Chapter 952

               

Whoooosh.

Raon lowered the hand gripping the Heavenly Drive as he watched the black mist spreading around him.

‘No malicious intent.’

Although the pitch-black fog obscured his vision, it didn’t feel hostile. It seemed to be part of the first Head of House’s design.

‘Then that must mean I passed the first trial.’

During the duel, the first Head of House had expressionlessly repeated the sword techniques of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation over and over.

When that man—who had moved like a machine—finally smiled faintly and nodded, Raon knew he had passed.

‘Yeah. I must’ve been too fixated on the Thousand Swords lately.’

The Thousand Swords was undoubtedly one of the highest forms of sword cultivation, capable of placing every swordsman beneath its feet. But mastering it didn’t mean he was invincible.

‘I should have treated the Thousand Swords as just one ingredient in the dish of swordsmanship. Instead, I tried to cook the entire meal with it.’

Each sword art had its own recipe set by its creator. Adding a small amount of a new ingredient could create a special flavor—but dumping in too many would ruin the entire dish.

‘Maybe Grandfather could pull it off. But not me.’

Blinded by arrogance in his so-called “true” mastery of the Thousand Swords, he had overloaded already completed sword techniques with too many insights, corrupting their color and erasing their flow. It was a foolish mistake.

The first Head of House must have designed that first trial to make him realize it.

‘Without him, it would’ve taken me months to realize this.’

He was the only one in existence who had mastered the sword techniques of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The first Head of House, who had mastered the same art, had given him a lesson even Glenn couldn’t.

‘But now…’

Raon narrowed his eyes as the sinking black fog began to clear.

‘What’s the next trial?’

It didn’t seem like the test would end after just one. Something else was waiting.

‘I hope this one’s more straightforward.’

As he lifted his gaze, the acrid scent of burning and the metallic tang of blood filled his nose.

Whoooosh!

Raon frowned at the thick stench, and as though a curtain had been pulled away, the black fog receded.

‘What in the world…’

A massive city—clearly a kingdom—was engulfed in crimson flames. Countless people, lifeless and hollow-eyed, were being consumed by fire, their blood flowing down the streets like rivers.

‘A battlefield? No…’

It was a massacre.

The kingdom’s citizens hadn’t even resisted properly. Even in death, their eyes held traces of terror. It was one-sided slaughter.

‘Could an entire kingdom really be destroyed like this?’

Among the dead were warriors and mages of Grandmaster level. The sheer imbalance was so shocking that goosebumps crawled up his spine.

‘A thousand years ago…’

He didn’t recognize this kingdom, nor any record of such a war. This must have been a memory of the first Head of House—a war from a millennium ago.

‘Were those the attackers?’

Among the burning ruins, monstrous figures tore through buildings and humans alike. Some looked like orcs, trolls, and ogres—but there was something disturbingly different about them.

‘Fighting spirit? They’re using Fighting Spirit?’

Fighting Spirit was a type of aura only monsters could wield. Only kings, prodigies, or ancient beasts could possess it. Yet here, every monster used it freely, slaughtering humans.

‘Unbelievable…’

Historians claimed humanity’s weakness led to their defeat by monsters and Demon Dragons. But the truth was the opposite—monsters back then were simply too strong.

Even seasoned soldiers struggled against goblins and kobolds, while aura-wielding knights were cleaved in half by orcs empowered with Fighting Spirit.

‘So this was the age of Demon Dragons…’

It had been so long that most people dismissed it as myth, but seeing it now, he understood the terror.

‘Now I understand why Eden longs for this era.’

He had always wondered why Eden wanted to return to the old world when they were already powerful. Now he understood—the monsters of that time existed on an entirely different level.

‘Wait… there are humans among them.’

Among the blood-soaked beasts, he spotted people dressed in black robes. They seemed to be controlling the monsters, leading them strategically to destroy the kingdom’s defenses.

‘How chaotic…’

Thrown into a war from a thousand years ago, he didn’t know what to do.

‘There’s probably nothing I can do.’

Like Wrath, he was in a spiritual form. And even if he had a physical body, this past event couldn’t be changed. He didn’t know why the first Head of House had shown him this.

‘Maybe I’m just supposed to watch.’

As he walked deeper into the kingdom, a man covered in burns stumbled toward him. His hands were blistered and raw, as though he’d been grasping fire.

“Sir! Please save us!”

He ran straight to Raon, begging desperately.

‘He can see me?’

Raon turned around—but there was no one else behind him. The man was clearly looking at him.

“Please!”

The moment the man knelt, Raon’s body solidified—his spirit now fully manifested in this world. He could feel the ground beneath his feet again.

“My wife and children are inside! Please save them!”

The man pointed at a burning house. The nearby buildings had collapsed, blocking every exit.

‘So that’s how he got burned.’

Tears fell as the man raised his blistered hands. He must have been injured trying to save his family.

“…Wait here.”

Raon nodded and ran toward the collapsing house.

He tore through the burning wall and found two children and a woman lying unconscious inside.

‘Not too late.’

They were still breathing. He expelled the toxic air inside with aura and carried them back to the man.

“Thank you! Thank you so much…!”

The man bowed until his forehead hit the ground before collapsing from exhaustion.

“Run. As far as you can.”

Raon motioned for him to flee.

‘Though it won’t matter…’

This was the past. Here, he might have saved them, but in reality, they’d probably perished when the building collapsed.

‘Disgusting feeling.’

He bit his tongue in frustration. Then, a woman in a violet robe descended from above.

“There you are. Honestly, you never change.”

She smiled faintly as she looked at the people he’d saved. Her eyes said she knew him well.

‘Her…’

He recognized her. The mage who had appeared in the underwater cave and during the Holy Sword Training—one of the first Head of House’s companions. As expected, this was the Head’s memory.

“I found him. Let’s go.”

She gestured toward the half-destroyed royal palace.

‘Hmm…’

Raon followed her, raising an eyebrow.

‘She thinks I’m the first Head of House.’

That confirmed it—he had manifested into this world through the body of the first Head of House.

‘Then…’

He glanced back. The man he saved was helping his family escape, smiling faintly.

‘So the first Head of House saved them too.’

Apparently, they weren’t so different.

Thud.

Feeling a brief relief, Raon entered the trembling royal palace.

Gooooooh!

The palace interior burned fiercely. Knights and soldiers fought the invading monsters with all they had, but they were being pushed back.

“There’s no time for small fry!”

The woman shouted, urging him to follow.

‘So the real fight is in the throne room.’

Raon nodded and entered the grand hall.

Rumble!

The high ceiling, once adorned for royal praise, had collapsed like a meteor had struck it. Golden pillars symbolizing knightly honor lay shattered across the floor.

Goooooh!

A man who looked like the Captain of the Royal Guard lay dead in a pool of blood, and the king—an unarmed middle-aged man—was crawling on the floor, impaled by a saw-toothed sword.

“You’re here already…”

The king smiled faintly through his pain.

“I’m fine. Save the others…”

He weakly waved a bloodied hand, urging Raon to leave him.

‘He’s not a warrior.’

The man possessed not even a drop of aura. That someone so defenseless could smile through that agony was shocking.

Raon didn’t know this king or his kingdom, but hatred boiled inside him for the monsters who caused this hell.

“Was this your doing?”

He turned his gaze to the blood-soaked throne.

A man sat there arrogantly, his right eye black, his left inverted—white sclera and black pupil.

‘Anima…’

The very being the Sword Demon warned about—the one who appeared in the first Head of House’s memory.

He reeked of danger.

“That’s Farrell, one of Anima’s underlings. We have to kill him before he spreads further corruption.”

The woman bit her lip, glaring at Farrell.

“Who is he—huh?”

Before Raon could finish, she froze like a statue.

No, not just her—the king’s flowing blood stopped midair. The screams and clashing outside fell silent. Time itself had stopped.

Step.

Only Farrell moved freely, descending from the throne with eerie calm.

‘So that’s it.’

Raon clicked his tongue.

‘Defeating him must be the second trial.’

The frozen world confirmed it—the earlier scene had just been a vision. The real test was this battle.

“So, you’re the one.”

Farrell smiled faintly and pulled his saw-toothed blade from the king’s body.

“I’ll make sure you can never interfere again.”

He kicked off the ground.

Whoooosh!

Before Raon could even sense the wind, the blade was already at his neck.

‘Fast.’

The strike came faster than the Heavenly Drive’s limit.

Claaang!

Raon deflected it with Crimson Slash.

‘He’s stronger?’

Even with his full physical strength, he was being pushed back. Farrell wasn’t human—perhaps none of the Anima were.

“Your sword feels light.”

Farrell mocked, swinging again. The blade bent sharply, slicing Raon’s shoulder.

‘Crimson Slash?’

He used Crimson Slash—Raon’s own technique.

No, not merely used—it was stronger.

“At least your sword is enjoyable.”

“Shut up.”

Raon countered with Revolving Flame, aiming for Farrell’s neck.

Wooooong!

Farrell smirked and unleashed his own Revolving Flame—faster, fiercer.

Jjeeeong!

Their flames collided, sparks painting the shattered ceiling red.

‘How can he…’

Raon frowned.

‘He’s using my techniques even better than me?’

He tried Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Flawless Sea of Flames.

Hwaaaaah!

Crimson waves of fire surged forth, engulfing Farrell.

“This one’s nice.”

Farrell grinned, stabbing the floor. His own wave of flames erupted—larger and stronger than Raon’s.

Rumble!

The explosion tore through the hall.

‘He copied even Flawless Sea of Flames…?’

Raon gritted his teeth as he was blown back.

‘Impossible.’

That technique was an advanced form of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. To replicate it instantly—and surpass it—was absurd.

“More! Show me more of your swords!”

Farrell licked his lips with excitement, tilting his chin arrogantly.

“Fine.”

Raon smirked coldly and raised the Heavenly Blade.

“I’ll keep cutting until you exceed your limits.”

He stomped forward.

—

Clang!

Raon deflected Farrell’s strike, biting his lip.

‘He’s countering everything…’

This was impossible.

Farrell reproduced every sword art—Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, and even Raon Zieghart Swordsmanship—faster and stronger.

‘What kind of Authority does he possess?’

He wasn’t merely copying. He was improving them instantly. It had to be an Authority.

‘So the first Head of House defeated someone like this…’

It was no wonder the man was called a legend.

“Your sword techniques… I like them all.”

Farrell slashed, chaining Frost Lotus strikes faster than Raon could see.

“Show me more! Dazzle me!”

He attacked relentlessly, overwhelming Raon in speed, power, and technique.

‘What now?’

The enemy could mirror his every move more perfectly—a reflection of the first trial.

‘The lesson from the first trial was knowing when to empty the vessel.’

He’d learned that overloading sword techniques weakened them. Perhaps this was the continuation of that lesson.

“More! Bring me more!”

Farrell unleashed Azure Sky Sword forms, compressing the air around them with crushing pressure.

‘I can’t overpower him. But…’

The first Head of House wouldn’t have given him an impossible test.

‘Think.’

Raon synchronized his Rings of Fire, studying Farrell’s sword.

Even as his body was cut and burned, he watched.

‘He’s using my techniques—but naturally.’

He focused again. Farrell’s Crimson Slash flowed seamlessly—swift, strong, and precise, infused with just enough of his own essence.

‘He filled it perfectly.’

Farrell didn’t just copy—he harmonized his insights to match the sword’s capacity. It was both an Authority and instinct.

‘Right. If I’ve emptied, now I must fill.’

The first test taught him not to overfill his sword. But fighting with only the basics was also a waste.

He had to fill each sword art with only the right amount—no more, no less.

‘Crimson Slash.’

A technique of speed, strength, and precision. He added the Insight of Sharpness—merging it gently without breaking its flow.

“That won’t work. Bring me something new!”

Farrell sneered and slashed down.

Jjeeeong!

Their Crimson Slashes collided, blasting shockwaves through the hall.

The royal pillars shattered, and the floor cracked open.

“See? Your sword is already mine—”

Farrell’s eyes widened as Raon’s strike broke through his energy.

Slaaaash!

A burning wound split open across his chest.

“So that’s how it is.”

Raon smirked, staring at the glowing Heavenly Drive.

‘This is how to truly use the Thousand Swords.’

Mastery didn’t mean pouring every insight into a technique.

It meant adding just one perfect stroke—like the final eye of a dragon, completing the masterpiece.

“Impudent!”

Furious, Farrell unleashed Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Flawless Sea of Flames again, twin waves of fire crashing toward Raon.

“Incredible.”

His version was stronger, faster—perhaps a true Authority.

‘But it doesn’t matter anymore.’

Raon had learned the true use of the Thousand Swords.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation – Heavenly Flame: Perfect Sea of Flames.

Whoooosh!

His crimson wave was smaller than Farrell’s—but hidden within it was the Essence of Severance, slicing through the flow itself.

Paaaaang!

Farrell’s massive flames shattered apart, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Ssshhhk!

Raon lunged forward and drove the Heavenly Drive straight into Farrell’s chest.

“Guh…!”

Farrell’s body trembled, blood spilling from his lips as his eyes dimmed.

“Disappear.”

Raon twisted the blade free and tilted his chin.

“I don’t have time to waste on reflections like you.”