Chapter 708

"Why are you here, Sword Demon Rector?"

Glenn’s voice sank low, viscous like tar rising from the abyss. The fury surging from his soul swept across the surroundings in a fierce wave of energy.

"Are you involved in this as well?"

He raised Heavenly Tremor, ready to strike down Rector if he had even the slightest part in the attack on Raon.

"Glenn Zieghart."

Rector didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on the red dagger in Glenn’s hand.

"Why do you have the Blade of Requiem?"

He didn’t retreat, his presence bone-dry, as if even the blood had been scorched away.

Ruuuumble!

Their transcendent auras collided, the air itself cracking as if it had been cleaved by swords.

“M-my lord! Stop!”

Rimmer grit his teeth and stepped forward, raising a trembling hand into the tension between the two forces.

"The Sword Demon is not an enemy!"

"Th-that's right! He actually saved us!"

"There's no need to fight!"

Burren and Martha joined him, frantically shaking their heads.

"He saved you?"

Glenn narrowed his eyes, still pointing Heavenly Tremor at Rector.

"Yes. The vice union leader of the South-North Union attacked us, but the Sword Demon blocked him, allowing us to escape safely."

Burren swallowed hard and explained how Rector had stopped Helgurum.

"Hmm..."

Glenn bit his lip, then lowered Heavenly Tremor.

"I think I deserve to know what happened."

Rector clenched his fist as his gaze lingered on the Blade of Requiem in Glenn’s hand.

"We were attacked by Eden and the South-North Union."

Burren turned toward Rector and explained what had transpired.

"When we were about to move Raon to the pirate ship, we were ambushed by the Evil Goat Demon—he used an artifact to appear—and then a man named Beorn from the South-North Union…"

"...We started searching immediately after the astral sphere exploded, but we haven’t found him yet."

"Ah…"

Rector’s icy face hardened. His usually composed eyes quivered like waves in a storm.

"He must have been swept away, but he’s definitely alive! He wouldn’t die in a place like this!"

"Yes."

Martha declared it firmly, clenching her fist. Runaan nodded beside her, silent but resolute.

"Ugh."

Rector clenched his jaw and scanned the river with sharp, desperate eyes.

"……."

Glenn furrowed his brow at Rector’s contorted expression, as if he were holding back tears.

‘What is that look?’

As Glenn tried to make sense of Rector’s intense emotions—

Chiiing!

Rector vanished like smoke—then reappeared in front of Glenn, swinging his sword.

It was a killing blow aimed directly at Glenn’s neck.

Clang!

Glenn raised Heavenly Tremor to block it. The force behind the strike was cold and overwhelming.

"Glenn Zieghart."

Rector ground his teeth, his sword blazing with a colorless flame.

"You couldn’t even protect your own grandson—what the hell are you doing!"

He trembled with raw emotion.

"If you were going to abandon him, you should’ve done it properly! If you were going to embrace him, do it wholeheartedly! What were you thinking, doing neither!"

Genuine rage surged from Rector as he pushed Glenn back.

"My lord!"

"What are you doing!"

Sheryl and Roenn rushed forward, eyes wide, but Glenn raised his hand to stop them.

"…"

Glenn gripped the Blade of Requiem tighter, staring at Rector’s furious face.

‘What is his relationship with Raon…?’

Rector’s sword carried sorrow, anger, and deep regret—it was like looking at his own reflection.

"Who are you?"

It wasn’t about his name. Glenn wanted to know his true relationship to Raon.

"The Holy Sword Alliance and the Black Tower did not act in this matter."

Rector slashed down viciously, forcing Glenn back toward the riverbank.

"With Ogram’s defeat, the Five Demons are no different from the Six Kings who just guard their thrones! And yet, in that moment—you failed to protect Raon!"

He bit his lip, looking again at the broken Blade of Requiem.

"If Raon is truly dead, I will kill the South-North Union, the Shadows, and you as well."

With those final words, Rector stormed away down the river.

"Master!"

Mustan and the Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen, dumbfounded, scrambled to move the warship after Rector.

"My lord."

"Are you alright?"

Sheryl and Roenn approached, concern written on their faces.

"It’s nothing."

Glenn shook his head. In fact, crossing swords with Rector had helped clear his mind.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't let my guard down…"

Rimmer approached and knelt, fists trembling with guilt.

"……"

Glenn wordlessly placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew Rimmer must have suffered the most shock.

"Heavenly Blade division, Light Wind division, and Warring Steel division will continue the search here."

"Understood."

"We’ll definitely find him."

Sheryl and Trevin nodded solemnly.

"Hey, mister."

Chamber walked over and motioned to Glenn.

"What’s the relationship between Raon and the Sword Demon? It seemed like he was his actual grandfather or something?"

She tilted her head, clearly having overheard despite the heavy aura.

"I don’t know. So…"

Glenn turned toward where Rector had vanished.

"I need to find out more about that side as well."

* * *

Boom!

The space split by Aris’s blade twisted like magnetic poles flipping.

White Blood fanatics caught within it were cleaved in half, their grayish blood spraying outward.

"Tsk."

Aris clicked her tongue, panting as she held her sword.

‘He escaped.’

Though she had slain the fanatics and assassins, the First Apostle had fled, injured. She wanted to chase, but something more urgent called to her.

"Illiune, take care of the rest."

Without waiting for a reply from the foreign minister, she rushed toward the annex building.

Even though exhaustion from her Sword Field Creation pulled at her limbs, she pushed on.

BOOM!

A massive explosion echoed from the garden behind the annex.

The ground twisted as if collapsing, gray smoke rising into the air.

"That…"

Aris’ eyes widened. She swung her sword, and the gust cleared the smoke.

The garden appeared.

The ground had been carved into the shape of a giant sword. At its edges lay the mangled remains of White Blood fanatics, assassins, and Eden’s demons.

And standing at the garden’s edge, in front of the annex—

Karoon, sword raised, protecting Sylvia.

"Karoon."

Aris blinked in disbelief.

"Why are you here? Did you… save Sylvia?"

Even Sylvia seemed astonished.

"Y-yes. Elder brother came and saved me…"

"No."

Karoon shook his head firmly.

"I just couldn’t let trash foul Zieghart’s land."

He dusted his hands off indifferently.

"And not because you were worried about your sister?"

Aris smirked teasingly.

"I said no, didn’t I?"

Karoon scrunched his nose and adjusted his grip on his sword.

"Whatever the reason…"

Aris smiled faintly at the sight of the two.

"You look good together—as a family."

"Hmph!"

Karoon snorted and turned.

"Where are you going?"

"There’s still trash left to deal with."

He headed toward North Grave Mountain to clean up the remaining enemies.

"He really loves Zieghart. I don’t get it."

Aris shook her head and turned to Sylvia.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Sylvia nodded with a soft breath.

"I thought it was possible, but I didn’t expect them to attack the annex."

"Your son is something else, though. He even predicted this."

"He’s always been wiser than me since he was little."

Sylvia smiled proudly.

"He must have gone because he was confident he’d win. Don’t worry too much…"

"I’m not worried."

She shook her head.

"He’ll come back safely today, just like always."

Sylvia smiled softly.

"I should start preparing his favorite dish."

"Can I come too?"

"Of course!"

The two women exchanged warm smiles and entered the annex.

* * *

At the moment Raon’s chest was pierced—

Damn it!

Wrath clawed at his cotton-candy hair, pouring out his icy wrath energy.

The King of Essence will make you repay this with twenty boxes of mint chocolate! Not pieces—boxes! Hundreds!

Shouting indignantly, he blocked the sword with a surge of wrath energy.

‘Damn it! This is the only way!’

Raon was unconscious—Demon King’s Descent would cause a rampage.

Wrath had no choice but to intervene indirectly, even if it meant damaging his own soul.

The King of Essence just recovered and now he might… hmm?

Wrath paused.

A blue droplet had formed between Raon’s chest and the blade.

That droplet is…

It wasn’t Wrath’s energy. It flowed with the grace of pure natural mana.

The attacker didn’t notice—but that droplet was blocking the blade.

Whatever it is, it’s fortunate.

Wrath relaxed—he didn’t need to burn through all his energy.

Then—

BOOM!

The red-haired human detonated his astral sphere.

Urgh!

Wrath grunted, erecting a wrath-infused wall of ice—

Then a surge of pure water energy spread over it.

Whoosh!

The explosion was neutralized.

But the force pushed Raon deep underwater. The Blade of Requiem, in his front pocket, was torn away and sank.

Who…?

Wrath turned toward the water energy’s source—

Flicker.

A small hand appeared—webbed like a duck’s—grasping Raon tightly.

You, you are…!

It was the blue lugh Raon once saved.

Been a while! What was your name again… Gloomen?

Unable to remember, Wrath guessed.

The blue lugh—Flumen—drew a glowing blue circle in the water.

Buzzz!

A dimensional gate opened.

Wait! Let me tell the surface not to—!

Before Wrath could finish, Flumen vanished into the portal with Raon.

No! Where are we going this tiiime—Gurgle!

A nauseating sensation overcame him.

When Wrath opened his eyes—

He found himself in a bright, underwater village. Gentle currents brushed against cute pebble-built houses.

When did they build all this…?

It was nothing like before.

Flumen gently laid Raon down.

"This little kid hasn’t changed a bit."

Flumen placed his hand on Raon’s chest.

A healing light flowed.

No—he has changed.

His power felt vast—like the river itself.

It was thanks to this water energy that Wrath hadn’t needed to expend all his power.

This guy’s really lucky—huh?

Wrath looked closer.

Raon’s martial power had transformed.

It hasn’t even been that long…

And yet—it continued to grow, even while unconscious.

You punk…

Wrath grabbed Raon’s collar and scowled.

What did you eat without me to get this strong! Get up and share it now!

* * *

Raon touched his lips, gazing at the eight rings rotating in the sky.

‘Mental world.’

He wasn’t sure why, but after the duel, he had entered here.

‘I don’t know the reason… but—’

It wasn’t a bad thing.

He could feel the growth. He could reflect.

‘Especially… I understood Genesis.’

The new sword field Roman had named—Genesis—was unlike any other.

It wasn’t just a field. It was a sword projection of everything he’d built.

And it would grow, as he did.

‘An incomplete sword field… that evolves infinitely.’

Genesis wasn’t just a field—it was a miracle.

He felt it: his Genesis was now stronger than before.

‘Not just that.’

Raon smiled at the sword sprouts that had grown taller.

‘All my swordsmanship has improved.’

From basic skills to Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to Azure Sky Sword.

This duel had been an opportunity.

And just as he prepared to swing his improved sword—

KRAAAAAASH!

Red flames roared from the sky. Blue ice surged from the earth.

They split the world—fire and ice battling to consume everything.

Wuuuuung.

Green wind trembled in between, helpless.

Raon smirked.

‘Now I understand…’

Why he had come here.

It was time to raise Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier to a higher level.

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Irving]

[Proofreader – Mayank]