Chapter 584

Siyan was looking at Raon through the hole in her blanket, her jaw dropping.

“Whaat?!”

She trembled, not even realizing what sound she was even making because of how surprised she was.

‘E-examine me? Why?’

Siyan’s lips trembled as she checked her limbs hidden inside the blanket.

‘Do I stink or something? Or does he not want to be with me because I’m too ugly?’

She was getting all kinds of ideas because Raon suddenly wanted to examine her.

She was standing there with a trembling chin because she had no idea how to react, and Raon continued.

“I can’t tell for sure, but I might be able to slightly improve your condition, Lady Siyan.”

“M-my condition…?”

“You said that you couldn’t achieve resonance, right?”

“Yes, I still can’t…”

Siyan nodded while glancing furtively at Raon.

“I’d like to examine why it’s not working.”

Raon narrowed his eyes while looking at Siyan.

‘It’s fully possible.’

Siyan had mentioned that her mother came to that location when she was pregnant with her, and Wrath had said that her passage towards the upper energy center had been blocked from the moment of her birth.

It wasn’t certain, but Raon had the feeling that the energy of Zieghart’s ancestor’s beads was absorbed into her.

‘Because she is a high elf.’

High elves were close to nature, as much as the world tree. If Siyan was a special entity even among them, it wouldn’t be strange for the energy that nurtured the world tree to be transferred into her.

“Wh-what shall I do then? Shall I take off my clothes?”

“…No, just give me your hand.”

“Huff! I-I understand.”

Siyan wriggled for a long time inside her blanket, and then she extended her trembling hand.

Raon had seen many female hands before, but he’d never seen such a white, transparent hand. It looked like it had never been exposed to sunlight.

“Excuse me.”

Raon held Siyan’s hand and was about to use the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, but her hand jolted like she was being electrocuted before he even injected the aura into her.

“Lady Siyan? Are you sick or something by any chance?”

“N-not at all!”

Siyan rapidly shook her head.

‘I can’t tell him that I’m nervous!’

It was the first time in her life that she was holding hands with someone other than her family members, and she was doing it with her idol, Raon. She felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest and start to dance.

Raon held her hand tightly to reassure her and shoved the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier’s energies into her mana circuits at the same time.

Since he’d learned about the mana circuits inside an elven body when he was treating Rimmer, he quickly managed to find the path.

‘It’s so clean.’

Siyan's energy center was as pure as a newborn baby’s, without even the smallest trace of waste, and her mana circuits were so expansive that they rivaled a Grandmaster like himself.

Being born with a body like that was nothing short of being called a blessing.

‘It’s a mystery that she can’t use the aura with a body like this.’

Raon briefly licked his lips and examined Siyan’s middle energy center.

The middle energy center was as clean as the lower energy center, but it was practically undeveloped because her realm was too low.

Lastly, Raon started to move his aura toward the upper energy center, but he suddenly encountered a part where the mana circuit was completely blocked. It was as if a huge boulder was in the way.

‘It’s hardened completely.’

It was an important mana circuit that was blocked from the moment of birth for elves and humans alike, and it only opened up upon becoming Grandmaster. That was why it was normal to be blocked, and Raon couldn’t feel any other peculiarities either.

It was an area that other people shouldn’t touch, but Raon believed in Wrath and shoved two lines of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier’s energies into it.

Whir!

It should’ve been impossible to break through the passage unless the owner of the body did it after being enlightened, but mysteriously enough, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s heat and Glacier’s coldness pierced through the opening and seeped inside.

‘Was it really not natural?’

Raon was about to insert a bit more energy while thinking that the hypothesis was confirmed when Rimmer’s voice could be heard.

“Raon! Siyan! Come over here. It’s getting started now.”

“Hmm…”

Raon furrowed his brow, recovered his aura and released Siyan’s hand.

“H-how was it?”

“I’m not exactly sure yet. Can I try again after the purification ritual?”

“Ah, yes…”

Siyan nodded along with the blanket with a voice that sounded like it was vibrating.

“Thank you.”

Raon lowered his head and went towards Rimmer and Sterin’s location.

Siyan rubbed the area above her solar plexus while watching Raon’s back as he walked ahead of her.

‘It’s warm… And it was cool at the same time.’

She followed Raon with her hands clasped together, as if she wanted to hold onto the warmth she’d felt for the first time in such a long time.

* * *

Once they reached the center of the world tree, he could see that the elves were spreading their sharp pressures around them as if they were going to war.

“Come this way.”

Sterin waved his hand, telling him to come closer.

“Yes.”

Raon walked up to Sterin along with Siyan.

“Listen carefully, both of you.”

Sterin pointed at his ear, emphasizing the importance. He seemed to really be treating him as Seipia’s benefactor.

“Resonance is the action of merging the mind into the world. However, if you unify your mind into the world…”

His voice became frighteningly cold.

“You are most likely going to die.”

“Die?”

“Yes. Since the mind is far too small compared to the huge world, it’s impossible to become one. However, you can make it possible by shrinking the target of the merge.”

“Shrink the target…”

“Doesn’t it remind you of a certain realm for swordsmen like you?”

“Are you talking about the Unification with the Blade?”

“Indeed.”

Sterin nodded calmly.

“High elves like me are born with the ability to resonate with the world tree.”

He shook his head, saying that he could resonate with the world tree not because of his training, but because he was born with that ability.

“However, it would be regrettable to only use the resonance for the purification ritual. The technique that was created as a result is…”

“The Sentient Arrow.”

“It looks like you finally understand it.”

Sterin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“You can’t become one with the world tree, but you might be able to learn the flow of the resonance.”

He nodded at Raon. It looked like he wished for Raon to learn something from him.

“Let’s get started.”

Sterin leaned his back against the world tree and closed his eyes. His constant breathing slowly subsided, and his presence started to rage like a powerful flame, spreading throughout the forest.

Sterin’s soul level increased endlessly, as if it transcended the limit of his physical body. By the time it became huge enough to cover the world tree, his breathing suddenly stopped.

‘He’s dead—no, he isn’t.’

The moment Raon thought Sterin was dead, green light radiated from the world tree, which used to be engulfed in a faint blue glimmer.

The noble yet gentle power of Sterin’s soul was wavering at the center of the world tree.

Raon lowered his gaze and looked at Sterin.

His physical body was still there, but the soul that should’ve been inside it couldn’t be sensed.

“The purification ritual has started! Stand on guard, everyone!”

The head elder shook his head, having recovered his complexion slightly, and the elves encircled the world tree with cold pressures emanating from them.

The head elder was a stubborn old man, but he really did seem to care about the world of elves.

Raon activated the Ring of Fire and looked up to the world tree once again.

‘So this is resonance.’

Just like how a swordsman becomes one with their sword, Sterin had left his body to become one with the world tree.

‘Unification with the Blade. Become one with the blade…’

Thinking about the Unification with the Blade reminded him of the spar against Sterin from two days ago.

The moment he’d thought he didn’t want to let the spar end like that while throwing the Blade of Requiem, the dagger had grasped his will and obeyed his order to descend.

‘I finally understand it now.’

He could get a faint taste of the sword manipulation because his unyielding will was united with the Blade of Requiem’s unyielding will.

Raon’s eyes started to lose focus as if he were dreaming, and he quietly followed the trace of Sterin’s soul.

“S-Sir Raon… Ah?”

Siyan tried to speak to Raon but was stopped by Rimmer.

“Rimmer?”

“You shouldn’t touch him right now.”

Rimmer placed his finger on his lips while pointing at Raon’s blurry eyes, which made it look like he was dreaming.

“He is in a trance.”

“Tr-trance?”

“Yes. It’s an important opportunity that other people might not even experience a single time in their entire lifetime, but this damned bastard gets it as often as he poops.”

He brought Siyan to the side, telling her not to touch Raon in that state.

Whaaap!

Even the world tree seemed to be trying to protect him. It spread its branches to cover the sunlight pouring down from the sky.

“......”

The head elder and the elders simply watched with furrowed brows even though they were aware that Raon was in a trance.

Rimmer chuckled while watching the behavior of the head elder and the elders.

‘They aren’t completely rotten at least.’

He was planning to give them a good beating if they tried to disturb Raon, but fortunately, they weren’t trying to make any moves.

Rimmer shifted his gaze back to Raon with a smile on his face, and a certain cotton candy was wailing alone, unnoticed by everyone else.

Damn it!

Wrath yelled towards the sky.

Why is he cherished everywhere he goes?! Why is he always happy when the King of Essence suffers and loses his stats every single time?

He frantically shook his hands because the world was too shitty to live in.

The King of Essence wants to be happy too! And…

He shouted the most important thing in the end.

He left without eating again!

* * *

Siyan bit her lip tightly while watching Raon in a trance.

‘Sir Raon is really amazing.’

He was enlightened the moment he saw the resonance for the first time and entered a trance. It would’ve been unimaginable for herself, since she had no talent.

‘The content of the book underestimated his ability.’

She’d thought that the Biography of Raon Zieghart was a bit exaggerated, but Raon was even better than that.

The fact that he was greeted by the world tree and made the head elder kneel in front of him proved the fact that he was a monster far surpassing human limits.

‘I need to protect him.’

She was watching him from some distance so that Raon wouldn’t be hindered, and she could hear the voices of the other elves.

“That human was enlightened the moment he saw the ritual. How come Lady Siyan never improves?”

“I know, right? She joins the purification ritual every single time, but she still hasn't achieved resonance…”

“Isn’t the world tree going to be in danger once Lord Sterin perishes?”

“Why did we even get a high elf like her…?”

The elders and the elves blindly criticized Siyan. They looked like they didn’t even care whether she could hear them or not.

“The world tree’s future is so gloomy. It might be better to ask that human…”

“How about you shut up?”

Rimmer furrowed his brow, glaring at the elves.

“Why are you even running your mouths when the ritual isn’t even completed yet? Shut up and focus on guarding.”

“Ahem…”

“Hmm…”

The elves averted their gazes, afraid of Rimmer. However, they still murmured that they weren’t exactly wrong.

“You bastards…”

Rimmer spat onto the ground and was about to walk towards the elves when Siyan grabbed his sleeve.

“Rimmer, I’m fine.”

“But…”

“I really am.”

Siyan shook her head, telling him not to do it.

“I’m used to it. And they aren’t exactly wrong either.”

It was harsh, but they weren’t exactly wrong. Once Sterin was gone, there would be no elf left to perform the purification ritual.

‘I really am useless.’

The elves were right. Raon was enlightened after seeing it only once, but she hadn’t obtained anything after joining the purification rituals every single time. It wasn’t even a problem with talent anymore. She was convinced that she was born with nothing to begin with.

‘But I won’t give up this time.’

Since Raon had told her that he was in his current position because he didn’t give up, she didn’t want to surrender just yet.

Siyan went to the world tree’s trunk where she’d felt the wind along with her mother and leaned her back towards it.

She closed her eyes and exhaled the breathing of resonance taught by her grandfather.

‘Hmm? It feels a bit different.’

Mysteriously enough, she felt like her body and mind were lighter than usual.

‘I hope I’m not just imagining it.’

Siyan closed her eyes, a faint smile on her face. A red and blue haze danced on her solar plexus, which was slowly ascending and descending.

* * *

Raon smiled faintly while raising his eyebrows.

‘I can understand it a little now.’

Thanks to watching Sterin’s resonance, Raon started to get a grasp on what it means to become one with the sword.

He couldn’t do the Unification with the Blade right away, but he’d gained a foothold to reach it.

Raon lifted his gaze and noticed that the world tree was still swaying its branches in the same place as before he entered the trance, and Sterin sat nearby with the same appearance.

‘It unexpectedly didn’t take that long.’

It didn’t take that long?

Raon curiously tilted his head, and Wrath shoved his depressed face against him.

Did you just say it didn’t take that long after you just stood there blankly for a whole day? Have you really lost it now?!

Wrath grabbed him by his collar and started to shake, telling him to get a grip already.

The King of Essence is so hungry!

‘A whole day?’

Raon realized that he felt like not much time had passed because 24 hours had passed.

‘It was longer than expected, then.’

Raon chuckled, and Rimmer walked up to him while waving his hand.

“You seriously do it all the time.”

He sighed, but his lips were curved into a smile.

“How do you even get into a trance as often as eating?”

“I was just lucky.”

“I wonder when I’ll ever be lucky.”

Rimmer shook his hand, murmuring that it was annoying.

“So, did you gain anything?”

“I just got a rough picture about the unification.”

“That’s enough.”

He nodded, saying that it was plenty.

“Then let’s leave.”

“Leave?”

“Grandpa is fully into the purification ritual now because a day has passed. He will stay like that for at least two weeks, so we don’t need to wait for him.”

Rimmer gestured with his hand that they should leave since the elders and the other elves would be protecting him.

“But…”

“You are a guest and a benefactor. You don’t need to stand guard.”

He grabbed him by his shoulder and dragged him away, saying that there was no need to worry about him. Siyan wriggled from the side and stood up as well.

“Are you alright, Lady Siyan?”

“Ah, yes.”

Siyan slowly nodded. She sounded slightly enervated.

Rimmer stared at Siyan for a moment, then placed his hand onto the air like when Sterin had opened the space they were in.

Whir!

A green light split the space, and Sterin's tree house, which they had passed by during their entrance, appeared.

“I-I’ll be taking my leave now…”

Siyan nodded at them and ran towards her home as soon as they left the world tree’s space.

Raon thought once again that she could move so nimbly even though she was covered in a blanket.

“Why is she acting like that?”

“Something happened to make her that way.”

Rimmer briefly sighed.

“I’ll be sending her off, so you can return to your lodgings. Let’s eat together shortly.”

He mimed picking up a fork, then followed Siyan.

‘What happened?’

While you were in a trance, the other shitty ears started to talk shit about that elf girl.

Wrath nodded with a frown.

‘Talk shit?’

They were blabbering about why she couldn’t achieve the resonance despite watching the ritual countless times when you fell into a trance right off the bat.

He twisted his lips, saying that he couldn’t bring himself to like the shitty ears.

‘I see…’

Raon licked his lips while watching Siyan’s back.

‘I wanted to confirm it properly.’

He wanted to check if the wall blocking the path towards Siyan’s upper energy center was the wall of realm that everyone had or the energy of the beads that leaked from the world tree. However, since he had no other choice, he had to save it for later.

Screw all that and go eat something already! We starved for a whole day!

‘How about some Nadine bread since we starved for a whole day?’

A-are you seriously trying to kill the King of Essence?! His intestines are going to be screwed up if you eat it right now!

Wrath shook his head, telling him to come back to his senses already.

‘I get it, I get it.’

Raon chucked and nodded.

‘I’ll eat the elven food that you want this time.’

Oh? Why are you being so nice?

‘It’s time for it.’

Wrath despised Siyan for creating the Nadine bread, but he defended her instead upon learning that the other elves were harassing her because of her talent. Raon wanted to be nice to him because of the human side that he showed.

Raon walked while talking to Wrath and reached his lodgings in no time.

He couldn’t sense Yua and Dorian’s presences, allowing him to guess that they were still learning music.

He grabbed the doorknob to wait inside, and the bushes on the right side started to sway, a small fox popping out from it.

“Fox?”

‘Is it even possible for a fox to be in here?’

Rimmer had mentioned that the only creatures that were allowed to enter were those who were invited by elves. It implied that the fox couldn’t possibly be a wild animal.

‘Don’t tell me…’

Hieeeh!

Wrath was smiling cheerfully while thinking about the elven food they were about to have, but he moved away while freaking out.

The madwoman! It must be the madwoman!

Raon swallowed nervously while thinking the same thing, and the fox suddenly spoke human language.

“Raon!”

As expected, the baby fox was Merlin, but her voice was unusually urgent.

“Leave this place right now!”

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Writing Ant, 글개미]

[Translator – Kyangi]

[Proofreader – Harley]