Chapter 965
‘Damn it….’
Aris bit her lip hard as she felt her mana circuits turn to stone.
‘So it really won’t work, huh.’
She thought her body and mind were ready when she began cultivation—but the cursed, hardened circuits between her mana center and dantian were leaking the Dragon Heart’s mana.
‘I haven’t lost much yet, but if this continues throughout the process….’
She’d take heavy damage.
Because of the curse that had crippled her body, for every ten portions of mana she absorbed from the Dragon Heart, four vanished into nothing.
If this was temporary, she could bear it. But if the loss continued, it would be an enormous setback.
‘The problem is….’
She shook her head as she felt the massive torrent of mana pouring out of the Dragon Heart.
‘There’s no way to fix it.’
Her mana circuits and dantian were both locked tight, and once cultivation had begun, she couldn’t stop or turn back.
Once mana flowed out, it was like words already spoken—you couldn’t take it back.
‘Raon… I’m sorry….’
She knew her own talent well. Even if her strength was bound by that cursed sword, she’d been confident—at least until she started this cultivation.
But she’d been too impatient. Desperate to stop being a burden, she’d ignored how much her body had deteriorated during her long rest. And now, this.
‘At this rate, I might not even reach Transcendence.’
If she kept wasting aura like this, she might be stuck at Grandmaster forever.
‘No. Focus, now.’
Aris clenched her trembling fingers and exhaled slowly.
The anxiety of losing mana had started to break her concentration.
If she let herself falter any further, it could really destroy her. She had to give everything she had right now.
‘For Raon’s sake, if nothing else.’
Her nephew had not only given her the Dragon Heart and comforted her—he was even acting as her guardian. She couldn’t let him see her fail.
Fwooo—
Just as she clenched her teeth and focused on cultivation, she felt a hand touch her back. Warm and bright—like sunlight. Raon’s hand.
‘Raon? What are you—’
She was startled by the sudden touch, but before she could react, a gentle flow of energy entered her body.
Wooooooom—!
The mana Raon sent flowed through her hardened mana circuits as if it belonged there, gently melting the stiffness and settling into her dantian.
‘This is….’
The mana I lost.
Raon was gathering the mana that had leaked from her and feeding it back—aligned perfectly with the rhythm of her cultivation.
‘You idiot!’
You’ll get hurt too!
Their cultivation methods weren’t the same. Interfering like this could injure both of them.
Yet Raon moved as though he knew her method by heart, guiding the flow of mana flawlessly.
‘Ha….’
Aris swallowed hard, gripping the Dragon Heart tighter.
‘Is this even possible?’
Even Father would struggle with this.
This wasn’t treatment, nor was it pre-synchronized training—yet Raon was matching her mana flow as if it were his own. Even Glenn Zieghart would find that difficult.
‘He’s insane….’
A helpless laugh escaped her at the sheer absurdity of it.
‘Just how far will you go to surprise me?’
He’d astonished her when he defeated the Light Dragon, shocked her every time he appeared stronger than before, and left her speechless when she heard he’d slain the Black Tower Lord.
She thought nothing he did could surprise her anymore—but she was wrong again.
‘Enough thinking. Focus.’
He’s doing all this for me.
Now wasn’t the time to thank him—or to scold him for the danger. That could wait until after.
Fwoooo…
She inhaled deeply, taking in the warmth that spread from his hand through her body.
‘It’s warm.’
Raon’s hand, his mana—both were warm. The chill that had settled in her heart and body since being pierced by Sif’s blade began to melt away. It truly felt as if the curse itself was lifting.
Fwaaaah—!
Remembering the day she’d first met Raon, Aris sank deeper into the realm of her inner mind.
—
Woooooom!
Raon nodded briefly as he watched Aris begin to absorb the Dragon Heart’s mana properly.
‘Good. It worked.’
He’d thought she might reject his help out of concern for him—but she understood his intent and accepted it quietly.
-That reckless woman isn’t completely stupid, at least.
Wrath snorted.
‘Reckless, huh….’
Raon smiled faintly and accelerated the mana flow circulating through Aris’s body. Natural mana spun faster, melting away the curse that had bound her circuits.
‘It’s been a while since she acted like her old self. I hope she comes back fully.’
If anyone asked who the freest soul in Zieghart was, everyone would say Aris.
But ever since the incident with Shiph, she had been a shadow of herself—haunted, weighed down by guilt.
He wanted to see that free-spirited woman again, so he guided her mana as if it were his own.
Crackle—
Raon lost himself in the rhythm of her aura. The Dragon Heart in Aris’s hands dimmed, crumbled, and scattered into fine white dust.
The mana that sustained it had all flowed into her—it could no longer maintain its form.
‘Now the real part begins.’
Raon carefully lifted his hand from her back. The Dragon Heart’s mana was now fully settled in her dantian and circuits. From here on, it was her battle alone.
He silently stepped back, resuming his original role as guardian.
‘Still….’
He could feel the nine fiery rings circling his heart.
‘The [Ring of Fire] really is incredible.’
To think it could harmonize even with another person’s cultivation… it truly was a miraculous art.
It was no exaggeration to say the [Ring of Fire] was the key reason behind his explosive growth.
‘If only I’d completed the tenth ring.’
He remembered how the tenth ring had dissolved in the Chamber of Self before he could solidify it. The thought still gnawed at him.
-You greedy bastard….
Wrath scowled.
-You’ve already pushed two cultivation arts to the tenth star, mastered swordsmanship, strengthened your body and soul, and you ‘still’ want more?!
‘Didn’t you call me a vessel of the Demon King? I can’t settle for less.’
Raon shrugged.
-…Fair point.
Wrath blinked, as if surprised Raon actually agreed with him. Cute as always.
‘Though yeah… that version of you in the Chamber of Self really was terrifying.’
Facing Wrath’s true self—not just his essence within the ring—had required real courage. Outside that realm, he might not have even been able to stand before him.
‘Right. I still have a long way to go.’
He nodded calmly and activated the [Ring of Fire].
‘Can’t waste even a second.’
As he visualized the tenth ring, Aris’s body began to rise into the air.
Wooooom—!
Mana from the cultivation chamber—and even the entire main hall—surged like waves, blooming into countless blue petals.
Fwaaaaaa—!
The radiant flowers slowly faded, their essence flowing into Aris’s body.
Fwoosh—
When the last petal melted into her, Aris descended gently to the ground. A single clear tear fell from her eye as she opened them.
Her gaze was bright again—filled with confidence and vigor, the Aris he remembered.
“Thank you….”
Her trembling lips formed the words as she bit down on them.
“Who are you?”
Raon spoke the exact words he’d said when he’d first awakened on her pirate ship.
“What?”
“I asked who you are.”
“I am….”
Realizing what he meant, Aris straightened her back and took a deep breath.
“Aris Zieghart. ‘The’ Aris Zieghart.”
Her calm declaration mirrored the one she’d made long ago.
“Looks like you’ve finally come back.”
The Aris Zieghart who had been buried beneath the weight of guilt—stabbed by her own son—had finally risen from that grave.
Her full strength hadn’t yet returned, but the heaviness in her heart had lifted.
“Welcome back, Aunt. No….”
Raon smiled and embraced her lightly.
“The Pirate King, Aris Zieghart.”
—
After entrusting the exhausted Aris to Federick, Raon returned to the annex.
He’d spent over two days helping her with cultivation and was drained himself. He was about to head straight to his room when he heard the sound of a sword cutting through the air by the lake.
‘Sia?’
He moved closer and saw Sia practicing the [Light Wind Sword] form he’d taught her.
-She’s improved a lot.
Wrath nodded.
‘More than I expected.’
Even though she’d lost her memories, she’d once been a Grandmaster. Her rapid progress made sense—but even so, this was faster than he’d imagined.
‘Maybe her talent surpasses mine.’
It was possible. She seemed to handle the [Ring of Fire]’s flow even more naturally than he did.
As Raon watched, the annex door opened and Judiel came to stand beside him.
“She’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?”
Judiel smiled softly as she watched Sia’s precise movements.
“She keeps saying she wants to swing her sword as beautifully as you, so she’s been practicing from morning till night.”
She chuckled, saying Sia had become obsessed with the sword.
“From morning till night?”
If that was true, this wasn’t just talent—it was effort. He’d shown her just once, never expecting her to train so relentlessly.
“Of course, Sir Edgar blames you for it,” Judiel added. “He’s sulking because she no longer plays with him.”
Raon laughed. “Can’t blame him. He won’t have much time left to treat her like a little girl.”
Lately, Sia had seemed far more mature. If she’d looked around five years old before, now she felt more like ten.
“Why not go and give her some advice?”
Judiel gestured toward the lakeside.
“Better not.”
Raon shook his head.
“She’s in deep focus.”
Right now, Sia was completely immersed, unaware of their presence. Interrupting her would only break that flow.
Fwoooosh—
Listening to the clean sound of her sword slicing the air, Raon quietly turned back toward his room.
-You can’t sleep yet!
Wrath raised his hands dramatically.
-At least eat before you collapse! You haven’t eaten in two days!
‘Relax. I wasn’t going to sleep yet. I’ve got one thing left to do.’
-Oh? Then hurry up and—
‘Check my rewards.’
As Wrath froze mid-sentence, Raon reopened the system messages he’d suppressed earlier.
-Oh no….
Wrath’s face went pale.
[You have achieved growth within the Chamber of Self.]
[You have experienced 101 deaths.]
[All stats increase by 50 points.]
-“Gyaaah!”
Wrath screamed so loud it echoed through the room.
-“Stop opening that damn message!”
‘You didn’t let me read it properly before.’
Raon smirked, pressing down on Wrath’s squirming head.
-“Fifty points?! For what?! You didn’t even kill another Transcendent!”
‘Because I trained hard.’
-“Everyone trains hard, you little—wait… huh?”
Wrath froze as a new message appeared.
[New Trait <Crisis Sense> has been created.]
‘Crisis Sense?’
<Crisis Sense>
A unique ability granted only to those who have experienced countless deaths.
It allows the user to perceive imminent death before it strikes.
‘Whoa….’
Raon exhaled softly.
‘That’s basically broken.’
If the description was true, then even against a Transcendent stronger than him, he’d rarely be caught off guard again.
It might not be perfect yet, but the potential alone was incredible.
-“C-Crisis Sense?! Who comes up with this crap?!”
Wrath shrieked again. “Do you know how much divine power it takes to ‘make’ something like that?!”
‘You did.’
Raon pointed at him with a smirk.
-“Don’t you dare pin this on me! Why would I—”
‘Read the description. It only appears for those who’ve ‘died countless times’. If you hadn’t kept killing me, it wouldn’t exist.’
-“Ah—ahhh! Aaaargh!”
Wrath clutched his head and howled.
‘We’re not done yet. Quiet down.’
Raon brushed him aside and checked the next line.
[The Trait <Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Glacier> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Water Resistance> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Fire Resistance> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Water Affinity> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Fire Affinity> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Spiral Force> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Wrath Unleashed> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Flame that Defies Death> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Blade that Cuts Death> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Authority Amplification> has increased in rank.]
[The Trait <Authority Utilization> has increased in rank.]
All his traits had advanced. Both his cultivation methods—[Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation] and [Glacier]—along with all related resistances and affinities.
‘Even the death-related ones rose.’
After dying over a hundred times, his death-related traits—[Flame that Defies Death] and [Blade that Cuts Death]—had leveled up as well.
His constant clashes with Wrath had even strengthened [Authority Amplification] and [Authority Utilization].
-“This is insane!”
Wrath flailed, punching the air with his stubby fists.
While Raon chuckled at his tantrum, another message appeared.
[The Trait <Ambush> has increased in rank.]
-“Ambush?”
Wrath blinked.
-“Why that one?!”
‘Probably thanks to you.’
-“Huh?! I never got ambushed by you!”
‘No, but ‘I’ kept getting ambushed by you.’
Every time they fought, Wrath had killed him by surprise—apparently that counted as experience too.
-“Ugh… I’m done. I’m not doing ‘anything’ anymore….”
Wrath groaned and collapsed onto the bed.
But it wasn’t over yet.
[The Trait <Ambush> has transcended its rank and evolved into a new Trait: <Reaper>.]
-“R-Reaper?! RREEEEAPER?!”
Wrath slammed the bed with both fists.
-“Reaper, my ass! I’ll show you a real Reaper! I’ll kill—”
‘You eating or not?’
-“…Eating.”
Even the self-proclaimed Demon King couldn’t win against food.