TRAIGS - Chapter 764

A roar filled the air as the Dual-Headed Ogre gazed at the Green King, who stood as if controlling the souls of the monsters, and rubbed its hands together.

‘That one’s the real deal.’

Unlike the previous Green King, who excelled solely in controlling monsters and often stayed in the background, this young girl was different.

‘Her talent is unparalleled.’

Her ability to dominate monsters and her skill in combat were extraordinary, easily comparable to the greatest talents of any era.

People said Raon Zieghart possessed the greatest talent in history, but this girl seemed to rival him in every way.

‘No wonder she caught his eye.’

Originally, the Green King should have been another pawn for the Fallen One. But upon witnessing her talent, the Heavenly Demon had personally taken her in and trained her.

That fact alone proved her talent was beyond question.

“And on top of that…”

The Dual-Headed Ogre licked its lips as it glanced at the lion-engraved sword and moon-shaped earrings the Green King wielded.

‘With those artifacts, she’s practically unstoppable.’

Earlier, the Green King, the Dual-Headed Ogre, and the Silent Blade had successfully conquered the dungeon of a legendary swordsman who had reached transcendence 500 years ago.

Endless traps and battles had sharpened their skills, and after acquiring treasures, all four of them had grown significantly stronger. Together, they could likely face even a transcendent.

“How does it feel? Satisfied with yourself?”

The Dual-Headed Ogre grinned mockingly at the Silent Blade, who stood behind them.

“Not that it matters to you anymore.”

“…”

The Silent Blade neither responded nor reacted, merely watching the Green King.

The flickering light in the Silent Blade’s helmet seemed to carry joy, sorrow, and despair all at once.

“…”

Without sparing the Dual-Headed Ogre a glance, the Silent Blade moved forward protectively, positioning itself closer to the Green King.

“I didn’t cut out your tongue, so why don’t you speak?”

The Dual-Headed Ogre clicked its tongue, watching the Silent Blade stride forward.

“What did the Fallen One tamper with?”

Though it was aware that the Fallen One had implanted “something special” in both the Silent Blade and the Green King, their recent behavior suggested even their minds had been altered.

“Truly, a wretched being to deal with.”

The Dual-Headed Ogre glanced at the Silent Blade’s sheathed sword before shaking its head in disapproval.

“…”

The Green King strengthened her control over the monsters before turning back to the Dual-Headed Ogre, her calm gaze silently asking what their next move would be.

“Hmmm…”

The Dual-Headed Ogre swept its gaze over the massive army of monsters, too vast to comprehend even with its sharp senses, before focusing on the distant horizon.

“Leaving an army like this behind would be a waste.”

It smirked as it noticed faint lights flickering far away.

“We can crush them on our way.”

“…”

At the Green King’s raised hand, the monstrous horde began advancing, their heavy footsteps shaking the earth.

Their target: the Arian family, which had once defied death itself.

‘Boom.’

—

The soft crackling of the campfire flickered in Raon’s eyes as he gazed at it with a faint smile.

– “Ah, I see you’re thinking the same thing as this king!”

Wrath nodded grandly, as if Raon’s thoughts were obvious.

‘And what are you thinking?’

– “That roasting fresh fish over these flames would feel like heaven! Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

Wrath waved his hands animatedly, emphasizing his point.

‘We ate less than two hours ago…’

– “The king’s digestion is already complete!”

Wrath tilted his chin up, declaring that the appetite of a demon king should never be underestimated.

‘You’re not a Demon King of Gluttony.’

Raon chuckled softly. Despite having eaten a hearty meal earlier, it seemed insufficient for the self-proclaimed Demon King of Wrath.

– “If it’s not hunger, then what are you thinking about?”

‘I was thinking about how to use fire to grow stronger.’

– “Fire?”

‘Yes.’

Having resolved to reach transcendence without overlooking anything, Raon wanted to maximize his mastery of both the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.

– “You’re as greedy as this king’s appetite.”

Wrath waved dismissively, comparing Raon to the Demon King of Greed.

‘I don’t like him.’

Unlike Sloth or Gluttony, whom Raon found tolerable, he had no desire to associate with Greed.

– “At least you have taste. The only true Demon King is this king! Though I must admit, Pride has its merits… hmm.”

Wrath clicked his tongue briefly, begrudgingly acknowledging Pride’s strength despite his dislike.

‘Is that so.’

Raon found it amusingly typical of Wrath. Just as he returned his gaze to the fire, a faint presence approached from behind.

“Lost in thought?”

Rimmer’s soft smile appeared as he sat across from Raon.

“There’s still time. Why are you already up?”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the still-dark sky. Rimmer, whose turn it was to keep watch, had gotten up early.

“Couldn’t sleep, so I came out first.”

Rimmer waved it off, claiming that old age reduced the need for sleep.

“Well, I suppose you’ve rested plenty.”

Raon clicked his tongue. As expected, Rimmer had been late to the mission’s departure. Truly remarkable. Or perhaps, a typical elf.

“Hey! Everyone’s late sometimes. It’s part of life!”

“That’s only acceptable if those waiting decide to forgive you.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

Rimmer admitted it without hesitation, laughing heartily.

After exchanging a few jokes, both fell silent, staring into the fire.

“Raon.”

As one of the logs burned down completely, Rimmer broke the silence.

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you have any interest in becoming the head of the house?”

“What brings that up?”

“You’re in your early twenties, a direct descendant, and already at the peak of Grand Master level. While you may not surpass Karoon or Denier, you’re certainly on par with Balder. With your current status and power, it would be natural to desire the position of head of the house.”

Rimmer gestured with his fingers, mimicking crossed swords as he continued.

“Zieghart’s throne, the highest and most dignified crown among the Five Kings. So many crave it, yet you show no interest. It’s fascinating.”

He shrugged, clearly expecting an answer.

“I’m satisfied with my life as it is.”

Raon shook his head gently, his voice calm and firm.

In his past life, Raon had neither gained nor left behind anything before dying. That made the values he had achieved in this life a source of happiness.

He felt no particular ambition for the position of family head, unsure if he would even excel in such a role.

“Even if the family head’s position is lofty and grand, it means nothing if it doesn’t suit me.”

“Hmm, I can’t argue with that.”

Rimmer nodded, lowering his hand in agreement.

“And Zieghart’s throne holds its greatness because of the current head of the house.”

If Glenn were to disappear and someone else were to take his place, Zieghart might retain its place among the Five Kings but would lose its reputation as the continent’s strongest faction.

The name Glenn Zieghart carried overwhelming weight.

“True, Zieghart exists as it does today because of the head of the house.”

Rimmer nodded again, clearly in agreement.

“But I think you could grow Zieghart even more than the current head of the house.”

“That’s absolutely not…”

“You may not know this, but the head of the house was trembling when he first took the throne.”

Rimmer chuckled, glancing upward as if recalling a memory.

“Really?”

Raon blinked, struggling to believe Glenn had ever been nervous.

“He couldn’t even give proper orders, and he stuttered when he spoke. Sheryl, Roenn, and I had to write his scripts and even iron his clothes. It was rough.”

Rimmer waved his hand, casually sharing something that would earn him a lightning strike if Glenn heard it.

“If that’s true, I’d like to see it.”

Raon’s lips curled into a subtle smile. Whether true or not, imagining Glenn flustered brought a natural smile to his face.

– “Then this king has won!”

Wrath raised his arms triumphantly.

– “Unlike that old man who eats Nadine bread, this king has excelled at everything from the start!”

He puffed out his chest, declaring himself the perfect monarch.

‘Snap!’

Raon flicked Wrath’s nose with his finger.

– “Ack! Why would you do that?”

Ignoring Wrath’s complaints, Raon turned back to Rimmer.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For encouraging me. That’s what you meant to do, right?”

“It’s just the truth.”

Though Rimmer’s expression carried a smile, his eyes gleamed with seriousness.

“I genuinely believe that if you became the head of the house, Zieghart would flourish beyond its current greatness.”

He tapped the sheath of his sword lightly and grinned.

“Seeing that happen has become my new goal.”

“I’ll think about it seriously.”

Hearing Rimmer speak with such conviction, Raon decided he needed to consider the role of head of the house more thoroughly.

“That’s all I ask.”

“But what if I remain uninterested in becoming the head of the house and choose to leave Zieghart?”

“Then I’ll follow you, of course.”

Rimmer laughed, clasping his hands behind his head.

“Where would you follow me? You need to stay in Zieghart!”

“A vice-captain who abandons his captain? Unthinkable. I’ll follow you, even in death!” (T/N: Again with the death flag! Please dont do it Author-nim!)

He raised his hand dramatically, as if pledging eternal loyalty.

“Do as you please.”

Raon turned his head with a sigh. Despite the embarrassment, he felt grateful for Rimmer’s steadfast support.

– “That pointy ears brat doesn’t know much, but he seems loyal.”

Wrath nodded as if reluctantly acknowledging Rimmer’s character.

“But…”

Rimmer pinched his thumb and forefinger together, forming a coin shape.

“You’ll pay me, right? You’re loaded, after all.”

He licked his lips, saying that with fewer benefits, his salary had better go up.

“…”

Raon’s gentle gaze cooled instantly.

—

Raon bit his lip as he looked toward the distant fortress of the Arian family.

Countless monster corpses were burning around the fortress walls.

The crackling sound resembled a campfire, but the foul stench unique to monsters wafted through the air.

“Ugh!”

Dorian let out a scream at the sight of the mountain of monster corpses piled behind the Arian family’s fortress.

“Are all those monster corpses? That’s way too many!”

He shuddered, his jaw trembling at the sight of so many dead monsters.

“I heard the battle hadn’t started yet. When did this happen…?”

Burren inspected the towering, burning piles of monster corpses, biting his lip.

“There are so many of them, and each one is huge.”

Martha ran her fingers along the corpses of orcs, much larger than usual.

“That means they aren’t ordinary.”

“And there are a lot of dead people too…”

Runaan sighed heavily, looking at the bodies of knights and soldiers who had fallen alongside the monsters.

“Look over there.”

Rimmer stood at the edge of a cliff, gesturing for Raon and the Light Wind Division to join him.

From the vantage point, they could see an endless sea of monsters resembling a green forest descending upon the fortress.

“That’s an enormous number. Whether it’s a king or Eden, this is no ordinary foe.”

Rimmer bit his lip, as if bracing for a grueling fight.

‘Rumble!’

Raon surveyed the fortress and walls of the Arian family.

The labored breaths of the knights and rangers, the twisted cries of the monsters, and the ceaseless clash of weapons echoed vividly.

The battle was already raging.

‘There’s no time.’

The monsters were not only vast in number but individually formidable. If left unchecked, the Arian family wouldn’t last even half a day.

“No detours. We descend the cliff and head straight to support the Arian family.”

To save as many lives as possible, Raon instructed them to carve a path directly across the cliff.

“Yes!”

The Light Wind Division’s sharp gazes burned with resolve, and the wind energy of the division began to rise beneath their feet.

“Light Wind Division, charge.”

At Raon’s command, Zieghart’s mightiest gale tore through the darkness.

—

‘Rumble!’

Despite the efforts to reinforce it, the fortress walls of the Arian family began to crack under the immense weight of the gathered monsters.

The sheer number of monsters was enough to damage the walls just by their presence.

But the walls weren’t the only problem. Massive orcs and other monsters climbed atop each other’s shoulders, embedding their claws into the walls to ascend higher.

‘Swoosh!’

The elite knights trained by the head of the Arian family blocked the paths, and the undefeated rangers rained arrows and bolts upon the monsters. Yet the monstrous tide showed no signs of stopping.

“Three trolls on the right!”

“Orcs have climbed up! Focus your arrows on the right side!”

“The left side too! An orc berserker has broken through!”

The knights dashed as if they had two bodies, slicing through the monsters scaling the walls. Yet, one by one, they fell, unable to overcome the overwhelming numbers.

“A t-troll is… Argh!”

A young knight who had rushed to support the left side was grabbed by a troll. Before he could even feel the pain, his body was crushed into pulp, his life snuffed out.

‘Slash!’

As the troll turned to leap off the wall to claim its next prey, a brilliant sword light flashed, splitting its head cleanly in two.

“Do not retreat!”

The head of the Arian family, Wendy Arian, had arrived. With a powerful swing of her aura-clad sword, she cleaved through the monsters that had scaled the walls.

“This is our home, our land! Protect it with your lives!”

Raising her glowing sword high, Wendy rallied the morale of the knights and soldiers.

“Follow the head of the family!”

“Hold the walls!”

“This is our last defense!”

“Pour oil and light the fire!”

Emboldened by Wendy’s leadership, the knights and soldiers shouted and stood against the monster horde, determined to defend the walls.

But the monsters showed no fear, climbing over the burning corpses of their fallen comrades as they pressed on.

“Argh!”

“The right wall has collapsed! Orcs are… Ack!”

“The central wall is severely cracked!”

As the knights’ stamina and aura depleted, the number of monsters scaling the walls increased steadily. Even Wendy, though a Master, could not protect everyone. One by one, the knights and soldiers were crushed by the monsters’ relentless assault.

“Damned beasts!”

Freka, the commander of the rangers, threw down her bow and drew her sword.

“First and second squads, follow me to the wall!”

The rangers abandoned their bows and engaged the monsters in hand-to-hand combat, desperately trying to hold the walls.

“Hold on a little longer! They must have limits—”

As Freka shouted to encourage her subordinates, a thunderous sound erupted from below the walls. The steel gates, unable to withstand the relentless pounding of the monsters, had finally given way.

‘Boom!’

Orcs, trolls, and ogres smashed their axes and clubs against the broken gates, widening the breach further.

‘Roar!’

Orcs forced their way into the fortress through the gaps, heedless of the pain as their flesh was torn by the jagged edges. They charged forward like maddened bulls.

“The bottom is breached!”

“Second squad, get down there and block the orcs!”

“Argh!”

The knights struggling to hold the walls, the soldiers defending the gates, and the endless wave of monsters clashing together turned the Arian family’s fortress into a chaotic battlefield. The stench of death thickened in the air.

“I’ll stop them!”

Freka leaped onto the back of an orc about to attack the soldiers and drove her sword into its neck.

Even as another orc’s fist struck her, she refused to let go of her sword.

“Ugh…”

Wendy trembled as she gripped her sword, watching the monsters converge from all sides.

‘What can I do?’

She had trained endlessly since becoming the head of the family to protect Arian, but no solution came to mind for this situation.

The gates had fallen in less than half a day, leaving her unsure of what to do.

‘The Light Wind Division won’t arrive until dawn…’

Even if Zieghart came as quickly as possible, they needed to hold out for five more hours, and she wasn’t confident they could survive until then.

‘But we have to endure.’

Hadn’t Raon and the Light Wind Division proven on this very ground that nothing was impossible?

This wasn’t the time for despair or fear—it was time to kill as many enemies as possible.

“Fight! Hold them off until our families can escape!”

Though Wendy rallied her subordinates and refused to retreat from the wall, the sheer number of orcs breaching the defenses overwhelmed the soldiers.

‘Damn it!’

Ultimately, Wendy had no choice but to abandon the wall and descend, cutting down orcs who had broken through the gates.

‘Boom!’

But the retreat had been a trap. Waiting ogres seized the opportunity, leaping onto the walls and swinging their boulder-like fists at the knights.

“Aah…”

Though Wendy rushed back to the wall, still trying to finish off the remaining orcs, her movements felt unbearably slow.

‘Please! Don’t let me be too late!’

She forced her legs to move and extended her sword, but it was still too far to reach.

‘No…’

The despair of being unable to save the knights, who felt more like her disciples than mere subordinates, gripped her heart.

‘Whoooosh!’

A warm yet fierce wind blew from behind her.

‘Slash!’

The wind swept across the fortress, erasing the foul stench of the monsters. In an instant, the heads of the orcs threatening the soldiers toppled to the ground.

‘Thud!’

It wasn’t just the orcs. The ogres that had scaled the walls to attack the knights were cleaved in half and fell from the walls with heavy thuds.

“Ah…”

Wendy swallowed dryly as she looked toward the center of the wall. There stood a swordsman clad in a black cloak. It was the man she had longed for amidst the grueling battle.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Raon Zieghart, the swordsman known as the Dragon Slayer and the Usurper, nodded heavily.

“Not a single one will get through. Rest for now.”

Raon raised the Heavenly Drive, pointing it at the tidal wave of monsters below the walls.

“Light Wind Division.”

At his low command, the Light Wind Division gathered behind him. Their presence emanated an eerie sense of unity, as though the entire unit had become a single blade.

“Erase them.”

As crimson lightning flashed in Raon’s eyes, Zieghart’s frigid winds tore through the monster horde.

‘Boom!’