Chapter 820v2

“Haa…”

Raon let out a hollow laugh as he stared at the door blazing with golden flame.

‘So this really was the answer?’

The flame beings who had wandered around the archive all day seemed to exist solely to open this door.

He almost felt guilty for realizing it so late.

‘If I had noticed this from the beginning…’

No, that wasn’t right.

It was only because he had spent more than half the day in the archive that he noticed the flame beings guarding the wall weren’t moving.

Even if he had seen this wall from the start, he wouldn’t have thought something was hidden behind it.

-Wh-What is this?

Wrath’s eyes widened. It seemed even he could see the door made of flame.

-For something like this to happen without any signal…

From his reaction, even Wrath’s senses hadn’t detected the space behind the wall.

‘There was a signal.’

-What kind of signal?

‘I told you before. The flame beings were moving. They were the ones who opened this door.’

-That was real? That wasn’t some nonsense?

Wrath’s jaw trembled in disbelief.

‘I told you it was.’

-Grnnng, even if this monarch is in spirit form… to think I failed to sense such a trick…

Wrath bit his lip, clearly wounded in pride.

‘Still, there’s no malice here.’

Just like the flame beings, the door emitted nothing but gentle warmth.

There was no ominous presence or hostility, so it seemed safe to proceed.

Raon exhaled slowly and stepped through the door of flame.

Whoooosh!

The moment he entered, the world darkened as though the stage lights of a play had gone out, and his vision was swallowed by blackness.

‘What’s this?’

He had clearly been in reality, yet now he felt as if he were drifting in a dream.

Wrath, who had been perched on his shoulder, was nowhere to be seen, and his own body began to blur like mist.

As he surveyed the area cautiously, his vision suddenly brightened again, as if a spotlight had turned back on.

A familiar place—the underground archive of the Shadow Agents Division where he had spent the entire day.

‘No, it’s different.’

It was indeed the same archive, but quite different from what he remembered.

There were fewer shelves, records, and documents, and people dressed like officials bustled around the entire room.

‘Could those people be…’

The flame beings?

They were writing in books, organizing them, and stacking documents—exactly like the flame beings that had wandered the archive earlier.

‘Then…’

Raon swallowed dryly and turned around. He saw the far wall he had entered from—and two warriors stood guard before it like statues.

Just as he’d thought, they were the ones protecting the wall.

‘Strong.’

Even though he was watching a memory, he could sense the powerful aura of those two warriors.

Not quite at his current level, but they were seasoned Grand Masters. It was shocking that such powerful swordsmen had been assigned to guard the wall.

‘Should I head back there?’

As he was pondering which direction to go, a commotion broke out behind him.

When he turned, a golden-haired swordsman and a blue-robed mage were descending the stairs.

The guards and officials who had been working all stopped and bowed deeply. Every eye was filled with profound respect and trust.

[You don’t need to bow.]

The golden-haired swordsman smiled gently and waved his hand.

‘The First Head…’

Though his face wasn’t visible, Raon could tell from the man’s gestures alone—that was Zieghart’s First Head.

[Keep up the good work.]

The First Head gave a polite nod to the members of the house and then walked toward the wall.

As he placed his hand on it, a golden flame door identical to the one Raon had seen earlier bloomed from the wall.

[Perfect.]

The First Head nodded in satisfaction.

[With the two of us working together, it’d be stranger if it didn’t work.]

The robed mage grumbled as she stepped through the door first.

[Is that so.]

The First Head chuckled softly and followed after her.

‘I should follow them—huh?’

Just as Raon was about to chase after him, the perspective shifted on its own—and he found himself standing in a small room made of red bricks.

Whoooosh.

Before him stood the First Head and the mage. It seemed he’d been drawn inside the flame door regardless of his own will.

[There we go.]

The First Head placed a book on the small bookshelf at the center of the room. It looked brand new, the cover still stiff and clean.

[Why make it so complicated?]

The blue-robed mage frowned at the nameless book.

[You could just tell the direct line by word of mouth or include it in the family head’s report like the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.]

She shook her head in disbelief.

[That won’t work.]

The First Head shook his head firmly, his tone warm but resolute.

[Don’t tell me… you don’t trust them? Everyone here would give their life for your sake.]

The mage wrinkled her nose as if asking him to believe in them.

[I know. But the future is different.]

The First Head gave her a calm smile, asking for understanding.

[Eventually, our achievements will be forgotten. Countless martial arts and treasures will be leaked. Among them could be the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Ring of Fire.]

[Le-Leaked?]

The mage’s eyes widened, clearly never having considered such a thing.

[Yes. Likely many of them.]

The First Head nodded as if it were nothing special.

[If you know that, you should stop it!]

[Fate can’t be stopped just because you want to.]

He spoke the word ‘fate’ with eyes full of serenity.

‘Leaked…’

Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at the First Head’s back.

‘Come to think of it…’

The place where he had obtained the Ring of Fire in his past life had been a completely unrelated cave, far from Zieghart.

It was a place that had none of the ancestral energy he felt here—so it made sense to think someone had leaked it.

‘Yeah. That’s highly likely.’

It was one thing for the Sword Control Technique to appear at the Holy Sword Alliance, but the Ring of Fire not existing within Zieghart? That didn’t make sense. Something must’ve happened along the way.

[What exactly are you looking at?]

The mage raised an eyebrow as she looked at the First Head.

[Nothing different from you. Just putting things in place.]

The First Head shrugged casually.

[Then let’s get going.]

[You’re really leaving like this?]

The mage turned her head while fiddling with her staff.

[Not even saying goodbye to anyone?]

[I’ve already laid the foundation. Goodbyes should be kept simple.]

The First Head flicked his fingers, motioning that it was time to leave.

[Sometimes I wonder if you’re cold-hearted or just considerate.]

The mage sighed and tapped the ground with her staff.

[So where are we going?]

[South, for now. That’s the direction ‘he’ appeared last. There are still seeds to plant.]

[You really live a busy life.]

She clicked her tongue briefly, and a surge of blue light wrapped around the First Head.

Whoooosh!

As the blue mana surged around him, the First Head turned back. His crimson eyes met Raon’s in quiet stillness.

He gave a deep, warm smile, as if to say, You’re doing well, or perhaps, Keep going.

Flaaaash!

With a burst of radiant light, the First Head and the mage disappeared, and the room fell into darkness.

When Raon blinked and opened his eyes again, he was staring at a red brick ceiling.

‘Huh? This ceiling…’

-Hey!

As Raon dazedly stared up, Wrath popped into view in front of his eyes.

-Why are you lying there on the ground doing nothing!

Wrath waved his arms in panic.

‘Lying down?’

Raon blinked and looked around. He was indeed lying on the floor, and when he turned his head, the flame door was still burning behind him.

‘Oh, right.’

He must’ve tumbled as he was sucked into the First Head’s memory. His body was sturdy, so he didn’t seem injured.

‘Thanks for worrying about me.’

-W-Worry, my ass!

Wrath’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.

-If you break down, I won’t be able to eat food or ice cream! That’s the only reason!

He gritted his teeth, insisting it wasn’t concern.

‘Is that so.’

Raon chuckled softly. If he were to die or pass out, Wrath could’ve just taken over the body. But the way he was worrying… He really didn’t act like a Demon King.

-But still…

Wrath narrowed his eyes.

-Where did you go?

‘What do you mean, where?’

-For just a moment, your soul completely vanished from your body.

Wrath gestured with his chin, saying that’s what had alarmed him.

-Come to think of it, something similar happened before.

‘Yeah, it did.’

Raon nodded calmly. Back when he had entered his ancestor’s memories, Wrath had said something similar. Yet even then, Wrath hadn’t touched his body—not very Demon King–like behavior.

‘I just saw the memory of Zieghart’s ancestor.’

-T-The ancestor’s memory? That dream again?

‘Yeah.’

Raon nodded. Since Wrath believed in him, he decided to trust Wrath in return and told him the truth.

-That shouldn’t be possible without an artifact or some special item.

Wrath swallowed hard, clearly doubting it.

‘It’s not like there was no medium.’

The Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation were the links that connected him to the ancestor. Those martial arts had pulled him into the memory.

-Even so! If that were possible with martial arts alone, then anyone could learn from their ancestors!

Wrath shook his head, saying even for a genius, it was impossible.

-Is your ancestor even human?

‘Of course he’s human. What, you think he’s a demon?’

-Hmph! Judging from your personality, there’s no demon blood in you, that’s for sure.

Wrath clicked his tongue, convinced Raon had no ties to the Demon Realm.

‘Didn’t think I’d hear that from a Demon King.’

Raon smiled faintly, then turned to the bookshelf before him.

The book he had seen in the First Head’s memory still sat there, its cover stiff and unweathered—as if barely an hour had passed.

‘Why did he leave this book here?’

Unlike the mage, Raon had no prior knowledge, so he didn’t know what the book was for. He had no choice but to open it himself.

“Hoo…”

Raon steadied his rapidly beating heart and opened the book. In that moment, the [Ring of Fire] and [Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation] activated at once—and the book burst into golden flame.

‘This isn’t a book…’

It was memory and energy.

As the book burned, its contents engraved themselves directly into his mind. It was just like how the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation had been passed down.

Whoooosh!

The vivid fire energy within the book surged through his body, linking with the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.

At the same time, the incantation etched in his mind acted as a bridge, allowing the two forces to harmonize more naturally.

Though both were martial arts left by the First Head, the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation were of different natures.

The Ring of Fire developed a warrior’s body and soul, enhancing the depth of their spirit and senses to the utmost. The Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation was a flame-based training method that encompassed multiple sword techniques. But now, the two formed a deep, unified flame circle as if they had always been one from the start.

Whoooosh!

Raon clenched the ashen remains of the book in his palm and gave a firm nod.

‘So that’s what it was.’

The book left by the First Head was simple in content.

It detailed the synergy between the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Not a clumsy coexistence like before, but a method to amplify the power of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation by channeling it through the Ring of Fire.

It was an incomprehensible message to anyone else, but for Raon, it was a miracle—a priceless opportunity.

‘I’ve grown stronger again.’

No—I will grow stronger.

Thanks to the First Head’s foresight, Raon felt certain that he could ascend beyond the concept of transcendence and achieve a higher level of power.

-Wh-What is that?

Wrath narrowed his eyes at Raon.

-The two types of flame within your body are suddenly connecting so naturally.

Wrath seemed to have immediately sensed the change, his head drooping in disbelief.

‘It’s faint for now, but I’ve linked the flame of the Ring with the flame of the energy center.’

-That Ring isn’t martial flame, is it?

‘Right. But its effect on aura amplification has become much stronger.’

Raon smiled as he felt the ring swirling in his chest.

-Grnnnng…

Wrath bit his lip tightly.

-Why is it always you who gets all these damn fortuitous encounters?! Normal people are lucky to get even one in their whole life, but you suck them up like breathing!

He shouted as if the world were unfairly biased.

‘I’m not sure it’s entirely a good thing.’

-What?

‘I feel like the enemies will be strong too.’

-Enemies? You mean that blue guy who summoned the Angels?

‘He’s my enemy, yes.’

Raon shook his head with a furrowed brow.

‘But I’m talking about those beings called Anima, the ones who fought against the First Head.’

He was certain—they were still alive.

* * *

After leaving the Shadow Agents Division, Raon didn’t head to the annex. He went straight to the Head’s Hall.

Since he had discovered a new space in the underground archive, it was only proper to report to Glenn first.

Rumbleee—

He opened the massive doors to the audience chamber and stepped inside, kneeling before Glenn, who stood gazing out the window at the moon.

“I greet the Head of House.”

“Rise.”

Glenn waved a hand, dismissing the unnecessary formalities just like the First Head had done in the memory. Now that he looked, their expressions were quite similar.

“I heard you visited the Shadow Agents Division. Did you already find something?”

He, too, seemed to have sensed Raon’s change, as his eyes trembled faintly.

“Yes. I found something I did not expect.”

“Something unexpected?”

“Well…”

Raon explained how, through the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, he had seen the flame beings. He told him how he’d observed them and discovered the hidden space in the underground archive.

“There was such a place…”

It seemed Glenn hadn’t known about the space either, as he let out a breath in disbelief.

“There was only one book inside. When I picked it up, it turned to ash like the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation manual you passed down to me.”

“So it’s been engraved into your mind?”

“Yes.”

Raon nodded heavily.

“What was the content?”

“It showed how to make the flame of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation hotter and stronger. It also included improvements for sword techniques—improvements that matched my own thoughts.”

The book left by the First Head didn’t just enhance the cultivation method. It also described refined sword techniques, and those ideas were nearly identical to what Raon had been developing himself.

“That means your path hasn’t strayed from the First Head’s intentions. That’s remarkable.”

Glenn nodded with a gentle smile.

“Most people just sit around hoping for miracles, but true fortune always finds those who put in the effort. You’ve done well.”

He smiled, saying Raon’s hard work had borne fruit. But despite the smile, his expression seemed clouded.

“Grandfather.”

Raon lowered his head and addressed him not as Head, but as family.

“Your expression doesn’t look well. Is it because of Sia?”

Even during his training, he made time each day to visit Sia—but she still hadn’t awakened.

His granddaughter remained unconscious, and there had been no news about the soul stone. Glenn’s frustration was understandable.

“Yes. At this point, I’m starting to wonder if the soul stone even truly exists.”

Glenn sighed, saying he never imagined the position of Zieghart’s Head would feel so powerless.

“Have you heard back from everyone?”

“Most said they didn’t even know of its existence. Some promised to look but haven’t followed up. Ah…”

He paused and lowered his chin slightly.

“There was one who didn’t respond at all.”

Glenn furrowed his brow in irritation.

“Who was it?”

“Aris. That fool hasn’t replied at all, as usual.”