speed and power were getting unbearable.
“Haa…”
Mark Goetten exhaled roughly and clenched Black Hermit Saber. He bit his lip while watching Raon on the opposite side.
“Here I go.”
Raon casually swung his hand to throw three daggers. Upon leaving his hand, the throwing daggers blended into the wind before they struck. The presence was faint, but the high speed was almost terrifying.
“Argh!”
Mark Goetten bit his lip tightly and unleashed the Swift Lightning Slash of Anarchic Lightning Saber.
The saber slashed powerfully in a zigzag pattern to clash against Raon’s throwing daggers.
Clang!
He was getting pushed back even though it was a clash between a saber and throwing daggers. He judged he wouldn’t be able to deflect all three daggers, so he pulled his leg back in order to dodge one and barely managed to fend off the two others.
Psh!
A small amount of blood gushed out from his left thigh as the dagger brushed past.
“Ugh…”
Mark Goetten sighed roughly. It would’ve been really dangerous if the throwing daggers weren’t targeting the same place every time.
“Hey, Sir Raon… Gasp!”
Raon wasn’t satisfied with the performance and had already started thinking once again. Chills ran down his spine from a frightening premonition.
‘I-I can’t handle any more than this. I really can’t though?’
Mark wasn’t confident he could deal with the next wave of throwing daggers if they became even faster and stronger just like they always did.
‘Sh-should I stop him?’
As he started walking towards Raon to tell him it was getting too difficult to fend off, light returned to Raon’s eyes. The meditation didn’t even take ten minutes.
“It’s somewhat completed now.”
He smiled cheerfully and took out new daggers.
“W-wait…”
“Let’s start again.”
Raon made his declaration and fired the daggers. The extremely fast and stealthy daggers couldn’t even be seen anymore, and Mark’s heart skipped a beat.
“Damn it!”
Mark Goetten raised Black Hermit Saber with his trembling hands.
‘How the hell is this training?!’
* * *
Raon lightly kicked the ground and threw the daggers from his right hand. The throwing daggers had turned red from the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s energy, and they twisted like a snake inside water to disappear.
Whoosh!
The throwing daggers reappeared in an instant and unleashed their frightening sharpness toward Mark Goetten’s solar plexus.
“Haap!”
Mark Goetten bit his lip to the point of bleeding and took a step back. He twisted his wrist violently and slashed upwards with Black Hermit Saber. He was using the Anarchic Lightning Saber’s special technique, Tearing Lightning Flash.
Claaang!
Black Hermit Saber, wrapped in astral energy, clashed against the reddened throwing daggers. A powerful shockwave engulfed the center of the training ground.
Rumble!
Raon’s throwing daggers pressed upon Mark Goetten’s saber as if someone were holding them and crushed his body.
Clang!
Mark Goetten was unable to overcome the tremendous power of the dagger and was pushed back alongside Black Hermit Saber. The daggers brushed past his side instead of his solar plexus which was the original target.
Psh!
His combat uniform was torn, and red blood gushed out.
“Huff…”
Mark Goetten faltered and fell to his knees. His body was covered in wounds of varied severity just like the cut he’d just received.
Raon threw the dagger into the air before catching it with a smile.
‘It’s somewhat completed now.’
The new dagger throw was created by combining the advantages of the swift Hundred Lightning, the powerful Explosive Giant Throw, and the precise and stealthy Dark Severing Throw. It was finally getting on the right track.
‘Flawless Throw.’
He decided to call the new technique the Flawless Throw. It was an arrogant name that implied that it was a perfect dagger throw, one without the slightest flaw.
This can’t be happening…
Wrath narrowed his eyes in a triangular shape while watching the daggers floating in the air.
You can’t possibly make a new martial art in such a short time with your current skill! This is nonsense!
He barked, saying that he couldn’t understand it at all.
You didn’t reach transcendence, unlike the King of Essence or your geezer. How did you even do that?!
‘By being good.’
Raon pushed Wrath away and smiled.
‘You just need to get good.’
You are saying that again! The King of Essence is sick and tired of it!
‘Well, it’s just true.’
Of course, it wasn’t a question of getting good.
Raon’s most used weapon when he used to be an assassin was throwing daggers instead of a sword. It was because he had mastered the Dark Severing Throw and had a high understanding of dagger throwing from his previous life that he managed to combine the three techniques in such a short time.
‘I just need to polish it a little and it should be done. Not only the Flawless Throw but also…’
Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at Mark Goetten’s trembling shoulders.
‘He will be completed.’
Mark Goetten’s body and aura were fully activated, as if he’d been fighting on a battlefield for a long time, from fending off the Flawless Throw. There wasn’t a drastic improvement in skills, but he became capable of using all of his abilities, unlike before.
‘And now I can improve his skills.’
Raon smiled faintly and waved his hand at Mark Goetten.
“Sir Mark, let’s get started again.”
“A-again?”
Mark Goetten sank to his knees and his chin started to tremble.
“I-I thought it was over!”
“Of course not, we are only getting started. I still have a lot to polish in this technique. And I think I can improve its speed and power a bit further.”
“I-I believe I won’t be able to take on it anymore.”
He shook his hand, his face pale.
“That’s not true. You are more than capable of doing it. I believe in you.”
Raon raised his fist and shouted, ‘You can do it’, for Mark Goetten.
‘Don’t give up when we are only getting started.’
The next part of the training was the most important part to improve Mark Goetten’s skills. It might be a bit difficult, and his life might be threatened on rare occasions, but that was all going to become his very blood and flesh.
Are you sure about the rare part when it comes to endangering his life?
‘Of course, I’ll be controlling it for that purpose. He will be exactly on the brink of death.’
Raon smiled gently and fired off another round of the improved Flawless Throw. The reddened throwing daggers created a soundless resonance, like a lightning dragon hiding in thunderclouds, as they rushed at Mark Goetten’s forehead.
“Huaaaah!”
Mark Goetten shouted loudly and unleashed his saber strike. Black Hermit Sword shined brighter than any other time, but it couldn’t overcome the Flawless Throw’s colossal power and was swept away like sand in a wave.
Wham!
With the powerful sound of an explosion, Mark Goetten bounced back and slammed into the ground.
“Ack…”
Mark Goetten raised himself while faltering. His limbs were trembling from exhaustion.
‘Perfect.’
Raon smiled while looking at him.
‘He’s definitely gotten better than before.’
The prowess Mark Goetten had displayed was more than his level. It wasn’t too great either, but he’d managed to climb a small stair.
“S-sir Raon, I’m going to die at this rat…”
“We’ll continue without any breaks. Training shouldn’t have any pauses, after all.”
“W-wait!”
“My training doesn’t wait.”
Raon unleashed the Flawless Throw once again. The throwing daggers advanced like a ray of light and bared their sharp fangs towards Mark Goetten’s left chest.
“Ah…”
Mark Goetten clenched his saber with his trembling hands.
‘I-I might really end up dying…’
His instincts as a knight and mercenary were shouting at him, that he was really going to die if he failed to stop them.
He mustered his grip and ignited all of the aura sleeping deep inside his energy center.
“Aaaaah!”
Instead of a shout of concentration, it sounded more like a desperate scream as he unleashed the last special technique of Anarchic Lightning Saber.
Whaaaam!
He murmured as his vision turned as dark as if the night had fallen into the world.
‘I think it was a mistake to come to this place…’
* * *
“Haa…”
Burren exhaled deeply and opened his eyes. His blue eyes of the wind lightened the cultivation room.
“So, this is the Four Cloud Elixir.”
An excited smile appeared on his face as he looked at his hands.
‘Amazing.’
He’d taken lots of different elixirs before as a member of the direct line of Zieghart, but the Four Cloud Elixir was outstanding even among them. On top of increasing the quantity of his aura, even his body was altered during the cultivation.
It was different from the reformation, but he could clearly see that his body became capable of moving even faster and stronger.
‘I should be able to use that in my current state.’
Burren smiled because he had the feeling he would be able to use the Barren Wind Sword’s technique, which he couldn’t use before.
He chuckled while looking up at the ceiling.
“He helped me once again.”
The reason why the Four Clouds Elixir was delivered was because Raon won the Six Kings tournament. It was heartwarming to think that Raon had given away such a precious elixir without hesitation.
‘I need to get stronger in order to repay the favor.’
Raon always thought about the Light Wind squad’s overall growth instead of himself. The only way for the Light Wind squad to return the favor of the elixir was to get stronger even faster.
‘Let’s see. It must’ve been around five days.’
The hand of the clock for checking the date had moved five units away from the beginning.
‘I should go outside now.’
He didn’t manage to completely absorb the Four Clouds Elixir, but it would be more efficient to go outside and start other training since he’d been cultivating long enough.
Burren stood up and shook the dust off his training outfit. His face looked like he was finally returning with a great achievement as he opened the cultivation room door and went outside.
The pitch-black training ground suggested that it was the middle of the night. He guessed that the others were still cultivating since the other rooms were still closed.
“Then where are Raon and Sir Mark…?”
He started looking for the two people who were supposed to be guarding them, and a small sound of explosion could be heard from the center of the training ground.
Whaam!
Along with a powerful shockwave, someone was sent flying into the air before getting slammed on the ground.
“Wh-what?!”
He strained his eyes while wondering what was happening, and he noticed that the training ground was in a strange shape. There were craters all over the place as if someone had bombarded it with magic, and he couldn’t find anywhere that still remained intact.
‘What the hell happened here?’
He figured a war must’ve broken out, but he hadn’t realized it because the cultivation room completely blocked the sound and impact completely.
Rustle!
While Burren was panicking, something started crawling towards him from the location where the source of the cannon-like explosion had hit the ground.
“Gasp!”
He was about to strike with an aura blade because he thought it was a zombie, but he realized he was the Saber of the Fallen Flower, Mark Goetten, who had previously joined them with Raon.
“S-Sir Mark?”
“Sa-save…”
His body was covered in blood, and his pale lips were trembling as he held onto Burren’s ankle.
“Save me!”
“What?”
Burren’s jaw dropped, and he didn’t know how to respond. Raon walked out from the sandy dust. He threw the dagger into the air before catching it with a smile.
“It looks like you were successful.”
Raon pointed at Mark Goetten on the ground and bobbed his hand.
“Sir Mark, the training isn’t over yet. Let’s try one more time. Just one more…”
Burren swallowed nervously as he witnessed that frightening sight.
‘What have you done this time…? What the hell did you even do to turn him into a zombie?!’
