Raon slapped Wrath's forehead with the back of his hand and checked the message.
[You have reached the realm of the Grandmaster.]
[You have demonstrated madness by entering the state of enlightenment in the center of the battlefield.]
[All attributes have increased by 40 points.]
[You have achieved the Continent's first achievement
[The realm of the soul has greatly increased.]
[All martial arts realms have significantly increased.]
Not only had he reached the Grandmaster, but breaking through the barrier on the battlefield and entering the state of enlightenment seemed to have increased his attributes even more.
'40 points, that's insane.'
He was dumbfounded by the numbers even as he received the reward. However, there was a more gratifying message.
'The fact that all martial arts realms have increased.'
After reaching the Grandmaster, he was surprised by the power of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Wrath's ultimate technique being stronger than expected, but it wasn't just his imagination.
The increase in all martial arts realms seemed to have drastically enhanced the power of his swordsmanship and aura.
-This is absurd!
While Raon was checking the messages with a faint smile, Wrath suddenly raised his head.
-If you did something crazy, you should be punished, not rewarded! You fool!
Wrath screamed, grabbing his head as if he couldn't understand.
-How dare you give out rewards without the Master's permission! Why do you give out things as you please!
Wrath swung his round fist towards the system that gave out the rewards. Perhaps thanks to that, the next message appeared immediately.
[The Ring of Fire has reached 8 stars.]
[All attributes have increased by 10 points.]
[The recovery rate of your body and aura has greatly increased.]
[Your upper dantian has expanded. A greater power is imbued in the Willpower contained in the aura.]
[A special ability may blossom.]
This time, the rewards were for reaching 8 stars with the Ring of Fire.
Perhaps because he was thinking of an unyielding sword and an unextinguishable fire in the mental world, the message about greatly increased recovery rate of his body and aura appeared.
Raon closed his eyes and observed his inner self.
'Indeed….'
The recovery was extremely fast.
Thanks to the battle with the Dragon Sword Master, his energy center was empty, but the aura was filling up at a completely different speed than before.
It seemed that the recovery rate had increased ridiculously due to the overlapping effects of Sloth's recovery and the Ring of Fire.
-Kyaaa!
As soon as he felt the energy center getting heavier and smiled, Wrath let out a cat-like scream.
-I've been watching and watching. Do you take me for a fool! Why are you giving out more points here! Recovery rate? This guy doesn't need it because he won't die anyway! Recovery rate means nothing! Willpower my foot!
Wrath was now arguing at every single line of the messages. Of course, no one was listening to him.
Raon ignored Wrath, who seemed like a bristling cat, and checked the last message.
'What is this special ability?'
He knew that the expansion of the upper dantian was due to the increase in the mental world.
But he had no idea what the special ability was.
-You don't even know that!
Wrath clicked his tongue and turned his head.
-The wall you have surpassed is the realm of the creature itself. Since you have somewhat transcended humanity, it means you may acquire an ability befitting that.
'Ah….'
-To think I have to give my abilities to someone who doesn't even understand that, it's killing me!
He genuinely lamented, lightly hitting his own chest. He didn't hit hard because it hurt.
'So, what is the ability?'
-How would I know! It depends on what kind of person you are, and it might not even appear!
Wrath snorted, saying it varies by individual.
'So, you don't know either?'
-I could just shut that mouth of yours!
While Raon was lightly dodging Wrath's punch, another message appeared.
[The grade of
[The grade of
[The grade of
[The grade of
[The grade of
The last message indicated that the grades of the traits had increased. The traits frequently used in this battle had each risen by one level.
-This is ridiculous!
Wrath couldn't hold back any longer and started swearing.
-What is this, a bead ice cream shop? You're just giving everything away! And only the delicious flavors like mint chocolate!
'Hmm, mint chocolate isn't really that good….'
-Shut up, and answer me, damn system!
Despite Wrath's outburst, the system arrogantly disappeared as if its job was done.
-Ugh, my bones are aching….
Wrath, despite being the Demon King of Frost, muttered about feeling cold and shivered his plump flesh.
'Feeling cold?'
-Because I keep losing things. Living is pointless.
Feeling inexplicably sorry, Raon scratched his head and approached Wrath.
'Shall I buy you some bead ice cream when we return? How about three sets?'
Though he offered to buy ice cream, Wrath didn't look back and mumbled to himself.
'Is he really sulking?'
Raon clicked his tongue and listened to Wrath's muttering.
-What flavor should I choose to get praised for my good choice?
'....'
He wasn't sulking or angry, but concentrating on choosing the flavor of the ice cream.
'This is tiresome….'
Raon sighed and turned his gaze.
"Why are you grinning to yourself?"
Rimmer waved his hand, letting out a dry laugh.
"Me?"
"Yes. You were grinning and frowning at the empty air. What's going on?"
He squinted, looking at the spot where Wrath and the messages were visible.
"Ah, I'm just a bit tired."
Raon scratched his cheek awkwardly with a laugh.
"Yes, you've been in consecutive fights, so you must be tired."
Burren, who could see Wrath, nodded as if to reassure him. He mouthed that the spirit was cute.
'Cute, my foot….'
He wanted to shout that the spirit was just a gluttonous Demon King but held back.
"I guess so."
Rimmer nodded calmly. His empty right shoulder naturally caught his attention. His chest felt tight as if he had indigestion.
"Division Leader."
Raon stood in front of Rimmer and looked him in the eye.
"What will you do about your arm?"
"Well…."
Rimmer awkwardly laughed, touching his right shoulder with his left hand.
"Maybe I should just retire?"
His voice was as calm as if he was having a casual conversation.
"Retire…?"
"I've been with Zieghart for quite a long time. I was a Division Leader, then an instructor, then a Division Leader again, so my retirement pay and pension should be quite substantial."
Rimmer smiled without a wrinkle and waved his left hand.
"I could buy a house in a bustling area and commute to a gambling den. Doesn't that sound fun?"
With an ambiguous look that was hard to tell if he was serious or joking, he rubbed his fingers.
"Actually, a gambler without an arm or ear is more common than you think. I think I'd do well as a pro. What do you think?"
"Are you serious?"
Burren trembled, unable to hide his surprise.
"The Division Leader would blow through his retirement pay in no time. What do you mean retirement!"
Martha, unlike usual, couldn't act rashly and just bit her lips.
"...."
Runaan quietly looked at Rimmer as if she would understand whatever choice he made.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"If you pay off the money you owe us, your retirement pay will disappear. Where do you think you're going!"
"Bury your bones with Light Wind and pay off your debt!"
"Commit for life!"
Dorian and Light Wind shouted that they couldn't bear to see Rimmer retire.
"Ha…."
Rimmer sighed lowly, looking at Light Wind. It seemed he couldn't say anything as the kids he had watched over from childhood to adulthood asked him not to leave.
"Division Leader."
Raon took another step closer to Rimmer, who had his head bowed.
"If you really want to retire, I'll accept it. But…."
He calmly shifted his gaze to Rimmer's right shoulder.
"If it's because of your arm, there might be a way."
"What do you mean?"
Rimmer looked up, gripping his shoulder tightly.
"Cloud's arm was a bit strange."
Raon approached Cloud's corpse and touched his right arm.
It had the softness and warmth of human skin, but it didn't feel like touching a human arm. As he initially thought, it was an artifact.
Creak!
Because Cloud was dead, the artifact arm came off easily.
'So it uses mana.'
It seemed to be a method of implanting artificial circuits into the shoulder. It would be hard to use as it is, but if he brought it to Ensia, she might be able to create a new one.
"Ugh…."
Rimmer grimaced at the artificial arm.
"I-I have mysophobia. I'll just live like this."
He spouted nonsense about having mysophobia, despite having slept in a trash heap.
"I'm not saying to use this. It probably won't fit your arm length anyway."
Raon shook his head, lowering the artificial arm.
"Then?"
"If we take this to Ensia, she might be able to make something new."
"Ah, she is a genius who can make an artificial energy center, after all."
Rimmer nodded, thinking it might be possible.
"Indeed. Gamblers without hands often had prosthetics. That looks cooler."
Imagining himself gambling with an artificial arm, he smiled broadly.
-Do we really need to make him an arm?
Wrath shook his head in disbelief.
'I regret mentioning it.'
Raon was about to agree with Wrath when Rimmer scratched his neck.
"Actually, half of my life was about revenge."
He smiled, his eyes not fitting the word revenge.
"Thanks to you all, it's been accomplished, so I'm not sure what to do next."
Rimmer clicked his tongue briefly, looking at his empty right shoulder.
"I think about not attaching the arm and holding the sword with my left hand, or just helping from the back. Or really retiring."
He exhaled a low breath, still undecided.
"It's not urgent. Take your time to think."
"Yeah."
Raon nodded and gestured to Light Wind.
"First, let's clean up. We don't know what will happen next. Let's clear up the situation as quickly as possible and get out of here."
"Yes!"
As Light Wind answered and started moving, Wrath stared into the air.
-Something is coming.
'What now? Another message?'
-....
Wrath didn't answer, narrowing his eyes.
-Something has changed.
'What are you talking about?'
Raon stopped in his tracks, sensing something immense approaching from ahead.
Hummmm!
By the time he felt it, a white-haired old man was already floating in the air.
"Huh…?"
Raon widened his eyes at the old man. The grand stature, the eyes sharp as blades, and the serene aura that didn't match. He couldn't be mistaken.
"Rector?"
The white-haired old man was the Sword Demon, Rector. It was unimaginable to meet him here, so his mouth naturally opened.
"What brings you here?"
Raon's laughter carried a hint of joy. But the Sword Demon didn't answer and only looked steadily at Cloud and the Dragon Sword Master's corpses.
"These are the Sword Fanatics of the Holy Sword Alliance. They tried to devour the Lakion family, which led to a battle."
He briefly explained the situation to dispel any doubts, as there were bodies all around.
"...."
But Rector didn't react at all, only inspecting the bodies of the Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen.
"Rector?"
"You've become a Grandmaster."
"Thanks to you, Rector."
Raon nodded with a smile. It wasn't just a polite response; it was genuine.
Thanks to the conversation between the Sword Demon and Glenn, he had quickly broken through the barrier and reached the Grandmaster.
"I see."
The Sword Demon nodded calmly, raising his gaze. His eyes were dry and desolate, with an unreadable faint light shimmering within.
Raon swallowed hard, looking into the Sword Demon's eyes.
'What the….'
He had thought the Sword Demon would be overjoyed to see him become a Grandmaster, but he looked indifferent, like hearing someone else's news.
'Something's wrong.'
When he was about to spread his aura to check if it was really the Sword Demon, swordsmen from the Holy Sword Alliance descended behind him.
"Rector! It's the Holy Sword Alliance!"
Raon gestured, but Rector didn't step back or turn, not moving an inch.
The swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance also didn't move behind him. They seemed to be escorting rather than attacking.
"No way…."
"It has come to this."
Rector descended to the ground with a cold expression. His aura was so terrifying that just approaching it would freeze one's bones and flesh.
"You mean…."
Rimmer stepped forward instead of Raon, whose hands were shaking.
"Yes."
The Sword Demon nodded calmly.
"I am the Blood Sword Master of the Holy Sword Alliance."
He revealed himself to be part of the Holy Sword Alliance, his eyes shrouded in murderous intent. Seeing his blood-soaked eyes, a chilling shiver ran down Raon's spine.
"Huh…?"
"W-What did you just say?"
"Holy Sword Alliance? Rector?"
Light Wind, who had spent not a short time with the Sword Demon, couldn't believe it, trembling their pupils.
"Hey, old man."
Rimmer pointed at Rector with his left hand, his expression twisted.
"What kind of nonsense is that! Why did you join the Holy Sword Alliance out of the blue!"
"I didn't join."
The Sword Demon answered without blinking an eye.
"I was always part of the Holy Sword Alliance from the beginning."
"...."
Raon clenched his fists, looking at Cloud's body.
'That guy said it was him….'
The person Cloud mentioned when he shouted why his swordsmanship didn't work was the Sword Demon. Now he understood why his swordsmanship was familiar.
'Because I learned it too.'
He had learned the sword from the same person, so Cloud's brief Ten Thousand Swords felt familiar.
"Why did you approach us if you were part of the Holy Sword Alliance! You were sincere back then!"
Rimmer, his face red with anger, shouted as if he had seen the Dragon Sword Master again.
"Do I need to answer that?"
The Sword Demon shook his head with a cold look. When he extended his hand, the Sword Fanatics of the Holy Sword Alliance surrounded Light Wind.
"For the sake of old times, I will end this quickly."
"Ugh!"
"Damn it…."
"Out of the frying pan into the fire!"
Light Wind, feeling betrayed, gathered in the center, forming the Light Wind Formation. But mentally and physically exhausted, they couldn't perfect the formation.
Srrrring!
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive, standing in front of Light Wind.
'We can't win.'
This situation was different from the Dragon Sword Master's. Even if he maintained the awakened state and his aura and stamina were full, he couldn't block even a single strike from Rector. This situation was already concluded.
"…I don't understand. The Holy Sword Alliance and Zieghart are enemies. Why did you teach me swordsmanship?"
Raon asked not just to buy time, but out of genuine curiosity.
"It was just a pastime."
Rector shook his head, his voice devoid of emotion.
"...."
Raon bit his lip, watching Rector's cold demeanor.
'That can't be.'
Rector's teaching was sincere. His gestures were always earnest, striving to teach as much as possible.
It would be one thing if there was another reason. But saying it was just a pastime now was something he couldn't understand no matter how he thought about it.
But that reason wasn't important now.
Rector was approaching, ready to take action.
"Taking you, who reached Grandmaster at 21, will surely satisfy the Alliance Leader."
-Hmm….
Raon looked at Wrath. Surprisingly, Wrath was silent, only scratching his chin.
'Should I borrow Wrath's power now?'
No. It's too dangerous.
Not only would his identity be revealed, but invoking the Descent of the Demon King now could have unpredictable consequences. That should be the last resort.
Letting Wrath take over his body was also impossible. If he went berserk, he would annihilate all the humans here.
'Getting caught is the best option.'
Taking him meant they didn't intend to kill him. There were ways to release Wrath in the Holy Sword Alliance, so he decided to go along.
Raon concluded and nodded.
"If I go with you, will you let Light Wind go?"
"The others don't matter."
Rector nodded without even glancing at Rimmer and Light Wind.
"Hey!"
"What nonsense is that!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Raon."
Rimmer, Martha, Burren, and Runaan broke the formation and stepped forward, but Raon stopped them with a wave of his hand.
"Stay put. Taking me means they don't intend to kill me."
"But…."
"Not being killed doesn't mean you won't suffer!"
"Seriously…."
"This is an order from the acting Division Leader. Fall back."
Raon commanded Light Wind and sheathed the Heavenly Drive.
"A wise decision."
Rector let out a deflated laugh and extended his hand. As his hand covered his vision, Raon drew the Requiem Sword with his left hand.
Kyaaa!
He unleashed Backstab at full power, slashing with the Requiem Sword, but its fiery demonic energy couldn't cut through Rector's skin and was pushed back.
"Indeed, that's the Raon Zieghart I know."
Rector smiled as if he had expected it. He easily deflected the Requiem Sword and reached out again. The strike contained the essence of Ten Thousand Swords. It was impossible to dodge or block.
'Damn it….'
Raon was watching the approaching hand when suddenly,
Crackle!
The space between Raon and Rector split deeply as a grand aura surged. A blade that tore through space. He couldn't be mistaken for the slash of space.
"Hmmm…."
"Get away from my nephew!"
As Rector frowned and stepped back, fiery hair waved through the opened space.
"You damn old man!"