TRAIGS - Chapter 761

“What is that?”

Raon leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the red and blue metal spheres.

‘It’s not Gold Vein Metal.’

The metals had a similar feel to Gold Vein Metal, a substance known for amplifying all energy, but their colors were different.

“You don’t recognize it, do you?”

Balkan chuckled knowingly, as if he had expected this.

“This red one is Crimson Blaze Metal, which amplifies heat, and the blue one is Ice Crystal Metal, which enhances cold.”

He held up the spheres as he named them.

“They may not amplify all energies like Gold Vein Metal, but when it comes to fire and ice, they’re unparalleled.”

Balkan nodded as if confirming they would suit Raon perfectly.

“Of course, I also have Gold Vein Metal.”

He shrugged as he pulled out a piece of Gold Vein Metal from the same aged box.

“…How did you even get your hands on all this?”

Raon let out a soft laugh as he stared at the rare metals Balkan was holding.

‘Did he conquer a dungeon or something?’

These treasures were hard to find even with endless money, and the Crimson Blaze Metal and Ice Crystal Metal were completely unfamiliar to him, making them all the more intriguing.

“I received them.”

Balkan shook his head, dismissing it as no big deal.

“You received them? These metals?”

“Yes. An anonymous benefactor occasionally leaves them here.”

Balkan glanced at the sky outside his workshop, a faint smile on his lips.

“An anonymous benefactor….”

Raon wondered about the identity of someone who would donate such treasures without asking for a sword in return.

“Strangely enough, this benefactor always shows up either when you’re here or right before you arrive.”

Balkan smirked as he wagged a finger.

“Before I arrive….”

Raon pursed his lips. Only one person came to mind after hearing that.

“Well, enough about that.”

Balkan set the Heavenly Drive aside and gestured toward Raon.

“You seem like you’ve got something on your mind.”

“How did you notice?”

Raon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Your sword told me.”

Balkan explained that a swordsman’s turmoil always reflects in their blade, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“Even if you don’t tell me, you should at least steady your mind.”

He clicked his tongue as he stoked the forge’s fire.

“If you waver, your sword will break as well.”

Balkan’s gaze was firm, urging Raon to regain his composure.

“Haa….”

Raon sighed briefly and sat on an old chair in front of the table.

“This might take a while. Please have a seat.”

“Hmm.”

Balkan nodded curtly and sat across from him.

“Actually….”

Raon began to recount everything that had happened and the thoughts troubling him as he sought a way to reach transcendence.

“That’s such a trivial worry.”

Balkan snorted, a hint of amusement in his tone.

“Excuse me?”

Raon blinked, surprised by Balkan’s bluntness. The smith wasn’t usually one to dismiss such matters.

“Do you remember what kind of swordsman you said you wanted to become?”

Balkan tilted his chin slightly, waiting for Raon’s answer.

“I said….”

“You said, ‘I want to be a swordsman who never breaks, no matter what or who I face.’”

Before Raon could fully recall, Balkan recited the words flawlessly. He hadn’t forgotten a single word of the vow Raon had made in the charcoal furnace.

“It was the first time I’d heard such a bold declaration from a kid, so I remembered it well.”

Balkan smiled faintly as he stroked the Heavenly Drive’s blade.

“I always thought your goal was harder than becoming the greatest warrior. In this world, even the most talented and determined people can meet sudden deaths. But….”

He nodded vigorously, increasing the forge’s heat.

“You’ve been living up to that goal. You defeated the Axe King, saved Glenn Zieghart, and exposed Derus Robert’s true identity.”

Balkan slapped his hand on the table with satisfaction.

“You’ve been becoming the swordsman you vowed to be—one who never breaks before anyone. Who else could have brought Derus Robert to ruin like you did?”

“That’s because…”

Raon began to say it was all luck, but Balkan cut him off.

“Should Raon Zieghart, who shocked the continent, ascend to transcendence in an ordinary way? If you want to remain unbroken, then it’s perfectly fine to bring everything with you.”

Balkan grinned, echoing Glenn’s earlier words. It seemed those who stood at the peak shared a similar perspective.

“…You’re right.”

Raon nodded heavily.

‘I vowed from the beginning to never break.’

Exposing Derus Robert and elevating Sylvia to a direct line—both goals had once seemed laughably impossible.

But he had accomplished them all and reached the upper limits of the Grandmaster stage.

Having achieved what once seemed unattainable, he felt confident that reaching transcendence while holding onto everything wasn’t impossible either.

“If I want to remain unbroken, I can’t be ordinary.”

“Now you’ve got the right look in your eyes.”

Balkan clapped his hands loudly, satisfied.

“You remind me of the boy who believed in himself even when he couldn’t manifest aura for months.”

He smiled faintly, as if reminiscing about the charcoal furnace days.

“I won’t forget this again.”

Raon bowed his head in gratitude.

“Enough of that. Let’s get to work….”

Just as Balkan was about to begin, the workshop door opened, and a middle-aged man with a smoking pipe entered. It was Balkan’s son, Haren.

“Raon? What brings you here?”

Haren removed his pipe with a rough motion and walked over.

“I heard Master Balkan had returned, so I came to entrust the Heavenly Drive to him.”

Raon greeted Haren with a polite bow, saying it had been a while.

“Is that so? Then I’ll help too!”

Haren smiled, moving to stand beside Balkan.

“Father, let me assist you!”

“No.”

Balkan shook his head firmly.

“What? But you said I’ve trained enough to sell swords now…!”

Haren’s eyes widened, clearly surprised by his father’s refusal.

“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t. Just watch and see what your role truly is.”

Balkan’s voice was calm, not angry, but it carried a deeper meaning.

“Ah…!”

Haren looked around the workshop, glancing at Balkan, Raon, and the surroundings before letting out a low sigh.

“I understand.”

He put down his pipe and nodded, his eyes showing newfound determination.

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“Haren?”

“Raon, wait here.”

With a wink, Haren left the workshop. His back, broadened by countless hours of hammering, now seemed even wider than Balkan’s.

“What’s going on…?”

“Don’t mind him. Focus your energy on these metals.”

Balkan gestured toward the Crimson Blaze Metal, Ice Crystal Metal, and Gold Vein Metal on the table.

“Understood.”

Raon nodded and picked up the three metals at once.

‘Goooong!’

He channeled his energy, starting with the Ring of Fire, followed by the Radiant Flow, Glacier, and even the power he had gained from the Sword Sovereign.

‘Let’s go a bit further.’

Having observed Karoon harnessing emotions and intent during their battle, Raon added his own accumulated emotions and intentions into the metals.

“Perfect.”

Balkan watched as the metals trembled, resonating with Raon’s energy.

“We can start right away.”

He tossed the Gold Vein Metal into the blazing furnace and began pumping the bellows.

‘Fwoosh!’

The flames, fueled by the best charcoal available, roared to life with incredible intensity, resembling a volcanic eruption.

“Just breathe like you did that day. That’s all you need to do.”

“Understood.”

Raon bit his lip and stood before the furnace, enduring the searing heat that pricked at his skin. He activated the Ring of Fire and Radiant Flow.

‘It’s not about raw power right now.’

This was a time to refine his direction, not just grow stronger.

‘Clang!’

The hammer’s rhythmic strikes seemed to resonate with his energy, echoing in harmony.

Raon closed his eyes and focused entirely on Balkan’s transcendental hammering.

‘Let’s revisit my roots.’

Although he had mastered countless energies and sword techniques, his foundations remained the Ring of Fire and Radiant Flow.

These two energies had formed the bedrock of his abilities, shaping the vessel that even Glenn had marveled at.

To ascend to transcendence while carrying everything he valued, he needed to strengthen those roots.

‘Hoo….’

As Raon and Balkan worked side by side in the glow of the same fire, the rounded workshop was filled only with the resounding clang of a craftsman’s hammer and the steady breathing of a swordsman.

—

“No way….”

Rimmer stared at the smoky haze rising from Balkan’s workshop before turning around.

“If you’re going to help him, just be open about it!”

He frowned at Glenn, who stood behind him.

“You tell him to go to Mirthan, then secretly give Balkan the Gold Vein Metal? Why keep it a secret?”

Glenn, having noticed Raon’s struggle with transcendence, had visited Mirthan earlier to hand the three metals to Balkan. He’d even casually claimed to have “picked them up along the way.”

Rimmer couldn’t understand why Glenn went out of his way to help Raon yet insisted on secrecy.

“Well, the other kids might get jealous.”

Glenn cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

“After Karoon’s change, no one’s that petty anymore!”

Rimmer shook his head firmly.

“Even if someone was, they wouldn’t dare say a word. Not with Karoon and Balder around to shut them down!”

He stomped his foot, emphasizing how much Zieghart had changed.

“Honestly, you’re not the King of the North. You’re the King of Excuses.”

Rimmer sighed loudly, clicking his tongue in exasperation.

“That’s why Raon doesn’t call you grandfather.”

“Did you see something?”

“See what? It’s obvious. If you just told him to call you grandfather, it’d all be solved….”

“That’s not it.”

Glenn slowly shook his head.

“That title only holds meaning if Raon uses it of his own will.”

That was why he hadn’t asked Raon to call him grandfather at Bukmang Mountain. Glenn wanted the title to come from Raon’s heart, not be forced upon him.

“Then at least tell him you gave him the metals!”

Rimmer shouted in frustration.

“Well, that’s….”

“Ugh, seriously. This is infuriating. Think things through, would you?”

Rimmer tapped his temple, as if trying to jolt Glenn’s logic into place.

“This is why people call you a relic from the backroom—”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Gah!”

Rimmer’s complaint was cut short by Sheryl’s kick, which sent him flying through the air.

“I’m going to die here! You maniacal woman… Ahhh!”

His screams echoed as he plummeted down the cliff.

“…….”

Sheryl watched Rimmer disappear into the mist before stepping back beside Glenn.

“I agree with you, Patriarch. Forced titles are meaningless. However….”

She glanced toward the cliff’s edge, narrowing her eyes.

“Like that idiot said, it wouldn’t hurt to tell Raon about the metals.”

“…Then why did you kick him?”

“He was noisy.”

Sheryl brushed off her hands as if it was self-evident.

“Fair enough.”

Glenn nodded in agreement, his expression unchanging.

“What about Raon?”

Sheryl exhaled softly as she looked at Balkan’s workshop, where heat shimmered like a mirage.

“He won’t become stronger or gain immediate insight, but….”

Glenn smiled faintly as he watched the synchronized rhythm of Raon and Balkan’s breathing.

“It seems he’s building the vessel needed to achieve that enlightenment.”

—

Two days later.

The searing heat that had poured endlessly from Balkan’s workshop finally ceased.

When the hammering stopped, Raon slowly opened his eyes.

‘Clear.’

Unlike the workshop, which had been filled with smoke, dust, and intense heat, his mind felt calm and transparent, like the surface of a tranquil garden pond.

It was as if the worries that had clouded his thoughts had been washed away by rain.

-‘Finally, it’s over?’

Wrath stretched and let out a long sigh.

-‘I was dying of boredom!’

He shook his head in disbelief, wondering how Raon had managed to stay still for two whole days.

‘I wasn’t just standing still….’

Raon chuckled softly as he tapped his temple lightly.

‘I was refining my heart and mind.’

-‘Fair enough.’

Wrath looked at Raon closely, narrowing his gaze.

-‘You seem… different.’

He nodded, recognizing that the change in Raon went beyond mere strength.

Raon lowered his gaze, taking in the sight of the Heavenly Drive resting on the anvil where Balkan had tirelessly hammered away.

Though it was the same sword he had wielded countless times, there was now something new about it.

‘A red and blue line?’

The elegant and noble blade remained as it had been, but two distinct lines were etched along the sword’s body—one red, one blue.

It was clear that the Crimson Blaze Metal, Ice Crystal Metal, and Gold Vein Metal had seamlessly merged into the blade.

“Phew!”

Balkan straightened his back with a groan. Though he looked as if he had aged ten years, his eyes sparkled with satisfaction and pride as they lingered on the Heavenly Drive.

“Take it.”

Balkan carefully wiped the blade with a clean cloth and handed it to Raon.

“This is the new Heavenly Drive. It’ll hold firm even if you waver.”

He gently shook the sword toward Raon, urging him to take it.

“Ah….”

Raon carefully accepted the Heavenly Drive, treating it as if it were a fragile child.

‘It feels like my arm has grown longer.’

As his hand gripped the hilt, it felt as though the sword had fused with his own body. It was as if his arm had been extended, not just holding a weapon.

‘Gooong!’

Raon raised the Heavenly Drive upright and activated the Ring of Fire, the sound of Balkan’s hammering still resonating in his mind.

‘Fwoosh!’

When he channeled Radiant Flow, the red line along the blade ignited, engulfing the sword in a vivid crimson flame.

‘Is this amplification?’

As Balkan had assured him, the Crimson Blaze Metal embedded in the Heavenly Drive amplified the heat beyond anything Raon had experienced. It felt as if the sword itself was alive with fire.

“How is it?”

Balkan tilted his chin knowingly.

“It’s perfect.”

Raon nodded as he watched the flames dance along the blade.

‘I feel unshakable.’

Just as Balkan had said, even if his will faltered, he felt certain this sword would never break. The word “perfect” was the only way to describe it.

-‘Hmph….’

Wrath inspected the Heavenly Drive from every angle, his lips pursed.

-‘It’s almost too good for someone like you.’

Coming from Wrath, this was as good as the highest praise.

“Is that so.”

Balkan chuckled, drinking his now cold alcohol with satisfaction.

“Thank you.”

Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive and bowed deeply to Balkan.

“You’ve helped me from the start until now….”

“Stop with the groveling.”

Balkan furrowed his brow and waved his hand dismissively.

“I’ve benefited too, you know.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Every time you win a fight, more people come to me asking for swords. Just recently, a Grandmaster showed up.”

He clicked his tongue, explaining how requests for his swords had only grown over time.

“And did you make them swords?”

“Why would I make swords for a bunch of brats?”

“No, of course not.”

“Exactly. I didn’t even open the door for them.”

Balkan shook his head firmly, as if to dismiss the very idea.

“Then how is that helping you?”

“This village doesn’t belong to me alone, does it?”

He spread his hands, gesturing to Mirthan Village below the workshop.

“The ones I turned away went to other smiths, asking them for swords. It’s brought new life to the village.”

Balkan rotated his wrist, chuckling softly.

“Your achievements have led to this village’s prosperity, so I have to thank you.”

He refused to accept payment for the repairs, citing this as his reason.

“Even so….”

“I always stick to my word. You know that, right?”

Balkan dismissed Raon’s protests with a swig of his drink.

“I understand.”

Raon smiled faintly as he stepped back. Balkan was a man of his word, even to a young apprentice, and there was no changing his mind.

“In that case, at least allow me to thank you properly.”

Raon gave a formal salute with the sword before preparing to sheath it.

‘Boom!’

The workshop door swung open abruptly, and Haren entered, panting and holding a scabbard.

“I’m not too late, am I?”

“Haren?”

“A new scabbard.”

Haren proudly held up a scabbard adorned with a dragon’s head motif.

“Did you make this yourself?”

“Of course. Who else would’ve made it?”

He huffed, as if the question were unnecessary.

“Hmph. A scabbard, huh? Who do you think you are?”

Balkan approached skeptically to inspect the scabbard.

“Hm…?”

Unlike his usual dismissive attitude, Balkan raised an eyebrow as he examined the work.

“How is it? Pretty good, right?”

Haren straightened his back, clearly brimming with pride.

“Not bad at all.”

Balkan nodded, a rare compliment from the master smith. It was clear that the scabbard was exceptionally well-made.

“Yesss!”

Haren shouted triumphantly, raising his arms in victory. Being acknowledged by his father, a master craftsman, was a monumental moment for him.

“So that’s what….”

Raon murmured. It seemed the task Balkan had given Haren earlier was to create this scabbard.

“Try it out.”

Haren eagerly gestured for Raon to sheath the Heavenly Drive.

“Understood.”

Raon nodded and slid the sword into the scabbard.

‘Click.’

The blade fit perfectly, as if the sword and scabbard had always been one. It was a flawless match, crafted with remarkable precision.

“It’s a perfect fit. And it looks great, too.”

Raon smiled, bowing his head in gratitude. The dragon motif reminded him of Kaibar, the Radiant Dragon, making it even more special.

“But the true value of that scabbard isn’t its durability or design.”

Haren chuckled, tilting his head proudly.

“You don’t mean…!”

“That scabbard….”

Before Haren could finish, Balkan glared at him.

“It has a special ability!” Haren declared, raising a finger dramatically.