Chapter 781

Whew!
A tiny Seed of Fire sparked into existence, flickering like the start of a bonfire. From within its gentle glow, a brown-haired girl slowly emerged.

Cradling a worn wooden sword like a precious relic, the girl floated above the ground as if carried by the wind itself.

Raon swallowed hard, his eyes locked onto the childlike figure drifting toward him.
Is that girl… Sia?

Given that she must have been far younger when she first wore the Green King's helmet, it wasn't surprising that her soul appeared in this youthful form.

"At least… she doesn’t seem hurt."

Whether or not Murkada had truly protected her, there wasn’t a single scratch on Sia’s soul.

Whew!
Raon let out a breath of relief and took a step forward—only for the black ashes left behind by Murkada’s soul to swirl around him and wrap gently around his body.

This is…

Just as he considered whether to block them, he felt a familiar warmth emanating from the ashes—the same warmth Murkada had shown.

Understanding that this, too, must hold meaning, he lowered his hand.

Whew!
The ashes flowed gently toward Sia and seeped into her.

In that moment, a brilliant, fiery red light erupted from her small body—intense, pure, and filled with will. It blazed like the Spirit of Struggle itself.

"Ah..."

Raon stood in silence, watching the gentle convergence of two souls—Murkada’s ashes and Sia’s light—within the glow.

[Mom! Dad!]

A young Sia wandered through the mental world, her voice echoing in desperation. Behind her stood a small wooden cabin, warm and inviting, with steam rising from a table of freshly prepared food. The surrounding forest was vibrant, the trees lush, and everything radiated the comfort of a happy childhood.

[Where are you?!]

She called again, believing she was truly back home. But no one answered. Sylvia and Edgar did not appear.

Time passed.
The food on the table cooled.
The bushes withered.
The trees crumbled.

And then—gray snow began to fall.
It piled over the once-cozy cabin, blanketing it in silence and sorrow.

Sia’s loneliness and despair had begun to taint the mental world itself.

[Ugh…]

Sia seemed to realize that crying wouldn’t change anything.

So she stopped.

Wiping her tears, she stood up.

She didn’t touch the food. She didn’t enter the cabin.

Instead, her eyes settled on something wedged between a stack of firewood—an old wooden sword.

She reached out and grasped it.

It was worn, splintered at the edges, but unmistakably familiar. It looked just like the one Edgar had once used.

Raising the wooden blade, she slowly swung it through the air.

[Dad…]

Her arms trembled, her stance was off, and the movement lacked speed or power. But the form…

The form was unmistakable.

It was Edgar’s technique—the Mystic Soul Sword.

She was trying to fight back her fear the only way she knew how: by imitating her father’s swordsmanship.

It was something no ordinary child would even think to do.

And at that moment, more than ever, she felt like the true daughter of Sylvia and Edgar.

Uuuuh!

Just as Sia’s mind began to bloom and the forest around her started regaining its lush green color—

A massive crack split open the sky of her mental world.

From the rift, another world came crashing in.

A bleak, charred wasteland of twisted trees and scorched earth—Murkada’s dead forest.

Clash!

The impact between the two mental worlds unleashed a violent shockwave.

The cabin shattered.
The trees splintered.
The once-peaceful forest was reduced to fragments, blowing away like dry, brittle leaves.

The collision wasn’t a battle. It was a complete domination.

Murkada’s soul realm was massive—overwhelming.

Crunch!

It was like watching an elephant trample an ant. No… the gap was even wider than that.

Sia’s fragile mental image began to collapse—
Swallowed whole by the sheer presence of Murkada’s world.

From the center of the darkness, Murkada emerged.

His burning red eyes pierced through the gloom as he approached the trembling child.

When he exhaled, his breath carried the thick stench of blood—of betrayal and agony.

It was the scent of someone who had died, torn apart by the humans he once believed in.

[Ah…]

Sia collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.
Her tiny shoulders trembled—
Murkada's overwhelming killing intent had frozen her in place.

[Human!]

Murkada's hand tightened around the hilt of his stone sword.

As he looked at Sia, something flickered in his eyes—
Memories.

Of Essian.
Of a child he once knew.

And in that moment, sorrow and despair bloomed in his gaze like smoke from dying embers. His eyes trembled, clouded with pain.

Rumble!

He raised the massive stone sword high above his head.

One strike.

Even a glancing blow would splatter Sia across the ground.

But he didn’t swing.

Gritting his teeth, he stood frozen, his eyes locked on the helpless girl before him.

[Ugh…]

Before long, the reflection in Murkada’s eyes began to shift.

It was no longer the seething hatred for Essian…
But the memory of the children—
The innocent ones he had sent away in secret, hoping they might survive.

The weight of that memory pressed down harder than any sword.

Slowly, deliberately, Murkada lowered the stone blade.

He didn’t yield to rage.
He chose something far more difficult—

Forgiveness.

Not for humans as a whole,
But for the one standing in front of him.

[You too must be a sacrifice for those demons.]

His voice cracked.

Murkada bit his lip until blood ran down his chin, struggling to hold back the waves of despair and fury trying to consume him.

[If I kill you… I’ll become no different from those beasts.]

He forgave the malice of humans—
Not because they deserved it,
But because someone had to break the cycle.

Murkada silently prayed to the gods of nature, hoping that the young ones he had once protected…
Would live on.
Would thrive.

[Eh…]

Sia, sensing the killing intent had vanished, clutched her chest and released a heavy, ragged breath.

Murkada slowly knelt down, lowering himself to meet her eyes.

[What’s your name?]

His voice was calm now—low, yet gentle.

[S-Sia.]

She hesitated, but the warmth in his gaze gave her courage.

[How did you get here?]

[I… I don’t know.]
[I was with my father, and then… strange people wearing helmets appeared…]

Her voice cracked.
She bit her trembling lip, unable to recall anything after that.

[Where is this? Where are my parents?]

Murkada paused.
His gaze dropped briefly, then lifted again.

[This… is hell.]

[T-Then… does that mean I’ll never see Mom and Dad again?]

Sia seemed to understand what “hell” meant.

She clasped her hands tightly, her small fingers trembling as tears welled in her eyes.

[No, that’s not it…]

Murkada panicked, his voice faltering as he saw the fear returning to her face.

[Wait—let me explain properly. This place is…]

But just as he tried to clarify—

Crack!

A sharp fissure tore through the air.

Sia’s mental world began to melt—
Not with fire or chaos,
But like snow quietly vanishing in the warmth of spring.

The cabin dissolved.
The forest faded into mist.
Her mental space was crumbling.

And if it collapsed completely…
She would disappear with it.

Murkada’s eyes widened.
Was this their plan all along?
Was this what those demons wanted?

Murkada’s eyes narrowed as he watched Sia’s mental world collapse around them.

Those strange, helmeted beings…
They knew.

They knew he wouldn’t kill her.
They had never expected him to.

Instead, they had crafted a cruel trap—
One where her world would die slowly, naturally, the moment their mental realms collided.

[I won’t fall for your plans.]

Murkada slammed his fist against his chest with a thud, vowing to himself—
He would never let his hatred consume an innocent soul.

Never again.

Turning toward the fading girl, he gently took her trembling hand in his own.

[Sia, what’s your most precious possession?]

His voice was soft now, like a warm breeze brushing through falling snow.

[T-This.]

Sia weakly raised the old wooden sword she had clung to from the start.

[It’s… Dad’s sword.]

Murkada smiled faintly, nodding.

[It’s a good sword.]

There was strength in his voice. Certainty.

[Everything will be alright.]

He extended his arm.

[Come over here.]

He gently led Sia into his own mental world.

Boom!

Murkada raised his stone sword and brought it crashing down—again and again. Each strike sent shockwaves through the landscape.

Clash!

He endured it all.
The soul-rending pain.
The tearing sensation, as if his very being was unraveling from within.

Yet he kept swinging.

Destroying his own mental world—
Piece by piece—
For her.

Finally, after a barrage of earth-shattering blows, a hole appeared—
Just wide enough for a small child to pass through.

He dropped to one knee, black blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

[Come in here.]

His voice was hoarse, but firm.

Sia hesitated, her eyes wide with fear.

[U-Uncle… Are you alright?]

Murkada coughed again, the dark blood staining his lips.

[I’m fine.]

He smiled through the pain, steady and reassuring.

Murkada smiled faintly, gently wiping the blood trailing from the corner of his mouth.

[You said you wanted to see your mom and dad, right? I’ll make sure… you meet them.]

He patted Sia’s head softly, as if to say, Don’t worry. I’ve got you.

[Uncle, what’s your name?]

Sia paused just before stepping into the hole. She looked up at him, her small eyes no longer trembling.

They were calm.
Innocent.
Full of trust—
Not in a monster, but in a person.

A human being.

[Murkada.]

He reached out and wiped away the tears from her cheeks with a calloused thumb.

[I’m the most incompetent, most foolish King in this world.]

[Wow… a King?]

Her eyes sparkled for a moment.

Murkada chuckled softly.

[Now… go to sleep.]

He gently stroked her forehead—
And like a leaf drifting on the wind, Sia's body went limp, falling into a deep, peaceful slumber.

He caught her in his arms.

[There’s no time.]

Murkada’s fingertips trembled as he watched the last fragments of Sia’s world crumble into oblivion.

There was no time.

If he hesitated even for a moment, she would vanish forever.

Slash!

After sealing the hole Sia had passed through, Murkada flipped his stone sword—
And drove it straight into his own abdomen without hesitation.

Roar!

A deafening cry echoed through the mental world—
Not from his mouth, but from his very soul.

Blood—thick, dark, and heavy—poured from the wound.

With that sacrifice, Murkada cast his final oath.

That as long as he remained unmoving,
Sia’s soul would be safe.
That she would sleep in peace,
And never awaken without his permission.

He didn’t think of revenge.
He didn’t think of Essian.
He didn’t think of the tribe that had escaped into the wilderness.

He thought only of her.

Of saving the life in front of him.

And in that moment—
His soul, once blackened by betrayal,
Shone brighter than ever before.

[Whew.]

Murkada lowered the bloodstained sword only after he was certain—
Sia’s soul had settled quietly within his mental world.

He gently tamped the earth beneath her, sealing her slumber in a safe place.

A faint smile crossed his lips.

[It will probably be a long time…]

* * *

Raon bit his lip as he watched Murkada’s soul gently swirl around Sia’s.

Murkada…

Even having witnessed it himself, he found it hard to believe.

An orc—betrayed by humans, his tribe slaughtered—
Had once again chosen to trust a human.
To protect her.

Even for Raon, who had lived more than one life,
It was something… extraordinary.

He stepped forward.

Lowered his head.

"Thank you for protecting my sister."

It wasn’t just a gesture.
It was a bow born of pure respect.

From one soul to another.

Uuuuu!

Murkada’s soul hummed in response—
A low, resonant vibration that rippled through the mental world,
Accepting Raon’s gratitude.

And then, slowly, he wrapped around Sia’s form.

Uuuuu!

As the black ashes of Murkada seeped into her,
Sia’s appearance began to shift—

The child form faded.
In its place emerged a radiant young woman.

Her current self.

It was as if Murkada had poured his very soul into hers,
Nurturing it,
Fulfilling the promise he made.

To protect her.
To keep her safe until the time was right.

"...Murkada."

Raon lowered his head once more, this time toward Murkada’s soul—
Now dim and flickering, barely holding shape.

"If I get the chance… I’ll find your descendants," he whispered.
"I’ll see if they’re living well—just like you hoped."

Zap!

The last fragment of Murkada’s soul shimmered,
Then flowed into Raon’s chest—
A soft pulse of warmth,
As if entrusting a sacred wish.

It wasn’t heavy.
It wasn’t cold.

It was kind.

Kinder than anything Raon had ever felt.

Zap!

The moment Murkada’s presence faded completely,
The bleak, charred forest crumbled into nothing—
Taking with it the sorrow and scars he had carried for so long.

And in its place…

Sia’s mental world began to restore itself.

The grayish-white void filled with color once more.
A small cabin appeared in the clearing.
Trees blossomed.
The forest returned to life, vibrant and green.

In the middle of it all, Sia slowly descended toward the cabin—
Her expression peaceful.

And then—
Her body relaxed.

She lost consciousness, embraced by the world she now called home.

Raon stood in silence, watching over her.

* * *

When Raon opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was…

Glenn and Merlin—
Bickering.

Both of them were frowning hard.

“Grandpa! It's my turn this time, right?”

Merlin jutted his chin toward Glenn with all the smugness in the world.

“What nonsense are you spouting?! You carried him yesterday too! And stop calling me Grandpa!”

Glenn’s brow twitched as he glared at her.

“How else am I supposed to call Grandpa if not Grandpa?!”

Merlin crossed her arms and huffed, clearly not backing down.

“I can’t reason with you...”

Glenn sighed in exasperation.

"Umm…"

Raon let out a tired sound as he blinked, still caught between the remnants of the mental world and reality.

Raon raised his hand towards Merlin and Glenn.

Their heads instantly turned toward him.

“Why are you fighting?”

"Eh? Raon? Why are you awake?"

Merlin patted him lightly on the stomach, telling him to sleep more.

"Ahem…"

Glenn also let out a long, repentant cough.

– Those two were fighting over who would carry you on their back.

Wrath shook his head as if frustrated.

– They've been like this every day, it's so annoying!

He clicked his tongue and said that humans live very boring lives.

Ah…

Raon chuckled. Now he understood why the two had been arguing.

"Don't fight over such strange things… Hm?"

As he tried to get up, stopping the two, he felt his body was light.

What is this?

After Wrath's descent, he had felt tired and heavy even after sleeping, but now he felt that all that fatigue had disappeared in an instant.

– Now that I think about it, you…

Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.

– What did you eat by yourself?!

What are you talking about? I didn't eat anything.

– Your soul wounds are already healed! How could that happen without eating something?

He grabbed Raon's neck and asked if he had eaten something delicious by himself again.

"Raon, what happened inside the mental image?"

Glenn's eyes widened as if he had noticed his own recovery.

Wait… If I’ve changed…
Raon turned his gaze to Sia, lying peacefully on the bed.

Her expression was calm.
The darkness, despair, and fury of the Green King had vanished—replaced by a soft, serene aura.

She had accepted Murkada’s soul.
And in its place, Raon could now feel something pure.
Not the wrath of a king, but the innocence of the girl Murkada had vowed to protect.

“Ah… the young lady’s soul… it’s growing!”
Merlin swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she felt the shift—Sia’s soul blossoming.

“This is…”
Glenn turned sharply toward Raon, his voice low with awe—as if demanding an explanation.

Raon nodded, a quiet smile forming on his lips.

“I’ll tell you.”
His voice was steady, filled with both pride and grief.

“About the true King… Murkada.”

* * *

Raon practiced his swordsmanship behind the lake near the annex building, quietly observing the changes within himself.

“I’ve become stronger.”

By fully accepting Wrath, his physical abilities had advanced significantly.
His mana circuits had widened, allowing aura to circulate faster and more efficiently.

He thought becoming a Grand Master would mark the end of his growth—
but instead, he was still evolving. And this time, it felt natural.

–Grr, this is irritating.
Wrath scowled at Raon, his icy eyebrows twitching in frustration.

–How is it possible that my incomplete offspring benefited you?! How can that be?!
Wrath gritted his teeth, glaring as if the universe itself had betrayed him. He couldn’t understand why Raon was always so ridiculously lucky.

I don’t know either.
Raon chuckled and gave a lazy shrug.
‘Maybe this life’s going well because my last one was complete hell.’

– Sigh… I’d rather see Murkada and his terrible luck than deal with you again. If I’d known he was that kind of person, I would’ve made him my subordinate…
Wrath clicked his tongue, genuinely regretting not having talked to Murkada more.

Me too.
Raon nodded, thinking it really would’ve been nice to have just a bit more time with him.

– He wasn’t destined to be born an orc. No—that would be disrespectful to say of him.

Wrath nodded quietly, showing rare and solemn respect for a King.

That’s right.

It was when Raon was about to resume his training, remembering Murkada's last moments.

"Young Master!!"

Helen came running, her skirt full of dirt.

She was in such a hurry that she stumbled and almost fell, even though it was the path she always used.

"What's the hurry? You can talk slower…"

"I can't do that!"

While Raon waved his hand telling her to come slowly, Helen opened her mouth urgently.

"The Madam has woken up! And the others too!"

***

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]