Chapter 867

– All these different flavors are coming at once!

Wrath licked his lips as he looked at the man who appeared to be a Gold Dragon.

– It’s like picking whichever scoop you want from a bowl of ice cream.

He rambled that it would be perfect if there was a refreshing Blue Dragon as well.

‘He’s different from the other lizards.’

Raon frowned at the powerful presence emanating from the Gold Dragon.

‘I don’t know if I can win in this state.’

The aura of the blond man before him was on a far higher level than the Black Dragon he’d fought at the start.

Even at his full strength, he couldn’t be sure of victory, so his chest tightened with tension.

Goooooo.

As Raon controlled his breathing and called forth his focus, Stehrin, who had crashed down onto Seiphia, approached.

“I’m sorry…”

Stehrin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, letting out a rough breath.

“I think it’s finally time… My body won’t move as I wish anymore.”

He hung his head, muttering apologies.

“You saved Seiphia, but I…”

“It’s all right.”

Raon turned and shook his head calmly.

“If I just cut them down here, it’s over.”

He spoke even more confidently than he felt, so that not even Stehrin could read his own emotions.

“Yes. Let’s stop them here.”

Stehrin, encouraged by Raon’s words, clenched his fist until his knuckles turned red.

“That guy’s name is Martirus. He’s the strongest of the Gold tribe, aside from the current Lord.”

He said even among ancient dragons, Martirus was dangerous, and his hand gripping the bow trembled.

Judging by how his entire body was stained with blood, he had truly fought for his life.

“From here on, I’ll fight in front. You protect us from behind, Guardian.”

“Raon…”

Stehrin bit his lip as he watched Raon step forward to face Martirus with a smile.

‘This guy…’

Raon wasn’t telling him to fight—he was asking for help.

He was treating this war as his own, trying not to burden Stehrin.

Even after fighting two ancient dragons and that snake-helmeted human, having exhausted much of his strength and stamina, he still put Stehrin first. That made Stehrin’s heart burn with emotion.

“All right! I’ll watch your back, no matter what!”

Accepting Raon’s consideration, Stehrin raised his bow high.

He no longer felt the pain of torn muscles or ripped flesh.

The only thing left was the determination to protect his grandson’s disciple, even at the cost of his life.

“After all that, you still don’t know your place.”

Martirus snorted and shook his head.

“No matter what you do, the World Tree and Seiphia will disappear today.”

With a flick of his finger, black flames rose around the World Tree. It was a high-level spell, the Flames of Hell.

Vmmmm!

Martirus not only erected a wall of flames but also summoned gigantic monsters from a subspace, pressuring the elves near the World Tree.

“Aaah!”

“M-Monsters here too!”

The elves, startled by the sudden appearance of monsters, cowered in fear.

With almost no fighters left, everyone was forced back by the flames and monsters.

“Martirus!”

Stehrin shouted as he watched flames begin to burn the World Tree’s roots.

“Why are you going this far!”

“You started it. Isn’t it only right to destroy the seeds of a race that will become enemies?”

Martirus cocked his head, as if wondering why Stehrin would even ask.

“The World Tree doesn’t belong to just the elves! You know full well it affects the entire continent!”

“I’m removing pests that ruin the world. That’s a sacrifice worth making.”

He nodded calmly, without the slightest hint of shame.

“Martirus…”

Stehrin ground his white teeth, shaking with rage.

– These lizard bastards get pettier as time goes on!

Wrath furrowed his brow, saying he wanted to jump out and rip Martirus’ teeth out himself.

“So, basically…”

Raon tilted his chin as he looked down on Martirus.

“You’re burning the World Tree just to cozy up to the Five Demons? So much for being arbiters of the world.”

He let out a mocking laugh, waving his hand up and down.

“From now on, any dragon who calls themselves an arbiter or mediator, I’ll rip their tongue out. No matter how you look at it, you’re nothing but cheap swindlers.”

Raon raised an eyebrow, saying they were worse than lizards crawling on the ground.

“…I should shut that mouth of yours first.”

Martirus flexed his brow, then raised his fingers. From his fingertips, condensed light formed into golden arrows, flying at Raon with invisible speed.

Clang!

Raon raised Heavenly Drive and created Flame Barrier to block the arrows of light shot by Martirus.

‘Heavy.’

Even with Flame Barrier, the force was enough to make his fingers tremble. The beams of light were thin and small, but their power seemed equal to the sword strikes of transcendents.

“That was just the beginning.”

Martirus said it was only a greeting and generated bundles of light arrows, firing them in a volley.

Their number had increased, and their power and speed seemed even greater than before.

‘I have to block them.’

Raon clenched his teeth as he watched the arrows of light fly toward his vitals. Blocking them was a loss, but he couldn’t dodge if he wanted to protect Stehrin, whose mobility was now reduced.

Clang-clang-clang-clang!

Raon wielded dual swords style with the Fangs of Insanity and Blizzard Sword Art, cutting down the light arrows created by Martirus.

His weary shoulders and forearms tingled as if stabbed, but he bit his tongue and cleaved through every beam of light.

“Now’s my chance.”

The Green Snake Demon nodded slightly and vanished into the dark clouds. He reappeared silently at Raon’s left, thrusting a blade filled with condensed wind.

“……”

Raon detected the Green Snake Demon’s movements but didn’t respond, focusing only on erasing Martirus’ light.

“It’s over.”

Just as the Green Snake Demon’s blade was about to stab into Raon’s waist, a blue-tinged arrow flew from behind.

Boom!

The arrow Stehrin shot not only deflected the Green Snake Demon’s sword, but also pierced through the volley of light arrows coming from the right.

“How dare you.”

Stehrin narrowed his brows as if to say he would never allow it.

“Please continue to do your best from here on as well.”

Raon nodded without even looking back.

“Green Snake Demon. You handle the old elf. I’ll kill this human.”

Martirus ordered the Green Snake Demon to take care of Stehrin as he formed a golden orb above his right hand. A sphere of light—a device that brought a magician’s illusions into reality.

“That sounds best for now.”

The Green Snake Demon nodded and quietly retreated, vanishing from sight wrapped in wind.

“Raon. Don’t worry about me, just focus on Martirus.”

Stehrin calmly drew his bowstring, saying a kid in a snake helmet was nothing to worry about.

“Of course.”

Raon replied that he would trust Stehrin, then unleashed Frost Pond toward Martirus.

A blade of frost shot out from Heavenly Drive toward Martirus’s neck.

Kyaaaaang!

Just as the blade of frost and Heavenly Drive were about to sever Martirus’s neck, a golden flash burst from the orb he created, blocking both strikes at once.

“How Crude.”

Martirus sneered as the light that blocked the attack split into dozens of rays, all falling toward Raon’s vital points. They were even faster and more powerful than the arrows of light he’d fired earlier.

“You approached on your own, so there’s nowhere to dodge.”

As he said, there were too many beams of light, too fast to block them all.

“In that case…”

Raon twisted his lips and raised Heavenly Drive.

“I’ll just erase them all.”

He created a barrier of flames along the blade of Heavenly Drive. The flame that seemed to slice through the air wrapped around Martirus’s light.

[Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Heavenly Flame: Myriad Incense of Heaven.]

The original flame that devoured darkness consumed the golden dragon’s light and exploded in a violent blast.

Kuwaaaaaang!

Raon didn’t miss the gap created by the explosion of Myriad Incense of Heaven and charged at Martirus.

Physically and mentally exhausted, he had to finish this as quickly as possible.

Tuwuuung!

Stepping through the air with Supreme Harmony Steps, Raon stabbed at Martirus’s blind spot with Rimmer’s sword.

“I knew you’d do that.”

Martirus, as if he’d been waiting, nodded without any sign of panic.

“Humans always just charge in like wild boars.”

At his flick, the orb condensed into a small bead, then expanded, creating a tidal wave of light.

The sky over Seiphia became a golden sea—a terrifying surge of light.

Chiririring!

Raon crossed Heavenly Drive and Rimmer’s sword diagonally, slashing down like a bolt of lightning.
[Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Flawless Sea of Flames.]
A wave of flame and frost split the tide of light, drawing [Inferno Burst].

Fwaaaaaa!

The crimson sword strike, flowing like a dream, cut through Martirus’s neck.

But no blood spurted out. Using light, Martirus had left a clone in his place and already retreated.

“Hmph!”

Martirus raised his right hand overhead, the orb stretching out to become a radiant blade of light.

“Holy Flame Sword.”

He brought the sword of light, forged with both hands, down in a massive blow. It wasn’t swordsmanship, but its power rivaled the techniques of transcendents.

Chiiiiing!

Raon slashed upward at the pouring light blade with Severing Slash.

Pajijijik!

The blade of flame and the blade of light collided, sparks exploding through the sky.

‘He’s endlessly compressing mana.’

Raon narrowed his eyes, watching the blade of light endure Severing Slash with sheer mana.

‘This is my chance.’

Pouring the mysteries of sharp sword and swift sword into Severing Slash, he twisted his left wrist holding Rimmer’s sword.

A white wave that erased gold. The counter technique that erased the opponent’s martial arts—[Raon Zieghart Swordsmanship – Form Five: White Shadow Slash].

Chwaaaaaak!

The moment White Shadow Slash erased Martirus’s light blade, Raon added explosive force to Severing Slash and aimed for Martirus’s heart.

Kwadeudeudeuk!

Just as the flames of Severing Slash were about to cleave the golden trickster’s chest, the scattered light turned into a shield and blocked the strike.

Martirus again poured out a vast amount of aura to stop the attack.

If nothing else, the sheer amount of mana he could control was overwhelming.

‘No, that’s not the only problem.’

It wasn’t just about the amount of mana or his magic skills—he had overwhelming experience.

Martirus’s combat experience was on another level, far beyond the Black Dragon or Red Dragon he’d just fought.

He could see why Stehrin was being pushed back, even if he was exhausted.

“You do seem to have the skill to kill those two.”

Martirus nodded as if acknowledging it.

“But that’s all.”

He said the games were over and created a new orb of light in his left hand.

“Let’s see how long you can last.”

“Last?”

Raon twisted his lips as he stared at the flashing orb.

“You’d better start counting how long your head stays attached.”

—

“Th-the black flames! It’s the flames of hell!”

“There are monsters too!”

“T-there’s nowhere to run…”

The elves who had entered the sanctuary cowered helplessly as hellfire and monsters closed in.

“Are we just going to die?”

“Someone will protect the World Tree, right?”

Some elves, having given up on life, simply sat down and waited for death.

Paaaang!

While everyone despaired, Siyan threw off her blanket and stepped forward.

Vmmmm!

From her fingertips emerged the highest-grade water spirit in the shape of a unicorn and the highest-grade wind spirit in the shape of a butterfly.

Kuaaaaaa!

The spirits read her heart—cutting down monsters with wind blades and pushing back the black flames with a blue downpour.

“Lady Siyan?”

“What are you all doing!”

Siyan turned without waiting for thanks. For the first time, she gazed at her kin with eyes filled with anger.

“This is Seiphia! And the sanctuary!”

She gritted her teeth and pointed to the sky.

“Outsiders are risking their lives, so why are you looking for a guardian and giving up? Do you think the World Tree would want you to just sit and wait for death?”

She stomped her foot, urging them to come to their senses.

“The only ones who can protect our land are us!”

Siyan shouted for everyone to move on their own, her eyes shining with determination.

“But we can only summon lower spirits.”

“I can only shoot ordinary arrows…”

“Even if we want to fight, we can’t…”

“That’s not an excuse.”

Siyan shook her head firmly.

“If we’ve been driven this far! Whether it’s a lower spirit! Or throwing stones! It doesn’t matter—you have to fight!”

She yelled for them to risk their lives and fight, then charged into the oncoming horde of monsters.

Ruuuumble!

The third earth spirit she summoned split the ground, dragging the monsters under.

“Huff…”

Siyan panted heavily, clutching her head. Continuously blocking the miasma over all of Seiphia and commanding the spirits had brought her mind to its limit.

Her vision blurred as if she might collapse any moment.

“To the end!”

Just as she bit her lip and tried to stand again, young elves stepped forward and summoned small water spirits.

Paaaah!

Spirits as young as the children sprayed water like leaky bladders.

One alone meant little, but together the waves managed to push the flames back, if only a little.

“Mmm…”

Seeing this, the elves bit their lips and one by one stepped forward, each summoning a spirit and joining the fight against the monsters.

There was fear, but no one gave up or retreated.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone die before me!”

Siyan encouraged everyone to fight together and lifted her head.

“Nicely said, princess!”

Martha leapt out from the flames, slashing the neck of an ogre approaching the World Tree.

“Even if others help, you have to protect your own home yourselves!”

She nodded, saying she liked the way Siyan thought.

“She’s not a princess, she’s the next Guardian. This isn’t a kingdom!”

Burren shook his head, cutting down a charging horde of orcs from the right.

“Yeah, Siyan. Well done.”

Runaan brushed away the burning black flames with frost, gently patting Siyan’s head.

“Next Guardian, huh! Don’t act so disrespectfully!”

Burren trembled, embarrassed by Runaan’s gesture.

“Huuu, this place is even rougher…”

Dorian muttered that Seiphia was more hellish than anywhere else and shook his head.

“No, it’s safest where the Division Leader is.”

Krein licked his lips, watching Raon fight in the sky.

“Enough chatter, everyone focus.”

Burren glanced at the Soul Requiem Sword lying beneath the World Tree, then shook his head.

“I won’t let Teacher’s homeland disappear!”

“Let’s gooooo!”

With Martha’s cry, the Light Wind Division began their counterattack.

—

Clang-clang-clang!

Raon bit his lip, blocking the endless bombardment of light.

‘There’s no opening.’

Martirus was as skilled and experienced in battle as Raon had expected, never giving a swordsman a chance to get close.

‘It’s not just because he’s experienced…’

My movements are strange.

It was more than just physical and mental exhaustion; his body felt heavy. Even when he could see it, cutting or blocking the light magic wasn’t easy.

Kyaaaang!

Raon narrowed his eyes, cleaving through the wave of light surging like clouds.

‘Wait, come to think of it…’

Stehrin also said he felt much worse than usual, making it hard to face Martirus.

No matter how tired he was after sparring with Raon, it was odd for a transcendent to say such a thing.

‘Let’s check.’

Having trained all his life, Raon knew his body better than anyone. He decided to find out whether he was truly exhausted or if there was some external factor.

Whooong!

Dozens of rays of light burst from Martirus’s orb, aiming for Raon’s vital points.

Thunk!

Raon used Supreme Harmony Steps to move left, trying to escape the net of light, but suddenly his body felt heavy and slow.

Kraaaash!

He thought he could get away, but his body weighed down and he couldn’t dodge, forced to block the net of light.

“Huff…”

Raon wiped blood from his lips and shook his head.

“What did you do to me?”

Just now, his body and aura slowed, even if only slightly.

It was definitely due to some external force, not his own condition.

“You actually noticed.”

Martirus exhaled in surprise.

“You really are different from that old elf.”

He nodded in admiration.

“Don’t mumble. Just answer the question, lizard.”

“I have no reason to tell you.”

Martirus wrinkled his nose in irritation and flicked his fingers.

The orb in the air spun fiercely, scattering shards of light in all directions. It was like all the stars in the night sky pouring down at once.

Kuwaaaaaa!

Raon swung the swords in both hands in staggered timing. Using the dual sword technique he learned from Sheryl, he tried to cut down all the oncoming light.

‘Again.’

Just now, a light spell he thought he could reach passed by Heavenly Drive and pierced his side. The pain didn’t matter—he was more concerned with how it happened.

Chiiing!

He fully unleashed Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier. After blasting away all the light with an explosion of heat and cold, he lifted his head.

“I get it now.”

Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Martirus, standing as if at the edge of the sky.

“It’s gravity, isn’t it?”

At first, he thought it was some curse on his body, but it wasn’t.

Martirus was manipulating the gravity of the space Raon stood in, making his body and aura sluggish.

Strangely, because he wasn’t using mana to control the gravity, it took Raon longer to figure it out.

“You have sharp senses.”

Martirus nodded in acknowledgment.

“Being able to subtly manipulate gravity is impressive, but it doesn’t matter now that I’ve figured it out.”

Raon twisted his lips as he stared at Martirus.

“Is that so?”

Martirus scoffed, and his body was soon wrapped in magnificent light.

Ruuuumble!

A massive form cast a shadow over the sky. The ancient dragon Raon had seen when first entering the great forest was now glaring down at him from the sky.

[I’ve had my fun. Now let’s end it.]

As soon as Martirus’s calm voice rang out, Raon’s body slipped out of his control and plummeted to the ground.

Rumble!

It wasn’t subtle gravity control anymore—it was overwhelming, transcendental gravity. He couldn’t move.

Kraaaash!

Raon crashed into the ground of Seiphia, just like Stehrin had, coughing up blood.

“Gah!”

Stehrin, who’d been fighting the Green Snake Demon, also couldn’t resist the gravity and rolled to the ground beside Raon.

[You were gravely mistaken.]

Martirus laughed coldly.

[Gravity manipulation is an ability I gained after becoming an ancient dragon. That’s why I don’t control it with mana. If I can control it minutely, then exerting overwhelming force is even easier.]

He shook his head, saying he’d just wanted to see humans struggle.

[Light has no mass, but gravity still affects it. I’ll kill you without letting you lift a finger.]

Martirus pressed down on everything around the World Tree with gravity, lifting his chin.

“Ugh…”

“I-I can’t stand up!”

“M-my hands and feet won’t move…”

The Light Wind Division swordsmen and elves, who had seized the upper hand, were frozen in place, unable to do anything.

“Guh…”

Stehrin, his strength spent, coughed up black blood. The strain on his fading body hit him even harder than the others.

“So this is the end.”

The Green Snake Demon, bleeding from the shoulder where Stehrin had wounded him, licked his lips.

Goooooo!

Martirus held everyone down with gravity and opened his massive jaws.

From deep in his pitch-black throat, golden light began to gather. It was a breath attack—likely all the breaths he could use in a day gathered at once.

Ruuuumble!

Raon bit his lip as he watched the golden breath gather overhead.

‘What should I do?’

The gravity was so strong, he could barely lift the hand holding his sword, let alone gather his aura.

This breath was far more powerful than the Black Dragon’s or Red Dragon’s. He didn’t know how he could block it.

‘Is there anyone who can help…?’

Raon looked at Wrath.

– Hmm, I guess I have no choice. I’ll step in.

Wrath nodded without hesitation, saying he’d help even though his soul body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

‘Wrath. You…’

As Raon bit his lip and looked at Wrath—

Whoooosh!

The leaves of the World Tree, which had been drooping under the pressure of gravity, revived, spreading vibrant green light.

From the Soul Requiem Sword, touched by that light, a breeze rose and brushed against Raon’s shoulders and back.

“Ah…”

Raon breathed in the nostalgic scent of wind, as if Rimmer himself were supporting his shoulders.

– Descending isn’t possible at the moment. I’ll push my power into you….

‘It’s all right.’

Raon shook his head at Wrath.

– What? What do you mean…?

‘I’ll do it.’

He forced his leaden knees up and straightened his back.

‘It’s my turn now.’

He had always received help.

He survived thanks to Rimmer.

He was saved by Glenn.

Wrath descended and helped him through crisis after crisis.

And beyond that, countless others’ help had made it possible for him to live as he did.

Even after reaching Transcendence, failing to protect others and waiting for help would be throwing away his own value and future.

Today—now—was the time to walk forward on his own feet and with his own hands.

Kuwaaaaaaaa!

Martirus, filled with murderous intent, unleashed the Holy Radiance Breath toward the World Tree.

The overwhelming force of the breath tore apart the sky, shattered the ground, and sent everything flying.

Raon looked not just at the breath before him but at a world filled with it, gripping Heavenly Drive and Rimmer’s sword tightly.

Vmmmmmm!

He spun the Ring of Fire to the limit and opened the domain of transcendence.

‘What I learned by reaching transcendence wasn’t just the aura of nature.’

The reason he finally reached transcendence at the last moment was human emotion.

He filled his two swords with the sense of that moment, when he realized all human emotions and became something beyond human.

Kuuuuung!

He stomped the ground, shaking the earth. He poured the fire of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation into Rimmer’s sword and the frost of Glacier into Heavenly Drive.

Aura rising along the elegant blade signaled the dawn of a new era in a golden glow.

[Sword Field Creation.]

[Genesis Blade.]

A golden aura, like a wild blaze, soared up and collided with the Holy Radiance Breath pouring down, filled with gravity.

Kuwaaaaaaaa!