Chapter 844

It was silent.

That was the first thought Raon had as he returned to reality.

‘The mana is following my will.’

It felt as if the various energies spread across the world had become his own, like he had been blessed by mana itself.

With just the slightest movement of his fingertips, the surrounding mana stirred.

He slowly raised his hand and placed it on his chest.

Wuuuuuuung!

From deep within his heart, nine Rings of Fire resonated.

Not only the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, but also the chill of Glacier and the wind of Garunua vibrated along with the rings.

And in the deepest part of his heart, the sorrow Rimmer had passed onto him was etched.

Haaaa.

Raon exhaled a heavy breath and opened his eyes.

[You have ascended to the Transcendence Realm!]

[<Ring of Fire> has reached 9-Stars.]

[<Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation> has reached 9-Stars.]

[<Glacier> has reached 9-Stars.]

[All stats….]

[Transcendence-level trait….]

[Trait….]

The moment he opened his eyes, a series of reward messages appeared.

Without looking at them, Raon dismissed the messages. He already knew he had reached Transcendence, even without the notifications.

-You, you!

Wrath shoved his pale face forward.

-Are you alright? The cold had filled your marrow, how could you….

Wrath trembled his chin as if unable to understand, his blue, shimmering eyes filled with worry.

‘I’m sorry.’

Raon bowed his head slightly to Wrath as he sat up.

-N-No, that doesn’t matter! Just tell me what happened! Why did a man who should have died ascend to Transcendence!

Wrath waved his hands up and down, looking like he would die from curiosity.

‘That’s….’

Just as Raon was about to answer, the sound of ice shattering filled the air, and the Light Wind Division swordsmen rushed over.

“Raon!”

“Are you alright?”

“What the hell did you do!”

Runaan, Burren, and Martha grabbed him and panted heavily.

“What do you mean, ‘what did I do’?”

Raon tilted his head as he looked at the three.

“Your body froze solid as if you were dead, then suddenly you floated into the air and erupted with a dense golden flame that filled the entire cavern. It was like wings of flame burst out from your back!”

Martha’s pupils trembled as if she’d never seen anything like it before.

“That flame melted the walls of ice that had trapped us. Strangely, it wasn’t even hot.”

Burren nodded briefly, saying it was thanks to that that they were able to escape.

“Raon. Are you really alright?”

Runaan clutched his arm tightly, not letting go, as if only worried about his condition.

“I’m fine.”

Raon nodded calmly. Although his injuries hadn’t fully healed and his body wasn’t in good condition, that wasn’t important right now.

“Hmm, you seem different somehow….”

Martha narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“I feel the same. The mana around him is stirring as if it has a will of its own.”

Burren exhaled in amazement.

“Raon, don’t tell me….”

Realizing something, Runaan swallowed dryly.

“Yeah. I’ve reached Transcendence.”

Feeling the mana moving in accordance with his will, Raon nodded.

“Ah!”

“Tr-Transcendence….”

“How? You were dying….”

-Exactly! Explain it properly!

Not only Runaan, Martha, and Burren, but even Wrath beat on his chest in frustration.

“Master….”

Raon bit his lip deeply as he looked at Rimmer, who was lying down as if asleep.

“My master came to teach me.”

“Hmm….”

“What do you mean….”

“……”

Burren, Martha, and Runaan turned to look at Rimmer, their eyes trembling.

-Don’t tell me… you met him in the Mental World?

‘That’s right.’

Raon nodded, recalling Rimmer, who never lost his smile until the very end.

“My master came to find me in the Mental World and taught me what I was lacking. Thanks to him, I was able to ascend.”

Raon raised his trembling hand and brushed his hair. Even though it hadn’t happened in reality, he still felt Rimmer’s warmth.

“It’s not just that you reached Transcendence, but… how should I say this….”

“You seem like a different person.”

Runaan continued Martha’s thought.

Just as they said, the current him was like a completely different person compared to before. No, he was still changing even at this very moment.

“Young master….”

Dorian, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, approached and knelt down.

“I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t save the division vice leader, nor protect Lady Aris. It’s all my fault!”

Dorian bowed his bloodless face to the ground, seemingly more tormented in heart than body.

“Repent later.”

Raon placed a hand on Dorian’s shoulder and shook his head.

“First, we need to finish our revenge.”

“Revenge will be difficult….”

Burren lowered his gaze and shook his head.

“Even if you’ve reached Transcendence, the enemy has two transcendents, and it’s already been three hours since they left this place.”

He bit his lip, saying they must have already reached the dungeon’s exit.

“I want it too. I want to rip that bastard’s face apart!”

Martha trembled, her bleeding fist shaking.

“But the dungeon collapsed, and it’ll take us far longer to get out than them….”

Tears streamed down her face in sincere frustration.

“Besides, the time flow here is different from the outside. The reason they didn’t kill us and left is probably because of the time difference….”

Krein sighed, saying that if they left now, it could be months outside.

“The flow of time here doesn’t just run fast.”

Raon turned around and looked at Paras.

“Sir Paras.”

“Y-Yes….”

Paras, who looked like he’d aged ten years, bowed his head, still blaming himself for the incident.

“When you came here the second time, you said you stayed for a week, but only a day passed outside, right?”

“Th-That’s right. I thought a month had passed, but only a day had gone by.”

He nodded, saying he was surprised himself.

“The time axis of this dungeon moves through sorcery. It can be sped up or slowed down.”

As Raon lowered his fingertips, the boulders blocking the path crumbled into dust.

“Since the sorcerers are all dead, it’s impossible for them, but I can do it.”

Before, he could only dispel existing sorceries, but now that he had reached Transcendence, he felt he could manipulate the very flow of sorcery itself.

“I’ll pass along Master’s final words.”

Raon turned toward the Light Wind Division with a faint smile.

“‘Kill that damned bastard no matter what! Got it? I wasn’t going to say anything, but seeing him torment even you guys! I can’t stand it….’ That’s what he said.”

As Raon recited Rimmer’s words exactly as he had said them, small laughter spread among the Light Wind Division swordsmen.

Everyone seemed to think it was just like Rimmer.

“Let’s go. We have to avenge our Master.”

As Raon turned heavily, the Heavenly Drive and Soul Requiem Sword that had been lodged into the ground automatically flew into their sheaths on his back.

“Us too?”

“We’ll just be a burden.”

Burren and Martha trembled with worry.

“Division leader, I….”

Dorian clutched his head, saying he didn’t want to have any more regrets.

“This revenge isn’t mine to take alone.”

Raon shook his head as he looked at the green wind pooling in the cavern.

“I’ll carve the path. Follow me.”

At his final words, filled with trust, a blue glow lit up in the Light Wind Division swordsmen’s eyes.

—

“Haa.”

Sif exhaled deeply as he smashed apart the boulders blocking the path.

“Still no teleportation?”

He waved his hand at Bardiel, urging him to try something.

“The barrier’s collapse makes it impossible for now.”

Bardiel shook his head, saying he needed time until his heavenly power recovered.

“How much longer do I have to climb through this dirt? Useless, even an Angel can’t help.”

Sif snorted derisively at Bardiel.

“Beorn….”

Bardiel narrowed his eyes at Sif.

“Your personality has changed.”

“Personality? I’ve always been like this.”

Sif tilted his chin as if wondering what he was talking about.

“If you can’t even notice, maybe it’s a side effect of absorbing the power.”

“Side effect my ass! I’m fine! It’s just beyond your judgment.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

“…What about the woman?”

Bardiel, seemingly thinking it useless to argue, shifted the subject to Aris.

“I already drained all her remaining strength while moving….”

Sif wrinkled his nose as he looked at Aris, slung over his shoulder.

“She’s just dead weight now. Doesn’t matter if we throw her away.”

He lowered Aris from his shoulder as if ready to toss her aside.

“No, not yet.”

Bardiel shook his head.

“King of Northern Destruction cherishes Raon Zieghart more than anyone. If we want to bait him, even Aris Zieghart’s corpse will be useful.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Sif said it was a good thought and slung Aris back over his shoulder.

“Of course, we’ll have to tamper with the body. Can’t let it be obvious that she was ambushed.”

Bardiel said he would handle that himself, lowering his gaze.

“Alright, I’ll leave that to you—oh!”

Sif nodded, but then exclaimed in surprise as he saw sunlight filtering down through a small hole.

“We can finally see outside!”

As he reached out his hand, the hole where the sunlight shone exploded open, creating a passage large enough for a person to pass through.

“Haa, sunlight really is the best.”

Sif bathed in the sunlight pouring from outside the dungeon and smiled in satisfaction.

“You’re not suggesting we walk all the way back because teleportation’s down, are you?”

“It’ll only take a few hours to recover. Just wait.”

Bardiel leaned against a tree, suggesting they wait a little longer.

“Just to be sure, we should post guards at the dungeon entrance. Even if Raon Zieghart is dead, other humans might emerge.”

He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the dungeon entrance.

“Still feels like a waste.”

Sif clicked his tongue shortly.

“Raon Zieghart. If we could have studied him, we might’ve extracted even the Demon’s power….”

“You’re too late.”

As he clicked his tongue, Raon’s voice rang out from the dungeon entrance.

Step.

Raon calmly walked out of the dungeon as if he’d been waiting all along.

His golden hair drenched in blood, his Black Dragon Robe tattered into rags, and the still-open wound on his chest.

He looked more like a wraith than a living man, but his crimson eyes were calmly sunken.

“Huh…?”

Bardiel trembled at the jaw as he stared at Raon.

“Why are you here!”

He shrieked, unable to comprehend the situation.

“I thought you were dead?”

Sif also let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

“I never expected to see you again, alive and even having reached Transcendence.”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“But how did you catch up? I didn’t even sense anyone following.”

“Are we close enough to chat like that?”

Raon didn’t bother answering and simply lowered his hands.

“Right. We’re certainly not that close.”

Sif tilted his chin mockingly.

“Honestly… I’m glad to see you again, little brother. It was such a shame I couldn’t absorb your blood. If I could’ve absorbed your talent too, only your grandfather would be able to stop me within Zieghart.”

He laughed, saying even the blood he had stolen from Raon during the ambush had given him great gains.

“Beorn!”

Bardiel called out sharply, his brow furrowed deeply.

“Focus! That guy is different now!”

He swallowed dryly, staring at Raon, from whom no aura could be felt.

“And it’s not just him who’s changed. I absorbed all of my mother’s strength, and even if that guy has reached Transcendence, he’s dying!”

Sif shouted not to worry and swung down an exhilarating Spatial Severance aimed at Raon’s neck.

“Hmph!”

Bardiel created a cloud of pure white and unleashed a hail of light toward Raon in tandem.

Raon exhaled quietly and walked forward.
Neither the space-cleaving blade falling like a lightning strike nor the massive meteor shower of light raining from the heavens managed to even graze his robe.

Fwaaaah!

It wasn’t that he was stepping to evade—it was as if the spatial blade and hailstorm naturally avoided his body.

Fuuuu.

Raon didn’t miss even the faint flow of mana blooming from the enemy’s breath.

The sunlight brushing down from the treetops, the dew gathered in puddles, the slowly falling leaves—he could feel the mana of nature against his skin.

‘So this is the realm of Transcendence.’

His body felt heavy, as if sinking into a deep swamp. While he could sense the flow and harmony of heaven and earth, his arms and legs moved far slower than he intended.

But it was fine.

Because his enemies were slower, heavier, and weaker than him.

“You’re staggering, yet you dodge so well.”

Sif furrowed his brows, displeased, and unleashed a Spatial Severance tinged with a blue hue. It was faster and stronger than anything he’d unleashed inside the cavern, as if he had fully absorbed Aris’s power.

“This one must be killed without fail….”

Bardiel also seemed determined to go all out, gathering pure white light between his clasped hands.

Wuuuuuuuuung!

Just as Sif’s spatial blade and Bardiel’s flash of light were about to converge, Raon disappeared.

Puuuh!

He reappeared at Bardiel’s left side. His movement, both mysterious and swift, completely slipped past the senses of the two transcendents.

“What!”

Bardiel reacted like a true transcendent, adjusting the direction of his light in a split second. The sharpened flash lashed out toward Raon’s entire body.

Chiiiiing!

Within the twisted brilliance of space, Raon drew his Heavenly Drive.

Thousand Flames, and yet Heavenly Flames.

A thousand flames touched the sky and fell as golden fire.

[Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Thousand Flames, Myriad Incense of Heaven.]

Kwaaaaang!

The golden flames incinerated Bardiel’s light and savagely tore into his chest.

“Guhaaaack….”

Raon shook his head as he watched Bardiel scream.

“Your movements are always wide whenever you use that technique.”

“R-Raon Zieghart….”

“Don’t call my name with that filthy mouth.”

Raon roughly pulled out the Heavenly Drive and blasted Bardiel’s torso apart.

The angel, soaked in blood, plummeted to the ground with his wings in tatters.

“What the hell….”

Sif trembled his jaw in disbelief.

“You managed to gain something.”

“……”

Raon didn’t even deem it worth answering. He simply gripped his Heavenly Drive tighter.

‘Dizzy.’

Perhaps because he had ascended to Transcendence while unconscious, or because his injuries hadn’t healed, his vision was blurry.

But now wasn’t the time for weakness. No matter what happened, he had to exact vengeance on Sif—for his master’s sake.

“Fine. But like I said, you’re not the only one who has changed.”

Sif swung the black sword behind his back. A tremendous aura burst from his entire body.

The force shook the entire island as if he was pouring every bit of the power he had stolen from Aris into it.

“[Sword Field Creation – Annihilation of Fire!]”

The black sword slashed through space in an achromatic gleam.

The sky and ground split diagonally, and cracks bathed in blue light spread between them. It was an extreme sword formation, seemingly replicating Aris’s Sword Field Creation – Annihilation.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Sif’s sword realm tear through space.

He couldn’t use [Sword Field Creation] anymore since he had already expended [Divine-Demonic Harmony] and [Genesis Blade]. But he still had a new sword technique left.

Ssss.

He let go of the Heavenly Drive in his right hand.
He naturally gathered a blade above the floating sword, infused it with the spatial sword he had learned from Aris, and wrapped it with the wind left behind by Rimmer.

Fwaaaaaa!

The one who had made his flames grow bigger and more brilliant than anyone else had always been Rimmer.

Now that he could no longer meet his master, the lonely wind he had left behind pushed his sword forward.

Raon Zieghart Swordsmanship.

Form Eight – [Polar Slash].

Though Aris and Rimmer could no longer see it, the Heavenly Drive, imbued with both their dreams and winds, surged forth more brilliantly than ever, clashing head-on against Sif’s sword realm.

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

A faint yet straight path of the sword.
The clear flame, reminiscent of Rimmer, burned away Sif’s world-cleaving sword realm.

Puuuuh!

[Sword Field Creation – Annihilation of Fire] shattered like a thin pane of glass, and the Heavenly Drive, wrapped in golden flame, pierced Sif’s chest.

“Kughuhuhk!”

Sif vomited blood, his jaw trembling. As he desperately tried to pull out the Heavenly Drive with trembling hands, Raon stomped down and roared.

“Light Wind Division!”

With a cry mixed with blood, the dungeon entrance burst open, and the Light Wind Division stormed out.

Their swords, as if wrapped in their master’s wind, glowed blue, carrying sorrow and rage.

“You son of a bitch!”

Martha screamed and slashed toward Sif’s right arm.

“You crazy bitch!”

Sif, thinking she had played right into his hands, reached out to her. A single flick of his finger could have torn Martha apart—but Raon didn’t stand idly by.

Wuuuuuuung!

The Heavenly Drive embedded in Sif’s chest vibrated violently, freezing the flow of aura running through his body.

“Kuhuk….”

Raon vomited blackened blood.
Even though it damaged not just Sif, but his own body and soul, this revenge wasn’t his alone.
It belonged to the entire Light Wind Division.

“What the hell is this!”

Sif shrieked and reached out toward Martha, but no aura flowed from his fingers.

“Die!”

Martha seized the opening, slashing down with a blow imbued with the Titan’s aura.

Puuuuh!

Sif’s right arm was crushed and torn apart as if struck by a hammer.

“Kuaaaagh!”

Sif screamed and tried to retreat, but the true revenge of the Light Wind Division had only just begun.

“Siiiiiiiif!”

Burren roared and charged, whipping up a fierce wind.
His sharply honed sword ruthlessly tore through Sif’s left arm.

“I can never forgive you….”

Runaan exploded the frost imbued in her sword, shattering Sif’s right leg so he could never stand again.

“Because of you! Because of you!”

Dorian, unleashing a strength rivaling the three vice-division leaders, slammed his blade into Sif’s thigh.
He seemed to be pouring all of Rimmer’s pain into the tearing of Sif’s flesh and bone.

“Kuaaaaagh! You worm bastards!”

Sif shrieked and tried to pull out the Heavenly Drive, but even as black blood poured from his eyes and ears, Raon refused to let him go.

Krein, his eyes bloodshot, stabbed into Sif’s abdomen, and Yua and Yulius, screaming, slashed into his shoulders.

The Light Wind Division surrounded Sif and stabbed their swords into his flesh.

Kyakakakakang!

The sound of over thirty swords piercing Sif’s body echoed in mournful resonance.

“Me, defeated by bastards like you….”

Sif trembled, his cheeks twitching from the unbearable agony.

“You said you wanted to become an Angel.”

Raon staggered forward, towering over Sif.

“You will become neither Angel, nor Demon, nor even human. You’ll be burned away at the end of the world, in the deepest pit, leaving no trace you ever lived.”

Muttering a curse like a declaration, Raon drew the Soul Requiem Sword, where Rimmer’s soul had once dwelled.

“You weren’t defeated by us—you lost to our Vice Division Leader.”

Raon bit his lip as he looked at the wound Rimmer had left on Sif’s waist.

“A man far too kind to have died by your hand.”

“W-Wait! I’ll explain everything! It wasn’t just me—”

Sif’s words were cut short as Raon severed his neck with the Soul Requiem Sword.

Thunk.

As Sif’s head fell to the ground, Aris, who had been lying like a corpse, coughed blood and began breathing again.

Only then did Raon’s vision start to blur.

He didn’t hold back the tears that flowed.

Just as his master had told him—to recover the essence of being human—he pounded the ground and wailed.

More desperately and sorrowfully than anyone.

(T/N: Fuck! That was satisfying! I’m happy the author did not stretched it more. )