Chapter 786
[All stats have increased by 30 points.]
[The trait <Aura Manipulation> has been created.]
[The rank of the trait <Water Resistance> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Demonic Energy Adaptation> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Water Affinity> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Eye of Wrath> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Snowflower’s Veil> has increased.]
Raon swallowed dryly as he read the trait <Aura Manipulation> among the many messages filling the air.
‘Aura Manipulation?’
Aura was a unique energy that only Eden’s ghosts or top-tier monsters could wield. It was a power forbidden to humans. He had no idea why it had appeared in his status.
‘Wait… could it be?’
Closing his eyes, he recalled Murka’s final moments. The orc king had matured Sia’s soul to match her actual age and then transferred the remaining energy to him.
It seemed Murka hadn’t just elevated his soul—he had also granted him the power of aura.
‘Murka…’
Raon bit his lip deeply.
‘You really went all the way…’
Even after being betrayed by humans, Murka had bet his soul on trusting one again. He was a true king with an incredible spirit.
‘Thank you. And I’m sorry.’
Raon lowered his head in gratitude toward the presence of Murka lingering in his soul. Words of thanks were all he could offer.
– “A-Aura?! You even got aura?!”
Wrath’s eyes widened in disbelief as he read the message.
– “That damned orc! Why did he pass down aura too?! Even in the Demon Realm, only the Balrogs use it!”
He flailed his arms wildly, on the verge of losing his mind.
‘I don’t know either.’
Raon sighed and opened the details of <Aura Manipulation>.
<Aura Manipulation>
When emotions surge, the king’s aura residing in your soul is drawn out.
‘The king’s aura?’
It seemed that the aura Murka had passed down wasn’t an ordinary one.
‘But…’
The condition that required emotional upheaval troubled him. Since he didn’t feel any energy at the moment, it was likely impossible to use it in a calm state.
‘This will be difficult to utilize.’
– “You fool!”
Wrath clicked his tongue in exasperation.
– “Remember how the Wrath you use so naturally now was once uncontrollable? Cough!”
He furrowed his brows, insisting that just like anger, constant attempts would allow him to master it.
‘That’s true.’
Raon nodded at Wrath. Back when he first received Wrath’s power, it had been agonizing to the point of near death, but now he could wield it freely as if it were his own.
Since he had even absorbed the power of a Demon King, there was no reason he couldn’t make aura his own as well.
‘Thanks. You’re surprisingly helpful sometimes.’
Raon chuckled as he lightly patted Wrath’s head.
– “H-Helpful?! Ugh….”
Wrath trembled upon realizing he had just given advice.
– “I-I didn’t help you! You were just so dense that I had no choice! Cough!”
He vehemently denied it, turning his head sharply.
– “And if we’re done, hurry up and eat the ice cream!”
‘Just a bit more.’
Raon pushed the ice cream box aside and checked the previous reward messages.
[You have drawn out the true power of <Wrath>.]
[You have defeated an overwhelming opponent.]
[You have accomplished an impossible feat.]
[All stats have increased by 40 points.]
[The rank of the trait <Focus> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Snowflower’s Absorption> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Snowflower’s Lance> has increased.]
[The rank of the trait <Divine Power Blooming in Darkness> has increased.]
Since these rewards were from the war, the stat increase was a significant 40 points, and his traits had grown across the board.
‘This is great.’
– “Grrr….”
Raon glanced at Wrath, whose body was gradually turning into a trembling pink fluff like a cotton candy creature, and checked the final message.
[The title <Unyielding One> has been upgraded to <One Who Overcomes the Impossible>.]
<One Who Overcomes the Impossible>
A title granted to those who have defeated an opponent beyond their current capabilities.
Effect: When fighting an enemy stronger than yourself, your stats and presence are enhanced.
Thanks to killing the transcendent Fallen One, his previous title’s ability had strengthened.
– “This is ridiculous!”
Wrath snapped his jaw shut at the sight of the upgraded title.
– “You didn’t win that fight alone! You used my power! With my strength, even a small mutt could have taken down that masked bastard! Cough!”
He shook his head furiously in disbelief.
‘I admit it does feel a little unfair. But…’
Raon shrugged as he watched Wrath tremble in frustration.
‘It’s already mine. If you want it back, go ahead and try taking it.’
– “Arghhhh! You damned brat!”
As Wrath lunged at him with a shriek, Raon casually plopped a yellow pearl of ice cream into his mouth.
Hwaaa.
A refreshing chill spread, followed by the fragrant taste of mango and the sweet richness of banana.
Its texture was crisp and sherbet-like, making the fruit’s flavors even more pronounced.
– “Hoooooo…”
Wrath stopped mid-punch, collapsing like a deflated balloon.
– “The harmony of mango and banana is phenomenal. Whoever crafted this ice cream is a genius!”
He kneaded his own cheeks in delight, declaring that he would make the ice cream’s creator one of his subordinates. Of course, his ability to describe flavors was still horrendous.
‘Next…’
Raon picked up the mint chocolate pearl with white chocolate bits and took a bite.
‘Nothing special.’
Unfortunately, aside from the added white chocolate, the taste wasn’t much different. It was still the same sharp and bitter mint chocolate.
– “Nothing special?! The white chocolate makes the mint flavor even fresher and more refined!”
Wrath muttered that Raon was a tasteless fool, furrowing his brows.
‘Yeah, yeah. You’re the expert.’
Raon smirked and pointed at the remaining two ice cream pearls.
‘You’ve tried both now, so choosing should be easier. What will you have next?’
– “The classic never fails! Mint chocolate!”
Wrath waved his pudgy fists, urging Raon to eat faster.
‘Fine, fine.’
Listening to Wrath’s excitement, Raon finished the remaining two ice cream pearls and set the box down on the floor.
– “This is the joy of living! Without pearl ice cream, this king would not have existed!”
Wrath patted his now-round belly with satisfaction.
‘You couldn’t even choose at first, but now you’re decisive, huh?’
Raon tilted his head while sitting on his bed.
– “Ah, that reminds me. Because of that choice, there’s something I need to tell you.”
‘Something you need to tell me?’
– “Remember when I told you to sit anywhere in the dining hall?”
‘You’re still on about that? At the time, I had no choice…’
– “That’s not what I mean.”
Wrath shook his head, his eyes suddenly serious as if he had summoned his true form.
– “Someday, you might have to make a choice that involves their lives.”
‘What…?’
– “Those two old men. Or your mother and the pointy-eared one. Your father and your sister. One day, you might have to weigh two or three lives against each other on a scale.”
Raon swallowed dryly as he met Wrath’s ominous gaze.
– “You act like you have nothing to lose when throwing away your own life, but when it comes to your subordinates or family, you hesitate.”
Wrath lowered his chin, his glowing eyes dimming.
– “You’d better think about it carefully. Just like you said, life isn’t always full of happy moments.”
“……”
Raon fell into silent contemplation, absorbing Wrath’s final words.
—
Needing to clear his head, Raon decided to take a walk.
He was heading toward Bukmang Mountain when he spotted a lone figure by the lake.
It was Edgar. Raon had assumed he would be with Sylvia, but instead, he was near the water, swinging his sword.
‘Mystic Soul Swordsmanship…’
– “His swordplay is a little different from yours.”
Wrath yawned and shook his head.
‘That’s the original technique.’
Unlike Raon, who had learned swordsmanship through manuals, Edgar’s sword movements were alive, refined, and full of purpose.
Since it was a valuable learning opportunity, Raon quietly observed from a distance.
Whoosh!
Like searching for light in the darkness, Edgar’s majestic sword movements suddenly twisted unnaturally and struck the ground.
“Ugh….”
Edgar trembled, clutching his wrist, before falling to one knee.
“Are you alright?”
Raon rushed to his side, supporting him before he could collapse completely.
“I-I’m fine.”
Edgar forced an awkward smile and shook his head.
“That damned Death Knight suddenly interfered.”
He tapped his trembling wrist as if it were nothing and stood up.
“In that case, why not take this chance to purge the remnants of the Death Knight from your mind?”
Raon clenched his fist as he looked at Edgar.
“If you ask Merlin, she could easily—”
The moment he mentioned Merlin’s name, the lake split apart with a burst of blue light.
“Did someone call me?”
From the divided waters, Merlin emerged, clad in her black robe.
– “AIIIIEEEEE!”
Wrath, who had been lazily resting on Raon’s head, shrieked like a fish caught on a hook and leaped into the air.
– “That lunatic! She’s a real lunatic! This is insanity!”
Panicking, he dashed into the Frost Flower Bracelet, trembling in fear.
“Why are you…?”
Raon, just as startled as Edgar, took a step back, swallowing hard.
“I wasn’t sure when you’d call me, so I was waiting.”
Merlin flicked the water off her robe and beamed.
“H-Haha….”
Edgar let out an awkward laugh, his eyes darting around in disbelief.
“Don’t worry, Father-in-law. If I help you, this will be over in no time.”
Merlin licked her lips as she approached Edgar. The old woman’s mask she wore somehow made her even more terrifying.
“The magic I used on the young lady should work—”
“No.”
Edgar firmly shook his head, despite his evident fear.
“What? Why…?”
Raon asked in Merlin’s place, unable to comprehend.
“If the Death Knight’s soul still lingers in your mind, it must be uncomfortable.”
“I want to overcome it myself.”
Edgar clenched his fist and pounded his left chest.
“For decades, that Death Knight controlled my soul. It was incredibly powerful. To be honest, I’m still afraid of it.”
His eyelids trembled as he admitted his lingering fear.
“That’s exactly why I have to defeat it on my own. If I can’t even do this, I won’t be able to move forward.”
His determination resonated deeply. He wanted to conquer this fear himself, for the sake of protecting Sylvia and Sia.
“In that case, I understand.”
Raon smiled at Edgar and nodded.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Edgar grasped Raon’s hand, appreciating his support.
“Having a son suddenly appear in my life is a bit awkward, but I hope we can get along.”
“I look forward to it as well.”
Raon firmly shook Edgar’s hand—until a pale hand suddenly rested on top of theirs.
“I look forward to it, too. Father-in-law.”
Merlin grinned from beneath her mask, pressing both of their hands together.
“Haha…”
Edgar’s eyes darted around as he let out a hollow laugh.
“Son. What in the world did you do?”
He frantically signaled with his chin, begging Raon to fix this.
“……”
Raon simply closed his eyes tightly.
—
Late at night, when everyone else had fallen asleep, Raon sat alone in the training grounds, attempting to draw out the aura residing in his soul.
But the aura did not respond to his will.
Rumble!
Instead, thanks to Wrath, his rapidly growing anger surged uncontrollably.
– “Hmm?”
Sensing the disturbance, Wrath rubbed his eyes and emerged from the bracelet.
– “What are you doing? Are you picking a fight with this king?”
He narrowed his eyes, ready to throw hands.
‘No, it’s just… the aura won’t move.’
– “Aura?”
Wrath scoffed and looked at Raon.
– “How do you expect to draw out aura when all you’re doing is stoking your anger?”
‘It’s only out of control because my anger has grown thanks to someone.’
Raon lowered his hand, explaining that he hadn’t intended to draw out Wrath’s power in the first place.
Fwoooosh!
As he resonated with the Ring of Fire to elevate his soul’s rank, the rampaging anger gradually settled down.
– “No matter how many times I see it, that ability is freakish. Cough.”
Wrath grumbled, clearly irritated.
Once Raon had fully suppressed the outburst of Wrath’s energy, he tried to manipulate his aura again—but it still didn’t budge.
‘This isn’t easy.’
– “Don’t even think about saying weak things!”
Wrath scowled, scrunching his nose.
– “You wield my Wrath as if it’s second nature, yet you struggle with something as trivial as aura? Cough!”
He clenched his teeth, demanding that Raon forcefully drag the power out.
‘You’ve got a point.’
Raon chuckled. Hearing Wrath bark orders at him only made him more determined to succeed.
‘First, I should loosen up a bit.’
His stats had increased by a total of 70 points in a short period. To fully adjust to his improved physique, it was best to start with sword training.
As he was about to move on from basic sword drills to Fangs of Insanity, the door to the training grounds opened, and Rektor walked in.
“Rek— Ah, Grandfather.”
Raon lowered Azure Sky Sword and bowed his head to Rektor.
“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Rektor shook his head, unconcerned.
“I had a hard time getting used to it at first, too.”
He smiled gently, as if fully understanding Raon’s hesitation.
“Ah, yes.”
Raon nodded. While Glenn had become familiar to him as Grandfather, it was still difficult to naturally call Rektor or Edgar by their familial titles.
“Were you training your sword?”
“Yes. Since my body is in better condition, I wanted to resume training.”
“That’s a good mindset. A swordsman must adapt to his body, not just his sword.”
Rektor nodded approvingly and stepped back, signaling for Raon to continue.
After bowing to Rektor in acknowledgment, Raon unleashed a sequence of techniques: Fangs of Insanity, Snowflower Swordsmanship, Azure Sky Sword, and Mystic Soul Swordsmanship before finally lowering Azure Sky Sword.
His body felt lighter than ever, allowing his sword techniques to flow faster and more precisely. The realization of his growth made him smile instinctively.
“Mystic Soul Swordsmanship has reached a solid level. It’s coming together nicely.”
“…I made some improvements after observing my father’s technique.”
“That foolish brat—if nothing else, he does have talent in swordsmanship.”
Rektor nodded, satisfied with what Raon had learned.
“I also saw some unfamiliar techniques. You’ve worked hard.”
“Lord Glenn advised me to observe and master as many sword styles as possible, so I’ve been striving to learn as much as I can.”
“In that case, there’s a perfect place for you.”
A smirk crept onto Rektor’s lips, as if he had caught Raon at just the right moment.
“Would you be interested in going there?”
