Chapter 630

Raon furrowed his brow while looking at Wrath instead of the phoenix.

‘Why would you even roast it when it’s already burning?!’

How foolish.

Wrath clicked his tongue at his ignorance.

A phoenix’s meat is as soft as the highest-grade beef since it can revive after death. Moreover, you don’t even need to roast it since it’s already burning!

The intense drooling from his mouth implied that he had already tried roasted phoenix.

‘What have you even been eating…?’

Wrath had his tongue out like a puppy, and Raon pushed him away before looking at the phoenix again.

‘Since the phoenix is still here when the warriors at Grandmaster’s level should’ve passed before us… Are there separate spaces?’

Raon could guess that there were multiple paths starting from the second floor.

‘Regardless of the case, I can finally unseal the ring.’

He had requested the location of a phoenix from the Black Market in order to undo the seal of an old ring that he’d purchased when he was a trainee. He’d been waiting for a long time, and he finally got the chance.

‘By the way, that phoenix… Why is it so big? Has it been alive for over a thousand years?’

The phoenix in front of him was at least three times bigger than the one he’d encountered in his previous life, and the heat emanating from its wings was out of the ordinary.

Since phoenixes got stronger the longer they lived, just like other creatures, he could assume that it had lived for an extremely long time.

[You human vermin.]

The phoenix fiercely raised its wings, an intimidating glow spreading from its eyes. It felt like an invisible flame was tightening around the neck.

“D-did it just speak?!” Burren’s jaw dropped. He had never expected a phoenix to speak.

“He wasn’t speaking.” Raon shook his head, his gaze fixated on the phoenix. “He was using his will to deliver his intention.”

The phoenix had projected its malice toward every human around it by using its will. Since could use its will, its rank was at least in the Grandmaster realm.

[I’ll turn all of you into ash.]

The phoenix opened its blazing beak. Crimson flames sparked from a throat that was as dark as a bottomless pit. Even though it was far away, a tremendous amount of heat, capable of grilling one’s skin, was delivered.

“Aah…”

“Th-there’s no way we can defend against that!”

“It’s over. It’s all over now…”

The warriors couldn’t even budge a finger and stood completely still, terrified by the phoenix’s pressure.

However, the Light Wind Division was different.

Since they’d already experienced a fear surpassing the phoenix, they gripped their swords in order to survive.

“Open formation!” Burren ordered the swordsmen and stood at the center of the formation. The Barren Wind emerged violently and engulfed his surroundings.

“First team! Stick next to me!”

Martha activated Berserk and unsheathed her sword in front of the first team. The thick wall of astral energy bursting from her looked like it was trying to protect the Light Wind Division.

“Second team, fall back.” Runaan stood in front of the second team while quietly letting out her voice. A distant flower of frost bloomed from her beloved sword Snow Flower’s blade.

“I’ll take the front.” Mark Goetten grasped his saber with both hands and unleashed his astral energy while standing at the frontmost spot of the Large Light Wind Formation.

“If there’s already a phoenix on the second floor, I wonder what’s going to come next…?” Rimmer shook his head while letting out a sigh. Despite his complaint, his hand was placed on the hilt of his blade, ready to take action whenever he needed to.

Raon nodded while watching the Light Wind Division from behind.

‘They are finally getting decent.’

Even the Masters were panicking, but the Light Wind Division was preparing to overcome the crisis on their own, without hoping for Rimmer or Raon’s help.

It was worth doing the focus enhancement training for three weeks.

Swaaa!

The phoenix’s flame gushed down upon the Large Light Wind Formation. It was a dreadful sight, similar to lava from an erupting volcano falling from the sky.

“Give it everything you’ve got!”

Upon hearing Burren’s shout, the Light Wind Division inflamed their fighting spirit and further thickened the aura shield that was flickering in blue.

Whir!

The aura of the three team leaders soaked the edges of the Large Light Wind Formation, fortifying the wall even further.

The phoenix’s flame, rumored to even devour other flames, clashed against the best defensive formation of the Large Light Wind Formation.

Rumble!

The Large Light Wind Formation’s defensive ability was sturdy enough to ignore astral energy, but the phoenix’s aura even scorched the aura itself and started to crush the Light Wind Formation.

“It’s not over yet.”

“Endure it until the end!”

“We’re all going to die if a single one of us withdraws!”

The three team leaders, Runaan, Martha, and Burren, encouraged the swordsmen while Mark Goetten blocked the flame with his body from the very front.

However, the phoenix’s flames weren’t extinguished. They even reached right under their feet.

‘What a shame.’

Raon briefly licked his lips. The Light Wind Division might have managed to fend off the flame if they were slightly stronger. It was regrettable that they were defeated with only a small difference.

‘But you still did a good job.’

It naturally brought a smile to his face because he could see the Light Wind Division’s resolution, which was clearly different from before.

Raon smiled in satisfaction and extended his hand towards the phoenix’s flame.

What was unleashed from his energy center wasn’t the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation or Glacier. The crimson flame blazing beautifully was the flame that Ifrit had given to him.

Since the crimson flame had control over flames, the phoenix flame that was trying to devour the Light Wind Division was suddenly deflected and flew to the left.

Whaaam!

The clash between flames and lava created a huge explosion. A dark rain cloud full of ash floated to the sky.

[You bastard…]

The phoenix clattered its beck while looking at Raon.

[What did you just do?]

His twisted blue eyes were embodying the word panic.

[How can you use such a power…?]

“......”

Raon examined the phoenix’s feathers without giving any response.

‘Where’s the weakness?’

The golden feathers were the start and the end of a phoenix. Just like how a dragon had its fatal scale, a phoenix also has a feather that hides its weakness.

Raon activated the crimson flame, Evil Eye of Wrath, and the Perception of the Snow Flower at the same time.

The Ring of Fire resonated to enhance the three traits, and Raon could vividly feel the energy incorporated in the phoenix as if he were touching it.

‘Is it under the right wing?’

The feather under the wing had a weaker flame than the other spots, even if the difference was extremely faint. Raon could guess that it was the weakness.

[Tell me! How can you use such power despite being a mere human…?]

“I got it from my little brother.”

[L-little brother?]

The phoenix was confused, but Raon ignored it and executed the Supreme Harmony Steps. His leap looked like he was soaring to the sky, but he couldn’t reach the phoenix because it was too high up.

[How dare you!]

The phoenix sneered upon realizing that Raon couldn’t reach it and swung its wings. A rain of flame fell from the countless feathers.

‘I got you.’

Raon bit his lip tightly and jumped up by stepping on the air. It was the Master of the Abyssal Sword’s mid-air jump that he’d seen before entering that place.

[Kuh!]

The phoenix panicked and flew even higher by lifting its wings.

As a result, the phoenix was still far away despite Raon’s mid-air jump.

[What an idiot!]

The phoenix furrowed its brow, embarrassed by the fact that it was surprised by a human and spread its wings.

[I’ll incinerate you!]

It focused the flame at the tip of its beak, trying to take advantage of the fact that Raon couldn’t move mid-air.

The concentrated flame became a huge fireball and descended. The tremendous heat was even distorting the space.

Raon curled his lips into a smile while looking at the approaching fireball.

‘You must be thinking that it’s over, but… It’s only getting started now.

Raon placed his hand on the hilt of Heavenly Drive, hanging around his waist. He unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation while clenching his fist.

He focused on the inside of his body instead of the outside and awakened the mana circuits all around his body.

Cring!

While feeling the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s fire welling up in both his body and mind, he activated Aries’s space sword and Ogram’s Tidebreaker simultaneously.

Creak!

An intense pain similar to his brain tearing apart could be felt from simultaneously activating the two martial arts that he wasn’t used to.

However, it was time to endure the pain and advance. He unsheathed Heavenly Drive while making the rings of fire resonate with each other.

Slash!

The red blade soaring from the scabbard ignored the fireball unleashed by the phoenix and severed the part under its left wing.

[Kiaaah!]

The phoenix’s scream was so painful that it was difficult to believe that it was a simple slash on the wing. It started to fall straight down to the ground, as if it had lost consciousness from the intense pain.

‘It’s not dead yet.’

The execution of his sword technique wasn’t perfect because he was lacking in proficiency and had to dodge the fireball at the same time. The phoenix was still alive.

Raon made himself heavier to quickly land on the ground, then dashed toward the phoenix that was falling from the sky.

[Disappear!]

As expected of a mythical creature, the phoenix had already returned to its senses and created a wall of flame.

‘I’ve already predicted your moves.’

Raon pulled Heavenly Drive back and unsheathed the Blade of Requiem. He thrust the blade, its crimson edge shimmering with cascading blue sparks.

Swoosh!

The Blade of Requiem broke through the intense flame and violently pierced into the phoenix’s weakness again.

[Kiaaah!]

The phoenix’s eyes rolled to the other side, unable to withstand the pain. It seemed to have completely lost its sanity.

Raon didn’t miss the opportunity, thrusting Heavenly Drive from where he’d pulled it back in advance. The reddened line of heat severed the phoenix’s neck with a faint radiance.

Rumble!

The phoenix’s huge body was separated from the head and fell from the sky.

Wham!

The phoenix’s head fell into the lava, and its floundering body was half stretched across the land.

“Wow…”

“Ho-how many times did he swing his sword? Three times?”

“It was three times. He even killed a phoenix with three swings of his sword…”

“I can’t even call him a monster at this point.”

The Light Wind Division shook their heads at the ridiculous sight.

“I-is that Raon Zieghart…?”

“There is a good reason he’s called the Dragon Slayer.”

“Isn’t he going to get a new name again? Like, the Phoenix Slayer?”

“Are we really supposed to compete against a monster like that…?”

“I suddenly want to go back home…”

The other warriors had fallen on their asses and shook their heads at him.

[It’s not over yet!]

As everyone was gasping dejectedly, the phoenix’s voice could be heard again.

[You’ll never be able to get out of this place!]

“It’ll take over ten years for you to resurrect, though.”

Raon shook his head while looking at the lava, where the phoenix’s will was coming from.

The phoenix was a mythical creature that could revive, but it couldn’t immediately come back to life. According to Raon’s knowledge, it was reborn from one of its feathers of its previous body ten years after death, so he couldn’t understand why it was saying something like that.

[This place is special. I can be revived whenever I want to!]

The phoenix ground its teeth, saying that it wouldn’t be defeated by petty tricks anymore.

“Hmm…”

Raon bit his lip while gazing upon the lava.

‘In that case, it’s going to revive inside the lava.’

Even a phoenix couldn’t use its original power right after being revived. It was definitely going to resurrect itself inside the lava, where people couldn’t enter, and come out after regaining its power.

‘I would be able to defeat it easily if I knew which feather it would revive from… Hmm?’

Raon blinked while looking at the phoenix’s feathers, which were scattered all around the area.

‘What?’

Since the crimson flame was still activated, he could feel a faint flame blazing from every single one of the feathers. They weren’t ordinary flames but the life of the phoenix that he’d been fighting against until a moment ago.

‘Could it be…? Is it revived by using that life dwelling in the feathers?’

[Just you wait! I’ll completely incinerate you! I won’t leave even a single bone behind!]

The phoenix continuously showed its malice, frustrated by its death.

[I’ll follow you to the end of the world to melt you down! You’ll wish you would’ve died in lava instead!]

‘Could it be…?’

Raon ignored the phoenix and picked up one of the feathers from the ground.

Whir!

He mixed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the crimson flame, then delivered the heat into the flame inside the feather.

Whaap!

The feather suddenly started to tremble, and a huge sphere of fire soared high enough to reach the sky.

Creak!

The flame with a spherical shape, like an egg that was split in half, and a phoenix that was at around half the original size came out from the inside and dropped onto the ground.

[I’ll never let you escape… Peep?]

The phoenix exclaimed furiously, but suddenly made the sound of a chick and sharply raised its head. Its beak was trembling intensely, revealing its panic.

[Wh-what?! Why am I here…?]

“It really worked.”

Raon’s lips curved into a smile as he looked into the phoenix’s trembling eyes.

“What did you say just now? Can you say it again?”

[Ah…]

* * *

Caiyan, the phoenix, parted its beak while looking at Raon’s bright smile.

‘How is this even happening…?’

It was preparing to revive inside the lava, but its mind was suddenly dragged outside and it was revived against its will.

It wanted to stop it, but the process was uncontrollable, like a storm engulfing it.

[Wh-what just happened and how? I wasn’t planning to revive yet!]

“Ah, that was my doing.” The cheeky human waved his hand.

[What do you mean?! How could you revive me?!]

“I just tried, and it worked.”

[That doesn’t even make any sense! Stop lying!]

“Then let’s try it again.”

The human shook his hand with a grin. The world split apart in an instant, and a stinging pain could be felt on his neck.

[Kieeeh!]

A tremendous pain arrived after that, and its vision went dark. After some time, its mind could feel its presence once again.

‘Haa, it was just a dream. It was a terrifying dream despite being short.’

A human forcing it to revive was just ridiculous, even for a dream. It was glad that it had never happened in reality.

‘I must’ve been too nervous.’

Caiyan figured that it had a nightmare because it was unexpectedly defeated. It resolved that the next fight would be different and was about to sense the feather’s energy inside the lava.

It suddenly couldn’t move its soul anymore, feeling like it was being pulled outside.

‘I-it can’t be…?’

Caiyan tried to stop it somehow, but there was nothing it could do. It was sucked outside as if its feathers were grabbed and pulled.

[Peep?]

When it opened its eyes, the cheeky human was waving his hand.

“See?”

[Aah…]

Caiyan’s jaw dropped as it looked at Raon.

“It looks like you still don’t believe me. Shall I do it one more time?”

[N-no! Wait, I belie—]

Smack!

Its vision went dark once again.

* * *

In the silent land, where the gray fog was covering the area like a tent, Delpros was sitting on an antique chair that was out of place in the scenery with his eyes closed. The aura squirming around him was powerful enough to smash steel, which implied that he wasn’t simply resting.

His aura rampaged as violently as a storm, but it subsided and was polished sharply as the time passed then returned to Delpros.

“This should be enough.”

Just as Delpros nodded in satisfaction with a smile on his face, a black shadow surged up from behind him.

“Sir Delpros.” The Shadowed Serpent Division Leader lowered his head at Delpros. “All of the important figures have gone down to the third floor. Their injuries have aggravated, and their mental fatigue seems to have doubled.”

“How about fatalities?”

“Many of them are injured, but almost none of them have died.” He nodded, saying that it was proceeding according to the plan.

“Then what happened to him?”

“What…?”

The Shadowed Serpent Division leader immediately understood who he was talking about, but he pretended he didn’t with trembling lips.

“I’m talking about Raon Zieghart.”

“H-he is currently fighting.”

“He must be having a hard time if he is still fighting.” Delpros nodded with a faint smile on his face. “I told you, fire resistance doesn’t matter against the phoenix’s flame.”

“Th-that’s not it.”

“What?”

“Uhh…”

The Shadowed Serpent division leader bit his lip, showing that he didn’t really want to talk about it.

“Tell me already.”

“H-he is using the phoenix to train.” He clutched his head, unable to believe it even though he’d just said it himself.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

The gilded teacup that Delpros was holding was smashed into pieces.

“I-it’s true. He is killing the phoenix and reviving it again to practice fighting…”

“Do you think that makes any sense?”

“I’m not lying. I can’t tell for sure, but it looked like Raon Zieghart could determine where the phoenix would be revived.”

“…Give it to me.”

He extended his hand, and the Shadowed Serpent Division leader handed over a spherical crystal ball. He shoved his aura inside it, and an image was shown inside.

Whir!

It was a lava field where flames were covering both the sky and the land. A phoenix was born from a small feather. It spread its huge wings, revealing its imposing figure and overwhelming its surroundings.

[Kieeh!]

The swordsmen wearing black uniforms rushed at the phoenix together and started to beat it up.

[Kiaah!]

The phoenix rampaged while screaming, but it couldn’t unleash its original power and collapsed because it had just revived. After that, a handsome man with blond hair and red eyes picked up a feather from the ground and gripped it. He set the feather on fire, and the phoenix was revived.

This time, the swordsmen from the other side came to the phoenix and started to fight it.

Clang!

Delpros lost strength in his grip and dropped the crystal ball, his head trembling in shock.

“What the hell is wrong with them…?”

* * *

“Next up is the second team.” Raon nodded his head at Runaan, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Yeah.” Runaan stepped forward with the second team’s swordsmen.

Raon incorporated the feather with the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s energy and threw it away. A powerful flame burst from the feather, and the phoenix was born.

[Y-you bastards! Stop it!]

“Let’s go.” Runaan advanced, scattering silver frost around.

Slash!

The phoenix’s feathers were completely frozen because it hadn’t recovered its strength yet. While the phoenix was immobilized, the second team’s swordsmen dashed at it from all directions and swung their swords.

Smack! Smack!

The phoenix unleashed its flames and flapped its wings, but the Light Wind Division was able to pierce into the fire without much difficulty since it was in a weakened state.

[Kueeh!]

The phoenix was beaten up by the second team and rolled on the ground, its feathers pulled out.

[St-stop! Please stop…]

The phoenix shook its head, begging for them to stop.

[This is almost my twentieth death already! This is too painful, even for me!]

He shouted, telling them to please stop.

“Hmm…”

Raon licked his lips while looking at the phoenix, which was almost begging for mercy at that point.

“We still didn’t get our turn!” Burren raised his hand.

“Division leader! I’d like to fight it one-on-one!” Mark Goetten raised his hand, saying that he wanted to try it alone.

“That’s what they say.” Raon shook his finger at the phoenix. “Let’s think about it after they are done.”

[W-wait!]

Raon cut the phoenix down and grabbed the feather again. He injected flames into the feather, and the phoenix was born again.

[Kiaah!]

Raon pointed his finger while watching the phoenix being born with a scream instead of a roar.

“I leave it to you.”

“Let’s go!”

[Please stop!]

Burren dashed at the revived phoenix soon after that, and the phoenix shook its wings with teary eyes.

[I’m going to kill myself if you keep doing this. I’m serious! I’m really going to kill myself!]

The phoenix flailed its wings, saying that it was going to end itself.

You are using a phoenix as for teaching material…

Wrath gasped while watching the crying phoenix.

Calling you a demon would be a compliment! You crazy bastard!

‘It’s better than eating the phoenix.’

Raon was murmuring that he was better than Wrath at least, but he could hear the phoenix’s crying shout.

[I’d rather be eaten! You evil fiends!]

“......”

***

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]