Chapter 86

Raon held his breath.

‘What an opportunity.’

Receiving instruction from the strongest warrior in the continent was the best opportunity he could get, incomparable to a mere tablet.

It was such a big deal that it could bring the entire house Zieghart in an uproar.

Whir!

Raon resonated the Ring of Fire, clearing his bewildered mind.

“You look like you are ready. I’m starting, then.”

Glenn’s feet separated the faint moonlight covering the floor.

His relaxed movement made him look like he was on a stroll, but his flow was unpredictable.

He flared up from the left like a red flame, then flowed down to the right like water. Raon was unable to breathe, watching the mysterious flow his feet were creating.

Glenn’s footwork was extremely difficult to understand. It was fast yet slow, soft yet hard at the same time.

‘I still need to watch until the end.’

Giving up because it was too difficult was out of the question since learning just one tenth of Glenn’s teachings was already more than worth it.

Raon watched him without even blinking once until he stopped moving his feet.

The entrancing moment felt like an instant, and Glenn stood in front of Raon. Despite having just demonstrated a boundless footwork, his breathing remained relaxed and he didn’t seem unsettled in the slightest.

“Did you see it?”

The red eyes, as sharp as a beast's, were asking him whether he had seen it properly—how much he had understood.

“…Please excuse me. I didn’t manage to see it.”

Raon bit his lip and lowered his head. The footwork was on a completely different level, one that couldn’t be understood with only four rings of fire.

“……”

It seemed Glenn was expecting that to happen, as he didn’t show any reaction. He just looked down on him with emotionless eyes.

“Show me how much you understood.”

He pointed at the floor and stepped back. It looked like he wanted him to repeat the footwork.

‘He will be disappointed.’

He saw many flows, and felt the depth of the martial art. However, there was only a very small portion he was able to replicate in his current state. He felt like he could already feel the coldness of Glenn’s gaze.

‘Then…’

Raon bit his lip slightly. He decided to repeat the one form that left the strongest impression, rather than awkwardly trying to replicate multiple movements.

‘That’s.’

The first step.

The unusual posture, with right foot at the front and left foot at the back, was the start of the first step.

Raon decided to replicate the first step that separated the moonlight and pierced through space. 

“Haa…”

Raon extended his left foot to the back and right foot to the front. His feet were shoulder-width apart. It was exactly the same posture as Glenn’s, since Raon had observed it using the Ring of Fire.

‘The step incorporated everything.’

It was fast, slow, strong, smooth, and ever-changing at the same time. It was a step that could bring him anywhere.

He raised his left foot.

Putting together what he’d felt from Glenn’s demonstration and the principle of the martial arts he'd learned so far, he extended it to the front.

Stomp!

The golden moonlight covering the floor was distorted into a triangle, and an intense vibration traveled throughout the audience chamber.

The step was extremely weak compared to Glenn’s, but the flow was almost identical.

It was the first step that could move in any direction, and in any way he wanted.

“……”

“Huh!”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, and Roenn’s jaw dropped.

“Haa…”

Raon exhaled and closed his eyes. He was feeling dizzy, despite having only taken a single step. He must’ve been too focused and nervous.

“Is it over after that single step?”

Glenn turned around, looking at Raon’s extended left foot.

“Yes.”

Raon answered briefly and opened his eyes.

“Didn’t you see more than that?”

“It’s because I can’t even repeat one tenth of it, let alone replicate it.”

“How come you can’t repeat it?”

“My lord’s footwork contained too many things, like a martial god’s steps. It’s impossible for my unskilled self to understand it completely.”

“Does that mean the first step was the easiest?”

Glenn’s voice grew as cold as the severe winter’s wind.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Raon continued while looking at his extended left foot.

“From what I saw, the first step was the most important and the most impressive. I thought I should repeat the first step, since it was more impressive than any other footwork you showed me afterwards.”

“Why do you think the first step is the most important one?”

“Because the step can move in any direction, at any time, and in any way one desires. It was as shocking as watching the steps of an omnipotent existence, and the step is still stuck in my head.”

Since it was impossible to lie to Glenn about martial arts, Raon answered honestly about what he saw and felt.

“Hmm.”

Glenn slightly nodded and spread his legs. His expression remained the same, but it felt like the atmosphere had become softer.

“You have good instincts.”

He took the same posture as the beginning, extending his left foot to the back and right foot to the front.

“The footstep I showed you is called the Supreme Harmony Steps. Since you realized the first step, Heavenly Advance, is the most important… You are halfway there.”

Glenn took another step with an emotionless voice. Raon’s hair stood on end upon seeing the step that could bring him anywhere in the world.

Whir!

His energy center vibrated, gathering his aura that controlled his body while dashing through his mana circuit.

Stomp!

Before he had even realized it, Raon replicated the Supreme Harmony Steps’ Heavenly Advance, exactly as Glenn had shown him.

“It’s better than before.”

Glenn nodded with an expressionless face, then turned around. He went up on the platform and nestled down into the throne.

“That’s it for the reward.”

“With that single step?”

“I have shown you more than that, but you only managed to take one.”

He closed his eyes. He appeared to be saying that he had nothing more to tell.

“…Understood. Thank you.”

Raon licked his lips and nodded. It wasn’t a big harvest but learning about the existence of such footsteps was an enlightenment in itself.

“You can have this.”

Glenn threw something from his hand, and Raon caught the red gem falling in front of his chest.

“Ah.”

It was the goblin king’s magic stone that he had given to Glenn earlier.

“Objects should belong to their rightful owner. Since it’s an item you acquired, you should take it.”

He dusted off his hands, showing he had no regret, then closed his eyes again.

“You can put it in here.”

Roenn gave him a black fabric. It was the fabric with the ability to block the magic stone’s energy.

“Thank you.”

Raon wrapped the fabric around the goblin king’s magic stone and put it in his chest pocket.

‘I didn’t expect him to return this…’

He thought he would study it, or break it, or put it in a warehouse. He didn’t expect him to return it.

Glenn’s every single action was different from his expectation.

“You shall return now.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Raon stepped back. As he was about to open the audience chamber’s room, he felt like he should do something before leaving since he had received a lot.

“Err…”

“What is it?”

“St-stay healthy.”

Since he had no idea what he should be telling him, he offered the most common greeting for an elder and bowed.

“……”

Glenn frowned without saying anything and Roenn covered his mouth with trembling hands.

“…I’ll leave now.”

He licked his lips and left the audience chamber. It looked like he shouldn’t have said that.

Stay healthy! You really looked like a fool right there!

‘Ugh…’

He didn’t know what to tell him since he had never sincerely thanked an elder.

“Phew.”

As he walked down the corridor while sighing, a new message appeared in front of his eyes.

[Ring of Fire observed the perfected Supreme Harmony Steps.]

[Acquisition of Supreme Harmony Steps has accelerated.] 

* * * 

The audience chamber was still filled with moonlight after Raon left.

Roenn, who was looking at the moonlight covering the floor, raised his head.

“I didn’t think my lord would hand over the Supreme Harmony Steps.”

He thought he would give a special reward because of how much he cherished Raon, but he had never imagined he would give the Supreme Harmony Steps.

‘Because the Supreme Harmony Steps was created by none other than himself.’

The Supreme Harmony Steps was the first footwork he had created after breaking through the demonic wall.

It was a technique that was worth more than a golden tablet, one that he hadn’t even taught his sons. Considering the fact that he gave such a technique to Raon, his affection for Raon was beyond his expectations.

“Did you see it?”

Glenn slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were reflecting a sugary light, unlike a moment ago when it was simply cold.

“He repeated the Heavenly Advance after watching it only twice.”

“Pardon?”

“Raon. He took half of the Supreme Harmony Steps after only watching it two times. Isn’t he amazing?”

It wasn’t just his eyes. His voice was also higher than usual, and the corners of his mouth were clearly raised.

“Huh…”

Roenn’s jaw dropped. He’d been living as Glenn’s shadow for decades, yet it was his first time seeing him being so happy since his first son’s birth.

“He didn’t kill the Green War Demon and hold his ground against the Blood Raving Demon by sheer luck. He has sharp eyes, and the way he controls his body and aura is rather extraordinary.”

“That’s true.”

The fact that Raon managed to grasp the core of the Supreme Harmony Steps in such a short time was really astonishing.

“But it’s something else that impressed me the most.”

The smile on Glenn’s mouth became even more clear.

“His judgment, right? It was really amazing how a fifteen-year-old managed to understand what was important and what could be thrown away. I also wanted to try teaching him if I get an opportunity.”

“I’m not just talking about what happened today.”

“Then…”

“The fact that he stood against the Blood Raving Demon on his own in order to save everyone.”

Glenn continued while looking at the carpet where Raon’s footstep still remained.

“Raon has good instincts. He must’ve realized he could never win against the Blood Raving Demon the moment he saw him.”

“That seems likely.”

“Yet he stopped him until the very end. He didn’t withdraw, buying time for the villagers and trainees to escape with his body broken from saving the village chief.”

The Blood Raving Demon would’ve turned the villagers and the trainees into a pool of blood if Raon hadn’t held his ground.

There weren’t many people who could sacrifice themselves for the sake of others. The number of fifteen-year-old children capable of such a thing in the entire continent could be counted on a person’s fingers…

A smile appeared on Glenn’s face as he rejoiced at the fact that such a great boy was his grandson.

“I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time.”

Roenn smiled.

“Khhm. I’m not really happy.”

Glenn immediately lowered the corners of his lips. They were so low that he looked older than usual.

“Sir Raden managed to destroy the White Blood Religion’s branch, and Sir Raon eliminated the Green War Demon. We are getting a series of great news.”

“Well, it’s not that great and special.”

Glenn’s corners of lips raised slightly once again upon hearing compliments about his grandsons.

“Heh.”

Roenn murmured ‘is that so?’ and nodded. His mouth was still smiling happily.

“By the way, my lord couldn’t hold back his smile when young master Raon told you to stay healthy earlier. If you want to pretend to be cold-blooded, you should…”

“I’m not pretending!”

It was rare for Glenn to shout, but the smile didn’t disappear from Roenn’s face.

***

“What’s this?”

Upon returning to the annex building, Raon pointed at the message he saw earlier.

Whoosh.

Wrath, who was clinging to the bracelet like a parrot, surged up into the air.

“It’s a learning assistance.”

“Learning?”

It’s one of the system’s aspects the King of Essence created back in Devildom in order to learn the techniques of powerful or peculiar existences. Among the arrogant ones that picked a fight with the King of the Essence…

“In short, it’s increasing my learning ability.”

Stop cutting me off!

“Anyway, was I right?”

Haa, pretty much.

“How do I use it?”

Do you think I’m going to tell you? If you take my wrath…

“I don’t need it, it’s pretty obvious.”

Raon snickered and wagged his finger.

“It’s making it easier to learn the ‘Supreme Harmony Steps’. It’s not even a secret.”

What arrogance!

Wrath barked in irritation.

“I shall start immediately.”

Raon silently opened the window and went back outside.

Just do it tomorrow after sunrise. I’m too lazy to follow you outside.

‘But there might be a time limit.’

There’s no way such a thing…

‘It looks like I’m right, judging from the way you’re talking.’

H-how could you tell?

‘Because your reaction was strange.’

Wrath would’ve started boiling in anger, but he was only acting irritated. That was why Raon realized he was hiding something.

“I told you already, you are in the palm of my hand.”

Stop your arrogance! The King of Essence is a monarch of Devildom, who surpasses a mere human’s estimations…

Wrath glared while spreading a frightening amount of coldness around him.

‘Yes, I’m talking about that.’

Raon pointed at Wrath’s coldness as it was expanding into the air.

‘I wouldn’t have noticed anything strange if you acted like that from the beginning. You are really easy to deal with.’

Raon pushed Wrath away using the flame from the Ring of Fire on his right hand.

Damn it! You are the worst creature that the King of Essence has ever met!

‘I guess being the worst for a demon king is a compliment, right?’

Keuh! I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you no matter wh…

‘Okay, do that later.’

Raon went to the training ground while listening to Wrath’s cursing scream.

***

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]