Chapter 1070
“Tch.”
Derus Robert clicked his tongue harshly as he glared at Jaina, who had opened a long-distance Dimension Door, defying his expectations.
He radiated such intense killing intent that it seemed he would kill Jaina on the spot if given the chance.
“Ah….”
Jaina’s face turned pale, apparently flustered by Derus’s overwhelming murderous aura.
“Where do you think you’re looking.”
Glenn unleashed a heavy Sword Strike so that Derus couldn’t even spare Jaina a glance.
Kwoooooong!
Unable to completely block Glenn’s Sword Strike, Derus was pushed back and furrowed his brow deeply.
“Not before you defeat me.”
Glenn lifted his chin, declaring that Derus would not be able to go anywhere near Jaina before he himself fell.
“Glenn Zieghart….”
Derus uttered Glenn’s name savagely, as if a beast were gnawing on bone.
“You always get in my way.”
He let out a heavy sigh, seemingly recalling all the times Glenn had thwarted him until now.
“It’s not me.”
Glenn firmly shook his head.
“You lose because you disregard children like Raon.”
He lowered his brows and told him to speak properly.
“Disregard? You think I disregard Raon?”
Derus grabbed his forehead and let out a sneering laugh.
“On this continent. No, in this entire world, I am the only one who can truly understand a human like Raon!”
He twisted his lips into a smirk, claiming that he knew Raon better than anyone else.
“I recognized Raon and all of you, which is why I didn’t support the White Blood Cult and came here to target Ogram. Of course….”
Derus looked at the fallen Darkhan and tensed his fingertips.
“I never expected Raon to recruit even that madman.”
He let out a hollow laugh, admitting that even while acknowledging Raon, Darkhan had been beyond his expectations.
“Ah, one more thing.”
Derus closed the Dimension Door and turned his gaze toward Jaina, who was tending to Darkhan and Ogram.
“It was also beyond my expectations that a foolish, arrogant princess would have the ability to open a long-distance Dimension Door.”
Derus nodded, acknowledging Jaina’s capability.
“I, I also….”
Jaina met Derus’s eyes and parted her trembling lips.
“I was able to change thanks to a person named Raon Zieghart!”
She lifted her chin, saying that her own transformation had also begun because of Raon.
“So that’s how it is.”
Glenn seemed pleased by Jaina’s words, lifting the corners of his lips slightly.
“Right. It’s always that brat causing trouble.”
Derus revealed his killing intent not toward Jaina, but toward Raon, who wasn’t even here, as he ground his molars.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your eyes on your opponent?”
Glenn twisted his wrist and thrust out Heavenly Tremor. The silver blade, moving faster than sound, had already reached Derus’s neck.
Kyaaaaang!
Derus barely twisted his sword and deflected Glenn’s thrust, but crimson blood still flowed from his neck.
“That’s it!”
Darkhan raised a hand while still lying on the ground.
“That’s a real sword! It pursues perfection!”
He curled his lips, calling it a sword that reached perfection like a garment without a single visible seam.
“Hah….”
Ogram wiped the blood flowing from his mouth and let out a hollow laugh.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to that old man for interfering?”
He frowned, asking why he alone was being treated unfairly.
“His swordsmanship is magnificent!”
Darkhan kept his eyes fixed on Glenn as he curled his lips.
“With swordsmanship like that, I’d understand even if he took my head!”
He smacked his lips, saying he wished Glenn’s exquisitely refined sword would fall on him.
“You’re truly a man mad for the sword.”
Ogram shook his head from side to side, saying he was fed up with him.
“Hey! Glenn Zieghart!”
Darkhan waved his hand at Glenn.
“I never imagined you’d save me. Since things turned out like this….”
He formed a sword shape with his fingers.
“Show me all your swords!”
Darkhan even added a “please” and forced his body up. He radiated a vitality that was hard to believe belonged to someone who had just been pushed to the brink of death.
“Shut up.”
Ignoring Darkhan’s words, Glenn unleashed Sky-Piercing Sword and Sky-Piercing Thunder Art against Derus.
Uuuuung!
The two sword arts harmonized as if they had originally been one, shaking the heavens and summoning crimson lightning.
Kwarurururung!
Unable to withstand Glenn’s sky-rending thunder, Derus retreated again and again. blood spurted from his lips, and his Deathly Energy melted away in crimson.
“You are the most dangerous of all.”
Glenn’s gaze sank to a terrifying depth.
“I will sever that head here.”
Derus had moved to deal with the other Five Kings first instead of supporting the White Blood Cult, even while it was under attack.
That was not the sort of judgment an ordinary human could make. It was better to quickly cut him down before he made the situation even more dangerous.
Uuuuung!
Glenn’s Heavenly Tremor trembled violently, and crimson-burning lightning stretched out in all directions. It was Sky Piercing Thunder – Heaven’s Emperor, the hidden ultimate technique he had not yet taught Raon.
Chiaaaaang!
Derus’s blue pupils flashed as if reading the flow of Glenn’s swordsmanship, and he raised a sword burning with Deathly Energy.
Kuwaaaaang!
Lightning that seemed to contain the heavens and a blade infused with death collided, erupting with a terrifying explosive roar.
However, it did not take long for the result of their seemingly equal clash to appear.
Pwoooook!
A fissure that seemed to split the heavens surged upward, carving a crimson-burning sword scar into Derus’s chest.
“Keuheok!”
Derus vomited blood and clutched the chest that had been split open.
“Truly insane swordsmanship….”
He furrowed his brow as if he found the wound in his chest absurd.
“Hoow!”
Darkhan let out a cheer that sounded almost like a scream.
“What was that sword! When I recover, use it on me too!”
He waved his hand vigorously as if Glenn were a friend.
“Hmm….”
However, Glenn’s expression was not good.
‘I used that with the intention of killing him.’
Even though he had not opened his Sword Field Creation or used the Heart Sword, it was shocking that Derus had survived after Glenn had unleashed his full swordsmanship.
‘He’s really grown stronger.’
Derus had grown even more than when Glenn saw him in Owen. It was martial prowess that could even reach Glenn if he let his guard down. It seemed he possessed a growth rate capable of rivaling even Raon, whose talent was the greatest of all ages.
‘Then I have no choice.’
Glenn raised Heavenly Tremor and pointed it at Derus’s heart.
Gooooh!
The will infused into his sword reached the heavens and released a colorless light.
Uuuuung!
Just as Glenn was about to unleash the Heart Sword to sever Derus’s Soul—
“Heart Sword won’t work!”
Darkhan screamed loud enough to burst his throat.
“Hmm….”
Glenn’s concentration, which had been guiding the Heart Sword, was broken by Darkhan’s voice, which struck like a bursting drum.
Pwaaaaang!
Derus did not miss that opening. He shattered a glass bead and opened a pure white glowing Dimension.
“Let’s call it a day for today.”
He immediately stepped back, trying to enter the white Dimension.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
Glenn bent his knees forward and hurled Heavenly Tremor. Darkhan’s warning that Heart Sword would not work still lingered in his mind, forcing him to unleash Sky Piercing Thunder – Heaven’s Emperor once more.
Pwooooook!
Lightning slashed through space and carved a deep wound into Derus’s chest, so deep his ribs could be seen.
However, Derus did not stop at defending himself. He swung his sword upward, burning with Deathly Energy.
Piiiiik!
A black line was drawn across the back of Glenn’s hand, and crimson blood trickled down.
“You feel it too. How itchy….”
Derus disappeared into the white Dimension with a gurgling laugh.
“…the wound on the back of your hand is.”
He vanished together with the white Dimension, leaving behind words that they would meet again soon.
“Darkhan.”
Glenn turned toward Darkhan, frowning.
“Why did you interfere?”
“Because it’s pointless unless you’re ready to sacrifice your life.”
Darkhan shook his head and let out a heavy breath.
“What do you mean…”
“Thanks to you, I was able to enter the realm of the Heart Sword. It was a little different, but when I used it on that bastard….”
He told Glenn everything that had happened while fighting Derus.
“A Soul so powerful that it shattered the Mental World created by the Heart Sword for battle….”
Glenn narrowed his eyes deeply as he looked at Darkhan.
‘Darkhan couldn’t have seen it wrong.’
Darkhan had grown strong enough to point his sword at Glenn himself. There was no way a swordsman of that level would misread another’s Soul.
‘Then that means Derus’s enormous Soul is real.’
If Darkhan’s Mental World had been shattered solely by the sheer size of that Soul, then it was highly likely that even Glenn’s own Heart Sword would be unable to sever Derus’s Soul.
“Eyes blooming from a black shadow….”
Glenn frowned as he looked at the place where Derus had disappeared.
‘What in the world is that bastard’s true nature?’
He had seen many monsters that absorbed other people’s Souls, but he had never once heard of an existence that carried a Soul larger than its own.
Just hearing Darkhan’s words sent an inexplicable chill down his spine.
“Haa….”
Glenn let out a heavy sigh.
‘It bothers me that he’s fixated on Raon.’
For some reason, Derus showed both acknowledgment and obsession toward Raon. It was unsettling that such an unidentified monster was keeping its eyes on him.
‘I want to eliminate him, but….’
The situation ahead was unpredictable.
The Heavenly Demon and Derus seemed to walk together, yet their paths were different.
Glenn wanted to cut down both monsters himself and remove the threats entirely, but it did not seem that simple.
“Hoo….”
As Glenn sighed, Darkhan twitched a hand.
“Hey, help me up.”
Darkhan stretched out his hand and asked to be helped up.
“…….”
Glenn looked at Darkhan’s black eyepatch, then grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
“I never thought I’d be taking your hand to stand up.”
Darkhan chuckled, saying it felt strange.
“Same here.”
Glenn nodded calmly as he supported the staggering Darkhan.
“Princess Jaina. Can you open the door again?”
He supported Ogram with his left arm as well and looked at Jaina.
“It’s possible. But it’ll take a little time.”
Jaina looked at the severely injured Ogram and Darkhan and nodded, saying she would open it somehow.
Uuuuung!
As if all the effort she had accumulated until now had borne fruit, she opened another blue-burning Dimension Door in less than ten minutes.
“The Saintess and Saint of the Ragged Cloth are at the White Blood Cult, so I connected it there.”
Jaina pointed toward the Dimension Door with a pale, drained face.
“Thank you.”
Glenn nodded to Jaina and was about to step into the Dimension Door.
“Hey.”
Darkhan raised a finger toward Glenn.
“When I recover, let’s have a match.”
“It will take a long time for your martial prowess to recover. Considering what happened to you, your power may never return.”
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Darkhan.
“That may indeed be the case. But there is always a way.”
Darkhan shook his head as if telling Glenn not to worry.
“What way?”
Glenn narrowed his eyes curiously.
“I learned the Heart Sword by gouging out my eye, so if I cut off a leg, won’t my martial prowess return too?”
Darkhan rubbed his own thigh seriously, as if he truly meant it.
“Hah.”
Glenn felt that Darkhan’s words were not false and let out a hollow breath.
“So? Will you fight?”
Darkhan tilted his chin, asking for an answer.
“Fine.”
Glenn nodded calmly.
“If you live, and if I am still alive….”
He stepped into the Dimension Door Jaina had opened, drawing a faint smile.
“Let’s have a proper match.”
===
Cough!
As soon as Derus came out of the Dimension Door made of Divine Power, he vomited pitch-black dead blood.
‘That Glenn Zieghart is always the real deal.’
He touched the crimson-burning wound in his chest and let out intermittent groans.
“Master.”
Kubara’s face was calm, but she seemed inwardly startled as she rushed to Derus and covered him in white light.
However, the wound Glenn had left only widened, ignoring the Divine Power Kubara poured over it.
“What kind of wound is this….”
Kubara let out a hollow breath as she looked at the sword scar that even Divine Power could not heal.
“Could Darkhan wield such a sword?”
“It wasn’t Darkhan.”
Derus wiped the blood staining the corner of his mouth with a trembling hand.
“Glenn Zieghart. The Northern Extermination King came himself.”
He frowned as he looked at the crystal orb on the desk.
“That stupid bastard. If he was going to stop him, he should’ve stopped him to the end!”
Derus cursed the Heavenly Demon as he ground his teeth.
“How is that matter progressing?”
Derus forcibly closed his wound and turned his gaze to Kubara.
“That is progressing even better than expected.”
Kubara lowered her chin, saying there was nothing to worry about.
“But right now, we need to think about treatment first. I will open the Divine Power chamber at once.”
“No.”
As she stood and turned, Derus waved his hand.
“Open the Meditation Chamber first.”
Derus straightened his back and leaned on his sword.
“Huh? The Meditation Chamber, right now?”
Kubara swallowed dryly. It was bewildering, because Derus had always been someone who prioritized his Physical Body above all else.
“Thanks to consuming Darkhan’s Mental World, a staircase has descended before me as well.”
Derus’s lips twisted upward.
“A high and lofty staircase to ascend to the Heart Sword!”
===
“Umm….”
Raon opened his eyes at the sound of something bizarre ringing in his ears.
》”Please! Please! Please!”
‘What’s so noisy….’
As he frowned, something swished right past his eyes.
‘What is that?’
He opened his eyes wide and looked more closely. Wrath, wearing a white headband, was swinging a blue staff and spinning it round and round above his head.
“What are you doing?”
Raon couldn’t help but part his dry lips.
》”Can’t you tell just by looking?”
‘I’m asking because I can’t.’
》”I’m praying to the Demon God!”
Wrath made a devout expression, saying he was offering prayers to the Demon God.
“You don’t mean….”
Raon raised a brow.
“You were praying for me to wake up safe? Wrath….”
》”What nonsense are you spouting!”
Wrath shook his head wildly, saying that was absurd.
》”You were going to wake up healthy anyway, so I was praying for all the rewards you’d get for annihilating the White Blood Cult to be ruined!”
The little guy waved the hand holding the staff and said he had been praying nonstop for four days.
“Haa….”
Raon looked at the sight and let out a heavy sigh.
‘I’m already tired the moment I wake up.’
As he muttered that he was tired and shook his head, a blue message began to float before his eyes.
[You have achieved a great feat that will remain in history.]
[All stats increase by 100 points.]
However, the message was only two lines long.
》”Ooh! O Demon God!”
Wrath spread both arms and cheered, saying his prayers had been answered.
》”A hundred points still hurts to the bone, but I can endure at least this much!”
The little guy grinned smugly, saying his days of prayer had not been wasted.
“Hmm, there’s no way an achievement on this scale would end with only two lines….”
Just as Raon narrowed his eyes and was about to look at the message again—
Uuuuung!
The blue message, which had only been two lines, suddenly surged upward like an erupting volcano.
[You have achieved a great feat that will remain in history.]
[All stats increase by 100 points.]
[New trait….]
[Trait….]
[Trait….]
[Title….]
[….]
The blue messages rose past Wrath, who was floating in the air, and reached all the way to the ceiling. Looking at it now, it seemed the messages had only been delayed because there was too much information.
》”Ah….”
Wrath stared blankly at the messages, too many to take in at a glance, his mouth hanging open.
“Looks like your prayers were useless?”
Raon pointed at the messages and smiled brightly.
》”Why…. Why won’t you grant this king’s wish!”
Wrath seemed genuinely enraged as he threw away the staff in his hand.
》”You damned Demon God bastard!”
Gasp!
Raon covered his mouth with his hand as if making a fuss.
‘Th-that’s blasphemy, isn’t it? Aren’t you going to get divine punishm….’
》”Shut up, I’m pissed!”