Chapter 778

A forest appeared. But it wasn’t vibrant or green—it was withered and blackened, as if death itself had claimed the land. The trees stood charred, their bark scorched by what seemed like a storm of fire. The underbrush had been reduced to ash, swept away by the wind without a single stem remaining.

There were no leaves. Instead, the ground was littered with the corpses of thousands—no, tens of thousands—of monsters, their bodies scattered like offerings to some forgotten god.

At the center of this desolate realm—more graveyard than forest—stood a single figure: the king of the black orcs.

Like the helmet Sia had worn, two thick horns jutted from his forehead. His eyes, each the size of a human fist, burned with a blood-red glow. His body, pitch black like it had been soaked in ink, was more massive than an ogre’s and looked as if it had been forged from steel itself.

The massive stone sword in his hand looked as though it could bring down a castle wall with a single swing.

Is that the soul of the king?

Raon narrowed his eyes, staring at the towering figure—the Green King, the ruler of this mental realm.

I knew he'd be strong, maybe even beyond the limits of his kind, but...

This was beyond what he had expected. Even in his most generous estimation, Raon had believed the Green King might reach the level of a mid-tier Grandmaster. But the presence before him radiated an overwhelming aura—one that didn’t fall short of his own.

A fighting spirit so intense it made his skin crawl.

This wasn’t just a powerful orc. He was a monster in every sense—worthy of the titles Orc Lord and Green King.

Hmm…

As Raon observed the Green King, his gaze shifted.

There it is again… another soul?

Just moments earlier, he had sensed a presence—one distinctly different from the Green King's—lurking somewhere within this mental realm.

It’s her. That’s Sia.

She was alive. He was certain of it. But—

Where is she? I can feel her, but I can’t see her.

The sensation of her soul moving through the space was undeniable, yet its exact location eluded him. All his eyes could find were scorched corpses, the ruined forest, and the looming figure of the Green King.

So, I really do have to fight, huh…

With a quiet sigh, Raon stepped forward and began walking toward the Green King.

“...”

The Green King slowly turned, his blood-red eyes locking onto Raon.

“You are…”

Raon instinctively reached for the hilt of Heavenly Drive, prepared to draw it in an instant. But before he could move, the Green King’s deep voice rumbled through the forest.

“The human who stopped me outside.”

He spoke in the common tongue of the continent. Although the words and pronunciation were archaic, they were not difficult to understand. His gaze bore down on Raon with a calm yet oppressive weight.

“Can you speak?”

Raon slowly lowered the hand that had been hovering near the hilt of Heavenly Drive and met the Green King’s gaze.

Now that I think about it…

His eyes were clear. Unlike the savage, burning glare Raon had seen through the helmet in reality, the eyes before him held a calm, intellectual depth. They didn’t belong to a rampaging beast, but to someone who had lived, learned, and endured—a sage with the weight of soul and wisdom.

“I have been learning the human language. After countless battles... it came naturally.”

The Green King nodded. His accent was a little rough, but his words were easy enough to follow.

“How long has it been since my death?”

He looked around at the forest of ash and bone, letting out a low, weary sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Raon said quietly, “but I don’t know either.”

Raon shook his head and let out a quiet sigh.
“Until recently, I didn’t even know you existed.”

“I see.”

The Green King murmured softly, lowering his hand.

“Judging by your speech… and the fragmented memories I’ve seen… it must have been several hundred years.”

His gaze swept over the lifeless forest, eyes filled with futility—and simmering rage.

“Yet human greed remains unchanged. No… it has grown worse.”

A bitter sneer twisted his lips, as if ridiculing all of humanity through Raon.

“To the point they would try to resurrect me… and use me, even after death.”

“Did you die fighting humans?” Raon asked quietly.

Raon’s brow furrowed as he looked past the Green King, at the mountain of corpses scattered across the ashen forest. From the moment he arrived, it had been clear—this forest, the slain monsters, even the Green King himself… all had fallen to human hands.

“Yes. War,” the Green King said, his voice heavy. “A war we never wanted.”

He nodded slowly, as if reliving the weight of his final days.

“Because of human greed, we lost everything—our forest, our kin, our future. We were forced into war… just to survive.”

His gaze dropped to the charred remains of his people. He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

“But the humans lied. They claimed we attacked first, used that lie to summon armies from every corner of the continent. In the end, my kin and I were burned—along with this forest—in their righteous flames.”

The Green King’s eyes lingered on the small body of a child-sized orc. He closed his eyes and released a trembling sigh.

“So, you joined Eden… for revenge?”

Raon swallowed hard as he stared at the Green King. From what he’d heard, it was clear—the resurrection had been fueled by revenge against humanity.

“I did not choose this,” the Green King said, shaking his head firmly.

“What? But if you didn’t choose… how were you resurrected at all?”

From what Raon knew, crafting a monster’s helmet or mask required direct contact with the soul—and the soul’s consent. The idea of being brought back without it didn’t make sense.

“There was someone who reached out to me,” the Green King said, his brow furrowing. “But I was already weary… I refused.”

His expression twisted, as if even now he couldn’t fully understand it himself.

“Yet… when I opened my eyes, I was already in that body.”

He shook his head slowly. He had been trapped—forced to exist, unable to control his own soul.

“Ah!”

Raon clapped softly, a flicker of realization in his eyes.

So that’s why…

The external Green King—savage, beast-like, and under the control of the Two-Headed Demon—must have manifested that way because the real soul had refused to follow Eden.

The Fallen…

How far was he willing to go? To destroy the souls of the living and manipulate even the lingering remnants of monsters long dead—he was no less a demon than Derus. Raon found himself regretting that he hadn’t hit him harder when he had the chance.

Still… in this state, maybe I can get him to talk.

He didn’t sense any goodwill from the Green King—but there was no malice either. The atmosphere was tense, but not openly hostile. It felt like the right moment to try. Maybe he could learn something about Sia.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

Raon stepped forward and raised a finger.

“The soul that was inside this body—where is it now?”

“I cannot say that.”

The Green King’s reply was immediate and unwavering.

The Green King shook his head, his expression now cautious—different from before.

“Why not?”

“...”

He offered no answer.

“You’re refusing to speak?”

Raon narrowed his eyes, his hand resting on the hilt of Heavenly Drive.

Then I’ll just have to beat it out of him, huh?

“Even then, I cannot say.”

The Green King gripped the massive stone sword embedded in the ground and drew it slowly. His eyes burned with conviction.

The air trembled as the blade rose—a weapon heavy enough to crush this entire space in a single strike.

“It is your choice,” he said firmly. “So, accept the consequences.”

Raon surged forward, drawing Heavenly Drive in one fluid motion. Lightning surged along the blade, and Glaciar’s cold energy wrapped around it like frost on steel. He aimed straight for the Green King’s heart.

The Green King reacted instantly, swinging his massive stone sword upward to intercept the strike.

Claaang!

The clash sent a thunderous shockwave through the mental world. Blue sparks exploded from the point of impact as the icy force of Heavenly Drive met the raw fighting spirit embedded in the stone blade.

It’s heavy.

Raon gritted his teeth, pushing against the crushing weight of the Green King’s sword.

His mental strength… it’s immense.

In this realm, strength wasn’t measured by muscle or mass—but by willpower, spirit, and the sheer force of one’s soul. And the Green King’s aura—dense and overwhelming—surpassed even that of a Grand Master.

But the same goes for me.

Raon’s eyes blazed as he thrust Heavenly Drive forward once more.

Confident in the unshakable strength of his spirit, he activated the Ring of Fire, causing his aura to resonate violently. With that surge, he struck the Green King’s stone sword head-on.

“Mmm...”

The Green King’s eyes widened, momentarily stunned that he had been forced back.

But he didn’t hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he raised an even denser wave of fighting spirit and swung his stone sword in a wide, horizontal arc.

Claaaang!

Their blades collided again with a piercing screech.

Raon responded instantly, channeling his will into a fiery counterattack.

He unleashed Crimson Cut.

The blade, wreathed in searing flame, slashed through the air with terrifying force—overwhelming the Green King's weapon and carving a deep, burning wound across his chest.

The Green King, unfazed by the bleeding wound across his chest, swung his massive stone sword at Raon’s head without so much as a glance at the injury.

Raon reacted instantly, raising a blazing barrier over Heavenly Drive.

The Fire Wall—a defensive technique of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation—roared to life.

Kra-BOOM!

Their weapons collided with a thunderous explosion.

The moment the stone sword crashed into the Fire Wall, a sinister energy surged forth—dark and sharp.

...A curse?

The blow wasn't just powerful—it was laced with malevolent intent. It pierced deep into the Fire Wall and even bent the blade of Heavenly Drive slightly under the pressure.

The Green King’s mental strength was far greater than Raon had anticipated.

“The humans may have killed me,” the Green King growled, pressing down with the weight of his sword, “but my soul endured to the very end.”

He lifted his chin, eyes burning.

“Do not underestimate me.”

“I never did,” Raon replied coldly, refusing to yield.

Raon channeled the Heavenly Heavy Cannon technique into the blade of Heavenly Drive.

Rather than a conventional slash, a dense wave of sword energy surged forward—crushing and oppressive, like the sky itself was falling.

The Green King reacted swiftly, driving his massive stone sword into the ground to anchor himself and guard his vital points. It was the right move.

But even that defense had its limits.

Splat!

Bright red blood burst from his arms and legs—places the sword hadn’t shielded.

“Have you developed any feeling to talk now?”

Raon lowered Heavenly Drive, his eyes fixed on the bleeding Green King.

“...”

Without a word, the Green King lifted his sword once more. His silence was answer enough.

“I thought so,” Raon muttered. A being with that kind of mental strength wouldn’t fold just from a few wounds.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to drag this out.”

Raon let out a heavy, clouded sigh.

He didn’t want to see Sylvia cry anymore. He wanted his family to be whole again. That desire left no room for hesitation.

He stomped down with his left foot at a sharp angle and unleashed Fangs of Insanity, infused with the force of the Heavenly Heavy Cannon.

A crushing slash, powerful enough to pulverize both bone and flesh, tore through the air.

Boom!

Yet even under such force, the Green King blocked the attack head-on—without so much as a grunt.

Raon clicked his tongue in frustration and instantly shifted position, appearing behind the Green King.

But it was as if the Green King had anticipated it all along.

He brought his stone sword down in the direction of Raon’s next strike.

Whuuum!

For a brief moment, an overwhelming pressure slammed down on Raon’s body—so heavy it felt like it could crush his bones and freeze his limbs.

Was he holding back this whole time?

Raon pushed his right foot forward, shifting into the Light Wind Style.

With a burst of icy wind rising from beneath his feet, he released Glacier—shattering the suffocating pressure around him.

Silver and blue slashes poured out like crashing waves, slamming toward the Green King’s chest and waist with relentless precision.

The Green King didn’t attempt to dodge. Instead, he hurled his massive sword into the ground.

From the impact, a thick crust of earth erupted upward, shielding him from the incoming Glacier technique. Using that same sword, he then forced it upward—aiming directly toward his own head as if bracing for a crushing blow.

Raon responded immediately, unleashing Flame Dragon Art.

The flames twisted into the shape of a dragon, roaring forward with blistering heat. The inferno surged toward the Green King, powerful enough to sear even the mental world itself.

When the scorching flames finally faded, the Green King still stood in the same spot—unmoved.

He had withstood the Flame Dragon Strike head-on, without so much as a step back.

Could it be… he’s unable to move from that spot?

The sight of the Green King fighting from a single spot, never moving, was unsettling.

No, that’s not important right now.

Having entered this mental world immediately after the war, without a moment of rest, Raon’s mental strength was nearing its limit. If he couldn’t overpower the Green King soon, he would be the one to fall first.

He took a deep breath and adjusted his grip on Heavenly Drive.

I’ll finish this as quickly as possible.

He raised the flame-infused blade toward the sky. From the sword, a red tree seemed to take root, blooming with a thousand fiery petals. The fragments of flame danced in the autumn wind, spiraling into a storm of fire that engulfed the Green King.

“Argh!”

The Green King roared, swinging his stone sword violently to dispel the flames wrapping around him.

He clearly hated being consumed by fire—perhaps a trauma seared into his soul from his final moments in life.

Then I’ll use that to my advantage.

Raon stepped forward across the ashen ground, raising Heavenly Drive, which had been lowered for just a moment.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
Unification of Fire and Ice.

He recalled the flames that had started to fade beneath the pressure of the Green King's stone sword—then reignited them into a blazing wave that soared high enough to touch the sky.

The Green King’s fighting spirit, once towering and unshakable, began to wither under the sheer force of the united fire and ice.

“Puh...”

Even the Green King—who had not so much as groaned when cut, when flesh was torn—now grimaced and let out a low, guttural cry. The flames pierced something deeper than his body.

“Where is the soul of this body?”

“…I cannot say.”

The Green King still did not retreat. Even on the brink, he held firm—as if bound by something stronger than death itself.

“What the hell…?”

Raon narrowed his eyes. There was more to this than a simple refusal. Something was forcing the Green King's silence.

As Raon frowned, a black hole suddenly formed in the air. Within its swirling darkness, a ripple of blue cloud-like energy began to stir.

Is that… Wrath?

It seemed the Demon King had arrived late—again. Just like when Raon had worn the helmet of the Draconian Loctar Defort, Wrath had caught up only after the critical moment had passed.

I need to end this before he starts interfering again.

Grinding his teeth, Raon gripped Heavenly Drive with both hands.

The Green King, sensing the final clash, pushed his fighting spirit to its absolute limit. Raising his great sword high above his head, he stood unyielding, as if death itself could not bring him down.

The burning energy surrounding his blade flared like a crimson sun—furious, blinding.

“Argh!”

With a desperate roar, he brought the sword crashing downward.

A colossal wave of fighting spirit surged out, swallowing the world in momentary darkness.

Zing!

Raon did not back down. He stepped forward into the storm.

Raising Heavenly Drive, he activated—

Sword Domain: Heaven’s Rift.

Though his spirit was near exhaustion, his will surged even stronger. The sword gleamed with radiant golden light, blooming like a star at the edge of collapse.

The blazing slash tore through the crimson tide.

The Green King’s fighting spirit shattered. His massive blade broke clean in half.

A golden arc pierced through his chest—leaving behind a gaping hole and flooding the mental world with a brilliant, searing light.

Yet even with a gaping hole in his chest and black blood spilling from his mouth, the Green King did not fall. He remained upright, rooted to that very spot like an immovable monument.

“This is your last chance,” Raon said coldly. “Speak.”

“...”

The Green King only shook his head.

Then, with trembling hands, he lifted the shattered remains of his great sword. Even in death, he had no intention of revealing anything.

I don’t have time left.

Raon’s vision was blurring. His head throbbed. His mental strength was on the verge of collapse. He had to end this—now.

“Don’t hold it against me...”

As he raised Heavenly Drive to deliver the final blow, a strange sound echoed through the mental realm—like a cork being pulled from a tightly sealed jar.

Pop!

A giant puff of blue cotton candy burst from the swirling hole in the air.

“You must not kill him! Cough!”

Wrath, frowning in frustration, floated into view.

“The soul of a human is inside this orc’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 – MurimTang]

[Proofreader – Mayank]