Chapter 757

A practice fight?

Karoon frowned as he looked at Raon.

"Why do you request a practice fight with me?"

He first asked the reason, apparently without the intention of rejecting it immediately.

"I want to see how effective my martial skills are against a Transcendent Warrior."

Raon straightened his back as he met Karoon's unwavering gaze, which was as calm as a vast lake.

"I couldn't fully demonstrate my abilities during the mission."

He was unable to showcase his full skills against Marang due to the surprise attack to prevent escape, and he was able to take down the Greedy Demon and the White Demon Swordsman without much difficulty, as their martial skills had not yet reached the peak of Grandmaster. Through the enemy's swordsmanship, he had expanded his inner realm and gained experience in duels, but he felt he had gone through an incomplete combustion because he had not fully unleashed his abilities.

To fill that void, he had been thinking about requesting a practice fight with Karoon even before returning to Zieghart.

'Karoon should be more than enough.'

His intuition, built through countless experiences, told him that he could not win against Karoon, so he wanted to see how effective his skills would really be.

'I will probably encounter more Transcendent Warriors in the future.'

I need to prepare in advance. Although it is difficult for the elite Five Demons to move, there is a high probability of encountering lower-ranked Transcendent Warriors. If I can measure my abilities by clashing with them in advance, it will be of great help in future battles.

"......"

"Hmm."

Karoon pressed his lips tightly, seemingly considering the practice fight, while Glenn let out a heavy sigh, as if he were displeased with the situation.

"Nephew!"

Balder called out to Raon, stamping his foot forcefully.

"I can fight you all day! Come at me right now if you want!"

He waved his hands enthusiastically, as if suggesting they fight right there in the audience chamber.

"...I will ask you another time."

Raon looked at Balder with a blank expression before offering a smile of rejection.

'Balder wouldn’t be bad either, but Karoon comes first.'

Although Balder was also a supreme expert and fighting him would require total effort, Raon didn't think he would lose. Right now, he wanted to face the Transcendent Warrior Karoon, who could show him defeat and give him a glimpse of even greater heights.

"My nephew has high standards."

Balder clicked his tongue briefly before turning his gaze back to Karoon.

"Just do it for him. It's not that hard, is it?"

He shrugged as he suggested to Karoon to practice with Raon.

"Father..."

Burren also inclined his head toward Karoon, as if pleading.

"Raon Zieghart. I don't know what you're thinking, but..."

Karoon began to speak slowly, as if he had finished contemplating.

"I believe I owe you a debt."

He looked at Burren before turning his gaze back to Raon.

"A debt? What do you mean...?"

Raon squinted. He had thought that Karoon harbored thoughts of revenge, so it was disconcerting to suddenly hear about a debt.

"When my planned misdeeds were exposed and I received permanent punishment, I had many reflections while staring at the ceiling of the infirmary."

Karoon gently closed his eyes as he mentioned his embarrassing past.

"I thought the stairs leading to the head of the family position had crumbled. At first, I cursed you, resented my father, and was angry with my subordinates. I tormented myself, shouting that I had done nothing wrong, but over time, I finally realized. I was the cause of it all, and I had created all the consequences. Only then could I see it."

He lightly struck his chest with his fist.

"What I had lost was merely trivial, and the true treasure still remained within my soul."

"If you mean treasure..."

"It's Zieghart."

Karoon raised his gaze calmly to look at Glenn and his throne.

"Once I stripped away the ugly shell I had built, I could see the Zieghart I had dreamed of since childhood. Only then did I realize how despicable and ugly the path I had taken had been. If I had become the head of the family as I was, I would have regretted it even after death."

He turned his gaze back to Raon.

"I thank you for stopping me."

A small warmth appeared in Karoon's sharp gaze.

"Thank you."

"Um..."

Raon swallowed hard as he met Karoon's calm gaze.

'Has he changed so much?'

Raon had thought that Karoon had reached transcendence because he had originally reached the peak of Grandmaster, but that was a great misunderstanding. Karoon had achieved significant growth, not in martial skill, but mentally. It seemed that his limits were not just a simple transcendence.

"Are you the Palace Master of the Central Martial Palace?"

"Is the Palace Master saying such things...?"

"Is it really you, brother? Not a doppelganger?"

The direct line members and Balder opened their eyes in awe at Karoon's words.

"Father!"

Burren's eyes shone with dazzling enthusiasm. It was as if he had returned to his apprentice days when he respected Karoon.

"I will repay that debt now."

Karoon nodded calmly and looked up at Glenn.

"I will accept the request from the Light Wind Division Leader for a practice fight."

He lowered his head, asking for permission.

"......"

Glenn silently looked at his son and then at his grandson in turn. He slowly nodded, unsure of what expression he was making.

"Permission granted."

"Thank you."

Karoon bowed to Glenn again and turned around.

"Shall we go right away?"

He nodded slightly and exited the audience chamber first.

"Of course."

Raon nodded vigorously and left the audience chamber. It seemed that the practice fight would be tougher than he had anticipated.

"Palace Master of the Central Martial Palace!"

"Division Leader!"

"Raon!"

"Can we watch too?"

The executives and the Light Wind Division also exited the audience chamber, following them.

"Will it be alright?"

Rimmer frowned, apparently worried about Karoon's change.

"......"

Glenn lowered his eyelids as he descended from the platform. He slowly opened his eyes, recalling Karoon's gaze that seemed to have returned to his childhood.

"There is no need to worry."

* * *

Raon exhaled softly as he stood before Karoon in the great training field of the head of the family.

'I didn't think this would really happen.'

He had not thought they would actually fight, as Karoon had no reason to practice with him. It was quite overwhelming that Karoon had honestly expressed his feelings and offered to repay a debt.

"Nephew, don’t be too nervous!"

Balder waved his hand widely.

"He’s not going to kill you, you know?!"

He nodded as if to say 'trust your family.'

"Raon."

Burren also nodded, as if telling Raon to trust Karoon.

–From what this king can see, those eyes look like the brat is trying to kill you.

On the other hand, Wrath laughed, saying Karoon was trying to legally kill him.

'I'm not so sure.'

Raon let out a short sigh. Unlike before, he could not read Karoon's mind at all.

"Begin."

Glenn announced the start of the practice fight, crossing his arms. It seemed he would not intervene no matter how the fight progressed.

"Raon Zieghart."

Karoon revealed his sharp eyes as he drew his sword.

"What you want is not just a simple practice fight, but a clue to reach transcendence, right?"

"That's correct."

There was no reason to lie, so Raon nodded.

"Then, an exchange should suffice for this fight."

Karoon stepped forward, tilting his sword downward.

"An exchange?"

Raon's eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean by that...?"

"The difference between the level of your swordsmanship and mine is not that great."

Karoon nodded, acknowledging Raon's swordsmanship.

"But right now, if I fight you, I will never lose."

"I'm sure that’s true."

Despite acknowledging defeat, Raon's eyes did not lose their spirit at all.

"I will show you why."

Karoon raised his sword to the upper position, as if one strike would be enough. It was a basic downward cutting stance, but a magnificent aura that seemed capable of splitting the world began to flow from him.

"Ugh..."

"W-What is this...?"

"It's hard to breathe..."

The executives stepped back from Karoon, swallowing hard.

"It's hard to keep my eyes open."

"I can't straighten my back..."

"Look even if you have to force yourself! You'll regret it for life if you miss it!"

The Light Wind Division was struggling even more than the executives, but they supported each other and refused to close their eyes until the end.

"Raon Zieghart. Show me everything you have."

Karoon nodded, telling Raon to pour all his martial power into a single strike. He seemed willing to receive it all.

"Understood."

Raon exhaled calmly as he drew the Heavenly Drive. Aiming the tip of the sword toward the sky, he opened his mental world.

Sword Domain: Heaven's Rift.

The swords filling his mental image descended upon the blade of the Heavenly Drive, releasing a great will. The swordsmanship techniques that had sprouted in his mind blossomed like diverse flowers on the thin blade.

Countless sword techniques merged into one, igniting a golden flame.

Karoon slowly lowered his sword as he watched Raon's sword attack approach.

"Sword Domain: Emperor."

The tyrannical energy imbued in his sword began to shatter the heavens and the earth. An exhilarating spirit and overwhelming confidence. It felt like the dignified and elegant presence of a ruler who had truly ascended to the emperor's throne.

'This is...'

Raon's jaw trembled.

'Is this transcendence?'

He felt a will that was on a completely different level than a Grandmaster. There was a marked difference in the completeness of his martial arts.

'I will definitely be overwhelmed, but...'

Still, he had to try! Despite the overwhelming pressure from Karoon that seemed not to release his hands and feet, Raon did not give up and struck with Heaven's Rift to the end.

But Karoon's sword did not waver. As if a huge pillar had risen behind it, he crushed Heaven's Rift without the slightest tremor.

BOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion erupted, causing the entire training field to collapse. The collision of such immense forces caused brown tornadoes to spring up from all directions.

As Glenn moved his hand, the aura tornadoes that were about to engulf the executives and the Light Wind Division calmed down as if nothing had happened, revealing the state of the training field.

Raon was kneeling on one knee with the Heavenly Drive sunk into the ground, while Karoon remained still with his sword pointed at Raon’s forehead.

A single drop of blood fell from Raon’s forehead and hit the chaotic ground of the training field.

"Did you see that?"

Karoon withdrew his sword as he looked down at Raon.

"I saw it."

Raon exhaled heavily as he met Karoon's calm gaze.

"Then that is enough."

Karoon nodded and turned around. It seemed he was leaving, having finished what he came to do.

'What was that...?'

It was just a feeling, but Karoon seemed stronger than the Transcendent Warrior of the Black Tower, the Flame Demon General, whom he had known before. He did not need to use his Sword Domain, but he had done so to showcase his realization. Honestly, Raon could not understand it.

"Palace Master of the Central Martial Palace."

Raon forced strength into his legs and stood up.

"What is it?"

"Why did you do so much for me?"

"Didn’t I say I owed you a debt?"

"Didn’t you once believe we would fight for the head of the family position? Why do this for someone who could become your enemy?"

Even though he had no interest in the head of the family position now, his mind could change. He could not understand why Karoon would show everything to someone who could become his competitor.

"Isn’t it because we are Zieghart?"

Karoon nodded slightly as if that was reason enough, and left the training field.

"......"

Raon stared wide-eyed at Karoon's back. He could not react at all, not expecting such words from that person.

–Well, well...

Wrath also let out a surprised sigh.

–I have seen young people like you change often, but even this king has never seen an older human change like that before.

He stroked his chin, marveling at how truly fascinating humans were.

'Me too.'

It was the first time he had seen someone of that age, power, and status show such a drastic change. The surprise had not yet faded.

"Father!"

Burren followed Karoon with eyes burning more intensely than ever. The direct line executives also rushed out of the training field, apparently moved.

"I didn’t expect Karoon to change like that."

Rimmer laughed, holding his head with fingers interlaced.

"However, it seems you lost your training time with your grandson because of that."

"Nonsense."

Glenn snorted and turned his head. Despite losing his time with Raon, a gentle smile played on his lips.

"It feels like a prodigal son has returned home, already all grown up."

* * *

When Raon returned to the annex building, he reflected on Karoon's sword.

'It was strong and noble.'

Karoon's sword possessed the aristocratic elegance that Burren could not dismiss. Seeing elements he thought unnecessary in practical combat transform into absolute power in the realm of transcendence left him astonished. It seemed that transcendence contained something unimaginable from the lower realms.

'It must be related to his change as well.'

The sword of Karoon he had seen before was simply strong, but now it seemed clear that as he realized his own mistakes, his original elegance and nobility had been imbued in his sword.

'Do I also need to find such a clue?'

Although he had witnessed Karoon's realization, he still did not know what he should be looking for himself. Finding that was the priority.

–For now, it’s not transcendence, but food!

Wrath waved his hands, urging Raon to eat quickly.

'Right. That’s right.'

He nodded with a slight smile. There was no reason to rush. Having completed his mission, it was time to rest for now.

"Hm...?"

Raon stopped abruptly as he was about to enter the annex building through the garden. He saw something large behind the lake that had not been there before.

"There was a rock there...! Gasp!"

The object he thought was a rock suddenly stood up and stretched. A bear. An enormous fire bear, in fact. With mountains behind it, he thought there might be animals like bears, but this was the first time he had seen one.

–Bear! Delicious bear!

Wrath wagged his tail, excited about the new menu item. The bear, apparently noticing the light from the annex building, began to run quickly across the lake.

"Oh no."

He used his foot technique to block the bear. But the bear, as if it had never been aiming for the annex building in the first place, changed direction and lunged at him.

"Huh...?"

"Raon!"

As he blinked in surprise, the bear's mouth opened and exploded into human speech.

"Gasp!"

–Ugh!

As soon as they saw the talking bear, Raon and Wrath began to run in the opposite direction.

***

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

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – MurimTang]

[Proofreader – Mayank]