Chapter 600

“He is my guest so please take care of the rear, division leader.”

Raon raised his finger and pointed at the boat that Dorian and the elves were on.

“Alright!”

Rimmer casually nodded and immediately ran towards the boat.

…Is Shitty Ears really your master?

‘I’m not sure…’

Raon thought Rimmer would hesitate a little, but he’d left immediately, without hesitation. He felt once again that he was such an amazing person.

‘But it’s easier that way—more than being stubborn about staying.’

Rimmer wasn’t used to wielding a sword with his left arm, and he hadn’t completely recovered from the battle against the Crimson Flame Demon.

It was better for him to acknowledge his issue and leave than to be stubborn about fighting together.

“You bastard…”

Raon shifted his gaze upon hearing Siran’s hoarse voice.

“What did you say just now?!”

“I said I’d send you to your grandson’s side since you wish to see him so much.”

Raon twisted his lips, gazing at Siran, who was exhaling his murderous intent into his breath.

‘He is similar to him.’

It wasn’t just the appearance. Even their trashy personalities were similar.

It was laughable that he was confidently swearing revenge even though he should’ve been aware of all the evil deeds his grandson committed.

‘I can’t underestimate his skills though.’

Raon soothed his nervously pounding heart.

Siran was a powerful warrior who’d become a Grandmaster long ago, and he used a fishing rod as a weapon. He had to approach carefully since he’d never fought against that weapon before.

How pathetic.

Wrath furrowed his brow while looking at Raon.

Just crush an insignificant creature like him with your finger.

‘You are the only one who can do that.’

Then do something about it and get rid of him. The King of Essence is hungry!

‘…’

Raon ignored Wrath and focused on Siran’s movements.

“Haa…”

Siran showed his bloodshot eyes, exhaling in anger.

“I’ll erase you from the face of the world. Not even bones will remain!”

He roared and dashed towards him. The way he was running on the water was swift and light-footed as a wolf. He seemed to be using footwork designed to move on the surface of water.

Cring!

Siran cast the gray fishing rod with one hand, as if he were really fishing.

His tackle was right under Raon’s nose before he even had the time to breathe. The astral sphere surrounding the tackle rotated rapidly, piercing towards the left side of his chest.

Raon held his breath and bent his knees. He unleashed the astral sphere of raging flame onto Heavenly Drive’s tip, which hadn’t yet cooled.

Claaang!

A circular crater was created on the deep Peren River from the clash between the astral spheres. A huge pillar of water surged towards the sky and fell like heavy rain.

A silver light sparkled amid the transparent raindrops. A frighteningly sharp astral energy was dwelling at the tip of the hook.

Raon unleashed Frost Pond towards the hook cutting through the air. Heavenly Drive’s blade fended off the hook, and the icy slash followed towards Siran’s neck.

Whaaam!

Siran calmly raised his fishing rod and destroyed the blade of frost. It was a performance befitting a Grandmaster.

‘He seems to know about Frost Pond.’

He’d immediately raised his fishing rod to defend himself, as if he were already aware of Frost Pond’s second blade. Raon could guess that he had investigated his martial arts.

‘Well, he did mention that he’d thought about my face tens of thousands of times.’

While his opponent had information about him, he barely knew anything about his opponent and even had to face an unfamiliar weapon like the fishing rod. It wasn’t going to be an easy battle.

Cring!

Siran swirled the fishing rod, using the movement of his entire body. The tackle and hook rotated above his head, creating a wave on Peren River.

The prevalent flow of the river was reversed, unleashing a tremendous amount of bloodlust. He had added his aura to the river.

Whir!

Raon used the Ring of Fire. The eight rings surrounding his heart resonated with each other, opening the door to his upper energy center.

The water drops in the air slowed down to a glacial speed, and the water reaching his skin was frighteningly cold. Raon advanced towards Siran in his extreme focus, which was an extremely advanced realm.

“How dare you!”

Siran used his footwork to maintain the distance that was advantageous for the fishing rod and whipped at him with the fishing line.

Raon used the Supreme Harmony Steps and fended off the fishing line falling towards his shoulder.

Claaang!

The huge sound made it feel like it was a clash between boulders even though it was a fishing line and a sword.

Raon narrowed his eyes, looking at the taut fishing line.

‘He even incorporated his will into the fishing line in addition to the astral sphere.’

It was a blatant emotion, one that couldn’t be mistaken.

‘Murderous intent. It’s brimming with his murderous intent towards me.’

Warriors usually had a characteristic will depending on how they’d lived.

However, Siran had given up on the will that he’d accumulated as a warrior and replaced it with his desire for vengeance. It was similar to a curse, trying to kill his opponent even if he had to die in the process.

Whaaap!

Raon pushed Siran’s fishing line back with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s fire and clenched his back teeth.

‘My will is to never be defeated.’

He should be able to grow even further if he could prevail against the murderous will trying to kill him.

“Hmph!”

Siran decreased the tension himself before the fishing line was snapped. He weakened the line and bounced the tackle at the same time to attack the tendon in Raon’s right arm.

Instead of using Heavenly Drive, which was pointed downwards, Raon used his left hand to draw the Blade of Requiem. He violently smacked the tackle with the ghastly blade, which absorbed the frost, and dashed towards Siran.

Whaaam!

Siran used his footwork to ride upon the river once again to maintain the advantageous distance.

‘He is fast, but… I’m even faster.’

Raon used Supreme Harmony’s Second Step, destroying the violent flow of water in the process.

He took his second step and advanced before the water surging towards the sky even started to fall. His vision darkened because of the rapid acceleration.

Since the Supreme Harmony Steps was connected to the versatile sword, it became more profound the better his swordsmanship improved. The Supreme Harmony Steps had become so much faster after becoming a Grandmaster, to the point that it could be called an evolution.

“Kuh!”

Siran realized that he couldn’t run away and swung his fishing rod with tremendous power.

Raon unleashed the Firewall toward the fishing rod that was cutting through the sky and falling towards him.

Whaaam!

The competition between the two huge powers created an immense shockwave engulfing the surrounding area. The huge tidal wave surging towards the sky made it look like the river had become an ocean.

Cring!

Siran continued his assault, surrounding the tidal wave with his aura. Raon’s vision was filled with the dark wall of water.

Raon executed the Crimson Slash towards the tidal wave rushing towards him like a giant’s hand.

Crack!

The red line of heat severed the center of the tidal wave where the aura was concentrated. Siran’s wavering eyes could be seen amid the wave that was being severed like a dream.

However, he gained distance again like the experienced warrior he was and swung his fishing rod, which was pulled back to his left side.

The hook was extended along the line that cut through the river, spreading its fiery pressure, seemingly capable of crushing a person’s heart.

Cring!

Raon immediately stabbed the hook with the Blade of Requiem in his left hand and let the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s aura that he had gathered in his hand’s mana circuits burst.

Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Thousand Flames

Flame Dragon Art

A flame dragon was born from the fire and let out its majestic roar. The flame breath advanced, evaporating the water in the process.

Booom!

The entire river was shaken from the violent clash between the Flame Dragon Art and Siran’s watery wave. The water started to flood all around the place.

“Kuh!”

Siran’s bloodlust intensified and became even colder as his grip on the fishing rod trembled in irritation.

Raon bit his lip slightly, meeting Siran’s distorted eyes.

‘I’ll even defeat your murderous will.’

* * *

Slash!

The South-North Union’s warriors approaching the boat sank under the river, their blood spreading across the surface, unable to fend off Rimmer’s strike.

Those who were approaching from the front on the right found their ship wrecked by Siyan’s water spirit before they could come close.

Leiran notched five arrows to her bow and fired them underwater.

The South-North Union’s warriors who were approaching from underwater floated onto the surface with arrows stuck in their heads.

In the meantime, Dorian used his duck foot-shaped oar to rescue all of the elves drowning in the river.

Everyone was so coordinated, without even talking to each other, thanks to having fought together against the Crimson Flame Demon.

“You got them all, right?”

Rimmer narrowed his eyes, examining the elves on the boat.

“Yes, we’ve rescued everyone.”

Leiran nodded, counting the number of the elves.

“I’m glad to hear that. I thought we were screwed.”

Rimmer breathed out a sigh of relief and shifted his gaze upstream.

Raon and Siran were fighting like a tiger and a dragon, running on the river as if they were stepping on the land.

‘What a shame…’

Since a powerful warrior using a fishing road was so rare, he regretted that he had to leave him to Raon because of his internal injury.

‘Wait, did I just think that it was a shame?’

Rimmer widened his eyes, thinking about his previous emotions.

‘When was the last time I felt this way?’

Even when his energy center was ruined, he’d never thought that it was a shame that he couldn’t fight against powerful warriors anymore.

That kind of emotion was something that he had only felt during his childhood. He couldn’t understand why he felt that way out of nowhere.

‘Could it be…’

Rimmer licked his lips, watching Raon’s back as he broke through all of Siran’s complicated attacks.

‘Is it because of his battle?’

He must’ve been excited because Raon had always fought his opponents head-on, without holding back in the slightest, no matter who they were and how powerful they were.

Rimmer raised his left hand and touched his right shoulder.

To be honest, he didn’t really want to use the prosthetic arm.

He’d practiced wielding a sword with his left hand, but he wasn’t too desperate with his training. He’d thought his life as a swordsman was over since his revenge was achieved.

However, that extinguished ember started to rise again in his heart as he watched the fight between Siran and Raon after fighting alongside him against the Crimson Flame Demon.

‘There was a saying like that…’

The one standing above others guides them with their back.

Raon had never told him to stand back up.

However, he seemed to be telling him to wield the sword again through his actions.

‘Is he really becoming the king’s vessel?’

Rimmer smiled, sitting comfortably on the boat.

‘It’s about time I retire from the front line. However… I shouldn’t live as a worn-out old man.’

* * *

Siran empowered his astral sphere by adding aura to the river’s waves. The wave of his aura violently emerged, connecting as fluently as the river.

Cring!

Raon weakened the grip of his right hand, which was holding Heavenly Drive. He severed the rampaging water according to its flow and cut down the astral sphere that Siran had created. It was the demonstration of his profound martial art, using his opponent’s power to his advantage.

“You arrogant bastard!”

Siran ground his teeth and made the fishing rod drop suddenly. The rod and the line seemed to bend casually, but an intense bloodlust was emanating from them.

The moment the fishing rod fell towards his shoulder, Raon focused the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation on his leg’s mana circuits, which were allowing him to step on the river.

He advanced while causing an explosion on the river, leaping into Siran’s space.

The aura surged from his lower energy center, connecting to his middle and upper energy centers and unleashing his extensive will. The determination to never be defeated blocked the fishing rod brimming with murderous intent.

Claaang!

The fishing rod and line were bounced back violently, but Siran’s attack wasn’t over yet. He simply budged his finger to control the tackle and the hook, aiming a strike at Raon’s back.

‘I’m used to it now.’

Raon had figured out how Siran was moving as their fight continued. He could tell how he was controlling his aura just from the look in his eyes.

Raon folded his shoulder towards his chest to dodge the hook and took another step towards Siran. A thick layer of water surged from the river to block his path, but he tore it apart with the Blade of Requiem’s ghastly energy.

Crack!

Heavenly Drive’s blade cut into Siran’s chest for the first time. It was a shallow wound, but the area around the cut was scorched dark from the heat.

“Kuh!”

Siran audibly ground his teeth from the intense pain.

“You bastard!”

He withdrew to the left and pulled the fishing rod from behind.

Raon fended off the fishing line with the Blade of Requiem and slashed downwards with Heavenly Drive, incorporating the principles of the Fangs of Insanity.

Claaang!

Siran’s fishing rod swayed to the point of breaking because it hadn’t received enough momentum.

Raon pressured Siran with sheer power, pushing the line with the Blade of Requiem and the rod with Heavenly Drive.

“Kuhuhu.”

When they were close enough to hear each other’s heartbeats, Siran twisted his lips.

“You finally came.”

“What?”

“It’s all over now!” Siran shouted, forcibly cutting off the fishing line.

With the taut line cut, the Blade of Requiem cut Siran’s waist sharply.

‘Why did he abandon his weapon?!’

Raon furrowed his brow, and Siran shook the river with the rod, a grin on his face. A sticky bloodlust burst from his old gaze once again.

Swaaa!

The entire width of Peren River rose, creating the shape of a huge dragon. The water dragon seemed to ascend to the sky and opened its dark jaw.

The water dragon fell with tremendous pressure, as if it were trying to destroy the entire river.

Every single scale incorporated an intense murderous will. It could explode a person’s body without even leaving a piece of flesh behind just by touching it.

‘So, this was what he was waiting for.’

Raon had thought that Siran was too agitated, but that wasn’t the case. He’d laid a trap and was waiting for Raon to take the bait.

‘Amazing.’

Raon was shocked by his patience—it had all been a ruse even though he was facing his grandson’s killer. He deserved to be the head elder of the South-North Union.

‘But you gave me too much already.’

Siran had given Raon many ideas during their battle. His martial art was thoroughly analyzed thanks to the Ring of Fire being at Eight-Stars and him being at the Grandmaster’s realm.

Cring!

Raon straightened Heavenly Drive as he gazed at Siran’s water dragon, which was huge enough to hide the sky.

He caught his breath, imagining the sword that could destroy the water dragon, the manifestation of Siran’s will. He pressed upon the river with his left foot and extended the Blade of Requiem upwards from his waist.

‘A grandson…’

The water dragon’s eyes, which were similarly distorted as Siran’s eyes, reminded him strangely of Glenn.

‘I wonder if he will avenge me if I die here? He probably won’t.’

Even though it was a sudden battle, it was a proper duel. Since Glenn was a warrior by nature, he would accept the result without trying to avenge him.

Raon agreed that it was the correct thing to do.

Glenn was more suitable for him than Siran.

He unleashed the full power of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier while thinking about Glenn, his sky and his goal.

“A river can’t reach the sky.”

Azure Sky Sword’s fourth technique, Heavenly Luminous Slash.

The majestic ray radiating from the tip of his sword pierced through the water dragon’s head where it was hiding in the sky. The haughty radiance of the blade reached the sky and spread its golden glow.

By the time the vast blue light illuminated the world again, a black axe came flying from the air.

‘Thats…!’

Raon raised the Blade of Requiem to defend himself, but the axe was falling towards Siran’s head.

Whaaam!

***

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]