Chapter 190

Glenn stopped upon reaching the open area of the annex building. His eyes were unusually shallow as he slowly looked around.

‘Hmm…’

Raon silently watched him while standing behind him.

‘What is he trying to do?’

He couldn’t understand why he was trying to reward him at such a late hour. Even though he was capable of analyzing most people’s mindsets, Glenn was completely unpredictable.

How strange.

Wrath narrowed his eyes, watching Glenn’s back.

‘What is?’

I think that old man has become even stronger than before.

‘Even stronger than before?’

Yes. I’m sure he raised his proficiency. He is such an arrogant old man, becoming even stronger in his state despite being a human.

He twisted his lips in displeasure.

‘Huh…’

Raon gasped.

‘How could that happen?’

He hadn’t heard anything about Glenn fighting anyone or training recently. He couldn’t believe that he became even stronger despite not having done anything.

Once you reach the level of the King of Essence or that old man, training becomes meaningless. Instead, this is the important part.

Wrath pointed at the left side of his chest with his finger.

‘Willpower?’

It’s not willpower. It is the will itself. It’s the mind.

‘Mind?’

You have to polish your mind rather than your martial arts. You have to forge your own way instead of following a road that someone else has created before you.

‘Does the same go for you?’

Of course. The King of Essence also walked his own path instead of following other people’s paths once he became powerful enough. Back in Devildom, the King of Essence…

Wrath told him about how he got stronger, bragging about himself.

‘So, that’s why.’

Raon nodded. Derus Robert also kept getting stronger despite not having any special training. He thought it was simply because he was talented, but that wasn’t the case.

He must’ve been continuously polishing his mind as well.

‘It’s difficult.’

Opening a new path by polishing the will and mind wasn’t something he could look into, as he wasn’t even a Master yet. However, he had a feeling that he could reach a higher place even faster if he began training that way.

It’s not impossible.

Wrath nodded.

However, it’s much less efficient and mediocre for you to try right now. It will be too difficult while not bearing much result.

‘That’s fine.’

He had continuously walked a difficult and unmanageable path in his previous life. He was confident he could endure it.

Just as he decided that he would also aim for the growth of his mind, Glenn turned around. His thoughtful eyes returned to being even more cold-hearted than usual.

“How much have you learned of the Supreme Harmony Steps that I taught you before?”

Glenn took a step forward and raised his chin slightly. His tall stature and cold gaze put pressure on Raon’s shoulders.

“Just the first step.”

Raon bit his lip and responded. It was embarrassing, but he couldn’t remember anything except for the first step.

“Pathetic.”

Glenn frowned. Coldness spread out in the open area, making it feel like the temperature had dropped.

“It’s true that the first step of the Supreme Harmony Steps is an excellent move and important for the technique, but you won’t be able to progress any further if you are satisfied with that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s better this way.”

“Sorry?”

“Instead of teaching you a new martial art, I should just teach you the Supreme Harmony Steps. Since your laziness is the reason you need to learn it, you shouldn’t blame me for this.”

He shook his hand, telling him that it was because of his own laziness that he couldn’t get a better technique.

“Alright.”

Raon nodded. He wasn’t sure what else he could’ve obtained, but he initially wanted footwork anyway. Supreme Harmony Steps was more than good enough for him.

Whir!

He used the Ring of Fire to the extreme. Since he was now stronger than before and the Ring of Fire was also at a higher level, he was looking forward to understanding more from the demonstration.

“I’m starting now.”

Glenn loosened his coat slightly and extended his left foot. Just like the last time, a single step looked like it could reach anywhere as it seeped into the land of night. It felt like he was in the open area and on the moon in the sky at the same time.

The second step was quick. Even though Raon was using the Ring of Fire to the best of his ability, he had difficulties following it with his eyes, which were used to Frost Pond. It was so fast that it looked like Glenn was standing still.

The third step was flashy. Glenn’s body multiplied into ten in an instant with a light similar to a cluster of stars, then fused back into one. The mysterious step seemed to incorporate illusions.

The fourth step was heavy and slow. It felt like he had the open area, or rather the entire Zieghart domain, under his feet as he dominated the space through his step.

Glenn took five more steps after that. The world changed alongside him each time he moved.

“Ah…”

Raon trembled, his mouth slightly open. He was excited. It felt like the energy of the entire universe was surrounding Glenn.

‘What I saw last time wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.’

He managed to realize it thanks to becoming stronger and increasing the Ring of Fire’s proficiency. The Supreme Harmony Steps that Glenn showed him last time in the audience chamber wasn’t even a tenth of what he did just then. It was truly a great martial art—calling it heavenly wasn’t enough.

“Did you see it?”

Glenn stopped after demonstrating the Supreme Harmony Steps twice in a row. Although he just used a technique that felt surreal, not a single strand of his hair was out of place.

“I saw it.”

Raon nodded. Learning it was a different story, but he managed to see all the Supreme Harmony Steps that Glenn showed him.

“That’s a nice answer, at least.”

Glenn laughed coldly, then dusted off his coat.

“Try doing it yourself.”

“Alright.”

Raon extended his left foot, catching his breath.

‘I don’t need to show everything.’

Since it wasn’t a lower grade or an intermediate martial art, it was impossible to copy an advanced technique after seeing it only twice. Because Glenn shouldn’t be expecting that either, Raon only needed to show what he felt, just like last time.

Thud!

He sharply pierced into the moonlight as he advanced with the first step. The moment he engraved the will that he could do anything in his heart, his body cooperated with the land to complete the first step, the one that could reach anywhere.

He then took the second step. He incorporated the breathing technique of extreme quickness that he obtained when he practiced with Frost Pond. His vision narrowed in an instant, and his dashing body felt like it became a blade.

The third was about change and illusion. He moved his body by using the principles of the Flame Spirit he learned in the cave. He could feel his body spreading out like an illusion, just like the red flower petals decorating the space.

The fourth was about weight. Raon used as much aura as he could to stomp the ground. His pressure, spreading over his shoulders, became a heavy wave that began to dominate the space while overwhelming the cold air.

Kring!

He rotated the rings of fire to a point where his heart felt numb and reproduced the Supreme Harmony Step that Glenn had demonstrated. The power and speed were incomparable, but the direction was similar at least.

“Huff! Huff!”

Once Raon stopped his steps, he breathed heavily and perspired profusely. Although he only repeated it once, the tiredness of his body and mind felt like he had trained for the entire day.

“Pathetic.”

Glenn wrinkled his nose while looking down on Raon, who was panting while grabbing his knees.

“It’s not just the posture, but I can see that the direction is slightly awry at times. Since this is the last time, try doing your best.”

Glenn shook his hand as if he were annoyed, before showing the Supreme Harmony Steps once more and telling him the principles.

“Thank you.”

Raon bowed after perfectly memorizing the postures and the principles.

“A footwork can’t be completed by just following the footsteps on the ground. A footwork can only be called complete if you can adjust and apply it depending on the situation.”

“I see.”

Raon nodded. Just like he said, the important part of footwork was deciding which one to use in a situation.

“You don’t need to be impatient because you can’t easily break through the Master’s wall. You just need to keep training your body and mind like you’ve always done, and you will find one day that the wall has already collapsed.”

He turned around after giving Raon some advice to become a Master on top of the footwork.

“Erm…”

Raon approached Glenn from behind as he was about to leave.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

The way he visited him late at night to teach him the Supreme Harmony Steps and gave him advice to become a Master could by no means be called ordinary.

“Kind?”

Glenn turned his head.

“Despite my lacking skills, I still can tell that Supreme Harmony Steps is the greatest footwork in existence. Since you taught me something like this and even gave me advice to become a Master…”

“Hah. You are free to misunderstand, but you are too ignorant.”

Glenn must’ve been laughing at him, as his lips were slightly curled up.

“Normally, when there’s a newly appointed squad leader or vice-squad leader, I personally teach them an appropriate technique and give them advice. Since you didn’t have that opportunity yet and couldn’t receive a book from the library, I decided to give you all of it at once.”

“Ah…”

“Moreover, you aren’t the only one that will benefit from becoming a Master. The achievement of the youngest Master being born in Zieghart will give us an opportunity to crush the other Six Kings and Five Demons. I only did that because it was natural to do so. Since it wasn’t because I particularly like you, you should stop misunderstanding that I’m being kind to you.”

“I apologize.”

Raon shook his head. He thought there was another reason that Glenn visited him late at night and taught him the technique, but he must’ve been mistaken. He only cared about the house and fairness, just like before.

Glenn turned around once again. He looked like he would leave right away, but he turned his head instead.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes.”

“You said you raked in all the money from casinos in order to find a member of thieves’ guild. Who taught you how to gamble?”

“Erm…”

Raon swallowed nervously. Glenn was well aware of the fact that he couldn’t possibly have gambled, as he had been living in the annex building. Since he couldn’t tell him about his previous life, there was only one name that he could give as an excuse.

“I-I learned it from the Light Wind Squad leader.”

“Rimmer. I knew it would be him.”

Glenn nodded. The open area was filled with the chilly atmosphere of the northern ocean’s tidal wave in an instant.

“I’ve created the Supreme Harmony Steps to match me. You should learn my Supreme Harmony Steps, then make it your own to complete it.”

After staring at Raon for a moment, Glenn disappeared from sight, like scattering snowflakes.

“My own Supreme Harmony Steps…”

Raon exhaled lightly, looking at the spot where Glenn had disappeared. His advice seemed to align with what Wrath told him earlier.

Since it’s over now, go to sleep already. The King of Essence is tired.

‘Wait a moment.’

He shook his head, looking at Glenn’s footprints on the ground. Since those traces were pretty much a special opportunity for him, sleeping wasn’t an option.

Raon rotated the Ring of Fire and used the Supreme Harmony Steps, following Glenn’s footprints on the ground.

Because the tension left him, he failed his first attempt. However, he regained his posture and kept repeating it until he succeeded.

The first step that he thought he had gotten used to was also completely different from Glenn’s, so he figured he should start it over and repeated it over and over.

With his body practicing the footwork and his brain imagining Glenn’s movements, the whole world turned white, and he felt like the only thing that existed in the world were the footprints and himself.

Raon didn’t realize that messages had appeared in front of his eyes as he kept practicing the Supreme Harmony Steps, looking at the footprints.

[You are entering an extremely focused state.]

[The Supreme Harmony Steps’ acquisition is accelerated.]

* * * 

Inside the pure white space, without a single speck of dust, multiple bloody red pillars were lined up. There was a high platform at the deepest part, and the inside couldn’t be seen because of a red curtain.

“Kuh!”

The seventh apostle’s murderous moan could be heard from the center of the strange place, which almost looked like a temple.

“It hurts… It hurts too much…”

The seventh apostle screamed, caressing his chest, arm, and thigh that the Blade of Requiem had cut through. Gray blood smeared his white clothes.

“The pain isn’t going away! The injuries aren’t fading even though I used bloody techniques!”

He grit his teeth while tearing out his own flesh. Although he kept using the White Spirit Aura, the excruciating pain continued instead of his injury healing.

“The master is coming soon. Shut your mouth.”

The tenth apostle, who was leaning his back against a pillar while watching him, narrowed his eyes.

“Huff!”

Overwhelmed by his pressure, the seventh apostle shut his mouth and shrunk his shoulders. However, his body kept trembling in pain.

Swish.

Along with the clear sound of blowing wind, the curved shadow of a woman’s body appeared from behind the curtain.

“Greeting the master.”

“G-Greeting the master.”

The tenth apostle knelt, and the seventh apostle also bowed while enduring the pain. There was only one person the apostles would call their master and kneel for. She was the master of the White Blood Religion, the religious leader of the White Blood.

“You may rise.”

A hand lightly waved at them from inside the curtain, and the tenth and seventh apostles raised their heads at the same time.

Unlike the other transcenders, the White Blood’s religious leader didn’t have a powerful pressure. Her faint pressure almost felt like it didn’t exist, but the mysterious and elegant atmosphere around her was incomparable to anyone else.

“So, were you defeated by a Zieghart boy?”

The sweet voice resounding from the other side of the curtain felt like it could melt the soul.

“I-I wasn’t defeated!”

“Come this way.”

“Ah, yes…”

The seventh apostle wasn’t able to stand up, so he pretty much crawled towards the platform.

“Hmm.”

The White Blood Religion’s leader examined the seventh apostle’s injury with passionate eyes. Each time her gaze was directed at the seventh apostle, his whole body trembled.

“It’s ghastly energy. And this ghastly energy has resentment against the White Blood.”

She stretched her long finger over the curtain, and yellow blood came out from the seventh apostle’s injury to float in the air.

“Th-The pain…”

The seventh apostle’s eyes widened. He felt like thousands of ants were biting him just a moment before, yet it was gone in an instant. That yellow blood must’ve contained an extreme amount of malice.

“Th-Thank you, Master!”

The White Blood Religion’s leader nodded slightly before tilting her head.

“Who defeated you again?”

“I-I was really just careless! If I meet him again, I’ll bite off his neck…”

“Is it even possible for a Master to lose against an Expert because of carelessness?”

“That’s…”

“I guess I made a mistake in raising you.”

“Kuah…”

The red curtain was lifted slightly, and beautifully shining black eyes could be seen. Although the seventh apostle could only see her eyes, he grasped his neck as if he couldn’t breathe and the tenth apostle bit his lips.

“You lost all of the sacrifices, and the rumor spread about Zieghart’s young one defeating an apostle. I had some expectations of you, but it’s a shame. This is as far as you go.”

The amount of pressure coming from the religious leader was less than rock bottom. However, it soared in an instant to reach the sky. The entire place trembled as if it would collapse, despite being built sturdily.

“I-I’ll take care of him.”

The seventh apostle mustered all his strength to open his mouth.

“I’ll kill him and erase everyone that spread the rumor from the earth. P-Please give me one more chance!”

He slammed his head on the ground so hard that he could have started bleeding.

“I’ll make the entire world fear the White Blood Religion! Please, give me a chance…”

“Someone like you cannot create fear towards the White Blood Religion.”

“Kuh!”

Cold sparks appeared from the religious leader’s eyes, and veins popped all over the seventh apostle’s face, 

“However, it would be too harsh to kill you because of a single failure.”

“Ugh…”

The seventh apostle realized she really did intend to kill him, and his face turned pale.

“Take this with you.”

The religious leader snapped her fingers, and a small glass bottle came flying towards him from the other side of the curtain. It contained liquid, as transparent as water.

“A-Am I really getting this precious…”

“This is your last chance.”

The line of the religious leader’s jaw twisted up from the other side of the curtain.

“Since I’ll squeeze out even more blood from your body if you fail again.”

“Th-That’s never going to happen!”

The seventh apostle swallowed nervously, then bowed.

“You can go.”

“Yes!”

“He slammed his head on the ground before disappearing from that place.

“How was he?”

The religious leader’s gaze was now directed at the tenth apostle, who was kneeling on the right.

“His huge potential is worthy of admiration. He even declared war against me when he seemed about to collapse at any moment.”

The tenth apostle immediately answered, since he realized the religious leader was asking about Raon instead of the seventh apostle.

“To that extent?”

“His weapon is also threatening. He might become a huge hindrance to the cult if we leave him alone.”

“Hmm…”

The religious leader groaned slightly and caressed her own lips.

“Was his name Raon Zieghart?”

“Yes.”

“If the seventh loses again next time, you shall bring him here.”

“Bring him here alive?”

“Of course, since I’m going to make him my disciple.”

“......”

“Why? Does that remind you of your past?”

“It was nothing.”

The religious leader smiled, and the tenth apostle shook his head.

“Huhu, don’t you think it would be interesting if Zieghart’s greatest talent joined the White Blood Religion?”

Her excited laughter seeped into the white space.

“I’m already curious how that old man will look.”

* * *

The Heavenly Blade division leader was watching the open area of the annex building from the North Grave Mountain.

Although Glenn had already left, Raon was still practicing the Supreme Harmony Steps in the same location.

“Why did you follow me all the way here?”

The Heavenly Blade leader turned around towards the voice coming from behind her. Glenn was looking at her with his usual gaze, his hands behind his back.

“My mission is to follow the head of house unless I’m assigned to another mission.”

The Heavenly Blade leader lowered her chin slightly and answered.

“I think it was too much.”

The Heavenly Blade leader closed her eyes.

“Too much?”

“I’m not saying that it was excessive to give him the Supreme Harmony Steps. What I mean is that the Supreme Harmony Steps are too much for the current Light Wind’s vice-squad leader to handle.”

What Raon received was an opportunity, but it was a poisonous one. It was as clear as day that he would only end up wasting time, no matter how much of a genius he was.

“I see.”

Glenn nodded, neither refuting nor agreeing with her. He watched Raon for a while before turning around.

“You should watch him until he returns to the annex building.”

“What about my lord…?”

“I need to teach someone a lesson.”

“Ah…”

She didn’t need him to tell her who he was going to teach a lesson, since she could already tell. It must’ve been the crazy bastard that taught gambling to that excellent gemstone.

“Understood.”

The Heavenly Blade leader nodded, and Glenn melted into the shadow and disappeared.

Although no one was watching her, the Heavenly Blade leader kept watching Raon with a straight posture. Since it was a mission Glenn personally gave her, she prepared herself to react to any situation.

‘It shouldn’t take long.’

Judging from the way Raon was using his footwork, he kept failing and there was no sign of progress. Since there was no way he would continue that boring practice when he didn’t even have a clue, she guessed that Raon would give up soon enough and leave.

However, despite her expectations, he didn’t leave the open area after a few hours had passed. He kept practicing his footwork until sunrise, collapsing in exhaustion and falling down from failure.

Thud.

Raon’s feet stopped when the rising sun started to shine upon the open area.

‘Is it over?’

His tenacity was pretty good, at least.

She admired Raon’s tenacity, since he kept practicing footwork for over eight hours without resting at all, even though all he did was fail.

However, despite her expectations, Raon lowered his posture once again instead of returning to the annex building.

‘How admirable. But it still won’t work, since it’s impossibl…huh?’

The Heavenly Blade leader’s eyes widened upon witnessing Raon advancing through the golden light of daybreak.

‘Th-That guy! What the hell?!’

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]