Chapter 969
“Kraaagh!”
After reaching the top of the sand hill, Martha screamed at the sky.
“This damned heat!”
She brushed off the sand clinging to her arms and legs, saying it felt like being tossed into a boiling cauldron.
“This cursed sand dune never gets any easier.”
Burren let out a hollow breath beside her.
“It still feels like my skin is cooking.”
He shook his reddened hands, muttering how exhausting it was.
“S… save… me….”
Runaan swayed like a reed in the wind and closed her eyes.
“H-here, have some water.”
Dorian quickly pulled out a cold water bottle from his belly pouch and handed it to Runaan.
“Thanks…”
Runaan didn’t even finish the word before latching onto the bottle like a baby.
“M-me too! Give me some too!”
Doagen snatched the bottle out of Dorian’s hand. His sweat had noticeably decreased—likely because the alcohol had almost been purged from his system.
“Slow down, please.”
Mark Gorton wiped Doagen’s forehead with a sympathetic expression.
“Ughhhhh….”
Krein stomped his feet dramatically and twisted his lips.
“How did that guy finish her treatment so fast again?!”
He shouted, unable to understand Raon.
“Lady Aris reached Transcendence again! How did he help her do that in three days without even breaking the curse?! I thought it would take at least a week!”
Krein kicked up the sand in frustration, yelling that Raon left the cultivation room way too quickly.
“You still doubt that monster?”
Trevin tapped Krein’s head lightly, calling him a fool.
“I knew the moment I first saw Raon. ‘Ah, that one’s not the same species as us.’ I could see it right away.”
He chuckled, remembering their first spar.
“That guy knows it too.”
Burren nodded toward Krein’s clenched fists.
“Yeah. He’s just whining because it’s hard.”
Martha snorted and smacked Krein’s back.
“Gueeek!”
Krein rolled across the burning sand, screaming.
“I want bead ice cream….”
Runaan muttered a complaint uncharacteristically, her exhaustion showing. She leaned toward the golden sand as if it were lemon-flavored ice cream.
“Are you insane?!”
Martha quickly grabbed her before she could take a bite.
“Pull yourself together, you sleepyhead!”
She crumpled her face but gently brushed the sand off Runaan’s cheeks.
“Hah… hah…”
“Uuugh…”
Yua and Yulius finally reached the top, and the Light Wind Palace swordsmen had all completed the climb.
“W-water…”
Dorian, who had helped create this sand dune training, timidly sprinkled water around them to cool the ground.
“Where did that brat, our Palace Lord, run off to now?”
Martha narrowed her eyes, searching for Raon.
“With that personality, he’s probably hiding somewhere dark, watching us like—”
“He’s behind you.”
Before Krein could finish, Raon’s voice came from directly behind him.
“Kyeeeek!”
“Ghk!”
Krein and Dorian jumped like startled rabbits.
“I watched how you all climbed from behind.”
Raon nodded at the Light Wind swordsmen one by one, from Burren to Yua.
“You’re finally adapting to the sand. Not bad.”
He smiled, satisfied.
“C-can we stop now…?”
Doagen sighed heavily, eyes as dead as a rotting fish.
“I really feel like I’m going to die… I can’t breathe… think about my age…”
“Exactly!”
Krein stepped forward, nodding hard.
“The training is fine, but no matter how many times we climb, we never get used to this! It’s always torture!”
He raised his brows, hoping Raon would reconsider the method.
“You all say you’re dying, but you look fine.”
Raon shrugged while looking at the Light Wind swordsmen.
“And not just one of you—every single one.”
“Huh…?”
Krein blinked and slowly turned around.
“Hmmm….”
“Come to think of it, it *does* feel slightly easier than before…”
“It’s still tough… but I can endure it.”
The Light Wind members tilted their heads, realizing they were indeed still standing.
“On the first day, you all collapsed after climbing twice. But today…”
Raon pointed at the hill.
“This is your third climb, and you’re still on your feet.”
On the first day, they had fainted after two rounds, completely exhausted in body and mind.
But today, after the third round, they were all upright.
“E-except me…?”
Runaan, melting like spilled ice cream, was lying sideways on the sand with only her finger twitching.
“……”
Raon turned away.
-Is that supposed to be ignoring her?
Wrath rolled his eyes.
“Also, I’ve been raising the heat of the sand every day. Today’s heat is twice as strong as the first day.”
Raon picked up a handful of sand, flicking it through his fingers.
“Y-you raised the heat?”
“I had no idea…”
“No wonder it felt weird!”
Burren, Martha, and Trevin let out dry laughs, finally understanding why they struggled.
“You’ve all grown a lot. Your mental fortitude is sharpened like a blade, and your physical abilities have improved significantly.”
Raon released the restrictions he’d placed on their bodies and cores.
“A-ah…”
“I feel strength surging from my toes…”
“My body feels light…”
The swordsmen trembled as their restored aura and physical power surged.
It was similar to the euphoria one felt when gaining a massive stat increase.
“That’s not all.”
Raon raised a finger.
“Climbing the dunes also gave you fire resistance. You can ignore low-grade flame magic now.”
The heat he instilled today was stronger than a 3-circle flame spell. They could now withstand anything under that.
“Getting all that just from climbing a hill…”
Burren laughed hollowly while staring at his palms.
“No wonder the head of house praised him.”
Martha nodded, recalling Glenn and Karoon’s expressions after Raon returned from the Chamber of Self.
“Ugly Raon…”
Runaan muttered, blaming Raon for making her endure such heat. Despite her cold attribute, she had followed them without quitting—commendable, really.
-I endured it too!
Wrath waggled his finger.
-So let’s eat bead ice cream today!
‘……’
Ignored.
-Hey! Don’t ignore the great me!
Raon let Wrath’s shouting drift away as he examined the swordsmen again. They still had stamina left—they could move to the next stage.
“I feel like I can do anything today!”
Krein flipped in place, thrilled by the sudden growth.
“Hey! Don’t say things like—”
Burren tried to stop him.
Too late.
“You can do ‘anything’, huh?”
Raon grinned at Krein, covering Burren’s mouth.
He had wondered how to start the second phase of training—but Krein’s own words had blessed him with the perfect excuse.
“Uh…?”
Krein swallowed hard.
“W-wait… that’s not what I—”
“Good. With the approval of our very own ‘Special Krein’, we can begin immediately.”
Raon walked down the dune.
“Krein…”
“I knew he’d ruin everything with that mouth…”
“You’re dead after training.”
The swordsmen whispered curses before following Raon.
“Ughhh!”
Krein grabbed his head, contemplating his doomed future.
“You really walked into it.”
Dorian patted his shoulder, smirking.
“I’m free from the dune torture now!”
He hummed happily.
“Daaamn it!”
Krein clutched his mouth and screamed in regret.
—
Raon stood in Training Ground 5, facing the Light Wind swordsmen.
“I’m… scared…”
Krein gulped audibly.
“No need to be scared! We survived that hellish dune!”
Martha smacked his back.
“Yeah, have some courage.”
“We’ll endure together.”
Burren and Trevin nodded.
“N-no, it’s not that…”
Krein’s voice trembled.
“It’s obvious Palace Lord will call me first!”
He whined, knowing Raon would summon the so-called “Special Krein” before anyone else.
“….”
“…Yeah, probably.”
Burren and Martha nodded in sympathy.
“May the gods guide your soul…”
Dorian took out a goddess statue from his belly pouch and offered a prayer.
“You bastard!”
Krein swung at him—then—
Boom!
Raon slammed the ground with Heavenly Drive, quieting everyone.
“Second phase begins. It’s a duel with me, as you all guessed. The first one is…”
“Ghhk!”
Krein stepped forward automatically—but—
“Martha. Step up.”
Raon called Martha instead.
“Huh? Me?”
Martha blinked in surprise and stepped forward.
“Wh-whew!”
Krein sagged in relief, color returning to his face.
“Draw your sword and attack with full strength.”
Raon tilted his chin.
“Fine. Don’t blame me if you die.”
Martha grit her teeth and charged, releasing her fully formed reinforcement and swinging a heavy strike.
Whoooosh!
Her sword dropped with the weight of earth itself—but Raon casually deflected it with a thin blade.
“Kh!”
The recoil tossed Martha back.
Smack!
Raon closed the distance and struck her waist.
“Ghhk…”
She rolled across the ground from the impact.
“Surely that’s not your limit.”
Raon waved his hand, telling her to give up only if she couldn’t get up.
“Who do you think you’re talking to!”
Martha snarled and swung down again with the weight of the heavens.
Whoooong!
Raon resonated the Ring of Fire, mirroring her swordsmanship to show her the path to improvement.
Clang!
Their swords collided—but Martha was immediately pushed back, carving a mark into the training ground.
“Damn it!”
She gritted her teeth and charged again.
Clang!
Raon easily pushed her aside.
“Think. What’s different between your sword and mine?”
He pressured her with her own sword style and gave her the most crucial hint.
‘What am I lacking?’
Martha narrowed her eyes.
‘Wait…’
Raon wasn’t using his true strength—he was matching her power and speed.
‘If everything is the same, why am I losing?!’
Same aura, same technique—yet only she was pushed back.
“If you don’t know, then keep getting hit.”
Raon smiled gently—despite the murderous words—and pummeled her whole body.
-Is he just relieving stress?
Wrath snorted.
‘Not even close.’
Raon smirked faintly as he watched Martha rise again despite the beating.
‘Look at her eyes.’
Though bruised head to toe, her spirit refused to break.
“Aaaargh!”
She charged again and again—every time flung back, every time running forward once more.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The number of times she’d been hit was beyond counting.
‘What the hell is different!’
Martha raised her sword again, blocking Raon’s strike with her body.
‘His sword and mine are identical… wait!’
Why does he gather aura at the blade’s edge?
Unlike her, who spread aura across the whole blade, Raon concentrated it at the tip.
‘No way!’
Martha bit her tongue and stepped in, focusing her aura at the blade’s edge like Raon.
Boom!
Her concentrated blade struck Raon’s blade, resulting in a massive blast.
Crackle!
This time, she didn’t fly back—she stayed locked with Raon.
“Just shifting aura to the blade’s edge makes this much difference?”
She trembled with revelation.
“So simple, yet…”
“Growth starts from simple things.”
Raon patted her bleeding shoulder.
“W-why not just tell me…”
“It means more when you realize it yourself.”
A martial artist must identify their weaknesses to ascend. The first head of house likely wanted to teach Raon the same way.
“Next, Burren.”
Raon signaled Martha to step back and called Burren.
“Please guide me!”
Burren bowed deeply and stepped forward.
“Haa…”
Krein exhaled with relief.
‘Thank goodness…’
Seeing Martha get destroyed had terrified him. Thankfully, Raon seemed to be starting with the higher-ranked members.
‘Maybe I won’t have to fight today…?’
Raon sparred with Burren for over two hours. At this rate, Krein figured he’d only be called the day after tomorrow.
‘Maybe I should fake being sick…?’
Right as he considered escape—
“Martha. As I helped you awaken, now you help the others.”
Raon pointed at her.
“First is…”
Then he smiled. A terrifying smile. (T/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
“You know who, right? Pay him back exactly as you were hit.”
He turned away.
“W-wait…”
Krein trembled as their eyes met.
“Good. Very good.”
Martha grabbed his shoulder with a chilling smile.
“Come. Big Sis will teach you kindly.”
Her icy eyes gleamed with vengeance.
“W-wait! I’ll learn from the Palace Lord instead! Please spare me!”
Krein fell to his knees.
“You’ll learn from me too, don’t worry.”
Raon shook his head with a gentle smile.
“No!”
“Yes.”
Martha dragged Krein by the back of his neck.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
“As expected, training always begins with Special Krein.”
Raon nodded in satisfaction at Krein’s screams.
-You’re insane…
Wrath shook his head violently.
—
After finishing the Light Wind Palace training, Raon returned to the annex at dawn.
He didn’t even have the strength to admire the garden—he headed straight for his room.
But someone stood before the lake. A familiar silhouette.
‘Why is he here?’
Raon approached, bowing.
“Greetings, Head Of House!”
“Don’t be loud. The others are asleep.”
Glenn turned slowly, lifting a finger to his lips.
“Apologies.”
“How is the training progressing?”
“They’re progressing faster than I expected.”
If things continued at this pace, Raon would soon raise them all by at least one level.
“You applied the insights from the Chamber of Self directly to your subordinates. Truly unusual.”
Glenn looked at him with a proud gaze.
“Most warriors hide their most important training methods.”
“I want us all to grow stronger together.”
Raon answered without hesitation.
“Is that so…”
Glenn smiled faintly.
“Sorry to interrupt your good mood, but I have a request.”
He clicked his tongue, implying Raon might have to pause the Light Wind training.
“An assignment?”
Raon narrowed his eyes slightly.
“It is an assignment, yes—but something far more important.”
Glenn pulled out a white envelope. On it were five stars.
“The Five Kings’ Conference.”
He handed the noble letter to Raon.
“As the hero who slew the Black Tower Lord, I want you to attend.”