Chapter 348

Raon swallowed nervously. He wanted to avoid doing it because he was afraid Derus would hear the sound of his throat, but it moved on its own because of the extreme tension.

‘Not yet… He hasn't found me yet.’

Derus Robert would’ve been right in front of his eyes if he had managed to find him.

Since he was still floating in the sky, he must not have found him yet.

Correct.

Wrath narrowed his eyes while looking upwards.

He just arrived, and he is solely focused on the collapsed valley. He hasn't managed to find you yet, but he will notice right away if you move around recklessly.

‘Yes.’

Raon nodded with trembling lips.

‘I know.’

Since he’d been swimming horizontally from the lowest part of the dungeon, he was currently in a deep sea.

He was also far away from the shore, and he wouldn’t be found out right away even though it was Derus he was dealing with.

‘This fragrance, it’s been a long time since I last felt it.’

The fragrance of death was tickling his nose. It was the exact same fragrance that he felt in his previous life when Derus had killed him.

However, unlike his previous life when there was no way for him to survive, a path was leading to his survival among all paths that would lead to his death.

Raon raised his head slowly enough to make him feel stiff. He could see a small dot far away in the sky.

‘Derus Robert.’

He would be able to see him more clearly if he focused aura into his eyes, but he would be found out immediately and captured if he did that.

‘I can’t panic now. Absolutely not.’

Even when Merlin had kidnapped him, he could’ve changed the outcome by acting smarter and making them fight more seriously. What he needed was to maintain his composure and think about how to escape.

Raon clenched his fist. His hand had become cold from the tension.

‘I need to figure out the situation for now.’

He wasn’t wielding a blade, but he was pretty much going through a battle of life and death. Figuring out the advantages and the disadvantages was the first step.

‘The advantage I have is the fact that my current location can’t be discovered easily.’

Since he was right above the abyss, he was too far away from the shore and deep inside the sea, and it should’ve been difficult for Derus to find him.

‘And I even made those preparations.’

He dyed his hair and eyes before Derus arrived, he used the Ring of Fire’s resonance to decrease his presence as much as possible, and he used Glacier to make himself similar to the water.

He should’ve been seen as a fish or seaweed since Derus wasn’t aware of that fact.

On the other hand, Derus wasn’t even trying to hide his anger. That was the reason Raon noticed him first.

He did expect Derus to use the dimensional door, but his arrival was a lot faster than anticipated.

The fact that he had become stronger than before must’ve contributed to that outcome, but it was mostly because he didn’t spare any effort.

‘Which means that he’s extremely angry, to the point that he lost his composure.’

He was still focused on the collapsed area around the valley. His vision had narrowed down because of his wrath.

Raon strained his arms to stop them from trembling.

‘I still have a huge problem though…’

He couldn’t move at all unless Derus moved away.

Despite how angry he was, he was still capable of finding him immediately if he made any move. Staying as still as a rock was the only option he had.

‘Moreover…’

His aura perception was the biggest problem.

Derus Robert was a transcender, standing above the Grandmasters. He was one of the Ten Heavens of the Continent, just like Glenn.

If he expanded his aura perception to the entire area instead of focusing on the valley, Raon was bound to be found out no matter how good he was at concealment.

‘I need to last until that comes up…’

He’d made preparations before he destroyed the dungeon since he was aware of the possibility of Derus’s arrival. He had to last somehow until it emerged.

‘It should be coming at any moment…’

I don’t know what preparation you made, but it seems unlikely.

Wrath snorted and pointed below Derus’s feet with his round fingers. Faint energies were spreading around him in spherical shapes.

‘Damn it!’

Raon chewed inside his cheek.

‘He spread his aura perception in all directions!’

His worries had become a reality. The worst situation he imagined was happening. Derus was spreading his aura perception to the entire shore and ocean instead of focusing on the area around the collapsed valley.

‘You damn psychopath!’

He made the decision to analyze the entire area at once instead of focusing on the dungeon despite the urgency of the situation. He was really too abnormal to be called a human.

Raon could guess that he might have been found out immediately if his anger hadn’t narrowed down Derus’s vision.

‘To make it worse, he’s fast.’

His aura perception was spreading abnormally fast since he was a transcender.

The speed wasn’t decreasing at all even though he was probing into the shore, ocean, and even the sky.

‘You monster…’

Raon clenched his chest because his heart was pounding too hard.

‘It won’t make it in time at this rate.’

Even if his preparation emerged right away, Derus was still going to find him. Being captured afterward was just a matter of time.

‘Damn it…’

His aura perception had crossed the valley and was nearing him. His shoulders were shivering because of the blue aura’s intense bloodthirst.

He felt like a cold blade was seeping into his heart as the aura approached. He was getting the impression that cold sweat was flowing down his body despite being underwater.

Do you want the King of Essence to hide you?

Wrath sneered and extended his round hand.

‘Hide me?’

Yes. Considering his level, the King of Essence can save you with his trait.

‘He can save me, huh?’

That was wrong. Raon believed that his own decision was more important than Wrath for his survival.

However, it was true that he needed to buy a small amount of time. He did need Wrath to help him.

‘I’m assuming it won’t be for free.’

You are as quick at accounts as always. He will let you avoid his aura perception for ten points of wrath every ten seconds.

Wrath bobbed his fingers, urging him to decide quickly.

‘Ten points of wrath every ten seconds…’

Wrath said he would hide him instead of making him escape. Raon wasn’t going to be able to escape even if he accepted the deal.

That meant that he was going to take in a tremendous amount of wrath if Derus decided to stay in the sky.

Raon gritted his teeth as he noticed that Derus’s aura was right under his nose.

‘It will be out in about a minute. I leave it to you until then…’

He would get the chance to escape soon enough. He just needed to last somehow until that happened.

‘Haa…’

He closed his eyes and took Wrath’s hand.

Excellent choice!

The moment Wrath’s laughing voice could be heard, Raon’s body and soul melted into the ocean. He felt like he had fused into the ocean.

Whoosh!

It didn’t even take a tenth of a second after Raon accepted Wrath’s hand before Derus’s aura perception brushed past him.

The terrifying sensation felt like a blade was stabbing his spine, but Derus kept expanding his aura perception. He didn’t seem like he had noticed anything.

‘I wasn’t found out…’

Wrath deserved his confidence. His ability really was capable of avoiding Derus’s aura perception.

This ability is called the Snow Flower’s Veil. It would’ve been dangerous if he had been more careful in his search, but he was more focused on speed and range, which made it possible to avoid him.

He snickered while looking at Derus in the sky.

This is the power of Wrath, the monarch of Wrath, and the king of Devildom. You will become the King of Essence’s followers from now on.

Wrath giggled while moving his shoulders up and down in joy.

[Wrath has increased by 10.]

Raon breathed a sigh of relief, and the message appeared in front of him.

He got the wrath as soon as ten seconds had passed. The system was really accurate in matters like that.

He might take over your body at this rate.

‘That’s not going to happen.’

Raon turned Wrath’s chin because he looked too happy, then looked back with a frown.

‘He’s not stopping.’

Derus was expanding his aura perception endlessly. He seemed to be planning to check the entire ocean.

[Wrath has increased by 10.]

Ten more seconds passed.

Derus’s aura perception finally stopped spreading. However, it wasn’t exactly good news for Raon.

‘Huh…’

Raon covered his mouth upon noticing that a deep blue light was spreading from below Derus.

‘You crazy bastard!’

The first aura perception that rapidly expanded was to prevent his target’s movement just in case, and he was using the slower second wave of aura perception to thoroughly examine everything in the ocean.

Hmm…

Wrath licked his lips while watching him.

H-he’s going to find out at this rate.

‘What?’

It’s difficult to unleash the full power in this spiritual state…

He shook his head, saying that he couldn’t do more than that.

‘But you are the demon king! Please do something!’

He’s powerless because you keep sucking out the King of Essence’s abilities!

‘Damn it…’

He wasn’t getting any wrath anymore even though ten more seconds had passed, and that meant that Wrath was also panicking over the situation.

Raon glared at the collapsed valley instead of Wrath. Small particles of dust were rising alongside bubbles.

Raon clenched his fist. The preparation he was waiting for had finally arrived.

Give your body to the King of Essence if you don’t want to die. There’s no one to help you here!

‘No.’

He is going to catch you the moment he finds you!

Raon shook his head and smiled faintly.

‘It will be fine.’

What do you mean…?

‘It’s finally here.’

A huge cloud of dust rose from the collapsed valley right before Derus’s second aura perception reached Raon’s skin.

Whaam!

The cloud of dust burst out like an erupting volcano, and the clear emerald ocean turned into dark, muddy water in an instant.

What the hell…?

Wrath’s jaw dropped as he saw it happen.

‘It’s the same as splashing the water in a puddle.’

What?

‘You know how the water becomes muddy if you splash in a puddle because it makes the mud rise. This is an application of that.’

Moving across a puddle caused the soil under the water to rise and turned the water into muddy water.

Since he’d violently slashed the huge valley with the Flawless Sea of Fire and destroyed it to make it collapse, the mud on the ocean floor rose at once to fill the ocean.

Whoosh!

The cloud of dust intensified, and Derus’s aura perception quickly subsided as he focused on the abyss where the valley had collapsed.

“Damn it!”

Derus shouted from the sky and jumped into the water.

His usually composed and relaxed face was completely distorted.

Raon had never seen such extreme anger from him either in his previous or his new life, and he couldn’t stop his smile even though his life was still in danger.

Huh? What’s going on?!

‘I told you that it would be fine.’

Wrath was so confused. Raon released his hand and slowly breathed.

‘I shouldn’t be hasty.’

Derus could come back up at any moment if he carelessly moved around. He followed Wrath’s example and melted himself into the water as he moved his limbs.

His limbs felt extremely stiff because of the tension, as if he’d turned into a wooden doll. He warmed himself up, starting from his fingers, and carefully started to swim.

‘It still feels like he’s right behind me.’

A chill ran down his spine because he was getting the impression that Derus’s gaze and aura perception were following him. He wanted to look back, but he suppressed his urge and moved as quietly as possible.

Wh-what the…?

Wrath dropped his jaw.

N-no way, did you actually predict that this would happen?

‘I didn’t exactly predict it. I just made the preparations.’

Raon nodded.

‘After all, I didn’t want to be defeated again.’

It was a precaution he took because he was aware of the possibility of Derus’s arrival, even though he would’ve died if it wasn’t for Wrath’s help.

He was wondering why you were destroying it into such tiny pieces, and it was because you were trying to raise the soil from below.

‘Correct.’

He made that preparation just in case, as he had learned his lesson from his defeat against Merlin. He would’ve still died if Wrath didn’t help him to buy some time, though.

Where are you going now?

‘To a place he will definitely not go.’

Raon chuckled and pointed at the east. It was the direction of House Robert, and that was the location where Derus was definitely not going.

You even thought about the escape route in advance on top of using that cloud of dust…

Wrath frowned in surprise.

Your brain would be great research material.

‘Actually, I think the same about you.’

He wanted to check what Wrath even had inside his brain to be talking about food all the time. He had the feeling that his brain might have already been replaced by ice cream.

Ah, and…

‘Hmm?’

Th-the King of Essence was slightly panicked and forgot to give you the thirty extra points of wrath that you should’ve gotten. Let’s do it now…

‘Huh? It doesn’t work like that.’

Raon shook his hand.

‘If you miss a carriage, it’s not coming back.’

Bullshit! You can raise your hand to make it stop…

‘It would trample over your hand. End of the story.’

Raon snickered and shook his hand.

‘Thirty points of wrath should be fine.’

He’d gotten thirty points of wrath total from the trade, and it wasn't a big deal thanks to his recent growth. It was actually going to be helpful because it would make it easier to use the Evil Eye of Wrath.

‘I can finally breathe.’

The dumb conversation he was having with Wrath gave him a sense of relief from escaping Derus’s threat.

He quickly used the Dolin Breathing Technique to expand his withered lungs, and messages appeared in front of his eyes.

[You’ve acquired the trait Snow Flower’s Veil.]

Snow Flower’s Veil was the ability that Wrath had used to hide him from Derus.

Wh-whaat?

Wrath’s jaw dropped as soon as he read the message.

Why are you giving it to him? Why are you giving him Snow Flower’s Veil for no reason?

He shouted while flailing his arms.

‘Ah!’

Raon snapped his fingers.

‘I’ve been maintaining the sensation I had when I grabbed your hand all along. I think that’s why it gave me the trait.’

……

Wrath stood blankly for a while with wide eyes before he raised his hands.

Hey! Raon is right here! Raon Zieghart is here! He’s all yours!

He was shouting loudly enough to shake the ocean, but it was obvious that no one could hear him.

‘I like this one. Thank you for the gift.’

Raon joined a shoal of fish while humming a tune. 

* * * 

Raon stayed underwater and swam all the way to a resort in Robert's domain. Because he changed his clothes before he surfaced and there were lots of tourists around, no one was paying any attention to him.

“Haaaaa…”

He sighed deeply while floating on the water. His bones felt numb, and his skin felt shriveled from escaping the extreme danger.

‘I almost died right there.’

If it weren’t for Wrath’s help and his preparation of grinding the entire dungeon into pieces, he would have been buried six feet under the ocean floor. No, Derus might have caught him and turned him into a slave once again. He felt extremely exhausted once he realized he managed to survive.

You are such a lucky guy…

Wrath was grinding his teeth.

He should’ve asked you to give up your body right off the bat!

He hadn’t done that because he felt bad for Raon after seeing his dream. His hands were trembling from the regret that he should’ve tried taking over his body instead.

Take the thirty points of wrath, at least!

‘Nope, I won’t.’

Raon shook his hand. The case was already closed. He was confident he could deal with the thirty points he got, but sixty could’ve been dangerous. There was no reason for him to take them since he had even obtained the Snow Flower’s Veil.

‘It feels so comfortable.’

He felt drowsy and wanted to sleep because he managed to finish everything he came to do. Just as he was about to close his eyes…

Whaaam!

A huge tidal wave surged up from the eastern ocean, where the dungeon used to be located. It wasn’t a natural wave. Derus was venting his anger from the abyss, and the wave was the result.

“Hahahaha!”

Raon swept his hair up and burst into laughter.

‘I want to see that face once again.’

A deep smile appeared on his face as he remembered Derus’s distorted expression before he went into the abyss.

‘He shouldn’t have found anything there.’

He’d removed all of the corpses except for the assassins who died when the ceiling collapsed. Derus must’ve found nothing but some corpses under the rubble from searching the entire abyss.

You evil bastard, your death won’t be prett—

‘Shall we go eat something?’

Yes!

Wrath immediately stopped cursing and nodded his head.

Raon chuckled and left the shore. He went to a restaurant that Wrath had wanted to visit and sat at a table outside.

“Welcome!”

A young waitress brought the menu with a cheerful smile.

“Our restaurant, the Sea House, has delicious meat dishes on top of seafood…”

Raon opened the menu and the waitress started a long speech.

She says the meat dishes are also good, but since there’s no way you will order a lot of dishes, let’s get the lobster pizza first and the grilled shrimp after that…

Wrath picked the pizza that was first on the menu and licked his lips.

“I’ll order everything on the menu.”

Raon smiled while brushing his hand down the menu.

Ooh?

“E-everything? I thought you were alone.”

“I can eat everything. And I’d also like a glass of beer.”

He gave her a silver coin as a tip after he finished ordering the food.

“Yes!”

The waitress smiled cheerfully and ran into the kitchen.

Wh-what’s wrong with you? Is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow? Why did you order all of the dishes?!

Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘I told you I would buy everything you wanted.’

Wrath’s words from the dungeon still remained in his heart. Just like Sylvia had often told him, repaying gratitude was the correct course of action.

“I brought beer first. The dishes should be coming one by one in a moment.”

The waitress placed the beer glass on the table and nodded her head before going back to the kitchen.

Beer? Are you really drinking in broad daylight?

‘I feel like drinking today.’

The violent explosion of the waves far in the ocean sounded like the resonance of Derus’s angry roar.

Raon raised his beer glass towards the violent wave.

‘I’ve completed one piece of revenge. Rest in peace, my nameless friend.

Raon gulped down the beer while praying for the repose of Number 9’s soul.

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]